Warriors of Gor (Gorean Saga) by John Norman

Author:John Norman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2022-08-29T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifty-Seven

“At least they are weary of calling for her blood,” said Hemartius.

“Throats grow hoarse, fatigue sets in,” I said.

It was the third day of the trial of Talena of Ar. Dozens of hostile witnesses, virulent in attitude and speech, had testified against her. Similarly, hundreds of documents had been entered into the court records, certified as uniformly negative. Indeed, these documents seem to have been selected with negativity in mind, and, apparently, they were the major source from which witnesses had been selected.

“How many death threats have you received today?” I asked.

“Seven,” he said.

“That is far less than the sixty-two you received on the first day,” I said.

“At this point,” said Hemartius, “I may be on the brink of immortality.”

The trial was being held in the Theater of Publius, a classic structure noted for its beauty and acoustics, with its orchestra area, currently overcrowded with jurors, not choruses and supporting assemblies of dancers; its deep, generous proscenium, or stage, on which famed artists and popular actors had performed, such as Andreas of Tor and Milo of Ar; and semi-circular banks of high tiers.

I glanced about the theater.

On the deep, broad stage of the theater, above and before the orchestra area housing the jury, were five things, the throne of the high judge, the table of the prosecution, the table of the defense, the dais of questioning, and the dock, a cage, in which the defendant was held. The tables of the prosecution and defense faced the throne of the high judge. The dais of questioning and the dock faced the orchestra area.

On the seat of the high judge, also facing the orchestra area, raised several feet in the air, that one must feel overshadowed, intimidated, and awed before it, so arranged that one must look upward to its lofty precincts as might a child to an adult, reposing in dark-robed splendor, suggesting the might, gravity, and solemnity of the law, was gigantic, bearded Marlenus of Ar himself. Although our eyes met from time to time I did not think, to my surprise, that he recognized me.

Interestingly, Pa-Kur, despite the previous outlawing of Assassins in Ar, was now not only seen publicly in Ar, but was now sitting behind the prosecutor’s table, at the very side of Decius Albus. Who could ask for a better evidence of their collegiality? Surely this went far beyond the general amnesty which had been instituted in Ar to open her gates to criminals and exiles who might then bring the fugitive Ubara to Ar without fear for their own lives. But now Talena was in custody. Under these conditions should not the liberties of the amnesty have been promptly revoked? But they had not been. Why not? Why had Marlenus not acted in this matter? And what now, given the loss of two wagons laden with gold, might be the interest of Pa-Kur in the trial of Talena of Ar?

But did Marlenus truly not recognize me? This seemed odd to me. Yesterday evening I had mentioned the matter to Grendel.

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