"Why have you brought it here?" asked Calliodorus.
"Ar's Station and Port Cos," said Tasdron, "are mighty powers on the river. I brought it here that I might give one half to you, Aemilianus, and one half to you, Calliodorus. In all that may later ensue, whatever it may be, do not forget that you once fought together, and once were comrades."
Tasdron then gave half of the topaz to Aemilianus and the other half to Calliodorus.
"My thanks," said Aemilianus.
"My thanks," said Calliodorus.
Then Aemilianus looked at Calliodorus. "Let us never forget the topaz," he said.
"We will not," said Calliodorus.
We then went to the door, and, as pleasantries were exchanged, our guests, one by one, began to take their leave. Miles of Vonda left first, heeled by his curvaceous, auburn haired beauty, Florence, once, too, of Vonda. On the street, below, at the foot of the stairs, he ordered her to precede him. She then did so, well exposed in the shreds of the tunic, the delicate lyre slung behind her left hip, her wrists fastened behind her, with Gorean efficiency, in her master's steel. She walked before him, her shoulders back, her head high; she walked before him, happily, beautifully, a loved, paraded slave. Aemilianus next left, heeled by Shirley. Following him, Glyco and Calliodorus, both of Port Cos, left, the pair being heeled by Lola.
Tasdron and Callimachus paused at the door.
"Tasdron," said I, "when the council arrives at the shore of the Vosk, it is my hope that I may be there."
"It is our hope, too, that you will be there," said Tasdron, "with the others of Victoria."
We clasped hands. Tasdron then left. He carried with him the brief white tunic which Peggy had worn, and the collar which he had taken from her throat. They would fit other girls.
"Congratulations, again!" I said to Callimachus.
"Thank you," he said. "I shall, of course, need strong men, men from the various towns, men tried and true."
"Doubtless you will find them," I said. "The finest swords on the river will be eager to place themselves in your service."
He then casually thrust Peggy ahead of him through the door, and she hurried, bound, down to the first landing of the stairs, some yards above the street. Callimachus followed her a step or two, and then he turned, and faced me.
"The temporary headquarters of the forces of the Vosk League," he said to me, "will be in the private serving room of the tavern of Tasdron. You know the place."
"Of course," I said. We had met there, many times.
"In five days," said Callimachus, "you will report to me there."
"Report?" I asked.
"I have selected you as my second in command," he said.
"Callimachus!" I cried.
"Or do you, now that you are rich, fear the travail of the service, the offices of such a guardsman?"
"No!" I cried.
"Then you have your orders," he said.
"Yes, Captain!" I said.
He then went down one or two stairs, and then turned, and again faced me. "We might discuss this at greater length, but, as you might understand," he said, jerking a thumb at the nude, bound Peggy, waiting for him on the landing, "I am in a hurry to get this slave home, and use her."
"Yes, Captain," I grinned.
He then joined Peggy on the landing. He regarded the lovely, bound slave. She drew back. "Am I not to heel you, my Master?" she asked.
"Precede me," he said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Thus," said he, "should any of Victoria be abroad at this hour they may observe the value and the quality of the animal, this lovely gift, which I have been given."
"Yes, Master," she said.
"And, too," he smiled, "I wish to anticipate the pleasures which I am shortly to derive from you."
"Yes, Master," she laughed, and hurried down the stairs ahead of him.
I then closed the door, and threw the bolts and bars in place. I then turned and looked at the small slave standing near me. "Go to a place near the table," I said, "and kneel there on the tiles, with your head bowed, deferentially."
"Yes, Master," she said, and hurried to obey. I then went about the house, locking and securing it. The dancers, and their master, of course, had gone long ago. I had made many improvements in the house. I set the bars and bolts in place at the back door; leading from the kitchen. I attended, too, to the windows. When I returned to the vicinity of the table the house, in effect, had been transformed into a small fortress.
I looked at the small slave, kneeling, head down, on the scarlet tiles, in the light of the lamps.
"We are alone," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"You may lift your head," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I walked about her, examining her. She was very beautiful.
"May I speak, Master?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
"You brought three binding straps to the table," she said.
"Yes," I said.
"But you brought none for me?"
"No," I said.
"Ah," she said.
"Your gift to me, your performance, during the course of the black wine," I said, "was very beautiful."
"Thank you, Master," she said. "But it was not a mere entertainment. I had long fantasized stripping myself before you, and offering myself to you as your slave."
"Really?" I said.
"Yes," she said. "And in many fashions, and ways."
"You shall enact these for me in the future," I said.
"I shall be pleased to do so, Master," she said.
"How long have you entertained these fantasies?" I asked.
"Even on Earth," she said. "I can even recall attempting to decide what might be the most sensuous way I could remove a bikini before you."
I took her by the upper arms and put her forward, on her belly, on the tiles, and then I crossed her wrists behind her body, and her ankles. It is a standard binding position. She then retained this position, not having been given permission to break it, while I went to the tiles at the foot of the table and gathered up the two golden straps with which, earlier, she had simulated the footwear she had worn at the restaurant. I then returned to her side and crouched down. I then began to tie her, her wrists with one of the straps, and her ankles with the other.
"Had you fantasized thusly," I asked, tying her, "the removal of your clothing, the white-sheath gown, and such, and the offering of yourself to me as a slave, on the night of our meeting at the restaurant?"
She winced. I checked the knots.
I then turned her to her back.
"Yes, Master," she said, looking up at me, "but then, of course, I did not know that slaves were not permitted purses nor, without their master's explicit permission, a nether closure to their garments."
I stood up, and looked down at her.
"You have tied me," she said. "I am helpless! You own me!"
"But you were testy, ill-tempered, belligerent in the restaurant," I said.
She squirmed on the tiles, bound. "I was a confused Earth woman," she said. "I did not know what to do!"
She tried to pull her ankles apart. "Please untie my ankles, Master," she begged. "Let me throw them apart for you!"
"It seems you now know what to do," I said.
"I did not know then what I was," she sobbed. "I know now what I am! Please untie me now, Master! Please let me serve you!"
"You will be untied if, and when, I please," I told her. "Yes, Master!" she sobbed. I then sat down, cross-legged, a few feet from her. I wished to think. She was an interesting, complex slave.
The former graduate student in English literature, bound, nude and collared, struggled to her knees. She looked at me.
"It is rather different from Earth, isn't it?" I asked.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Do you know your place, and condition?" I asked.
"Yes, Master," she said. "My place is at your feet. My condition is that of a slave."