Teela came and knelt down beside us, only another slave girl.
"May I speak?" I whispered.
"Yes," she said.
"I have tried to be attractive," I said. "I have tried to be desirable. I have tried to serve well. But no one has taken me. No one has used me."
"No one has been taken. No one has been put to use," she said. "The men talk politics and business."
"May I inquire as to the nature of these discussions?" I asked.
"The usual rumors about a truce between ourselves and Cos," she said. "In business, the master is sounding out his colleagues about the plausibility of a venture involving feast slaves."
"What are they?" I asked.
"Girls, maids, entertainers, dancers, rented in groups to private individuals or organizations for feasts, and such," she said.
"Such enterprises exist now, do they not?" I asked.
"He is considering the desirability of investing in the area, and perhaps forming his own company to enter the field."
"I see," I said. "But trained girls are expensive, are they not?"
"Yes," she said.
"But mill girls are cheap, and might be trained," I said.
"Precisely," said Teela.
I trembled.
"Emily! Tiffany!" called Aemilianus, sitting behind the long, low table, with his friends.
We quickly leapt up and ran to kneel on the tiles before him.
"These are mill girls?" asked a man.
"Yes," said Aemilianus, "but now, as you can see, they are not in the company uniform."
"Some silk, some cosmetics, makes quite a difference," said a man.
"They cost me only twelve copper tarsks each," said Aemilianus.
"But that is scarcely fair, Aemilianus," said a man. "You purchased them from your uncle's mill. Had you bought them in an open market they doubtless would have cost you more."
"Something more, doubtless," said Aemilianus.
"It is nice to know that such girls occasionally come to the mills," said a man.
"I see that I shall have to make more inspections of uncle's mills," said another young man, one whom, I gathered, must be a cousin of Aemilianus.
"It is not that rare, actually," said Aemilianus. "Too, remember there are several mills. Too, almost any girl, with the proper diet, exercise and training, and properly costumed and made-up, and knowing herself subject to the whip, can become of considerable interest."
"That is true," said a man.
"Pausanias, who is the mill master in Mill 7," said Aemilianus, "has informed me that, in his opinion, there are many lovely girls even in Mill 7."
"Interesting," said a man.
"Are these two," asked a man, "from Mill 7?"
"Yes," said Aemilianus. "They are the two best that I found there."
"You need not depend on the mills, of course," said a man. "You can buy in the market."
"You could also buy trained slaves to begin with," said a man.
"They are more expensive," said a man.
"That is true," he agreed.
"I shall show you one advantage of the mills," said Aemilianus. "Emily," he said, "do you wish to be returned to the mill?"
"No, Master!" she said.
"Tiffany?" he asked.
"No, Master!" I cried.
"The motivation of mill girls, as you can see," said Aemilianus, "is high. Accordingly, they may be expected to train swiftly, desperately and superbly."
"Have you discussed your ideas with Mintar?" asked a man.
"Yes," said Aemilianus, "and he has given me license to proceed."
"Would this be involved with the enterprises of Mintar?" asked a man.
"No," said Aemilianus. "It would become one of the enterprises of Aemilianus."
"I see," said a man.
"My uncle, of course, will extend the initial loans at nominal rates," said Aemilianus.
"I see," said the man.
"I am not sure this is practical," said a man.
"It will be a difficult field to break into," said another man.
"It is a question," said Aemilianus, "of providing a quality service at competitive prices."
"Perhaps," said a man.
"Emily, would you please come around the table and kneel here, beside me?" asked Aemilianus.
Emily instantly leapt to her feet and scurried to kneel in the indicated position.
This left me, somewhat disconcerting me, alone before the table.
"Would you please stand up and remove your silk, Tiffany?" said Aemilianus.
Immediately I stood and slipped from the silk. I held it, dangling, from my right hand.
"That is a mill girl?" asked a man, skeptically.
"Yes," said Aemilianus.
"Those are slave curves, if I have ever seen them," said a man.
"True," said another.
"You are very pretty, Tiffany," said Aemilianus.
"Thank you, Master," I said.
"How long have you been enslaved?" he asked.
"Some five months, Master," I said.
"And are you trained?" he asked.
"Only by the instructions of some men who have used me," I said, "and, of course, to work the loom."
There was laughter.
"We may then say, may we not," asked Aemilianus, "that for most practical purposes you are untrained."
"Yes, Master," I said.
"Drop the silk," he said.
I did.
"Now get on your belly on the tiles, Tiffany," he said.
Immediately I lowered myself to my belly on the tiles. I looked up at them, the palms of my hands on the floor.
"Are you familiar with floor movements, Tiffany?" he asked.
"A little, Master," I said. "I saw some once in a slaver's house." This had been in the house of Kliomenes, when I had been taken on a tour there long ago by Drusus Rencius. I had been free then, of course. Now I was as much a slave as the girls I had seen there at the time.
"I am going to signal to the musicians, Tiffany," said Aemilianus. "When they begin to play, you may begin your performance."
"Yes, Master," I whispered. When I had seen such movements in the house of Kliomenes I had never dreamed that they might, horrifyingly enough, one day be required of me. In few modalities is a woman's slavery made clearer or more manifest than when she must perform floor movements, than when she must, in effect, dance before men, never rising higher than her knees.
Then the music began.
Almost as soon as I had begun to dance I saw Emily tear back her slave silk, exposing her breasts to Aemilianus, and try to kiss him. He held her against him with his left arm about her body and held her two hands, their wrists crossed, in his grip, captured, across his body. He held her in this fashion, helpless. And both, then, were watching me.
Once I had been Tiffany Collins. I now writhed, a Gorean slave, at the feet of men.
I do not know how long the music lasted, perhaps only about four or five Ehn. Then, swirling and climaxing, it suddenly ended. I lay, gasping and sweating, on my belly on the tiles. I looked up. I hoped that I had pleased the masters.
"Very good, Tiffany," said Aemilianus.
"Superb," said one man. "Superb!" said another.
"What do you want for her?" asked a man.
"I will give you a silver tarsk," said another. I looked wildly at him. I wondered if I would be sold. A silver tarsk! I wished Drusus Rencius had heard that! He had thought I would only bring fifteen or twenty copper tarsks! And I was not even trained!
"You did very well, Tiffany," said Aemilianus.
"Thank you, Master," I said.
"Did you see, Gentlemen," asked Aemilianus, "and she only an untrained mill girl."
"Yes, Aemilianus," said a man. "Yes," said another. "Yes," said yet another.
"Teela," said Aemilianus.
"Yes, Master," she said, quickly.
"Take Emily to my room and chain her by the neck to the foot of my couch."
>
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Thank you, Master," cried Emily.
"On your feet, Slave," said Teela to Emily. "Cross your wrists, touching, behind your back, close your eyes and put down your head. You will uncross your wrists and open your eyes only when you feel the locking of the couch collar on your neck."
"Yes, Mistress," said Emily.
She was then led from the room, bent over, by the hair, her eyes closed and her wrists crossed, and touching, behind her back.
I was still on my belly, on the tiles. I was drenched with sweat. The tiles felt cool on my body. I wished my hair was longer. The tiles were variegated, and colorful. I touched them with my finger nails, and then with my finger tips, gently. I had not been given permission to rise. I was frightened. I did not know what to do. A girl longer in her collar might have known, but I did not.
"You may kneel, Tiffany," said Aemilianus, kindly.
"Thank you, Master," I said.
Swiftly I knelt.
"Properly, of course," said Aemilianus.
"Yes, Master!" I said.
I was then before them kneeling, back on heels, back straight, head up, hands on thighs, knees widely spread.
Aemilianus cast me a gently reproving look.
Swiftly I widened my knees even more.
How vulnerable I felt.
I was suddenly very much aware of the light steel band locked on my neck.
I was far indeed from the department store on Long Island.
I supposed that few men of my native world had ever had the pleasure of seeing a lovely woman before them, so positioned, slave-positioned.
"As you can see," said Aemilianus, "she has much to learn."
"I would not mind teaching her," said a fellow.
There was laughter.
"Tiffany," said Aemilianus.
"Yes, Master?" I said.
"It has been decided," he said.
"Master?" I said.
"You are going to be sent to school, Tiffany," said Aemilianus.
"Thank you, Master," I said.
"Does that please you?" he asked.
"Yes, Master," I said. "I have never been taught to read."
There was laughter.
"It is not that sort of school," he said.
"Oh," I said.
"Gentlemen," said Aemilianus, "and kind sirs, I thank you for your presence here this evening, and for your kind attention. Your comments, your thoughts and your counsel have been much appreciated. If any of you wish to remain the night, feel free to make use of the rooms which were put at your disposal before supper. Similarly if any of the slaves interest you, any of those who served you, or any other in the house, with the exception of our zealous, bosom-baring little tidbit, Emily, she on her way to my couch collar, with whom I shall pleasantly disport myself tonight, and our little Tiffany here, take her to your room. She is yours for the night. If you are not fully pleased in the morning, let me know and I will have her thoroughly punished, and then sent to you for the week, that she may learn to improve her service."
"I will take this one," said a man, indicating one of the girls.
"And I will take this one," said another.
These two girls ran to their masters of the evening and knelt before them.
"I would like to have the one you call 'Teela' licking at my feet," said a strong, mature fellow.
"She will be sent to your room," said Aemilianus.
"My thanks, Aemilianus," he said.
"It is nothing," said Aemilianus.
"And what, truly, of this meaningless, squirming little pleasure-bundle?" asked one of the men looking at me.
I blushed. I did not know if I appreciated being referred to as a meaningless, squirming little pleasure-bundle. On the other hand, these were Gorean men and I knew that I, in their hands, if they wished, would find myself transformed into little more than just such a squirming pleasure-bundle. I had learned this from Tenrak on the floor of a slave wagon.
"With your permission," said Aemilianus, "I would rather she did not serve tonight. I would like her to get a good rest. I would like her to get a good start in the morning."
"As you wish, Aemilianus," said a man.
"I am not to serve tonight, Master?" I asked.
"No," he said. "You must get up early tomorrow."
"Master?" I asked.
"You must get up early for school," he said.
"Yes, Master," I said.
27
School
I was pulled to the post, close to it and facing it. The heavy belt, with the ring on it, through which the loose post strap passed, that strap looping the post and threaded through the belt ring, was put about my belly, and buckled shut, tightly, behind the small of my back. I could now move easily about the post but, given the post strap and the belt ring, I could not be further than six inches from it.
"When you are more experienced, you will not need the harness," said the whip master. "Too, we will let you try it sometimes with your hands tied behind you."
"Yes, Master," I said.
"Address yourself now to the post, Tiffany," he said. "Make it sweat. Make it cry out with pleasure."
"Yes, Master," I said.
* * * *
"Next," said the whip master.
I approached him and knelt before him. "I wear your chains, Master," I said, lifting them. "Do with me as you will."
"Again," said the man.
I rose to my feet and, facing him, head down, backed away a few paces. Then I lifted my head again.
"Remember, Tiffany," he said, "he will."
"Yes, Master," I said.
I again approached him and knelt before him. "I wear your chains, Master," I said, lifting them. "Do with me as you will."
"Better," he said. "Next."
* * * *
"See how Tiffany uses the cushion," said the whip master. "That is good."
A girl must know how to use the cushions, just as the chains and furs. These cushions are usually large and soft. These are the sorts of cushions which are sometimes found at the foot of, or in the vicinity of, thrones and curule chairs, generally intended for the use of slaves. They may also, of course, be found in private dwellings. Sometimes a slave must remain on her cushion. Sometimes she is sent to it for punishment. She is taught to kneel upon it, to curl seductively on or about it, to lie across it, on her stomach or back, to hold it in certain ways, and so on.
"Good, Tiffany. Good," said the whip master.
* * * *
"You are all slaves," said the whip master.
We all sat facing him, our backs against the wall of the training room. The palms of our hands were flat on the floor at our sides and our legs were extended before us, the ankles crossed, as though bound.
"If you doubt that you are slaves, examine your thighs and consider your collared necks."
We looked at one another. We were not in doubt that we were slaves.
"The only question now is whether you will be adequate or inadequate slaves," he said. "This question, now that you are true slaves, is basically a question of whether you will choose to live or choose to die. That is your basic question. I suggest that you face it. Each of you must make your own choice. I caution you against one mistake, one common to stupid or uninformed girls. That is the mistake of thinking that you can escape the full implications of your position by merely adopting what you think is slave behavior. That is not true. Authentic slave behavior is motivated from within, and is the natural manifestation of the yielded slave herself. The will and consciousness within is that of a slave. This, then, issues in authentic slave behavior. There are many ways, responses to physical and psychological tests, and subtle behavioral cues, to tell if slave behavior is authentic or not. The choice, thus, is, in effect, one of whether you choose to become a total slave, surrendered and obedient, in your mind as well as your behavior, or die."
* * * *
"And this cut," said the woman, herself a slav
e, though permitted a brief tunic, "is called the slave flame. See how it comes down the back, swirling." She illustrated this with a kneeling girl whose hair had been cut, trimmed and shaped in this fashion. "This," she said, moving to the next girl, "is an upswept fashion. It appears sophisticated. It is a hair-do favored by some free women, usually in the atria or courts of their home, or perhaps at private suppers amongst intimates, but it is not outlawed for slaves. Its pretentiousness, suggesting superciliousness and arrogance, contrasts nicely with the actual reality of the slave. The girl who wears this must watch her step, lest the master grow impatient with her. If you are permitted to wear this hair-do, make certain that you, after an initial resistance, if he permits it, yield to him as a particularly low and helpless girl. This hair-do here, on Crystal, with the bun in the back, is favored by many free women of the scribes. It, too, however, like the upswept hair-do has not been outlawed for slaves. Its apparent severity contrasts nicely with sexiness required of the slave. She may be freed of its severity, and brought into the natural modality of her yielding and submissive femininity, with as little as a single tug, thusly. In contrast, regard Tiffany, who has the shorn look. Some men like this in a woman. To be sure, her hair is now growing out a bit. This is to be contrasted again, of course, with the shaven head, commonly inflicted only on a girl as a punishment or to protect her from lice in close confinements, such as on a slave ship. Again, in the matter of hair-dos as in all my instructions to you, whether having to do with perfumes, silks, cosmetics, ornamentation, or whatever, you are to consider the total effect, the entire ensemble."
* * * *
"Well done, Tiffany," he said. "You bring the whip well."
He took it from between my teeth.
"Thank you, Master," I said.
"Next," he said.
* * * *
I knelt before him, my head down, the palms of my hands on the tiles, in the fashion which Ligurious had required of his girls. "I beg for love, Master," I whimpered. "I beg for love!" I licked at his feet. "I beg for love, Master!" I said.
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