"I see your reasons."I see your reasons." I couldn't see it, but I could feel Lynn's smile. "Yes. He is quite a prize, don't you agree?" A large Uncia came by and said "Mistresses, what would you have?" Teela and Lynn ordered lunch as I knelt on the floor, waiting. "You have to watch tonight," Teela said. "It's positively the hottest scene being acted out in the castle." "Oh, really?" Lynn asked quietly. "What's been happening in my absence?" "You remember Dane Grell?" "Isn't he that tall Markal? The one with the big roleplaying kick?" Lynn mused for a moment. "As I recall, he was quite a hit among the younger set. Although anyone with the time could have found that he took his ideas from watching old Terran cinema." "Only AIs have that time, Lynn. Quite a strength to give up." "But I like being human. It has such advantages. Especially when one has such lovely pets." She reached down and stroked my hair. The shame of being her 'pet' was starting to overwhelm. "Now you were talking about Dane." "Yes. He has this wonderful little scene that you simply must attend. His latest conquest is a slave named Debard. And you must watch these two in action. They'll be playing tonight, in the main courtyard. Promise me you'll watch." Lynn nodded. "I shall. Since you say it's quite a sight." Naked, I kneeled on the floor next to my mistress, quietly waiting her next command, painfully aware. Teela's own toy was a tall, lovely girl who never looked up, never spoke. Better trained than I, I realized. Lynn's hand would sometimes fall into view, sometimes with a small morsel that I gratefully licked from her fingers. She seemed to find that amusing, and would stroke my hair afterwards. The hour passed quietly, and Lynn took my leash and said, "Come." Leading me quickly across the floor, past chatting masters and kneeling slaves, I became quickly aware of just how lost I was, how mixed in with this environment where I was just one of many. |