Tales of Drysdale House (18) Pulled Back In (5)

 This is a long one, I hope you like it. The theft of Juli has made Patrick introspective

Tale 18 A New Hope

Agamemnon

The day after Shipping Day, the day after my slave Juli had been stolen away from me, was the worst day of my life. Starting in the morning, Jerry Weiss and I had worked our connections with law enforcement trying to find out where Don Emery may have fled. We had no luck. Anders was still reporting from his hidden location near Don Emery’s house that there were still a large number of Emery family people at the location. Zach Frick and Joshua of the Acquisition Team looked through data on the General Information terminals to see if there was any trace of the track of Don Emery. There was not. They watching and rewatched the loading of the four Ships of the Steel Worlds that left North America on shipping day. There was no sign of Don Emery or Juli boarding for Gor. Woodrow Frick consulted people he knew in Britain. The Inner Party there had no records of Don Emery of Juli being in Britain.

Frustration grew within all of us. The cautious lawyer in me kept me from showing my irritation with the Fricks for their part in my loss of Juli. It was the Fricks who had introduced Don Emery to me, giving an implicit guarantee for his behavior. On Shipping Day, Wyandotte Frick had insisted on the immediate Acquisition of the Flight Attendant Leigh Fraser, and Capt Kacy Jones, the helicopter pilot who had ferried Hannah Quigley, Holger Magnus, and VanRijn’s lawyer Vansittart to Dragonwyck. This had taken almost all the men out of Drysdale House, the Acquisition Team to pick up Jones and Anders, and Bruno to pick up Leigh Fraser. This had given Don Emery his opportunity. I didn’t badmouth all the Emerys either. They were, after all, allies of the Fricks, and Chelsea Frick had recently taken Elliott Emery as a Free Companion.

Jerry Reiss, Scipio Metellus, and I were hastily eating some soup in the dining room around seven PM. Mrs Magruder had insisted that we eat something, and further, had insisted that we put aside our papers and computers for a moment to recharge our mind. Scipio Metellus was very gloomy. He has been making a slow adjustment to our world. He is slow to use technology and feels a little left out as Anders and I have become close friends since our trip to Dragonwyck. Anders has found a delight in some earth literature, especially Louis L’Amour and Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie I understand, an assassin taking an interest in murder. Louis L’Amour took me a little longer: tales of honor and men against odds will always interest Goreans. Anders, who is part way through Roger Ackroyd was speculating on the identity of the killer. I said nothing to reveal the twist.

When the phone rang, I jumped. It was Wyandotte Frick. He told me that the Emerys had finally entered into communication. He said that a member of the Emery Family would like to call at Drysdale House tomorrow at ten AM.

“Will he be bringing Juli?”

“From what Elliott said, no. There will be a compensation offer. Listen to it.”

I was angry and devastated. That sounded like there was no hope for Juli’s return. Juli was all I wanted; without her I was bereft of peace and hope. I agreed to speak to the Emery in the morning. I felt empty inside.

I told all the people who were helping me search for Juli the news. We were all glum and deflated.

I knew my life without Juli would be empty.

The call that an Emery would come in the morning to ‘explain things’ did not calm me, or sooth me. I was convinced that in the morning I would hear that Juli would not be returned to me; and that Don Emery would be allowed to keep her because of his kinship relationship to the Emerys, and that the Fricks would abandon me to support the Emerys. I wandered in the Library, the place where Juli and I had spent some of our most pleasant hours. Often, after I had taken her over the big desk, or bent over the large worktable (a position Scipio Metellus called ‘the position or way of the Scribes’), I would watch as she padded around nude, with her feet bare as she sorted and catalogued the books on the shelves. The books had been shelved in a hurry and needed sorting, but we always thought we would have time, lots of time to complete that task. But now Juli was gone.

I picked up two volumes from the worktable. The Odyssey and the Iliad in the Fagles translations. I always preferred the Odyssey. The story of a man, Odysseus, who had not wanted to go to war on the other side of the known world; he had wanted to stay home with his wife, and his flocks and his numerous bond-maidens. But a summons had come from the High King. Paris, the son of the King of Troy, had stolen for his slave-concubine Helen, the wife-concubine of the High King’s brother.

It did not matter to Odysseus whose collar Helen wore, but for the High King it was a chance to go to war for gold and for other loot. A chance to break the power of Troy.

Odysseus was cunning, a ‘man of many schemes’. A man who would fulfill his exact word but interpret it in his own way: a lawyer. Forced to go to Troy, all he wanted to do was go home. He fought well, and it was he who devised the trick that got the Greeks inside the walls of Troy: the famous wooden horse. But what about a man who loved his home and found the heart of his home stolen from him? How does a man journey if he has no prospect of peace at the end of the road? Dissatisfied, I put down the story of Odysseus.

From the Odyssey I turned to the Iliad, the story of the rage of Achilles, and its two contrasting protagonists: Achilles and Agamemnon.

Agamemnon was the warlord of the ancient Greeks living in scattered towns on the edges of the Asia Minor and Egypt. He gathered the Greeks together to assault Troy, for gold and women and to break their power. He was cruel and ruthless, creating a human sacrifice of his daughter to ensure fair winds. Nothing was allowed to stand in the way of purpose. But his forces could not make a dent on the walls of Troy, although smaller cities dependent on Troy were sacked and burned. Achilles led the assault; he willed the King, he killed the Queen’s brothers, he killed her father. After burning her city and killing all who she loved, he took her slave. She was the symbol of his victory, his honor, his glory. And he came to love her. Briseus came to love him too. But Agamemnon was compelled to give up his own slave for political reasons, although in the Barbarian way he blamed ‘the will of the Gods’. To regain his standing in the eyes of his followers he stole Achilles’s slave Briseis as compensation.

Achilles, in the same position as I am now, was furious. He withdrew his troops from the Greek Army and sat in his tent. Without him the Greeks were pushed back, dying in their hundreds, while Achilles, his loss and rage his only thought, did nothing. His best friend, Patroclus, took Achilles’s armor, and attacked the Trojans, who now died in their hundreds. Then Hector, son of the Trojan king, killed Patrocles, the tide of battle turned. Achilles came from his tent and killed Hector, dying himself when shot by Paris, the owner of Helen.

All was now the same, except that thousands of Greeks and Trojans were dead; Achilles was dead, Patroclus was dead, Hector was dead, Briseis had lost to death the master she had loved. Agamemnon still ruled the Greeks, smug and proud.

I had always condemned Achilles’s actions in allowing the Greeks to die, causing so many deaths, but now I understood him. Don Emery had violated my hospitality, stolen my Juli, taken away the peace of my house. And the Agamemnons of the First Families of North America had allowed it. They had not returned my Juli to me. I wanted to tear down their structures. I wanted to take my tomahawk, my axe and smash Don Emery in the skull with it. I wanted to hit him again and again, to crush his head to tiny bits and I didn’t care if all the Emerys and Fricks and Bannons and all the rest of the First Families and the Inner Party of Britain stood in my way.

In that mood I went to bed. I slept poorly, interrupted by dreams. I saw often the face of poor young Billy Jackson, seeing in his eyes the realization that the day which started so well for him was going to end in death. I saw again the dawning realization that his life was about to be finished. I heard the screams of Nicola VanRijn to spare his life. And the ax came down again and again. Down upon Don Emery and down upon Billy Jackson, their faces merging and separating. I saw burning cities and weeping woman and the cries of dying men. If I could not have my Juli, I would have my revenge. I would put aside law; I would put aside order and civilization. In my rage I would not spare anyone. Let it all end in ruin.

**

Achilles

The Emery representative did not appear at ten. At 9:45 Jerry Reiss received a call that the person was running late and rescheduled the meeting to eleven. I assumed this was a ploy. My rage mounted. Just after eleven another call informed us that the Emery representative would definitely appear by 11:45. A series of protocols followed by text. The representative would not enter by the front door. They wanted to meet in a room by a door, and did not want the Library at their back. The Emerys would park in front of the Porte Cochere and enter the hallway and the Grand Salon. They would stand at one end, those who stood by me would remain at the other. The Emery and I would meet in the middle of the Salon.

We set up two Chesterfield sofas facing each other in the center of room. A coffee table with a coffee pot, milk, sugar, and some treats were arranged by Mrs Magruder. Then we waited.

Just before noon, three large SUVs pulled through the gates and parked out in front. I took my place on one of the sofas: I would not rise to greet the Emery. Let him face my fury.

Mrs Magruder opened the door. Three stone faced men entered and took places standing at the end of the salon, facing Bruno, Jerry Weiss, and Joshua of the Acquisition team who had chosen to stand with Drysdale House. Zach Frick stood in the hallway facing the last member of the Emery group. Then the Emery representative entered. I stood. It was automatic.

The Emerys had sent Chelsea Frick to speak for them. How she would enjoy this, I thought. Still it was automatic to stand for a free woman of the Families.

She walked towards me. There was no smile on her face. She extended her hand. I took it. After a perfunctory handshake, we sat. I was confused but no less angry.

“Hello, Patrick. Are you surprised to see me?”  Her voice was sickly sweet.

“Why did they send you” Where is the man who should be handling this.”

She scowled just a bit. Chelsea reached for the coffee pot.

“Shall I pour? And please keep your voice down. We don’t want the staff to know all about our misunderstandings. If you listen you may learn things, maybe even things the Emerys don’t want you to know. Am I right that the acoustics of this room are designed to suppress voices being heard?”

This twenty-year-old had knocked me right off balance. But she had me hooked me with the idea of gaining knowledge. My wrath with the Emerys was so great I was willing to learn from anyone, even this sweet-talking blonde narcissist who was so different from her twenty-year-old distant cousin Zack.

“Yes, the room was designed to allow people to talk without being overheard.”

 This was true, except that a few secluded corners, where the innocent might imagine themselves safe from being heard, could be heard quite clearly in certain spots. The Drysdales had been a crafty and suspicious bunch. I went on.

“Why send you? Why a woman, and why someone so young. Are they afraid to come and confront me about the theft of my Juli? And what do I call you anyway? Frick or Emery or what.”

Chelsea stayed calm. She removed a leather folder with her notes and talking points. She smiled a little smile. She was enjoying this while I lived in a dark place with no hope.

“Try to smile, Patrick, so we can fool the people. And inside voice remember. To answer your questions. I am Chelsea Frick-Emery, but please call me Chelsea. For today, and maybe for today only, we are going to be friends. I am going to tell you things, and if you are as intelligent as you are said to be, you will figure out why.

“Before we turn to Juli, the answer is yes, they are indeed very wary of you. You have shown yourself drastic and ruthless, and the available Emery men, except for Michael, which would not have helped things, did not want to face you.”

I was puzzled. I am a lawyer. They could not know how much loss and anger had filled me. I asked,

“Why so cautious?”

Careful wording there though I had opinions about men who would send a woman to face me alone.

“Dragonwyck. Dragonwyck has made them cautious.”

Chelsea had repeated my word cautious. She was skilled at this kind of social chit-chat. Perhaps the Emerys had chosen wisely. She opened a red leatherbound notebook.

“The day following an attack on your car, you flew immediately to Pittsburgh to see Wyandotte. That was quick. Why so quick?”

“Juli was in the car with me, we were nearly killed.”

I had thrown her a bone of information the Families did not have. It would also impress on her how serious I was about Juli. Chelsea made a note in the book. I prefer a person who uses a fountain pen and writes in cursive. Strangely though I did not warm to Chelsea Frick-Emery.

“Ah, that is good to know. And it counts for you that earlier you referred to Juli’s theft rather than her kidnapping. How Gorean of you to use the correct form when referring to a collared slut.

“Even more interesting, Wyandotte saw you immediately, even though he was very busy as it was the night before my Companionship Ceremony and all the Families were there. You left the next day and immediately with an unidentified person and Juli disappeared camping. You did not let any time lapse.”

This told me several things. They had not identified Anders as Gorean, nor as an assassin, nor did they know that Vincent VanRijn’s man had made an attempt on the life of Wyandotte Frick. The Fricks were hiding their weaknesses and letting the whole weight rest on me. Chelsea looked up.

“For my own curiosity, why take Juli to Dragonwyck? Surely that was dangerous?”

“I needed a beast to carry supplies. Besides she was safer with me than anywhere else.”

“It is what you did at Dragonwyck that makes them wary of you. On paper you look to be an easy target, yet what you did there makes people wonder.

“VanRijn had a guard group of about twenty-four, the majority of whom were eliminated in a violent diversion. Capt Cathcart and most of the guards were summoned to the faraway guard post on the road where they were overwhelmed by the local people. Most of the bodies were not found. Only one or two got away and have yet to be traced by either General Security or by Nicolas VanRijn.”

“That wasn’t me. There has been tension between the VanRijn Estate and the local people for over a hundred years.”

Chelsea smiled and shook her head.

“As you pointed out, Patrick, there has been tension for over a hundred years. It is a big coincidence that it boiled over on the morning you were slaughtering Vincent VanRijn. The men who head the First Families of North America do not believe in coincidences, especially coincidences like that. They think you are drastic and dangerous.”

I just shook my head. Chelsea looked a little annoyed.

“Alright, keep your secrets. Now to the slaughter in the Hall at Dragonwyck. On one side, there was you and whoever accompanied you to meet VanRijn. On the other side, five men, four of them with firearm. Vansittart, Lt Montgomery, one guard we haven’t identified, and one William Jackson, who was just identified the other day. Nicholas VanRijn has hired forensic scientists to examine the scene. You left the place a mess, Patrick, what with nearly burning Dragonwyck to the ground. Were you upset that you failed due to the rain and the fire walls installed in Dragonwyck? By the way, I didn’t know that firewalls were an actual physical thing and not just in software.”

I shook my head both to deny that they burning of Dragonwyck was purposeful and at the things that twenty-year-olds did not know. Chelsea went on.

“Very well, keep your secrets. So: four men with firearms against you and your helper.”

I was relieved that the Emerys and Fricks did not know of the existence of Holgar Magnus and his presence at Dragonwyck. As Chelsea’s father, and Woodrow’s too for that matter, had been killed by Holgar’s brother Karl, it was best that piece of information did not get out.

“VanRijn, stabbed with a dagger and killed. Lt Montgomery and the unidentified guard had their necks snapped. Vansittart shot with a crossbow; that was rather baroque, Patrick. And the one that worries them the most. What did William Jackson do that you killed him so viciously with an Ax?”

“A tomahawk. I split his skull and moved on.”

“Patrick, his skull was shattered into little pieced, totally smashed. The forensic anthropologists believe between ten and twenty blows delivered with great force.”

I shook my head and held up one finger.

“Once. Just once.”

“No Patrick, the evidence is clear, multiple blows with great force. His skull was smashed into tiny pieces. It says here that no piece was larger than one inch by two.”

I closed my eyes. Was it possible that I had blanked out what I had done to Billy. Was that why he haunted me. Nicola had said I had smashed him many times; now Chelsea said the same. Was there another Patrick inside me, a violent killer, an Achilles after all. Maybe I should lock him down; on the other hand, I really wanted to let him out.

Sing O Muse of the wrath of Patrick Masters.

Chelsea poured my some more coffee, and with some sensitivity waited while I had a sip. Then she continued.

“However, Patrick, with your vengeance complete,, your enemy dead, his retainers slain, his niece your slave, and with other captives you returned to Sans Francisco. By the way, what happened to your companion. When you arrived by the quay in the Queen Conch, he had disappeared. Was that you cleaning up the witnesses. Or does he lurk at your command, ready to kill again for you. For the First Families, either possibility is disquieting.”

Chelsea sipped her coffee. She put the delicate china with care.

“Now this is when we start talking confidentially. Have you figured out why yet?”

She smiled a mean girl smile. Chelsea might not have the intelligence of Zach Frick, but she had cunning. I guessed it was honed in dozens of mean girl conflicts, a selfish girl learning to get her way. She was dangerous; I needed to remember that.

“Don’t worry, I am sure that you will; I hope that you will.

“Ok, the Emerys will tell the other families that they will not turn Don Emery over to you because of Family pride and honor.” She snorted. “He is only a second cousin, and his wife Janice is only a third cousin. I hear you are to be made an honorary second cousin to the Fricks. Don’t fool yourself, you will never be a second cousin to me!”

“The real reason Don Emery is not being turned over to you is that they can’t find him.”

I shook my head.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“So did the Emerys and so did General Security. That is why they kept stalling talking to you, they were sure they would find him. They have turned his house upset down at least twice. They are sure that his wife does not know where he is; they have questioned his daughter and son. There is no sign of where he might be at his business K-girl lingerie, except that $40,000.00 is missing…

I interrupted.

“If he was running to Gor, he would not need the forty thousand, but if he was on Earth he should have been found.”

Chelsea consulted her folder.

“All the ships to Gor were searched before they left, he was not aboard.”

“Perhaps he bribed one of the crewmen?”

“We are sure he did not, besides the video of the boardings was reviewed and reviewed. Neither he not Juli went to Gor.”

“Are you sure the Emerys conducted a thorough search. After all, what is one slave belonging to someone else to them?”

Chelsea shrugged her shoulders. Then she leaned in to speak in a lower voice.

“Juli, not much. But what she stole from the Emerys was more important to them than you can imagine.”

“A lot of this is myth, some is legend. But the essence is true. After the Priest-Kings moved Gor to this solar system, they moved a lot of biological material and living forms to Gor. Some of it they moved by a “path through the stars” created using some powerful artifacts. The Priest-Kings convinced many peoples to follow the path by having one of their human slaves wear a headdress with many sparkling pieces. It covered their slave with a golden glow and the original population of Gor was established. Later the artifacts were removed from the headdress and separated and used for smaller missions. Scrolls were created to instruct how to use the artifacts.”

I interrupted, “Chelsea this seems like a bad movie. How sure are you of this?”

“This part, very sure. I heard it from my father, Willard. I loved my daddy and spent a lot of time in his office listening as he talked to other members of the Families. It was a well-known tale, I guess. Daddy never knew where the amulets and scrolls were or who had them. When Don Emery disappeared, they discovered that both the artifact and the scroll had disappeared as well. It must have been well-planned because they were hidden in different places with different keepers.”

“So Don Emery and Juli are clearly on Gor.”

“The Emerys don’t think so. They think he is lying low on Earth and that the items were taken as a blind. Don Emery could not survive on Gor, they believe. Only a few Earthmen have gone there, and all those that survived has some kind of resources. Money, friends, an ability to speak the language, an ability with weapons. On Gor, the word for stranger is enemy, all enemies are strangers. If a Gorean sees a man who can’t speak the language walking around with a good looking slave, how long does he last before being killed? They are convinced he will not go to Gor, but bargain with the scroll and the artefact for wealth and protection once the initial upset dies down.”

Chelseas stopped; she was thirsty after all that talking. She took a piece of coffee cake and placed it daintily on her plate. She took a bite.

“Mrs Magruder’s”

I nodded. Mrs Magruder had been housekeeper for Chelsea’s father.

“I thought so. She was always good to me. You are lucky to have her.

“Unlike the Emerys, I think Don Emery has gone to Gor. He is likely dead by now.”

“Why do you think that?”

“What do you know of the First Families and their traits?

“Not much, I have heard the Bannons love money.”

Chelsea smiled.

“The Bannons are obsessed with money, having it, getting more. Not for power or influence or the good things money can buy. They want money, money and more money for it’s own sake. The Bannons crave money. With the Emerys there is a streak of insanity; it runs in the family. The unkind say it gallops. Don Emery is likely crazed enough to believe he can survive on Gor without any friends.

“Likely he decided he was going and plotted the theft of the scroll and the artefact in advance. They are not checked on every day; he could have had them for weeks. Likely he was obsessed with Juli and waited his chance.”

“Juli did say that he made her uneasy, as if he was following her.”

“You should have listened to your slave. Likely if you had had more experience you would have.”

Chelsea sat back on her sofa. She had a small smile, as if I had missed something. I spoke first.

“Where does this leave things then?”

“The Emerys want time to look for Don Emery. They believe he is still on Earth. They want time without you searching as well and without you bothering them. They believe it will take time for Don to surface. They want a considerable period of time without you bothering them or Don Emery’s family. I suggest you give them three years.”

“Why three years.”

“You are supposed to be intelligent, you tell me.”

I thought for a moment. Chelsea had that half smile on her face again. I had it.

“Three years because in three years you will no longer be an Emery. You committed to Wyandotte to remain in the companionship for three years. When I resume looking for Juli again, you will be just Chelsea Frick again.”

“I guess you have some intelligence after all, Patrick”

“Can you manage to stay in the companionship for the full three years, Chelsea. I am genuinely curious.”

“Yes, I am confident. I am confident I can maintain his confidence for three years and make him think it was his idea to end the arrangement. I am confident that I can bear him pawing at my body for three years. Yes, I am confident that I can maintain his trust that long. I was able to convince him to let me come here alone today. When some of the other Emerys were reluctant to face you, Elliott was willing. But I convinced him that I could convince you to abandon your quest for Juli. And I did, didn’t I. I just didn’t tell him how I would do it or all of what I would tell you.”

“I am still not sure why you told me all these things, Chelsea.”

“You are supposed to be intelligent; you figure it out. There are some other things though. Because Don Emery was introduced to you by the Fricks, they are willing to offer two class one slaves to you in compensation for the abuse of your hospitality.

The Emerys will likewise offer two class one slaves for the abuse of hospitality by Don Emery.

Further they will offer two class one slaves in recompense for Juli”

Now I want to see how intelligent Chelsea Emery-Frick is.

“I will accept the two slaves from the Fricks in compensation for the abuse of hospitality, and the two from the Emerys for the same abuse. I reject the two slaves in compensation for Juli.”

“You are rejecting two slaves as compensation?”

“I am rejecting two slaves as compensation for Juli.”

“Why? Why turn down free slaves?”

“You are clever, you figure it out?”

Chelsea sat for a moment.

“You are rejecting them because you think it is not enough…no, that is not it. Ah! You are rejecting them because if you take them, then Juli belongs to the Emerys! Right?”

“Very good. Because we are ‘friends for today’, I want you to pick out the two slaves that the Emerys will be sending me. I am sure you will get pleasure in choosing girls that you will be happy to see the back of; girls the Emerys will not want to lose.”

“Patrick, my ‘friend for today’ thank you so much, Have you figured out why I am your friend today. Why I convinced Elliott to let me come here.”

I surprised her.

“Yes I have. You came to give me hope, a New Hope, a distant hope that I would see and possess Juli again.   But your New Hope is a very faint hope. I agree with you that Juli has been taken to Gor by secret and devious means. I will have to wait three years before I begin to search an entire planet for one slave.

You knew that your New Hope would cause me pain as I was forced to wait for three years, with every day an agony. You turned my anger and wrath, dangerous to your family to hope, a hope that will pain me every day until I find Juli.

Thank you and curse you.”

Chelsea Frick-Emery looked very pleased, cat that at the canary pleased.

“Well done Patrick. You are intelligent. Intelligent enough to know how small your odds are. You will search Gor for your Juli until you die. Now, are there any other questions before we discuss some other details?”

“Yes, actually. There seemed to be a particular horror about what I did to Billy Jackson with an ax. Was it because I used an ax?”

“You are very clever indeed Patrick. I heard my father discuss many things with his friends who had been to Gor. They were mostly members of the Warrior Caste, they are used to spear and sword and shield, An ax disconcerts them. They thought I was a bored little girl playing on the floor, so they talked freely, more freely in front of me than they should have. But I loved my Daddy. I always listened. Did you know that a sword is not just for attack, and a shield not just for defense? You can parry and block with a sword, and a shield can be used to thrust at an enemy and put him off balance. A man with a sword and shield knows how to fight a man with a sword and shield. But a man with an ax and shield can do things a man with a sword cannot not. The ax can come around the shield and strike at the arm and hand holding it. The ax can hook the top of the shield and pull the swordsman off balance. Fighting an man with an ax, my Daddy would say, is worse than facing a left-handed fighter. On Gor, the only men who fight with axes are the wild barbarians from Thorvaldsland, and of course, the wild Kur, the wild Kur who devour the bodies of humans for food. Your ax disturbed them because it marks you as alien and dangerous. Now on to the details.”

When our business was concluded, Chelsea Frick-Emery departed. She had left me with a New Hope, my anger replaced by a painful small hope. Achilles had been defeated.

**

Odysseus

So I was to become a wanderer, seeking to heal my wound. I would never be whole until I had my Juli at my feet again. To make Drysdale House my home again, I need Juli to be in it. To make my house mine, I would have to leave it and go searching for home. I needed my Juli at my feet in my collar. I needed another slave too. I needed Chelsea Frick-Emery at my feet in my collar. Not for love; but for hate. I did not know how or when, but sometime I would have her at my feet, kissing my ankles, begging for my attention.

I asked the men at Drysdale House, who had stood by for the past two days to come into my Library. I needed to find a crew. It would take time, but I had three years.

“Thank you for your support over the past few days. I am deeply grateful. My conversation with the Lady Chelsea Frick-Emery has cleared up some things.

First: Don Emery is gone. No one knows where. I have been assured and I accept those assurances as true, that Don Emery acted alone, without the aid or knowledge of any other person, when he violated the hospitality of Drysdale House and stole Juli, the First Girl of the House.

Second: I am assured and I accept those assurances, that the Emery Family will bend all their efforts to find Don Emery and my property, and return Juli to me, and Don Emery for punishment.

Third: Right now, they have no idea where he is. All the video of the ships being loaded has been reviewed multiple times, by multiple eyes, those of General Security and the Emery and Frick families. It is clear that Don Emery did not take ship to Gor.”

I was shading the truth here a little. I was almost completely certain that Don Emery was on Gor. Like Odysseus I told the exact truth, but not the complete truth. He was on Gor, but had not taken the Silver Ships to the other planet.

“Fourth: If the Emerys have not found Juli in three years, then I am free to take whatever action I think fit.

Fifth: Drysdale House is to received compensation for the abuse of our Hospitality by Don Emery. Each of the Frick and Emery families who gave assurances as to his behavior are to provide two prime slaves as compensation.”

I looked over at the acquisition team who were looking at me as if confused a little. I smiled.

“Sorry for sounding like a lawyer, It is after all, what I am. Basically Don Emery acted alone, and the Frick and Emery families are sorry for vouching for him.”

I went on.

“The Emery Family offered compensation for Juli, but I declined.”

The acquisition team and Bruno and Niles, the slaver trainers from the pens looked confused again. It was Jerry Weiss, who had taken a seat in the armchair by my desk, who spoke.

“If you took the compensation, it would mean that Juli became their property.”

Scipio Metellus who was standing between Anders and Woodrow Frick spoke. I was glad he was participating. He had been unable to help much in the past two days because of unfamiliarity with Earth technology. I had been worried he would disappear back into his depression.

“That is sound merchant law. It was clever to think of that with so much going on.”

Scipio’s endorsement, and Jerry’s explanation had done a lot to raise my standing back up in the eyes of the Acquisition Team and the trainers. I would need them and I would need them to trust my decisions.

“We are going to continue to Acquire merchandise for the Steel Worlds project. I know you are all from the San Francisco area originally. It has been decided that you three can either remain with General Security and be reassigned to another post, or join the Drysdale House group. At generous terms of course”

“I’m in,” said Ethan the youngest.

“Can I think about?” asked Seth.

“Certainly” As long as I have an answer by the end of the week.

Joshua, the leader said,

“I am going to have to think about it for a bit too, I have had a good career at General Security.”

I nodded. I was actually pleased that they were going to think things through. I turned to Woodrow Frick. He was, I knew, somewhat well disposed towards me, especially as I had taken in Scipio Metellus and Anders, and had dealt with Vincent VanRijn. I was less sure of Zach Frick. He was a Frick like Chelsea, and was twenty like Chelsea. He was very smart. He was also a distant cousin of the main branch of the family and looked to Wyandotte for advancement. He was totally Wyandotte’s man. Everything he heard would be reported.

“Woodrow, are the two kajirae who were known as Seventeen and Nineteen still at the Lazy F? If so I would like them as the two kajirae from the Fricks.”

“They are. They are quite popular and are currently unassigned. They have new names now, Shorty and Flute-player”.  A slave’s name can be changed at any time at the whim of the master. A slave owns nothing, not even her name.

“Shorty is obvious for Nineteen, but why Flute-player?

“She used to play in a marching band. Excellent embrasure. Great breath control, Very talented with her lips and tongue”.  He grinned. “Very talented.”

I turned to Jerry. A good leader distributes rewards to the team.

“She’s yours Jerry. I remember you seemed quite taken with her at the ranch. Even branded her personally if I recall. Of course, you can always trade her in later once we get some new stock in the pens.”

Jerry was a very happy man.

“Scipio, I am giving you Shorty. You too can trade her for another slave once we get more stock, if you wish. I want you to take over supervision of the Acquisitions and Training. I know working in a smaller boutique operation is not the same as commanding a vast enterprise on Gor, but I hope you will consider it.”

Scipio Metellus did not reply, but he grinned and bowed a short bow.

“Anders, for now you have your Lena. I would want you to formally take charge of Security, here at Drysdale House, and at the Masters Law Office. It is sort of like locking the barn after the horse has been stolen, but it must be done.”

“I will make sure that no more horses are stolen.  I will not fail you.”

“Good. The two kajirae from the Emerys will be allocated to the use of the Trainers and the Acquisition team. Veronika will be interim First Girl. Once we get more collar meat we can review.

“Nothing of this to Jane Bennet. She does not need to know. I will seek for another ‘talent scout’ so we have two working. At some time, Jane Bennet can be formally collared and dispatched.

“Now, you have all worked hard the past month and especially the past two days. Lets take some time off and begin hunting again at the end of the week.

“The firm has some Club level seats, and tomorrow is Monday Night Football. I hope some of you will take advantage of the time to use them. Tonight, lets have proper banquet and get happy and drunk. I will see you all at seven.”

They took it for the dismissal it was. After they all left, I pulled a pad of paper towards me and took my favorite fountain pen from my desk. It had been too long since I had used it. I started making a list. Three years sounds like a long time, but I had so much to do.

1.     Explore ways of getting to Gor, preferably secretly. Make friends with Marius the Mariner, but do not mention anything about seeking passage. They will be watching him closely at first. Seek out other avenues as well. Perhaps contact that lawyer of Professor Norman if he is still alive? It would be wrong to approach his client directly after all and a lawyer-to-lawyer call may bring results.

2.     Put together a small group wiling to accompany me. Maybe Anders can find that Holgar Magnus? He may want to return to Gor. This is touchy, the Fricks can never hear that I am in contact with the man whose brother killed Willard Frick.

3.     Learn to speak Gorean. Not only to speak Gorean, but fluently, with as little accent as possible. I don’t want to stand out on Gor, but to fit in.

4.     Learn to read Gorean. Although may Goreans are reportedly illiterate, there is much information available on public boards.

5.     Learn to write Gorean. Mostly for pleasure, I like to write in beautiful letters but it will be useful.

6.     Improve my survival skills in the wilds. Much of Gor is unsettled, and like Australia, full of things that will try to kill people. Talk to Scipio about deadly plants; he may know, he brought a bunch of Gorean plant cuttings with him..

7.     Practice with weapons. I may not be able to face and kill a Gorean Warrior, but I need to be able to fend one off. Bandits and others I need to be able to deal with. Consult with HEMA (Historic European Martial Arts) practitioners. Need basic sword, shield and knife knowledge. Study with axe as well, facing an axe may unsettle a Gorean and give me an edge.

8.     Study up on Gorean geography.

9.     Brush up on sailing. Much of Gor is water and pirates are active slavers.

10.Acquire monetary resources. Gems are good, but cannot be converted quickly and may attract comment. Gold coins are good value, but no good for day-to-day transactions and are heavy. Silver is good, especially small silver coins, if I can find some from the old days that have not been melted down. I must remember that changing money is not all bad. Money changers will charge a premium and are also gossipy. The flip side of their being gossipy is that questions can be asked them casually will earth coins are assayed etc.

I do not believe that Don Emery is dead. I believe he is on Gor and I think he is more resourceful than the Emerys suspect. Gor is a violent and harsh place, but I think that little rat will burrow in some place in which he will thrive. I believe at some place on Gor I will have the pleasure of hacking his skull to bits.

Thinking of the pleasures of crushing the life out of Don Emery reminded me of something. I had promised a three-year amnesty to Don Emery and his family.

I turned to the Information terminal. I looked up Elizabeth Emery, a student at Stanford. Her pleasant well-scrubbed face filled the screen. In three years, she would be twenty-one and quite beautiful. Prime for acquisition. The sins of Don Emery would be paid for not only by him but by his family. In three years, I would collar Elizabeth Emery and take her to Gor with me. As I watched the screen of Elizabeth a grayed-out box at the top turned active.

Reserved. Some one had entered a claim on Elizabeth for some time in the future. I clicked to see who had reserved her. I was surprised: It was Elliott Emery, the Companion of Chelsea Frick-Emery. He had reserved her for acquisition in four years. Too bad, Elliott, in four years she will be gone.

This will be the last of the regular Tales of Drysdale House. There will be occasional Tales of incidents as Patrick prepares to journey to Gor. It ended on this cliffhanger because I don't know what kind of Gor awaits Patrick until Emma concludes Gods of Gor

Coming soon: Anthropologists of Gor