The True Master

Ledwin growled, 'I trust the slave is dead. The last thing our landstead needs are perverts wandering about causing trouble.'"In a society where the rank of master or slave defines every aspect of a person's being, what do you do when you're a master and you envy your slaves?This question is debated by the men who have gathered for the quarterly meeting of the High Masters of the Dozen Landsteads. It seems an impossible dilemma; in the Dozen Landsteads, one's rank is determined at birth. A master or a slave who wishes to hold a different rank is considered shocking. The masters sitting in that room, receiving the service of slaves, would be even more shocked if they realized how deeply this question will affect their nation's future. Only one man there could tell them, but he is not yet free to reveal his secret. This suspenseful speculative fiction novella (short novel) can be read on its own or as the second story in the "Master and Servant" volume of the Waterman series.