by Ted Mayes
“Well, I’m thankful for that, Amanda.” After another pause he went on. “What are you working on right now, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Oh, just making notes for myself. For example, I want to get in to see Dr. Adams, my psychiatrist, as soon as I can next week.”
“Is something wrong?”
She laughed. “Dad, you just, in effect, observed that I had changed since the last time I was home. I want to see what Dr. Adams says about the change. If the change has taken place because I’ve grown, that’s one thing, but if it happened because of a Stockholm syndrome, that’s something completely different.”
“What do you think brought about the change?”
“I’m not sure. At first, I thought it might be the whole Stockholm thing, but Sir Stafford pointed out that I hadn’t been beaten or abused, so he doubted that it was Stockholm.”
“Who is this Stafford, and how would he know how you had been treated?”
“He’s the British attaché to the empire, and he heard me yelling at Michael.”
Her father smiled. “You yelled at your consul?”
“Oh, on a number of occasions.”
“And did your consul give in to your temper?”
“No, unfortunately.” Amanda shared a smile with her father.
“You know, I may have to change my opinion about your consul, if you couldn’t stampede him.”
That conversation on New Year’s Day had marked a definite thaw in Amanda's relationship with her father. Other things happened that were significant as well. The week after she returned home she did get an appointment to meet her psychiatrist who informed her that it was unlikely that she was suffering from Stockholm syndrome, especially since she couldn’t cite any instances of abuse (other than her ‘enslavement’). The week after regaining her freedom she was confronted with a flood of requests for interviews. Some of the requests, most of those from media, were easy to put off, which she did, claiming that she was recovering from stress, but she did give a short interview to one of her friends in the print media.
Other requests were more difficult to refuse. For example, when the CIA, and other unnamed agencies, ‘requested’ an interview, it was definitely suggested that the interview take place as quickly as possible. She didn’t see the point of most of the interview, which mostly went over the articles she had written. It was obvious that the agents were looking for more information that she might have had, but she didn’t think she was able to add much to what had been written. There were questions about technology, but she could honestly tell them that she was always refused any information about how things were done.
There were questions about the emperor, but she was insistent that she had no idea who the emperor was. She was surprised at the number of questions they had about Michael, and more surprised by their suggestion that Michael was the emperor. Eventually they seemed to reach the end of their questions. She didn’t think she had given them any new information, and she certainly didn’t mention that she’d been serving as Michael’s executive assistant.
Her friends called her up to reconnect and she went out to some clubs with them a couple of times. That’s when she really realized how much she had changed. She hadn’t been a regular clubber before her stay in Ostia, but she’d had fun going out. Now, though, she couldn’t avoid contrasting the clubbers out for a good time, with Beth, running the obstacle course for her sister, and Jon, off commanding the Mars expedition. The club scene seemed more than a little pointless, considering what the imperials were doing, what she had been doing.
So she found that she was happier keeping up with her running in the morning than staying up late at night. She found a dojo and started doing some sparring like she had started doing with the youngsters at the residence. She took walks in the afternoon and tried to think through things. She even found herself watching some young mothers with their children at a playground, and was surprised to find herself not totally turned off by the whole motherhood thing.
By the time she’d been gone from Ostia for two weeks, she knew that whatever else her future included, she wanted to be part of the empire. She wrote a letter of appeal to the emperor and another to the empress. She enclosed them in a letter to Chaplain Mueller, explaining what she was doing, and asked that he inform Bethany Jordan, who had offered to write a letter of recommendation for her.
She sent the letter off by registered mail and then began trying to think through her feelings about Michael. She was willing to admit now that there had been an immediate attraction of some kind at the very first, because now she realized that she normally would have chosen a group of men and played one off against the other. Then there was that episode when Beth’s Jon had commented about the ‘strong feelings’ between the two of them. Then there was the time that First had told her she had gotten ‘close’ to Michael faster than anyone else had. And then there was what First told her to think about as she left – how Michael had given orders to the First of the Praetorians to take care of her – not a citizen or a Latin, but a former slave returned to foreigner status. She was sure that Michael had an ‘unusual’ attitude toward her, but, at least this time, she wasn’t so self-confidant that she was sure what that attitude was.
One evening at dinner, her father had questioned her about how quiet she was. She tried to pass it off as just being tired, but she was pretty sure he knew it was more than that. All he had finally said, though, was that if she decided to ‘take a trip’, he would appreciate knowing about it from her, and, if it meant a more permanent relocation, he hoped that there would still be opportunities to meet and see each other.
On a Friday morning, four weeks after she’d left Ostia, she was sitting in the study again, staring into a fire and trying, once again, to try and straighten out her thoughts about Michael. She was making no headway, just going over and over the same thoughts and memories. The housekeeper entered the study and broke in on her thoughts. “Miss, there’s a man here to see you.”
“Who is it?” she asked listlessly, assuming it was another reporter or government agency that wanted to repeat the same old questions.
“He wouldn't give me his name, Miss. He said you’d recognize him better as the ‘First’.” The housekeeper’s puzzlement was obvious in her tone.
It took a moment before the meaning of those words penetrated Amanda’s consciousness. “First?” she yelped, jumping to her feet. “First is here? Send him in.” She paced for a few steps, wondering what this could mean, hoping that it was an answer to her letter. The door opened and First came into the study, and she found herself throwing herself at him and hugging him. “What are you doing here? How’s Michael?” she asked joyfully.
“Orders, Miss Amanda. It seems as if someone wrote a letter that created a little bit of a stir. And he’s not doing too well, grouchy and ready to bite everyone’s head off.”
“But is he working too hard? Did he get any help with all the paperwork?”
“He’s still working too hard, Miss, but I passed on your suggestion about getting him an aide, and he’s got one now, Ari Levi, from that first group of youngsters we had, and he’s supposed to be getting another one soon.”
“Good, I’ve been worried about him.”
There was a brief moment of silence while Amanda was feeling relief that Michael was well and wondering why she was so relieved. When she looked up, First was smiling broadly. “Did you want to hear why I’m here?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” she said hurriedly. “You said something about orders?”
He pulled something out of his inside coat pocket and handed it to her. “I’ve been ordered to deliver this to you.”
She took it from his hand and recognized it as an imperial ID on a lanyard. Looking more closely at it, she saw it had her name and picture on it, as well as the two social rings of a Latin. “My request was accepted? But isn’t Latin status supposed to be probationary?”
“As I said, your letter created a little b
it of a stir. I was informed that both emperors and both empresses agreed that you should immediately receive full Latin rights.”
Things were happening too quickly, so all she could say was, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.”
“That’s not all,” First said. “Put your hand out.” When she did, he put a clerk and a headset in her hand and said, “Samantha, you are now being held by your new mistress. Miss Amanda, please state your name for Samantha.”
Amanda placed the headset in her ear and spoke her name, and then heard Samantha say, “Good morning, Miss Amanda. I’ve been told to inform you of two things. First, I am a clone, of sorts, from the clerk you know as Samuel, so I am already accustomed to your habits and procedures. Second, I have been told to inform you that you have been granted a connection to Augusta, the empress's clerk. I would assume this meant that the empress intends to speak with you in the future and would appreciate hearing from you as well.” Amanda gasped and gaped at First.
“I told you the letter raised a ‘stir,’ didn’t I?”
“The empress wants to hear from me? How many people have had that happen to them?”
“Well, actually, none, as far as I know, but from what I’ve gathered from Mike, the empress doesn’t like publicity at all, so it could just be that no one talks about it. So, even though I don’t think you would, it would be wise to tell no one about that particular connection.” He thought for a moment, then added, “Of course, there were rumors that she was taking care of the children, so maybe she’s going to start taking a more active role. Anyway, I’d keep quiet about it until she tells you differently.”
That, Amanda thought, was going to be easy to do. Hearing from the emperor, who spoke to lots of people, was scary enough. Hearing from the empress, who apparently didn’t speak to anyone, sounded even worse. “I can return to Ostia, though, right?” When First nodded, she went on, “I’ll call the airlines, then, and see when I can get on the next flight.”
First cleared his throat. “That was the other reason for sending me here, Miss. Did you realize that you were being watched?”
She thought about it and then replied, “No, I hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but I haven’t been out of the house, much, except to run or take a walk.”
“Well, I was told that ‘friendly’ agencies were keeping an eye on you because of a worry that you might have been brainwashed to become an imperial spy. Apparently, you have been very confusing for such a theory, going to see your psychiatrist first thing, mostly staying home and away from reporters.”
She had to laugh a little. “The idea that I could be an imperial spy is almost as funny saying that I was a CIA agent trying to dig up information on Ostia.”
“True – we both know how good a spy you are. However, it led to the emperor being concerned about your welfare.”
That really shocked her. “Why would the emperor care about my welfare?” she finally managed to say.
“You mean, besides the fact that you are a Latin now?” First’s quizzical look made realize, for the first time, that she now had a ‘protected’ status. “Well, considering how Mike acted the last time someone he cared about was harmed, the emperor would rather not have the consul ‘upset’ at this time, so I’ve been ordered to escort you to Ostia on a scout ship.”
She took a quick glance out the window. “A scout ship, which is outside and ‘stealthed’ or ‘cloaked’ or whatever the terminology is?” The only thing First did was grin. “And I should pack something quickly and have Samuel, no, Samantha, take care of the delivery of whatever other clothes I wanted.” First nodded. “And where will I stay in Ostia when I get there?”
“Dr. and Mrs. Harrison have volunteered to put you up until you can find a place of your own.”
“And what will I do when I get to Ostia?”
“Miss Amanda, I’ve been informed that with your trust fund you don’t need to work, but you chose to be a writer. I would imagine that you can do about anything you want to do, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the empress has something in mind for you.”
“Okay.” She started towards the door and then suddenly stopped. “Wait a minute. You said I was being watched by ‘friendly agencies.’ Why the need to clear out quickly and quietly?”
“You know, Miss, I think I miss having you question everything in sight. To answer your question, though, other things are brewing, and the emperor would like you to be safe. Now, however, I’ll escort you upstairs for your packing, because my presence in the house has already been reported. If you want to call your Dad to let him know what’s going on, that’s fine, but I’d really like to be gone before anyone wants to know what we talked about here.”
Amanda looked at him very seriously for a moment. She shrugged her shoulders – this was what she had decided she wanted, so why waste time. “Let’s go, then,” she said and led him from the room, while telling Samantha to open a channel to her father.
14 – January-February 1994
There were two very strange things about Amanda's arrival at Ostia. One was that it seemed so much like coming home. They landed at Fleet Harbor, floated into a hangar and disembarked – and it felt right. She could understand that because she’d already decided that this was going to be her home in the future – well, here or on the Moon or somewhere in the Empire. The other thing that was strange was that it seemed like they were sneaking her into Ostia. She certainly didn’t expect that Michael would meet her at the harbor – he was way too busy for that – but it would have been nice to at least let her drop a message to Michael, telling him she was back. But, no, First said it wasn’t allowed – and Samantha refused to help as well. He mentioned that it wasn’t his idea, but her arrival was to be a surprise for Michael, and she’d get all the background later.
So, First led her through all sorts of tunnels and elevators and finally stopped in front of what looked like a brick house set into a cave in the tunnel wall with a ‘yard’ full of blooming potted plants. First knocked at the door, silently bowed to her and moved off at a jog. She was about to turn and go after him, to find out what was going on, when the door opened and she saw Dr. Harrison standing there. Without thinking about it, she automatically came to something resembling ‘attention’ and said, “Sir, this really wasn’t necessary. I could have stayed in one of the hotels for the night.”
He waved her into the house, replying, “It was most certainly necessary, Miss Ochs, because my wife insisted on it.”
An attractive older woman came into the hallway with a welcoming smile, “We’re so glad you were willing to accept our offer to spend the night with us.”
Amanda was surprised to remember Mrs. Harrison. “You came to see me the afternoon before the trial.”
Husband and wife exchanged looks, then Mrs. Harrison went on, “Yes, well, I was asked to come see you by … someone … who had heard that Michael was acting strangely. The … person … thought it might have something to do with you and wanted me to find out more about you.”
“Tell me,” Amanda said, “do all imperials refer to certain incognito individuals in such a vague way?”
Dr. Harrison smiled. “In fact, they do, or should. It is considered rude and quite vulgar to make comments about ‘certain individuals’ to others, not to mention that clerks are programmed to report such things, which can lead to ‘complications.’”
“You’re probably hungry now,” said Mrs. Harrison. “I have a simple lunch ready, and then you can rest, or look for an apartment, or whatever you want.”
The only polite thing to do was to set down her bag and follow the older couple into the kitchen. It was an enjoyable meal, even though Amanda was very aware that she was sitting down to eat with two highly ranked imperials. Halfway through the meal, it suddenly struck how silly she was being – after all, she’d had no problems putting all sorts of questions to Michael, the highest ranking imperial official. So she began asking questions and listening carefully to the answers.
It might be easy to deduce who the emperor is, if he were silly enough to have labeled himself as the first, or one of the first ‘recruits’ for the empire. No, I know for a fact that the emperor didn’t ‘officially’ join the empire until quite a while after imperial activity began. Who was the first? If my memory is correct, I think it was your Michael. In fact, I believe that he was the first one to argue that there needed to be some ‘separation’ between the empire and earth governments. Why? I suppose he was more cynical that anyone else was at the time. No, I’m semi-retired now, so I’m no longer a member of the Imperial Council. Oh, I’m still going to have one class of ‘Politics 101’ each semester, but otherwise I have no authority at the University. No, I have a lot to do – lots of reading and writing and occasional consulting jobs.
The end of the meal came and Amanda decided that she hadn’t learned anything really new. She did have a final question, though. “Dr. Harrison, I’m sorry if I’m being ‘rude’, but my clerk said something to me about a connection to Augusta? Isn’t that a little unusual?”
Dr. Harrison smiled. “Not really. As I understand it, the emperor has to have a public ‘presence,’ if I can call it that, simply because the government is responsible to him. The empress has her own interests and activities but she’s not interested in the public finding out about them. So, it really isn’t ‘unusual’ for someone to have access to the empress, but it is very unusual to have anyone say anything about it, especially in public.”
Amanda nodded, understanding the unstated instruction to never discuss the connection with the empress. She was waiting to see if Dr. Harrison were going to say anything else, when Mrs. Harrison meaningfully cleared her throat. Dr. Harrison looked at his wife and grinned. “There’s only one other thing I need to explain before I leave. There’s a little-known official position in the empire that I’ve been asked to explain. An agens in rebus, basically an ‘agent in various things’, is someone who works directly for the emperor or empress, outside of normal channels, doing whatever the imperial family wants. The empress has a few she uses, while the emperor hasn’t used the position much in the past. And with that, I’ll leave the two of you to talk about things.” He got up from the kitchen table, kissed his wife’s forehead and left the room.
