TestimonyThese are relevant references from the Books where Testimony is mentioned. I make no pronouncements on these matters, but report them as I find them. Arrive at your own conclusions. I wish you well, Fogaban In Gorean courts her testimony would normally be exacted only under torture. In such courts she could not, legally, be named, but would rather be described as, say, Ilene, the slave of Hesius of Laura, or Ilene, the slave of Bosk of Port Kar. Hunters of Gor Book 8 Page 225 "Let the testimony of slaves be taken," said the judge. The red-haired girl on the rack cried out in misery. The testimony of slaves, in a Gorean court, is commonly taken under torture. Tribesmen of Gor Book 10 Page 111 The judge, on the testimony of Ibn Saran, and that of two white-skinned, female slaves, one named Zaya, a red-haired girl, the other a dark-haired girl, whose name was Vella, had sentenced me as a criminal, a would-be assassin, to the secret brine pits of Klima, deep in the dune country, there to dig until the salt, the sun, the slave masters, had finished with me. Tribesmen of Gor Book 10 Page 117 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." "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. "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." "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." "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." "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. In Gorean law the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture, the theory apparently being that this will encourage veracity. |
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