Click.
Hesper’s stomach twisted.
"Officer, pull down her trousers and give her a whipping she won’t forget,” Trinity said, her voice smooth and stoic. "They’re rarely uppity once they’ve had their cheeks exposed and kissed by metal. And next time, cuff an apprehended Gentle behind their back!”
Surrounded by foreign chaos, an outburst of laughter startled Hesper, followed by a child’s voice, piercing through the din. So many Meros! Nothing familiar.
Black road. Throbbing fingers.
She still had not achieved a deep breath.
Sad, green grass at her right, well-trampled.
Someone grabbed Hesper’s feet, and another pulled down her trousers to expose her. She screamed and pushed up to pull away, but Trinity’s foot shoved her down against the hard road. Something struck cold, leaving a line of burning pain across her rear. Gasping with maddening, too-short breaths, she clawed at the flat, black surface of the road, scraping her fingertips and the heels of her hands.
They struck her again. She grunted and squeezed down a cry.
They are not monsters. They are people. They are not monsters. They are people.
A man’s yell stood out in the noisy swarm. Air rushed into Hesper’s mouth and past her throat, stretching her lungs. Finally. She relaxed and rested her cheek on the cool road and wept aloud. Black boots approached and did not pass by. Hesper pulled her hands into herself lest the boots step on her as Trinity’s heels had.
"Is this really necessary, Reverenced One? Are you drunk?” Despite an angry tone, the clear voice carried a gentle, balanced gravel under the surface. This would be okay. She would be okay.
"David.” With a final shove of her heel into Hesper’s back, Trinity stepped away. "Just the man I need. Here. For you. You’re good with the young ones.”
Tears cascaded down Hesper’s face, collecting in great droplets that hung off her chin as she looked at her apparent rescuer. David inclined his head toward her, frowning. "Pull her pants up, Officer Burns.”
"At Her Reverence’s orders,” Officer Burns said.
“Pull her pants up, Burns.”
Someone tugged Hesper’s trousers over her rear and released her feet. She pushed herself off the ground and stood. Surrounded by people and a fence, fleeing with shackled hands would be futile and fatal.
Clad in black uniforms and brightly colored dresses, people passed in every direction. Some looked at her, some did not. Others wore pitying expressions, while a few scowled. The pungent, overbearing odor of pine tar and sweet spices had escaped her notice until now. Comforting and disconcerting at once.
David faced Trinity, tall and straight, shoulders back, wearing the same kind of uniform as everyone else, though he had more colorful metal pieces. Just another Meros. She could never fight him off, but if his soothing voice proved to be a lie, she would die trying.
"Does she need Guidance?” David asked. "Whose is she? Earth Person?”
"I told you! She’s yours if you’ll take her. Definitely not an Earth Person. They show up at our Gates with rocks, and you think they’re suddenly going to send someone to do a good deed? If she’s from the nearby community, they don’t have the sense to build homes on the ground, much less sneak into a base for nefarious purposes.”
She thought the Unified were stupid? Call them ignorant, call them weak, call them ugly, but stupid? Without sense? No! Hesper glared at Trinity and spat on the ground. "We honor the trees as our ancestors did, and they had enough sense to survive your war, skeleton-woman.”
David stifled a laugh.
Trinity shifted her glare from David to Hesper. "I considered shooting her on the spot, but she struck me as your type: full of spirit. You seem to like being insulted and shoved around by girls. I know you said you wouldn’t take more . . .”
David shook his head. Strong words swam in his eyes.
"Take her or I’ll put her on the block!” Trinity barked. "She’s pretty and strong enough to get a fair price.” She slid her hand along Hesper’s braid. "On second thought, Vincent might appreciate her.” Seeming to stroke Hesper’s head at first, Trinity clenched her hand shut around a fistful of hair and yanked, twisting Hesper’s neck and pulling at her scalp. Hesper yelped.
Trinity snorted. "You know he likes long hair and women who squeak.”
"Well, that explains a few things. You always were a squeaker, Your Reverence.”
"I’m sure I have no idea how you would know. I kept my pants on ‘til it was legal, thank you very much. The only squeaking in our house came from you, man-whore.”
David quirked his eyebrow as though he thought the statement absurd, then produced a surprising, breathy laugh that ruddied his face. "Oh, that wasn’t me, Reverenced One, and I think we have a different definition of ‘squeak,’ but out of courtesy for the young lady here, I'll refrain from titting your tat.” David took a quick look at Hesper. "You said she did a good deed? What’s that about? Where did you find her?”
Trinity released Hesper’s hair. "The piece of chalkstone was carrying Thomas. He’s got a huge gash on his head that she felt obligated to turn into her problem. And look what she did to me!” She pointed out the offensive red dot from Hesper’s needle. "Granted, it looks small,” she admitted. "Being as thin as I am, it nearly went through my arm. The needle was curved! She must be a medicine woman or something. They’re the only ones who carry those.”
David’s eyes fell on the wound and, flashing with fun, turned to Hesper. Hesper had seen that look in the eyes of many a young boy with mischief on their minds. Even though most of his conversation had been fairly detached and cool, there was no mistaking that spark of fun.
A troublemaker.
The side of his mouth tipped up in a half-smile. Troublemaker or not, David’s pleasant clean-shaven face did not frighten her the way it ought. Hands tucked harmlessly in his pockets, he tilted his head and bounced on the balls of his feet a few times. "What warranted public exposure and beating an innocent girl’s rear end with a baton, Reverenced One?”
"Consider it Guidance. I’ll leave Acclimation to you. She gave us far too much fuss, and since she stabbed me with a needle, I was in no mood to put up with wildcat crap. Decide, Dave!”
David twisted his jaw and sighed. "I’ll take her.”
"Such an altruistic hedonist,” Trinity snapped. "Don’t pretend you don’t enjoy it. She’s a little dirty, and she’s been crying, but I think she’s pretty under the disheveled hair and stinking hide. If you don’t care about that sun-deprived skin of hers. Small chest, too, but you’ve never minded that.”
"Sun-deprived. Right. Does she have injuries requiring attention?”
"I doubt it. I didn’t even hit her very hard and she screamed like a little girl.”
David scowled. "She almost is, Reverenced One.”
"Her? Twenty, maybe?”
"Young enough to be your daughter. My daughter.”
"Point understood, and the point is quite dull. She screamed like a little boy, then. Sound better?” Strutting away, Trinity called over her shoulder. "You can take care of her. I’ll give the Kyrios your reason for not attending the meeting.”
They were alone, surrounded by people. Hesper waited for David to speak because . . . what could she possibly have to say anyway?
"Look at me,” David ordered.
They might force her to go places she did not want to go, they could pull her trousers down and beat on her, but it was not obedience. They could not make her submit in her mind. He was not her friend for one good deed.
She shook her head, sharp and short.
"Look at me,” he said, softer. He took a firm hold on her jaw with both hands and tilted her head upward. Even though the motion did not hurt or feel forced, it was not a mere suggestion. "Look at me?”
She sniffled and turned her eyeballs away from his to the point of pain.
"Well, you are a lovely thing, aren’t you? You okay? Anything hurting? Besides you
r heart?”
She glanced hopelessly about at the sky, grass, his black uniform, the shining gold buttons—anything but his face. What a pleasant scent he carried with him. Fresh leaves with lavender, lemongrass, berries, and—he slid his hands up the sides of her head, through her hair, wiggling his fingers around her scalp.
She chanced a look up while he was distracted by her head. His expressive brow and the structure of his cheek bones reminded her of Adahy. He had a generous, though not-too-large nose, and even with a serious expression, his approachable persona was strong enough to overcome her hatred for the rigid uniform and gold buttons.
She wanted to like him.
David’s childish cobalt eyes caught her staring and wrinkled softly at their corners as he smiled. An unexpected sob rose in her throat, and she gulped it down with a conspicuous tremor.
He tucked her hair behind her ears and sighed. "Well, the good news is there’s no blood. Small knot. We should ice it. She hit you on the head pretty hard. I’ve never seen Trinity act that way in public. You must have made her pretty mad, sister.” His laugh verged on a snicker. "Well done. I’ve been trying to pull that off for years. What’s your name?”
"Hesper,” she whispered.
"Hesper, answer honestly, did someone send you?” He studied her face, and she took great pains to keep her focus on him. He must not be allowed to perceive weakness.
He looked away from her cold, silent stare, tongue poked into his cheek. A dash of amusement slipped across his lips as he turned back to her. "Honesty really is best while I’ve got you. You don’t want to deal with the Kyrios’ methods.”
She shook her head.
His left eye twitched and narrowed. "You just decided to be kind to your enemies and bring Tom home? Or are you one of the innocents who didn’t even know we exist? I’ve met a few of those, too.”
First, she shook her head, then nodded and tried to stiffen herself against the trembling. She wiped her wet nose on her shoulder.
He smiled. "Give me words, please.”
"I knew you existed, sir. I was just trying to help the little boy.”
The tight shackles dug into her wrist and would not slide down no matter how much she wiggled her hands.
"You’re polite.” He drew his head back in surprise. "How refreshing. I’ve never met an Earth Person concerned with being polite in similar circumstances. Are you familiar with them?”
Hesper nodded. "My brother. They say he wants to be an Earth Person. I do not . . . I do not know much. They are supposed to be peaceful, but . . .”
"They rarely are. That’s the problem. Your brother’s young, I suppose?”
Hesper struggled to swallow past tears and congestion, offering a weak hum of confirmation. "Younger than I am.” Something trickled down her nose and lip. She swiped it with the back of her hand. Not blood.
"You come from the nearby community to the north-west, I assume?” David asked. “One of those groups that live in the tree houses? Anyone there encouraging others to join the Earth People?”
Would he kill her if she was? Hesper shook her head.
"Honey, take whatever’s going on in your mind and toss it out. You’re fine. You’re doing great, and I’m not mad or displeased in the least. Everything is perfect between us. Okay? Friends. I want to be friends, and I’m as honest as can be. At the moment.”
Like a dose of lobelia, his voice released her tension. She took a deep breath.
Just a few deft motions and a jangling of metal and David had the shackles loosened enough to relieve the discomfort of her wrists before she even knew what he was doing.
"You see, when your people step outside of the forest and call themselves Earth People, they tend to be a bit dangerous and quick to obey their cowardly elders.” He tucked something into his pocket, still focused on her. "That’s why I want to make sure you’re not one of them. Understand? You’re not in trouble.”
Tears toyed with her, so she hung her head to hide them.
Mercifully, he allowed her to look down while one of his hands still held her face. "Hesper, you’ll be all right. You will make it, and I will do all in my power to help. You’ll live with me—”
Revulsion sparked confidence. She met his eyes and hissed, "I would rather skin your back and use your hide for trousers than live with you.” Before thinking it through, a gob of spit flew from her mouth and splatted on his uniform, just beneath the colorful metal pieces. He watched the spit dribble down his coat.
So did she.
Like a foolish child might strike a fire with a stick, she lashed out with personal contempt. His temper would flare now, and she would take the brunt of his anger if it gave her the right to be bitter toward him. He took his hand from her face.
Hit me! Hard as you can. I have bee—
He giggled. The giggle rolled out of his chest into his mouth as a laugh. Nothing about this amused her. Nothing about it should amuse him.
"You Gentle girls think of the best insults and threats on the spot,” he said as he wiped away laughing tears. "You ladies spit better than any man I know, too. How long had you been saving that loogie up?” He extended his soft-looking, strong hand with long fingers like Adahy’s. "Come with me, Hesper.”
Lessons from Papa stumbled through her mind. Deep anger would make her irrational. She had to shun it, but she could not. She could not go with him.
David’s warm, gentle hands clasped her shoulders. Leaning eye-to-eye, he spoke as if to a stubborn child. "Okay. Two choices. Easy way or hard way. Easy is walking alongside each other. Hard way, I’ll have to hoist you over my shoulder like a sack of wiggly, long-legged potatoes.” His expression laughingly pleaded with her not to bring it to that. "As a gesture of good faith, I’ll remove your handcuffs.”
He took a small ring of oddly-shaped metal pieces from his waist. Keys? She had once read about keys in a book, but these did not much resemble the ones in pictures.
Though his eyes narrowed, and he watched her with obvious distrust, he used a key to remove her bonds and slipped them into his pocket. He did not expect her to behave but released her anyway?
"I prefer the hard way,” she answered darkly.
He leaned back and looked her over. "Okay then.”
She barely made the decision to pull her arm back to punch him, when, quick as the swoop of a hummingbird, he preempted her, grabbing her wrist. His peaceful, sleepy voice and relaxed demeanor had lulled her into overconfidence, and the quick move shocked her.
I am an idiot.
Doubtless, overpowering and forcing her onto his shoulder would be easy, but when she resisted, she caught wind of his weakness, written on his face and in the grip of his fingers.
He was too kind.
Unlike the buffalo-hide bully with Trinity, David did not relish violence or manhandling her. Admirable, certainly, but not above exploitation. Hesper resisted his grip and pulled at his fingers with her free hand. He allowed her to jerk him around but moved little more than an oak in the breeze. Such a maddening, placid manner! A little amused even!
Sweat dribbled down her forehead and hot back. It was no use to wear herself out further if this was all she could manage. Maybe she could at least dislocate something on his body. With one more good yank on his arm, she screeched in his face and stood, glaring at him as the cool air came and went through her lungs with heavy breaths.
David considered her. Disappointed? In what? A tinge of shame passed through her mind. He had saved her, and she treated him this way? Yes, she treated him this way, because none of it was right. Not even him.
Perhaps he was disappointed by her inability to put up a good fight. She was ashamed of that, too.
"You're strong and self-restrained,” he said. “Control yourself until we get inside, okay? Then you can scream and cry as much as you want. Punch a wall, tear some pillows, kick a dog or something. Do what works for you.” He stared beyond her, thoughtful. "Though, I’ll have to get a dog first.”
; She growled. "I intend to kick you where—”
David tightened his hold. "Blast it, Hesper. I don’t want to treat you like a sack of potatoes. You’ve had enough of that for today. I’d rather treat you with respect—the way I prefer to treat a woman.”
He released her hand and she fell to the ground. The impact of the fall jolted through her body and into her head. Before she could scramble away, a shadow darkened the sunlight, and her spark of hope clouded over with his sudden, imposing nearness.
Kneeling, he leaned in to speak. "Hesper, listen to me. You don’t have to resist. It may seem right to do at the moment, but you will soon understand that reason serves better than feeling in this circumstance.
“The Unified are logical people, and you know how important it is for your survival as a nation. That doesn’t change just because you are out here, rather than in the forest.”
His voice lullabied her anger, dousing the heat in her face. She unclenched her fists. He moved closer. "It is more important now than ever, and your ability to reason will give you strength to look past the differences between you and me for your self-preservation and peace.
"I’m only a man, nothing more and nothing less. I have no power over your mind.” He tapped her forehead. "But you do. You’re safe, and I’m safe for you. Your emotions are balancing themselves because sound reason rises to your aid. Do you feel that?”
His warm hand alighted her shoulder like a friendly phoebe bird. The tears on her cheeks dried with a breeze. She nodded, regretting it immediately.
"I can tell,” he said. "And sooner or later, you will find yourself moving onward in the wonderful truth that you can face anything you fear with a level head. You’re listening closely?” He moved away from her ear to look at her face. "Isn’t it empowering to think that you can face anything you fear with a level head?”
The soothing expression on his face calmed her. Rational words, spoken clearly and quietly, sanded down rough feelings.
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