Read Online A Superior Slave (Ganymede Quartet Book 0.5) by Darrah Glass - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Darrah Glass
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glasses,” Mr. Paulsen pointed out to Mr. Jacob, who did not seem to like the idea of offering Martin up without them. “It’s right there for them to read, so it’s certainly not deceptive to have him do without for a few hours.” Again, he turned to Martin. “Tomorrow morning, give your glasses to Jacob to keep safe for you, all right? You can have them back after you’re sold.”
Martin could say nothing but, “Yes, Sir.”
The salesmen began evaluating and questioning all the boys in scattershot fashion. Like the rest, Martin was very accustomed to his attributes being discussed openly. Most of the salesmen seemed to think he was very attractive, though several expressed some concern about his height. A few thought he was a bit too thin and took Mr. Jacob and Mr. Elliott to task for it.
“You could have been fattening him up weeks ago,” Mr. Paulsen said, chagrined. “Him and the smaller colored boy, whatshisname…?”
“Do you mean Jerome?” asked Mr. Elliott. “Jerome is slender , but I wouldn’t say he was underweight , and neither is Martin.”
“A bunch of handsome skeletons,” put in another of the salesmen. “This whole group is scrawny.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Mr. Jacob insisted. “They’re fit and strong and very healthy.”
“Well, those are the sorts of complaints we’re going to hear, you know,” Paulsen pointed out. “Buyers always find fault with something.” He patted Mr. Jacob on the shoulder. “It’s all right. I know you and Elliott have done your best with these boys.”
“You should see how much they eat,” Mr. Jacob said fretfully, arms crossed over his chest. “They’re like hogs at a trough! I don’t know how we could have possibly fed them more!”
Paulsen gave Mr. Jacob another pat. “It’s not a problem, Jacob, not really. I promise we’ll sell each and every one of them,” he said reassuringly. “They’ll all meet their reserves, I guarantee it.”
Mr. Jacob shrugged off his hand. “They’re absolutely lovely boys. They’ll sell themselves.” Looking at Mr. Jacob’s face, it was suddenly obvious how tired he was, and how little he appreciated these criticisms of his charges, his work .
Martin struggled not to panic. Was he really so unappealing after all? He’d perhaps been given an inflated sense of himself at Ganymede, where he’d been an acknowledged beauty, and it was all too possible his charms had a diminished luster in the wider world. His cohort had been full of the sort of dark-haired boys Martin himself found so attractive, but his own coloring had been considered unusual. However, that might not be the case here and now, off the farm. Perhaps the city was full of boys with strawberry hair and exceptionally green eyes. Perhaps his hair wasn’t red enough . And he was too tall and skinny besides.
Mr. Paulsen clapped his hands together loudly. “Listen up, boys! I want the Standards over there near the stove, the Choice boys in that corner, and the Superiors here in the middle of the room. Go on, then; you know where you belong.”
Martin stayed where he was standing, and was joined by Charlie, Stuart, Leo and Georgie. Sandy, Noah, Jerome, Ben, Mitch, Steve, Terry and Paul went to the Choice corner. The Standard boys all crowded together in the kitchen end of the room: Artie, Bradley, Lloyd, Philip, Randy, Rex, Otto, Eric, Winston and Sam.
“It’s a shame you haven’t brought us more colored boys,” remarked one of the salesmen. “There’s a greater demand every year.”
“You need to be talking to management,” Mr. Elliott pointed out. “Not us. We don’t have any say in what sorts of boys are bred.”
“We watched the Perseus boys come in,” said another salesman. “Nearly half their boys are colored this year.” His tone implied that the Perseus salesmen would have an easier time of it with their fashionable stock.
“Well you have three wonderful colored boys,” Mr. Elliott said. “Jerome, Artie
Martin could say nothing but, “Yes, Sir.”
The salesmen began evaluating and questioning all the boys in scattershot fashion. Like the rest, Martin was very accustomed to his attributes being discussed openly. Most of the salesmen seemed to think he was very attractive, though several expressed some concern about his height. A few thought he was a bit too thin and took Mr. Jacob and Mr. Elliott to task for it.
“You could have been fattening him up weeks ago,” Mr. Paulsen said, chagrined. “Him and the smaller colored boy, whatshisname…?”
“Do you mean Jerome?” asked Mr. Elliott. “Jerome is slender , but I wouldn’t say he was underweight , and neither is Martin.”
“A bunch of handsome skeletons,” put in another of the salesmen. “This whole group is scrawny.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Mr. Jacob insisted. “They’re fit and strong and very healthy.”
“Well, those are the sorts of complaints we’re going to hear, you know,” Paulsen pointed out. “Buyers always find fault with something.” He patted Mr. Jacob on the shoulder. “It’s all right. I know you and Elliott have done your best with these boys.”
“You should see how much they eat,” Mr. Jacob said fretfully, arms crossed over his chest. “They’re like hogs at a trough! I don’t know how we could have possibly fed them more!”
Paulsen gave Mr. Jacob another pat. “It’s not a problem, Jacob, not really. I promise we’ll sell each and every one of them,” he said reassuringly. “They’ll all meet their reserves, I guarantee it.”
Mr. Jacob shrugged off his hand. “They’re absolutely lovely boys. They’ll sell themselves.” Looking at Mr. Jacob’s face, it was suddenly obvious how tired he was, and how little he appreciated these criticisms of his charges, his work .
Martin struggled not to panic. Was he really so unappealing after all? He’d perhaps been given an inflated sense of himself at Ganymede, where he’d been an acknowledged beauty, and it was all too possible his charms had a diminished luster in the wider world. His cohort had been full of the sort of dark-haired boys Martin himself found so attractive, but his own coloring had been considered unusual. However, that might not be the case here and now, off the farm. Perhaps the city was full of boys with strawberry hair and exceptionally green eyes. Perhaps his hair wasn’t red enough . And he was too tall and skinny besides.
Mr. Paulsen clapped his hands together loudly. “Listen up, boys! I want the Standards over there near the stove, the Choice boys in that corner, and the Superiors here in the middle of the room. Go on, then; you know where you belong.”
Martin stayed where he was standing, and was joined by Charlie, Stuart, Leo and Georgie. Sandy, Noah, Jerome, Ben, Mitch, Steve, Terry and Paul went to the Choice corner. The Standard boys all crowded together in the kitchen end of the room: Artie, Bradley, Lloyd, Philip, Randy, Rex, Otto, Eric, Winston and Sam.
“It’s a shame you haven’t brought us more colored boys,” remarked one of the salesmen. “There’s a greater demand every year.”
“You need to be talking to management,” Mr. Elliott pointed out. “Not us. We don’t have any say in what sorts of boys are bred.”
“We watched the Perseus boys come in,” said another salesman. “Nearly half their boys are colored this year.” His tone implied that the Perseus salesmen would have an easier time of it with their fashionable stock.
“Well you have three wonderful colored boys,” Mr. Elliott said. “Jerome, Artie
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