The slave splayed out on the grass of the Circle was one of Roquan's most experienced, yet even she was having trouble restraining herself.

Her dusky red tresses lay strewn about her head as she lay panting and trembling. It was a constant struggle to remain silent, to avoid giving any hint of how close she was to release. It had been easy at first, but as the moments crept by and her pussy strained just short of climax so many times that she lost count, it was all she could do not to beg for relief.

Above her, Sirinna gently held the slave's shoulders to the grass, using her body to shade the sun out of her volunteer's eyes. Arrayed around them in a rough semicircle were about a dozen other slaves, watching in a combination of amusement and wonder, occasionally whispering excitedly to one another.

Between the helpless beauty's legs was Amanda. Her hands lay gently along the insides of the slave's thighs, applying just enough pressure to keep them open as wide as possible. Her tongue swirled and lashed as it teased the other slave's swollen and aching folds.

To a inexperienced observer, Amanda's ministrations seemed casual, almost lazy. In reality, she had all her senses engaged, her focus such that she was barely aware of anything else around her, save for the pleasant warmth of the early afternoon sun on her body.

The older slave clenched her teeth to cut off a moan. She tilted her head back as she again rose and strained, her hands shaking and clenching into fists. A very tiny whimper escaped her lips, audible only to Sirinna.

Sirinna shook her head and gently placed a finger across the slave's lips. She then raised her eyes to Amanda and smiled broadly.

She was grateful to see her lover throwing herself into her new training task with a renewed eagerness that had been so lacking. Roquan's promise to Amanda had excited her and appeared to trigger this renaissance of enthusiasm.

"I think maybe now he knows I'm much more than just a slave," Amanda had said.

Much more than just a slave.

Sirinna was happy for Amanda, but she was still struggling to understand Amanda's statement. The two thoughts it expressed were difficult for her to hold in her head at the same time.

One night, Sirinna lay awake trying to understand Amanda's desires to little avail. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she had a fleeting flash of insight. It was like the brief bits of imagery that sometimes flickered through her head in that moment of twilight before full slumber, of people and places she was sure she had never seen before yet seemed strangely familiar to her. In that moment she thought she understood, that it made perfect sense to her.

But for some inexplicable reason, with understanding had come a great emotional pain, seemingly out of nowhere. It had vanished like dew with the coming of morning, and it had left Sirinna even more confused than when she had started.

Suddenly the whispers around her grew more intense and frequent, and a few of the watching slaves glanced past the spectacle, towards the edge of the Circle. Sirinna turned her head, and she was delighted to find who had come to watch Amanda's training.

Roquan stood in a stone arch that rose over one of the paths to the Circle.

Sirinna knew that her Overlord likely was there to talk to Amanda. He had promised her a new task in no more than a handful of days. But she considered it an honor nevertheless, and she was quite proud of Amanda's progress that day.

The red-haired slave suddenly gasped despite all her discipline. Sirinna moved to admonish her silently, but Amanda had already pushed her just far enough that it no longer mattered.

The slave arched her back and cried out sharply as her pussy throbbed. She let out a long cry as her orgasm swept over her.

"Oh, very good, Amanda!" Sirinna cried, clapping her hands once in joy. "That was much longer than before."

Amanda lifted herself from between the other slave's legs and let out a relieved sigh. She smiled faintly and licked her lips clean. She had lost all track of time in her intense concentration and had no idea how long she had been at it.

"Thank you, Mistress," Amanda said as she stood up. It was only then that she had seen Roquan standing by the archway.

Sirinna helped her volunteer to her feet, gave her an appreciative hug, and sent her away. The other slaves also turned their attention elsewhere, many after casting looks of admiration for Sirinna's protege. These were not lost on Amanda, and she accepted the silent praise with gratitude.

Roquan strode forward. "It is good to see you are doing well in your training again, Amanda," he said in an even voice.

"Thank you, Master," Amanda replied softly.

"She is coming along very well, Master, as always," Sirinna said, beaming with pride. She draped her arm around Amanda's shoulders. "She can now sense when a woman is close to orgasm without any verbal cues."

"And I understand she already knows how to do this with a male?"

"Oh yes. After she showed me her prowess, I decided she really didn't need any more training there. And I believe she learned a lot of that on her own."

Roquan nodded once and dropped her eyes to Amanda. Amanda allowed herself to look smug. She no longer cared quite as much about what the Overlord would think. If he was going to accept her as being different, it would have to be all the time and not just when it was convenient for him.

While the Overlord did scrutinize her for a moment, he appeared not to make note of her expression. Instead, he lifted his gaze back to Sirinna. "If you no longer have any further training tasks for her, I wish you to release her to me. I have other duties for her to perform for me."

Amanda tried to contain her excitement, but it came out anyway as her lips curled into an eager smile.

"Of course, Master." Sirinna removed her arm and stepped back. "She is yours."

"Come along, Amanda."

"Yes, Master," Amanda said brightly as she fell in step before the Overlord. She had to catch herself to avoid walking too quickly in front of him, especially since she did not know where they were going.

Roquan solved that dilemma for her as soon as they passed under the stone arch. "To the Healer Office, Amanda," he said.

Amanda's eyes widened. She had not expected that. She was sure he would have her helping till the gardens or prepare the meals. Those at least used some skills that she had learned back on Earth. This was something completely new.

"I have never done any Healing work, Master, not even back on my own world," Amanda said.

"Then this will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn."

While the Overlord's response had been immediate, Amanda could sense some tension in his voice. Did he perhaps believe that she was not up to this after all? If that was the case, then she had additional incentive to do well. "What will I be doing, Master?"

"Vanlo and Lanno are working on a special project for me. They need an assistant to help with everyday Healer duties."

"Special project, Master?"

"I will instruct Vanlo to explain it to you," Roquan replied, subdued.

Now Amanda was intensely curious. Something unusual was going on. But when the realization of what the Overlord had just done came to her, she felt a surge of gratitude for him. "Thank you, Master."

"I will attempt to avoid keeping information from you, Amanda," said Roquan in a low and earnest voice. "But I must warn you that everything Vanlo will tell you must remain in confidence. You cannot discuss it with anyone, even Sirinna."

The prospect of performing Healing work was itself a bit daunting, but now the Overlord had made it doubly so. She would soon have yet another secret that she would need to keep for him.

His eyes remained fixed upon the flask at the end of the apparatus as he walked slowly across the room. They glistened with a liquid, crystal-sharp lucidity and energy that was in contrast to the old, thin frame in which they resided.

"Hmm," mused the old Healer Vanlo G'tort. He lay a wizened hand against his long beard to keep it out of the way as he slowly sat before the apparatus.

At the door, a much younger and fair-haired man stood impatiently. He folded his arms across his broad chest and let out an obvious sigh through his nose.

Vanlo appeared oblivious. Instead, his gaze remained fixed on the pure golden liquid that dripped into the flask. He reached out a single, gnarled finger and tapped the glass. The surface rippled easily. "Yes. Quite."

"It's amber," came the urgent voice from the door.

"Ah. Yes, indeed, it is."

Lanno G'sallan rolled his eyes. Despite having worked for Vanlo for two moons now and having improved the relationship, some things the old Healer did still exasperated him. He still suspected Vanlo did it purely for his own amusement.

Or, more likely, Lanno realized with chagrin, to teach him how to be more patient. Unfortunately that lesson was failing miserably that day. "Vanlo, you said if it turned amber, that meant you got it."

Vanlo lifted a hand and turned a valve. The liquid stopped dripping. He picked up the flask and held it closer to his eyes, his shoulders slightly stooped. "Yes, I do believe I made some comment to that effect."

Lanno clenched his teeth. "Well?"

Vanlo swirled the liquid around for a few moments before setting the flask down. He turned in his seat, wincing as a joint protested loudly. He had to reposition himself in the chair to silence it. "Well what, Lanno?" he asked with a very faint ghost of a smile on his lips.

Lanno might have exploded at the elder Healer if that little twinge he witnessed had not reminded him of his growing concern for the old man.

When Lanno had first met Vanlo, he was rather surprised at how spry the old Healer was. Lanno had tried to discover the man's age, but all Vanlo would tell him was "oh, past seventy I imagine." He finally became curious enough to ask someone at the Healer Guild, and was astonished to learn that Vanlo was ninety-two, though it did explain why Vanlo addressed Roquan with the more antiquated form of address "your Lordship" instead of simply "my Lord."

It seemed as if in the past moon all that age was finally catching up with him. He moved more slowly and had more aches and stiffness than he would acknowledge. His mind and his vision still seemed as sharp as ever, but Lanno had to wonder how much longer that would last.

"You stated that if the final result was a bright amber liquid, that you had isolated the proper combination that causes the degradation," Lanno said with forced patience, though the tension in his voice was obvious. "Have you done it?"

Vanlo looked back at the flask for another maddening moment before giving Lanno a thoughtful look. "Yes. I believe I have."

Lanno's impatience turned to triumph as he stepped more fully into the room. "That's brilliant, Vanlo! That's half the problem solved right there!"

Vanlo paused, stroking his beard as he always did when thoughtful or uncertain. He rose to his feet. "Half in terms of procedure, Lanno, but not in terms of a final solution."

"I don't follow you."

"It is quite simple. We have isolated the exact proportions of the ingredients of the Draught that cause the unwanted affect. That is the first 'half' as you put it, but a relatively easy one."

Lanno did not consider a whole moon of mixing chemicals and herbs, of hitting constant blind alleys and having to start from scratch, of having to ask the Overlord three times for more key ingredients that only he could order from the Guild to be "relatively easy."

Lanno was not hearing the whole story. Vanlo had indeed isolated the proper proportions, but they had not been what he had initially expected. This had largely been the source of the delay.

Vanlo folded his hands behind his back and made an effort to stand up straighter, as if only now cognizant of the fact that his posture was failing. "The next step is more difficult. We must find a combination of ingredients that will nullify the effect and keep the other effects intact."

"Why is that so difficult?"

"Because, my dear Lanno, I do not have the faintest notion where to start."

Lanno's eyes widened in response. This was the first time he had ever heard the elder Healer say such a thing. A moon ago, he might have reveled in it. Finally, something the old man doesn't know!

Lanno had arrived at the Manor as a cocky, freshly-minted master-level Healer from the Guild. The Manor was supposed to be his first real posting, where he was to replace the retiring Healer there. When he had arrived, he instead found that the old Healer had changed his mind, and that Lanno was relegated to being an assistant, despite Vanlo's claim that he was an equal partner.

But it had soon become apparent that Lanno did not know quite as much as he had assumed. Vanlo's experience and knowledge was vastly superior to his own. It is what worried him further about Vanlo's health. Without Vanlo, Lanno would be lost in the realm of chemical analysis. He was struggling to learn as much as he could from Vanlo, but he was only just grasping the basic concepts now.

"Surely you can take an educated guess!" Lanno countered.

"I can. But the ingredients I will need for such 'guesses' are expensive and rigidly controlled by the Healer Guild." He paused. "You will need to order them for me."

Lanno nearly recoiled. "Me? Why?"

"Because, one, I have lost my Farviewing pearl to the Guild Hall items merchant, and, two, I fear I am still not very popular at the Guild Hall and do not want to risk someone rejecting my request out of pettiness."

Lanno could hardly believe anyone wanting to wish ill will of this man, but he understood Vanlo's reasoning. The Healer had rejected several requests to return to the Hall as an instructor, and there was likely some lingering resentment over that.

Lanno nodded. "All right, I'll get right on that soon as you give me a list of what you need."

"Thank you. And to manage your expectations, Lanno, it may very well be a complete season, or several, before we solve this problem."

Lanno waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, nonsense, Vanlo! With your skills, I imagine you can ..."

Vanlo held up a hand. "No. I cannot take your accolades, as appreciated as they are. We are dealing with something beyond my expertise, as much as it pains me to admit it."

Lanno fell silent. Vanlo had always harped on Lanno that it was important to admit one's shortcomings before one could be properly taught. Unfortunately, there was no one that could teach Vanlo.

"I fear also I may not be up to the task," Vanlo continued in a lower voice. "It is only a matter of time before my remaining faculties fail me."

Lanno shook his head. "Don't talk like that, Vanlo, you ..."

"These things must be said. I have gone for some time without admitting to myself that I am growing quite old. It took the ill-formed potion of the merchant that stilled my Portal sense for me to realize it."

"Vanlo, you recovered from that, at least physically. I know you better than this."

Vanlo looked amused. "Really? Do you?"

"Yes. And you don't give up."

"It is not a matter of 'giving up,' Lanno, it is a matter of being realistic. It is not to say that I will not try, just that you may need to continue after I can no longer do the task."

"Hellfire, I'm barely scratching the surface on what you have been teaching me," Lanno said.

Vanlo looked surprised to hear such an admission from the young Healer. "Actually, you are starting to advance a bit. I ..."

He trailed off and looked past Lanno towards the treatment area.

"You can't expect me to pick up right where you left off," Lanno continued.

"Ahem. Ah, Lanno, if you would ..."

"No, don't change the subject, you know I hate that! This is not even a case of just not knowing the concepts, Vanlo, it's that this is the Draught. I never dreamed I'd be ..."

"Lanno!"

Lanno stopped, finally noticed the older Healer's gaze, and turned around. He blinked in surprise.

"My apologies if I am interrupting anything," said Roquan.

"Not at all, your Lordship," said Vanlo smoothly. "What may we do for you?"

Amanda gave Lanno an uncertain glance. A corner of Lanno's mouth twitched, and he folded his arms uneasily.

"For once, Vanlo, it is more what I may do for you," said Roquan. He lay a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "You mentioned your need for an assistant. I have brought you one."

Lanno frowned and looked at Vanlo. Amanda carefully controlled her reaction.

Vanlo looked a bit nonplussed as well. "Ah, yes, your Lordship. Hmm." He glanced at the apparatus. Amanda caught it and looked as well. She leaned to one side for a better look.

It look remarkably like a setup she saw in a chemistry class once, where the instructor was showing them how to distill a particular material from another. She had never been into the back room where Vanlo kept his experiments, so it was all new to her.

"Is there a problem, Vanlo?" Roquan asked, but from the trace of amusement in his voice, he already knew what it was.

"Not with the lovely Amanda, I assure you," the Healer said. Amanda smiled at him. "It is simply that there are, as you know, sensitive matters being explored in ..."

"You are to tell her exactly what you are doing."

"I am?"

"He is?" Lanno blurted, looking astonished. His eyes darted to Amanda. Her gaze challenged him back.

"Yes. She has already surmised on her own about the additive that increases sexual desire."

Amanda looked back at the apparatus in wonder. So it was about the Draught!

"Indeed, has she?" Vanlo said, impressed. "Remarkable."

Lanno looked amazed. Amanda took some smug satisfaction in this, and let him see it on her face.

"So you are clear to tell her everything," Roquan continued. "She knows to keep it in the strictest confidence, just as she has kept every secret I have told her. You can trust her implicitly."

"Of course, your Lordship," said Vanlo.

Lanno adopted a neutral look and tried not to look at Amanda.

He had no idea how to treat her. When Vanlo had told him of the Draught and his task, he also revealed Amanda's Draughtless status. Since then, he had trouble seeing Amanda as a slave anymore. What he had done to her -- how he had been a little rough with her to "teach her a lesson for her own good" before she was sent abroad to Duric -- now seemed crude and barbaric. It was as if he had done it to another Narlassi instead.

And it was clear that Amanda no longer felt she had to restrain her own feelings about him.

"Please also share with her any advances you make," said Roquan. "I am sure she would be quite interested to hear."

"I will be happy to, especially if it means we will have more time to attend to the experiments. Which reminds me, your Lordship. I will require more ingredients. Some can be procured by Lanno and myself from the Guild Hall, but anything that is specifically a Draught ingredient will require a request from your Lordship."

Roquan nodded. "I will take care of it before the evening meal."

"I do hope you are not raising concerns at the Guild Hall?"

"None that they have mentioned. I am hoping they will believe I am simply collecting more captives."

Amanda shivered. Ever since learning what the Draught could do, she couldn't stand the thought of it being used on anyone else. She was grateful that Roquan had decided not to take in new slaves for awhile longer.

And now as she glanced again at the apparatus, she had a suspicion that one of her worst fears about the Draught was about to be confirmed.

"I have some correspondence to attend to," said Roquan. "I will leave Amanda with you. She is yours until the evening meal. Do with her as you will."

Amanda noted the traditional statement. It was normal for a slave that was assigned additional duties such as this to make herself available for all duties requested of her, including sexual ones. She assumed Vanlo to be past the age of making such demands of her.

But Lanno was a different matter.

She still resented what he had done to her, not so much for any discomfort she suffered (he had never actually hurt her), but for the injury he did to her ego. She had been emotionally fragile at the time, unsure of herself, and he had been no help whatsoever. She dreaded having to submit to him again.

The Overlord left. Vanlo smiled and gestured. "Please, Amanda, if you would step in here, I will explain to you what I am doing."

"Yes, Master," Amanda said, feeling no qualms of using such a title of respect for the old Healer, as she felt he had earned it. She pointedly ignored Lanno as she stepped past him.

Lanno's jaw tightened uncomfortably. He let out an exasperated breath and said in clipped tones, "Vanlo, I will check on the supplies for our afternoon patients."

"There is no need to do that if you wish to ... oh."

Lanno had already left by the time Vanlo turned around.

Vanlo fiddled with his beard, looking uncomfortably at the door and then Amanda. "Hmm. Yes. Anyway." He swept an arm towards the apparatus. "His Lordship has presented me with an intriguing and challenging problem, Amanda. Or perhaps more accurately, I presented him with one and he charged me with fixing it." He smiled. "I suppose I have caused my own problem in that case, yes?"

Amanda smiled and resisted the urge to laugh.

"At any rate, the problem is that the Draught of Forgetfulness has a flaw."

Amanda tensed. Her heart thumped. Her smile wavered.

"It appears that in some circumstances, the key ingredients can combine to cause an unwanted side-effect. It can degrade intelligence."

"I know."

"So I have been entrusted with the task of ..." Vanlo paused. "You do?"

Amanda nodded, looking faintly stricken.

"Did his Lordship confide this in you already?"

"No, Master," Amanda said tonelessly. "I figured it out on my own."

Vanlo stroked his beard. "Quite remarkable. With that power of observation, you should do quite well as an assistant. I daresay, my dear, that you may even be trusted with some actual Healing duties before long."

Amanda was only half-listening. She was staring at the apparatus, her eyes following the flow of fluids through it, as if seeking some sort of explanation. Or, failing this, some sort of solace.

She found neither. She could not stop thinking about Sirinna, and how she had such trouble understanding concepts outside her own little world. Amanda had hoped that it was just simply an ingrained desire for the lifestyle that Sirinna had acquired, or a response to the addiction to sex that the Draught already imposed.

Before, Amanda had some hope that, with time and patience, she could make Sirinna understand. Now it seemed her efforts were in vain. Sirinna simply was not intelligent enough to learn anything outside of her limited vista.

"Master Vanlo, may I ask a question?"

Vanlo was a bit alarmed by the shakiness of her voice. "Yes, of course, Amanda," he said quickly. "You may always ask me any question you choose."

"Did Master Roquan know about this ... this side-effect?"

"He assured me he did not, and I have no reason to doubt him. He was as dismayed about it as he was surprised when I told him. It was his idea for me to work on a solution."

Amanda nodded. It made her feel better that Roquan had not known. "Master Vanlo, when you've solved this problem, is there any way it can reverse the side-effect in those that have already had the Draught?"

Vanlo was about to answer in the negative when Amanda lifted her eyes to him, and he saw the shimmering, silent plea.

The old Healer felt a terrible twinge of conscience. He recognized that look in her eyes. He had seen it too many times in his own long career. It was the look of someone who knew that there was nothing to be done for a loved one on the verge of death, but still looked to him to pull off a miracle and tell her that it would be all right.

He knew Amanda must be thinking about Sirinna. He couldn't bring himself to dash her hopes. But he could not outright lie to her, either.

"Well, my dear, that, ah, remains to be seen," said Vanlo as smoothly as he could muster. "This has been a learning experience for me, you see, so I do not yet have all the answers. Only now have I isolated the exact combination and conditions causing the flaw. It is quite possible that I may come upon a way to apply it to those already Draughted. We will, ah, have to wait and see."

Amanda remained quiet for a long moment, then nodded once. "Thank you, Master," she said softly.

It wasn't much, but it was something. With all the bad news she seemed to hear lately, she needed some sort of hope.

Vanlo stood. "Now, Amanda, if you would report to Lanno, he can assign you some duties about the office."

Amanda hesitated, but then nodded absently in acknowledgment and padded out of the room.

Vanlo took a deep breath and let it go as a deep, despondent sigh. Now he had given himself an even harder task to accomplish. He was a man of his word, and he had all but promised Amanda he would find a way to apply it as a treatment to the Draughted.

He was sure it was impossible. The Draught was intended to destroy memories of the past. It was likely that the damage done by the side-effect was just as permanent. Yet he had to try, or he would not be able to live with himself.

"I have received word, Roquan, that the Urisi ambassador to the Oceanus Overlords will be arriving within a few days."

Roquan cast a wary look at the ghost-like Farview form of Overlord Doran D'jorus. "That soon?"

"I got on this as soon as Rennis relayed your agreement."

Roquan folded his arms. "He informed me that you had already gone ahead with plans before he had contacted me," he said in a cool voice.

Doran's eyes shifted. His Farview form wavered, briefly appearing completely transparent before returning to semi-solidity. "Ah, yes, well ... it never hurts to get a leg up on important matters like this, Roquan. Surely you can see that!"

Roquan realized the man was enjoying his position as unofficial spokesmen of the Overlords. Even though it was Roquan who was now the most respected among them, he was happy to let Doran take a role for which he was much more naturally suited.

"Very well," Roquan said with a sour tone to his voice. "I trust he is arriving by Portal?"

"Yes. Yours. You will need to power yours up for his transit."

Roquan frowned. "And why can they not do the same?"

"Because they are not as advanced as we are in Portal technology, and they have scant few Portal devices even at the royal court. The one they have available will already be in use to send an ambassador to Z'haas."

"They are still going to treat with that barbarian pretender to the throne?"

"Yes, they are, the opportunistic little bastards," Doran huffed. "When I raised the point that we were at war with the Emperor, their response was simply to reassure us that they will not be selling war supplies to Z'haas. Or our side, for that matter."

Roquan looked resignedly at Doran. "I suppose that is the best we can hope for."

Doran waved a beefy hand in dismissal. "I will let Lord Uras deal with that matter. All that we care about is slaves. And that will be your focus, Roquan, and nothing else!"

"I am well aware of the priorities, Doran."

"Hmph! I hope you are. And do not quibble on small matters when you deal with him."

Resignation quickly dissolved into indignation. "I do not consider the safety and well-being of my slaves to be a small matter."

Doran nodded quickly, already regretting that he had said it. "Yes yes yes, I know. Oh, and Roquan, this man is a traditionalist. Very much so. He will be expecting free use of your slaves while he is here."

"I always extend that privilege to visiting dignitaries. We all do."

"Yes, but make sure you give him someone that is utterly loyal and obedient. Your best one in that regard. One that will take orders without question." Doran gave Roquan a hard look. "One that is not Amanda."

"You do not need to tell me this, either. I have no intention of having Amanda in his sights. Either for his use or for trade."

Doran nodded in satisfaction as his image again nearly faded out. His voice was tinny for a few moments when he spoke again. "Good man. She would not do well with the Urisi, you can mark me on that."

Roquan would have agreed with that assessment even before he had granted Amanda her new status. The Urisi were hard on slaves, even ones traded to them from the Oceanus Overlords. "Is there anything else, Doran?"

"You have heard, of course, that the merchant Jollis -- oh, blast this thing!"

Doran's image had suddenly blurred and his voice had gone scratchy. He waved his hand urgently over something before him and the image steadied.

"Really, Doran, I think the magic on that Farviewing pearl is nearly exhausted," said Roquan.

"Then bind another to you and have the merchants send it to me!" Doran thundered. "I am not about to travel across Oceanus in these dangerous times just to renew a Farviewing spell!"

A tiny smile shadowed Roquan's lips. "I will do so, Doran. Now, what about Jollis?"

"I have learned that he's not just dealing with Gronnus, but he's actually staying at the D'yoran Manor," said Doran. "We still don't know what he's up to. Information is hard to come by. Merchants are not efficient spies, and Jollis appears good at covering his tracks."

Roquan frowned. "What about Freya D'yros?"

Doran looked surprised. "Freya? What about her?"

"Has she been making any obvious moves?"

Doran smirked. "Ah, you heard about her campaign to turn the other Overlords against you, eh? Well, no worries, there, Roquan. She will have a very hard time of it. I have but to say the right words to them to keep them in line. She cannot match wits with me!"

"It is not words that I believe she is using, Doran, and I doubt you can compete with her there."

"Yes, well ... That will only go so far."

"Nevertheless, please let me know if she tries anything untoward."

"Now, Roquan, do not get obsessed with her. Do not lose focus! She cannot do anything to you at this point."

"She knows about Amanda's Draughtless state, Doran."

Doran's hands flew up, and he waved them as if warding off a blow. "Shhh! Don't discuss that over Farview!" he hissed.

"Oh come now, Doran. There is no known magic that will block or eavesdrop on a Farview audience."

"Nevertheless, you should not get in the habit of talking about it, even in private. These days, you never know who is listening."

"Be that as it may," Roquan said a bit loudly, impatience creeping into his voice. "The point is, it is something she would joyously hold over me if she could."

"If she could! But she has no evidence. Keep Amanda from her, keep quiet about it, and she will be of no consequence to you."

"I hope you are correct in that assessment."

Doran drew himself up to his full regal height. "You let me worry about the other Overlords, Roquan, including Freya. You have an ambassador to entertain and a deal to negotiate. We're all counting on you."

"I will do my best. Good day to you, Doran."

"Good day, Roquan."

Doran's image abruptly vanished, barely giving him time to finish saying his friend's name.

The Guild merchant tapped the feathered end of his quill against his cheek thoughtfully, his brow furrowed as he looked over the parchment he had just written. He finally lifted his eyes and met Lanno's gaze across the Farview. "Three of these items you wish are restricted," he said blandly.

Lanno nodded once, trying to look confident. "I, um, am aware of that, yes."

"I will need to clear this with Master G'weris. He is in charge of approvals for these sort of things now."

"Very good. I'm sure we'll have no problems."

The merchant tapped the quill a few more times, eyes darting back down to the parchment. He gave Lanno an officious look. "I am required to ask you the exact purpose of these ingredients."

Vanlo had coached Lanno on this, but it took him a moment to get the words straight in his head. "A difficult behavioral problem with one of the slaves after a most unfortunate accident," he said firmly. "Head trauma. The physical damage was healed, but there is a lingering mental imbalance. It is hoped we can compensate for it."

"Is it not standard policy to simply retire such defective slaves rather than go through all this time and expense on them?"

"Um ... yes, well, Overlord Roquan tends to care quite a bit for his slaves. He wants to see if we can save this one."

"Hmm. I see." Tap-tap-tap went the quill again. Finally he put it down and folded his hands over the parchment. "The senior healer there is Vanlo G'tort, is it not?"

Lanno had been told not to mention Vanlo's name if possible, but he could do little about it now. He was not about to lie. "Yes, he is. Do you know him?"

The man gave Lanno a smarmy smile. "It would be easier to name those that do not know him at the Guild Hall."

"Ah, I see. Um ... I'm sure he would be pleased to hear that."

"Actually, I would tend to doubt that. Very well, I will pass this order to Master G'weris. If he approves, it will be on its way by morning, assuming it is in stock."

Lanno looked puzzled. "In stock?"

"Yes, as in that we actually have it to send it to you," said the merchant with a supercilious look as he picked up the quill once more.

"I know what you meant. I was just surprised it was a concern for something that is asked for so rarely."

Tap-tap-tap. "Yes, well, there appears to be a run on some of these ingredients, it would seem. Anyway, is that all?"

"Er, yes, that's all. Um, pleasure doing business with you. Good day to you."

He passed his hand over the pearl and ended the Farview.

Lanno picked up the Farview pearl and sighed deeply in relief. He hated dealing with the official types at the Guild Hall. It was one of the reasons he went abroad the earliest he was able to do so. It was only after getting to know Vanlo did he realize that he had done himself a disservice by not staying and learning more.

Admittedly, however, he had learned more from Vanlo in a single season than he had in a year at the Hall.

Lanno threw the pearl into the air and caught it before slipping it into his pocket. He headed out of the storeroom. When he got to the threshold, however, he paused. He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame.

On the far side of the treatment area, Vanlo was finishing up with a patient. As Lanno watched, the young nubile slave slid off the examination table, smiled at Vanlo, and headed out. Vanlo turned away and disappeared into the back room, leaving Lanno alone with Amanda.

She was standing near a long, polished wood counter, carefully measuring out doses of various salves and potions into small vials. As she finished each one, she picked up a quill and marked first the cork on the vial with a number and a symbol, then jotted down the number and contents on a parchment.

Amanda paused in her task and turned her head when she was suddenly aware of being watched.

Her gaze was carefully neutral as it met Lanno's, though her eyes appeared to dart a bit as if she were appraising him. Lanno offered a smile in return, trying not to make it lascivious in any way despite how pleasant he thought it was to look upon the girl's nude form.

Amanda immediately snapped her gaze from his and went back to her task with a dogged focus.

Lanno felt he had to say something. "You do that very well. You picked up that task really quickly."

"Thank you, Master," said Amanda without looking up.

"I guess it was a good thing you never had the Draught then, eh? I doubt any other slave would have learned it that ..."

Amanda's head came up, and she shot a look of fury at him. The next moment she caught herself and sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry, Master. Yes, it's a good thing. Thank you."

Lanno watched her drop her eyes back to her work. He clenched his teeth and strode purposefully towards her, until he was nearly looming over her.

Amanda paused and looked up, half in obedience, half in defiance. "Yes, Master?"

"You're as angry as all hellfire at me, aren't you?"

Amanda's eyes became intense. "Of course not, Master. A good slave is never angry with her Master or Mistress."

"Stop it."

Amanda said nothing. She simply stared at him.

"You're not an ordinary slave. You don't have to act like one."

"But that's what you want, isn't it, Master?" Amanda asked, her words tense. "You made that clear to me that night in your quarters."

Lanno turned away and leaned against the counter as he rubbed at his neck. "All right, Amanda. Let's drop the act, okay? Can we just talk as people and not master and slave?"

Amanda paused. "So slaves are not people?"

Lanno shook his head. "I knew you were going to say that."

"I'm sorry, Master."

Lanno faced her. "Look, Amanda, I'm sorry, all right? I'm sorry for what I did to you in my quarters."

Amanda averted her eyes for a moment as if lost in thought. When she returned them to him, they were still darkly intense, though not overtly hostile. "Because I had not had the Draught?"

"Well, yes. If I had known what your real status was then, I ..."

"So you're not sorry you did it, you're just sorry you did it to someone that you don't consider a 'proper' slave."

Lanno frowned. "Amanda, you know as well as anyone what is expected of a slave. I treated you as a slave would expect to be treated."

"How do you know that?"

Lanno was momentarily flummoxed by the question and did not respond.

"How does anyone know what a 'normal' slave really wants?" Amanda demanded. "How can we, when their heads are so messed up with this stupid Draught? When they're practically addicted to sex? When they're not even smart enough to know any better?"

Amanda's voice had risen such that the silence that followed in its wake was even more stark by comparison. Lanno broke it with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't have an answer for you, Amanda. All I can say is that the very definition of a slave is someone whose life has been decided for her. Or him."

Amanda's eyes widened a touch, but only for a moment. She even relaxed a bit.

Finally someone admitted it. From Amanda's perspective, slavery had become such an ingrained part of society that she was afraid people had lost the ability to even see it for what it really was. It was treated almost as if it were just a career. No slaves ever complained, so what was the big deal?

She wanted to say all of those things but realized she had already said more than she should have. Had Roquan been there, he would have punished her on the spot. Being given more privileges did not mean she had the right to be difficult.

"Master, I have a question," Amanda said in a low voice. "Does anyone else ... I mean, any citizen ... ever object to slavery?"

"To be honest, Amanda, it's not really talked about a lot in my circles. Now it's my turn to ask you something. Vanlo told me you had never had the Draught. He didn't go into details as to why ..."

Amanda looked relieved. She was silently grateful to the old man for that.

" ... but he did say you stayed here because you wanted to. Did you know this was what you were going to be?"

Amanda's eyes became distant. "Yes."

"So what happened? Second thoughts?"

She lifted a hand to her collar and touched it briefly with her fingertips. She was the one that had accepted it. It was her that had made the choice to stay, knowing there was only one path for her. And all for her love for someone that she now realized she barely knew.

Amanda didn't really have an answer for him, not one she felt comfortable giving.

Lanno sensed her discomfort and just nodded. "All right. None of my business, I understand."

Amanda was amazed. The difference in the way he was treating her, now that he knew she was not a "real" slave, as compared to how he treated her before was nothing short of dramatic. But what really astonished her was how he barely noticed it. He still didn't really see what he had done wrong.

Or at least wrong in her eyes. She had tried hard to become more part of this culture, but it was growing increasingly difficult. She wondered if it would have been easier had the events leading to the civil war not happened. If she had not been given the taste of what life could be like outside of her slave duties, she might have been content to remain Sirinna's lover and Roquan's obedient slave.

"Look, we have to work together in this office, so it doesn't make sense for all this tension between us. I just wanted to try to clear the air, that's all."

Amanda was forced to concede the point. He was ultimately just a product of his culture. She forced herself to see past it and managed a small smile.

Lanno smiled as well, as if that gesture from her had meant the world to him. "All right, then. In that case, when you're finished here, come find me and I'll show you around the cold stores, where we keep some of the perishable items."

"All right, Master."

Lanno paused a long moment. "Lanno," he finally said.

Amanda looked at him curiously.

"My name is Lanno. I know you have to call me 'Master' around others, but when no one else is here, you can call me Lanno. Please."

Amanda was so taken that she hesitated. "Oh, um, yes, of course. Thank you, Ma ... " She paused. A tiny smile touched her lips. "Lanno."

Lanno's smile widened. "You know something? Vanlo was right. You are one really very special girl."

Amanda was too stunned to reply before Lanno headed out of the treatment room.

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