Read Online Hadrian's Rage by Patricia-Marie Budd - Free Book Online

the boat home when his team works nights is odd.
    Wolf spits between his teeth into the water. “Nope,” Wolf grumbles. “The fucker fired me.”
    â€œWhat?” Matt is truly dismayed. Everyone knows Wolf to be a hard case, but he always does his job with no slacking. “Why would Malco fire you?”
    â€œBecause he’s a fucking dick; that’s why.”
    Matthew crosses over to Wolf and puts a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “I know you’re pissed, man, but come on; what happened?”
    â€œIt’s simple; he called me a dirty strai, threatened to expose me, and when I told him he couldn’t get me exiled anymore, he decided the next best thing was to fire me.”
    â€œBut,” Matthew stammers, “he can’t do that, can he?”
    â€œOh, yeah,” Wolf grimaces, “he can and he did. There ain’t no law protecting us, you know. Just because the government passed a law saying it won’t exile us or try to force-feed strai rats henbane anymore doesn’t mean we can’t still be legally fired just for being straight!”
    â€œYeah, but,” Matthew feels almost stupid saying this, “you did the re-ed thing, too, didn’t you?”
    â€œFuck, yeah, I did that shit. Fat lot a good it did, too, except scare the emotional shit out of me for life.” Scowling now, Wolf adds, “You, too; don’t fucking pretend otherwise, Matty , me lad. Me little paddle me backside leprechaun.”
    Matthew had confided in Wolf shortly after taking on this job. He told the older man about Gideon Weller’s treatment and that horrible day he had suffered a second paddling, by Gideon Weller’s hand, and his having passed out mid-beating. Although he never saw it, he was told how the paddle dripped blood when the vicious beating was over. “Don’t—” Nearing tears, Matthew barely manages to hold them back. “I meant, well, he can’t claim you’re still straight, not after graduating re-ed and all.”
    â€œHe says I confessed—fuck,” Wolf mutters. “I almost practically did.” Seeing deep concern in Matthew’s eyes, having mentored the youth when he first came to the docks to work, Wolf softens some and explains. “There was a boat of refugees, a small group of gay men. Fuck!” Near exasperation, Wolf utters “fuck” with a guttural grunt. “Ten of them—there were only ten of them. They had escaped persecution, I don’t even know from what fucking country. They said if forced to go back, they’d be stoned. In their country, being gay is punishable by death. I guess, in those countries, they bury the poor fuckers up to their chests and then pelt them with rocks until rescued by death.” 11
    Matthew shudders. “I’d rather drink henbane.”
    â€œYeah, that sounds more merciful, doesn’t it?”
    The acerbic slurring slaps Matthew as if he were to blame. “Gee, Wolf, come on.”
    â€œI’m sorry, kid; this whole thing’s got me messed-up in the head, a real mind fuck. I have no fucking idea what I’m gonna do now. It’s hard enough getting hired as a re-ed, but to be a fired re-ed, fired for being straight—I might as well drink the fucking henbane anyway.”
    â€œTell me what you said—everything, exactly like it happened.”
    Matthew’s earnest plea makes Wolf feel compelled to comply. “I felt something for these men, you know, living a similar sort of persecution. I figured, ‘Why the fuck not? They’re gay, there’s only ten of ’em, and shit, it’s not like the country’s busting at the seams with people like the rest of the planet,’ so I took their petition to Malco. I thought he might listen, talk to bigwigs, maybe do something to help them.” Sighing now, Wolf continues, “I sure as hell never expected what happened. Next thing I