"No," Medart said firmly. "He can observe, since this is within your law; taking part would go against a number of the laws that govern the Imperial military." He turned to the Sandeman. "What's wrong, Lieutenant? You're not acting like any warrior I've ever met--including yourself, a couple of days ago." "I feel fine, sir--I'm just not embarrassed by his display, the way I'd have expected, and I . . . admire Colonel Cortin's work, which I wouldn't have expected at all." "Just how strong is this admiration, Lieutenant?" Keith looked from Ranger to Inquisitor and back, his expression answering Medart's question before he spoke. "Strongly enough that if I thought there was any chance of acceptance, I would offer her my fealty." Cortin looked at him thoughtfully, then smiled. "If that means what I believe it does, Lieutenant, you'd be in no danger of refusal." Keith returned the smile, then acted on her promise and knelt. "Colonel Joan Cortin, I wish you as my chosen lady, if that should be your will. I offer all that is in me to give: body and mind, will and honor, whatever courage is mine. And death itself may not deny the service I offer, in whatever afterlife is to come." Cortin had no idea of the words a Sandeman would use in such a position, but she doubted if Keith would care. She extended her hands, smiling again. "I accept your service and yourself with thanks, warrior." Keith took her hands and rose, then bowed to her. "You do me great honor, Thakur." "The honor is mine," Cortin replied. "Are there any formalities that need to be taken care of?" "I'll handle those when we finish here," Medart said. "His release from service, back pay and allowances--but it'll be up to you to notify his 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. Cortin watched critically as her new sworn man began his experiment. It went against conventional theory--but then one of her more spectacular successes had come from the use of a hallucinogen, a procedure theory said was useless.