"I understand, from what you have said,” said Grendel, “that the women of Earth bring high prices in the Gorean markets."
"Often,” said Cabot. “And the prices reflect the discovered value of the goods."
"Of course,” said Grendel.
"Many men seek them out,” said Cabot.
"They make excellent slaves?"
"The collar frees them,” said Cabot.
"Certainly you yourself have had the pleasure to own and master slaves,” said Grendel.
"Some,” said Cabot.
"Your Lita,” said Grendel, “wept muchly, and annoyingly, I fear, at our departure from the camp."
"She was importunate,” said Cabot. “She wished to accompany us, but the chain on her left ankle, she holding out her hands to us, and sobbing, held her to the tree."
"Your merest word should have been sufficient,” said Grendel.
"Perhaps,” said Cabot, irritably.
"You are fond of her, I fear,” said Grendel.
"She is a mere slave,” said Cabot, lightly.
"But surely she has properties of interest,” said Grendel.
"I suppose so,” said Cabot. “She is quite intelligent, and quite beautiful, that in both face and figure. Certainly she would look well, exhibited on a block. And she is vital, healthy, sensitive, aware, deeply emotional, and now, in bondage, exquisitely, helplessly, vulnerably feminine."
"And she looks well in a collar?"
"Certainly,” said Cabot. “She was born for one."
"I gather she was superficial, unpleasant, troubled, confused, nasty, unhappy, insolent, vain, and petty on Earth."
"She was not then in a collar,” said Cabot.
"It seems she has now grown a thousand times in character, awareness, and emotional depth,” said Grendel.
"She is now a slave,” said Cabot, shrugging.
"And in her belly there are now slave fires?” said Grendel.
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"And they rage?"
"Frequently,” said Cabot.
"And this puts her the more at your mercy?"
"Of course,” said Cabot.
"It is doubtless pleasant to have a beautiful woman, naked, in a slave collar, crawl to you, begging you for your touch."
"It is not unpleasant,” acknowledged Cabot.
"She would seem an excellent slave."
"She is still being trained,” said Cabot.
"You think she would bring a high price?"
"I think so,” said Cabot.
"Then,” said Lord Grendel, “one must keep her under the fiercest and most perfect discipline."
"For what reason?” asked Cabot.
"To keep her worthy of her price,” said Grendel.
"I see,” said Cabot.
"She carried on, lamentably,” said Lord Grendel, “when we left the camp. It was embarrassing. What were our brothers to think?"
"She was distraught,” said Cabot. “I think it is healthy to let a slave give vent to her feelings, to sob, or weep, if she will."
"To an extent, perhaps,” said Grendel, “but then she should be put to silence, with no more than a look, or word. She can always thrash about, and moan, and weep, and sob, later, when she wishes, in decent privacy, in her cage, on her chain, or such."
"I did not realize you were an authority on human female slaves,” said Cabot.
"She needs a taste of the whip,” said Grendel.
"She is a woman of Earth,” said Cabot.
"All the more reason,” said Grendel.
"I see,” said Cabot.
"And how is she to know she is truly a slave, and you are truly her master, if you do not put the whip to her?"
"I see,” said Cabot.
"She wants to be under your whip,” said Lord Grendel.
"How do you know that?” asked Cabot.
"It is obvious,” said Lord Grendel.
"I do not recall your putting the leather to the Lady Bina,” said Cabot.
"Certainly not,” said Grendel, shocked. “That would be wholly inappropriate. She is a free woman."
"Do you still suspect her of treachery, in the matter of the arsenal?"
"Certainly,” said Grendel. “Clearly, she is guilty. Flavion himself could not well have exited the camp so closely before the attack, at least not for any length of time, without attracting attention, and perhaps suspicion. He arranged for her to escape from the camp. How else could it have been managed? And he sent her ahead to Agamemnon, doubtless with signs, and countersigns. Each is guilty. Each was the confederate of the other."
"And she now stands high with Agamemnon?"
"Doubtless,” said Lord Grendel.
"Statius and others,” said Cabot, “want her blood."
"They shall not have it,” said Lord Grendel, “without mine."
"They are proposing hideous tortures,” said Cabot.
"She is in little danger,” said Lord Grendel, “for the revolution has failed."
"Why, then,” asked Cabot, “do you continue to do war?"
"Because,” said Grendel, “it is the thing to do. It is Kur."
"I see,” said Cabot.
"And why do you continue to do war?” asked Grendel.
"Because it is the thing to do,” said Cabot. “It is Gorean."
"I am curious to know,” said Lord Grendel, “why you behaved so obsequiously to Flavion in the camp, attending so assiduously to his needs, serving him, grooming him, and such."
"It pleased him, I think,” said Cabot, “to be served by a human, one of what he doubtless regards as an inferior species."
"Not wholly inappropriately,” said Grendel.
"Perhaps,” said Cabot.
"You even wiped down his fur with soft cloths, and to such a high gloss,” said Grendel. “Perhaps this was done to seem to show him honor, to allay his suspicions, if he had them, or such?"
"Perhaps,” said Cabot.
"But only for one day?"
"That would be enough,” said Cabot.
"We must not spoil him?” said Grendel.
"Certainly not,” said Cabot.
"In the morning,” said Grendel, “we shall begin the journey back to the camp."
"Good,” said Cabot. “—You said, earlier, I spoke in my sleep?"
"Yes."
"It had to do with Lita, I suppose?"
"Yes."
"What did I say?” he asked.
"I gather you had her nicely chained,” he said.
"Well chained?"
"Perfectly."
"Good,” said Cabot.
Chapter, the Fifty-Second:
SMALL CAMPS HAVE BEEN FOUND ABANDONED
"Lita and I passed this way, days ago, from the cave,” said Cabot. “But now the small camps are deserted."
"Surely you understand what is happening?” said Grendel.
"No,” said Cabot. “I do see several bodies, rotted, no longer of interest even to birds, dangling, hanging from trees."
"The rebellion having been crushed,” said Lord Grendel, “Agamemnon can return his attention to the affairs of state."
"Where are the former inhabitants of the camps, those hundreds, those who waited to learn their fate, the forces defeated beyond the world, who came here in rout and dishonor?"
"They will have been congregated, beyond the habitats,” said Grendel. “To be given lengths of rope, or to submit themselves to the knife."
As may be recalled, the defeated forces of Agamemnon, the mariners who returned in the remnants of his ruined fleet, following his catastrophic, ill-starred attack on another of the worlds, had been denied access to the habitats. This was not unusual, under the circumstances, and represented common Kur practice. Kurii tend not to be tolerant of defeat, and feel that only the blood lines of victory should be maintained and propagated. Accordingly, the survivors of the defeat, or those amongst them who had been courageous enough to return to the world, to face the folk, and accept the consequences of their failure, had awaited their fate in a number of small camps. They would be given the options of self-destruction or submission to a surgical alteration which would guarantee they would never pollute the folk by the sowing of inferior seed. Many had already hung themselves in despondency and grief, unwilling to bear any longer the tarnish and stains of their dishonor. Others would accept the knife, accepting it as a warranted and appropriate penalty or punishment, one suitable to their heinous fault, one commensurate with their just deserts. Following the procedure they would be banished to the company, if any, of nondominants.