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the aircar into its port and rose from the seat, stretching. His housekeeper, Arleben , met him at the door with a cautious look, saying, ‘Well, sir?’
    ‘Yes.’ Garid’s face was impassive.
    Arleben’s face lit up. ‘Wonderful, sir! Is it – I mean she …?’
    ‘In the back.’ Garid finally permitted himself a quick grin at his friend and subordinate. ‘Bring the crate into the view room.’
    The view room was called that not for the viewing they were about to do, but for its great windows, curtained now against the sun and the day’s heat, looking out onto the city; the house and grounds were on the side of a hill. The room had couches in deep green-blue, touches of black and rust and gray on the walls. Garid pushed back a chair or two to make room for Arleben and Pav the cook, who were carrying the crate between them. Pav had insisted he could carry it by himself, but Arleben pointed out that it was an awkward size for one man, and they couldn’t risk dropping it. So they both got to see the woman. They set the crate down gently on the floor. Arleben made as if to turn away, but one eye remained on the crate. Pav stared openly. Garid was about to dismiss them, but saw the curiosity on their faces, and decided to satisfy it.
    ‘Open the crate, Arleben .’ The housekeeper undid the latches on the side of the crate, and swung the door wide. The woman was on her knees in there, blinking in the sudden light. Garid bent a bit, clicked his tongue at her and held out one hand, and she obeyed the gesture, crawling out of the box toward his hand. He checked the lock on her collar, and tugged on the license and ownership tag. Then he straightened up and took a step back. The woman glanced up a little, but they were too far above her to see, and she looked back at the floor.
    Pav and Arleben stared. They looked at each other, eyebrows raised, then gazed again. ‘Um…’ Pav hesitated, ‘…very pretty.’ He sniffed audibly toward the container and had a look. ‘We’ll have to wash out this crate.’
    Garid could see the woman tense up. Her arms were trembling, pushing rigid against the floor. ‘Yes, all right, later,’ he said casually, and noted that she sagged a little with relief. She was moving to sit back on her heels. He nudged her sharply with his foot, under her hip, and she shifted forward quickly onto her hands and knees again. He nudged her again, hard, this time on the inside of each knee, and she obeyed, spreading her knees apart. Garid let his men have a good look, then took hold of her collar and pulled her up to stand. They stared down at her breasts for a moment. Then he sent them out.
    He stood there examining his little prize, then walked around to savor her from all sides. He had barely touched her so far; he wanted to prolong this exquisite moment of acquaintanceship as far as possible. Her skin was pale, smooth and elastic, the curves supple and sweet. Her breasts, softly trembling as he watched, looked large against her slender ribcage. His hands almost moved of their own accord to touch and squeeze them, but he pushed back the impulse. Instead he took her by the wrists, made her raise her arms, and examined how her breasts changed their shape. Her arms in the air, she was watching his face watching her. He made her bend forward from the waist and examined the breasts, their soft weight falling like inverted teardrops. He gazed at her rounded ass from behind. Two beautiful ovals. Her light reddish-brown pubic hair was dark with her juices, the opening just visible, swollen and glistening. She held the position without moving, except for a trembling which communicated itself from her hands to her thighs and soon seemed to have all her body vibrating. He could hear her quick, uneven breathing.
    Her excitement tinged the air, a tangy musk that brought back every woman he’d ever had. His own arousal was barely in check. It had been two years since his off-world trip, two years since he’d