[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
mostly having to do with the import and sale of sorbian leather. Putatively in
recognition of numerous philanthropies, the repair of walls and aqueducts, the
construction of bridges at dangerous crossings, and such, and in virtue of
various donations and services, lavished on various towns in which he held
important franchises from the governor, he had been raised to the honestore
class. It was rumored that this was in particular a consequence of his
friendship with the civil governor of Terennia, with whom he frequently
exchanged invitations. It was hinted, too, that certain gifts, or antecedent
remunerations, one might say, had preceded the honor of being raised to the
honestori
, not that he was not universally recognized as being fully deserving of that
honor. Soon Pulendius had begun to accumulate land. His lands now constituted,
in effect, a small state on the planet. Some four thousand coloni tilled his
fields.
He had a private army, as had many rich men in the empire, his consisting of
some five hundred men. It was his men, of course, who had intervened in the
arena, at the time with which the reader has hitherto been acquainted, when
the peasant had fallen to the sand, stunned by the weapons of the guards, or
police. It should be mentioned that the men of Pulendius, even those with him
at that time and at that place, several times outnumbered the entire local
police force. Such men had things much their own way with local communities
and local administrations. They had little to fear except from imperial
troops. One might think of such men, I suppose, if the analogies are not too
misleading, as local "strong men," or "bosses," perhaps something along those
lines. There were, throughout the empire, thousands of such. Indeed, some
imperial officials feared them, and thought they were becoming too powerful.
More than once there had been confrontations between such private forces and
imperial troops themselves. To be sure, Pulendius tended to be a quite
law-abiding individual, but then, one supposes, most are who can pretty much
have the laws arranged, drafted, interpreted, and applied or not applied, at
one's convenience. It might be mentioned that the tax farmers did not "farm"
the estates of Pulendius, which may, indeed, be one reason that many coloni
flocked to his lands. The reasons for this seeming oversight on the part of
the tax farmers may not be altogether clear, but, whatever they were, they
were not unique with Pulendius. The estates of such men, for whatever reason,
Page 55
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
were often exempt from such attentions. Indeed, it would be a bold collector,
one supposes, who would attempt, without an army behind him, to enforce a
collection on such a man. More than one, on more than one world, had
disappeared. It was not clear what had become of them. Some, it was rumored,
had been used as training objects in the various schools. Others, it seems,
had been simply hung or thrown into eel ponds. It might also be mentioned, in
this brief biographical account, that Pulendius, from his earliest youth, had
been a zealot of the arena. He maintained one of the finest gladiatorial
schools on Terennia. His men had fought on many worlds, sometimes even on the
Telnarian worlds
themselves.
"Disgusting," said the young, dark-haired woman.
One of the two bodyguards behind Pulendius, his arms folded, looked upon the
young, dark-
haired woman. She was well sheathed in a sleek, off-the-shoulder gown of white
lim
, quite other than would have been appropriate on Terennia, but then they were
not now on Terennia. She was quite fairly complexioned. Her bosom, which was
very white, was not without its suggestions of delights. Indeed, her figure,
though one must hazard something of an estimate at this juncture, gave the
suggestion that it would prove of interest, perhaps considerably so. To be
sure, she was perhaps somewhat slender for the tastes of some, but there was,
on the whole, little doubt that almost any man, even one of quite moderate
virility, and she had known few of even that level, would have found it both
stimulating and inviting. She had dared to wear both a closely fitting golden [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
mostly having to do with the import and sale of sorbian leather. Putatively in
recognition of numerous philanthropies, the repair of walls and aqueducts, the
construction of bridges at dangerous crossings, and such, and in virtue of
various donations and services, lavished on various towns in which he held
important franchises from the governor, he had been raised to the honestore
class. It was rumored that this was in particular a consequence of his
friendship with the civil governor of Terennia, with whom he frequently
exchanged invitations. It was hinted, too, that certain gifts, or antecedent
remunerations, one might say, had preceded the honor of being raised to the
honestori
, not that he was not universally recognized as being fully deserving of that
honor. Soon Pulendius had begun to accumulate land. His lands now constituted,
in effect, a small state on the planet. Some four thousand coloni tilled his
fields.
He had a private army, as had many rich men in the empire, his consisting of
some five hundred men. It was his men, of course, who had intervened in the
arena, at the time with which the reader has hitherto been acquainted, when
the peasant had fallen to the sand, stunned by the weapons of the guards, or
police. It should be mentioned that the men of Pulendius, even those with him
at that time and at that place, several times outnumbered the entire local
police force. Such men had things much their own way with local communities
and local administrations. They had little to fear except from imperial
troops. One might think of such men, I suppose, if the analogies are not too
misleading, as local "strong men," or "bosses," perhaps something along those
lines. There were, throughout the empire, thousands of such. Indeed, some
imperial officials feared them, and thought they were becoming too powerful.
More than once there had been confrontations between such private forces and
imperial troops themselves. To be sure, Pulendius tended to be a quite
law-abiding individual, but then, one supposes, most are who can pretty much
have the laws arranged, drafted, interpreted, and applied or not applied, at
one's convenience. It might be mentioned that the tax farmers did not "farm"
the estates of Pulendius, which may, indeed, be one reason that many coloni
flocked to his lands. The reasons for this seeming oversight on the part of
the tax farmers may not be altogether clear, but, whatever they were, they
were not unique with Pulendius. The estates of such men, for whatever reason,
Page 55
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
were often exempt from such attentions. Indeed, it would be a bold collector,
one supposes, who would attempt, without an army behind him, to enforce a
collection on such a man. More than one, on more than one world, had
disappeared. It was not clear what had become of them. Some, it was rumored,
had been used as training objects in the various schools. Others, it seems,
had been simply hung or thrown into eel ponds. It might also be mentioned, in
this brief biographical account, that Pulendius, from his earliest youth, had
been a zealot of the arena. He maintained one of the finest gladiatorial
schools on Terennia. His men had fought on many worlds, sometimes even on the
Telnarian worlds
themselves.
"Disgusting," said the young, dark-haired woman.
One of the two bodyguards behind Pulendius, his arms folded, looked upon the
young, dark-
haired woman. She was well sheathed in a sleek, off-the-shoulder gown of white
lim
, quite other than would have been appropriate on Terennia, but then they were
not now on Terennia. She was quite fairly complexioned. Her bosom, which was
very white, was not without its suggestions of delights. Indeed, her figure,
though one must hazard something of an estimate at this juncture, gave the
suggestion that it would prove of interest, perhaps considerably so. To be
sure, she was perhaps somewhat slender for the tastes of some, but there was,
on the whole, little doubt that almost any man, even one of quite moderate
virility, and she had known few of even that level, would have found it both
stimulating and inviting. She had dared to wear both a closely fitting golden [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]