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."If you wish," said Otto, "you may follow me."With a cry of joy she sprang to her feet and, clutching the torn leel abouther, hurried after them."Perhaps, on the way," said Otto, "we might pass a slaver's house.""There are some," said Julian."Papers could be prepared, the propersignatures affixed, and such."Julian turned to the woman, who was following them, a few paces behind, to theleft."You understand," he said, "that once such a thing is done, it is done?""Yes," she said."You could even be purchased to serve in your own house," he said, "and wouldbe there then no more than any other slave.""Yes," she whispered."I think the whole thing, though impeccably legal, is best handled quickly andquietly,"said Julian."Yes," said Otto."I think that that would be best for her.""You are concerned with her?""Certainly," said Otto."She is a free woman.""But later?""Then such things would not matter," said Otto."Then she would be only aslave."They continued on their way."What are your plans?" asked Otto.Page 175ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"I am going to return to one of my family's villas," said Julian, "and thereawait word with respect to your commission.""The matter is being deliberated?" asked Otto."I suppose so," said Julian."When will we hear?" asked Otto."I do not know when, or if, we will hear," said Julian."You have enemies in the palace?" asked Otto."It would seem so," said Julian."Iaachus?" asked Otto."Perhaps," said Julian."The royal family?" asked Otto."I think that is quite likely," said Julian."They fear you?""I think so," said Julian."Are their fears justified?" asked Otto.Julian turned about, and addressed the woman at their heels."Lag back," hesaid.She slowed her pace until there were several feet between her and the pair shefollowed."Yes," said Julian, irritably, to Otto.Otto then turned about, and motioned that the woman should join them.When shedid so, Otto put her before them, and they followed her, one on each side, shein the place of honor, a free woman."I do not think I should be here, before you," she whispered."You are a free woman," said Otto."It is the place of honor.Precede us.""You might even remember, afterwards, if you care to," said Julian, "how youwere once such that you preceded free men.""I do not know where to go, where to turn," she said."I will direct you," said Julian.She turned about.They continued on their way.They kept to better streets.Afterward they couldreturn to the port, more conveniently, through a poorer district."Turn right, here," said Julian.CHAPTER 17"Send the slave, Flora, forward," said the connoisseur.The girl, whose house name was Flora, hurried forward, to kneel on the tilesbefore the connoisseur, her head down, to the tiles, the palms of her handsupon them, performing obeisance.Following her forward were two leather-clad men, one on each side of her, whotook their station on each side of her, and a little to the back.These werethe keeper, or warder, of her corridor, and one of the trainers, to whose lotshe had been assigned.The connoisseur looked from the papers, attached to the clipboard he held, tothe girl, and then back to the board."She has been whipped only three times," said the connoisseur."Yes," said the trainer, "the instructional whipping, once when I felt she didnot obey quickly enough, only two strokes, and once because it pleased me todo so."The girl, her head down, trembled.She could see, as she knelt, out of the comer of her eye, the coil of thetrainer's whip."That is really only twice," said the connoisseur."The two strokes is only anadmonition, the sort of thing that might be done at any time, for any reason.""Then twice," said the trainer."You have been whipped very little, Flora," said the connoisseur.Page 176ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"I have tried to be pleasing, Master," she said."Kneel up, Flora," said the connoisseur, "your back arched, your hands behindthe back of your head.""She is a sleek little thing," said the connoisseur."A pretty little piece of livestock," said a man beside the connoisseur, adealer."You have done well, Emon," said the connoisseur.The keeper inclined his head, accepting the compliment.The diet and exercise of such stock is, of course, carefully supervised."I see by the papers, Rigg," said the connoisseur, "that she has been trained,within the limitations of the brief time at our disposal, to give the mostintimate and satisfying of slave pleasures to a master.""Yes," said the trainer."You may place your hands on your thighs, Flora," said the connoisseur."Sheapplied herself, in learning such lessons?" asked the connoisseur."Zealously," said Rigg, the trainer."Little Flora apparently realizes that it is well for her to learn suchthings," said the connoisseur.Rigg laughed."Adeptness in such skills can considerably improve the quality of a girl'slife," said the connoisseur, "elevating her price, quite possibly enabling herto obtain a richer, better master, lighter tasks, and such.""Certainly," said Ambon, the dealer."But I think," said Rigg, "that there is another reason, as well, that sheapplied herself so eagerly to her lessons.""The whip?" asked the connoisseur."Other than that, too," said Rigg."What?" asked the connoisseur."Speak," said Rigg to the girl."That I am a slave, Master," she said."As are the other women in this house," said the connoisseur."Yes, Master," she said."Completely," he said, "as yourself.""Yes, Master," she said.In a sense she had known this for a long time, of course, even before becominga slave."We have raised your value, Flora," said the connoisseur."Thank you, Master," said the girl."Many men could not now afford you," said the connoisseur."You may even findit tempting, in some markets, to obtain a master, to conceal your skills.""Yes, Master," she said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]