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field teams, and hadn’t gotten particularly upset even the times she’d been wounded. When I finally got her calmed down, she was terribly embarrassed and insisted on explaining why she had done as she had. It seems that I had the same appeal for her that her job did, lots of excitement, lots of adventure-and lots of danger. Being in the base had been like being part of her team, the mere fact of their proximity enough to keep the danger from becoming overwhelming. Once we were alone, though- All she could think about was how ‘big’ and ‘dangerous’ I was, how I might do anything I cared to to her, and the really horrifying possibility that she might come to like that anything. She’d seen fully trained female slaves on Tildor, you see, and had been just as fascinated as she’d been repelled. Those slaves served their men’s every want and whim, and loved doing it. She was afraid she would love doing it, and that I would make her love it. She found it totally impossible to stop trembling.”
    “Neurotic,” I repeated firmly to those very black eyes watching me. “So that was the reason behind all those strange suggestions of yours; you wanted to get the possibilities said and considered before I thought of them on my own. Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, friend, but it’s just as I mentioned earlier: as far as slavery goes, I’ve tried it more than once and still don’t like it. Do you think you might stop watching for the screaming and fainting now?”
    “I stopped watching for that about ten minutes ago,” he said with a stronger grin, letting his eyes move briefly over me. “You may not be terribly impressed with my size and abilities, Diana, but you’re the only woman I ever met who wasn’t. Do you understand now why I’d like to hear from you about where we stand?”
    “Yes, I can understand it now,” I agreed judiciously. “I’ll be glad to give you a statement concerning my views.” I took a final sip of my coffee before returning it to its slot, then lifted both legs and swung them across Val’s lap. “As I see it,” I told him, “I’ve been promised that nothing would be done to me that would cause me to want to defend myself. I was told that by someone who tends to keep his word, you see, which turns out to be a very good thing. Even with the master matter converter, disposing of bodies in a ship like this tends to be hard work, and I’m not in the mood for hard work. ”
    “What are you in the mood for?” he asked, and again I was struck by the difference between the softness of his words and the look in his eyes. His big hand had raised to my hip, and now stroked slowly down my thigh and leg.
    “Truthfully, the thing I could use most right now is a few hours of sleep,” I answered, tucking my hands behind my head. “How’s that for an idea?”
    “Lousy,” he said with that faint grin back again, both of his hands going to my waist to pull me more completely into his lap. “I have a much better idea.”
    His hands moved over me as his lips lowered to mine, and it didn’t take very long before I had a better idea, too.

CHAPTER 2
    When Val and I woke up after indulging in his better idea, he brought out a pair of tight-fitting but flexible, cobalt blue exercise shorts, I guess you could call them-and then joined me in some muscle-loosening exercise of the nonhorizontal variety. After that the shower washed our sweat away; the air blowers dried the shower water; and then I dialed us a couple of synthsteak sandwiches and mugs of coffee, to take care of the hollows within. My ship guest wasn’t very happy with the food, which naturally led him into looking for something to complain about.
    The something turned out to be the way I’d roughed him up. Accusations started flying back and forth; our words went from heated to out-and-out inflamed, and before I knew it I was being challenged to see how well l could take something of the same sort. Having no idea of what he was