"We do not require the use of humans to forward our projects,” said Pyrrhus.
"Perhaps they may occasionally be useful,” said Peisistratus.
"One was produced, and was useless,” said Pyrrhus.
Cabot took this to be a reference to a failed experiment, the outcome of which was Grendel.
"You are of course unquestionably loyal to the Theocrat of the world,” said Peisistratus.
"Of course,” came from the translator.
Pyrrhus dropped the chain of his pet, but she remained perfectly immobile.
"Nice,” commented Peisistratus.
"Look at my pet,” said Pyrrhus to Cabot. “You wished to see her? Now you see her."
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"She is now no more than a pet, only a pet."
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"My pet."
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"You like her?"
"She is only a female,” said Cabot.
"Is she pretty?"
"She will do,” said Cabot.
Pyrrhus then, with a scraping of his claws on the tiles, went to one of the chests at the side of the room, and opened it, and withdrew a small dangling pair of objects. He returned to the girl and thrust her head down to the floor, and, as she whimpered in a tiny, futile protest, he rudely jerked her wrists behind her, and, in a moment, with two small clicks, she was braceleted.
"Gorean slave bracelets,” commented Cabot.
The girl's eyes were wild, and she pulled a little, helplessly, at the bracelets.
How helpless women are in such bracelets!
"Has she been braceleted before?” asked Peisistratus.
"No,” said Pyrrhus.
Cabot could see how fearfully vulnerable she felt, her small wrists pinioned behind her.
Pyrrhus then, with a movement of his clawed foot, slid a shallow pan, containing some pellets, before the girl.
"You have come to see her?” he asked Cabot.
"Yes,” said Cabot.
Pyrrhus then uttered something in Kur to the girl, and she bent to the pan.
"Then see her,” said Pyrrhus.
Cabot observed the former Miss Virginia Cecily Jean Pym, kneeling, bent over, her hands braceleted behind her, picking the pellets delicately, fearfully, from the pan.
"It is thus that our pets feed,” said Pyrrhus. “They may not use their hands."
"I see,” said Cabot.
Such feeding would commonly be done on all fours, of course.
Pyrrhus looked at him, closely.
"It is commonly done with new slaves,” said Cabot, “with girls who are still learning their collars, and, occasionally, as a punishment, or as a mere reminder that they are slaves."
The girl, having retrieved the last pellet, of which number there had been few, as Kurii do not overfeed their human pets, lifted her head, frightened.
"You are not displeased,” said Pyrrhus, “to see her, a female of your own species, and one seemingly so important to you that you have sought her out here, so reduced, now chained and collared, now no more than a Kur pet?"
"Not at all,” said Cabot. Indeed, he was not displeased to see the former Miss Pym in this way, for he thought she might profit from such things. Indeed, had he owned her, he would doubtless have put her through similar paces, enforced upon occasion with a sharp blow of the switch.
She was, after all, not a free woman.
"Is she not important to you?” inquired Pyrrhus.
"Is that why you took her?” inquired Cabot.
"I think you like her,” said Pyrrhus.
"Her curves are of some interest,” said Cabot, “as those of a slave."
"You like her?"
"She has promise, however minimal,” said Cabot, “as a piece of collar meat."
"I think you like her,” said Pyrrhus.
"On Gor there are doubtless hundreds of thousands who are her superior."
"Why then have you come here?” asked Pyrrhus.
"I was curious to see her as a Kur pet, which seems an excellent disposition for her."
"Would you not prefer to see her as a slave?"
"Perhaps,” said Cabot, “if she were more beautiful."
"Is she not beautiful?"
"She will do,” said Cabot.
Pyrrhus turned to Peisistratus.
"She was clumsy, was she not?” inquired Pyrrhus.
"Indisputably,” said Peisistratus.
Pyrrhus then dragged the girl by the hair to where the pan of water had been overturned, and put her kneeling, bent over, head down, before the spill.
He looked at Peisistratus.
"Tell her to right the pan,” he said.
The pan was large, and shallow. It had two handles, one on each side, for ease of carrying.
"She is braceleted,” said Peisistratus.
"Tell her,” said Pyrrhus.
Peisistratus, in English, conveyed this message, and the girl, with a small sound of her collar chain on the tiles, bent her head to the pan. She managed to grasp one of its two handles in her teeth, and lift, with a tiny sound of the chain, and right the pan. Her knees were in water, that lost in the pan's overturning.
"Tell her,” he said, “to clean the floor."
"She is braceleted,” said Peisistratus.
"Tell her,” said Pyrrhus.
"You have been clumsy,” Peisistratus said to the girl, in English. “Clean the floor."
She turned, on her knees, bent over, to regard him.
"Now,” said Peisistratus.
She then began to lap the water from the floor.
"Do you like my pet?” Pyrrhus asked Cabot.
"She will do,” said Cabot.
Cabot considered her lines. They were excellent. Slaves are not unoften used in such a position.
In a few Ehn the girl timidly lifted her head from the floor.
"The floor is still damp,” observed Pyrrhus.
"Girl,” said Peisistratus, in English, “the floor is still damp."
She put down her head and, using her hair, dried the floor, as she could.
"Behold the human, my pet,” came from Pyrrhus’ translator.
"She is beheld,” said Peisistratus.
Were her hair longer, slave long, thought Cabot, it would be a more effective instrument. Her dark hair was rich, glossy, and nicely shaped, but it came only to her nape. It would grow out, of course, if she survived. Long hair improves a woman's price. Much can be done with it, aesthetically. Too, she can be bound with it, and she can be taught to use it in the furs to enhance a man's pleasure.
"Are you angry?” Peisistratus asked Cabot, softly, in English.
"No,” said Cabot. “Why should I be?"
"The girl,” said Peisistratus.
"What of her?"
"Pyrrhus is trying to provoke you,” said Peisistratus.
"With the girl?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps he does not realize she is only a slave,” said Cabot.
"You are not angry?"
"No,” said Cabot. “She is only a slave. Too, are not Kur pets often so treated?"
"Certainly Kur pets are often so treated,” said Peisistratus, “but I am certain, in this case, that Pyrrhus hopes you will be provoked, perhaps to an uncivil word, a protest, an insult, perhaps even a blow."
"Why?” asked Cabot.
"He wishes to have a pretext to do away with you,” said Peisistratus.
"Why?” asked Cabot.
"I think,” said Peisistratus, “it has to do with Agamemnon."
Pyrrhus then drew the girl stumbling on her chain to the foot of the divan-like assemblage of furs, and retrieved, from its surface, a switch.
"Would you like to punish the clumsy pet?” he asked Cabot.
"No,” said Cabot. “She has not offended against me."
"But, if she had, you would punish her, would you not?” asked Pyrrhus.
"If she were mine,” said Cabot, “it would not be necessary for her to offend against me to be punished. She would be punished if her service was in any way, in even the least way, less than fully pleasing."
Pyrrhus lifted the switch and the girl cowered beneath it.