The Pecking Order of Slaves

Introduction This is a personal essay regarding my opinion on how the hierarchy between slaves is managed. There is often jealousy between slaves at who is the more privileged, be it the receiving of a Masters favor or the respect bestowed by lesser slaves. This essay is my opinion based on reading the books and contemplating normal human behavior in real life as I have experienced it. You, the reader, may disagree, point to examples in the books, and say it is not so. You are entitled to think I am wrong, my opinion on Gorean philosophy is ever changing, and the more Gorean books I read, the more my perspective is shaped. As of now I have read Tarnsman, Outlaw, Priest Kings, Nomads, Raiders, Slave Girl, Kajira, and Marauders of Gor. My viewpoint on how the pecking order is established amongst slaves is based on my knowledge derived from those books. The reason I feel it is important to speak about these matters, is because I personally believe that in applied pro-slavery society, a girl who finds herself more knowledgeable, more experienced, and potentially therefore more pleasing, is bound to acquire some of these privileges of status amongst slaves. Though this distinction of status amongst slaves can be either the source of great reward to a hardworking slave or great misery, I do not look to establishing a slave hierarchy to either reward or punish a slave. I support it because I feel that these pecking orders would naturally occur in a slave society, and I strongly feel as though whatever may naturally be inclined to occur - should be allowed to occur. I didnt write this to be argued with or instigate controversy. Its more my hope that this may serve as a guidance to understanding slave mentality a little bit better, and how a slave hierarchy might contribute to that understanding. saphi{X} Is there a single set of rules for a hierarchy to be established amongst slaves? No. The books do not indicate any brushstroke generalized philosophy held amongst men on how slaves manage their affairs between themselves. Often time there is the use of a first girl. The first girl may be an official title given, and it may be naturally assumed between the slaves amongst themselves. In fact, it seems that Norman makes a repetitive point that the philosophy of the training of a slave varies greatly between men, sometimes as an extension of whichever culture they are belonging too. Additionally, Norman repeatedly points out that Free Men do not mingle with the affairs of slaves. On several occasions girls would beat each other over some disagreement of jealousy, even strip a slave of the clothing given to her by her Master,

and still the Free did not usually interfere. There are exceptions, such as if the Free is somehow disrupted by the bickering of the girls. Among the girls, too, I saw Bera, she one of the Blue Tooth's girls, one of several, who had been placed under the orders of Wulfstan to assist in the loading. She was naked. The other girls, resenting the tunic she had been given, had stripped her. Svein Blue Tooth had laughed. Masters do not interfere in the squabbles of slaves. -- Marauders of Gor We had gone scarcely ten paces and Talena could hardly have been fastened in the wagon before we heard a female scream of pain and a bevy of howls and shrieks. From the wagon came the sound of rolling bodies, slamming and cracking against the sides, and the rattle of chains on wood, pierced by squeals of pain and anger. The attendant leaped into the back of the wagon with his strap, and there was added to the din the sound of his curses and the crack of the strap as he smartly laid about him. As Kazrak and I watched, the attendant, puffing and furious, emerged from the wagon, dragging Talena by the hair. As Talena struggled and kicked and the girls in the wagon shouted their approval and encouragement to the attendant, he angrily hurled Talena into my arms. Her hair was in wild disarray; there were nail marks on her shoulder and four strap welts on her back. Her arm was bruised. Her dress had been half torn from her. Keep her in your tent, snarled the attendant. Let the Priest-Kings blast me if she didn't do it, said Kazrak with admiration, A true she-tharlarion, Talena lifted a bloody nose to me and smiled brightly. --Tarnsman of Gor A generalized view on one Masters opinion on the handling of first girls can be seen here. When more than one slave girl stands in a relationship of slave girls, as when they serve in the same shop or house, or adorn the same rich man's pleasure gardens, it is common for the master, or masters, to appoint a "first girl." Her authority is then to the other girls as if that of the Master. This tends to reduce squabbling. The first girl is usually, though not always, the favorite of the Master. There is much competition to be first girl. First girls can be cruel and petty but commonly, they attempt to govern with intelligence and justice. They know that another girl, at the master's whim, may become first girl, and that they themselves may then be under her almost absolute power. --Explorers of Gor

Then how do slaves come to establish pecking orders? The process happens as much through election as it does through an exchange of limited means of power either indirect or direct. For example, a slave might be elected first girl by her Master, or she may have beaten the other girls till they fear her, or even perhaps a slave may be completely inexperienced but by some favor of her Master, exert a certain amount of control over her fellow slaves. I have made a compilation of quotes and examples from the various books that to me indicate the natural order in which slaves assemble themselves on a hierarchy. There is no more a right or wrong way to this as there would be a right or wrong way for a man to choose his path on Gor. And yet let there be no doubt that slaves do indeed establish pecking orders amongst themselves, the same as Men may elect between themselves a leader, or else one might force his way into leadership through war or treachery. A side note about compiling quotes. I do try to use quotes and examples from the book as supporting basis for my opinion. The difficulty is that there is no one convenient quote regarding the hierarchy of slave girls. There are rather only specific examples of how girls react in different situations. To gain an accurate understand on how slaves interact naturally amongst themselves, I recommend that you read several of the books, especially Slave Girl of Gor, in order to get a feel in a sense for how these matters are handled. That is because the responsiveness of a slave to any given situation shows a natural tendency towards a certain behavior, and I believe that it is often times possible to predict how a slave may respond. This is part of understanding a slave mentality. In what manners are first girls recognized? In some cases, first girls are assumed when a new girl enters the collar of a Master who has preexisting slaves. In the case of Dina from Slave Girl, Eta is given the privilege of first girl by her Master, handed the switch, because she was there first and has her Masters favor. A switch was put in the hands of Eta. She stood over me. I put down my head. She did not strike me. I looked up at her. I realized then that she was first girl in the camp, and that I must obey her, that she had been empowered to set me tasks and duties. Suddenly I feared her. . . . Now I realized I must, without question, take slave instructions from her and discharge swiftly and well whatever menial duties she might place upon me. . . . I had little doubt she would use the switch, and richly, upon me, did I not work well. . . . She could command me. She held the switch. I would obey. She was first girl. --Slave Girl of Gor

Likewise in the case of the slave Sandal Thong, a Master may explicitly state that a girl is a preferred slave and also first girl. He turned to Sandal Thong. I pronounce you my preferred slave, said he. You will sleep in my hut, and tend it. A slave is grateful, said she, Master. Too, said he, you are first girl. As Master wishes, she said. --Slave Girl of Gor In other cases, first girl is assumed by the favor of a Master amongst several girls brought together all at once. This is the case for Dina when she is captures and put on a coffle with several other girls previously taken from a Free Woman. Marla gains the favor of the Masters, and is therefore given the privilege of first girl, though she was not previously the high girl under that Masters collar. Marla looked at me, and smiles. You are a pretty slave." she said. "Thank you Mistress," I said, restraining myself. Since she had become first girl in the camp, we were all constrained to serve her and address her as Mistress. Even though she was given no jewelry or fine raiment, she was high slave in the camp. --Slave Girl of Gor Sometimes, the establishment of first girl switches. Marla is also the slave that seems to for a short time replace Eta as the favorite slave. At such times, the girls show hostilities towards each other, or gloating. She had risen swiftly in favor among the masters, displacing even Eta as favorite girl. I had feared, even from the beginning, that she would become excessively popular. My master was, apparently, much taken with her. I hated her. Eta, too, did not regard her with unusual affection. --Slave Girl of Gor In Nomads, Elizabeth assumes first girl over the newcomer, Aphris. As time passes however, the girls Master loses interest in Elizabeth and begins to favor Aphris instead, empowering her to take more of a first girl status. These negotiations are never directly prescribed, but rather indirectly assumed. I bounded up the stairs and entered the wagon. The two girls were there, and Aphris was kneeling behind Elizabeth, combing Elizabeths hair. Kamchak, as I recalled, had recommended a thousand strokes a day. The pelt of the larl which Elizabeth wore had been freshly brushed. Both girls had apparently washed at the stream some four

pasangs away, taking the opportunity to do so while fetching water. They seemed rather excited. Perhaps Kamchak would permit them to go somewhere. Aphris of Turia wore bells and collar, about her neck the Turian collar hung with bells, about each wrist and ankle, locked, a double row of bells. I could hear them move as she combed Elizabeths hair. Aside from the bells and collar she wore only several strings of diamonds wrapped about the collar, some dangling from it, with the bells. "Greetings, Master," said both girls at the same time. "Ow!" cried Elizabeth as Aphris comb apparently suddenly caught in a snarl in her hair. "Greetings," I said. "Where is Kamchak?" "He is coming," said Aphris. Elizabeth turned her head over her shoulder. "I will speak with him," she said. "I am First Girl. The comb caught in Elizabeths hair again and she cried out. "You are only a barbarian," said Aphris sweetly. "Comb my hair, Slave," said Elizabeth, turning away. "Certainly slave," said Aphris, continuing her work. --Nomads of Gor Later on, the dynamic changes between the girls. After Elizabeth is passed off to Tarl and he refuses to use her, Elizabeth begins to lose confidence in her position Aphris repeatedly urges the Free Men to sell her. Later, Elizabeths fears are noted by Tarl. I recalled Kamchak. I was happy for him. Never before had I seen him so pleased. I was, however, confused about Elizabeth, for it seemed to me she had behaved strangely this night. I supposed that, on the whole, she was perhaps distraught because she feared she might soon be supplanted as first girl in the wagon; indeed, that she might soon be sold. --Nomads of Gor Earlier I quoted an excerpt from Explorers on how one particular Master views the slave mentality on competition for first girl. It can be noted by further reading the use of a rotation, in which the title first girl changes. In these cases a first girl is probably given as an award for good behavior and there is a specific role and set of tasks given to the girl elected. Also note the Masters particular view on barbarians as first girls. In my house I often rotated the position of first girl among my slaves who were native Goreans. I never made and Earth-girl slave first girl. This is fitting. Let them be always as slaves of slaves. --Explorers of Gor.

What are the factors involved in how a first girl is elected? It seems to me that the election of a first girl comprises of a number of factors, given these excerpts, as previously touched upon. Normally the girl seems to be elected based off her position amongst the Free. If she is well liked and she has previously been established in the collar then she is most likely to be first girl, regardless of whether or not it is an official title. However, in the case of Aphris and Elizabeth, we can see that sometimes the favor of a Master can change and this empowers another girl to take over as first girl. To me this suggests that first girl is not so much factored in by level of discipline or beauty or talent directly, but more by the favor of the Master. Improving ones discipline, knowledge, or beauty, of course helps to benefit in gaining the favor of the Free and may indirectly empower the slave to become first girl. What is the relationship like between the first girl and the rest of the slaves? Talking Back: Its an interesting side-note here that though Elizabeth assumes first girl, the lower slave is still quite cheeky, taking her opportunity to speak first or purposefully catch the first girls hair with the comb. First girl use of the slaves: It is noted between Aphris and Elizabeth that the first girl is sometimes permitted to use the slaves for her own means as well such as with the combing of Elizabeths pelt and hair by Aphris. A first girl may not be merely limited to supervising slaves carry out her Masters needs. Punishment and Discipline: First girls are allowed often times to punish or discipline the other girls as they deem fit with sometimes as much leeway as a Free person. Eta is handed a switch by her Master to train Dina, as earlier quoted. Here is another example of a first girl distributing punishment. Fetch a switch, said Sandal Thong. Sandal Thong? asked Radish, stunned. Fetch a switch, said Sandal Thong. Yes, Mistress, said Radish, hurrying away. In a few moments Radish returned, carrying a switch, which she placed in the hands of Sandal Thong. Kneel, said Sandal Thong to the three girls. They knelt. In a straight line, four horts apart, facing the master, she said. She dressed their line. Straight, she said. She kicked back Radishs knees. Backs straight, hands on thighs, bellies sucked in, heads high, she said. She tapped Verr Tail on the belly with her switch. Verr Tail sucked her belly in, tight. She tapped Turnip twice under the chin. Turnip lifted

her chin. In their eyes I could read their distress. But they knelt beautifully under Sandal Thongs discipline. Here are your slaves, Master, she said to Thurnus. Excellent, said Thurnus. He looked upon the three girls. They dared not move a muscle. I had little doubt but that Sandal Thong would richly switch any of them who disobeyed in the least, or gave the least hint of disobedience. Thurnus grinned. He began to suspect the wonders that he would now have from these girls. You may cage them at your pleasure, he said. Yes, Master, said Sandal Thong. --Slave Girl of Gor Preservation of Authority: Often a First Girl will guard her position well because of how easily another slave may step in as the Masters favorite. This can be done in a number of ways, the most common probably being restricting other girls access to the Free, as seen with Aphris and Elizabeth. "Greetings," I said. "Where is Kamchak?" "He is coming," said Aphris. Elizabeth turned her head over her shoulder. "I will speak with him," she said. "I am First Girl. --Nomads of Gor Compassion: In the case of Eta we had seen that she chose not to whip Dina, in fact it seemed throughout their encounters together that Eta was supportive of Din and pitied her. We can also see here when Dina is leaving the farm girl she shares a coffle with the friendship acknowledged between the girls and Dina. Sandal Thong, switch in hand, came to me. She hugged and kissed me. I wish you well, Dina, she said. I, too, wish you well, Mistress, I said. I addressed her as mistress, for she was first girl. --Slave Girl of Gor Expectations of the first girl: sometimes slaves are assigned as first girls for the sole purpose of being their trainers. The Free then has an expectation of the slave to contribute to the other slaves training through discipline. I do not want to be run as a slave girl, wept Slave Beads. She covered her eyes with her hands. Stop blubbering, said Lehna. Yes, Mistress, said Slave Beads. She was frightened of Lehna. One of the first things that had been done with her after her branding was to be put in a Sirik and given over to

Lehna for a disciplinary switching. --Slave Girl of Gor Other times, first girl is merely the privilege to lord of the other slaves a girls superiority through favoritism. She has no specific duty to fulfill but is permitted to instruct the other slaves as she pleases, as we saw Elizabeth taking advantage of Aphris by having her comb her hair and pelts. Use of the term Mistress for a slave: Mistress is sometimes used as a title for a higher slave among others. This does not seem to be merely between slave and first girl, but also between other higher and lower slaves on the pecking order. Ive noted too that examples of a slave calling another Mistress took place more often between city girls who are used to much higher protocol than say a Tuchuk slave such as Elizabeth or Aphris. Here is an example of a slave more used to protocol using the term Mistress for a slave. Marla was not kind to a poor slave when she was helpless, said Marla, the girl before me. Maria is terribly sorry. Please forgive Marla. What? I said. Marla is sorry, Mistress, she said. Please forgive Marla. The girl was clearly frightened. It seemed strange to me, that she had addressed me as Mistress, and her fear. Then I realized the legitimacy of her fear, that of a slave girl. She was the one who had called me Dina, and who, when I had been bound, had kicked me. Now she was owned by my master, and she was a newer girl than I. She did not yet know the nature of the relationships in which she was now helplessly implicated, relationships which could be every bit as perilous and significant as the physical bond of steel on her wrist. Was I first girl? Was I over her? Did I have switch rights upon her body, as Eta had upon mine? Would I be cruel to her? Would I make her suffer? Would she have to please the masters incredibly, and constantly attend them, that they might perhaps be moved to shield her to some tiny extent from my vengeance? Too, she was coffled before me, and this put her much at my mercy. Chained as she was I might, if I chose, make the march a misery of unexpected blows and torments for her. Her fears, in the light of these considerations, were understandable. --Slave Girl of Gor How is authority recognized between slaves underneath the first girl? It seems to become suddenly much more important (to the slave at least), the years of experience and pleasing abilities of the slave, when you get to the lower ranks beneath first girl. In the following scenario, two girls, Virgina and Lana fight for the right to serve a Master.

Little pock-face, called Relius. I would be served! Virginia Kent, with her pitcher of Ka-la-na, ran light-footedly to Relius, guard in the House of Cernus. Let Lana serve Relius wine, said another girl, a Red Silk Girl, first to the guard, leaning toward him, lips parted. Relius put out his cup but before the girl could pour the wine she seemed suddenly to fly off the back of the dais, the seat of her tunic firmly grasped in the small hand of Virginia Kent. Lana landed with a considerable bump on the stones of the hall, the wine flying backward. Relius guards Virginia, the young slave girl from Earth informed collared, Red Silk Lana. Lana scrambled to her feet, angry, her pitcher of wine set aside on the wet, red stones. The two girls stood facing one another. I wear the leash of Relius, said Virginia. I wear his bracelets! Lana looked at Relius. Leash Lana, she said. Lana is Red Silk. She extended her wrists provocatively to Relius. Put your bracelets on Lana. She is Red Silk. She will serve you better than a silly little White Silker. No! cried Virginia. Lana turned and faced her contemptuously. Why should you, she asked, wear the leash of a man such as Relius? He has chosen to guard me, said Virginia. Lana turned and looked at Relius. Guard Lana, she said. At this point Virginia Kent put down her pitcher of wine, seized Lana by the shoulder, spun her about and struck her a rather severe blow near the left eye. Several of the men and girls at and about the tables approvingly observed the two girls rolling and scratching, biting and tearing on the floor, first White Silk on top, and then Red Silk, and then White Silk again. At last Virginia Kent, to the cheers of several of those present, sat atop Lana and was pummeling her mercilessly, until Lana, throwing up her arms and shrieking, crying out, begged for mercy. Who wears the leash of Relius? demanded Virginia. Ginia! screamed Lana. And who his bracelets? Ginia! And who does Relius guard? Ginia! Ginia! wept Lana, trying to cover her face. Ginia! Then Virginia Kent, breathing hard, climbed to her feet. --Assassins of Gor In this case, neither has first girl rights over the other, yet Lana insist that she should be allowed to serve. Lana clearly feels she is entitled because she is a red silk and more experience than Virginia is as a white silker. It should be well pointed out though, that despite what the slaves

deemed as important in hierarchy, in the end it is the Masters favor which empowers one slave over the other. Though Relius does not directly interfere, Virginia is confident enough that she engages in a physical fight with Lana and wins. Doubtful though, that in many other cases, the more experienced girl like Lana would become the high slave. In the example below, Dina automatically assumes authority over a girl simply because she is the more experienced slave in this situation and the most aggressive. She is accustomed to the slave life. Busebius thrust his head into the room of preparation. Earrings, he said, jewelry! Then he disappeared again. I do not want to wear earrings, wept one girl. Put them on, Slave, I snapped. I did not want to be beaten for one of us who was not pleasing. I fastened golden loops in my ears, and slung necklaces about my throat. I slipped on an armlet. Beside me, Bina placed earrings, unprotestingly, on her ears. Do you, too, not weep to put on earrings? I asked her. No, she said, I am a pierced-ear girl. The earrings, I noted, jeweled droplets, were very beautiful upon her. --Slave Girl of Gor Amongst the much lesser slaves it can be a bit rough. I can tell you from my own experience that no one wants to be at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to slavery. The books describe a few exchanges of conflict between slaves where they figure it out through a little bickering, which is very similar to my real life experiences. Sometimes slaves can get along easily. Sometimes they squabble like children. Bina and I regained our feet. I am sorry I fought you for the candy, she said. I am stronger than you, I said. You should have given it to me. No, she said. I did not speak to her. But it is embarrassing to fight before the men as a slave, she said. The candy, I said, belongs to the girl who is strong enough to take it. You are the only girl I know here, said Bina. We were once both the slaves of Clitus Vitellius. We have shared a chain before. I want to be your friend. You, too, I said, looking at Bina, Slave Beads, are the only old friend I have here. Let us be friends, she said. We are friends, I said. Good, she said, hugging me. I hugged and kissed her. But the candy was mine, I said. Slave! she hissed, her eyes flashing. Slave! I cried. --Slave Girl of Gor Friendships among slaves in a hierarchy.

Weve already seen how hostilities are easily enflamed between girls in their attempts to gain status amongst each other. Friendships among slaves happen as often and as naturally as hostilities do. We have already seen examples of how a slave may show compassion or mercy to her fellow chain sisters. Likewise, there are examples of lower slaves showing affection and support for each other and for their first girl. Too, said he, you are first girl. As Master wishes, she said. Radish, Verr Tail and Turnip fled to her, hugging her and kissing her. We are so happy for you, said Turnip. I am first girl, said Sandal Thong. I am so happy for you, said Radish. --Slave Girl of Gor You may bid your former cagemate farewell, said Sandal Thong. Radish, Verr Tail and Turnip came to me and wished me well, hugging and kissing me. I, too, wished them well. Slaves to your cage, said Sandal Thong. We must go to our cage, said Radish to me. I wish you well. I, too, wish you well, I said. I wish you all well. The three girls hurried to the cage. Sandal Thong, switch in hand, came to me. She hugged and kissed me. I wish you well, Dina, she said. I, too, wish you well, Mistress, I said. I addressed her as mistress, for she was first girl. --Slave Girl of Gor "Are you the leader of these others?" I asked her. "We are friends," she said, evasively. This was surely not impossible. Slave girls have much in common, such as their brands and collars, their typical garmentures, their entire condition and status, the sorts of labors they must perform, and the problems of pleasing masters. It is natural then, given such commonalties, and abused and despised by free women, that they should often seek out one another's company. It is not unusual to see them together, for example, laundering at the stream side or long basins, or sitting about a circle, mending and sewing, or polishing silver. --Magicians of Gor A quick note about first girl and hierarchies on IRC.

Being a first girl on IRC is really more like being a diplomat than it is about being a disciplinary figure. The reality is that should any slave choose to be disobedient openly in a channel, there about zilch the first girl can do about it. On Gor, the misbehaving slave might be whipped by the first girl or gagged and ties up if the Free did not care to intervene himself. What this essentially means is that the task of a first girl on IRC becomes mostly centered around building trusted relationships with slaves and preventing bad behavior in channels ahead of time or in private messages. This forces the dynamic to change a bit, as the first girl can no longer use fear of whip, etc. in order to keep the slaves in order. She is now forced to befriend every girl in hope that they will trust her enough to persuade them to take her word of authority. I personally feel that its important to mention these changes because as Ive stated in my introduction, I believe what is natural should be allowed to occur. The dynamic of the girls creates a shift in the slave mentality given this more restricted situation. Conclusion As Ive said before, this essay isnt meant to be received as written rule on how a slave should behave. This is a footnote to a much larger discussion on slave mentality. Its just a small part of the answer to a larger question - what makes a slave? After tiring of being told that a true kajira is one that is perfectly behaved all the time and having my slavery challenged because I felt jealousy or possessiveness over a Man, I took the time more and more to really explore what it means to be a kajira. Slaves are still human beings. Free a girl, and she is a Free Woman. The difference in behavior is that the slave is completely vulnerable to a mans will. This doesnt make her any less capable of being intelligent, acutely aware, angry, annoyed, bored, or incapable of lashing out. What is natural for a human being will naturally come out in a slave. The distinction to be made is what makes a true kajira versus a well behaved kajira. But that is a conversation for a much larger essay. Or a book. Or several books, like perhaps a chronicle of them, and perhaps they might be titled Chronicles of Gor. In any event, it is my hope that after reading this, it provokes some reasonable thought as to the expected behavior of a slave, what happens naturally when she is made to submit, not just between her and the Master but between her and the world around her, her relationships with other slaves. Just as men are not simply Masters, but warriors and laborers and servants of Priest Kings. Its my hope to continue to expand on this essay as I learn more, especially to contribute more variety of opinions and quotes from other books as I continue to read. This essay is nowhere near a complete compilation of the theories commented on in the books, and yet I had to be so

selective about what I put in, as even with my limited knowledge there are endless resources to choose form. Though I am hesitant to say that any good slave must read the books, I do think that selfreflection and interest in what the books say about slavery is a very important thing, and so I encourage everyone to read, read, read! Especially you girls, because after all the books are talking about you! I close with this quote which I find to be an elegant summary of the nature of slaves, and hope it leaves you with much food for thought. Thank you for reading, I wish you well.

"Are you the leader of these others?" I asked her. "We are friends," she said, evasively. This was surely not impossible. Slaves girls have much in common, such as their brands and collars, their typical garmentures, their entire condition and status, the sorts of labors they must perform, and the problems of pleasing masters. It is natural then, given such commonalties, and abused and despised by free women, that they should often seek out one another's company. It is not unusual to see them together, for example, laundering at the stream side or long basins, or sitting about a circle, mending and sewing, or polishing silver. Sometimes they arrange their errands so that they may accompany one another. Sometimes, too, in the abundance of free time enjoyed by most urban slaves, they simply wander about, seeing the city, chatting, exchanging gossip, and such. To be sure, it would be remiss not to remark also that, as one would expect, some of the pettiest of jealousies, the most absurd of resentments, the vilest of acrimonies and the most inveterate of hatreds can obtain among these beautiful, vain, vital creatures, within the same house, where contests often rage, sometimes subtly and sometimes not, for the favor of the master, on which contests, needless to say, considerable shiftings in rank and hierarchy may hinge. And there can be intense competitions, it might be mentioned, not only for such treasures as the master's attentions and affections but for articles as ordinary as combs and brushes and prizes which, whatever may be their symbolic value, are often as small in themselves as a sweet or pastry. In this case, however, I suspected this was no typical grouping of slaves, of the normal sort, but a tiny covey of girls --Magicians of Gor