In this third segment a new female protagonist is introduced. She's occasionally referred to as a child. The author categorically states if the character came to Earth from The Known World modern science would prove she has lived a minimum of 18 years (or as the inhabitants of The Known World would say: "What is a year?") They have a different concept of time than Earthlings, a year for them is perhaps a cycle of seasons, their planet circles its dual suns about every 400 days making their annual equivalent longer than Earth's. On The Known World there are no drugs, artificial preservatives, or genetic seeds mutating edible natural food, therefore girls don't mature around 12 years old like some do on planet Earth because of those very things. Maturation on The Known World arrives at 17 or 18 as a result, hence our new cast member with her budding breasts and peach fuzz is considered a child by the older characters. There is also every possibilty the characters may not be homo sapiens.
Thwart believes himself to be 20, but he is actually 23. Jadda and Danae are 21, Namtor and Kyle are 25 or 26, Portor is 19, and the Sheikh appears to be about 48, but he's likely ten times that; the bastard doesn't confide in me like the other characters.
**************
Before the whip cracked again a clarity of strategy filled my being as it had earlier on the jungle plain when I faced Kyle with my sword. Another plan formed in my mind. I looked up from Kyle, taking a dangerous chance, and watched the Sheikh. He'd flexed his wrist in preparation of signaling the beginning of the next fall. I waited for the snap of his bullwhip. When it came I jerked my arms from around Kyle, pushed both hands down violently on the back of his shaven head. Before his oiled torso could wriggle away I drove his face into the ground. I heard a crunch of bone and threw my entire weight on top of him, pinning him sufficiently to win my second fall.
Two to one!
When Kyle managed to regain his feet I saw I'd broken his nose. His nostrils oozed with blood and he had a split lip. He spit out one of his teeth.
Dirt and strands of grass clung to both of our oiled sweating bodies. Our chests heaved with effort. Rage shook his mighty frame, but a serene confidence returned to me. Without waiting for the starting signal he hurtled at me in a fury. "I'll break you in half, little man," he screamed, give or take an adjective.
My newfound confidence deserted me when I saw that human engine of destruction bearing down. In that awful moment he could have felled an ox. Stepping to one side of his fearful charge was my only defense. He blazed by me and suddenly fell face first. Only when I saw the whip wrapped about his ankles did I understand his feet had been yanked out from under him by the Sheikh. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, Kyle has disqualified himself."
Kyle became livid trying to explain.
The Sheikh told him, "You were supposed to await the signal to begin, you overanxious fool."
"He bwoke mya noth," wailed Kyle, "He bwoke mya toof."
The mastery with which the Sheikh wielded his whip he demonstrated with his scimitar, suddenly drawn from his belt, the razor edge poised over Kyle's throat. "Shut your mouth, before I carve you a second one."
"But my noth, my toof!"
"I'm not going to warn you again," the Sheikh gestured with his curved blade. "Thwart is the winner."
A tumultuous cry went up from the crowd.
The Sheikh told Kyle, "I'm going to be magnanimous and spare you the dozen lashes. You have a quarter of an hour before you have to relieve the guard."
Kyle gaped incredulously at the Sheikh.
"That's what you get for cheating in a no-holds-barred match, stupid, all you had to do was wait," the Sheikh looked down at him without pity. "I suggest you get patched up and hasten to the perimeter."
Blood dripped from Kyle's nose and mouth in the flickering torchlight. "Thath not fayh, thath not fayh," he muttered.
Men trampled through the ropes, led by Portor and Namtor, pushed their way into the raked square. They perched me atop their shoulders and carried me in triumph to the dais. I tugged at the wrappings on my hands with my teeth until I got free of them. I sprang onto the dais. Each of the judges took a step forward, but the look in my eye halted them. They sought a sign from the Sheikh. He approached and inclined his head at me. They backed away.
"Enough!" I shouted at the girls. I had to haul Danae off of Jadda to get them to stop.
Then I clasped Jadda's hands, pulled her to her feet. We hadn't been able to talk all day long. I wanted to know: was she or wasn't she angry? I said to her, "I won my choice of prizes. I'm choosing you. Are you prepared to spend the night in my tent?"
She just gazed bright-eyed at me. "Yes."
I guess I was in love with her. My heart jumped into my mouth. I am positive I squeezed her tight enough to hurt, but she didn't complain.
The Sheikh joined us on the dais. He arched his eyebrows at me and said dryly, "I take it you've made your selection?"
"Indeed," I said. Dragging Jadda by the hand I brushed past him.
When we climbed off the dais Namtor pushed a bottle of wine into my hand. "Congratulations, my friend. And to you too, Jadda. You won a lot of folk a lot of money, Thwart. I just thought I'd let you know I'll not be staying at our lodgings tonight. Just wanted to say I hope you don't mess it up. Too much."
I smiled, too weary to laugh. I handed Jadda the bottle. She swilled it gratefully while I said my goodnights.
In a hole in the crowd I watched Kyle stumbling away, alone, perhaps friendless, perhaps indignant of all the indignities in the world. Then Jadda and I stumbled away ourselves. When we left the madness of the crowd behind we agreed to visit in the river. We detoured to my tent where she rummaged around in Thwart's things and produced a cake of soap.
There were many bathers on the riverside, but we found a private spot. She splashed into the water while I took several invigorating drinks of wine. I stripped off, waded into the river. She washed the oil from my body. She massaged my neck and shoulders, back and arms. I wanted to bathe her, but she told me to float in the cool water, to relax.
It didn't take much convincing.
As Jadda completed her bath familiar voices came from among the trees. Danae and the Sheikh. If Jadda heard them she gave no indication, she continued rinsing her hair. Maybe their being there was a coincidence, even with five moons in the sky it was dark. How could they have known we'd chosen that spot to bathe? Maybe selecting the same part of the river as Jadda and I was not an accident. I said nothing to Jadda and tried to ignore them. At one point the Sheikh removed his desert headgear while he swam. In a patch of moonlight I could see his head, shaven like Kyle's.
Except Kyle didn't have a metal plate set into his skull. Nor did he have a robotic left hand and forearm! Searching through my recent memory I realized the Sheikh consistently wore a glove on that hand, his burnoose hid his arm. I'd have to remember to question Danae, and others who might have seen it.
I pondered what caused that, but didn't ponder long. Jadda was ready to leave. We finished Namtor's bottle on the riverbank and returned to the tent.
I flopped onto my couch. Jadda extinguished all the candles except one, then laid down beside me. We kissed. We held each other.
"Was it hard for you?" She knew what I meant.
"The Sheikh has never given me to Kyle before. I didn't like it."
"You were talking to him this morning."
"The rumor was he had some hard candies. All the girls were being nice to him. Maybe he'd give us a sweet."
"You weren't trying to make me jealous?"
"Maybe a little."
"What about you and Danae?"
"What about YOU and Danae?"
"I'd rather it had been you."
"I can do that for you right now if you want," she offered.
"That wasn't want I meant. Was Danae, uh, unpleasant for you?"
"By the seven gray gods, no!"
