by John Norman
"And so," she said, "I continued to run her errands, to answer her telephone ina pretty voice, to do her biding, to bring her her coffee, to address herdeferentially, to smile at her clients and walk in a certain way past them."
"I understand," I said.
"Doubtless she enjoyed having me do this," she said, bitterly, "my station insociety having been so superior to hers."
"Perhaps," I said. "I do not know."
"It was to be made clear to all her colleagues," she said, angrily, "that I wasonly a girl, fit for lowly labors and being pleasing to her superiors. Clearly Iwas a different sort of woman from her! ' "Perhaps you were," I said.
"Dressed as I was, forced to behave as I was," she said, "how could men see meas executive material?"
"Doubtless it would be difficult," I said.
"Yes," she said.
"You are very feminine," I said, "perhaps you are not executive material."
She squirmed, angrily.
"She well used my femininity, my meaninglessness, MY prettiness," she said, "tohighlight, to point up and accentuate, by contrast, her own quite differentimage, that of strength and competence, of decisiveness, of command, ofauthority and power."
I have seen such women naked," I said, "in a collar, kissing the feet of men."
"Oh?" she said.
"But they are not so beautiful as you," I said.
She was silent.
"Do you feel that your treatment by her was motivated by some insecurity on herpart, by fear for her position or status, that she may have seen you as athreat?"
The girl was silent for a moment. Then she said, "No, I do not think so."
"That is interesting," I said.
"I could not have begun to compete with her," she said.
"You were not that sort of woman," I said.
"No," she said.
"Do you think she disliked you, or hated you?" I asked.
"I don't think so, really," she said, slowly.
"Can you conceive it possible that she may have seen you rather more as youwere, than as you saw yourself?"
"Master?" she asked.
"She may have dressed you as she did," I said, "and treated you as she did, andmade you do the things you did, for a very good reason."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you are feminine," I said.
She was angrily silent.
"Did you enjoy doing the things you were told?" I asked. "Did you enjoyobeying?"
"Sometimes," she whispered.
"Did you object, truly, to the clothing you were expected to wear?" I asked.
"No," she said, "not truly. I like pretty clothes, and the, eyes of men on me."
"As a Gorean slave girl," I said, "you will often find the eyes of men on you,though whether or not you will be permitted clothing will be a function of thedecision of your master."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"How were you taken?" I asked.
"After work," she said. "It was dark. I was driving back to my building. Istopped at a red light. Suddenly, to my horror, a narrow chain was looped aboutmy throat. "Drive as I direct, said a male voice, from behind me. I could notscream. The chain was tight. I was terrified. He had been hidden in the car,behind the back seat. He tightened the chain a quarter of an inch. I could notbreathe. I realized he could, if he wished, strangle me in an instant. A carhonked behind us. "The light has changed, be said. He relaxed the chain,slightly. "Continue on this street, he said, "in the outside lane, at a speednot exceeding twenty-five miles an hour. I pulled away from the intersection.
"You will obey all my directions, he said, "immediately and to the letter, andyou will address me as "Sir." " "Yes, I whispered. The chain tightened. "Yes,Sir, I whispered, fighting for breath. The chain then relaxed, slightly."
"You were already being taught to obey, and to treat men with respect," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said. " "Do not try anything foolish" he said, "such asstalling or damaging the vehicle, for I can slay in an instant, before I make mydeparture. "Yes, Sir, I said. "You may look in the rear-view mirror, if youwish. He said. "You have my permission. I looked in the rear-view mirror,terrified. About my throat, closely looped, was a narrow golden chain. It wascontrolled by two narrow wooden handles, in his hands."
"It was a girl-capture chain," I said. "It is to be distinguished sharply fromthe standard garrote, which is armed with wire and can cut a throat easily. Thestandard garrote, of course, is impractical for captures, for the victim, ineven a reflexive movement, might cut her own throat."
"Whatever it was," she said, "it was very effective. It controlled meperfectly."
"Of course," I said. "That is why it is used."
"In a few moments, the man made an adjustment in the chain, spinning one of thewooden handles. He could the control it with one hand. He tightened it, halfchoking me and then released it, slightly. He had well displayed his power overme. He then released it a bit more. "That's better, isn't it, Baby? he asked.
"Yes, Sir, I said. "Good," he said, "we have a long drive ahead of us. We thendrove on, I terrified, he giving me directions. From other can it would haveseemed merely that a man, leaning forward, perhaps smiling, perhaps conversingwith me, was in the back of my vehicle. If any saw the slender golden chainabout my throat they did not, doubtless, conjecture its significance."
"He was not masked?" I asked.
"No," she said.
"A mask would have aroused suspicion," I said.
"Yes," she said. "Do not fear to look upon my face, you wish, he said, "foryou will not see it again, after you have been delivered. "Delivered! Iexclaimed. "Yes, he laughed, "delivered, my pretty goods. We then drove on. Helet me engage in what, I suppose, are the standard threat and pleas of thecaptured girl, but, then, when he grew we of this amusement, he stopped me. Aslight pressure on chain sufficed. We then continued to drive on. The terrainbecame more remote, more desolate. Soon we were driving on graveled roads. Thenwe were driving on dirt roads, dark and lonely lined with trees. I grasped verylittle of what was going on. I was terrified. The chain was on my throat. Thebeams from the headlights seemed wild on the road ahead of me. "Slow down here, he said, "and pull into those trees, an stop. I obeyed his commands. I switchedoff the car lights and turned off the car engine. I had delivered myself, thoughto whom, or what, or for what I had no idea. He took me from the car by thechain and soon I was in the hands of other men. He left, dropping the chain,with its handles, in the pocket of his jacket. I was thrown to my stomach in thegrass. My hands were fastened behind me in some sort of metal restrainingdevice. It was snug, and inflexible. My ankles were crossed and tied togetherwith a short piece of rope. A metal anklet of some sort was fastened on my leftankle.
"A girls identificatory anklet," I said. "It is removed after her delivery toGor."
"A boxlike device was then placed near my head," she said. "It was hinged at oneend and, on the other side, where it opened, there were matched, semicircularopenings. My head then, by the hair, was placed in this box, and it was closed,enclosing my head, and shutting snugly about my neck. This opening was thenfurther closed by wrapping thick cloth about my neck and thrusting it up, sothat it filled the space between my neck and the edges of the now closedsemicircular openings."
"Interesting," I said.
"My head enclosed in the box," she said, "I heard a car being driven away. Itwas doubtless my own, driven by the fellow with the chain."
"That is quite likely," I said. "He would wish to have means to return to thecity and, of course, it would be important to abandon or dispose of the car farfrom the scene of the abductors' rendezvous."
"And I must remain behind," she said, bitterly.
"Of course," I said. "You were then only a delivered capture."
"A gas was then entered into the box," she said. "I tried to struggle. A man'sfoot held me in place. I lost consciousness I awakened, I do not know how muchlater, in a grassy field on this world, chained by the neck with o
ther girls."
"Interesting," I said. "I do not know, but you may have been stored for a fewdays, perhaps even a few weeks."
"Stored?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, "perhaps hibernated. Then, when the order was complete, it couldhave been shipped in its entirety."
"You speak of me as though I might be an object," she said, "a mere commodity."
"You are," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I thrust the slave tunic up and then, pulling her to a sitting position, Ipulled it off, her arms rising, over her head.
"Do you object?" I inquired.
"No, Master," she said. "I may not object. I am a slave."
I cast the scanty garment to the side, on the grass.
"Lie down," I told her, "on your back, with your arms at sides, the palms ofyour hands up, facing the moons of Gor."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Lift your left knee, slightly," I told her.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I stood and looked down at her.
"I now lie exposed before you, as a slave, Master," she said.
"Is that fitting and proper?" I inquired.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I am a slave," she said.
"The answer is correct, and suitable," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Are you a new slave?" I asked.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"That is incorrect," I said.
"Master?" she asked.
"The only sense in which you are a new slave," I said, "is that it has not beenlong since your legal imbondment."
"Master?" she asked.
"For years, you have been a slave," I said, "only one who was not yet properlyowned, a technicality recently remedied on Gor."
She looked up at me.
"This is what, implicitly, in effect, your aunt was recognizing," I said,"though perhaps not fully consciously. It seems to have been recognized evenmore clearly by your former superior, the female executive. She dressed you, andtreated you, did she not, as, in effect, a slave?"
"Yes," said the girl, angrily.
"I think," I said, "in spite of other possible considerations and advantageswhich might have been involved in her behavior attitudes, she was trying to bekind to you, trying make it clear to you what you were, trying to encourage youto be true to your own nature."
"Perhaps!" said the girl, angrily.
"You like pretty clothes, do you not," I asked, "and like to be attractive tomen."
"Yes!" she said.
"On Gor," I said, "as opposed to your world, It is customary to enslave slaves."
She looked up at me, angrily.
"On Gor," I asked, "have you been branded, and enslaved."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I am a slave?" she asked. "Yes," I said.
She turned her head, angrily, to the side.
I looked down at her. She was exquisitely beautiful. I did not doubt but thatGrunt could get five hides of the yellow kailiauk for her.
"Look at me, Slave," I said.
She regarded me, quickly. "Yes, Master," she said.
"Slaves such as you, on Earth," I said, "not legally imbonded, often use theirbeauty to their own advantage. It opens doors. It smoothes ways. It makes thingseasy for them. They use it to further careers, to buy wealth, and to belittleother women."
"Yes, Master?" she whispered.
"But here, on Gor," I said, "Things are quite different."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Here, on Gor," I said, "your beauty is owned, and fully, as are you."
"Yes Master," she said.
"To whom does your beauty belong, on Gor?" I asked.
"To the master," she said.
"Yes," I said, "and it is he, not you, my dear, who will decide what is to bedone with it, fully, and how it is to be used."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Your palms," I said, "have them facing upward, to the moons of Gor."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Have you had your slave wine?" I asked.
"Ginger, one of my Mistresses," she said, "forced me to drink a bitter beverageby that name."
"Why has your Master, Grunt, sent you to my blankets?" I asked. "Why has hehimself not seen fit to open your slave's body to the pleasures of men?"
"I do not know, Master," she said.
I crouched down beside the naked body of the former Miss MillicentAubrey-Welles, who had been a debutante, now that of a mere slave, supine on myblankets.
"What are the duties of a slave?" I asked.
"They are complex, and manifold, Master," she said.
"Speak generally," I said.
"We are to be absolutely docile," she said, "totally obedient and fullypleasing."
"Are there any qualifications to that?" I asked.
"No, Master," she said, "There are no qualifications. We are slaves.
"And are you prepared to fulfill the duties of a slave?" I asked.
"Yes, Master," she said, "and I must, Master, for I am a slave.
"The answers are correct, and suitable, Slave," I said.
"Thank you Master," she said.
"I am to take your virginity," I said. "You understand that?"
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Would you prefer that your virginity would have been taken from you while youwere a free woman?" I asked.
"No," she said, "rather as a will-less slave, as I am now subject to thedecision and imperious will of a strong master."
I held my hand, opened, a bit above her left breast. She arched her back,pressing that marvelous, lush contour of her enslaved softness against my hand.
I did not move my hand. She lay back, tears in her eyes. "You well know how tohumiliate a slave, Master," she said. I smiled. The test had been an interestingone.
"Do you think, in time, you will prove to be a hot slave?" I asked.
"Hot?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, "responsive, sexually vital, owned, helplessly and uncontrollablypassionate."
"I do not know, Master," she said. "What if I do not?"
"Then you will presumably be slain," I said.
She shuddered with terror.
"But do not fear," I said. "Most masters are patient. You will, most likely,have a month or more in which to develop the appropriate secretions and spasms!
She looked at me, with misery.
"I do not think it is anything to worry about, really," I said. "Most girls,under the circumstances, find very little difficulty in becoming passionatefemale slaves. Too, the entire Gorean milieu contributes to the development ofpassion in the female slave. She is dressed in a certain way, for example; sheis commonly collared; she is subject to discipline; her performances arecommanded, and subject to scrutiny and improvement, and so on. The main thing isto attempt to be fully pleasing to the Master, in every way. Too, you willcommonly have a gauge of your progress; if your master is not pleased you willbe beaten or whipped."
"I see, whispered the girl.
"I have seen girls such as you before," I said. "They commonly develop into thehottest of slaves."
She trembled, frightened.
"Remember," I said, "it will be to your advantage to be a hot slave, and,indeed, the hottest slave you can be. This will make you more pleasing to yourmaster, and to those to whom he, at his caprice, consigns you."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"The true wonder in these matters," I said, "and what seems most delightful tome, is the way, gradually, the girls heat begins to develop from within, untilshe is transformed, in effect, into a needful slave. She is then, of course, notonly legally and physically at the mercy of men, but needfully, as well."
"How much a slave she would be then!" exclaimed the girl.
"No one claims that the Gorean slave girl has an easy lot," I said.
"How piteous to be
such a girl! ' she said. "Surely men would have mercy onher!"
"Perhaps," I said, "if she is sufficiently beautiful, and sufficientlypleasing."
"Do you think I will develop such passion?" she asked, frightened.
"Yes," I said.
"Do you think, then," she asked, "that men might be moved to show me mercy?"
"You already begin to sense what you might become, do you?" I asked.
"Yes," she whimpered.
"It is a good sign," I said.
"Do you think that if I became such a girl, Master, men might show me mercy?" she asked.
"Perhaps," I said, "if you were sufficiently beautiful, and sufficientlypleasing."
"I would try to be both," she said.
"You are a slave, aren't you?" I asked.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"I think it likely that you would be shown mercy, at least upon occasion," Isaid. "But you, yourself, in a few weeks, will better know the answer to yourquestion."
"In a few weeks?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, "when you find yourself on your knees at the feet of a man, oron your belly, crawling to him, to lick his feet, to beg his least touch."
I then, gently, began to caress her. In a few moments, interestingly, she beganto moan.
"I am a slave," she whimpered, looking up at the stars, the Gorean moons.
"You may now request your fulfillment," I informed her.
"I request my fulfillment, Master," she said.
"I will be gentle with you this time," I said, "but sometimes, you mustunderstand, you will be used quite differently, for example, with contempt orscorn, or brutality, or cruel indifference, or, perhaps, with ruthless power."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Similarly," I said, "you will learn to serve in whatever position your masterdictates and in whatever garb, or lack of garb, he pleases."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"And sometimes, too," I said, "You may have to serve in bonds, even cruel bonds,such things as thongs, and cords and chains."