"Why should you say that?" I asked. That genuinely puzzled me.

I had long considered bringing you to this place, Lady Sheila," he said, "even before you yourself expressed an interest in the walls, but, again and again, I forced the thought from my mind. This thought I resisted further, even more tenaciously, when you yourself broached it, now and again. Then finally, after much troubled thought, it seemed to me that perhaps it was best that I let myself accompany you here."

"I do not understand what you are saying," I said.

"Here I would be alone with the Tatrix of Corcyrus, near saddled tarns," he said. "It seemed then that I knew what I should do. It seemed then that a given course of action would be appropriate. It would be easy enough to execute. Indeed, I could undertake it now. it is perhaps what I should do. I shall not, however, do it. I contravene no orders. Rather I will let the game take its course."

"You speak in riddles," I chided him.

"Let us now descend from the wall," he said. "Let us now return to the palace." I glanced at the tarns. They were gigantic, fierce birds.

Drusus Rencius stood close behind me. I thought for a moment he might take me in his arms. I felt faint. I wanted him to do so.

"What is that sound from within your cloak?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said.

"Show me," I said. I turned. He held open the side of the cloak, it then like a curtain between me and the city. The parapet was at my back.

There, held by a snap catch against the silken lining of the great cloak, looped, in coils, there hung a set of light chains.

I could not determine the exact arrangement of the chains, coiled as they were. There seemed, however, to be a longer chain, which was a base chain, and two smaller, subsidiary chains. At one end the base chain was attached to a rather small neck ring, but suitable for closing about a woman's neck; at the other end it was attached to one of the subsidiary chains, about a foot long, and terminating on each end with a ring; those rings looked as though they might fit snugly about a woman's ankles; the other subsidiary chain seemed to be placed about two feet or so below the, neck ring; at its terminations were smaller rings, which looked as though they might close snugly, locking, about a woman's wrists.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It is called a sirik," he said.

"Do men carry such things?" I asked.

"Sometimes," he said.

I wondered what chains like that would feel like on my body. They looked very graceful. They were doubtless flattering. Too, they would hold me quite well. "Let us descend from the wall," said Drusus Rencius. "Let us return to the palace."

"It is so skimpy," I said, "so tiny."

"Retire behind the screen," he said, "and put it on."

I hurried behind the three-part screen in one corner of' The large, well-fit room in the inn of Lysias, off the square of Perimines, on the street of Philebus. It is not far from the house of the slaver, Kliomenes, on Milo Street. We had entered the inn through its front door. We would leave it through its back door, which opened onto an alley. Later, we would return to it through this same back door. We would then take our final exit, once again, later, through the front door.

I put the small garment on the broad, dark-stained, polished boards of the floor near my feet, behind the screen. I then began to remove the veils -and robes of concealment.

"There is no place back here," I said, "to put my garments."

"Put them on the top of the screen," be said. I will fold them and place them on the chest." I did this, reaching above my head to place them on the top of the screen. He then removed them from this location.

"You are to be barefoot," he said.

I removed my slippers and put them to the left side of the screen. I saw his hand take them.

I then removed the remainder of my garments, and saw them, from the top of the screen disappear. Now, behind the screen, I was naked. Only an inch of wood separated me from such a man. I wished that I had retained some of my other garments behind the screen, if only for psychological security. I felt the dark, polished floor beneath my bare feet.

I felt the air of the room, behind the screen, on my body. I touched the screen lightly with my finger tips.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"No!" I said. I hastily, trembling, crouched down and sieized up the small bit of cloth I had placed at my feet. I moaned, inwardly. It was so light, tiny and short. it would be dismayingly revealing. Surely such garments are an insult to a woman, I thought, forcing her to show how beautiful she is, to anyone who might care to look upon her. I drew it over my head and pulled it down, desperately, about my body. It was a gray, beltless, one-piece garment of rep cloth, with inch-wide straps over the shoulders. I tugged it down, at the hem, at the sides, trying to make it cover more of my thighs.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes,'.' I said, faltering.

"Step forth," he said.

I came forth, from about the edge of the screen.

"Aiiii," he said, softly, to himself.

This response pleased me.

"Stand there," he said, indicating a place on the floor.

I went to where he had indicated.

"Now turn, slowly, and then face me," he said.- I did so.

"Are my legs pretty?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "But your face and figure, as a whole, are also quite pretty." "You find my pleasing, then?" I asked.

"Yes," he said. "Indeed, I had not supposed that the Tatrix of Corcyrus would prove to be such a beauty."

"Surely, then," I smiled, "I would be worth at least a silver tarsk." "There are many beautiful women in the markets," he said. "You are untrained." "Oooh," I said.

"Come here," he said, "and remove my cloak. Then fold it, and place it on the chest."

I did so.

"Now return to where you were, facing me."

I did so.

"The Tatrix of Corcyrus does not often remove cloaks for gentlemen," I informed him. I did not tell him, of course, how I had almost trembled being so near him, and how pleased I was to have performed this small service for him.

He did not respond but continued to gaze upon me, as though studying me. My scanty garb, of course, I understood, invited such scrutiny.

"Few men," I said, "have looked upon the Tatrix of Corcyrus clad in this fashion."

"Stand, straighter," he said.

I did so.

"Doubtless they would think of her somewhat differently, if they saw her clad like this," I said.

"Or any woman," he said.

"Of course," I said. I shuddered to think how men might think of women clad like this.

"The garment," he said, "is perhaps too modest."

"Too modest?" I asked.

"Yes," he said, "but it will perhaps do. I tried to find a garment which would be both serviceable for our purposes and, at the same time, considerate, within the limitations of our project, of your modesty. That explains the neckline which does not plunge to your belly, revealin much of the beauty of your breasts, and the hemline, which is surely something less than slave short. I pulled down the sides of the garment. It seemed quite short to me.

"It does not even have a nether closure," I said to him.

"In that it is authentic," he said. "Such a closure, or the lines of a lower garment, affording such a closure, would be instantly detected by slaves." "I see," I said.

"The slave, at any instant," he said, "is to be available to the master." "I see," I said.

"Do you wish to continue with this project?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

"I will. take you into the house as though you might be a new girl or a fresh capture. This will explain why you are not in a collar. It will also make plausible your lack of a brand, should the matter arise. Your garment, incidentally, is ng enough to cover most common brand sites. That you are totally free woman, and not a slave, or a capture enroute to collar, will be known to several members of the staff.