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.Brundisium was noted for itsgolden staters, but I had never seen one.Tupita took the silver tarsk from the fellow, and clutched it triumphantly,tightly, in her fist.It would be more than enough to purchase her passagefrom Brundisium.She then came again to the side of the table. Thank you,lovely Doreen,: she said. I am very grateful.Not only do I have my vengeanceupon you, delivering you to new slaveries and degradations, as it pleased me,but you have also the means of my own escape and freedom. She showed me thesilver tarsk. Pretty, isn t it? she asked.I pulled weakly against the bracelets.The men laughed.275 I am only sorry that you are not worth more, she said.Tears welled up in my eyes. I will leave you now, slave, roped and braceleted, and in the power of men,she said.She turned away.But the door was blocked by a fellow, leaning against it, his arms folded. Stand aside! she said, angrily.He did not move, nor did he respond to her.She spun to face the leader of the men. What do you have there, in your hand? he asked.She clutched the tarsk more tightly. Open your hand, said the leader. What is the meaning of this? she cried. Must a command be repeated? he inquired.She opened her hand, revealing the silver tarsk.He walked to her, and removedit from her hand. Have you been permitted to touch money? he asked. Please! she said. We could always check with her master, suggested a fellow. It is mine! said Tupita. Yours? asked the leader, smiling. Yes! she said. Surely you know that animals are not allowed to own money,he said.Tupita turned white.The leader dropped the coin into his wallet. Let me go, she said. I will not bother you no longer!Page 189ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Remove your cloak, said the leader.Tupita thrust it back, over her shoulders, untied the strings and let it fallto the floor, behind her.She then stood there among them, in a brief tunic of opaque slave silk, suchas might be worn during the day.She was a very lovely, and very frightenedwoman.The cloak removed, the collar could be seen on her neck.If he fromwhom she had intended to purchase tarn passage had not seen the collar, nor,of course, her brand, not her tunic, or such, and, theoretically, at least,did not know she was a slave, he would not be held legally responsible forhaving sold her passage.Tupita had excellent legs. Remove the tunic, said the leader.She reached to the disrobing loop, and dropped the tunic to the floor, abouther ankles.Tupita was too good a slave, and too wise a slave, to dally beforea Gorean male, having received such a command.276 What is the meaning of this? she said, naked.Her hands were then drawn behind her, and, in an instant, she was braceleted,as securely as I. Perhaps we are in the hire of Hendow, your master, said the leader of themen. No! cried Tupita. No! she flung herself to her knees before the leader,and the others. No, please, Masters! she cried. Take pity on me! But we are not in his hire, said the leader.Tupita sobbed with relief. Examine her, said the leader, curtly.I rolled to the right side of thetable, and twisted about, a little.Then, frightened, I rolled again to myback. She had this, said one of the men, holding up a small, damp leather sack byits strings.I turned a little and saw some of the tiny golden coins, such as adorned thedancer s costumes, spilled into the hand of the leader.Iheard Tupita, on the floor, sobbing.It was a good deal more than a silvertarsk that she had thought to garner from her venture this night inBrundisium.No wonder she had been willing to leave, even without the tarsk.Had Mirus still been with the tavern, I do not think she would have been ableto secure the tiny coins.He had been careful about such things. See if she is vital, said the leader.I heard Tupita suddenly cry out and, startled, gasp, and then whimper. She is vital, said a man.I then saw Tupita pulled to her feet.She seemed half in shock.Her hair was down about her face.A man held her from behind, keeping her fromfalling, by the upper arms.Her wrists were braceleted behind her.Held asshe was, and with her hands braceleted behind her, the beauty of her baredbosom was accentuated.Sometimes slavers present prospective buyers with girlsheld in this fashion.This time, of course, it was a mere convenience that shewas held so.I regarded her.Tupita was quite beautiful.There was no doubtabout it. I would not mind owning either of them, said fellow. Please! said Tupita. Not in Brundisium, you wouldn t, laughed one of the men. Yes, said another. They must be sold out of Brundisium. Please! begged Tupita. Be silent, snapped the leader. Apparently you have not felt the whipenough.277Immediately Tupita silent.Page 190ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html You are not now with soft masters, he said. You are not now in the house ofHendow, where, it would seem, the girls do not know the whip.Tupita put her head down, not daring to meet his eyes.The leader was mistaken, of course.The girls in the house ofHendow knew the whip, and knew it well.Indeed, it was not unusual for them toexperience it if they had been even in the least bit displeasing.To be sure,this very understanding, in itself, knowing the discipline under which theyserved, its consistency and reality, encouraged them to attempt to achieveperfect pleasingness, with the result that the whip was seldom called for,unless perhaps for the amusement of the master. We must get these slaves out of Brundisium soon, said a man, nervously. Before light, said another. Before sleen are put on their trail, said another. Yes, said another.I thought of Borko, the gray sleen.When it was discovered that we weremissing, he, or other such beasts, might be set upon our trail.My blanket, ofcourse, had been left behind in the kennel.That would suffice for any huntingsleen.Borko, of course, did not need so typical a stimulus.He, knowing myname and scent, could be set on my train by a mere verbal command.Ishuddered.Through no fault of my own I feared I might be torn to pieces.Asimilar fate, of course, might befall Tupita.She had been quite anxious, Irecalled, to be swiftly out of Brundisium [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]