"If you did not see them together, however," said a man, "it would be extremely difficult to tell them apart."
"Yes," said another.
"I submit, my Ubar," said Miles of Argentum, "that the woman on your left, she with the shorter hair, is she before whom I appeared in Corcyrus, when I brought, at your request, the scrolls of protest to that city."
"Are you certain?" asked Claudius.
"Yes," said Ligurious. "That is true. She is Sheila, the former Tatrix of Corcyrus."
"That is not the one whom the sleen selected," said Hassan.
"I have witnesses who will identify her," said Miles. "I my-self am the first such witness. She is Sheila, the Tatrix of CorCyrus.
"How do you know?" asked "Drusus Rencius, rising to his feet.
I was startled. How dared he speak?
"The captain from Ar is out of order," said Claudius.
A "Please let him speak, noble Claudius," said Miles.
"Is it your intention to speak on behalf of the shorter-haired slave?" asked Claudius.
"Yes," said Drusus Rencius.
There were cries of astonishment in the banquet hall. Even the feast slaves, in the back, girls such as Claudia, Crystal, Tupa and Emily, looked wildly at one another. I moved in my chains. I was thrilled,.
"You may do so," said Claudius. "My thanks, Ubar," said Drusus Rencius. "Is it your intention to jeopardize our friendship, old comrade in arms?" inquired Miles of Argentum.
"That is no friendship, beloved Miles," said Drusus Rencius, "which can be jeopardized by truth."
"That is the woman whom I saw in Corcynis when I carried there the scrolls of Argentum," said Miles, pointing to me. "That is she who was on the throne. That is she whom I captured after the fall of the city. That is she whom I had locked in the golden cage!"' "I do not dispute that," said Drusus Rencius.
"You grant, then, my case," said Miles.
"No," said Drusus Rencius. "I do not dispute that you saw her in Corcyrus, that you later captured her, that you had her placed in a golden cage, and such things. What I dispute is that she was the Tatrix of Corcyrus."
"The captain from Ar," said Miles, "has apparently taken leave of his senses. He is being foolish. Would he have us believe that the true Tatrix was off somewhere, polishing her nails perhaps, while someone else was conducting the business of state in her place?"
There was laughter. Drusus Rencius clenched his fists. He was a Gorean warrior. He did not take lightly to being mocked and chided in this fashion.
"My second witness," said Miles of Argentum, "is the woman who served her intimately in her own quarters, who bathed her and clothed her, and combed her hair, who was to her as her own personal serving slave, now one of my own slaves, Susan."
Susan was summoned forward. How exquisite and beautiful, and well displayed she was, in the trim, tiny tunic that was the uniform of the girls of Miles of Argentum. We now wore the same collar. He owned us both.
She knelt before him, his.
"Is that the woman whom you served In Corcyrus?" Miles asked her, pointing to me.
Susan came over to me. "Forgive me, Mistress," she said.
"Do not call me Mistress, Susan," I said. "I am now as much a slave as you." "Yes, Mistress," she said.
"Is that the woman whom you served?" asked Miles.
"It is, Master," she said.
The members of the high council and many of the guests looked about at one another, nodding.
"As this girl is the property of Miles of Argentum," said Claudius to Drusus Rencius, "you may move that her testimony be discounted or be retaken, under torture."
In Gorean courts the testimony of slaves is commonly taken under torture. Drusus Rencius looked across the room to Miles of Argenturn.
"I will withdraw her testimony," said Miles of Argentum. "If she is to be tortured, it will be at my will and not that of a court. In this, however, I make no implicit concession. I maintain that the truth which she would cry out under torture would be no different from that which you have already heard freely spoken."
"Well done, Drusus Rencius," said a man, admiringly.
I saw that Miles of Argentum did not wish to have Susan subjected to judicial torture, perhaps tormented and torn on the rack, even though it might validate her testimony and strengthen his case. But she was onl~ a slave! Could it be be cared for her? I suspected it was true. I suspected that the little beauty from Cincinnati, Ohio, in his collar, had become special to him, that she was now to him perhaps even a love slave.
"I do not ask that her testimony be discounted or withdrawn," said Drusus Rencius, "only that it be clearly understood."
There were cries of astonishment from those about the tables.
"Susan," said Drusus Rencius.
"Yes, Master," she said. "Do you think this woman is wicked?" he asked. "I think she can be nasty and cruel," she said, "but, in a collar, she will doubtless be kept well in her place."
"From what you know of her," he asked, "do you think she could be guilty of the enormities and crimes commonly charged against the Tatrix of Corcyrus?" "No, Master," she said, happily.
"Mistresses sometimes have different relationships to their serving slaves, or friends, than they do to others," said Ligurious. "It is well known that great crimes can be committed by individuals who are, to others, kindly and affectionate."
"And," said Drusus Rencius, "that a man who is a wrathful master to one woman may be little better than the obsequious pet of another."
"Perhaps," said Ligurious, angrily.
"You know that this is the woman whom you served, Susan," said Drusus Rencius, indicating me, "for you are familiar with her, and have no difficulty in recognizing her. What I am suggesting is that you do not really know that she was the true Tatrix of Corcyrus. You suppose she was because that is what you were told, and for certain other reasons, such as others took her also for such, and you saw her performing actions which, you supposed, only the Tatrix would perform, such things as holding audiences with foreign dignitaries, and Such." "Yes, Master," said Susan.
"But is it not possible," he asked, "that she might have been reported to be the Tat, has, and might have done such things, without being the true Tatrix?" "Yes, Master," Susan granted, eagerly.
"Do you regard it as likely, Susan," asked Miles of Argenturn, "that that woman was the Tatrix of Corcyrus?"
"Yes, Master," she said.
"Do you regard it as extremely likely?" he asked. "Yes, Master," she whispered. "Do you doubt it, really, at all?" he asked. "No, Master," she sobbed. She put down her head, "Remain here, Susan," said Miles.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"I call my next witness," said Miles of Argentum, "located In Venna by my men, and brought here, Speusippus of Turia."
To my amazement Speusippus was conducted forward. He seemed cringing and obsequious in the presence of such a noble assemblage. No longer, now, did he seem as detestable to me as he once had. Too, I was now a slave and a thousand times lower than he. Too, it was he who had taken my virginity. Too, I now realized that my femaleness had shown his maleness too little respect. I was a woman. Yet, in spite of that, I had not properly related to him. I had not shown him the deference which, in the order of nature, it was proper for my sex to accord to his. He was a member of the master sex; I was a member of the slave sex.
"You were, several months ago, were you not, found guilty of certain alleged commercial irregularities in the city of Corcyrus, and banished for a time from the city?"
"Yes," said Speusippus.
"As the reports have it," said Miles, "you were marched naked from the city, before the spears of guards, a sign about your neck, proclaiming you a fraud." "Yes," said Speusippus, angrily.