At the nineteenth Ahn the cylinder was illuminated with artificial moonlight, simulating that of Gor's major moon.
"There are berries there,” said the Lady Bina to Grendel. “Bring them to me."
"Yes, Lady,” said he.
The slave Lita, shortly thereafter, knelt before Cabot, offering him berries, cupped in her two hands.
"How pretty!” sneered the Lady Bina.
The Gorean male, if not seated on a chair, or bench, or reclining on a supper couch, commonly sits cross-legged. The Gorean free woman may sit upon a chair or bench, or recline on a supper couch. If she kneels, she kneels demurely, with her knees closed. The female slave, commonly, is not permitted to sit on a chair or bench, and is certainly not permitted on the surface of a supper couch. Indeed, often she is not permitted even on the surface of her master's couch, for that is understood as showing her great favor. Envied is the girl so honored! Commonly the slave is used on furs spread at the foot of the master's couch, to which she is often chained, by the neck or an ankle. If she is permitted on the surface of the couch, there is often a ritual involved, in which she kneels at the foot of the couch, or toward its foot, on the side, and lifts the coverings, and kisses them humbly, and then, when permitted, crawls to the couch's surface, from the bottom, or near the bottom. In this way she acknowledges the privilege being accorded to her. The female “tower slave,” though slave clad, may kneel with her knees closed, as the free woman. The female “pleasure slave” will commonly kneel with her knees open, this betokening the sort of slave she is.
Cabot was chewing on a strip of tharlarion, to soften it, before tearing it into small bits, these then to be better chewed and swallowed.
Grendel ate more in the fashion of the Kur, ripping large pieces of tharlarion apart with his hands and teeth, and then cutting them into ribbons with his fangs, and then, with movements of his head and long, dark tongue, forcing them downward into his cavernous gorge.
Lady Bina looked away from him, in disgust.
"Would you like some tharlarion?” Cabot asked the slave.
She shuddered. “Your slave,” she said, “would prefer leafage, or berries."
"You gathered more berries this afternoon,” said Cabot.
"Yes, Master,” she said, lifting the berries to him.
"Did you eat any?” asked Cabot.
"No, Master,” she said.
"We shall see,” he said, and took her by the hair, and pulled her to a place where the artificial moonlight streamed down amidst the branches.
"Open your mouth, widely, more widely,” he said, holding her head back, “and protrude your tongue, as far as possible."
"Good,” said Cabot. “Good."
"I did not eat any berries, Master,” she said, when released.
"Yes, so I determined,” he said.
"Had I eaten berries, what would have been done to me?"
"If you had eaten them without permission?"
"Yes, Master."
"You would have been tied and lashed,” he said.
"Could you do that to me?” she asked.
"Certainly,” he said.
"And would you do that to me?” she asked.
"Certainly,” he said. “You are a slave."
"Yes, Master,” she whispered.
"One cannot have that sort of thing in a slave,” said Cabot.
"I understand, Master."
"Though they are often sly little beasts,” he said.
The slave was silent.
"But the behavior of even such a slave,” said Cabot, “one who thinks she is so clever, is soon corrected, as the whip swiftly counsels against such indiscretions."
"I will endeavor to serve my master as well as I can, according to his wishes,” she said, frightened.
"See that you do."
"Yes, Master,” she said.
"I wish she had eaten some,” said the Lady Bina. “I would have liked to have seen her tied and lashed."
"You may feed,” said Cabot to his slave.
"Thank you, Master,” said the slave, and bent to the berries in her hands.
"Slut!” snapped the Lady Bina.
"Mistress?” said the slave, looking up, the smears of berries about her mouth and lips.
I am told, incidentally, that Masters enjoy licking such residues from the lips and mouth of a slave, and, as it seems, one thing then not unoften leads to another.
"Your knees!” said the Lady Bina.
"Mistress?” said the slave.
"Should they not be spread?"
"She is in the presence of a free woman,” said Cabot. “It is thus appropriate that she kneels in the Tower position."
"Have her split her knees,” said the Lady Bina.
"Do not shame her,” said Grendel.
"Be silent,” she said.
"You would have her kneel in full nadu before me, with a free woman present?"
"She may, of course, continue to feed,” said the Lady Bina.
"Nadu,” said Cabot to his slave.
She spread her knees before her master, and, head down, fed.
"How pretty!” sneered the Lady Bina.
"Do not shame her,” said Grendel.
"May I speak, Master?” asked the slave, looking up, to Grendel.
"Yes,” he said.
"I am not shamed, Master,” she said.
"Shame, shame, shame!” shrieked the Lady Bina, and leapt up, and would have struck the slave, but was prevented from doing so by Cabot who, himself leaping up, seized her wrists, held them, and by means of them returned her to her place, kneeling, to the side of Grendel.
"Whip her, whip her, mercilessly!” demanded the Lady Bina.
"It was you,” said Cabot, “who desired to have her placed in nadu."
"Are you not shamed?” asked Grendel of the slave.
"No, Master,” said the slave. “I am not shamed."
"Slut!” cried the Lady Bina.
"I am not only a slave, Master,” said Lita to Grendel, “but I am a special sort of slave, one different from many, and to be sold as such, the Pleasure Slave. She exists for the service and pleasure of her master. Thus, as I am such a slave, it is appropriate for me to kneel as that sort of slave. The position, you see, indicates my nature, as worthless as it may be, and betokens my defenselessness and vulnerability, but, too, my readiness. Yes, Master, it is true. My readiness! I am pleased and overjoyed to have been found worthy to be such a slave, to be granted the inestimable privilege of kneeling so helplessly, so vulnerably, and revealingly before my masters, before men. Too, to kneel in this fashion not only proclaims me, shamelessly, to the world to be the sort of slave I am, but reminds me, as well, and profoundly, and shamelessly, of the sort of slave I am. Too, it thrills and excites me to kneel so before my master. It heats me. In me, so kneeling, desire flames!"
"Slut, slut!” said the Lady Bina.
"Yes, Mistress,” said the slave, and put down her head.
"You may continue to feed,” said Cabot.
"Put your knees together!” hissed the Lady Bina.
The slave looked to Cabot, for he had given her the nadu command. He nodded, and she placed her knees together, and, head down, continued to feed.
"She should be beaten,” said the Lady Bina.
"Do not fear,” said Cabot. “She is a slave. Thus, it is not unlikely that she will be whipped from time to time."
The slave shuddered, and the better knew herself slave.
"Come, Beast,” said the Lady Bina to Grendel. “Bring me more berries, and leafage, roots, if well washed! I am hungry."
Grendel hurried to do her bidding.
Cabot, meanwhile, finished his bit of tharlarion. He did this without considerable enthusiasm.
When Grendel had returned, and served the Lady Bina, Cabot spoke to him. “The tharlarion was not much good,” he said.
"No,” agreed Grendel.
"Are you going to kill me now?” asked Cabot.