my wrists.
I brushed against Bina, she hurrying to serve another of our master's customers.
I heard Helen cry out as silk was torn from her thigh. Still she danced.
A man reached for my ankle. I fled past him.
I hurried to the counter and handed Busebius, who was beaming, the paga vessel and strap. Again it had been emptied.
He dipped the vessel into a great vat of paga and returned it to me.
'Paga! Paga!' I heard. I did not even have time to slip the vessel on its strap over my shoulder. Holding its two handles with my hands, I fled back, with a jangle of slave bells, to the floor, to serve.
The door of the paga tavern flew open. The music, for a moment stopped. Helen froze in a motion. Eyes turned toward the door. My heart skipped a beat.
Impressive men stood there, warriors, though not in the garb of Ar.
Their leader, without helmet, but in cloak and medallion, indicated that the music should continue.
The musicians again played, and, again, Helen danced.
The leader of the newcomers removed his gloves, slowly, and thrust them in his belt.
His eyes viewed the slave body of Helen, as a master's eyes look upon the flesh of a property girl.
Busebius, bowing, rushed to him.
The stranger casually looked away from Helen, and she bit her lip, tears in her eyes, no longer under his scrutiny.
He looked upon me, and I straightened my body. He was incredibly strong and handsome. I hoped that I looked my most beautiful.
He turned his attention to Busebius, who was speaking to him.
'Who is it?' I heard a man ask.
Bina stood near to me. She shook. She read the medallion of the stranger.
'See the medallion,' said a man.
Busebius conducted the visitors, his honored guests, to a private corner of the tavern from which, on the raised dais there, they might well view the room, the musicians, and the dancer.
'Do you not know them?' asked a man.
'No,' said the other.
Beside me, Bina trembled.
'They are the delegation of the Salerian Confederation,' said the first.
'Their leader?' asked the other.
'Thandar of Ti,' said the first.
I now well understood the agitation of Bina. Thandar of Ti, of the Warriors, of the four cities of the Salerian Confederation, was the fifth son of Ebullius Gaius Cassius, of the Warriors, Administrator of Ti, high officer of the Confederation. At one time a girl, the Lady Sabina, the daughter of a merchant, Kleomenes of Fortress of Saphronicus, high merchant of that city, had been pledged in Companion Contract to this Thandar of Ti. Raiders had struck the companion caravan, acquiring its riches and carrying off the Lady Sabina, and others. To guarantee the frustration of the Companion Contract and to prevent the alliance of Fortress of Saphronicus with the Salerian Confederation, the Lady Sabina had been reduced to slavery. She had been made worthless in the affairs of state. The alliance of Fortress of Saphronicus and the Confederation of Saleria had never taken place. Bad blood now existed between them.
'How beautiful he is,' breathed Bina. Never had Thandar of Ti and the Lady Sabina of Fortress of Saphronicus, as far as I knew, looked upon one another. Their companionship had been an intended match of state.
Bina, Slave Beads, gazed upon the powerful, wondrous Thandar of Ti.
'He is handsome,' I said.
'My ears are pierced,' wept Bina. 'My ears are pierced.' Never, now, if ever, could she have hoped to be companion to such a man.
Thandar of Ti, and his fellows, some five of them, ordered from Busebius, who stood eagerly about them. They would have more than paga. They would be fed, and have wines.
The presence of the august visitors, except perhaps by the slaves, was forgotten.
Thandar of Ti looked in our direction. We knelt, two beautiful slave girls, lowly pierced-ear girls, paga slaves. It was a great honor for girls such as we that a man such as Thandar of Ti would even deign to cast a glance upon us.
Thandar of Ti looked away.
I smiled to myself at the irony of the situation.
In looking upon one of us, upon one of two lowly, exquisite slaves, he had been looking upon she who had once been the Lady Sabina, of Fortress of Saphronicus, once intended to sit regally at his side, gloriously robed, his free companion.
There were tears in the eyes of Bina.
Thandar of Ti, I noted, was very handsome.
'You have little paga left,' I said. 'My flask is full. I will serve them.'
'More than one must serve them,' said Bina. 'Please, Teela.'
'He is quite handsome,' I said. 'I will be enough.'
'I wish to serve him,' said Bina simply.
'I will serve him,' I said.
'Do you think he will buy you?' asked Bina.
'I do not know,' I said, 'perhaps.'
I rose lightly to my feet. Bina quickly followed my example.
Busebius hurried toward us. He gestured to us, and to four of the other girls. He gathered us about him. We were excited. 'You six will serve,' he said, indicating the men on the dais. Two of the girls cried out with pleasure, to be selected. 'Go swiftly to the room of preparation,' he said. 'Garb yourselves as the hunter's catch.' I was startled. The guests must be important indeed. We hurried to the room of preparation. Busebius went to give orders to the men in the kitchens.
We must serve the initial wines swiftly, with the matched breads and cheeses.
We tore aside our silks in the room of preparation. We freshened our perfumes and adjusted our make-up. We must be soft, and perfumed and luscious.
Busebius thrust his head into the room of preparation. 'Earrings,' he said, 'jewelry!' Then he disappeared again.
'I do not want to wear earrings,' wept one girl.
'Put them on, Slave,' I snapped. I did not want to be beaten for one of us who was not pleasing.
I fastened golden loops in my ears, and slung necklaces about my throat. I slipped on an armlet.
Beside me, Bina placed earrings, unprotestingly, on her ears.
'Do you, too, not weep to put on earrings?' I asked her.
'No,' she said, 'I am a pierced-ear girl.' The earrings, I noted, jeweled droplets, were very beautiful upon her.
I reached into a chest for hunters' netting. It is a stout cording, used to net medium-sized game. Its mesh was spaced at some two horts, about two and a half inches.
Cunningly we twisted netting about us, from our throats to our brands, high upon our thighs. We garbed ourselves as 'the hunter's catch.'
We looked in the mirror. Several of us gasped. Seldom had we seen such exciting girls.
'Hurry!' said Busebius, again appearing at the entry to the room of preparation. We knew then the wines, and the matched breads and cheeses, were ready.
'Teela, wait,' said Bina.
The other girls left the room of preparation. 'We must hurry,' I said.
'I know what you intend, Teela,' said Bina. 'And it is not proper.'
'I do not understand,' I said. How could she know what I had in mind.
Bina stood between myself and the door.
