at her, and she looked puzzled, and then she smiled, knowingly, and spread her knees more widely. This, too, Brenner gathered was to be a part of the secret. He had to look away from her, as it disturbed him to see her as she was garmented, and in her current attitude. Such things made his blood scream with need. In a moment or two, he could look back, as the woman had withdrawn, Rodriguez having ordered, the food to be brought to one of the tables. Brenner was hungry, as they had not eaten since this morning on the ship. A few moments later the quirt had struck down twice again on the desk, suddenly, loudly, sharply, the sounds startling Brenner, and the second woman, a brunette, had come forth, and quickly. There had been no doubt whatsoever as to her prompt response to the signal. Then she, too, as had the other woman, had stopped. Then, angrily, she had dropped to her knees and, in a moment, as Brenner supposed she was expected to do, head down, approached them on all fours. Although she was angry, resentful, frustrated, she was not like the other woman. This one, before them, was truly on all fours.
Then she was before Brenner, and put her head down, and kissed his boots, first the left and then the right, and then knelt near him, holding to his leg, and putting her cheek close to, and then against, his leg. He had tried to draw back, but she had kept close to him. She seemed angry, but frightened, too. It was then that he ordered her away from him. She had not, of course, as we recall, surrendered her position. Brenner, putting down his drink, was in consternation. He had never seen women like this before, of course, or known they could be like this, except perhaps in his dreams. But it had not occurred to him that the substance of such dreams might be founded on realities, to be sure, realities which he had not himself experienced. These things, then, as actualities, not as dreams, were revelations to him. He had not really understood that females could be such, or that there might be places where they were such. To be sure, he had heard of such things, as, for example, having a woman at one’s feet, but, as is well understood, to hear of having one there is one thing, and to have one there, in actuality, is quite another. Brenner wanted to scream, to cry out with exultant joy, but instead he had ordered her to withdraw, with which command, as we noted, she did not comply, but only clung to his leg the more closely.
The proprietor, back at the desk, stood up, sliding his chair, or seating device, a rather heavy, stable object, cut in such a way as to accommodate his tail, backward on the wooden floor. He then came about the side of the desk. Although the girl had not turned to see, she had undoubtedly heard the movement of the chair, or seating device. Brenner felt her cheek press more closely against his thigh. Her small hands held him more closely, too. He noted that the zard, in leaving the desk, had picked up the quirt. But he had done so, as far as Brenner could tell, as much as a matter of habit as anything else. The zard, in its soiled, pocketed apron, was now moving toward them, with its characteristic, stalking gait. It was of average height for a zard, which was some seven Commonworld feet in height, a foot or so taller than either Rodriguez or Brenner. Brenner could mark its approach, its measured steps, the heel pads of its rear legs making contact with the floor first, and then its claws. Brenner felt the girl now press even more closely against him, and hold even more closely to his leg. She seemed to be very afraid. Then the steps passed them, as the zard, apparently not even noticing them, or being concerned with them, went to the door of the establishment, and, stretching his neck a little, peered out into the night. Outside the paneling of the door one could see the rain in the light of the establishment’s sign. Then, in a moment or so, the zard turned about, and stalked back to his desk. The night was not a good one for business in Company Station.
The girl drew back a little,