Through a Slave's Eyes, Alice Arbuthnot [world of reading txt] 📗

getting forty-five drooners from her room.” “Watch out,” I warn, “she mentioned yesterday that the kids had some sort of holiday and were coming to the party. I think they’re getting in today, you don’t want them to catch you.” He gives me a grin, “You worry too much,” with that he leans over and kisses my nose. Once again I became thankful for the darkness of the morning that so often covers my crimson blush.
“Come on, Ge,” he says, outstretching his hand to me, “let’s go for a walk.” “Do we have time?” I ask glancing over to where I knew the sun would rise in a bit. “I think so,” he says, “Anyway, Lilly’s had her colt and I think you’d like to see him.” I had wanted to see the new colt for a while now, but never had the time, “Oh, alright.”

As the sun rose to about seven-thirty we entered the kitchen. Chef Kline and some of the hired help were bustling around preparing breakfast as the servants sat around the table eating theirs. Ky and I take our seats and Jenny brings us a plate of the slave’s type of breakfast. The eggs are from the family’s chugga, a black bird that makes its nest on the ground and lays blue eggs, and the grits are mostly leftovers from what the family didn’t, or wouldn’t, eat yesterday.
Not going to miss the food,

I think. I could tell by Ky’s face he was thinking the same thing. “Georgia?” I turn to see Selein in the doorway, “Madam says it’s time to go.” I shovel a last bite into my mouth and walk out the door.
We get back in the late afternoon. Madam sends Harry, the guy who drove, to put the horses up and me to make sure the children’s rooms are prepared, because “they’ll be here any moment.”
I see Selein on the way. I raise my eye brow at her as to ask, Did he get the money? She gives me a subtle nod and secretive smile. I love how close we’ve gotten, we don’t have to even speak to be heard…

“To Mr. Freemont,” Andrew read aloud before opening the last letter:
“Dear Andrew Skay,
We left yesterday without a hitch. Since we heard nothing from the news, we assume our old master has found out only that his soup is getting in late and he can’t go into town. No alarms have been raised, but we are careful anyways. I won’t tell you where we’re hiding, but be sure we are safe and sound. By the time this letter arrives you should be leaving tomorrow for the station. Be careful. Remember your money and your average Namaian outfit. Nine drooners each. We will see you soon. Please, Andrew, be careful and listen to your sister. She knows the importance of this, as I know you do also from your letters. We’ve missed you, and are waiting patiently. Burn this letter.
For Freedom,
Chase Warner”

“Ky, did you get the money?” Andrew asks after finishing. Ky gives a mischievous smile and cloth sack filled bulging with coins, “Forty-five, I counted three times to make sure.” Andrew smiles, “Good.” He looks at me. “I don’t think Jenny’s coming,” I say in a small voice, then hurry on, “She won’t tell or anything, she just doesn’t think she can make it.” He looks at Selein, “Think she can keep a secret?” She shrugs, “Don’t think it really matters, she already knows. Her reason’s plausible enough.” He thinks for a moment then nods, “Alright.” We huddle around and cover the light the flame cast in the dark night.

CHAPTER XV

People sometimes do really stupid stuff without realizing it, or even meaning to. Sometimes I’m one of those people. “Hey, Stranger,” I said like I always did as I neared the fountain, but only as the last word left my mouth, did I realize this really was a stranger. And I had just openly announced I was there. But it got worse, he turned around. “Why, Georgia. You’re out awfully early,” said Simon. Do not act guilty, this is your job,

I remind myself. “I’m turning on the fountain like I do every morning,” I answer, my voice surprisingly flat. “Why are you out here?” “I pulled an all-nighter last night with my friend who came home with me,” he explained. “Shouldn’t you be tired then?” I ask as I turn the nozzles on the pumps. “Nope,” he says, “Ian passed out about an hour ago and I decided to go walking, couldn’t sleep.” “Your siblings bring friends home?” I ask because I want to know how many kids there are. He tells me there’s not any others and I ask what his mom would think of his staying up all night before her big ball. He replied with a, “She won’t think anything of it, because she won’t find out.” He looked at me pointedly. Nice to see the old Simon,

I think, I was wondering where he went.

A thought hit me then, What happened to Ky?

I hadn’t seen him since yesterday night, and we were leaving tonight. I glance around the garden, but there’s no movement to see. He looks a t me, “So Honey—” “Not your honey,” I interrupt. “I was thinking,” he continues, “Mother says I need to pick a specific servant to follow and to my whim at a moment’s notice. You know, to show off the service to the guests or something like that.” Uh-oh,

I think. “And since you’re such a good girl, I thought I’d pick you,” I knew it wasn’t a suggestion, but I needed to as far from him as possible tonight. “Didn’t your Mother want them to be a man-servant?” I ask, looking for an escape, “And besides,” I continue, “Madam already said she wanted me in the kitchen, away from the guests.” “Now, I know you can be quite startling at times,” he continues, “and your alien looks aren’t very attractive, but what else can the guests expect from a servant?” I look at him incredulously, “Alien?” “Well yes,” he replies, “you’re not a legal citizen of Harlow are you?” Harlow is the largest country on Namay, “That means you were most likely what? An orphan from Franton City or Darlineton or one of the other cities that practically runs orphanages like a mass production, right? That’s basically where most of our servants come from.”
I just stare at him. Wow, he really doesn’t know. Know how everyone here was kidnapped their homes or off the streets very, very far from here. A memory surfaces in the back of my mind, “Though orphan or not we will keep outrageous thoughts like those from your mouth.”

It was what Madam Welch had said to me the day before. Realization slowly sunk in, “Have you ever been to Darlineton?” I ask. “Nah, Father only goes on the auction days,” he says running his finger on the surface of the water. “You don’t go with him?” “Nope, won’t let us,” he sighs, “says it’s boring anyway.” A little voice says in mind, He won’t let them know the truth, it’s dangerous because slavery’s illegal even here.

“So, Simon doesn’t know a thing about slavery or the Ladoe gang?” Selein asks as we fix the curtains for tonight. I shake my head. She continues, “And Master Welch has kept it a secret from even his wife?” I nod. “Wait,” she says, jumping off the ladder, “they know it’s wrong to be part of slavery, but they think it’s alright to auction off orphans!?” I nod again. “Incredible!” she practically shouts. “Shhh,” Jenny warns from the other side of the room.
“So you talked him out of the handler thing right?” she asks in a whisper. “Yeah, well sort of. Apparently Madam Witch really

doesn’t want anyone seeing my face. I think he said he was using Harry instead.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon running around preparing, doing Madam Welch’s bidding, and preparing some more. At five in the afternoon the witch calls me to her room, but I hear the voices through the door and decide the listen instead of going in.
“Of course, Janet. All those pesky slaves our being kept in the kitchen or out back, don’t worry!” She was talking on the phone with a woman that she usually saw at those meetings in town. “No, I’m not stupid. I invited many important people to this ball, Richard would have my head if one of them even saw one of our imports.” Imports? “Janet, I’ve been to enough of our little meetings to know that have an unpaid servant is—what’s the word?—oh, yes illegal. Our average servant would be assumed an orphan from the city, but there’s a few—” She pauses, “Yes, exactly. Now could you imagine what would happen if they saw that blue one? No way she would pass as a Namaian orphan. We usually only buy regular looking ones from the black market, but she was cheap.” They were talking about Selein.
“The other ones? Well, I just don’t know what Richard was thinking. They were average price and they almost look Namian, but they are just too pale skinned! Yes, I know. I agree, so ugly. And Simon wanted one of them to be his handler tonight, can you believe that?” That’s why she made you and Selein kitchen duty

, the little voice murmured. “I think one the boys looks almost normal, but no one has that hair color. It’s a