we shall manage to divide the room," she said, "somehow, with a screen, or partition, of some sort."
"Of course," I said.
"You must, too, go out and purchase me clothing," she said. "I cannot wear a sheet."
"What about a slave tunic?" I asked.
"Do not jest, Jason," she said.
"It is in this direction," I said, indicating a street leading toward the river front.
"I have no money," she said "And I have no Home Stone. What is that?" she asked.
We heard the sound of a bell, and then, a moment later, that of coins in a metal box. A girl in a brown rag, slave, emerged from the shadows. About her neck, chained, there was a bronze bell, hollow, flattish, with sloping sides, with a flat top and ring, and a slotted, metal coin box, locked. Swiftly she knelt before me. She bit at my tunic, and licked at the side of my leg. She lifted her head. "Have me for a tarsk bit, Master," she begged. Her hands were braceleted behind her back.
"No," I told her.
"Get away, you filthy thing," said Miss Henderson
"If I do not return with the equivalent of a copper tarsk," said the girl kneeling before me, "I will be whipped."
"Get away!” said Miss Henderson.
"Your slave requires discipline," said the girl kneeling before me.
"She is not my slave," I said.
"It seems she would make a good slave," said the girl.
I drew out a copper tarsk, and prepared to place it in the girl's coin box.
Swiftly the girl, before I could put the coin in the boa, lay on her back, on the stones of the street, before me. "You must use me first," she said, "and then put the coin in only if I please you."
"Do not give away our money," said Miss Henderson.
"It is my money," I said.
"Do not squander our meager resources," she said.
"They are my resources, not yours," I pointed out. "I will do what I please with them."
"Of course, Jason," she said, irritatedly.
"I will not use you," I told the girl, "but I will give you the coin." I made as though to place the coin in the box, which now, as she lay, back on her elbows, hung beside her left breast, swelling against the thin slave cloth.
Quickly she scrambled back, and rose to her feet. "I am worth the tarsk bit," she said. "And my master is a proud man. He does not send us into the streets to beg."
"But you may be whipped," I said.
"I will get the money elsewhere," she said. "And if I were you I would whip the slave beside you."
"Get out of here!" cried Miss Henderson.
The girl then fled with a sound of her bell and the jangling of the coins in the box.
"Disgusting! Disgusting!” said Miss Henderson. “Terrible! Disgusting!"
"Some men," I said, "buy such girls and send them out into the streets. They keep them in kennels and send them out in the afternoon. It is how they earn their living."
"Terrible! Disgusting!" said Miss Henderson.
"You were saying?" I asked.
"I was saying," she said, "that I have no money, and that I have no Home Stone. Too, there is no practical trade of which I am the Mistress."
"There is one trade, which is available to all women," I said.
"Do not jest, Jason," she said. "It is not amusing."
“That of cook," I said.
"Very funny," she said.
"How do you expect to earn your keep?" I asked.
"I do not expect to earn my keep," she said. "I expect you to earn my keep."
"And what do you expect to do in return?" I asked.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," she said. "I did not ask to be purchased."
"I see that you are scarcely likely to prove to be an economic asset," I said.
"You could always, I suppose, put a bell and coin box about my neck and send me into the streets," she said.
"It is a thought," I admitted.
She made an angry noise, and we continued on, toward the river front.
"Have you a job?" she asked.
"No," I said.
"You must get one," she said.
"I expect that would be advisable," I said. I supposed I might work as an oarsman or a dock worker. I was strong. It no longer seemed a good way to make money by challenging fellows in the taverns. One might respond with a
"Of course," I said.
"You must, too, go out and purchase me clothing," she said. "I cannot wear a sheet."
"What about a slave tunic?" I asked.
"Do not jest, Jason," she said.
"It is in this direction," I said, indicating a street leading toward the river front.
"I have no money," she said "And I have no Home Stone. What is that?" she asked.
We heard the sound of a bell, and then, a moment later, that of coins in a metal box. A girl in a brown rag, slave, emerged from the shadows. About her neck, chained, there was a bronze bell, hollow, flattish, with sloping sides, with a flat top and ring, and a slotted, metal coin box, locked. Swiftly she knelt before me. She bit at my tunic, and licked at the side of my leg. She lifted her head. "Have me for a tarsk bit, Master," she begged. Her hands were braceleted behind her back.
"No," I told her.
"Get away, you filthy thing," said Miss Henderson
"If I do not return with the equivalent of a copper tarsk," said the girl kneeling before me, "I will be whipped."
"Get away!” said Miss Henderson.
"Your slave requires discipline," said the girl kneeling before me.
"She is not my slave," I said.
"It seems she would make a good slave," said the girl.
I drew out a copper tarsk, and prepared to place it in the girl's coin box.
Swiftly the girl, before I could put the coin in the boa, lay on her back, on the stones of the street, before me. "You must use me first," she said, "and then put the coin in only if I please you."
"Do not give away our money," said Miss Henderson.
"It is my money," I said.
"Do not squander our meager resources," she said.
"They are my resources, not yours," I pointed out. "I will do what I please with them."
"Of course, Jason," she said, irritatedly.
"I will not use you," I told the girl, "but I will give you the coin." I made as though to place the coin in the box, which now, as she lay, back on her elbows, hung beside her left breast, swelling against the thin slave cloth.
Quickly she scrambled back, and rose to her feet. "I am worth the tarsk bit," she said. "And my master is a proud man. He does not send us into the streets to beg."
"But you may be whipped," I said.
"I will get the money elsewhere," she said. "And if I were you I would whip the slave beside you."
"Get out of here!" cried Miss Henderson.
The girl then fled with a sound of her bell and the jangling of the coins in the box.
"Disgusting! Disgusting!” said Miss Henderson. “Terrible! Disgusting!"
"Some men," I said, "buy such girls and send them out into the streets. They keep them in kennels and send them out in the afternoon. It is how they earn their living."
"Terrible! Disgusting!" said Miss Henderson.
"You were saying?" I asked.
"I was saying," she said, "that I have no money, and that I have no Home Stone. Too, there is no practical trade of which I am the Mistress."
"There is one trade, which is available to all women," I said.
"Do not jest, Jason," she said. "It is not amusing."
“That of cook," I said.
"Very funny," she said.
"How do you expect to earn your keep?" I asked.
"I do not expect to earn my keep," she said. "I expect you to earn my keep."
"And what do you expect to do in return?" I asked.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," she said. "I did not ask to be purchased."
"I see that you are scarcely likely to prove to be an economic asset," I said.
"You could always, I suppose, put a bell and coin box about my neck and send me into the streets," she said.
"It is a thought," I admitted.
She made an angry noise, and we continued on, toward the river front.
"Have you a job?" she asked.
"No," I said.
"You must get one," she said.
"I expect that would be advisable," I said. I supposed I might work as an oarsman or a dock worker. I was strong. It no longer seemed a good way to make money by challenging fellows in the taverns. One might respond with a
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