Assassin of Gor Read Online Free Page B
Author: John Norman
Tags: Fiction, General, Erótica, Science-Fiction, adventure, Fantasy, Epic, Fantasy Fiction; American, Gor (Imaginary Place), Outer Space, Slaves
hastily pushed his paga bowl up to his mouth, and swilled again, his eyes wary of the Assassin across from him.
"Where does this house obtain riches such that they may so easily outbid all other factions in Ar?"
"It is a rich house," said Portus, looking about himself. "It is a rich house."
"That rich?" asked Kuurus.
"I do not know where the gold comes from---all of it---," said Portus. "My own house could not begin to sponsor the games of even two days---we would be bankrupt."
"Of what interest is this house to you?" asked Kuurus.
"It wants to be the single slave house of Ar," whispered Portus.
Kuurus smiled.
"My house," said Portus, "is twenty generations old. We have bred, captured, trained, exchanged and sold slaves for half a millennium. The house of Portus is known on all Gor." Portus looked down. "Already six houses on the Street of Brands have been purchased or closed."
"There has never been a monopoly on slaves in Ar," said Kuurus.
"That is the wish, however, of the house of which I speak," said Portus. "Does it not offend you? Are you not outraged? Even in terms of merchandise and prices cannot you see what it would mean? Even now the lesser houses find it difficult to acquire premium slaves, and when we obtain them, we are undersold. Few go to the lesser houses to buy slaves this year in Ar."
"How can this house of which you speak," asked Kuurus, "undersell so consistently? Is it that the number of slaves is so great that the profit taken on each is less?"
"I have thought long on it," said Portus, "and that cannot be all of it. I know this business well, the costs of information, organization, planning, acquisition, transportation and security, the care and feeding and training of the animals, the guards, the costs of the auctions, the taxes on sales, the deliveries to distant cities---and the staff of the house I speak of is large, skilled and highly paid---and their facilities are unparalleled in the City, both in size and appointments. They have interior baths which could rival the pools even of the Capacian Baths." Portus nodded in puzzlement. "No," said Portus, "they must have sources of gold other than the income on their merchandise." Portus pushed one finger around in a puddle of splashed paga on the low table. "I thought for a time," he said, "that they intended to sell at a radical loss until the other slave houses were forced to close, and then recoup their losses with profit by setting their own prices---but then when I considered again the gold which sponsored the games and races honoring the men who were to become Administrator and High Initiate, I decided it could not be. I am convinced the house of which I speak has major sources of gold other than the income on their merchandise."
Kuurus did not speak.
"There is another strange thing about that house I do not understand," said Portus.
"What?" asked Kuurus.
"The number of barbarian women they place on the block," said Portus.
"There have always been barbarian women on Gor," said Kuurus, dismissing the remark of Portus.
"Not in such numbers," grumbled Portus. He looked at Kuurus. "Have you any idea of the expense of acquiring a barbarian woman from beyond the cities---the distances involved? Normally they can be brought in only one at a time, on tarnback. A caravan of common slave wagons would take a year to go beyond the cities and return."
"A hundred tarnsmen, well organized," said Kuurus, "could strike barbarian villages, bind a hundred wenches, and return in twenty days."
"True," said Portus, "but commonly such raids take place on cylinders in given cities---the distances beyond the cities are great, and the prices paid for mere barbarian girls are less."
Kuurus shrugged.
"Moreover," said Portus, "these are not common barbarian wenches."
Kuurus looked up.
"Few of them have even a smattering of Gorean," he said. "And they act
"Where does this house obtain riches such that they may so easily outbid all other factions in Ar?"
"It is a rich house," said Portus, looking about himself. "It is a rich house."
"That rich?" asked Kuurus.
"I do not know where the gold comes from---all of it---," said Portus. "My own house could not begin to sponsor the games of even two days---we would be bankrupt."
"Of what interest is this house to you?" asked Kuurus.
"It wants to be the single slave house of Ar," whispered Portus.
Kuurus smiled.
"My house," said Portus, "is twenty generations old. We have bred, captured, trained, exchanged and sold slaves for half a millennium. The house of Portus is known on all Gor." Portus looked down. "Already six houses on the Street of Brands have been purchased or closed."
"There has never been a monopoly on slaves in Ar," said Kuurus.
"That is the wish, however, of the house of which I speak," said Portus. "Does it not offend you? Are you not outraged? Even in terms of merchandise and prices cannot you see what it would mean? Even now the lesser houses find it difficult to acquire premium slaves, and when we obtain them, we are undersold. Few go to the lesser houses to buy slaves this year in Ar."
"How can this house of which you speak," asked Kuurus, "undersell so consistently? Is it that the number of slaves is so great that the profit taken on each is less?"
"I have thought long on it," said Portus, "and that cannot be all of it. I know this business well, the costs of information, organization, planning, acquisition, transportation and security, the care and feeding and training of the animals, the guards, the costs of the auctions, the taxes on sales, the deliveries to distant cities---and the staff of the house I speak of is large, skilled and highly paid---and their facilities are unparalleled in the City, both in size and appointments. They have interior baths which could rival the pools even of the Capacian Baths." Portus nodded in puzzlement. "No," said Portus, "they must have sources of gold other than the income on their merchandise." Portus pushed one finger around in a puddle of splashed paga on the low table. "I thought for a time," he said, "that they intended to sell at a radical loss until the other slave houses were forced to close, and then recoup their losses with profit by setting their own prices---but then when I considered again the gold which sponsored the games and races honoring the men who were to become Administrator and High Initiate, I decided it could not be. I am convinced the house of which I speak has major sources of gold other than the income on their merchandise."
Kuurus did not speak.
"There is another strange thing about that house I do not understand," said Portus.
"What?" asked Kuurus.
"The number of barbarian women they place on the block," said Portus.
"There have always been barbarian women on Gor," said Kuurus, dismissing the remark of Portus.
"Not in such numbers," grumbled Portus. He looked at Kuurus. "Have you any idea of the expense of acquiring a barbarian woman from beyond the cities---the distances involved? Normally they can be brought in only one at a time, on tarnback. A caravan of common slave wagons would take a year to go beyond the cities and return."
"A hundred tarnsmen, well organized," said Kuurus, "could strike barbarian villages, bind a hundred wenches, and return in twenty days."
"True," said Portus, "but commonly such raids take place on cylinders in given cities---the distances beyond the cities are great, and the prices paid for mere barbarian girls are less."
Kuurus shrugged.
"Moreover," said Portus, "these are not common barbarian wenches."
Kuurus looked up.
"Few of them have even a smattering of Gorean," he said. "And they act
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