The Paga Diaries (19) by Arizona Wanderer: ‘Little Bird’

 

This morning was bright and sunny as I was walking to Mirus’s house for my next stabilization injection.  My mind was on last night and some of the things Trem and I had talked about after we left the Feasting Tarn.  Trem had asked if I had noticed that the tavern had a different feel to it, did it seem quieter than normal or was there anything odd.  I was honest with him and said that I did not notice anything odd.  He told me that news had come to the city about the war with Corcyrus and it wasn’t good.  Argentum forces had been beaten and the front line had been compromised. 

 

He went on to say that the Argentum government was downplaying this loss as a minimal setback.  The front lines had been restored and progress was being made towards Corcyrus.  But the curious thing was that they have now forbidden any talk of defeat or the possibility of not winning the war.  He said that last night, the war was the main topic of conversations everywhere in the tavern and that many people spoke with hushed tones or even in whispers.  The government ban on this topic only magnifies curiosity and talk amongst the citizens of this large city.  Trem warned me not to talk about the war with anyone.  He said that as a barbarian, people might treat me with more suspicion than normal, and that I should be careful.

 

I was now more determined than ever to become fluent in Gorean.  Should I leave this city and go somewhere peaceful, with no war?  Where would that be and how would I get there?  As I walked, I decided I would stay and hope that the war would be over soon, and not touch this city. 

 

I walked along and practiced saying Gorean words for things as I saw them.  Penny had told me that many Goreans are illiterate and it was very common for businesses and stores to have wooden icons that represented their wares, attached outside their buildings, so customers could identify the type of business inside.  I noticed a building with a stringed instrument hung above an entrance doorway.  Curious, I walked inside the building. 

 

It was a store full of various musical instruments.  I often took solace in music when I was on Earth.  It was an important part of my life.  Most of the instruments were foreign to me, but the stringed instrument area of the store had several types that were surprisingly familiar.  There were ones that looked like harps, lyres, and lutes.  I picked up an instrument that had strings that were strung along a wooden neck.  There were two of these types.  The larger one had eight strings and a smaller one had six. I picked up the six-string instrument and plucked the strings. It sounded good, almost like a guitar! The shopkeeper told me that it is a “kalika”.  I bought it and a carrying case to keep it in.  I was excited to play it in my apartment when I was alone at night.

 

I got to Mirus’s house and Fen let me in and took me to the green examination room.  He gave me the stabilization shot and then told me that Mirus wanted to see me in his office upstairs.  I went upstairs and his office door was open, so I went in.  Mirus and Tereus were standing around his desk. 

 

“Tal,” Mirus said, and I returned the greeting.  

 

“What is in the case?” Tereus asked.

 

“Kalika.”

 

“Oh, you are a musician too?” Mirus asked.

 

“Sometimes I like to play.”

 

“Maybe I can hear you play? I like kalika music. I have had your gemstones appraised. Shall we talk about them?” he asked.

 

“Yes, can Lina help?”

 

“Sure, ring that bell next to the door and call for Lina,” he said.  I had noticed the bell mounted on the wall in the hallway, next to his office door.  I rang it a couple times and called her name before going back into the office.  I set my kalika on the floor. 

 

Lina came up the stairs and stood in the hallway, in front of the doorway and said, “Yes, Master?”

 

“Come in Lina and interpret for us,” Mirus said.

 

“Yes Master,” she said.  She looked beautiful today, the golden curls of her blond hair accented by the tight scanty green camisk she wore.

 

Mirus and I sat on the floor around the low table in his office.  Lina knelt next to Mirus and Tereus remained standing by the desk.  He made me nervous.

 

Mirus took the four gemstones from a small bag and placed them on the table.  Through Lina he said, “These gemstones are very valuable Rykart. The cuts are very sophisticated and exquisite. The stone clarity is great. Being from Earth makes them very rare and desirable.  There was an oval emerald, an oval aquamarine, a square sapphire and a round ruby, each with exquisite, faceted cuts.

 

“Are you wanting to sell all four of these?” Mirus asked.

 

“I don’t know, it depends on how much they are worth,” I replied.

 

“Each stone is unique in its own way and all have different values.  This blue oval one was unknown to the appraiser.  It is very beautiful but hard to place value on.  Like all gemstones, it will catch the attention of some collectors, but perhaps not others. I was offered four gold tarns for it,” he said.

 

I was shocked, aquamarine was sought after by many on Earth, but most people did not consider it to be a precious stone.  Four gold coins was a lot of money on Gor!  It was common for many skilled workers to earn the equivalent of one gold coin a year.  This one stone was worth four years of pay for many people!  That stone on Earth had cost me several hundred dollars, I would never have imagined it would be worth so much more on Gor.

 

“The ruby is worth eight gold tarns. The emerald is worth ten and this sapphire is worth sixteen. I am prepared to buy them all from you,” he said.

 

I couldn’t believe it!  Even Lina had a surprised look on her face as she translated for me. 

 

I wasn’t sure what to do.  My instinct was to keep the gems as they are a much easier way to store wealth than the gold coins.  But, exchanging them takes time and might not be easy for me as barbarian. 

 

“I will sell the aquamarine and the ruby,” I said.

 

“Very well,” Mirus said with a smile.  He handed me the emerald and the sapphire and said, “Let me know if you decide to sell anything else.  Minus the ten silver I gave you in advance, you are owed eleven gold tarns.”  

 

Tereus walked over and placed eleven shiny gold tarns on the table in front of me.  I picked one up.  I had not held a gold tarn before.  I was still trying to fathom how this small chunk of metal could have so much value. 

 

“Lina, serve us ka-la-na,” Mirus said.

 

“Yes Master,” she said standing up.

 

“Maybe we can hear your new kalika?” Mirus asked me.

 

“Umm, well I just bought it and I have not played it yet. I don’t know how good I will be.” 

 

“Give it a strum or two, test it out,” he encouraged.

 

Lina poured two ka-la-nas and set them on the low table.  She knelt in nadu next to Mirus.  I opened the case and took out the kalika.  If felt good in my hands.  I did not sit, figuring it would be easier to play while standing.  I strummed the strings a couple times and tried some chords.  It seemed to be in tune and my guitar chords sounded good on the kalika.  I was used to playing with a pick, so I stopped strumming and got a half copper tarsk bit from my coin bag.  It was heavy now with all the gold inside.  I used the tarsk bit as a pick and began to strum again.  It was so much easier to play with a pick.

 

The kalika was not a guitar but it sounded good and I was excited to play it.  I was also nervous about playing it in front of others.  I was a little rusty and out of practice.  I decided to play a short simple song.  The song began with a bluesy riff that was fast and a little tricky.  I wasn’t sure how it would go over on this instrument; the riff was made for an electric guitar with its sustainable reverb quality. 

 

I played the fast riff three times and began to sing in English:

 

I got a little bird

I’m gonna take her home

Put her in a cage

And disconnect the phone

 

If you give me a look

I’m gonna get the book

I’m gonna preach the word

I want to preach to birds

As I walk the floor

Yeah this I know

 

When I get you home

This is how it goes

I got nothing to lose

I’ll never let you go

 

Lina smiled while I played and watched me with a slight look of awe.  Mirus and Tereus were not smiling, it was hard to tell if they were enjoying my rendition.  Instead of playing the short guitar solo after the second verse I waited to play it at the end, hoping I could pull it off.  I am no Jack White but I was feeling confident. 

 

Halfway through the short solo, a string broke, maybe from my pick pressure or aggressive string bending, I do not know.  

 

Lina gave a very slight little laugh.  Mirus reached out and slapped her face with the back of his hand.  I stopped playing and she put her head to the ground. 

 

“Please forgive my disrespectful slave Rykart,” he said.  “Strip! Kneel to the whip!” he said to Lina.  She removed her camisk very quickly over her head, and still kneeling, moved her legs close together, crossed her wrists and arms under her, as though bound, and kept her head down, touching the floor so that the bow of her back was exposed.

 

Mirus stood up and from somewhere had retrieved a five bladed slave whip, which he handed to me.

 

“Take this whip as an apology for the poor behaviour of my slave.  Use it to teach her some manners,” he said.  I did not want to whip Lina.  I was not offended by her little laugh.  I felt sorry for her.  But, I took the whip anyway.

 

“I am not offended Mirus,” I told him.

 

“You have spoken before of owning a kajira but were worried that your mastery over one would be hindered by your limited Gorean. I told you that the only language that you need for mastering kajirae is spoken with the whip. This is what I was talking about. You must be able to use the whip without hesitation. Slaves are animals and respect the whip and they will respect you when you use it properly. Do you think Lina respects you?”

 

I struck Lina’s back with the whip.  I think it surprised her because she gave out a loud yelp.  I struck her again and again hard, lashing her five times.  

 

“Keep going. Always give slaves a little more than what you think is enough. Give them plenty so that it will correct undesirable behaviour and ensure that they do not forget what they did wrong.  She may not have offended you, but she has offended me.  She has embarrassed me.”

 

I struck her three more times and then handed the whip back to Mirus.  He frowned.  He struck her several more times very hard in random places, her feet, her ass and finished with her back.  She had cried out and begged for mercy during his lashes. 

 

“Sell Lina to me, I will teach her to respect me,” I said to Mirus.

 

He gave me a confused look and said, “You want her? She is not trained very well and as you can see, needs frequent discipline.”     

 

“I train her, discipline her. She help me learn Gorean.” 

 

“Ha! Her Gorean is poor. She is not a good teacher. She is stubborn,” he said.

 

“I offer you twice what she cost you.”

 

“Rykart, I like you and I want to help you become Gorean, but selling Lina to you would be a mistake. She would not be a good first slave for you,” he said.  Lina started to cry.  Mirus lashed her again twice and said, “Be silent!”

 

“Your answer is no?” I asked.

 

“Let me think about it over some drinks. Rykart. You have the means to be very comfortable in Argentum. There is much to think about. I am going to the Dautium Square this afternoon. Would you care to join me? Perhaps we can talk about your future in a more pleasant atmosphere?”

 

“Yes, I go Dautium with you. Can I leave kalika here until tomorrow?”  I would need a new string before I could play it again.

 

“Yes, of course,” Mirus said.

 

I went to put the kalika in its case and speaking softly to Lina I said in English, “Little Bird, I’m gonna take you home.”