She called Karil walked about, lifting the covering of two of the slavewomen a bit, moving the hair of Comir and Larid, stopping before me to straighten my life sign. Truly pleased was she as she glanced about, and then she clapped her hands.
“Our patrons shall begin arriving very shortly,” she said to the males who stood about the room. “You may now prepare them.”
She then left the room with head held high, and the males grinned broadly and came forward, nearly two hands of them, to my warriors and me. Three stopped beside me, one of them being he who had said he would have owned me, and they ranged themselves upon either side of the platform. He who had spoken with the rounded male stood alone above me, his hand beside my leg.
“I regret I may not complete that which I now begin,” said he, his eyes hungry and burning, “yet would such a thing mean my life. Perhaps you may sometime be removed from display, and then I shall see to you properly.”
I did not know the meaning of his words, but his intent became apparent. His hand moved from the platform to my leg, his fingers stroking in a long, slow, upward line. As my thigh was reached, I shivered, and then did the other males touch me as well. On my thighs and breasts was I caressed, and so, too, at the center of my being, the intent, perhaps, to drive me insane. Nearly were their intentions realized when, as I moaned in the metal and leather, the males ceased their caresses and walked from me. Though my need was great, I held to myself, and did not cry out when the males stopped beside the slavewomen upon their platforms, and did to them as they had done to us. Small sounds only did I hear from my warriors, for they, too, were Midanna, yet the slavewomen had not such strength to draw upon. They wept as they were touched softly, lingeringly, and then screamed and begged the males to return when they were abandoned. Their screams and tears availed naught, however, for the males did not return to them. The males did each choose a seated slavewoman, and with them did they ease the strain which touching us had put upon them. The sight of this added to the fire in my blood, yet soon had they seen to their need and returned to their places about the room. We upon the platforms writhed in silence or with sobs, for the males had seen to their needs.
Directly had the males finished with the slavewomen, the door to the room was thrown open by one of them to allow the admittance of the female Karil and a large group of males. She led them within the room with a flourish, gesturing about herself.
“A field of flowers, my friends,” said she, “each waiting to be plucked so she may give up her essence. Please feel free to look about yourselves.”
The males, of many sizes and shapes, separated to move about the room, some few looking closely upon the slavewomen who sat upon the cloth. These slavewomen who were so looked upon immediately placed themselves upon their knees, heads bowed, eyes down, their fingers laced before them. She named Karil, however, spent no time on these, moving, instead, to the platforms, her head high, a smile upon her lips.
“These are my best,” she said to the males who stood about inspecting us, her arms sweeping open to indicate the platforms. “My lovelies toward each end may be had for a mere ten silver pieces each, and worth twice that. See how eager they are to please you.”
A male stepped to a slavewoman on her platform, and placed his hand upon her. She writhed at the touch and wept, begging to be taken; and the male laughed. “This one is hot enough,” said he, raising her covering to see the more of her. “I might offer two silver pieces.”
“Impossible,” laughed she called Karil. “I could not part with her for less than eight.”
“Her skin is passably smooth,” mused the male, moving his two hands over the slavewoman, who sobbed with her pain. “Four silver pieces.”
“Come now,” smiled she called Karil, going to the male and placing her hand upon his arm, “think of the pleasure she may give you, being unable to refuse you. She need not even be clad, should that be your wish. Surely six silver pieces is not too great a price for such delights.”
The eyes of the male were still upon the slavewoman of the platform, the tension of his body speaking well of his desire. Again did he place his hand upon her, causing her to weep the louder, then said in a hoarse voice, “Five.”
The female Karil smiled a knowing smile, and then removed her hand from his arm. “I see she does not please you as greatly as she might,” said she, stepping back a bit. “Perhaps you would care to examine my flowers of the carpet? They may be had for as little as a silver piece each.”
As she began to turn away, the male grasped her arm in anger. “Very well!” said he, his lips tight, his eyes flashing. “Six silver pieces! Though did you not speak with the voice of the High Seat...”
“Yet, I do speak so,” laughed the female Karil, and then clapped her hands. “The guard shall release her, and you may have her papers from Bariose, who is also to be given the silver. I wish you much pleasure with your purchase.”
Her head nodded toward the male, then did she take herself off, to join a male who found interest in another of the platform slavewomen. The angry male waited in silence as an armed male released the slavewoman from the platform, first taking the leather which had held her head in place, and knotting it to the circle of the collar she wore. The angry male was given the leather, and once freed, the slavewoman was pulled by the male from the platform, and dragged from the room behind him. She still wept, for she still felt her need, yet had she seemed fearful as well. The angry male could not vent his anger upon the female Karil, yet he would have to express it. The slavewoman would not find her lot an easy one.
Another two of the platform slavewomen were taken by males, then the female Karil came to stand beside a male who stood above me, one who had stood above me for some time, his arms folded across his broad chest, his masculine face entirely without expression. The sight of him had stirred me, yet I had been able to conceal my need. The female Karil smiled at me, then clasped her hands before her.
“Is she not lovely?” asked the female softly, her words very nearly a sigh. “A desirable child indeed, and one who also desires to please.”
The male’s lips moved in the faintest of smiles. “Do you think me blind?” asked he, his deep voice slightly amused. “Those black eyes are not the eyes of a slave eager to please. She has held my gaze as long as I have stood here, not once thinking me her master. She does not feel herself slave.”
“But, of course,” laughed the female, gazing fondly at me.
“It has been left to her master to teach her that she is slave. It shall be a great part of his pleasure with her, yet does she ache to be had by a man. Have you tried her heat? If not, do so, and see that what I say is truth.”
The male’s smile deepened somewhat, and his hand reached toward me, his eyes still holding mine. His touch was that of a male to a slavewoman, and a fury rose with my heat. Was I, a war leader of the Hosta of the Midanna, to be touched so?
“See her eyes now!” laughed the male, his hand still upon me. “She would have my life, were she able to take it! This one is worth the ten you ask. Have her uncuffed and leashed.”
“Alas, my friend, at ten I am unable to do so,” sighed the female, reaching forward to stroke my hair. “Her price is a firm forty, set personally by the High Seat. Is forty too much to ask for such fire and beauty? For the pleasure of teaching her to kneel at your feet, obedient to your will? See how she responds to your touch, and think how great her desire to please would be, should she be denied for a time! Buy her, and make her yours alone!”