defeated royal houses on the ropes of common soldiers, men of no repute, that they may understand their lowliness as compared to the victors, that they, compared to the victors, are no more than slaves.”
The blonde squirmed angrily in her bonds.
“I would beware, milady,” said Janina, solicitously, “lest you excite the master.”
Instantly the blond captive ceased struggling.
Janina laughed.
The blonde looked up at her, in fury.
The officer of the court put her hands on the rope on her neck.
The blond captive, seated, ankles crossed and bound, wrists crossed and bound, behind her, the gag down about her neck, looked up at the gladiator.
“Who are you, truly?” she asked.
“I am Dog, of the
“You are no peasant,” said the blond captive.
“It does not matter,” said the gladiator.
“I see,” said the princess.
“It only matters,” said the gladiator, “that I am he in whose power you now are, totally. Do you understand?”
“Yes, milord,” she said.
“We shall go publicly through the corridors,” said the gladiator. “That, I think, will be safer than attempting to have recourse to ventilator shafts, crawl spaces, and such, which, as they are obviously surreptitious passages and hiding places, will presumably be guarded. We shall, with luck, reach Section 19, in the hold, and then, while I move one of the escape capsules to the elevator, Janina will supervise you two. Once we enter the capsule into the lock, we can set the timing device for opening the hatch, and can then launch.”
“It is a mad plan,” said Janina.
“One may always hope that our departure will pass unnoticed, that, after all this time, the gunners will not be alert, that the crews of pursuit launches will be tardily dispatched, such things.”
“What of me?” asked the officer of the court, kneeling at the feet of the gladiator, the rope on her neck, its free end grasped by Janina.
“Does the little slave feel neglected?” asked Janina.
“What of me?” asked the officer of the court, ignoring Janina.
“You do not think I have ever forgotten you, do you, my dear?” asked the gladiator.
“What are you going to do with me?” asked the officer of the court.
“I am going to take you with me,” he said.
“I do not understand,” said the officer of the court.
“She is stupid,” said Janina.
“What could you possibly want with me?” asked the officer of the court.
“Can you not guess?” asked Janina.
“No! Oh, please, no!” whispered the officer of the court.
The gladiator regarded her, a tiny smile playing about the corners of his lips.
“No!” whispered the officer of the court.
“Yes,” he said, softly.
The officer of the court slumped to the floor of the small room.
She awakened, lifted to a sitting position, she did not know how much later, to find the spout of a canteen at her lips. She reached for it, and clutching it tightly, drank.
“Enough,” said the gladiator, after too short a moment.
He handed the canteen to Janina.
The officer of the court trembled.
“Eat this,” said the gladiator, kindly, pressing a roll into her small hands.
Madly, like a starving animal, she crammed the bit of food into her mouth.
“See, Janina,” said the gladiator, “how a lady eats, with such daintiness. You might take a lesson from this.”
The officer of the court chewed eagerly, swallowing entire pieces at a time, almost as though afraid what was not yet swallowed might be pulled from her mouth.
“Methinks, Master,” said Janina, “it is rather the way a starving slave feeds.”
“Perhaps,” said the gladiator.
“And surely it is fitting for the starving slave,” said Janina.
The gladiator smiled.
“Food will well control her,” said Janina.
“Doubtless,” said the gladiator.
“And the whip,” said Janina.
“Perhaps,” said the gladiator.
The officer of the court trembled. She had no doubt but what she would obey the whip, and well. But they spoke of her, or at least the slave girl did, as though she herself might be no more than a slave.
She looked to the gladiator.
But she was given no more food.
The officer of the court saw that the feet of the blond captive were now unbound. Too, there was now a rope on her neck, running to a stanchion. To the same stanchion ran another rope, that which was on her own neck. The princess’s gag, the officer of the court noted, had not yet been resecured. It was still loose, down, about her neck.
“We will leave now,” said the gladiator.
The two ropes were freed from the stanchion.
“Up,” said the gladiator to the princess. She rose to her feet. He held her rope.
“To all fours, slave,” said Janina. The officer of the court went to all fours. Her rope was held by Janina.
“Face the door,” said the gladiator to the princess. She did so.
He then looped her rope about his wrist and went behind her, to adjust her gag.
He put his hands on it.
“Wait,” she said.
He paused.
“You are going through with this?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Take me with you,” she said.
The officer of the court gasped.
“How can I face my people after this?” asked the princess. “What good can I be?”
“Do not tempt me, luscious female,” said the gladiator.
“Do not make me do this,” she begged.
“It will be an excellent experience for you,” he said. “It will help you to become more aware of your womanhood.”
Her small hands pulled a little, weakly, at the bonds that held them secured behind her back.
“Do you understand?” he asked.
“Yes, milord,” she said.
Then she said, “Oh!” for her gag was lifted, drawn back and fixed in place.
She would not now speak, nor could she, until relieved of its constraint.
“Should this one, too, not be gagged, Master?” inquired Janina, indicating the officer of the court.
“Will it be necessary to gag you?” asked the gladiator of the officer of the court.
“No,” said the officer of the court.
“I have your word, as one of the
“Yes,” she said.
