Dancer of Gor

Fulvius and the man with the bandaged arm exchanged glances.

I saw Tupita draw back from Mirus. He rose up, painfully, on one elbow. "How did they die?" demanded Fulvius. "What was the nature of their wounds?""By the sword," said Callisthenes. "The sword!"

"They were set upon in stealth?"

"From the nature of their wounds it would seem they were attacked frontally," said Callisthenes. "And both their swords were drawn."

"How many assailed them?" asked Fulvius.

"I think, one," said Callisthenes.

"There must be more," said Fulvius. "Alcinous and Portus were not unskilled." "I do not know," said Callisthenes. "Perhaps."

"What of tracks?" asked Fulvius.

"I saw those of Alcinous and Portus, and detected only those of one other," he said.

"What was the nature of their wounds?" asked Fulvius.

"The wound of Alcinous was deft, lateral and to the heart," said Callisthenes. "Portus was run through."

"Portus died second," said Fulvius. "In Alcinous the fellow did not wish to risk the jamming of his blade."

The fellow with the bandaged arm opened and closed his hand, testing its grip. "The wagon is gone, the tharlarion?" asked Fulvius.

"No," said Callisthenes.

"What of the purses of Alcinous and Portus?" asked Fulvius.

"Gone," said Callisthenes.

"Good," said Fulvius. "Then we are dealing with a brigand."

"He had probably fled by now," said the small fellow, eagerly.

"The wounds of Alcinous and Portus were frontal wounds," said Callisthenes. "Why would he not flee?" asked the small fellow.

"Perhaps he had fled," said Fulvius. "We do not know."

"He may linger in the vicinity," said the fellow with the bandaged arm. "He may be hungry for more gold."

"And there my be several of them, a band!" said the small fellow. "Perhaps," said Fulvius. "But I do not think so."

"What shall we do?" asked the fellow with the bandaged arm.

"Can you handle your sword?" asked Fulvius.

"I think so," he said.

"Callisthenes?" asked Fulvius.

"Yes," he said.

"The beast is gone," said the man with the bandaged arm, suddenly.

Its departure had been unnoticed.

"Where is it?" demanded Fulvius of the small fellow.

"I do not know," he said.

"It is wounded," said Fulvius. "Too, I suspect it had had its fill of blood for the day."

The small fellow looked about, anxiously.

"Are you with us?" asked Fulvius.

"I am not a fighter," said the small fellow. "I am going to go away, too!" "Your beast has deserted you," said Fulvius.

"I did without them before, and can do so again," he said. He hastened to his pack, near the blanket.

"Leave the blanket, and the coins upon it," said Fulvius.

"No!" cried the small fellow.

"Throw your purse on it, too," advised Fulvius.

"No!" cried the small fellow.

"Do so, quickly," said Fulvius, "unless you prefer to put your pack and clothes upon it as well and take your leave with no more than a length of binding to your name, that fastening your hands behind you."

Angrily the small fellow hurled his purse to the blanket, shouldered his pack, and hurried from the meadow, going in the direction opposite to that from which Callisthenes had come.

"What if the beast returns?" asked the fellow with the bandaged arm. "I do not think it will," said Fulvius. "If it does, I do not know where our small friend went, do you?"

"No," laughed the fellow with the bandage arm.

"If it is angry, presumably it will be angry with him. Perhaps it will even think it has been deserted. Perhaps it will even track him down."

"In such a case, I would not care to be him," said the mane with the bandaged arm.

"And if it does return here," said Fulvius, " we may pretend to deal with it, as he did."

"You may deal with it," said the man with the bandaged arm. "I want nothing to do with it."

"We need only watch our chance, and kill it. It is wounded. There are three of us."

"Perhaps," shrugged the man with the bandaged arm.

"But I do not think it will return," said Fulvius.

"I hope not," said the fellow with the bandaged arm.

"I did not know there were such things," said Callisthenes.

"I did not either," said the fellow with the bandaged arm.

"I will kill this fellow," said Fulvius. "Then we will go to the wagon, and see if we can find the other."

Tupita again put her body between those of Fulvius and Mirus. Mirus was now sitting up, his head in his hands.

"Kill him later," said the fellow with the bandaged arm. "It will soon be dark." "Very well," said Fulvius.

They then set out in the direction from which Callisthenes had come.

It would have taken but a moment to thrust Tupita aside and kill Mirus, but I sensed that the man with the injured arm, again, had little taste for dispatching a helpless foe. Fulvius, perhaps, more ruthless or practical in such matters, but a judicious tactician, had, I thin, not wished to proceed at that time with an action which might bring about a disagreement or confrontation with his subordinate, one of whose sword he might shortly have need. Too, he could always kill Mirus later. He did not care, as I recalled, to leave enemies behind him.