"I do not know what I am going to do with you, Jason," said the Lady Florence. "You did not wait for me here. You abused this poor girl. You accosted a strange slave. You have been fighting. Your tunic is soiled, and torn, and bloody. It is almost too much!"
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Do you think that you are a quarry slave, or a draft slave?" she asked.
"No, Mistress," I said.
"I am a lady," she said. "And you are a lady's silk slave!"
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Have no fear but what you will be well punished when we return to Venna," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"It will be close chains for two days for you," she said.
I would not look forward to that. Usually, in close chains, the wrists and ankles are chained closely together. Over a period of time this builds up, understandably, a considerable amount of body pain. Usually after only five Ahn in close chains a girl is ready to serve delightfully and willingly.
"Do you understand, Jason?" she asked.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
I glanced at the male silk slave, who was sitting on the walk, coupled by his neck to the ring behind him, smiling. I wanted to break his face.
"Bring the tharlarion, Jason," said the Lady Florence.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
In a few moments I had freed and fetched the tharlarion.
I felt a chain leash snapped about my throat. The Lady Florence put it there. The other end was attached to her stirrup. "I am afraid this is necessary, Jason," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Help me into the saddle," she said. I lifted her sandaled foot upward, and she took her place in the leather seat at the side of the tharlarion's back. It has stirrups, into which I helped her place her feet, but it is not exactly a saddle as those of Earth would think of one, even of the sort usually designated as a sidesaddle. It is somewhat more in the nature of a stirruped seat. It is at the height of the beast's back, cushioned, held there by straps. She hooked herself into the seat, or, if one prefers, saddle. As I had lifted her into the seat I had seen her ankle. It was a good one, as I knew. I had never held her in my arms. When she used me, as she did frequently, I was chained on her couch.
"Philebus!" she called.
A man, accompanied by a servant, appeared at the door of the shop. He was balding, and benign. A servant, behind him, carried several packages. I lifted the reins of the tharlarion to the Lady Florence.
"Thank you, Jason," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
I looked at the eyes of Philebus. His eyes were troubled. The servant came out on the walk and handed me several packages. He looked at me, irritably. "Thank you, Master," I said to him.
"Good, Jason," said the Lady Florence.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"I wish you well, Lady Florence," said the shopkeeper.
"I, too, wish you well, Philebus," she said. Philebus was actually of Turia. He managed his shop, however, in Ar. He had lived in Ar for several years.
The Lady Florence guided her tharlarion out into the street. I accompanied her, carrying the packages, chained by the neck to that stirrup in which was placed her left foot. Her body was turned somewhat in the saddle, so that she might the more easily guide the beast she rode.
"You embarrassed me today, Jason," she said
"Forgive me, Mistress," I said.
"Did you truly use the slave girl at the ring?" she asked.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Disgusting," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Did you use her," she asked, "-as a slave girl?"
I thought about the matter. "Yes," I said.
"Ah," she said. She looked down at me. It was not easy to read her eyes.
Then she looked away, again guiding the tharlarion. "What of the little slut in the retinue?" she asked.
"Mistress?" I asked.
"Was she pretty?" she asked.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Was she in coffle?" she asked.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"How is it then that you, a slave, dared to speak to a girl in coffle?" she asked.
"I did not know it might not be permitted," I said.
"It is fortunate that your tongue was not cut out," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Did you know her?" she asked.
"I had known her on Earth," I said. "We are now both slaves."
"Of course," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"Jason," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"We are leaving Ar tonight, not tomorrow, as I had planned."
"Why, Mistress?" I asked.
"I spoke to Philebus," she said. "He advises me to leave the city soon. I fear there may be trouble between Ar and the Salerian Confederation."
I nodded. I had gathered that there might be trouble brewing. I myself had seen the movement of troops.
"You would not like to see me in a collar, would you, Jason?" she asked, a smile in her voice.
I did not respond.
"Jason?" she asked.
"I think you would be very beautiful in a collar, Mistress," I said.
I saw her hand reach for a quirt at the side of the saddle, but then she did not grasp it. She put back her head, and laughed, merrily. "You are a beast," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"We will leave the city within the Ahn," she said, "by the great gate."
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
14 A MISTRESS EXPRESSES CURIOSITY AS TO THE TOUCH OF MEN; A MISTRESS COMMANDS HER SILK SLAVE TO TAKE HER IN HIS ARMS
"Is that you, Jason?" she asked, not turning to look.
"Yes, Mistress," I said. She knew that it was I. She stood on the wide balcony, with its low balustrade, outside her chamber. I stood within the chamber. We were within her house in the resort city of Venna, noted for its baths and tharlarion races. It was early evening.
She turned, and entered the chamber. I knelt, in silk.
"Am I pretty?" she asked. She turned before me, the gown of sheer, scarlet silk, almost diaphanous, like slave silk, swirling about her.
"Yes, Mistress," I said. She was indeed pretty, even beautiful. She was some five feet five inches in height and sweetly figured. Her face was rounded, rather oval. Her eyes were blue; her hair, which was long, and now unbound, was auburn.
"You are even beautiful, Mistress," I said.
"How obsequious are silk slaves," she laughed, but was pleased.
"It is true, Mistress." I said. It was true.
"Do you like the gown?" she asked.
"Yes, Mistress," I said.
"I thought you might like it," she said. "I purchased it at the shop of Philebus, in Ar."
I thought that might be true. I had not seen it before.
"Do you think it is too much like-like slave silk?" she asked.
"I do not know, Mistress," I said.
She laughed.
We had been in Venna now for five days. Two of these days I had spent in close chains, being punished for my behavior in Ar. I was still somewhat sore. This was the first night, since our return to Venna, that she had commanded me to her chamber. My relationship with the mistress, interestingly, was now somewhat different than it had been before our trip to Ar. Though she had professed distress at my actions and had subjected me to appropriate discipline, I sensed that she was not entirely displeased with me. She was rather proud, I think, though she would not have admitted this, to be the mistress of a possibly unruly slave. That I had been a bit forward and rowdy, I think, had pleased her. She did not fear me, personally, of course, for I was her slave. Once, after our return to Venna, I had heard her discussing me with some of her women friends. "Are you not afraid to own such a slave?" asked one. She had laughed. "I keep him on his knees," she had said. Another time, in the halls, she had passed me while I was polishing a large, brass vase. Two slave girls, too, owned by my mistress, barefoot, in collars and tunics, had been in the vicinity, chatting, balancing wicker laundry baskets on their heads. "Better keep the slave girls away from this one," she had said to a nearby keeper, indicating me. They had laughed. It had been a joke, of course. To so much as touch one of the mistress' slave girls without her permission could be punishable by death. Yet I thought it of interest that the mistress had made the joke. She was not truly displeased, I think, that I had misbehaved in Ar. The girls had then, the baskets on their heads, laughing, fled away. Their bare feet had pattered on the tiles. The one on the right, Taphris, short-legged and luscious, was not without interest.