fled in terror. Then I recalled how helplessly I had lain at his feet, naked and bound, in the warehouse, with other women. In the exposition cage in Brundisium, I had had the bars between us, so I was not so frightened. But he had turned away, and I had felt not so much relieved, but rejected. When I was sold, I could not well see the crowd. On the block, turned and exhibited, naked, under the torches, I had wondered if he were out there, somewhere, in the crowd. I did not think he had made a bid on me. Then I had been sold, as it turned out, to an agent for Pani, for forty-eight copper tarsks. I had not seen him, again, until the dock at Shipcamp, when I had been scorned at his feet. In anger, misery, and humiliation, I had fled, to be captured by Panther Women, who, in turn, had fallen to Genserich and his band. My captor and Master Axel had earlier been apprehended by Genserich. Both Genserich and Master Axel had independently sought the Panther Women, Genserich from the south, from the vicinity of the Laurius, to preclude their reporting to forces gathered at the mouth of the Alexandra, and Master Axel, from the north, to locate them as spies and summon assistance, were he successful, and it needful, from mariners and mercenaries come from the coast, placed there by those of Shipcamp, should the occasion arise, to cut off the escape of possible spies. Master Axel had somehow managed to contact this latter group, bringing it into play. Eventually Genserich, his task accomplished, although scarcely as he had anticipated, returned to the coast, the captured Panther Women in his custody, and Master Axel, with the sleen, Tiomines, had returned to Shipcamp, to report the outcome of his pursuit, which outcome would assure that the security of Shipcamp was, as yet, unbreached. My captor had accompanied Master Axel, he said, for sport, but did not accompany him back to Shipcamp. Rather, as I had again fled, distressed and frightened, for I had richly humiliated him in his helplessness, not anticipating that he would soon be free to deal with me, he followed me in the forest. Was that for sport, or vengeance? In any event I was soon captured, to be returned to Shipcamp and my masters, the Pani. In the return to Shipcamp he had well revenged himself on me for the indignities to which I had subjected him, and had soon, in his vengeance, stirred my slave fires almost to the point of madness. No longer did I fear he would touch me, but only that he might not touch me. How I wanted to hate him, who was so uncaring and cruel, but I soon hoped for permission to lick and kiss his feet. Returned to Shipcamp, I had been placed in the stockade, a facility of maximum security. Why had that been? As the great ship prepared for its departure, Shipcamp was fired, and the buildings and stockade on the south side of the river, as well. He had rescued me from the burning stockade, at no little danger to his own life. Perhaps he would have done as much for a tethered verr or urt. I did not know. I thought perhaps he would. But did he, too, I wondered, care for me, or, better, more likely, want me, for I now knew myself a comely slave. Perhaps he saw me from a commercial point of view, merely as an item he might sell, on which he might make a profit. I did not know. Or did he buy me to ventilate on my collared flesh all his scorn and hatred of me, recalling my public humiliation of him, when he was helplessly bound in the camp of Genserich. What amusement that provided for the men of Genserich!
“Be kind to me, Master,” I said.
“You are a slave,” he said.
“Forgive me, Master,” I said.
“Behold!” said Axel, pointing across the river.
The great ship was moving away from the flaming dock.
Smoke billowed from Shipcamp, as well as the buildings and the stockade on our side of the river.
“The voyage is begun,” said my captor.
“There are forces massed at the mouth of the Alexandra to stop her,” said Axel.
“Straws might as well struggle to impede the rolling of a dislodged boulder,” said my captor.
“Thence it is to raging Thassa,” said Master Axel, “and its winter.”
“I do not think it will reach