"You are chained,” said Grendel.
"Thus you have less to fear,” said Cabot.
"I will not kill a man in chains,” said Grendel. “A human could do that."
"You are human!” said Cabot.
"No,” he said, “I am Kur."
"You are not!” screamed the blonde. “You are human, only human!"
"Did he hurt you?” asked Grendel, his voice gentle, anomalous in such a form.
"Yes, yes!” screamed the blonde. “He hurt me, cruelly, viciously, terribly!"
"Examine her body,” said Cabot, “that you may see the bruises, the discolorings, the lacerations."
"Do not look at me!” screamed the blonde.
"I see no such marks,” said Grendel, puzzled.
"It is easy to lie, once one is speeched,” said Cabot.
"Kill him!” screamed the blonde, shaking her chains, pointing at Cabot. “Kill him!"
"Obey your pet,” said Cabot.
"You do not love him?” asked Grendel.
"Kill him!” she screamed.
"Obey your pet,” said Cabot.
"She is not my pet,” said Grendel. “She was taken from me, by the command of the Eleventh face of the Nameless One, Agamemnon, Theocrat of the World."
"Then she is his pet,” said Cabot.
"No!” cried the blonde. “I am a free woman! It was so said, and said by him, he himself, the Eleventh Face of the Nameless One, Agamemnon, Theocrat of the World!"
"Then how are you here?” asked Cabot.
"By his will!” she screamed. “We are all owned, even the free!"
"I am not owned,” said Grendel.
"Nor I,” said Cabot.
"Kill him!” she cried, pointing at Cabot.
"Do you not love her?” asked Grendel.
"No,” said Cabot.
"Kill him!” pleaded the blonde.
Grendel drew forth a key from his harness. “I killed for this,” he said. “I am now outlaw in the world."
He thrust the key into the shackles of the blonde and Cabot, freeing her first, then Cabot.
"I am not your enemy,” said Cabot.
"The common enemy,” said Grendel, “is Agamemnon. Several of us know this."
The blonde had retreated several feet, standing back in the grass. “Bring me clothing!” she demanded, “robes, regalia!"
Grendel regarded her.
"I am a free woman!” she screamed.
But she was, of course, as naked as a pet, or slave.
Grendel returned his attention to Cabot.
Cabot rubbed his wrists, and looked up at Grendel, like a boulder before him. “Now, I am free of chains,” he said, “and you may kill me."
"Yes, kill him!” called the blonde.
"It would be better if I did so,” said Grendel to Cabot, “for Agamemnon has conceived a thousand variations of a thousand deaths for you."
"Do then as you wish,” said Cabot, angrily.
"We are all doomed,” said Grendel.
"Not I, not I!” screamed the blonde.
"Perhaps not you,” said Grendel. “There may be a way to save you."
"You should not have interfered!” cried the blonde.
"I thought he would take you from me, that you were lovers,” said Grendel.
"No,” said Cabot.
"—I love her,” said Grendel.
"That is known to me,” said Cabot.
"Kill him,” called the blonde. “Prove you love me! If you love me, kill him! Kill him, for me!"
"Because he does not love you?” said Grendel.
She was silent, furious.
"Thousands do not love you,” said Grendel. “Shall I kill them all?"
"I hate you!” she screamed.
"I would that I could hate you,” said Grendel, “but I cannot. It would be easy to tear your nasty, hateful, lying head from your shoulders, but I cannot, nor do I wish to do so."
"You are bringing us all to death!” she said.
"I could not let him have you,” he said.
"You will never have me!” she screamed.
"If you could stop me from loving you,” said Grendel, “you would have succeeded, long ago."
"Do not love her,” said Cabot.
"I do,” said Grendel. “I must."
"She is not worth your love,” said Cabot.
"Not worth the love of a beast!” she scoffed.
"No,” said Cabot. “Not worth the love even of a beast."
"That is what I am,” said Grendel
"You are less a beast than she,” said Cabot.
"I am beautiful!” she cried. “I am beautiful!"
"Yes,” said Cabot, “you are beautiful."
"I am Bina,” she cried, proudly. “I am Bina!"
Grendel lifted his head, and regarded her, puzzled.
"Bina!” she insisted.
"As you will,” said Grendel.
"And Grendel,” she cried, “is the name of a monster!"
"So I am given to understand,” said he.
"It was a joke,” said Cabot. “Choose another name."
"I am Grendel,” he said.
"As you will,” said Cabot.
"You came to kill him,” said the blonde. “Do it!"
"She speaks boldly for a pet, does she not?” said Cabot.
"She is not a pet,” said Grendel.
"I am a free woman!” said the blonde.
"She is a hot little slut,” said Cabot. “Why do you not collar her, put her to your feet, lash her, and keep her as a slave?"
Grendel regarded him, aghast.
"She might then be good for something,” said Cabot. “As a free woman she is a bother. As a slave she might be pleasant in her chains. I am confident she would squirm well."
"Beast! Beast!” she cried.
"Unthinkable,” said Grendel.
"Not really,” said Cabot. He looked about. “Look,” he said, “there is food here, and some wine. I am hungry. Let us share this small repast."
"I killed for the key,” said Grendel. “Guards will discover the body. Shortly thereafter they will come to this place."
"The bread is good,” said Cabot, and he seized up a handful of grapes, as well, from the dish on the grass.
"Strange things are going on in the world,” said Grendel.
"The wine, too,” said Cabot, wiping his mouth. “What strange things?"
"The fleet has departed,” said Grendel.
"The invasion of Gor?” said Cabot, suddenly.
"No,” said Grendel. “It is other than that."
"War?"
"I fear so,” said Grendel.
"Amongst the worlds?"
"Between two, I think,” said Grendel.
"This, and some other?"
"This world would take Gor for itself,” said Grendel. “Another would oppose this unilateral seizure of a prize to be reserved for all. Agamemnon, I suspect, will strike first, to rid himself of possible rivals."
"War of Kur upon Kur?"
"There is a history of such things, a long and bloody history,” said Grendel.
"Strange,” said Cabot.
"And do not humans war upon humans?"
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"Is it then so strange?"
"No,” said Cabot, thoughtfully. “It is not so strange."
"Serve me,” said the blonde to Grendel, and he bent to fetch some wine, some grapes, some bread for her.
He waited upon her, humbly.
She sat on the grass, and fed. “You need not kill him,” she informed Grendel. “You are a champion. He is not worth your stroke."
"She demeans me,” smiled Cabot.
"And me,” said Grendel. “She demeans all whom she does not fear."
"Look upon her,” said Cabot, “and think collar."
"Is that how you look upon women?” inquired Grendel.
"Often, if I find them of interest,” said Cabot. The thought crossed his mind of the brunette, whom he clearly found of interest.
"She is a free woman,” said Grendel.
"So, too, once,” said Cabot, “were most slaves."
"Bring me wine,” said the blonde, to Grendel, and he purveyed to her again the flask.
"I thought pets were not permitted wine,” said Cabot.