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Show "For they are the Very scum of the Earth," the captain assured the good Isaac, "and the Earth Management willed it that their planet should be rid of them." The captain and his group of twelve guards had left the villains with the sleeper ship to use as a home base-for the ship was of a type useless for a return voyage, Earth had made certain of it, nor of travel anywhere else on the continent-and used the small ferry to fly the continent's distance to be exiled themselves as Techs in the BauerWorlde Commendiums. "They are far away from your people," said the captain in hopeful tones. But Isaac shook his head. "If villains they be, we will see them attacking the Commendiums, soon or late. This fear of the Tartars-'twill not last, see'st thou? - 'twill not last." Though last it did for many generations, whilst the villains accepted the Provincial life as though born to it. And then some few of their descendents began drifting westward to the Commendiums. Hoqqam, for instance. Hoqqam's father; Benji, had been kidnapped by the Seljuk women from his Eastern Kingdom home when in his early adolescence on one of their raids for consorts, and he was the jewel of the group brought back that season "Ah, but a fine one Benji is, my girl, smooth and full small," said the Seljuk Sachi to her Favorite, Lusela. She felt of his arms and then of his legs, sliding her hands up and down in such a disagreeable manner the boy could have strangled her, had his hands been free, or kicked her, had his feet not been shackled firmly together. But bite her he did, and held on with a ferociousness astonishing to the woman towering over him. "AAAiiiiiieeeeee!" she screamed, and kept screaming, until Lusela and 108 |