"My thanks, Sir," she said looking up at me."It is nothing," I said. "I am grateful," she said. "Perhaps you would care to join me at my table," I suggested. "There is little but sul porridge but I could order you a bowl," I said.

"One must make do in trying circumstances," she said, "with what there is." "Do you have any wine?" I asked Strobius. He smiled. "Yes," he said.

"Would you care for some wine?" I asked her.

Her eyes glistened over her veil. It had been some days, I gathered since she had been able to afford or had had wine. "Yes," she said, "it would give me great pleasure to drink your wine." "Please go to the table," I said, indicating the table. "and I will made the arrangements."Very well," she said and turned away going to the table.

"Sul porridge," said Strobius, "is ten copper tarsks. I will charge you forty copper tarsks for the wine, two cups." "Very well," I said.

In a few moments he had had fellow bring a tray with the sul porridge and two cups of wine to the counter. I paid him. "Oh, by the way," I asked, "do you have a packet of Tassa powder?" He grinned and reached under the counter. "Yes," he said handing it to me. "How much do I owe you for this?" I asked. "For that one," he said, "it is free. Take it with the compliments of the house."Very well," I said.

The girl turned uneasily on the mat. She was then again on her side.

Her legs were again drawn up. She moaned. I saw the small fingers of her right hand touch the mat. Her fingertips were soft against the rough tibers. On her legs, where she had lain, there were markings from the mat.

I saved a part of the crust of bread I ws eating. She moved uneasily and made a small noise. She must not sense that it was morning.

I looked about myself. The inn was deserted. It bore the signs of having been hastily evacuated. Tarnsmen of Ar, the rumors had had it, were soon to be aflight toward Lara. The evacuation of the inn had been a portion of the evacuation of the entire city. Outside the streets were empty and quiet. There were few persons, I conjectured, now left in Lara. There were of course the girl and myself.

She rolled onto her belly on the mat. She lay there, the left side of her face against the map, her small hands at the sides of her head.I watched her. I saw her small fingers move slightly, and her fingertips touch the fibers of the mat.

Then, suddenly, I saw her fingerstips press down on the mat, and then, suddenly, her fingernails, frightened, dug atit. Her entire body stiffened.

"You are awake," I observed. "What is this on whichI find myself?" she asked, frightened. "Is it not obvious?" I asked. "It is a slave mat." "Where am I?" she asked, lifting her head.

"In the main room of the inn of Strobius," I said, "in the city of Lara." She rose to her hands and knees. I noticed that her breasts were lovely, inside the rag that she wore. "What happened?" she asked.

"You were drugged," I told her. She shook her head. She looked at me. I did not think she could yet well focus on me. "You should not have drunk my wine," I told her. "Where are my clothes?" she asked. "I discarded, burned or destroyed your luggage and your things," I said, "with the exception of what you now wear, a Ta-Teer and a collar."

"I am collared," she whispered, disbelievingly. She tried the steel. "It is locked," I assured her. I saw her hand, subtly, furtively, touch the side of her Ta-Teera. "The key is no longer there," I informed her. "Too, I have ripped away and discarded the tiny pocket which you had sewn there. Girls are not permitted to carry things in their Ta-Teera. Surely you know that."

"Where is the key," she whispered. "I threw it away," I told her. She shook her head. "I remember you," she said. "You paid for my lodging. You gave me wine." "Yes," I said. "It was drugged," she said. "Of course," I said.

"Give me the key to this collar!" she cried, suddenly. She sprang to her feet, her hands pulling at the collar. "Do not leave the slave mat." I cautioned her. "I threw the key away," I reminded her.

"Threw it away?" she said. "Yes," I said. "But it is a real collar," she said, "I cannot remove it." "No," I said, "It has not been designed to be removed by a girl." She looked at me with horror. "Do not leave the mat," I told her.

She stepped back more on the mat. "Kneel down," I suggested. She knelft, her knees pressed closely together. "I found both the Ta-Teera and the collar amoung your belongings," I told her. "Surely they are unusual obects to be found among the belongings of a free woman." She said nothing. "Perhaps you are an escaped slave," I said. "No!" she cried. "I am not a slave! I am not branded!"

"Reveal your thigh to me," I said, "that I may see whether or not you are branded."No!" she said. Then she said angrily, "You put me in the Ta-Teera. You know well I am not branded." "That is true," I smiled.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked. "Who are you? Is this some bizarre joke?" "No," I said, "It is not a joke. She turned white. "Let me go," she said.

"Are you hungry?" I asked. "Yes, terribly," she said, uncertainly. I threw her what was left of the crust of bread. It stuck the slave mat before her. She reached for it. "Do not use your hands," I told her. "I am a free woman," she said. "Eat," I told her.

She ate as I had instructed her not using her hands. I then placed a pan of water within her reach. «Drink» I told her. She then drank as she had eaten not using her hands. I then removed the pan of water from her, threw out the water that had been left and put the pan aside. I then again returned to my place and sat down, cross-legged, behind the small table. She looked at me. I did not think she was displeased to have eaten and drunk.

"What do you want of me?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"Spread your knees," I told her. Angrily, she did so. "How is it," I asked, "that a free woman should have among her belongings such unusual articles as a Ta-Teera and a collar?" "I have been associated," she said, "with female slaves of the house of Tima. I have occasionally used such articles in my work." "I see," I said. "Do I know you?" she asked. "Do you?" I asked. "You are masked," she said. "You have me at a disadvantage."

"It is true that you are well exposed before me," I said. She reddened. "Do you know me from somewhere?" she asked. "Yes," I said.

"From where?" she asked. "Vonda," I sid. She shrugged, angrily. "You could be any one of a thousand men," she said. "But I am not," I said.

"No," she said, "I suppose not."

"Come over here," i said, "and lie down on the table on your back before me." She did so. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked. "You will learn," I said. The table was low and sturdy. "Obviously you intend to treat me as a slave," she said. "Perhaps," I said. "I see you have prepared lengths of robe," she said. "Yes," I said.

Then slowly, not hurrying. I bagn to tie her down across the table. I began with her left wrist, fastening it over her head and behind her to one of the short legs of the table.

"Where are the others?" she asked. "The ciy has been evacuated," I said. "Why?" she asked. "It was feared there would be an attack of tarnsmen from Ar," i said.

I then jerked tight the rope pulling her right wrist over her head and behind her. I secured it in place. I thrust up the Ta-Teera, that I might spread her legs.

"Did you truly throw away the key to the collar?" she asked. "Yes," I said. "Then you must help me to get out of it soon," she said, "perhaps with tools." "Why?" I asked. I fastened down her left leg.

"Surely you have read it?" she asked. Such collars usually bear a legend. Usually the legend identifies the master, that the slave, if fled, or lost, or strayed, may be promply returned. "No," I said. "I cannot read Gorean." "Does it tell who your master is?" I asked.