bland, but there was no hiding how he felt from himself. He would love to see Karnaaj fall flat.
He would never say that, of course; his computer was recording the conversation, and he was willing to bet a thousand standards to a toenail that Karnaaj's flatscreen also had a vocalstat working.
Karnaaj made a small gesture of dismissal. "In any event, I suggest that you incarcerate Maro in the Zonn Chamber immediately. I would also suggest that he be monitered at eight hour intervals. I leave the state of his sanity to your judgement. Remove him when you think he is willing to respond to my questions."
"Wait just a moment, Commander—"
"You have doctors, Warden. Surely you can manage to keep one prisoner mentally healthy for a few days."
Stark started to reply, then stopped. This was all being recorded, he reminded himself. Carefully, he said, "On your orders, then, Commander Karnaaj, I shall incarcerate prisoner Dain Maro in the Zonn Chamber. I shall utilize my best efforts to maintain his sanity until your return; however, I cannot guarantee this.
The Zonn Chamber is poorly understood by our science. I can hardly be blamed for its effect upon a man's mind."
Karnaaj grinned wider, showing perfect teeth. "Yes you can, Warden. You are aiding the Soldatutmarkt in its investigation into intragalactic criminal activites, but Maro is your prisoner. I have told you to use your judgement in utilizing my suggestion that you place Maro in a portion of the prison for which you have been given responsibility. By assuming this command, you have indicated your fitness to hold it. You have more practical experience in using the Zonn artifacts than most scientists; therefore, you are to use this practical knowledge to aid me in my investigation." He stood. "I have indicated where your responsibility lies.
See that you understand this, Warden."
Oh, I understand , Stark thought. You have put the responsibility on my shoulders well enough. If I screw up, my head will roll. My only consolation is that yours will probably roll next to mine, and I find that scant comfort .
"I'll have a guard escort you out, Commander Kamaaj."
"No need. I know the way."
Juete was on her way to Stark's office when the thin, cadaverous man wearing the uniform of a Confederation officer appeared at the corridor's intersection in front of her. Kamaaj. She knew of him; most albinos on the Darkworld had heard of him, for Karnaaj had "owned" no less than three Exotics, at no small cost for the illegal slavery involved. She had heard the horror stories, had even known one of the families from which the Confed soldier had taken one of his victims. While nearly all humans and mues felt an attraction to Exotics, Kamaaj apparently felt it to an unusual degree. Two women and one man, hardly more than a boy, really, had been sold to him. And all three had died beneath his ministrations.
They had not, she had heard, been pleasant deaths.
Kamaaj saw her, and his smile seemed to take over his face. He stopped in front of her, and she knew it would be foolish to try to go around him.
"Ah. You would be Juete, Stark's Exotic." He let his gaze travel up and down her body slowly. Juete repressed a shudder. She had felt the touch of thousands of admiring looks, but none so chilling as this.
Kamaaj put out a hand as if to feel the firmness of her shoulder. Juete pushed the hand away. The man laughed. "Ah, a sense of self! I like that!" Abruptly his smile faded, and the look that replaced it was more akin to hunger. All humor was gone from his voice when next he spoke. "You are beautiful, of course, but more so than even other Exotics I have known. You could keep a man very happy, I have no doubt." He paused, and the smile returned, but it no longer hid the desire. "Would you like to leave Omega? I can arrange it, you know. You can be a free woman again."
Dumbly, Juete shook her head. Freedom with this man would be short and painful, and the end of it would be the final
He would never say that, of course; his computer was recording the conversation, and he was willing to bet a thousand standards to a toenail that Karnaaj's flatscreen also had a vocalstat working.
Karnaaj made a small gesture of dismissal. "In any event, I suggest that you incarcerate Maro in the Zonn Chamber immediately. I would also suggest that he be monitered at eight hour intervals. I leave the state of his sanity to your judgement. Remove him when you think he is willing to respond to my questions."
"Wait just a moment, Commander—"
"You have doctors, Warden. Surely you can manage to keep one prisoner mentally healthy for a few days."
Stark started to reply, then stopped. This was all being recorded, he reminded himself. Carefully, he said, "On your orders, then, Commander Karnaaj, I shall incarcerate prisoner Dain Maro in the Zonn Chamber. I shall utilize my best efforts to maintain his sanity until your return; however, I cannot guarantee this.
The Zonn Chamber is poorly understood by our science. I can hardly be blamed for its effect upon a man's mind."
Karnaaj grinned wider, showing perfect teeth. "Yes you can, Warden. You are aiding the Soldatutmarkt in its investigation into intragalactic criminal activites, but Maro is your prisoner. I have told you to use your judgement in utilizing my suggestion that you place Maro in a portion of the prison for which you have been given responsibility. By assuming this command, you have indicated your fitness to hold it. You have more practical experience in using the Zonn artifacts than most scientists; therefore, you are to use this practical knowledge to aid me in my investigation." He stood. "I have indicated where your responsibility lies.
See that you understand this, Warden."
Oh, I understand , Stark thought. You have put the responsibility on my shoulders well enough. If I screw up, my head will roll. My only consolation is that yours will probably roll next to mine, and I find that scant comfort .
"I'll have a guard escort you out, Commander Kamaaj."
"No need. I know the way."
Juete was on her way to Stark's office when the thin, cadaverous man wearing the uniform of a Confederation officer appeared at the corridor's intersection in front of her. Kamaaj. She knew of him; most albinos on the Darkworld had heard of him, for Karnaaj had "owned" no less than three Exotics, at no small cost for the illegal slavery involved. She had heard the horror stories, had even known one of the families from which the Confed soldier had taken one of his victims. While nearly all humans and mues felt an attraction to Exotics, Kamaaj apparently felt it to an unusual degree. Two women and one man, hardly more than a boy, really, had been sold to him. And all three had died beneath his ministrations.
They had not, she had heard, been pleasant deaths.
Kamaaj saw her, and his smile seemed to take over his face. He stopped in front of her, and she knew it would be foolish to try to go around him.
"Ah. You would be Juete, Stark's Exotic." He let his gaze travel up and down her body slowly. Juete repressed a shudder. She had felt the touch of thousands of admiring looks, but none so chilling as this.
Kamaaj put out a hand as if to feel the firmness of her shoulder. Juete pushed the hand away. The man laughed. "Ah, a sense of self! I like that!" Abruptly his smile faded, and the look that replaced it was more akin to hunger. All humor was gone from his voice when next he spoke. "You are beautiful, of course, but more so than even other Exotics I have known. You could keep a man very happy, I have no doubt." He paused, and the smile returned, but it no longer hid the desire. "Would you like to leave Omega? I can arrange it, you know. You can be a free woman again."
Dumbly, Juete shook her head. Freedom with this man would be short and painful, and the end of it would be the final
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