Dancer of Gor

I did so, and felt a heavy, rolled-leather wadding thrust back, behind my teeth, over my tongue, so that I could scarcely move my tongue. This device would be secured in place by a broad, mouth-covering strap, with three smaller straps attached to it, across the mouth, pulling it back between the teeth, and one to secure it at the chin. These straps were then pulled back tightly, and fastened, to the top strap above my ears, behind the back of my head, and the two lower straps behind the back of my neck. The roll in my mouth then loosened a little, as I could not help struggling with it, and this, by design, caused it to expand and, secured in place, pack my entire oral orifice.

"Are you well gagged?" she asked.

I made a very tiny, pathetic, affirmative whimper. I could do little more. She then pulled the hood of the cloak up and put it about my head, and pulled it down before me, fully over my head, and tied it, as she had the strings, earlier, about my neck. I was now effectively hooded, as well as gagged. "Come along, my dear," she said.

She then drew me to my feet by the leash, which was now doubtless coiled. She apparently held it only a few inches from my neck. In this fashion she could help me up the stairs.

16 Thieves

"Let us see her," said a voice.

I was on my back on a wooden table. My feet had been tied down, and apart. The cloak, in so far as it continued to conceal me, was thrown back.

"Excellent," said a man" s voice.

The strings on the cloak, which were still fastened about my neck, were then undone. I then felt hands working at the second set of strings, those by means of which the cloak" s hood, it still enveloping my entire head was tied about my neck. In a moment they, too, were undone. I felt the hood brushed back. "Superb," said a man.

I blinked against the torchlight.

"Common kajira brand," commented a man.

"Yes," said one of the fellows.

"It is Doreen, Hendow" s slut, all right," said a man. "I have seen her dance." I half sat up, wildly, startled, but, by a hand in my hair, from behind, was drawn down again to my back. My hands were still braceleted behind me. In the moment I had sat up I had seen there were five men in the room, and Tupita, to one side, smiling, modestly cloaked.

"You are pleased?" she asked the men.

"Yes," said a fellow. "We are pleased."

In the instant, too, I had been up I had seen there had been two rings, at the bottom of the table, one on each side. A single narrow strand of coarse rope ran between these two rings. By means of this single strand of rope, and two simple knots, my left ankle had been tied just inside the left ring and my right ankle just inside the right ring.

"She is beautiful," said a man.

"Yes," said a man. "And see those delicious slave curves."

I squirmed, frightened.

"Do not be afraid, my lovely, curvy, brunet Kajira," said a fellow, leaning over me.

"Her ears are pierced, too," said a man.

"Superb," said another.

"I wonder if she is vital," said a man.

"Her ears are pierced," a fellow reminded him.

"We shall see," said another.

I writhed, whimpering, squirming. My ankles jerked, burned, in their rope loops. There was a sudden metallic sound as the linkage on the bracelets snapped taut. There was a scraping of metal on the table. My fingers twisted helplessly. My wrists, hurt, pulling against the steel of the bracelets. I was absolutely at their mercy. I was absolutely helpless.

"She is vital," commented a fellow.

Tupita laughed.

"How glorious that there are slaves," said another.

"Pay me," said Tupita.

"Your collar will not do, my dear," said one of the fellows, leaning over me. "We shall have to remove it."

I could not, myself, remove my collar, of course. Gorean slave collars are not made for the girl to remove it. It would have to be done with tools. "But have no fear, my dear," said the man, patting my brand, "this will stay." I looked up at him, wildly, tears in my eyes.

"Do not fret," he said. "You will not have a naked neck for long. We do not like naked necks on kajirae. It will soon be in another collar."

Tupita pushed between the men. She stood at my right. She spit in my face. "Now," she said, "I have my vengeance on you! You think you are more beautiful than I, but you are not! You thought you would have an easy life, and be most desired among the girls of Hendow, but you will not be! I have seen to it! You thought to take Mirus from me, too, but soon I could have won him back! it is I whom he loves, not you! Because of you he is no longer in the house of Hendow! Too, it was you who undermined me with the girls and the masters, and it is because of you that Aynur, stupid Aynur, was made first girl this afternoon! I hate you all, except Sita, who alone remained loyal to me! But I will not stay in the house of Hendow without Mirus or as second girl! I have escaped, and, in one stroke, too, taken my vengeance on you."

I shook my head, no, no, no!

"You even informed on me when I was so kind as to bring you a pastry," she said, "for which I was beaten!"