"Master!” she breathed.
"Kneel up, then,” he said, “and keep your head up. You are nothing, and everything. Be pleased. You are a slave. You belong at a slave ring. Men will bid for you. You, you lovely piece of goods, you delightful bit of merchandise, are worth coins."
"Yes, Master!” she said.
Cabot, you see, was well aware of much that was unknown to, and perhaps incomprehensible to, his slave, how a woman can rejoice that she has been found so beautiful, and so desirable, that nothing short of owning her will satisfy a man. And what woman does not wish to be so lusted for that nothing short of owning her will satisfy a man? What woman does not long for a master, and what man for a slave?
"In the opinion of many,” said Cabot, “slaves are a thousand times more beautiful than free women. To be sure, some of it may have to do with the collar, and its meaning."
The Lady Bina turned angrily away.
"Why do we not leave here?” she asked.
"We shall,” said Cabot. He reached into his pouch.
"What are you doing?” demanded the Lady Bina.
"It is for the best,” said Lord Grendel.
"No!” exclaimed the Lady Bina.
Cabot, from behind, carefully placed the strip of narrow cloth over the eyes of the free woman, and then, drawing it back, wrapped it about her head, and then again, and then secured it at the back of her head.
"This is not necessary,” she said. “Oh!"
Cabot had taken a doubled strand of slave cord, put it about her left wrist, drawn the free strands through the loop, jerked the loop thusly formed tight on her wrist, and then, with the free strands beyond the loop, twice encircled her right wrist, pulled the whole tight, and then knotted the cord.
And thus were the free woman's wrists fastened behind her, as simply, as easily, as might have been those of a slave.
"This is an outrage!” said the free woman.
"One more thing,” said Cabot.
"Where are you?” demanded the free woman.
"This,” said Cabot.
He then buckled the leash about her neck.
"This is an outrage!” she hissed.
Cabot jerked the leash twice, against the back of her neck. “It is on her, nicely,” he said.
"An outrage!” she cried.
"It is for the best,” said Lord Grendel.
"We do not trust you,” said Cabot.
"I am loyal!” she said.
"To whom?” asked Cabot.
"To you, to you, to the allies, to Lord Peisistratus, to Lord Arcesilaus, to the foes of Agamemnon, to the revolution!” she said.
"You are a traitress,” said Cabot. “It may amuse the allies to treat you as you deserve, to subject you to a lengthy and hideous death by torture."
"Do not speak to them of such things!” she cried.
"Surely the tiara on your brow,” said Cabot, “makes it clear you were favored by Lord Agamemnon."
"Take it off, take it off!” she cried.
"To be sure,” said Cabot, “it seems a pity to think of that pretty little body disfigured and mangled, burned with irons, torn by hooks, coated with honey, and then put out, alive, staked out naked, helplessly, for the delectation of flocks of tiny, carnivorous song birds. They feed, and sing, and feed, and sing."
"Protect me, Lord Grendel!” she cried.
"I am now Lord Grendel,” he observed.
"Of course, Lord Grendel!” she exclaimed. “Do you not care for me?"
Lord Grendel was silent, fearing to speak.
"Good,” she said. “You are strong, and beautiful, and may yet win my love!"
"Dare he hope for so much?” asked Cabot.
"Yes, yes!” she said.
"What must I do?” asked Grendel.
"First, kill the others, the man, the slave, now!” she said. “Then free me and take me to a place of safety, where we may await the outcome of the strife. If the allies are successful, we will join them. If Agamemnon is successful, humans may yet be permitted to live, and serve, in the world, and I myself will speak on your behalf, to win you pardon for your crime against the world."
"My crime?” asked Lord Grendel.
"Your treason to Lord Agamemnon!” she cried.
"It is time to be on our way,” said Cabot. He drew on the leash of the free woman.
"Kill them!” screamed the free woman.
"Perhaps later,” said Cabot. “We must now be on our way.” He then drew her to the side. “Do not move,” he told her, “for there is an opening here, and if you fall, it will be to your death."
She whimpered, and stood, unsteadily.
"There is a ladder,” he said. “Lord Grendel will carry you down the ladder."
"You do it!” she said. “I do not want him to touch me!"
"I am weary,” said Cabot, “and I fear I might drop you, some hundred feet or so."
She turned her blindfolded eyes toward him. Her lips trembled.
"Yes,” he said. “Too, on the flooring below, and later, you will be in the charge of Lita, for Lord Grendel and I must remain unencumbered."
"I am to be in the keeping of a slave!” she said.
"Yes,” said Cabot, “now forgive me, for I must gather some things.” He then went back, near the slaughter bench, where Lord Grendel stood.
"There are no tiny, carnivorous song birds,” said Lord Grendel.
"I know,” said Cabot, “but she does not."
"It is a joke?” said Lord Grendel.
"Of course,” said Cabot. “She is worthless, but we will do our best to protect her."
"Thank you,” said Lord Grendel.
"It is nothing,” said Cabot, a scion of Gor's scarlet caste, the Warriors.
Grendel then went to the trap, where the Lady Bina, and now the slave, Lita, waited.
"I am blindfolded, bound, and leashed!” said Lady Bina, angrily, when she was sure Lord Grendel was near.
"Forgive us, my lady,” he said. “But it is for the best."
He then lifted her to his shoulder.
"Put her head to the rear,” said Cabot.
"Why?” asked Lord Grendel.
"That is the way slaves are carried,” said Cabot.
"No!” she said.
"You lack only the collar,” said Cabot.
Chapter, the Forty-Fourth:
THE INSURRECTION IS NOT YET QUELLED;
A KUR FEMALE IS ENCOUNTERED;
STATIUS
The world itself shook, and then shook, again.
"What is it?” cried Cabot.
"Impact,” said Lord Grendel. “Something from the outside!"
"Meteors?” said Cabot.
"I do not know,” said Lord Grendel.
The gravitation of the world seemed momentarily altered. Cabot stumbled. Then the gravitation seemed again normal.
"It could be an attack of power weapons,” said Lord Grendel, “a test of such an attack, a warning, one does not know."
"The world will be destroyed?” said Cabot.
"It would be difficult to do that from the outside, even if it were intended, with the yards of shielding,” said Lord Grendel. “But with such weapons, it would be easy to accomplish that from within."
"And such weapons exist within?"
"Of course, in the arsenals,” said Lord Grendel.
"It is quiet now,” said Cabot.
"Yes,” agreed his friend.
"Would those outside wish to destroy this world?” asked Cabot.
"Unlikely,” said Lord Grendel. “Why waste a world? Only humans might do that."
"Some humans,” said Cabot.
"And perhaps a Kur,” said Grendel.
"Lord Agamemnon?” said Cabot.
"Yes,” said Lord Grendel.
"But something is outside?” said Cabot.
"Perhaps,” said Lord Grendel. “One does not know."
* * * *
"We have hundreds of humans,” said Cabot.
"But they are largely useless,” said Grendel.
"At least they can now see,” said Cabot.