material tended to be unpalatable and tasteless, unless seasoned with various condiments. Some individuals on the home world, moral individuals, insisted upon eating it without condiments, in atonement for past species crimes.
“Is everything satisfactory, sir?” asked the blonde, again, but now from her knees.
Rodriguez felt under the table, where there was, apparently, under the upper surface, a sort of shelving. Brenner heard the slide, and rattle, of metal. To his horror he saw Rodriguez draw forth what appeared to be, at first, a handful of chain within a metal circle. He freed a tiny object from its housing in this apparatus, and slipped this tiny object into his vest pocket. He then tossed the remainder of the assemblage to the floor, before the blonde.
“Put it on,” he said.
She looked down at it, disbelievingly.
Brenner now saw, that it was disarranged on the floor, that two objects were actually involved. There was a short chain, the first object, about a yard in length, with an opened clip lock at each end. At one end, this opened clip lock had been inserted through, and turned, but not closed about, a small, stout, rounded staple emerging at right angles from the flat, metallic circle, the second object. This metallic circle, about a quarter of an inch in thickness, and an inch and a quarter in height, had a hinge in the back, which permitted it to open. It also had a hasp in the front, hinged, which was apparently congruent with the staple.
“Surely you cannot be serious,” said the blonde.
Rodriguez looked at her.
“Ah!” she whispered. “Of course!”
Brenner looked back to the zard. He had lifted his head, on that rather long neck, when the metal had struck the floor.
“Of course!” she said, rather loudly, doubtless for the benefit of the zard.
Then, and Brenner gathered it was not the first time she had done this, she snapped the lower lock clip shut about the ring in the floor. She then placed the metal circle about her neck, adjusting it with both hands, the chain, held to the metal circle by the open lock clip, it inserted through the staple, dangling from it. She then removed the upper lock clip of the chain from the staple, closed the hasp over the staple, reinserted the lock clip through the staple, it now with the hasp behind it, in place, and clicked it shut. Brenner seized the edges of the table. There was a beautiful woman before Rodriguez, collared and chained.
“You are clever,” she whispered to Rodriguez. Again it seemed there was some secret between them.
Brenner wondered if she were mad. Did she not understand that she was chained, truly!
“Chain me,” whispered the brunette to Brenner.
“Never!” said Brenner.
“You must!” she whispered. “Please! He is watching!”
Brenner looked up, as discreetly as possible. It did seem that the zard was regarding them.
“Please!” begged the brunette.
Brenner felt under the table. There was, indeed, a shelf there, and his hand, groping about, encountered chain. Too, there was a curved, flat metallic surface there. He drew forth these objects. They were loosely connected, as they had been for Rodriguez, by a lock clip put through, and turned, but not closed about, a staple.
Brenner looked at the objects. There was a key in one of the lock clips, that put through the staple, and Brenner removed it from the lock clip and put it on the table, beside a plate.
The brunette reached for the chain and circle.
“Put your hands down,” said Brenner, sharply.
Instantly she did so. She looked at Brenner, startled.
“On your thighs,” said Brenner. “Keep them there.”
She put her hands on her thighs.
“What do you say?” asked Brenner.
“Yes, sir,” she whispered.
He then removed the upper lock clip from the staple and crouched down, rather in front of her. He attached the lower lock clip to the ring in the floor. He jerked it against the ring. It was well fastened. He opened the collar. She then lifted her chin and looked outward, being careful not to meet his eyes. He put the collar on her and swung the hasp forward, over the staple. There was a small, but clear, rather decisive noise, as he did this. He then fitted the bolt of the lock clip through the staple and, decisively, snapped it shut. He jerked it against the staple. It was on her, well. Quite securely. She was chained.
He then resumed his seat and put the key to the apparatus in his upper, left-hand shirt pocket.
“I am sorry I was cross with you