"It is she, who danced at the pole," said another.
"A pretty slave," said another.
"I want the woman," said Mahpiyasapa to Canka, indicating Winyela.
"You may not have her," said Canka.
"Speak, Wopeton," said Mahpiyasapa to Grunt, whom he had brought with him.
"My friend, Canka," said Grunt, "the woman was brought into the Barrens for Mahpiyasapa. He had ordered such a woman last year. It was for him that I purchased her in Kailiauk, near the Ihanke, and for him that I marched her eastward on my chain. The bargin was an old one, sealed last year. He is your chief. Give him the woman."
"No," said Canka.
"I was to receive five hides of the yellow kailiauk for her," said Grunt. "I do not wish, however, to have bad blood between two great warriors of the Isbu. Give her to mahpiyasapa. I will forgo the hides."
"No," said Mahpiyasapa. "It will never be said that Mahpiyasapa did not speak with a straight tongue. When I receive the woman I will give you the hides."
"He may not have the woman," said Canka. "By captrue rights she is mine. Mahpiyasapa, my chieftain, knowns this. Mahpiyasapa, my chieftain, is Kaiila. He will not violate the customs of the Kaiila."
"There is truly to be peace between the Kaiila and the Yellow Knives," said Mahpiyasapa. "Watonka has arranged it. Even now civil chieftains of the Yellow Knives reside in his lodge."
"What is this to me?" asked Canka.
"You have not behaved well," said Mahpiyasapa. "The woman should be mine. As chief I could take her to my lodge. But as chief I will not do this. I do not want to make you angry."
"Let me buy you two women, and give them to you for her," said Canka.
"That is the one I want," said Mahpiyasapa, indicating Winyela.
"That one," said Canka, "is mine."
"I want her," said Mahpiyasapa.
"She is mine, by capture right," said Canka.
Mahpiyasapa fell silent. He was angry.
"I am sorry, my chief," said Canka, "if I do not behave well. I am sorry if I have not acted in a way that is becoming to me. Had it been another woman I do not think I would have hesitated to bring her, her neck in a rope, to your lodge. This woman, however, as soon as I saw her, I knew that I wanted her. I know I could not rest until her neck was in my collar, until she was mine."
"I do not want her for myself," said Mahpiyasapa. "I want her for Yellow Knives. I and my fellows are going about the camp, gathering gifts for the Yellow Knives, kaiila and saddles, blankets, robes, cloth and women."
"I will give you a kaiila," said Canka.
"She is beautiful and her coloring and hair are rare in our contry," said Mahpiyasapa. "She would make a superb gift."
"Neither you nor the Yellow Knives may have her," said Canka.
"Her breasts are too small," said Mahpiyasapa.
"I am keeping her," said Canka. "She is mine, I want her."
When Mahpiyasapa had made this remark about her breasts, Winyela, troubled, puzzled, had inadvertently touched them. I myself though that her breasts were very lovely, and sweetly proportionate to her figure as a whole. Mahpiyasapa, however, it seemed, as is not all that unusual among the men of the red savages, preferred large-breased women. This preference for meatier, more ample bodied women, incidentally, is also common among the men of the Tahari. On Gor, generally, as far as I can tell, on the other hand, there is no particularly desiderated female type. Female beauty, it is recognized, is a complex and subtle thing, lovely and rich in its almost countelss variations. So much, as always, depends on the individual woman. There are so many ways of being beautiful.
"This is your last word on the matter?" asked Mahpiyasapa.
"Yes," said Canka.
Mahpiyasapa, then, turned about and strode away, followed by those who were with him.
Canka, turned, then, and looked down at Winyela, who was kneeling by the entrance to his lodge. She lowered her head.
REstrictive, stereotypical conceptions of female beauty, it might be added, are generally alien to the Gorean conscioiusness. That female beauty should be regarded as being restricted, for example, to a certain type of woman, say, perhaps, to women who are unusually tall for women, thin and small breasted, would be regarded as preposterous, if not even incomprehensible, to the Gorean. That conception would be just too limited for him. Too, of course, he is interested in a woman for such things as service and love, not fore being photographed in barbaric garments. Most Gorean women, like most human females, in general, tend to be short, curvaceous and dark-haired. Most women sold in slave markets, too, of course, are of this sort. They look well in chains, kneeling before one.
Winyela lifted her head to Canka. There were tears in her eyes. "Perhpas you should give me to him, Master," she said. "Perhaps my breasts are too small."
"Do not be stupid," said Canka. "They are perfect. Go cook."
"Yes, Master," she said, happily.
"Do you not fear," I asked, "that there will be trouble over this?" Cuwignaka and I had been standing nearby, listening to Canka and Mahpiyasapa. We had been invited to the lodge of Canka this night for boiled meat, a way of preparing meat of which the red savages are fond.
"I do not think so," said Canka. "But let us not worry about such things. These are to be days of joy and feasting."
"Tomorrow I will enter the lodge of the dance," said Cuwignaka.
"I have seen many gifts being exchanged about the camp," I said.
"It is a time for happiness and giveaways," said Cuwignaka. "The kailiauk, even, came early this year."
"That is true," I said. I still did not understand the early arrival of the kailiauk. That, still, seemed strange to me.
"Did you enjoy the use of the beaded quirt?" asked Canka.
"Yes," I said, "very much." I recalled the blond girl from he herd. I had had a most enjoyable afternoon.
"You may retain it until after the holidays, after the dancing and feasts," said Canka.
"Thank you," I said.
"It is nothing," grinned Canka.
"Is it the same slave?" he asked one of the lads in charge of he herd, when I habe brought the blond-haired girl back to the herd.
"Yes," I had said.
"It seems you took from us a woman who was enslaved," said the lad, "and you bring back to us a woman who is a slave."
The girl knelt down, near us, her head down, smiling.
"How was she?" asked one of the lads.
"Squirming, lascivious slave meat," I said. "hot, helpless, passionate, responsive."
"Splendid," said one of he lads, an older one, striking his thigh.
"I think now," I said, "that any man would find her satisfactory."
"I will try to prove to be better then merely satisfactory, Master," said the girl.
"Good," said one pf the lads.
"Back to the herd girl," said another lad, urging his kaiila towards her.
She scrambled back to the herd, quickly inserting herself among her fellow, lovely beasts. Some of the other animlas regarded her with envy, and wonder. She was much differnt now, clearly, thatn she had been earlier in the day. The acceptance of her womanhood, and her submission to men, and surrender to them, in her heart, is a pivotal thing in the psychic life of a female. A similar moment of great psychic import occurs, of course, in the life of a man when he accepts manhood. Thencefoth he repudiates lies and spurious images. Thenceforth he will be a man.
"It is sundown," said one of the lads. "We must get these she-kaiila to the village, where we shall hobble and picket them for the night."
Some of he beasts, I saw, regarded the blond girl, now, with loathing. Others, however, came up to her and kissed her, gently, welcoming her to the sisterhood of the collar. How wretched and peevish are those, themselves so resentful and constricted, who begrudge others the vitalities and pleasures of their honesty.
"Hei!" called two or three of the lads, lifting their coiled ropes.