Story 8: Gor Must Die!

The loss of my daughter devastated me. She was my only child and the joy in my life. My wife had passed away ten years before of cancer. Since then, it had only been Rachel and I.

She was a university librarian, specializing in the Classics. She was a rare beauty with a superb intelligence, wit and sense of compassion.

I am retired, living off a settlement I received due to the misdiagnosis of cancer that led to my wife's death. If her doctor had performed certain tests when the symptoms warranted, my wife would very well be alive today.

No amount of money will ever soothe the anguish for the loss of my wife. I would trade it all back for another year with my sweet wife.

In my spare time, I help several non-profit organizations. There are generally activist groups that seek to correct injustices. One of these groups is an anti-slavery organization trying to cease the sex slave trade in Asia.

Without a random, I assumed that Rachel had either been murdered or sold into slavery. I knew that slavery existed even within the United States. It was an underground society, one rarely publicized or investigated. Through my charity work, I had connections to a number of anti-slavery organizations.

Certain underground and illegal activities accumulate urban legends and myths. Snuff films. Kiddie porn. Drug dealers. All had their incredible stories that pushed the edge of credibility.

Slavery had its own special myth. It was said that certain abductees were taken by aliens to another planet, a counter-earth, a world called Gor. Most thought that this was pure fiction.

But there were some people working in the slave trade who were absolutely convinced that it was real. I had never believed such stories.

I had no choice but to investigate that avenue. Maybe I would learn the facts behind this myth and I could prove its falseness.

Many of the Gorean abduction stories centered on a mysterious gray-faced man, a man with little expression and cold, cold eyes. When I questioned several people who knew my daughter, a few of them remembered seeing a man that met that description. They saw him at the university library, at a restaurant and a bookstore. This was always when Rachel was around. He seemed creepy but no one connected him to Rachel.

I put the word out that I wanted to find this mysterious man. I wanted any information that anyone possessed concerning this strange person.

I waited for months before receiving notice of a sighting of this gray-faced man. He was observed in Boston, Massachusetts. I flew from Chicago to Boston on the first available flight.

In Boston, I hired several private investigators to scan the streets for him. I personally drove all around Boston looking as well.

I observed him as he walked past the stores and outside carts. He was very discrete but I discerned the object of his attention, a young woman, apparently a business woman based on her mode of dress. She seemed to be on her lunch hour doing a bit of window shopping.

When the young woman returned to work, her gray-faced stalker broke off his surveillance. He entered a waiting taxi and left the scene. I followed him in my own car, knowing that the thick Boston traffic would help disguise my surveillance.

The taxi dropped him off at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. I parked my car illegally and followed him into the hotel.

The gray-faced man was carrying a leather satchel. He headed directly to the elevators, headed to the elite Towers.

I took a great risk and entered the same elevator. I pushed a floor higher than his own and stood with my back to the rear elevator wall. The gray-faced man ignored me.

I watched him depart on the twentieth floor. I got off three floors above him and walked down the stairs to his floor. I found a maid and paid her fifty dollars to provide me the room number of the gray-faced man.

I waited at the end of the hall, the gray-faced man's door just visible. I had waited maybe ten minutes when I saw the gray-faced man exit his room, carrying a large suitcase. It appeared that he was checking out. I wasn't sure if my friends would get here in time.

I hurried down the hall, following the gray-faced man as he walked to the elevators. He watched me as I hurried, possibly trying to place my face.

As I neared him, I swung my fist at his face. Somehow, he avoided my punch and had struck me twice in the ribs. He moved so very fast, like a trained boxer or something. He struck me again and I plunged into darkness, unconsciousness.

When I came to, I found myself securely bound and gagged within a hotel room. The gray-faced man was sitting in a chair facing me.

When he realized I was conscious, he approached me and placed a knife to my throat. He told me that he was going to remove my gag but that if I screamed, he would slit my throat. I was positive he would kill me unless I cooperated.

It seemed to take him a minute to remember Rachel. I think that was because Rachel was only one of many he had abducted.

He then told me that Gor did exist and that Rachel was a "kajira" there. He then said that meant she was a slave. He told me she worked in a "paga" tavern where she had sex with men who bought a drink. He told me that she was an excellent slut, a hot whore. And he said that Rachel was very happy.

Rage filled my being. Somehow I knew that he was telling the truth. He sounded too fantastic to be real but he was very convincing.

He gagged me again and then left the room. He did not consider me a threat and knew that the truth about Rachel would haunt me.

I would not be found for five hours until a maid came in to clean the room. By then, the gray-faced man was gone. My friends had gotten there about fifteen minutes after my capture but then did not know where to locate me. They had tried calling me but received no answer.

I knew that the planet existed. I knew that its agents abducted Earth women to make them slaves. I knew that the gray-faced man was one of those agents.

There were few who would believe me about the actual existence of Gor. Most of those who claimed to believe the stories lacked credibility or were thought to be crackpots. Even my closest friends would likely doubt me.

I laughed, thinking that my life was now an X-File. I was hunting aliens who abducted people. Me and Spooky Mulder.

I had two leads, the gray-faced man and the girl he had been stalking. I thought that the girl might be the better of the two.

I hung around the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, near where she had taken lunch on the afternoon I had first observed her. Three days later, I spotted her exiting an Au Bon Pain bakery.

Once I saw her, I then looked for anyone else who might be observing her, others following her. But I could not discern any other watchers.

I followed the girl back to her place of employment, a local bank. I waited until she got off work at 5:00 p.m. and then followed her on the subway. She took the Orange Line to the Oak Grove Station in Melrose. She then walked into the parking lot and drove off in a Mazada 626. I got her license plate number.

I called a friend, gave him the license plate number and he was able to get me her name, date of birth and address. She lived in Melrose on Lynde Avenue.

Upon exiting the taxi, I stood near a nearby bus stop and observed her house. Moments later, a moving van stopped in front of her home. Two men exited the vehicle and approached her door.

I got a good view of the driver and I was taken aback by his visage. He emitted an aura of masculinity that was astounding. I had met few men with his raw presence. It was as if I truly was confronted by a predator, a Bengal tiger in a uniform.

And I then realized that the gray-faced man had possessed the same aura. It was only his unnatural emotionless state that had clouded me from consciously noting that aura.

I knew that an abduction was to occur. They had come for the girl and I could not stop them. But, I would not have stopped them even if I could.

I spoke to her, weaving a tale of woe and flashing several hundred dollars. I asked to borrow her car, giving her my driver's license and other identity cards from my wallet.

She agreed and handed me the keys to her Ford Escort. It was just soon enough as the van began to leave. I had missed them placing the girl into the van.

It was possible that they had not kidnapped her but I very much doubted that. The driver had been a man on a mission. He had been on a hunt for his prey.

I followed them in the Escort, trying to be unobtrusive. I did not have to follow them too far. They stopped near the local woods, the ones that ringed the area around Spot Pond. They backed the van into the woods and removed a heavy duffel bag from the rear.

I parked a bit up the road and then entered the woods, trying to follow the men. It was difficult to be quiet within the woods due to all the leaves, twigs and sticks on the ground. Luckily, it was nearly dark and the men did not seem worried of pursuit.

I followed the illumination from their flashlights to a medium-sized clearing, deep in the woods. To my amazement, I observed a small black flying saucer. Such a cliché but it was there. It had a long window-like aperture though I could not discern anyone behind the window. A metal stairway led from the ship down to the ground.

A man exited the space ship and spoke to the two men from the van. One of them opened the duffel bag and removed the girl, unconscious and likely drugged. He passed the girl to the man from the ship and he then carried her up the stairs.

The man returned from the ship within a couple minutes and handed the men from the van a small box. The men from the van then left, headed back to their van.

The man from the space ship possessed the same aura as the men from the van. A pack of ravenous animals. Whatever world they came from must be a vicious place if all of the men were predators such as these. It must be a place of constant conflict, of ongoing war. What a savage and barbaric world it must be.

The spaceship man returned to within his ship and the stairway began to be lifted. I acted rather than thought.

Stupidity? Yes, but I was an anguished father, a man seeking answers. What did I have to live for anymore? Was I risking anything by my actions?

I scrambled up the stairway as it continued to close, clinging to it and praying I did not fall. I managed to hold on and enter the ship before the stairway fully closed. I found myself in a small antechamber with stairways up and down. There was no one else present in this small room.

I listened at both stairs and heard a couple men talking at the up stairway. Their voices were very low so I could not discern their words.

I chose to walk down the stairway to the lower section of the ship, hoping to avoid its occupants. I walked slowly and carefully so as to limit the sound of my movement.

At the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a circular room, ringed by a couple dozen cylinders. Each cylinder was about six feet high, maybe 18 inches in diameter and transparent. They might have been composed of some plastic or glass. There was also a large machine on one wall, hoses leading from this device to each of the cylinders. Each cylinder had two hoses, one at its top and one at its bottom. The machine had numerous dials, gauges and switches.

Nearly all of the cylinders contained naked, young women. Each was beautiful and they were of various races, though predominately Caucasian. These women had to all be abductees.

As the spaceship began to ascend, I rushed over and grabbed hold of the machine. There was no place in this room to hide. If anyone came down here, I would be discovered. I scanned the room quickly and did not spy anything I could use as a weapon.

What would they do when they found me? Probably kill me. These men did not seem the type that would tolerate an obstacle to their plans. They were killers, predators.

I cursed myself for my stupidity. I had let my emotions guide my actions and I would likely pay the price with my life.

How do you survive amidst a pack of predators? If they acknowledge you as prey, they will either capture or slay you. If they acknowledge you also as a predator, they may slay you as competition or accept you into their pack.

My thoughts got desperate. Could I sabotage the spaceship and cause it to crash or explode? Would it be more humane for these girls to be killed rather than spend their lives in the horrors of slavery? Would the loss of one spaceship hurt this interplanetary trade in slaves? Or did they possess dozens of these ships?

I then contemplated a different type of deception. How well could I bluff these men? Were they even the type of men who would fear anything? I was not sure of that.

My stomach flip-flopped as the weightlessness struck. I floated toward the ceiling of the cylinder room. Plans would have to wait.

Hours and hours passed. I became a bit more comfortable floating in the air. But I was ready for gravity to return. I did not want to simply collapse back onto the floor. When I started to feel the weightlessness lifting, I climbed down toward the floor using the railing on the stairway. Thus, I avoided smashing into the floor when full gravity returned.

I crept up the stairway, trying to hear the men above. I wanted to know how many men were there. I passed the antechamber and ascended halfway up the next stairway.

I heard only two separate voices, speaking in some unknown language, a language I was sure did not exist on Earth. The only word I knew was "kajira." Even their language seemed barbaric and savage. There was a raw beauty there but it disturbed me still.

We appeared to be descending, likely landing on Gor. I thought then that I might be able to exit the ship when the hatch first descended and slip away without being seen. I went back to the antechamber, keeping an ear on the upper deck area.

The spaceship landed relatively softly and the hatch did begin to lower. I saw darkness outside and eagerly climbed down the stairs, hoping to sneak away and hide.

I should have realized that there would be men waiting for the ship's arrival. I was not prepared to find myself surrounded by several men armed with shortswords and wearing Corinthian helmets. Why the hell were they garbed like ancient Greeks when they operated spaceships?

They grabbed me and bound my hands with leather straps. The men from the spaceship came out and spoke with these strange swordsmen. I could see little in the darkness except that there were three moons in the sky, one large and two small ones. I was clearly on another planet.

One of the spaceship men came over to me and began to question me in English. He wanted to know who I was, how I got on the ship and what were my intentions. It was clear that if he was not pleased with my answers, I would be killed. The swords and helmets were not ornamental. They had seen true action.

I had a single chance to save myself. I had to convince this man that I should be allowed to live. I had to convince him that I would be more useful free than a prisoner.

I gave him some basics of my identity at first as my mind raced through the possible stories I could tell him. I said nothing about Rachel.

I had listened to the stories of Gor for many years. I had long yearned that it truly existed and that I could one day walk on its soil. I desired women as my slaves. I wanted what Gor had to offer. In exchange, I offered my skills, knowledge and connections to Gor.

I worked for numerous charitable organizations, including several anti-slavery societies. I knew how to defeat such organizations, how to protect Gorean abductions from being noticed. I knew what resources the legal authorities on Earth used and how they were implemented. I knew sources of slaves on Earth, places where it was practiced and where slaves could be cheaply purchased.

I think that only the two spaceship men understood English. They considered my words and they spoke to each other in their own language. One of the armed men, probably the leader of the force, also conversed with the men from the ship. They discussed my fate.

I was petrified. Yet I did not allow that fear to show. Any weakness I portrayed would only bring me further harm.

The men spoke for about ten minutes, sometimes their words seemed quite heated. I am sure the warrior wanted me to die.

One of the men from the ship then approached me again. He told me that I would remain as a prisoner for now and my fate would be decided by others. My offer had some merit and he was impressed with my bravery and audacity at boarding the spaceship.

The girls would be dropped off and left with the warriors. I would be taken elsewhere in the ship, to see their employers.

The girl's were unloaded very quickly and placed into a barred wagon. I was returned to the ship and left bound on the upper deck.

I watched the men as they operated the ship. They did not speak to me though they did converse with each other in their own tongue. The journey was short and we landed within a mountain range.

I was led out of the spaceship and taken toward a cave opening. I saw several men outside the ship, covering it with some large tarp. The cave was lit by torches and we descended into its depths.

I was taken into a rough hewn room, bare of anything but a few torches and a wooden door. The door soon after opened and three men entered the room, two more warriors and a rotund man in robes of blue and yellow. This man was obviously one of their leaders. He had a commanding presence even though his face was far from handsome.

After a few minutes, the two warriors approached me and tore off my shirt. They were amused, I think at my body. I was out of shape with a bit of a belly. I had not exercised in some time and lived mostly a sedentary life. I was almost 50 years old.

He stated that my body would not last too long as a work slave. I would be dead within a week. I was too old and ugly to be a silk slave. He said I might serve well as sleen food. I did not quite understand all of his terminology.

He was intrigued by my offer though. I would remain as his prisoner until I had proven my worth. If I proved valuable, I would eventually be released. If not, I would die.

He seemed to stress the importance that I would only be a prisoner and not a slave. I was not sure what the actual difference would be.

The warriors took me away and put me into a dank and dark cell. They lit a torch for me and then locked me into the room.

There was a pile of straw in one corner with a ragged and thin blanket. There was a bucket in one corner for my waste.

I had spent maybe an hour in my cell before there was a cacophony of sounds close by. The clash of metal, words venomously spewed and loud orders given. The cave was under attack.

Eventually the sounds diminished and all that remained were men speaking in their strange language. Soon after, the door into my prison was opened. The warrior standing there did not look familiar.

He spoke to me and I could not understand him. I replied in English and he did not understand me. He left, leaving the door open. I waited.

Another warrior came into my cell and he spoke English. He questioned me and it seemed obvious that he was not a part of the caves. He was part of the attacking force and that force had won.

I told him part of the truth, stating I was from Earth and had stowed away on the spaceship. He cut my bonds and took me with him. He then led me to another spaceship, this one silver in color and lacking the window aperture of the black spaceship.

I also saw an unbelievable sight, giant birds with men astride them. Aerial cavalry! This world had many surprises.

We landed in a small clearing in a forest, a forest containing some trees and plants that were alien to me. A couple of men took me off of the spaceship and we walked through the thick woods. The spaceship left the area.

The men with me were armed like Greeks and seemed alert for any attack. This was obviously a perilous world. These men had to be one warring faction while the men from the black spaceship had to be a different faction. They must be involved in some warped game where they could control interplanetary spaceships but chose to fight their wars with ancient weapons of war.

We traveled for a few hours until the woods thinned and I saw a town or city, sitting next to either and ocean or river. I spied many wooden buildings and it all had a primitive flair. So very strange.

The man who spoke English then told me that the city was called Lydius. He finally also told me his name, Micah. He warned me that I needed to learn much about Gor very quickly if I wanted to survive. He was going to leave me with some of his friends in Lydius, friends who would teach me many things. I was also warned to say nothing about the spaceships I had seen.

I wanted to ask him a million questions but he would not answer any of them. He told me that his friends would answer them later.

The sights I witnessed in that strange city! I saw men like Vikings armed with huge axes. I saw a number of Greek-style warriors. Most of the people will garbed in colorful clothing and many did not bear any type of visible weapon. I saw women swathed in heavy robes and some even with veils. I also saw a fair number of female slaves, garbed in scanty clothing, and even a few nude except for a metal collar. All of the men in this city had that same air of masculinity that I had previously observed.

I saw strange beasts including more of the huge riding birds. There were large riding lizards as well. I even saw a couple weird feline creatures, six-legged and very ferocious.

Everything had a barbaric quality to it, an almost medieval or even classical feel to it. If they had spaceships, then why was technology so bereft in their cities? Or was technology limited to the rulers of this world?

I could spend hours describing all of the sights I witnessed in the couple hours I spent walking through Lydius. Much was strange but mixed with an air of familiarity.

The next three months passed quickly. I acquired a proficiency speaking the common language of Gor though I did not learn writing. I was taught the basics of their society, about the Home Stone, Caste system, Caste Codes, slavery, Priest-Kings, and more. It was a fascinating world in many respects but equally repugnant in others.

I hid my personal thoughts from Telemachus. I was a good student, asking many questions, and he was an excellent teacher, who never tired of my questions.

I met some of his friends and they too helped educate me about Gor. They took me to paga taverns and tried to loan me slaves. I would visit the alcoves of the taverns but I would simply converse with the slaves.

I could not use them as a prostitute. I could not further abuse these abductees despite the fact that many appeared quite happy being slaves. I was taught that slavery was considered natural for many women but I could not accept that belief. It seemed degrading and abhorrent. Yet, these girls did seem genuinely happy. Though constant conditioning and brainwashing could lead to that result.

I realized that I would probably never locate Rachel. The world was too large to search for a single slave taken a couple years ago. My search would be fruitless.

I was also not sure that she still lived. Slaves could be treated poorly and even be killed by their owners. This was all legal. I am sure Rachel would have resisted slavery and would have eventually been slain for her resistance.

During my training, I also began to learn a trade. I had been presented many different choices but I was particular in what I required. I needed an occupation that would allow me to travel freely and also one that would give me the means to destroy Gor. I may not be able to locate Rachel, but I could try to ensure that other innocent women were not kidnapped.

I followed my natural affinities and ended up learning about Kaissa, Gorean chess, and the Caste of Players. I had been quite a chess afficiando on Earth and found much about Kaissa that was similar. It was a more complex game, having a larger board and additional pieces. But, it was a very intriguing game. Players could travel freely across Gor and were rarely molested. They were respected, especially if they were very skilled. Most Gorean men played Kaissa but only the superbly skilled could attain a postion in the Caste of Players.

I began to devote myself to learning all I could about Kaissa and that forced me to learn how to read and write Gorean.

I spent the next six months immersed in Kaissa and found my previous chess ability serving me well. I had a talent for Kaissa and was soon defeating many of the men of Lydius. I wanted to defeat Corgus, the champion of Lydius and a respected member of the Player's Caste. Such a defeat would earn me a place within the Caste.

I had to start in the small tournaments first and my accumulating victories would earn me more and more respect. As my reputation spread through Lydius, many people began to talk of Corgus facing me across the board. They wanted to see how I would fare. Corgus did pay attention to my play. This was not out of fear or jealousy. He was a man who loved the game and desired to engage in challenging play.

In the springtime, a city championship was to be held. Corgus would defend his title, held for the past six years. I would finally get my opportunity, nearly a year after my arrival on Gor.

I had not sought for Rachel during all that time. It would have been a near impossible task. But, I had not surrendered my objective. I still intended on destroying Gor.

I had grown to like many Goreans. Though their social system was abhorrent, there were many honorable people here. It was clear that the Priest-Kings, the mysterious overlords of Gor, also played a part in controlling this world. I would need to face both Gorean society and the Priest-Kings if I intended to destroy Gor.

The Lydius tournament began. I am sure the organizers of the event fixed the pairings so that Corgus and I did not face each other in the preliminaries.

Corgus and I each accumulated wins, eliminating the competition. We proceeded through the quarter-finals and semi-final matches and then faced each other in the final round.

By random draw, Corgus was Yellow for the first game. This allowed him to move first and gave him a significant advantage.

The first game was hard fought but I made a slight mistake in the endgame and Corgus captured my Home Stone. He had won.

In the second game, I was Yellow and thus had the advantage. Corgus would likely try for a draw as he had the lead already. If he drew the next two games, he would win the tournament. I could not allow him the draw.

Again, the game was hard fought and I was correct that Corgus attempted a draw. But, I was able to pull off a win, capitalizing on a strong offensive.

By defeating Corgus in at least one game, I would likely be able to petition for membership in the Caste of Players. I had the necessary skill.

The final game. Again, by a random draw, Corgus received Yellow. The multitude of observers felt that Corgus would thus win the tournament. I was at the disadvantage.

I could try to force a draw which would lead to a further game. But I wanted to defeat Corgus when he had the advantage.

This was a very difficult opening for Red to counter. Many Kaissa Masters used this opening in tournament play. Most Red Players would try for a draw.

But this opening could be defeated. Scormus of Ar used this opening against Centius of Cos at the En'Kara Fair Tournament of 10125 C.A. And Centius defeated Scormus.

Corgus then moved his Ubara's Tarnsman's Spearman to Ubara's Tarnsman's five. This posed a threat to my own Spearman. I could then capture his Ubara's Tarnsman's Spearman if I wished, thus accepting the Gambit.

If I did, I would surrender the important center of the board to Corgus. If I declined the Gambit, I would need to defend my Spearman. I would be a bit restricted then.

If I wanted to defeat Corgus, I needed to seize the initiative. The more defensively I played, the less chance I had of winning. I needed to be as aggressive as possible. I needed to steal the momentum from him.

Corgus was very familiar with this opening. Our moves would reflect established standards until one of us chose to veer from the norm. Until one of us took a chance. I knew Corgus would play very conservative. He would not take such a risk.

On the eighth move, I took a risk. I veered from well-established Kaissa traditions. Yet, it was not a blind risk. It was a calculated one.

I knew that the Ubara's Gambit was a common opening and thus I had spent much time contemplating responses for Red. This risky move was something I had examined in length. I believed that it opened a potential winning avenue for Red.

Corgus took his time in responding to my move. He was not a fool and knew that my different move had to contain some deeper threat.

When he finally moved, he used a Rider of the High Tharlarion to cover his threatened Initiate. Inwardly, I smiled. The trap had been set and he had unwittingly walked into it.

The next five moves passed and Corgus finally realized his dilemma. He had not realized the ultimate threat of the combination of my Scribe and Ubara. In a flurry of exchanges, I succeeded in gaining the advantage of a piece, a Builder. In addition, I possessed a strong central position.

Corgus maintained a strong front over the next six moves but inexorably my position strengthened and I continued to press for his Home Stone.

Corgus resigned two moves later, pleased that he had participated in such a fine game. He harbored no ill will toward me for dethroning him as champion.

I was later crowned Kaissa Champion of Lydius at a large feast. I received many well wishes and the Caste of Players eagerly petitioned me to join their exclusive Caste. Of course I accepted.

I was very pleased. An important element of my plan had been accomplished. Yet, I still had a long road ahead of me.

As a member of the Caste of Players, I had access to some excellent opponents. I could better hone my skills against such men.

I also began my study into the variation of Kaissa that is played in Torvaldsland. A number of men from Torvaldsland visited Lydius so their variation was familiar within the city.

I made a living wagering on Kaissa. It was sufficient to support my meager needs. I devoted most of my life to the study of Kaissa. I had no need for luxuries.

I also saw opportunities to make even greater wealth through wagering. Wagering on the major tournaments could be quite heavy. And certain personal games were the same.

I did a bit of investigating of a few Torvaldslanders that were currently residing within Lydius. Most of them were mercenaries or raiders.

I followed him into the Sweet Chains paga tavern one night. I waited a bit, sipping a little paga. I watched Valdheim guzzling goblet after goblet of ale.

I then walked past his table, jostling his arm as he went to drink. He spilled his ale down the front of his chest and he wailed in rage.

He stood and towered nearly a foot over me. His meaty fist grabbed the front of my tunic and he scowled at me.

I quickly apologized and then apologized for not having any money to buy him another ale. I spoke quickly though, trying to prevent him from just killing me.

I offered to play him a game of Kaissa. If he won, I would become his slave and he could either keep me or kill me.

I knew he would fall for the bait. He considered himself an excellent Kaissa player. He was easy to manipulate, a proud man with a fragile ego.

He was a talented player but not in my caliber. He did well in the opening but his game deteriorated in the middle game.

I spoke with Valdheim about his friends and found a few more Torvaldslanders willing to make similar wagers.

I would now feel safe traveling across the length of Gor. I could now participate in tournaments all over. There were nine months remaining before the great Kaissa tournament at the En'Kara Fair.

Lycurgus was an ancient Spartan who provided that ancient Greek nation with their laws. Rachel was been enamored with the Spartans and she had often spoke about their society to me. I remembered much of what she had told me.

My Torvaldsland guards were impressive and brought me much attention. And I was winning the local tournaments I entered.

One of my guards would make bets on the tournaments and my matches. As I won the tournaments, I would win the purse and also all of the bets. I was accumulating a significant windfall.

In between tournaments, I studied and practiced Kaissa. I was impressing the Kaissa Masters and would soon compete in my first regional tournament in Ko-ro-ba.

In Ko-ro-ba, I would face my first Kaissa Masters in tournament play. At least three Masters were expected to attend though they were lesser Masters. There was another tournament in Turia at almost the same time and it was considered a more important event.

My name was known north of the Vosk River and I wanted it to spread further south, to the great city of Ar. I wanted it to spread over all of the world.

I traveled to Ko-ro-ba and found a small group of fans there, cheering upon my entrance into the city. With the four blond giants accompanying me, I was quite a sight.

I took a room in a local insulae and registered for the tournament. I spent some time viewing the city sights and waited for the tournament to begin.

When it did begin, I found myself paired for the first round against Ossius of Tabor, one of the lesser Masters. He was probably the best of the three lesser Masters that were at the tournament.

It was a close match but I lost. I had even had Yellow but had made an important mistake in the middle game that permitted Ossius to acquire a lead in pieces.

I won the next four rounds and then faced another of the lesser Masters in the final preliminary round. I was paired against Crassus of Thentis.

Again, it was a close match but this time I prevailed, even though I had Red. Crassus had tried the Ubara's Gambit against me. But, I knew that opening far better than he.

I thus made it into the quarter-final rounds with a 5-1 record. Only Ossius had an undefeated record and he was expected to win the tournament.

I won my quarter-final round and then faced Crassus again in the semi-finals. Again I beat him and this time I had Yellow. I did not win much on the wagering for that match as too many people felt I would beat him after our preliminary match.

And, as expected, I faced Ossius in the final round. There would be only a single game to determine the victor.

The odds against me winning were high as everyone assumed Ossius would win. If I did win, I stood to make a small fortune on the side bets. My Torvaldsland guards placed many bets for me, risking nearly my entire fortune.

The odds shot up even higher when, by random selection, Ossius was given Yellow. This would be a difficult match.

I was unsure what opening that Ossius would use. In our previous game, he had played very conservatively, using the basic Ubar's Spearman to Ubar Five.

As he had beaten me with that opening, I thought that he might try it again. I doubted he would try the Ubara's Gambit because he knew that it was my strength.

I was nervous but I tried not to show it. Financially, I was risking much on this game. A loss would set back my plan, costing me time. I did not want to lose.

We sat down at the Kaissa table, each in our Caste garb, yellow and red-checkered robes. Ossius was smiling and greeted me. I replied in kind.

The Ubara's Gambit? Why? He was playing against my strongest defense. He could not be unaware of my skill in this opening. Why?

Then he whsipered to me as my mind raced with questions. He stated that he wanted to know how good I truly was and he could only assess that by playing against my strength. He wanted a true test of his own skill. It was a personal matter. Winning the tournament was secondary to the Game.

An amazing man. I was beginning to understand the potential of some of these Goreans. They were not all savages. They were not all concerned about blood and war. Some of them were men to be admired and respected.

I gave Ossius the game he desired. We battled over that hundred-square board, vying for the slighest of advantages. We played to the best of our abilities, testing each other. We immersed ourselves in the Game, ignoring everything outside that square board.

Ossius and I discussed the game in great detail and in great length. Ossius had not made any mistakes. He had simply not always made the best move. His moves had been good, excellent in many respects, but they were not always the best. I had done the same but I had done it less than Ossius. Thus, I had won.

It had been a very close match. It showed me that I needed to continue my practice and studies if I ever hoped to beat someone of the caliber of Centius of Cos or Scormus of Ar. But it did show me that I was equivalent to a lesser Master.

Financially, I made a small fortune. The odds against me winning had been quite high so my wagers had paid off so well.

I returned to Lydius and deposited the money directly into a bank. I needed little of it for my daily needs. It could sit and accumulate, amassing the fortune I would one day need for my plan.

I rewarded my Torvaldslanders well, though I owed them nothing for their services. They were actually happy about their work. They all enjoyed Kaissa.

The next tournament would be held on Tyros. It was said that Centius of Cos and Ajax of Ti would attend. Those two Masters would be the primary competition to defeat. I doubted I could defeat either of them at the present time.

Yet, I needed to attend the tournament. I needed to play against such men to hone my skills. And I needed to continue my wagers.

One of my guards chartered a ship and we sailed to the island of Tyros. My guards were pleased to be at sea, a place they felt was like home. Maybe I should purchase my own ship for them to man.

The Tyros tournament went well. Again, I won five of my six preliminary rounds. I lost a match to Sabat of Asperiche, a lesser Master, who used an rarely used opening against me.

In the quarter-final match, I was paired against the famous Centius of Cos. He looked as old as me. He was one of the best Kaissa players on Gor, a true Master of the game.

I lost. I played a decent opening but it fell apart in the middle game. I was out of the tournament and Centius went on to win the tournament, defeating Ajax in the final match.

I had not been foolish enough to bet on myself in my match against Centius. I knew he would beat me. This time.

I continued my studies. I played every chance I got. I entered several small tournaments and won many of them.

I did well enough to get invited to the grand tournament at the En'Kara Sardar Fair, the most coveted title in Kaissa. The winner of the tournament was considered the best of all Gor. I would play against some of the best Players. It was an honor just to be invited to play.

My men and I made the journey to the Sardar Fair, located on the plains beneath the dark Sardar Mountains. The Sardar Mountains were the alleged home of the mysterious Priest-Kings, the unseen rulers of Gor. I was not sure that they truly existed or not though it seemed few Goreans doubted it.

The Sardar Fair attracted Goreans from all over the world. It was a place of truce, where hostilities were not permitted.

I watched a slave auction and was repulsed. It was so degrading and horrible. I scanned the people in the crowd. No one objected in the least to this sale of human flesh. I could only watch two sales before I had to leave.

Nothing had prepared me for this. I had imagined so many different reactions for myself. I had been prepared to kill the man who owned Rachel as a slave. I had been ready to destroy all of Gor in vengeance against a world that would permit and support such an abhorrent institution as slavery.

I was not prepared to see the eyes of my beautiful Rachel peering from a small, rectangular gap on a veiled face. I could not mistake those eyes. Rachel was walking with a Warrior, garbed in a crimson tunic.

She had not noticed me. Though I desired to rush up to her, I held back. I chose to follow the two of them instead. Things did not seem right.

Why would Rachel have been abducted to be a free woman of Gor? From what I knew, Earth women were only kidnapped to become slaves. Was the Warrior actually her owner but had disguised her as a free woman?

I followed them to the Kaissa betting tents. The Warrior and Rachel spoke and then he went to one of the Merchants to place a bet. I was close enough to hear him make a bet on me, Lycurgus. I wondered if Rachel had chosen to bet on me solely due to my name. I knew it would have struck a nerve in her.

I would almost have said that they seemed happy. The Warrior smiled often and appeared soliticious of Rachel. Rachel's body language also seemed to indicate a closeness with the Warrior.

I examined the Warrior closely. He had the typical build of most Gorean warriors and a few visible scars. He did not bear a shield, sword or helmet and thus had no markings as to his city.

Should I try to speak to Rachel? Or should I instead play in the tournament and wait for her to recognize me. They had bet on me so they were likely to go to watch the matches. I am sure Rachel would recognize me then.

How would she react? She would never have imagined that I had come to Gor. If she was truly free, I am sure she would seek me out.

If she was not free, then she would not. And then I would know better her situation. Better to wait then. Let her action or inaction inform me of her fate.

I needed to get some rest for the tournament the next day so I left. I doubted I would be able to sleep much though, knowing Rachel was so near.

I went with my guards to the tournament area and waited for the intial postings. The Kaissa Players had their own tent for waiting so I mingled with the others, conversing with those I knew. A few of the Masters were not present, having their own tents due to their status. Centius, though he could have had his own tent, chose to remain with us.

There would only be four preliminary rounds. If someone lost more than one round, they would be eliminated automatically. And the matches would be tough. Each entrant was an excellent Player.

My first pairing was against Caron of Ar, a lesser Master but many thought he would one day become a full Master. But I got the luck of the draw and would be Yellow for the match.

Caron and I went out to the Kaissa field and took our place at our assigned board. I scanned the benches, looking for Rachel. I did not see her there.

The games all began at the same time. I was a bit distracted, continually looking into the audience, trying to see Rachel.

By the time of the end game, I had evened my position with Caron though I was a Spearman down. I continued to battle hard and barely pulled off a win. I was relieved.

I retired to the waiting tent after one further look into the stands and did not see Rachel. I had to relax. If she came to the tournament, she would see me. Unless I concentrated only on the game, I might lose.

My second match was against Centius of Cos. I ignored the audience during the game, concentrating only in trying to play a good game.

I lost to the great Master but I think I did better this time against him than the last time we faced. I was generally pleased with my game. I retired to the waiting tent again, ignoring the audience though I ached to search it once more.

I won my next match against Tyrius of Vonda and then faced Patrocles of Turia in the fourth match. Patrocles had recently been considered a full Kaissa Master.

We fought a hard match, dead even to the end game. I made a slight mistake in the end game and Patrocles toolk full advantage of it.

I lost the match and thus would not enter any of the final rounds. This was the worst I had ever done in a tournament. I believe thoughts of Rachel had distracted me from playing my best.

I decided to return to my insulae. I did not feel like watching the final Kaissa matches. I needed time alone to think. Was I a fool for not approaching Rachel immediately?

I allowed my guards to remain to watch the Kaissa finals. I did not fear attack during the Fair as violence was strictly prohibited.

In the crowded streets of the Fair, it would have been difficult to determine if one was being followed anyways. I manuevered my way through the streets to a quieter section where some temporary insulae had been set up.

I collapsed onto the dirt, falling onto my side. My eyes turned to see the one who had assaulted me, the one who apparently wanted me dead.

I should have kept at least one bodyguard with me. But who would have suspected the Fair would be dangerous?

Why would my beloved daughter wish to kill me? I was stunned, dumbfounded. And then I passed out, unconscious.

I woke some time later inside a well-lit tent. Green robed men and women were in the tent as well. Physicians.

One of the Physicians noticed that I was now awake and came over to me, explaining what he knew and asking me for further information.

Someone had seen my assailant standing over me and ran toward the scene. The assailant fled and the witness could not identify the assailant though he believed it was a woman. The witness tended to me and called for a Physician.

The Physician wanted to know the identity of my would-be killer. I told him that I did not know, that the woman was veiled. She had said nothing to me and had struck from behind.

The Physician seemed suspicious of my answer but he did not pry. He then told me that I could be released the next day, the final day of the Fair.

I had a messenger summon my guards to my bedside. I asked two of them to seek out and follow Rachel and her Warrior friend. The other two were to stay and protect me.

The next day, I left the Physician's tent and wandered the streets of the Fair, seeking Rachel. My guards remained close to me, not pleased that I had been injured while they had watched the Kaissa finals.

Centius and Patrocles were playing the Final Match today. Rachel and her Warrior might be in the audience for this match.

I met up with my other two guards and found that they had located Rachel. She was residing at a private tent near the Kaissa tents.

My four guards and I went to her tent. I wanted to confront Rachel and find out why she wanted me dead. I still could not conceive of any possible motive. We had always shared a special relationship, especially after her mother died.

Rachel was the first to notice us. Her eyes widened in fear when she saw the four blond giants with me. She clutched the arm of her Warrior and quickly spoke to him.

His own eyes scanned the situation, sizing up his opposition, examining the surroundings and seeking the best tactical decision.

Her Warrior stood in front of her and he replied back in English that I could speak, but only here in public.

I agreed and asked Rachel why she hated me, what had I done to her? I told her that when she had been abducted, I had spent two years searching for her. I told her that I had come to Gor to find her, and to get revenge for her abduction. I told her how glad I was to see her, how much I loved her.

She stood silently when I finished speaking. She just looked at me for several minutes. She then whispered to the Warrior.

I was invited into her tent, just me. My guards had to wait outside. I agreed to that and told the guards to surround the tent. I then entered the luxurious tent with Rachel and the Warrior.

Rachel then spoke to me. She told me that she had been abducted one night and taken to Gor. She had been made a slave, a whore, a piece of meat. She had been kept in a dirty, tiny cell and brought out only to sexually please her captors. She thinks that she spent about three months there.

Her primary captor, a grossly obese man, told her that I had sold her to them, for gold. She was also told that I had come to Gor to live happily with slaves to sate my every desire.

Rachel had not wanted to believe him but a tiny doubt had remained with her for a long time. And when she saw me at the Sardar Fair, she felt that it was true. And at that moment, she hated me more than anything. She hated me for subjecting her to the rape and degradation she had felt. And she then wanted me to die.

I then told her the truth, of my long search and my eventual discovery of the truth about Gor. I told her of the spaceships and how I came to Gor. I intimated about my plans for vengeance. And I told her how much I loved her.

We were both soon crying together. Rachel rushed into my arms and we held each other so very tightly. The Warrior left the tent, providing us some privacy.

After months of her captivity, she was to be transferred. She was placed into a slave wagon and led across the countryside. The wagon was attacked by tarnsmen who killed the wagon guards and took control of the eight slave girls in the wagon. One of those tarnsman was Rachel's current companion, Tacitus.

Tacitus spoke English and Rachel told him her story. He freed her and took her into his family. He was from Ti and soon after adopted her. She became a citizen of Ti and a member of the Warrior Caste. He became a surrogate father to her.

Tacitus told Rachel his dream, to abolish all slavery from Gor. Though he owned slaves himself, he did so only to maintain appearances. He despised the traffic in human flesh. And he had a plan. Rachel though that maybe I could help Tacitus.

I was pleased that Rachel had been saved by Tacitus and I was glad to see that not all Goreans supported the institution of slavery. I would gladly work with such an honorable man. My financial resources would help our cause immensely.

Rachel then said that she was also helping Tacitus. They were at the Sardar Fair as part of one of his plans. They were here to speak with an Initiate, a man willing to deliver them some information about the Priest-Kings. Rachel stated that it was the Priest-Kings who sanctioned slavery and if they were eliminated then slavery could be eliminated.

Tacitus had met with this Initiate, named Nichomachus, a couple times already and Rachel had met him once. They were supposed to meet him one final time that evening, a few hours after the Kaissa finals.

Tacitus then returned to the tent. Rachel was smiling and told Tacitus how I would help them with their dream of ridding the world of slavery.

Tacitus then smiled though there was a sinister air to him now. And four more crimson robed men entered the tent.

Before I understood what was happening, I had been grabbed and gagged. So was Rachel. I could not resist due to my wound. If I tried, I would likely start it bleeding again. Rachel struggled but it was useless against the strength of the man who held her.

We were bound and then placed into sacks. We were then taken away and I wondered where my Viking warriors were.

As we were carried away in darkness, I felt that sudden intuitive comprehension. When you play Kaissa, it is not skill alone that guides your victories. Part of it is an intuitive feel, a grasp of the pattern of the game amidst the chaos of the diverse pieces.

Many Kaissa players can play the game without the need for a board. Their memory retains the image of the board, its pieces, their movements and the positions. I had acquired that skill as well.

I was also cognizant of another type of Kaissa that existed, a game of politics and men. I had some familarity with that form as well. My own plans had been a type of strategy in a game of that nature.

Thus I saw the pattern involving Rachel. I understood that a grand Kaissa game was occurring and that Rachel was but a minor piece in that game. Her abduction had not been random. She had been taken for a specific reason. She had been used as a Kaissa piece, a piece to be ultimately sacrificed.

My mind raced, analyzing the game I found myself in. The Players were already at the board. I was an outsider. I was not supposed to be part of the game. My arrival on Gor was not planned. I was a surprise element.

One Player was the Priest-Kings of Gor, those omnipotent rulers. The other Player was an unknown entity, but obviously an enemy of the Priest-Kings. I did not think these Others were Goreans.

I remembered the two spaceships I had been on. They had been different in several ways, one darker and more reflective of ill intentions. Though Goreans may work for these Others, I did not think the Others themselves were Gorean.

Rachel's alleged rescue from her slavery had been a ruse. She was groomed for the day she would be a sacrifice. And an Initiate would be the one accepting that Gambit, capturing the piece. And he could not do that or the Game would be lost.

The Priest-Kings needed a Champion, a Player who could defeat their opponent in this Kaissa match. And I needed to save my daughter, my lovely Rachel.

We were eventually brought to a dimly lit tent, at the base of the Sardar Mountains and next to a tall wooden palisade. We were removed from the sacks but kept gagged and tied.

A man in the White of the Initiate was there along with Tacitus and two other Warriors. The Initiate was gripping a thick set of scrolls in his left hand. He was also leering lasciviously at Rachel.

Tactitus warned Rachel that he would be removing her gag but that if she screamed, I would be killed. She nodded in agreement and her gag was removed.

Tacitus then stripped her clothes from her, cutting them off as her hands were still tied. I turned away from my daughter trying to give her some modesty. I knew the others would not.

The Initiate went over to Rachel and his right hand glided over her body and Rachel squired with displeasure. He then told Tacitus that she was exactly as promised.

Rachel said that she would cooperate only if I was released. Otherwise, she would seek suicide at her first opportunity. The Initiate blanched with fear at that possibility.

Tacitus and the Initiate then discussed my fate. Tacitus felt that I knew far too much to live but the Initiate stated that a dead woman would not please him and that it would nullify their deal.

In the end, Tacitus agreed to release me but threatened to kill Rachel, very slowly and painfully, if I ever breathed a word of this matter. I nodded my assent and they ungagged me and removed my bonds.

It was now time for a substitution, to fill in for the Initiate as the Player in this Game. That was highly unorthodox but the rules of this version of Kaissa were much looser. It permitted such unconventional maneuvers.

I would first need to show my credentials, to prove I was worthy of this Kaissa. If I did this, the substitution would be permitted.

If I won this game, I would have earned the title of Kaissa Master. I would truly be the Champion of the En'Kara Fair.

I told Tacitus that we were still in the Middle Game and that the results of this position would determine the future of the End Game. Of course he was a bit confused at first.

I told him that I would now be stepping in as the Champion of the Priest-Kings as the Initiate had failed in his duty. He had played poorly and the Priest-Kings were disappointed. I intended to Play the rest of the Game against Tacitus. I intended to defeat the Champion of the Others.

I told him how I intended to resolve this position. He and I would duel, one on one, each with the weapon or weapons of their choice. If Tactitus died, I won Rachel and the Initiate's papers. If Tacitus lived, then I would be dead and his plans would proceed without a hitch.

I had exposed a major piece and Tacitus captured the piece, unaware of the hidden threat. He was not a Master Player. He had acted too quickly without seeing ahead, without considering all of the possibilities.

As I prepared, I removed a Kaissa piece from a pouch. It was a Spearman, specially carved for me by a friend in Lydius.

Though I may die in this duel, I believed I could kill Tacitus. And the rules of the Wager referred only to his death, not mine. If we both died, I still won the Wager.

A space was cleared within the tent for our battle. I remained very defensive initially, blocking his sword cuts with my shield.

Tacitus was a bit tentative at first as well, assessing my ability, trying to ensure I was not also a Warrior. He was soon pleased to learn that I was obviously not a Warrior, or even a man that familiar with battle. This made him cocky.

Tacitus joked with his men while battling me, arrogant in his skill. He cut me three times, surface cuts meant to weaken me, to cause me pain.

The next time he turned his head to joke with his friends, I rushed him with the shield. I thrust the weight of my body against the shield and pushed him. The tight quarters within the tent were my deliverance.

I pushed him against the fabric of the tent and our mutual struggles collapsed that section of the tent upon us.

I acted quickly. I sheathed the dagger within my belt and grabbed the Spearman in my other hand. I stabbed Tacitus with the spear of the Spearman and then I struggled to get free of the fabric.

When his friends realized that Tacitus had stopped struggling, they went to help him. And they found that he was dead.

His friends examined his body looking for the dagger thrust that had killed him. His neck was not broken and they could not find the dagger wound. All they found was a tiny puncture wound with a minimal bit of blood.

Poison was considered a woman's weapon. It was not an honorable weapon by the Caste Codes of the Warriors. Yet, I was not bound by that Code. And I knew of other men who relied on poison as well. It was the only way to defend oneself against a trained Warrior.

I did not feel bad that I had used it. I had won. I had defeated his stronger position in this Ubara's Gambit.

The Warriors abided by the rules of the Wager. They would not dishonor Tacitus by reneging. I think they also realized that I should never have gotten that close to Tacitus to use the poison. They realized that Tacitus had underestimated me. They might not like the outcome but they would not interfere.

The Initiate handed over the scrolls to me and found a robe for Rachel. I took my daughter out of the tent and went to find some Fair guards.