Bensin squirmed. “Um — when I said I’d forgotten my toothpaste? I’d gone to visit Ellie.”
“Okay. And?”
He can definitely tell that isn’t all. “Well —” Bensin hesitated, biting his lip again. Tell him. He had skipped that part, not daring to mention it, but he knew he couldn’t keep it a secret for long. Coach would find out soon enough, and it would be better if he heard the truth directly from Bensin first. He shot a helpless look at Officer Shigo, who nodded encouragingly.
“I — well, I — I — I stole one thousand two hundred imps from you, sir.”
Instinctively, he cringed, bracing himself for a blow. Mr. Creghorn would have been on his feet instantly, screaming at him and walloping him with the chair or whatever heavy object was handy. Don’t defend yourself. That was the rule. For every blow he dodged or blocked, he earned three extra lashes with the Motivator.
But no blows fell. There was silence in the room for a long moment. When Bensin dared to look up, Coach Steene was taking long, slow breaths as though to keep himself calm.
“What, today?” he asked finally. “From my pocket?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
Coach rose to his feet, and Bensin flinched again, but his owner brushed past him and into his bedroom. He returned a moment later with a handful of money. “You didn’t take all of it. Why not?”
“I only needed two thousand, sir. That’s how much Wenn said it would cost. And I had about eight hundred of my own. I know you’re gonna sell me, but I’ll still pay you back for what I stole, even if it takes me years and years. Which it probably will. But here’s the first part.” Bensin dug in his pocket, pulled out the envelope, and handed it to his owner. “There’s about forty imps in here to start with. I’ll give you the rest little by little as soon as I can.”
He stopped and took a long, shaky breath. It was a relief to get all that off his chest.
“Well.” Coach Steene pulled the bills out of the envelope and riffled through them, not really looking at them. “I hardly know what to say.”
“I — I’m really, really sorry, and I don’t blame you for anything you want to do to me. And I know it’s all my fault that Ellie got taken.” Bensin’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat roughly. “I’ll fight hard tomorrow and do my best to win you the prize money. Not for what I owe you; that’s separate; but it’s the least I can do. But I — I want to ask you something first. I mean, I know I haven’t exactly earned any favors.”
“No, you sure haven't. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
“Ellie’s still out there in danger somewhere. She’s so helpless and innocent. She must be scared to death. Would you let me —” Bensin broke off.
What had Officer Shigo said? If there was ever a night to take a risk and ask for what you really want, I’d say it’s tonight.
What could it hurt? As long as he was making requests, why not ask for the impossible?
Bensin drew a deep breath. “Actually, Coach, I want to ask for two favors. First, please let me go out again tonight and try to find her. And second —” His mouth was suddenly dry. When he spoke again, the words sounded as though they were coming from someone else.
“Second, if I do find her and rescue her, Coach, would you please buy her?”
“Buy her?” Coach Steene stared at him. “I don’t have the money for that, as you well know, especially now. Besides, I don’t have enough work for a second slave, and a five-year-old would be too young to hire out.” He shook his head again. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Fifteen minutes ago I was in my room sound asleep, thinking you were too and that we’d finally gotten to the place where I could trust you. Do you know how hard it’s been to trust again after what I went through with Serra? And now I find out you’ve been sneaking out at night, plotting behind my back, stealing my money, and you want me to buy another slave I can’t afford?”
Ask for what you really want. Bensin took another deep breath. “Not buy a slave, Coach. Buy her freedom.”
For a moment the two of them just stared at each other. “Her freedom,” Coach Steene repeated finally. “And then what?”
“You’re good with kids, Coach. Everyone can see you like them. At work one time I heard you tell someone you love being able to pour your life into the next generation. Ellie could be the daughter you never had. Think of how awesome it would be to raise a child of your own!” Bensin searched for a way to persuade him. “I’ll work twice as hard as I ever have. I’ll make sure she works hard, too, even though she wouldn’t be a slave. She’ll be the most well-behaved kid you can imagine. She learns fast, and she’s sweet and obedient, and everyone likes her. Well, except for Mr. Creghorn, but he doesn’t really like anyone. She’ll make you so happy, living here. You wouldn’t ever be sorry you did it.”
Coach got to his feet and started pacing back and forth. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation,” he repeated. “We don’t even know where she is right now. And even if you find her, I don’t have the money to buy another slave, whether to set her free or for any other purpose. I emptied my retirement account to buy you. I literally do not have the money. Tomorrow I’ll owe four thousand imps for the truck, and you may recall that I just lost twelve hundred of that.”
“The prize money tomorrow is twelve thousand imps. Ellie’s for sale for eight thousand, so that would be enough for the truck and her. I won’t take my ten percent this time.”
“Yeah, and what if you don’t win?”
Bensin stood tall. “I will win, Coach.”
“You got in a fight today,” Coach reminded him. “You’re all beat up, and you haven’t slept, and you want to spend the rest of the night gallivanting about fighting crime? That doesn’t sound like a recipe for victory in the morning. And anything but first place wouldn’t be enough.”
“You said it’s all about motivation, Coach,” Bensin reminded him. “I’ve never had motivation like this before, not ever. I’ll win first place, and then when you buy Ellie’s freedom, I’ll save every sliver I ever earn after that until I can pay you back for what you spend to buy her as well as for what I stole. It might take me the rest of my life, but I swear by the emperor I’ll pay you back for all of it. And in the meantime I’ll still be hiring out and competing to earn you more money. Or at least, until whenever you sell me. It might take a while, but you’ll be able to fill up your retirement account again long before you need to retire. And anyway, if you had an adopted daughter, she’d be able to take care of you when you’re old and not working anymore.”
“Well, what about now? What would a little girl do all day while I’m at my job? She’d be too young to stay here by herself.”
“She’d go to school, Coach. There’s an elementary school a couple blocks from the CSF. She could ride the school bus, or if — if you decided not to sell me, I could take her over there every morning and pick her up again in the afternoons.”
“But I work till late in the evening. You know that.”
“I could bring her to the CSF after school. She could sit quietly in a corner of your classroom, and —” What did little free kids do in their spare time? “— and do her homework, or read a book or something. Ellie’s always wanted to learn how to read. She wouldn’t be any trouble. She’s quiet and well behaved.”
“We don’t even have a room for her to sleep in. Or a spare bed. And I can’t afford to buy any more furniture. I was thinking I might finally get some with the prize money from tomorrow, but obviously not if I do this.”
“Ellie can sleep in my room. The two of us have always shared a room. She can use my bed, and I’ll sleep on the floor. You said you have a sleeping bag.”
Coach Steene stopped his pacing long enough to glare at Officer Shigo, who had been sitting silently for so long Bensin had almost forgotten he was in the room. “You’re being awfully quiet about this. Now would be a great time to help me out here. Explain to Bensin why this can’t work.”
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br /> The officer raised his eyebrows. “As long as Ellie is recovered safely, I’m not sure I understand why it couldn’t. Apart from the financial issues, of course. I suppose your freeing and adopting her might have to hinge on how much prize money Bensin brings home tomorrow.”
Coach stared at him. “You actually think I should buy another slave, set her free, and adopt her? Me, a divorced guy of a different race who owns her brother and works late hours and can barely pay my rent every month?”
“I’ve seen stranger family arrangements, trust me.”
“Even if she were free, I think it would make more sense for some husband and wife to adopt her. Surely there must be couples out there who would.”
“There are plenty of couples eager to adopt infants,” Officer Shigo replied, “but it’s a lot harder to find people interested in taking in older children whom they don’t already know. Chances are Ellie would be shuffled from one foster home to another for years. Besides, that way she wouldn’t get to grow up with her brother, who’s the only family she’s ever known. I think the stability of having him in her life would make up for the less-than-perfect family arrangement.”
“But how would it even work legally?”
“Oh, it works. It’s actually pretty easy if you own the slave first, otherwise the legalities get a bit more complicated. But you wouldn’t be the first owner to free and adopt his slave.”
“How do we even know the Creghorns would sell her to me?” Coach Steene turned to Bensin. “You said they already had an interested buyer.”
“They’ll sell her to whoever offers more money,” Bensin assured him. “The other guy said he would pay seven thousand two hundred imps. If you offer eight thousand like they asked at first, they’ll say yes for sure.”
“Why do I feel like I’m being ganged up on?” Coach Steene looked from one to the other of them. “Why are we even discussing this? Why haven’t I said no already?”
“Because you’re a good man, Coach,” Bensin told him earnestly. “A lot better than I deserve to be owned by, but Ellie deserves a good parent to raise her.” He held up the picture again. “Look at her smile. She’s a lot of fun to be around. And the Creghorns will tell you she hardly ever disobeys or talks back.”
“Nothing enriches my life the way my three children do,” Officer Shigo put in. “Raising them is by far the most rewarding challenge I’ve ever undertaken. I’ve found it to be life changing in all the right ways, and you wouldn’t even have to deal with diapers and bottles.”
“You told me one time that I’m not just a collar like most people think slaves are, and that I don’t exist just to clean the apartment and win fights and make money for you,” Bensin reminded Coach. “And then when I asked you who I am and why I do exist, you didn’t have an answer. Well, I know the answer now. I’m Ellie’s big brother and the person she needs most in the world. And I exist to help her through life and make sure she grows up where she’s safe and loved. You said if I ever found out, I should tell you, Coach, and I’m telling you.”
Bensin looked him right in the eye. They stared at each other for a long moment, and he didn’t dare move. Ellie was hanging from the connection between them; if he blinked or looked away or even breathed, she would fall.
It was his owner who looked away first. “If I do it, will you tell my conscience it can shut up?”
“Huh?”
“Slavery is wrong. I know it; I’ve always known it, and I really probably shouldn’t have bought you in the first place. But I did, and like I said earlier, I’m not sorry I did. But for the last three months my conscience hasn’t left me alone about owning a slave. The only thing that would really make it right is if I freed you, but I can’t afford to, because if you were free you’d have to go to school instead of working, and I really need the money you bring in, and I know that’s selfish of me.” Coach was pacing the room again. “But I can’t afford it any other way, especially if I’d be providing for your sister, too. If things ever change and I can afford it, great, but that’s not now, and I’m sorry.”
“I’m not asking you to free me, Coach,” Bensin protested.
“Well, but it’s not right, and I’ve always known that. But what you are asking of me is no small favor. Being a dad is a lifelong commitment. If I do it, am I off the hook for the other part?”
“There is no other part, Coach,” Bensin assured him. “Not as far as I’m concerned. I just want Ellie to be safe and free and have a proper home. I don’t care what happens to me as long as she gets that. If she can go to school and not wear a collar and have all the opportunities that other free kids have, then I don’t want anything else in the world.”
“It’s not that I mind the idea of you being free. If I can ever afford it, sure.”
“I know, Coach. You said that. But like I said, all I really want is freedom for Ellie. You can tell your conscience I said it’s fine,” he added.
“Okay.” Coach Steene stopped pacing. “Okay, okay, okay.” He raised his hands in surrender. “If Ellie gets rescued, and if you win enough prize money tomorrow to pay for everything, and if her current owners are willing to sell her to me, and if Kalgan here will help me figure out whatever I need to for the adoption process, and if you’ll put in the extra work it will take to deal with the logistics of raising a child when I’m not even home most evenings, then fine. I’ll do it. My life has been turned so far upside-down in the last few months that maybe a little more insanity will bring me back around closer to normal.”
Bensin felt a grin spreading across his face. “Really, Coach? You’re awesome!”
“But don’t you forget the extra work,” Coach cautioned, pointing a warning finger at him. “This will make you a lot busier; taking care of her when I’m at my job will be on top of your eleven hours a day.” He turned to the officer. “I can do that, right? Still expect the regular amount of work from him in addition to family obligations?”
“Since it’s his family we’re talking about, yes,” the officer agreed. “Lots of slaves still have to take care of their own children or younger siblings as well as working for their owners.”
“So does that mean you aren’t going to sell me, Coach?”
“Of course I’m not going to sell you. Are you kidding? I can’t raise your sister without you around. But you’re not off the hook for that money.” Coach gave him a stern look. “And you’re still going to have to work hard to convince me I can trust you now. Good reason or no, I don’t appreciate being lied to or stolen from.”
“I know, Coach.” Bensin sobered. “It was awful of me to do that, and I knew it at the time. I promise I won’t ever lie or steal from you again.” As an afterthought, he added, “Oh, and I let Ellie have two energy bars when we stopped by earlier. I guess that was stealing too. I’ll pay for those as well.”
Officer Shigo and Coach both smiled. “I don’t care about a couple of energy bars. But speaking of Ellie, what’s the plan now? Obviously none of this is going to happen unless she gets rescued, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to just go wandering aimlessly around the city in the middle of the night hoping you’ll somehow find her.” His owner turned to Officer Shigo. “Any ideas?”
“If you’ll excuse me a moment, I’ll make a phone call and see if my colleagues have an update for us.” Pulling out a cell phone, the officer stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. In a moment they heard his voice, though they couldn’t make out the words.
Finally he walked back into the room. “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is, they haven’t actually found her yet. But the good news is, we do have some information. They confirmed through a reliable source in the neighborhood that one of our prime black marketing suspects, a certain Lachlan DeSalle, received a brief visit from an unknown person this evening at about 9:40. His guest drove a car round to the back and then drove away again just a few minutes later. The car matched the description of one registered to Wenn Jengan,
owner and manager of Wenn’s End Auto Repair and Detailing. DeSalle himself left in a van right after that, and hasn’t been home since.”
“That’s good news? It doesn’t sound like much to go on,” Coach objected.
“You think Wenn might have brought Ellie there in his car and then Lachlan DeSalle took her somewhere in the van, sir?” Bensin wanted to know.
“It’s possible. Anyway, that’s just the first part. A few of my colleagues are keeping an eye on a particular empty warehouse right now. There’ve been reports of criminal activity there in the past, and witnesses mentioned seeing a van and a couple other vehicles go in and out of the underground parking lot in the last few hours. That’s unusual enough for that place to warrant suspicion. The van’s description matches DeSalle’s, and it’s in the right direction for him to have been heading when he left. Based on a couple of other recent reports, it’s possible that he and some of his cronies may actually be holding several stolen slaves inside, waiting to transport and resell them.”
Bensin brightened. “So why don’t they go in and find out, sir?”
“They don’t have a search warrant, for one thing. Watch officers have to follow certain protocols, and it gets tricky when you don’t have proof.”
“But a regular person could go into an empty warehouse, right, sir?”
“Theoretically, yes; but it would be risky.”
“Then that’s what I can do! If you could tell me what bus to take to get to where they are, sir — or if it wouldn’t be too far out of your way to maybe drop me off there on your way home — then I could go in and rescue her.”
“What, go gallivanting off into the lion’s jaws without a plan? I don’t think so,” Officer Shigo retorted.
“Certainly not,” agreed Coach.
“But what I could do, if your owner says it’s all right,” the officer continued, “is drive you over and introduce you to my colleagues, and they can decide if and how to make use of your services. There might be a way. It wouldn’t be the first time a civilian — or even a slave — has volunteered his help in this type of situation.”
The Collar and the Cavvarach Page 30
