Caste of AccountantsHere are relevant references from the Books where the Caste of Accountants 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 At his right hand there was a Scribe, an angular, sullen man with deep eyes, with and stylus. It was Caprus of Ar, Chief Accountant to the House of Cernus. Misk's antennae briefly acknowledged this. "We have an agent in that house," said Misk, "a Scribe, the chief accountant, whose name is Caprus." "Surely he can find out what you want to know," I said. "No," said Misk, "as Scribe and Accountant his movements are restricted." He scarcely glanced up from the game board at which he sat across from Caprus, of the Caste of Scribes, Chief Accountant of the House. The Slavers, incidentally, are of the Merchant Caste, though, in virtue of their merchandise and practices, their robes are different. Yet, if one of them were to seek Caste Sanctuary, he would surely seek it from Slavers, and not from common Merchants. Many Slavers think of themselves as an independent caste. Gorean law, however, does not so regard them. The average Gorean thinks of them simply as Slavers, but, if questioned, would unhesitantly rank them with the Merchants. Many castes, incidentally, have branches and divisions. Lawyers and Scholars, for example, and Record Keepers, Teachers, Clerks, Historians and Accountants are all Scribes. I had discovered, to my pleasure, that the girl Luma, whom I had saved from Surbus, was of the Scribes. Her city had been Tor. Being of the Scribes she could, of course, read and write. "Can you keep accounts?" I had asked her. "Yes, Master," she had responded. I had made her the chief scribe and accountant of my house. Each night, in my hall, before my master's chair, she would kneel with her tablets and give me an accounting of the day's business, with reports on the progress of various investments and ventures, often making suggestions and recommendations for further actions. This plain, thin girl, I found, had an excellent mind for the complicated business transactions of a large house. She was a most valuable slave. She much increased my fortunes. I permitted her, of course, but a single garment, but I allowed it to be opaque, and of the blue of the Scribes. It was sleeveless and fell to just above her knees. Her collar, however, that she might not grow pretentious, was of simple steel. It read, as I wished, I BELONG TO BOSK. Some of the free men in the house, particularly of the scribes, resented that the girl should have a position of such authority. Accordingly, when receiving their reports and transmitting her instructions to them, I had informed her that she would do so humbly, as a slave girl, and kneeling at their feet. This mollified the men a good deal, though some remained disgruntled. All, I think, feared that her quick stylus and keen mind would discover the slightest discrepancies in their columns and tally sheets, and, indeed, they seemed to do so. I think they feared her, because of the excellence of her work and because, behind her, stood the power of the house, its Captain, Bosk from the Marshes. My round ships, as much as possible, I engaged in commerce, usually acting on the advice of Luma, the slave girl, my chief accountant; When again I sat down I said to the serving slaves, "Feast the singer well," and then I turned to Luma, slave and accountant of my house, braceleted and chained at the end of the long table, and said to her, "Tomorrow, the singer, before he is sent on his way, is to be given a cap of gold." Also below were four girls, Vina and Telima, and Luma, the chief accountant of my house, who had not fled, and the dancer, Sandra, who had been afraid to leave the holding. To be sure, much of the copy work, lower-order clerical work, trivial account keeping, and such, on Gor, was done by slaves. Indeed, the presence of a lovely slave there might not even be known to the master, but only to her immediate keepers, and the master's agents, who may have purchased her, or accountants, who keep records of the master's properties and assets. A number of individuals, other than the mercenaries and my party, were gathered about, curious and attentive, dock workers, loiterers, warehousemen, beggars, accounting scribes, street gamblers, local and foreign mariners, and such. "I have better than twenty-five hundred vielts under cultivation," she said. "I have over eleven hundred and fifty slaves, field slaves and house slaves. Indeed, as a part of our tour, along our route, we shall pass between two lines of kneeling slaves, a corridor of slaves, so to speak, who will cry out joyfully, wishing us well, as we pass. Too, I have over two hundred men in my employ, overseers, guards, accountants, clerks, drovers, wagoners, and such. I am the major supplier of produce for a hundred pasangs east and west on the Vosk." |
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