the barn was set afire, following which the occupants must weigh a number of options, none welcome, dying in the fire, dying of missile fire, or surrender. The rumors of this I heard in the city universally understood the event as the cornering of a large number of bandits by vengeful Peasants. As Lord Grendel had left the domicile the afternoon of the event with his ax, and returned in the late morning, in high spirits, I am supposing that the affair may have had less to do with bandits and more to do with the hirelings of Kurii and their allies. As far as I know, no Kur was personally involved in the business. Shortly thereafter, as I understand it, the market for male work slaves in Ar was considerably depressed, with the result that several, stripped and coffled, were herded to Torcadino.
Late that afternoon I arrived at the shop of Amyntas, entered, knelt, put my head to the floor, then knelt up, and, at his gesture, rose to my feet. He then checked the signature knot on the small sack tied about my neck, the signature knot of the Lady Bina. On my former world, which may be called Terra, or Earth, we do not use signature knots, or, perhaps better, have not done so for a long time. You secure packages with such knots, boxes, even doors. Satisfied with the knot, he undid it. He would, of course, when he later closed the sack, do so with his own signature knot. He placed the deck of cards on the counter behind him, took me by the hair, and pulled my head down, to a ring set in the floor. He had never done this before. Usually I was tethered, kneeling, by a loop of chain slung about the ring and the linkage of my slave bracelets. But now I was fastened by the neck closely to the floor ring. “You may lie down, if you wish,” he said. “Thank you, Master,” I said. I did not ask the meaning of this departure from his normal procedure. It is done with us as masters please. We are slaves.
Amyntas then summoned an assistant to mind the shop, while he took, I suppose, the cards into the back, to work out the message. Doubtless he had a pertinent card sheet. I lay there for a time. Customers came and went. A chained slave is a common sight on Gor. There are many slave rings in public places, to which a slave might be fastened. This is a convenience to masters. Some of these places are in the shade, and furnished with a pan of water. My head was held close to the floor. I sensed that more than one fellow regarded me. One fellow brushed me twice on the left thigh with the side of his foot. “Not bad,” he said. I pulled a little at the bracelets. I heard two men laugh. One approached me, and put one hand on my right ankle and his other hand on my left leg, just below the knee. I made a tiny, inadvertent noise. “Good,” he said. I was afraid then that he had learned something about me, something of which I might even be unaware.
After a few Ehn I was released from the ring, and stood. The sack was then, with its new signature knot, tied about my neck. “You are Allison, are you not?” he asked. “Yes, if it pleases Master,” I said. This was the first time he had asked my name. “You are pretty,” he said. “Thank you, Master,” I said. I had the sense I was being appraised. “You are a barbarian, are you not?” he asked. “Yes, Master,” I said. I had hardly spoken to him before. “Interesting,” he said. “Master?” I asked. “Hurry home, Allison,” he said. “Yes, Master,” I said. He then gave me a sharp, stinging slap below the small of the back, and I cried out, and stumbled away, before I caught my step. Slaves may be so treated. We are not free women. Men enjoy treating us as they wish. They are men, and our masters. We have nothing to say about such things. I suppose that one might find them humiliating, but we do not do so. We do not object. It reminds us that we are slaves, and, of course, of sexual interest. I did not look back. I hurried away. Several things had been different this time. I did not understand why this might be. Perhaps there was no reason. Too, what kajira is foolish enough to question a master?
Chapter Fifty-One
Fruits and sauces in hand I was ascending the stairs to the domicile.
“Jane! Eve!” I had cried, delighted, for both were at the top of the stairs. Soon, how joyfully, embracing and kissing, did we greet one another!
I now understood the extensive preparations, the mysterious recent behavior of Lord Grendel, the excitement of the Lady Bina, the ka-la-na purchased, the flavorsome herbs, the bosk and tarsk, the early cooking. Entertainment this night was in the domicile. The Lady Delia, companion of Epicrates, had even assisted the Lady Bina with the menu, and the decorations. I had hoped that our guests would be who they were, as I knew both Astrinax and Lykos were in Ar, and, presumably, with them, two slaves.
Jane, Eve, and I busied ourselves with the final cooking, the readying of vegetables and salads, the arrangements of vessels and dishes, the setting of places. Never had I known them so happy, so radiant. As slaves, owned women, belongings, mere properties, it was theirs, choicelessly, to obey and submit, to strive to be pleasing to masters. In this, women, they found their happiness and fulfillment. They were not men. They were preciously, essentially, and perfectly female. How solicitous they were of their masters. How deferent they were, how graceful, how softly spoken, how eager, how warm, how feminine, how pleased to be owned, to belong, to be collared. And, as slaves, they knew themselves to be not only perfectly and helplessly owned, but to be desired as only a female slave can be desired, desired with all the robust, possessive lust of a master, desired categorically, desired without concession, without quarter, without compromise.
“Would,” said Astrinax, lifting his goblet, “that one other were here, one we know well, one with whom we shared many perils and hardships, the noble Desmond of Harfax!”
“Yes,” said Lykos.
“Yes,” said Lord Grendel.
“Yes!” said the Lady Bina.
A round of ka-la-na had been first served, with a wrapper of nuts.
Jane, Eve, and I were kneeling a bit behind and to the side the diners, Jane near Astrinax, Eve near Lykos, and I near the Lady Bina. The men sat cross-legged, before the small table, as is typical, while the Lady Bina knelt demurely, as is common with free women. In larger, richer domiciles, with more sumptuous appointments, there are sometimes supper couches, and the diners eat while reclining.
“May I take this opportunity,” said Astrinax, “to render thanks to the noble Lady Bina for the gift of a lovely slave girl.”
“And I,” said Lykos, “for the gift of another.”
Jane and Eve, though in collars, put down their heads and blushed with pleasure.
“It is nothing,” said the Lady Bina. “We all owe one another much, and what is a mere collar girl?”
“Nonetheless,” said Astrinax, “they are pleasant to have on one’s chain.”
“Quite,” said Lykos.
“It might interest you to know,” said the Lady Bina, “that I made a similar offer to Desmond of Harfax, twice.”
“I did not know that,” said Astrinax.
“Yes,” said the Lady Bina, “I offered our pretty Allison twice to Desmond of Harfax, but he would not accept her.”
“Interesting,” said Astrinax.
“What is wrong with her?” asked Lykos.
“I do not know,” said the Lady Bina.
“Perhaps she should have more meat on her,” said Lykos.
“Perhaps her character left something to be desired,” said Astrinax. “Long ago, she confessed to me, and to her then master, Menon, he with the restaurant, that she would steal a candy from another slave, if it might be done with impunity.”
“I would not do so now, Master!” I said.
“Why not?” asked Astrinax.
“I have changed,” I said. “I have been longer in the collar. I have learned much in the collar. A woman learns much in the collar. I am different now.”
“I am sure you are,” said the Lady Bina.
“What, then, is the difficulty,” asked Lykos, “not enough meat?”
“I do not think so,” said the Lady Bina. “I have seen enough fellows turn their head to look upon her.”
I do not think I was all that aware of this, at least at the time, but I was pleased to hear it. I felt warm. A slave likes to know that men look upon her with pleasure. She is, after all, a slave.
“It seems,” said the Lady Bina, “that he simply did not want her.”
Tears sprang to my eyes.
