prisoner had spoken harshly to her. For that lie, the man paid with his life.
Juete could not forget that, no matter how she tried. That was when she knew that she was his slave, now and forever.
He owned her. Her sentence had been commuted—he didn't know that she knew—and she was certain that he meant to take her with him when he left the Cage.
That was all that kept her going—the thought that someday she might leave this hellish planet. Even as his slave, there was a chance she could escape him once they were back on a civilized world.
Stark wanted her to love him; Juete could feel that as she had felt it with a dozen others. They all wanted her, but they also wanted her to love them, body and soul and mind, exclusively and forever. She had withheld that from him, had kept it as her final trump. When he was transferred, as someday he must be, she would play it then, pretend to give him that which he wanted so much. Once he believed that she loved him, he would relax his vigilance. And once he loosened his hold on her, even a fraction, she could flee.
The tears flowed faster as she thought about escape. To be free, to have the choice of where to go, and with whom, that was her goal. Without it she would have no reason to continue living. With it, there was hope, however small and distant it might be.
"Juete?"
The sound froze her, even sleep-fogged as it was. She wiped the tears away with both hands as though he could see through the panel.
"In the fresher," she called.
"Hurry back," he said. His voice was more awake now. "I have a surprise for you."
The Exotic had to squeeze her eyes shut quickly to keep from crying again.
Quickly, she ran cold water in the basin and washed her face and hands. She dried herself and forced a fake smile into place. The master calls, whore. Go and give him that which he desires—for now. But someday it will change .
Someday . . .
Chapter Eight
Commander Karnaaj sat stiffly in the chair across from Stark, as if he were afraid that the inert chunk of furniture might swallow him alive if he relaxed in the slightest. Stark found himself struck once again by the bloodless features.
Karnaaj's skin was almost as pale as Juete's.
"Is he ready to talk?" Karnaaj said.
Stark glanced away from the other man's unblinking stare. "I think not. Exposure to the other convicts affected him not at all; I threatened him with mindwipe, but if he was afraid, I could not detect it. I hesitated to utilize any stronger methods, knowing your insistance on keeping him available." Do your own damned work .
Stark thought. If he dies, you can't blame me for it .
"I see." The intelligence officer removed a small flatscreen unit the size of his palm from his gray uniform tunic, thumbed up a file and glanced at it. Stark sat quietly fuming as Kamaaj ignored him. Finally, Karnaaj said, "I have business in the city."
There was no need to specify which city, as there was only one of any size on Omega. "It will take perhaps a week or ten days to attend to," Karnaaj continued.
"When I return, the prisoner should be ready to tell me what 1 wish to know."
Stark could not resist the temptation. "Oh? And how is this to be accomplished. Commander?"
This time Karnaaj smiled, very slightly. "Use the Zonn Chamber."
Stark sat up in his chair, astonished. "I thought you wanted information from him. The Zonn Chamber will reduce him to a gibbering wreck! No human or mue has ever come out sane after more than a day or two in it."
"You will find that Dain Maro isn't quite as fragile as that, if our information is correct."
"And if your information is incorrect?"
Karnaaj smiled again, stretching his thin lips slightly but still not showing any teeth. "Then you will have the satisfaction of seeing me proved wrong, Commander Stark. A pleasure for you, I am certain it will be."
"Whatever can you mean, Commander? Why should I take any pleasure from the distress of a fellow Confederation officer?" Stark's voice was
Juete could not forget that, no matter how she tried. That was when she knew that she was his slave, now and forever.
He owned her. Her sentence had been commuted—he didn't know that she knew—and she was certain that he meant to take her with him when he left the Cage.
That was all that kept her going—the thought that someday she might leave this hellish planet. Even as his slave, there was a chance she could escape him once they were back on a civilized world.
Stark wanted her to love him; Juete could feel that as she had felt it with a dozen others. They all wanted her, but they also wanted her to love them, body and soul and mind, exclusively and forever. She had withheld that from him, had kept it as her final trump. When he was transferred, as someday he must be, she would play it then, pretend to give him that which he wanted so much. Once he believed that she loved him, he would relax his vigilance. And once he loosened his hold on her, even a fraction, she could flee.
The tears flowed faster as she thought about escape. To be free, to have the choice of where to go, and with whom, that was her goal. Without it she would have no reason to continue living. With it, there was hope, however small and distant it might be.
"Juete?"
The sound froze her, even sleep-fogged as it was. She wiped the tears away with both hands as though he could see through the panel.
"In the fresher," she called.
"Hurry back," he said. His voice was more awake now. "I have a surprise for you."
The Exotic had to squeeze her eyes shut quickly to keep from crying again.
Quickly, she ran cold water in the basin and washed her face and hands. She dried herself and forced a fake smile into place. The master calls, whore. Go and give him that which he desires—for now. But someday it will change .
Someday . . .
Chapter Eight
Commander Karnaaj sat stiffly in the chair across from Stark, as if he were afraid that the inert chunk of furniture might swallow him alive if he relaxed in the slightest. Stark found himself struck once again by the bloodless features.
Karnaaj's skin was almost as pale as Juete's.
"Is he ready to talk?" Karnaaj said.
Stark glanced away from the other man's unblinking stare. "I think not. Exposure to the other convicts affected him not at all; I threatened him with mindwipe, but if he was afraid, I could not detect it. I hesitated to utilize any stronger methods, knowing your insistance on keeping him available." Do your own damned work .
Stark thought. If he dies, you can't blame me for it .
"I see." The intelligence officer removed a small flatscreen unit the size of his palm from his gray uniform tunic, thumbed up a file and glanced at it. Stark sat quietly fuming as Kamaaj ignored him. Finally, Karnaaj said, "I have business in the city."
There was no need to specify which city, as there was only one of any size on Omega. "It will take perhaps a week or ten days to attend to," Karnaaj continued.
"When I return, the prisoner should be ready to tell me what 1 wish to know."
Stark could not resist the temptation. "Oh? And how is this to be accomplished. Commander?"
This time Karnaaj smiled, very slightly. "Use the Zonn Chamber."
Stark sat up in his chair, astonished. "I thought you wanted information from him. The Zonn Chamber will reduce him to a gibbering wreck! No human or mue has ever come out sane after more than a day or two in it."
"You will find that Dain Maro isn't quite as fragile as that, if our information is correct."
"And if your information is incorrect?"
Karnaaj smiled again, stretching his thin lips slightly but still not showing any teeth. "Then you will have the satisfaction of seeing me proved wrong, Commander Stark. A pleasure for you, I am certain it will be."
"Whatever can you mean, Commander? Why should I take any pleasure from the distress of a fellow Confederation officer?" Stark's voice was
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