“Save your breath,” Whore said.
“Maritza enjoys bickering.
You’re just giving her sport.”
I fixed on him with narrow eyes.
“You know, Hor-Denay, I thought you were better than this guy.
I was actually grateful to have you instead of him.
Now I know you couldn’t have shocked me even if you’d wanted to.
You weren’t holding back.”
I tried not to get emotional.
“I bet you would have shocked me just as much as Rolf-Tem shocked Inga if you could have.”
“That’s not true.”
Whore gave me his most vicious stare to date.
“I would have shocked you
more
.”
I don’t know why this hurt me so bad.
My throat got so choked I could barely speak.
“Why?”
Rolf-Tem shrieked with laughter.
They reminded me of two playground bullies.
“May I tell her?” Rolf-Tem said.
Whore smiled at him.
“Oh, yes.
I’d love to hear your take.”
(Throughout all of this Inga was clutching my arm with her head down.
Her only consideration was getting me alone with her.
She proved this with a constant tug toward the bathroom behind us.)
“You think you’re one of us,” Rolf-Tem said.
“As if you could marry into the exquisitely noble Dak-Hiliah race.
How dare you presume this?
You’re just filthy alien scum to be scraped off the bottom of our shoes.
What have you done to earn a place among the Dak-Hiliah?
Any female can spew babies.
You’ve done nothing, and yet feel you should be privileged.”
He leaned forward so his cruel eyes could sear into me.
“I cleaned toilets as a boy, and shined the boots of unworthy masters.
I had to give up my manhood to stand beside a nobleman.
Oh, but your noisome demands are endless.
You whine like spoiled infants.
‘I was kidnapped.
It’s not fair.’
Not fair?
Was my life fair?
It wasn’t, but I neither whined nor demanded privileges.
I proved myself worthy of privilege through sacrifice.
That’s more than you’ll ever do.”
He left me exasperated.
“How could I possibly prove myself?”
“You can’t,” Whore said.
“So cease with your bloated sense of entitlement.”
I shook my head with my mouth open.
I was mostly shocked at myself.
Why had I lowered my guard again?
Especially with Rolf-Tem, who was just a more extreme version of Whore.
He probably had it even worse than Whore growing up due to his homeliness.
Rolf-Tem I couldn’t care less about.
Whore, who I had to live with and who my husband genuinely cared about, was harder to dismiss.
I wanted to hold on to the belief that there was some way I could prove myself to him.
I strode off, dragging Inga along with me.
“I’m going to go write the letter on that white board.”
“What you write is useless unless I load it to a tablet,” Whore said.
“I’ll get Kang to do it.”
“Kang?” Rolf-Tem said.
“She named a Domestic.”
They started following us.
I was fine with that.
I still didn’t want to be alone with Inga.
“You know what happens when you name a Domestic unit, don’t you?” Rolf-Tem said with an annoying nasal laugh.
I didn’t slow my stride.
“They’ll want to have sex with you,” Whore said.
This made me stop.
“What?”
The two morons laughed together.
It was surreal seeing Whore so happy.
“What are you talking about?”
My outrage just made them laugh harder.
It became obvious I wasn’t going to get an answer.
I kept heading for the meeting room.
“I have to use the bathroom,” Inga said.
“Go by your damn self!” Rolf-Tem said.
“You just want her to go with you so you can talk about me.”
Whore and Rolf-Tem exchanged scoffs.
***
I got a decent one-page letter written despite my thoughts being dragged in all directions.
It was a simple point to make:
Leave the collars on for their protection, but turn off the shock mechanism.
It struck me that if the letter worked Inga wouldn’t need my drastic betrayal.
I tucked that knowledge away with all my other conflicting thoughts for analysis later.
Kang brought us refreshments.
I had an urge to ask him some awkward questions, but the matter seemed so small compared to what was really weighing on me.
I looked forward to the situation with Inga being over with so I could make our sex talk a priority.
Eventually I had to go to the damned bathroom.
I tried to knock the girl off me, but she was like an octopus.
I had to pee too badly to struggle with her.
“Give it to me,” she said the second we were alone.
It was hard to argue while doing my business in front of her.
(The toilet was similar enough to fancy Japanese toilets I’d heard about not to bother me, but it was positioned way too high).
“Not yet,” I said, once the cooch dryer shut off.
“Fuck.
You.”
She was growling and her face was red.
I went to wash my hands.
“Look, you heard Elentinus.
He’s going to try to convince Nayjoor to let you stay at the colony.
Even if Nayjoor doesn’t agree, Eletinus might let you go there anyway and just claim you were kidnapped.”
She slammed the heel of her palm on the sink.
“That wasn’t the fucking plan!
I already have a place to go.
I’m supposed to be fucking rescued.”
“Wouldn’t you rather go to Earth?
If the Aquars rescue you they’ll take you to their planet.
Apparently it’s not so great.
Sasha was posting online trying to find someone who would get her out of there.”
“Earth isn’t sure!
The rescue was sure.”
“You have to give it a chance, Inga.”
I leaned close to whisper shout at her.
“I don’t want to betray my husband!”
She grabbed the neckline of my dress.
“Fuck this!”
I got hold of her wrists.
Her skinny arms were like bands of steel.
She dug into my cleavage until she got hold of the unit.
“I’m sick of putting my fate into the hands of a fucking idiot!”
“Let it go!”
I tried to pry it out of her fingers.
She put her newly free hand against my cheek with claws bared.
She was threatening to scratch me.
“Give it!”
“No!
I’m going to scream and get everyone in here!”
“You fucking bitch!”
Some of her spit hit my face.
“I’ll tell them everything!”
There was a knock at the door.
We both froze.
“Maritza?” Elentinus said.
I was already adrenalized from the fight.
Elentinus’ voice made my heartbeat feel like it echoed inside my chest.
“Yes, husband?” I said, and then switched to a whisper.
“Let it go right now or I’m getting him in here!”
Inga smashed it against my breastbone and broke away from me.
I ignored the pain and tucked it back down between my breasts.
“I’ve come to fetch you and Inga for dinner.
Lord Nayjoor is waiting.”
“We’ll be right out!”
I kept my voice cheerful.
“We were just freshening up.”
Inga was standing with her arms tightly crossed.
“Fuck this shit.”
Bitch!
I just lied to my husband for you!
Elentinus probably suspected something by now.
We were too in tune for him not to detect my forced cheeriness.
The thought made me glad.
Maybe he’d confront me and I could break down and tell him everything.
No!
No, I had to do the right thing.
I couldn’t let Inga’s personality enter into it.
She was still a victim.
I just had to keep reminding myself that.
Don’t get petty.
Pettiness is for people with small minds like Rolf-Tem and Whore.
You’re better than that, Maritza.
Elentinus took my hand to lead me to the dining room.
Inga no longer clung to me.
She dragged her feet behind us with her arms crossed and a derisive expression.
“Your face is flushed, my darling.”
I’m sure it was.
I puffed out a breath.
“It’s been a long day.”
“The letter was splendid.
Concise, but evocative.
You’ve a gift for the written word.
I told Hor to send it straight away.”
I looked at him with a bittersweet smile.
“Thank you, husband.”
His praise made my wilted spirit blossom again.
Emotion built in my chest that could have easily stuttered out into sobs.
I felt pain and joy at the same time because of how much I loved him.
We joined Nayjoor at the table.
He put away the tablet he’d been reading.
“I want nothing but Earth food,” Nayjoor said.
“I might as well get some benefit to staying here.”
“I informed the Cookers of your request.”
Domestics served beverages and the first course as Elentinus spoke.
“They were able to accommodate you.”
I got a plate of canned sardines on butter crackers.
If this was all he could get from Earth it was no wonder we usually ate Dak-Hiliah food.
“Surely the cuisine is not the only benefit you can gain from this visit?” Elentinus said.
Nayjoor glowered at him while biting a cracker.