The delivery was similar to the first. Two familiar figures led the way, a tall, statuesque black woman with intricately braided hair, and a small-bodied Asian man who stayed a step and a half behind her. Again, both had guns strapped to their right hips, but did not touch them. Both wore simple, dark clothes that did not betray their wealth or status.
The women were again bound in a line, white silk cord looped about their wrists. But instead of the solemn line of before, two of the women whispered and giggled to each other, seeing their ineffective binding as something erotic and fun. Only the last in the line was silent, and her grief was apparent in her face; she allowed herself to be dragged by the other two, who ignored her.
A fine batch this time. Two "foreign" girls, in case the Lord's clients were tiring of black hair. Both of them prostitutes, shipped to Earth's China and sold to brothels, where the Company had then purchased them for export. One, a voluptuous blond with a cheerful smile, spoke only German and had a reputation for doing anything for the proper price. Her friend, a slender, elegant-faced redhead, was more educated and could chatter in German, French, English and Chinese. She was a vagabond, of uncertain origin, renowned for the skill of her tongue. The blond, Yvette, was 19 but as fresh-faced as a virgin. The redhead, Chloe, was 16 (though she did not know it) but looked older.
The sad Chinese girl was another unwanted daughter, this one sold by her parents for a very promising reason: her lips were very full and unnaturally red, the color of young pomegranates, which made her superstitious parents believe she was destined to be a loose woman. She was very shy, polite, and utterly bewildered by her fate. She was a budding beauty in all other ways, with large black eyes and soft pale skin. She was skilled in embroidery and could read. The seriousness of her nature was apparent at a glance, as unfit for her fourteen years as her flowering body. Her name had been Kai-yin.
At the door, the black woman took a moment to joke with the men at the door: "The black-haired one, she's like a little nun. These other two whores, we had some fun with... but nothing that would mark up the merchandise."
As she signed over the three women, she teased the Chinese man, "They never knew what they were in for with you, Paper Tiger. You may be small, but you're fierce..." And to the guards, she confided, "He became a man with these two women. Before that, even he didn't know what a beast he was."
The Chinese man only ducked his head, and said, "It is as you say, Mistress." To the men in the warehouse, used to such things, he was as obviously bound as the three women, and needed not even a cord to keep him in line.
The women were again bound in a line, white silk cord looped about their wrists. But instead of the solemn line of before, two of the women whispered and giggled to each other, seeing their ineffective binding as something erotic and fun. Only the last in the line was silent, and her grief was apparent in her face; she allowed herself to be dragged by the other two, who ignored her.
A fine batch this time. Two "foreign" girls, in case the Lord's clients were tiring of black hair. Both of them prostitutes, shipped to Earth's China and sold to brothels, where the Company had then purchased them for export. One, a voluptuous blond with a cheerful smile, spoke only German and had a reputation for doing anything for the proper price. Her friend, a slender, elegant-faced redhead, was more educated and could chatter in German, French, English and Chinese. She was a vagabond, of uncertain origin, renowned for the skill of her tongue. The blond, Yvette, was 19 but as fresh-faced as a virgin. The redhead, Chloe, was 16 (though she did not know it) but looked older.
The sad Chinese girl was another unwanted daughter, this one sold by her parents for a very promising reason: her lips were very full and unnaturally red, the color of young pomegranates, which made her superstitious parents believe she was destined to be a loose woman. She was very shy, polite, and utterly bewildered by her fate. She was a budding beauty in all other ways, with large black eyes and soft pale skin. She was skilled in embroidery and could read. The seriousness of her nature was apparent at a glance, as unfit for her fourteen years as her flowering body. Her name had been Kai-yin.
At the door, the black woman took a moment to joke with the men at the door: "The black-haired one, she's like a little nun. These other two whores, we had some fun with... but nothing that would mark up the merchandise."
As she signed over the three women, she teased the Chinese man, "They never knew what they were in for with you, Paper Tiger. You may be small, but you're fierce..." And to the guards, she confided, "He became a man with these two women. Before that, even he didn't know what a beast he was."
The Chinese man only ducked his head, and said, "It is as you say, Mistress." To the men in the warehouse, used to such things, he was as obviously bound as the three women, and needed not even a cord to keep him in line.