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."Master?" she said."You have complied with the orders of your master," he said."You have come tomy room, and have offered me the slave flower.""Master?""Perhaps you will come again, sometimes, to the room," he said, "and willserve me, andI will see to it that you do it well, indeed, with perfection, but now, now IPage 236 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlthink I will spare you for your master.""I do not understand," she said."I do not accept the flower," he said."I reject you.I am sending you back toyour master.""Am I not of interest?" she asked."Vixen," said he, "I am hastening you from the room before I cannot helpmyself, but throw you to the slave ring.""Master!" she cried, joyfully."Once, too," he said, "you were of the honestori, of the empire, and a patrician.""But not now!" she said."No, not now," he smiled.He took the flower from her and thrust it in the cord at her waist.He put thebandeau, the bits of silk, and the ribbon, too, beneath the cord, but at theleft hip.He went to the door and opened it.She regarded him, wonderingly, gratefully."Get out!" he said, hoarsely."Master!" she cried."Is it necessary to whip you from the room?" he inquired."No, Master!" she said.At the door she stopped, momentarily, and lifted her lips to his cheek, andkissed it, lightly."Thank you, Master," she said."Now, shapely slave girl," he said, "get out!""Yes, Master!" she said."Oh!" she cried, sped forth into the hall, stung by a slap below the small ofthe back.The guard looked up, from his chair, and then rose to his feet."She is rejected," said Tuvo Ausonius to the guard."Do you want another?" asked the guard."There is one I would like," said Tuvo Ausonius."Who is she?" asked the guard."It is not important," said Tuvo Ausonius, and retired within the room, andshut the door.Flora hurried past the guard, to return to the lower floor.CHAPTER 32"Is it as she has spoken?" asked Otto."Yes," said Tuvo Ausonius.Flora knelt before the table, at which were seated Tuvo Ausonius, and aseeming same, the smaller individual who had accompanied him to the holding inthe mountains, Julian, who was the master of the house, and Otto, her master.Two slaves were in attendance, who would serve the table.One's name wasRenata, the other's Gerune.The individual seated by Tuvo Ausonius, she in same garb, seemed troubled, andfearful.It was the evening following the visit of Flora to the room of Tuvo Ausonius.Flora trembled.Her master has summoned her before the table.She knelt there, naked, save for a collar, her knees spread, in the fashion ofa pleasure slave, her wrists crossed, her hands tied together before her body.Her master wished, it seemed, a full account of what had occurred in the roomof TuvoAusonius.The slave, for example, had returned early, rejected, the slaveflower thrust in the black cord, it then serving to bind her, holding herPage 237 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlwrists to her back.She had been taken immediately to her cell, and unbound only within it, andthen had been locked within.She had been denied her garment.Tuvo Ausonius had not objected to the interrogation of the slave, and hadgraciously acceded to Otto's request that he monitor her testimony, in orderto assure its absolute fidelity to what had occurred.At times Otto's eyes had blazed with fury, and his fists had clenched on thetable.But the slave fully, tearfully, honestly, gave an account of what she haddone."Such behavior is to be punished surely, and terribly," said Otto."You see," said Otto, turning to Julian, "she is utterly worthless.""Then sell her," said Julian.Renata and Gerune exchanged frightened glances.They, too, could be sold on awhim.The lip of the individual seated by Tuvo Ausonius, she in same garb, trembled.Otto turned to Tuvo Ausonius."You are he who was most abused by the impudenceof this embonded slut," he said."What punishment do you recommend?"The individual beside Tuvo Ausonius regarded him wildly, frightened."There are complicated circumstances involved," said Tuvo Ausonius."I wouldrecommend lenience."Flora looked at him, wildly, gratefully."Show your gratitude," said Otto.Flora sprang to her feet and hurried to kneel before Tuvo Ausonius.She putdown her head and covered his feet with kisses."Enough," said Julian, clapping his hands."Let us feast.Too, I have asurprise for you, my friend, Otto, later.But now, let us have food anddrink.""Slaves, serve!" said Julian, and Renata and Gerune hurried to a buffet, onwhich were placed numerous delicate viands and rare, precious wines."Shall we withdraw?" asked Tuvo Ausonius."By all means, remain," said Julian, "as you are both honored guests."Tuvo Ausonius and she in same garb, with him, looked at one another.Renata and Gerune began to place food upon the table.Both slaves were in brief slave tunics, and collars."We are still, I gather," said Tuvo Ausonius, "under arrest.""Certainly," said Julian."I do not think my life is worth much outside this holding," said TuvoAusonius."New identities might be arranged," said Julian."My ultimate allegiance," said Tuvo Ausonius, "is to the empire.""So, too, is mine," said Julian.Gerune placed a goblet before Tuvo Ausonius, and poured wine into it."I think, of late," said Tuvo Ausonius, "I have learned something of which,hitherto, I had known little.""What is that?" asked Julian."Honor," said Tuvo Ausonius."It is my hope," said Julian, "that more in the empire will recollect it."Renata poured wine for Otto.He lifted his hand, slightly, and she desisted."Master, may I assist?" asked Flora, lifting her wrists to Otto."Thank you, Master," she said, freed.She hurried to assist in the serving.Otto watched her, his fists clenched.How beautiful she was, the slave.Shereturned in a moment with a plate filled with tiny cakes."Perhaps I should send you to the kitchen, to scour the tiles," said Otto
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