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Authors: Ashe Barker
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lie. Would you not agree, Caria?”
Resentment surged, but she suppressed her angry retort. “Yes, sir, as a rule. But—”
“A simple yes or no is fine. So, you chose not to inform me of your condition. Is that also correct?”
“Yes, sir,” she muttered.
“Speak up, Caria. Is that also correct?”
“Yes,” she affirmed, meeting his gaze. Let him do his worst. She knew by now he wouldn’t kill her, nor would he do her serious harm as that would impede his own plans. She tilted her chin in an overt show of defiance.
“Thank you. So, no doubt you had a persuasive reason for this act of deception. Would you share that with me now, please?”
“I… I…” Caria struggled to articulate the trepidation that had kept her silent. He must know how much he intimidated her. It had to be deliberate on his part and as much as anything that was why she was reluctant to afford him the satisfaction of confessing as much to him. “It was private, and—”
“You have no privacy now, Caria.”
And didn’t she know it? That examination was proof enough. She tilted her chin again but offered no comment.
“Is that it? Have you no more to say to me?”
“No, sir.”
“You surprise me, Caria. I had expected to hear of your fears that once I learnt of your infertility I might find myself with no use for you after all. I don’t flatter myself that you harbour any real enthusiasm for your new station, but the alternatives are perhaps even less palatable. I believe you thought to avoid a worse fate by pretending acceptance of my terms. Am I right?”
Caria flattened her mouth, determined not to answer if she could help it.
“So, despite agreeing with me just now that omission of the truth is as culpable as lying to me, you still persist. You disappoint me, Caria.”
That remark stung her into offering something. Anything. “I… I had no idea what was wrong, that there even was anything wrong with me. I thought that maybe I was just unlucky.”
He shook his head. “You knew, or at least you suspected. I wondered why you were so tense, but it’s all clear enough now. You knew we’d discover the truth, just as I’m discovering it now despite your best efforts. Shall we cease this game, Caria?”
“I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
“Liar. I suggest you stop now before you make an already precarious situation infinitely worse.” He paused and watched her.
Caria felt not unlike a mouse caught in a cat’s claws, helpless and unable to escape, an unwitting plaything.
Phahlen continued. “I understand fear well enough, Caria, and I know it can drive us all to make poor decisions. You have no reason, yet, to trust me and it may surprise you to learn I understand why you kept this information to yourself. I might have done the same in your situation. It’s your insistence on clinging to this falsehood, though, which concerns me now. I need to know what you’re thinking and feeling, otherwise I will not be in a position to take care of you.”
“Take care of me?” Caria couldn’t contain her snort of derision. “You call abduction, imprisonment, and assault taking care of me? Please, Commander, do not trouble yourself further on my behalf.”
His eyes narrowed, and Caria knew she had gone too far. This Vahlean had made it clear how he would deal with insubordination and she had no reason to suppose he would welcome her sarcasm either. She stepped backward, her instinct to put more distance between herself and his anger.
Phahlen rose from his seat and came around the desk. He stopped and leaned one hip on the edge, watching as Caria edged further away. He said nothing, just pointed to a spot on the floor about two feet in front of him.
Caria’s brief flirtation with bravado evaporated. He would spank her again, or worse. No one on board this ship would help her, there was no escape. Slowly, her eyes on the floor, she returned to stand on the spot he indicated.
She was surprised when he placed two
Resentment surged, but she suppressed her angry retort. “Yes, sir, as a rule. But—”
“A simple yes or no is fine. So, you chose not to inform me of your condition. Is that also correct?”
“Yes, sir,” she muttered.
“Speak up, Caria. Is that also correct?”
“Yes,” she affirmed, meeting his gaze. Let him do his worst. She knew by now he wouldn’t kill her, nor would he do her serious harm as that would impede his own plans. She tilted her chin in an overt show of defiance.
“Thank you. So, no doubt you had a persuasive reason for this act of deception. Would you share that with me now, please?”
“I… I…” Caria struggled to articulate the trepidation that had kept her silent. He must know how much he intimidated her. It had to be deliberate on his part and as much as anything that was why she was reluctant to afford him the satisfaction of confessing as much to him. “It was private, and—”
“You have no privacy now, Caria.”
And didn’t she know it? That examination was proof enough. She tilted her chin again but offered no comment.
“Is that it? Have you no more to say to me?”
“No, sir.”
“You surprise me, Caria. I had expected to hear of your fears that once I learnt of your infertility I might find myself with no use for you after all. I don’t flatter myself that you harbour any real enthusiasm for your new station, but the alternatives are perhaps even less palatable. I believe you thought to avoid a worse fate by pretending acceptance of my terms. Am I right?”
Caria flattened her mouth, determined not to answer if she could help it.
“So, despite agreeing with me just now that omission of the truth is as culpable as lying to me, you still persist. You disappoint me, Caria.”
That remark stung her into offering something. Anything. “I… I had no idea what was wrong, that there even was anything wrong with me. I thought that maybe I was just unlucky.”
He shook his head. “You knew, or at least you suspected. I wondered why you were so tense, but it’s all clear enough now. You knew we’d discover the truth, just as I’m discovering it now despite your best efforts. Shall we cease this game, Caria?”
“I don’t know what you mean, sir.”
“Liar. I suggest you stop now before you make an already precarious situation infinitely worse.” He paused and watched her.
Caria felt not unlike a mouse caught in a cat’s claws, helpless and unable to escape, an unwitting plaything.
Phahlen continued. “I understand fear well enough, Caria, and I know it can drive us all to make poor decisions. You have no reason, yet, to trust me and it may surprise you to learn I understand why you kept this information to yourself. I might have done the same in your situation. It’s your insistence on clinging to this falsehood, though, which concerns me now. I need to know what you’re thinking and feeling, otherwise I will not be in a position to take care of you.”
“Take care of me?” Caria couldn’t contain her snort of derision. “You call abduction, imprisonment, and assault taking care of me? Please, Commander, do not trouble yourself further on my behalf.”
His eyes narrowed, and Caria knew she had gone too far. This Vahlean had made it clear how he would deal with insubordination and she had no reason to suppose he would welcome her sarcasm either. She stepped backward, her instinct to put more distance between herself and his anger.
Phahlen rose from his seat and came around the desk. He stopped and leaned one hip on the edge, watching as Caria edged further away. He said nothing, just pointed to a spot on the floor about two feet in front of him.
Caria’s brief flirtation with bravado evaporated. He would spank her again, or worse. No one on board this ship would help her, there was no escape. Slowly, her eyes on the floor, she returned to stand on the spot he indicated.
She was surprised when he placed two
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