Dancer of Gor (29 page)

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Bring out the virgin!" cried a man.

"Get the white-silker out here," called another. "Let us see her!"

"I mean will they hurt me!" I moaned.

"You mean when they open you?" she asked.

"Yes!" I said.

"Probably not," she said. "But you may be sore."

"I see," I said.

"Oh," smiled Ina. "You really mean, in general, don't you? What it's like?"

I put down my head.

"You silly virgin," said Ina. "You really don't know, do you?"

"No," I said.

"Tonight," she said, "will doubtless be hard. Do not worry about tonight. It is the first time. Just try to survive. Tonight it will doubtless be like when a city falls, or one is used for a sex feast."

I looked at her, not even understanding her.

"But wait, slave," she laughed. "Later it will be quite different."

I looked at her.

"Later, Doreen," said Ina, smiling, "you will beg and scratch for it."

I heard the men shouting outside now. They seemed angry. Then I saw Tupita and Sita coming through the beaded curtain. They carried certain objects.

"Put your wrists out, said Tupita.

The sheet fell a little. Tupita fasted a leather cuff on my right wrist. It was not a lock cuff. It buckled shut. It did have a snap ring on it. Sita fastened a similar cuff on my left wrist. Both of them carried long leather leashes. Tupita, with the snap ring on the leash, fastened the leash on my right cuff, and Sita fastened the other leash on my left cuff. The snap rings on the cuffs themselves, of course, make it possible, if one wishes, for the cuffs to be linked together.

I saw the legs of a man. I looked up, and then, swiftly, the palms of my hands on the floor, the cuffs on my wrists, put my (pg. 177) head to the floor before him. Tupita and Sita, similarly, rendered immediate, fearful obeisance.

"Stand," said the man, "all of you." We then stood before Hendow, our master. Behind him was Mirus. Mirus had a canvas sack slung over at his belt. Two of Hendow's girls, Aynur and Tula, were behind Mirus. Each of them carried a deep copper bowl. Aynur's bowl was empty. Tula's was filled with oval, narrowly slotted ostraka.

"Hold the sheet more closely about you," said Tupita.

I needed no urging to comply with this request.

Hendow regarded me, possessively. He owned me. Tonight, too, he planned on making money on me.

"You have pretty feet, and ankles, and calves, Doreen," he said.

"Thank you, Master," I said.

The sheet I clutched about me so desperately, came a little below my knees. It was of white silk.

My master stood near me. I trembled.

Tupita and Sita, holding the leashes to my cuffs, stood nearby. Ina, too, was there.

My master took the edges of the sheet I held about myself and pulled it a little to the side, and down, revealing my shoulders. He took from his wallet a ribbon. It was about a foot long, and an inch and a half in width. He looped it about my collar, and jerked it down, snug. The ribbon, like the sheet, was of white silk.

I heard the men clamoring outside.

"Do not be afraid," he said.

"No, Master," I said.

He nodded to Mirus.

Mirus, followed by Aynur and Tual, made his way through the beaded curtain. In a moment I heard him quieting the crowd, which was becoming unruly.

The musicians, now, five of them, came from down the corridor. They waited within the curtain.

"Sight unseen," called Mirus to the crowd, "who will try the luck of the first ostrakon? Only a tarsk bit each! Who is first? Who is for the first ostrakon? You, sir! Yes! And you the second! The third! Yes. And you! And you!"

I listened to him selling the ostraka.

"Some men," said Hendow, "think the first ostraka are luckiest."

"You!" called Mirus. "Yes! And you, yes! Yes!"

In a little bit the first flurry of sales had lessened.

(pg. 178) "Now," said Hendow, "we come to the more cautious buyers, those who would like to purchase early ostraka, but will appreciate a bit of reassurance. Too, we have now done, presumably, with the fellows who would buy a chance on anything, as long as it is a chance, and, too, those fellows to whom a virginity itself, regardless of whose it is, is of great interest. They would take a chance on the virginity of a tharlarion."

"Yes, Master," I whispered.

"We have not seen this slave," said a man. "Is she any good?"

"Tell us of her," called another man.

"She is described in the handbills," said Mirus.

"Is she any good?" called the first man, again.

"Tell us of her," called the second man, again.

"Her hair and eye coloring, and complexion, and height and weight, are as mentioned in the handbills," said Mirus. "Other pertinent measurements, too, as you may recall, are specified in the same bills."

I blushed, looking down.

"Is she any good?" repeated the first fellow, insistently.

"She has a lovely face and form," said Mirus.

"But is she any good!" laughed the man.

"That you may determine promptly and firsthand, if you win," called Mirus.

There was laughter.

"Seriously," said Mirus, "understand that this is only a virgin slave. In that sense, she will not be much good, probably not for a few weeks. Remember it is only her virginity we are raffling off tonight."

"Yes, yes," agreed several fellows.

"True," called the first man.

"But she is beautiful, and unusually desirable," said Mirus. "Surely it would be a triumph to open her."

I clutched the sheet more closely about me.

"She is a treasure," said Mirus, "and, in time, we expect her to become exceptionally good."

"She is an Earth slut," called a man. "It says so on the handbills. They are all frigid."

"But you know as well as I," called Mirus, "that they do not stay that way."

"True," laughed the fellow.

There was general laughter.

I clutched the sheet more closely about my neck.

(pg 179) "We know you, Mirus," said a man. "What do you think of her?"

"She was purchased by my employer, your host, master of this tavern, Hendow," said Mirus. "I think you know well his taste and expertise in selecting women."

This point seemed to have its effect with the crowd.

"What of you, Mirus?" pressed the fellow who had asked the original question. "What do you think of her?"

"I would purchase an ostrakon, myself, or several," said Mirus, "but if I, an employee of the tavern, were to win, you would all, would you not, every one of you, suspect collusion and duplicity?"

"Yes," said a fellow. There was laughter.

So, I thought to myself, it was not my imagination. Mirus did desire me. That, doubtless, was why he had so suddenly turned away from me last night.

"And so," said Mirus, "I can wait."

I shuddered. I had not thought of it much, but it was true. After tonight, I would be only another of Hendow's girls. I would not only have been "opened" for his customers, but I would be available as well, as a matter of course, to his men. The use of a tavern's girls is one of the perquisites of employment in such a place. After tonight, I would have to serve Mirus, and the others, as they might want me. I recalled that in the house of my training the "opened" girls had been available to the guards. The kitchen master, too, I knew had had his eye on me. Usually, laboring there, on our knees, bending over the low, steaming tubs, our arms immersed in the suds to our elbows, cleaning pots and pans, he had had Ina and I remove our kitchen tunics. He had used Ina several times. I swallowed hard. Doubtless I would be put back in the kitchen from time to time. He was probably waiting for me.

"I will take an ostrakon!" called a fellow, he, I think, who had asked Mirus his opinion of me.

"And I!" said another. "And I," called several others.

"Yes, astute sirs," said Mirus. "Come, sluts," said he, doubtless to Aynur and Tula, carrying their bowls.

In a bit, then, these sales had been made.

Hendow gestured with his head to the musicians, and they made there way, one by one, through the beaded curtain. There were five of them, a czehar player, two kalika players, a flautist and a drummer. In a moment or two, as Mirus solicited further interest among the customers, I heard the sounds of the instruments, the czehar and kalikas being tuned, the flautist trying (pg. 180) passages, the drummer's fingers light on the taut skin of his instrument, the kaska, then adjusting it, then trying it again, then tapping lightly, then more vigorously, with swift, brief rhythm, limbering his wrists, fingers and hands. The music of Gor, or much of it, is very melodious and sensuous. Much of it seems made for the display of slaves before free men, but then I suppose, that is exactly what it is made for.

Then the musicians were silent.

"Let us see her," called a man.

"Bring her out!" called another.

"Bring her out!" called yet another.

I heard the pounding of goblets on the tables.

"Bring her out!" called another man. "Bring her out!" called another. "Bring her forth!" they cried.

"Are you ready?" asked Hendow.

"Yes, Master," I said.

I felt his massive hand moving the sheet as it closed itself, like a vise, about my upper left arm. I was almost lifted from my feet. It was like being a doll in his grasp. I looked up at him. I was absolutely helpless. My fists still clutched the sheet high about my neck. The leashes on the cuffs went behind me, slack, on each side, and then looped up to the keeping of Tupita and Sita. Tupita on my right, Sita on my left, Hendow drew me beside him through the beaded curtain. Tupita and Sita followed, and, too, small Ina. These, slaves themselves, would present me, a new slave, to the men. But it was in the grip of my master, this perhaps symbolizing his ownership of me, and his authority over me, that I would be brought to the floor.

"Aii!" said a man.

"Aah!" said a man. "Superb!" said another. I heard the intake of breaths.

"What did I tell you?" asked Mirus.

I heard sounds of relish and anticipation. I began to tremble. I looked up at my master. He was proud of me! Too, there were conventionized sounds, indicative of interest and approval, the intake of breath through saliva, certain sounds made with the tongue and lips, certain clickings and smackings, and such, of the sort that might cause a free woman to swoon with dismay, but are addressed appropriately enough, and usually to her pleasure, to slaves. Too, I heard whistles and sex calls. Some men, by such noises, summon a girl, running, to their feet. If she is close enough, of course, noises of the preceding sort may also be used for this purpose.

(pg. 181) "Please, please sirs," said Mirus, in mock protest. "Desist! This is a virgin! You will embarrass her!"

There was much laughter. This was a splendid joke, I gathered. Who, after all, cares for the feelings of a slave?

"No, woman like that," said a man, "with a collar on her neck, is a virgin!"

There was more laughter.

I gathered that that was supposed to be a compliment. I glanced up at Hendow. How pleased he seemed to be to own me. How proud he seemed to be! I was afraid, but I was pleased, too, and grateful, that he was pleased with me. I wanted to be pleasing to him. He was my master.

"But she is a virgin!" laughed Mirus.

"Who cares?" called a man.

There was more laughter.

"Among our guests this evening," said Mirus, gesturing, "is one well known to you all, Tamirus," He indicated a good-natured-looking fellow, sitting to one side in green robes. This fellow lifted his hand, in good humor, to the crowd. "later," said Mirus, "when our lovely chain-daughters in attendance, Tupita, Sita and Ina, whom some of you well know, and intimately, and whom I recommend to you all, as I also do my lovely assistants, Aynur and Tula, have presented to you another chain-daughter, this lovely slut, their sister in bondage, we shall call upon Tamirus for his attestation."

There was a good-humored cheer, acknowledging which Tamirus, grinning, once more lifted his hand. The attestation, I gathered, was little more than a formality, but, I supposed, some of the fellows would want it.

I stood toward the center and about a third forward from the rear of the floor, my arm still in the grip of Hendow, my master.

"I will buy another ostrakon!" called a man. I saw Aynur and Tula glance at one another. Aynur's bowl was no longer empty. Tula's now held less.

"We shall reopen the sale of ostraka presently," called Mirus.

The musicians were on my left.

"Hendow," called Mirus, dramatically, "my employer, and dear friend, Hendow, are you not the master of this tavern?"

"I am," grinned Hendow.