"It seems," said Talena to the woman, "that two years ago, in the great theater, you were overheard making a remark concerning your future Ubara, one in which you expressed disapproval of her restoration to citizenship."
The woman regarded her, aghast.
"You are chosen," said Talena.
The woman was dragged to the side, to be knelt and manacled. In a moment or so I had added her to the chain.
"No," said Talena, "not that one, dismissing the next woman.
I looked after the woman who had just been added to the chain, who had now been ordered to her feet, and moved to the first scratch mark on the tiles. In three or four months, if not sooner, I suspected she would have become a hot, obedient, excitingly curved slave.
I suspected she would do well on the block, and, later, in the furs. Perhaps she might bring half a silver tarsk.
"No," said Talena, "not this one either."
Talena was then ready to dismiss another woman, but something was called to her attention from the list held by the representative of the High Council, and that woman, too, was consigned to the chain. I gathered that she, or perhaps some relative of hers, had offended some member of the current council. Another woman, similarly, later, whom Talena seemed prepared to dismiss, she reconsidered and selected, apparently at the request or suggestion of one of the Cosians on the dais. As he was not likely to be a party to the internal intrigues in Ar, and such, I supposed it was merely that the woman had appealed to him. Perhaps he regarded her as the sort whom Cosians would enjoy having serve their banquets, moving among the tables, bearing platters of viands, or pouring wine, or such, or perhaps merely lying on their bellies or backs beside their small tables at such banquets, ready, too, to serve.
There are banquets and banquets, of course. At some banquets, free women being present, the slaves are likely to serve unobtrusively in decorous, white, ankle-length garments. One might not know that they were slaves, but for their downcast eyes and attitudes of submissive deference, and their bared feet and the collars, and, of course, that the garments are sleeveless, which is common with slave garments, Gorean men finding every bit of a slave’s body of interest. Music may be furnished at such banquets, as a pleasant background to conversation, by a slave kneeling to one side, playing the kalika. At banquets attended by men only the slaves will usually serve in house tunics, lighter but not so different from their streetwear. They know that they are beautiful, and it is not uncommon for one to allow her hair to brush a fellow’s shoulder or to linger a moment placing a plate or a goblet, that the lovely slimness of her wrist might be noted. Would it not, with its fellow, take a slave bracelet nicely? Sometimes, too, they are so careless as to inadvertently, or seemingly so, move as a slave. Their master, or masters, do not mind, for one of the pleasures of owning a slave, as in the owning of any other beautiful object, or animal, is to show her off, and bask in the admiration she elicits amongst one’s guests. And do not think the girls are insensitive to these nuances, and how they are viewed. One of the great pleasures of a slave, I fear, is to know how beautiful she is, how exciting she is, and to know only too well how she is seen by men. Here, perhaps, if music is desired, and one’s slave is not accomplished, one or more flute girls might be brought in, perhaps hired from a feast house, who will furnish unobtrusive, pleasant airs. If the party grows wilder, and the drinking heavier, one or more of the slaves will dance. A third form of banquet, which we hesitate to delineate, but feel it would not be amiss to mention, is that in which victories are likely to be celebrated. In such banquets the former free women of the enemy serve, clad only in collars. Sometimes the defeated administrator or ubar is forced to witness such a banquet, from a throne, clad in his robes of state, a throne set just below that of his conqueror. On his plate a dead urt, in his goblet gall. Amongst the women serving may be his own daughters. He observes the serving. Any tardiness or laxity, or clumsiness, is promptly dealt with by a switch master. Later there will be dancing, and the new slaves, numbers scrawled on their breasts, will perform. Then, huddled together on the floor between the tables, in the dancing space, frightened, exhausted from their writhing, their uses will be gambled for by their numbers, and then, as the lots fall, they will be dragged, one by one, to the tables, or the sides of the room, to give pleasure to their masters of the moment. Thus they begin to learn their collars. Later they will be distributed, or auctioned.
"No," said Talena, apropos of the next female, "not she."
The free, native population of Ar, though there are no certain figures on the matter even in the best of times, and, given the flight of many from the city, conjectures have become even more hazardous, is commonly estimated at between two and three million people. Itinerants, resident aliens and such would add, say, another quarter million to these figures. It is, at any rate, clearly the most populous city of known Gor, exceeding even Turia, in the southern hemisphere. Slaves, incidentally, are not counted in population statistics, any more than sleen, verr, tarsks and such. There were perhaps a quarter million slaves in Ar, the great majority of which were female.
"Nor she, either," said Talena.
What was going on on the platform was of great interest to me. As is probably well known, females on Gor, like gold and silver, and domestic animals, and such, commonly count as legitimate loot. Certainly there is no doubt about this in the case of the female slave, who is a property, a domestic animal, to begin with. On the other hand, it should also be understood that the free women of a conquered city, or territory, if spared, are also commonly understood as, and ranked as, in their own minds and in that of the conquerors, as loot. It is one thing, of course, for a fellow in a flaming city to throw a woman against a wall and tear off her clothes and then, if he likes her, keep her, and quite another for the women of a conquered city, levied, and in the name of reparations, atonement, and such, to line up for their assessment.
"Yes," said Talena, "she is chosen." Another woman then, a blonde, was manacled, brought down the ramp and, by me, added to the chain.
The rumor was that Cos had set the first levy on free females from Ar at only ten thousand. If one supposes, as a conservative estimate, that there were now some two million native citizens in Ar, and that half of them, say, are female, then the levy on free females in Ar was thus only about one in every one hundred. To be sure, this was merely the first levy. It was difficult to estimate the numbers of female slaves seized by Cos, just as the number of verr and such. There were apparently levies for such slaves but, as certain forms of looting or taxation, they were not much publicized. Such slaves, like jewelry, Torian rugs, silver plate, verr, and such, tended to be seized largely as a result of house-to-house searches. More than once I had seen a begging, tearful slave torn from the arms of a beloved master, to be bound and led away on a Cosian leash. Similarly there were numerous confiscations of slaves.
"Ludmilla, Lady of Ar," called the scribe. "Ludmilla, Lady of Ar!"
Guardsmen looked at one another.
"No," said Talena. "Ludmilla, Lady of Ar, has been excused, because of her contributions to Ar, because of her service to the state."
The two scribes, holding the copies of the master list, made appropriate notations. The guardsmen relaxed.
I wondered if the Ludmilla in question was the woman who owned several slave brothels on the street known as The Alley of the Slave Brothels of Ludmilla, the street receiving its name, of course, from the fact that several of its slave brothels were hers. They are, or were, I believe, the Chains of Gold, supposedly the best, or at least the most expensive, and then, all cheap tarsk-bit brothels, the Silken Cords, the Scarlet Whip, the Slave Racks and the Tunnels. I had once patronized the Tunnels. That was where, as I have mentioned, I had met, and improved, the Earth-girl slave, Louise. I had also once resided in the insula of Achiates, which is located on the same street.
At that point the bar for the fifteenth Ahn sounded from the Central Cylinder, across the city.
"I am we
ary," said Talena.
"Such work is trying," said the representative of the High Council, solicitously.
The scribes put their marking sticks away. They closed their wood-bound tablets, tying them shut. The women yet to be assessed looked at one another. "Turn about," said a guardsman. "Am I to be selected or not?" asked the second woman in the line, anxiously. "Doubtless, given your position in line," said the guardsman, "you will learn tomorrow." "I must wait?" she asked. "Yes," he said. "Now turn about, do not look back." The assessments, of course, would continue for several days. "Oh!" said she who had been the next to be assessed, then the first in the line, now, turned about, at the rear of the long line, stretching still across the platform, down the ramp, and across the Plaza of Tarns. "Oh!" said the woman who had spoken to the guardsman, who had been second in line, and now, turned about, was second to last in the long line. The light cord, little more than twine, but strong enough not to be broken by a woman's strength, had been knotted about her neck and then carried forward to the woman before her, where it was tied similarly, and thence forward again, suitable lengths being unwound and cut from a long spool. Four or five women were fastened with one length, and then the next length was tied to that, and so on. In this way, if it were desired, hundreds of women could be fastened together. It is common to coffle women from the back of the line forward, to minimize the temptation to bolt. I did not know if the women were to be marched back to the Stadium of Blades or only to a rendezvous with cage wagons, to be thence transported to the stadium's holding areas. I did not think, at any rate, that the Cosians would send cage wagons for them in full daylight to the Plaza of Tarns, in the view of a crowd. After all, these were free women of Ar, not female slaves. An additional security in which the women were held, aside from the coffling and guardsmen, auxiliary and regular, was the fact that they were barefoot and clad only in the robes of penitents. In this way was their status well marked out. More women, tonight, incidentally, and doubtless for the next few nights, at least, would be reporting to the great theater. Thence I supposed they would be transported to the Stadium of Tarns, as had been the first batch of women, in their turn to be incarcerated, given the robes of penitents and assigned their place in line.
"Captain," said Talena, "in the room of the Ubar, in the Central Cylinder, we are planning a small supper this evening. I do hope you will honor us with your presence."
The Cosian regarded her.
"There will be delicacies from as far away as Bazi and Anango," she said, "and we shall open vessels of Falarian from the private stores of the Ubar."
"A sumptuous supper, indeed," he commented.
"Nothing pretentious," she said, "but nice."
"There is hunger in the city," he said.
"Unfortunately," said the Ubara, "there is not enough for everyone."
"I see," said he.
"Let them suffer for their crimes against Cos," she said.
"Of course," said he.
"Shall we expect you?" she asked.
"Is there to be entertainment?" he asked.
"Czehar music," she said, "and, later, the recitation of poetry by Milo, the famed actor, to the music of the double flute." The instrument which is played by the flute girls is a double flute, too, but I had little doubt that the player involved would not be a flute girl but someone associated with one or another of the theaters of Ar. Similarly the instrument would undoubtedly be far superior, in both range and tone, to those likely to be at the disposal of flute girls.
"I was referring," said he, "to entertainment."
"Whatever, Captain, could you have in mind?" she asked.
"I have duties," he said.
"Surely you do not mean "entertainment" in which females might figure," she said.
"Is there another sort?" he asked.
"You have free women in mind," she asked, "perhaps lute players."
"No," said he. "Females, female slaves."
"I see," she said.
"Dancers," he said.
"I see," she said.
"Or perhaps such as might figure as contestants in games, or as prizes, and such."
"Of course," she said.
"Perhaps Earth-girl slaves," he suggested.
This interested me. He, from as far away as Cos, seemed familiar with Earth-girl slaves. They were then known in Cos, and doubtless on Tyros, and the islands, as well as on the continent. Perhaps he had owned one or more. I could remember when they were quite rare on Gor. I could remember when many Goreans had not even heard of them. But, it seemed, more and more were being brought to Gor. It seemed there could be but one explanation for this. They made excellent slaves and, accordingly, sold well. I recalled the dancer, the luscious slut, Tuka, seen earlier outside the wall. Her master, as I recalled, was a fellow named Teibar, to be sure, a common male name on Gor. I would have liked to see her on a slave block. I wondered if she had always been so beautiful, or if on Gor she had become more beautiful. Interestingly, it is common for an embonded woman to grow more and more beautiful. I suspect, once one rules out the not inconsiderable advantages of slave training, and regimens of diet, rest and exercise, this has more to do with psychology than physiognomy. Women in bondage come to realize how lovely and desirable they really are. They have been found worth collaring. Not every woman is. This is a recognition of their appeal to men, an acknowledgement of their attractiveness, and an obvious tribute to their beauty, to their female desirability. Certainly not every woman is such as to attract the interest and attention of slavers. And surely this, in its way, strikes a responsive chord in the heart of one of these vain, marvelous, luscious beasts. Too, in bondage, they are not only wanted by a man, not only possessed by a man, physically, but are owned by a man, literally and legally, categorically and completely, as every woman desires to be. This gives them a sense of profound belonging, of a suitable rightfulness, of a sensed genetic homecoming, of significance, and security. In bondage, they find an identity, and a meaning in life, and they learn that they are now such as to fulfill an exciting and important role in a beautiful culture. They must serve and obey, categorically and helplessly, as in their hearts they wish. Have they not in their secret dreams always hoped for a man who would have this from them? They must please or be punished, as in their heart they wish. They would not have it otherwise. Have they not always hoped for a man who would be this strong, so strong that he would, naturally and without a second thought, have this of them? They are in a thousand ways emotionally and sexually fulfilled. Accordingly, they tend to become content, and serene, and beautiful.
"That would not do at all," said Talena. "They are the lowest of the low."
"Some are rather nice," he said.
"Perhaps we could find some girls from Turia," she said.
"Or Ar," he said.
"Captain!" she exclaimed.
"Ubara?" he asked.
"The women of Ar," she said, "are not suitable for such things."
"What of the women you consigned to the chain?" he asked.
"Well," she conceded, "such as those—"
"I assure you," he said, "that the women of Ar, embonded, grovel, and lick and kiss, as well as other women."
"Undoubtedly," she said.
"It is necessary only to put them in their place," he said, "the place of females. The woman of Ar, in her place, the place of a female, is as hot and helpless, as eager and obedient, as devoted and dutiful, as any other slave."
"Undoubtedly," she said, angrily.
"Forgive me, Ubara," said he, "if I have offended you. I am not a courtier, not a diplomat. I am a soldier, a plain man, and I speak bluntly."
"I take no offense, of course," said Talena, Ubara of Ar.
"I meant only to suggest," said he, "that there are women in Ar who are marvelously beautiful and exciting."
"I understand," she said.
"Ubara?" he said.
"I was thinking," she said. "What you say is undoubtedly true, that there must be some wom
en of Ar at least, in all Ar, who are not only suitable for the collar, but belong in it."
"Of course," he said.
"I can think of some entertainment in which you might be interested," she said.
"Ubara?" he asked.
"By nightfall," she said, "Claudia Tentia Hinrabia, of the Hinrabians, will be a collared slave."
"Yes?" he said.
"Would you not be curious to see her dance?" she asked.
"She is not a dancer," he said.
"Surely she could be put through slave paces, and made to perform, under a whip," she said.
"Of course," he said.
"And do you men not say that any woman can dance?" she laughed.
"To one extent or another," he said.
"And to the extent that her performance is unsatisfactory, she may be whipped," she said.
"Of course," he said.
"And perhaps I myself shall reserve the judgment on that matter," she said.
"As is your prerogative, Ubara," he said.
"I think that will be amusing," she said, "to have the Hinrabian brought as an entertainer to my supper party, and have her perform, as a slave, which she will then be, before men, in my viewing."
"Quite amusing," he said.
"When you return to your headquarters," she said, "please request your polemarkos, Myron, to also honor us with his presence."
"Your wish," he said, bowing, "is my command."
"I wish to have her perform as a slave before him, as well," she said.
"Your vengeance on the Hinrabian is profound indeed, Ubara," he said.
She laughed.
Magicians of Gor Page 20