“Oh well, yes, that’s true,” Lady Pope’nose conceded with poor grace. She brightened. “But you could just give him the rod.” She licked her thin lips. “We have a private area for such punishments if you’re a little shy about punishing in public.”
This time Lissa had to work even harder to keep her face blank. “I would but I’m just famished right now and I’m sure you and Lady Sha’rak are too. I wouldn’t want to keep anyone from dinner just to punish a slave.”
Lady Pope’nose sighed. “Very well, you can borrow my Jakely for the banquet. I’ve been trying to train him for dinner service anyway.”
“Thank you—you’re much too kind.” Lissa smiled sweetly and then turned back to Saber. “Get back to the coach,” she said sharply, snapping her fingers as though he was a pet who had been bad. “And no dinner for you tonight—think about that and try to be more careful where you step next time.”
“Yes, Mistress.” He bowed submissively and kissed her foot in what Lissa hoped was a suitably humble way. Humble enough, anyway, to appease the other two ladies. Lady Pope’nose and Lady Sha’rak both always seemed to be overeager to punish their slaves, or see someone else’s slaves punished.
“Rise,” she told Saber after she thought he had lingered long enough. “And go.”
“Yes, Mistress.” He rose and disappeared silently into the gloom of the hallway from which they had come.
“Well.” Lissa turned back to the other two ladies with a bright smile. “I’m so sorry about all that unpleasantness. Lady Pope’nose—what amazing thing have you planned for dinner, if you don’t mind me asking? Lady Sha’rak here has told me what a gourmet you are.”
* * * * *
Saber walked quietly along the hallway, eyes scanning from side to side as he searched for the library. He hoped that was the place Lady Pope’nose was keeping her collection—it would make the most sense. Unless she kept it locked away in a vault somewhere with a three foot thick metal door. In which case, they were well and truly out of luck.
But if that’s the case, if she’s got it locked up somewhere, we’ll just have to find another way, Saber thought grimly. One way or another, we’re not leaving without that scroll.
It took a long while to explore the maze-like dwelling and he was beginning to get worried when, down a smaller marble hallway that branched away from the first, he found what he was looking for. A vast door with an ornate golden latch and a scrolling golden plaque that read Library in discreet lower case script was suddenly before him.
Saber was sure that the door would be locked or at the very least there would be a slave posted to guard the collection inside. But to his surprise, the latch opened easily and when he slipped inside the room, it was completely empty. Empty of people, that was—it was filled to overflowing with the triangular books and data disks the Yonnites used.
And standing in the middle of the room, displayed in a clear case, were a number of ancient looking documents. Saber approached cautiously, looking around to see if there were any listening or recording devices. He saw nothing obvious but he was still careful to make no sound as he walked.
On top of the case was a silver and crystal stand—something one would use to display only the finest and rarest of acquisitions. And on the stand was something that looked familiar.
Saber’s eyes widened when he saw the blue laminated scroll that exactly matched the one they’d been using the night before for sensi-play. That’s it! I know it is!
He strode forward and reached out a hand for it…but then drew back. I don’t like this—it’s too easy. The door unlocked, the library full of precious documents unguarded. And the exact document we want laid out on a silver and crystal tray. What the hell is going on here?
“Go on, take it. It won’t bite.”
The voice from behind him startled Saber so much he jumped. Turning he saw Llewelyn leaning against the doorframe of the massive door, grinning at him sardonically.
“What are you doing here?” Saber demanded.
“I could ask the same thing. Or rather, my lady could. But I think we both already know that, don’t we?” Llewelyn nodded his bald head at the missing scroll. “Go on, take it. That’s why you came here, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just looking for the bathroom.” Saber drew back his hand and started to move away from the case.
“I don’t think so.” Llewelyn raised his hand and pointed a blaster at Saber’s face. “Take it now—go on, pick up the scroll.”
“What?” Saber frowned at him. “Why are you so eager for me to pick it up?”
“Because.” The other slave gave him a nasty grin. “You have to be caught in the act.” He gestured with the blaster. “Go on now, pick it up. If you don’t I’ll blow a hole in your worthless hide. Who will protect your sweet little mistress then?”
* * * * *
“So Lady Hake’bean is expected to make a complete recovery but I can’t help thinking she’ll never be quite the same.” Lady Sha’rak shook her head sadly and allowed the slave, which Lady Pope’nose had loaned her, to feed her another morsel of food. She had sent Llewelyn away on some kind of errand.
“But how is that possible? Her arm…” Lissa swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “It was ripped completely off and…and mangled.”
“Oh, they can clone those parts.” Lady Pope’nose waved airily. “Although getting an exact match can be somewhat problematic. It’s lucky you and your body-slave were quick thinking enough to stop the brute before his rampage spread any further.”
Lady Sha’rak shivered. “Such a dreadful business! I knew that animal was dangerous.”
Lissa couldn’t be silent. “He was dangerous because Lady Hake’bean made him dangerous,” she said in a low voice.
“I beg your pardon?” Lady Pope’nose gave her an incredulous look. “What exactly are you implying, my dear Lady R’awr?”
“I’m just saying that she shouldn’t have done…that to him, especially not in front of everyone.” Lissa lifted her chin. “It enraged him, which put everyone in the room in danger.”
“Oh I see what’s going on here.” Lady Pope’nose raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re one of those people who doesn’t believe in giving her slave the rod, aren’t you? That’s why you refused my offer of a private punishment area when your slave misbehaved.”
Lissa felt sick. Lady Pope’nose had already tortured two of her slaves since dinner had begun—activating their pain collars for no other reason than she didn’t like the looks on their faces. It turned Lissa’s stomach so that she could barely choke down the morsels of food her own dinner-slave, Jakely, was offering.
“I would never treat Saber that way,” she said, unable to hold her true feelings in anymore. “Never!”
Lady Sha’rak sighed. “I can’t say that I’m surprised—you’re awfully soft on your body-slave. But I am disappointed.”
“What—disappointed that I refuse to hurt the man I…I mean, disappointed that I refuse to hurt my slave?” Lissa demanded. She knew she ought to hold her tongue—there was no point in antagonizing their hostess. But she also knew that as soon as Saber found the lost scroll, they were going to leave and never return to this horrible world where slavery and rape and cruelty were the norm and she couldn’t help wanting to have a final say.
“It’s wrong,” she continued, looking Lady Pope’nose in her pale, beady eyes. “Wrong to treat another being that way.”
Lady Pope’nose raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow and looked down her long, boney nose. “So now I’m some sort of monster because I know how to punish my slaves correctly? Manda,” she said, turning to Lady Sha’rak. “What kind of person is this that you’ve brought to my house? Some kind of…of…abolitionist?”
“Certainly not!” Lady Sha’rak sputtered. “She’s just…Lissa is just overly fond of her slave. In fact, I think she’s in love with him—it’s clouded her judgment considerably.”
“
I see. Of course.” Lady Pope’nose nodded thoughtfully. “For a moment there she almost sounded like someone from one of those benighted planets where males are dominant.”
“You know, there are societies where males and females are equal,” Lissa said, lifting her chin.
“Oh, those…” Lady Sha’rak dismissed them with a wave of her hand. “Completely ridiculous as we all well know. Males are incapable of making their own decisions—they make a complete muddle of things if they don’t have a female to watch out for them.”
“Saber is more than competent to run his own life.” Lissa was deep in the heat of the argument now, forgetting that she ought to back off and play her part. “He’s one of the most intelligent, capable people I know and it doesn’t matter that he’s male.”
“Oh my.” Lady Pope’nose gave her an amused glance. “You really are in love with your slave, aren’t you, my dear? Is that why you’ve never punished him properly? You’re afraid you’ll lose his affection if you give him the rod?”
“I don’t give him the rod because I’m not a rapist,” Lissa said hotly.
“Lady R’awr!” Lady Sha’rak said sharply. “That kind of language is unforgivable! Apologize to our hostess at once!”
“No, no, Manda. Let her have her say.” Lady Pope’nose still looked more amused than offended. “She’s in love, as you said earlier. And I suppose your slave, Saber, loves you back?” she asked Lissa sweetly.
“He does.” Lissa knew she was going too far but it was too late to back out now.
“Of course he does.” Lady Pope’nose gave a very unpleasant, cawing laugh. “But let me ask you this, my dear—how long do you think that love would last if you punished him as you should? Would he still be so devoted if you gave him the rod? Or would all those pretty little feelings pop like bubbles in the sunlight the minute you truly dominated him and put him in his place as you ought to do?”
“Your question doesn’t have an answer,” Lissa said, glaring at the other woman. “Because I would never, ever hurt the male I love that way. I would never betray his trust and violate his body just to make myself feel important.”
Finally her words seemed to have struck a nerve. Lady Pope’nose’s thin face darkened and she glared back at Lissa. “Really, that is most—”
Suddenly a blaring siren filled the air and the overhead glows began flashing alarmingly.
“Oh!” Lissa gasped, half rising from the table. “What is it? What’s happening?”
“A robbery!” Lady Pope’nose jumped to her feet. “Someone’s been into my collection!”
“Oh dear! We must leave at once!” Lady Sha’rak exclaimed, scrambling up from her reclined position. She grabbed for Lissa’s arm but there was no way Lissa was going anywhere without Saber.
“No!” She tore her arm from Lady Sha’rak’s grasp, ripping the elaborate lace sleeve of her dress as she did. Then she ran after Lady Pope’nose, praying to the Goddess that Saber was all right.
Chapter Twenty-three
The minute Saber’s fingertips brushed the missing scroll, an alarm started blaring, lights flashed, and solid plasti-steel bars grew up from the floor around him, forming an instant cage.
“Very nice.” Llewelyn laughed and finally lowered the blaster, tucking it into the small of his back. “As I said—caught in the act.”
His words were followed by the shrill sound of feminine voices and the tap-tap-tapping of high heeled shoes running down the marble hallway. Saber gritted his teeth. Damn it! Now what were they going to do?
“What’s going on in here? What happened?” Lady Pope’nose arrived first, closely followed by Lissa and Lady Sha’rak.
“It’s just what it looks like, I’m afraid, my lady.” Llewelyn bowed regretfully. “I walked in here and found him going straight for your collection.”
“I knew it!” Lady Sha’rak burst out. “I knew it.”
“What Llewelyn says is untrue,” Saber growled. “He held a blaster on me and forced me to touch the document and trigger this trap.”
“Silence, slave!” Lady Pope’nose barked. She turned to Lady Sha’rak. “What do you know about this? Come, Manda, you must know something or you wouldn’t have sent your slave to follow Lady R’awr’s.”
Lady Sha’rak looked uncomfortable. “Well, it’s nothing I knew exactly—more like just a suspicion.” She shook her head. “A suspicion that has sadly, now been confirmed.” She turned to Lissa. “You’re not from Zetta Prime at all, are you? And Saber isn’t even your slave. You tricked me into taking you in so you could worm your way into my home and the homes of my friends and steal their documents!”
“A document thief? You brought a document thief into my home?” Lady Pope’nose demanded. “Manda Sha’rak, how dare you?”
“I had to know,” Lady Sha’rak protested. “And your protection system is the best in the city, Nola. I knew he could never get away with anything—not the way you’ve got this place wired.” She turned to Lissa. “I’m right, aren’t I? Don’t try to deny it. I had Llewelyn do some checking into your background so I know it’s true.”
“Is that right?” Lissa stormed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, we did some checking into your background too. We found your stash of male-dom porn, my lady.”
Lady Sha’rak went pale. “Why you…how…how dare you tell such lies?”
“It’s not a lie and you know it, Manda.” Lady Pope’nose sounded almost bored. “Don’t look so shocked,” she continued when Lady Sha’rak gaped at her. “Everyone who’s anyone in this city knows you let your slave mount you.”
“I…you…” Lady Sha’rak looked like she didn’t know whether to be outraged or burst into tears.
“Oh stop.” Lady Pope’nose frowned. “We don’t have time to discuss your perversions, Manda—we need to get back to the matter at hand.” She turned to Lissa. “Which is deciding what to do to these thieves.” She turned to one of her slaves, who had followed them down the hallway. “Gorum, hold her. I want to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere until we get to the bottom of this.”
The huge slave grabbed Lissa’s arms and pinned them behind her back.
At the sight of another male touching his female, Saber felt the protective rage rise inside him. “Let her go! Don’t touch her!” he shouted through the bars of the cage.
“Silence, slave,” Lady Pope’nose snapped. “Little Miss R’awr isn’t going anywhere until we get some answers.”
“Wait, please,” Lissa pleaded. “You don’t understand.”
“Then make us understand,” Lady Sha’rak snarled at her. “Please explain why you came here pretending to be a friend and abused my hospitality!”
Lissa shot a pleading look at Saber but he only shook his head. Anything he said would be automatically discounted because he was male. She would have to give their explanation and hope for the best.
“All right,” Lissa said at last. “All right, it’s true—I’m not from Zetta Prime. But I’m not a document thief either. I’m only here to find some missing scrolls that were stolen and sold from my planet.”
“And your planet is…?” Lady Pope’nose prodded.
Lissa sighed. “First World. I came from First World.”
“The Kindred home world!” Lady Pope’nose’s boney nose winkled in disgust. “That benighted race filled with males who dominate their females?”
“They don’t dominate us,” Lissa protested. “We’re equal!”
“Equal? Is that right?” Lady Pope’nose said coldly. “Answer me this then, Lady R’awr—if that is even your name. Who gets penetrated during sex?”
Lissa’s cheeks were bright pink but she answered anyway. “The female does. But that doesn’t make us inferior to our males. It’s just…the way things are. The natural order of things.”
“The natural order of things? For the male to be dominant?” Lady Pope’nose shook her head. “This is unbelievable.”
“Why is it so unbelievable?” Lissa asked. ?
??You just now said yourself that everyone knows Lady Sha’rak and Llewelyn practice the exact same acts you claim to find disgusting in my people.”
“Now see here,” Lady Sha’rak began but Lady Pope’nose spoke over her.
“It’s one thing for Manda to indulge herself in a little kinky sex with a well-controlled and properly dominated slave from time to time,” she said. “And quite another to engage in such acts on a daily basis with a free male who has never known proper submission in his life. Males are beasts, as everyone knows. If you allow them too much leeway you wind up with an arm ripped off.”
“As Lady Hake’bean learned to her sorrow,” Lady Sha’rak put in.
“The Beast wouldn’t have ripped Lady Hake’bean’s arm off if she hadn’t been raping him in the middle of a crowded party!” Lissa exclaimed.
“How dare you?” Lady Pope’nose narrowed her eyes. “I should have you executed this moment for daring to utter such disgusting heresy under my roof.”
Saber’s hands clenched into fists around the bars. “Don’t touch her. So help me Goddess, if you do—”
“Well, well—look at that.” Lady Pope’nose strolled over to the cage, taking care to stand just out of his reach. “Manda, dear, I do believe he does love her—maybe even as much as she loves him. And they think of themselves as equals. How very singular.”
“Indeed.” Lady Sha’rak, who seemed to have recovered some of her dignity, came to stand beside her friend. “A most disgusting and unnatural relationship.”
“But interesting.” Lady Pope’nose held up one long finger. “You have to give them that, Manda.”
“Look, we’re sorry we deceived you,” Lissa said. “But please, just let us go. Sell us the scroll my people need and you’ll never see us again, I swear.”