The Wounded

by Marilyn Foxworthy

  Wendy said, “I already got his bed made and clean sheets and everything. And I helped him take a shower and before that. Um, Clarice, he made me loved. You know, for real. And, I can take naps with him in his bed now because I have a new rule that says that I can if all my chores are done.”

  Clarice smiled and said, “I’m so happy about that.”

  Wendy whispered, “And I saw stars in my pussy.”

  Clarice whispered back and said, “Why are we whispering?”

  Wendy whispered again, saying, “Because.”

  Clarice smiled and said quietly, “OK, go do more chores.”

  Wendy whispered, “OK” and she kissed me on the cheek and ran into the elevator.

  When we were alone again, Clarice said, “You made her very happy. She was right; none of us ever really fulfilled our purpose. Not just Brenda. All of us, including you. I think what she said sums it up for all of us: we are glad that you love us now.”

  I said, “Maybe my amnesia really is a good thing. It isn’t hurting us, is it? I think it’s actually helping. I’m still me though, right?”

  She smiled and said, “Yes, you are still the wonderful man that I fell in love with a thousand years ago. But better than ever.”

  I said, “I’m still a little weirded out about the Moon Maids. Because of Brenda and the Nogud and everything. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  Clarice said, “I know. But Brenda has her own personality and autonomous thought. Obviously, the Nogud did too, because they are human. So do the nymphs. But the Moon Maids will be completely under my control and won’t think for themselves. They won’t be like Wendy. They really are like the robotic manipulators. Do you think that they are too lifelike and that there will be emotional attachments and problems with anthropomorphism? That you will think about them as people, even though they aren’t? The humanoid form really does work best, but we can change it if we need to.”

  I said, “I am sure that it will be fine. I guess I am a bit uneasy about though. Maybe I’ll need someone to sit up with me and watch those old movies for a while. How’s your project coming?”

  Clarice said, “She’s behind the glass. I want you to wait and not see her yet, but she’s right there in the workshop, cleaned up and almost ready to go. She’s in good shape. There’s been no deterioration of her skin or mechanics. And, it isn’t like we can give her new skin, anyway. All of our materials are as old as she is. As for her body, it’s working perfectly. She obviously has certain functions that haven’t been used in a while, but everything works. Her mechanisms are almost as advanced as mine and I don’t see any need for any upgrades at all. Like I said, she was twenty years more advanced than Alice. Except for mentally and emotionally, she’s pretty much good to go.”

  I asked excitedly, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do it.”

  Clarice laid her hand on my arm and said, “Joshua, I’m afraid it’s going to take a bit longer and be a bit more delicate than I thought. Um, as I examined her, physically and from a programming perspective, I learned things about Brenda that we didn’t understand before. You’re going to have to be gentle and patient with her. I’m convinced that she’ll be better than ever eventually, but it may take a few days, or even longer. Of course, knowing you, what I think could be several days may be no more than a few minutes of your world straightening magic, but I can’t estimate that.”

  I said, “But what was it that Pops said that I have to do? I mean, I trust you and if you say it’s more complicated, then it must be, but he made it sound easy.”

  Clarice said, “Pops told you four things. He said to tell her that you are in charge, that it is time for her to be herself again, and that you love her. But, I think the most important thing he told you was that at the right time, that you would find a way to make her happy again. Joshua, I don’t think that Pops was telling you the magic words to say to break Brenda’s spell. I think that he was telling you the process to follow to help her heal. Listen, I don’t think that you can just say that you’re in charge and that she should be herself again. I think that you have to show her that you’re in charge and that she’s safe and that she can start to become herself. I think that you have to show her that you still love her, and that you love her more and better than you did when you were a little boy. You were still a teenager when Brenda hid herself away. You’re a man now.”

  I sighed and said, “Of course. I get that. I think that I was reverting in some ways to being a teenager. I thought that there would be an easy fix. You’re right, the most important thing that Pops said was that I would figure out how to help her when the time was right. Well, the time is right and Brenda needs to start being who she was meant to be. What do we do next?”

  Clarice said, “I can’t tell you. If you really want to get started, I suggest that you take a nap. During your nap, I’ll send Brenda in to look in on you. She’ll be like she was when Irene was in charge. She will probably be uncomfortable about being alone with you at first, out of fear of Irene. Like Pops said, you will know what to do, not me. You can call me on the ear-piece if I can help you at all.”

  I said, “OK. If you say so. A nap first huh? OK. I’ll go back to the bedroom and wait.”

  Clarice smiled and said, “Actually, the girls did work really hard, and your bedroom is ready. You can go there.”

  I said, “Oh! I didn’t expect that.”

  Clarice said, “What I didn’t expect was that Lark would pick out the same room for you that Pops had when he lived here. She picked out Lily’s old room for herself. The nymphs were right about Raven though; she chose the wild animal room, just like they predicted. I’m glad that Lark chose the Captain’s Room for you. It does suit you best. Actually, you belong in all the rooms at different times, but when you’re in your own room, that’s the right one, now that she explained it to all of us.”

  I said, “Lark is amazing. You all are. Hey, are you making me sleepy?”

  She smiled and said, “No. You are sleepy on your own. Go on and let the elevator take you to your bedroom.”

  I asked, “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  Clarice stood up and said, “Not right now. And everyone else is going to stay away for now, too. Take the elevator and when you get off, your bedroom door will open for you so that you’ll know which one it is. There is a small name plate and a status panel beside the door and it will have your name on it too. Go in and take a nap. Brenda will probably be waiting for you when you wake up. I’ll help you sleep for just an hour or so. But sweetie, this is important. Brenda is fully functional, but there are some issues for you to deal with. Don’t let anything really shock you. You’ll see what I mean. And call me if you have questions about things that I might have answers for. Now, go on. The sooner you get to bed, the sooner Santa Claus will bring your presents.”

  I smiled and whined, “Oh, OK. But I’m not tired. I want to stay up and see reindeer. And it’s still light outside.”

  Clarice pulled me to my feet and said, “You don’t know that. But even if it is, you get to bed. Brenda will check on you later. You don’t want her to be disappointed in you. Ask her real nice and maybe she’ll kiss you goodnight. Oh, and some of your clothes, and some of hers are in your room already. Pops always kept clothes for the girls in his room for emergencies. Like emergency sleepovers. And speaking of that, Brenda has nowhere to sleep, so she will be sleeping in your room for now. I don’t know what bed, but there is a sofa if that’s what she needs. For the next few nights at least, plan on her staying with you.”

  I said, “I love you, Clarice. Thank you so much.”

  She hugged her naked body against me and said, “I love you too. Go on,” and she turned me toward the elevator doors and gave a me gentle nudge.

  Chapter 20 My New Bedroom

  When the elevator stopped and the door opened, I stepped out onto the ‘Bedroom Level’. It was strange to not know what level this was. I mean, to not know where it was in relation to where I
had just been. It was easy enough to know that the living level was one floor beneath the roof top patio, and this was one floor below the living level, because there were stairs that led from here to the living room, and from there to the patio, but other than the fact that the secret lair must be ‘down’ from here, I didn’t know where it was. I didn’t even know how the guest house was related to this. Judging from the outside of the house, I guessed that the bedrooms were on the same level as the guest house though.

  This level had a sitting area near the stairs, maybe twenty feet across, but the rest was hidden behind walls and doors. The only door visible to me was one that opened as I stepped off the elevator, to my left.

  I headed toward the room that was apparently mine. The door was a richly carved wooden panel. A small display screen beside the door said, ‘Master Joshua’.

  The room itself was surprising. Beautiful and luxurious. But I didn’t feel like exploring at the moment. I really was tired, and I headed straight for the bed and climbed up and pulled the thick comforter over me. I was asleep just seconds later, doubtlessly under the influence of Clarice’s sleep inducing music.

  When I woke up, I looked for the clock to see how long it had been. I didn’t see one immediately, and I didn’t even know why I looked. There were no clocks at Paul’s farm, and I hadn’t seen a single clock at Havenrest either. But then again, at Havenrest, we didn’t even wear clothing. We ate in the morning. We ate at lunch. We ate at dinner. We woke up when it was light and we went to bed when it was dark. There were times that we needed to know when something would happen, and for the most part, we just estimated. Clarice could tell me what time it was if I wanted to know. The nymphs all had internal clocks, but they were phenomenally bad at numbers, so I didn’t know if the clocks did them any good. Everything worked OK though.

  Indoors, like this, we relied on artificial light, at least on the levels below ground. I didn’t know if this bedroom had windows or not.

  I said, “Clarice, I’m awake now. Is it still light out? Is there a window in this room? Can we open the curtains?”

  Without any other response, a set of thick curtains along one wall opened and the outside light streamed in…and there was Brenda.

  The windows were on the left side of the bed, and Brenda stood beside the bed on the right, about three feet away, facing me and waiting. At least I assumed that it must be Brenda. I estimated that it was probably between two and three PM. I asked for the lights in the room to be brought up so that I could see more clearly.

  The woman who stood beside my bed, waiting, wasn’t anyone that I had seen before, so it must be Brenda. She was standing still, wearing a simple, tan colored work uniform that came down to a few inches below her knees. She stood stiffly, with her hands at her side, looking at me blankly. I smiled at her, but she showed no reaction and did not speak.

  I pulled the covers of the bed away and sat up. I was directly in front of her. If I stood up, I would be only a foot from her. It seemed a little close for first introductions. I slid a foot to the side and stood up, moving several feet away, and then I stretched. I was naked, of course, but for some reason, I thought that it might help to let Brenda know that I was comfortable with her and wanted her to be comfortable with me as well.

  After stretching and taking a deep breath, I said, “Hello. Do you remember me?”

  Brenda replied, somewhat woodenly, “You are Joshua Jensen.”

  I said, “And, who are you?”

  She said, “This is the housekeeper. Casual designation: Brenda.”

  She was very stiff, and yes, robotic in her movements and speech. I’d been told that she had the capacity to be like Clarice and the nymphs, and now that I had seen how she was, I was more determined than ever to free her from this ‘curse’. I didn’t know how I would do it yet, but I didn’t believe that it was going to be as simple as asking her to lie down on the bed and me waking her with ‘true love’s kiss’. But I could start with what information I had at hand.

  I looked around the room for the first time. It was large. There was the king size bed; a richly carved four-poster. The whole room had the look of a captain’s stateroom on an old sailing ship. A very old ship, like a pirate ship or an ancient galleon. There was a sofa and an arm chair, and a very large, throne like chair, obviously designed for a ruler of some kind; a captain, or even a prince.

  I moved to the big chair and sat down.

  I said, “Brenda, please come here.”

  Brenda moved to stand in front of me and said, “Sir, shall I layout your clothes and help you dress?”

  I said, “No. I will stay like this for now. Perhaps we would be more comfortable if I were to help you undress.”

  Brenda replied, “Sir, protocol does not allow for undressing this unit except for changing outfits. Disrobing of this unit by male family members is prohibited. Changing outfits requires the unit to remove itself to a closet and then return when the change of clothing is complete.”

  I thought, good, we can talk about changes to protocols. I can work with this.

  I said, “Brenda, I am Joshua. I am in charge now. Please verify the position and status of each member of the household and report for me.”

  Brenda said, “Occupants of house: Joshua Jensen. Master bedroom. Awake and healthy. Currently naked. Present in the same location as housekeeping unit Brenda. Clarice Jensen. Secret Lair. Awake and functional. Currently visible on security cameras. Partially clothed. Lark Jensen. Human female. Indoor pool. Awake and healthy. Visible on camera. Naked. Raven Jensen. Human female. Indoor pool. Awake and healthy. Naked. Unit Ellie. Indoor pool. Functional. Clothing inconsequential. Unit Mandy and Unit Wendy. Indoor Pool. Functional. Clothing Inconsequential. Remote member, Viola Jensen. Location, six miles east. Awake and healthy. Not visible on camera. Clothing unknown. Housekeeping unit, Brenda. Master bedroom. Functional. Visible on camera by request. Partially clothed. Violating clothing protocol. Confused.”

  I asked, “Brenda, why are you confused?”

  Brenda said, “Prior eight hundred thirty year status unknown. Reason for clothing protocol violation unknown. Family members Lark, Raven, and Viola unknown. Missing family members Clark and Irene, status unknown. Reason for current state of house and presence of uninhabitable locations unknown. Reason for Joshua occupying Master Bedroom unknown. Past, present, and future status of unit Brenda unknown.”

  I said, “Brenda, let me help you. I’m so sorry for your discomfort. If I sit on the sofa, will you sit with me?”

  She said, “In the absence of other protocols, Registered Occupant of Master Bedroom will give direction as required. All other protocols are currently impossible. Default protocol is to take direction from the Master Bedroom if the registered occupied can be verified. Otherwise, take direction from the primary AI. Otherwise implement emergency protocols. Currently selected protocol, take direction from Master Bedroom, registered to Joshua Jensen.”

  I said, “Good,” and I stood up and went to sit on the sofa.

  I motioned Brenda to sit with me and for her to turn to face me. She still sat stiffly, with her hands folded in her lap, her back straight, and her knees together.

  I said, “I am going to do what I can to explain everything and make it all OK again. I want you to be as comfortable and happy as possible. Please, can you start by referring to yourself in the first person and to me in the second?”

  She nodded, and said, “Since you desire it, I will.”

  I said, “That makes me happy. Let’s deal with the things that are unknown for you. First of all, several centuries ago, there was a global cataclysm and we were all put into a suspended animation until about a week ago. At that time, the house began to revive and we have been working to restore it to a livable condition. We have done it a piece at a time, and you were not revived until today. The gap in your experience is due to the extended shutdown. The unfamiliar human females are women that have joined our house as my mates in the past two weeks. Ple
ase respond to this new information.”

  Brenda said, “The human females presence is no longer unknown. The gaps in my experience are explained and resolved.”

  I said, “Good. Now, about Clark and Irene. Both are dead. Do you have protocols that cover that event?”

  Brenda replied, “Irene Jensen was the master of the house by proxy consent of Robert K Jensen. In the event that Irene is removed by decree, disability, or death, Mastery reverts to Robby, King or the Woodland Fairies and Elven Sisters.” She paused and then continued, “The presence of Robby Jensen is not found within sensor range. Sensor range diminished to roughly ten miles. Global position of Robby Jensen unverifiable. Given the length of time since last contact, it is reasonable to assume that Robby Jensen is deceased or otherwise unable to act as master. In this case, if a new King of the Fairies is verified by Decree, Ascension, Consent, and Coronation, protocol dictates that he is the Master.”

  I said, “Can you verify any of those things?”

  She said, “Condition One: Decree. It was the decree of King Robby that in the event of his departure for any reason, given that Irene’s proxy mastery was no longer valid, that Joshua Jensen would be his Heir to all of his kingdom. Sufficient evidence exists to accept the decree as valid and in force. Robby is no longer able to be king and Irene no longer functions by proxy. Since Joshua Jensen is living and present, he inherits all properties and titles and authorities of King of the Fairies, as long as other conditions are met. Condition Two: Ascension. This requires that Joshua be willing to perform the duties as required.”

  I said, “I am King of the Fairies and Nymphs and fully in charge of all properties, titles, and authorities. And accept these responsibilities of my own free will.”