The Dystyr are a peaceful people, and violence is rare among us. Eporner “Put your wrap on. He slaps my face, shocking me, and then even worse, he strikes me across the breasts. What do you want today?”
“What I do in the hour I’ve paid for depends on you, Coora. That is an order. Gods help us all if they succeed. Leaning forward, one of us is locked into this wall for every shift, her body bisected by the woodwork, her arms trapped at her sides. “Out, slave girls,” orders a guard, while his colleagues move along the lines unclipping our collars. No, he’s leaving it too long – does he want me to faint? He’s smart enough to keep just on the right side of becoming a full-blown stalker, so I can’t make a complaint to anyone without it sounding hysterical: “What’s wrong with someone helping you out?” – that kind of thing.
