Daniel awoke and found himself staring up at – blue sky? No, it was a ceiling that depicted blue sky and gold-tinted clouds. But the clouds were slowly moving.
He sat up quickly. This time there was no dizziness, but the whole waking-up-in-strange-surroundings thing was getting old. The last thing he remembered was sitting in that white cell, having a desultory argument with Jack. He now found himself sitting on a large bed in a large, luxuriously appointed room. The walls were sky-blue, dappled with soft, slowly drifting patches of gold and white. There was furniture in a blond wood, with enamel inlay, all in a curvilinear style that made Daniel think of Art Nouveau. Daniel took this in as he did a quick scan of the room, but his attention was immediately drawn to the woman who sat in a chair across from the bed.
She wore loose, wide pants – almost a divided skirt – with a broad, tightly cinched belt, and a bodice-blouse that was tight-fitting except for billowy sleeves. The bodice supported her breasts but did not cover them. Her long, brown hair was arranged in many plaits. Daniel felt he could see Ancient Minoan influence in her clothes and hairstyle.
She smiled at him and said, "Hello. My name is Ashasti Daughter-of-Levash. You have been Liberated by the Matriarchy of Ashora, and I am your new Keeper. I know you're probably feeling confused and anxious, but there's no need to be afraid. On the contrary, you have much to celebrate. You have entered the embrace of the Great Goddess, the All-Mother, who loves you and will care for you tenderly. I am Her agent, and I will provide for you and guide you in your new life."
Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a finger. "Wait," she said, her voice firm. "I'll let you ask questions later. First, you must listen." Daniel subsided and let her continue.
"In your new life, you'll never have to fight again. You must not fight anymore. We keep the peace of the Goddess here. Male aggression isn't tolerated. As your Keeper, it is my responsibility to ensure your good behavior. And I do have the power to control you. Let me demonstrate."
Daniel suddenly fell back on the bed. He had lost all control over his muscles. He couldn't move at all – except for his eyes. As he kept trying to move, only to find his body completely unresponsive, Daniel found himself fighting a sense of panic.
Ashasti walked over and stood next to the bed, looking down on him. She began describing the capabilities of the Collar that he was wearing. She explained how it could send signals to several centers within his brain – including the pain center – and how she could command his Collar through the neural implants in her brain.
"I know you might be inclined to resent the Collar," said Ashasti. And Daniel thought, You got that right. "But," she went on, "the Collar is really your friend. It not only protects others from your aggression, it also protects you from yourself. From the worst qualities within your heart. It enables you to live your life without being tempted by masculine impulses to hurt others. It frees you from the masculine need to constantly jockey for power and position. You no longer have to worry about any of that. We Daughters of Ashora will take care of you, just as your mother did when you were little! To help you adjust to your new life – to help you understand that you must become a new person – I've given you a new name. From now on, your name is Blue Star. That is the name you will answer to."
Ashasti moved back and sat in the chair again. And Daniel discovered – with a considerable sense of relief – that he had regained control over his body. He sat up and looked at Ashasti. She was watching him with an expression that combined sympathy and wariness.
His brow furrowing, Daniel said, "Thank you for explaining things so clearly. I can see you mean well toward me. But the thing is, I don't come from a patriarchal society. Well," he said, frowning, "not very patriarchal, anyway. I mean, I can understand where you're coming from with regard to the Atrosians – the people whose world we were on when you… umm… found us. They're definitely a patriarchal society that's quite violent and oppressive to women. And to men, too. I mean, they're slave traders." Daniel's voice became more energetic as the thought of the Atrosians filled him with outrage. "Their basic technological level is medieval, but they've gotten hold of a stockpile of Goa'uld weapons and a list of Stargate addresses and they use them to run an interstellar slave-trading operation. Which is appalling, and I can understand why you wouldn't approve. We don't approve either! As a matter of fact, the reason we were on their world is because we were looking for a friend of ours – a woman – that we suspect they kidnapped." Daniel knew he was babbling a little. He had a tendency to do that when he was nervous. "Anyway," he went on, "the point is, we're not Atrosians. We come from an entirely different world. Called Earth. And we would be interested in establishing peaceful relations with your world."
Daniel leaned forward, concentrating on Ashasti's face and wishing he could somehow beam everything he was feeling directly from his heart to hers. "The society I come from doesn't oppress women, Ashasti. We believe that every individual, whether male or female, deserves to be treated with respect and has the right to make decisions for himself or herself. At least," he added, "those are the values we aspire to, even if we don't always live up to them perfectly. I promise you that those are the values I believe in – very strongly. And by the way, my name is Daniel Jackson. Dr. Daniel Jackson. I'm an archeologist and explorer. And I would very much appreciate it if you would take off this Collar, because it violates the integrity of my body, and like most people, I find that highly objectionable. Just ask yourself how you would feel, Ashasti. How would you feel in my shoes?"
Ashasti frowned and shifted uncomfortably. For a moment Daniel thought he might have gotten through to her, but then she said, "I know you're not an Atrosian, Blue Star. You were given a complete medical and psychological examination. That's part of the process when we take in patriarchal males. But all societies that aren't ruled by women are basically the same. They are ruled by males who have given in to the corrupt side of their masculine natures. And I know you had a name in the patriarchal society you came from, but I'm not interested in hearing it. Your name is Blue Star. If you repeat your old, patriarchal name again, I will have to punish you. I have no wish to hurt you, Blue Star, but you must understand that if you are disobedient you will be disciplined."
Daniel could feel his whole face pinching together with disappointment. "For my own good, of course," he muttered. It was apparent these people regarded all societies other than their own as fundamentally "patriarchal" and bad. He suspected that was one of the basic premises of their society – if not the basic premise. So he wasn't going to have any luck convincing Ashasti otherwise, at least not right away.
"What did you say?" Ashasti asked, her voice sharp.
"Umm," said Daniel. "You said my life will be good here. Could you tell me a little more about your society, and what my role is expected to be?"
Ashasti relaxed and smiled at him. She had a very nice smile. She was a pretty woman, with a sweet face dominated by large, doe-like brown eyes. And Daniel couldn't help noticing that she had pretty breasts, too. Despite the whole disturbing situation, Daniel had found his eyes being repeatedly drawn to them. Which was silly, because he knew very well that women went topless in many cultures and it didn't necessarily have any erotic connotations. Just because he was an American male, that didn't mean he had to indulge in the whole American obsession with mammary glands. He was a triple-doctorate, not some unsophisticated schmuck! So he really should stop staring at the woman's breasts.
That was what Daniel was thinking when Ashasti said, "Actually, I've chosen you to be my concubine."
Daniel felt his mouth drop open. "I'm sorry?"
"As my concubine," she said, "you will be an integral part of this household. You will be my sexual partner and perhaps the father of some of my children. You will participate in rearing our children – if you prove yourself worthy."
Daniel felt heat rushing into his face. "I'm flattered. But I don't think I can accept the offer. Not that I don't think you're attractive!" he added hastily. "Because I do, actually. But I don't know you. At all. And where I come from, people don't just hop into bed with each other just like that. Well," he stumbled, feeling compelled to try to be accurate about social mores, "I guess some people do, actually. But… umm… I'm not one of them," he finished, feeling extremely self-conscious.
"Don't worry," said Ashasti. "Deep down, all males feel the desire to Serve. To Serve women sexually. It's part of your true masculine nature, in its uncorrupted form." Ashasti gave him a knowing smile. "Haven't you already been admiring my feminine qualities?" she asked.
Daniel's face got hotter. He felt as if it was about to burst into flames.
"In patriarchal societies," Ashasti went on, "the impulse to Serve can become horribly twisted and ugly." She shook her head, and for a moment a look of stern disapproval crossed her features. "But as you settle into your new life and submit to the ways of the Goddess, you'll find that your true masculine nature will begin to express itself. The sooner you surrender yourself to the Goddess, the sooner you'll be able to find genuine fulfillment."
"Are you implying that I don't have any choice? About who my sexual partner is?"
"Well," said Ashasti, "right now you are an Unredeemed male. So no, you don't. Those decisions have to be made for you."
Daniel was aghast. "I can't believe you're saying that. Would you really try to force me to have sex with you against my will? Don't you think there's something very wrong with that? Besides, I'm a man. It wouldn't be too easy for you to force me to have sex, due to the… anatomical considerations."
"Oh," said Ashasti, "but a male's sexual anatomy is one of the things the Collar can control. Didn't I mention that?"
Daniel felt his face freeze. His whole body seemed to freeze, as the implications set in. That was so not right. He looked at the sweet-faced woman across the room and said, softly, "So you really could rape me?"
Ashasti looked bewildered. "Of course not. That's a horrible thing that Unredeemed males do to women on patriarchal worlds. Males can't be raped."
"You just explained that we can be, on this world."
She shook her head, still looking confused. "But," she said, "males always want it. Deep down. Unredeemed males need to truly Serve a woman to help them cast off their corrupt ways."
Daniel just looked at her. He was momentarily speechless. To be sure, there was a certain black humor to the situation. But it was difficult to feel amused given that he was completely in someone else's power. "Ashasti," he said, "if I tell you that I don't want it, I hope you'll believe me. Because if you didn't, that would be… bad."
Ashasti looked into his eyes, and she must have seen something there that affected her. Because she came across the room and sat down on the bed beside him, her face full of concern. She put a hand on his arm. "Don't be afraid, Blue Star. I'm not going to hurt you. On the contrary, it's my responsibility to take care of you. I'm not going to make you Serve me before you're ready. I don't believe in using the Collar to control a male's sexual responses anyway. Not unless the male asks for some help. I believe it's better to do things the natural way."
As Daniel looked into her open, sympathetic face, he felt something inside of him begin to unclench. The idea of actually being raped by a woman – even a woman he found attractive – was very painful. He'd had something like that happen to him already, at the hands of Hathor. Fortunately, he'd been so drugged out of his mind that his memory of the incident was extremely hazy. He tried not to remember it at all. He tried to pretend it had never happened at all.
"I want you to be happy, Blue Star," said Ashasti. "I truly do."
Daniel looked into her eyes and said, "What would make me happy is to have the freedom to go home. With my friend, Samantha Carter – the woman I told you about. The one we were searching for. She's been missing for over a year and we're all worried sick about her. I'd like for her and me and my other friends, Jack and Teal'c, to all be able to go home together. That's what would really make me happy. And by the way, where is Jack? He was captured with me. Do you know what happened to him?"
"You are home, Blue Star. This is your home now, and you can be happy here," said Ashasti. "As for your friend, he's in good hands. He was Claimed as a concubine by another woman."
Daniel felt his mouth drop open again. "Jack is a male concubine?" Daniel found it difficult to wrap his mind around that concept, or imagine how Jack would react. Even after knowing him for years, he sometimes found Jack's reactions difficult to predict. When it came to certain things. When it came to other things, of course, Jack was extremely predictable.
"Will he be all right?" Daniel asked, feeling kind of worried. "Is there any chance this woman might… you know…"
"Oh," said Ashasti, "Jamora strikes me as a very nice person. I'm sure she wouldn't push this male to Serve her before he was ready."
"That's a relief," said Daniel. "But could I talk to my friend? To make sure he's okay?"
Ashasti's brows drew together. "We don't allow Liberated males to associate with males they knew in their former, patriarchal lives. It just perpetuates bad habits."
"Naturally," said Daniel, with a sigh. "But couldn't I talk to him just once? If I could be sure my friend was all right, I would feel much better able to concentrate on adjusting to my new life."
"I'll think about it," said Ashasti. Then she climbed out of bed and said, "Come with me, Blue Star. I want to show you around your new home."
Daniel followed her out the bedroom door and onto an indoor balcony. Behind him was a wall with the door they'd come through and several other doors. In front of him was a banister, with the open space of an atrium beyond it. The far wall of the atrium was a seamless, three-story window. Through it, Daniel could see a large courtyard with trees and fountains, surrounded on all sides by more of the house. It was dusk outside.
And Daniel was able to see the courtyard clearly, even though he no longer had his glasses. "By the way," he said, gesturing toward his eyes, "what happened to my glasses? And how come I seem to see okay without them?"
"Oh," said Ashasti, "we noticed the flaws in your vision, so we went ahead and surgically corrected them. It's a simple procedure for our medical science. So you won't need to wear that optical device on your face anymore."
"Ah," said Daniel. "Very thoughtful of you." His words were more than a little sarcastic, but he doubted she would notice. Anyone arrogant enough to perform elective surgery on someone without his permission – however "simple" the procedure – was unlikely to understand why it would elicit sarcasm.
Ashasti led him along the balcony to the left, and then down a spiral staircase to a living area on the floor of the atrium. Curved, cozy-looking couches were arranged around a central fireplace. A tube came down from the high ceiling and fanned out over the fireplace to draw up the smoke. The tube was decorated with spiral patterns that slowly moved, and there were more moving spirals on some of the walls.
Daniel took in his surroundings with great interest, looking for more clues to the nature of this culture. The décor didn't seem obviously Minoan. The furniture was all done in a sensuous, curvilinear style. Daniel was once again reminded of Art Nouveau, but with some sleek, modernistic touches. Everything had the feel of high-tech luxury. And Ashasti's house seemed to be huge. Either she was rich, or the general standard of living on Ashora was very high. Maybe both.
"Your house is beautiful," said Daniel.
"I'm glad you like it," said Ashasti. "Remember, it's your house, too."
But Daniel barely heard her, because his attention had been captured by something on the far side of the fireplace. Could it be? He strode rapidly over to that side of the room.
Yes! It really was! There, on the wall, was a picture showing a huge bull. Incredibly, a young man was somersaulting over the bull's back. The picture caught him in the act, with his hands on the bull's back, his feet in the air, and the long plaits of his auburn hair flying. Two young women stood to the front and rear of the bull. One had grabbed the bull's horns, ready to be the next leaper, while the other stood with her arms outstretched, obviously ready to assist the young man on his way down. Daniel was entranced. The picture was almost exactly like the famous Bull Leaping mural from the Ancient Minoan palace at Knossos, only this was no painting! This was a photograph – a holograph, in fact. Incredible!
Next to the Bull Leaping holograph was another. This one showed a group of five young people, all in their late teens. There were three women and two men. All of them were grinning hugely, their arms around one another, and each held a golden double-headed axe – an object with ritual significance to the Ancient Minoans. Daniel got the impression the golden axes were trophies. In fact, several of the objects were mounted on the wall next to the holograph. He was probably looking at a team of champion Bull Leapers. The auburn-haired young man at the center of the group looked like the same guy who was leaping over the bull in the other picture.
All the young people wore iridescent loin-cloths and a few bits of jewelry, but the two young men also had Collars around their necks. The Collars looked the same as the ones the Ashorans had clapped on Jack and himself, except they were gold instead of black. Silver pendants dangled from the Collars.
"That is the Bull Dance," said Ashasti. She had walked up beside him. "It's a sacred sport played in honor of the Goddess."
"Yes!" cried Daniel. "I know! That is, I suspected. It's what most archeologists believe, but the People of Light and Dark weren't able to tell me much about it because they've lost the tradition." Daniel was full of excitement. He heard himself speaking rapidly as his mind raced. "That's because the Goa'uld that kidnapped their ancestors from ancient Crete neglected to provide them with any cattle. Typical Goa'uld thoughtfulness. But obviously, the tradition is very much alive among your people. Fantastic! Any chance I could actually witness the Bull Dance?"
Ashasti smiled. "I think that could be arranged. Once you've been here a little longer and settled in a little more. But who are these Ancient Minoans you're talking about? And the People of Light and Dark?"
"The Ancient Minoans were a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization. The center of their civilization was on an island called Crete. And the People of Light and Dark live on one of the Stargate worlds. Their ancestors were brought there from Crete thousands of years ago, by a Goa'uld pretending to be the Great Goddess. I'm assuming your people got their start in much the same way, only you must have escaped Goa'uld control a long time ago. Because the Goa'uld would never stand for any of their human slaves having your level of technology."
"Yes," said Ashasti, looking surprised at Daniel's insight. "That's very much what happened. My ancestors soon realized that the powerful being who had transported them to a new world wasn't really the Goddess, so they rebelled against her. They were able to kill her and her small contingent of Jaffa. As we later learned, this Goa'uld was only a minor player and the other Goa'uld didn't pay much attention to her passing. They didn't even know that Keftu existed."
"Keftu?" asked Daniel.
"Yes. That was the name of our original world. For a long time, my people prospered there. They discovered the ways of science and learned much from the machines left behind by the Goa'uld. They created a wealthy, technologically advanced civilization. So long as the people of Keftu worshipped the Goddess and kept to Her ways, they were blessed.
"But in time, the males of Keftu became corrupted and abandoned the ways of the Goddess. They stopped submitting to the leadership of women. In fact, they corrupted many of the women, too. Keftuan society came to be marred by violence, oppression, and disharmony.
"Only a small number of Faithful women remembered the true ways of the Goddess. They warned the Faithless that unless they returned to the bosom of the Goddess, the Goddess would withdraw her protection, and a terrible calamity would befall Keftu. But the Faithless didn't listen. And so, one day, the Goa'uld discovered Keftu and destroyed it.
"Through the grace of the Goddess, a small group of Faithful women escaped the Fall of Keftu. They came here, to Ashora. They named this world in honor of the Goddess. And they were determined to create a new and purer society here, one that would never fall away from the Goddess as Keftu had. So they brought males from various patriarchal worlds, to be their mates and help build the new society. They devised the Collar system to control the males. And they raised their daughters and sons in the pure ways of the Goddess.
"But they also put Collars on their sons, to ensure they would never become corrupted and bring about the world's destruction, as the males of Keftu had. Sons of Ashora wear the Golden Collar, like those men in the holograph. Since they're Redeemed males, they're entrusted with more freedom and responsibility than newly Liberated males. But every Son of Ashora has a female Guardian who is authorized to command his Collar. His wife, if he's married. Or his closest female relative, if he isn't. Of course, it's just a precaution. Many Sons of Ashora live their entire lives without ever experiencing the discipline of the Collar.
"It's now been almost three-hundred years since the Founding. And as you can see," said Ashasti, gesturing around her, "the Goddess has greatly blessed us. There were only ninety-seven Founders, but through our policy of Liberating males and females from patriarchal worlds, we've been able to build up our population rapidly."
"That's fascinating!" said Daniel. And it really was. He was beginning to understand how Ashoran culture had acquired such an extreme character. The entire society had been founded by a small group of Goddess-worshiping fanatics. And they had created a society in which all men were basically slaves! It was incredible! Anthropologically unprecedented! Ordinarily, Daniel would have been thrilled at the opportunity to study this culture. However, having to study it as a slave did sort of take the edge off the intellectual excitement.
"So," said Daniel, "you Liberate women as well as men? I take it the women don't get Collared."
Ashasti gave him a look. "Of course not. And of course, the females on patriarchal worlds need to be Liberated even more than the males do." Ashasti sighed. "Unfortunately, all our Liberation efforts are still just a drop in the bucket. We'd like to do more, but we have to be careful not to alert the Goa'uld to our existence. They'd destroy Ashora just as they did Keftu."
"But," said Daniel, "your technology seems just as advanced as the Goa'uld's. I would think you could defend yourselves against them."
Ashasti shook her head. "The Goa'uld have the resources of a entire galaxy behind them. So we're not yet ready to fight them openly. But one day, we will be. One day, we'll be able to take whole worlds under our wing and Liberate all the women, not just a few here and there. And all the men too, of course."
"Of course," said Daniel, wincing inwardly. The idea of more worlds falling under Ashoran control was not very cheering. The Ashorans might not be out to enslave the entire human race, like the Goa'uld were – but they were out to enslave half of it.
"Come on," said Ashasti, taking his hand. "Let's go out into the courtyard. I love to be outside just when evening is falling and you can watch the stars come out." She smiled at him, and her hand was warm in his. Daniel felt strange. He was inclined to like Ashasti, but knowing that he was her slave – and that she expected him to start "Serving" her at some point – was freaking him out.
They walked through a door in the transparent wall, and out into the evening. The temperature was perfect, and the air was full of the smell of green things and the splashing of fountains. As they walked along a garden path, hand in hand, Daniel's other hand went reflexively to his throat, feeling his Collar. He noticed there was now some sort of pendant hanging from it. He lifted the pendant, trying to get a look at it.
"A Registry Pendant is attached to the Collar of all males," said Ashasti, watching his actions. "The color of a male's Pendant indicates his relationship to his Keeper or Guardian. Sons of Ashora have Golden Pendants if they're married, and Silver Pendants if they aren't. Most chattel-males have Black Pendants. That means that their Keeper is the woman who supervises their work."
"My Pendant seems to be red," said Daniel.
"That's right!" said Ashasti, smiling brightly at him. "That indicates your special status as a chattel-concubine."
"Just what I always wanted to be when I grew up," muttered Daniel.
Ashasti gave him an exasperated look – though she seemed a bit amused, too. Daniel reminded himself to watch his mouth. He didn't want to alienate Ashasti. She had already provided a lot of valuable information. And she was his "Keeper." If he hoped to contact Jack or figure out how they might get out of this, he needed her cooperation. Besides, she seemed to be a basically kind, well-meaning person who just had been brought up to believe some rather extreme things about gender relations. With a little patience, maybe he could talk her around.
They rounded a curve in the garden path and came into an open area with pavements, flower beds, and a number of fountains. There were lights in the fountains, making the water glow in the gathering dimness. Daniel looked up and saw the sky had turned black in the east, while the west was a deep purple. Stars were indeed coming out, their patterns unfamiliar, and two smallish moons were visible as well.
"Look," said Ashasti, pointing at an emerging constellation. "Can you see the double-headed axe?"
"Yes," he said. "I think I can." It was fascinating how every culture saw its own particular preoccupations in the patterns of the stars.
"Ashasti!" cried a woman's voice. Daniel looked down from the sky, and saw four women emerging from among the trees on the other side of the open area. Some were wearing billowing pants like Ashasti, others wore skirts. All wore bodices or jackets that left their breasts bare. They walked toward Daniel and Ashasti.
Ashasti seemed surprised to see them. Then she put a hand to her cheek and said, "Oh! The meeting! I'm so sorry, I completely forgot. I should have called to postpone!"
The woman in the front laughed. She was middle-aged, dark-skinned, and a little plump. "That's quite all right, sister! I understand you brought something home today that might have distracted you." And she gave Daniel an appraising look, her eyes wandering over his body. Daniel dropped his hand out of Ashasti's, feeling his face get hot again.
"Oh, Ashasti!" cried one of the other women. This one had Asian features. "Is this your new concubine?"
"Yes," said Ashasti. "His name is Blue Star."
"Oh!" said the woman. "What a perfect name for him! It goes with his nice blue eyes."
"Mmmm," said another woman, a brunette with generous breasts. "Forget the eyes. I like those yummy arms and shoulders."
Daniel became aware that all the women were running their eyes up and down his body – but none of them were actually speaking to him. They were directing their comments to Ashasti, complementing her on her fine taste in masculine flesh. Daniel felt himself getting angry as well as embarrassed.
"Nice ass, too, Ashasti," said the dark-skinned woman, grinning.
"You think Ashasti has a nice ass?" asked Daniel, his voice quick and light.
The dark-skinned woman just laughed. "Saucy, too," she said. "What a fine choice, Ashasti! I just know he'll do wonders for things around here. Sometimes a household just needs one or two good concubines to balance things out."
Even Ashasti seemed a bit uncomfortable with this remark. And one of the other women frowned. She was a slim, green-eyed redhead, and the only woman who hadn't exclaimed over Daniel. Though he had felt her eyes appraising him, too. And she looked familiar. Hadn't she been in the holograph of the Bull Dancing team? Though she'd been a teenager in the picture, and was in her thirties now.
"Ashasti," said Daniel, "won't you introduce me to your friends?" He thought it would be a good idea to develop more contacts among the Ashorans. But Ashasti and the other women looked at him with blank surprise, the way people might if a trained seal were to ask for introductions.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not familiar with your customs. Perhaps I'm overstepping my proper place as a male slave?" Daniel spoke politely, and his question was partly serious. The sarcasm that was also present in his remark wouldn't have been obvious to people who took male slaves for granted. But Daniel noticed that the redhead raised an eyebrow.
Ashasti sighed. "Blue Star," she said, speaking as if to a child, "you are not a slave. You are a chattel-male. You are a dependent of the Matriarchy of Ashora, but you aren't property. You can't be bought or sold."
The other women nodded – except for the redhead, who looked as if she were biting her tongue. For a moment, Daniel's eyes met hers, and he felt an odd sense of connection.
"These friends," continued Ashasti, "work with me at the Society for Helping Rescued Women. You see, when it comes to Liberating females, Ashoran policy is to Liberate small girls who can be adopted into Ashoran families. But the Liberation Teams sometimes bring back grown women, too. Sometimes, they come across a woman who is in such terrible straits they just can't resist helping her. Our organization tries to provide comfort and assistance to these women. We were supposed to have a meeting tonight, and as I didn't notify anyone of any change of plans, I think it's only right that we go ahead with it. So I'll have to excuse myself for a little while, Blue Star."
"Oh, no, Ashasti!" said the Asian woman. "Don't mind us! Don't let us take you away from your new concubine."
"Nonsense," said Ashasti. "Blue Star and I will have plenty of time together. Besides, I think Blue Star needs to get some dinner. Why don't all of you go into the atrium? I'll join you there shortly."
There were exclamations of agreement. The women made some parting remarks to Ashasti, then began to move off in the direction Daniel and Ashasti had come from. None of them deigned to speak to Daniel – though, for a moment, he thought the redhead was going to. She met his eyes again, and her lips parted, but then she apparently changed her mind. She moved off with the other women, and Daniel found himself gazing after her.
Then Ashasti took his hand and began leading him to the left. On that side, the house was two stories high. A continuous balcony ran along the second floor, while a paved porch ran along the ground floor. Lights came on in the porch. A man emerged from a door in the ground floor and stood there, apparently waiting for them. He wore the Golden Collar of a Son of Ashora.
Daniel studied him curiously as they approached. He wore a loin-cloth, but his was colorful and elaborate. He also had a wide, pectoral necklace similar to those favored by the Ancient Egyptians. His pectoral consisted of gold plates studded with rubies, and he had matching armbands, and a wristlet that looked as if it incorporated electronics. Daniel had noticed that all the women wore those wristlets, too.
The Ashoran man was of medium height, with the beautifully toned physique of a gymnast. His long, auburn hair was arranged in three braids, with bits of jewelry entwined in them. One braid fell down his back, while two smaller braids hung at each side of his face. As they stopped before him, Daniel recognized the face. Feeling excited, he said, "Hello! You're the Bull Dancer, aren't you? I mean," he said, gesturing in the direction of the atrium, "that was you in the holograph, wasn't it? Somersaulting over the bull's back? That was amazing! I'd love to talk to you about your experiences as a Bull Dancer… sometime." Daniel's voice trailed off as the auburn-haired man stonily ignored him. He hadn't looked at Daniel at all. Am I going to be snubbed by Ashoran men as well as women? thought Daniel.
"You called for me, Ashti?" the man asked, looking into Ashasti's face. He spoke quietly, but there was an underlying strain in his voice.
"Yes," said Ashasti. "I'm going to our meeting, and I'd like you to take care of Blue Star for me." She spoke casually, but there was a strained quality in her voice as well. "Please take him to the dining room and see he gets some dinner."
"I'll see to it, Ashti," he said. "But not in the dining room." His eyes flicked over to Daniel briefly, and Daniel was startled by the cold hostility he saw in them. "The children are eating there right now," he explained.
"Well," said Ashasti, "there's no reason he shouldn't eat with the children. He is part of our family now."
The auburn-haired man's stony expression crumpled – though only briefly. Then the stoic look was back. But for a moment, he'd looked as if someone had kicked him in the gut. And Ashasti's expression had crumpled in sympathy, though she, too, quickly covered her distress.
What the hell is going on here? thought Daniel.
"Ashti," said the Ashoran man, "I'll do as you think best, of course. But didn't this male come straight from the Bureau of Liberation? Straight from some patriarchal world? I really don't feel comfortable exposing the children to him just yet. I suggest I take him up to his room and let him have a quiet dinner there. Let him get acquainted with his new quarters. He's probably had enough stimulation for one day."
Ashasti looked over at Daniel, and Daniel looked from her worried face to the set profile of the Ashoran man, trying to gauge the situation. He felt as if he had floundered into a pit of quicksand. "I really don't bite," he said.
"I'm sure you don't," said Ashasti. "But you have a great deal to learn." She turned back to the Ashoran man and said, "All right, Neralo. I trust your judgment." She glanced briefly at Daniel, but it was Neralo's eyes she looked into as she said, "You see, Blue Star, Neralo is my husband. My beloved husband, whom I cherish as my special gift from the Goddess. I love him very much," she said, her voice breaking a little, "and nothing in the universe could ever make me love him one iota less."
Daniel's mouth dropped open yet again. He saw that the Pendant on Neralo's Collar was golden. And he saw the unhappy intensity with which Ashasti and Neralo were gazing at each other. They were completely absorbed in one another, but their mouths were compressed, their brows turned up in grief, their eyes glistening. What he saw in their faces was the sort of heart-wrenching misery that two people have the power to inflict on one another only when they are in love.
Okay, thought Daniel, I don't get it. Why has Ashasti brought me home as a concubine when it's obvious she's in love with her husband?
Ashasti pulled her gaze away from Neralo and looked at Daniel. She put on a forced smile. "Neralo is in charge of all the chattel-males in my household," she said. "In my absence, you are to obey him as you would me. And I should warn you," she added, "that Golden Collars include feedback circuits that allow Sons of Ashora to do some of the same things that Daughters of Ashora can do with their neural implants. So Neralo is able to command the Collars of all my chattel-males. Including yours."
Daniel gave Ashasti a startled glance. Then he looked at Neralo. Neralo stared back, his blue-green eyes as cold and hard as a glacier. Oh, thought Daniel, it just gets better and better.
"Well," said Ashasti, taking a deep breath, "I'd better get going. They're waiting for me."
As Ashasti began walking away, Daniel opened his mouth to say something like, Do you really think it's a good idea to leave me alone with your obviously very jealous husband, who has control over my Collar? But he bit back the words. Something told him it would only make things worse. For some reason, both these people were trying to pretend everything was just fine, and Daniel knew how dangerous it could be to offend against an unfamiliar culture's customs without understanding what you were doing.
"Come with me," said Neralo. His tone was hard and businesslike. The door opened before him. He stepped into the house and looked back at Daniel, apparently holding the door open, though he didn't touch it. Daniel suspected it wasn't the sort of simple automatic door you might find on Earth. He thought Neralo was probably using the feedback circuits in his Golden Collar to control it.
Daniel followed him through the door, up some stairs, and down a corridor. As they walked, Daniel began to say, "Look, Neralo, I know this is an awkward situation…" but Neralo just said, "Shut up," without even looking at Daniel. And his tone was so clipped and final that Daniel gave up. For the time being. He reflected that, for someone who belonged to what was supposed to be the subservient sex on this world, Neralo seemed to have a pretty strong character. That "shut up" had sounded almost like Jack at his worst.
They came to a door that Neralo opened – again, without touching it – and passed into a bedroom. This one was smaller than the one Daniel had woken up in, but quite comfortable. It had a bed, a table and chairs, and a bureau, but no windows. The walls were cream-colored, with a scatter of starbursts in sparkly gold that slowly grew and faded. A door led into the attached bathroom. Neralo explained how the bathroom fixtures worked, and how to control the lights and the wall pattern. He spoke in a dry, businesslike monotone.
"If you have a real need," he added, "you can contact me using that device." And he pointed to a white rectangle in the wall. "But let me emphasize that I won't take kindly to being disturbed for anything but a very good reason. If you suddenly take sick and feel like you might be dying, you can call me. Otherwise, don't."
"You mean if I were dying, you'd actually help me?" asked Daniel. Neralo gave him a sharp look, and Daniel mentally kicked himself. "Sorry," he said. "Sorry I said that. Thanks for showing me around. I know this can't be easy for you. But I hope you'll remember that I'm just a slave – excuse me, just a chattel-male. I had no choice in this arrangement, so please don't take it out on me. If you're unhappy about it, you need to talk to your wife."
Daniel saw a flash of anger in Neralo's eyes, and then Daniel's world exploded in pain. The agony had no particular point of origin in his body. It was just – everywhere. His entire consciousness was filled with white-hot pain. All thought was blanked out, leaving nothing but a desperate, inchoate mental scream for the pain to stop. When it finally did, Daniel found himself on his hands and knees on the floor. Shaken, he looked up at Neralo.
"Ashasti didn't demonstrate the Punishment function of the Collar, did she?" asked Neralo. His voice was coldly casual.
"No," said Daniel. It came out as a hoarse whisper. His throat felt raw. Had he been screaming?
"She never does. But don't imagine you can take advantage of my wife's soft-heartedness. As she explained, I'm in charge of the chattel-males in this household. I'm the one you'll have to answer to most of the time. And I won't tolerate impertinence. You will obey my wife without question, and be thankful for her kindness. And you will obey me without question – and hope you can earn my forbearance. And just because you're a concubine, don't think that entitles you to be idle. I'll expect you to do some work around here. What did you do back where you came from?"
"I'm an archeologist," said Daniel. "And linguist. And explorer."
Neralo frowned, looking both perplexed and contemptuous. "Doesn't sound like you have any useful skills. But don't worry, I'll find something for you to do." He shrugged. "I'll have one of the house-servants bring up some dinner for you. But don't think you'll be able to pull something when he comes here, just because I'm not physically present. There are cameras in these rooms. I can monitor you remotely, and I can command your Collar remotely, too. And after you finish dinner, I suggest you retire. Don't expect to see Ashasti again today. Those meetings can run late, and they're something she actually cares about."
He turned away from Daniel dismissively, and began walking toward the door. But then he stopped. He hesitated, as if fighting with himself. Then he swiftly turned toward Daniel again. "And don't imagine you can get between me and my wife," he said. His face was still cold, but his eyes burned. "I am her husband. You're just a patriarchal barbarian. The only reason she Claimed you is to teach me a lesson. You mean nothing to her."
"Neralo," said Daniel, "I have absolutely no desire to get between you and your wife. I would like nothing better than to get out from between you and your wife."
Neralo frowned. For a moment, he looked as if he was finding the sincerity in Daniel's voice and eyes hard to ignore. But then he just turned and walked out the door. It shut behind him with an audible click.
Daniel walked to the door and tried it. It was locked, of course. He looked around the room, at the confines of his comfortable prison, and felt very alone.
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