Dancer of Gor (43 page)

"The metal worker did his work well," he said. "Your ears are excellently pierced."

"Yes, Master," I said. "Thank you, Master." I was pleased, too, of course, that the work had been well done. Indeed, I was eager to adorn myself with such devices, that I might be rendered even more attractive to men. Too, I had some understanding of the meaning of earrings to Gorean males, and the effects upon them of such things.

"Remove your garment," he said.

I reached to the disrobing loop at the left shoulder of the brief silken tunic I wore. It was opaque silk, for it was morning, and not the diaphanous silk we customarily wore in the evening, when on the floor, when serving our master's customers. Silk such as this we might even wear outside the tavern. To be sure, it was silk such as would be worn only by a pleasure slave. We are dressed according to the preferences of men. I had never, incidentally, been allowed outside the tavern grounds. I did have the liberty, at certain times, of walking in, and exercising in, a small, enclosed back court of the tavern.

Then I was naked before him, the garment at my feet.

He regarded me.

I was now more sure than ever that he wanted to read my body. I trembled. Sometimes it seemed to me that he could look upon me, and know my most secret thoughts. I caught myself, my knees weak. I regained my balance.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"Yes, Master," I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"I am in the presence of my master," I said.

He continued to look upon me.

I then breathed more confidently. It seemed to me then that perhaps he only wished, really, to look upon my beauty, if beauty it were. Such things are not unusual with Gorean masters. It is not uncommon with them to have their girls strip, and turn before them, and assume attitudes and poses, and move in (pg. 260) certain ways, and such. Gorean men, like lusty males generally, have an incredible appreciation of female beauty. Too, in the case of the slave, they own the girl. Thus they may command her, and have her perform, and precisely, as it pleases them, and she must, of course, obey with perfection. She is their slave. I suppose this is in part, at least, the result of an understandable desire to appreciate and take pleasure in one's possessions, or what one might regard as one's precious objects, or treasures. For example, we would not think it strange if a fellow of Earth, once in a while, drew forth his coin or stamp collection and spent some time lovingly pouring over it, scrutinizing and inspecting its items and such. He is very fond of them. Similarly, if it seems understandable that, say, a high magistrate, a general, a Ubar, or such, might enjoy sitting in his pleasure gardens and inspecting his women, having them before him naked, or clothed according to his preferences, it is just as understandable that a less rich or well-fixed person might, similarly, on a more modest level, enjoy the sight of his girl, or girls, indeed, the fewer he has, perhaps the more he will relish the one, or ones, he had. If one is a male, and has, occasionally, perhaps on the street, or, say, on a bus or in a subway, seen a woman whom one found attractive, perhaps one has considered, with pleasure, what might be within the power of a master, an owner of the female in question, what it might be to be able to say, simply, perhaps giving her a name that pleases you, "Remove your garments, and perform." Those to whom such considerations are not incomprehensible, because they have low-level sexual drives will not be able to make much sense of it. When one has ordered the girl stripped, and perhaps required performances of her, and such, it is then not unusual that one would make use of her. On the other hand, it is not always done. Sometimes the master, having relished her beauty, merely had her reclothe herself and return to her labors. This sort of thing, needless to say, can be arousing, and frustrating, to the female slave. It is hard to remove your clothing before a man, and perhaps be forced to perform before him, naked, and not be sensible of the keenly disturbing stirrings of one's own needs.

"It is interesting," he said.

"Master?" I asked.

"You are quite beautiful," he said.

"Thank you, Master," I said.

(pg. 261) "But surely there are many women as beautiful," he said.

"Master?" I asked, puzzled.

"What, then, is different about you?" he asked.

"I do not understand, Master," I said.

"Are you an Earth woman?" he asked.

"In a sense, Master," I said, "the sense in which I am a woman from Earth. In another sense I am not an Earth woman. I am now only a Gorean slave girl."

"What have you learned on Gor?" he asked.

"I have leaned to call men 'Master', I said.

"Is that well put?" he asked.

"Master?" I asked.

"Why do you call men 'Master', he asked.

"I understand, Master," I said. "Forgive me, Master. I spoke imprecisely. I should have expressed myself more clearly."

He regarded me.

"I have learned on Gor that men are my masters," I said. It was true.

"It is then suitable that you call them 'Master', he said.

"Yes, Master," I said.

"I have had your ears pierced," he said.

"As it pleased you, Master," I said.

"You are now only a pierced-ear girl," he said.

"Yes, Master," I said, puzzled.

"Do you know what that means?" he asked.

"I am not sure," I said.

"Never hope, now, to be out of a collar," he said.

"Yes, Master," I said. I had gathered that he had, for some reason, or reasons, perhaps to make me more exciting to his customers, and men, in general, had my ears pierced. Too, in some way, I gathered, this had confirmed my slavery upon me, and made it a much more profound thing. But I did not care. I was a slave!

"Do you know why I had your ears pierced?" he asked.

"No, Master," I said.

"There are various reasons for doing such a thing to a female slave," he said.

"Master?" I asked.

"It improves her as a slave," he said. "It makes her more stimulatory, and more seductive. Too, it makes her more arousable, more excitable."

"Yes, Master," I said, blushing from head to toe.

"In this, too, there is an economic consideration. Such things improve her price."

(pg. 262) "Of course, Master," I said.

"There are many reasons," he said. "Those are just a few."

"I understand, Master," I said.

"Too," he said, "in your case, I thought it particularly fitting."

"Master?" I asked.

"You are a pierced-ear girl," he said, "and were, even before your ears were pierced."

"Yes, Master," I said, puzzled.

"I despise you," he said.

I put my head down. I did not doubt but what he might despise me. But, too, I suspected his feelings toward me were more complicated. I was sure they exceeded a simple contempt for a bond wench.

"And so," he said, "I have had your ears pierced."

"Yes, Master," I said.

"You belong in a collar," he said. "Now it has been seen to that you will remain in it."

"Yes, Master," I said.

"Are you not distressed, ashamed?" he asked.

"No, Master," I said.

"What a brazen, shameless slave," he said.

"Yes, Master," I said.

"You like being a slave," he said.

"I am a slave," I said. "Thus I must acknowledge what is in my secret heart, confessing it openly, then finding my happiness and fulfillment in it."

"You slit," he said. "You like being a slave."

"Yes, Master," I said. I supposed that I needed not tell him that I loved it!

"We are thinking of appointing a new first girl," he said.

"I have heard rumors to that effect," I admitted.

"What do you think of Tupita?" he asked.

"I speak for her," I said.

He smiled. I supposed he knew how cruel Tupita had been to me, how we were enemies. On the other hand, I had told Tupita I would speak for her. Too, she had not belly chained and braceleted me as tightly as she might have, the night before last.

"Did she offer you the position of second girl for your support?" he asked.

"Third girl," I said.

"Who would be second girl?" he asked.

"Sita," I said.

He smiled.

(pg. 263) "Doubtless Tupita believes Sita to be her ally," he said.

"Yes, Master," I said.

"What do you think of Sita, for first girl?" he asked.

"She would not decline the post," I said.

"Would you speak for her?" he said.

"Yes," I said. "I speak for Sita." I kept my head down. I did not really want to be involved in these intrigues.

"What did she promise you?" he asked.

"The position of second girl," I said.

"Clearly, then," he said, "you would wish to support Sita over Tupita."

"No, Master," I said.

"You favor Tupita then," he said.

"I speak in support for both," I said.

"There can only be one first girl," he said.

"Yes, Master," I said.

"Whom do you favor?" he asked.

"Of the two, Tupita," I said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Sita is disloyal to Tupita," I said. "She betrays her. She pretends to be her friend, but is not."

"Do you think that Tupita, were their positions exchanged, would behave differently?" he asked.

"I do not know, Master," I said.

"And not because Tupita gave you a pastry?" he asked.

I looked at him, startled.

"I have had her whipped for it," he said. "She must want the position of first girl very badly, to risk stealing a pastry. To be sure, she doubtless did not expect to be found out."

"Master?" I asked.

"The missing pastry was noted by the kitchen master," he said. "Only Tupita, first girl, other than staff, and assigned kitchen slaves, had had access to the area before it had been seen to be missing. Her fingers, licked, had sugar on them. Crumbs were found the next morning in your kennel."

"I see," I said.

"She was given only five lashes," he said.

"Master is generous," I said. It could have been a thousand, or she could have been slain. She was only a slave.

"What do you think of Aynur?" he asked.

"I think she would be a good first girl," I said.

"Can you think of any better?" he asked.

"No, Master," I said.

(pg. 264) "Apparently both Tupita and Sita wished to enlist your support in their cause," he said.

"I think each tried to speak to several of the girls," I said.

"To some extent," he said, "but not as much as you might think."

"Oh?" I asked. That surprised me.

"Both apparently thought you might have influence with me," he said. "Do you think you have influence with me?" he asked.

"No, Master," I said hastily. I had hardly even seen Hendow, except here and there in the tavern. He had never even put me to intimate uses, suitable for slaves. Indeed, this had puzzled me a little, and made me wonder about my attractiveness, at least to him. Surely he made use often enough of other girls. Indeed, it seemed they much feared the call to his chamber, because of his ugliness and grossness. Too, I gathered, he was not gentle with them, and, in spite of their distress, misery and loathing, forced them to serve with uncompromising perfection. Indeed, in the slave areas, it seemed that most of them envied me my apparent immunity from his attentions. Interestingly enough, and perhaps paradoxically, I did not regard him with the same repulsion as many of my slave sisters. I feared him as my master, of course, but I also had a considerable respect for him, for the strength, the shrewdness, and intelligence I sensed in him. Also, I sometimes felt sorry for him. I thought that his life must have been very hard. He had once been betrayed, it seemed, and left for dead, by his best friend. Borko had avenged him. had I been summoned to his chamber I would have tried to serve him as well as I could. Too, though I was not eager to serve him, I was not really afraid to do so. Indeed, I had been sometimes curious about him, wondering what it might be like to serve him. Men are so different, one from another. Perhaps it was my willingness to be summoned to his chamber which had, paradoxically, effectuated my security in this matter. I did not know. Perhaps for some reason, known only to himself, he took delight in forcing frightened, unwilling women to his pleasure, and, if I am not mistaken, particularly women who found him dismaying or sickening, who might even loathe him. he would take such a woman, and then turn her inside out, with yielding to him. to be sure, when they returned, bruised and shuddering, scarcely able to walk, to the slave quarters, they had little doubt as to their femaleness or the power of their master. I did not think, however, that I had been summoned here for typical slave purposes. Surely nothing had suggested that to me. Too, he usually (pg. 265) had women sent to him in the evening. I was not exactly sure why I had been summoned here. Perhaps it had been simply to inspect the piercing of my ears. He had done that. Perhaps, too, he had wanted to look upon me, naked, as his property. He had various girls, for it seemed that, truly, he was thinking about a change in "first girl." He had done that, too.