"Speak further," said Claudius.

The slave lifted her head. "You may put me under tortures, Master," she said, "but, woe, I know little more than I have spoken. The beasts keep us much in ignorance so that, if captured, we can reveal little of their strategies and plans. What details there are beyond those I have given you would, I fear, be meaningless or trivial to you, such things as descriptions of the appearances of agents on Earth, where I was first contacted, and such."

"As beasts may be allied with men," said Claudius, "so, too, I suppose, might men be allied with Priest-Kings."

"Yes, Master," she whispered.

"Are there not, then, on Gor, places where such men may be found?" asked Claudius.

"There are several, doubtless, Master," she said.

"Name one such place," said Claudius.

She turned white. She looked to Hassan, her master. His eyes forbade hesitation. Neither mercy nor lenience were to be shown to her.

"The house of Samos, in Port Kar," she whispered.

Claudius looked to Menicius.

Claudius then regarded Ligurious.

"I choose not to comment on these matters," he said, straightening himself. He seemed very strong. He was the sort of man, it seemed to me, who might serve as master to the slave in almost any woman. Many times, I knew, I had felt the helpless desire and fear of a slave in his presence. Sheila did not meet his eyes. No longer was she a Tatrix. She was now naught but a stripped and chained slave.

"Tortures, doubtless," said Menicius, "might be brought to bear upon your resolve."

"True," said Ligurious, "but only at the cost of sacrificing the honor of Argentum."

Claudius looked at Ligurious.

"Claudius?" asked Menicius.

"Ligurious, it is true," said Claudius, "came to us a free man, of his own will. He has been guaranteed immunity in Argentum, and has been guaranteed a safe conduct from her walls."

"He has sought to misdirect our inquiries and has distorted and misrepresented evidence," said a man.

"Perjurious abominations he has uttered!" cried a man. "Impale him!" cried another.

"Impale him!" cried yet another. Men rose to their feet, shaking their fists. "Impale him!" cried several.

Ligurious smiled. The victory was his. What a small thing would be his impalement compared to the stain on the escutcheon of Argentum. His freedom was guaranteed.

"Remove the former first minister of Corcyrus from our presence," said Claudius, "lest I be tempted to betray the pledge of my city. Let his shackles be removed only in his own quarters, to which he is to be closely confined."

Two soldiers seized Ligurious by the arms,

"We have to inquire into these matters," said Claudius to Ligurious, "and resolutions to be made. It is possible we may have need of you for further testimony, asseverations germane to our proceedings. In any event, your presence will be retained for our pleasure until our deliberations have been concluded. Then, and then only, will the pledge of Argentum be honored."

"Such a reservation is fully in accord with our original arrangements," said Ligurious loftily.

"I abide by your decision as willingly as I must also abide by it, perforce." "Postpone the deliberations a thousand years!" cried a man.

"That is not the way of Argentum," smiled Claudius.

At a gesture from Claudius Ligurious was conducted from the room.

"Do you object, Menicius, my friend?" asked Claudius.

"I had not realized the guarantees extended by Argentum," said Menicius. "You have, of course, under the circumstances, no choice."

"I feel sorry for him in a way," said Claudius, looking after Ligurious. "He is a strong man, ruthless and powerful, proud and strong, but he permitted himself to be the dupe of a female, to be wound about the finger of a woman."

Claudius then pointed to Sheila. "Bring that slave forward," he said. With a whimper Sheila was dragged to her feet, pulled forward and, with' a rattle of chain, thrown to her knees before Claudius.

"This woman," said Claudius, pointing to Sheila, "has been proved by evidence and testimony, both written and oral, to be the former Tatrix of Corcyrus. Indeed, this fact has been acknowledged, ultimately, even in her own admission." He looked down at Sheila. "Who captured you and brought you here, Slave?" he asked.

"Hassan, of Kasra, Master," she said.

"The reward, then," said Claudius, "clearly belongs to Hassan, of Kasra. let it be brought!"

An officer left the room. Hassan came' forward, about the tables, to stand near the kneeling slave. In a few moments the officer had returned. He carried a heavy, bulging sack over his shoulder which he lowered gently, heavily, to the floor before the table. It must have weighed between ninety and one hundred pounds.

"In this sack," said Claudius, "carefully counted, but assure yourself of the matter, are fifteen hundred pieces of gold, stamped staters of Argentum, certified by the mint of the Ubar."

Hassan looked down at Sheila.

"Shall scales be brought?" asked Claudius. "We will take no offense. If any discrepancy be found, perhaps the result of some inadvertence, we shall see that it is made good."

"No," said Hassan. "Weights and balances, the chains and pans, need not be fetched forth."

"Accept then the reward," said Claudius. "You have well earned it." "What fate do you intend for this woman?" asked Hassan.

"Claudius shrugged. "The mounting for the impaling spear has already been prepared," he said.

"The spear itself has been sharpened and polished."

"Fifteen hundred gold pieces," said Hassan, "seems a great deal of' money for a mere slave."

"It was you yourself, as I understand it," smiled Claudius, "who "neck-ringed her and, shortly thereafter, with a blazing iron, marked her slave."

Hassan smiled. "I seem to recall something to that effect," he said, He looked down at Sheila.

"Are you a slave?" he asked.

"Yes, my master," she said, "and only you know how much a slave." I was thrilled to hear her say this. Every woman, in her deepest heart, wants to find a man whom she must serve perfectly, a man who will bring out the fundamental and profound slave in her, a man who will bend her uncompromisingly and helplessly to his will. In Hassan Sheila, obviously, had found such a man. "Are you prepared, now," asked Hassan, "to be turned over to Claudius and the high council?"

"Yes, Master," she said. "I ask only, first, to be permitted one last time to kiss your feet in respect and reverence, and, in doing so, to express, too, my gratitude for the joy you have given me in these few days you have owned me. They have been the most precious of my life." She then, tenderly, kissed his feet, extending obeisance and love to the man who had made her a slave. There were tears in my eyes.

Hassan laughed, a roar of a laugh. She looked up, startled.

"Do you truly think I brought you here," he laughed, "to turn you over to Claudius and the high council?"

"Of course, Master," she said. "No!" he laughed.

There were cries of astonishment from those about.

"Kiss my feet fifteen hundred times, you luscious baggage," he laughed, "at least once for every gold piece you are costing me!"' "Yes, Master," she cried, startled, putting down her head.

"This woman was the Tatrix of Corcyrus, was she not?" laughed Hassan. "Yes," said Claudius, startled. "That has been established, even by her own admissions."

"And I have, thus, earned the reward, fully and clearly, if I should wish it?" asked Hassan.

"Certainly," said Claudius, puzzled.

"That is all I wanted," said Hassan. "Indeed, it is all I ever wanted." "I do not understand," said Claudius.

"For years," said Hassan, "I have heard of the Tatrix of Corcyrus, of her tyranny, of her fabled pride and beauty. I found such a woman intriguing. Then, wonder of wonders, she fell. None could find her. I was curious to know what it would be like to have such a woman in my collar, a fair skinned, golden-haired Tatrix of the north, to make her crawl, and cry and serve, to make her a man's woman."