on with leather straps. It seemed some five balls made up the race, because a winner was pulled up by both arms right after he laid a fifth ball at his master's feet. His face was red, dripping wet, as he was applauded, patted, caressed. He was at once taken out of the clearing, a white towel wrapped around him, but the others, panting and shuddering, were whipped into place for the next race. I saw the punishment. You raced until you won.
And just as I figured, the slaves were glorying in it, really competing with one another. They knelt poised and desperately ready to begin again, eyeing each other, jaws set. Again, I backed away, trying to appear casual about it. Weren't we going on to the next clearing, the next booth? I mean, come on, there's lots of stuff to see, right? I think I'll go home and read the New York Times now. The noise was like a buzzing in my head. 'It's really tough for you, isn't it?' she said, big brown eyes looking up again. Everything melted in me except what never melts, of course. I thought of a lot of little nasty things to say, but I didn't say them. I felt lusciously subject to her. And defiantly I kissed her cheek. She backed up and snapped her fingers and made a little gesture for me to get moving. 'Don't do that again,' she said. She was really flustered. Her face was pink. She led the way down the crowded avenue without glancing back. I told myself I didn't want to look at the clearings on either side, but I couldn't resist. More races. Different lengths of races, variations. But it was more fun watching her beautiful little bottom moving under her skirt, the sweep of her hair that came down almost that far, the little seams of flesh behind her naked knees. The avenue branched to left and right as we neared a thick crowd before a low, lighted stage.
Some eight or ten slaves were on the stage, each naked except for a white towel draped over one shoulder. Lots of tousled hair and polished muscles and smiles, amazingly provocative smiles, as the slaves apparently taunted the crowd with little gestures and 'come on' motions of the head. I soon saw what was happening. The handlers were selling the slaves for the races or games, and the slaves were lapping it up, vying for the high spenders. Two were sold off while I watched, the result of a little informal auctioning among three bidders, and immediately another pair were led up the steps out of a pen, and started the same preening and good-humoured taunting. Hoots, shouts from the guests, and occasional threats like, 'I'll work that smile off your face,' and 'You think you want to run for me?' strengthened the convivial tension. Lisa put her arm around me and pulled me close to her, the feel of her fingers against me pretty maddening. I stole a couple of glances at her breasts beneath the low-collared blouse. I could almost see her nipples. 'Which one is the most attractive, the most sensuous?' she asked, inclining her head as if we were just a couple at a pedigreed dog show. The feeling of being utterly subjugated by her was getting worse. 'Think about your answer, and answer me truthfully,' she said. 'It will teach me things about you.' 'I don't know,' I said kind of testily under my breath. The thought that she'd buy one of these brutes and start paying attention to him infuriated me.
'Get your mind on exactly what I'm telling you to do,' she said coldly. She reached up and brushed the hair back from my forehead, but her expression was flinty, threatening. 'Pick the one you really think is the most handsome, the one you'd like to fuck if I let you do it. And don't lie to me. Don't even consider it.' I was pretty miserable. All I felt was jealousy. But I looked at the men, and things inside me were scrambled. My senses took over and shifting gears this fast felt entirely new. They were all very young, obviously athletic, and they were as proud of the stripes, their welts, the pink blush on their butts as they were of their genitals, the muscles in their legs and arms. 'I think the one on this end, the blond, is terrific,' she said. 'No,' I shook my