Kevin shook his head. He needed to table that thought and concentrate on today. He’d talk to Chris about it later. For now, it was time to get moving.
When Kevin returned to his room, Chris was waiting with coffee and pastries. “What happened out there? Run out of magic?”
Kevin laughed. “No, nothing like that. Just thought of something I want to talk to you about, but not now. Later.”
Chris nodded. “I’ll remind you.”
A knock on the door interrupted them.
“Come in,” Kevin called out.
Alek opened the door. “Marcus is ready to go get Sgt. Nance. He’s waiting in the reception area.”
Kevin nodded. “I’ll be down as soon as I change out of these damp clothes. Has Isak set up refreshments yet?”
Alek shook his head. “He wasn’t sure when you wanted them.”
“Tell him to go ahead and get things set up. Is Karl there yet?”
Again Alek shook his head. “But he’s in the castle.”
“Probably in the dining room,” Chris said. “I’ll go find him while you change clothes. Meet you downstairs.”
~ ~ ~ ~
When Kevin got to the main office, he motioned for Marcus to follow him into his office. Once they were in there, Kevin shut the door and took off his key.
“What’s your cover story?” Kevin asked.
“I wrote Sgt. Nance last week and asked if he’d like to go fishing with me.”
“And what are you going to do about the lack of fish?”
“I thought I’d make a quick stop on the way back and scoop up a few for him to take home with him.”
Kevin nodded and handed Marcus the key. “Bring him back here, to my office.”
After Marcus left, Kevin sat down at his desk. Before he’d read more than a couple of the morning messages, Marcus was back, with a very disoriented Sgt. Nance.
“Take it easy. Deep breaths. Don’t try to talk, don’t try to walk, just wait it out,” Kevin said gently while Marcus propped the man up. After Sgt. Nance’s color improved, Kevin pointed to the closest chair. “Have a seat for a minute. It’ll help.”
Sgt. Nance looked at Marcus and gasped, “You weren’t kidding. It’s horrible. How do you do that day in and day out?”
Kevin smiled. “He wouldn’t if it was always like that. None of us would, but the first time’s the worst. Each time you go through the energy field it gets easier, until after a while you don’t notice it.”
Sgt. Nance slowly nodded, still cradling his stomach. After another couple of minutes he leaned back in the chair and breathed deeply.
“Before we join the others, you do understand you’re not to talk about anything that happens today, right?” Kevin asked.
“Yes, sir,” Sgt. Nance replied. “I haven’t told anyone anything. If anyone notices I’m not around today, I’ll tell them I went fishing, but I’m not expecting any questions. It’s not unusual for me to go off by myself for a day or two every once in a while.”
“Good.” Kevin stood up. “Now, let’s go see if everyone’s here.”
When Kevin opened the door, he saw Laryn and Karl talking to a middle-aged man dressed in the light purple tunic that was the official tunic for Wyndsor. Kevin walked over and waited for a break in the conversation. Then he stepped up and held out his hand. “Gov. Shardin, I’m happy to meet you. Thank you so much for agreeing to help us out today.”
Gov. Shardin nodded as he shook Kevin’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Myron.” Then, as they dropped hands, Gov. Shardin continued. “I understand you have someone who can identify the people who were captured. Is that right?”
Kevin nodded and motioned towards Sgt. Nance, who was standing off to the side talking to Marcus and Alek.
“I brought one of our tunics for him to wear. I’d like for him to go with me as an army aide looking for recruits,” Gov. Shardin explained as he held up a light purple tunic. “If you would introduce us, he and I will go on to Glenarbour as soon as he’s changed. I want him to have plenty of time to look over the slaves being offered at the auction today.”
Kevin motioned for Sgt. Nance to join them and then introduced him to Gov. Shardin. After Gov. Shardin explained his plan, Sgt. Nance exchanged his dark green tunic for the purple one.
“Remember, don’t react to anyone, just make a note of the numbers of any of the people you’re looking for,” Gov. Shardin said. “Then give me the list and I’ll bid on them.”
Sgt. Nance nodded.
“If any of the people from Syrando are there, they’ll recognize you.” Kevin said. “We should have come up with a disguise.”
Sgt. Nance frowned. “I think the purple tunic will be what they see, not me. And I used to have a beard. I shaved it off a few days ago.”
“It’s a chance we take every time we do this,” Gov. Shardin said. “If you know them, they know you. Can’t be helped, but I can say we’ve never had a problem because of it. The tunic does help. And shaving off your beard was a smart move.”
Kevin nodded.
“Now,” Gov. Shardin said, looking at Sgt. Nance, “if you’re ready …”
Sgt. Nance put his hand on Gov. Shardin’s arm and the two of them left for Glenarbour.
After they were gone, Kevin poured himself a cup of coffee. Before he could take the first sip, Chris, Karl, and Alek walked over.
“So, what’s next?” Kevin asked, looking at Karl.
“I guess I go to Glenarbour.”
“Why?” Kevin asked. “I mean, if Sgt. Nance is going to point out any captives to Gov. Shardin, where do you fit in?”
“I don’t, at least not in that part,” Karl answered. “But I’ve never been to one of these auctions and Gov. Shardin said I should go to this one to see how they’re done. Apparently this is the most civilized auction and the easiest to follow. He said things go slower here than at the other auctions, and I’ll be able to figure out what I need to do when and if I have to go to one for real.”
“Why would you have to?” Chris asked. “It’s not like we buy slaves.”
“No, but one day I may need to repay Wyndsor for what they’re doing for us today.”
“You’re taking Alek with you, aren’t you?” Kevin asked.
Karl nodded.
Kevin looked at Alek. “And you’ll bring him back in one piece, right?”
Alek laughed. “I’ll guard him like I do you.”
Kevin frowned and looked at Karl. “Good luck.”
After a quick chuckle, Karl held out his hand for Kevin’s key.
Kevin shook his head. “You don’t know where you’re going.” He handed his key to Alek and said, “Stay safe. See you soon.”
~ ~ ~ ~
When Karl and Alek arrived in Glenarbour, Karl asked, “Have you ever been to a slave auction?”
Alek nodded.
“Here?”
Again, Alek nodded. “I came with Gov. Wrenn a few times.”
“So tell me what to expect, in general terms.”
“When we get to the slave house, the slaves in the first group of cells will be family groups. The doors will be open to let you go in and examine them, but there will be guards at every door to make sure the slaves stay inside.” Alek paused and Karl nodded for him to go on. “The next room has smaller cells for slaves that will be sold individually. There will be a lot of teenagers in there, some as young as twelve or thirteen. One of the worst parts about these auctions is the way they’re treated. Some men come to the auction just so they can run their hands over the young girls, and the boys don’t fare much better. It can be hard to take.”
“Can’t someone do something about it?”
“The slavers could, but they don’t want to risk offending a potential customer. They’ll come down hard on any slave who tries to resist though. The slaves are considered property, and until they’re bought, they’re the property of the slavers.”
Karl nodded.
“Seriously, you can’t
do anything. If it’s going to be a problem, we need to stay out of there. You do not want to cause a scene.”
“No, I don’t,” Karl said, frowning.
“Do we need to just stay out of that area?”
“No, I’ll deal with it.”
Alek studied Karl’s face for a moment. “All right. But if you start getting upset, if you look like you’re even thinking about doing anything, I’m getting both of us out of there.”
“How? Are you going to drag me out of there? In front of all the slavers and the other governors?”
“No, I’m going to touch your arm, turn the key, and we’ll be back in Myron’s office before you can blink. And then you can register your complaints with him.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Very.”
“All right,” Karl said, nodding. “Don’t worry. I’m not bad about losing my temper.”
“Good. Now, are you ready to go inside?” Alek asked, nodding towards the door to what looked like a big warehouse.
“This is it?”
Alek nodded. “The auction won’t start for another hour. We need to take our time going through here, and if you don’t want to make anyone wonder why you’re here, you need to appear interested in a few of the slaves. Then, after we get all the way through, we’ll go to the main auction room.”
When they walked through the door, the first thing that struck Karl was the stench of sweat and body odor. It smelled a hundred times worse than any locker room he’d ever been in. As they walked, he looked in the cells. Men hovered over their wives in an effort to protect them. Children huddled close to their mothers, often clinging to her clothes, as they stared wide-eyed at the strangers walking through, pointing, talking. Every once in a while, Karl watched as someone, usually a man, entered a cell and had the man strip off his tunic or felt the woman’s stomach. Small children were generally spared the indignity of prying hands, but not always. Some of the buyers checked mouths, ears, hands, and feet of the children after they finished examining the adults.
Karl had to continuously remind himself that he was a stranger in a strange land and the worst thing he could do for these people would be to interfere in any way. He nearly told Alek to skip the cells with the teenagers, but he knew he’d have to face a room like that someday. Better to do it today with Alek beside him, ready to whisk him away if things got too tough.
The single cells were set up so that the women came first, then the men. Glancing around, Karl counted six women, but only two looked to be anywhere near eighteen. Three were in their early teens and one wasn’t even a preteen yet. Apparently the wash water that had been denied the family groups had been available to the individual slaves. All of them had clean hair, nails, and clothes. And they all stood stoically on wooden platforms about six inches off the floor. They couldn’t move more than a few inches in any direction without stepping off, and it was obvious by the guard posted in each cell that that was forbidden. There was no way for any of them to avoid the prying hands. Potential buyers ran their hands through their hair, over their faces, their breasts, their waists, their hips, and their legs. No place was off-limits to a potential customer. Karl could picture their futures, gifts to loyal supporters, possessions to be sampled and shared, and prizes in contests.
The men didn’t fare much better, and calling them men was stretching things a bit. Karl didn’t see one that looked to be over fifteen. They were poked and prodded, more often by women than by men. Whether the women were looking for a companion or a champion, the end result would be the same. They, too, would be used as possessions, gifts, or prizes. The whole idea sickened him.
After they made it through the single cells, Karl wiped his hand over his face and mumbled, “I need a shower.”
“If a shower’s the same thing as a bath, I agree,” Alek said quietly. “I feel that way every time I have to go in a place like that.”
“And there’s nothing we can do about it?”
Alek shook his head. “Not without causing all kinds of trouble.”
“Do we have time to get out of here for a bit?”
“We’ve got about fifteen minutes. We can’t go far, but we can get some fresh air. Come on,” Alek said as he led the way to the nearest exit.
After Karl walked around a bit he felt a little better. Or rather, he no longer felt nauseous. But the frustration of not being able to do anything to help those people ate at him.
When the time came to go back into the auction house, Karl asked, “If I want to buy a slave, do I have to have the money right now? Or would I pay later?”
“Since you’re a province governor, and would be buying in the name of the province, you would just sign a bill of sale and get the money to them later. Anyone else would have to have the money up front.”
Karl nodded and went inside.
~ ~ ~ ~
An hour later, a very sheepish Karl stepped out of the energy field in Kevin’s reception area supporting two terrified teenage girls and one scared little girl who looked to be about eight. He looked at Cameryn and said, “A little help here?”
Cameryn’s mouth dropped open. Then she put her arm around the youngest girl, said, “Come with me,” and motioned for the other two to follow her. She led them to the conference table, pulled out three of the chairs, and seated them as quickly as she could. “Breathe, in and out, slow deep breaths,” Cameryn coached as she eased towards the side table. “I’ll get you some water and you’ll feel better in a few minutes.” She filled three glasses with water, and took them back to the girls.
Karl nodded to Cameryn and said, “Thanks.” Then he turned to Kevin. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go back to Glenarbour. I’ll explain everything when I get back.”
Wrenn, who had known what Karl would face at the auction in Glenarbour, had come to the castle to be there when Karl returned. He figured Karl would need someone to talk to, and since he was one of the few people around Milhaven who had ever been to one of those auctions, he felt like he should be there. “You might want to send for Cryslyn,” he told Kevin after Karl vanished from the room.
“Why?”
“Because someone’s going to have to take care of those girls, and unless I miss my guess, there’s more.”
“More?”
“If those three were the only ones, Alek would have come back with him. Karl left Alek there with the rest of his purchases.”
“Purchases?” Chris asked. “You mean he bought those girls?”
Wrenn nodded.
“Isak, ask Cryslyn to join us,” Kevin said. “And ask Miranda to send us some sandwiches.”
With a quick nod, Isak left the room.
Before the door shut behind him, two more people emerged from the energy field, Gov. Shardin and Sgt. Nance. Kevin motioned for them to follow him into his office.
After Wrenn and Chris joined them, Kevin looked at Sgt. Nance and asked, “Did you find anyone from Syrando?”
The sergeant shook his head no. “Sorry, but none of them were there.”
Kevin nodded. “I was afraid of that.” Then he turned to Gov. Shardin and said, “Governor, we are in your debt. Thank you so much for your efforts on our behalf. I’m just sorry it turned out to be a waste of time.”
“You’re welcome,” Gov. Shardin answered. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but we needed to try. If you get another line on them, let me know. We’ll try again.”
Kevin nodded.
Gov. Shardin turned to Wrenn and shook his hand. “Nice to see you again, old friend. You and Jana are doing well, I trust.”
Wrenn nodded as he shook Gov. Shardin’s hand. “Just fine. Working with you is one of the few things about being governor that I miss. Take care.”
Gov. Shardin smiled, turned his key, and left for Wyndsor.
Kevin turned to Sgt. Nance. “Why don’t you relax in here for a moment? I have a feeling things are about to get hectic in the reception area and I imagine you’re ready for a li
ttle peace and quiet.”
Sgt. Nance nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
Kevin walked over to the door, but before he opened it, he turned back to Sgt. Nance and said, “Marcus will be here in a few minutes to take you back to Ashmont. Sorry to cut this so short, but I’ve got to get back out there. Thank you so much for doing this for us, and if there’s anything we can do to help ease the situation in Ashmont, feel free to contact us.”
After Kevin and Wrenn left, Chris said, “I’ll bring you something to drink while you wait. Coffee? Or would you prefer water?”
“Coffee would be nice,” Sgt. Nance said, “but don’t go to any trouble. I’m all right.”
“No trouble at all, and if any of those pastries are left, I’ll grab you a couple. They were really good this morning,” Chris said as he left the room to get the coffee.
A couple of minutes later, Karl and Alek arrived with two boys and another girl, all around fifteen. Alek led the boys to the couch while Karl helped the girl to a seat at the table. Cameryn poured water for the new arrivals while Karl and Alek got them settled. Then she reminded all of them to breathe, offered to get them more water, and in general fussed over them.
Alek joined Kevin as soon as he had the boys seated on the couch, but Karl continued to watch the teenagers and the young girl he’d brought back to Milhaven. Finally he made his way over to where Kevin, Wrenn, and Alek were standing.
As he walked up, he heard Kevin ask Alek to find Marcus. Then Kevin held out his hand to Karl and said, “I need the key to get Sgt. Nance back home.”
After Karl returned the key, he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Kevin. I know I wasn’t supposed to buy anyone, but I couldn’t help it. Those men, the ones who were bidding on them, had their hands all over those kids back in the cells. I couldn’t stand by and let them get the kids. I’ll find some way to pay the treasury back.”
The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3) Page 20
