Testimony

The members of the high council and many of the guests looked about at one another, nodding.

"As this girl is the property of Miles of Argentum," said Claudius to Drusus Rencius, "you may move that her testimony be discounted or be retaken, under torture."

In Gorean courts the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture.

Drusus Rencius looked across the room to Miles of Argentum.

"I will withdraw her testimony," said Miles of Argentum. "If she is to be tortured, it will be at my will and not that of a court. In this, however, I make no implicit concession. I maintain that the truth which she would cry out under torture would be no different from that which you have already heard freely spoken."

"Well done, Drusus Rencius," said a man, admiringly.

I saw that Miles of Argentum did not wish to have Susan subjected to judicial torture, perhaps tormented and torn on the rack, even though it might validate her testimony and strengthen his case. But she was only a slave! Could it be he cared for her? I suspected it was true. I suspected that the little beauty from Cincinnati, Ohio, in his collar, had become special to him, that she was now to him perhaps even a love slave.

"I do not ask that her testimony be discounted or with drawn," said Drusus Rencius, "only that it be clearly understood."
Kajira of Gor     Book 19     Pages 369 - 370

"You can deny, of course," said Miles of Argentum to Drusus Rencius, "that she whom you took to the house Kliomenes was the same woman you were guarding as the putative Tatrix. In that fashion, even if Publius can be encouraged to testify, his testimony could do no more than confirm that she here chained is the same as she whom you then brought to the house of Kliomenes. You can still deny that she who is here chained is she whom you then took to the Tatrix of Corcyrus.

Drusus Rencius was silent.

"We have, of course, independent identifications."

"We do not require the testimony of Drusus Rencius in this matter," said Claudius.

"I do not refuse to testify," said Drusus Rencius.
Kajira of Gor     Book 19     Pages 374 - 375

"Remove the former first minister of Corcyrus from our presence," said Claudius, "lest I be tempted to betray the pledge of my city. Let his shackles be removed only in his own quarters, to which he is to be closely confined."

Two soldiers seized Ligurious by the arms.

"We have to inquire into these matters," said Claudius to Ligurious, "and resolutions to be made. It is possible we may have need of you for further testimony, asseverations germane to our proceedings. In any event, your presence will be retained for our pleasure until our deliberations have been concluded. Then, and then only, will the pledge of Argentum be honored."
Kajira of Gor     Book 19     Pages 391 - 392


"This woman," said Claudius, pointing to Sheila, "has been proved by evidence and testimony, both written and oral, to be the former Tatrix of Corcyrus. Indeed, this fact has been acknowledged, ultimately, even in her own admission."
Kajira of Gor     Book 19     Page 392


From the testimony of Sheila, and other sources which seemed to corroborate it, we gathered that the Kurii might now be turning to the patient stratagems of piecemeal subversion, the control of cities and their eventual linkages in networks of power, to win a world by means theoretically within the laws and decrees of Priest-Kings.
Players of Gor     Book 20     Page 30


To one side, permanent fixtures, immovable and sturdy, their supports fixed in the floor, were several rows of long, low, marble benches. It was on these that clients and claimants, with their various causes, grievances and petitions, would wait until their turn came to be called for their appointments or hearings. It was here, too, that witnesses, and such, might wait, before being summoned to give testimony on various matters before the courts.
Mercenaries of Gor     Book 21     Pages 141 - 142


"Let her be tortured for the truth," said Boabissia. It is legal in Gorean courts for the testimony of slaves to be taken under torture. Indeed, it is commonly done.
Mercenaries of Gor     Book 21     Page 240


I did not want to be involved in this. In Gorean courts the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture.
Dancer of Gor     Book 22     Page 288


She had seen me on the ship, standing there, a free man among peers. She had had some concept, doubtless, of what I had done on the wall, if nowhere else. I did not think she was under any delusion as to who would be believed in any conflict of testimonies. Too, of course, Lady Claudia, still a free person, who could render free testimony, not even extracted under torture, for example, had been present.
Renegades of Gor     Book 23     Page 375

"My speculation," I said, "is that Ar demands accountability for the disaster in the delta. I suspect that your fellow conspirators have selected you, and perhaps some others, to be identified and repudiated, as having duped others, and so on. In this way the more powerful conspirators may satisfy Ar's call for accounting and at the same time direct attention away from themselves. On the other hand, your more powerful fellows, I suppose, would not wish to risk the results of your testimony being taken in court."

"But I am only a slave," she said.

"But one who perhaps knows too much for her own good," I said.

"I could promise not to speak!" she said.

"You would speak," I said.

She looked at me, frightened.

"As you know," I said, "the testimony of slaves is taken under torture."
Vagabonds of Gor     Book 24     Page2 462 - 463


"Let her testimony be taken under torture," said another.
The testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture in Gorean law courts.
Magicians of Gor     Book 25     Page 222


Testimony from a metal worker, one traveling from Besnit to Brundisium, one who had been engaged in the manufacture of the wares in Besnit, seeing such articles in Harfax, and noting them marked as they were, in a way he knew false, alerted the house of William.
Witness of Gor     Book 26     Page 510


"The testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture," said the officer.
Prize of Gor     Book 27     Page 632


Too, the testimony of slaves in Gorean courts is commonly taken under torture.
Prize of Gor     Book 27     Page 710


The testimony of Peisistratus, taken through translators, had made it clear that Lord Pyrrhus had intended to take the human, Tarl Cabot, hunting in the sport cylinder, which seemed upon the surface, if tasteless considering some of the game available, at least sufficiently innocent. Other testimony had made it clear that Lord Pyrrhus had returned from the sport cylinder without Tarl Cabot, and that, later, a hunting party of eight Kurii, three of whom were womb brothers, and two of whom were egg brothers, to Lord Pyrrhus had entered the sport world with sleen, and had been arrested in the midst of an attempt upon the life of Tarl Cabot, esteemed ally of Agamemnon.
Kur of Gor     Book 28     Page 217


"We have ample testimony," said the prosecutor, whose movements suggested anger, though the translator spoke without passion, "that in the time of your location your life was in great jeopardy."
Kur of Gor     Book 28     Page 218


The aberration of a witness, or the obscurity of its testimony, must not be permitted to distract your attention from either the charges or the indisputable and incontrovertible evidence on which they are based.
Kur of Gor     Book 28     Page 219


"It matters nothing, save for your interest to Agamemnon," said Peisistratus. "Your testimony clouded matters for Agamemnon. He expected to convict on its basis. You betrayed him. The jury was confused."
Kur of Gor     Book 28     Page 221


"Why are we caged?" inquired Cabot.
"Perhaps because we are animals," said Peisistratus, "and our hosts feel it is fitting. Perhaps to prevent you, should you be so inclined, from interfering in the festivities. Perhaps to protect you, lest some here be displeased with your testimony at the trial."
Kur of Gor     Book 28     Page 230


Cabot had returned to the villa which had been earlier assigned to him, from which he had fetched a tunic, some supplies, and a pouch, into which he had thrust the strings of rubies given to him earlier, before the trial of Lord Pyrrhus, in which his testimony had been so ineffective.
Kur of Gor     Book 28     Page 281


"You are her master!" cried Seremides. "That is clear from the records, from the testimony of Tolnar and Venlisius!"
Swordsmen of Gor     Book 29     Page 452


In a Gorean court the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture.
Mariners of Gor     Book 30     Page 42


Indeed, as you know, in a court of law, the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture.
Mariners of Gor     Book 30     Page 207

"But, Master," I said, "is the testimony of slaves in courts not taken under torture, that they will not dare to lie?"

"It would be better," said Menon, "for the testimony of free women to be taken under torture, for they are famous for saying whatever pleases them."
Conspirators of Gor     Book 31     Page 173


I did know that testimony from a slave, at least in a court of law, is commonly taken under torture. As noted before, the theory is that the slave may be expected to tell the truth only under duress. In fact, of course the slave is likely to say, and quite soon, whatever the judge wishes to hear.
Conspirators of Gor     Book 31     Page 512


To be sure, a slave is seldom subjected to any grievous torture, as it might lower her value. An exception is when her testimony is to be taken in a court of law. Then any slave, male or female will be placed on the rack, the theory being that this will guarantee a veracious testimony, even from the lips of a slave. What it commonly guarantees is that the slave, howling in misery or screaming through tears, will tell the judge whatever he wishes to hear.
Smugglers of Gor     Book 32     Page 442

"I call, as the next witness," intoned Decius Albus, "a noble Cosian, summoned from far Cos at much time, trouble, and expense, solely for the purpose of contributing his valued testimony to this trial, one to be recalled from the horrors of the Occupation, which he, in defiance of the false Ubara's will, strove mightily to mitigate, a secret friend, he who was present during the reign of the heinous traitress, Talena of Ar, Myron, polemarkos of Temos, polemarkos of Cos."

The receipt of this introduction, as might be supposed, was of a mixed nature, mostly an awed silence mingled with scattered hoots and jeers. Many, clearly, had not realized that any Cosians whatsoever were in Ar at present, especially any of note. Many, too, had not realized that any Cosians might have been summoned here to render testimony. Surely that seemed strange. And many, as well, had not realized that Myron, who had been the governor of the military power in Ar during the Occupation, was actually a secret friend endeavoring to reduce and palliate the tyranny of Talena of Ar, the outlaw Ubara.

I am sure that Myron lacked any animus toward Talena of Ar and would have preferred to leave Ar anonymously, quietly and in peace, but he had found himself issued, at the behest of Decius Albus, a summons to appear in court and render testimony. Had it been spurned, or had there been some failure to comply with the summons, I have little doubt that Decius Albus would have made patent the role of Cos in the apprehension of Talena.
Warriors of Gor     Book 37     Pages 319 - 320

In Gorean law the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture, the theory apparently being that this will encourage veracity.
Warriors of Gor     Book 37     Page 355