Lise, DM Arnold [bearly read books .TXT] 📗

The overseers would assign us our partner for the night. The men wore sheaths to collect the sperm for the breeders. We had a freezing device in our rooms for that purpose. At least you felt clean in the morning ... the women were inseminated artificially ... it's how you were conceived. I don't even know who your father was.”

“Did you meet Grott on the farm?”

“No. We met after I was sold off the farm -- with you a babe in my arms. You and I are both oneshots. They knew something was terribly wrong when I went into labor. I nearly died giving birth to you ... I would've -- and you would've, too -- if the farm's surgeon hadn't intervened. My womb is in tatters. I can never conceive again. As it was, it took me a long time to recover my strength. Then, I ... we ... you and I were sold. A male is worth one, and a female ten but a oneshot is worth nothing. That's when I met Grott. He had just been purchased from a neighboring farm. Our new owner turned us loose to fend for ourselves here in the Zone. It's cheaper than providing quarters for us.”

“You've told me this part already, Mother.”

“You know,” Rayla continued, “we were made for the farms. Our kind were human -- white once. Our inventors gave us features to make us perfect farm workers. I wish I was back there, now. I know Grott wishes he was on the farm, picking pomma. This life we lead isn't what our designers intended.”

They reached the house. “Wait here, Lise...” Rayla descended the stairs; then returned with a bucket and two towels. “I'll wash you first -- then you can do me the same way. Take off your shorts and lie on the bench.”

Lise complied. Rayla filled the bucket from the standpipe and began washing between her legs. “Ow!”

“Sorry. Is that where you're tender?”

“Yes...”

“I put a little laundry soap in the bucket. That's why it smarts.” Rayla rinsed Lise with clear water from a can. She dabbed her daughter with a towel. “There.”

Lise wrapped the towel around her waist. Her mother stripped off her shorts and lay on the bench, her knees bent and her thighs open. Lise knelt and began washing her.

“That's good,” Rayla said. “Don't be shy, Lise. Be thorough. You can do a much better job than I could by myself.”

“Mother...”

“Yes, Lise.”

“Tonight ... tonight you're treating me like another adult -- a friend ... not as your child.”

“You'll always be my daughter, Lise. Now, you are a woman. You'll never be a child again.”

“I don't think I like being a woman much.”

Lise dabbed Rayla with the towel. Her mother stood and wrapped herself. She picked up the two pairs of shorts and dumped them in the bucket. “We'll let them soak overnight -- I'll deal with them in the morning. The night's young. We have plenty of time for a reading lesson for the little ones.”

Rayla looked up at the dull orange sky, illuminated by Vyonna's light pollution reflecting off haze. “I'm scared, Lise. The discipline is breaking down. I blame owners and brokers like ours. They dump us in the Zone and it's out-of-sight, out-of-mind. All these unregistered children here make me fear for what will happen once they reach your age. It's why I take it on myself to teach them to read, write and do sums. Poverty and ignorance are an explosive mixture. I can't do much about poverty, but ignorance is something I can address.”

Rayla descended the stairs and Lise followed. A single greaselamp lantern illuminated the basement. Grott sat on a bench. Rayla began lighting more lamps.

Lise approached him. “Father -- I'm sorry for what I said.”

Grott's gaze swung toward the half-empty bowl of pink paste. “You had better finish that. We can't afford to waste it.”

Lise lay on her back on her mattress pad, her arms crossed above her head. Her bedroom walls consisted of worn sheets Rayla had scavenged from the industrial laundry where she worked. She could hear her parents speaking low to each other. She couldn't make out the words.

Tonight she couldn't sleep. Most nights she slept like a log, but not tonight. The day's events kept scrolling through her mind -- Geddes's tantrum, Tagg, the fight with Grott ... making rounds.

The basement grew silent. Lise continued to lie, her orange eyes wide staring into the darkness. She heard the sound of a match and then saw the flicker of a greaselamp. The sheet dividing her room from her parents' glowed with yellow light and she could make out their shadows thrown against it.

Her mother was lying on her back. Grott knelt beside her, caressing her. Rayla put her arms around Grott's shoulders and drew his face to her breast. Then, she bent her knees and he slipped his hand between her legs. She arched her back began making soft moans. Lise could tell her mother was swallowing her groans and gasps, but the odd one escaped. She watched the shadows. Rayla reached up and hugged her husband. They kissed.

Now, Grott lay on his back. Rayla knelt astride his hips and began swaying. He reached for her breasts and the throttled moaning resumed. Lise turned away, lay on her side, closed her eyes and wished she could close her ears. Guttural sounds came from her stepfather. Then, the greaselamp was extinguished and darkness returned. She could smell smoke from the wick as the embers died.

Rayla shook Lise awake. “Time to get up.”

“Mmmph.” Lise rubbed her eyes and sat up.

“You must learn to rouse yourself,” Rayla said, “if you're going to keep a job. Grott and I are on our ways.”

Lise arose and headed for the courtyard. She bathed and picked up her work clothes from the low wall where she had left them to dry. They had become damp from dew in the night air.

“Lise!” She looked up and saw Tagg approaching in a fast trot. “Lise... Lise -- I hear you went on rounds last night.”

“That's right.”

“Why? How could you?” She turned her back to him. He grasped her upper arm and turned her to face him. “How could you?”

“Let go of me.” Her orange eyes met his, then looked at the pavement. “You know the rules. The men share the women. I was doing my duty.”

“How many?” She stared at her feet. “Lise -- how many?”

“About eight. I wasn't counting.”

“Did you enjoy it?” She turned her head. “Lise -- did you enjoy it?”

“Do you want to know? Do you really want to know?”

“Yes, I do.”

Her eyes filled. “It was awful -- I hated it. I tried to block it out. And afterward I felt so ... so filthy.”

“I don't want you making rounds.”

“I have to, Tagg. I have to do my duty to keep the peace here. Aren't women making rounds in your building?”

“Yes -- but, they never get round to me. If they did -- I wouldn't want to. I only want to with you.”

“Tagg -- you made me a woman yesterday. I must do my woman's duty. Now, I have to go to work.”

She picked up the damp top and shorts and bounded down the stairs. She slipped into the clothes; then looked around the basement and put things in order.

Lise climbed the steps. Tagg sat in the courtyard. “Lise...”

“I don't have time, Tagg.”

“Do you still love me?”

She approached him. “Of course I do. Do you still love me?”

“I'll never stop loving you, Lise.”

“Last night was my duty. Mother tells me after a while you learn to wall it off... She and Grott pretend it doesn't happen. So can we.”

“Can we ... you and I ... again?”

“I won't say no, Tagg. I don't know when, though.” She smiled. “I don't know when another pipe will break at Megan's factory. Now, I really have to go. I'll see you later, Tagg.” She kissed his cheek and headed toward the gate.

“Lise! I'll take that sketch to the park today.”

V

Lise forced open her eyes. Dawn twilight was filtering into her bedroom through the sill window. She arose and pushed aside the fabric sectioning off her room.

“Good morning,” Rayla said to her.

“Mmmph.” Lise sat on a bench. “I don't like getting up early.”

“You're no longer a care-free youth.”

“I had plenty of cares before.” She rubbed her eyes. “Just different ones.” She grabbed a towel and bucket and headed to the courtyard to bathe.

She wrapped the towel around her waist and dumped the last of her bath water onto her garden. Another novonid woman approached. She was pregnant and had a little boy in tow. “Lise!”

“Oh, good morning Glinda.”

“Lise -- can you watch Rinn for me today?”

“I wish I could. I have a job now.” She looked into Glinda's eyes. “What's wrong, Glinda?”

“My owner was found dead last night ... murdered.”

Lise put her hand to her lips. “Oh, my...”

“The constables want to speak with me. They're waiting outside the Zone.”

“They certainly don't think you...”

“Of course not. They're interviewing the novonids she owned. We're also meeting with the Benevolent Shelter Society. It might take most of the day and I can't leave Rinn alone.”

“All right -- I'll watch him.”

“But -- you said you have a job.”

“My job is minding two white children about his age. I can't imagine their mother would object if he tagged along.”

Glinda opened her arms and hugged Lise. “Thank you.”

“What will happen to you?”

“I don't know. Now I mustn't keep the constables waiting.”

“I'll take good care of Rinn.”

She watched Glinda head across the courtyard.

“Come on, Rinn...” She took the boy's hand and led him down the steps. “Mother! We have company.”

Rayla looked at the little novonid boy. “Hello, Rinn.” She turned to Lise. “What's he doing here?”

“Glinda asked me to watch him.”

“How can you do that?”

“I'll take him with me to Megan's. I can't imagine she'd object.”

“I don't know about that, Lise.”

“There's no one else to watch him. This place is deserted during the day. Believe me -- I know. I spent many a day confined here before I was registered.”

“What about Tagg? He has nowhere to go.”

Lise looked up at her mother. “Tagg... Mmm ... no. He goes to the park and sketches. Rinn's a nice little boy. We'll be fine.”

Rayla shook her head.

“Mother -- Glinda said her owner was murdered.”

“That's the second one in ten days.”

“Do you think they're connected?”

“I wouldn't know.”

“What would happen to us if your owner -- or, Ramina -- died?”

“That's a good question. We'd probably be auctioned off -- or end up in a BSS shelter.”

“So -- there's a chance we'd be separated.”

Rayla nodded. “A good chance.”

“I know Ramina's intent was for me to remain living here with you. She doesn't consider me one of hers. It's more like she's brokering my labor.”

“It doesn't matter what Ramina intends You are registered to her -- in the eyes of the law, she is your owner.”

“What about your owner?” Lise asked.

“It upsets me to think about this,” Rayla replied.

“We have to think about it, don't we?”

“There is nothing we can do about it, so worrying is wasted effort.”

“The next time I see Ramina,” Lise replied, “I'm going to ask her. Can you watch Rinn for a moment while I dress?”

Lise led Rinn through the gate and toward the bus stop. “Have you ever ridden a streetcar?” she asked.

Rinn looked up and shook his head.

“You'll have to hold onto me tight.”

The bus pulled to a stop. Lise climbed onto the platform and extended her arm to lift Rinn. She held the rail while the little boy hugged her leg. “That's it -- hold on!”

The bus worked its route to the transfer point. Lise guided Rinn to the sidewalk. “Now we wait for a yellow number eight.” She leaned to look down the street. “I think this is one coming.”

Rinn held on as the bus carried them to Megan's neighborhood. Lise took his hand and walked