"This is not exactly the robes of concealment," I said. In it, of course, Phoebe would be charmingly displayed as what she was, a slave. Indeed, she would be quite exciting, and quite lovely, in such a garment, so brief and open. Marcus needed have no fear, in my opinion, that if she were in such a garment, that either she or anyone else would be in any doubt as to her status. Indeed, in it it would be quite clear that she was in an exact and profound bondage.
"Burn it," said Marcus.
I dropped it in the fire. We watched it burn.
Tears streamed down the face of the yoked slave. I had had Ephialtes deliver her stripped, of course. And, customarily, when a girl is delivered, the carrier usually retains the delivery garments, if any. After all, he is delivering the slave, not a wardrobe. In this fashion, too, the slave's complete dependence on her new master, even for such things as clothing, is made clear from the very beginning.
The garment was then gone.
"Will the leash now be necessary?" inquired Marcus.
"No, my Master," said the slave.
I then, with the side of my foot, kicked dirt over our fire, extinguishing it. We then, Marcus and I together, with the slave following, left the camp.
50
The Walls of Ar
From the crest of this hill the walls of Ar can be seen. It is a long time since I have seen them. They are very beautiful. Marcus is nearby. Phoebe, too, is nearby, attending to her duties in the camp.
There is a note or two which I should like to adjoin to the preceding manuscript.
As nearly as I can determine, she who was Ina is no longer sought by those of Ar. If this is the case then I would suppose that she is now, wherever she is, safe, or at least as safe as one of her sort, a female slave, can be. To be sure, although they are the absolute property of their masters, and are absolutely, and in all ways, at the disposal of their masters, their safety, for most practical purposes, is largely in their own hands. Little more is usually required of them than that they be marvelously beautiful, instantly obedient, and perfectly pleasing, in all ways.
It is also now clearly established that Saphronicus, who was the leader of the forces of Ar in the north, is dead. He apparently died in, or about, the camp at Holmesk. The nature of his death remains somewhat mysterious, and there are many rumors concerning it. I have heard, for example, that he was beset by a larl, far from its accustomed habitats, that he was torn to pieces by a tarn, and that his head was torn, or partly torn, from his body by a dozen madmen armed with hooks of steel. Perhaps only those closest to him know the real truth of the matter. It is my speculation, however, that Labienus, commander of the vanguard, made his report.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1987 by John Norman
Cover design by Open Road Integrated Media
ISBN 978-1-4976-0095-9
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
Open Road Integrated Media is a digital publisher and multimedia content company. Open Road creates connections between authors and their audiences by marketing its ebooks through a new proprietary online platform, which uses premium video content and social media.
Videos, Archival Documents, and New Releases
Sign up for the Open Road Media newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign up now at
www.openroadmedia.com/newsletters
FIND OUT MORE AT
WWW.OPENROADMEDIA.COM
FOLLOW US:
@openroadmedia and
Facebook.com/OpenRoadMedia
Vagabonds of Gor Page 56
