Different
I awoke peering into the brightest green eyes I had ever seen. The round, pale face moved back a bit, and I saw multiple, tiny blotches of freckles on a tiny pudgy nose and large red curls dangling down behind small ears. Petite, round lips were turned down in a frown, and then they rapidly moved.
"You’re not what you seem."
I moved back a little and then struggled to sit up to face my new audience. A small, pudgy girl knelt down on both knees beside me, her large round head shaking abruptly.
"No, no," the small lips moved rapidly again. "You’re not like us at all." She continued to shake her head, her long red curls swinging and bouncing.
It took a moment for me to clear my head and register what the little girl had said to me. Panic spurted inside me as I came aware of the young girl’s words. Did she see something different about me? I nervously glanced around the room and then relaxed a little when I saw that we were the only two in the yurt. She was only a child; maybe she was talking about something else.
The girl was still frowning and shaking her head when I asked, "And what makes you think that?"
The young girl stopped moving her head and stared at me. She then stopped frowning and shrugged.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
ISBN 10: 0-9821215-2-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-9821215-2-8
THE MADE: THE CALLING SERIES
Copyright 2009 by Deana Zhollis
All rights reserved.
Published by Night Before Day
http://www.zhollis.com
Cover Design by Kelly Carter
http://www.madspiderstudio.com/
Illustrations by Deana Zhollis
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
To my family and friends who have supported me. And especially, in loving memory, to my father --my number one fan.
MAPS
Table of Contents
Chapter 7 - Hostess Assignment
Chapter 29 - First Daughter Tranele
The Made
The Calling Series
None of us spoke as we hurried to finish our work. I was serving as Maid, my primary job, which I did contently, except during these times. As I rushed to make up the beds, I wondered how much fear had flooded the rooms. There were so few of us left now to clean, and the work was not going as quickly as we needed.
We all jumped to the sound of a crash. One of our sister Maids had dropped her pail of water on the stone floor, and she suppressed a cry of anguish. After finishing my job, I helped her clean up the mess, our arms moving as fast as our hurried breathing.
"Venery!"
Echoes of shrieks and screams floated down the hallway and through the open door, followed by the bellowing laughter of hungry Wendhs. We were too late.
The other Maids immediately dropped what they were doing and ran out of the room. I froze in shock for just a moment as I frantically thought of a place to hide. Upstairs. Rushing out the door, I sped down the hall and up a flight of stairs to an unused guestroom.
Hide. Hide. My eyes darted from object to object around the room, but nothing would suffice. I knew I would be found easily by a Wendh if one carefully searched. My only hope was that the minam I had rubbed on my skin that morning would be enough to cover my scent, and the Wendh would only smell fresh polished oil in this room. It had to be enough until I could find the free hours to escape to my hidden room.
"Venery!"
The sounds of the Wendhs’ bellowing voices interrupted my reverie and propelled me to find a thick curtain behind which I could safely hide. Just a few moments after I crouched down, another servant ran into the room, looking around wildly for a place to hide as well. She caught sight of the closet, a bad choice for concealment, but before I could wonder why she had chosen such a place, a Wendh came through the door. I watched as he caught her foot, right at the moment she was entering the closet, and dragged her to the ground. Kicking and screaming, she was tossed up in the air and then caught in his many twisting arms.
Her uniform identified her as Hostess. She must have been forced to run all the way up to the guest quarters, probably knowing she had a slim chance of escaping.
Yet then I heard her giggle, only so slightly, and I knew that her fear was only pretense. With one eye hidden behind the large curtain, I watched as he flung her body in the air, forcing her on him, thrusting his pelvis towards her again and again as she moaned loudly.
I kept my elbows resting on my thighs and both hands clamped around my mouth. If he had to search for her, he would find me, too. For now, the Wendh’s attention was on the girl, but any other sounds would surely alert him.
What seemed like hours went by, and I was becoming tired and hot behind the curtain. Or was it just the tension that made me sweat? Beads of perspiration trickled down my face and the middle of my back.
I didn’t want to wipe the sweat from my nose for fear that I would be heard. My feet had already fallen asleep from sitting on them, and my knees had swollen and numbed.
The moans and cries of the Wendh and his victim bellowed in my ears, and my eyes burned from watching. He continued to use her, his long tentacles wrapped around her slim frame, holding her up in the air as if she lay on some invisible bed. Her black hair hung loosely, flinging beads of sweat from its ends. It was the only part of her body not encased in his twisting arms. Her screams and moans gradually turned to small whimpers, while his grunts and roars continued on and on.
A slight hope rose in me as I watched him slowly lower her to the stone floor. However, I knew he would thrust inside her just a few more times before hunting for another victim. One female was not enough for any well-fed, drunken Wendh.
Finally, he roared in his heightened pleasure, his back arched, his sharp teeth pointing towards the ceiling. His large tentacles slowly unwrapped from the helpless girl’s body and were quickly absorbed into his own. Rising from his knees, he stepped over her limp form without a glance and abruptly walked out the door. I heard him shout out a Wendh’s cry as he slammed the door behind him, yelling, "Venery!"
I held my composure a few moments more. When I felt it was safe, I relaxed so the blood could circulate back into my feet and legs. The pain was terrible, and I clenched my teeth while allowing it to pass. I finally sat down on the warm floor and began to massage my legs back to life, scolding myself for falling into this position in the first place.
I knew the hours when the Primum’s guests would ransack all the servants’ quarters and take them where they stood. I even knew that some would hunt elsewhere in the Primum’s house to find their pleasures, since most servants were in the Healing Room, recovering. But because there were so few of us left to clean, I couldn't escape to the safety of my secret room.
I gradually stood up, stretching the muscles in my body. My arm lightly brushed against the curtain, but the weight of the cloth held it still. It was safer to stay in this room; the smell of the Wendh was strong here, and it would defer any others from entering. There was no game to be sought in an already-used room; not fresh game, anyway.
I looked towards the poor girl. Her body lay still under the summer's sunlight that poured in through the window. Her garment had turned a darker pink from the combined sweat of the Wendh’s and her own.
Pink. The color of Hostess.
I had never worn pink, thanks to the Goddess Suphyz. Hostesses were first marked as game by the guests; the Maids followed. Looking down at my brown and red garment, I hated that I was a Maid today; but then again, any accessible servant was fair game for Venery!
I stretched some more as I watched her body twitch from time to time as her stiff muscles began to relax. She and the others like her would be of no use for work for at least two days. The few of us who happened to escape Venery! would have three times the work to do, not to mention having to dodge Wendhs, whose senses would be even keener for the few, fresh remaining game. I would do my work as quickly as I could the next day and then head straight for my hidden room.
I had already stolen enough food and placed it in my hidden room for these particular days of entertaining guests, and I was sure the following two days would be Days-of-Leisure. No work would be done because there wouldn’t be any useful bodies to do them.
I inspected my dress. It showed no signed of dampness though I felt sticky everywhere. I removed the matching scarf from my head and began to scratch my scalp. The sweat had made my hair curlier than usual, and it stuck to my head in small swirls.
I yearned for the yellow, loose-fitting garment I wore for gardening. I rarely had the chance to do the work of Gardener. I had put in a request for that job as often as possible. The Gardeners rarely had to deal with Primum Adher’s guests. Plus, they were able to work outside, and I loved the feel of the wind and sunshine on my face.
The girl moaned slightly, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked at her, but she was sound asleep. Examining her more closely, I realized I recognized her. Her name was Nina, I believed. She usually worked as Duster, but she had willingly chosen to do this job today. She had a sister named Teci, who worked in the kitchen.
I had sympathy for the girl, but I didn’t dare touch her --at least not yet. I would wait until she woke before I helped her. I couldn’t risk her screaming for more, mistaking me for another Wendh who was ready to continue what the first had started with a lively, so willing prey. No, I would wait until she awoke.
I dared to step from behind the curtain and look around the room. A basin sat across from me on the opposite side of the wall, but there wasn’t any water in it. Quietly, I went over, picked up the bowl, and headed to the bathing room, just off to the right.
Water streamed throughout the Primum’s house into every room. Some bathing rooms had natural hot rocks built into the wall, from which the water cascaded like a small waterfall and spilled warmly into the tub. Other rooms had to have rocks placed in the tubs for the water to warm. In this room, the rocks were already there.
I scooped up some water and looked longingly at the rising steam. I would have loved to bathe, but I couldn’t risk removing the minam oil from my body. I wasn’t sure if the oil was effective in covering my scent, but I had never gone through Venery! days without rubbing on something. Disappointed, I turned my back to the tub, re-entered the resting room and placed the basin back on the table. The water would have to cool before we’d be able to drink it.
I turned to the sound of Nina slightly moaning in her sleep. She moved restlessly for a moment and then settled back down again. I looked towards the closed door. The Wendh didn’t lock it. Having it locked would probably attract attention from another, wandering Wendh. I prayed to the Goddess Suphyz that the rest of the Wendhs would stay on the first and base floors for their game. By the late afternoon, they would all be passed out in their rooms or wherever they had fallen to asleep. Nina should be awake by then, and we would both head towards the servants’ floor.
"Hey, girl."
The voice was soft, but the sound jerked me awake. Unknowingly, I had fallen asleep in a big chair next to the room's unlit fireplace. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and focused them on the Hostess who was still lying on the floor.
"Hi," I said without smiling, and got up from the chair. My body ached but no more, I was sure, than hers.
I looked out the window and saw only darkness. Night. Had I slept that long?
Nina painfully stretched her torso and glanced up at the window herself. She turned towards me and asked, "When did you get here?"
"You were asleep when I came in here to hide," I lied and quickly turned to the basin to mask my guilt. "Here. I had this cooling for us."
I picked up the basin and walked towards her. Sitting down in front of her, I placed the basin between us. She drank greedily, as I did after she finished. When we had swallowed the last drop, I placed the basin back on the table.
"Can you stand?" I asked her.
"I think so," she said, bracing her hands on the floor.
I went over to help her and she leaned on me as I pulled her up and placed one of her arms around my shoulder. Slowly, we made our way out the door and down the hallway.
We passed other victims once we reached the first floor. Most had help or slowly walked on their own as they headed to the servants’ floor. When we finally got there, a woman and a man dressed in green came and took Nina from my arms. I watched as the Health Aides half-dragged, half-carried her to the recovery room. At least there she wouldn’t have to worry about the Wendhs. I went to the Servants’ Meeting Room to be assigned my next job.
The Servants’ Meeting Room was centered in the middle of Primum Adher’s house on the base floor. It was as big as the Ballroom, and its circular shape featured several archways leading to stairs that wound around and up to all parts of the Primum’s house.
I entered the oval-shaped archway and saw an array of different colors. There were a few people in green, like the ones who took Nina from me. They were specifically there to treat the wounded servants, and more were hired when the Primum had his parties, which has been happening every twin moons for the past one-and-a-half cycles. The brown and red colors of the Maids were more prominent since they made up the majority of the servants. Next were the white and orange Dusters, along with the dark-green Sweepers, the light-blue Cooks, and the purple Waiters. I even saw colors of servants who worked outside or with the animals. There were only a few Washers of Clothes and Utensils since there was no need for more to operate the machines.
Servants were coming and going as they received orders and went to their assigned jobs. I looked through the turmoil for a large concentration of browns and reds and headed towards them. In their midst, I searched for the traditional Maid colors outlined with black, signifying the Keeper status. As I got closer, I found the Keep Maid sitting at a table surrounded by servants. His hand continuously moved as he wrote down names, assigning sections and jobs. He paused for a moment, indicating that he was in mental communication with a Wendh who probably wanted a Maid or two to come to a room to "clean." Making a side note of the request, he went back to assigning jobs.
I quietly stood behind a few male Maids and waited my turn, listening to the conversations around me.
"... no, I’m Cook tonight; I was Gardener the other
night..."
"Oh, please don’t tell me he’s in the Healing Room..."
"... and after she was done bouncing on Telnat, it was my turn again, and after that we all sat around and drank..."
"Just my luck; cleaning duty again! I hate doing that; I’m better at ..."
"...and I waited for him in the usual place and he found me. I swear I’ve been spoiled by Wendh’s pleasure. I could never..."
"Please, which way is it to the southwest guest rooms?"
"He said if I brought a friend, he’ll give me two more coins and to my friend as well. You want to come?"
"...check on the little one. I haven’t had a chance to go see her since yesterday."
"Don’t worry, you only have to be Hostess between lunch and breakfast. There won’t be very many guests to serve during that time..."
"She was terribly beaten. I heard she won’t be able to work until..."
"...and I have to hurry. They’ve already started dinner!"
That last statement caught my attention completely. I turned to see a man half-running toward the direction of the kitchen. The Primum’s guests were already up and eating again? I definitely didn’t want to be assigned another Maid’s job, knowing that Venery! would be occurring again tonight. I thought of going to another Keeper’s table and forging the handwriting for another job, but as soon as my eyes found the table to carry out my deception, I was standing in front of the Keep Maid. It appeared he had asked me a question, because he was staring at me.
"Yes, Keeper?" I said, taken a bit off guard. I bowed slightly.
"Name?" he asked again, this time a bit irritated, “and primary section."
I didn’t know why he asked my name. I’ve worked as primary Maid for all twenty-two of my cycles. But I supposed it was just standard. I quickly answered him, a bit unnerved.
"Emera, Primarily Maid of East guest rooms, Keeper," I said, my heart racing. It was dangerous to have a Keeper think negatively of you. They could assign you to Hostess forever if they wanted to.
He began to write down my information as well as additional information like my status and job specialties. I watched as he wrote, knowing that he didn’t know I knew how to read and even write a little.
I watched him with a look of wonder on my face, imitating what I’ve seen many other servants do when they saw someone read or write. He looked up at me and smiled, amused with my look of curiosity.
"You never will understand how this works, Emera," he said.
"No, Keeper," I said, trying to seem slightly sad, "I wish I did."
He only laughed.
This time he didn’t tell me, as he always did, that writing and reading were way beyond my reach. The emphasis for a Human life was to work; therefore, there were no schools for Humans. Even if Humans wanted a school, there would not be enough time to attend due to all the work that was needed to survive, and there definitely would not be any monetary support. If a Human was literate, they had learned from a parent who had learned from a parent who had learned from a Wendh who took a special interest in their Human’s life. I had learned from my mother.
The Keeper wrote down my next assignment and handed me a card. I made sure to look at the card as if to take note of my next job before walking away. I read the word "Duster" and then saw the round insignia of white and orange in the middle. Thank Suphyz. Duster. I wouldn’t have to dust until after all of the guests had left, which meant I could head to my hidden room before the Wendhs finished dinner and could stay there for the next two days.
I looked around the room for a group of dark-gray clothes, but I couldn’t find them. The room was so crowded. So many people. Perhaps if I went towards the middle of the room I could find the Duster’s table much easier.
I jumped from a touch on my shoulder. Turning around, I realized I was only tapped.
"My apologizes, sister" a man said to me, wearing the colors of Maid. "The Keeper wants you again."
I said nothing as my heart sank and I made my way back to the table. He was going to change the job again; I knew it! It was too good to be true. He probably got another mental order from a Wendh.
The Keepers were busiest when the Primum had parties. They had twice as many workers to handle, with the majority of them being Driftzs. Not to mention the Wendhs’ demands, which were endless: they’d want food, or this room to be cleaned, or that mess to be picked up, or a certain servant to accompany them. Keepers were constantly changing schedules.
As I approached the table, the Keeper was smiling.
"Simpleton," he said, shaking his head. "Did you not look at the other side of the card?"
"No, Keeper," I said, embarrassed. Other Maids were looking in my direction as I turned the card over. Green. I had to go to the green area first before going to dark gray.
"Thank you, Keeper," I said, bowing apologetically.
He only laughed again and asked the name of the next servant.
I didn’t look at the other Maids as they either giggled or shook their heads at me as I walked away, only a bit embarrassed this time. I should have known that there was another color besides dark gray. The one black dot on the front side of the card indicated that there were two black dots on the back side. This alerted a servant which job was first and second. I smiled to myself. At least I was in good spirits with the Keeper. And I even appeared helpless and stupid without pretending this time.
I looked at my card, reading my name and other information that the Keep Maid had written on it and in his log book that sat on his table. I took note of the color again. Green. I had never been a Green before. I wondered what they would have me do. There must have been a lot of injured servants during Venery! this twin moon.
I made my way to the Health Aides’ area, seeking a Keeper. She stood there in her green gown outlined in black, attending to her workers. I stood in line and waited my turn.
Finally, I was next, and I handed my card to the Keep Health Aide. She was a lean woman and wore a matching Keeper’s mobcap on her head. A marital ring was tattooed around her forehead. I envied her. Despite the color of her clothing, that tattoo was the only thing that protected her from Venery!. I had to wait another three seasons before I was able to marry, and still I had to find someone with whom I was actually in love (or be "believably in love with" to convince the Union Wendh) before we would be given permission to marry.
"Emera," she said as she read the card.
"Yes, Keep Aide." I bowed.
She quietly read my other job specialties and then quickly wrote something on the bottom. She muttered something about needing more Aides, handed the paper back to me, and turned her attention to the next person standing behind me.
I walked towards the oval door directly behind the Keep Aide and went straight to the Healing Room. I’d only had to go there twice in my life. The first time was when an insect bit me, which name, even today, I had no name for, and the second
time...The Fifth Son.... But I didn’t want to think about him.
I headed down the hallway to the large double doors outlined with thick, green moss. The doors were always swung wide open, welcoming anyone who had any kind of ailment. I could only get a glimpse of the rows of beds filled with the sick and injured. The Primum wanted his servants always healthy. We were well-fed, well-dressed and even well-rested except during the parties.
To the left of the doors was a smaller one, which looked like a child’s entrance next to the large double doors. In front of it was a wooden table at which a Keeper sat. She was a large, healthy-looking woman, someone I didn’t recognize, with a marital ring tattooed around her forehead. I handed my card to her and she glanced at the front and back of it. I knew then that she couldn’t read, and that she was a Driftz from her behavior. She probably had the papers to prove it in her pockets somewhere.
"You Primum-owned?" she asked, looking at the dark-gray color on the paper.
"Yes, sister," I answered.
She responded with a grunt.
"My mom and father were Driftz, but when my father died, my mother found work and was purchased here," I added, but I didn’t say that my mother didn’t want to become Primum-owned; she only did it because she had to feed me. I was hoping my story would make her attitude toward me more conciliatory. I didn’t want her to think that because I was Primum-owned, I was soft and uppity. Nor did I want her to think that I considered her undisciplined and unruly simply because she was a Driftz.
"How long you been here?" the woman asked, finally looking up at me.
I didn’t look into her eyes as I answered. "Eleven springs, sister. My mother and I worked at another house before this one, when I was quite small." Before she could ask which house it was, I said, "I only have a few memories of that other house, so I’m not quite sure which house it was."
"So, you're here with your mom."
"No," I said softly, "she was sold." I couldn’t think or talk about my mother without tears threatening to pour out of my eyes.
The woman had no more questions. She handed my paper back to me and pointed to the closed door behind her.
"You can get dressed in there."
I bowed and glanced back up at her. I saw no pity in her eyes. She had heard this story countless times before. It wasn’t anything new.
I went in the direction that she had indicated. With the first crack at the door, mist and the scent of oil escaped from the room. I entered the soothing smells of a bathing room. Some green clothes were hanging on a rack, and I found one that I thought would fit me. I then headed towards the scent of the hot rocks. There were two males and a female already in the tub when I walked in. I bowed quickly to them and undressed beside the basket filled with dirty garments. As I placed my Maid outfit in the basket, I saw colors other than just green. There were more Assistants here than I thought.
I found a far end of the bathing tub to slip into and noticed that two of the servants were asleep. It was indeed an exhausting time. Slowly, I soaked and washed away the day’s fears and worries.
I was reluctant to leave the warm waters, but I had my duties to perform. I dried off slowly and put on the green gown and headed back to the front desk. The Keep Aide was just finishing up, waving more help towards the wash room. She stood up and stretched. Surprisingly, she had already taken note that I had come back and waved me to her side.
"You’ll be helping me," she said, and walked off, swinging her enormous hips.
I followed her through the large open doors, first noticing the soft, flowery scent in the air. The scent was there to mask the smell of sickness, but nothing could mask the sight of it. There were four rows of beds with a wide walkway in the middle. The lighting was very dim for a room of this size, but I guessed it was that way to allow the sick to feel more comfortable.
As we came to the middle of the room, I heard screams and yells coming from the rear. There was a heavy brown curtain that shielded whatever horrors came from behind it.
"The males," the Keep Aide said, half-shrugging her shoulders.
I nodded, understanding. The males had it worst during Venery!. Female Wendhs would bite their victims, exposing them to arousal venom. The poor males would be aroused for hours, never resting, never ceasing the need for that physical pleasure that the female Wendhs would surely give to them for hours. The lucky ones were used up until the last drop of venom had worn off. The unlucky ones ended up here, tied to a bed, screaming in pain.
Behind that curtain, Aides’ hands were covered with oil; their arms and wrists continually worked on the males’ hardened flesh. It was tiring work from what I was told; your arms had to constantly be moving, trying to soothe those men in their constant hunger for pleasure, their faces filled with agony.
"There’s more than enough help back there," Keep Aide said as she turned right to one of the beds. I sighed quietly in relief. "You’ll be helping me out here."
She picked up a large pitcher from a table next to a sleeping male. This one twitched in his bed, probably getting his first taste of sleep after the arousal venom had worn off. I stared at him in his restless sleep and finally noticed that the Keeper was waiting for me to take the pitcher from her hand. I mumbled an apology and she ignored my ignorance.
The pitcher was filled with cool water. It was slightly heavy, making it awkward to carry and likely a bit difficult to pour. But I carried the pitcher no matter how heavy it was because it was my job, and I had to do it to the best of my ability. To do any less would have a servant listed as "indolent," which meant that you would be assigned to the hardest jobs in the house.
As I worked alongside the Keep Aide, she spoke about her life. Her name was Lola. She had been a Driftz, along with her husband, and she had been hoping to be bought by a Primum for stable work and food. But even after several cycles, she hadn’t been bought. She said she was thinking of finding work in the Olegace Province.
I had heard many Driftz speak of working in Olegace: how Humans were treated so much better, how there were fewer Venery! games.... Yet there were also talk that it was poverty-stricken and not enough work. Even still, if I were a Driftz, I would leave the Teskaten Province and go to the Olegace Province as well. But there was no use of dreaming such things since I was primum-owned and would be for the rest of my life. I had no ambitions of going up the ladder to become a Keeper, the last stage of gaining self-ownership and becoming a Driftz, if a Wendh allowed it. No, I would stay here, find someone to marry, produce children who would also become primum-owned and live out my days in this house or some other. Though a Human was free being a Driftz, the life was too hard, too unpredictable.
I followed Lola, carrying the pitcher of water as she checked the beds of the sick and wounded. From time to time, she would signal me to fill a cup or to pour water over a dry cloth. She was quite good with people despite my first impression of her. The patients always smiled as soon as they saw her walking their way, her hips shaking with every step.
She didn’t wear her matching green mobcap but allowed her straight hair to fall down to her chubby cheeks, framing her face. If she had worn the mobcap, I thought she might have looked more like a Keeper --educated, elite and proper. If it weren’t for the black outline of her dress, I would have never known she was Keeper. However, Lola was only acting Keeper. After the parties, she would become just another servant at another house, and as I worked beside her, I knew she wasn’t the type to pretend to be someone she wasn’t. She was a Driftz and uneducated, but she was good at what she did. She wouldn’t have been chosen to be a Keeper, if only temporarily, if she wasn't. The more I worked beside her, the more I thought that perhaps after the parties she would become primum-owned. She would have all its benefits and none of its disadvantages since she was already married. I found myself enjoying working next to her.
It was late in the night when I saw Nina again, resting quietly in her bed. She had been given a bath and a change of clothes. Lola had me refill her cup. Nina never stirred when we stood over her bed. I said a silent prayer to Suphyz for her, hoping she would be strong and fight her need for a Wendh’s touch. At least she wouldn’t develop soulless eyes. Venery! had claimed far too many servants in this house already --those who were not needy of a Wendh’s touch became numb so not to feel the pleasure. There were too many workers with empty eyes, going about their business without thought or will.
My mother used to tell me that those with such eyes were dead. When she first told me this, I was confused.
"But Mother," I had said, "they are still breathing and walking and talking. How could they be dead?"
"They have no souls, Emera," she answered, looking down at me. "Their Inner Lights have completely vanished. There is only that empty shell that you see there. The difference between their being dead and the ones we bury under the earth is that they can still bring their spirits back...if they choose to."
I had not had many incidences in my life to cause my Inner Light to fade, and I prayed that I never would.
Work increased way past the middle of the night, but by then, my shift was over. I didn’t dare go to the comfort of my small room in the servants’ quarters. The Primum’s guests had exhausted most of the servants and would be looking harder for fresh prey. Even though the green color should make me exempt, it wouldn’t if I were sleeping alone in my room.
"There are a couple of empty beds on the other side of the changing room," Lola said, noticing my hesitation to leave. "I can’t have my Aides in sickbeds as well, can I?" She didn’t smile or wink at me; instead, she turned and continued to go from one bed to the next.
My fortune had been going very well all day and night. I would most definitely sing quite a few praises to Suphyz tonight.
After working my day and night shift as Aide, I was free to do almost whatever I wished. My Liberty time had started, and I headed to my hidden room. I was looking forward to a long-awaited rest.
The guests would be leaving tomorrow, and they were preparing for their departure. That meant there would not be any calls for cleaning and the two days after the guests’ departure would be Liberty time for us all; but until the guests were no longer in the house, Venery! would continue.
I smeared some minam oil on my body right after I soaked in the bathing tub. Borrowing a Liberty gown out of the basket filled with dirty clothes, I headed for the kitchen. The dark brown gown hardly fit, but I couldn’t go to my room to get my own --not with the guests still here.
Several Cooks and Assistants glanced up at me as I entered and quickly returned to their work. I noticed the Waiters coming in and out with trays of food. The Wendhs were eating dinner, which meant I had about an hour to gather more food and head for my hidden room. Wendhs believed in eating, and I was pretty sure that the majority, if not all, of the Primum’s guests were in the Dining Room.
I quickly went to the storage room, where snacks and fruits were laid out on a table for servants to eat between shifts. Carefully, I stuffed food under my dress. With this, and the food already waiting for me in my hidden room, I would have a small feast for the next two days. Leaving the kitchen, I quietly inclined my head in acquiescence to the Keeper, who immediately noticed my brown gown. If I weren’t wearing it, seeing that I was on a small break, he could have put me to work.
On the first floor, I took the northwest stairs to the second floor to avoid the dining area. There was a quicker way to get to the library, but that route was much too dangerous. I ran into several other servants, mostly Maids and Hostesses, before I finally came to the staircase. Unfortunately, I had to pass some of the guest rooms on the second floor, but it was a short hallway.
I saw no one as I moved quickly down the halls, my legs going as fast as they could without breaking into a run. Running would only cause me to sweat, and I didn’t want my scent to overpower the smell of the polishing oil.
I only had three halls to walk through on the route I had chosen, and then I would be at the southwest stairs. I had traveled these halls several times before, but they seemed as if they had extended somehow; the time it took to walk them seemed a lot longer. I knew I must not fear. It wasn’t much farther.
I forced myself to concentrate on the glowing rocks embedded in the walls. They illuminated the hallways with their white lights. Found and mined from caves, the lightrocks grew brighter as the area around them became darker. I had always thought that they were alive somehow, even though other servants had insisted that they weren’t.
I continued down the halls, trying to remember how many guests were assigned to the southwest end of the Primum’s house. Three? Four? I knew there weren’t that many. These rooms were the last to be filled. The Guest Coordinators always filled the rooms on the north, east and southeast areas first. Those rooms were the largest and had the best view of the Solus River, if they had a window. When all of those rooms were filled, the southwest rooms were used, and then the rooms on the third floor.
The remaining guests were at the Guesthouse across the garden. Only the prominent Wendhs were allowed to stay in the main house. But this twin moons had an unusually high number of residents --one hundred and eighty-five. Eighty Wendhs were lodged here in the main house, when in the past there were forty, if that. With fewer Wendhs, I could have escaped to my hidden room with no worries during dinnertime. But this time...this time was completely different.
I finally reached the third floor, though I was in the middle section of the guest rooms. The library was at the southeast end of the Primum’s house, so I headed that way. I turned around the last bend, relieved. Slowing down my pace, I noticed I was breathing heavily. I had sweated just a little, but it didn’t matter. I had finally made it.
I remembered the first time I was assigned Duster to the southeast wing. It included the library, which I had never seen. My long dusting pole had fallen behind a large cabinet that contained some of the older books. I had to stretch to reach the tip of the pole and gradually dragged it out when I felt something round and hard on the floor, something that shouldn’t have been there.
I tried lifting the object, but it seemed hooked on the floor. The only movement it would make was when I pressed it down. It was then that I smelled a musty odor coming from behind the large tapestry behind me, hanging from the ceiling down to the floor. I stood up beside the cabinet, my back to the wall, and saw the space between the tapestry and the wall. It was dark, so I could not see where the smell was coming from, but the space was large enough for someone to slip behind it unnoticed.
There was something back there; I knew it, but I couldn’t explore since my fellow Dusters were still in the library. I looked across the room towards the other servants to see if they had noticed anything. They hadn’t; they never paused from their duties. So, I continued with mine until we were finished.
Curiosity overcame me as I sat at dinner that night. I was certain something was behind the painting. During my Liberty hours, I made my way back to the library.
I didn’t know why no one ever used it. I believed it was the most beautiful room in the Primum’s house. The room was shaped like a hexagon. It had a floor-to-ceiling window that made up one side of its six walls. Dark-green curtains beautifully outlined those huge windows when they were opened. But mostly they were kept closed, shutting out any possible light, other than one enormous lightrock to light every corner of the room. It was shaped like a flower with overlaying petals extending outward, spilling forth light that covered the entire ceiling.
The other four walls were actually shelves filled with books. There were mounted sliding ladders on each of bookshelves and a few empty shelves to place books that had been pulled out of place.
The floor was bi-level; the second level rose above the first by three steps. Double rows of tables sat in the middle of the room on the first level, surrounded by cushioned chairs, and topped with centerpieces of lightrocks carved to look like miniature trees. On the second level there was an enormous armed chair that looked similar to the throne but without the rich, intricate carvings and décor. Its back sat towards the large window, and a small, raised table was on its left side. The front of the chair faced the tapestry of the white horse that hung on the last wall.
Hanging down from the ceiling, this great tapestry didn’t have many colors like several of the other tapestries in the Primum’s house. Its colors were simply red and white, surrounding a picture of a white horse rearing up towards a dark night filled with stars.
I had entered the library that night and walked straight to the large cloth that stood between the two cabinets filled with insignificant books. Placing my back against the wall, I slid behind the cabinet closest to the unseen lever that had caught my broom earlier that day. As I continued, I stumbled when I was unable to keep my back braced against the firm wall and almost fell into an opening. Suddenly I realized I was in a small hallway, and the musty smell was even stronger there. It was too dark to see what was inside, so I went to one of the tables to retrieve one of the smaller, handheld lightrocks that were scattered around simply for décor.
Once inside the dark hallway, the lightrock illuminated, and I noticed that it wasn’t a hallway at all. In just a few steps, I was at the foot of a stairwell, leading up. From the look of it, there hadn’t been a soul in there for cycles.
My heart raced as I pondered what to do. I knew the Primum’s house held many secrets. Should I disturb one of them? Would I be placing myself in a situation where a Primum-owned should not be? I stood there for a few moments more, my eyes staring at the steps, realizing I couldn’t stop my Human curiosity. Should I disturb one of the Primum’s secrets? I asked myself again. I decided that I should. If I found anything, I would clean my tracks and no one would ever know I was there. Even if they suspected someone had been there, there were several Dusters and Polishers who had been in and out of the library that day....
I climbed the stairs.
The climb took some time; finally I reached a wooden door. It was slightly ajar, and cold air flew in towards me. I softly pushed the door to allow just enough room to squeeze through and entered. The first thing I noticed was the position of the window. Unlike the normal height of windows, this window was built very close to the floor, and it had no glass pane. I suspected that I was at the top of the Primum’s house, or at least, very far up.
I could tell the room had sheltered many birds, but at the moment it was unoccupied. It was winter and the birds had flown to a warmer climate. Nests of different sizes and shapes covered most of the floor and filled empty wooden boxes. The stone walls were bare and from the ceiling hung old cloths, which at one time must have covered the ceiling in its entirety in a pattern no longer distinguishable. I was relieved that no secrets were hidden in this room and that later on I would be able to sleep with a light conscience.
Remembering how I had found the hidden room, I again gave praise to Suphyz. Finding the room was a blessing. I would be able to hide and escape from Venery! whenever I needed. I promised myself to thank Suphyz every time I entered through the wooden door.
I rushed on down the hallway.
I couldn’t wait to reach my hidden room. There were a few books that I have been yearning to return to, and I had missed watching the sun rise and set from the little window. The night sky was also very beautiful at such a height. It seemed to me the most perfect place in the universe to look at the stars. They seemed much brighter up there than when I looked at them from a guest room window while cleaning.
The dreamy smile on my face suddenly froze and I felt the blood drain and cool in my veins. Wendh. He walked towards me, his large arms swinging alongside his huge torso. I couldn’t breathe or move as I watched him come closer to me, his pitch-black eyes staring through my flesh.
I knew I shouldn’t cry out; I had to be brave. Wendhs loved fear, and I mustn’t give him that enjoyment. I tried to breathe, but I couldn’t feel my chest move. I couldn’t force the air into my nostrils.
I stood there transfixed as he took his last few steps towards me. I stared at his large lips and flaring nostrils. His dark-brown skin was dry but tight around his muscles. This one had hair knotted around his head, down his neck and onto his shoulders. Not many Wendhs had hair. They were mostly bald or had thick cartilage that made some sort of shape on top of their heads and sometimes their back.
The Wendh stopped in front of me, assessing me, breathing in my fear. Closing my eyes, I tried to find some thought, trying to think of some way to get through this. No. No, I had to clear my mind, think of nothing. Don’t think of what he’s about to do to me. What he was doing....
I waited for the arms to start to form from his sides and writhe towards me, encircling me in vines of restraints. I waited for the sharp thrill of entry and the relentless bounding inside me, the unwilling pleasure. I waited to hear his roaring laughter and high-pitched screams...
I shut my eyes. I wouldn’t dare look.
Then I felt it. The small gushing air...the....
But there was nothing.
I heard large, heavy feet pounding on the floor, and I opened my eyes, turning to see his back. I heard him grunt, and then he was out of my sight. I stood there, even after the sounds of the Wendh’s footsteps had left the hallway.
Time passed before I breathed. He wasn’t coming back? Maybe he would wait and chase me down the hall. I stood there listening so hard to the silence that I began to hear my own heartbeat. Is he waiting for me to move? Was he hiding at the base of the stairs? I strained to listen more but there was no sound. Still, I waited.
I waited until my legs began to ache and my knees wanted relief. I couldn’t stand there any longer, and if the Wendh did have intentions to take me, he would have taken me anyway. I decided to continue to the library, but very quietly.
I walked down several more halls, and I didn’t hear one sound of the Wendh. When I entered the library, I closed the door behind me. I was sure the Wendh could trace me here. I was sure he smelled the minam oil on my skin and picked up some scent of mine mixed in with it. He could track me anywhere in the house.
I sat at a table facing the door and relieved the strain from my legs and knees. At least the Wendh wouldn’t take me by surprise when he did decide to come for me. So, I waited.
There were no sounds in the room except for my occasional shifting and forced breath. Maybe he decided to chase a few other servants first before coming to pursue me. And why wasn’t he at dinner? What was he doing on the third floor, in this hallway?
I waited until my eyes began to droop and my head kept jerking me back awake. Perhaps he had forgotten me. Perhaps he’d already fulfilled himself. Either way, I couldn’t go back the way I had come, and I couldn’t stay where I was.
I picked up the familiar lightrock that I had often used before. The table wouldn’t look empty if it were missing, so I walked over to the large cabinet and pressed my back to the wall. When my dust pole had fallen behind it those two cycles ago, it had hit the foot pedal but didn’t have enough weight to push it down. It was easier to push the pedal down with my foot.
I took another glance at the closed library door and slid behind the cabinet towards the opening behind the tapestry. On the right wall near the staircase was another lever that hadn’t caught my eye the first time I had entered this place. I pushed it up, and the stone door closed behind me.
It was a little difficult to make my way up the stairs. My legs were already tired, and I had to stop several times before continuing on. The small door at the top was ajar. I had always left it open since the night I found my hidden room two winters earlier, shortly after my encounter with the Fifth Son.
I entered the room and looked about. The room no longer had birds’ nests on the floor. It was swept clean and the wooden boxes had been pushed to one side. Yet in these boxes still rested a few nests, some occupied with newborn birds and their parents. They didn’t mind that I was there, as long as I didn’t get too close to the nests.
Next to the window was a large pile of blankets and sheets --my bed. I moved the bedding closer to the window during the spring and summer, but during the winters, I would move my bed to the other side of the room and bar the window with wood and nails. Several lightrocks surrounded the bed and occupied most of the room. I had gathered all of these things over the cycles. I had obtained most of these objects by bartering at the Suphyz’s Twin Moons Festival.
I removed the food from underneath my dress and poured it in the wooden crate lined with velvet cloth. There were already fruits, nuts and dried meat in the crate and the additional food made it look like a small feast. I lazily fell into the piled cloths and lay there for a few minutes.
Finally turning over, I stared out the little window. I could see the dark-gray color of the clouds that moved slowly across the black sky, making shadows on the Teskaten lands. To the left were The Severy Mountains, which sprung up all the way to the Gemetry Province. I could see the rooftops of the town of Jasgle, and beyond that I could barely make out the lining of the Yentle Sea.
Forlen’s Moon was only a quarter full at this time, and her mate, Riley Moon, was moving away from her. I imagined Forlen’s reflection on the Solus River. When Riley rejoins and leaves his mate four more times, the preparations for Suphyz’s Twin Moons Festival would begin. Only during that time would both moons be aligned. Now, that was a sight to see. With the aligned moons, it almost seemed like the strength of the sun at noon.
I had hoped that I would be one of the members to be chosen to help in the preparations for the Moons Festival in Jasglen. I had been chosen twice in my lifetime to be a member, and though the tension between Driftzs and Primum-owned always ended in fights at such events, wasting the only few days and nights that slaves were allowed freedom to themselves, I still enjoyed them.
Working in Jasgle gave a Primum-owned a sense of freedom. The town was mostly comprised of Driftzs working, building, and managing their own homes and livelihood. Though the towns were mostly self-sufficient, they were still owned by a Primum, and Wendhs still lived and patrolled them.
I remembered picking the many different fruits in the farmlands outside of Jasgle. Primum Adher also had his personal farmlands to the west of the house, but the farmlands next to the town were enormous. To walk through the tall stalks of fruit and vegetables was like walking in a forest. It was tiring work to gather enough food for the town and visitors, but it was all worth it at the end. Many beasts were hunted, killed, and smoked for several days before the night of feasting. The food available during the festival was larger than any feast in the region. My mouth watered slightly, remembering the different types of food and my mother’s laughter as colorful juices ran down her chin.
Mother. The thoughts of her were painful. She was sold to Primum Fora’s house after I had seen twelve cycles. After that, I saw her only during Suphyz’s Twin Moons festivals. But she had not attended the last two festivals. I heard that she was favored by one of her Primum’s guests and that he had bought her. She may have been taken towards the Yentle Sea or farther up the Severy Mountains. Either way, she was too far away from me; I knew I would never see her again.