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As Sue moved to her, she made a small curtsey and held
the chair. Sue sat down shivering, but the leather was warmed by an inner element
and conformed to her shape.
“What
would my lady desire?”
Still numb and angry, Sue shrugged.
“Might I be offering a selection, ma’am?”
“I . . . no. Brush and braid.”
“Cornrow? Several braids? Plaited? If I may be so
bold, you would be beautiful in any style.”
“One, please.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Soft music filtered through the bedroom. It wasn’t
Tecneeque or Hillbilly Chain Drive, but something from Classic Soft Rock. A love
song, she noted, and a wry smile came over her.
The woman made soft, worried exclamations over the
state of her hair and muttered to herself.
“Excuse me?”
“‘Tis blood, ma’am.” The woman sighed.
“Yourself was getting my lord angry? No, he would never hurt a woman,” the
gentle voice said. “‘Tis so. He was been wanting me lady for ever so long,
since she was a child, but he honors her by waiting most patiently.”
“Well, he can continue to wait. I ain’t built for
no damned harem.”
The woman’s brush slowed, then started again.
“Such words,” she said, a forced smile in her
voice. “Nay, do not argue.”
“I’m not. How much did he pay for you?”
The brush stopped.
“I’m gonna plait it, so soft and golden. It sets
off the dark copper o’ your skin.”
“You love him, don’t you?”
The woman didn’t answer. Sue closed her eyes and let
the pain and music carry her away.
A mirror slid away to reveal a tall, lean man. Naked,
he walked into the room to stand before Sue. A gentle smile was on his face. He
glanced up to see the beautician was looking at him. He shook his head. The
woman sighed.
“She stole a razor.”
His eyes widened. Then he grinned, and teeth flashed
white in a dark face that showed a heavy influence of Caribè in his ancestry.
The woman showed him a clot of blood on Sue’s arm.
Under that were several needle marks.
“Sim –”
“Is waitin’ fer me word.”
“Yes, my lord.” She pulled a thick layer of wet
hair from Sue’s breast. Bite marks and a small cut seeped blood. “The camera
. . . ten men or more was abusing her through the night at Sim’s place, then I
had me new daughter brought here.”
The gentle brown of his eyes crystallized, the eyes
narrowed and hard.
“The men be dead,” he said, his voice grim.
“Test you the blood to be fer certain she ain’t diseased, Ma. Get the doc to
boost her shots lest she be a carrier.”
“Now, you will not be harming Sim. He’s your
cousin and loyal –”
“I cut him fockin balls off an’ feed ‘em to him
through his anal.”
“You will not.” Her voice grew severe. “Sim was
but following your orders, to make her most agreeable. He is family. Punish him
and we lose too damned much.”
Eye going wide, he whispered, “Ma! Mind yer
lingo.”
She glanced away, then back.
“Sorry, son. Still, ‘tis just as I’ve said.”
“I got to at least send him gone fer a while. He
knows well me desire fer the girl.”
The woman sighed. “To the Island, my fine man. To do
work there such as we need done. Yes, let be known he displeased you. But,”
she raised a plaiting comb, “Let ‘em all know you love him, too.”
“Aye.”
Grinning, he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on
the cheek. She made a swat at him, and he ducked away, running back through the
doorway. The mirror slid shut and they were alone again.
Breathing lightly, Sue let herself drift back to
sleep.
When Sue came awake, her hair was neatly plaited down
her back, and a tall cappuccino steamed near her hand.
“Awake, me lady?” Smiling, the woman moved around
in front of her. “Are you hungry, child? I can have the chef whip up
something. A nice chicken mole, perhaps, or a salad of palm hearts.”
“No.” She smiled to show she wasn’t angry with
the woman.
“Ah, well, you’re too thin. No like me.” The
woman patted one hip. “I like to eat.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m just not hungry.” She took
the coffee and sipped, and the woman’s face showed a warmer smile.
“Well, it’s a start.”
The women turned away to clean her tools. Sue said,
“What time is it?”
“Why? Here, there is no time. Child, this is
paradise.”
“One prison for another,” Sue muttered and the
cappuccino lost its flavor. She put it back on the arm.
“Beg pardon?”
“Ma’am, my people, we don’t make good slaves.”
“Nonsense. Slavery is illegal –”
“There’s more than one sort.” Taking a deep
breath, Sue looked away. “I know.” She looked back, saying, “Ma’am, I
have obligations.”
Stiffening, the woman snapped, “To that beast of a
father?”
“He’s in his own hell, but I mean Ama.”
The woman softened. “Yes.” Lips pursed, she began
to put away the tools again and then drew Sue from the chair.
“Beauty chair be gone.”
“Aye, me lady.” The chair slid away into the floor
to be replaced by a rack of clothes.
“You my lady prefer a gown or a sarong such as the
people in Asia enjoy?”
Sue frowned. “Jeans and boots ‘cause I’m gitting
it gone.”
With a small sigh, the woman pulled down a sheath of
white silk. She tossed it aside with a frown. A garish sarong followed, then a
leather skirt. With a shudder, the woman ripped the skirt in two, dropping it to
the floor for tiny robomechs to consume and carry away. A plain dress came to
her hands. She held it up, then smiled.
“If I may, I would like to dress you.”
Remaining very still, Sue asked, “Why is Lord
Penn’s mother helping me dress and fixing hair?”
The woman’s eyes widened, then narrowed in laughter.
Her accents broadened to hill country Jamaican.
“‘Tis just so as pleases me. Ain’t ye nay played
a small trick, ever?" The accents drifted back to educated British. “Now,
my girl, let’s dress you.”
Sue took a step back.
“No.”
With a sign, the woman sank to the bed. “Darling, I
was born and raised in the cane and woods of Jamaica. My papa was the last of
the Caribè on the island. I worked hard and studied harder. Within a few years
my English was quite good, and I procured a position at a hotel.” A small grin
came and went from her face. “Yes, as a beautician. Jamie’s dear papa came
from Bath, England, and fell hard for me. It was unfortunate he was married, but
I was taken care of. Quite well, in fact. My son was sent to school in England,
where he met with some rather painful experiences and returned home, losing
himself in the culture. Oh, he speaks better than I, but prefers our own
language to that of the old masters. He is very conversant if you’ll allow.”
She clapped her hands, and two women came in. Sue moved
back against the mirrors.
“No, no. Not unless you insist,” Mrs. Penn said.
“Please, sit near me.” She patted the silk covers.
Sue moved to the bed with an eye on the women. They
bulged with muscles. One carried a truncheon of black plastic.
The bed had been changed, the silks now white and
shining. She sat near the woman but not within reach. The woman beamed at her.
“There, much better. As I was saying, love. He went
to work on his grandfather’s farm and lost himself in the ganja and drugs for
a time. Our people don’t use them, even the ganja, and dealers live in terror
of us. He came to his senses and contacted me to pass on an apology to his da’,
and came home. Jaime put him to work in the hotel, and he worked hard, invested
his money, and our personal wealth grew.” Dark eyes twinkling, she said, “He
does tend to be one-tracked, as you yanks say.”
She clapped her hands and a man entered.
“I would like a coffee, please. Black,
unsweetened.”
The man bowed and left as he came, in silence. Sue
stared at the door. It sealed shut and became just one more part of the wall.
“His dear father passed on, leaving us the hotel.
Perhaps you’ve heard of it, the King’s Palace?”
Sue shook her head.
“Ah, well, it was quite a place. Jaime’s poor wife
was not pleased as she did not care to part with wealth. I quite understand. She
had children, a son and daughter, both older than I. She sent her lawyers, and we
lost the hotel, but not what moneys Jaime invested in Penn and I. My . . .
stepson and –daughter came to us. I feared they wished to dispose of us, but
Penn had been in contact with them, meeting them in London, and they were quite
charmed. Sim, you see, is also their cousin, but on their mother’s side. We
follow the Native way and refer to Sim as our cousin, as well.
“They invested in with us, and our fortunes soared as
Penn pointed out political happenings and how it was going to affect our
holdings. Eventually, though, the EU turned on her citizens and absconded with
all moneys. We lost everything in Europe, then in the Islands. Thank God we held
something here, as well, and prospered till the Party took control.”
The butler returned with a cup of coffee.
“Thank you,” she said. He bowed and slipped away.
“As it stands, we’re slowly losing to the party.
My boy was told to join, or we would feel their wrath. Instead, we set parameters,
and the police daren’t enter. Much of the worse part of the city are ours, and
we’ve expanded into other cities, sending out ambassadors to the lords and
leaders in their slums. Much of Canada and America del Sur has been cut off by
the wars, but we’ve people there, as well.”
She sipped the coffee and beamed at Sue.
“I have decided it’s time for dear Samuel to
settle down and give me a daughter.” She scooted over to stroke Sue’s hair.
“My dear, it’s not right that I do this, but for my son’s sake, marry
him.”
Sue blinked.
“Y’all is nuts.”
Clear laughter came from the woman. “My dear, sweet
child. A truer word has never been told, but no, I am serious.”
Benny lay back on the bed and scowled.
Ya know, he
said, this is the best friggin pit I ever
been in. I wouldn’t mind staying, if I were a freekin sheep.
Sue stilled, then slowly shook her head.
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