you by Publius Andronicus, had not somewhat turned the blade of Flaminius, it might have been a different matter,' I told Petrucchio.
'Perhaps,' he admitted, generously. 'I had thought that perhaps such theory might one day prove its value.'
'Petrucchio,' said Andronicus, warningly.
'You must get him out of here,' I told Andronicus. 'I think you can mange it in your guise as a visiting general.'
'I fear it will be more difficult for you to leave the city,' said Andronicus. 'IT seems every guardsman in Brundisium is on the lookout for you. Some who can recognize you, slaves, courtiers, and such, will be, I suspect, at every gate.'
'I will leave the city as originally planned,' I said. 'It seems the only practical way.'
'Do you still have the device I gave you?' asked Lecchio.
'Yes,' I said.
'And where it no longer suffices,' he said, 'you must make do otherwise.'
'I know,' I said.
'Remember not to look down at your feet,' he said, 'for you will not be able to react that quickly, but to look ahead of you, where you are going.'
'Yes,' I said.
'You must think, too, with your feet and body, with its slightest sensations.'
'I remember your training,' I said.
'So do I,' he said. 'Thus I urge you to be careful.'
'Of course,' I said.
'Do you have the other material, as well?' he asked.
'Yes,' I said.
'Perhaps we should be on our way,' said Andronicus, 'before those of Brundisium begin to gather their wits about themselves.'
'Take these papers,' I said to Andronicus. 'They are important. Give them to Scormus. He will know what to do with them. He has other papers, too, that are pertinent to these matters.'
'Where will we meet you?' asked Andronicus.
'At the prearranged place,' I said, 'if all goes well.'
'I wish you well,' said Andronicus.
'I wish you well, too, all of you,' I said.
In a moment, then, Andronicus had again placed his help over his features. He did so majestically. He straightened his body, regally. He was again a general.
'Come, men,' said he, 'and bring the prisoner, he who is wanted din Ar.'
He was quite impressive.
'Not bad, eh?' asked Andronicus.
'No,' I said.
'Do not forget my sword,' said Petrucchio.
'We will pick it up on the way out,' Lecchio assured him.
'Come, men!' said Andronicus, again the general. He then exited, somewhat grandly, followed by Chino and Lecchio, supporting Petrucchio between them.
'I did not know Petrucchio was wanted in Ar,' Lecchio was saying, in character.
'Be quiet!' Chino was cautioning him, grunting, and not altogether amused.
I watched them, to make certain they did not get into any trouble, as least as far as I could follow them, visually. Then I took my way back through the apartments to where we had secured the prisoners. We had tied them, stripped, standing, their back to the bars, their arms lifted and spread, wrists tied back to the bars, ankles, too, to the barred gate, then again dropped, which had originally prevented me from immediately following Belnar. We had used it because it resembled a slaver's grid, to which slaves may be bound at a master's pleasure in an almost infinite variety of attitudes and positions, ranging from quite standard to exquisitely exotic. We had lowered the gate this time from the outside, from the apartment side, by means of a cord which we attached to the drop lever and then passed through the bars. IN this fashion, it could be dropped form the front, rather than the rear. We had then only to fasten our prisoners, in whatever manner we chose, to it.
'Do not kill me!' cried Flaminius, twisting in the cords, seeing me approaching through the apartments, the steel of my sword bared. 'Please, no, Master!' cried Yanina, pulling helplessly at the restraints that held her back against the bars. 'Please have mercy on a slave! Please do not kill me!' They had both hoped, doubtless, desperately, that we had all taken our leave. But I had come back.
I put the point of the sword to the throat of Flaminius. He began to sweat. 'Don't kill me,' he whispered. Then I lowered the sword. 'No,' he said, 'please, no.'
I then resheathed the blade. I then freed Yanina from the bars and threw her to the tiles before Flaminius, there having her. 'Oh, oh,' she wept.
I thrust her form me. She lay near me, shuddering, trying to comprehend what had been done to her. Being had as a collared slave is quite different, in all its modalities, and however it id done, to having polite love made to one as a respected free woman. I lay propped on my elbow. I regarded Flaminius. 'Your slave is not much good,' I said.
'Forgive me, Master,' whispered the girl. 'I was terrified.'
'Terror, mixing in with the other feelings of a female, can be a powerful stimulant to passion,' I said.
'yes, Master,' she whispered.
'Surely many girls have known terror at the very thought of not being fully pleasing to a master.'
'Yes, Master,' she said.
'Doubtless men will be coming soon,' I said to Flaminius, 'to look for you. Thus I should quickly have done with your and be on my way.'
'There is no hurry,' cried Flaminius. 'It may not even be known we are here. Men may not come for Ahn!'
'Oh?' I asked.
'She can do better!' said Flaminius, hastily.
'Master!' protested Yanina.
I took her again into my arms, and looked into her eyes.
'Yes, yes!' said Flaminius. 'Use her again! I freely grant her use to you.'
'You are generous,' I said. She struggled, naked, in my arms.
'Is she not beautiful?' asked Flaminius. 'Do you not desire her?'
'She is lusciously soft,' I admitted, 'and is appealing, held helplessly. Too, she has a lovely face and figure.'
'Use her!' urged Flaminius.
'Master!' wept Yanina.
'You dolt!' hissed Flaminius to Yanina. 'Beguile him! Please him! Encourage him to dalliance! Buy time! Do you want us both to be killed?'
'What are you saying to her?' I inquired, getting up.
'Nothing,' said Flaminius.
'I must be on my way,' I said. I put my hand on the hilt of my sword. I noted, not of the corner of my eye, a look of terror transforming the lovely countenance of the slave, Yanina.
'Master,' she cried, anxiously, frightened, grasping me about the knees, 'do not yet go!'
'I must be on my way,' I said.
'Dally,' she begged. 'Let Yanina please you!'
I looked at Flaminius.
'There is time,' he assured me.
'Yanina begs to please Master!' she said. 'Yanina will do anything!'
'Anything?' I asked.
'Yes, Master!' she said.
