Later we lay quietly, softly, together. Her head was at my waist. I again looked at the ceiling of the alcove, at the roughened texture, and the tiny cracks of its plaster and wood, reddish in the flickering light of the tiny lamp.

"Is Master distracted?" she asked. "Perhaps," I said. "You still remember her, do you not?" she asked. "Perhaps," I said. I put my hand with rough gentleness in her hair holding it.

"You have well ravished me, Master," she whispered. "You are a responsive wench," I said. "I cannot help but be responsive in your arms," she said. "You merely fear the whip," I smiled. "I do not fear the whip," she said, "and I know that it will be well laid upon me at the merest suspicion on the part of Tasdron my Master that a customer may not have been fully pleased, but even if it were not for the whip, I know I could not help but respond to you as a vulnerable and spasmodic slave."

I released her hair and took her again in my arms, throwing the chain back over her shoulder. "What woman would not be a slave in your arms?" she asked. "I beg to be had again." "Very well," I said and then lengthily, contented her. It is pleasing to have a female slave.

"The stronghold of Pollicrates is impregnable," she said. "Forget her."How is it that you know what I am thinking?" I asked smiling.

"Slave girls must pay close attention to men, "she smiled, "for they are her Masters."

I smiled. It was true. Slave girls are extremely sensitive to the moods, the feelings and thoughts of men. they must be, for they are their Masters.

"By now she doubtless wears the steel loops of a pirate's pleasure girl," she said. I thought this not unlikely. "You have money," said Peggy, "Buy another girl, one to lick your feet and content you."

Slave girls tend to speak opening and honestly. They are under few delusions as to the desires of men. Hypocrisies are not encouraged in them, as they often are in their free sisters. Similarily, Goren men tend on the whole, unabashedly to be perfectly frank about such matters. What true man, in his vitality, does not want a beautiful woman as a slave?Two major differences between the men of Eart and the men of Gor are, first, that the men of Gor are perfectly straighforward and open about this and secondly, that such woman may normally be purchased at a modest price in a convenient market. On Gor the order of nature, as old as the switch, the rope, the cave and the raid has never been denied.

She put her lips close to my ear. I heard the tiny, heavy sound of the links of the chain, moving against one another, depending from her collar. "Buy Peggy, if you wish," she whispered."Do you wish me to buy you?" I asked."I would rather be purchsed by only one other man on all Gor," she said, "and he has never even had me. He scarcely notices me and seems not even to know I exist. Yet I almost faint with joy at the very thought of serving him." I looked at her. She was very beautiful.

"I am unworthy even to think of him," she said. "I am only an Earth woman and a branded slave. "Who is he?" I asked.

"Please do not make me speak his name Master," she said. "Very well," I said. We lay together quietly for a time not speaking.We could hear conversation outside from the floor of the tavern."Have you heard of the topaz?" I asked. "No Master," she said. "But it is thought to be in Victoria."

"The men of Victoria seem adament in refusing to pay the tribute to Policrates," I said."Yes Master," she smiled.

I thought this was courageous on their part, but I did not know if it were wise. It had been the first time in five years that this had happened. The lat time the pirates of the dark stronghold had carried fire and sword to a dozen wharfed ships. The tribute had then been rapidly forthcoming. To be sure, in the past years the pirates had become more and more dependent on the markets of Victoria to dispose of their loot and captures. In the light of this, many in Victoria regarded themselves as having at last attained a position in which they might succeed in evading the humiliating burden of tribute.

"Master is kind to spare my feeling," said Peggy.I smiled. I had not pressed her on the matter of he whose collar she longed to wear.

"Put her from your mind," whispered Peggy," "There are many lovely women in the markets. Buy one. Put her in your collar. Teach her with the whip who it is, to whom she belongs. Make her yours. I looked up at the low ceiling.

"Is she so special to you because she is from Earth, or because you knew her from Earth?" sha asked. "I do not know," I said. "Is that why you cannot forget her," she asked. "Is that why you are so concerned for her?" "I do not know," I said.

"There must be hundreds of girls from Earth, perhaps some thousands, who wear their collars on Gor," she said. "Yes," I said. "That is doubtless true." "What then is so special about her?" she asked. "I donot know," I said.

"Imagine a wall," she said, "of eight feet in height of heavey stone a hundred years in length. Imagine too a hundred women, beautiful, stripped, chained helplessly to thsi wal. It is of coruse, a market wall. In the company of a slave, their owner, you examine these women. Each in her chains kneels before you and begs you to buy her. One of these women is the girl we shall call Beverly. But you have never seen her before. Which of all of these women would you buy?" I looked at her.

"Which of all these women," she asked, "would you have released from the wall? On the torat of which, of all of them, would you lock your inflexiable collar. On the wrists of which, of all of them, would you lock your unyielding slave bracelets. Which of all of them, would you lead home as your slave?"

"She," I said, "the one whom we might call Beverly."Ah," said Peggy, drawing back, "I fear she is your love slave."

"She is too fine to be a slave," I said. "let alone the most complete of slaves, the total and abject love slave."Even if it is what she wants most deeply in her deepest heart?" asked Peggy.

"Of course," I said angrily. "But what is she is a slave?" asked Peggy. "in reality a true slave?" It does not matter," I said. "Surely you have recognied Gorean women can be slaves and have treated them accordingly," said Peggy. "Yes," I said.

"And surely you have recognized some Earth women can be slaves and have treated them accordingly," she said. "Yes," I said. I looked at Peggy. She blushed deeply and smile. I had often treated her, thoroughly and completely as the mere slave she was. "How then," asked Peggy softly, smiling, "is this other woman different?"

"She is different," I said angrily. "Can you admit the possibility that sh emight not be different?" asked Peggy. "No," I said. "No!" Then she would be only slave," I said angrily.

"But if this is what she is and what fulfills her and makes her joyful?" she asked. "It does not mattter," I said angrily. "The nature of the woman and her fulfillment and joy does not matter to you?" she asked.I was silent. I was furious."Do you not, honestly, want her in your chains?" asked Peggy.

"The first instant I saw her," I said, I wanted her in my chains." Peggy kissed me. "But I must put such thoughts from my head." I said bitterly. "Why?" she asked. "I do not know," I said. "Nature if harsh but it is not so terrible truly," she said."

"I must go," I said. "It is not yet even the Twentieth Ahn, Master!" she said. Swiftly she knelt beside me, head down. "Have I displeased Master?" she asked. "No," I said smiling, looking up at her.

"Dare to become a Gorean Master," she said, "please."Perhaps," I said. Swiftly she nestled down beside me, holding me. She did not want me to leave the alcove. "Thanked you forfor talking to a mere slave," she whispered.

"Why do you not simply place yourself on your belly before he whose collar you wish to wear," I asked, "and with tears, kissing his feet, implore him to buy you."I dare not," she said, "I am only a low slave and an Earth women."I see," I said. "He might be offended and slay me or Tasdron my Master discovering my crime might slay me for my insolence." "I see," I said. "And so I must see him daily and cannot reveal in the least my feelings for him, beyond those of the silken slave who must serve any man who can afford the price of a cup of her Master's paga." I put my arm around the girl. "You see Master we are not so different. You have lost your slave and I cannot even permit myself to be found by my Master."