"I hope so." Actually she hoped more that none of her charges would ever misbehave. Then she wouldn't have to worry about sending them off to him or Meisin.
She returned home to find a message from Shalimerie. "We saved some of the winnotal to toast your first day," the note read. "Dinner will be served as well. Lie down and relax for a while, then come on over. Martel will join us directly from the office."
Janys took the suggestion, and by the time they gathered around the table, she'd managed to come up with enough anecdotes about the children to keep the conversation light. But Shalimerie eyed her several times, finally asking Kronitin to take Chardontal to his room for his bedtime story. As soon as the tall and short bodies vanished down the hall, she turned towards Janys. "Did something go wrong today you want to talk about?"
"No, nothing like that, but I don't know how to handle disciplining the students." Quickly she described her quandary. "I feel like I'm the one breaking the rules because I don't believe in giving them the 'blisterings' Meisin told me about."
"Janys, I think Meisin exaggerated," Shalimerie said slowly. "When I taught there, I saw many spankings, and gave quite a few myself, but they were all done in the manner of a loving parent or spouse. Yes, their hands or bottoms hurt for a few minutes, or even days, but the children understood why we did it."
But you grew up thinking you would be disciplining your husband, Janys bit back. It never occurred to me I'd ever hold a paddle in my hand except when rowing on Scortia XVIII. "I just don't see how they can expect me—"
"But they do," Martel broke in. "The school expects it, the parents expect it, and the students do as well. You will confuse them if you fail to correct their behavior."
But who wouldn't rather be confused than paddled? Unfortunately her husband and friend obviously believed otherwise. "Let's see how things go," she finally told them. "If my methods work, no one will have to be punished any other way." She tried to ignore the warning looks from Martel and Shalimerie.
The next day also went smoothly, but as Pannolorian predicted, on the third all levels began testing her. The small ones whined, the middle graders threw pencils, and the oldest "forgot" to turn in their essays. From the way Jernonon and Alicitia shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, Janys might have excused them, but she couldn't imagine why the other three ignored the assignment. "Get it in tomorrow," she advised them. "Or you'll be here after school writing it."
By the next day, Janys could barely hear herself over the roar of the middle class. No matter how many times she ordered them to be quiet or sent someone to sit in the corner, someone else started giggling. She hoped the younger ones would be more obedient, but soon found herself yelling again.
"What is happening in here?" Pannolorian stood in the doorway, his face stern. Immediately everyone became silent. "We have an experiment going on, and though I have repeated the instructions three times, no one in my class can understand me over the noise coming from this direction."
"I'm so sorry—" she began.
"I think these are the people who need to be sorry." He began circling the small group, eyeing each one in turn. "But if not, with your permission, I will give them a reason to be."
Janys wanted to say no. But what excuse could she give? Because she couldn't control her class, her students weren't learning anything, and now she was keeping Pannolorian from teaching. If this kept up, the school might decide they didn't need her services after all. "All right," she told him, biting her lip.
"On your feet, everyone," he ordered.
Frightened glances replaced grins as one by one they stood up. Rositeria, the youngest girl, started shaking as he passed by her desk. He studied them for a long moment, then turned to Janys. "Mistress, if I may borrow your ruler?"
Her hand trembled as she fumbled in the drawer and drew it out. After stowing the longer paddle in her coat closet, she'd stashed the ruler and small paddle under a pile of papers. Pannolorian took it, smacking it against his palm so the sound reverberated through the small room. Several students cringed as he crossed over to the desk on the far right
"Jostemin," he addressed the quivering boy. "If you would please give me your right hand." Slowly a small arm came up which Pannolorian grasped at the elbow. "This is to remind you to be quiet during class time." Three times he brought the ruler down across the waiting fingers as Jostemin cried out, reminding Janys much too closely of her lessons with Elondelle.
Pannolorian dropped the hand, grasping the boy's shoulder and turning him around. Bare thighs peeped out beneath a short tunic. "And this is to remind you to treat your teachers with respect at all times." The ruler bounced against the exposed legs three more times while Jostemin danced about…
Ordering the boy to sit down, Pannolorian moved to the next desk, delivering the same messages with the ruler to a slightly older girl. As he worked his way around the circle, Rositeria began sobbing. When her turn came, the teacher had to hold her up while he administered the full count.
Finally he stood back in front of them, the ruler resting ominously in his hands. "Does anyone here need a second reminder?"
"No, Master Pannolorian," they murmured before relapsing into a tense silence.
"Then sit quietly at your desks while I have a moment with Mistress Janys. If I hear even one more word, I will make the circle again." Taking her arm, he guided her outside and down the hall so they were no longer within earshot of the students.
"I believe you will see a marked improvement in their behavior for the rest of the class. If not, give them another reminder yourself, or call me back in." He gave her back the ruler. "Also, watch out for the excessive criers like Rositeria. Three whacks on a hand or legs stings for a few moments, not forever. By now, most should be recovered to concentrate on their work. If you find this not so, then use the ruler to give them a real distraction."
"Okay," Janys stammered. Would she ever be capable of threatening, much less administering punishment in such a matter-of-fact way? Yet she admired the way Pannolorian commanded absolute respect from her rambunctious charges.
"One more thing, Janys." He waited until she met his eyes. "I know you lack experience, but you should never let a problem go this far. You have apologized to me, but if I were you, I would take that ruler home tonight. Ask Martel to give you the six strokes your students received as a reminder to ask for help more quickly next time." Without saying another word, he vanished down the hall into his quiet classroom.
How dare he? she fumed for the few steps back to her own class. As if she'd ask her husband for punishment because the students didn't listen to her.
Yet when she stepped through the doorway, she couldn't believe the change. All eleven sat quietly in their seats, pens and paper before them, waiting for her to continue. Although they didn't have much time left, she managed to get through most of her lesson. Even more amazing, many including Rositeria smiled and laughed as they left. She'd been fighting using the ruler, yet in a few minutes it brought order without any apparent negative effects.
She picked it up from where she'd put it down on her desk, remembering Pannolorian s suggestion. Maybe she still couldn't perform physical discipline herself, but she should have told someone about her difficulties. By ignoring the principal's directive and failing to enforce the rules, she'd cost her class learning time and interfered with a fellow teacher's lesson plans. If she'd just enlisted assistance earlier by sending someone off for a spanking instead of making them sit in the corner, the rest of the group might never have had their hands or legs slapped. Face it—she'd been in the wrong, but it was the children who'd suffered from her error in judgment.
But take the ruler home and ask Martel to balance the scales? Closing her eyes, she knew how it would play out. His long fingers would wrap around the end as he swished it through the air, getting the feel. They would go upstairs, either to their bedroom, or more likely, the one with the bench. First she would have to offer up her hand. Then he would force her to
face the wall as she had during Master Rodogan's party while he swatted her legs.
Compared to what she'd gone through at other times, it wouldn't be much. Not unless her husband decided she needed a more extensive "reminder". But it would humiliate her to be punished like a child, and even worse to have to tell him what she needed.
"That's something else I can't do," she whispered as she slid the ruler back into the drawer. "And I'm not going to write it down in the bibalon either. This time, all of them will just have to be satisfied with my feeling responsible. I'll make it up to the kids some other way."
Yet her conscience pricked her even more the next day when she discovered Master Pannolorian's surprise visit had been reported in full to her other classes. The middle graders minded her completely, while the little ones remained subdued from their experience. Only the oldest group appeared untouched, with two still forgetting to turn in their essays.
"Vilding and Sariontella," she scolded. "If you can't write your papers at home, you can do so after school. Report here after your last class, and we will stay here today and all other days necessary until you finish." Even if it means I can't go home myself at the normal time…
Vilding shrugged, but appeared before her on schedule, sitting down to scribble barely decipherable pages. She kept him there while she went over it, making extensive notes before handing it back. "Tonight I want you to clean this up. Otherwise I'm going to make you come back here again so we can go over it word for word."
However Sariontella never showed up. As Janys walked home, she wondered how to handle the matter. Report her to Meisin, or give her one more chance? The next day they had off as the half-decedonner break. Maybe the girl just needed a little extra time to finish her work. If so, she might let her off with a lecture.
Martel had the day off as well, so they borrowed a solar buggy from the trade office and drove out to Brendanella, the deep lake which provided water for the streams through Wyteen and Lycarta. He showed her the spot where the original settlers set up their camp. Around the blue gray expanse, they could see the buildings of Katerie, with Pertrotal barely discernible farther down the curve.
"So why didn't they all stay here?" As Janys recalled, the history book Elondelle forced her to study barely mentioned the relocation "Didn't they know they'd have to ration water once they moved away from the lake?"
"They did. But you know the feelings running between Wyteen and Lycarta folk. No one could agree on which group could stay in this place after Katerie and Pertrotal broke off. " Martel took her hand and pulled her down into the sun-warmed grass. "For many decedonners they fought. When things turned violent, the Elders agreed both groups would abandon the spot and move downstream."
"So now except for those people who are so far around the lake we can barely see them, we're alone out here," she teased.
"I noticed." The grass prickled against her back as he lifted her tunic.
Later when she worked through her plans for the next day, she remembered a similar story. "It's an Enosian folk tale," she told the middlers. "About the war between the mountain and ocean people over who could live on the beach."
She'd only gotten a little way into it when she heard murmuring from the back of the class. "Illean," she asked sharply. "Why aren't you paying attention?"
The tallest boy looked up. "Because that story is for babies. We have much scarier ones here. Like the rikkitasha that ate five people—"
"That's enough." Just what she needed—horror tales of the snakelike creature she'd have met first hand if they'd banished her to Kollent… "Illian, if you want to share that with us during the next decedonner when we talk about Demetian fables—"
"But it really happened!" He crossed his arms over his chest. "My father saw one of the woman afterwards with her leg missing—"
"I said we're not going to discuss that now," she told him firmly. "Now please be quiet so I can finish the story."
For a minutes he leaned back in his chair, an insolent smile on his ruddy face. Then he picked up a pen and started scribbling. At least she'd succeeded in gaining his silence so the others could hear. She started in again, describing how the ocean people blamed the mountain folks for causing the landslide when sudden movement drew her attention. Garnastio, Illian's best friend, sniggered while sliding a piece of paper to the girl on his right.
Swiftly Janys confiscated the sheet. On it, a crudely-drawn woman with hair and tunic resembling her own dangled from the teeth of an enormous serpent. The words "Help Me, Master Pannolorian - I Can't Get Him to Behave" ballooned from the woman's mouth.
"I take it this is your work, Illean?" She folded the paper. After exchanging glances with Garnastio, the boy nodded.
"We'll talk about this after class. But if you interrupt me again, you're going to be sorry."
Illian shot a look up at the ceiling, his lips twitching with amusement. Then he dropped his head onto his desk. Please just stay there, Janys prayed as she sped up, hoping she could still get to the end of the tale. But just as she began to describe the lava flow, the boy emitted a loud snore. Everyone besides Janys began laughing.
She couldn't allow this to continue. Gazing around the room, her eyes lighted on the oldest girl. "Malimera, I want you to monitor the class for a few minutes while Illian and I pay a visit down the hall."
"Yes, Mistress." Malimera looked nervously around at her friends.
Janys handed her a piece of paper. "Write down the names of anyone who talks." She thought for a minute, then added loudly. "They can plan on making the same visit."
Illian looked more amused than afraid as she led him outside the door. "Are you taking me to Master Pannolorian?"
"Yes I am," she replied firmly, her fingers locking around his elbow.
"So he can whack me a few times with a ruler, like he did my brother Jostemin?" He smiled even more broadly.
"If that's what he decides to do." Actually I hope he gives you a good paddling. Could she really be thinking this? She who didn't believe in spanking? Yet she wanted someone to wipe that grin from his face. A sore behind seemed the least he should suffer for ruining her class.
"But surely you know, Mistress Janys," he said mockingly. "Master Pannolorian is not at school today. He took my brother and the other little ones to see the water recycling plant."
That's right. She'd forgotten Meisin mentioned she'd have one less class today while the students toured Wyteen's sole nod to technology. "Then we will pay our visit to the principal instead," she snapped, pulling him past Pannolorian's classroom towards the office where she'd first been handed the ruler and paddles.
To her surprise, her mother-in-law sat at Meisin's desk. "What are you doing here?" Janys blurted out.
Elondelle looked up from her writing pad, her eyes coolly taking in the situation. "Mistress Meisin asked me to sit in while she covers classes for Master Pannolorian. Did you need to see her?"
"Yes." Briefly Janys reported Illian's disruptive behavior.
"And you require Mistress Meisin to address the matter?"
"I think that would be best." Janys wished the woman who'd punished her so many times hadn't found out she had to rely on the principal for disciplining students…
"I see. Unfortunately, she has a very full day." The other woman consulted a calendar. "Her only free time would be lunch, but two of the Elders will be meeting her then." Elondelle looked knowingly at Illian. "If this matter is so serious it cannot be handled by the teacher, perhaps the Council will wish to take a hand in its resolution."
"The Council?" Illian's face turned from red to white. "My father said if I ever had to go before the Council for anything, he would borrow the razor strop from Master Rodogan—"
"Which will teach you to think before acting up in class," Elondelle finished unsympathetically. "Janys, if you wish to return to your duties, I will watch over him until Mistress Meisin and the Elders arrived—"
"Please!" The boy's eyes filled with tears. "Just give me
the paddling. I promise I will be quiet in class from now on."
"I am sorry, Illian, but I am not authorized to punish you," Elondelle said smoothly. "However if Mistress Janys believes your behavior can be adequately addressed that way without involving Mistress Meisin after all—" her voice trailed off as she and Illian looked expectantly at Janys.
What am I going to do? Minutes ago she'd been hoping someone would spank him, but she hadn't dreamed of putting him before the Council. In his eyes she saw the same panic she'd felt during her own encounters with Tadewidan and his cronies, and knew even if Illian's father carried out the punishment, it would be much more severe than what Meisin would deliver.
But with Pannolorian gone, Meisin occupied, and Elondelle barred from expanding her role, that left her as the delivery person. She looked hard at her mother-in-law. "I don't want this to go in front of the Council. I guess if I had some help, I could use the paddle."
"I believe I am authorized to render guidance." Elondelle gestured at Illian, who looked both relieved and apprehensive at the same time. She whispered to Janys, "Ask him to step outside for a few minutes and face the wall while we talk. Tell him he will then come back inside to receive correction."
Janys tried to make herself look confident. "Illian, you will wait outside while Mistress Elondelle and I discuss your punishment." After a moment she added, "When I come to get you, I want to find you looking at the tiles thinking about the spanking I'm going to give you." Her voice shook a little on the last phrase. Without a word the boy scooted out the door as Janys shut it behind him.
Elondelle glanced at the desk clock. "Have you already dismissed your class?"
Her cheeks turned hot as she realized she'd forgotten about them. "No, I left Malimera in charge."
"Then I best do so before Master Durgan wonders what happened to his math students. I will also tell him Illian will be delayed." Elondelle paused at the doorway. "Which paddle do you wish me to bring back? The small or large?"
Captive Discipline (Demetrian Brides Book 1) Page 20
