"Nothing!" cried Ligurious. "There is nothing in them!"
"And that," said Miles of Argenturn, "is what Claudius, Ubar of Argenturn, sends to Corcyrusl"
"Insolence!" cried Ligurious. "Insolence!"
Cries of rage broke out from those about me.
Miles put out his hand and his helmet was returned to him. He put it again in the crook of his left arm. His great furred cape, by one of the men behind him, was adjusted on him.
"I now leave Corcyrus," he said. "When I return, I shall have an army at my back."
"You have insulted our Tatrix," said Ligurious.
"Your Tatrix," said Miles, "belongs in a cage, a golden cage."
There were further cries of rage from those about me. I did not understand, clearly, the nature of this insult, or the meaning of the reference to a golden cage.
Here," said Miles, reaching into a pocket on his belt, "if you of Corcyrus are so eager for the silver of Argenturn, I will give you some." He held tip the coin. "This is a silver tarsk of Argentum," be said. He flung it to the foot of the dais. "I give it to you," he said. "It is about the worth of your Tatrix, I think, in so far as I am now able to assess her. It is, I think, about what she would bring in a slave market."
Blades flashed forth from sheaths. I saw Drusus Rencius restrain one man from rushing upon Miles of Argentum. In the small retinue of Miles blades, too, had leapt from sheaths.
"Strip him, and chain him to the slave ring of the Tatrixt" cried a man. I shuddered. I would be terrified to have such a man chained at my couch. It would be like having a lion there.
Too, I thought, surely it would be more fitting for women, in their softness and beauty, with their dispositions to submit and love, irreservedly and wholly, as king nothing, giving all, holding nothing back from the dominant male, their master, to be chained to a slave ring. This, in its way, is a beautiful symbol of her nature and needs. On the other hand, symbolic considerations aside, it must be noted that the chain is quite real. She is truly chained there.
Miles turned about and, followed by his retinue, left the great hall.
Those about the throne, most bf them, began to take their leave.
"Do you think there will be trouble?" I asked Ligurious.
"No," he said. "Argentum, upon reflection, will think the better of her rash decision. Even Claudius knows that behind' us stands the might and weight of Cos."
The ambassador, he, Miles, the general of Argentum," I said, "seemed very, firm."
"He is a hothead," said Ligurious. "In time, have no fear, when there is a more objective assessment of realities, cooler wisdoms will prevail."
"I would not like for there to be trouble," I said.
"Do not worry about it in the least," said Ligurious. "Put all such matters from your mind. I assure you that there will be no trouble whatsoever. You have my word on it."
"You relieve my mind," I said. "I take great comfort in your words." "What did you think of Miles of Argentum?" asked Ligurious.
"I thought he seemed very strong, and handsome," I said.
"I see," smiled Ligurious. "Incidentally," he said, "would you like for me to have Susan whipped for you?" ords of Ligurious there was a "Why?" I asked. At the small sound from the chain of Susan. She shrank back, cowering beside the throne.
"Surely you saw her," said Ligurious, "when she knew herself to be under the gaze of the sleen from Argentum. She was dripping to the tiles before him. Forgive me. I did not I mean to offend your sensibilities."
"She is only a slave," I said, lightly. Surely I could not admit to Ligurious that I, too, had been made uneasy by the presence of the ambassador from Argenturn.
"True," laughed Ligurious. "I must take my leave now. Drusus Rencius will see you to your quarters."
I nodded, permitting Ligurious to take his leave.
"Thank you, Mistress," said Susan to me, kneeling beside the throne, "for not having me whipped."
Is it true," I asked her, "that you might possibly have experienced feelings of a sexuW nature before Miles of Argentum?"
"I cannot help myself, Mistress," she said. "Before such a man I begin to secrete the oils of submission."
"The oils of submission" I said.
"Yes, Mistress," she said.
"I have never heard them called that," I said.
"It is what they are," she said, "at least in a slave."
"Oh," I said.
"Does Lady Sheila wish to return to her quarters now?" inquired Drusus Rencius. "What of the treasures here," I asked, "and Susan, and the other slaves chained here?"
"Scribes from the treasure rooms will be along shortly," he said, "to gather in and account for the cloths and coins. The palace slave master will be along later, too, to release the girls and put them back about their more customary duties."
I then began to precede Drusus Rencius to my quarters.
"Miles of Argentum is an arrogant knave, isn't he?"; I asked Drusus. "So it would seem, Lady," said Drusus.
I remembered the sight of the silver tarsk from Argenturn, in the hand of Miles of Argenturn, and the way it had looked, on the soft carpeting of the dais, on one of the broad steps leading tip to the throne.
"Do you think," I asked, lightly, "that I might bring a silver tarsk in a slave market?"
"It would be difficult to say, without assessing Lady Sheila naked," he said. "Oh," I said.
"Does Lady Sheila wish me to assess her naked in her quarters?" he asked. "No," I said. "No, of course notl"
We continued to walk along the carpeted, ornamented corridors toward my quarters.
"But, from what you know of me," I said, "do you think that I might bring a silver tarsk?"
"As a Tatrix," he asked, "or only as another woman in the market, another mere female, up for vending, one about whom there is nothing politically or socially special, one who, like most others, will be priced and sold only on her own merits?"
"Like that," I said, "one whose price is determined merely by what she is, and nothing else."
"Are you serious?" he asked.
"Yes," I said, "as one whose value is determined only by herself." "I would think, then," he said, "the price would be too high."
"Oh?" I said, angrily. "And what do you think I would go for?"
"Lady Sheila must remember," said Drusus Rencius, "that even if she might prove to be quite lovely, she is still untrained."
"Untrained!" I cried.
"Yes," he said.
"You speak as if slaves were mere animalsl" I said.
"they are," he said.
I turned to face him, angrily. "And if I were such an animal, and for sale, what do you think I would bring?" I asked.
"May I speak with impunity?" he inquired, smiling.
"Yes," I said, "of coursel"
"My remarks," he said, "will be based on the hypothesis that Lady Sheila's figure is acceptable, that her curvatures fall within suitable slave tolerances."
I looked at him.
"Am I entitled to assume this?" he asked.
"I suppose so," I said. I had no idea what these tolerances might be. I did regard myself as being rather pretty.
"We shall further assume," be said, "that Lady Sheila's figure is not merely acceptable, but quite lovely. This, I think, from what I know of her, would be a fair assumption. In any event, it will enhance the speculation."
"Very well," I said.
"Your face, for example," he said, "is quite delicate and lovely. If your body matches it, I think you would clearly have the makings of a superb slave." "Proceed," I said. It pleased me to have received this compliment from Drusus Rencius. Too, I had little doubt but what my body, which is slender and lovely, and not overly developed, well matched -my face. Surely I would bring a high price.' "Let us, further assume," he-said, "that your beauty had been enhanced considerably, by being, branded and collared."