I knelt before him, pathetically, tears on my cheeks. I pointed to my mouth, with my braceleted hands, and whimpered, pleadingly.
He stepped back.
I threw myself to my belly before him, and reached with my closely linked hands, to seize his ankle, that I might hold it, and press my lips to his feet, kissing them, again and again. Do men not enjoy having women so before them, as helpless, prostrated slaves? But he seized the linkage between the bracelets and pulled me to my knees, and then to my feet, and then snapped the wagon chain on my bracelets. I whimpered, pleadingly, but he had turned away.
Again I had failed to please him, a free man.
I looked up, at the stone channel of the aqueduct, some hundred feet over my head.
Such structures are majestic, the products of, to me, almost incomprehensible feats of engineering, and I had wanted to express my wonder and awe at them, their size and massiveness, their efficiency, their beauty, the loveliness of the sky and mountains behind them, but I was not permitted to speak.
How helpless and alone, how miserable, one soon is, if placed in the modality of the mute slave!
He in whose care I was, and the others, the free persons, ignored me. Would it not have been more merciful if they had lashed me? I was no longer on the wagon chain, nor were Jane or Eve. They, at least, were kind to me, and spoke to me, though I could not speak back. They no longer spoke of running away. The country now was lonely. The small villages were far behind. The terrain grew steeper, and more formidable. Twice we had heard, at night, when we were shackled in the slave wagon, from somewhere back in the mountains, the roar of a larl. During the day we remained close to the wagons.
We had left Venna four days ago.
The last night at Venna we had visited the paga tavern, The Kneeling Slave. Master Astrinax had been unsuccessful in his recruiting. I had apparently displeased he in whose care I was, for I had been put in the modality of the mute slave. A tavern’s man was extinguishing the lamps.
The masters were preparing to rise from the table when suddenly a flat, linear object of metal clattered, ringing, on the table.
“That is the sword of Trachinos, he of Turia,” said a fearsome voice, that of a large, bearded fellow, clad in the brown of the Peasantry.
But I feared this was no Peasant.
Certainly he carried no staff, no great bow, no sheaf of long arrows, at his left hip.
The blade was the gladius.
“That blade,” said the fellow, pointing to it, “is for hire.”
“We are hiring,” said Astrinax.
“You are far from Turia,” said Lykos.
Turia, I knew, was far to the south, even beyond the equator.
“What brings you this far north?” asked Lykos.
“Sword pleasure,” said the stranger.
I gathered then he was a soldier of fortune, a mercenary, or perhaps a fugitive.
“Your accent,” said Astrinax, “does not sound Turian.”
“Do you dispute me?” inquired the fellow.
“Not at all,” said Astrinax.
“I might,” said Lykos.
“Outside?” asked the stranger.
“If you wish,” said Lykos.
“Whose girl is this?” asked Trachinos.
“She belongs to a woman, the Lady Bina, one supposes of Ar,” said Astrinax.
“In that tunic?” laughed Trachinos.
“Her Mistress might wish to put her out to men, for girl use,” said Astrinax.
“Good,” said Trachinos.
I trembled, and looked down. I was afraid to meet his eyes. Too, some masters do not permit their girls to meet their eyes, unless commanded to do so.
“She cannot speak,” said he in whose charge I was.
“You have cut out her tongue?” said Trachinos.
“No,” said he in whose keeping I was. “She has merely been placed in the modality of the mute slave.”
“Is that true, girl?” asked Trachinos.
It was surely a test. I kept my head down. I whimpered once.
I sensed Astrinax was relieved. He in whose charge I was was impassive. Lykos had moved his robes a little. I could then see the hilt of his gladius.
“She is pretty,” said Trachinos. This pleased me. I received few compliments. To be sure, I knew I was attractive. Otherwise a collar would not have been put on my neck.
Still I had no desire to lick and kiss the whip of Trachinos, though I would do it fearfully, and well, if it were pressed to my lips.
“Can you handle a wagon?” asked Astrinax.
“But she does not have much hair,” said Trachinos.
“There are two others chained to a slave post, in our wagon camp,” said Astrinax.
“I know,” said Trachinos.
“You have looked upon them?” said Astrinax.
“Yes,” said Trachinos. “They are pretty.”
“You seem to know something of us,” said Lykos.
“I am told you are going into the Voltai,” said Trachinos.
“Yes,” said Astrinax.
“That is why you have few fee takers,” said Trachinos.
“We will pay well,” said Astrinax.
“For what purpose are you entering the Voltai?” asked Trachinos.
“That has not been disclosed to us,” said Astrinax.
“Does it matter, if you are well paid?” asked Lykos.
“No,” said Trachinos.
“It seems you have brought a sword to the table,” said Lykos.
“You are going into the Voltai,” grinned Trachinos.
“We need drivers,” said Astrinax.
“I can drive, and so, too,” said Trachinos, “can my fellow, Akesinos.” He indicated a fellow standing in the shadows, just within the large double doors of the tavern.
“Forty copper tarsks each week,” said Astrinax.
“That is good fee, indeed,” said Trachinos.
“Perhaps you think us rich?” said Lykos.
“A lowly driver does not inquire into such things,” said Trachinos.
“You are aware there are dangers in the Voltai?” said Lykos.
“I do not fear them,” said Trachinos.
“He is our man!” said Astrinax.
Lykos rose to his feet, and thrust his robe back, behind his shoulder. He indicated the blade, flat, on the table. “You can use that?” he asked.