This is a very broad caste, and contains literally
hundreds of sub-castes. Those who are of this caste are concerned with the sell and trade of merchandise for a profit. There
are almost as many sub-castes of the Merchant caste as there are products to be sold; a few notable ones include the caste
of Slavers and the caste of Spice Merchants. The caste colors of the caste of Merchants are White and Gold. ..........
.......... The fairs incidentally are governed by Merchant Law and supported by booth rents and taxes levied on the
items exchanged. The commercial facilities of these fairs, from money changing to general banking, are the finest I know of
on Gor, save those in Ar’s Street of Coins, and letters of credit are accepted and loans negotiated, though often at
usurious rates, with what seems reckless indifference. Yet perhaps this is not so puzzling, for the Gorean cities will, within
their own walls, enforce the Merchant Law when pertinent, even against their own citizens. If they did not, of course, the
fairs would be closed to the citizens of that city. Priest-Kings of Gor, Page 10 .......... .......... There
is a saying on Gor, Gold has no caste. It is a saying of which the merchants are fond. Indeed, secretly among themselves,
I have heard, they regard themselves as the highest caste on Gor, though they would not say so for fear of rousing the indignation
of other castes. There would be something, of course, to be said for such a claim, for the merchants are often indeed in their
way, brave, shrewd, skilled men, making long journeys, venturing their goods, risking caravans, negotiating commercial agreements,
among themselves developing and enforcing a body of Merchant Law, the only common legal arrangements existing among the Gorean
cities. Merchants also, in effect, arrange and administer the four great fairs that take place each year near the Sardar Mountains.
I say in effect because the fairs are nominally under the direction of a committee of the Caste of Initiates, which, however,
largely contents itself with its ceremonies and sacrifices, and is only too happy to delegate the complex management of those
vast, commercial phenomena, the Sardar Fairs, to members of the lowly, much-despised Caste of Merchants, without which, incidentally,
the fairs most likely could not exist, certainly not at any rate in their current form.” Nomads of Gor, Page
84 .......... .......... The fairs, too, however, have many other functions. ... ... It is here that Merchant
Law is drafted and stabilized.” Beasts of Gor, Page 44 .......... .......... The Weight and the
Stone, incidentally, are standardized throughout the Gorean cities by Merchant Law, the only common body of law existing among
the cities. The official “Stone,” actually a solid metal cylinder, is kept, by the way, near the Sardar. Four
times a year, on a given day in each of the four great fairs held annually near the Sardar, it is brought forth with scales,
that merchants from whatever city may test their own standard “Stone” against it.
.......... .......... As
in the case of the official “Stone”, so, too, at the Sardar is a metal rod, which determines the Merchant Foot,
or Gorean foot, as I have called it.” Raiders of Gor, Page 127 and 128 .......... .......... The
Merchants have, in the last few years, on certain trade routes, between Ar and Ko-ro-ba, and between Tor and Ar, established
palisaded compounds, defensible stockades. .......... .......... Various cities, through their own Merchant Castes,
lease land for these stockades and, for their fees, keep their garrisons, usually men of their own cities, supplied. The stockades
are governed under Merchant Law, legislated and revised, and upheld, at the Sardar Fairs.” Captive of Gor, Page
219 .......... .......... The representative of the Merchants, to whom I reported my business, and to whom
I paid for wharfage, asked no questions. He did not even demand the proof of registration of the Tesephone in Tabor. The Merchants,
who control Lydius, under merchant law, for it is a free port, like Helmutsport, and Schendi and Bazi, are more interested
in having their port heavily trafficked than strictly policed.” Hunters of Gor, Page 43 .......... .......... He
himself resided, I understood, in Telnus, the capital of Cos, where his company had its headquarters. His work chains, however,
were politically neutral, understood under merchant law as hirable instruments. They might, accordingly, and sometimes did,
work for both sides in given conflicts.” Dancer of Gor, Page 322 .......... .......... Merchant
law has been unsuccessful, as yet, in introducing such things as patents and copyrights on Gor. Such things do exist in municipal
law on Gor but the jurisdictions involved are, of course, local.” Magicians of Gor, Page 394 ..........
.......... She was referring to a series of wars, loosely referred to as the Slave Wars, which occurred among various
cities in the middle latitudes of Gor, off and on, over a period of approximately a generation. They had occurred long before
my coming to Gor. Although large-scale slaving was involved in these wars, and was doubtless a sufficient condition for them,
hence the name, other considerations, as would be expected, were often involved, as well, such as the levying of tribute and
the control of trade routes. Out of the Slave Wars grew much of the merchant law pertaining to slaves.” Vagabonds
of Gor, Page 272 .......... .......... It is my understanding, following merchant law, and Tahari custom,”
I said, “that I am not a slave, for though I am a prisoner, I have been neither branded nor collared, nor have I performed
a gesture of submission.” Tribesmen of Gor, Page 196 .......... .......... In the case of the
girl, Rowena, of course, as she was already a self-pronounced slave, the brand and collar were little more than identificatory
formalities. Nonetheless she would wear them. They would be fixed visibly and clearly upon her. This is in accord with the
prescriptions of merchant law.” Players of Gor, Page 36 .......... .......... You understand further,
of course,” said he, “that under Gorean merchant law, which is the only law commonly acknowledged binding between
cities, that you stand under separate permissions of enslavement. First, were you of Ar, it would be my right, could I be
successful, to make of you a slave, for we share no Home Stone. Secondly, though you speak of yourself as the Lady Elicia
of Ar, of Six Towers, you are, in actuality, Miss Elicia Nevins of the planet Earth. You are an Earth girl and thus stand
within a general permission of enslavement, fair beauty quarry to any Gorean male whatsoever.” Slave Girl of
Gor, Page 394 .......... .......... The legal point, I think, is interesting. Sometimes, in the fall of a city,
girls who have been enslaved, girls formerly of the now victorious city, will be freed. Technically, according to Merchant
Law, which serves as the arbiter in such intermunicipal matters, the girls become briefly the property of their rescuers,
else how could they be freed? Further, according to Merchant Law, the rescuer has no obligation to free the girl. In having
been enslaved she has lost all claim to her former Home Stone.” Explorers of Gor, Page 409 ..........
.......... Girls such as I must expect to be marked, she said. It is in accord with the recommendations of merchant
law. Kajira of Gor, Page 46 .......... .......... You’re going to be branded, he said, and put
in a collar. I regarded him with disbelief. But so too, will the other girls, he said. You will all have your brands and
collars. I could not speak. Such things are prescribed by merchant law, he said. Dancer of Gor, Page 62 ..........
.......... Some fellows do not brand their slaves, I said. That is stupid! she said. I t is also contrary to
the laws of most cities, I said, and to merchant law, as well. Vagabonds of Gor, Page 188 .......... .......... But
her left thigh worn no brand. Her right thigh, too, as I soon noted, did not wear the slave mark, nor did her lower left abdomen.
These are the three standard marking places, following the recommendations of Merchant Law, for the marking of Kajirae, with
the left thigh being, in practice, the overwhelmingly favored brand site. Fighting Slave of Gor, Page 312 ..........
.......... The thighs and the lower left abdomen are the brand sites recommended by Merchant Law. Fighting Slave
of Gor, Page 349 .......... .......... It was a delicate mark, almost floral, about an inch and a half high
and a half inch, or so, wide. "It is my brand," she said. I gasped. "It was put on me in Cos," she said, "with
a white-hot iron, two years ago." "Terrible," I whispered. "Girls such as I must expect to be marked,"' she said.
"It is in accord with the recommendations of merchant law." "Merchant law?" I asked. "Yes, Mistress," said the girl.
Kajira of Gor pg. 46 .......... .......... "Do you understand the Document?" he asked. "Yes," she
said. "It is an order of enslavement." "You understand further, of course," he said, "that under Gorean Merchant law,
which is the only law commonly acknowledged binding between cities, that you stand under seperate permissions of enslavement.
First, were you of Ar, it would be my right, could I be successful, to make of you a slave, or we share no Home Stone. Secondly,
though you speak ofyourself as the Lady Elicia of Ar, of Six Towers, you are, in actuality, Miss Elicia Nevins of the planet
Earth. You are an Earth girl and thus stand within a general permission of enslavement, fair beauty quarry to any Gorean male
whatsoever." Earth had no Home Stones. No legalities, thus, were contravened in capturing them and making of them abject
slave girls. "The first to capture you, owns you," he said. "Prepare to be leashed as a slave." Slave Girl of Gor
- Book 11 pg 394 .......... .......... Yet perhaps this is not so puzzling, for the Gorean cities will, within
their own walls, enforce the Merchant Law when pertinent, even against their own citizens. If they did not, of course, the
fairs would be closed to them. ( Sardar Fairs) From Priest Kings of Gor pg11
