and then tried, desperately, to meet the man’s gaze. I must
show him that I was a true person.
“Get on the bed,” he said. His voice had an accent. I could not place it.
I fled to the bed and crept obediently upon it.
He came to the edge of the bed and looked down at me. I half Jay, half crouched
on the bed. I was very conscious of the shortness of the robe I wore.
He said something to Susan and she sprang up and came to the edge of the bed. He
said something else to her. I did not understand the language, or even recognize
it.
“He says he thinks you will prove quite suitable,” she said to me, in English.
“For what?” I begged.
“I do not know, Mistress,” she said.
“Get on your back,” he said.
Immediately, obediently, I lay supine before him.
“Raise your right knee, and extend your left leg,” he said, palms of your hands
at your sides, facing upward.”
I immediately assumed this position. I felt very vulnerable, particularly,
interestingly, as the palms of my hands were exposed. I began to breathe deeply.
I was terrified. I also realized, suddenly, that I was very aroused, sexually,
obeying him.
The man glanced to the side. He said something to the girl.
“He notes that you have not touched your breakfast,” she said.
I moaned. I hoped that he was not displeased. It had been safe to displease the
men I had hitherto known, or most of them. They might be displeased with
impunity. I was afraid, however, to displease this man. I did not think he would
accept being displeased. He, I was sure, would simply punish me, and well. He
might even kill me.
He looked down at me.
I was much aroused. I whimpered. I expected him to rape me. I was even eager to
be raped, anything to please him.
I felt his hand take my ankle. I was so charged with sensation that I almost
fainted at the touch. Then I became aware that his grip was like steel. Then I
saw him take a string from about his neck. On this string there was a tiny key.
Startled, I felt the key inserted in the lock on my anklet. Then the anklet was
removed. I lay trembling on the bed.
He stood there then, looking down at me, the anklet, string and key in his hand.
I then realized, partly in relief, and, in a part of me, with disappointment,
that I was not then, or at least not then, to be raped. I was not then to feel
his strong hands on me, forcing me, as a woman, imperiously to his win.
“May I speak?” I whispered.
‘Yes,” he said.
“Who are you?” I asked. “Who is she? Where am I? What am I doing here? What do
you want of me?”
“I am Ligurious, first minister of Corcyrus,” be said. “She is unimportant. Her
name is Susan. She is a slave.”
“No,” I said. “I mean, who is Ligurious? Who are you? I have never beard of
you.”
“You need know little more of me than that I am the first minister of Corcyrus,”
he said.
I looked at him. He must have some connection, of course, with the men who had
come to my apartment. He had a key for the anklet.
“Where am V’ I asked.
“In Corcyrus,” he said.
“But where is Corcyrus?” I begged. “I do not even know in what part of the world
I aml”
He looked at me, puzzled.
The girl said something to him. He smiled.
“Am I in Africa?” I asked. “Am I in Asia?”
“Have you not noticed subtle differences in the gravity here,” he asked, “from
what you have been accustomed to? Have you not noticed that the air here seems
somewhat different from that with which you have hitherto been familiar?”
“I have seemed to notice such things,” I said, “but I was drugged in my
apartment, Obviously such sensations are delusory, merely the effects of that
drug.”
“The drug,” be said, “does not produce such effects.”
“What are you telling me?” I asked, frightened.
“After a short while,” he said, “you will no longer think of these things. You
will not even notice them, or, at least, not consciously. You will have
show him that I was a true person.
“Get on the bed,” he said. His voice had an accent. I could not place it.
I fled to the bed and crept obediently upon it.
He came to the edge of the bed and looked down at me. I half Jay, half crouched
on the bed. I was very conscious of the shortness of the robe I wore.
He said something to Susan and she sprang up and came to the edge of the bed. He
said something else to her. I did not understand the language, or even recognize
it.
“He says he thinks you will prove quite suitable,” she said to me, in English.
“For what?” I begged.
“I do not know, Mistress,” she said.
“Get on your back,” he said.
Immediately, obediently, I lay supine before him.
“Raise your right knee, and extend your left leg,” he said, palms of your hands
at your sides, facing upward.”
I immediately assumed this position. I felt very vulnerable, particularly,
interestingly, as the palms of my hands were exposed. I began to breathe deeply.
I was terrified. I also realized, suddenly, that I was very aroused, sexually,
obeying him.
The man glanced to the side. He said something to the girl.
“He notes that you have not touched your breakfast,” she said.
I moaned. I hoped that he was not displeased. It had been safe to displease the
men I had hitherto known, or most of them. They might be displeased with
impunity. I was afraid, however, to displease this man. I did not think he would
accept being displeased. He, I was sure, would simply punish me, and well. He
might even kill me.
He looked down at me.
I was much aroused. I whimpered. I expected him to rape me. I was even eager to
be raped, anything to please him.
I felt his hand take my ankle. I was so charged with sensation that I almost
fainted at the touch. Then I became aware that his grip was like steel. Then I
saw him take a string from about his neck. On this string there was a tiny key.
Startled, I felt the key inserted in the lock on my anklet. Then the anklet was
removed. I lay trembling on the bed.
He stood there then, looking down at me, the anklet, string and key in his hand.
I then realized, partly in relief, and, in a part of me, with disappointment,
that I was not then, or at least not then, to be raped. I was not then to feel
his strong hands on me, forcing me, as a woman, imperiously to his win.
“May I speak?” I whispered.
‘Yes,” he said.
“Who are you?” I asked. “Who is she? Where am I? What am I doing here? What do
you want of me?”
“I am Ligurious, first minister of Corcyrus,” be said. “She is unimportant. Her
name is Susan. She is a slave.”
“No,” I said. “I mean, who is Ligurious? Who are you? I have never beard of
you.”
“You need know little more of me than that I am the first minister of Corcyrus,”
he said.
I looked at him. He must have some connection, of course, with the men who had
come to my apartment. He had a key for the anklet.
“Where am V’ I asked.
“In Corcyrus,” he said.
“But where is Corcyrus?” I begged. “I do not even know in what part of the world
I aml”
He looked at me, puzzled.
The girl said something to him. He smiled.
“Am I in Africa?” I asked. “Am I in Asia?”
“Have you not noticed subtle differences in the gravity here,” he asked, “from
what you have been accustomed to? Have you not noticed that the air here seems
somewhat different from that with which you have hitherto been familiar?”
“I have seemed to notice such things,” I said, “but I was drugged in my
apartment, Obviously such sensations are delusory, merely the effects of that
drug.”
“The drug,” be said, “does not produce such effects.”
“What are you telling me?” I asked, frightened.
“After a short while,” he said, “you will no longer think of these things. You
will not even notice them, or, at least, not consciously. You will have
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