A most unforunate situation. That was an understatement. Still, Claudia felt surprised and a little hopeful at these words. Maybe he was more sympathetic than she thought....maybe he'd help. The hope was crushed immediately as he continued to speak, talking of her becoming a slave. It was just as well. Not only had it seemed too good to be true, but there wasn't much in his power to help her anyways. And after all, why would he care where she came from? He had paid the a price for her just the same.

Love arts? Claudia repeated wildly to herself. What did he mean by love arts? Surely he couldn't be suggesting....he couldn't possibily be suggesting....

The man was saying something. All she had caught was "dance" and "take off the cloak". Some panic rose into her eyes. "Dance?" she repeated wildly. "Without a covering? Like a common whore?" She was obviously very distressed. It didn't seem to matter now that she had already been displayed nude in front of a crowd of people earlier that day. But before, she had had no choice in the act whereas now, he was asking - no, telling - her to shed his cloak and dance for him. The indignity of it all!

Claudia managed to get into a standing position and backed away from him. Instead of taking off the cloak, she pulled it yet tighter, as if it alone would save her from her peril. Even though she was retreating from him, she had not ran or tried to escape, though the idea passed through her mind more than once.