"I am prepared to believe that you are, as you claim, a natural slave," I said, "Do you know the penalty for a slave who lies?"

"Whatever the Master wishes," she whispered, terrified, looking up at me.

"Do you know the one called Oneander of Ar?" I asked."He is a merchant" she whispered. "Do you know him?" I asked. "I have served him," she wept. "Do you know him!" I said."Yes yes," she sept, half pulled from her knees. "He uses me as it pleases him, as an abject and total slave."I looked down at her fiercely."Busuebuis has me on retainer to him," she said, "that he may use me when he wishes. Sometimes I am sent to his house!"

"Where is he!" I said, "Where!"

"Lara!" she cried. "Lara!" This was a town in the Salerian Confederation at the confluence of Vosk and Olni.

It was no wonder that Oneander made no public fact of his most recent itinerary. I threw the girl from me to the furs.

Sometimes a man speaks freely to a slave. Oneander had, perhaps in his drink and pleasures, confided his intentions to the slave in his arms. "I was not to tell," she wept.

Perhaps she, a foolish Earth girl, had asked him, and he had not been in the mood to beat her. Perhaps he was proud of his plan to undertake such a bold venture in troubled times. I did not know; Ar, of course was not at war technically with the Salerian Confederation. Similarly at that time hostilities with confederation cities had been limited to skirmished with Vonda.His act, thus though perhaps one of dubious propriety, and accordingly not one he would care to publicize in the streets of Ar, was neither treasonous nor illegal. It did, however, Lara being a member of the Salerian Confederation, suggest some economic desperation. Being denied the markets of Vonda, and perhaps of Port Olni and Ti, it was natural I supposed for Oneander to turn to Lara.