The Central Cylinder in the city of Ar

Tallest tower in the city of Ar.
I had little difficulty in making out the tallest tower in Ar, the cylinder of the Ubar Marlenus. As I dropped closer, I saw that the bridges were lined with the celebrants of the Planting Feast, many perhaps reeling home drunk on Paga.
Tarnsman

"Please," said Hup. "Accompany me to the court of my Ubar."
I looked down at him and smiled. "Very well, Small Friend," said I.
We began the long journey through the halls of Ar's great Central Cylinder, almost a city in itself.
Assassin

Walking up swirling gradients
Swirling and broad stairs, leading higher and higher into the cylinder.
Some passageways are marble floored.
At times we walked up swirling gradients, at times stairs, swirling and broad, leading higher and higher into the cylinder; sometimes we walked through marble-floored passageways, ...
Assassin

Narrow windows, too small to fit through, usable for crossbow ports.
...sometimes we walked through marble-floored passageways, in which, through narrow windows, designed to be too small for a body to pass, but large enough for use as crossbow ports, I could see the blue sky of Ar's bright morning; through the ports I could hear, ringing here and there in the city, signal bars proclaiming the gladness of the people;
Assassin

Deeper within the cylinder - broad, carpeted, tapestried halls
Set with rare energy lamps
Many doors with ornate locks
Others "locked" with signature knots - compartments in the Central Cylinder for unimportant retainers, members of staff, and compartments of slaves.
then we would be walking deeper within the cylinder, down broad, carpeted, tapestried halls, set with energy lamps, seldom found in the homes of private citizens, emitting a soft, glowing light; many of the doors had locks on them, the vast ornate locks in the center of the door, so common in the northern cities; some others were secured only by signature knots, presumably the doors to the compartments of unimportant retainers or members of the staff, in many cases perhaps the doors to the compartments of mere slaves.
Assassin

Many individuals in the halls of the Central Cylinder.
In the halls we passed many individuals, who would normaly, in Gorean fashion, lift the right hand, palm inward, saying "Tal," which greeting, in turn, we returned.
Assassin

Most of these individuals in the Central Cylinder were men of lower caste
Some were Scribes, a few Physicians
Now and then a slave girl
Most of the individuals in the Central Cylinder were men of lower caste, attending to their duties, with the exception of numerous Scribes. I saw two Physicians. From time to time I saw a slave girl in the halls. The female state slave of Ar wears a brief, gray slave livery, with matching gray collar, Save for the color it is identical with most common slave livery. About her left ankle is normally locked a gray steel band, to which five simple bells of gray metal, are attached. Many years ago, in Ar and Ko-ro-ba, and several of the other northern cities, the common slave livery had been white but diagonally striped, in one color or another; gradually over the years this style had changed; the standard livery was also, now, commonly, slashed to the waist; as before, it remained sleeveless; these matters, as generally in the cut of robes and style of tunics, undergo the transitions of fashion. I smiled. One of the decrees of Marlenus, uttered at his victory feast, yesterday evening, to rounds of drunken cheers and applause, had been to decree a two-hort, approximately two and one-half inch, heightening of the hemline in the already rather briefly skirted livery of female state slaves; this morning I supposed this decree would be adopted by the private slave owners of Ar as well; indeed, I noted that already the effects of the decree were evident in the livery of the girls I passed in the halls.
Assassin

Approaching the great domed chamber of the Ubar, a plain carpeted corridor
The doors in the corridor use only signature knots, presumed to be slave compartments.
We were now passing along a carpeted corridor, rather more plain than many. I noted the doors here were secured only with signature knots. They were perhaps the doors to the compartments of slaves, housing little more doubtless than a straw mat, a washing bowl, and a small box in which might be kept some slave livery and perhaps simple utensils, a plate and a cup.
I glanced at the knots on the doors, as we passed them.
Soon we had emerged in the great domed chamber set with lights and stones in which, on a high, stepped dais, sits the marble throne of the Ubar of Ar. Warriors saluted as I entered, lifting their swords from their sheaths. I lifted my hand, returning the salute. The room was filled with men in the robes of many castes, both high and low. On the throne itself, in the purple robes of the Ubar, regal, magnificent, sat Marlenus, Ubar of Ar, Ubar of Ubars. At his side and about the steps, in rough garb, stood Warriors who had been with him as long ago as his exile in 10,110, who had fled with him to the Voltai and shared his outlawry, and now shared the glory of his restoration. There were, I noted, no Initiates in the room. I gathered their influence in Ar was at an end, at least in the court of the Ubar. Marlenus lifted his hand to me. "Tal," said he.
Assassin

There was a darkness in my heart as I walked alone in the halls of the central cylinder of Ar.
In so much I had failed.
Through corridor after corridor I walked, retracing the steps which had taken me from my compartment to the court of the Ubar.
Door after door I passed, most with the heavy ornate locks, some secured merely with the signature knots of lowly men, or even slaves.
Within the hour I would leave the city.
I stopped suddenly, regarding one of the small, narrow wooden doors, giving entry surely only to the quarters of a slave.
I stood, stunned, shaken. I trembled.
My eyes regarded the signature knot securing the humble portal.
I fell to my knees at the door. My fingers scarcely seeming mine, scarcely able to move, touched the knot.
It was an intricate knot, feminine, complex, with playful turnings here and there, small loops.
Assassin