"Nature would select for masters and slaves?"
"Yes,” he said. I suspect this all goes back at least to the caves, and to thongs and capture, or bartering or exchanging women, buying and selling them, and such."
"We would have all been slaves,” she said.
"Even a princess,” he said, “has often been exchanged for land and power."
"Yes, Master."
"Kneel more straightly,” he said.
"Forgive me, Master,” she said.
"Slavery, in a legal sense,” he said, “is a much later development. It is a sophisticated, complex social institution, one which has characterized most of the world's great civilizations. Its pervasiveness and success is doubtless to be accounted for by the fact that it has a profound natural basis. A civilization need not be antithetical to nature, a contradiction to nature, an affront to nature. It may, rather, recognize her and accept her, and, in its way, in its own complex context, celebrate her and enhance her."
"Yes, Master,” she whispered.
"Of the helpless, loving slave, needing and wanting men, desiring to please and serve them, moaning and ecstatic in their arms, and the independent free woman, with her frigidity and pride, who is most likely to replicate her genes?"
"The master,” she said, “would chain the slave to his bed."
"Of course."
Many Gorean couches, incidentally, have a slave ring at their base, to which a woman may be chained.
"Are all women slaves?"
"The Goreans have a saying,” he said, “that all women are indeed slaves, only that some are in collars and some are not."
"I think it is true,” she said.
"Certainly it is true that many are,” he said, “indeed, untold numbers, restless, unfulfilled, longing for their masters."
"Yes, Master."
"The phenomenon is so widely spread, if not absolutely universal, that there must be genetic predispositions involved."
"Yes, Master,” she said.
"Were you satisfied with the men of Earth?” he asked.
"No,” she said. “I despised them. I would not let them near me!"
"And here?” he asked.
"Here,” she said, “I have met men before whom I can be only a slave."
"They know well how to handle women like you,” he said.
"Certainly,” she said. “They collar and master us."
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"And they move me, and thrill me,” she said.
"You look well in your tunic,” he said.
"A slave tunic."
"Certainly."
"Does master wish me to remove it?"
"Not now."
"It may be easily torn from me,” she said.
"Perhaps, later,” he said.
Cabot returned to inspecting what meager supplies remained in the pouch and bundle.
"Is there a whip amongst your things?” she asked.
"Certainly,” said Cabot, “it was supplied by Peisistratus."
"Will you whip me?"
"If you are not pleasing,” he said.
"Truly?"
"Certainly."
"I will strive to be pleasing."
"Excellent."
"But perhaps sometime you may whip me,” she said.
"Why?” he asked.
"—That I may better know myself a slave,” she whispered.
"We shall see,” he said.
"Lady Bina has a name,” she said.
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"At least she is clothed in the beauty of a name,” she said.
"Yes,” said Cabot, absently.
"Will you not name me sometime?” she asked.
"Probably,” said Cabot.
"I would like a name,” she said.
"What you would like, or would not like, is of no interest,” said Cabot. “Too, you must understand that any name put on you is like the brand or collar. It is a slave name, only that."
"Of course,” she said, “for I am a slave. But, Master, would it not be better if I were named? Would it not be easier then to refer to me, to order me about, to summon me to your side, and such?"
"This matters to you, does it not?” he asked.
"Lady Bina has a name,” she said.
"She is free,” said Cabot.
The slave put down her head.
"Do not compare yourself with her,” he said.
"No, Master."
"'Lita',” said he, “is a pretty name."
"Yes, Master!” she said.
"It is a common slave name,” he said.
"Because it is such a lovely name for a slave!"
"Thousands of slaves are given the simple name, ‘Lita',” he said, “as they are such names as ‘Lana', ‘Mira', ‘Tuka', and such."
"Yes, Master!"
"I will call you ‘Lita',” he said. “You are Lita. Who are you?"
"I am Lita!” she said, delighted. “Does it have a meaning?"
"No,” said Cabot. “It is simply a lovely, meaningless sound, for a lovely, meaningless sort of animal, a female slave."
"Then it has that meaning, at least, in a way,” she said.
"I suppose so,” said Cabot.
"It is understood as a slave name, as only the name of a slave?"
"Yes,” said Cabot. “Universally."
"Good!” she said.
"Certainly no free woman would have such a name,” he said.
"So much the worse for them,” she said.
"It would demean them, terribly."
"Perhaps not,” she said.
Then she found herself, to her apprehension, under the gaze of her master. She straightened her body.
"Master regards me strangely,” she said. “Am I not kneeling properly?"
"Lita!” he said, sharply.
"Master?” she said, startled.
"Your tunic,” he said.
"Master?” she asked, uncertainly.
"Remove it,” he said.
Swiftly, kneeling in the sand, she drew the tunic off, over her head, and put it beside her. Such garments have no nether closure, that the slave may well know herself slave.
"The first command I have been given as Lita,” she said, “is to bare myself before Master."
"Yes,” he said.
"And thus,” she said, “the better I understand my name, that it is the name of a slave."
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"I am bared before my Master,” she said.
Cabot waited for a time, scrutinizing her lineaments. Gorean masters savor such pleasures.
"Master?” she said, at last.
"Perhaps you can anticipate the second command that will be given to Lita,” said Cabot.
"I think so, Master,” she whispered.
"Lita,” said he.
"Yes, Master!” she said.
"Please me,” he said.
"Yes, Master!” she said, and crawled to him.
* * * *
Later the cylinder lights were lowered, to simulate dusk.
The slave returned to the place on the beach, with berries gathered in the woods adjacent to the slopes, those which led down to the beach.
There was no simulation of moonlight in the cylinder that night.
On Gor, given the three moons, and the differences in their phases, moonlight was frequent.
Cabot was standing on the shore, looking out over the waters of the lake. It seemed placid. He looked up, but could not see the overhead forests for the dimness of the light. Some days earlier they had been in that area, now above them, the more populated area of the cylinder, where were found many of the domiciles of Kurii, the arena, the palace, and such.
He heard the girl behind him.
He turned to see the slave.
Three times in the afternoon he had put her to slave use.
She smiled in the dusk, and lifted two handfuls of berries, her gleanings in the forest.
Cabot was pleased with the slave.
Each time her heat had increased.
But that is not unusual with slaves.
She put the berries down, on a flat rock.