Whip Hand Book

I originally set out to read the entire Gor series. Here I am, at the end of the fourth book...and I'm seriously rethinking that commitment.

Cabot just keeps getting more unlikeable as the series progresses. At this point, he's only heroic in comparison to uncivilized men around him. And it's not like Cabot's an anti-hero, where walking the line between "good" and "horrible" is the point of the character - Cabot is supposed to be all-around good guy.

Remember Talena? Because Cabot sure doesn't!

Much like the biggest issue I had with the third book in the series, Priest-Kings of Gor, Cabot has stopped looking on Gorean society through the lens of somebody from Earth, and started lumping himself in with the Goreans. Cabot's impartiality is thrown out the window, so his occasional rants about women on Earth vs women on Gor come across as less cultural comparisons, and more Cabot complaining about Earth women not being like Gorean women.

The Gorean master, commonly, likes a spirited girl, who fights the whip and collar, resisting until at last, perhaps months later, she is overwhelmed and must acknowledge herself his, utterly and without reservation, then fearing only that he might tire of her and sell her to another.
So, basically, until the women develop Stockholm Syndrome.

Wikipedia: "One commonly used hypothesis to explain the effect of Stockholm syndrome is based on Freudian theory. It suggests that the bonding is the individual's response to trauma in becoming a victim. Identifying with the aggressor is one way that the ego defends itself. When a victim believes the same values as the aggressor, they cease to be perceived as a threat."
Nomads started off decently enough, all things considered, with the introduction of a new Gorean culture. Things were going pretty well. And then, Elizabeth Cardwell showed up.

Poor, poor Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth's first introduced, she's terrified out of her mind, and has no idea what's going on. She can only speak English, and is worried that she's going crazy.

So what does our hero, Cabot, do when he finds out that she's from Earth?

Nothing.

He just stands and watches her freak out, until Kamchak finds out that Cabot can understand the girl, and gets Cabot to be a translator.

Things just go downhill from there.

The middle chunk of the book turns the focus away from Elizabeth, but it's just full of inconsistencies and obliviousness on Cabot's part. He repeats information that he just found out as though he'd known it for a while.

I remembered that two years before, as I had learned, he had brought Aphris of Turia a five-string diamond necklace, which she had scorned, and had, according to her report at least, given to a slave.
Aphris and Kamchak discussed that event not five pages before, which was the first time Cabot had heard that story.

He doesn't pick up on the fact that Saphar the Merchant is clearly involved with the whole Elizabeth plot - the guy knows Cabot's name, the collar on Elizabeth was Turian, and Saphar's first order of business with Kamchak is to discuss potentially buying the freaking Priest King egg. When Kamchak refuses every offer, Saphar declares that he will have the egg, even if he has to start a war with the Tuchuk to do so.

And yet -
In Turia I had learned nothing, unfortunately, of the answers to the mystery of the message collar or to the appearance of Miss Elizabeth Cardwell on the southern plains of Gor.
Cabot buys some wine because Kamchak paid for admission tickets to see a slave girl dance, even though Cabot was the one who lost the bet for who had to pay for the admissions, and there was a scene of him grudgingly giving the payment to Kamchak while looking at all of Kamchak's wealth.

He gets stalked around by a person whose job it is to torture and assassinate people, and all Cabot thinks is, "Oh, that guy must be curious about me!"

I noted, following me, as I had more than once, a masked figure, one wearing the hood of the Clan of Torturers. I supposed he was curious about me, not a Tuchuk, not a merchant or singer, yet among the wagons.
But none of that drove me to the breaking point. Frustration, yes - but I was still willingly reading.

No, no, no. The breaking point came after a nice series of action scenes that had me actually enjoying the story.

Kamchak ends up giving Elizabeth to Cabot as a slave. Cabot, as he often does, frees Elizabeth. Elizabeth, by now thoroughly immersed in Gorean culture, takes the gesture as Cabot not thinking that she's worth anything, and haughtily acts like an offended slave girl.

And then the point of no return is reached.

She seemed to me very beautiful. Again I considered raping her, but now that she was free, no longer a simple slave, I supposed that it would be improper.
YOU SUPPOSE???

I was sure that I had read the sentence wrong the first time Cabot casually thought about raping Elizabeth. And then that second rape comment happened.

It would be one thing for Cabot to admire her beauty, and think about how he wanted to have sex with Elizabeth. That, I could accept. But the way Cabot phrased it? Oh HELLS no.

And it still managed to get worse.

The institution of freedom for women, I decided as many Goreans believed, was a mistake.
What follows after that is a very uncomfortable implied sex scene between Elizabeth and Cabot, where Elizabeth challenges Cabot's theory that all women long to be slaves to men - or rather, to a certain man. Elizabeth bets that she'd never truly wish to be a slave, and that if Cabot can make her wish otherwise, then HE has to be HER slave for a while.

Naturally, such an arrangement is offensive to Cabot.

Anyway, Cabot does finally agree to her terms, and sets about sexing Elizabeth up, which leads to Elizabeth admitting that she's in love with Cabot (of course) and that she wants to be owned by him. She also develops a split personality, and starts referring to herself with the plural "we" - Elizabeth, the girl from Earth, and Vella, the Gorean slave. Both of whom intend on competing against each other for Cabot's affection.

"We love you," said they, "Master."
After that creepy as hell scene, the action picks back up, and the ending only further proves what an idiot Cabot is.

"Pa-Kur," I said, "defeated in personal combat on the high roof of the Cylinder of Justice in Ar, turned and to avoid capture threw himself over the ledge. I do not think he could fly."

"Was the body recovered?" Kamchak asked again.

"No," I said. "But what does it matter?"

"It would matter to a Tuchuk," said Kamchak.
Please, please let Assassin of Gor be about Parkur getting revenge on Cabot.

I know Parkur won't stay alive, but if he manages to at least make Cabot miserable for a while, I'll be happy.