212
Smiling fondly I watched my men stride out of the Keepers’. They walked with poise and confidence, not the least bothered by the trouble with the Administrators. They would make their point whether anyone else appreciated it or not.
I was happy and pleased my men had decided to stand up for me in front of others. It really meant something to me. The gesture was huge in my eyes.
The Keeper made a sound to get my attention and I followed him down a large open breezeway toward the ocean. The Keeper told me I could swim. My work from the morning had been saved and I would do more tomorrow.
We entered into a large room bordered by columns. The sand and sea sat just outside the wide columns. Girls lounged around or danced with one another. Beyond the confines of this space there were others on the beach and in the water.
Fuji and Rose approached as soon as I entered. It seemed all eyes were on us. I did not like the attention one bit. It gave me a bad feeling. I wanted my friends and me away from there.
“I’d like to go to the shore,” I said softly to Rose motioning to the beach behind her.
She nodded and grabbed my hand as we went in that direction. We were stopped by a lovely, tall girl and her equally beautiful friends. I thought they might be from Earth, but I wasn’t sure.
“So you have the babies,” she said looking me up and down.
“I must apologize,” I murmured politely. “I am not permitted to speak on it.”
Rose squeezed my hand lightly in agreement.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“It’s not really surprising,” she sneered. “You look like someone that has birthed many children.”
I made a noncommittal sound and shrugged. The girl was obviously poking fun at my generous curves. Part of me wanted to be hurt, but I knew there were five men that had worked hard for this lush figure. Her cutting remark barely even stung.
“It doesn’t make you better,” she sneered stepping closer to me.
“No, it doesn’t,” I said simply and continued to watch her eyes.
I released Rose’s hand and stood staring at the other girl. She was taller than me and I bet she was strong. I did not imagine her Administrators had ever formally trained her to fight, though.
A slow smile crept across my mouth as I thought about the fast moves I could use to hurt her. The Keepers wouldn’t be able to stop the first few blows, I was sure of that. I’d get a couple good swings in.
“You know, if you hurt me, you’ll get the whip,” she threatened with a superior look on her face.
Again, I shrugged, “I’ve been whipped before,” the look in my eyes did not change.
My unfaltering stare and complete disregard of her threat seemed to surprise the girl. She sputtered, grasping for something to say. Frankly, I was done with her and walked past without a backward glance.
Rose and Fuji reappeared at my sides as we walked down toward the sand. None of us said anything, we needed to find a private place to talk. A shade tree grew near the water with several low benches arranged beneath it. No one was there, so we headed for that. Just as we settled down I heard a familiar voice
Mia, the girl from Fredrick’s shop, approached us smiling broadly. She arranged herself on a cushion and continued to grin.
“So you’ve made quite an impression,” she said motioning toward the grouping of girls still staring at us from inside. “No one ever stands up to Vesa. Her owners are the head Administrators. She is used to be treated as the most special slave here.”
I grunted a laugh and Mia looked strangely at me. I shook my head as I spoke.
“We’re still all slaves. The idea of a hierarchy for us is pointless. We are the lowest thing on this planet.”
“That is not how they see it,” Mia grinned gesturing.
Mia was pleasant and knowledgeable. She sat with us as we talked for a while. Having me here disrupted the carefully built class system this group of slaves seemed to work under.
I was a breeder and no one could figure out where that put me. My presence rocked their system to it’s core. It wasn’t clear whether a Warrior’s breeding slave was more or less important than the head Administrator’s slave.
I would have enjoyed continuing to talk to Mia, but a Keeper approached. Damien had told the man I would swim, so I should be swimming. Evidently he misunderstood the concept that Damien was giving me permission, but not an order.
I was stripped and it was demanded I get in the water. Saying good-bye to my friends I swam in the inlet and inspected it.
In a way it was good I was forced to swim, it relaxed me. The quiet water was soothing at it always was. Still, I wished I could talk to Rose, so much had happened lately. When Fuji came up beside me in the water, I nearly screamed.
Fuji’s idea of getting my attention was to slide her freezing cold hands up my legs as I inspected a tiny plant in about six feet of water. I jerked around to face her and then surfaced for a breath. She was standing on the bottom and talking to me from under water.
I plunged my head beneath the surface and found I could actually hear her. She somehow could transmit sound through the water. It was remarkably strange.
“Come closer to shore. Rose found a place in the water she is willing to be. She wants to talk to you,” Fuji said.
I nodded, dumbstruck as Fuji walked underwater back toward the shore.
Swimming back toward the compound, I saw Rose in the water. She sat in a small tidal pool that was separated from the main swimming area by a natural rocky boundary. As I got closer she smiled at me and motioned I should stay in the bay.
“If you hold the edge of the rock,”she said, “and kick your feet, the Keepers will think you are swimming. That way we can talk.”
I looked quizzically at her. “You could just come into the deeper part of the water,” I told her.
Rose shook her head and looked around, ensuring it was just the three of us.
“I will swim when my owners are with me, because I feel safe. It is not something I enjoy if they are not here,” she said quickly.
“Why?” I asked stupidly.