Free The Cache by Philip José Farmer Page A

don’t rob your hosts.”
    “We are prisoners,” replied Zhem. “It’s true we’re willing prisoners; how else could we visit Kaywo? If we had told the border guards we just wanted to see Kaywo, we would have been arrested. No, we may be serving this country, but this country is the enemy of my people and yours. Don’t you ever forget it. When Kaywo has conquered Skego, Kaywo will look to the south for new conquests. And when the south is laid low, Kaywo will conquer your desert country, if she thinks it worthwhile.”
    “What you say is undoubtedly true. But as long as I take Kaywo’s pay, I serve her,” said Benoni. “And that means that I will not be a thief.”
    Zhem shrugged and said, “You have some peculiar ideas, Ironfoot. But you are my elder blood-brother. And if you say that we do not rob, then we do not rob. But that means we do not have much fun.”
    “What is your idea of fun?”
    “The beer of my people is good,” said Zhem. “But I understand that the beer of Kaywo is even better, and they have something called vey, made from grapes, that is sweet and makes your head spin. And they also have, so I’ve heard a much stronger drink called vhiyshiy. Half a bottle of that, and a man thinks he is a god.”
    “I have never tasted any of those,” said Benoni. “We do have a drink called kiyluh. The Mek call it takil. And we have another, puk. But these are drunk only during religious ceremonies and then only by men. I am forbidden to touch any such stuff until I have returned to Fiiniks with a scalp at my belt.”
    “You said something about beer once.”
    “We get that from the Mek during Truce Market,” said Benoni. “But I have noticed that men who drink beer get short-winded and fat-bellied. That isn’t for me.”
    Zhem threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes.
    “Gehsuk! Then there is nothing left for you but women! Not that that is bad, but you don’t have enough money to buy more than one woman for one hour—if that!”
    Benoni turned red, and he said, “When I was confirmed, I swore an oath of chastity to Jehovah. I would not think of betraying my god.”
    Zhem goggled at Benoni as if he were a monster. “But, but, your god is a long distance off!”
    “He can see everything,” replied Benoni. “And even if he could not, I have given my oath.”
    Zhem burst into loud laughter and slapped his thigh again and again. After he had controlled himself, he said, “You mean every youth in your country remains a virgin until he takes a wife? Every one?”
    “There are some who break their oath with a slave-girl,” said Benoni, thinking of some stories he had heard about Joel and others. “But if they’re caught, they’re whipped. And they must take wives from among the freed slaves, for honorable fathers would never allow their daughters to marry such men. And . . .”
    “Tell me no more, blood-brother,” said Zhem. “You frighten me. Your people must be inhuman! To ask hot-blooded youths to deny their natures!”
    “It is what our god asked of us,” said Benoni stiffly.
    “Your souls must be as hard as the soles of your feet,” said Zhem, and he laughed again. “Well, never mind, let’s go to the Funah. But you must not ask me to obey the strange laws of your strange god. Or,” he said anxiously, “would I dishonor my blood-brother by following the ways of my people?”
    “When you mingled your blood with mine, you swore only to fight for me, as I swore to fight for you,” said Benoni. “You may do what you wish. After all, I wouldn’t ask you not to eat a certain food because I am forbidden to.”
    They were silent for a while after, too intent on watching the buildings and the people in the streets. By noon, they had walked to the Funah district. Here they found the variety of dress and speech even more exotic than in the citizen’s section of town. Within the space of a block, they heard three languages, not a word of which they recognized; saw men