clan and make arrangements for his tattoo."

"When we're done here, as you say." Cortin turned to her new sworn
man. "To give you a status recognized here, I'm commissioning you a
Royal Enforcement Service officer. Now, would you like to test your
theory?"

"Very much, Thakur." Keith paused, then continued apologetically.
"I'm afraid I don't know how, though. One of our strongest customs
forbids any same-sex physical intimacy. Since it seems yours doesn't,
that no longer applies to me, of course--but the fact remains that I
have no such experience."

Cortin chuckled. "That can be remedied easily enough, if you decide
you want to, but for your present purposes you don't need experience.
All you have to do is take hold of him, snugly enough to provide a
friction surface but not tight. The eroticine will make him take care
of the rest."

"That sounds simple enough." Keith reached for the prisoner.

Medart frowned as the Sandeman carried out his torture. It was hard to
believe anyone, particularly a Sandeman, could change so drastically in
such a short time. His mindprobe of Gaelan DarShona, thirty years ago,
had given him the experience of briefly being a Sandeman warrior, so he
felt, as well as knew intellectually, how deeply unacceptable Keith
would have found his present actions before he came under the influence
of Cortin's Talent. Seeing a man stripped as part of punishment was no
problem, that was normal Sandeman procedure for particularly serious
violations. But handling another man's genitals was enough to earn
death in disgrace if you lived that long--unlikely, since it was far
more likely to get you killed on the spot. And while warriors enjoyed
fighting, would torture for information, and a chief would inflict slow
death for serious violations of custom, they didn't get any real
pleasure from doing it. Nor would Keith have, earlier--but it was
clear he enjoyed what he was doing, now.

The Sandeman's smile grew as the prisoner's moves became faster, more
urgent--and he climaxed in a prolonged series of spasms, screaming in
agony.

Keith turned to his chosen lady. "Was that satisfactory, Thakur?"

"Most satisfactory," Cortin said with unconcealed admiration. "You've
just given me--all Inquisitors, once I get it published--what promises
to become an extremely useful standard technique, especially with
rapists. I'll see you're given full credit, of course." She smiled at
Keith. "You've