A Letter Unwanted
#1 of Debt Repaid
The hedonistic head of a large family travels to a distant country in a desperate attempt to avoid defaulting on a debt he owes, but little does he know just how much the trip will end up costing him.
A Letter Unwanted Gren Drake 2011
The hedonistic head of a large family travels to a distant country in a desperate attempt to avoid defaulting on a debt he owes, but little does he know just how much the trip will end up costing him. (12100 words)
It was early evening, though only the fading light coming through the entrance hall and the clock ticking on the wall gave evidence of this. Re Lawni was stretched out in the central room of his cliff-side home with his wings spread out and covering the pair of beautiful woman framing him. They were so close their fur pressed into his flanks, allowing him to luxuriate in their body beat. Their tails curved along the floor so they ended touching his. The subtle perfumes they wore blended together well and served to help him relax in the low lighting. Only the sound of his secretary's typewriter in the distance broke the image of domestic bliss.
A third woman was standing over him, her hands rubbing his muscles in a slow, sensual massage. She was good at what she did, which was no surprise considering what he was paying her. To think she had been languishing on one of his plantations!
His family had left his home already. Although designed to house several, Re Lawni rarely had to share the rich dwelling with anyone he hadn't invited. The family tended to avoid him, quite a feat considering his position as its head. Bad enough, his brother had told him once, that he should ruin the family business, but they couldn't stand to watch him enjoy the fruits of doing so. Not that this avoidance bothered him in the least; the less they were around the less they could whine and complain about his behaviour and that was something he'd gotten tired of quite quickly.
The letter's arrival went unnoticed at first. The butler brought the mail in from the post box and set in the tray just outside Re Lawni's office. There was a small stack of mail, maybe twenty or so pieces, so he gestured for his masseuse to fetch they tray. He turned his head as she did, watching her backside. She had attractive legs and her long tail was nearly as appealing. Like all his female servants, she wore only the minimum required for decency: her breastcloth was stretched tightly over her chest, the straps looping around her tail and neck to hold it in place.
As much as he enjoyed the sight, however, he had satisfied his lusts only late that afternoon; watching her tail swish gently with her stride failed to arouse him once more. Her return interested him much less and he turned away, resting his head on the cushions covering the floor once more. Her chest, after all, was covered by her breastcloth and thus wasn't available for staring even if he'd found it as appealing as her rear.
He didn't immediately turn to the mail tray when she set it near him, but ignored it in favour of her resumed massage. Her hands plied his back, working over the furred flesh between his wings, making their way over his hips and his long, still tail. The post would not run again tonight so there was no rush to end the pleasurable massage. It was good to feel the day's stresses being worked out of his body; even the energetic sex he was known for in select circles couldn't relax him quite the way a good massage could.
The morning had been spent selling assets from the family business to pay for his next few entertainments. Not that he could directly use the funds, he'd never hear the end of it if he did, but rather he'd purchase replacements and write off the expenses as being more than they actually were. His take from each was small, but it was just as easy to do with large quantities as it was with small. His entertainments were well known among those who followed such things, loved by those within his inner circle and despised by those without.
He shook his head; that wasn't what he wanted to spend his massage thinking about! He leafed through the evening mail, hoping to clear his head of business. The business mail went right back in the tray; his secretary could deal with it in the morning. The official family mail went on top of this; only he could deal with it, though admittedly that still meant his secretary still did most of the work. He just had to sign off on it. Even as only the acting head of the family he held almost all the authority of the position; once the Church confirmed him on his fortieth birthday even the obvious subterfuges he engaged in now would be unnecessary.
Once all the official mail was sorted out he pushed the tray way and began to look through his personal mail. He tended not to get much of this unless he was in the midst of arranging an entertainment. Today's contained what he would later consider to be The Letter.
The Letter came in a plain white envelope, his address carefully lettered onto the front in crude block letters. Two postmarks from two countries adorned the corner signifying its foreign origin. Both these things should have given him his first clue that something was amiss, but he overlooked them at the time. Not that it would have mattered in the end; how could he have acted any differently than he had?
It did pique his interest enough that he tucked it into his breastcloth to read later, though it could hardly have been very urgent or whoever sent it would have sent a telegraph instead. Later, when he was in his private chambers, would be soon enough to satisfy his curiosity.
The rest of his personal mail was notices from the Church about recent public behaviour on his part and invoices from various private creditors that he'd gotten personal, private loans from. The first was easily dealt with; he tossed them at the letter tray to be filled with the last bunch the Church had sent. The loans were something he kept from the family not because the family couldn't afford them, but because they had decided the behaviours the money went to were 'disgraceful' and 'inappropriate'. The family books would hardly even notice the drop of a couple of million, but he'd certainly notice the absence of entertainments and company! He only had to put them off for another year or so until he was confirmed and had complete access to the family funds.
The light coming in from the entrance hall was almost gone; it would be night soon. He gave the woman on his left a smile and she smiled back exactly as he was paying her to do. Her predecessor had fallen asleep and Re Lawni had fired her on the spot. He had no tolerance for servants who couldn't follow his directions.
He sighed with the knowledge that his evening massage was almost at an end. He hated it when his massage ended, though being able to look forward to the next one almost made up for it. And at least people had stopped interrupting him! He'd lashed out at quite a few people who'd interrupted him and fired several servants for it.
As she came to the end of his tail she turned around to massage its very tip. Her own tail hit him in the horns, knocking his head aside. He was barely able to suppress a snarl and the woman on his right actually gasped out loud, something he would forgive considering the provocation. Still, the masseuse had been good at the massage, though not so much at the earlier sex. He made a note to have the butler give her notice before he went off to his chambers.
He turned back to the woman he'd shared a smile with and nodded towards his private chambers. "Would there be a problem in keeping one company tonight?" He already knew, of course, what her answer would be. His companions were paid quite well, far better than the manual labour they'd otherwise have been doing, and he paid them in real money rather than in company credit. It was rather less strenuous work as well; they just had to look good and, if he felt amorous, be reasonably good in bed.
"There are no objections."
Re Lawni stood before his masseuse had a chance to move so that his tail came up beneath her, rubbing against her groin and chest as he stepped away from her. He thrilled in the feeling, knowing she wouldn't dare say anything. Not to him.
"The service of no others is required for this night," he said as he moved towards the entrance hall; the butler's office was there and he needed to talk to the elderly servant.
"One is wished to have a pleasant night," the woman who'd been under his other wing replied.
His companion for the night, Va Narula, stood just after he did and started for his chambers. "One's company will be awaited in one's bed cushions." She wasn't the prettiest woman he'd ever known, but she knew what he liked and he'd found no one better than her in the bed-cushions.
The butler was an old servant of the family, present even when Re Lawni had been nursing and well established enough that even he wouldn't dare try and fire the man. Fortunately, the elderly gentleman was the soul of discretion; a quiet word would be enough to have his clumsy masseuse dealt with. Later, after the remainder of the servants had gone, the butler would secure the entrance hall and seal the night outside.
The floor of entry hall was still slightly orange with the light of the sun's death and he stepped outside to look at the sunset. Bright colours were strewn across as sky as though some painter had taken a brush to it. Re Lawni shrugged, turning back inside once more. Art had never interested him much and he was content to leave the sun's death to those who possessed an interest in such things.
As he came back inside he passed the two women who were leaving and gave them both an amiable nod. Whether they returned the gesture he didn't see and, for the moment, didn't care. His thoughts were turning exclusively to Va Narula now, remembering how it felt to have her beneath him.
He went straight to his private chambers, pushing through the bead curtain snout-first, then feeling the long strands trailing over his body as though some hundred-fingered beast were trying to groom his fur. Inside, the sparsely decorated room was lit only by a pair of dim corner lamps that sat opposite each other. Va Narula was already stretched out on his copious bed-cushions, her breastcloth already stripped away and neatly folded on the table near the door. His eyes roamed over her naked body, lingering especially at her chest, exposed now for the first time today. He didn't understand why the sight of her bare chest excited him so much, it wasn't like there was much to see, but he couldn't deny the appeal.
He looked away as he started undoing his breastcloth. As he undid the strap around his neck the letter he'd tucked in there earlier fell to the floor. Although she could hardly have failed to see it, Va Narula said nothing and he smiled to himself; she knew better than to comment.
He unlooped the breastcloth from around his tail, folding it and placing it next to hers to be cleaned by the servants in the morning. Only then did he pick the letter back up. He remained where he was as he pulled it out of the envelope and read it.
It was written in the same block letters as the address on the envelope, though only now did he actually realize it wasn't labelled in the graceful curves of his native language, Jowvon. The letters, and indeed the letter, was instead written in Kaegul and with this realization came the knowledge that it wasn't going to be a letter he wanted to receive. Everyone he had an interest in hearing from and, indeed, everyone of significance used Jowvon.
AS YOU HAVE NOW MISSED FOUR CONSECUTIVE PAYMENTS ON MY PERSONAL LOAN TO YOU, YOU ARE NOW IN DEFAULT. IF YOU DO NOT WISH OUR AGREEMENT TO BE MADE PUBLIC YOU WILL REPAY THE FULL BALANCE.
KVAK, FINANCIER
The second page was an invoice and was rather more elegant, though being foreign was still less elegant and important than those issued by real people. It'd probably been prepared by Kvak's wife, Kvak being a male au and thus rather lacking when it came to manual dexterity.
His eyes glanced down at the total; it was not an especially large total, although it was more than he had on hand at the moment. With Kvak and his wife being halfway around the world he had planned on simply ignoring the debt; no civilized court would accept a claim from foreigners and no foreign court had any claim on him.
Only he couldn't afford for it to become public. A reputation for defaulting on debts, even foreign ones, would make it much harder to get future loans, not to mention the additional censure his family could lay on him. While not likely, it was even possible they could get the Church to set him aside and confirm someone else in his place. They'd love a solid reason to set him aside.
He would have to pay this loan both soon and quietly. His mind, though often drowsy with hormones and sensuality, was not slow and he quickly began to plan. He could take his personal yacht to Gek Relt to pay the debt in person; the fewer people that knew of it the harder it would be for someone to accidentally stumble upon it. Wiring the money, though much faster, would create so much paperwork he could hardly avoid having the debt noticed.
No one would question his sudden trip; he knew them well enough to be sure they'd simply be glad he was absent. Of course, it meant his cousin would be handling the family business until he got back, but his personal affairs were sufficiently separate that there should be no risk of discovery. Getting a hold of the money he needed would be harder, but he was sure he could find enough to keep Kvak from going public. He wondered how much would the foreign banker settle for.
"Is one ill?" Va Narula asked.
"One is not unwell," Re Lawni said. A quiver in his voice betrayed his nervousness; he did not care for this business at all. The first thing he'd have to do would be to send Kvak a telegram to tell the au he was coming. In the interests of privacy he would have his secretary do it; he didn't trust any of the other servants enough to stay quiet. Tomorrow morning would be soon enough; he could give the instructions as soon as his secretary arrived. In the meantime he tucked the letter under one of the bed-cushions, out of sight so that no one would stumble over it.
With a final shake of his head he cleared the business out of his mind and turned to Va Narula, joining her on his bed-cushions. She was laying her back, her wings spread out across the cushions, and he ran his hands through the fur of her chest and belly, his fingers feeling the small bumps of her nipples as he neared her legs.
A significant look had her roll over, her rump in the air and her tail stretched out behind her. He took out the frustrations of the letter by venting his lust on her, mounting and rutting her. He was neither quick nor particularly gentle, but she neither complained, nor lost the smile on her face.
When he finished he dropped to the cushions, asleep even before she had a chance to lie down properly. Thus, he was neither aware of her pulling the letter out from where he'd hidden it, nor of her returning it to its hiding place after she'd read it.
It took two days to complete the preparations for his trip. His initial plan of taking his yacht didn't work as well as he'd hoped; the pair of sakin that handled the boat had told him rather bluntly that it wasn't capable of sailing over the ocean. Only the difficulty he had in getting competent sailors kept him from firing them on the spot. His secretary was able to plot a route for him via a few cargo ships owned by a family shipping line; not as pleasant a trip, but it was the best he was able to get on short notice. None of the crew would be ravon as his own species made notoriously poor sailors, being more suited to the air than the water. Space would be tight as well so he couldn't take much with him. His personal servants would certainly have to stay behind, even Va Narula, and he suspected he'd miss her company most of all.
His personal preparations were finished long before his transport was ready. His family was more than happy to help transfer control of things to his cousin, even on a temporary basis. It wouldn't upset them in the least, he knew, if one of the liners sunk and took him with it. Not that he planned to meet such a fate; at the very least he could take to the wing to reach shore.
The hardest part proved to be getting the funds together. His cousin took over more quickly than he'd anticipated, preventing him from skimming as much money as he'd planned to. In the end he'd had to pull much of the money from his personal accounts, but at least that meant it'd be invisible to prying eyes! Still, he didn't have quite enough to pay off Kvak, but he hoped he could appease the financier with a majority payment.
It was mid-morning when the first ship of his itinerary left. For the first few minutes he stood on the deck, watching the ocean, but this soon proved to be quite tedious. The trip, since he'd had to leave his companions behind, turned out to be very long and boring.
Though it only took the better part of a month for Re Lawni to reach the coast of Gek Relt it felt as though it took far longer. When finally the ship he was on was able to dock, he was glad for solid ground and for the chance to actually do something. The actual process of docking and the docking fees were quickly taken care of by the crew, the latter of which he was especially glad of. He'd never heard of docking fees and was not in the least prepared to pay them.
As the crew secured the ship in place he walked over to where the gangplank would soon be and looked over the bustling activity. Despite having taken out a loan with Kvak, this was his first time in Gek Relt. Moreover, it was the first time he'd actually seen any of the au. He'd seen pictures of course, but such pictures hardly did them justice, lacking as they did the detail and vibrancy of real life.
The customs inspector approaching the ship was a fairly typical example of the women of the species. She wasn't as tall as a human, but had many of the features of one, such as the flat face and the long hair. Distinguishing her from a human was the tawny fur covering her body and the tufted tail that swished gently behind her. The uniform she wore was, while simpler than the clothing of the general population he could see, still far more complex than he'd have cared to wear and was singularly lacking in jewellery.
Two au men followed her and others were visible elsewhere on the docks, often pulling heavily loaded carts. They couldn't have looked more different from the women and, where the women could be mistake for human in poor lighting, there was no chance the men might be. They were heavily built quadrupeds, their bodies covered in the same fur as their women and with the same tails behind them. They had less in the way of clothing, most wearing only a blanket over their back with a strap around their belly holding it in place. Those with authority, or at least some degree of official-ness, had sashes with various emblems attached and many of them also had vicious-looking artificial claws attached to their natural ones.
"One is greeted," Re Lawni said to the customs inspector as she boarded the ship. She shook her head, not seeming to understand the language or at least not willing to use it. He repeated himself in the barbaric local language, Kaegul. Really, he wished that she would go away, but it didn't seem very likely. She was sufficiently tall that that she towered over him; without straining his neck looking upwards he found himself staring at her legs.
"Ah! You speak Kaegul. I feared I'd need to send for a translator. So, what brings you to Gek Relt?" Re Lawni bridled at her impolitic inquiry, but he reminded himself that making a scene here would do him no good; he could hardly pay his debts if he got himself deported!
"One arrives for the purpose of business," he told her.
She nodded before allowing her eyes to run over the large cargo ship he'd finished the trip on. "Do you have anything you'd like to declare?"
"One is separate from one's mode of travel," he told her. "One only brings personal necessities into a country."
She raised an eyebrow. "And are any of these necessities things you need to declare? I have a list if you require it, though it is written in Kaegul." She held out a paper to him and he stretched upwards to take it. The list was indeed written in Kaegul; Re Lawni hated reading the language or, for that matter, speaking or even hearing it. It was such a crude language in comparison to his native Jowvon despite its frequency in international trade.
He quickly scanned the list before handing it back to her. "Nothing listed is brought by oneself." Except for the cash he was planning on paying Kvak with, of course, but even if it was on their list he couldn't see anyone getting upset over such a minor thing; it wasn't like he was stealing it or anything!
"You have your travel papers?" He pulled them out from where he'd stashed them in his breastcloth while again hiding the irritation he felt at her impolitic directness. Nothing was said as he handed them to her and she quickly looked over them before stamping, dating, then returning them. She had, he noted, added a note that he had declared nothing.
"Please, enjoy your stay in Gek Relt." When she finished speaking she turned and walked away, the pair of men following her back off the ship, their artificial claws clicking against the wood of the gangway as they descended.
Re Lawni had brought little in the way of luggage and of what he did bring he took only a pack with spare his spare clothes and jewellery, along with his toiletries, cash funds, and his papers. A second bag, this one on wheels so he could pull it along behind him, contained the cash for repaying Kvak. Although he could fly with the first bag, even if it would be rather difficult, the second made it necessary for him to complete the trip by ground transport. Looping the cord of the money bag around his chest, he set off.
As he walked down the gangplank he was almost bowled over by his own bag as it gained speed on the downward slope. He managed to dodge it, put was still pulled forward by its momentum and it wasn't until it'd pulled him several metres away from the dock edge that he managed to stop. Getting out of the dock area was easy, though he found himself having to dodge the various workers who regularly failed to see him or his luggage. Once on the street, however, it was a different story.
It wasn't that the streets were particularly crowded, per se, though there were rather more people on them than Re Lawni had expected. Most people, at least in Menota, flew from one point to another rather than travelling on foot, and everyone here was so much larger. He could have fit several of himself side by side on the sidewalk, giving it an impression of being quite expansive, but even a single male au walking down its length made it seem quite tight.
And that was without taking into account the fact that half the population seemed unable to see him; he attracted far more than his share of accidental kicks and women tripped over him, not realizing he was there. In the end he had to hold his wings up above him like giant flags to keep from being battered senseless. In all, though the train station was not, in fact, all that far from the docks, it took him well over an hour to reach it and he was a battered wreck when he arrived.
The station itself was less of a nightmare, but still not pleasant at all. The ticket seller had been unable to see him or reach him to take his money so he'd had to make a very small flight to perch on the counter, leaving the bag with his money behind on the floor. Even once he got his ticket it didn't end; there was a several hour wait before the train left and the station stank of unwashed bodies and the poor. He'd have found himself a nice hotel for the wait except that that would have meant going outside again and, besides, he wasn't sure any decent hotel would want to house him with the condition he was in.
Once the train arrived he boarded eagerly, finding his way to the private, first-class compartment he'd gotten and sealed himself inside. The compartment still had an unpleasant smell, but at least it lacked the masses that filled the station itself. Since his compartment didn't have a private washroom and there was no way he was going to brave the rough, oversized folk that occupied the rest of the car he was limited to cleaning himself up with the meagre toiletries he had in his bag. By the time the whistle blew, sounding the train's imminent departure, he liked to think he had gotten himself reasonably cleaned up.
Then the world began shaking; an earthquake? His first impulse was to hide under the bed, but this was foiled by the bed not having an under-space. The shaking and rattling of the car continued and, as he failed to hear the sounds of panic from outside, he worked up the nerve to look out the window. The surrounding area was moving as well, though, he realized after a moment, only in one direction.
The train was moving. He pulled the shade shut over the window and curled up in the middle of the bed, his head tucked defensively under his wing and his tail wrapped tightly around him. As the train worked up speed he uttered the first heartfelt prayer of his life to Vaere, praying that the trip would be over quickly.
He had sympathy for the poor folk who had to take a train regularly; never had he realized they were such infernal devices and he was glad that the Council of Fifty had not brought them to Menota. They didn't need such unpleasant foreign vehicles at home. He promised himself he would leave the money-case with Kvak and fly back to the docks; it would take longer with the frequent rest-stops he'd need to make, but at least he would be able to avoid taking the train again.
By the time he reached his destination a day and a half later he was nothing but a bundle of nerves. A couple of plates with partially-eaten meals remained on the floor. Admittedly, each of the meals had been far more than he'd have been capable of eating. Despite not having been able to sleep at all thanks to the constant noise and vibration, the bed had been mussed up considerably with large wrinkles making it harder to get what comfort he could.
Getting off the train made him happier than anything else he'd done for a long time. Other than making sure he had his cash with him he didn't delay when the train pulled into his station and he was one of the first off the train. Not that many got off; it seemed Kvak lived in a largely rural area that thus saw few travellers.
No more foreign debts, he promised himself. Keep everything within a civilized country. He dreaded the return trip; it would either be a very long flight, and very tiring with his pack along, or it would be another train ride.
This train station smelt and looked better and, best of all, didn't have the crowds that the port station had. Still, he did not stick around in it for long, setting out for Kvak's home almost at once. He considered finding a hotel to freshen up and going to see Kvak in the morning, but he decided against it. Best to get everything over with as soon as possible. Maybe his currently unfavourable appearance would encourage Kvak to take pity on him.
The walk to where Kvak lived took a couple more hours. A map he'd managed to acquire in the train station made the trip easier than it might have been; though the town was small, its streets were neither straight nor sensibly laid out.
He arrived at Kvak's door just as twilight was beginning to touch the sky. Although the flat land around the town made the sun's death quite visible he barely noticed it for the aching in his feet. Never before had he done so much walking! It felt as though his feet would stop working at only a moment's notice and he dreaded having to wait until someone answered the door for fear that he wouldn't be able to start again.
Kvak's home was a fairly simple two level structure that looked to have been constructed sometime in the previous century. The main door was large and ostentatious with a massive knocker that hung well out of Re Lawni's reach. Why did every other species need to be so indecently large?
His attempt to knock on the door with his fist produced next to no sound so he found a fair sized rock nearby and used that. It left a few dents in the wood, but it also produced a solid, audible sound. Moments later the door opened and he tossed the rock aside. A woman stood there, her tail hanging still between her legs as she looked outside.
"Hello?" Re Lawni said. "I am Vavivane Te Salidenu Re Lawni; I am looking to speak with Kvak."
"Ah!" she said, looking down. "Come in, we've been expecting you. I'm Liuk." She waited patiently as he furled his wings and passed through the tall, narrow door. The furniture inside was gaudy, inlaid with metal that was polished to shine. Liuk said nothing about the dents he'd left in the door, for which he was glad. If they objected to dents they should have put the knocker somewhere people could actually reach it.
"You can leave your things here," she added. "Sani will take them to your room." Well, at least he wouldn't have to worry about dealing with a hotel. He slipped the stockings off his feet, revelling in the feel of solid ground in contact with them once more. After looking around and not finding any place to hang them he simply dumped them on top of his money-case.
Liuk lead him from the entry hall into a small parlour. A handful of furniture was scattered about it, mostly towards the edges, but the bulk of the room was clear. A fire burned merrily in the hearth, its warmth unneeded, but pleasant none-the-less. In the middle of the room a large male was stretched out on a elaborately patterned blanket, a vague smile on his face. Kvak, presumably.
"Re Lawni," presumed-Kvak said, "we meet at last."
"Kvak, I have-" Re Lawni started, but Kvak interrupted him.
"No business today; I won't have it. I'm no crude boor to be rushing into business. Coffee?"
As Liuk stepped out of the room, Re Lawni quietly wished that Kvak was indeed said crude boor. She returned moments later with a coffee service on a tray which she set on a low table. This table she drug over to where Kvak was laying. After settling onto a cushion she gestured for Re Lawni to do the same and, as he did, she poured each of them some coffee, herself and Re Lawni in cups and Kvak in a wide bowl. Perhaps, Re Lawni thought, that was because Kvak's forefeet looked rather non-dexterous. The coffee was worryingly black and Re Lawni stared into it for a moment until she spoke again.
"To debts repaid," she said, her cup held up. She took a sip of the coffee even as Kvak lapped a bit from his bowl. Not knowing what else to do Re Lawni took a sip of his coffee as well, though he really wasn't inclined towards supporting the toast.
He barely stopped himself from sputtering as the coffee touched his tongue. It was both very hot and very bitter, largely undrinkable as far as he was concerned. The coffee wasn't the only thing that made him want to scream, though. He'd gotten the loan through letters and telegrams; although it'd been slow it was entirely private and he didn't have to pay attention to it for very long at a shot. This process, however, was not only turning out to be quite slow, but was also preventing him from doing anything else. Oh, what he'd give for some good entertainment! Never had he imagined that anyone could be so obstructionist when it came to getting repaid.
"Was the trip over pleasant?" Liuk asked. "I hear the sun is good against the fur along the south coast this time of year." Kvak's expression as she said this was unreadable and, if Re Lawni hadn't known better, he would have said Kvak was trying to make several at once.
Since both of his hosts were slowly drinking their coffee, Re Lawni did his best to follow in kind, but he found he had a very low tolerance for the beverage, especially with the way both the temperature and the flavour burned his throat, so that he was actually consuming far less of it than they were. Much as he would have liked to have thrown the drink away, though, he could risk offending his snail-paced hosts.
"One found the trip overly long. Not all are accustomed to extended travel." He reflected on the trip as he spoke, both the long days with nothing to do on the freighters and the final, harrowing train ride.
"A shame," Liuk said, nodding as she topped his cup up. "Not everyone can afford to take such an extended vacation at such short notice, but at least you're here. It's good to meet our clients in person; so many remain as faceless figures whose only appearance is in writing."
Re Lawni looked around the room, his eyes wandering as his mind silently shouted for his hosts to get to the point. They ended up looking at Kvak where he was stretched out on the floor. Although steadily drinking it, he didn't really seem to notice the coffee. For that matter he didn't look entirely coherent. Since his letters and telegrams had always been clear this was either new or not normal. Or perhaps someone else was handling his correspondence?
"What are one's problems?" he asked.
"What prob- oh, you mean Kvak's distraction." Liuk glanced at her husband as she spoke, reaching out to put an arm on his shoulder for a moment before continuing. As she did, Re Lawni wondered at her choice of words; 'distraction' did not seem sufficient for Kvak's state. "It's an old complaint from before we were engaged. He'd been travelling in Eksvaen at the time, but you'll have to ask him if you want to know more. While I don't think he'd mind sharing, it's not my place to do so. The painkillers his doctor prescribed tend to leave him a bit out of it."
Re Lawni nodded. That was the first thing she'd said that he'd actually agreed with; as much as he was curious, he knew he would be rather disturbed if people went around sharing the details of his history.
"It was when I'd met the human girl, Karin," Kvak added suddenly. His voice was uneven as he spoke, the tone drifting with no relation to the actual words and the volume ranging just as badly. "She'd saved my life then, kept me from dying in a stupid accident despite the risk to herself." He smiled absently, his blank eyes unevenly searching the room as though expecting her to be present. "She couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen at the time. Mind, I wasn't all that much older, certainly not more than twenty. I've never had a way to repay her for that before." His eyes settled on Re Lawni and the ravon shivered slightly at the possessive look they'd acquired. "She's a good girl, a bit obsessed with your homeland. I think you'll like her with time."
Re Lawni blinked. What? "One brings that one here?" He had no desire to meet any human girl, even one with the sense to recognize a superior culture.
"No, no, not at all," Liuk said quickly. "Forgive my husband; his medication sometimes makes him lose track of things. She isn't even in the country."
He held back a sigh of relief. Showing that he didn't want to meet his host's friends would be in bad taste and he couldn't afford to offend them until his debt was absolved.
They remained there for another three hours, the space within filled with idle conversation. Kvak added little at first and what he did add was often only vaguely related to the subject, more evidence, Re Lawni supposed, of the effects of Kvak's painkillers. As these effects faded he took over being the driving force of the conversation from his wife.
After a couple of hours they were served supper by another woman, Sani. She was, it was explained at some length, Liuk's younger, unmarried sister. Several local men had been courting her and her prospects, Re Lawni was told, were quite good. She might even be able to make first wife despite the competition. Why Re Lawni was supposed to care about all this he wasn't sure; he was hardly going to go on to his hosts about his own family. Then again, it was hardly less tedious than the rest of the conversation that they'd been having.
The meal managed to be simple without losing a slightly luxurious feeling. Sani brought in each diner's plate individually, the array of food artfully arranged on each. It wasn't anything remotely like what he would have had at home, but despite his distaste for his host's culture, he could not deny the food was good. Dessert turned out to be a rich ice cream treat that almost made him sick. He rarely had anything remotely that rich back home. It tasted really good, though, and he made a note to see how hard it would be to import once he got home again. It could, he suspected, be a big hit at his next entertainment.
When the evening conversation finally ended he suspected it was his yawns that did it; his hosts certainly didn't seem inclined to go to their beds themselves. Staying up late was nothing decent people did if they could avoid it; flying at night was quite dangerous after all.
"Your pardon," Kvak said. "I wasn't thinking. You aren't used to being up late nights, are you?" His lips parted in a wide grin, probably in a friendly spirit. "I'm afraid I'm not accustomed to hosting guests from so far away. Please, Sani will show you to your chamber. I hope you find the way I've outfitted it comfortable; I asked Karin for advice in our last exchange. Tell me what you think and I'll pass it along in my next letter. Since I've kept you up so late, allow me to offer you the services of Foritha, my slave. She can serve your personal needs while you're here."
Re Lawni opened his mouth to object having no desire to be encumbered with some bumbling servant.
"She's ravon, like yourself," Kvak added before he could speak. "She's about your age and, I'm told, quite skilled. I do hope you'll be impressed. Please, allow her to serve you however," Kvak strongly emphasized the word, "you like. Just don't do any harm; she's quite valuable. Sani!"
A snort was barely hidden behind a cough; Re Lawni did not at all like thinking of his species in terms of its slave-labour value. That was a topic he'd as soon avoid, especially coming as it did with the reminder that the au regularly kept slaves.
Sani's arrival saved him from having to make any reply and he followed her out of the room.
The trip through the house was short and, other than climbing the stairs, no effort at all. All the bedrooms were on the second floor, but while the stairs may have been quite usable by his hosts, each step was a hurdle for Re Lawni. He caught Sani watching him like she wanted to carry him to hurry him along, but since she made no move to do so nor said anything he ignored it. Not that he could have done anything otherwise; she was sufficiently larger and stronger she could impose her will through physical force if she so desired.
The room that Sani lead him to was surprisingly large. Once there she silently disappeared before he had a chance to look it over, which was just as well because once he had looked it over he could not have denied being impressed. The most notable feature was that a false ceiling had been installed bringing the apparent ceiling down to no more than a meter above the floor. Numerous thick, plush looking cushions were scattered about the room and in each corner was a low table with a plate of what looked like traditional Menotan sweets. After sampling one he was even more surprised: they were Menotan sweets. How had his hosts obtained tanathi?
He was sampling a fifth sweet when he was interrupted, but his irritation vanished as he saw who his interrupter was. A young ravon woman had entered the room and allowed the door to close behind her without a sound. The lines of her body were smooth and flowed easily from head to tail. Someone had spent the time to carefully groom her fur and dye out the naturally occurring discolourations. Almost as much jewelry adorned her body as did his own, but she was entirely naked. The sight stirred immodest desires in his loins and he smiled at her. His intentions, especially after seeing her, were anything but modest so he didn't mind the bit of forwardness on her part.
Her wings were loosely folded against her back as she walked into the room, their delicate membranes partially visible. Her tail and body swayed gently with each step and her eyes remained locked on him.
"I am Foritha. The master has told me to please you and to make your stay here entirely comfortable." She continued walking towards him, the sway of her tail seducing him as much as her appearance had before. It was amazing how far she could swing it without falling over; he wouldn't have been able to take more than a handful of steps. "So, what do you want to do first?" she asked. "Perhaps you would like me to feed you some of these sweets? Or would you prefer to move straight to something a bit more intimate?"
He stared at her, struck dumb. Never would he have thought that someone could be so forward! Once she was close enough he felt her cheek brush against his own and her curled horn rub against his chin. He opened his mouth, but it still took a moment longer for him to find his tongue.
"Ah?" he managed. "Eh?" Even speaking the barbaric local language rather than his own native and civilized language, the very nature of her words still managed to strike him silent. As he gaped at her, making inarticulate sounds, she continued forward, rubbing her body against his. She ducked beneath his wing, but turned her head to run her tongue along where the membrane connected with his body, sending a shiver through him. Her tail stroked his cheek, demonstrating again her remarkable control.
A light nip at the base of his tail broke the spell, but before he could get his thoughts in order she was standing next to him, nuzzling the base of his horn. There was an unwrapped sweet in her hand and when he opened his mouth to speak she placed it on his tongue and gently pushed his jaw closed. He swallowed even before he realized what she'd done, the taste lingering on his tongue.
"Still tired?" she whispered into his ear. "Or are you up to having a bit of fun?"
At once he realized he hadn't yawned once since she'd come into the room. Perhaps it was merely Liuk's conversation that had made him tired? Not that he thought he'd ever be able to sleep with Foritha around.
Her tail slipped under his, lifting and rubbing against it, as one of her hands slipped under his breastcloth to explore the protected fur there. With one wing she gently pushed him onto his side and he didn't resist. His own wings folded as he touched the ground, tight against his back.
"One- not all..." He stumbled over the start of his thoughts, but the shock of her aggressive forwardness still numbed his mind.
"One is not many things," she spoke the first word with great disdain in her voice. "What do you want?" She nudged him with her snout, breath ruffling his fur. "I know, but do you?"
He was on his back and amazed to realize that he had no idea how he'd gotten there. The wing near Foritha was still furled, but the other stretching lazily across the floor, the tip hidden beneath a distant pillow. She stood over him and ran one of her hands down his breastcloth to his exposed belly where it paused for a moment, her fingers rubbing the fur there. Then it continued, reaching his pubic mound; her long fingers teased the sensitive flesh there while her other hand slid down to tease at his scrotum, partially exposed at the base of his tail.
The feel of her rubbing against him, especially the feel of her hand on his pubic mound with one finger probing the entrance to where his cock was hidden, was making him quite erect, his long, thin member growing outwards. She placed one of her hands on his belly, her fingers pressing into the fur there, massaging him, while the other hand slid from his genitals to hold his tail in place. He raised his head to see what she was doing even as she lowered hers, her tongue sneaking out to run along his cock.
The shadow of her spreading wings covered him as she began to caress his cock with her tongue, her wing membranes leaving him in darkness as she slipped her mouth over his erect shaft, playing her tongue and lips over its length as she took its length into her muzzle.
Never had Re Lawni felt anything like this. The companions he'd hired from the ranks of the labourers, while not inexperienced, were far from being so forward or eager and they lacked the great skill that Foritha was demonstrating. Even Va Narula, his favourite, did not venture beyond the mundane.
He was rapidly approaching his climax, his body moving seemingly of its own accord under her touch, but her mouth slipped away moments before he reached it, the comparatively cold air of the room reaching his straining cock once more. The sensation only increased the need he felt and he stared at Foritha.
"Why?" he demanded, or tried to. His voice came out rather more plaintive than he'd intended, as though he were begging someone of her stature rather than commanding answers.
"So eager to finish?" She brushed a hand over his cock, more sensations running through him, keeping his ardour from fading. "But there is so much more to do..." Her voice trailed off and he raised his chest as he tried to lean towards her, eager to catch her words.
Va Narula had never suggested that he might want to take longer. Rather, she had more than once helped him satisfy himself more quickly.
When she turned her head, giving his snout a lick and mussing the fur there, he was surprised. The fur could be straightened; it was the way she made him feel that he valued. He had never mounted anyone who could make him feel so good.
She stepped over him, the blunt claws of her feet pressing into his wing membranes without damaging them, and turned around so that her tail extended over his head. The base of her tail, and thus her pussy, was just past the end of his snout. He gave it a cautious sniff, never having actually seen one so close before. His interests in them had always been more in the way of filling it with his cock rather than looking at it.
"That all you going to do?" As Foritha stopped speaking, she gave his cock a long lick that kept him erect without actually pushing him towards his orgasm.
With caution and curiosity in equal measure he ran his tongue over her exposed flesh. Her fur bristled beneath it, but he found her pussy had a surprisingly alluring taste. He'd heard of people doing such things of course, though admittedly always in barbaric foreign lands like the one he'd found himself in, but had never thought to do so himself. The taste was unlike anything he'd ever experienced and while not the most pleasant of tastes it was sufficiently alluring that he didn't want to stop, either.
He could feel her body move beneath the ministrations of his inexperienced tongue, responding to his amateur efforts. As he continued he got more into what he was doing, his mind focusing on the taste, the texture, and the subtle motions of her flesh. In the meantime, she had taken his member into her mouth and her renewed ministrations were causing him to moan and twisted his hips trying to increase the feeling. His voice was muffled as his snout was pushed up against her with his tongue penetrating her, tasting her inside and out.
Her tail twitched above him, brushing against the top of his head, even bumping against his horns. The slow shivers running through her body were easily felt, but even as he become more enthusiastic with his attentions she didn't slow down or lose focus on her own efforts at all. He pressed his snout harder against the base of her tail, spreading his jaws around it so that he could bury his tongue even deeper inside of her.
Despite his extreme inexperience, it did not take long before a long, slow shudder ran through her body as her muscles tensed. A quiet purr-like sound emanated from her chest, clearly audible in the silent room as the muscles in her pussy clamped down on his tongue. He could just make out, past her tail and wings, that she'd raised her head. The rush of cool air against his cock confirmed this, an intensely frustrating experience given how close he was once more to reaching his own climax. It would be only moments away if only she would return to what she'd been doing.
He pulled his head back, freeing his mouth to protest this sudden abandonment of his needs, when Foritha stepped off of him and turned to face him with a wide grin. "Take me," she said. "Fill me with your seed." Then she turned away and raised her tail, exposing her pussy to him once more.
Standing, his uncomfortably erect penis bouncing awkwardly between his legs, he took the couple of steps he needed to reach her. Once she was in reach he wrapped his hands around her waist just at the back of her wing membranes. With that grip steadying him he lifted his leg over her tail and back as he thrust his aching cock along the base of her tail and into her.
Despite his intentions to go slowly, it took him only a few thrusts before he was pounding his cock into her, sating his lust with her body, this time at his own pace. He leaned forward, cradling his body between her wings, and nuzzled the back of her neck without thinking about it.
She trembled with the force of his thrusts. His hands rubbed against the fur of her flanks as he tried to keep his grip despite his energetic thrusts. Many of these thrusts were accompanied by grunts of effort as he took out the sexual frustration he'd built up while she teased him earlier.
It wasn't long before he buried himself deep within her, his muscles tensing as his mind focused entirely on the feel of her around his cock. As he relaxed once more it took him a moment to remember that she wasn't just one of his hired girls; she was so much better that he feared he would be spoiled for anything less when he returned home.
Well, there was only one solution for that. She'd simply have to come home with him; Va Narula could return to her labourer background.
He pulled out slowly, a few stray drops of semen falling unnoticed to stain the floor. He slipped besides her, ducking beneath her wing.
"You're good," he said, whispering the words in her ear like some unspeakable confession. "I've never had anyone better."
"Thank you," she said, also speaking quietly, but not in the same conspiratorial fashion. "Master Kvak made sure I had plenty of training."
Re Lawni ignored the unspoken implications of this as he continued. "Come with me," he said. "Be free of this place. Where I come from you would never be permitted to be owned by someone."
"What do you mean?" Her quiet voice was trembling. "I am bound to my master and cannot leave him. To do so would be a sin."
"I'll take you with me when I leave; I'll hide you on my boat. If you want I'll even marry you when we get back to Menota." His ears twitched; his family would be delighted by his taking a wife, something he'd never intended to do, even if that wife was only an ex-slave. "I'm quite well off; anything you want would be yours if you just name it."
"No," she said, raising her voice slightly and shifting away from him a bit. "You don't know what they do to slaves that try to escape."
"They won't find out. I've got enough money to pay them off and once we're out of the docks we can forget this place forever." He certainly would be just delighted to never think about the blighted country again.
Foritha didn't reply this time, but simply shook her head.
"Think about it, please. Tell me yes and we can leave at once." If she still said no by the time he had to leave he'd think of something. Buying slaves to release them had good PR value if dubious long-term benefits. That Foritha would want to remain with him if he freed her he didn't doubt in the least.
Neither of them said anything more after that and, after he'd turned out the lights and a few minutes had passed, she pressed up against him once more as they lay on the cushions. He tucked himself under her wing once more, nuzzling the base of her neck with his snout.
He drowsed briefly, though he was disturbed in the night as she shifted against him, her fur rubbing against his sensitive flesh, arousing him again. He took her in the darkness before collapsing onto the cushions next to her in an exhausted sleep.
Consciousness returned with the awareness of a full bladder. Re Lawni disentangled himself from the cushions and stood unsteadily for a moment before moving vaguely towards the door, his wings partially outstretched to help him balance. He struggled with the door for a moment before his groggy mind recalled that the doorknob would be quite high, rather than a more appropriate place. A flare of pain when he tried to go through the door reminded him his wings were still outstretched, but wasn't enough to clear his mind of sleep.
It was quite dark, not only in his bedroom, but outside of it as well; it was still night. Staring at the corridor for a moment, he tried to think; where was the bathroom? There weren't many options and one, at least, could be eliminated straight off thanks to the heavy snoring he could hear from behind it.
Despite colliding with a few walls and the railing of the stairway he did manage to find the washroom. Getting through the door took a couple of tries, leading to having his wings rather sore, but he was able to get into the bathroom and, after a few agonizing minutes of trying to figure out how to use the toilet, was able to relieve the pressure in his bladder.
Getting back to his room was easier; he already knew the way and was less distracted thanks to his now-empty bladder. Thus, he heard on his way back what he had not on his way to the toilet. It sounded to his still sleep-fogged mind like Foritha, but it lacked the seductive, playful tones she'd spoken to him in. Serious though not unhappy tones filled her voice now.
"-without hesitation, Master Kvak," she was saying. "It was just as you said: overeager and unskilled." Re Lawni felt a moment of relief; she couldn't be talking about him, then, as he had initially feared. With the amount of practice he'd had he could hardly be unskilled in the bedroom! "As you suspected master, he tried to get me to run away with him."
Re Lawni was suddenly entirely awake. Foritha was reporting on him to someone; he could think of nothing else that last line could mean. With his newly clear mind it occurred to him that he had been alone on waking, only the sleep-haze and his full bladder keeping him from realizing that fact before.
Who was she talking to? The realization that he could be in a lot of trouble was not a pleasant one; fines and publicity would rather defeat the purpose of his trip, especially if word reached home. And Kvak was hardly likely to cooperate with him on the matter of his debt after discovering Re Lawni had tried to steal his slave.
"I am glad to hear it," a male voice said. Not only was the voice familiar, but Re Lawni knew of only one other man in the building and that was Kvak. "Return quickly in case he wakes. It will be best if he does not suspect what is coming." Kvak knew. Kvak knew what he had tried to do. A chill swept over Re Lawni's body as he rushed back to his bedroom. Whatever they were planning, it would not be made better if they knew he'd been eavesdropping.
He had just settled back down when he heard Foritha creep into the room and felt her settle in next to him. She was pressed against his side once more and the feel of her was all the sweeter for knowing he wouldn't feel it again. Even if nothing else came of the night's events, he knew he could not afford to spend further time with her.
It took him a long time to fall asleep again and the remainder of the night's sleep was not restful.
The way Re Lawni was woken in the morning was far less pleasant than the full bladder that had woken him during the night. He came to awareness as someone grabbed his wings, pulling them up and together with a metal clip to hold them. Before he got a handle on what was happening, additional restraints had been placed on his wrists and ankles and he was hefted aloft.
With the sudden awakening and especially the manner of it, his mind was slow to come to an awareness of what was happening. By the time he realized that he was being carried, he had already been carried out of Kvak's home. When he went to scream in hopes of someone stopping his abductors, he realized that his snout had been secured shut, leaving him unable to do anything but than watch.
Only, he realized as he saw the carriage he was being carried to, it was no normal abduction at all. The carriage was a closed in design with the word POLICE painted on the side and it was harnessed to a pair of au men with very official looking sashes. Twisting his head around he could see that the woman who was carrying him was wearing a uniform over body armour, though she did not seem to have any weapons of any kind. Two more au men flanked her, both with the same kind of artificial claws that those back at the docks had had. She dropped him on one bench in the carriage while sitting on the other, facing him. The men remained outside and, when the carriage started moving, kept up alongside of it.
His only limb that wasn't restrained was his tail, but it could do little more than droop uselessly off the seat as he squirmed and made low inarticulate noises. Unlike Foritha, he hadn't the practice to be particularly dexterous with it.
As the carriage moved its wheels clattered noisily along the ground and the dawning sun shined cheerfully through the window. It was altogether inappropriate lighting considering the circumstances. Inappropriate enough that Re Lawni almost wished that the police had, if they had to come for him at all, come earlier so that it would not have looked so pleasant out.
He was able to turn his head to look imploringly at the woman sitting across from him as he squirmed in the bonds holding him tight, hoping that she would understand that he wanted to have some clue what was going on.
She must have taken pity on him because she did give him at least the beginning of an explanation. "You have been arrested for sedition and for inciting rebellion. A royal judge will be appointed by the king for your trial."
Unable to reply, he was forced to give at least the appearance of accepting this though he wanted nothing more than to protest. Sedition? Inciting rebellion? He could not conceive of how he'd done either. Well, not unless trying to convince Foritha to escape counted, but he was hardly trying to convince her to rebel, just to leave the country with him.
Since he wasn't in a position to reply and the police woman seemed disinclined to talk they passed the trip in silence. The ride was not particularly smooth, especially for Re Lawni who lacked the body weight to avoid bouncing around on his seat. Fortunately he didn't actually fall off, but that was about the best that could be said for the journey.
Their destination was a large, official looking building built of immense bricks and decorated with numerous statues and plaques. He was carried once more by the police woman, tucked under her arm like a piece of small luggage.
They stopped briefly in a receiving area where he was set on a counter while she filled out a variety of paperwork. A couple of other woman took the opportunity to strip everything but his breastcloth from him, dumping the jewellery and accessories into a manila envelope that got a long number before he was, once more, carried out of sight of it.
The loss of his jewellery bothered him almost as much as being arrested and by the time he was plopped down into a cell he felt positively naked, despite the breastcloth he'd been left with. At least they hadn't tried to force some prison uniform on him, though he had to admit that was probably as much because they didn't have one that would fit as anything else. Outside of the slave class, who would never be arrested owing to their status, there were very few ravon in Gek Relt.
Dawn's light shined tauntingly through the tall, narrow windows, providing illumination of the mostly empty chamber. Other than a toilet there was nothing in the room besides himself, not even so much as a pillow. While he had been unbound it made little difference in the small cell and he found himself simply pacing the extents, folding and unfolding his wings and lashing his tail behind him.
The cell was at least comfortably large for him, though he suspected it would have been rather cramped for one of the au men and not all that comfortable for the women. The bare stone floor radiated cold even through the thick soles of his feet, but there was little enough he could do about that.
No clock was visible, but the sun's movement across the sky could be seen in the movements of shadows on the ground, particularly those of the bars across the windows. This only worked until it was approaching noon, however, as afterwards the windows no longer faced the sun. It still got darker, but it was a much more subtle effect.
A 'small' lunch was served, small, he suspected, for the typical inmates, but quite expansive for his rather smaller bulk. Having missed breakfast, he consumed it entirely despite the unappealing foreign food.
He judged it was approaching evening when a police woman returned. Whether it was the same one as handled his arrest he wasn't sure, but it didn't seem likely. Not that it mattered. His hands and wings were bound once more, though at least this time he was allowed to walk as he was taken to an entirely different part of the building and what could only be a courtroom.
A raised platform at the end held the judge's bench, the court recorder's workstation, along with a table for the prosecution's lawyer. He was dumped on a table at ground level next to someone who introduced himself as Re Lawni's defence lawyer. Not that Re Lawni expected him to be very helpful; it seemed that he had been called in only minutes before the trial and was entirely unfamiliar with the case. A police officer was stationed nearby, presumably in case he tried to escape despite handcuffs and bound wings.
The judge, when he arrived a good twenty minutes after the trial was supposed to have started, looked rather bored and entirely uninterested. He commanded the trial begin before stretching out behind his bench, his eyes half lidded.
And as the evidence against him mounted, it became clear to Re Lawni just why no one else seemed to be taking his trial seriously. Short of a miracle, nothing would save him.
Kvak took the stand first, relating how he had lent Re Lawni money and how Re Lawni had neglected to repay it. Despite the anger building up inside of him, the ravon couldn't object to the way Kvak made his complete non-repayment of the debt seem like a minor affair. Then Kvak moved on to hearing that Re Lawni was coming to pay off the debt personally, then hearing from Re Lawni's family via telegram as they sought to learn more about the debt and to pass on information about his defaulting client. Finally, he related how he had deliberately placed Re Lawni in a situation where it seemed likely he would break the law, but that he never suggested the ravon do so in any way at all. His closing remarks were about a deal with Re Lawni's family; he'd forgive the debt if Re Lawni's family put up no more than a token protest to his punishment.
After hearing from Kvak, the prosecuting attorney produced a reel of tape that, when played, proved to be a recording of Re Lawni's conversation with Foritha. The part where he encouraged her to escape was played multiple times before things moved on.
The last segment was the presentation of a series of documents that proved Re Lawni's agreement to the loan, to the multiple notices of non-payment, and to a variety of other sundry articles that Re Lawni really didn't care about.
With the prosecution finally finished it was the defence's turn. With Re Lawni's attorney not having had time to catching up with the details of the case and especially with the evidence against him there was little the lawyer could do. He made a short, inspiring speech that seemed to have nothing at all to do with the case before retiring.
The judge called a brief recess while he went to deliberate. Re Lawni was able to use the chance to stretch his legs and dwell on the horrible fates that most likely awaited him. His appointed lawyer was not much help as he explained that not much could be done and the judge was almost certainly going to return a guilty verdict. He would, of course, file an appeal once he'd had a chance to study the details of the case.
It wasn't more than a few minutes before the judge returned and the court was in session once more. The judge sat, official looking, behind his bench and looked over the people gathered in the courtroom.
"I have listened to the evidence in this case and have considered the arguments put forth by both sides." His gaze moved over everyone before him until it finally settled on Re Lawni. "Although I cannot approve of the haste with which this matter has been dealt, the evidence is such that I cannot imagine this trial coming to a different result even at a more deliberate pace.
"In light of everything presented here today, I am forced to find the defendant, one Vavivane Te Salidenu Re Lawni, guilty as charged. As per financier Kvak's request, the defendant will be remanded to Kvak's custody as a slave. No further sentencing is deemed necessary." The judge stood. "This court is dismissed." He walked out.
Re Lawni could only stare at where the judge at been. As a slave? His family would raise a storm! Only, the import of Kvak's testimony began to sink in, that they had agreed to only a formal protest. Surely they didn't have anything like this in mind, though! Slavery went against everything that Menota stood for. He would simply have to bide his time and wait it out. They would come for him. He knew they would.
Even as he was carried over to be given into Kvak's custody he continued telling himself that, though even he wasn't sure if he believed it.
When (or if, his traitorous mind insisted on adding) he got out of this he would make all those responsible for his current position sorry they'd ever crossed him.
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