'Yes,' I said, 'that is obvioius. It is now only a question of whether or not you have any intrest in her.'
Seibar looked down at her.
'What is a fitting name for a slave?' he asked.
' 'Tuka',' I said. 'That is not a bad name.' 'Tuka' is a common slave name on Gor. It is simple, sensuous and luscious. Most masters have probably known one or more girls with that name.
'You are Tuka,' said Seibar, naming her.
'I am Tuka,' she whispered, happily, named.
'Kneel,' said Seibar. The girl struggled to her knees. She looked up at him. There was love in her eyes. He looked down at her, an incredible tenderness in his countenance. I saw that he must guard against weakness. But I felt sure that he would do so. Only too well would he be aware of the penalties and consequences attached to weakness, consequences ultimately tragic for the welfare of both sexes.
'Shall I open the gat?' asked a man.
'No,' said Seibar. 'The slave, at least for a time, will be kept.'
The men and women in the lodge let out a cheer. Mira rushed to Tuka and kissed her.
'Well done,' I said to Seibar.
'I am a slave. I am your slave,' said the dark-haired girl kneeling before Carrot.
'I am a slave. I am your slave,' said the blond, kneeling before Cabbage.
One my one the Waniyanpi women, timidly, beautifully, knelt before various men, imbonding themselves to these new masters.
I hope they knew well what they were doing, for they were then slaves.
Men and women, crying out with pleasure, with tears, in floods of emotion, kissed, and touched one another, and loved.
'We can take the bodies of the Yellow Knives away,' said Cuwignaka to seibar. 'We will cut them up and leave them on the prairie. No one, thusly, will know that they met their end here.'
'That will be helpful,' said Seibar.
'Thusly, too,' I said, 'you may then return to being Waniyanpi, if you wish.'
Seibar looked about. 'We will fortify the compound,' he said. 'We will never again be Waniyanpi.'
'There is always time to be a coward,' I said.
'We have tasted manhood,' said Seibar. 'We will never go back. We will not die, or be men.'
'It might be well, for a time,' I said, 'to express your manhood only within the secrecy of your own lodge. It might be well, for a time, to pretend to be still Waniyanpi.'
Seibar smiled.
'I have a plan,' I said.
'I did not think that your visit here was one of a purely social nature,' he said.
'Free your slave of hr bonds,' I suggested. 'You will, anyway, later tonight, not want her ankles so closely tied. She may then serve us, while we talk.'
'You would speak before slaves?' he asked.
'Of course,' I said. 'They are only slaves.'
'Masters?' asked Tuka, kneeling, holding the tray. We took the fried maize cakes from the tray. Then the tray was empty, save for one object, a segment of a dried root, about two to three inches long and half inch wide.
'Open your mouth,' said Seibar to Tuka.
She did so immediately, unquestioningly.
'This is for you,' he said.
She nodded.
He broke the root in two and thrust it in her mouth. 'Chew it well,' he said, 'and swallow it, every particle.'
She nodded.
'Open your mouth,' he said.
She did so. The sip root, every bit of it, was gone.
'You may now take the tray away, and then return,' he said.
'Yes, Master,' she said, happily.
Mira had shown her how to kneel, lower her head and proffer the tray, properly. Tuka, I saw, would be an apt pupil in bondage. Slaves learn quickly. They are beaten if they do not.
'And those,' I said, 'are the details of my plan.'
'It is bold and simple,' he said.
'You see the significance of your role?' I asked.
'Yes,' he said.
'You understand, of course,' asked Cuwignaka, 'that there is a great danger in this?'
'But for all of us,' said Seibar.
'Yes,' said Cuwignaka.
'You honor us with such responsibility,' said Seibar.
'Rewards, I assure you,' said Cuwignaka, 'will be commensurate with risk.'
'We have recieved our manhood,' said Seibar. 'That is reward enough.'
The slave then returned to our area and knelt down, closely, behind Seibar.
'You are then with us?' I asked.
'I am,' he said. We then clasped hands.
'Let us rehearse those details again,' I said. 'There must be no mistake.'
'Very well,' he said.
As we spoke the slave, apparently unalbe to control herself, and not struck back or disciplined, began, at first timidly, then more boldy, to kiss and foldle Seibar. Soon she began to gasp and pant, pressing herself against him. At last he took her in his arms and put her on her back, across his legs. Her body wasn then like a bow, her head down on one side, in the dust, and her heels on the other side. 'Keep you rhands back, over your head,' he said. 'Yes, Master,' she whimpered. He then, as we talked, caressed her. Soon her hands were clenching and unclenching and she was whimpering, writhing helplessly. Then, mercifully, he lifted her up by the shoulders and she put her head against his chest, her arms about his neck. Her eyes were wide. She squirmed, almsot in shock, astounded, unable to believe the sensations she felt in her body.
'I think the plans are clear,' I said.
'Yes,' said Seibar.
'We must be on our way,' I said.
We stood up. 'You may kiss the feet of our guests, Tuka,' said Seibar.
'Yes, Master,' she said.
'Do not be weak with her,' I said.
'I will not,' he said. I smiled. I saw that it was true.
'Tuka,' said Seibar, 'fetch what was once your blanket and put it with mine, on the shelf, by the wall, where I sleep.'
'Yes, Master!' she said. I smiled. I saw that Tuka, at least, would not be tied by the neck, out in the yard for the night.
Seibar and I again clasped hands, sealing our bargain.
'I have done as you wished,' said Tuka, returning, dropping to her knees before her master.
'I am weary,' said Seibar. 'I think I will tie your ankles together.'
'Please do not tie them together, Master,' she said.
'Very well,' he said. He then indicated that she should rise and she did so. He then lifted her in his arms. She kissed at him eagerly.
'I wish you well,' I said.
'I wish you all well,' he said.
We then, Hci, Cuwignaka, Mira and myself, took our leave. I did look back once, to see Seibar placing Tuka gently on the blankets in his sleeping place, on the dirt shelf, near the log-and-dirt wall.
They seemed oblivious of their surroundings. They were absorbed in one another. They were master and
