Tal Goreans,
Greetings visitors,

Welcome once again to the Booknotes column.

Welcome once again to the Booknotes column. It’s all been happening for Tarl Cabot, with some good stuff and some bad to weigh in the balance. On the credit side, he has finally achieved the mission he set out into the Barrens for: he has made contact with Half-Ear, the Kur general known as Zarendargar, whom he wished to warn of a death sentence made against him. And on the debit side, Tarl’s current hosts, the Kaiila people, have suffered a major disaster when their festival camp was attacked by an unholy alliance of Yellow Knives, Kinyanpi, white mercenaries and Kurii. Not good. A couple of his associates have taken turns for the better, on a strictly personal level: Cuwignaka, “Woman’s Dress,” has found a cause that he is prepared to fight for and so proven himself courageous after all, and that his earlier pacifist stance with respect to the Fleer tribe was motivated by ethics and not cowardice; and Hci, having been betrayed by his shield while acquitting himself bravely during the late battle, has convicted himself of lying, and having made a clean breast of things is now repentant and ready to mend his ways. However, there is yet a mountain to climb, so we had better delay no longer in turning for the fifth time to Blood Brothers of Gor.

Chapter Thirty-Six

A pit is dug and a female slave is made to climb into it, while Tarl watches the skies. We have yet to learn why.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

While in the pit and waiting for something important to happen, Tarl and the slave Mira are not too busy to engage in a spot of the customary master/slave byplay, largely at Mira’s instigation. When he begins to find her teasing behaviour an irritation, he disciplines her by forcing her to chew Sip root. This contains the active ingredient of Gor’s magic and infallible contraceptive, which is an interesting piece of background information although on this occasion he only does it because the root is bitter. Having thus disciplined her, Tarl amuses himself with her for a short while, before using her for the purpose for which the pit was dug: as tarn bait. Obviously he does not intend to waste a perfectly agreeable slave girl by letting a tarn make a meal of her, but this may be small comfort to her during the terrifying episode. (Again to reassure those readers who believe that Gor books constitute one long round of abuse of females, it must be noted that Tarl, Cuwignaka and Hci do ensure that Mira does not come to harm. That said, the reader is discouraged from attempting a similar experiment involving Earth wildlife, unless he really does know his business as well as Tarl knows his.)

The end result of this is that they capture a tarn, no doubt as part of an effort against the Kinyanpi to be undertaken shortly.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Mira, through her natural response to her fear, has made the capture of the tarn more difficult, for which she will be mildly punished by the three men, but perhaps not too severely; bravery is not a usual attribute of kajirae, although, to be sure, many have at some time or another displayed remarkable courage. Hci, who now accepts Tarl as a friend and equal, opines that this slow, difficult and dangerous work is not going to yield enough tarns for anything like parity with the Kinyanpi within some months, but Tarl hints that he has some other plan in mind.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

To her dismay Mira finds that her excellent service to the three men does not spare her from another stint as tarn bait, which proves quite as terrifying as before although Tarl congratulates her on an improved performance and promises her a lighter punishment in consequence. She is not best pleased by his jesting suggestion to market her as a trained tarn-bait girl. Still, she articulates her feelings, both formerly as a free woman and now as a slave, and seems to be adapting very well to her new life; and we should remark that it is exceedingly rare for a woman who passes through Tarl’s hands to end up unhappy with her lot.

But such matters are put aside when another tarn is spotted overhead, and apparently interested in the activity on the ground. Their first thought is that the Kinyanpi have found them and the element of secrecy has been lost. They are mystified when the tarn lands and then learn to their unmixed horror that it carries half a rider - the upper torso and all associated members having been torn bodily away. Hci and Cuwignaka are both stricken with superstitious dread, believing that nothing mortal could have done such a deed, but Tarl is not slow to point out the positives; they now have tarns enough for their plan, and the recent arrival is moreover a trained tarn which not only reduces the amount of training they need do by one-third but will itself be useful in training the other two. So Mira to her joy learns that her time as tarn-bait is done, and happily gets on with destroying the pit.

Tarl meanwhile discusses the strange affair with the two Red Savages, both of whom are afraid that this murder was the work of Wakanglisapa, “the Medicine Tarn.” As evidence they show Tarl an extremely large black feather, which he looks over with interest. He takes it with them; but the other two are afraid that the Medicine Tarn will avenge the theft, and are uneasy.

Chapter Forty

Tarl and company return once again to the compound of the Waniyanpi, the “Sames,” the pacifist vegetable farmers who live in the Barrens on sufferance and deny the difference between the sexes. They are made welcome by Pumpkin, a man of the Waniyanpi, but are much resented by Radish, a somewhat mannish female who would clearly make herself the leader of the Sames if she could. It doesn’t help matters that they have a slave girl in their midst and bring news of a pair of ex-Waniyanpi who were thrown out for the crime of being sexually attracted to each other.

To Radish’s dismay (and doubtless as Tarl had intended) the Waniyanpi women, with the singular exception of Radish, find themselves identifying with Mira and aping her behaviour. Matters are quickly building to quite a ferment when a party of Yellow Knives arrive at the compound. Since Tarl and the two Kaiila are enemies, Radish fears that the Yellow Knives will punish the Waniyanpi for making them welcome, and is all for handing their guests over. Pumpkin however will have none of this. Instead he himself slays the two Yellow Knives, who must certainly have been expecting nothing but meek compliance.

The Waniyanpi cease to be Sames in that moment, beginning with Pumpkin who takes the new name of Seibar. He confronts Radish, who seems to have been the most active in promoting the Waniyanpi “Teaching,” with the enormity of the antibiological programming she has been foisting on the rest of them, and he forces her to confront the realities of her gender. Faced with a deserved death sentence for her own cruelties, she begs Mira to intercede for her and is granted leave to pronounce herself slave. She is able to convince Seibar to give her his collar, and she starts a trend among the remainder of the Waniyanpi.

When the dust settles and all the female Waniyanpi are willingly enslaved, Tarl discusses some plans with Seibar. He is all for it (whatever the plans are; we are not told for the present) and, that settled, Tarl and company take their leave of Seibar, who has a new slave to enjoy.

Chapter Forty-One

Wakanglisapa is further discussed. Hci is convinced that the Medicine Tarn is on their track and will come to avenge the theft of his feather sooner or later. Tarl attempts to reason Hci out of his superstition but is forced to admit that he cannot prove the non-existence of the medicine world from logical principles and empirical observation, and indeed makes the internal concession that it is possible that such could exist. However, he doesn’t plan to rid himself of the feather any time soon.

Chapter Forty-Two

As the Red Savages raid each other for kaiila, so Tarl, Hci and Cuwignaka raid the Kinyanpi for tarns by night. Unfortunately the Kinyanpi, while by no means Gor’s most talented tarnsmen, are well able to mount a chase - better able than the three conspirators are to outrun them. Tarl now puts the feather to good use while the other two make the best of their escape. Brandishing it like a talisman, he hopes to intimidate the five Kinyanpi into breaking off their pursuit. However, matters appear destined to backfire when their nerve holds, no doubt in hope of capturing the medicine feather for their own use. Then, just as Tarl was about to embark on a desperate fight against odds, the Kinyanpi flee in apparent terror of something behind him; but when Tarl turns to look, he sees nothing there.

Hci finds this interesting; he sees nothing unusual in Tarl’s inability to see the Medicine Tarn, since such creatures can make themselves visible or not as they please. He hazards a guess that Wakanglisapa may actually be Tarl’s ally, and so did not slay him for possession of the feather. The conversation then turns to their plans for war; their hope for allies (among the Dust Legs, the Fleer and the Sleen), which is not great; and the appointment of a war chief, which is likely to be Hci who, for all his earlier ill-conduct, is a warrior and leader of no small merit.

Chapter Forty-Three

Tarl and friends make a visit to the Yellow Knife camp and there observe Bloketu and Iwoso, the one formerly the slave of the other and now with their stations reversed. Iwoso is much enjoying the change and indulges herself with a logic trap or two at the expense of her hapless slave. But Tarl and the other two are not there merely to eavesdrop on women’s talk, but instead break into their lodge and quickly effect their capture. They are soon bound and gagged, tied in slave sacks though with their heads exposed, and Tarl cheerfully discusses the progress of his plans in their hearing. Iwoso manages to plead to have her gag loosened, as it is uncomfortable, and as Tarl is dragging her away behind his kaiila she manages to free it entirely and yells something to the pursuing Yellow Knives. He has his escape planned though and soon the three men and their captives are tarn-mounted and making good their flight.

Then a strange incident occurs. Tarl notices a big black tarn approaching. He and it circle each other for a short while before landing, whereupon Tarl greets it as an old friend and remarks, “It has been a long time.”

Chapter Forty-Four

Bloketu and Iwoso are tied to whipping posts, although not in whipping position, to undergo judgment and punishment for their several crimes against the Kaiila. The only crumb of comfort Iwoso has comes when she is able to wheedle the date out of Tarl, though she tries not to look smug. Instead she tries to engage Tarl’s attention by advertising uncontrollable desire for her master’s touch, but he only kicks the matter up to Hci who is the one who has claimed her by right of capture. So she finds herself forced to pay intimate attention to Hci whether she likes it or not. Of course both men know very well what she is up to. She is trying to delay them until an ambush arrives at the Council Rock, having been made privy to their plans by Tarl’s boasting in the previous chapter, and having passed the news on in a language he did not speak. But when the attack arrives, moments later, they do not seem much discomfited by her crowing. Instead they assure her that the whole thing was a set-up.

Such it is. Firstly the mounted Yellow Knives find the going difficult on the trail to the camp, which has been artificially narrowed with just such purpose; and then the ambushed become the ambushers with much dumping of heavy rocks from great heights, arrow fire, and such pleasantries. The attackers’ losses become heavy, but they have been infuriated into pressing their attack even in unfavourable circumstances. A whole series of admirably effective stratagems are turned upon them, such as an arrow storm with extremely plentiful ammunition, and the body count continues to pile up.

A lull in the proceedings affords time for some byplay between Hci and Iwoso. She seems to waver back and forth between revulsion for Hci and a desire to submit helplessly to him. Still, she is not yet officially a slave, though by the end of the day she is as nude as one. As for the battle, the white mercenary captain has now taken charge of proceedings and there is no further assault by day. But Tarl guesses that a night attack is to come.

Chapter Forty-Five

A silent ascent of the cliff-face to the Kaiila camp would be difficult in the day, and by expert climbers; by night, by men trained as cavalry, it is hardly to be believed that it can be managed, as some men must surely fall and the best-disciplined of them will scream. Yet there are men on the cliff-top before any such sounds are heard, and it is only when fighting is joined that Tarl discovers why; the climbers have gagged themselves in hopes to ensure surprise. Unfortunately for them, Tarl has out-thought his opposite number, and the mercenaries are driven off with, once again, severe losses.

Chapter Forty-Six

On the following day a combined assault is undertaken by Yellow Knives and mercenaries. They carry pavises to protect themselves from the comparatively weak Red Savages shortbow, and are able to press their attack. However, once again the defenders have a surprise ready. This time a picked band of them lower themselves on ropes to attack the enemy rear, which they do to great effect, and as the reader is by now beginning to expect, the attackers sustain severe losses.

Chapter Forty-Seven

The third day dawns with the expectation of an assault by all of the enemy together: Yellow Knives, mercenaries, Kurii and Kinyanpi. Tarl assures them that Kurii are as mortal as anyone, though Hci is far from convinced. But as Kinyanpi are seen in the distance, Wakanglisapa makes its first daytime appearance. It is - as the reader might have suspected - none other than Ubar of the Skies, Tarl’s first-ever tarn and the one he rode to success in the glorious tarn race in Assassin of Gor. (It was subsequently used by Elizabeth Cardwell when she took flight rather than be returned to Earth, whereupon Tarl drove it away; it has never been seen since.) He quickly saddles it, or at any rate puts a girth-rope on it, and prepares for his own private war.

Your summariser wrote previously of the Kinyanpi as being the one-eyed men in the kingdom of the blind. But now they are up against a two-eyed man, and a master of his craft at that. It is hardly necessary to detail what follows. One of the best tarnsmen on Gor, astride unquestionably the best tarn, can do much as he pleases with these enthusiastic amateurs, and within a short time their enthusiasm is gone, and so are they.

The battle below pauses for a single combat between Sardak, leader of the Death Squad, and his intended prey, the terrible Zarendargar. It is brief and to the point. There will be no execution today. Then the battle becomes a rout as the Yellow Knives see their medicine creature defeated, and the Medicine Tarn fighting for the enemy, and the arrival of Dust Legs, Sleen and Fleer, all impelled by the treachery of the Yellow Knives in allying with white men and so betraying the Memory.

The battle done, Tarl frees Ubar of the Skies, to resume its mastery of the skies over the Barrens. He has no further need for the tarn and no wish to bracket it with a slave girl, as something to be possessed and owned. As for Iwoso, she can now abandon all hope of rescue.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Iwoso, temporarily enslaved, gets a taste of her own logic-trap medicine from Hci, who amuses himself with a couple of have-you-stopped-beating-your-wife questions at her expense as she had done to Bloketu. He then pronounces both women free, that they may be judged as such.

Chapter Forty-Nine

And, on being found guilty, both are sentenced to be thrown from the cliffs, which comes as a surprise to Iwoso, who was expecting to be enslaved.

Chapter Fifty

Both however do indeed beg for slavery on the way to execution, and specifically Bloketu begs for Cuwignaka’s collar and Iwoso for Hci’s. They are given suitably demeaning names to mark their new status, and the matter is then done with.

Chapter Fifty-One

The Fleer bring in the one remaining Kur previously unaccounted for, which is taken for an audience with Zarendargar.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Alfred, the captured white mercenary captain, pleads with the now-free Tarl for an honourable death in combat, and is granted it.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Tarl, having acquired a red-haired slave girl, enjoys her for a while and then has her delivered to Grunt.

Chapter Fifty-Four

The author recovers from shortchapteritis for a brief while, and ties up some plot threads, introducing us to a previously-unknown son that Grunt has among the Dust Legs, promising a whole new future for the trader as well as explaining how the Dust Legs came to join the battle. Meanwhile, a young war chief seeks out Cuwignaka. It is known among them how a young man was heard to say that he had no quarrel with the Fleer - and this is why they came to help, bringing the Sleen with them, for they had for their part no quarrel with Cuwignaka. Still, the various parties assure Tarl that there is no likelihood of a lasting peace - and everyone involved, save perhaps Cuwignaka, prefers it that way.

It is expected that Cuwignaka, “Woman’s Dress,” and Hci, “Scar,” will now choose new names for themselves. Instead they opt to wear their formerly opprobrious names with pride. Meanwhile, the two white men who troubled Tarl so long ago in Kailiauk, Max and Kyle Hobart, are given to Grunt, who decides to free them and employ them to help him back to civilization with the fruits of his trading. As for the red-haired slave mentioned in the previous chapter, she has been traded to Canka and then to Mahpiyasapa, thus clearing up the unpleasantness over the slave Winyela who was originally intended for Mahpiyasapa until Canka got there first.

As to the Waniyanpi, these are Sames no more, and their compound is now held at a peppercorn rent from the Kaiila under the leadership of Seibar. They will make their way as free farmers able to trade as they see fit with Red Savages. This is because they provided a place for the secret training of Kaiila tarnsmen during the preceding months. But Tarl has unfinished business with Zarendargar.

Chapter Fifty-Five

And also with Hci and Cuwignaka, with whom he formally undergoes the blood-brotherhood ceremony.

Chapter Fifty-Six

So Tarl returns home with yet another new slave, Mira, and, for what it is worth, the good wishes of Zarendargar. That dreadful Kur has learned that he is no longer under sentence of death and may go home. They discuss the events of the preceding months and Half-Ear is unsurprised to learn that Tarl was siding him from the very first. He and Tarl understood, as the other Kurii had not, the bonds that lay between these two terrible specimens of their relative kinds, simply because they had once shared paga. And Tarl rides off into the sunset, with a final wave at Ubar of the Skies disappearing eastwards.

Which brings us to the end of another adventure, and we look forward next month to the beginning of a new one, which will be by no means another Tarl Cabot story, but the third of the girl-stories after the manner of Captive of Gor and Slave Girl of Gor, namely Kajira of Gor. See you there, then.

I wish you well,

Socrates