Telos Ch. 03

Master smiled at her patiently.

"I want to stay," she whimpered.

He cupped her chin and kissed her. "Don't be sad, Amy. You've given yourself over to me. In return I will make content. I will make you happy. There is no reason for anything but happiness anymore. I have a new world to show you."

"Master . . ."

"Hush now."

His words seemed to hold less power over her than they had before. "Master, why did you need to do this?"

He caressed her hair. "I needed practice to be sure I could make these dramatic changes to a person without them ending up like Grace. These are not my usual methods but I needed . . ."

"Slaves?"

Master chuckled. "You say that as if there is something less than noble about serving. Now, hush like I told you. There's a lot of work to do."

-)(-

Grace stirred from her first dreamless sleep in a long time to find her master lying next to her with a look of concern on his face. She kissed him and he smiled.

"We're going on a trip," he said.

She opened her mouth.

"No Bliss this time I'd like you to be more . . . lucid." Clothes were waiting for her, a flatteringly cut blazer and a simple black skirt. When she was dressed he led her down from the bedroom to the loop of the driveway near the front door where a car was waiting.

The drive was a short one but the sights became a colorful blur to her eyes. Amy told her about it all the time when she came back from working but Grace always found the world larger than she could really comprehend. She could still piece it together from the pieces she did understand. The snow was off the ground and it smelled like flowers and grass. Spring was beginning. Buildings grew taller by the minute. By the time the car stopped in front of an elegant marble faced building somewhere in the city she was dizzy from confusion.

Master kept her close to his side as they entered a crowd of well dressed people. He shook hands strategically as he walked. A few times he paused for brief conversations with people Grace recognized from previous trips master had taken her on. They didn't seem to recognize her. Here and there were men she knew she'd never met before but their voices made her anxious. She pulled closer to master and kept her eyes downcast.

He watched the entryway carefully. After about an hour a woman in glasses appeared. "She's late."

"Who is that?" asked Grace.

"Doctor Laura Silva, from the water purification department. You met her once a long time ago. She's trying to make the world a better place." Master scratched her head protectively. "She's the reason I met you."

Grace smiled.

"You were much cleverer back then and she told you things that let you figure out a great deal that my colleagues would prefer no one know. They had certain plans for you but I convinced them I could make better use of a pretty girl." He smiled down at her and she giggled. "I think I was right even if it wasn't what they expected."

"Are you going to make her like me? Like with Amy?"

"No, not like you." He guided her around a table. "Remaking a person is tricky, there are things that cannot be undone once they have been done. I learned a lot from you and Amy. I need a . . . a different kind of thing from her."

"Oh . . ." Grace stared at the woman in fascination.

Master patted her on the shoulder. "Wait here a moment. Don't wander off." He threaded his way through the crowd a few steps and Grace strained to hear him over the noise. "Doctor Silva!"

She turned toward him. "I'm not sure we've met."

"I'm from the Regulatory Commission on Drinking Water Standards." He took a little step to the left as one of the other partygoers loudly popped open a bottle of champagne. "They're saying up at the capitol that a number of deliveries to your plants that failed to go through. I was told all the paperwork was in order."

"That sort of thing is out of my hands," she said. "All I can tell you is that if it shows up and it's the wrong stuff I don't take it. We've gotten contaminated chemicals before. It's a disaster."

He nodded. "You think we've been cutting corners, doctor?"

"If you send me chlorine dioxide solution with point three parts per million unspecified additives it doesn't go in the water no matter what the driver says about papers." The woman shrugged. "You can tell that to your suppliers . . . uh . . . you never mentioned your name."

"Didn't I?" He handed her a business card. "I'm sorry I have a busy schedule. Have a nice night, ma'am."

Master made back through the crowd to Grace. "Enjoying the party, dear?"

She nodded. The party was amazing even if it was hard to keep her focus. She recognized some important people from TV although their names escaped her. A few of the women looked as bubbly and overwhelmed as she did. They stayed close to their masters. As Grace leaned against her own she saw a tear in the side of his suit jacket. "Master," Grace poked at his side, "did I not take care of your clothes?"

He glanced down. "That happened while I was talking to Doctor Silva." Master scanned the crowd for a moment then touched Grace at the waist and guided her to reception desk. "Excuse me," he said to the man at the desk, "I'm from the sheriff's office." He produced a little badge from one pocket. "This is very important. I need you to send someone to find Laura Silva and tell her that she's needed out in the parking lot."

"What should I say is . . ."

"Just tell her a sheriff's officer would like to talk to her," master said quietly. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"Master," Graced said as they left the building, "I'm very confused."

"That's okay." He kissed her gently. "We're almost done."

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