whose sandals you saw.'
'Perhaps, Master,' I said, bitterly. If he was so cruel as to deny me his touch, of course, I would, driven by my needs, have to made do elsewhere. It was Mirus, of course, who had not lit these flames in my belly. It was for him that they burned. The particular man is terribly important to the woman. He is a part of the whole that enflames her. To be sure, the slave is so needful and alive that it is not hard for her to see the beauty in any man. If I were sent forth upon the floor, however, in my condition, as it was, I do not think I would have bellied to the first man I saw. I would still have been able to look about, and select one out, one suitable incendiary to the wholeness of my need, and then prostrate myself before him. no, I was not so desperate that I would have bellied to the first man I saw. At that time, I did not even realize I could ever be so desperate as to do that. I would learn later, however, that I was wrong.
'But if you were to do that,' he said, 'it might not fit in as well as one might wish with the new image of the tavern, as we have now upgraded our dA©cor, slave silk for the girls, and such, and service.'
'Oh?' I asked.
'We would not want them thinking the paga slaves of the tavern of Hendow were too easy,' he said.
'Of course not,' I said, puzzled.
'They must play hard to get,' he said.
'A slave?' I asked. I could imagine being punished terribly for such a thing. We must run to a man eagerly, at his least summons. We could be «gotten» as easily as by a snapping of the fingers.
'Some fellows would like to think that the girls had at least taken a look at him before they flung themselves to their belly at his feet.'
'I understand,' I said.
'Of course he may simply pick out one that pleases his fancy, and summon her to his table, and command her.
'Of course, Master,' I said.
'You seem puzzled,' he said.
'How, really,' I asked, 'are we to play hard to get?'
'You must make certain he has paid for his drink first,' he said.
'Ah, I see,' I smiled. 'Master sports with the slave.' I had thought that perhaps he had been referring to something I had heard about in training, the dangerous, 'pretended disinterest' sometimes commanded by masters of their girls, usually with respect to supper guests to whom he intends to lend her for the night. She must then, even if her belly is raging for the touch of the guest, attempt to pretend to disinterest in him, and even loathing, if the master wishes, though she must, of course, serve him with perfection. She then, gradually, permits herself to let her true feelings appear, thus attempting to give the impression of having been seduced by him, and then, later, after a suitable time, she is honestly piteous, kneeling beside him, licking and kissing. He then sends her to his room, that she may prepare it, and herself, for him. most masters, however, do not do this sort of thing for it is meretricious, and, at best, a joke. Too, it can be dangerous to the girl, as she is usually under the obligation, at least by the seventh Ahn, if he has not penetrated to the heart of the matter by then, which is usually the case to inform the use master of her master' s jest, which intelligence he might or might not appreciate. Many girls have been whipped for such things, which are not really their fault. They are only obeying, as they must. But then a girl must sometimes expect the whip, I suppose. She is, after all, a slave. On the other hand, few men will whip a girl for having pretended not to be attracted to him, if she is actually attracted to him, particularly if she has done so under her master' s orders. Such devices, of course, but without the authenticity and ultimate surrender, are often resorted to by 'lure girls,' slaves who serve as bait for captains who need crewmen, masters of work gangs, and such. Such work can be very dangerous, given the astuteness of many Gorean masters. Such a pretense, however, can be maintained with many men for at least a few minutes, and with some men for an hour or so, which is generally more than enough time for the purposes of the master, and the master' s men, unobtrusively, are usually near at hand. It is not unknown, of course, for a girl who serves at such a supper, and is genuinely disinterested, or repulsed, by a given guest, to be given to him for the night. Such things can amuse the master and the guest. Too, they tend to be good for the girl' s discipline.
I looked up at him.
'Yes' he said.
'We are to remain, then, full paga slaves,' I said.
'Yes, though now, at least occasionally, silked,' he said.
'I understand, Master,' I said.
'The only difference,' he said, 'is that such silk may now be pulled away by the master, or discarded instantly, upon command, by the slave.'
'Yes, Master,' I smiled. We were still to be hot, and ready, paga slaves, eager to serve, and fully, the silk no more than an invitation to its removal. This was not much different, incidentally, than what was the case in even the most prestigious paga taverns. In such places free women were generally not permitted. In them, usually, the only women to be found would be collared slaves, generally belonging either to the tavern keeper or the guests, who may have brought them in, to avail themselves of the facilities of the alcoves. In such places, the mastery was practiced. Such places, regardless of their cost, their location, their appointments, the excellence of their food and drink, the beauty of their slaves, the quality of their music, existed, as did the tavern of Hendow, for the pleasures of men. That was the purpose of such places, whether they were within lofty towers, reached by graceful bridges, or near the wharves, close enough to hear the tide lapping at the pilings, whether they had a dozen musicians or only a single, dissolute czehar player, alone with his music, whether the girls were richly silked or stark naked, save for brands and collars, whether there were chains of gold and luxurious furs in the alcoves or only wire and straw mats. They were paga slaves.
'But perhaps we should make an exception in your case,' he said.
'Master?' I asked.
'Perhaps it is better if we do not let them know that Doreen, the dancer, is such a hot slave.'
I looked at him, frightened.
'If she seems more prideful, colder, more haughty and aloof, perhaps it will be better for the tavern, as the fellows may look forward them to commanding her in an alcove, melting her defenses, and then, she now abjectly tamed, turning her into only another squeaking, writhing paga slut.'
'It will be done with me as Masters please,' I said. 'But am I commanded to attempt to conceal my passion?'
'No,' he said. 'You are not that kind of dancer. You are too beautiful, and needful. You must be as you are, vulnerable, hot and marvelous.'
'Thank you, Master,' I said. 'Once more you sport with a slave.' 'Do you mind?' he asked.
'No, Master,' I said. As if it mattered what a slave might mind!
He smiled.
'It is only another way in which you toy with me,' I said.
'Are you still hot?' he inquired.
'Yes!' I said.
'Do you still beg?' he inquired.
'Yes, yes yes!' I said.
'Then,' said he, 'I think we may now send you to your kennel, in a belly chain, its lock at your navel, your hands braceleted closely behind you, to the chain.' 'Please, no, Master!' I wept.
But he was then crouching before me, and had swept me into his arms. My head was back, my eyes closed. His strength was overwhelming. I felt my softness lost somehow within that embrace. 'Unbind me,' I begged. 'Let me hold you!' 'No,' he muttered, his voice thick with the wanting of me.
I must try to keep my hands together behind my back!
Then he put me to my back, and not gently, on the tiles in the passageway, near the beaded curtain. My body leapt to him and closed gratefully about him. I was joyful, held. I was collared. Tomorrow my back would be bruised from the tiles. I cried out, knowing the bliss of bondage.
'It is time you were taught submission,' he said.
'I submit!' I said. 'I submit!'
'You are unbound,' he said.
