Turn and Face the Stranger: Chapter 2
And, he returned to the present, sighing. His capture had been several months ago, and then he went back to work.
Meanwhile, Jared, who was Harper's owner, was in his study, when a household slave discreetly came in.
"Sir?"
"Yes, Boss?"
"Someone here to see you, a Hods woman."
"Let her in."
Hods, were basically humans who, lived in a far off system as a result of human colonization ships being sucked into a worm hole and into a planet cut off from the slipstream until fairly recently in terms of centuries. Due to circumstances of a complicated nature, the society that resulted in them developing a religion that had a goddess, and demanded matriarchy. Polyhusbandry was allowed, and men didn't have a lot of rights.
"Good evening," Jared said. "What can I do for you?" They slightly knew each other from social events.
"Goddess's blessings on you," she said in the traditional greeting of her home world. Then she continued, "I would like to buy a male slave from you "
"My apologies, but I'm not looking to sell any slaves." It was close to harvesting time and he needed every hand he owned. Besides, he rarely sold slaves unless it was to help a financial problem or as a favor to someone, especially friends.
"I would be willing to pay you three times what you paid." she said. Meda had black hair and eyes the color of jade.
"So much?"
"Yes." For her purposes, it would be worth it.
"I would like to see some of your better male slaves."
"I still don't know if I should do this..."
"I hate to bring this up, but you do owe me one."
Then Jared remember how she backed up a lie he told to a legal arbitrator when there was some dispute that he had with another rancher.
"You're right. Fine, give me some time, and I will show you some of my better male slaves."
So, while she waited, Jared, gathered up two of his male household slaves, a boy in his late teens, and one of the male slaves who helped in the hunting. She insisted on examining them outside.
They all stood at attention are rather nervous as all of them had families on the ranch and being sold would be nothing short of devastating.
None of them were to her liking.
"They are too tall,” she said, "and they don't seem quite right." However, she asked Jared about every one of them, their skills, etc.
Then, she spotted a shorter, young man walking by with machine parts. He already had two criteria that she and most women of her home world preferred: young and shorter than her.
"Could you have him come here?"
"Who?" Jared was feigning absentmindedness, as he deliberately did not include Harper in the lineup, since mechanic slaves were sometimes hard to come by.
"Him."
"I'm sorry, I can't spare one of my three mechanic slaves."
"What if I were to tell you that I could arrange it so, I could fix that?"
Before he knew it, the first overseeing assistant came up to him.
"The master wants to see you,” he said. "Follow me."
Harper was surprised, as the master seemed busy with selling some of his good friends to this rather pretty babe.
"Aye."
So, when he came to the master, he was told to join the line up.
"This is Harper, he is a mechanic/engineer. I just bought him a few months ago."
"I see," she replied. "May I speak to him in private? You can watch us from afar to keep an eye on him."
"Fine."
"Come with me, Harper to that garden over there," she said. The said garden was a mere few yards from where the lineup was.
"Where are you from?"
"Earth, I escaped thanks to a freighter pilot."
"I see. I have a proposition for you"
"Yes milady?" Harper had to revert to the whole "submissive guy" act for the first time since leaving earth when he got to Gita.
"How would you like to be free?"
"I wouldn't mind it milady." That was a major understatement on Harper's part.
"Fine, I'm willing to free you, but on one condition."
"Yes milady?"
"Marry me, and convert to my faith."
"I beg your pardon milady?" Harper was getting tired of having to use this submissive guy tone, and what he really wanted to say was 'what the hell??'
"You heard me."
"Well, milady, I am a mere slave."
"It is not unheard-of for people to marry former slaves."
"But we barely know each other milady."
"In my culture, love comes after marriage and as a result of living together."
"But I am sickly milady. I've gotten sick quite a few times since I've been here."
"As my husband, you would be well taken care of, thus improving your health. I couldn't help but notice how depressed your were when I saw you walking by."
It was true, as it had been difficult to get used to having to be submissive again, and then having to yet again lose everyone he cared about. He made the other slaves laugh with his poking fun of their situation, but inside, he depressed, and really wanted out.
Onward To Chapter 3!
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