Dealer: What’s wrong. Already you don’t like him?

Customer: I said I was looking for the most intelligent young boy you could find. He looks as if he might be the most attractive boy available. He’s certainly one of the best looking that I’ve ever seen. Is he intelligent too?

Dealer: He’s definitely the best looking one I’ve seen in a while, but he’s probably also the smartest I’ve ever had here.

Customer: (motioning the boy toward him) When I said that I didn’t care about physical appearance, so long as the boy wasn’t grossly deformed, I certainly didn’t expect one of the handsomest boys I’ve ever seen.

Dealer: (motioning toward the boy) Once you quiz him, you’ll discover just how bright he is.

Customer: (twirling his right hand to motion the boy to turn around) I certainly plan to do just that. (carefully looking at the boy as he slowly turns) At least you haven’t had him castrated yet. I certainly prefer that he be an entire boy.

Dealer: You know, of course, that you’ll have to have it done.

Customer: Of course. Just not yet, though. I’d certainly be happier if I never had to.

Dealer: No, he’s still young enough that the law won’t require it for four or five years. Just keep in mind that if you don’t do it when it’s required, the police can confiscate him from you without compensation. They will then, of course, immediately arrange for his castration and resale to someone else.

Customer: Yes, I know that, but does he know that he’ll have to be castrated eventually?

Dealer: Why don’t you ask him?

Customer: (motioning the boy closer, then putting one arm around his waist and gently taking hold of his scrotum and testicles with his other hand) O.K., you can translate for me. “Do you know what has to happen to these?”

Dealer: (looking straight at the boy) Gavril, you can answer for yourself. You don’t need for me to translate.

Gavril: Yes, sir. I know that the law says they have to be cut off.

Customer: (looking very startled and letting loose of the boy) That’s excellent English. I sure didn’t expect that. Where did you learn?

Gavril: My tutor was Australian, sir.

Customer: You had a tutor? I thought all of the houseboys came from very poor families. How did you have a tutor?

Gavril: My father was minister of culture before he and my mother died in a plane crash, sir. Before that, he was ambassador to Australia and I attended the international school in Canberra.

Customer: Then how did you get sold as a houseboy?

Gavril: After my uncle got everything in his name, he decided that he didn’t need me any more. He got the house and money and I’m here.

Customer: (looking at the first man) Can he do that?

Dealer: He can and did. I bought the boy directly from his uncle, and fought off several other dealers who were bidding on him to do so. He’s a very handsome boy, at exactly the prime age for sale. His uncle told me the same story. Once he became the legal guardian, he could sell the boy the same as any other parent or guardian could. He wanted everything for himself and his own kids. He even offered to pay for the surgeon himself and have Gavril castrated the very day that he was first sold. He wanted to make certain that he could never return to try to reclaim his family’s assets.

Customer: That’s awful. Is there anything that can be done about it?

Dealer: Once the boy’s been sold, there’s absolutely nothing that can be done. He’s a houseboy and a slave, and that’s it. It’s on his record. All the slave laws apply. He can’t even be set free until his 18th birthday. The boy knows very well what the laws are. Gavril knows that he will be castrated. He very nearly was only last week. If any dealer other than me had bought him, I’m sure he would have been. I didn’t take his uncle up on the offer to castrate him immediately only because I was thinking of your request for an exceptionally intelligent boy. Preferably, one who hadn’t been castrated yet. Gavril knows very well that he will eventually be castrated. It’s only the when that’s in question.

Customer: (looking at the boy) Are you ready to be castrated?

Gavril: I have no choice sir. It will happen. My balls will be cut off no matter what I want.

Dealer: He’s right, of course. The law requires it of all houseboys.

Customer: Yes, of course. I understand that. But, Gavril, do you really understand what it means to be castrated?

Gavril: Yes, sir. My family had three servants, one woman who was our cook and maid, a butler who had been castrated when he was a little boy, and a playmate for me who was a year older than me and was castrated on the day he turned nine. He’d already been my playmate for three years when my father had him castrated. We played together, slept together, even took baths together. I certainly know what it’s like to have your balls cut off. My father even thought that I should be interested in Burian’s balls and brought them home for me to look at after they’d been cut off. I know what it means, and I know it will happen to me.

Customer: Sit down, Gavril. I want to talk to you and ask you some questions. I want to know more about your background and interests so I can decide whether or not I want to buy you.

Gavril: Yes, sir. What would you like to know about me?

[about 30 minutes later, the customer and Gavril are sitting next to one another and still talking.]

Customer: (turning and looking at the dealer) Well, I think that he’ll do. He certainly seems intelligent enough for what I want. He should be pleasant to have around the house. What’s your asking price for him?

Dealer: Since he’s such a good-looking boy, he’ll be very easy to sell on that alone. Most customers don't care about intelligence so long as a houseboy isn’t too dumb to work effectively. I’m asking $85,000 for him. I should have no trouble getting that just because he is so good looking. Once he’s castrated, he’d be a nice house ornament for a very rich family.

Customer: That’s awfully high. Certainly more than I’d planned to spend. If I don’t buy him today, how long do you think it’ll take to sell him?

Dealer: Well, there were ten kids in this shipment. Four boys and six girls. The girls will probably all sell in the next three or four days. I’ve sold one already, and they only arrived yesterday. I’ve got several customers waiting to see the rest. All the boys still need to be castrated before they’re put up for regular sale. Most buyers prefer to buy them after their balls are already cut off, especially if they have wives and young daughters. But, even if they don’t, most buyers don’t want to arrange to castrate a boy themselves after they have bought him. They don’t much like the idea, and prefer that it already be done before they get to know him and have any feelings toward him. I have a vet coming this afternoon to castrate all of the boys in the current shipment. If you don’t buy Gavril today and ask that he not be castrated before you take him home, He’ll be castrated this afternoon with the other three. For boys his age, it’s a fairly quick and simple procedure. I’d have him castrated first, so he wouldn’t sit around worrying about it until his turn. The other boys only know that they’ll have to be castrated sooner or later; they don’t know that it’s going to happen today. If you don’t buy him, Gavril will be castrated within the next hour or two. He should be healed and ready for sale in about a week. I expect that it’ll only take a day or two to sell him after that. He’s attractive enough that I might actually be able to sell him before he’s completely healed.

Customer: That’s quicker than I would have thought. Gavril, I’d like your opinion on this one.

Gavril: Yes, sir!

Customer: You know that you will need to be castrated some day. By law, your balls will have to be cut off. The law requires it. The younger you are and the smaller your balls are, the easier and less painful the operation is. If you’re castrated today, it will be simple and nearly painless and you’ll heal quickly. You’ll keep most of your features as a little boy. Your face will stay soft and rounded. Your voice will stay a little boy’s voice. On the other hand, you could keep your balls for four or five more years until they grow bigger and the law won’t allow you to keep them any longer. They’ll also be much more painful to take out and you’ll need at least a couple of weeks, maybe a month, to heal. But, you’ll also have more angular features, like a man. Your voice may change and deepen, and your penis will grow much larger. If you had your choice, when would you prefer to be castrated now or later? Now with very little pain; or later with much more pain?

Gavril: Well, sir, my first choice, of course, would be to never be castrated at all. I will be though, so my second choice is to have a kind and caring master, like I think you would be. My master will own me and he will own my balls. He’ll cut them off when he decides – today, next week, next month, or next year. It will be entirely his decision, and I will accept that. I will be happy that I can serve him well.

Customer: A perfect answer, Gavril. Go and get dressed while I fill out all of the paperwork and pay for you. You’re going home with me today, with your balls still attached for as long as the law allows.

Gavril: Thank you, sir. I’ll work hard. I’ll do my best for you.

Customer: I know you will. I know it’ll be fun having you around to talk to. The dogs and cats never answer when I talk to them.

Dealer: Gavril, you can say goodbye to the other boys. Since you’ll all be scattered to buyers over a wide area, you may never see any of them again. Just don’t let any of the boys know that they’re to be castrated today. There’s no need to frighten them any sooner than necessary. Let them play and have fun as long as they can.

Gavril: Yes, sir. I understand. I won’t let them know at all. Edik, especially, would start screaming the minute he thought he was going to be castrated today. He should probably be first. Foma’s family raises pigs. He’s helped to castrate them since he was very little. He’s fourteen and the oldest of our group. He knows exactly what is to happen to him and will not struggle at all. He’s ready for it. That puts Kiryl in the middle. He’s only seven and not very smart. I don’t think he even understands what it means to be castrated. I hope the doctor is very gentle with him.

Dealer: Thank you for your advice. I’ll follow it. You’ve read the boys exactly as I had, and I had already scheduled Edik first. If Mr. Robbins here hadn’t bought you today, you would have gone straight from here to be castrated without going back to the dormitory. Edik should have no idea what’s about to happen until he’s in the surgery and ready to be castrated. Gavril, the guard is waiting for you right through the door. Just tell him that you’ve been sold and that he’s to bring you to my office in about a half hour. That should give enough time for all of the paperwork. The vet is due here any time now. Edik will probably be taken off to be castrated before you come down to my office. He’ll just think that there’s a customer interested in looking at him until he’s in the operating room and ready for his surgery. Though I’m sure he’ll scream, he won’t have time to worry about it. The vet will make it as quick and painless as possible.

Gavril: Yes, sir. And, thank you, sir, for buying me. I’ll work hard. I’ll do my best to make you happy that you own me.

Customer: (standing and putting his hand on Gavril’s shoulder) Yes, I know you will. I’ll do my best to make you happy that you’re mine, too. I hope you’re happy that you won’t be castrated today. And you won’t be for a long time yet.

Gavril: Yes, sir. It’s entirely your decision, but I’m certainly happy to keep my balls for a little longer. I’ll get dressed and I’ll be ready to go with you. (He walks to the door and opens it.)