"Would he be our total master?" asked the red-haired girl, looking at me.

"Yes, your absolute and total master," said Ginger.

I gave no sign that I had understood the red-haired girls question.

"But how can we be slaves?" asked a girl.

"Your question is stupid and foolish," said Ginger. "You are slaves. It is assimple as that. Do not be misled by the myths and rhetorics of your formerworld. Indeed, even on that world slavery exists. Slavery, as you will learn, isa very real institution, and, further, it is one in which you are profoundlyimplicated. You are totally and legally, as well as in practical fact, theproperty of your master."

The girl shrank back, in horror.

"My lessons for you today," said Ginger, "are basically quite simple. I thinkthey may be grasped even by intellects such as yours, those of slave girls.

First, you are slaves, and that is all you are, nothing more, only slaves.

Second, do not even think of escape. There is no escape for you. Slaves you are,my dears, and slaves you will remain.

More than one of the girls, her head in her hands, shrank back, weeping.

It seemed to me that Ginger had certainly spoken bluntly to the new barbarianslaves, but, still, I felt, on the whole, it had been appropriate for her to doso. It is kindest, I think, in the long run, to proceed rather along the linesthat she had. The sooner a new slave's delusions are dispelled the better it is,normally, for all concerned.

"Come now, my pretty slaves," said Ginger, "kneel straight. Back straight, headsup. Back on your heels there! Spread those pretty knees. Yes, that is the waymen like it. Put your hands, palms down, on your thighs. Good. Good Excellent!

The girls now knelt in the coffle as pleasure slaves.

"Mistress," said a girl.

"Yes, pretty slave," said Ginger.

"You speak of men," said the girl.

"Yes," said Ginger. "You are female slaves. You now, in a general sense, belongto men."

Several of the girls looked at her, frightened.

"Doubtless you were taught many idiotic things about both yourselves and men onyour old world. Doubtless, in your hearts, perhaps late at night, in bed, or inthe morning, or at odd, lonely moments, in spite of your educations andconditionings, your trainings, you recognized the falseness of these teachings."

I saw that several of the girls looked very frightened. I saw that theyunderstood, only too well, what Ginger was saying.

"You would understand, or sense, at such times," said Ginger, "the meaning ofyour slightness, your beauty and your needs. You would have understood that youwere yearning women, in effect without men. You would have understood thensomething of the grand themes of nature, of dominance and submission, and yourown obvious, natural place in such an organic scheme. At such times, perhaps, ifyou dared, you might have longed for the hands of a master on you, amagnificent, ruthless male who could fulfill you, who would put you to his feetand own you, who would answer your deepest needs, who would command you, whowould dominate you, absolutely, and ravish you for his merest pleasure, and athis least whim, who would force from you, to your joy, the totality of love andservice you were born to bestow."

The girls looked at her, terrified.

"On this world," said Ginger, "there is no dearth of such men and you, my dears,are female slaves."

"Are we not permitted resistance?" asked a girl.

"No resistance is permitted," said Ginger, "unless it be the master's will. Thatis a subtle point. You will have to learn to tell when the master desiresresistance, that he may crush it mercilessly, and when he does not."

Several of the girls swallowed, hard.

"As female slaves," said Ginger, "you will be, as a general rule, a rule onwhich your very life may depend, absolutely docile, totally obedient, and fullypleasing."

"We would have to be anything, and do anything, then, fully," said a girl, "thatwe are commanded."

"Yes," said Ginger, "and with the utmost talent, skill and perfection that youcan muster."

"Mistress," said the red-haired girl.

"Yes," Red-haired- Slave," said Ginger.

"Is the slave girl also," asked the red-haired girl, "at the sexual mercy of hermaster?"

"Absolutely, and fully, and in every way," said Ginger.

Several of the girls gasped, shrinking back in their chains.

"You will learn," said Ginger.

"Yes, Mistress. Thank you, Mistress," said the red-haired girl. She looked atme, and then, quickly, shyly, put her head down. In the brown slave tunic, withthe chain on her neck, she looked almost demure.

"Feed them," said Ginger.

Evelyn then threw each of the girls a piece of meat, throwing it to the grassbefore them. She removed these pieces of meat from the slender greenwood spit onwhich they had been roasted.

"Do not use your hands," warned Ginger, slapping the switch in her left palm.

"Yes, Mistress," said more than one of the girls.

I watched them, kneeling, leaning forward, palms down on the grass, heads down,eating at the meat.

"A pretty lot," said Grunt, behind me.

"Yes," I said.

The red-haired girl, eating at the meat, looked up at me, and then, shyly, againlowered her head.

"See that girl," asked Grunt, "the one with red hair?"

"Yes," I said.

"She is a virgin," he said.

"Oh?" I said.

"Yes," he said, "I tested her body this morning."

"I see," I said. I recalled that the girl, in the sales barn, had proclaimed hervirginity. It had been done in the throes of the misery of her sale, when shehad pleaded not to be brazenly exposed to the buyers. Her pleas, of course, hadnot been heeded.

"It is unfortunate," I said, "that she is a virgin."

"Why?" asked Grunt.

"Because she is quite pretty," I said.

"I do not understand," he said.

"Her virginity will doubtless improve her price," I said.

"Not in the Barrens," he said.

"No?" I asked.

"No," said Grunt. "They take virginity seriously only in their own women."

"I see," I said.

"If you were going to buy a she-tarsk," asked Grunt, "would its virginity matterto you?"

"No," I said, "of course not."

"If she pleases you," he said, "you may have her, or any of the others, if youwish."

"Thank you," I said.

"What are slaves for?" he asked.

"True," I grinned.

"If you take her, however," he said, "take her, the first time, withgentleness."

"Very well," I said.

"It will be time enough later for her to learn what it is to be a true slave," he said.

"I understand," I said.

Grunt then turned away.

"Grunt," I said. He turned about. He still wore the broad brimmed hat. I hadnever seen him without it.

"Yes," he said.

"The Hobarts," I said, "the men who were following, what of them?"

"If they were still following us," he said, "they would have arrived by now."

"Yes," I said.

"So they are no longer following," he said.

"I am prepared to believe that," I said.

"So put the matter from your mind," he said.

"What became of them?" I asked.

"It is time to sleep now," he said.

"What became of them?" I asked.

"We shall make a determination on that matter in the morning," he said. "In themeantime, let us sleep."

"Very well," I said.