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  “Why does she need to face a challenge? Why is it one or the other?”

  “That’s a good question. Because until she wins a challenge, after she is 25, she is subject to being challenged by anyone who wants. At that point, she has 30 days to accept an honest challenge, either the one issued or another. And she will lose, but it won’t be a situation I can control. I won’t be able to hand pick what happens to her.”

  “Then let me have her.”

  “So you’re going to do to your mother what we saw today?”

  “Fine. You do it, and then give her to me.”

  “The transfer is nearly the exact same process, Claary.”

  “What happens to the slaves of someone who loses a challenge?”

  “If the terms are for more than two months, then they must be claimed or set free.”

  “The same fashion.”

  “Yes.”

  I stared at her for a while then dropped my gaze. “I think I’m ready to go back to work.”

  She laughed. “You weren’t this morning.”

  “Things change.”

  “I don’t think we’ve resolved anything yet, Claary.”

  I looked up. “People like Mother deserve honesty. She goes through her first time, and then recovery. Then you have a real conversation with her. And she can decide if she’ll let you hand pick someone for her, or if she’ll accept the risk. It shouldn’t be your choice.”

  “Bess, what do you think?”

  “I think for some forms of morality, Claary is right. I also think some women would surprise us and do well. Others will accept the conversation. And some percentage will reject it and do quite poorly. For those, life will be much harder, and for society as well.”

  “Unless we’re all your slaves, and we just don’t know it,” I said. “It shouldn't be your decision. I don’t want any continued part in subterfuge.”

  “Do not threaten me.”

  “I’m not. Either we work this out, or I’ll ask you to give me to someone, and it won’t be you.”

  “Claary.”

  “I mean it!” I said. “Is Mother already your slave, and she just doesn’t know it?”

  She thought about it and finally said, “No.”

  “Then it’s her decision, and you won’t keep lying to her. Yes? You can be as convincing as you want, as long as you don’t use drugs or intentionally induce vulnerability. She makes a decision based on as clear a mind as possible. You might have to work a little harder. Tough.”

  She stared at me for a long time and finally nodded. “All right. And the ones who you and I would both agree shouldn’t have the chance to own people?”

  “How are you coming to those conclusions?”

  “Interviews. Watching how they react to others. And we ask questions during moments of vulnerability. I asked you questions. You probably don’t remember. We might get it wrong sometimes, but it’s not like we’re sentencing someone to death by torture, Claary. We miss some, too. That’s how it goes. We do the best we can.”

  I nodded. “Fine. Those you can trick. I don’t think I care as much.”

  “I think you’re a hypocrite.”

  “Maybe so, but is my position wrong? Bess?”

  “Don’t look at me. I consider being enslaved a vacation.”

  I snorted. “That’s because you’re cute and people want you for fun. Would you feel the same way if it was to work the fields?”

  “I’ve done that several times,” she said. “I’ve worked in a laundry and a theater. I’ve been a janitor and a living model for a clothing store. I spent two weeks painting someone’s house. I spent a week cleaning kennels, and several of the women who have won me have had me work as their stable girl part time. What’s your point?”

  “You’re not old enough for all that.”

  “I’m 31,” she said. “I took my first time the day I turned 16. I started accepting practice challenges as soon as the courts would allow me.”

  “Is my position wrong?”

  “No, probably not.”

  I turned back to Olivia. “Well?”

  “No more threats to expose this.”

  “I haven’t made that threat once,” I said. “I believe I told you to ensure I didn’t have opportunity. That’s not the same.”

  “Fine. I don’t need to take those steps, either, do I?”

  “You’ll do this my way?”

  “We’ll try it. That’s the best promise I’ll give you. If it becomes a mess, we’ll talk again.”

  “All right.” I leaned against her. “Work?”

  “Next week.”

  “I’m ready. Lisbon couldn’t even get me to kiss her feet.”

  “I told her no more of that!”

  “And I told her to try.”

  “Do you really think that’s a proper test?”

  “No. I was messing with her.”

  Bess snorted. Olivia said, “You’ve recovered a lot since this time yesterday, but you’re still vulnerable, Claary, to anyone who uses subtlety. It would take Dee five minutes to lure you from safety, or someone using Dee. Bess might take fifteen, because she knows you and she’s very intuitive. Someone else might take a couple of hours, but she’d hang out at the inn and then lure you away.”

  “I thought you didn’t let people like that become citizens.”

  “Ledda Redleaf could probably do it to you, Claary, if she put the effort into it. Do you want her to get her hooks into you?”

  “No.”

  “All right then. We do this my way.”

  “All right.”

  “Good.” She clasped my chin then leaned in and kissed me. Then she whispered into my ear, “Bess wants you. She’s very sweet. Dee and Bee are hoping for a five-way.” She talked like that for a few minutes telling me what she had in mind. I closed my eyes.

  “And, apparently,” Olivia whispered. “I don’t even need five minutes.”

  It took me another minute to open my eyes and look at her. “That was mean.”

  “Have I made my point?”

  “I already agreed with you, Olivia.”

  She smiled and stroked my cheek. “Crawl over to Bess and invite her to stay the night.”

  I didn’t even think about it. I slipped from the sofa and crawled to Bess, who watched me with a smile. I returned the smile and then took her hands. “Do you want to stay?”

  She caressed my cheek. “Maybe another time, darling.”

  And then she stood, thanked Olivia, and headed for the door. I stayed where I was for a while then hung my head. “That was mean.”

  “I made another point, Claary.”

  “You let Bess see what a slut I am?”

  “No. I let you see what a good person she is. And you’re a good person, too.”

  I looked over my shoulder at her. “I can’t even stand up. I told you we’d do it your way.”

  She rose to her feet and walked to me, then held out her hands. “Come on. I’m going to tuck you into bed.”

  I stood, but I pouted. “I’m horny now, but I bet those orders not to see to myself are still stuck inside me. I told you we’d do it your way!”

  “Imagine how easy it would be to take advantage of you, Claary.”

  “I told you we’d do it your way!”

  “I’m giving you multiple lessons.”

  “Well, I don’t like them.”

  “I know.”

  Practice

  It took another week before Olivia declared me ready to be unsupervised in public, but I was pretty sure she had people keeping an eye on me for the next several days.

  I was asked no end of questions, although people seemed genuinely pleased I was back to work. Mother became very demonstrative, hugging me on a moment’s notice. The first few days were difficult, but I settled back in.

  By agreement, I didn’t see Olivia for the next two weeks. I hated it, and I wanted to go running back to her. But she warned me I’d feel that way, and I straightened my back and bu
ried myself in work. The familiar helped.

  But then Olivia appeared late on a Tuesday. She stayed until after closing, and we worked briskly to set things right before I sat down with several pots of tea, leaving two for her security team and one for us. I offered her my hand once we had our tea, and she took it with a smile. “How are you doing?”

  “I miss you,” I said.

  “I miss you, too. We need to talk about two things: your practice challenges and Lisbon.”

  “Are they related?”

  “She can’t have her first time if you’re not here. The inn needs one or the other of you, and it’s become too important. I don’t want it closing, and I don’t want Kathareet trying to manage without one or the other of you.”

  “I suppose,” I agreed.

  “Some people wait a year or two. Some begin to practice right away.”

  “Lisbon is waiting.”

  “Will you listen to my advice?”

  “Of course.”

  “Accept a practice challenge with me. You will lose, but it will be a real challenge, and one of the first real challenges we have. And then I want you to accept two more, one with Bess, or someone like Bess, which you will also lose, and then with someone when you are likely to win.”

  “Why so many?”

  “And then let Lisbon have her turn while you’re thinking about what you’ve learned.”

  “She turns eighteen in three months.”

  “Then we have three months before she owes two months instead of one. I’m not sure she’d mind if it were two.”

  “Maybe not, but that means we have to do everything you said in no more than two, and we need to have her scheduled. Which means you need to decide who is seeing to her.”

  “I want to ask how you feel about it.”

  “It’s not really my decision.”

  “Claary, I am interested in a continuing relationship with you. I think we need a break for you to figure things out. You’re still too vulnerable to me. If you want to become a permanent pleasure slave, I don’t necessarily have a problem claiming you, but I’d rather a different relationship.”

  “Oh.”

  “And so, yes, your opinion matters.”

  “I want you to either find someone as kind as you have been, or see to her yourself.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll hate me. Claary, I can’t promise she won’t want to make it permanent. And you’ll blame me. Furthermore, she might want to make it permanent with me. What does that do to us?”

  “It ends us,” I said.

  “Deenie was the right choice. I wish you hadn’t told her it was a setup.”

  “I didn’t. Lisbon guessed, and she did it in front of you. Well, that was when I learned she guessed. She may have suspected for a while.”

  Olivia nodded. “I’ll talk to her again. Deenie is still the right choice, especially as I’m not willing to loan Bee and Dee to just anyone.”

  “If it has to be you, then it has to be you,” I said. “But I won’t interfere.”

  “All right. So now we come back to you.”

  “Do we have to move so quickly?”

  “No. I’m using you for political purposes. If you’re unwilling, I’ll find someone else.”

  I sighed. “All right.”

  “Ours will be an agreement until morning.”

  “So short?”

  “With me, that’s best. We’re only having one practice, Claary, unless you want to set yourself up to lose your real challenge. If that’s what you want, we can do that tomorrow.”

  “No,” I said. “All right. I’m not trying to fight you. I’m trying to understand.”

  “I know. The next will be with Bess, or someone like her.”

  “Is Bess interested?”

  “You already know the answer to that. She’ll win, but you will show better against her than against me. She’ll want at least 48 hours. I do not believe you should accept longer.”

  “All right.”

  “Then we’ll need to find one you could win, maybe are likely to win. I will recommend that is also for 48 hours. I would suggest longer if I knew you could win and I wasn’t nearly as interested in what happens to her.”

  “This is going to be with someone else in the same boat I’m in.”

  “Or some other situation you could win.”

  “All right.”

  “I would like ours in the next week. You will miss lunch, dinner, breakfast, and probably lunch and possibly dinner. Deenie has offered to cover for you.”

  “Then when probably doesn’t matter.”

  “Tuesday, a week from today.”

  “Do I invite anyone?”

  “Is there anyone you want to invite? You know what’s going to happen.”

  “I suppose not,” I said. “I’m not sure I want my little sister watching.”

  “Bess will want to come, and she would love if you were the one to invite her.”

  “I will. Are you bringing Dee and Bee?”

  “Yes. They’ll be involved.”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of that. “All right. Who decides our challenge?”

  “Normally we negotiate. You’re going to do whatever I decide, so we can skip the pretense.”

  I laughed. “Fine. When do I find out what we’re doing?”

  “It will be similar to the third one we witnessed, but Dee and Bee will be told to follow any orders they wish.”

  I laughed. “Sounds like fun.”

  “I know,” she said.

  “I know it won’t happen, but what if I win? Am I supposed to carry you out?”

  “That depends on how far out of it I am,” she replied. “But you can ask for help.”

  “When do Bess and I hold our event?”

  “Any time you want. I’d like you to wait at least a week after ours, and two is a better plan.”

  “All right. Two.”

  “I’ll look for your third. It’s not critical you win, but it’s critical you have a good competition, and I won’t implement any handicap.”

  “All right.”

  “All right,” she said. She sipped from her tea, smiled, and then set it down. She caressed my cheek then stood, bent to kiss me, and headed for the door.

  * * * *

  I was nervous. I barely slept the night before. I shouldn’t have been worried. I was looking forward to losing. How weird is that?

  I saw to the breakfast meal, hugged Mother and Lisbon, and then cleaned up and changed. Practice challenges could be conducted anywhere, upon agreement of the participants. This was to be at Government House, and we would have an audience. I arrived at Government House and, per the directions from Olivia, told the front receptionist that I was here for a Practice Challenge.”

  She smiled. “Ms. Rosebush. Judge Jessla wishes to meet with you first.” She handed me a slip of paper with a room number, then gave me directions. I climbed a set of stairs, found the right door, knocked, and entered. I found myself facing another receptionist.

  This one was dressed in black resin. I stared for a minute then smiled. “I am Claary Rosebush. I understand Judge Jessla wishes to see me.”

  “Yes, Ms. Rosebush,” she said. “Please take a seat. It will only be a moment.” I sat. She stood then stepped through an inner door. It was only a moment later that she stepped back out and said, “Her Honor will see you now.”

  I stood back up and proceeded through the door. The slave closed it behind me, and I looked at the judge.

  She was, oh, sixty years old, with grey hair and a round face. I expected a black robe, but she was in her own leather. Was that some sort of uniform?

  She gestured to a seat. “Greetings, Ms. Rosebush.”

  “Your Honor,” I said with a nod. “I’m told I need to see you.”

  “Yes. I wish to ascertain you know the relevant laws.”

  “I only know what I’ve been told.”

  “Take a few minutes and explain what you know.” I did that. She listened quietl
y, and then said, “Very good. There is something you haven’t mentioned. You haven’t talked about the rules associated with Practice Challenges.”

  “There are rules?”

  “There are always rules. The ones that matter to me are related to who is eligible for challenges, practice or otherwise.”

  “Oh. As I understand it, that means anyone who has had her first time. I have.”

  “Good. Also, you must register your practices with the court. Sometimes people engage in unregistered practice challenges. This is rarely prosecuted, but it is frowned upon.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “Because there are rules you haven’t mentioned and may not know. You may not begin your challenges until sufficient time has passed since recovery from any extended period of enslavement. That is not absolutely true, as I may overrule this requirement, but I rarely do so. I cannot remember the last time.”

  “What is considered sufficient time?”

  “It is not a fixed time. It is literally stated as ‘sufficient time for full cognitive reason to return’. Now, that is not a problem for you today, but imagine that someone tried to talk you into an unregistered challenge tomorrow.”

  “Is that too soon?”

  “Not for you, although I consider it foolish. Let us say it is Friday instead.”

  “All right.”

  “You are legally qualified to participate, but you don’t know if she is.”

  “Oh.”

  “Furthermore, you probably don’t know if her file has been flagged.”

  “I am starting to understand.”

  “The actual laws are lengthy. Each rule has been established because someone used the lack of such a rule in some sort of underhanded way.”

  “I see.”

  “If you always engage only in registered challenges, then you are far less likely to run afoul of the other rules.”

  “I understand, Your Honor.”

  “Good. I understand you have verbally agreed to a particular challenge.”

  “Yes,” I said. “Frankly, I’m going to let Olivia decide what we should do.”

  “That is a dangerous attitude, Ms. Rosebush, even with someone you trust. You must learn to protect your own interests and not depend upon someone else to do so.”

  “Oh. So what do I do now?”

  “Now, we review to what you have agreed. In this case, if I believe you are making a mistake, I will tell you. In the future, you may need to rely on your own wits to make good choices.” And then she reviewed the entire agreement, which was exactly as Olivia and I had discussed. I told her that.