gardens, and such. The civilian population, helpfully, had been for the most part expelled from the city shortly after its capture. An exception had been made, of course, for enslaved women of interest. One of the duties of these women, many of high caste, now enslaved, would doubtless be the tending of the soldiers' gardens.
'There is no escape for him,' said Ephialtes.
'Perhaps not,' I said.
'For his men, at least,' he said. 'Perhaps he, himself, and some officers, might escape by tam, at night.'
'Perhaps,' I said. I doubted, however, that Dietrich would abandon his men.
'Have you come alone to Brundisium?' asked Ephialtes.
'No,' I said, 'I came with two companions, but they are elsewhere, at my camp.'
'They are welcome here, of course,' said Ephialtes. 'There is room under the wagon.'
'Thank you,' I said. 'I am grateful for that.' I had not wished to bring Marcus and Ina to the wagon of Ephialtes, of course, for it was, for most practical purposes, within the Cosian camp. From where we were I could have thrown a stone among the tents. The accent of Marcus, here, might have provoked suspicion, inquiries and such. I had left him and Ina in a large, crowded area near the periphery of the slave camp, one populated now by itinerants, peddlers, camp guards and such. In such a place there was a medley of accents and I did not think the young man and the blond female would attract undue attention, except perhaps insofar as Ina might excite interest as a possible chain slut.
'I have kept the accounts with care,' said Ephialtes.
'You have deducted your commission, and expenses of feed, and such,' I said.
'I will do so,' he said.
We heard a coin thrown into one of the copper bowls on the far side of the wagon.
Ephialtes bent down a little, to look across the fire, under the wagon. 'A fellow is putting Amina into service,' he said.
'A tarsk bit?' I asked.
'Yes,' said Ephialtes. He sat back. 'Several fellows have asked me to put Phoebe at the stake,' he said, 'being willing to pay an entire copper tarsk.'
'For only a brief use and handling?' I asked.
'Yes,' he said.
'She must have become a beauty,' I said.
'She has,' he said. 'Shall I have her released from the sack, for your inspection?'
'No,' I said. 'I may wish, however, to have her presented in the morning.'
'At your convenience,' he said.
We heard another tarsk bit strike into one of the bowls, and then rattle to a stop.
'Rimice is in use,' said Ephialtes, peering under the wagon, looking to the other side.
'You have put their former free-woman names on them as slave names,' I noted.
'Yes,' he said.
'Excellent,' I said. In a sense, of course, all female names are slave names, being the names of slaves. But, of course, not all slaves are legal slaves. With some women it is useful to give them a new name, or even to change their name from time to time, as one might change the name of any animal. With others, it is amusing to have them answering to their old names, but now merely as slaves to slave names. Much depends on the woman, for example, with respect to what most stimulates her, and makes her the most helpless. Too, things may always be changed, at the master's will.
I heard one of the women cry out.
'That is Amina,' I said.
'Yes,' said Ephialtes.
'She has become a slave, hasn't she?' I asked.
'Yes,' he said.
In a few moments, we heard, too, from a slightly different direction, gasps, then moans and soft cries.
'That is Rimice,' said Ephialtes.
'She, too, is apparently becoming acquainted with her collar,' I said.
'Just wait,' said Ephialtes, 'until he forces her beyond the point from which she can return.'
'Excellent,' I said. That would be the point at which the woman has no choice but to accept the slave orgasm.
'I am interested in clearing up our business very soon,' I said.
'Very well,' said Ephialtes.
Liadne's eyes met mine. For some reason, she seemed terrified.
At that moment Amina cried out in helpless submission. It is a beautiful sound, and one not unfamiliar to masters. A few moments later Rimice also cried out, wildly and helplessly, her small, well-curved body, with its sensitivities and responsiveness, apparently turned against her by the mercilessness of her use-master, forcing her to endure slave ecstasy, and then, with a joyous sob, she became one with the ecstasy, and a yielding slave.
'Take the whip, and check the girls,' said Ephialtes to Liadne.
'Yes, Master,' she said, leaping up.
In a moment she was on the other side of the wagon. I turned about, peering under the wagon.
Liadne had knelt before the fellow who had put Amina in use. 'Are you satisfied with the slave, Master,' she asked.
I could see the terror in Amina's eyes.
'Yes,' said the fellow, and left.
Liadne then knelt before the other fellow, who had risen now, next to the small, trembling, curvaceous Rimice. 'Are you satisfied with the slave, Master?' asked Liadne.
Rimice looked down, frightened, at the dirt. Her fingers were pressed down, into it.
'Yes,' said the fellow, and he, too, left.
Liadne then leaped to her feet, whip in hand. 'On your backs, hands at your sides, palms up, slaves!' she said.
Immediately Amina and Rimice lay supine, parallel to one another, their hands at their sides, their palms up, the chains on their necks running to their individual stakes.
Liadne snapped the whip.
Both the supine slaves shuddered. I gathered they had felt the lash upon occasion.
'You did not do badly, Amina,' said Liadne. 'Thank you, Mistress!' said Amina. 'But you will attempt to do better next time, will you not?' inquired Liadne.
'Yes, Mistress,' Amina, the slave, assured her.
'But as for you, Rimice!' said Liadne, threateningly.
'Mistress?' quavered lovely Rimice. Liadne at that point snapped the whip again, angrily. 'Mistress?' cried lovely Rimice, in fear.
'I think for a moment,' said Liadne, 'you attempted to resist the slave orgasm.'
'I could not resist,' said Rimice. 'He would not permit it. He forced it from me!'
'But you tried, did you not?' asked Liadne.
'I could not resist it!' wept Rimice.
'But you tried,' said Liadne.
'But I was unsuccessful,' cried Rimice.
'You tried,' said Liadne.
'But in a moment,' wept Rimice, 'I did yield to it!'
'But for a moment,' said Liadne, 'you dared to attempt to resist.'
'I will not do so again!' cried Rimice. 'I do not even want to do so again! I now know what it is to yield! I now want to yield! I know that resistance is forbidden me, but I do not even want to resist now! I want rather to behave as is fitting for me, as what I am, a slave!'
'You are now ready to be good slave?' asked Liadne.
'Yes, Mistress!' said Rimice. 'Yes, Mistress!'
'You wish to be a good slave?'
