Captive of Gor by John Norman Page B

refuse to believe that I could not understand him.
    He continued to speak, finally very slowly, word by word, very clearly. His
    efforts, of course, were not rewarded in the least, for I could understand not
    even a word of what he had said. This seemed, for some reason, to irritate him.
    I, too, began to grow irritated. It was as though he expected anyone to be able
    to understand his strange language, whether it was their native language or not.
    How simple and provincial he was.
    It was not even English.
    He continued to try to communicate with me, but to no avail.
    At one point he turned to one of his men and seemed to ask him a question. The
    fellow replied with a single word, apparently of negation.
    Suddenly I was startled. I had heard that word before. When the small man, in my
    penthouse, when I had lain bound on my bed, had touched me, the large man,
    abruptly, angrily, had said that word to him. The smaller man had then turned
    away.
    It struck me then what was familiar about the language Targo spoke. I had heard
    only a word or two of it before. My captors had conversed, almost entirely, in
    English. And I supposed they had been, at least on the whole, native speakers of
    English. But I recalled the accent of the large man, who (pg. 49) had commanded
    them. In English, that accent had marked his speech as foreign. Here, however, a
    world away, I heard the same accent, or one similar, save that here it was not
    an accent. Here it was the natural sound, the rhythm and inflection, of what was
    apparently an independent, doubtless sophisticated, native tongue. I was
    frightened. The language, though it struck my ear as strange, was not
    unpleasant. It was rather strong, but in its way it seemed supple and beautiful.
    I was frightened, but I was also encouraged. Targo noted the difference in my
    attitude, and he redoubled his efforts to communicate with me. But, of course, I
    still could not understand.
    I was frightened, because it had been the language, or rather like the language,
    of my chief captor, and perhaps others of his group. On the other hand, I was
    encouraged because it seemed to me then that these individuals, if they spoke
    the same language, must possess the technological skills to return me to my
    native world.
    Yet it was hard to believe.
    The men I now noted, held as I was, did not carry pistols and rifles, or even
    small weapons, such as my captor had had, or the wands, or silver tubes, which
    had been carried by the men from the silverish ship. Rather, to my surprise,
    even amusement, they wore at their sides small swords. Two, over their backs,
    had slung something like a bow, except that it had a handle, much like a rifle.
    Four of the others actually carried spears. The spears were large, with curved
    bronze heads. They seemed heavy. I could not have thrown one.
    The men, saving the one called Targo, wore tunics, with helmets. They looked
    rather frightening. The opening in the helmets reminded me vaguely of a “Y”. the
    swords they carried in scabbards slung over their left shoulder. They wore heavy
    sandals, laced with thick straps, more than a foot up their leg. Several of
    them, besides the small swords, carried a knife as well, this attached to a
    leather belt. They wore pouches also at the belt.
    I was relieved that these men, apparently so primitive, could not be of the same
    group as my former captors, with (pg. 50) their sophisticated equipment. But I
    was also apprehensive for, by the same token, surely men such as these did not
    have the technological capabilities essential for flights between worlds. These
    men, surely, could not, themselves, return me to Earth.
    I had fallen in with them, however, and would have to make the best of it.
    I was rescued, and that was the important thing. There were doubtless men on
    this word who did possess the capabilities for space flight and I would make
    inquiries and contact them. With my riches, I could pay well for my
    transportation back to