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strangely. They beg and weep and whine. One would think they had never seen a slave collar or slave chains before. They are beautiful, but they are stupid. The only thing they understand is the whip." Portus looked down, disgusted. "Men even go to see them sold, out of curiosity, for they either stand there, numb, not moving, or scream and fight, or cry out in their barbarian tongues." Portus looked up. "But the lash teaches them what is expected of them on the block, and they then present themselves well---and some bring fair prices---in spite of being barbarian."
     
    "I gather," said Kuurus, "that you wish to hire my sword, that you may in some degree protect yourself from the men and the plans of the house of which you have spoken."
     
    "It is true," said Portus. "When gold will not do, only steel can meet steel."
     
    "You say that this house of which you speak is the largest and richest, the most powerful, on the Street of Brands?"
     
    "Yes," said Portus.
     
    "What is the name of this house?" asked Kuurus.
     
    "The House of Cernus," said Portus.
     
    "I shall permit my sword to be hired," said Kuurus.
     
    "Good!" cried Portus, his hands on the table, his eyes gleaming. "Good!"
     
    "By the House of Cernus," said the assassin.
     
    The eyes of Portus went wide, and his body trembled. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and staggered backwards, shaking his head, turned, and stumbled over one of the low tables, and fled from the room.
     
    His drink finished, Kuurus rose and went to the darkened corner of the room, where the wall sloped down. He looked into the eyes of the girl in the yellow slave livery, who knelt there. Then he turned the key in the lock of collar seven and released her. Thrusting her to her feet and forcing her to walk before him, he went to the counter, behind which stood the man in the grimy tunic of white and gold. Kuurus threw the key to him. "Use twenty-seven," said the man, handing Kuurus a bit of silk, Pleasure Silk, wrapped about a set of slave chains.
     
    Kuurus threw the silk and chains over his shoulder and motioned the girl to move ahead of him and, numbly, she did so, crossing the room, going between the tables, and stopping before the narrow ladder at the right side of the high wall, in which were found the ledges with their alcoves. Not speaking, but woodenly, she climbed the ladder and crawled onto the shelf near the tiny alcove marked with the Gorean equivalent of twenty-seven and entered, followed by Kuurus, who drew the curtains behind them.
     
    The alcove, with its enclosing, curved walls, was only about four feet high and five feet wide. It was lit by one small lamp set in a niche in the wall. It was lined with red silk, and floored with love furs and cushions, the furs being better than some six to eight inches deep.
     
    In the alcove the demeanor of the girl changed and she suddenly rolled onto her back and lifted one knee. She looked at him saucily.
     
    "I have never been in one of these places before," she said.
     
    Kuurus tossed the silk and the chains to one side of the alcove and grinned at her.
     
    "I now understand," she said, "why it is that free women never enter Paga taverns."
     
    "But you are only a slave girl," said Kuurus.
     
    "True," she said forlornly, turning her head to one side.
     
    Kuurus removed her slave livery.
     
    The girl sat up, her eyes bright, holding her ankles with her hands.
     
    "So this is what these places are like," she said, looking about her.
     
    "Do you like them?" asked Kuurus.
     
    "Well," she said, demurely, looking down, "they make a girl feel---rather---well---."
     
    "Precisely," agreed Kuurus. "I see that I shall have to bring you here more often."
     
    "That might be pleasant," said she, "Master."
     
    He fingered the collar on her throat, yellow enameled over steel. It bore the legend: I am the property of the House of Cernus.
     
    "I would like," he said, "to remove the collar."
     
    "Unfortunately," said she, "the key