She whimpered once, angrily.
"Surely you cannot criticize my curiosity," I said. "One does not usually expect to find a free woman chained naked in a slave alcove in a brothel." My investigations concerning brand sites had, as a side effect, of course, informed me that she was unclothed, except for her shackles.
She made a number of angry noises.
"Are you displeased?" I asked.
She whimpered, once, angrily.
"Are you angry?" I asked.
She whimpered again, once, even more angrily. Then she made a number of other angry noises.
"Do you wish to speak?" I asked.
She whimpered once, angrily.
"You would like me to remove your gag?" I asked.
She made a single, short noise, very insistently. I waited. She repeated it. "Oh," I said. "You do not wish me to remove your gag."
She then whimpered twice, insistently.
"You do want me to remove your gag?" I asked.
She whimpered once, very definitely, very clearly, just once.
"But I have not done so, have I?" I asked. "Perhaps you think I have forgotten to do so, that it has somehow slipped my mind. That is not it at all, however. I was merely inquiring, before and now, if you would like to have it removed. That is what I was interested in. That is all. I have never had any intention of removing it. I am not interested, for example, in hearing from you."
There was a startled noise, and some puzzled ones.
"No," I said. I then put my right hand on her neck under her chin and forced her head up and back.
She made a frightened noise.
"You are in no position," I said, "to be displeased, or angry, or impatient, or peremptory, in any way."
She was silent.
I then put my hand on her, and she whimpered, and drew back, pushing back, frightened against the wall of the alcove. I then took her ankles in my hands. I let her try for a moment to resist me. Then I spread her ankles widely. "Do you understand?" I asked.
She whimpered once, frightened.
"Good," I said. I then released her ankles and she drew them hastily back and together, pulling her knees up, and close together, and, as she could, turned her right side to me.
"Were you the female who was brought in a sack, earlier this evening?" I asked. She whimpered once.
"Are you beautiful?" I asked.
She whimpered twice.
"Then there would be no point in my having my way with you, would there?" I asked.
She whimpered twice.
"I think that I shall strike a light," I said.
She whimpered twice, piteously.
"And if I find that you have lied, and that you are beautiful, I shall use youa€”and as a slave."
Two whimpers.
"Very well," I said. "I shall give you another chance. Are you beautiful?" She whimpered once, in defeat.
"Or at least you think you are beautiful," I said.
She whimpered once.
"Then perhaps I should use you," I said.
She whimpered twice, piteously.
"If you are a free woman," I said, "then, from what I have heard, there may be something around here." I felt about the alcove. "Yes," I said, "here it is." I had located some binding fiber at the side, and a leather thong, with a coin, presumably a tarsk bit, threaded on it. That was to be used, I recalled having heard from my hostess, if she was used in her stay in the brothel. "There is some binding fiber here," I said. "Do you know what it is for?"
She whimpered twice, frightened.
"For binding you," I said. "If you are used tonight you are to be put out naked in the morning, in the alley, your hands tied behind your back with this binding fiber."
She whimpered twice, in protest.
"There is also a coin here, a tarsk bit, I think, threaded on a leather thong. Do you know what that is for?"
She whimpered twice.
I took the thong and coin and, putting my arms about her, tied the thong about her waist, fastening it behind her back. The coin then was at her belly. With my thumb I pushed it back into her belly, that she might clearly feel its shape and know its location. Then I let it dangle there, resting on her belly. "This coin," I said, "when you were put out in the morning, if you were used tonight, was to be tied there. It signifies to all who see it that you have served a man. You are given the coin because you are a free woman. That is your payment. To be sure it is the smallest-denomination coin in common circulation. It is, thus, a comment on your value."
She moaned in protest. I removed the thong and coin from her waist. I laid it, with the binding fiber, to the side.
She whimpered gratefully.
"I know you are a free woman," I said, "but are you prepared now, in the light of your recent experiences, to reform your behavior, to be at least minimally polite, to observe certain basic amenities, and to conduct your life and business at least generally in accordance with simple canons of common civility and courtesy?"
She was silent.
I put my hand on her.
She whimpered once, quickly.
"Good," I said. "Since someone put you here, presumably as a punishment, I gather you have been something of a she-sleen." She whimpered once.
"But that is going to change now, isn't it?" I asked.
One whimper.
"You see," I said, putting my hand on her thigh, she trying to pull back, "this is not really much of a punishment. Many other things would have been done to you. For example, from a place such as this, it would be no great trick for you to be delivered to a slaver. Indeed, perhaps a slaver has an appointment with you in this alcove before morning. I do not know."
She whimpered in fear.
"You could be branded and collared before morning," I said, "and shipped out of the city, then a slave, hooded, gagged and helpless, for your first sale." Two whimpers.
"Indeed," I said, "perhaps I am that slaver."
She whimpered twice, wildly.
"But I am not," I said. "Oh yes, I have done slaving, and doubtless will again. There are few occupations so pleasant and rewarding."
She was silent, trembling.
"Would you look well at a man's feet?" I asked. I put my hand on her throat. "Answer truthfully," I warned her.
She whimpered once, in agony.
"Or you think you would?" I asked.
One whimper, a fearful whimper, in misery.
"But do not be afraid," I said. "I have no intention, at least at present, of carrying you into bondage. Are you grateful?"
She whimpered once.
"Besides," I said, "I have not even seen you."
She whimpered in fear.
"Accordingly I reserve the right of carrying you into bondage later, if I wish," I said. "Perhaps you are too beautiful to be free. I do not know."
She whimpered twice, fearfully, protestingly.
"Be quiet," I whispered. "Someone is coming." Down the tunnel I could see a flicker of light, doubtless from a tharlarion oil lamp. Although it was a very small light, it seemed very bright in the darkness. I heard a woman gasp, seeing, I suppose, at least the first body in the tunnel. «Ai she cried in a moment, the wash of the light moving, lifting, in the darkness outside. I saw it reflecting on the other side of the tunnel, and a bit into the alcove. She had then seen, a bit further down the tunnel, I suppose, the second body. I moved back, to the side of the alcove entrance. I saw the light approaching more closely.