by Robin Roseau
When mankind went to space, we brought many things with us, including a wide variety of languages. But almost universally, everyone measured distance in meters, and so centimeters was one of the few words that was the same in both our languages.
Sartine nodded and ran off, calling a name. The other woman, the one who had gone to help, hurried with her, carrying the bag. I tracked their progress.
"This is wrong," I said carefully. "The Empire will be very, very angry."
The aunt moved and knelt down so we could see eye to eye. I glared at her. She spoke, but it was too rapidly.
"I don't understand you," I said. "It doesn't matter. You're all in trouble."
Sartine returned, and the aunt stood. Sartine had my portable solar charger. "This, Cecilia? This will lift the weights?"
"Yes," I said. "Pack the clothes around everything carefully, but if they get wet, they will be destroyed."
"The pack stays dry," she said.
"If the tablet is crushed, it will break, and you will have failed to bring what I asked."
"We will pack carefully," she promised. And then she ran back to my bedroom again.
The aunt muttered something, and I heard the phrase, "taking too long". I flashed a smile at her.
The implant had finally shut down. I sent it a fresh boot command and waited. I wondered how long I could delay them.
Sartine and the other woman returned. The pack was notably fuller. "We brought what we thought you might want. I want to bring your gown, but I can't find it."
"It's hanging in the closet on the right."
"It's not there."
I smiled. "Yes, it is."
"There was no green dress."
Which was true. Once I had taken it off, it would have reverted to a neutral, metallic grey color. "Then bring the ugly one," I said. "Bring it out here. It must be folded carefully."
She ran off and returned the gown. "This is a poor color."
"I know. You must fold it carefully. Wrap it around other clothes so there are no sharp creases. It is not like your dresses. It is like the tablet."
"This is more magic?"
"Yes. That's my green gown."
She stared at it, then at me.
"I'm not lying, Sartine. Do not bend it."
Sartine did what I asked, packing the gown into the pack when she was done. From the corner of my mind, the aunt was shaking her head, but she said nothing.
My implant crashed on boot. I swore quietly and told it to try again.
"What is wrong?" Sartine asked. I had my eyes squeezed shut, pushing the pain away.
"I have medication," I said. "Bathroom. The mirror is a door. Middle shelf, a white bottle, the biggest white bottle on that shelf."
"We're out of time," the aunt said. "Let's go."
"I need it!" I yelled. "I won't ask for anything else."
Sartine nodded and ran off. She came back several moments later. I had wished she would bring the wrong bottle, but she didn't.
I didn't need it; it was only Ibuprofen. After all these centuries, and man still used Ibuprofen.
"Open it," I said. "Do not spill. I need to take two of them. Water from the kitchen."
"You said you wouldn't ask for more," the aunt said.
"My head is killing me, Sartine."
Sartine didn't wait. She ran to the kitchen. Then she yelled, "Where is water? I see no pitcher."
"Sink!" I yelled back. "Metal handle. Lift gently. It's like the shower."
It took her a minute, then I heard water running. She dug through the cupboards, finding a mug, and then she was back. She handed the water to her aunt, and then she struggled to open the jar.
"It won't open."
"You have to press down on the top then turn."
She finally got it open, nearly spilling the entire thing. She poured out far too many into her hand, then struggled to put them back.
"Sartine, calm down."
"You're dying!"
"What?"
"You said your head is killing you."
"Oh," I said. "I'm sorry. It is an expression in English. I'm sorry. I didn't intentionally mislead you. My head hurts very badly. These help. It is a simple medicine."
The aunt complained. "She intentionally delays us."
I studied her then turned back to Sartine. "Give me two and I won't delay any longer. Two pills, then the water."
I swallowed everything down. Sartine was about to put the cap back on the bottle, but I nodded towards the most injured man, now sitting in a chair, cradling his arm. Two of his friends were standing by. They clearly didn't know how to reset the arm.
"His arm is um..." Another word I didn't know. "Do you know how to fix it?"
"Yes," said the uncle. "You fought too hard."
I struggled briefly. "I should have fought harder." I looked back at the groaning man. "Set his arm and give him four pills with water."
"Why?" asked the aunt.
"You set his arm or it will get worse. You give him the pills because they will help."
"You are trying to kill him."
I sighed. "I just took two, and he's a lot bigger than I am and hurts a lot more than I do."
"Give him six," said the aunt.
"No! No more than four at a time. No more!"
The uncle called one of the men over, and that man replaced him, wrapping arms around me. He was careful to avoid my breasts at least. Then the uncle rose and hurried to the injured man. They spoke briefly, and then there was a scream as the uncle reset the arm in its socket. The uncle turned his head to me and glared.
"This wasn't my idea," I said. "You're lucky no one is dead."
"The... the bottle," he said. Sartine counted out four pills and held them out.
"Did I kill the other one?" I asked.
"No," said the aunt. "Does he need pills?"
"Probably." I looked around. "Where is he?"
"Outside holding his head."
"Give him four as well. Even I take four when it's bad." I sighed. I was going to run out of my stash long before we reached Indartha.
Sartine stepped outside, was gone for a minute or two, and my implant went live. The last time I had tried the communication system, it had crashed. But there was a separate alarm system. I told it to issue an alarm.
And that accessed the communication system, and it crashed with a fresh wave of pain. I groaned and tried to bend over.
"What is wrong now?" the aunt said. "More delays!"
I didn't answer her.
Sartine returned. "No more delays!" the aunt said.
Again, I said nothing. Sartine handed the bottle of Ibuprofen to the other woman before kneeling in front of me. She lifted my chin. "Are you sick?"
"No. Sore head."
"There were no outdoor clothes in your bedroom."
"That door," I said, looking towards the front entrance. There was another closet."
"We have enough!" the aunt insisted.
Sartine ignored her but rose and hurried to my closet. I had two pair of boots suitable for the planet, more shoes that weren't as suitable, and a variety of outdoor clothing. Sartine pulled out the boots and all the clothing.
"That won't all fit," the aunt said.
Sartine responded too rapidly to follow. Then she brought a pair of boots over to me and bent down. That was when she realized she would have to untie my ankles to get the boots on. For a moment I thought she would do it.
"Too long!" the aunt said. I actually agreed with her, but I kept my mouth shut. I had promised no more delays, so any others wouldn't be my fault.
Sartine rose, hurried to the closet, and returned with a casual pair of shoes. She slipped one over each foot.
"You have to tie the laces," I said. "Or they fall off."
And so, as if I were a young child, she tightened and tied my laces for me.
"Thanks, Mom," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Sartine didn't seem to notice.
"You are welcome." Then
she moved forward, sitting down on my legs, and the aunt stepped forward with the rags. I stared at the cloth.
"I promise I won't scream."
"It is required," said the aunt. "And you made a promise. Open your mouth or we'll leave all your things."
"Please don't do this," I said. I felt tears crawling down my cheek. "It's not too late. Please, Sartine."
"We will not hurt you, Cecilia," Sartine said. "You made a promise." And she waved the cloth in front of me.
"You can watch me closely only so long," I said. "You will eventually make a mistake, and then I will kill anyone who seeks to prevent my freedom. Sartine, this is the biggest mistake you could possibly make."
She said nothing but simply waved the cloth back and forth, then waited.
I stared, sighed, and then, slowly, I opened my mouth and allowed Sartain to fill it with the cloth. Then she used a longer cloth, wrapped around the back of my neck, to tie it off. She pulled it snug then said, "If I pull tighter, it is uncomfortable. If I leave it like this, you could spit it out. If I pull no tighter, do you promise not to spit it out?"
I thought about it for a moment. I was sure she could pull it sufficiently tight that I couldn't spit it out, and I also had no delusions about her resolve. I nodded. Sartine returned my nod, finished tying the gag, and then caressed my cheek.
"We will not hurt you, Cecilia. We do not do this to hurt you."
"Finally," said the aunt. "Cover her, and we can go."
Sartine climbed from my legs, then two of the men lifted me, setting me on precarious feet. The aunt stepped forward, and she had a cloak. With my hands like this, it wasn't going to stay in place, but they had planned for that.
They had a cloak they could put in place around someone already bound like this.
It was the deepest red, long and wool but lined with some sort of softer material that didn't itch. The aunt stepped up behind me and settled it over my shoulders, and then Sartine moved closer and began buttoning it. There were flaps that went over my shoulders and buttoned in front, and then slits for my arms, and then she wrapped the rest closed in front of me and buttoned it down the front.
Even the hood was designed for this. The aunt lifted the hood over my hands and over my head, tucking it between my arms and down around my ears. Sartine adjusted it in front, and then there were more buttons along the sides of the hood, attaching to the flaps over my shoulders.
It was quite ingenious.
"We didn't know if we would find you in bed," Sartine explained. "Which may have been far easier." She smiled briefly. "Or perhaps you would guess our plans and be waiting, dressed for travel. We came prepared." She looked over her shoulder. "Bring her."
Two more men strode forth, and the four of them picked me up. I looked over my shoulder and saw the other woman with my pack of things, and then we were out the door.
There was a buggy waiting along with a group of horses. Three men were holding them.
There were many more horses than we needed, even for all of these.
The men lifted me to a buggy, and I thought it was the same one Sartine had used to take me home after the party. Then Sartine climbed up beside me. The uncle gave a complicated whistle, and several moments later, appearing out of the dark, many more men and women appeared. I looked amongst all of them then turned to Sartine.
"Guards to ensure no help arrived," she explained. That was the first I realized it wouldn't have mattered if my implant had worked. "Did you try to use your magic to summon help?"
I thought before answering, then nodded.
"No one tried to come."
I mumbled something into the gag then turned away from her. Around us, the men and women climbed onto their horses, and then we were off, about half the riders leading the way ahead of us, half following along behind.
We headed straight for the city.
I turned to look at Sartine.
"We must give them a chance to see who we have taken," she explained. "And perhaps they will even attempt a rescue, although we are many, and they will not send so many. We all wear the scarf." She tugged on her sash.
They rode straight for the castle, coming to a stop before the door. And a moment later, it was Chaladine who stepped out. We stared at each other, and I began to struggle. Sartine wrapped an arm around me, holding me against her, and Chaladine stepped forward.
Some of the riders dismounted to stop her, but Sartine spoke. "Let her pass."
And so Chaladine stepped up to the buggy, walking around to my side on the right. She looked up at me, setting her hand on my knee. I looked down at her, screaming into the gag.
I almost spit it out there, ready to beg Chaladine to put an end to this.
"Remember your promise," Sartine said into my ear. "She cannot rescue you herself, and she would not, anyway."
I stilled, and that was when the tears again began to flow from my eyes.
"I thought she would pick you," Chaladine said. "I will miss you, Cecilia Grace. I would have gone with you, if you had wanted me, even without a galatzi agreement." Then she looked at Sartine. "Treat her well."
"We will," Sartine replied.
And then Chaladine stepped away from the buggy. Sartine swished the reins, and we pulled away.
My tears flowed freely. I quivered in a complicated mix of anger, fear, and sorrow.
I had never before felt so betrayed.
Travels
No one challenged us. No one stopped us. Beside me, Sartine tried to comfort me, but I turned my back on her and put no effort into understanding her words. She became nothing more than a hated noise behind me.
We traveled for two hours, leaving Sudden behind, before we came to a stop for a short break.
From beside me, almost behind me, Sartine leaned against me, then she pulled on my shoulder, turning me to face her. I struggled a moment, then complacently allowed her to turn me, but I kept my eyes averted. She used a gentle hand on my chin to turn my face to hers.
"You stopped understanding me."
She spoke very slowly and carefully, and I couldn't help but understand. And so I nodded.
"You are listening again."
"For now," I said into the gag, but nodded.
"This is a short break. Do you have needs?" I tried to turn away, but she pulled me back to face her. "Please, Cecilia. Do you have needs? It will be some time before our next stop."
So I shook my head.
"Are you cold?" No. "Are the ropes too tight?"
I wondered if I could get her to loosen them but thought she knew what she was doing far better than I did. But I didn't know if they were too tight, and I didn't try to answer.
"Can you feel your toes? Wriggle them?"
It only took the suggestion, and I wriggled my toes. They were fine. I nodded.
"Your fingers." She reached past me, sliding her hand inside the hood, and I felt her fingers caressing mine. "Can you feel my touch on your fingers?" I nodded. "Do they hurt?" No.
I mumbled into the gag. I hoped she would remove it.
"You have more questions." I nodded. "We will take our break here, and then I will guess your questions and try to answer them." I nodded.
Then she raised her voice and called out. Several of the men came over, and between all of them, they lifted me down from the buggy, standing me on my feet. Two of the men held me steady, and Sartine disappeared for a few minutes. Then I saw her working her way through the assembled group, speaking briefly here and there.
She spoke briefly to Hilopid. He flashed a look at me; I didn't know what it meant. But then Sartine moved on, finally coming back to me. She stopped directly in front of me.
"Are you sure you have no needs?" And I nodded. "All right. This is as far as we can ride in the buggy. Two of the men will return it to Sudden. Have you ever ridden a horse?" I nodded, but I looked down at my legs. I didn't know how to sit a horse with my legs bound.
Sartine lifted my chin with her fingers and smiled. "We do no
t leave that to chance," she said. "We are too far for you to run to safety. You will ride in front of me." She knelt down before me and began to untie my legs. Once they were free, I was able to stand more easily, although the two men holding me didn't release me.
I wouldn't have tried to escape; for that, I would wait for a real opportunity.
Then one of the women stepped forward, and she had my riding boots. The men steadied me while Sartine removed one shoe and replaced it with the boot, then the other. I would have preferred a pair of socks, and if I tried to walk any distance, I knew I would grow blisters. I wondered if I would, anyway.
I wondered if that was part of their plan to keep me complacent. Blisters would heal, but in the meantime they could hinder an escape.
Sartine stood. The woman took my shoes and disappeared into the night with them. I would not see them again for some time.
Sartine led me to a horse. One of her uncles held its head. Sartine climbed aboard first then looked down at me.
"Will you cooperate?"
I wondered what they would do if I didn't. I thought perhaps they had a plan for that, too, so I nodded.
It took all of us to get me aboard the horse. There was a free set of stirrups in front of the set Sartine used -- they had even thought of that. I tried to lift a foot into it, but I struggled, and one of the men had to help. Then, with Sartine pulling, and the two men lifting, I managed to climb aboard the horse.
It was an awkward affair.
A minute later, we were on our way, departing the road. We traveled across several grass fields, and then we disappeared under the trees. I could see perfectly fine, my eyes the only part of me that weren't at all human, but I didn't understand how they could.
"You have questions," Sartine said from behind me. "Nod if you are listening." So I nodded. "Cecilia, we will not hurt you. You will be cherished. Loved."
I shook my head. I was going to kill anyone who dared to touch me.
"You will," she said. "No one is going to force you. You will be courted. I promise, you will be happy."
I shook my head again.
"I promise," she repeated. "They told me what you said. Your empire will not be angry.