Children of Steel Read online

  I was quite impressed to be allowed to go, and lying on the litter in expensive jewelry sans shorts, next to Helena at her Master's feet was actually kind of fun. She hadn't been kidding about the gold though. Some of it was actually just gold platted armor, I could deflect a knife or worse with the arm or leg bands quite easily. Some of the other items fulfilled very typical combat purposes as well; they were just made to look like they didn't.

  That first night we accompanied him as he went on a combined shopping/publicity trip. At least I guess it was publicity. We would go to places that were full of obviously important people, and he would shake hands and talk with many of the locals. I noticed that Helena would act very affectionate towards him at these times, always seeming to just be fawning, but actually keeping too many people from getting too near at once. And always ready to deflect a reaching hand. It was a good technique and after watching her for a while, I decided to do my best to mimic it as well. It was really kind of fun, like a game.

  "Ah Raj," Hyberious said quietly, smiling after we left that particular place, "I see you learn very quickly indeed."

  "Well actually, it's kind of fun."

  "You see Master?" Purred Helena, "I told you he'd be worth bringing along!"

  "Yes the people will be quite impressed to see me so obviously in the favor of the Cat god? Hmmmm?" he said smiling.

  I suddenly saw the other big advantage of this style; the people would see him being fawned over and figure that he was in very good with the Gods indeed. I could easily understand why he was the King's favorite advisor.

  "Now let us go spend some of the King's largess on those who are worthy." he said, and we spent the next two hours shopping.

  Shopping was fun. He bought some things for his estate, and bought both Helena and me something. I got the impression he always bought her something, she purred with delight when he gave it to her, it was more jewelry of course. The rest of the things he bought were for the King's government.

  He ordered supplies for many different things, what they were I had no idea. He bought desks, boots, stationary, all sorts of odds and ends, much of it from smaller shops, and in large quantities.

  "What is all this for?" I asked him quietly at one point as we traveled between shops.

  "Oh it is simple. Every government needs supplies of course; it is my duty to see that the wealth is spread around. The King wants to make sure that all of his people share equally in this time of prosperity. We can't allow any of our merchants to go under."

  "But he's the King, why should he care?"

  "Because even Kings can fall from grace," he answered shrewdly. "We may choose to live like the ancients, but we're not as ignorant as they were, especially the common man. An unpopular ruler may soon find himself soon consigned to the Gods and another standing in his place."

  "Isn't he so wise?" Helena breathed in my ear, "In the seven years I've been his, the King's popularity has always been high. Of course the King's enemies would like him out of the way, that's why the King gave me to him. But that just adds to the fun."

  "The King gave you to him?" I whispered back amazed.

  "Yes, I was a Temple Jaguar. It was a very impressive thing, for the King to give me to him; my Master's biggest enemy was outraged." Then she added evilly, "But I took care of him."

  "I'll bet you did," I smiled back. Obviously they played for keeps here, I thought as I absently rubbed at one of my scars, but was my job any different?

  Not really.

  Later that night, I romped in Helena's room with her again. I was surprised to find that the room was immaculately clean with no sign of our earlier fight, even the spot where I had run her head thought the plaster wall, (all us cats have notoriously hard heads), had disappeared.

  The next morning was an early one, her Master having to go visit the King. I was surprised to be included on this trip as well. I wasn't allowed to wear a knife of course, but otherwise I was attired the same as the night before.

  We made the trip in a very large limousine, with a second one following behind. The palace was really something to behold, with the concealed ground to air defenses just adding to its majesty I thought. I was surprised that the place was so heavily fortified, but being of a military bent, I enjoyed it. We went through two major checkpoints, but as soon as then saw who was in the car, we were waved right through.

  I never got to see the King. Once we were inside the palace, the King's own guards came and escorted him into the 'presence'. Helena was going to go with him, but he told her she could stay and keep me company. So while her Master was speaking with his boss, I got a tour of the less private parts of the palace.

  The next several days passed quite enjoyably, except for the gentleman whose arm I broke when he tried to thrust something at Hyberious from my side. He was dragged off kicking and screaming by the other guards, and Helena told me that if I wanted I could help her interrogate him later. She licked her lips as she said that, and I suddenly realized just how bloodthirsty she was.

  I agreed more out of curiosity than anything else. I was curious as to what techniques they used here; most corporations used drugs and such. Though the way she licked her lips did make me a little uncomfortable.

  Later when we went shopping again, Hyberious bought me a gold arm bracelet that had several diamonds and emeralds set in it.

  "I was just trying to repay the kindness you and yours have shown me on my vacation sir," I said humbly as he gave it to me.

  "Nonsense, I insist." he said personally putting it in my hands. "It was a job well done, and I would be remiss in my thanks if I did not see you properly rewarded."

  I could see why Helena liked him, he really was nice to you.

  Much later that night, after Helena had herself rewarded me for protecting her Master, she led me to the cells below the townhouse, where the would be assailant was quartered.

  I was surprised at the amount of equipment that was down there, and people. The upstairs might have been a show piece of art and style, but down here it was science and technology, a good deal of it looked like communications gear, and some presentation rooms. We went down a second level and next to a small arms range was the security area with several cells. When the prisoner saw us he started to curse and yell, insults about Hyberious, Helena, the King and even me.

  Helena grabbed him through the bars and pulled him forward, banging his head and body against the cold metal until he spat out several teeth and quieted down.

  “Insult my Master or the King again at your own peril!” She hissed at him, and then pushed him back so hard he hit the far wall. At which point she opened his cell and walked in, cuffing him hard in the face as he tried to rush her. She grabbed his throat then and choked him until he passed out.

  “Grab his legs Raj, would you? I want to take him to the interrogation room.”

  I nodded and helped pick him up. He came too while we were carrying him down the short hall to a clean whitewashed room with a table in it. He struggled while I pinned him to it for Helena to strap him into place. He didn’t look so brave anymore.

  “I want to know who sent you,” Helena began quietly. “I suggest you tell me. Otherwise it will not go easy for you.”

  He spit at her and cursed her of course.

  That was when she started to torture him.

  I won't go into detail what happened next, as I realize now that I backslid quite a bit that night in my efforts to act more civilized. I could blame it on Helena’s behavior and her coaxing; I could blame it on the things he said, the scent of the blood, or even the heat of the moment. But I wouldn’t be blaming the right person then. I did find out two things however, the first was that no matter what you do to a fanatic, they don't talk.

  The second was what a human heart tastes like.

  Of course, Helena probably deserved most of the blame for what took place in that room. She was the one who supervised everything, and had obviously not only done this before, but had been very we
ll trained at it as well. But I have to admit I helped. Even enjoyed it some.

  "Where did you learn to do these kind of things?" I asked her later as we lay on the floor covered in blood and gore.

  "The temple, where else?"

  "You do this in the temple?"

  "Not as often as we might like," she smiled nastily and began to lick the blood off. "But it's the punishment for attempted assassination, and a few other capital crimes."

  "It's barbaric," I said quietly.

  "I noticed you didn't abstain though," she grinned at me, "and thought nothing of screwing me in all this blood afterwards."

  "I know, and I feel strange about the whole thing. Part of me feels like I do after a hunt and like I did after I wasted that bastard on Arboral. But another part says that it was wrong."

  "Well, if it will make you feel any better, here it's legal and expected."

  "Just like getting buried alive with your Master when he dies?" I asked her.

  "Oh that won't happen to me. Wouldn't happen to you either if you were to stay," she smiled shyly as she said that. "It's voluntary, and they give you a poison to drink once you're inside."

  "It's voluntary?" I stopped cleaning myself for a second in amazement.

  "Yeah, you'd be surprised what some of the more devout will do when their beloved Master dies."

  "You seem pretty much in love with him yourself." I observed.

  "Oh I'd die for him, don't get me wrong. But as a temple cat, I learned that one's duty is here in the world. People like you and me are too valuable to just suicide when there's so much work for us to do."

  What scared me the most later that night when I stopped to look back at it after we had cleaned up and retired to her rooms was how easily led I was when someone else was giving the orders and doing the worst of it. How I had let myself do things that now caused me to have some severe second thoughts. And the further she took me, the more willing I was to be led.

  I quietly got up from the bed and went to the bathroom, and as I got quietly sick over the toilet I wondered if everyone suffered from this kind of problem? Maybe that would explain where the people on Timpleton had gotten their followers from, people caught up in the moment. Which might explain why some folks risked their lives to save my sister, once the heat of the moment wore off and they realized exactly what they were doing.

  I slept very uneasily that night, my dreams weren’t pleasant ones, they involved Cassandra and Balizar telling me how disappointed they were in me, my actions. I woke up twice from my dreams, and looked at Helena who was sound asleep with a smile on her muzzle, the peaceful sleep of the innocent. But I knew she was anything but, yet I couldn’t condemn her or criticize her for what she had done. I knew she was being truthful that what she did was accepted here, and the man we’d killed was an assassin, he had been carrying a weapon after all.

  The next day was my last; I'd have to be reporting back by the following morning. Hyberious thanked me for helping in the questioning, and Helena told him that she had been unable to learn anything worthwhile. He didn't seem surprised, but said he was happy to see that she had done a rather thorough job.

  That day was quite enjoyable, we went to a rather nice party, one that was even wilder than the first had been. We left very late and on the way back Hyberious surprised me and asked if I'd like to become a member of his household.

  "But sir I have a rather considerable debt left to pay." I mumbled shocked by the offer.

  "Ah, it is nothing. I've already talked to your Captain about it, and while he seems most hesitant to let you go, he said if you agreed to it he would have no choice."

  I thought about that, a little bit of shock creeping into my mind, he had already talked to the Captain! About me! I tried to keep my voice under control, "Why me sir? What makes me worth so much money to a man who could easily get many leopards like myself much cheaper on planet?"

  "Oh please Raj, do not sell yourself so short. My Helena has taken an obviously liking to you, and that would be reason enough of course." Helena purred as he said that, "But you have shown me that you are skilled at work such as this. In fact I have even heard you say that you enjoyed it and found it to be fun.

  "Surely a life of relative ease and luxury such as you have enjoyed these last few days is much better than that you have working for one of the myriad of companies, where death is always close at hand."

  I had to admit he had a point there.

  "And for someone like yourself," he continued "who obviously enjoys those very things that companies often kill leopards for, you should consider it seriously. Those very proclivities in your record that have gotten you in trouble in the past are understood and even encouraged here."

  I blinked, a small chill running down my spine, how the hell had he gotten into my records? I was shocked at that, though what he had said was true, I had seen that myself. The very things that got me in trouble would be okay here. As long as I did it in his service of course, a little voice whispered in my head.

  But then I'd never see Cassandra again either.

  "I don't know Sir," I said thinking about everything he had said and everything I had seen. "I really have to think about it, it would really be a major step."

  "Fine, think about it tonight and in the morning let me know your decision."

  I thanked him and turned to give my attention back to Helena, who was trying to rape me on the seat in the limousine. I didn't give in until we were back at her room though, I really don't enjoy an audience.

  That night, she did everything she could to try and convince me to stay, and it was definitely having an effect. That morning I awoke tired and confused.

  "Well Raj," she asked, "Have you decided?"

  "I honestly don't know Helena. It's all too sudden, I need more time. I just don't know." I said exasperated.

  "I'd really miss you if you left Raj, You're special, I've known a lot of cats, but I've never known one like you." She was rubbing her face against mine as she talked.

  "I don't know. Let's eat okay?"

  We went down to the kitchen then and got breakfast. While we were eating I heard somebody enter at the front door and talk to the servant there.

  "We're here for Raj Rakir," I heard from the hallway.

  "Balizar!" I said in amazement, and headed for the front door.

  "Raj! There you are," he said smiling, I noticed Herza was there too, and she didn't look right for some reason.

  "It's great to see you both, what brings you here?"

  "We came to bring you back," said Herza a little testily.

  "But I'm not due in for six hours yet," I said looking at my watch. "Oh, where are my manners? Let me introduce you to Helena, she is a member of the household here and a very good friend of mine."

  They exchanged greetings, Balizar rather warmly, Herza somewhat stiffly. "We're here early because there was a change in scheduling, I knew you wouldn't have seen it because you've been out the whole time. So rather than have you get in trouble with the Captain I though we'd just come out here and get you."

  "Gee thanks, I appreciate it." Something didn't seem right about what they were saying, but I couldn't place it. "Just let me get my stuff." I went back to the room and grabbed the few things I had. I turned around and saw that both Helena and Herza had followed me.

  "I guess this mean's your going then Raj?" she said quietly.

  "I don't know," I could see Herza was looking dagger's at me, "we don't leave orbit for a while, but I really need to talk this over with my friends first."

  "Hyberious would have liked to say goodbye to you, you know."

  "Where is he anyway?" I asked

  "He had some special business to attend to; he should be back any minute. If you could wait for him, I'd sure he'd greatly appreciate it."

  I could see Herza suddenly had a sap in her hands and was getting ready to use it too!

  "No, I'd better go. But don't worry; you know that the Astra stops here regularly,
so you’ll see me again." I gave her a hug, and glared at Herza, who palmed the sap but kept it ready.

  "Bye Helena, and give my regards to your Master. Tell him I'm sorry I had to miss him." I looked in her eyes and for a second she kind of got a bit of a wild look, then there was a soft thunk and her eyes glazed right over.

  "What in the Hell did you do that for?" I asked Herza as I gently laid her down on the bed.

  "Look in her hand," she said tightly.

  I did and found a slap needle, the kind used to knock people out.

  "What's that for?" I asked confused.

  "I'll tell you in the car, come on." she grabbed me and dragged me through the hall to the front door, where Balizar was amusing the head servant with some anecdote or other.

  "Well, got to go," he said. "Give your Master my regards and tell him I'm sorry we missed him." And grabbing my other arm they hustled me out the door and into the company car out front.

  Balizar jumped into the driver's seat and we took off like a rocket.

  "What's this all about?" I asked them.

  "Any problems?" asked Balizar.

  "She tried to drug him when we left, that's all."

  "I'd really like to know what's going on if either of you don't mind talking, and what's this crap about a schedule change? You could have just called."

  "We've been trying to call all week Raj," said Balizar, "But nobody's been getting through."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Yeah," picked up Herza, "It seems you girlfriend there was quite taken with you. So was her boss, he's been trying to buy you for two days now."

  "You're kidding?"

  "Didn't he offer to buy you out?" Asked Balizar from the front seat.

  "Well yeah, but I wasn't really sure."

  "Well he's not taking any chances, right now he's trying to bribe the local company rep to sell your contract without your approval."

  "I didn't realize I'd made such a big impression on him," was all I could think of to say.