he asked.
“Please, let me go,” I said.
“Human females on the steel worlds,” he said, “are often kept as pets, and groom their masters. I see no reason why a kajira, who is even less than a pet, might not do so, as well.”
“I am afraid,” I said.
“Do you not groom your masters?” he asked.
“We attend to them in all the ways of the slave,” I said. “We may dress them, tie their sandals, bathe them, and such.”
“It is an honor for you to do so, is it not?” he asked.
“Yes, Master,” I said. “It is a great honor and privilege for a slave to be permitted to serve her Master.”
“How much more so then,” said he, “for you to serve a Kur.”
“Let me go!” I begged.
I was thrust back in the cell.
“Groom him,” said the guard.
“How is this to be done?” I asked.
“You will be instructed,” he said.
He then backed through the gate and swung it shut. I ran to the gate and extended my hands and arms through the bars. “Please let me out!” I begged. “Let me out! Do not leave me alone with him! I am afraid!”
“I hope,” said the guard, “that the meal you brought is sufficient for the prisoner. Otherwise you may be eaten.”
“Let me out!” I begged.
I trusted this was a joke on the guard’s part, but I was not altogether sure of it.
“If you groom well,” said the guard, scratching at his side, “I may permit you to groom me, as well. On this world we miss our pets.”
He then spun about, hopping a little, which I took to be a sign of amusement. Shortly thereafter, the prisoner’s meal having been brought, and delivered, he, and his fellow, the large bow cradled in his arms, took their leave.
I hurried to Lord Grendel, and knelt before him. “Master,” I said.
“You are a clever slave,” he said. “You did well. I will be able, I am sure, to request your presence from time to time. You will be my eyes and ears.”
“I am only a slave,” I said.
“But a very pretty one,” he said.
“How would Master know?” I asked. He was, after all, a beast.
“I am part human,” he said. “You must forgive me. I cannot help that.”
“Can you see me, as a human male might see me,” I asked, “and have emotions, feelings, desires, such things?”
“Of course,” he said.
“I am afraid,” I said.
“Do not be afraid,” he said. “Why should I not be able to see how attractive you are, and how stimulating is your body?”
“Master!” I protested.
“Stimulating, indeed,” he said. “I expect that it, stripped and exhibited, well posed, well presented, would bring a good price off the slave block.”
“I did not know this sort of thing,” I said.
“What sort of thing?” he said.
“How you might see me, or others,” I said.
“You did not anticipate it?” he said.
“No, Master,” I said.
“You are quite fetching as you are,” he said, “your lineaments scarcely concealed, your neck in a collar.”
I began to tremble.
“That you are pretty, that you might be of interest to men, was important from the beginning to the Lady Bina,” he said, “who thought it might occasionally be found useful, for her purposes. Renting you out, or such. Now it seems I may rejoice in your charms, for I might, too, find some application for them.”
“I do not understand,” I said.
“Where men are,” he said, “kajirae are welcome.”
“Master?” I said.
“You, and through you, Jane and Eve, too, may prove useful.”
“I am afraid,” I said.
“You remember how to groom me?” he asked.
“Surely Master,” I said, “from the domicile, in the house of Epicrates, before contact was made with the blind Kur.”
“That was largely to leave my scent upon you,” he said, “which was done that my fellow, who was blind, would know a Kur scent, and follow you, and, of course, not be likely to kill you. Now, of course, it will be necessary to give you some training, as an actual Kur pet, the biting, the nibbling, the use of your teeth, the swallowing of lice, and such.”
“I could pretend that,” I said.
“With me, yes,” he said, “but with others, not so.”
“Others?” I said.
“My brethren,” he said, “miss their pets and the services performed by them. The kajirae here are for the men, and that has been made clear to my fellows, which intelligence does not please them.”
“I see,” I said.
“I trust it will not come to that,” he said. “But if they know you groom me, it may be easier for you to move about, amongst them. They are likely to think no more of you than the speechless Kur pets with which they are familiar.”
“‘Speechless’?” I said.
“Yes,” he said. “Who would teach an animal to speak?”
“I see,” I said.
“The Lady Bina was once such a pet,” he said.
“She speaks well, beautifully,” I said.
“I, and others, taught her,” he said.
“She can even read Gorean,” I said.
“She is quite intelligent, and quite beautiful as well,” he said.
“‘Beautiful’?” I said.
“Yes,” he said.
“I cannot understand Kur,” I said.
“Much might be gathered by what you see,” he said.
“I do not know where the Lady Bina is being kept,” I said. “I think she may be with Astrinax. Our men may be domiciled separately, kept from one another. I am not sure. Perhaps they have liberty. I do not know. Jane, Eve, and I are mere kajirae. Little, if anything, is told to us.”
“We must learn what is going on in this place,” he said.
“Many areas are closed,” I said. “I think it will be impossible.”
“You saw the weapon borne by the second guard,” he said.
“Yes,” I said. I shivered.
“Thus,” he said, “Priest-Kings are still feared. Thus, there may be time to intervene.”
“In what?” I asked.
“That we must learn,” he said.
“I saw the blind Kur in the feasting room,” I said. “He was put apart from the others. Food was thrown to the floor, which he must strive to find.”
“His name,” said Lord Grendel, “is,” and then followed a syllable or two which was unintelligible to me.
