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 Master's WillThese are the relevant references from the Books where Master's Will is mentioned. I make no pronouncements on these matters, but report them as I find them. Arrive at your own conclusions. I wish you well, Fogaban Blindfolded by the Master's Will Bonds of the Master's Will Gagged by Her Master's Will Other References To Master's Will
How much more merciful, I thought, if they would just hood the women. It is hard to be blindfolded by, gagged by, or bound by, the "Master's will," In being "blindfolded by the Master's will" one must keep one's eyes closed. I had, just shortly before, been so "blindfolded."
She wore the "bonds of the master's will." Grunt had put her in them. She lay on her stomach. Her wrists were crossed behind her. Her ankles, too, were crossed. She was "bound." She could not rise to her feet. Yet there was not a rope or a strap on her body. She was "bound by the master's will." She could not move from this position unless, at the word of a free person, she was freed from it. She still held her wrists crossed, touching, behind her. She was still bound, as it is said, by the master's will. "You are unbound," I told her. She removed her hands from behind her back. "Kneel, and grasp your ankles," he said. I did so. I was then helpless, bound by his will. "Your hands are now bound behind your back," he said. "Yes, Master," I said. I must now keep my hands or wrists in contact with one another, and behind my back. I was now "bound by the master's will." I could not separate my hands or wrists from one another now without permission. There are many ways, of course, of "binding by the master's will." The behind-the-back position is one of the simplest and loveliest. This exposes the girl, frames the beauty of her breasts and makes her helpless. That the bond is a "will bond," too, makes clear to her the power of the master over her. Another common bond of this sort is when the girl must kneel, grasping her ankles. Another is when she is forced to sit and reach forward between her legs, passing the right arm from inside the right thigh to outside and beneath the right calf, to grasp the right ankle from the outside, and the left arm from inside the left thigh to outside and beneath the left calf, to grasp the left ankle in the same way. In this position she is helpless and cannot rise. Too, after a time, it becomes apparent to her that she also cannot close her legs. A girl may be kept in such bonds for hours. Too, of course, she may be tied in such positions. There are also, of course, different ways of decreeing such bonds. For example, with the behind-the-back-hands-tied bond in which I had been placed I could have been informed, but had not been, that my shoulders were pulled tightly back, which, of course, forces the breasts forward for the pleasure, or attentions, of the master. "I think I shall find it difficult to remove the belt," I smiled, "bound as I am." He stood close to me, and put his arms about me. "I shall remove it," he said. Tupita came then through the headed curtain. She glanced at me. She was not pleased to see me in the arms of Mirus, who was a desirable male, and first among my master's men. She looked at me in hatred. She did not think twice about the position of my hands. She could see I had been "bound by the master's will." It could have been done as easily to her, at a word. She had positioned herself on her knees, at a wall, near a slave ring. This was only appropriate. Too, it added to the effect which her appearance must have on all males who saw her, her beauty, her collar and a slave ring. The ring was about level with her neck. To such rings, of course, a master may fasten or chain a girl while he busies himself elsewhere. I was pleased that she had had the intelligence not to act as though she had been put at the ring "bound by the master's will" because her leaving the ring might then have elicited astonishment or comment. There are many ways of putting a girl at the ring "bound by the master's will." One typical way is to stand her at the ring and have her place her right hand behind her back through the ring and grasp her left wrist. Another typical way is to kneel her at the ring and have her put her right hand through the ring, grasping her left wrist. One of the simplest and perhaps the most typical way of "binding by the master's will" is simply to have the girl grasp her left wrist with her right hand behind her back. One may also be "bound by the master's will," in which case one must keep one's limbs in a given position, perhaps wrists crossed at the back of one's head, as though they were literally bound, forbidden to separate them without permission. How much more merciful, I thought, if they would just hood the women. It is hard to be blindfolded by, gagged by, or bound by, the "Master's will," In being "blindfolded by the Master's will" one must keep one's eyes closed. I had, just shortly before, been so "blindfolded." In being "gagged by the Master's will," one may not speak, even to request permission to speak. In being "bound by the Master's will," one must keep one's limbs in the prescribed position, as though they were actually so bound, or so metal-clasped, or chained. There are several familiar versions of this. In one the slave crosses her wrists before her body and must retain the position until freed by "the Master's will." In another she kneels, her head down, and clasps her hands behind her back. If she is right handed, she clasps her right wrist with her left hand. If she is left handed, she clasps her left wrist with her right hand. Another common version of this sort of "binding" is to put the slave on her belly and have her cross her wrists and her ankles. It is thus as though she were bound hand and foot. She remains this way, as in all these cases, perhaps for hours, until she is freed "by the Master's will." A very unpleasant application of this technique is to put a slave in the sun and spread eagle her "by the Master's will." One then smears her face, and body, and hair, with honey and leaves her there, her presence being soon noted by a large variety of unpleasant insects. This is, of course, a punishment. After such a bout with thousands of tiny, swarming, crawling visitors, sometimes almost obscuring her, the slave is much improved. The more merciful master, of course, literally stakes the slave out, binding her wrists and ankles widely apart, to the four stakes, before applying the honey. In either case, the girl will be much improved. Even the threat of this sort of punishment, it might be noted, is likely to be effective. And this slave a good deal of unpleasantness all around, and some honey, as well. To be sure, for the threat to be effective, the girl must understand quite clearly, and will understand quite clearly, that the threat is not an idle one. If she entertains any doubts on that score, the master will see to it that they are soon satisfied. "Forgive me, Master," said Zara, but he had forced her to her knees, and then to her side, her right hand still grasping her left wrist behind her, so bound by the master's will, at one of the rings anchored in the floor. "Your hands are freed," said Barzak, and the girls gratefully released their grips on their left wrists, held behind their back. Afterwards he permitted me to lie by his side "bound by the master's will," I crossing my shackled ankles, and holding my hands behind my back, my left wrist held in my right hand. "Keep your head down," said the man, "and cross your wrists behind your body, and hold them there. You are bound by the master's will." "Yes, Master," she said. "And you will remain so, head down, bound by the master's will until you ascend the block." "Yes, Master," she said. I wept before him, shuddering, a slave held in place, by a master's will. I then, in misery, helpless, held in place by a master's will, recounted much of what I had earlier spread before Leander, for his wonderment, edification, and skepticism. I dared not be curt, lest I be whipped, or unduly synoptic, lest Brindlar and Leander later compare notes. "She sees the watching, disciplined slave, kneeling at our table, bound by the Master's will," said Clitus. "To amuse herself and the crowd she will ridicule and torment her." Clearly the kneeling slave would have wished to brush away the insulting silk but, bound by the Master's will, could not do so.
The same effect, of course, may be achieved by an ordinary gag which she is forbidden to remove, or even the gagging "by her master's will," in which she is informed that she is not to speak, unless given permission. And indeed, in such a case, she may not even ask for such permission verbally, as is usually permitted to her. Speaking under conditions of imposed silence, of course, even so much as a word, is a cause for discipline. There are many varieties of slave gags, and such. The simplest device for attaining this end is when she is "gagged by her master's will," which simply means that she is prohibited from speaking until given permission to do so. One interesting from of gag is being "gagged by the master's will," in which the woman is simply forbidden to speak, except, of course, for whimpers, in response to direct questions. One may also be "bound by the master's will," in which case one must keep one's limbs in a given position, perhaps wrists crossed at the back of one's head, as though they were literally bound, forbidden to separate them without permission. I do not know why one whimper is used for "Yes," and two for "No." It is probably because one usually thinks of such responses, for whatever reason, in terms of "Yes" and "No," rather than of "No" and "Yes." It does not seem to be correlated with the greater frequency of affirmative to negative responses to questions. For example, "Do you wish a blanket in your cell?" is likely to elicit a piteously affirmative response, whereas "Do you wish to be lashed?" is likely to elicit one which is earnestly negative. How much more merciful, I thought, if they would just hood the women. It is hard to be blindfolded by, gagged by, or bound by, the "Master's will," In being "blindfolded by the Master's will" one must keep one's eyes closed. I had, just shortly before, been so "blindfolded." In being "gagged by the Master's will," one may not speak, even to request permission to speak. One of the advantages of the lock gag is that the girl cannot remove it, any more than a collar. She may thus serve in it with her hands free. To be sure, if the girl is disciplined, such a device is not necessary. An ordinary gag, which she is forbidden to touch, will suffice. Indeed, she may be simply "gagged by the master's will," and thus be forbidden to speak, even to beg permission to speak. To be sure, a simple tie gag, which the slave is forbidden to remove, has the same effect. Too, of course, her mouth may be simply taped shut. Similarly, more mercifully, and at greater convenience to the master, she may be "gagged by the master's will." In that case she is simply forbidden to speak, save perhaps for moans and whimpers. She may, of course, speak later, once she has received permission to do so. "I did not allow her to speak," said Callias. I nodded. She had been then, as it is said, gagged by the master's will. It is hard to make clear, one supposes, to one who has not been put in such a modality, one who has never been "gagged, by the master's will," how this deprivation can so sorely affect a woman, particularly a slave, the most helpless and vulnerable of women. As is well known we speak well, and love to speak. It is one of the delights of our being. Accordingly few things more impress our bondage upon us, and with greater keenness, than the fact that our speech, as other aspects of our being, is subject to our master's will. Unless we have a standing permission to speak, which might of course, be rescinded at any time, we are commonly expected to request permission to speak, and are not to speak without such permission, which permission might or might not be granted. How painful it is, and how frustrating, to wish to speak, to desire fervently to do so, and not be permitted to do so! But it is not we, but the master; who will decide these things. They do not always wish to hear us speak, and then we may not do so. Happily I was not gagged, or put into a slave bit. That was not necessary, of course, for I was not given permission to speak. I had been silenced, as it is said, by the master's will. Few things so impress her slavery upon a woman as this requirement, that she may not speak without the master's permission. Yet this arrangement, too, warmly and deliciously reassures her that she is truly a slave, subject to her master's will. "Why do you cover the mouth of the slave?" asked Xenon. "Why not just silence her with a word, silence her by the master's will?"
Sometimes a girl is given her own name as a slave name; sometimes she is given another name; it depends on the master's will. "Are we not permitted resistance?" asked a girl. "No resistance is permitted," said Ginger, "unless it be the master's will. That is a subtle point. You will have to learn to tell when the master desires resistance, that he may crush it mercilessly, and when he does not." It is occasionally useful to have the slave perform arbitrary and unpleasant acts. It helps to remind them that they are only slaves, and are subject to the master's will. Some women can resist, for a time, some masters, but what woman can long resist both herself, turned against herself, by the master's will, and the master, as well? What a splendid ally the woman makes, in her own conquest! Should she not be used more often? Too, when a woman has aided in her own conquest; her defeat, brought about in part by her own will, has a special memorableness for her, a special, self-revelatory significance for her. She has, in her defeat, of her own will, acknowledged herself a slave. This understanding, and acknowledgment, openly made, is often the difference in a woman between joy and fulfillment, and egotism, hostility and frustration. I trembled. That name, especially when not prefixed by 'Lady', I felt, somehow, did seem to have a certain rightness me; I wondered if, in some sense, I was a "Lita," or, say, "Tuka," or a "Lana," other common names for slaves on Gor. Earth-girl names, too, incidentally, are commonly used slave names on Gor, such as Jean, Joan, Priscilla, Sally, Deborah, Lois, Sandra and Stacy. At any rate the name did make me feel slightly uneasy, and excited, and rather like a slave. This was perhaps a function of its simplicity, loveliness and femininity. I hardly dared speculate what I might feel if it were actually put upon me and I were then to discover that, by a master's will, I had become "Lita." The name was originally given to me, I recalled, by Drusus Rencius, put upon me as a part of my disguise, and for the purposes of my licensing, in the house of Kliomenes. I felt momentarily angry. The beast must have known that it was a common slave name. "I love him," she said, "but he has sent me away." I nodded. Such may be done with a slave. She is completely at the master's will. An occasional exception is the secret slave whom most believe to be still free, her true relationship being concealed, at least for a time, by her master's will, from the public. Even slaves girls, incidentally, are often concerned about their modesty, for example, as I have suggested, not wishing to be sent shopping naked, and so on, even though they are not entitled to it, and, indeed, by some masters, who hold to the strict interpretation of the saying "Modesty is not permitted to slave girls," it is not even permitted them. Most masters, however, understanding the saying more generously, as referring to strictures which may be imposed upon occasion, at the master's will, rather than strictures which must obtain constantly, regardless of his will, enjoy permitting a slave girl a certain amount of modesty. "Excellent," I said. In a sense, of course, all female names are slave names, being the names of slaves. But, of course, not all slaves are legal slaves. With some women it is useful to give them a new name, or even to change their name from time to time, as one might change the name of any animal. With others, it is amusing to have them answering to their old names, but now merely as slaves to slave names. Much depends on the woman, for example, with respect to what most stimulates her, and makes her the most helpless. Too, things may always be changed, at the master's will. "Do not forget yourself," he said. "You are not a free woman. You are an animal, a branded domestic animal, a meaningless work and love beast, purchasable, a thing to be set to labors, a passion toy, a sexual plaything, something to be exploited at the master's will, for his pleasure." Slaves are commonly used for work and pleasure. They may be bred, of course, as the livestock they are, at their master's will. Few slaves will happily bring a master his cloak if he is in no condition to walk the high bridges, or, more dangerously, enter for some reason unarmed amongst enemies. In the end, of course, the master's will is definitive. The radiation of her servitude and sexuality permeates her entire existence, even to the smallest, homeliest task she performs, the polishing of boots, the baking of bread, the cleaning of her master's domicile, the laundering of her master's tunic. She is attentive, and serves well; she is devoted; she is dutiful; she is sensitive to the master's moods and behaves accordingly; sometimes he wants her to speak, and sometimes not; sometimes he wants her naked, licking at his thigh, and sometimes not; always it is the master's will which determines matters; her obedience, of course, is to be unquestioning and instant, for she is a slave; and, as she is highly intelligent, she is muchly concerned, as she should be, to be found pleasing, wholly pleasing. Sometimes one holds off on the naming of a slave, for the naming of a slave, as of any other animal, is a matter which may call for thought. To be sure, as with any other animal, names may be withheld, or changed, at will, at the master's will. Had they thought to sway a Gorean male? Had they no sense of the discipline under which their chain sister had been placed? How dared they think of interceding, of interfering? Did they not know the risk they undertook? I supposed not. Perhaps they did not yet understand they were slaves. Had they not yet ascertained the significance of their collars, what it meant to be in a collar? Many masters, I was sure, would have had them bound and lashed for their temerity. The will of masters is not to be questioned. The head is to be bowed before the master's will. |       
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