been disarranged, adjusted, or loosened. Doubtless she had thought to torment a common soldier, one farther beneath her than the very dust beneath her slippers. But now, under the lamp light in the corridor, she stood before me, a slave, far less now the dust beneath the poor laborer’s sandals, whose annual wages once might not have purchased one of her robes. I regarded her, collared, before me. There was no doubt now about her features, or her limbs, her rounded arms, her small hands, her thighs and calves, her ankles.
“Master views a slave,” she said.
“Yes,” I said.
“Does Master think of Ar?” she said.
“Yes,” I said.
“I am different now,” she said.
“Yes,” I said.
“It sounds as though there are pleasantries within the Venna keeping area,” she smiled.
“I think I will look upon these slaves,” I said.
“May I accompany Master?”
“Yes,” I said. “But stay close to me.”
“I shall, Master,” she said.
The great door, so often secured and locked, was now, the lock broken, swung back. I entered, followed by Alcinoe, close behind me, interestingly, on my left, but that is where a slave commonly follows a master.
I did not mind her behind me, on my left.
That was pleasant.
To be sure, sometimes a master has a slave precede him, that he may better observe her.
The area was low ceilinged, but not so low that a man could not stand upright. It was lit by several lamps. There were several fellows about, and several slaves. Some of the slaves had been put to their mats, and chained in place, but many were not yet secured. It seemed many fellows were reluctant to leave the area. Several dallied, even in the vicinity of the slaves who were already on their chains. “You are to secure them, no more,” said a minor officer. “They are not to be used. Not yet. Difficulties with the Pani would ensue. Lords Nishida and Okimoto would disapprove. They are ship slaves. You do not own them. Pose them, examine them, feel them, delight yourself with their beauty, put them through chain paces, if you wish, but know that their bodies will be examined. These are not tavern sluts. Beware the wrath of Lords Nishida and Okimoto. Do not dally overlong. It is best to be quick. Secure them, and go.”
“It seems,” I said to Alcinoe, “the fellows are not eager to return to the deck.”
Several of the slaves were standing, in examination position, legs widely spread, hands behind the back of their neck, or head. Others had been placed in the slave bow. Others, on their chains, were to react, as though struck, given a clap of hands. Some did so in terror. I gathered they had actually felt the whip. Others, to the rhythmic motion of a hand, writhed in their chains. Others endeavored to please the men, being put though slave paces.
“Do not dally overlong,” pleaded the officer. “Their bodies will be examined. Secure them, and hasten away!”
There was much laughter.
But the men understood that the slaves were not to be used. Few cared to perish beneath the blades of the Pani.
I saw more than one rape the lips of a beauty with the kiss of the master, and then cast her, chained, to her mat, and depart, despite her extending her hands futilely after him. Well then did she jerk at her chain, again and again, in frustration, which held her in place.
“It will doubtless be the same in the Kasra keeping area,” she whispered. “Will you protect me?”
“And who,” I said, “will protect you from me?”
“I do not want protection from you,” she said.
“You might make a nice armful of collar meat,” I said.
I considered her, luscious, hot, aroused.
“I would hope to please you,” she said.
Yes, I thought, she might be very nice.
To be sure, I must remember that she was nothing to me.
“You speak as a slave,” I said.
“I am no longer free,” she said. “I am a slave. Thus I may speak as I wish.”
“If given permission.”
“Of course,” she said.
“It seems you are beginning to feel your collar,” I said.
“Yes,” she said.
“Next,” I said, “you will be on your belly, begging to lick and kiss the feet of a master.”
“May I so beg?” she asked.
“No,” I said.
“That is a Kasra girl,” said one of the slaves, a chain running from her ankle to its ring. “She does not belong here!”
“I am better than you!” said Alcinoe
“You are not!” said the slave.
“I am!” said Alcinoe. “If you are so good, why are there no men lingering about you? In the Kasra area, men would linger about me!”
“Slave!” hissed the girl.
“Slave!” hissed Alcinoe.
“Come away,” I said to Alcinoe.
“I am better than she, am I not?” said Alcinoe.
“You are only a Kasra girl,” I told her.
“But, am I not?” she said.
“Yes,” I said, annoyed.
“Good,” she said, “and I am only a Kasra girl!”
“That may be told from your tunic,” I said. It was of low-quality rep-cloth, and, as noted, there was not much to it, not that I minded that.
“Beware the Pani!” called the officer.
Some two or three men left the keeping area.
“Where are the whip slaves?” I asked a fellow.
“Over there,” he said, casting a contemptuous thumb to the side.
I went a bit to the side, and there I found, prone, naked, bound hand and foot, the five large, gross whip slaves who, as first girls, served to keep the smaller, softer, more beautiful, more desirable slaves in order. To be sure, their power rested on their authority, and not on their coarseness, or bulk. They had had behind them the power of men. Three or four smaller women, together, might have overcome, perhaps in her sleep, bound, and beaten such women.
“I trust the whip slaves in the Kasra area,” said Alcinoe, “are similarly inconvenienced.”
“Probably,” I said.
“Good,” she said.
She had doubtless felt their switches frequently enough.
I pulled the head of one of the whip slaves up a little, and back. She whimpered. She was afraid. To men, she was only another woman, and one unlikely to be of interest. Between the teeth of each was bound a switch.
“You tried to stop the entrance of men into the area?” I asked.
The woman, her head held up and back by the hair, whimpered once.
“Do you wish to be turned over to the slaves not yet secured,” I asked, “to be lashed?”
She whimpered twice, pathetically.
I let her lower her head, stood up, and looked about.
The whip slaves doubtless feared the vengeance of the charges whom they had kept in such terror, over whom they had ruled with such cruelty.
