The slave, on the other hand, fears not to feel, for she may then, in alllikelihood, be punished. The same frigidity which may be accounted a virtueamong free women, figuring in their vanity competitions, how well they canresist men, is commonly among slaves an occasion for the imposition of severediscipline; it can even constitute a capital offense. The degraded slave haslittle choice but to yield, and yield well. An interesting question arises as towhether a woman, permitted her own will in the matter, as a slave is not, can beforced to yield. There are two answers to this question, and the divisionbetween the answers is primarily a function of the time involved. Within a givenamount of time, say, half of an Ahn, some women can resist some men. On theother hand, there will be some men whom they cannot resist and to whom, despitetheir will in the matter, they will find themselves uncontrollably yielding.
Given a longer amount of time, however, any woman may be made to yield, whethershe wishes to or not, by any man. Sometimes, after such a yielding, she is thencollared. "Resistance is now no longer permitted," he tells her. "Yes, Master," she says. She now knows that she, as a slave, must open herself to feeling, andeven seek it avidly, even knowing whence it leads, to the acknowledgment of themale as her master, and of her as his slave.
Behind me the red-haired girl was whimpering with pleasure in the arms of thered youth.
"Winyela," snorted the Dust-Leg woman, contemptuously.
"Four," I said, recalling her attention to our bargaining.
"Two," she said, eyeing the mirror.
"Four," I said.
"Three," she said, suddenly, beaming, the fine, strong teeth bright in herbroad, reddish-brown face.
"Three," I agreed. I saw she wanted the mirror.
I gave her the mirror and she gave me the three beaded rectangles. She then roseup, well pleased, and took her leave. I folded up the blanket with the goods,and the beaded rectangles, within it. I had certainly not driven a difficultbargain. Grunt, two days ago, had received five such articles for a similarmirror. I should, I supposed, have set my original price higher.
I looked to my right and I saw the two red warriors tying beaded collars on thenecks of Ulla and Lenna. Kailiauk robes lay on the grass. Earlier today Grunthad fashioned a travels for his pack kaiila. Such a device, the poles crossingover the withers of the kaiila, reduces the animal's speed but makes it possiblefor it to transport a heavier weight. Travels are common, particularly in themovements of camps, among he red savages. Travois, I suspected, would be heavilyladen by the time Grunt was ready to return to Kailiauk.
I glanced to where the kaiila of the Dust Legs were located. The girl there, thedark-haired girl in the beaded collar, still knelt as she had been placed, atthe paws of her master's kaiila. Her head was still down. She did not look up.
She was under excellent discipline.
Between where the men sat and the coffle, a bit to the right, was the spread-outkailiauk robe under which Grunt had put Margaret, naked, her legs drawn up. Shehad been under the robe for hours. It would be hot under the robe, in the sun,and there would be insects in the grass. I grinned. I think she was learning herslavery. It was a clever trick on Grunt's part. Certainly the Dust- Legs who,like most red savages, are an inquisitive, observant folk, would be curious asto the precise nature of the goods which lay beneath that robe. Clearly it was awoman. Was Grunt trying to hide her?
I saw leather thongs put on the necks of Ulla and Lenna, the beaded collarsthrust up to admit them. These thongs were then tied to the high pommels of thekaiila saddles. Such saddles are not uncommon among the red savages, though theyare commonly used for visiting, trading and ceremonial journeys. The hunting andwar the red savage commonly rides bareback. The thongs were some seven or eightfeet in length and the red savages knelt Ulla and Lenna down, their bands stilltied behind them by the forepaws of their kaiila.
One of the red savages was now walking over to the kailiauk robe beneath whichlay Margaret.
The red youth now rose from the side of the red-haired girl, adjusting hisbreechclout. He then indicated that she should roll onto her stomach, which shedid. He then slapped her twice, commending her. Her hands clutched at the grass.
He then sauntered away.
I walked over to her. "It seems I have served my purpose," she whispered,angrily, in English.
"One of your purposes," I said, "for the time being." I spoke to her in English.
She rose to her hands and knees, and looked up at me. She put down her head,reddening. She looked up again, angrily, and then, again, put down her head,blushing. "Why did you make me yield?" she asked.
"You wanted to," I said. "And, besides, as a slave, you must yield."
She did not speak.
"Are you angry?" I asked.
"Yes," she said.
"I heard you cry out, and whimper with pleasure," I said.
"It is true," she said. "I did want to yield. How terrible I must be."
"Such feelings," I said, "such desires to yield, are not only permitted of theslave, but required of her."
"Required?" she said.
"Yes," I said. "Do not confuse yourself with a free woman. You are quitedifferent from her."
"And as a slave," she said, "I had to yield. I had no choice, did I?"
"No," I said. "The slave must yield, and fully."
"How can you respect me?" she asked.
"Assume the belly position, and kiss my feet, Slave," I said.
She did so.
"What now was your question?" I asked.
"How-how can you respect me?" she asked, half choking.
"I do not," I told her. "Do you know why?"
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I am a slave," she said.
"True," I said.
"How strong are the men of this world," she said, wonderingly. "How they own,and dominate us. How, before them, can we be anything but women?"
"Your question about respect was stupid," I said. "Perhaps you should belashed."
"Please do not lash me, Master," she said.
I turned to leave. "Master," she said.
"Yes," I said.
"Tonight," she said, "I beg to be taken from the coffle for your pleasure."
"Tonight," I said, "I think I may be more in the mood for Lois or Inez, orperhaps Priscilla. We shall see. And tonight, in the coffle, you will be bound,hand and foot. Perhaps that will teach you to ask stupid questions."
"Yes, Master," she said.
I then went over to the kailiauk hide where one of the Dust Legs was standing.
Grunt had joined him there. Grunt seemed reluctant to lift the hide.
"Hou," I said to the Dust Leg.
"Hou," said he to me.
"Ieska!" called one of the Dust Legs, rising to his feet, where the men had beensitting. This was another of the names by which Grunt was known in the Barrens.
It literally is one who speaks well. Less literally, it is used as a generalexpression for an interpreter.
Grunt excused himself and went to see what the man wanted. He was the fellow whohad been looking at the hatchet. The fellow was holding up three fingers, andthen he pointed to the dark-haired girl kneeling by the kaiila.