"I think there is little difficulty in the matter, in any event," said Calliodorus, "whether it is a fine name or not, as she now wears it as a slave name."

"I think you are right," said Aemilianus. "What do you think?" he asked me. "I agree," I said. "It is now a mere slave name." Too, of course, it might easily be changed. In the odysseys of her bondage, her name would doubtless be changed many times.

"I wonder what will become of her," I said.

"She is curvaceous," said Calliodorus. "Perhaps she will be sold to a paga tavern."

That was a possibility. I hoped that eventually, however, she might come into the keeping of a single master, to whom she would be a love slave. I thought that there was something in the slave now called «Claudia» a precious, vulnerable, yearning love slave.

"Aemilianus, my friend," said Calliodorus.

"Yes?" said he.

"It will take us some days to reach Port Cos," said Calliodorus. "Would you mind if, tomorrow morning, the two slaves, Claudia and Publia, were made available to the crew?"

"Of course not," said Aemilianus.

"We will chain them by their necks to a ring in the deck, aft," said Calliodorus. "That way, if they are too initially dismayed, they will not be able to throw themselves overboard."

"By nightfall," said Aemilianus, "I do not think they would want to throw themselves overboard."

"I do not think so," said Calliodorus. "Too, aft, they will be out of the sight of free women."

"Use them as you please," said Aemilianus.

"My lads left Port Cos in a hurry," said Calliodorus, "and we did not know if there would be fighting, or not. Thus we did not include among our supplies any women for slave use."

"No explanations are necessary," said Aemilianus. "Too, if their masters do not object, you may avail yourself of any of the other slaves, there are a few, I believe, whom you embarked at Ar's Station, including, of course, my Shirley." Shirley shrank back, a little. To be sure, even though she was the preferred slave of Aemilianus, her use could be handed about as easily as that of the lowest collar sluts on board, Claudia and Publia.

"I thank you for your generosity," said Calliodorus, "and I am sure that the other fellows of Ar's Station would be every bit as generous, but I think that after what you have been through, we would prefer, in all gentleness and courtesy, to let such slaves, including your Shirley, recollect in detail the pleasing of their own masters, perhaps amidships."

Shirley cried out with joy, looking upon Aemilianus.

"As you will," he smiled.

"And I think," said Calliodorus, "that the more extensive services then to be rendered by Claudia and Publia will be useful in helping them to comprehend more quickly and clearly the nature of their new condition." "Undoubtedly," smiled Aemilianus.

"I wonder if I might ask an additional favor of you," said Calliodorus. "Name it," said Aemilianus.

"When we enter Port Cos," he said, "I would like to do so in such a way as to make clear from afar that there is cause for rejoicing, that our business has been successfully conducted and that festivities are in order."

"Do as you wish," said Aemilianus.

"I will, then," he said, "with your permission, deck the ship with flags, and bunting and banners, and put prominently the flag of Ar's Station on the port stem line, and fly that of Port Cos on the starboard stem line."

"How is it," asked Aemilianus, "that you have a flag of Ar's Station on a ship of Port Cos?"

"One can never tell when such things might be useful," smiled Calliodorus. "And do you noble fellows of Ar's Station not carry flags of Port Cos, and perhaps of other towns, as well, in your vessels, perhaps in the chests in your stern castles?" That was a likely place to stow such paraphernalia. There it would both be out of the way, and yet handy.

"Perhaps," smiled Aemilianus.

"Dear friend," smiled Calliodorus.

Calliodorus bent down and clasped the upraised hand of Aemilianus. I had gathered that, long ago, these men had seen action together, probably on the river.

Calliodorus stood up.

There was, incidentally, one flag of Ar's Station on board, which had been brought from Ar's Station itself, but that flag, large, rent, faded and tattered, was not the one, or ones, under discussion. It had been there, staunch and defiant, throughout the siege. It had been brought to the Tais by the young man to whom I had entrusted it, the friend of the young crossbowman. He had given it to Aemilianus, who had, in turn, given it into the keeping of Surilius, his aide. I had little doubt that that flag was very precious to those of Ar's Station. They would be very careful as to what lines on which it might be affixed.

"But, dear friend," said Aemilianus, "is there not one touch else that might be in order, to indicate a successful voyage?"

"I was thinking of asking about it," smiled Calliodorus.

"Hang then in chains, at the prow!" said Aemilianus.

"Good," grinned Calliodorus.

The slave girl, as Claudia and Publia would come to learn, had thousands of uses. And one of them, surely, is that of a display object. It is common for masters to be very proud of their girls and to desire to show them off. indeed, one of the reasons for slave garb, aside from such things as its identificatory role, its stimulatory nature, both to the master and slave, its instructive role, and such, is its capacity to display the girl beautifully. Just as a man of Earth might be proud of his pictures, or his dogs or horses, so, too, a Gorean can be proud of his slave, or slaves. Some men like to travel with a naked slave afoot beside them, chained by the neck to their stirrup. Some rich men enjoy having lovely slaves, sometimes strings of them, follow them, chained by the neck, the leads of the chains fastened to slave bars at the back of their palanquins. In this case, Calliodorus was apparently interested in displaying two beauties, a pair of exquisite slaves, at this prow. Certainly they, suspended naked in their chains would enhance his entry into the harbor at Port Cos.

"I must be about my duties, my friend," then said Calliodorus to Aemilianus. "Rest."

Most of the men about had, by now, drifted away.

Calliodorus stopped for a moment, as though he wanted to say something more to Aemilianus, but he then seemed to think the better of it. He then climbed the steps behind Aemilianus, to the helm deck. I looked after him.

"He wanted to issue warnings," said Aemilianus, smiling.

"Warnings?" I asked.

"Yes," said Aemilianus. "He is a good fellow."

I gathered that it would be inopportune to inquire further into this matter, at least at the moment. But surely there could be little, or nothing, to fear now, at least for free persons.

"Commander," said I.

"Yes, Warrior," he responded. "I thank you for your mercy in the case of the former Lady Claudia." "Was it mercy?" he asked.

"I think so," I said.

"Well," he said, "her treacheries, however heinous and grievous, considered in the light of grander and more insidious designs, seemed paltry."

"And doubtless were," I said. "Is that why you spared her?"

"I spared her primarily," he said, "because you wished it."

"I am grateful," I said. "Too, I think she will make an excellent slave." "I am sure of it," he said.

"Even Calliodorus thought she was born for the collar," I said.

"She and Publia," said Aemilianus.

"Yes," I said.

"I think he was right about both," he said.

"I think so, too," I said.

"My friend," he said.

"Yes," I said, startled.

"You said to her," he reminded me, "that you had no intention of imperiling your life for her."

"Yes," I said.

"Yet I think had I not spared her," said he, "that you would have drawn your sword on her behalf."