“Dani,” Calla said after a second. “It’s almost time for me to go. I don’t want our last moments together to be sad. I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again, but if I make it I’ll send you a letter to let you know.”
Dani pulled herself together. Calla was right. This was no way to say goodbye; realistically, they might never see each other again.
“I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done for me,” Calla said, then stood and held her arms out to her friend. The two women embraced for several minutes without talking. Dani, the taller, rested her head against Calla’s, wishing they had more time. Calla had become far more than a friend, she realized. This was like losing a family member. The past few weeks had brought them closer than many people would get in a lifetime. There was a soft knock at the door, and the house manager stuck her head in.
“Your client is here, Devora,” she said, looking at the younger woman with sympathy. Devora had made friends during her brief stay at the house; they were all concerned about her.
Dani put both her hands on Calla’s shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. Then, her voice breaking, she whispered, “Whatever anyone ever tells you, you’re just as much a beautiful, strong and fully human person as anyone else–I’ve known that from the day I met you. Don’t believe what Jenner told you, and don’t be afraid to go out and take what you deserve.”
Calla pulled away from Dani’s embrace, and wiped her eyes. Then she straightened herself resolutely and pulled a light veil down over her face. Dani handed Calla a satchel. A larger trunk–filled with her new clothing–had already been sent ahead to Seth’s ship.
“Goodbye,” she said briefly, then turned away from Dani. She stepped out of the room and walked over to where Seth stood, glowering at her. His face was grim, and he had several armed guards with him. He watched Calla, fingers flexing with anger, then turned his attention to Dani.
“I won’t forget this,” he said, flaying her with his eyes. His hands clenched again, and for a second Dani was worried he might break into violence right then and there. Poor Calla deserved better than this, she thought. She’d failed her friend with this contract–Seth was a madman.
When Calla reached his side, he reached out for her satchel. After a second’s consideration, she handed it to him. He passed it to one of his men, then placed one hand at the small of Calla’s back to guide her.
The implication was clear–‘Devora’ was his. As they left the House of Lilies, the only thing giving Dani any hope for Calla was the fact that his touch had seemed gentle.
With a sigh, Dani allowed herself to sink into a chair and dropped her head back. It was over; there was nothing more she could do. Tension flowed out of her, and she realized she was shaking. It was time for a vacation, she though wearily. And then perhaps a new work placement. She was sick and tired of Discovery station.
* * * * *
Calla’s last trip through the station was a blur of excitement and trepidation. After seventeen years of slavery, she was finally free. All she had to do was make it out of the station unrecognized. Given the contingent of warriors surrounding her, that probably wouldn’t be a problem.
Seth had a transport waiting, which deposited them at his ship within five minutes of leaving the House of Lilies. The ship–only briefly visible to Calla through a porthole in the station’s bulkhead–was small and light. The kind used by smugglers. There wouldn’t be much room on board, she realized. His men must not be going with them. That was all right with her. The last thing she wanted was to have to service another man if Seth got tired of her.
“Your things are already in the sleeping room,” he said, firmly guiding her into the ship. She could feel the tension in his arm, though he remained gentle. “As you can see, it’s small. There’s the cockpit, an all-purpose room and galley, the sleeping chamber and some cargo space. Stay out of the cockpit unless I tell you otherwise.”
With that, Seth turned away from her and entered some numbers in the portal control panel. The little light over the door went from green to red, and Calla could hear internal pumps clearing the air out of the airlock. They were really leaving the station. She could hardly believe it!
“Can I watch as we leave?” she asked excitedly. She had all but forgotten he was angry with her. Seth looked at her with surprise; such enthusiasm wasn’t something he’d expected.
“Very well,” he said after a second. It wouldn’t harm anything, and while he was still upset with her for refusing to come with him earlier, she was his now. He could afford to give her this. “The cockpit is up the ladder. Go stow your things in the sleeping room, then join me there.”
Nodding, Calla all but ran through the all-purpose room toward two small doors on the other side. She looked back at him questioningly, wondering which one she should use. With a gesture, he indicated the door on the left. The other must lead to the cargo area, she concluded.
The sleeping area was not what she’d expected, since at the hostel she had cleaned his room many times. There had been nothing personal there, but this was different. Clearly he had lived on this ship for a long time, because there were pictures littering the walls. Setting down her satchel, Calla examined one closely. There was a man who looked somewhat like Seth, with a woman and three little boys. Seth’s brother? She wondered.
There were quite a few pictures of children in the room, she realized, looking around more carefully.
Several were of the boys in various stages of growth. There were also colorful drawings, clearly the work of a child. One showed a large house, with two suns shining down on it. Another was a picture of a woman holding a baby. In large, scrawling print across the bottom was the name “Tasha.” Next to the drawing was a photo of the little girl. She looked about six months old, and she was smiling beautifully for the holo-cam. The fearless warrior had a loving family back home, Calla thought. Somehow it made him seem more human.
A vibration went through the floor beneath her feet. Seth was powering up the drive; it was time to get up to the cockpit.
Calla made her way back through the main room then pulled herself up the ladder to the cockpit. She noticed a series of handholds along the way, and wondered if the ship was big enough to have artificial gravity generators. The only other time she’d been in space was when she’d come from the slave farm.
There was no gravity for that flight, and the experience had been hideous. She’d never forget the sounds and smells of thirty children vomiting for days.