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.He was flanked by officers of the Tuchuks, commanders of Thousands,mounted as he was and armed.He turned his kaiila to face the city and itreared and he lifted his shield on his left arm and his lance in his rightfist."I want the blood of Saphrar of Turia," he cried.It had, of course, been the Tuchuk turn.One makes a pretext of seriously besieging a city, spending several days,sometimes weeks, in the endeavor, and then, apparently, one surrenders thesedge and withdraws, moving away slowly with the wagons and bask for some daysin this case four and then, the bask and wagons removed from probable danger,swiftly, in a single night, under the cover of darkness, sweeping back to thecity, taking it by surprise.|It had worked well.Much of Turia was in flames.Certain of the Hundreds, delegated the task, hadimmediately, almost before the alarm bars could sound, seized many of thewells, granaries and Ipublic buildings, including the very palace of Phanius Turmus itself.TheUbar, and Kamras, his highest officer, had fallen captive almost immediately,each to a Hundred set that purpose.Most of the High Council of Turia, too,now re- ~posed in Tuchuk chains.The city was largely without leader- Ifile:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of.ounter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt (170 of 238) [1/20/03 3:28:28 AM]file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of%20Counter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt ship, though here and there brave Turians had gathered Iguardsmen and men-at-arms and determined civilians and sealed off streets,forming fortresses within the city against the invaders.The compound of theHouse of Saphrar, how-ever, had not fallen, protected by its numerous guardsmen and its high walls,nor had the tower elsewhere that sheltered the tarn cots and warriors ofHa-Keel, the mercenary fromPort KarlKamchak had taken up quarters in the palace of PhaniusTurmus, which, save for the looting and the ripping down of tapestries, thewanton defacing of wall mosaics, was un-harmed.It was from this place that he directed the occupa-tion of the city.Harold, after the Tuchuks had entered the city, insisted on squiring the youngwoman home whom he had encountered under the wagon, and, for good measure, thewine vendor and potter as well.I accompanied him, stopping only long enoughto rip away most of the upper portions of the baker's tunic and rinse the dyefrom my hair in a street fountain.Ihad no wish to be brought down with a Tuchuk arrow in the streets as a Turiancivilian.Also I knew many of the Tuchuks were familiar with my perhaps toored hair and might, seeing it, generously retain from firing on its owner.Itseemed to me that for once my hair might actually prove useful, a turnabout Icontemplated with pleasure.Do not take me wrong, I am rather fond, on thewhole, of my hair, it is merely that one must, to be objective about suchmatters, recognize that it has, from time to time, involved me in variousdifficulties beginning about my fourth year.Now, however, it might not hurtat all to be promptly and accu-rately identified by means of it.When I lifted my head from the fountain in the Turian street Harold cried outin amazement, "Why you ARE TartCabot!""Yes," I had responded.Page 165 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAfter we had taken the girl and the potter and wine vendor to whatever safetytheir homes might afford, we set out for the House of Saphrar, where, aftersome examination of the scene, I convinced myself there was nothing immedi-ately to be done.It was invested by better than two of theThousands.No assault of the place had yet begun.Doubtless rocks and largepieces of building stone had already been piled behind the gates.I couldsmell tharlarion oil on the walls, waiting to be fired and poured on those whomight attempt to dig at the walls or mount ladders against them.Occasional arrows and crossbow bolts were exchanged.One thing troubled me.The standing wall about the compound kept the Tuchuk bowmen far enough fromthe roof of the keep within that tarns might, without too great a danger,enter and leave the compound.Saphrar, if he chose, could escape on tarnback.As yet, cut off, he probably had no way of knowing how serious his danger was.Within he undoubt-edly had ample food and water to withstand a long siege.It seemed to me hecould fly with safety when he chose, but that he had merely not yet chosen.I then wished to proceed immediately to the palace ofPhanius Turmus, where Kamchak had set up his headquar ters, to place myself athis disposal, but Harold insisted rather on trooping about the city, here andthere examining pockets of Turian resistance."Why?" I asked.file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of.ounter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt (171 of 238) [1/20/03 3:28:28 AM]file:///F|/rah/John%20Norman/Chronicles%20of%20Counter-Earth%204%20-%20Nomads%20of%20Gor.txt"We owe it to our importance," he said."Oh," I said.At last it was night and we were malting our way through the streets of Turia,sometimes between burning buildings.We came to a high, walled structure and began walking about it.I could hear occasional shouts inside.Also, at one point, the wailing ofwomen carried to my ears."What place is this?" I asked."The palace of Phanius Turmus," he said."I heard the crying of women," I said."Turian women," said Harold, "taken by Tuchuks." Then he added, "Much of therichest booty of Turia lies behind these walls."I was astonished when, at the gate to the palace of PhaniusTurmus, the four Tuchuk guards smote their lances three times on their leathershields.The lance strikes the shield once for the commander of a Ten; twicefor the commander of a Hundred; three times for the commander of a Thou-sand."Pass, Commanders," said the chief of the four guards, and they steppedaside.Naturally I inquired of Harold, shortly after entering, the meaning of theguards' salutation.I had expected to be challenged and then perhaps, if allwent well, wrangled inside on some stratagem dreamed up by Harold on the spurof, the moment."It means," remarked Harold, looking about the court-yard, "that you have the rank of a Commander of a Thou-sand.""I don't understand," I said."It is a gift of Kamchak," said Harold."I suggested it as appropriate in viewof your manly, if somewhat clumsy, efforts at the gate.""Thank you," I said
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