Like that would ever happen, Janys thought, hoping he couldn't read her mind. The psychological impact of the spanking was starting to ebb away along with the physical pain, and she couldn't imagine voluntarily seeking punishment by recording a word in that book.
"For your information," he said. "The third type of punishment is forbinner. It is a severe type scheduled for a particular time so that the recipient may prepare both mentally and physically. Your whipping will be forbinner."
Suddenly Janys found herself wanting to cry again. If a hand spanking had done this to her, how would she ever endure what he was talking about? Her mind clenched up again, which meant she missed most of the particulars he was reciting about the punishments corresponding to certain minor offenses. Most of these seemed to involve swats with the martial paddle, although she caught the mention of "display time". Unfortunately she knew what that was about, but other words he used such as "cleansing" and "enhancement" seemed ominous.
Finally he told her to stand up. "For the ladies, each tunic is constructed with a bibalon pocket built in," he told her. "See?" As he stuffed it in, he finally pulled the material down so that she was again covered.
He told her to go wash her face for dinner, and although she rebelled at being ordered to do so, she wanted very much to bathe her red eyes. By the time she got back to the kitchen, he had the stew heaped into bowls. The wedding pillow was on one of the chairs, and she eased herself onto it gratefully.
Later she would wonder what they had talked about on that first evening. She didn't remember silence, but neither could she recall either of them saying anything of substance. Perhaps Martel had talked about his job or told her more about Kronitin and Shalimerie.
They rounded the meal out with oonacha, a desert plant that had a delightful tart/sweet taste that Janys had enjoyed before. But as with the stew, she found it hard to concentrate on eating while she was replaying what had just happened to her and thinking about the rest of the evening.
"I expect we should make this an early night," Martel noted. "Although I wanted to stay home for a few days to help your adjustment, the Council is worried that the Protector or International Court of Justice may still take action regarding your situation, if only to register their disapproval. They wish me to be on hand to keep our trading relationships running smoothly. Therefore I will return there tomorrow while you begin your lessons. But you should have time tonight to finish your reading."
Although Janys didn't think she could keep focused on anything written, especially not about her virtual prison, she picked up the book his mother had left. "Short History of Demeter; Planetfall," she read. In disgust, she realized that it looked like something a ten-year-old would study back at the Institute. Yet she was smart enough to have it in her hand as she started for the stair.
Martel began clearing away the dishes. "Janys, I think if you will look more closely at your presents, you will find that Shalimerie gave you a special sleep tunic."
Now that she was no longer overwhelmed by the subject matter of the gifts, she found it easy to spot the garment. Suspiciously she examined it closely, wondering if it had any troublesome aspects as had the wedding tunic, but all it was a soft, rose-colored garment constructed identically to the one she was wearing. She took it to the bedroom and slipped it on, marveling at the way it draped her body perfectly. While she had to doubt Shalimerie's motives in many things because she was as brainwashed as the rest of them, there was no problem with her taste in clothes.
For a second Janys hesitated, then put the history book down on the bedside table. For the first time today she was awake and alone. Why read something she already knew when she could use the time writing in her journal? Fortunately Shalimerie had stacked all the volumes neatly on the closet shelf, so she had no problem finding the current one. There was even some chance that no one had read it, because the pen hooked over the last written page seemed undisturbed.
This was exactly what she needed—a place to write about everything that had occurred. Some day when she got out of here, the Prof would want a daily report. Or rather in this place, it would be called a "blow-by-blow" description, she thought, hysterical laughter again rising in her throat. Frantically she scribbled away, putting down everything from her ordeal in the town hall to her mother-in-law's embarrassing intrusion.
"How can any woman live here?" she wrote. "Not only are they subjected to degrading punishments at the whim of others, but they're actually expected to participate. I'll somehow play this game as long as I must, but I hope and pray that the Prof and the Institute are working to get me back. The happiest day of my life will be seeing Demeter for the last time on the ship's view screen before I go into cybersleep for the journey back home."
"Did you finish your reading?" Martel asked as he looked in. Startled, she slammed the volume shut.
"Yes," she mumbled. Fortunately he looked distracted as he gazed at her, his eyes roaming up and down her tunic.
"You looked very beautiful today," he told her hoarsely. "During the ceremony—and now."
I wonder how gorgeous I looked when I was crying my eyes out, she thought grimly.
"Thanks," she replied after a long pause. Again she saw that flash of disappointment in his eyes suggesting he expected her to say more.
"I am afraid that custom demands one more thing before we sleep," he finally went on. "The marital paddle is in a rack over the fireplace. Please fetch it now."
"Martel, no!" she started, jumping off the bed to grab his arm. "You don't know how much it still hurts from before. Please let's forget custom this one time!"
"Janys," he said gravely as he used his free hand to tip her chin up so that he could gaze deeply into her eyes. "You need to trust me, and obey me. Now when I ask you to fetch the paddle, or any other implement, your response is to do so immediately. No discussion, no argument."
"But ".
He laid the tip of a finger across her lips. "You have two choices. Do as I have told you, in which case I will use the paddle appropriately once you have brought it to me. Or refuse, in which case I will put you over my knee this moment and spank you until you are willing to fetch the paddle, which I will then use exactly as I intended. It is your choice as to how much time you spend upended on this bed before you to sleep, and how sore you want to be when the lights go off."
Again there was no choice but to obey him. As she padded down the stairs in her bare feet, she gritted her teeth together. How could she ever have seen anything attractive in a man who could so calmly talk about doing these things to her? I hate him. I absolutely hate him.
Apparently while Janys been writing, he'd put up the rack. Just what I wanted the focal point of my living room to be, she shivered as she reached up on tiptoes and plucked the paddle from its holder. But this time I'm not going to cry. No matter how much it hurts. But she was very afraid that her resistance would again fail when the paddle started flying.
Silently she returned to the bedroom to find him sitting on the edge of the bed. "Come here, Janys," he said softly. "Let us see what else your gift to me can do."
Closing her eyes, she crossed the few steps and handed him the paddle. She noticed he was smiling as he took some playful swipes through the air, which made her despise him all the more. During her punishment today he'd been deadly serious. Now he was obviously taking delight in the thought of tormenting her again.
He patted his knee with the wooden edge. "Lie down right here, and make yourself comfortable."
Comfortable! Although she'd never been a violent person, she wanted to throw herself at him, scratch his face for mocking her in this way. But instead she sidled over and let him guide her down over his lap so that her head was resting on the pillow at the top while her legs stretched out across the quilt at the bottom. Underneath her stomach and hips she could feel his warm legs pressing up against her, and hated herself for liking the sensation…
Delicately he lifted up the hem of the sleep tunic and she f
elt the slight change in temperature that signaled that she was once again completely vulnerable. He reached across her waist with his left hand and slightly compressed her right cheek. Then he placed the paddle lightly across her buttocks as though confirming its target area. She drew her breath in as she felt it glide away.
"Are you ready, Janys?" he whispered, squeezing her bottom gently.
"Yes," she choked out, gripping the pillow with all her might as she prepared for the impact.
"I am glad to hear it, because this one is going to be unlike anything you could imagine."
Just do it, she silently screamed as the seconds rolled on. Then she felt the lightest of taps on her quivering skin. He paused, then the paddle again grazed her so softly that it felt more like a kiss. Two more while she struggled to understand, then she felt him put the paddle down. "Under the circumstances, that was all that was needed," he murmured as his right hand gently massaged her globes. It felt so good that she had to keep herself from moaning with pleasure.
Almost too soon he stopped and tugged her sleep tunic back in place. Lifting her up, he slid out from in under leaving her lying on her stomach, still stunned by what had gone on. Once again she found it impossible to hold onto her anger as he covered her with the quilt, then patted her shoulder.
"Good night, Janys," he said softly as he turned out the lamp.
The second he was gone, she felt an incredible sense of loss. Yet at the same time, she was more relaxed than at any moment since her arrest. What's happening to me? she cried silently as she tumbled into sleep.
And what "lesson" will I learn tomorrow?
Chapter 4
Janys woke while the house was still silent. First she let her hands roam her backside, checking its condition. Surprisingly she seemed to have recovered enough that she didn't think sitting would be a problem. Thank God Martel had held back from doing anything more serious to her with the paddle.
She got up and tiptoed down the hallway to the lavatory, again thanking the universe that modern plumbing hadn't been banned by on the planet as "seductive technology". However the Borocavians did watch their allocation of water because so much was necessary to keep the food crops growing in the heat. This meant everyone only took full baths every three days. Because her last one had been the night before yesterday's wedding, she would have to wait until tomorrow to enjoy another. Regretting yet another loss from her previous life, she did the best she could with a sponge bath.
Afterwards she slipped back into the white tunic. Although she didn't care at all for the garment's style, she hoped that Martel would make good on his promise to get her additional ones today so that she could wear something different. Fortunately Shalimerie had bought several sets of prander, so at least she had something fresh for undergarments.
Today I'll do better, she promised. When I cooperated last night, Martel was gentle with me. Whatever I feel underneath it all, if on the surface I do as I'm told, maybe I can avoid any punishment today. Yet the weight of the bibilon in the pocket of the tunic reminded her that she would have to be very careful.
By now she could hear Martel downstairs in the kitchen. She put on her slippers and went down, finding him by the stove. "Do you cook?" he asked as he stirred something that looked like chinichon eggs.
"Not really," she confessed. "I just had to do it once, when we were camping out on Sutrena."
"Then I will add it to the list of subjects for my mother to cover," he told her, flipping over the gooey green mess. "I think you will find that she is quite good at it."
Already Janys felt Ellondelle must be the only perfect person in the universe, but she didn't want to find herself on the wrong end of another instructional session by insulting his mother. She ate some of the chinichon, avoiding looking at it directly. As with many Demetian foods, it was quite delicious, but the colors jarred too much with the machine-produced food she'd been used to at the Institute. This time she did help him clean up, and for the first time since the disastrous men's gathering saw him smile the way she first remembered.
He gathered together the papers from the night before that he'd apparently been working on while she had been in display in front of the kitchen cabinet. "Remember to take your book," he advised. "My mother will need it for the test."
Test? Suddenly Janys wondered if she'd made the right decision to trade reading for journal writing. But then she reminded herself she was being silly. Before undertaking the assignment to this planet, she had spent over six Earth months absorbing everything she could find concerning Demeter. Certainly she would know the material in a child's schoolbook.
Technically speaking Martel's parents were their neighbors, but Janys was glad to find that because of the slopes in the sandy hills, it took over ten minutes to cover the distance. The elder couple's residence was the bigger of the two. "My father built it so that they could have many children," Martel told her sadly as they walked up the path. "But after Kronitin, the medics told them there could be no more without use of forbidden technology. That was one reason why my mother wanted to take in Yagote when her parents died."
Remembering the many unpleasant ways Yagote had looked at her since her trial, Janys doubted the other woman regarded Martel as just a brother. But because they were just steps from the front door, she decided to bring up the subject another time.
A few minutes later, she wished she had taken the opportunity to tell Martel her concerns about Yagote. When Ellondelle opened the door, the younger girl was scowling behind her. "Come in," his mother greeted them. "Martel, I have thought of an excellent idea, if it should meet your approval."
"Tell me," he urged after hugging both of the women. Janys was not delighted to watch Yagote replace her curled down mouth with curled up lips as she lingered a second too long in Martel's embrace.
"I have thought that lessons in housekeeping may be in order," Ellondelle continued. "For I do not think an Institute researcher would be taught many of those skills."
Martel beamed at her. "We were just discussing cooking as a possible subject of instruction, but you are right—there are many other occupations which should also be covered."
"I thought I would use this house here as a source of tasks. While I supervise Janys over here, Yagote will take care of those matters I normally do at your place."
For once Janys wished that Yagote would have one of her customary expressions of displeasure at this additional workload, but she instead she smiled as though thrilled at the opportunity. "Is that necessary?" Janys broke in. "I mean, I would hate to make anyone do extra work. Surely I can take care of in the evening whatever needs to be done at the other house."
Martel and Ellondelle both frowned at her, missing Yagote's glare. "I do not think Janys fully understands the strains upon her time and body the next few weeks will bring as she adjusts to our way of life," Martel said at last. "Mother, I believe your idea is excellent for making things move more smoothly during this learning period."
"I am certain that Janys understands this will not be for a sustained period of time, and that Yagote is more than willing to take on this burden," Ellondelle agreed.
What I understand is that everyone talks around me as if I either weren't here, or were a child too young to speak for myself, Janys raged. Yagote's dark eyes glittered at her. But she managed to hold her tongue during the round of good byes, even though it bothered her when Martel and Yagote left together down the path.
"Let us begin," Ellondelle announced briskly. "As I mentioned last night, we have cleared off the desk that Martel once used. I will take you there shortly so I may check you on the history you were to read last night. But first we will work on something more simple. Come with me to the back yard."
Reluctantly Janys followed the older woman through the house and kitchen. A small door led to an area partially enclosed from the constantly blowing desert winds. A few of the hardier trees and some sparse vegetation told her it was intended to be a Demetian-style garden.
"Yes," Janys answered uncomfortably. Somehow with the outdoors as a background, the woman seemed more imposing than before with her severely cut blue tunic and graying blonde braids held to her head with three black combs.
"That you are to answer to me in exactly the same way you would to him?" Ellondelle continued.
"I guess," Janys gulped.
"I see," the other woman responded with a slight frown. "Then let us test your understanding. Go to those trees over there, break off three switches, and bring them to me."
For the umpteenth time in a handful of days, Janys felt as though an earthquake were rocking her world. "What—what did you say?" she finally got out.
"Three switches," Elondelle repeated impatiently. "I want each to be at least as long as my forearm and as thick as my thumb."
"But I haven't done anything!" Janys protested.
"From my viewpoint, the problem is that you are not now doing as I told you," her instructor commented, "Now get over there this instant."
"But it's not fair!" she said, backing up. Unfortunately she didn't get far enough before Elondelle's arms whipped out and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"March!" Elondelle commanded as she pushed her unwilling daughter-in-law towards the trees. Although Janys tried to squirm out of her grasp, the long fingers dug deeply into the top of her arms until she looked up to see the straggly trees. "Now get the switches!"
Somehow although her shoulders felt like they were caught in a vice, Janys managed to pull off three branches and hand them to Elondelle. She dropped her hold on Janys's right shoulder for a moment to take them, then immediately clamped her left hand onto Janys's forearm.
Captive Discipline Page 5
