John Norman - Kajira of Gor

“Sometimes,” he said.

“Might I ever again be put under such a discipline?” I asked.

“Perhaps,” he said. I looked at him.

“Perhaps if you beg prettily enough,” he said.

“I will,” I smiled. “I will!”

“Do you recall the position?” he asked. “Yes,” I said.

“Speak,” he said.

“The girl kneels, with her head down, her hands clasped behind her neck,” I said.

“You recall the position perfectly,” he admitted.

“Yes,” I said.

“Assume it,” he said.

“Yes, Master,” I said, joyfully.

***

“Thank you, Master,” I said, softly; lying in his arms, thanking him for his touch. It is now evening. Again he had gone to the door and summoned a slave. Again we had had food brought in and had, again, eaten.

“Ohhhh,” I said softly. “Thank you. Thank you, Master. You are my master. You are my Master! Thank you. Thank you, my master.”

Then, later, he held me closely.

“Master,” I said.

“Yes?” he said.

“I have often wondered what was the meaning of a golden cage, and why I, when thought a Tatrix, was placed in one.”

“The gold,” said he, “is a precious metal, is thought perhaps fitting for a free woman, in particular for one of high station, and certainly for a Tatrix. That it is a cage, on the other hand, signifies that she is taken to be, in actuality, no better than a slave, and only fit to be a slave. To place her in such a cage is then to make a clear statement as to her true and rightful nature.”

“I see,” I said. “And doubtless the golden sack is of similar import.”

“Yes,” He said.

“Yet Hassan enslaved Sheila before placing her in such a sack.”

“True,” he said, “and that she as a mere slave was yet placed in such a sack must have induced exquisite emotions in her, emotions of fear, of outrage and humiliation.”

“Doubtless,” I said.

“It was a joke on the part of Hassan,” he said, “an exquisite one.”

“Doubtless,” I said.

“But doubtless, too,” he said, “it served a useful purpose in her ongoing training.”

“Doubtless,” I said.

“But doubtless, too,” he laughed, “it seemed an appropriate modality, did it not, in which to transport a former Tatrix to Argentum?”

“Yes,” I said. I shuddered.

“But I think you need not fear confinement now in golden cages or golden sacks,” he said. “Cages formed of simple, sturdy bars of black iron and deep, doubly-sewn sacks of heavy, plain leather, black and thick, tied or locked shut, will now serve well enough for you, confinements suitable to the more common slave you now are.”

“Yes, Master,” I laughed. Such devices would suffice quite well, surely, for a common girl such as I now was.

“Master,” I said.

“Yes?” he said.

“Read me my collar,” I begged, “please.”

“I showed it to you before,” he said. “You should have read it for yourself.”

“You are teasing me,” I pouted. “You know I cannot read.”

“Not even your collar?” he asked.

“No,” I said.

“Well,” he said, “do not worry about it. It is not necessary for you to be able to read your collar. All that is necessary, from your point of view, is that it is locked on you, that you cannot remove it, and that it can be read by free men.”

“Are you going to teach me to read?” I asked.

“Such skills would seem to have a very low priority,” he said. “For example, can you play the kalika?”

“No,” I said.

“Do you know the exercises and luscious movements of slave dance?” he asked.

“Not really,” I said.

“So why should you be taught to read?” he asked.

“I could spy on your mail,” I said.

“I had not considered that,” he admitted.

“It could improve my price,” I said.

“That is probably true,” he said.

“Many men,” I said, “enjoy having a girl who can read. It gives them pleasure to make her serve as well, or better, than an illiterate girl.”

“I shall think about it,” he said.

“Thank you, Master,” I said. Whether I would learn to read or not was not up to me. In final analysis, it was up to masters. It would be done with me as they wished.

“Tell me, please,” I asked, “what is on my collar.”

“A speck of dust,” he said. “There, I have removed it.”

“Please,” I said.

“It is simple,” he said. “It says, ‘I belong to Drusus Rencius, of Ar’.”

I kissed him. “It speaks the truth not only of my legal condition,” I said, “but of my heart.”

He then, again, began to touch me. “Thank you, Master,” I breathed, again. I did not know whether or nor I would be taught to read. Then, in a few moments, gently, softly, I began again to yield to him.

***

I lay on one elbow, regarding Drusus Rencius. “What did you pay for me?” I asked.

“It is not important,” he said.

“I am curious to know,” I said.

“Curiosity is not becoming in a Kajira,” he said.

“Nonetheless,” I said, “we are notoriously curious. Doubtless the saying would not otherwise have gained such wide currency.”

“That is probably true,” he said.

“I would like to know,” I said.

What is the difference of a coin or two?” he asked.

“I know it was not much,” I said.

“Oh?” he asked.

I laughed merrily, and he reddened. I knew I had triumphed!

“You paid for me!” I laughed. “You know what you paid! What did I cost you? What did I bring Miles of Argentum!”

“I do not recall,” he said.

“Miles of Argentum,” I laughed, “when he saw me in Corcyrus, thought I would bring a whole silver tarsk! He, then, too had only seen me fully clothed, clad in the full regalia of the Tatrix. Only my face had been unveiled! Had he seen me naked he might have raised his estimate! Too, suppose he had seen me in a posture of submission or had had me writhe at his feet in slave chains! Suppose he had put me through detailed and methodical slave paces, or had had me bring him the whip in my teeth!”

“Perhaps he would have added a copper tarsk or so to your price,” speculated Drusus Rencius.

“Who knows?”

“You yourself,” I said, slyly, maliciously, “in Corcyrus, as I recall, conjectured that I would probably bring only between fifteen and twenty copper tarsks.”

“That seems about right,” he said. “In a normal market, under normal conditions, of course.”

“But that was untrained,” I said. “Subsequently I was trained.”

“Yes,” he said, “that is true. I suppose it would be only fair to improve your price by a copper tarsk or so in virtue of such a consideration.”

“But suppose a man particularly wanted a woman,” I said. “Suppose she was, for some reason, very special to him. Perhaps she had been cruel to him. Perhaps he mightily desired her. He might then be tempted to pay at least a little more, might he not, to obtain her?”

“I suppose so,” said Drusus Rencius, irritatedly.

“What did you pay?” I asked.

“It doesn’t really make a difference, does it?” he asked.

“I suppose not,” I said, “but I would like to know.”

“I do not recall,” he growled.

“Miles of Argentum,” I said, “truly at one time believed me, and with good reason, from his point of view, to be the Tatrix of Corcyrus. For that reason he paid fifteen tarsks for me, fifteen silver tarsks.”

“What an idiot,” said Drusus Rencius, darkly.

I laughed. “Fortunately he was your friend,” I said, “and for that reason would cheerfully accept a considerable loss in my resale.”

“I paid more than fifteen silver tarsks for you,” said Drusus Rencius.