fled Port Cos. I thought I did so, at the time, to make my fortune, but, as I understand it now, I did so to become enslaved. It was soon done to me. In the beginning, true to my resolves, I tried to be rebellious, but the impracticality of that was soon brought home to me. I soon
learned that I was a slave. Gorean men allow women little latitude in this regard. She quickly learns she is a slave or she is slain. Yet I did not mind being a slave, truly, for it was what I was. I had known it for years, since my body had developed the contours and needs of a slave. It pleased me deeply that I had been given no choice in the matter, that my slavery, like the brand and collar, had been forced upon me. I had been given no choice but to be what I was. This pleased me. I have known many whips. I have had many masters, good and bad. My longest slavery was in Vonda, in a slaver's house, the House of Andronicus."
"I know who you are," I said.
"Master?" she asked. "Oh!" she said. "Master's grip is tight on my hands!" I was holding her hands over her head, together, she kneeling before me in the darkness. It pleased me to let her feel herself again in my grasp, helpless.
"By what name have you commonly been known, Slave?" I inquired.
"Oh!" she said. "Please, do not kill me, Master!" I had put the point of the blade I carried to her belly. I could feel her, through the steel, wince. She knew that even a slight pressure on that blade, Gorean steel, at that location and angle, could slit her open to the heat of her.
"By what name have you commonly been known, Slave?" I asked. It is sometimes useful to let a slave know that she may be easily killed.
"Lola, Master!" she said, frightened. "Lola!"
I released her hands. I sheathed my sword. "You may lick and kiss at my feet, Lola," I said.
She did so.
"Do you know who I am?" I asked.
"My Master," she said, "my Master."
"Stand, Girl," I said.
She did so.
"I am Jason," I told her, "Jason, of Victoria."
"Master!" she cried out, suddenly, tearfully. "Master!" She seized me in her arms, sobbing, pressing herself against me. I put my arms about her, permitting myself this tenderness towards her, though she was but a branded slave. "She sold me! She sold me!" she sobbed. "She took me to the wharves, while you were at work. She sold me!"
"She had no right to do so," I said.
The girl was sobbing, against me. I could feel her tears against my chest. "I was sold to a merchant from Tetrapoli," she said. "In Tetrapoli I was again sold, to an agent, who proved to be in the fee of Alcibron, one of the high captains of Ragnar Voskjard."
"He brought you along for his pleasure on the Tuka," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I took her by the arms, and held her from me. "I have little time for you now," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said. "Oh, Master!" she said, as I pressed her back, and then put her on her back, on the wet boards of the hold. Swiftly I had her, for I had little time for her, then. She clutched at me, hot and shuddering. The Tuka was then free of the bar. I could hear feet on the deck over our heads. Men were taking their places at the benches. The ropes by which the Tina and the Tais had drawn the Tuka from the bar were being cast off. I could hear Aemilianus giving orders. I rose from the girl's side. I snapped my fingers. "On your feet," I told her. "We must board the Tina." "Yes, Master," she said. She groaned, gaining her feet.
I went to the rupture in the side of the Tuka. Through the jagged rupture I could see the Tais, and the river chain, behind her.
I tumbled the body of the fellow who had struck at me from the hold, into the water.
The girl joined me, at my side.
"Can you swim?" I asked her.
"No," she said.
I took her by the arm and, lowering my head and crouching, pulling the girl with me, leapt downward into the water.
"Turn about," I said, "lie on your back, relax, completely."
"Yes, Master," she said, frightened.
I then, my hand in the girl's hair, drawing
learned that I was a slave. Gorean men allow women little latitude in this regard. She quickly learns she is a slave or she is slain. Yet I did not mind being a slave, truly, for it was what I was. I had known it for years, since my body had developed the contours and needs of a slave. It pleased me deeply that I had been given no choice in the matter, that my slavery, like the brand and collar, had been forced upon me. I had been given no choice but to be what I was. This pleased me. I have known many whips. I have had many masters, good and bad. My longest slavery was in Vonda, in a slaver's house, the House of Andronicus."
"I know who you are," I said.
"Master?" she asked. "Oh!" she said. "Master's grip is tight on my hands!" I was holding her hands over her head, together, she kneeling before me in the darkness. It pleased me to let her feel herself again in my grasp, helpless.
"By what name have you commonly been known, Slave?" I inquired.
"Oh!" she said. "Please, do not kill me, Master!" I had put the point of the blade I carried to her belly. I could feel her, through the steel, wince. She knew that even a slight pressure on that blade, Gorean steel, at that location and angle, could slit her open to the heat of her.
"By what name have you commonly been known, Slave?" I asked. It is sometimes useful to let a slave know that she may be easily killed.
"Lola, Master!" she said, frightened. "Lola!"
I released her hands. I sheathed my sword. "You may lick and kiss at my feet, Lola," I said.
She did so.
"Do you know who I am?" I asked.
"My Master," she said, "my Master."
"Stand, Girl," I said.
She did so.
"I am Jason," I told her, "Jason, of Victoria."
"Master!" she cried out, suddenly, tearfully. "Master!" She seized me in her arms, sobbing, pressing herself against me. I put my arms about her, permitting myself this tenderness towards her, though she was but a branded slave. "She sold me! She sold me!" she sobbed. "She took me to the wharves, while you were at work. She sold me!"
"She had no right to do so," I said.
The girl was sobbing, against me. I could feel her tears against my chest. "I was sold to a merchant from Tetrapoli," she said. "In Tetrapoli I was again sold, to an agent, who proved to be in the fee of Alcibron, one of the high captains of Ragnar Voskjard."
"He brought you along for his pleasure on the Tuka," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I took her by the arms, and held her from me. "I have little time for you now," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said. "Oh, Master!" she said, as I pressed her back, and then put her on her back, on the wet boards of the hold. Swiftly I had her, for I had little time for her, then. She clutched at me, hot and shuddering. The Tuka was then free of the bar. I could hear feet on the deck over our heads. Men were taking their places at the benches. The ropes by which the Tina and the Tais had drawn the Tuka from the bar were being cast off. I could hear Aemilianus giving orders. I rose from the girl's side. I snapped my fingers. "On your feet," I told her. "We must board the Tina." "Yes, Master," she said. She groaned, gaining her feet.
I went to the rupture in the side of the Tuka. Through the jagged rupture I could see the Tais, and the river chain, behind her.
I tumbled the body of the fellow who had struck at me from the hold, into the water.
The girl joined me, at my side.
"Can you swim?" I asked her.
"No," she said.
I took her by the arm and, lowering my head and crouching, pulling the girl with me, leapt downward into the water.
"Turn about," I said, "lie on your back, relax, completely."
"Yes, Master," she said, frightened.
I then, my hand in the girl's hair, drawing
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