'Oh,' I said.
'Does Lady Sheila wish to return to her quarters now?' inquired Drusus Rencius. 'What of the treasures here,' I asked, 'and Susan, and the other slaves chained here?'
'Scribes from the treasure rooms will be along shortly,' he said, 'to gather in and account for the cloths and coins. The palace slave master will be along later, too, to release the girls and put them back about their more customary duties.'
I then began to precede Drusus Rencius to my quarters.
'Miles of Argentum is an arrogant knave, isn't he?'; I asked Drusus. 'So it would seem, Lady,' said Drusus.
I remembered the sight of the silver tarsk from Argenturn, in the hand of Miles of Argenturn, and the way it had looked, on the soft carpeting of the dais, on one of the broad steps leading tip to the throne.
'Do you think,' I asked, lightly, 'that I might bring a silver tarsk in a slave market?'
'It would be difficult to say, without assessing Lady Sheila naked,' he said. 'Oh,' I said.
'Does Lady Sheila wish me to assess her naked in her quarters?' he asked. 'No,' I said. 'No, of course notl'
We continued to walk along the carpeted, ornamented corridors toward my quarters.
'But, from what you know of me,' I said, 'do you think that I might bring a silver tarsk?'
'As a Tatrix,' he asked, 'or only as another woman in the market, another mere female, up for vending, one about whom there is nothing politically or socially special, one who, like most others, will be priced and sold only on her own merits?'
'Like that,' I said, 'one whose price is determined merely by what she is, and nothing else.'
'Are you serious?' he asked.
'Yes,' I said, 'as one whose value is determined only by herself.' 'I would think, then,' he said, 'the price would be too high.'
'Oh?' I said, angrily. 'And what do you think I would go for?'
'Lady Sheila must remember,' said Drusus Rencius, 'that even if she might prove to be quite lovely, she is still untrained.'
'Untrained!' I cried.
'Yes,' he said.
'You speak as if slaves were mere animalsl' I said.
'they are,' he said.
I turned to face him, angrily. 'And if I were such an animal, and for sale, what do you think I would bring?' I asked.
'May I speak with impunity?' he inquired, smiling.
'Yes,' I said, 'of coursel'
'My remarks,' he said, 'will be based on the hypothesis that Lady Sheila's figure is acceptable, that her curvatures fall within suitable slave tolerances.'
I looked at him.
'Am I entitled to assume this?' he asked.
'I suppose so,' I said. I had no idea what these tolerances might be. I did regard myself as being rather pretty.
'We shall further assume,' be said, 'that Lady Sheila's figure is not merely acceptable, but quite lovely. This, I think, from what I know of her, would be a fair assumption. In any event, it will enhance the speculation.'
'Very well,' I said.
'Your face, for example,' he said, 'is quite delicate and lovely. If your body matches it, I think you would clearly have the makings of a superb slave.' 'Proceed,' I said. It pleased me to have received this compliment from Drusus Rencius. Too, I had little doubt but what my body, which is slender and lovely, and not overly developed, well matched -my face. Surely I would bring a high price.' 'Let us, further assume,' he-said, 'that your beauty had been enhanced considerably, by being, branded and collared.'
'Very well,' I said. I was beautiful. I would bring a high price indeed I 'Even so,' ' be said, 'you have had no previous owners, as I understand it.' 'That is correct,' I said.
'Having been unowned,' he said, 'it seems natural, then, to assume that you are inexperienced and untrained.'
'Yes,' I said.
'And there are many beautiful women,' he said. 'There is no dearth of them in the slave markets.'
'And what, then,' I asked, 'do you think I would bring?'
He looked at me, smiling.
'What?' I asked.
'I would think,' be said, 'that you would bring somewhere between fifteen and twenty copper tarsks.'
'Copper tarsksl' I cried.
'Yes,' he said.
'Beastl' I cried. 'Beastl'
'But remember,' he said, smiling, 'it is slaves who are assessed and have prices. Free women are priceless.'
'Yes,' I said, somewhat mollified,' stepping back. 'Yesl' I must remember that I was priceless. I was a free woman.
'Shall we continue on to your quarters?' he asked.
'Yes,' I said, and then, turning about, once more preceded him down the corridor toward my quarters.
I had had matters out with Ligurious earlier, about such things as the barring on my door. My door, now, was no longer barred. The guards remained outside but that, of course, was an understandable precaution, one clearly in my own best interests, one pertinent to my personal security. Furthermore I was now free, almost whenever I wished, to go forth from my quarters. The only restriction was that I must be accompanied by my guard, Drusus Rencius.
We stood on the height of the walls of Corcyrus, on a stone riser behind the parapet, which permitted us to look out over the parapet, rather than through its apertures, on the surrounding fields.
'Not all places in Corcyrus,' be said, 'are safe, particularly at night, and not all are suitable for the sensibilities of a free woman.'
There was a breeze blowing toward us, over, the wall. It was welcome. I felt it move my veils back against my features. I reveled in its lightness and freshness.
'You should adjust your hood,' said Drusus Rencitis. ff I had thrust it back, a few moments ago, to better revel in the breeze. To be sure, it was now possible to detect the color of my hair.
Angrily I readjusted the hood. Drusus Rencius was so protectivel He looked about, nervously. Why, I wondered, should be seem so tense or uneasy here.
I could smell the tarns, gigantic, crested saddlebirds, on their perches some hundred feet away, to our right. There were five of them.
'Do not approach them too closely,' I had been warned by him.
'Do not fear,' I had laughed. I had a terror of such things.
But why, then, if he were so wary of them, or fearful for my safety, had he wanted to come to this portion of the wall?
It was he who had suggested that we come this close to those fearful monsters. 'I can still see your hair,' said Drusus Renclus.
I drew the hood angrily even more closely about my features. Little more now could be seen of me, as is common with the robes of concealment, but a bit of the bridge of my nose and my eyes. It was five days ago that I had suggested we come to the height of the wall, that I might look out. He had originally been reluctant to bring me here, but then, almost too suddenly, it had seemed to me, had finally agreed.
Now, here on the walls, he seemed nervous.
'You are still angry with me,' I said, 'about the Kaissa matches.' 'No,' he said.
'They were boring,' I said.
'Centius of Cos was playing,' he said. 'He is one of the finest of the players on Gor.' The appearance of a
