"Master," I said.
"Yes," he said.
"I have been doing a great deal of thinking," I said.
"Is that what you have been doing?" he asked.
"I mean, in the last few Ehn," I said.
"Yes?" he said.
"I have learned my collar," I said.
"Good," he said.
"You have taught it to me well," I said.
He shrugged. The Goreans have a theory that any man can teach a woman her collar, and perfectly.
"But was it necessary," I asked, "that you used me as you did earlier, after you had whipped me?"
"How was that?" he asked.
"Master!" I protested. Then I saw that he wished to make me speak. "when you made me kneel, with my head down," I said, embarrassed.
"No," he said. "It was not necessary."
"Then why did you do it?" I asked.
"It amused me," he said.
"Surely there was more to it than, that," I said.
"Yes," he said, "it is a useful way to show a woman, one who may be proud, or not clear on the matter, that she is a slave."
"I see," I said. "I find it difficult to forget the experience." "Oh?" he asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Doubtless you were appropriately degraded and shamed," he said.
"No," I said. "To be sure," I said, "it was instructive, but, as I recall it now, I found it very loving and exciting."
"You liked it?" he asked.
"Doubtless it brought my slavery home to me," I said, carefully.
"I would think so," he said. "It would doubtless be difficult to continue to think of oneself as a free woman after having been used in that fashion." "I liked it," I said, suddenly.
"That is interesting," he said. The beast! He knew I had almost screamed with submission and pleasure!
"Are slaves often used in such a fashion?" I asked, as though unconcerned. "Sometimes," he said.
"Might I ever again be put under such a discipline?" I asked.
"Perhaps," he said. I looked at him.
"Perhaps if you beg prettily enough," he said.
"I will," I smiled. "I will!"
"Do you recall the position?" he asked. "Yes," I said.
"Speak," he said.
"The girl kneels, with her head down, her hands clasped behind her neck," I said.
"You recall the position perfectly," he admitted.
"Yes," I said.
"Assume it," he said.
"Yes, Master," I said, joyfully.
"Thank you, Master," I said, softly; lying in his arms, thanking him for his touch. It is now evening. Again he had gone to the door and summoned a slave. Again we had had food brought in and had, again, eaten.
"Ohhhh," I said softly. "Thank you. Thank you, Master. You are my master. You are my Master! Thank you. Thank you, my master."
Then, later, he held me closely.
"Master," I said.
"Yes?" he said.
"I have often wondered what was the meaning of a golden cage, and why I, when thought a Tatrix, was placed in one."
"The gold," said he, "is a precious metal, is thought perhaps fitting for a free woman, in particular for one of high station, and certainly for a Tatrix. That it is a cage, on the other hand, signifies that she is taken to be, in actuality, no better than a slave, and only fit to be a slave. To place her in such a cage is then to make a clear statement as to her true and rightful nature."
"I see," I said. "And doubtless the goldensack is of similar import." "Yes," He said.
"Yet Hassan enslaved Sheila before placing her in such a sack."
"True," he said, "and that she as a mere slave was yet placed in such a sack must have induced exquisite emotions m her, emotions of fear, of outrage and humiliation."
"Doubtless," I said.
"It was a. joke on the part of Hassan," he said, "an exquisite one." "Doubtless," I said.
"But doubtless, too," he said, "it served a useful purpose in her on-going training."
"Doubtless," I said.
"But doubtless, too," he laughed, "it seemed an appropriate modality, did it not, in which to transport a former Tatrix to Argentum?"
"Yes," I said. I shuddered.
"But I think you need not fear confinement now in golden cages or golden sacks," he said.
"Cages formed of simple, sturdy bars of black iron and deep, doubly-sewn sacks of heavy, plain leather, black and thick, tied or locked shut, will now serve well enough for you, confinements suitable to the more common slave you now are."
"Yes, Master," I laughed. Such devices would suffice quite well, surely, for a common girl such as I now was.
"Master," I said.
"Yes?" he said.
"Read me my collar," I begged, "please."
"I showed it to you before," he said. "You should have read it for yourself." "You are teasing me," I pouted. "You know I cannot read."
"Not even your collar?" he asked.
"No," I said.
"Well," he said, "do not worry about it. It is not necessary for you to be able to read your collar. All that is necessary, from your point of view, is that it is locked on you, that you cannot remove it, and that it can be read by free men."
"Are you going to teach me to read?" I asked.
"Such skills would seem to have a very low priority," he said. "For example, can you play the kalika?"
"No," I said.
"Do you know the exercises and luscious movements of slave dance?" he asked. "Not really," I said.
"So why should you be taught to read?" he asked.
"I could spy on your mail," I said.
"I had not considered that," he admitted "It could improve my price," I said. "That is probably true," he said.
"Many men," I said, "enjoy having a girl who can read. It gives them pleasure to make her serve as well, or better, than an illiterate girl."
"I shall think about it," he said.
"Thank you, Master," I said. Whether I would learn to read or not was not up to me. In final analysis, it was up to masters. It would be done with me as they wished.
"Tell me, please," I asked, "what is on my collar."
"A speck of dust," he said. "There, I have removed it."
"Please," I said.
"It is simple," he said. "It says, "I belong to Drusus Reneius, of Ar.' I kissed him. "It speaks the truth not only of my legal condition," I said, "but of my heart."
He then, again, began to touch me. "Thank you, Master I breathed, again. I did not know whether or nor I would be taught to read. Then, in a few moments, gently, softly, I began again to yield to him.
I lay on one elbow, regarding Drusus Rencius. "What did you pay for me?" I asked.
"It is not important," he said.
"I am curious to know," I said.