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.Kenneth, who had held an earlier inspection, had been satisfied, and he was, Isuspected, harder to please than would be theMistress.Indeed, it was a bit unusual that the Mistress conducted her owninspections.Too, it seems she was spending longer with the slaves than onewould normally expect.This sudden, exacting concern with the details of theoperation of the great stables was unusual for her.She was Mistress, ofcourse, and might do as she wished. Do you wish to be whipped, with the snake? she asked a fellow down the linePage 136 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlfrom me. No, Mistress, he said, swiftly. Then do your work well, Slave, she said. Yes, Mistress, he stammered.I considered again the polished, black leather of her trim, high boots.A freewoman, of course, if she owns slaves, does not polish her own boots.Thatwould be done by one of the house slaves.I suspected that it was Taphris,short-legged and luscious, who polished her boots.I saw a frown on the face of Kenneth.I then looked away from the Mistress.I smiled to myself.Kenneth did not wish me to be torn to pieces betweentharlarion, driven in opposite directions.I no longer wore the collar of the silk slave.I now wore, like other stableslaves, a common work collar, of black iron, with an attached ring.On it wasthe legend `I belong to the Lady Florence of Vonda I, like other stableslaves, was chained at night.The Lady Florence was now two slaves from me.Besides the line of forty-two male stable slaves, with which my Mistress wasnow concerning herself, there knelt to one side, backs straight and heads up,a line of five Kajirae, who were stable sluts.These were barefoot andbare-armed, and wore brown tunics which, as they now had them belted, withbinding fiber, would have failed to their knees, rather demurely for slavegirls, had they stood up.There were two blonds and three brunets.All wereGorean wenches.On the throat of each, though much more slender and gracefulthan those of the males, was a collar, too, a work collar, of black iron, withan attached ring.Irelished the sight of them. Slave! snapped Kenneth. Yes, Master, I said, quickly, startled.The Mistress, her eyes angry, stood before me.She slapped the quirt in thepalm of her left hand.She was not pleased that I had not noticed when she hadmoved before me.I knelt very straight.I stared ahead, inspected.I could see the hint of hersweet thighs beneath the beige skirt.Lifting my eyes I recalled the latitudesof her white belly, now concealed beneath her skirt, and blouse and jacket; Isaw the loveliness of her breasts swelling within the blouse and jacket.Iremembered the slender softness of her body and shoulders, the beauty of herthroat, and face and hair, now muchly concealed by the jacket, and hood andveil.I inspected her.Her lineaments, for I had once been her silk slave,were not unfamiliar to me.Above the veil, briefly, I saw her eyes flash in anger.But then shecontrolled herself.She would say nothing.How could she, in such a situation, call attention tothe fact that she had been inspected, and as a woman, by one who was a mereslave. Is this not a new slave in the stables? she asked Kenneth. Yes, Lady Florence, said Kenneth, but, still, he has been with us now forsome five weeks. What is his name? she asked. Jason, said Kenneth. He seems familiar, she said, lightly. Perhaps you remember him, Lady Florence, said Kenneth. He was once yoursilk slave. Ah! she said, as though suddenly recollecting the matter. Is it truly you,Jason? she asked. Yes, Mistress, I saidShe stepped back two or three feet, and looked upon me. What a sturdy bruteyou have become, she said.Page 137 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlI said nothing. Your face and features, she said, seem to have coarsened.And there is ascar on your lower left cheek. I said nothing.I had had the scar from a cut received some four weeks ago.Ihad been careless. I have, inadvertently, from time to time, overheard the speakings of slaves, she said. Is it true that you are the champion in the stables? I smiled to myself.Her informant in such matters was Taphris.Kenneth hadtold me this. Is it true? she asked.I considered the line of men. Yes, Mistress, I said. He is splendid, Lady Florence, said Kenneth, warmly. He is a true champion.He has beaten already the champions of five stables, those of Kliomenes,Policrates, Gordon, Dorto and Miles. I abhor violence, she said, shuddering, the quirt in her hand. Of course, Lady Florence, said Kenneth. Forgive me.They are, of course,only slaves who are set at one another That is true, she said. It is not as though they were people.They are onlyanimals. It was true.Slaves, both male and female, are animals.Anything may be donewith them. When he does well, or is successful, she asked, as though merely curious, is he rewarded? Yes, said Kenneth, it is useful in the training. And how is he rewarded? she asked. An extra round of rations, said Kenneth, expansively, some pastry uponoccasion, sometimes with even a bowl of cheap wine. I see, she said.I looked over at the line of stable sluts, kneeling in the soft earth, intheir brown tunics.I had had all of them, and more than once.Kenneth had been generous.Notunoften he would bring one of them to my stall at night, where I was chained,and chain her by the neck, beside me in the straw.My favorite was the blond,Telitsia. And is he, upon occasion, asked the Lady Florence, rewarded with things ofanother sort? Of course, Lady Florence, said Kenneth. With what? she asked. With meaningless little things, trivialities, baubles, things of no accountor worth, said Kenneth.The Lady Florence looked over to the line of kneeling Kajirae. To be sure, she said, acidly. If Lady Florence disapproves, said Kenneth, we shall, of course,discontinue the practice. Why should I disapprove? she asked, angrily. I do not know, Lady Florence, said Kenneth. I only thought- The sluts are on their slave wine, are they not? she asked. Of course, said Kenneth. In what else could I possibly have been interested? she asked. I do not know, he said. If there is to be breeding done upon them, I will, of course, supervise it, she said. Of course, -Lady Florence, said Kenneth.Slaves are domestic stock.They are bred if and when, and as, the mastersplease. How strong your arms seem to have become, mused the Lady Florence, lookingPage 138 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmldown upon me.Like the other slave tunics, mine was sleeveless.I said nothing. It is nothing whatsoever to me, said the Lady Florence to Kenneth, whetherthis slave, a mere slave, is or is not used in the stable bouts.See, however,that he performs his full share of labors. Of course, Lady Florence, said Kenneth.The Mistress then turned from me, and surveyed the next slave in line.Shestayed before him, however, only a moment.And, indeed, she was soon finishedwith our line of slaves.She turned about. Does the Lady Florence wish to inspect her Kajirae? inquired Kenneth.The body of the Mistress suddenly stiffened. Yes, she said.Then, in a moment, in her swirling skirt, and hood and veil, and boots, quirtin hand, she stood before the five Kajirae, members of her own sex, brieflytunicked, wearing feminine work collars, with rings, who knelt before her. Which of these, she asked, is the favorite of the fighting slave, he namedJason? Telitsia, this one, said Kenneth, puzzled.Blond Telitsia looked up at her Mistress, frightened
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Tematy
IndexJohn Ringo Ghost 01 Ghost
John DeChancie Castle 07 Castle Spellbound
John Dalmas Farside 01 The Lion of Farside
John Betancourt Dawn of Amber 1 Dawn of Amder
Black Elk Speaks Being the Life Story of A Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux as told to John G Neihardt
John Ruston Pagan Anne Orthwood's Bastard, Sex and Law in Early Virginia (2002)
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John Connolly Charlie Parker 04 The White Road (com v4.0) (lit)
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Philip D. Morgan Diversity and Unity in Early North America (2003)