I found myself once more in the cleaning room being scrubbed down by the dwarf Tupp, my Lord, Overseer, and Master. Despite my most fastidious attempts to keep myself as clean as possible in Heracles' cage, I was, as might be imagined, considerably sullied with various of the substances and residues to be found therein. Indeed, my Lord, Overseer, and Master had informed me several times of how badly I smelt, and how much work it was going to take him to transform me into an adequately presentable state.
I was curious at this. Adequately presentable for what? Were they going to send me back into the tavern? I had thought that Lady Draca, my Mistress, had decided that I was not sufficiently skilled to serve in the alcoves.
Despite my somewhat indecorous appearance, Tupp was skilled enough with the brush and cloths so that I was eventually considered by him worthy of presentation to Lady Draca, my Mistress.
"There," he said, "Now don't get yourself in such a state again."
"No, my Lord, Overseer, and Master," I replied, meekly, "Thank you, my Lord, Overseer, and Master."
I thought to myself that if they wanted to keep me cleaner, they had best perhaps stable me elsewhere than within a small cage with a beast such as Heracles, but, of course, I did not dare articulate this sentiment.
The dwarf Tupp, my Lord, Overseer, and Master, took my leash and led me down to the room in which I had waited yesterday, that where I had been inspected by Lady Draca, my Mistress. He led me inside, and once more I stood, waiting, with my back to the door.
"I am off to fetch Mistress," he said, "Stand and wait."
"Yes, my Lord, Overseer, and Master," I said, "Thank you, my Lord, Overseer, and Master."
He had imperiously informed me that this list of titles was how I should now address him, and I did not demur. I had, I reflected, well learnt obedience in this place. I stood straight, tummy pulled in, breasts pushed out, nude, hands secured behind me, awaiting his return with my Mistress.
I looked around the room. I was so hungry, Heracles having earlier firmly rebuffed my attempts to procure sustenance from his trough.
On a side table I saw there was a wooden board, as might be used as a base for cutting, and upon it a rectangular slab of yellow-brown material, rather like a slab of cornbread or some such. It was about three inches high, the same in width, and about six inches in length. It had been sliced, and there were crumbs of the material lying upon the slab, the residue of previous cuts.
I wondered if it might be edible.
I was so hungry.
I tried to put such a thought from my head.
After all, were I to be caught eating without permission, and furthermore, food that was presumably intended for others, I knew that my punishments would undoubtedly be severe.
And yet I was so hungry.
It might not even be food. Perhaps it was poison or some such.
My belly rumbled.
The chances of my being caught, I thought, were remote. After all, I was now familiar with the footfall of my Mistress, and from experience, knew that there would be a delay of several seconds between my first hearing her steps, and then her coming into the room.
I listened intently. There was no sound outside. There can be little harm in such a thing, I thought. After all, my Mistress had, rather curtly, informed me that I was to fend for myself, and that she would no longer feel it incumbent upon herself to provide me with clothing, food, and shelter.
My heart beating swiftly, I quickly went to the table and bent down, sniffing the loaf-shaped item.
It smelt vaguely sweet and pleasant, certainly not noxious.
A few crumbs, I felt, could do no harm.
I carefully used my tongue to pick up the crumbs on the board.
To the casual imbiber they would perhaps be relatively bland. A utilitarian feedcake made of oat or grain, yet with a vague sensation of sweetness, perhaps inherent within the constituents, or perhaps the result of adding a small amount of sugar, or such.
I gasped with pleasure, such a wonderful sensation was it to once more experience a sensation redolent of sweetness in my mouth. There was certainly no such sensation inherent within the watery porridge which had so far been my allotted provision. on this world.
I swiftly licked up all of the granular crumbs, listening intently for any footfall.
All was silent.
I savoured the taste of the crumbs in my mouth.
I noticed that the slab had been pre-cut into slices, each about one third of an inch in width. The taste of the crumbs was so delicious. Almost without thinking I detached one of the slices, pushing it separately from the remainder of the cake with my nose, then nibbled at it with my teeth.
How delicious it was! Perhaps the best thing that I had ever tasted, although I knew that this sensation would undoubtedly be exaggerated by my long enforced abstinence from such foodstuffs. I knew that if my Mistress came in now I would be in severe trouble. I was sure that she knew to some extent the situation of the cake before she left. I would have to eat all of the slice now, and quickly.
I thought it unlikely that a single slice would be particularly missed, and after all, I reasoned, I apparently had to fend for myself now, so any food that I could procure would have to do, else I slowly starve to death.
I was bent over the table, nibbling at the slice, desperately trying to imbibe it all as quickly as possible. It was rather like a strange version of bobbing for apples, a game which I had sometimes played on my previous world. But here the stakes were higher. I knew certainly that my punishment would be much greater than a mischievous or playful forfeit should anyone catch me.
I listened carefully for any footfall.
I worked swiftly with my tongue, deftly eating the slice, grateful for the skill of my tongue in such work, then licked most of the crumbs off the plate, leaving about as many as there had been before. Now the slab looked identical, I thought, but with one slice less. I knew that I had to make absolutely sure that there were no crumbs adhering to my person. I licked my own face clean as far as I could, feeling like a cat. I am a fastidious eater, and even under such circumstances felt sure that I had succeeded in not leaving any tell-tale crumbs about my face or body.
I went and stood back in the middle of the room, my back to the door, awaiting Lady Draca, my Mistress, and Tupp, my Lord, Overseer, and Master. My heart was beating loudly. What if my theft were detected? It hardly bore thinking about. Why had I done such a thing? Yet I had been so hungry, and the slice of food had been so welcome. I could still savour the hint of sweetness in my mouth.
Still there was no sound outside the door. I wondered how long they would leave me to wait, and I realised that it would be a matter of Lady Draca's convenience, not mine. It might be minutes, or hours, utterly depending upon her own schedule. She had little reason to give any priority to the inspection of a slavegirl, particularly one that she did not consider fit to serve in the alcoves of her tavern.
Eventually, I heard footsteps.
Swiftly did I suck in my belly, push out my breasts, and stand as straight as I possibly could.
Lady Draca, my Mistress, came round to the front of me, Tupp, my Lord, Overseer, and Master, stayed behind me.
She looked me over carefully, and sniffed me.
"Hmm - good job, Tupp, I can barely smell Heracles on her at all."
"Thank you, Mistress," said Tupp, from behind me.
I was grateful then for the residual smell of Heracles' cage upon me, knowing that it would help mask any hint of the substance upon my breath.
"I will apply some cosmetics and we will take her out for the show," she said.
"Yes, Mistress," said Tupp.