Mindgames Ch. 19

Suddenly Mariah understood. "Like when I was outside the wall," she said.

Rose nodded, and the two of them pulled the wagon together. "Like that, I think," she said. "Except you escaped on your own, and Master Animal helped me." She lowered her voice. "After, he looked at my drawings. He really looked at them. He told me what he thought, as if I were a student." Her eyes shone. "And then . . ."

Mariah interrupted. "But just before that, he whipped you. Do you really think a man can change in so short at time?"

"He hasn't changed."

Mariah shook her head. "But . . ."

"He hasn't changed," Rose repeated. "He whipped me because he thought it was right." She faltered for a moment. "Mostly, at least." She continued, "He doesn't believe that any more." She added fiercely, "He's always been a good man. Last week, yesterday, today. He's the same as he's always been, and . . ."

Although it was in the wrong order Mariah heard Rose cry out before she heard the slash of the whip that had hit her on her upper back. Rose dropped the wagon handle and fell to her knees. Mariah was momentarily too surprised to do the same. Three masters, one of them holding the whip, surrounded them. Rose continued down until her forehead was on the floor.

Mariah belatedly started to lower herself to her knees, but one of the men grabbed her hair to stop her descent. "Standard position," he snarled. Mariah immediately stood, spread her legs, and put her hands behind her neck. Below her Rose sobbed. The master who had spoken pulled Mariah forward by her elbow a few steps and circled around her.

"Were you and your friend enjoying your little conversation, slut?" he asked her.

"If it pleases you, Master," Mariah said, keeping her eyes fixed on his knees.

The whip came from one of the others, hitting her on the ass. "Don't sass us," the first master said. "It doesn't please us to be almost walked into by two uppity rags who won't get out of our way."

The men were obviously out for sport. "I beg your forgiveness, Master," Mariah said. Feeling herself begin to shake with fear, she fought to control herself.

"No forgiveness until after punishment," the third master said. He grabbed Mariah's chin and turned her face towards him. "Looks like we're not only people you've displeased lately." He touched her cheek just below her eye, where she was still tender from Animal's fist the previous day. Mariah winced and involuntarily drew back. Another slash of the whip, hitting her lower back. "Look at her," the third master said to the others. "Except for her face she has no recent marks. None at all."

The one with the whip nudged Rose with his boot. "This one does," he said. Rose whimpered. "Stand up, girl," the man ordered her. "You need to be taught respect."

Rose pulled herself to her feet. She started to raise her hands to standard position but he stopped her. "Actually, I think you should be the one to teach your friend." He put the whip in her hand. "Go on," he said. "Show her what happens to slaves who forget their place."

Rose fell back to the floor, laying on her stomach, the whip under her. One of the other masters slashed at her, hitting her across her upper legs, on top of the marks Master Animal had given her the day before. Mariah watched helplessly. Rose writhed and sobbed but did not get off the floor. Another slash.

"Were these two misbehaving, or are you just having fun?"

Mariah had never been so grateful for anything in her life as for the sudden appearance of Mistress Tabitha.

"They sassed us," one of the men said. "Are they yours?"

Mistress Tabitha shook her head. "I'm their hall mistress. They're a special project of the Bearer's, sort of an experiment. If they were acting out . . ." She glared at Mariah. "I would never interrupt a punishment. But if you could see your way clear to go easy on them, I'll talk to their masters and I'm sure the Bearer would appreciate it."

The three men looked at each other. One of them shrugged and stepped back. "We don't want to cross the Bearer," he said. "My name's Stiller. I've been waiting for new quarters in the penthouse . . ."

Mistress Tabitha said, "I'll be sure to mention your cooperation to him." Stiller nudged Rose with his foot until she raised her belly a few inches. He slid the whip out from under her. Shaking his head he turned and walked away, his friends following.

"Either of you hurt?" Mistress Tabitha asked Mariah and Rose.

"No, Mistress," Mariah said. She sank to her knees, not in obeisance but out of an exhausting relief. She covered her face with her hands. How had she grown so careless? If Mistress Tabitha hadn't come along . . . "Thank you," she said brokenly.

Rose kneeled up beside her. Mariah dared to look at her, and then stared in surprise. Where Mariah had expected bloodshot eyes and a tearstained face, her eyes were clear and her face dry.

"Stand up, both of you," Mistress Tabitha said. "I want to look at her you."

Mariah and Rose both stood and assumed the standard position while Mistress Tabitha circled them. When she was in front of them, she asked, "What happened?"

Mariah said, "We were disrespectful, Mistress."

"You're always disrespectful," Mistress Tabitha snapped. "Rose, you tell me."

Rose took a deep breath. Mariah noticed that she was not trembling. "Mariah and I were talking. And we didn't notice the masters. We must have walked too close to them. We didn't mean to. . ."

"Of course you didn't mean to," Mistress Tabitha said with asperity. "But I would expect better sense from you, at least, Rose." She looked hard at her. "Most of those whipmarks aren't from today. Who gave them to you?"

"Master Animal," Rose said, coloring.

"Master Animal beat you?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"I suppose this is related to the fire in the kitchen yesterday?

Rose hesitated before answering. "Yes, mistress."

"Good," Mistress Tabitha said. "I've never known your master to ruin a slave, but he's never kept one as long as you before. I'm glad to see he's taking his responsibilities seriously."

She turned to Mariah. "I know Gabriel would never give you that black eye. Was that Animal as well?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Well, that's between the two of them, I suppose." She looked them over critically. "You got lucky today," she said. "Now, go about your business and mind your betters." She started to walk away but turned back to Mariah. "I'll see you shortly."

"Yes, Mistress," Mariah said, not thinking to ask why. She and Rose stood down. Without a word to each other they picked up the wagon handle and started back to Master Animal's apartment.

Mariah remembers

One morning Master Cassender drove the horses past the farthest meadow that he had visited with Mariah, and kept going. He hummed to himself, which Mariah knew he only did when he was in a particularly good mood. She was pleased that they were heading northwest, so she could look at the wall while seeming to stare off into the middle distance.

Eventually, though, the road curved way from the wall. Mariah dozed off, waking when Master Cassender turned the wagon to the right. They went through a patch of woods, the road bending again. Suddenly they were in sunshine, and there before Mariah was the gate.