'Nothing,' she whispered, 'Master.'
I took another piece cf meat. I regarded her. I put the meat in my mouth, and chewed it.
'I did not say to take back the plate, Girl,' I said.
'Forgive me, Master,' she said, holding it as she had. I continued to regard her. 'I really know nothing, Master,' she said. 'Drusus brought moneys. He was my contact. I know nothing!'
I took another piece of meat.
'I supervised work at the wall. I thought myself then the superior of Drusus. I do not know where he came from or where he obtained what moneys he brought. I supposed, in truth, there were other operations or facilities on this world, but I did not know their location.' Tears sprang into her eyes. 'Believe me, I beg you,' she said. 'If there is a headquarters somewhere I know nothing of it. I beg you to believe me, Master!'
'Perhaps I believe you,' I said.
She half fainted. I thought it true what she had said, not only from her asseverations and the fact that I had come to be able to read with facility her face and body in the months I had owned her, but from the general circumstances of the situation. When she had been free she had not, I was sure, recognized the carving of the head of a Kur for what it had been. I recalled her puzzlement, which I think was genuine, in the hall to the south, that which had formed her own headquarters near the now-broken wall. Too, I did not think that the Kurii would permit minor minions, such as she had been, though not understanding herself so, to know more than was absolutely necessary to perform their parts in their complex plans. Too, interestingly, it is difficult for a woman who is naked before a man to lie to him. Clothing makes it easier to lie. Naked, a woman is exposed not only physically to a man but, in a sense, psychologically, as well. She fears, psychologically, exposed as she is, that she can hide nothing, that he will see all, and detect all, that she is utterly open and vulnerable to him in all ways. This, for subtle and subjective reasons, having to do with psychology, makes it hard for her, when she is fully exposed to his scrutiny, to lie convincingly. She fears, somehow, he will know. And, actually, of course, there is something to her fear, indeed, a great deal. When she tries to lie there is a fear involved and this fear, in subtle ways, in subtle drawings back, in tensenesses, is manifested in her beautiful body, proclaiming it that of a liar. Many times a girl does not know how the master knows she is lying. At the slave ring, struck, she cries out in her misery. How could he have known? The answer is simple. Her body betrayed her. It told him. Too, slave girls seldom lie, for the punishments connected with lying can be extremely severe. A girl may be thrown alive to sleen for having lied. The severity of the possible punishments attendant upon falsehood in a slave tend, too, of course, to increase the fear of falsehood, and this fear then, felt deeply in the body, is all the more difficult to conceal. I would suppose that slave girls are among the most truthful of intelligent organisms, at least when stripped and confronted seriously by the master. They must be. Lying, serious lying, is not permitted to them This is not to deny, however, that petty lying, pilfering and such, where the master is not directly concerned or affected, is often tolerated, if not encouraged. That sort of thing is expected of slave girls. They are, after all, slaves. For example, when a former free woman, now enslaved, steals her first pastry from another girl, this is often smiled upon, and punished, if at all, quite lightly. The master is not displeased. It is taken as evidence that the girl is now learning to be a slave. Slaves do that sort of thing. The petty jealousies and resentments. that build up among girls make them easier to control The master, to whom they belong, though he will normally refrain from interfering in their squabbles, is, of course, if need be, the ultimate arbiter for all their disputes. He owns them.
I looked at Arlene, and she shuddered. I thought it likely that she had told the truth.
'Audrey!' I called, summoning the former rich young woman by the name by which I often commanded her.
'Yes, Master,' she said, and came to us, and knelt.
'Take the boiled meat from Arlene,' I said, 'and serve it about.'
'Yes, Master,' she said. She took the meat and rose to her feet, lifting herself and turning her body in such a way as to expose her beauty insolently to Ram. Then she sauntered away, glancing once over her shoulder at him, with a tiny smile.
'She has nice flanks,' said Ram.
'Yes,' I said.
'An excellent catch,' he said.
'She is Imnak's,' I said. 'He bought her at the fair.'
'A splendid purchase,' said Ram, congratulating Imnak.
'I bought the other one there, too,' said Ininak, indicating Barbara, who was serving across the room.
'Another splendid purchase,' said Rain. 'She is quite attractive.'
Barbara looked ever her shoulder. Rain had not spoken softly. She knew herself the object of our conversation. She straightened herself. She was proud that she was beautiful, and of interest to strong men.
'I had them both for the pelt of a snow lart and the pelts of four leems,' said Imnak, rather pleased with himself.
Barbara looked.angry.
'To secure such a brace of beauties for such a price is indeed marvelous,' said Rain.
'The market was slow,' admitted Imnak.
'But you are, too, a skillful bargainer,' pointed out Ram.
Imnak shrugged modestly. 'They did cost me five pelts,' he said.
'Five pelts is nothing for such beauties,' insisted Rain.
'Perhaps you are right,' said Imnak. 'At any rate they are now both in my bondage strings.'
Barbara came to us and knelt before us. She looked at Ram. She carried a bowl of dried berries. Their eyes met over the bowl as she lifted it to him. He, without taking his eyes from her, thrust his hand into the bowl and scooped out a large handful of berries. She then rose lightly, sinuously, before him, and, turning her back, left. Ram watched her. She walked slowly, gracefully, away. She was intensely conscious of his eyes upon her. When she dared, she turned once and looked at him, then put her head down, smiling.
'They are good at pulling sleds,' said Ininak.
'They have other utilities, too,' I said.
'You may use either, of course,' said Imnak, putting Thimble and Thistle, both, at Ram's disposal.
'Thank you,' said Ram. 'But neither of them commanded me at the wall.'
He looked at Arlene, who knelt before us, a bit to the left. She shrank back.
'Meat,' he said to her.
'I will fetch some,' she said, starting to rise.
'Do not be a little fool,' I said. 'He means you.'
'Oh,' she said, frightened.
'Are you any good?' asked Ram.
'I do not know,' she whispered. 'Master will tell me.'
Ram rose to his feet and walked over to the wall of the feasting house. There he threw off the lart-skin shirt he wore.
'With your permission, Imnak,' said Ram, 'I will try the others later.'
'Use them whenever you wish,' said Imnak. 'Their use is yours.'
Ram stood, waiting by the wall.
Arlene looked at me, frightened.
'Please him,' I told her.
'Yes, Master,' she said. She made as though to rise.
'No,' I said. 'Crawl to him on your hands and knees.'
'Yes, Master,' she said.
'And please him well,' I said.
'Yes, Master,' she said.
I turned my attention to the clearing in the feasting house. There there was miming going on. The hunters and the women clapped their hands and cried out with pleasure at the skill of the various mimera. Naartok was being a whale. This was the occasion of additional jests from the audience.
'Tarl, who hunts with me,' said Imnak, seriously, 'I am afraid.'
'What are you afraid of?' I asked.
'The animal we saw,' said Imnak, 'was surely an ice beast.'
