Civitatis Ar, Plus!

Gates

Sun Gate

In something like a half of an Ahn we had come to Torcadino's Sun Gate. Many cities have a "Sun Gate" It is called that because it is commonly opened at dawn and closed at dusk. Once a Gorean city closes its gates it is usually difficult to leave the city. They are seldom opened and closed to suit the convenience of private persons. Sometimes rogues and brigands, and even slavers, hang about the gates, seeking to trap late comers against the walls. Many a lovely woman has fallen to the slaver's noose in just such a fashion. To be sure, a given gate, the "night gate" is usually maintained somewhere, through which bona fide citizens, known in the city, or capable of identifying themselves, may be admitted.  MERCENARIES OF GOR-, (21) Page 102

"As we do have the yellow ostraka and our permits do not permit us to remain in the city after dark," said Marcus, "I think we should venture now to the sun gate."
Marcus was the sort of fellow who was concerned about such things, being arrested, impaled, and such.
"There is plenty of time," I assured him. Most cities have a sun gate, sometimes several. They are called such because they are commonly opened at dawn and closed at dusk, thus the hours of their ingress and egress being determined by the diurnial cycle. Ar is the largest city of known Gor, larger even, I am sure, than Turia, in the far south. She has some forty public gates, and, I suppose, some number of restricted smaller gates, secret gates, posterns, and such. Long ago, I had once entered the city through such a passage, its exterior access point reached by means of a putative Dar-Kosis pit, which passage, I had recently determined, descending into the pit on ropes, was now closed. I supposed that this might be the case with various such entrances, if they existed, given Ar's alarm at the announced approach of Cos. In a sense I regretted this loss, for it had constituted a secret way in and out of the city. Perhaps other such passages existed. I did not know.  MAGICIANS OF GOR-, (25) Pages 9-10

I saw a line of five slave girls, kneeling, abreast, their hands tied behind their back. Bits of meat were thrown to them, one after the other. A catch scored two points for the master. A missed piece might be sought by any of the girls, scrambling about, on their bellies. She who managed to obtain it received one point for her master. The girls were encouraged from the sidelines, not only by their masters but by the crowd as well, some of whom placed bets on the outcome.
"Would you like to purchase a yellow ostrakon?" asked a fellow. I had hardly heard him. I looked about, regarding him. His hood was muchly pulled about his face. Were his offer genuine, I would indeed be eager to purchase such an object.
"Such are valuable," I said.
"Only a silver tarsk," he said.
"Are you a resident of Ar?" I asked.
"I am leaving the city," he said. "I fear Cos."
"But Cos is to be met and defeated on the march to Ar," I said.
"I am leaving the city," he said. "I have no longer a need for the ostrakon."
"Let me see it," I said.
Surreptitiously, scarcely opening his hand, he showed it to me.
"Bring it here, by the light," I said.
Unwillingly he did so. I took it from his hand.
"Do not show it about so freely," he whispered.
I struck him heavily in the gut and he bent over, and sank to his knees. He put down his head. He gasped. He threw up into the dirt near the fire.
"If you cannot hold your paga, go elsewhere," growled a peasant.
The fellow, in pain, in confusion, in agony, looked up at me.
"It is indeed a yellow ostrakon," I said, "and oval in shape, as are the current ostraka."
"Pay me," he gasped.
"Only this morning I was at the sun gate," I told him, "where the current lists are posted, the intent of which is to preclude such fraud as you would perpetrate."
"No," he said.
"The series of this ostrakon," I said, "was discontinued, probably months ago."
"No," he said.
"You could have retrieved from a carnarium," I said. This was one of the great refuse pits outside the walls.
I broke the ostrakon in two and cast the pieces into the fire.
"Begone," I said to the fellow.
He staggered to his feet and, bent over, hobbled quickly away. I had not killed him.
"They may have to give up ostraka," said the peasant sitting cross-legged by the fire.
"Why?" I asked.
"It is dangerous to carry them," he said. "Too many folks are killed for them."
"What then will Ar do?" I asked.
"I think she will shut her gates," he said.
"But her forces are interposed between her gates and Cos," I said.
"True," said the peasant.  MAGICIANS OF GOR- (25) Pages 37-38
 

Kudos to you, Mr. Norman for writing the Gorean series!
A rich, yet utterly simple saga; a world, a time, a people;
those of the Counter-Earth .. the planet .. Gor.
Thank you!

The material presented herein was researched and compiled by me, naia{Saul}.
The material referenced comes from John Norman's Gor Series, The Counter-Earth Saga.
This is a work in process.
Please, do not take, copy, duplicate, or use this work as your own.
If you find it valuable enough to share, please .. share the link to this page.

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