"It is so," said Aemilianus. "Indeed, had you not held the wall as long as you did, and the gate, and had you not aided in the evacuation of the landing, and had you not, with others, held the walkway until it could be destroyed behind you, I think there would be few of us here now who would be alive today." "Then perhaps you will not think the less of me if I ask a boon," I said.

"You will not assure us it was nothing?" smiled Aemilianus.

"Was it nothing?" I asked.

"No," he smiled. "It was not nothing."

"I ask a boon then," I said.

"I am surprised that you would do so," he said.

"Think of me then as a mercenary," I said, "and I am speaking of my pay." "We did not contract for your services," he said.

"I know," I said. "This is a matter of honor."

"Speak," I said.

"I ask the commutation of the sentence of impalement in the case of the Lady Claudia of Ar's Station."

"You do not ask for her freedom?" he asked.

"Of course not," I said. "She is guilty."

"You have no objection then," he said, "in view of her guilt, if a terrible and grievous penalty is inflicted upon her?"

"Of course no," I said.

"Even a fate "worse than death'?" he smiled.

"Who speaks of it so?" I asked.

"Do not some free women speak of it so?" he asked.

"And are not those the very women who first bare their breasts to conquerors and beg the privilege of licking their feet?"

"Perhaps, upon occasion," said Aemilianus.

"If it were truly a fate worse then death," I said, "or even so unfortunate a lot, it seems it would be very hard to understand their happiness, their emotional fulfillments, their ecstasies, their willingness to die for their masters."

"Perhaps then," he said, "for all its demands and duties, it is not truly a fate worse then death."

"Perhaps not," I said, "else, after a time, they would not love it so." "Perhaps those who would foolishly call it so do so only in their attempts to dissuade themselves from their desperate fascination with it, and longing for it."

"Perhaps," I said.

"At any rate," he smiled, "let them not make pronouncements on such matters until they have had some experience of that of which they speak, until they have had for a time, so to speak, the collar on their own necks." "Yet," I said, "slavery is a most serious matter."

"It is," he granted.

Gorean slavery is categorical and absolute. The slave is a property, an animal. She is incapable of doing anything to alter, change or affect her status. She is owned by the master, and owes him all. She can be bought and sold. She must serve with perfection.

Aemilianus looked at the Lady Claudia. "Do you understand the nature of our discourse, of that of which we speak?"

"Yes," she said.

"Good," he said.

She looked at him.

"Claudia, Lady of Ar's Station, free woman," he said, sternly.

She, kneeling before him, regarded him.

"Put your head to the deck," he said.

Men gasped, to see a free woman perform this act. More than one, I am sure, wanted to seize her.

"Lift your head," said Aemilianus.

She did so.

"You have been found guilty of treason," he said, "and sentenced to impalement. By the power that was vested in me I did this. By the same power, I now rescind the sentence of impalement."

"Commander!" she cried, tears in her eyes.

"Do you expect to escape punishment?" he asked.

She put down her head, shuddering.

"Do you know the sort of chains you wear?" he asked.

"Slave chains," she said.

"They look well on you," he said.

She did not speak.

Then, suddenly, in a moment, as of panic, seemingly unable to help herself, she tried the chains, those on her wrists, trying to slip them from her wrists, then jerking them, but they held her well.

"You understand clearly, do you not," he asked, "what in now propose to do?" "Yes," she said, frightened.

"It is my intention," he said, "to sentence you to slavery. Do you understand this, and what it means?"

"I think so," she said, "a€”as far as any free woman can."

"Do you have anything to say before I pass such sentence upon you?" "No," she said.

"I sentence you to slavery," he said, uttering the sentence.

She trembled, sentenced.

"It only remains now," said Aemilianus, "for the sentence to be carried out. If you wish I, in the office of magistrate, shall carry it out. On the other hand, if you wish, you may yourself carry out the sentence."

"I?" she said.

"Yes," he said.

"You would have me proclaim myself slave?" she asked.

"Or I shall do it," he said. "In the end, it does not matter."

"In my heart," she said, "I am, and have been for years, a slave. It is fitting then, I suppose, that it should be I who say the words."

Aemilianus regarded her.

"I am a slave," she said.

Men cried out with pleasure and smote their left shoulders in Gorean applause, gazing on the new slave, looking about herself, frightened, kneeling chained before Aemilianus.

"Bring the other salve here, too," said Aemilianus, gesturing to the former Lady Publia.

In a moment the two slaves, naked, and in their siriks, were before him. Men adjusted the positions of the slaves, rudely, so that they knelt well, back on their heels, their backs straight, their knees spread."

"Calliodorus, my friend," said Aemilianus, "behold two slaves." "I behold them," said Calliodorus.

"Do you find them pleasing?" asked Aemilianus.

"Yes," said Calliodorus. "Both were obviously born for the collar." "This one," said Aemilianus, indicating the former Lady Publia, "at least for the time, we will call Publia." "Who are you?" asked Calliodorus of the former Lady Publia. "Publia!" she said.

"And this one," continued Aemilianus, indicating the former Lady Claudia, "at least for the time, we will call Claudia."

"Your name?" asked Calliodorus of the former Lady Claudia.

"'Claudia'!" she said, quickly.

"It is my request, if it is not too much trouble," said Aemilianus to Calliodorus, "that both of these slaves be taken to Port Cos, and there properly branded and collared."

I smiled. It did not seem likely that in the future there would be any doubts about Publia's status, nor, indeed, that of Claudia either. I though they would both look quite lovely in the garments of slaves, if they were permitted clothing.

"And then," said Aemilianus, "if you would, as one of these females was prepared to surrender herself to Cosians, and the other served Cosians, in betraying her city, see that they come into the keeping of Cosians."

"That will be easy to arrange," said Calliodorus. "There are many Cosians, envoys and such, in Port Cos.

The girls exchanged glances. Their fates were being decided by men, but I did not think unjustly.

"Do you have on board facilities for slaves?" inquired Aemilianus.

"Below deck," said Calliodorus, "we have some slave cages."

"Excellent," said Aemilianus. Then he addressed the slaves. "You may perform obeisance before masters," he said.

Both the girls then bent forward and, putting the palms of their hands on the deck, lowered their heads to the boards.

Aemilianus then nodded to Calliodorus. It was a small gesture. It indicated that he, at least at that time, had no further interest in the two women.

"Take then below decks," said Calliodorus to one of his men. "Cage them." The fellow, standing behind and rather between the two girls took them each by an arm, Claudia by her right arm, and Publia by her left, and pulled them to their feet. Then, turning them and thrusting them forward, without relinquishing his hold on their arms, he conducted them ahead of him, toward a hatch. "The cages," apologized Calliodorus, "are individual cages, and rather tiny. They are, in effect, punishment cages."