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Authors: Robin Smith
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porcelain mask. “Because I’m all done trying to make the best of this. I’m just…here to serve you.” She looked at him, her heart numb in her chest and her arms limp at her sides. “Where do you want me?”
“You’re acting like a fool!” he exploded. “Do you want to know why I gave you that terminal? I did it so you would sit with me during my work-shift instead of sitting in your room!”
“Bull!” The audacity of the lie even provoked a shaky, unhappy species of laughter out of her. “Bullshit, even! You only did it so you wouldn’t have to listen to me talk anymore!”
“I listen!”
“You never talk back!”
“ Men don’t talk to women !” he roared. He wrestled visibly with his self-control when she flinched back, paced shortly beside the bed, and then stopped facing away from her. He gave her nothing but his broad back and the barest thread of a growl running through his words when he said, “When a woman of the Empire is called to serve, it is a point of pride to anticipate her man’s desires and provide for them intuitively. When such a woman talks about her day, she is asking her man what he wants her to do with it. When she asks what he thinks, she is really asking what she’s supposed to think.”
“So she’s a toady,” Skye said, still angry, but beginning to be confused also. “It’s a whole empire full of sycophants. Congratulations.”
“Never! The women of Vaaj are strong and independent! She submits to show her gratitude to the men who protect her! She reflects his thoughts and his will to make him welcome when he comes home to her! I know it isn’t the same here,” he snarled, swinging around to glare at her. “That is why I don’t tell you what to think, what to do! I’m showing you respect!”
“No, you’re ignoring me!” she insisted, but all the force had gone out of her voice. She watched him while he paced again, his hands snapping open and closed, and when he finally managed a modicum of quiet, she said, “You never talk? Never?”
“They have their own society. We have ours. They take care of the cities and we take care of them.” He glared at the metal walls that cased them in. “There isn’t much I can do to take care of you here. I can’t give you a courtyard at the rear of my house or hire someone in to scrub your floors. I can’t even give you food that you enjoy. But I could give you a computer terminal and I could take back your resources.”
“By calling me a liar!”
“You were supposed to know I didn’t mean it,” he said irritably.
“How the hell am I supposed to know that?”
He stopped pacing and looked at her, all the anger in him slowly eclipsed by surprise. Then, as close to hesitantly as he ever came, he said, “You’re supposed to know me .”
Skye wanted to laugh again, but couldn’t find either the humor in the situation or the meanness in herself. Instead, she spread her hands. “How? By giving me the silent treatment for two months? Why does it always have to come to something like this before you explain anything to me? I hate arguing with you, Vala! I want to be friends and you just freeze me out!”
That threw him. He stared at her for a while, then turned his back on her again and stomped over to the bed. “If I was good at dealing with people, I wouldn’t be here, would I?” he grumbled and sat. He was quiet for a long time. Then he said, “I thought I was being friendly.”
“By telling the whole planet you think I’m duplicitous and dishonest? I mean, what am I supposed to believe, Vala? Your ‘respectful’ silence, or the only words you say?”
Again, he seemed stymied. Time stretched out, leaden and uncounted.
“Then I’m sorry,” he said.
It was her turn to blink and stare. He didn’t turn around.
“I thought you didn’t make mistakes,” she said finally.
“It wouldn’t be a mistake with anyone else but you,” he shot back, tight and frustrated. Then he sat quietly
“You’re acting like a fool!” he exploded. “Do you want to know why I gave you that terminal? I did it so you would sit with me during my work-shift instead of sitting in your room!”
“Bull!” The audacity of the lie even provoked a shaky, unhappy species of laughter out of her. “Bullshit, even! You only did it so you wouldn’t have to listen to me talk anymore!”
“I listen!”
“You never talk back!”
“ Men don’t talk to women !” he roared. He wrestled visibly with his self-control when she flinched back, paced shortly beside the bed, and then stopped facing away from her. He gave her nothing but his broad back and the barest thread of a growl running through his words when he said, “When a woman of the Empire is called to serve, it is a point of pride to anticipate her man’s desires and provide for them intuitively. When such a woman talks about her day, she is asking her man what he wants her to do with it. When she asks what he thinks, she is really asking what she’s supposed to think.”
“So she’s a toady,” Skye said, still angry, but beginning to be confused also. “It’s a whole empire full of sycophants. Congratulations.”
“Never! The women of Vaaj are strong and independent! She submits to show her gratitude to the men who protect her! She reflects his thoughts and his will to make him welcome when he comes home to her! I know it isn’t the same here,” he snarled, swinging around to glare at her. “That is why I don’t tell you what to think, what to do! I’m showing you respect!”
“No, you’re ignoring me!” she insisted, but all the force had gone out of her voice. She watched him while he paced again, his hands snapping open and closed, and when he finally managed a modicum of quiet, she said, “You never talk? Never?”
“They have their own society. We have ours. They take care of the cities and we take care of them.” He glared at the metal walls that cased them in. “There isn’t much I can do to take care of you here. I can’t give you a courtyard at the rear of my house or hire someone in to scrub your floors. I can’t even give you food that you enjoy. But I could give you a computer terminal and I could take back your resources.”
“By calling me a liar!”
“You were supposed to know I didn’t mean it,” he said irritably.
“How the hell am I supposed to know that?”
He stopped pacing and looked at her, all the anger in him slowly eclipsed by surprise. Then, as close to hesitantly as he ever came, he said, “You’re supposed to know me .”
Skye wanted to laugh again, but couldn’t find either the humor in the situation or the meanness in herself. Instead, she spread her hands. “How? By giving me the silent treatment for two months? Why does it always have to come to something like this before you explain anything to me? I hate arguing with you, Vala! I want to be friends and you just freeze me out!”
That threw him. He stared at her for a while, then turned his back on her again and stomped over to the bed. “If I was good at dealing with people, I wouldn’t be here, would I?” he grumbled and sat. He was quiet for a long time. Then he said, “I thought I was being friendly.”
“By telling the whole planet you think I’m duplicitous and dishonest? I mean, what am I supposed to believe, Vala? Your ‘respectful’ silence, or the only words you say?”
Again, he seemed stymied. Time stretched out, leaden and uncounted.
“Then I’m sorry,” he said.
It was her turn to blink and stare. He didn’t turn around.
“I thought you didn’t make mistakes,” she said finally.
“It wouldn’t be a mistake with anyone else but you,” he shot back, tight and frustrated. Then he sat quietly
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