Arthur had a strange calm on his face as he drank the wine in his golden cup ornamented with rubies and rounded emeralds.
- We need to talk about somethings my lord...
- Tell me about what?
- About Ilyada my lord...
- I don't want to talk about her tonight.
- All right... can I talk to you later?
- Next week when I return from Nekr贸s.
- Okay, my lord.
- Benjamin made a somewhat surprising request to me today... - Cael provoked Ben with a lobster piece on his plate- Of all the Iudexes I know Benjamin always seemed the most controlled and silent...
I looked strangely at Benjamin he was standing in front of me, Ben stared at the wine that was being served to him. A perk meant for men sitting in their big chairs and denied to me in the name of ancient traditions.
- Don't be exaggerated Cael... we all have an eccentric side...
- I am happy to allow you to enjoy the pleasures of our caste! Many men could kill someone to be one of us!
- That's true!
- Arthur... how soon can we reach the island of Nekr贸s?
- On two waning moons my lord...
- For real captain? - Ender grumbles with a roasted turkey leg soaked in golden oil.
- Yes. We will have to go the safe way...
- But what about the Red Islands route?
- It's too risky to go through those waters... we didn't ask permission from the mermaids to travel by there! If we went through the Red Islands the whole vessel would sink...
- Those murderous bitches! We need invader those Islands! - A man with long blue curls, square face and a huge scar that crossed his face cursed.
- To be dragged to the bottom of the sea like all the other fools who had the same idea you just had... - Benjamin said with indifference on his face.
- How do you know? Have you ever been on a ship before?
- Yes... beside I know a lot of captains and I have my own fleet of ships so...
- But I still think they should tame those aquatic snakes! Where have you seen a man ask permission for their ship to pass?
- I also agree with you Anthony... - Arthur said- Those islands should be ours! We'd make a far smarter use of the gold they keep in those caves...
- Sure! Mermaids are famous for storing their treasures in caves inside the red islands! Why do they keep all that for? To hang them in their hair?
- It's not just for... mermaids also use gold to bargain with nymphs...
- I hate these creatures ... - Arthur cried- The nymphs are the worst life forms that the discovered world has ever known... they kill without the slightest remorse... invade our ships, steal our fish and our gold! There is no deal with those witches! Only the symbol of silence drives away those cursed plagues!
- I am relieved to have the symbol of silence painted on the bow of all my ships! - Cael commented. - Arthur can you imagine how many ships we would have lost if it weren't for the silence?
- I can't even imagine...
- Sir Cael.
- Ender...
- What is the likelihood of your pallaki keeping me company in the game room during that time that we are going to pass here?
Ender with his aged voice and with severe signs of smoking looked at me with an intense hunger in his eyes.
Every second those purulent eyes watched me I felt more and more
ashamed and raped.
- I'm sorry... my pallaki is booked for all days until our arrival in Nekr贸s...
- I'm sorry boys! - Arthur shouted at the raised - But one of the older crew demanded the right to have the pallaki for every night so...
- As Arthur explained, I didn't have another choice than to do except to accept that gentleman's request...
In the minute I heard all that, the ground collapsed under my feet.
How did that happen? A gentleman?
I was in shock and fighting against my tears that wanted to flow from my face.
- Kristma! - Cael ordered to me- Get up and go to the games room... in a few minutes your new master will meet you.
Obediently I stood up and I went outside the big and bright cabin.
I didn't even get a chance to sit a few minutes longer and now I'd have to move on to my first night without the slightest idea who would enjoy my body.
With a series of whistles and jeers directed at me I closed the cabin door and walked slowly up to the games room.
The walk to the room was long, tiring and monotonous. I was not hurry to get there, I was not in the mood to experience that night. I was too scared, too sad about the way I was being treated.
For a few minutes I wondered what would have happened with my life if I had escaped the pallaki ritual, if I had ignored the lady that was waiting for me outside my chalet.
Maybe I could be dead to deny myself the ritual, maybe I wasn't in that situation.
But I can't look back, now I have to face what I was going to be put in front of me.
Drus and I had learned from an early age in our colony that the best way to beat a giant is to face him and I would face mine.
馃尗馃寱馃尗
I was inside the game room and unlike what it had introduced as a fancy and mysterious room at morning now it was dark and a little scary.
The sunlight no longer shone between the curtains, there was only the faint blue shining of the moonlight that invaded the whole place in form of small and simple beams of light.
Next to me was a circle of dimmed light floating next to the door.
I touched the sphere with my fingertips immediately to the globe of light emanated a golden and warm light that with irradiated for all the other globes of light that were scattered on the walls and ceiling of the place turning on and illuminating everything around me.
With lazy and heavy steps I approached the bed and sat on it. I should wait for my "lord" as Cael had told me.
I waited for a few minutes and the door opened, not curious to see who it was I just wanted everything to end soon.
- Hey Kris! Why are you so sad? Will I have to eat all this food by myself?
"It couldn't be true" - I said to myself.
- Benjamim? What are you doing here? - I asked surprise and confused at the same time.
- As you did not tell me how I would help you in your mission to be free of the possible bruises that you would gain during this trip I took the liberty of solving your case... as I am a very efficient Iudex... wise... beautiful... intelligent and I pitied your situation my dear and most dignified Kristma...
I was too happy for try to answer or even thank for that act of kindness and in a purely emotional act I hugged him forcing Benjamin to work a little harder to hold the tray of fruit and meat that he had brought to me.
- Thank you!
- Now I want to hear... who is the best Iudex in the whole Empire?
I turn away from him by drying my tears and fixing my eyes on his naughty and cheerful smile.
- Come on! I want to hear ! Who is the best Iudex of all the Iudexes of this Empire?
- You! Are you happy now?
- More than happy! I am honored by your devotion to me! I knew somewhere in your heart there was some praise for me!
- Don't you get tired of being convinced?
- I am not convinced I just recognize my qualities! And take this... - He said handing me the tray of food- I didn't know if you had eaten today... you looked hungry at that chaotic dinner offered us by our beloved captain... I was counting the minutes to get out of there... Ender is the dirtiest man I've ever seen in my life!
- Could you explain something to me... - I spoke with my mouth full of food and satisfying the needs of my hungry stomach. - How did you ask to be with me and how did Cael let me accompany you?
- That was simple...at first! I talked to Arthur... he's a man who values our caste system too much, so since he's a mornez caste, he almost bowed when I asked him to give up a night with you. So I talked to Cael who did not agree with my request but after I practically staging a almost animalistic interest in his body has allowed me to be with you.
- What will we do while we're here?
- I brought plenty of food and there is a bottle of wine here in somewhere that I will discover... we can we can eat and drink and then take a nice nap...
- Do you know how to play cards?
- Of course I know! Poker, all kinds of games...
- You could teach me ... I always wanted to learn how to play Luzy...
- Luzy? That easy game that ends up when someone getting rid of all the cards received in the beginning of the game?
- Luzy is not that easy, okay? I've always wanted to learn but I never knew the rules... no one never taught me...
- So you will learn to play Luzy tonight my dear Kris! - He spoke with his eyes shining with excitement.
- Did you bring the cards?
- No but I think there must be something here... this is the games room... Isn't it? Must be here some game here that's not about a whip hitting your butt!
I don't know why that else that joke sounded so funny but I laughed.