slave moves from Master to Master, offering a tray of fried larma "Another bit of larma, Master?" asked the slave, kneeling behind me and to
my left. I turned and, from where I sat cross-legged behind the low table,
removed a small, crisp disk of fried larma, with a browned-honey sauce, from
the silver tray.
Guardsman
Another slave, carrying a wine vessel, serves and reflls wine She, kneeling, poured wine from a narrow, long-spouted silver vessel into
the cup of Aemilianus, of Ar's Station.
Guardsman
A third slave carries a tray of bosk meat to serve "More, Master?" inquired the slave in bluish gauze, in the gleaming collar,
kneeling behind me and to my left.
"Yes," I said.
With a serving prong she placed narrow strips of roast bosk and fried sul on
my plate.
Guardsman
The slave with wine rushes to see all have some in their goblets when a toast
is proposed
The wine is often mixed with water, diluted "I propose a toast," said Aemilianus, rising.
"A toast," we called. Shirley hurried about, making sure there was wine in the
goblets. Callimachus drank water, but he permitted a drop of wine to mix in
the water, that the ceremony of the toast might be one in which he fully shared.
Wine, incidentally, is often mixed with water in Gorean homes. This is
primarily because of the potency of many Gorean wines. The wines I was
serving, however, were such that, sensibly, they could be served undiluted.
An alternative with the potent wines is to serve very small amounts of them.
We stood. The musicians stopped playing.
Guardsman
slaves return to the kitchen to be given the next course to be served "Where are you supposed to be now, Girl?" asked Aemilianus.
"In the kitchen, I think, Master," she said.
"Well, then," he said, "run now to the kitchen."
"Yes, Master," she said and, leaping up, ran to the kitchen. She was closely
followed by the lovely little slave in the bluish gauze. Doubtless both of
them were soon to bring forth the next course of the meal, which I took to be
assorted desserts, to be followed by black wine and liqueurs.
Guardsman
And the trays of desserts are carried about to each Master The girls, carrying their trays, knelt before the table. "Desserts,
Masters," announced the girl in bluish gauze. Then, rising, they began to
serve, one on each side. On one tray were assorted pastries; on the other
was a variety of small, spiced custards.
Guardsman
I was very pleased with the way Lola had handled the meal. All was simple,
tasteful and unpretentious.
Guardsman
"'The dancers were lovely," said Glyco, pausing, a spoon lifted in the air
over a small yellow, spiced custard.
Guardsman
The slaves are often the entertainment just in their serving
Chains are added to the slaves before serving the dessert, a subtle touch I then watched the two slaves, in their chains, continuing their serving.
They, too, serving in their chains, were a part of the entertainment, as much
as the music of Tasdron's musicians in the background. The Gorean's concept of
entertainment is perhaps simpler, or more subtle or broader than is that,
doubtless, of many individuals in many other cultures. For example, he can
enjoy watching a slave putting on her tunic or taking it off; he can enjoy
seeing a woman chained, and rechained, many times, in many ways, each time
being exhibited in her helplessness; and he can enjoy watching his slave
working naked in the kitchen, or cleaning,, or doing laundry or sewing; I
think this is probably because he enjoys being with her, and finds her
precious and beautiful. I had informed Lola that the little slave, now clad in
bluish gauze, was to be included in the entertainment. And how delightfully
and subtly had Lola complied with my directive! Even she had had the little
slave announce the desserts to the guests. I observed the chains on the little
slave in bluish gauze. How beautiful they were on herl I wondered if she even
realized that she, thus, was now not only serving but was also now a pleasant
portion of our entertainment. But of course she must understand this. Surely
she had heard the murmur of pleasure and appreciation which had coursed about
the table, greeting the appearance of herself and her fellow slave. In more
sophisticated Gorean banquets, incidentally, the serving slaves often change
costume and jewelry, and sometimes chains, with each course of the meal, their
ensembles and accessories being matched to the various courses. I smiled to
myself. Lola had put the two slaves in chains for the dessert course. That
seemed a delightful and subtle touch. Slave girls know that to some men, and
perhaps to any man some of the time, they are, in effect, and will be treated
as, only meaningless, delicious desserts. They are, after all, slaves.
Guardsman
The two slaves had now left the pastries and custards upon the table, and
had returned to the kitchen. They would there presumably be relieved of their
chains and would return with the black wine.
Guardsman
Now the slaves move about with trays serving black wine
The two slaves, their chains removed, now returned, and began to serve the
black wine. The voluptuous slave of Aemilianus, whom he had not yet named,
placed the tiny sliver cups, on small stands, before us. The lovely little
slave in bluish gauze, whom I had not yet named, holding the narrow-spouted,
silver pouring vessel in a heavy cloth, to retain its heat and protect her
hands, poured the scalding, steaming black fluid, in narrow, tiny streams,
into the small cups. She poured into the cups only the amount that would be
compatible with the assorted sugars and creams which the guest might desire,
if any, these being added in, and stirred, if, and as, pertinent, by
Aemilianus' slave, who directed the serving.
Guardsman
"Master?" asked the girl in yellow gauze, who had been Shirley and now
belonged, for the moment nameless, to my friend Aemilianus, of Ar's Station.
"Second slave," I told her, which, among the river towns, and in certain
cities, particularly in the north, is a way of indicating that I would take
the black wine without creams or sugars, and as it came from the pouring
vessel, which, of course, in these areas, is handled by the "second slave,"
the first slave being the girl who puts down the cups, takes the orders and
sees that the beverage is prepared according to the preferences of the one
who is being served.
"Second slave," said the slave of Aemilianus.
"Yes, Mistress," said the girl in bluish gauze. She was extremely careful not
to spill a drop. Black wine, except in the vicinity of Thentis, where most of
it is grown on the slopes of the Thentis range, is quite expensive. Also, of
course, clumsy slave girls are often whipped. The expression "second slave,"
incidentally, serves to indicate that one does not wish creams or sugars with
one's black wine, even if only one girl is serving.
Guardsman
And finally liqueurs are served
"Ah," said Glyco. "The liqueurs!
First from the kitchen, bearing her tray, came the voluptuous slave of
Aemilianus. Behind her, too with her tray, came the little dark-haired slave.
In a moment both were deferentially serving. The collared softness of the
dark-haired girl well set off the metal of the tray, and the small,
multicolored glasses and bottles upon it. It is not unusual, at a Gorean meal,
where free women are not present, for one or more of the slaves to serve
naked. At ruder meals, this makes it easier for one of the guests, should
the urge strike him, to use them.
Guardsman
Meal served in the holding of Policrates
Men are celebrating
"Let us drink to that." He lifted his goblet and we clinked our goblets
together and I reached across Policrates, extending my goblet to Kliomenes,
who surily sat on the right of Policrates. We three then, touched goblets and
then we drank.
Girls move from table to table in the holding, serving the men food and
drink
Girls, some nude, some scantily clad, hurried about the tables, serving food
and drink.
One girl approaches with wine
"Wine, Master?" asked a red-headed girl with two leather straps wound about her
body. I took wine from her, and gave my attention then to the dancer, a
luscious, dark-haired girl.
Another girl approaches with a tray of bread, and butter
"Bread, Master?" asked a blond-haired beauty, keeling down beside me. She
offered me a silver tray on which, hot and seaming were wedges of Gorean bread,
made from Sa-Tarna grain. I took one of them and, from the tureen, with the
small silver dipper, both on the tray, poured hot butter on the bread. I then
dismissed her with a gesture of my head and she rose lightly to her feet and
left to serve another. She was unclothed.
Another slave offers cubes of bosk meat
"Meat, Master?" asked a girl, nude, who knelt now beside me. She offered a
tray on which small cubes of roasted bosk, on tiny sticks, steamed. I took
several, dipping them by the sticks in a sauce, carried on the same tray. I
returned the tiny sticks to the tray and looked at the girl. She put down her
head.
Yet another slave offers peeled grapes
"Grapes, Master?" said a soft feminine voice near to me. I looked about but I
did not react. It was the free woman, or the woman who had been free, who had
been ordered from the crowd on the wharves of Victoria. I recalled her having
been stripped by the pirate and his blade at her throat. She had tied the
knot of bondage in her own hair. She had been ordered to run to the galley.
There I had seen her bound helplessly at its railing, her back to it,
exposing her beauty, with others. "Master?" she asked. Her voice, and mein,
were deferential and totally submissive. An incredible transformation had
come over her. She was not soft and lovely and beautiful, a woman who was and
knew herself owned. I wanted to take her in my arms. She lifted the tray of
grapes to me, proffering it. They were Ta grapes. I smiles. Each, I noted
had been carefully peeled. Doubtless that had been the task to which she had
set that afternoon. Such trivial, painstaking tasks are often useful in
teaching a women that she is a slave. "Master?" she asked. I wanted to take
her in my arms. I permitted her to feed me a grape. Then she withdrew.
And another offers fruit, peaches and plums
"Fruit, Master," asked a girl softly, timidly, kneeling down lightly beside me.
Her head was down. She was frightened. I turned, sitting to face her. She
trembled. She did not raise her head.
...
The girl lifted her head then and timidly lifted the ripe, rounded fruit which
she held in her hands. Gorean peaches and plums, to me.
Partial scene of meal served in private home
Another scene (partial) of a slave serving a meal, one course at a time,
from the kitchen
After the main meal, bringing out tospit and sugars - dessert Lola now returned to the small table and, kneeling, head down, served us our
dessert, slices of tospit, sprinkled with four Gorean sugars.
Rogue
Next serving the black wine with cream & sugars
"I see there may be some advantages to having a slave in the house," said Miss
Henderson. "I never doubted it," I said. "You may serve the black wine now, in
small cups, Lola," said Miss Henderson. "Yes Mistress," whispered Lola.
This was a delicacy. I had purchased, some days ago, but we had not yet served
it. In a few Ehn Lola returned with the tray, with the vessel of steaming
liquid, the creams and sugars, the tiny cups and the small spoons for mixing
and measuring.
Rogue
And last, relaxing with Turian liqueurs Miss Henderson and I, with small cups of a Turian liqueur before us,
lounged in the living room.
Rogue
At a dinner on an estate near Vonda
Several wines are served to the guests through the dinner, the first, a light
white wine
The tables were covered with cloths of glistening white and a service of
gold. Before each guests there were tiny slices of tospit and larma, small
pastries, and, in a tiny golden cup, with a small golden spoon, the clustered,
black, tiny eggs of the white grunt. The first wine, a light white wine, was
being deferentially served by Pamela and Bonnie.
Pamela and Bonnie, heads down, silent effacing themselves, as is proper with
slaves, again filled the small golden cups. It was again a serving of the
first wine. In a Gorean supper in a house of wealth, in the course of the
supper, with varied courses, eight to ten wines might be served, each
suitably and congruously matched with respect to texture and bouquet not only
to one another but to the accompanying portions of food.
Second course is served - vulo in spiced Sa-Tarna & Ta wine sauce
"Pamela, Bonnie," called the Lady Florence, "we are now ready for the second
course of our supper."
"Yes, Mistress," they said, and hurried to fetch the second course.
"It is a small dish," said the Lady Florence, "the white meat of roast vulos,
prepared in a sauce of spiced Sa-Tarna and Ta wine."
The dinner proceeded in a leisurely fashion through seven of its courses. There
was light banter and charming conversation. The playing of the musicians was
pleasant, and unobtrusive.
When the tiny plates and cups of the seventh course had been cleared away the
Lady Florence looked over to the chained slave, kneeling at her ring.
Fighting Slave
Serving a Gorean meal
