Rogue of Gor (20 page)

"Your gag was quite effective," I told her, "as was Lola's. He who gagged you is apparently no stranger to the control of prisoners."

"After he had brought me upstairs and tied me, as you find me," she said, "he removed my gag, temporarily."

"Yes?" I said.

"He struck me until I begged to be raped," she said. "He made me beg to be raped!"

"And what happened," I asked, smiling, "after you had begged to be raped?"

"He laughed, and then raped me," she said, in fury.

"Of course," I said. "Had you not asked him to do so?"

"He looked upon me as though I might be a slave," she said, "and he treated me, thoughtlessly and casually, as though I might be a slave. He even called me 'Slave'!"

"Gorean men are expert in such matters," I said. "Perhaps he knows something about you that I do not know."

"Look!" she said. "He tied me as a slave!"

"You look well," I told her, "tied as a slave."

She squirmed in the binding fiber angrily, helplessly. "Please, unbind me," she said.

I looked at her.

"The topaz is gone," she said.

"Speak softly," I said. "Lola is a slave. She need know nothing of the topaz."

"It is gone," she said, softly.

"Oh?" I said

"I was terrified," she said, "and so I told him, immediately, where it was." She looked at me, angrily. "And then, in spite of my cooperation, he called me `Slave' and, in amusement, subjected me to his will."

"Where did you tell him it was?" I asked.

"In your pouch, downstairs," she said, "where you keep it."

"It has not been in the pouch for days," I said.

"Where is it?" she asked.

"Elsewhere," I said.

She looked up at me.

"It is fortunate," I said, "that he, rightly or wrongly, took you as a slave. Else he might have returned to cut your throat. Thinking you a slave he would presume you ignorant of the location of an item of such value." I smiled. "You could then be left alive, perhaps to please him again as an interesting and compliant pleasure object, should you fall again into his clutches."

"He then, finishing with me, regagged me," she said,

"And effectively," I said.

"Yes," she said, angrily.

"If he had found the topaz immediately," I said, "why did you think he would continue to search the house?"

"For valuables," she said. "But I did not understand his anger, his frustration."

"He had not, actually, found the topaz," I said.

"I did not understand," she said. "It had not occurred to me that you would have removed it from your pouch without telling me."

I shrugged.

"In that," she said, "not taking me into your confidence, you treated me as a slave, did you not, Jason?"

"I may have saved your life," I said. "Slave girls have value as articles of property."

"I see," she said, angrily.

"Besides," I said, "obviously you were willing to reveal the location of the topaz with alacrity, as I had feared. It is important that it not reach Policrates. If it does, the major forces of the pirates of the eastern Vosk would achieve unification, at least for a time, with those of the western Vosk. This is to be prevented, if at all possible. If you did not know the location of the topaz it seemed obvious to me that you could not reveal its location, unless by some chance inadvertence. Doubtless the fewer that know of its location, the better."

"Do you think I am a slave, Jason?" she asked.

"I assumed that any who might search for the topaz would be likely to regard you in such terms," I said. "You are the type of woman, sexually stimulating and curvacious, desirable, whom Gorean men, rightly or wrongly, look upon in terms of the parameters of bondage, in terms of such things as their potential for yielding incredible gratification and service. Too, do not forget that your left thigh bears a certain lovely brand, that of many Gorean Kajirae."

"Do you think I am a slave, Jason?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?" I asked.

"You have not untied me," she said "You have left me bound as a slave."

I did not speak.

"I lie before you, bound as a slave," she said. "Use me, if you wish. I am tied, helplessly. I cannot resist you. Take me, and as a slave, if you wish!"

I did not speak.

"Untie me," she begged.

"No," I said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"You look well, tied as a slave," I told her.

"Perhaps that is because I am a slave," she said.

"Perhaps," I said.

"You are punishing me, aren't you?" she said.

"Yes," I said.

"And as a slave," she said.

"Yes," I said.

"You do regard me as a slave," she said.

"You are a woman of Earth," I said. "How can you be a slave?"

"I am a woman of Earth," she said. "How can I not be a slave?"

I rose from the couch and went to the door.

"Where is the topaz, Jason?" she inquired.

"I choose not to inform you of its location," I said.

"Excellent," she said. "You keep your slaves in ignorance."

"Do not confuse yourself with a slave, Miss Henderson," I said "If you were my slave, you would be, in no doubt about the fact."

"I wonder," she said.

I considered her throat. I did not think it would look bad in a close-fitting steel collar, properly inscribed, identifying her as mine. Then I forced such thoughts from my mind. She was Miss Beverly Henderson, of Earth.

"May I inquire as to the duration of my punishment?" she asked.

"An Ahn or two, I expect," I said. "I will have Lola restore the house to order. When she is finished you will be freed and sent to your room. You may emerge in the morning"

"And little Lola will come in here to lick your feet," she said, bitterly.

"She will do what she is commanded," I said. "I may have her do that. I may not. It will depend totally upon my will."

"What manner of man are you?" she asked, horrified.

"One who does not mind having a beautiful woman, naked, collared, a slave at his total mercy, licking his feet," I said.

"How pathetic to be a slave!" she cried.

"Rejoice in your freedom," I told her. I then opened the door and prepared to exit.

"Jason," she said.

"Yes," I said.

"I yielded to my rapist," she said.

"As a slave?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "Am I not then a slave?"

"Perhaps," I said.

"I will never yield to you," she said "You cannot make me yield to you!"

I smiled to myself, for was she not female? Then I put such thoughts from my mind. She was Miss Beverly Henderson, of Earth.

I exited and closed the door, quietly. "I hate you!" she cried out, from within.

16

LOLA HAS NOT GREETED ME AS I RETURN HOME;

I HURRY TO THE WHARVES

"Lola!" I called. "Lola!"

The day's work had been long on the docks, I was looking forward to receiving the attentions of the lovely little slut.

"Lola!" I called.

Where was she? By now she should have nun to me and knelt before me, happily, waiting to be commanded.

"Lola!" I called. "Lola!" I began to grow slightly irritated. Was the girl lax? Perhaps it would be necessary to put her under some unpleasant discipline.

"She is not here," said Miss Henderson, lightly.

"You have sent her shopping?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"Where is she?" I asked. "You, know I like her at my feet when I come home."

"She is not here," said Miss Henderson, somewhat evasively I thought.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She was a poor slave," said Miss Henderson. "She was lazy. Her work was not adequate."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"I grew displeased with her," said Miss Henderson.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"I sold her," said Miss Henderson.

I looked at her, disbelievingly.

"Her work was not satisfactory," she said. "I ordered her to submit to binding, as a slave must. I then, with a switch, conducted her to the wharves, where I sold her."

"To what merchant?" I said, angrily.

"I did not inquire his name," she said

"The market was on what wharf?" I asked.

"I received two copper tarsks for her," she said.

"The market was on what wharf?" I asked.

"I will give you the two copper tarsks, if you wish," she said.

"The market was on what wharf?" I asked.

"I did not pay any attention," she said. "Doubtless, by now, she has been sold off anyway. Jason! Take your hands off me!"

I held her rudely by the arms, almost lifting her from the floor.

"She was not yours to sell!" I said.

"Her work was not satisfactory," she said. "I share this household.”

"She was not yours to sell," I said.

"I will give you the two copper tarsks, if you wish," she said. "We can buy another work slave, if you wish, a better worker, one mutually agreeable to us."

"Lola was a splendid worker," I said.

"I did not care for her," said Miss Henderson. "Jason!"

I had flung her halfway across the room, in fury. "Beware!" she said. "I am free!"

"You had no right to sell her," I said.

"I am free," she said. "I do what I please!"

I glared at her, in fury. Then I turned about.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To the wharves," I said.

"She will have been sold by now!" she cried. "You will never find her!"

"When did you take her to the market?" I asked.

"Early this morning," she said, "as soon as you had left."

"You planned well," I said.

"You will never find her!" she cried.

I left the house, in fury, slamming the door.

"You will never find her!" she cried, from within.

I began to run toward the wharves,

17

I PONDER THE CONTENTMENT OF A SLAVE

"You take me with bitterness, Master," she said. "Has Peggy displeased you?"

"No," I said. "I am angry."

"Ah," she said, "then ventilate your emotions upon me, for I am only a slave." She kissed me. "I must submit to whatever men choose to do to me. Do you wish to whip me?"

"No," I said. "It is not you whom I should make suffer."

"Some free woman has displeased you?" she asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Then take your vengeance upon her," she said. "Collar her. Make her your slave."

"She is from Earth," I said.

"We are not different from other women," she said, "unless it might be, perhaps, that we make better slaves." She leaned back on the furs of the alcove. "Is this the same female concerning whom we once spoke, she who was with you in the restaurant?"

"Yes," I said.

"The pretty little beast," she said,

"Yes," I said.

"And you have not yet enslaved her? Master is dilatory."

"Do you think so?" I asked.

"A Gorean man would soon have her lovely little throat locked in his steel collar," she said.

"But she is from Earth," I said.

"Master is quaint," she laughed. "Forgive me, Master," she smiled.

"Very well," I said.

"What did she do?" asked Peggy.

I then grew again bitter. "She sold a slave of mine," I said, "unknown to me, and without right."

"For a man," said Peggy, "such an offense is punishable by exile. For a woman, remanded to a praetor, the penalty is commonly that she herself will then wear the collar."

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "Enslave her."

"I cannot," I said. "She is from Earth."

“The women of Earth," she smiled, "are never to be punished, no matter what they do?"

"No," I said.

"Gorean men," she laughed, "are not so tolerant of our flaws. We may be severely punished even for displeasing them in the slightest."

"You may be severely punished even at their whim," I said.

"Yes," she said.

"But you are slaves," I reminded her.