She kissed me one last time and turned about and ran off. She would spend the night in the Waiting Cells, and, at dawn, with hundreds of others, be sent as slave cargo to the pens of the Curulean.
"You there, Slaves," called Ho-Tu, "to your cells!"
He was speaking to Virginia Kent, and to Lana, who had both lingered in the vicinity of Relius, who was finishing a cup of wine.
"You there, little White Silker," said Ho-Tu, "who are so adept with the porridge bowl, hasten to the Waiting Cells. You will need your sleep. You are to ascend the block tomorrow. You must make a good showing for the House of Cernus."
Virginia choked back a tear. "Yes, Master," she said.
Lana laughed and went to Relius, taking his arm, looking at Virginia. "Tomorrow, White Silker," she said, "you will be sold but Lana will still be in the House of Cernus." She looked at Relius, snuggling up to him, kissing him on the side of the neck. "If Lana is permitted to leave the House tomorrow," she wheedled the guard, "Lana wants to wear the leash of Relius."
Virginia stood there, helpless, her fists clenched, fighting back tears.
"What is your name?" demanded Ho-Tu of the Red Silk Girl.
"Lana," she said, "if it pleases Master."
"Lana," said Ho-Tu, "you will indeed leave the House tomorrow."
"Thank you, Master," said Lana, looking up thin at Relius.
"Now, Lana," said Ho-Tu, "go to the Waiting Cells."
She spun about. "The Waiting Cells!" she cried.
"Yes," said Ho-Tu, "you will be sold tomorrow on the Love Feast."
"No!" she cried. "No!"
Virginia laughed and clapped her hands with joy.
"No!" cried Lana.
"To the Waiting Cells, Slaves!" commanded Ho-Tu. He slapped the slave goad that hung at his belt.
Terror came into the eyes of the girl. She threw one wild look at Relius and then, as Ho-Tu removed the slave goad from his belt, she ran weeping from the room.
Virginia Kent dropped to her knees before Ho-Tu, in the position of the Pleasure Slave, and lowered her head. "Thank you, Master," she said.
He shook her head with his heavy hand. "You are a brave little wench," he said. "And you are very dangerous with a bowl of porridge."
She dropped her head even more.
"Hurry, Slave!" barked Ho-Tu. "To the Waiting Cells!"
Virginia Kent, who had taught classics and ancient history in a college on Earth, leaped to her feet, and, barefoot, a slave girl, raced from the room, hurrying to the Waiting Cells, whence at dawn, with others, she would be sent to the Curulean, where, in the evening, she would, with Elizabeth and Phyllis, ascend the block, her purchased flesh, like theirs, to bring gold to the House of Cernus.
Ho-Tu looked after her and grinned. "A very brave little wench," he muttered.
"And dangerous with a bowl of porridge," I reminded him.
"Yes," said he, "that is true."
I looked about the room. Now only guards and members of the staff remained in the room. I supposed I might as well return to my compartment. I would miss Elizabeth.
Suddenly two guards entered the room, thrusting a woman before them.
I saw Ho-Tu look up and turn white. His hand moved to the hook knife at his belt.
The woman stumbled to the place before the table of Cernus, where she stood. A bit of scarlet cord had been knotted about her waist, into which was thrust a long rectangle of red silk; her hair hand been unbound; her wrists were braceleted behind her back; the key hung on a string about her neck; the slave bells were still locked on her left ankle, but her finery was gone; no longer did the slave goad dangle from her wrist.
"Kajuralia, Sura," said Cernus to the woman.
"Kajuralia, Master," said she bitterly.
Ho-Tu spoke. "Let her return to her compartment," said he. "Sura has served us well. She is the finest trainer in Ar."
"She will be reminded," said Cernus, "that she is only a slave."
"I beg your favor," cried Ho-Tu.
"It is denied," said Cernus. "Let the gambling begin."
A number of men crowded between the tables then and some dice, inked knucklebones of the verr, were soon rattling in a metal goblet. Sura knelt before the table of Cernus, her head down. One of her guards snapped a slave leash on her collar. The leash key was on a tiny loop of wire. The guard twisted this wire about the red-enameled steel of her collar. Behind her the men began crying out, watching the tumbling of the knucklebones on the stones of the floor. I understood to some extent what was taking place. It was merely another of the turnabouts of Kajuralia, but in it was perhaps more; Sura's pride and position in the House, though she was slave, had been resented by many of the men and staff; perhaps even Cernus felt she had overstepped herself; surely he seemed pleased that she would now be humbled, now used as a common Red Silk Girl.
"I use her first!" cried one man.
Then there were more shouts and the men continued to gamble. I had not understood until then that the beautiful, proud Sura would, in order of the gambling, serve each of the men in that room.
I looked to Ho-Tu. To my astonishment there were tears in his fierce, black eyes. His hand was on the hilt of the hook knife.
I looked to Sura. She was kneeling on the stones, bent over, her head down, the hair falling forward, clad only in the bit of red silk, her wrists braceleted behind her back. I saw her shoulders move, and, startled, realized that she wept.
I then moved into the center of the gambling men and, not speaking, as they looked up, angry at the intrusion, I took the metal goblet containing the knucklebones from the man who held it.
Bitterly, yet not daring to object, he surrendered it.
I looked from face to face, and then I shook the knucklebones and scattered them, the four of them, on the stones at my feet.
It had been a low cast, not high. Several of the men laughed with relief. But then my sword was out of the sheath and delicately, turning each bone with the tip of the blade, I placed the side marked with the highest number on each of the bones facing the ceiling.
The men looked on angrily. One or two of them muttered in rage. On their knees from the gambling, they looked up at me, in fury.
"I will use her," I said. "And I alone will use her."
"No!" cried a guard, springing to his feet.
I looked at him and he stepped back, turned, and angrily left the room.
"Dispute her with me who will," I said.
Angrily the men rose to their feet, and, muttering, dispersed.
I turned to face Cernus. He smiled and expansively lifted his hand. "If none dispute you," said he, "she is surely yours." He laughed and grinned down at Sura. "Kajuralia, Slave," said he.
"Kajuralia, Master," said Sura, whispering.
I spoke harshly to Sura. "Lead me to your quarters, Slave."
She struggled to her feet, the leash dangling from her collar. I did not pick up the leash and she moved past me, tears in her eyes, leaving the room, the sound of bells marking her movements. But she did not walk as a trained Pleasure Slave. She walked numbly, her head down, a defeated woman. I heard Cernus laugh. "I have heard," jeered Cernus, "that the Killer knows well how to use slaves!"
Sura stopped at that moment, and put her head back, though she did not turn to face him, and then she hurried through the door.
"Killer," I heard.
I turned to face Ho-Tu. His hand was still on the hook knife.
"She is not a common slave," he said.
"Then," said I, "I shall expect from her uncommon pleasures," and turned and left.
Sura proceeded me through the halls of the House of Cernus, and then we passed through her training room, and entered her own quarters were we stopped. As she stood in the room I took the key on its string from about her neck and removed the bracelets. I threw them with the key to one side of the room; then I unlocked the slave leash and threw it, with its key, also to the side of the room.