The Stones of Turmus

SEE ALSO Caste of Merchants

Stones of Turmus is a Turian outpost merchant keep
It is licensed for the storage of goods within the realm of Ar
The function of Stones of Turmus is commercial, as a trade outpost for Turia
In the distance, even from the pool, I could see the white, looming walls of the merchant keep, Stones of Turmus, a Turian outpost, licensed for the storage of goods within the realm of Ar. Such outposts are not uncommon on Gor. They are useful in maintaining the security of trade. Their function is not military but commercial. Turia is one of the great trading centers of Gor. It lies far to the south, in the middle latitudes of her southern hemisphere.
Slave Girl

Stones of Turmus is specifically affiliated with Turia, maintained by the merchants of Turia
Preference is given to merchants of Turia
"You are Dina," she said. "You are slave now within the Keep of Stones of Turmus. This is a merchant keep, under the banner and shield of Turia." That the keep was under the banner of Turia designated it as a Turian keep, distinguishing it in this sense not only from keeps maintained by other cities but more importantly from the "free keeps" maintained by the merchant caste in its own right, keeps without specific municipal affiliations. Similarly, the merchant caste, which is international, so to speak, in its organization, arranges and conducts the four great fairs which occur annually in the vicinity of the Sardar mountains. The merchant caste, too, maintains certain free ports on certain islands and on the coasts of Thassa, such as Teletus and Bazi. Space in a "free keep" is rented on a commercial basis, regardless of municipal affiliation. In a banner keep, or one maintained by a given city, preference, if not exclusive rights, are accorded to the merchants and citizens of the city under whose banner the keep is established and administered.
Slave Girl

The keep is defended and staffed by Turians
Stones of Turmus is Turian
That the keep was also under the shield of Turia meant that it was defended by Turians, that its garrison was Turian. Sometimes a keep will fly a given banner but its garrison will be furnished by the city within whose territory it lies. It is not unknown for a keep to fly the banner of one city and stand behind the shield of another. Both banner and shield of Stones of Turmus, however, were Turian. Stones of Turmus was Turian.
Slave Girl

Slaves bought by the keep become "Turian girls"
I heard Tup Ladletender paid his money, it being counted Out from a small iron chest in the office of the captain.
Then he had left.
"Look at me, Slave," said the captain.
I opened my eyes.
"You are a Turian girl now," he said.
Slave Girl

Stones of Turmus lies within the realm of Ar
In the distance, even from the pool, I could see the white, looming walls of the merchant keep, Stones of Turmus, a Turian outpost, licensed for the storage of goods within the realm of Ar.
Slave Girl

Within two hundred pasangs of Ar, then 2 days walking on a side road
The great road to Ar is marked with pasang stones. We had followed the road to within two hundred pasangs of Ar. Then we had left it, and, for two days, followed a side road. The countryside was still relatively populated.
Tup Ladletender’s cart was now at the hut of a villager whom he knew.
In the distance, even from the pool, I could see the white, looming walls of the merchant keep, Stones of Turmus, a Turian outpost, licensed for the storage of goods within the realm of Ar.
Slave Girl

Nearby village
I continued to look at the keep of Stones of Turmus. It was high and formidable. It was within those walls that I would be owned.
We had stayed in a nearby village overnight, in which Ladletender had a friend. His cart was there now. I had not drawn the cart this morning. I must be refreshed.
Slave Girl

White walls more than eighty feet in height
Six towers on the walls
Two towers defend the great gate, the remaining four towers are at each corner
We soon took the road to Stones of Turmus. In an Ahn we had come to the great gate. The high, white walls loomed above me. They were more than eighty feet in height. I felt very small. There were six towers on the walls, two defending the gate, and one at each corner. Suddenly I wanted to turn and flee. But I was braceleted. And nowhere on Gor was there a place for a girl such as I to run. I was slave.
Slave Girl

Small door built into the great gate
Small panel in this small door is slid open when people approach
A small panel in a small door built within the great gate slid open.
"Tup Ladletender here," said Ladletender.
"Greetings, Ladletender," said a voice, recognizing him.
"I am vending a girl," said Ladletender, indicating me.
"Welcome, Tup Ladletender," said the voice.
The small door in the great gate opened, and we entered. The small door was then shut behind us.
Slave Girl

Numerous storerooms closed by barred gates
Long passageways and men on guard
"Follow me, Dina," she said. I followed her. She, too, wore a Turian collar. The girls of the Wagon Peoples, too, I understand, wear such collars.
We walked along a long passage. Then we left that passage, and took others. We passed numerous storerooms, closed by barred gates. At one point, we passed through a heavy iron door, watched by a guard. On the other side of the door, she said, "Precede me, Dina." "Yes, Mistress," I said. I preceded her. We walked along another long passage. It, too, was lined with barred gates, giving access to store-rooms.
Slave Girl

Vast fields surrounding the keep
Men on the parapets
Tarn wire strung from posts
This afternoon I had been upon the heights of the keep, carrying water to the men on the parapets. I had stood there, looking out over the wall, at the vast fields about. It was more than eighty feet to the ground.
....
I looked above me at the posts mounted on the walls. Between them was slung fine wire, gently bending and swaying in the slow breeze of the hot afternoon. Such wire is tarn wire. It is used to prevent the descent of tarns into the courtyard of a fortress. It is common in Gorean defenses.

Slave Girl

Stairs lead from parapets down to courtyard between the walls
When I was descending the stairs and had come to the courtyard between the walls, the gate had been opened, and the party, with their prisoner, had entered. The gate then closed behind them. Borchoff, captain of the keep, came to inspect the prisoner.
Slave Girl

Then I thought that if I might reach the room of slave-girl preparation I might obtain the key to the bells. The keys were kept in a shallow wooden box in that room, a box the key to which was generally in Sucha’s keeping. If the box were not open I might be able to break it, or its small lock, and thus obtain the keys.
I ran back along the passage.
In a few moments I reached the small iron door, through which I had first been introduced into the quarters for slaves.
Slave Girl

Feasts in evening held in the "Hall of Turian pleasures"
"Fetch in the prisoner," called Borchoff, rising behind the low table in the hall of Turian pleasures, lifting his goblet.
Slave Girl

Cushions on the tile floor
I lay in the arms of the Turian soldier, on the cushions on the tiles of the hall of Turian pleasures. I kissed him. He was the fourth one to whom I had been thrown. "How marvelous you are, Master," I whispered to him. I cuddled up to him, delicately lifting my head.
Slave Girl

Meal is served by slaves carrying trays of foods to each man
((SEE ALSO Serving a meal on Gor))
Musicians play
Slave dances among the tables
"Master?" I asked.
I knelt before him, lifting the platter of meats to him.
With a Turian eating prong he forked meat from the platter onto his plate. The girl kneeling beside him lifted wine to him.
I arose and went to kneel before the next man, to offer him viands from the platter I bore.
The sensuous music of Turia filled the room. The girl in yellow silk, belled, danced her beauty among the tables.
Slave Girl

"Give me meat," he said.
I lifted the platter to him and he thrust the eating prong into a slab of meat, hot with Turian spices. It was the last piece on the platter. He looked at me.
"I will fetch more meat immediately, Master," I said.
"You are the meat I want, Dina," he said.
"It is not yet time to serve the wine," I whispered. This is a common Gorean idiom. I was reminding him, timidly, that the time of general pleasure had not yet arrived. I, and several of the other girls, had not yet been released from our serving duties. There were still courses of the banquet to be served to our masters. In the time of desserts and wines we would crawl to their tables, slave girls.
Slave Girl

Sections with carpeting
Vases along ornate walls
We fled from the room of preparation, to the inner gates. Soon I, and the others, had been ushered through the two gates, and I, with them, found myself beyond the gates, barefoot on the carpeting, between the vases at the ornate walls, being hurried to the pleasure of masters.
Slave Girl

Men keep their weapons on the walls during evening feasts
"The tarn wire has been cut!" cried a man. Then he reeled, bloody, from a blade.
Borchoff, drunk, staggered to his feet between the tables. The Turian soldiers looked wildly about. The music had stopped. Outside the hall we could hear fighting and shouting.
"To arms!" cried Borchoff. "Ring the alarm bell!"
More men swept into the room. Turian soldiers ran to the walls, to seize at their weapons. Slave girls screamed.
Slave Girl

Stone floor
He came to me and, with a key, unlocked the wrist rings. I fell to the stone floor at his feet.
Slave Girl

Slave whip hangs on wall
Captain has desk to work at
He turned and left me, placing the slave whip on the wall, where it had hung, convenient to hand. He rang a bell. A door opened, and a soldier, a guard, appeared. "Send for Sucha," said the captain. "There is a new girl."
I lay on the stones. Timidly, when he was not watching, but sitting behind his desk, engaged in work, perhaps entering my acquisition and price in his ledgers, I touched the collar, rounded, steel and gleaming.
Slave Girl

He went to his desk and, from one of its drawers, drew forth an opened slave collar. It was unlike most of the Gorean collars. It was a Turian collar.
Slave Girl

Small iron chest containing coin in office of captain
I heard Tup Ladletender paid his money, it being counted Out from a small iron chest in the office of the captain.
Then he had left.
"Look at me, Slave," said the captain.
I opened my eyes.
"You are a Turian girl now," he said.
Slave Girl

The entrance is a small, thick, iron door 18 inches by 18 inches square
Slaves crawl in through the door on their bellies
"Here," said Sucha, "is the entrance to the kennels of the female slaves."
I shrank back. The door was small, and thick, and iron, some eighteen inches by eighteen inches square.
"Enter," said Sucha.
She stood behind me with the whip.
I turned the handle on the tiny door and, falling to my belly, squirmed through.
Sucha followed me.
Slave Girl

Lofty and spacious
Numerous slender white pillars and tiled in purple
Rich hangings, walls are mosaiced with scenes of slave girls serving men
A scented pool
Narrow barred windows high in the glossy walls
Within we stood up. I gazed about myself with wonder. The room was lofty, and spacious; it contained numerous slender, white pillars, rich hangings; it was tiled in purple, and there was in it a scented pool; the walls were glossy and richly mosaiced with scenes of slave girls at the service of their masters; I uneasily touched the collar at my throat; light filtered down from narrow, barred windows, set high in the glossy, mosaiced walls. Here and there, about the pool, lay indolent girls, not set to work. They regarded me, appraising my face and figure, doubtless comparing it to their own.
"The room is beautiful," I said.
Slave Girl

Preparation room has mirrors, make-up, perfumes, silks, jewelry
Five small sunken baths with oils and towels
With one last look at the heavy bars and locks I turned to follow her. She led me to the small room we had passed earlier. It was a preparation room for slave girls. In it were mirrors. In them I saw a lovely dark-haired girl, naked, in a Turian collar, myself, followed by a beautiful woman, dark-haired, in a wisp of yellow silk, carrying a whip.
Sucha indicated one of five small, sunken baths, and oils and towels.
She showed me the use of the oils and towels.
"You are an ignorant girl," she said. "You do not even know how to take a bath."
I blushed.
My hair then I washed, and dried, and combed and brushed, taking from it the dust of the road leading to Stones of Turmus, and the sweat of the afternoon and early evening.
Slave Girl

There are one hundred men and five officers
There are twenty men who are ancillary personnel - one physician, some porters, some scribes, and others
"In the garrison there are one hundred men and five officers," said Sucha. "There are twenty men who are ancillary personnel, a physician, porters, scribes and such."
Slave Girl

Stones of Turmus is under the authority of the "Captain of the keep"
"Fetch in the prisoner," called Borchoff, captain of the keep of Stones of Turmus.
Slave Girl

The Captain has Lieutenants (presumably these are the 5 officers mentioned above )
I was a different girl now from the one who had been sold for six copper tarsks to Borchoff, Captain of the keep of Stones of Turmus. Well could he congratulate himself on his buy.
"What did she cost you?" a lieutenant had asked him.
"Six tarsks of copper," he had said.
"You have an excellent eye for slave flesh," had, said the lieutenant.
Borchoff had grinned.
Slave Girl

Warriors ride tharlarion
Patrol and guard the area
The warriors have lances and spears
"I see dust there," I said, pointing to the road beneath, winding toward the fortress.
"They have him," said the soldier beside me.
Two tharlarion, ponderous and stately, made their way toward the keep. They were mounted by two warriors, with lances. More warriors, eight men from the keep, followed, bearing spears. Between the tharlarion, fastened by neck chains, running to the stirrups of the two beasts, strode a man. He was dark-haired. He wore chains. His wrists were fastened behind his back.
Slave Girl

The men of Stones of Turmus fight with swords
I heard shouting from the passageway leading to the other door of Borchoff’s office. I heard the striking of swords.
Slave Girl

Turian merchants will pass through - presumably adding to the goods in storage, guarded by the men of the keep, as well as needing to be loaded up with other goods to carry onward
There were twenty-nine girls now in the keep of Stones of Turmus. The population in the slave quarters had changed somewhat; five girls had been sold to passing Turian merchants, affiliated with the keep, but, similarly, here and there, over the weeks, some six others had been acquired. Thus the stock was kept freshened for the men.
Slave Girl

The bulk goods are guarded
((SEE ALSO Bulk Trade Goods on Gor))
It would not be wise to hide within, could I even gain admittance. Behind lay treasures. They would be sure to be looted. I must look for the grosser storage places, those in which bulk goods were kept. These places, I remembered, were farther down the passageway, on the other side of a steel door. I fled down the passageway. I came to the heavy steel door. It was not now guarded. I left it ajar. Gate after gate I tried along the passageway below the steel door, those gates giving access to the storage areas for larger, less valuable merchandise, but all were locked.
Slave Girl

At times when not under siege, the evening is a time for the pleasure of men
Later many of the other girls joined us in the room of preparation, for they must serve, as I, in the repast of the evening. It is common in a Gorean fortress, if it is not under siege, for the evening to be a time of pleasure for the men.
"In five Ehn," cried a man from outside, "you must be in the hall of the feast."
Slave Girl

There are approximately 28 girls to see to the needs of over 100 men stationed at Stones of Turmus
"In the garrison there are one hundred men and five officers," said Sucha. "There are twenty men who are ancillary personnel, a physician, porters, scribes and such."
Slave Girl

Slaves sometimes sold to Turian merchants passing through
Others added
There were twenty-nine girls now in the keep of Stones of Turmus. The population in the slave quarters had changed somewhat; five girls had been sold to passing Turian merchants, affiliated with the keep, but, similarly, here and there, over the weeks, some six others had been acquired. Thus the stock was kept freshened for the men.
Slave Girl

When not serving the men at night, slaves are locked in their kennel
Cell alcove, with small barred gate
8 feet by 4 feet, and 4 feet high
Thin scarlet mattress and a rep cloth blanket
"Here is your kennel," said Sucha. "You will customarily be locked in here at night, if you are not serving the men."
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
It was a cell alcove, off the large room, with a small, barred gate. It must be entered and left on the hands and knees. A girl, thus, cannot rush from it; too, in leaving it, she is simple to leash. Perhaps most importantly she can enter or leave her "place" only with her head down and on her knees, this involving a tacit, mnemonic psychology, reminding her and impressing upon her that she is a slave. The cell itself was some eight feet deep and four feet wide and four feet high. I could, thus, not stand in the cell. Its furnishings were only a thin, scarlet mattress and a crumpled slave blanket of rep-cloth.
Slave Girl

Carrying water in verrskin bag to men on parapets
Slaves wear tunics of brown or gray when engaged as work slaves
I poured him a cup of water from the small verrskin bag over my shoulder.
It was hot on the parapet. The stones were hot to my bare feet. I wore a brief, one-piece, brown work tunic. It was all I wore, with the exception of the collar. We wore such tunics when engaged as work slaves. The tunics of work slaves are usually brown or gray.
Slave Girl

In evenings, tending the pleasure of men, slaves wear silks and jewelry
Apply make-up and perfumes
Later many of the other girls joined us in the room of preparation, for they must serve, as I, in the repast of the evening. It is common in a Gorean fortress, if it is not under siege, for the evening to be a time of pleasure for the men.
"In five Ehn," cried a man from outside, "you must be in the hall of the feast."
The girls cried out nervously, making last minute additions or adjustments to their jewelries and silks. Some intently applied cosmetics. Two nearly fought over a small disk of eye shadow, but the whip of Sucha, lowered between them, divided them. Sulda seemed radiant, returned from the couch of Hak Haran. She applied lipstick. The girls smoothed their silks.
I looked at the incredibly lovely girl in the mirror, she bedecked in a rope of red silk, made-up, perfumed vulnerable, soft, with armlets and bracelets, golden beads intertwined in the Turian collar.
Slave Girl

Slave girls may not take food for themselves
Slave girls are not fed hours before the evening feast
Slave girls must earn their food, pleasing men
I lay in the arms of the Turian soldier, on the cushions on the tiles of the hail of Turian pleasures. I kissed him. He was the fourth one to whom I had been thrown. "How marvelous you are, Master," I whispered to him. I cuddled up to him, delicately lifting my head. I wanted him to give me a cube of meat, honeyed, from the metal plate which lay near him. I, and the other girls, might not take such food for ourselves. Our hands could be cut off. We are not fed hours before the feast, and, in serving the feast, are not permitted in the least to partake of it. The feast was not ours to eat, but to serve. We were slave girls. We might, however, be fed by the men. If we would eat, we must earn our food. "Please, Master," I wheedled, "feed Dina." He put a cube of meat, boiled in wine, honeyed, in my mouth, thrusting it between my teeth and cheek with his finger. "Thank you, Master," I whispered, kissing him, the meat in my mouth.
Slave Girl

The slaves are pleasure slaves, but also served as work slaves.
We girls in the keep were pleasure slaves, but it must be clearly understood that we were the only girls in the keep. Thus, we served, too, as work slaves.
Slave Girl

Scrubbing, sewing, washing, ironing, cleaning
Carrying water to men on parapets
Scouring pots and pans, preparing vegetables, helping in the kitchen
Scrubbing must be done, and the sewing, and the washing and ironing of clothes, and the cleaning; too, we aided in the kitchen, usually in the preparing of vegetables and in the scouring of pots and pans; too, water must be carried to the men on the parapets; there was much work of a lowly and servile nature which it fell naturally to us, the girls of the keep, to perform.
Slave Girl

And yet - slaves permitted to sleep late
Allotted time to rest and prepare
Few slaves spent more than 2 or 3 ahn of light labors a day
Main task is delight and pleasure of men
Yet generally I think we did not, have too much to complain of. We were permitted to sleep late in the slave quarters, and manual labors, for most of us, tended to be curtailed in the early afternoon, that we might rest and prepare ourselves for the evening. I think few of us did on the average more than two or three Ahn of light labors on a normal day. We were never under any delusion that our main task was not the delight and pleasure of our masters.
Slave Girl

Order is kept among the slaves
I was no longer low girl in the slave quarters. It was not that I had fought, for there were few girls there whom I suspected could not beat me, but that the matter had been determined by Sucha. She carried the whip. Each new girl, as she was introduced among us, became automatically low girl, the other girls being correspondingly advanced. We obeyed Sucha. She never hesitated to use the whip. We were kept in perfect order. I was not displeased. Had Borchoff not placed the whip in the hands of Sucha, I, for one, would have fared much more poorly in the slave quarters. Slave quarters, as I have mentioned, can become a jungle. This was prevented at Stones of Turmus by the whip of Sucha. I was not the only girl who was not displeased to be protected from intimidation and violence. Sometimes masters, in their cruelty, do not appoint a first girl. Then the slave girls, as best then can, by teeth and nails, must adjudicate their differences and establish a mode of governance for themselves. Sometimes masters do not appoint a first girl in order that the lower ranking girls will strive ever more desperately to please them, to become favorites, and thus to be to some extent more protected. "If you beat me, the master will not be pleased," is not a threat to be taken lightly in the slave quarters, particularly if it is thought to be true. The distant menace of the master’s displeasure has its influence and effect, naturally, on the social arrangements of the kennels. Sometimes a girl will pretend to be more favored by the master than she is, for her own prestige, and to win position in the kennels. But it is not hard to know the truth in these matters. Who is most often summoned to his couch?
Slave Girl

Spending afternoon swimming in pool, bathing, getting refreshed for the evening
"Run along, Dina," said Borchoff, returning to the prisoner.
"Yes, Master," I said.
I left them, returning to the quarters for female slaves, to swim, and bathe and refresh myself before the duties of the evening.
Slave Girl