I’d like to see Lady Malroth snub me with him standingbehind me, guarding my back, she thought eyeing the massive Havocagain.

Still, it would do no good to get such a large male unless hetruly was tractable. And no matter how much the slaver reassured her, shecouldn’t make herself believe this Havoc was the innocent, malleable slave hewas promised to be.

“I don’t know,” she said, frowning. “I don’t know how I couldcontrol such a large male.”

“Easily,” the slaver said eagerly. “Observe.” He walked over tothe platform and tapped the massive male on one arm. “Slave—get down from thedisplay platform. This Mistress wishes to see you.”

The Havoc male didn’t twitch so much as a muscle. He wasn’tjust unmoving—he appeared to have turned to stone, kneeling there on the rounddisplay platform.

“Do you hear?” The slaver raised the black blindfold,uncovering the most gorgeous eyes Trin had ever seen. They were a pale silver-bluethat was almost white with a thin band of black around the irises.

Beast’s eyes, she thought, and shivered for some reason.But the slaver was still trying to get the Havoc’s attention.

“I sssaid get down!” he bawled and slapped the muscular arm moreforcefully.

Again there was nothing. Not so much as a flicker of movement.

“This is your last chance.” There was an ugly look on theslaver’s reptilian face now—his snout was wrinkled in anger, his yellow eyeswere enraged slits. “Ssstand now or taste the pain of your collar.”

The huge slave simply looked at him—or glared might be a betterword. The extraordinary eyes narrowed and for a moment Trin thought he lookedlike a wild animal set to pounce. But he gave no other response and didn’t moveso much as a muscle.

“You will move if I sssay ssso!” Clearly infuriated, theXethian slaver pulled out a small black remote and pointed at the Havoc.

“No, wait!” Trin exclaimed. “I don’t want—”

But her protest came too late. The slaver pressed the buttonand the big body on the platform went suddenly rigid with agony. Trin watchedin horror as the Havoc’s back arched and his head snapped back in pain. Everymuscle on his big frame stood out as hard as a rock and the cords in thepowerful column of his throat were rigidly defined.

The eerie thing was that he suffered in silence. Though it wasclear he was in horrible pain, the Havoc never made so much as a whimper, letalone a plea for mercy. He just took it.

“Stop! Stop it!” Trin exclaimed. “Look, his face is getting redand he can barely breathe. Stop it now, you’re hurting him! That’s too muchpain!”

“Pain is the point,my lady,” the slaver hissed malevolently. “And this ssslave needs to learn todo as I tell him if he does not want more pain than he can bear.”

“You’re giving him more than he can bear right now!” Trinprotested. “Look, he’s about to faint! He—”

Before she could finish her words, the intractable Havoc maletoppled off the platform, his entire long body going rigid, as though he washaving some kind of a seizure.

“Stop!” Trin ordered again. “You’re killing him!”

“Why ssshould I not kill him? I will not have a ssslave whodoes not obey,” the slaver hissed petulantly.

“That’s enough—I’m through asking you.” Trin doubled her fistand gave the slaver a shot to his scaly jaw. She didn’t like to resort tophysical violence but she couldn’t just stand by and watch the Havoc killed ona whim. The slaver’s long, boney jawbone sent a jolt of pain through herfingers as she connected, making her wonder briefly if she might have brokenone or several, but the blow had the desired effect.

“Ssslurlesh!” It was obviously a curse in the slaver’s nativetongue. He dropped the remote in surprise and it skittered across the floor.Trin ran after it. The slave’s broad back was still bowed in agony and she wasafraid if she didn’t shut off the collar soon he might have permanent damage.

The little black remote was kicked by several feet but at lastshe got her hands on it and hurried back to the display—only to see the slaverstanding there with one three fingered hand to his scaly jaw and a couple ofsecurity Crangs flanking him.

“This isss the one,” he said, pointing at her. “Ssshe ssstruckme with no provocation whatsoever!”

“I had plenty of provocation,” Trin said angrily. “He’s killinghis slave. Just look!” She turned with the remote ready, hoping she waspressing the right button to stop the painful pulses.

The slave, whose entire body had been a rigid statue of pain,suddenly went limp and lay still on the metal floor. Trin ran over to him andchecked his pulse. It was there—slow but steady—but he was completely out. Well,at least he’s still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned back tothe huge, lumpish security Crangs who looked like they were made of cooled lavadeposits.

“See?” she demanded.

“It does not matter what the slaver, who is the one who is theowner of this slave, was doing to his slave which he owns,” one of the Crangspronounced laboriously. “He is the owner of the one who is called the slave,not you.”

“Therefore, you must be the one who shall be arrested and triedin the Hub court that is called the place of law for the crimes you havecommitted,” the other Crang droned. “This is what is called justice.”

“Justice?” Trin exclaimed. “Have you been smoking mindblissweed? You can’t arrest me for keeping this scaly bastard from killing someone.”

“He is not a someone who is having what are known as rights,”the first Crang said. “He is what is known as a slave and you are the one whois being in the wrong.”

“Therefore, come with us,” the second one said, reaching forher.

“Hold on a minute!” Trin knew what this meant. Those taken intocustody at the Flesh Bazaar as often as not found themselves on the wrong sideof the auction block when the hasty “trial” in the Hub Court was over. All proceeds of suchsales went to line the pockets of the corrupt officials who presided over thecourt so they were quick to hand down a guilty verdict. Trin had no intentionof being sold to the highest bidder just because the scaly son-of-a-bitchslaver was angry that she’d taken a shot at him.

She took a hasty step backwards and nearly stumbled over thebody of the huge Havoc who was still out like a light. It gave her an idea. “Imay have overreacted,” she said, though she could barely force the words out.“But it was only because I didn’t want the slave I was intending to buy to bedamaged.”

“Buy, you sssay?” Thewounded slaver perked up considerably.

“Yes,buy,” Trin emphasized. “I’ve decided he’s the perfect slave for me.So…how much?”

Theslaver’s eyes narrowed, rendering them nothing more than yellow slits.

“Fiftythousand credits,” he announced. “And not a sssentine less.”

“Fiftythousand?” Trin could scarcely believe her ears. “But that’s crazy. It’sten times what even the best, most perfectly trained slave is worth and—”

“Andyou will pay or these fine Crangsss will take you to the court.” The slaversmirked at her.

“I—”Trin began, meaning to tell him to go procreate with himself. But the Crangswere coming towards her, their lumpish, rock-like hands outstretched, ready todrag her before the “court” where she would be declared guilty at once,stripped of her clothing and all her goods, and sent to the auction block.Fifty thousand credits was her entire savings and then some but there wasn’tmuch she could do—she was stuck.

“Yesss?”the slaver inquired. “You were sssaying?”

“Iwas saying wrap him up.” Trin sighed. “I’ll take him.”

Chapter Two

“He’sgroaning again.” Sidna, The Alacrity’sresident medic, frowned at the huge slave who was sprawled on a small cot.