"You are branded," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"You wear a collar," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"What are you?" I asked.
"I am a female slave," she said, "a slave girl."
"Anything else?" I asked.
"No, Master," she said. "Only that."
"It is true," I said.
"Yes, Master," she said.
I saw in her eyes that she now knew these things to be true, that she now truly knew that she was a slave girl, that and only that.
"What am I to do, Master?" she asked.
"Go to your Master," I said, "and beg him to forgive you for having been displeasing."
"Yes, Master," she said. She rose painful to her feet and went slowly, painfully, to where Boots was sitting cross-legged, near the small fire between the wagons. He was now in the midst of enjoying a second breakfast. Chino and Andronicus were with him. She knelt down near him, her bound wrists on her thighs. She dared not speak. After a time, Boots, sucking his fingers, removing the grease from fried tarsk strips from them, turned about. She quickly, under the eyes of her master, put her head down to the dirt. "Did you wish something, girl?" asked Boots.
"Yes, Master," she said.
"You may speak," said Boots.
"I beg your forgiveness, Master," she said, her head still down, "for having been displeasing."
"Mend your way in the future," cautioned Boots, sternly. "Next time it may not go as easily with you."
"Yes, Master," she said, trembling.
Boots then helped himself to some more rolls and slices of fried tarsk.
Lady Telitsia, as it seemed she would be called now, at least for the time, then lifted her head and straightened her body. She remained kneeling, of course, in the immediate vicinity of her master.
"Good rolls," said Boots to Chino.
"Yes," agreed Chino, helping himself to another, as well.
"Excellent vulo eggs, excellent tarsk," said Boots, his mouth full.
"Quite," agreed Andronicus, wiping his fingers fastidiously on his tunic.
Lady Telitsia eyed the food, hungrily, pitiously. She squirmed. I heard her small, lovely, rounded belly growling.
"Did you say something, my dear?" asked Boots.
"No, Master," she said, quickly.
Boots returned to his repast. I wondered how long it had been since Lady Telitsia had been fed.
More noises emanated from her pretty belly. She put down her head in embarrassment.
"Lady Telitsia," said Boots. "Clean my hands."
She came forward and began to lick his cupped hands and then to suck his fingers, removing the grease from them. Meanwhile he continued to talk with Chino and andronicus.
"Slowly and more sensuously," said Boots.
"Yes, Master," she groaned. She looked up at him. Their eyes met. Their exchange of glances was quite meaningfull. Then she complied, as best she could, given that she had only recently been a free woman. She, apparently half starved, had been too eagerly licking and sucking at the grease on his hands and fingers.
"Better," he said. "Better." Then he dried his hands, aprtly on her body, partly on her hair, and returned his attention to his companions. As he had touched her body I had noted that she had gasped and, ever so lsightly, had pressed against his hand. I do not think, however, this action had been lost on Boots, either. The slave, "Lady Telitsia," had in her, I suspected, superb slave potential. Up to now, of course, as a free woman, given her conditioning and what was expected of her in her cluture, she had undobtedly, possibly even agonizingly, resisted her sexuality, fighting to control and suppress her slave drives. Now, of course, now that she had been freed of the psychological chains, the confining restrictions, the imprisoning inhibitions of the free woman, I had little doubt that she, and perhaps even soon, would prove to be a helplessly arousable, helplessly yielding slave, a joy both to herself and her masters.
"That is enough," said Boots.
"Master," she said.
"Yes?" said Boots.
"May I have permission to speak, Master?" she asked.
"You need only ask-sometimes," siad Boots.
"Thank you, Master," she said, gratefully. "Master-"
"Were you given permission to speak?" asked Boots.
"No, master," she whispered. "Forgive me, Master."
Boots regarded her, sternly.
"But you said I need only ask," she whispered, frightened.
"I said, 'You need only ask-sometimes, " said Boots. "This is not one of those times. You may not now speak."
'Yes, Master," she said. "Forgive me, Master." She then knelt back on her hells, not permitted to speak, a chastened slave.
"Ah," siad Boots, seeing me. "Are you hungry? Come join us."
"Thank you," I said, and sat down with them, cross-legged. It was still rather early. Soon I was helpign myself to a heaping serving of vulo eggs, tarsk strips and rolls.
"Perhaps you should feed our captive soon," siad Boots. He referred to the free woman, the Lady Yanina, shackled and chained by the neck under my wagon.
"Yes," I said. "I will take her a plate of food when I am finished here." One must show concern for her, of course. She was a free woman.
"You are going with us at least as far as Brundisium?" said Boots.
"That is my plan," I said.
"What takes you to Brundisium?" asked Boots.
"Mainly Petrucchio's wagon, I would suppose," I said. "and his tharlarion. He was kind enough to loan them to me. I may walk opart of the way, of course."
"Seriously," said Boots.
"I am quite serious," I said. "Walking is an excellent exercise."
"It is quite early in the morning for wit as scintillating as yours," observed Boots.
"Sorry," I said.
"Have you ever considered a career upon the stage?" he inquired.
"No," I said.
"It is probably just as well," he speculated.
"Perhaps," I admitted, somewhat grudgingly, not altogether convinced.
"What are you going to do in Brundisium?" asked Boots.
"That will depend, I expect," I said, "on what I find in Brundisium."
"Come now," said Boots.
"Business," I informed him.
"I see," said Boots. "I am glad that is cleared up."
I bit on some crisp tarsk strips.
"You are certainly a communicative fellow this morning," said Boots.
"The tarsk is good," I said.
"I am glad you like it," said Boots. "Brundisium, as I have warned you earlier, may be dangerous. The7 seem quite suspicious of strangers the last year or so."
"You do not know why, though?" I asked.
"No," he said.
"You are a good fellow, Boots," I said. "I appreciate your concern."
"I think I know how you intend to use your captive, at least as far as your participation in our show is concerned," said Boots, "but beware. If she is of Brundisium, or is known in Brundisium, it could be very dangerous for you there."
"In the vicinity of Brundisium, or within her walls," I said, "I could keep her hooded. If it seemed desirable, too, of course, I could always have her reduce to slavery before nearing, or entering, the city. She would then be of no legal interest to anyone, for whe would then be only a slave, only chattel."
"Of course," said Boots.
"It was a good breakfast," I siad. "I had better take her some food now."
"Yes," said Boots. "You must not keep her hungry. You must show her consideration. She is a free woman."
"Of course," I said.
I slowly, carefully, piled a plate high with rolls, eggs and fried vulo strips. It had probably been a long time since the Lady Yanina had eaten. She had been in the care of the brigands. She was probably quite hungry. I could always watch her feedings later, giving attention to theri possible effect on her figure. That would be if I decided, later, to turn her into a love captive, or, if it pleased me, a thousand times lower, nay, a thousand thousand times lower, nay, even uncountably times lower, nay not even on the same scale, a slave. Boots's slave, Lady Telitsia, eyes the plate hungrily, desperately. I thought I heard her whimper, softly. Certainly there were some piteous noises at any rate which suddenly, unexpectedly, perhaps to her embarrassment, emanated from her pretty belly."