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.It staggers.It reels.Suchgenerosity would give pause to even the most robust avarice. We obtained the money with little effort, I said. It is not as though avillage of peasants had hoed suls for it, for a century, or anything. I am relieved to hear it, said Boots. I had been much concerned with that. Indeed, I said, it is, in a sense, purloined treachery money, from traitorsin Ar. Magicians of Gor It is my duty to accept it? asked Boots. Certainly your right, I said. Perhaps I might be persuaded to accept it, he said, for the arts. Be persuaded then, I said, for the arts. Done! said he. Excellent, I said. The arts and I thank you, he said. You are welcome, I said, all of you. We clasped hands. I can double this overnight at the gaming tables, he said. But do not do so until after delivering the Home Stone to Port Cos, I said.He looked at me, stricken. Yes, I said, sternly. Very well, he said.We then again clasped hands.In a moment Boots had hurried off.(pg.413) The Home Stone must reach Port Cos, said Marcus. You can help to assure it, I said. You will travel with them, as I oncePage 284 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldid, as a roustabout, leaving tomorrow evening. I am pleased, said Marcus, that we managed to persuade him to accept themoney. It was difficult, I said. But we won out. Largely, said Marcus, it was due to your persuasive powers. Come now, I said. You were quite persuasive yourself. Do you think so? he asked. Certainly, I said. I was afraid for a time he would refuse to accept the fortune we urged uponhim. Magicians of Gor Yes, I agreed. It was nip and tuck for a time. But that business about the arts, said Marcus. That is what did it. Yes, I said. That is his weak spot. What now? he asked. I must arrange for a message to be delivered to Appanius, I said, tomorrowmorning. CHAPTER 24STAFFS AND CHAINS You understand what to do? I asked her. Yes, Master, said Lavinia, kneeling beside me.She trembled, slightly.I looked down at her.She was now in a short cloak, held about her neck, and,under it, in a tiny, loose, beltless rep-cloth tunic, fastened only at theleft shoulder.The cloak, held as it was, concealed her collar.She was now inthe collar that read RETURN ME TO TARL, AT THEINSULAOF TORBON. She was thus now well identified as my slave.The tunic sfastening at her left shoulder was a disrobing loop.That was important.Iwished her to be able to disrobe on an instant s notice. The timing of these events is extremely important, I said. Yes, Master, she whispered. If you do not do well, I said, I will have you fed to sleen. She looked at me, white-faced. I will, I said.(pg.414) I will do my best, Master, she said.I had made certain, in my rehearsals, that she could remove both cloak andtunic expeditiously.Marcus, sitting to one side, sharpening his sword, lifted his head. That is the fifth Ahn, he said.I nodded.We could hear the bars, even at a distance of over a pasang.We were in a room in the Metellan district.I had sealed the shutters, andblocked them, on the inside, so that no one might, from the outside, throughthe cracks, observe what occurred in the room.In the center of the room therewas a large couch, a round couch, some seven or eight feet in diameter.It waswell cushioned, and covered with furs, and was soft and inviting.At onepoint, in its sides, there was a slave ring.We had set a small table near thecouch, bearing a decanter of wine, with glasses, and a small, tasteful arrayof sweets.The room was lit with a small tharlarion-oil lamp.I had alreadytested the apparatus in the adjoining room.It was activated by a simplewooden lever, and the weights would do the rest.I had also brought along someother articles, which I thought might prove useful.Magicians of Gor You informed the slave, I said to Lavinia, that the plan had been advanced,and that he was now to be here at half past the fifth Ahn? Yes, Master, she said. He thinks that is the new time of the assignation? Page 285 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Yes, Master, she said. And he has not had time to convey this information to his master, as far asyou know. I should not think so, Master, she said. He will then presumably regard it as his work to keep the free woman, whoevershe turns out to be, here untilAppanius and the magistrates arrive. I would think so, Master, she said. Which arrival, as he understands it, will be in the neighborhood of a halfpast the sixth Ahn? Yes, Master, she said. Good, I said.The original time of the assignation, conveyed to the slave,which he, in turn, would have conveyed to his master, was the seventh Ahn.Accordingly the master, and presumably two magistrates, who would act asofficial witnesses and be officers versed in certain matters, would wish toarrive early, presumably about half past the sixth Ahn, or, at any rate, at adecent interval before the seventh Ahn.The free woman (pg.415) might very well, of course, not appear precisely at the seventh Ahn.Shemight prefer to let her putative lover wait, perhaps torturing himself withanxieties and doubts as to her intent to appear at all.This is very differentfrom a slave, of course.The slave must be instantly ready to serve themaster, and at so little as a whistle, a gesture or a snapping of the fingers. But, I said, I have sent a message to Appanius myself, an anonymousmessage, on which I think he will act
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