The Tribes, Chapter 25

Three of Gull’s Enforcers herded six slaves into the locker room dungeon and straight to the table where Lou was bound spread eagle. Under the baleful eyes of the Enforcers, the slaves immediately went to work washing Lou from head to toe with rough sponges and hot, soapy water. Reaching his empty sac, each of the slaves made a point of taunting him about the loss of his manhood, pulling on the loose skin as they pretended to look for his missing balls.

At first, Lou couldn’t believe the behavior of the slaves – they usually weren’t allowed to speak. But instead of chastising them, the Enforcer guards only joined in the laughter and encouraged them even further. Then, Lou recognized one of the slaves – a tall, gangly teen of about 15 or so with pale, freckled skin. He’d had a mop of curly red hair, Lou remembered. Lou had personally shaved his head, taking his time and teasing the teen as his long, curly locks fell to the floor. The teen had screamed, begged, and finally cried hysterically as Lou prepared him for his castration. Lou remembered the pleasure he felt when he had castrated the former redhead.

The slave saw the look of recognition in Lou’s eyes and grinned savagely as he wrapped his long-fingered hand around the empty sac and gave it a sharp tug. “Remember me, do ya?” The slave asked as Lou gasped in pain. “I remember you – I remember how much you laughed when you chopped my balls off. You called me a fucking baby because I cried.” He twisted Lou’s empty scrotum again. “Bet you cried like a baby when your turn came – not so much fun on the receiving end of the knife is it?”

Too ashamed to answer the slave, Lou turned away and realized that each of the six slaves were ones he had helped to castrate or actually castrated himself. They were all enjoying the sight of their tormentor suffering the same fate he had visited on them. Lou understood then that these slaves had been handpicked by Gull and given special permission to torment him.

As soon as Lou was clean, the slaves lathered Lou up and began shaving his entire body. The former redhead went to work on Lou’s head and face. “I wish you had more than stubble,” the slave said as he scrapped the lather from Lou’s skull. “But, I’ll take what I can get – I promise that when I’m finished you’ll be just as smooth as I am. Your head’s gonna be slick as glass.”

The slave was as good as his word. He lathered Lou’s head three times, carefully shaving against the grain to make sure his charge was as slick as possible. When they were finished, the slaves stepped back from the table and waited for their next orders with their bald heads bowed respectfully as one of the Enforcer guards quietly slipped from the room.

After an interminable wait, the guard returned with Gull. The Chief Enforcer strode to the table and meticulously examined his prisoner. Gull lightly ran his fingers over every inch of Lou’s body searching for stubble and found only satin smooth skin. Finally, he nodded and turned to his Enforcers.

“These slaves did an excellent job with the cleaning and shaving,” he said. “How did they do otherwise?”

“They did as ordered perfectly, Lord Gull,” the tallest Enforcer answered. “The prisoner was so embarrassed that he did his best to avoid looking at any of them.”

“Excellent, excellent,” Gull purred. “They’re to be rewarded. No labor for three days for any of them … and two cans of Spam for each of them.” Gull turned back to stare down at Lou. “Get a collar around his neck and cuffs on his wrists – then, get his on his feet and bring him up to the gym.”

As Gull strode from the room, the Enforcers scrambled to follow his orders. A thick, black leather dog collar was buckled tightly around his neck as the other two Enforcers buckled leather cuffs around each of the prisoner’s wrists. Only then was Lou released from his bonds and pulled to his feet. For an instant, Lou considered trying to break free and attempt to escape. He knew that with his severed Achilles tendons that escape was impossible, but he thought the attempt might make the guards kill him swiftly. But, Lou knew that any one of the guards could easily overpower him without resorting to lethal measures. Hell, Lou admitted to himself, any of the slaves could easily overpower him. So, he tottered silently as his arms were pulled high behind his back and buckled together.

Walking for Lou was both painful and nearly impossible, but that didn’t bother the guards. They simply grabbed his arms and half carried him up to the gym. Entering the cavernous room, Lou saw that The Leader was seated in a massive, throne-like chair at the far end of the basketball court. Flaming braziers flanked his chair. The bleachers were filled with the entire Brotherhood, jeering and hissing as Lou was dragged past them. Ten feet in front of The Leader’s throne, the guards halted and forced Lou to his knees.

The Leader rose and stalked across the short distance between his throne and the spot where Lou had been forced to kneel. “The traitor is once again brought before our Order,” The Leader called, his melodious voice echoing through the chamber. “We are disgusted by the sight of this trash and physically ill that it carries our mark on its forehead – the tattoo of the phoenix that marks all true Brothers. The mark that we personally applied when this scum was inducted into the loving arms of the Brotherhood.” The Leader stared down at Lou; his eyes wide with hate before turning to face the Brotherhood in the bleachers. “This traitor demeans each and everyone of you as long as that mark remains,” The Leader called as he turned back to the braziers and dramatically pulled a white-hot branding iron from the flames. The branding iron was about four inches wide, slightly curved and the word TRAITOR was spelled out.

Gull, who had been standing in the shadows of The Leader’s throne, gave an imperceptible nod and two of the Enforcer guards rushed to Lou, grabbing his head from either side and pulling it back and holding it immobile as The Leader approached. Lou tried to shake his head as he cried and begged for forgiveness. In a frantic, panic-induced attempt to avoid the searing pain that he knew was only moments away, Lou begged for mercy in the name of the all-loving Phoenix.

His desperate gambit served to enrage The Leader even more. “Blasphemy! Our ears burn with shame at such blasphemy!” All reason left The Leader’s eyes and flecks of foam spotted his lips as he jammed the glowing iron firmly against the tattoo on Lou’s forehead.

Lou shrieked and tried to jerk away from the searing pain, but his guards held him firm and immobile as the iron crackled and sizzled against his flesh. When The Leader finally pulled the branding iron away, he began to raise it as if he planned to bring it crashing down on Lou’s skull. The room went silent as if everyone was holding their breath.

Gull moved forward quickly and gently placed a hand on The Leader’s shoulder. For a moment, nothing happened and then The Leader’s eyes focused and he stepped away, breathing heavily. He stared at Gull as if seeing him for the first time and then nodded, wiping his hand across his face as he returned to the throne where he sat heavily, the branding iron still in his hand. Gull leaned over and spoke softly to The Leader for several moments. The Leader stared straight ahead at Lou pensively before the mask of hate slipped away from his face and he nodded.

Gull motioned to one of the slaves – the pale, freckled slave and whispered orders to him. The slave nodded and turned on his heel, dashing across the basketball court as fast as he could run. He returned in less than ten minutes, gasping for breath and carrying a set of vice grip pliers and one of the old fashioned soldering irons that Gull normally used for cauterizing his castration subjects. Gull took the tools from him and placed the soldering iron in the brazier.

The Leader motioned the slave over to him. The freckled slave approached and dropped to his knees and bowed his head subserviently.

“Look at us,” The Leader ordered. He stared hard at the slave’s green eyes and finally nodded. “You seem eager to please, slave. You obey quickly and know your place. We are impressed.”

“Thank you, great Leader,” the slave murmured.

“Would you like to wear clothes again and have the full rights of the other Brothers?”

The freckled slave hesitated slightly before answering, “My Leader, I have learned that what I would like isn’t important. Every kindness comes only from your grace and that is as it should be. All I want to do is serve you and the Great Phoenix as you see fit.”

The Leader placed his hand on the top of the slave’s shaved skull as if offering a blessing. “We are pleased with your faith,” The Leader said. “Rise and Lord Gull will give you your instructions – perform your duties well and you will cease being a slave.”

Gull took the freckled slave aside and whispered his instructions. The slave nodded that he understood his task, showing Gull the same deference that he had shown to The Leader. Gull beckoned the head guard over and gave him his instructions before nodding to The Leader.

Rising, The Leader faced the Brotherhood. “There can be no redemption without punishment,” he said. “Punishment is a necessary tool to help the transgressor understand his misdeeds and accept his responsibility.” He turned and regarded Lou, his eyes burning once again. “This traitor, however, continues to refuse to accept his responsibility and chooses to invoke the blessings and forgiveness of the great Phoenix.” The Leader shook his head slowly. “Forgiveness and pardon without acceptance of personal responsibility is blasphemy! It compounds the transgressions already committed and contaminates the minds of all who hear such blasphemy!” The Leader pointed theatrically at the kneeling form of the prisoner. “Such blasphemy incurs additional punishment – NO! It DEMANDS immediate punishment!” He turned to Gull. “Do it.”

Gull pointed first to the Enforcer and then to the freckled slave. Both moved quickly to follow their orders. The Enforcer moved behind Lou and reached around to clamp his fingers over Lou’s nose, cutting off his air. The freckled slave took the vice grips and quickly reached into Lou’s mouth, clamping the vice grips down on the prisoner’s tongue and pulling it as far out of his mouth as he could. Smiling sadistically, Gull lifted the soldering iron from the brazier and turned to face his prisoner.

Strangled screams gurgled from Lou’s throat as Gull brought the white-hot soldering iron closer. The Brotherhood exploded into cheers and clapping that echoed from the rafters, effectively drowning out the high pitched squeal that escaped Lou’s throat when Gull pressed the soldering iron down on his tongue and rolled it from side to side, searing the tender flesh. Lou’s body quivered and jerked as he tried to escape the hold of the three Enforcers holding him in place. The freckled slave maintained his grip on the vice grips holding Lou’s tongue, holding it steady as Gull held the soldering iron to it.

The Brotherhood screamed their approval of Lou’s punishment. They chanted The Leader’s name as they stomped their feet rhythmically while waving their hands over their heads. Lou’s pain and his high-pitched screams of agony were ignored as they chanted their praises of The Leader.

Pulling the no longer glowing soldering iron from Lou’s tongue, Gull tapped the freckled slave on the shoulder. The slave released the vice grips and a moment later the three Enforcers holding the prisoner’s head released it. Lou, his mouth open, fell to the floor writhing and flopping like a boated fish – garbled cries spilling from his gaping mouth.

The Leader slowly rose from his throne and strode out onto the court, his arms outstretched as if in benediction. Slowly, the chanting and stomping died down and the Brotherhood fell silent as they stared in rapture at The Leader. They watched enthralled as he turned and approached the freckled slave. The stillness in the gym grew more intense as the Brothers tried to anticipate what might happen. To their surprise, The Leader reached out and pulled the freckled slave to his bosom, hugging him tightly as if he were a father finding a long lost son.

The silence stretched out as the assembled Brothers waited to learn what was happening. Finally, The Leader broke the embrace and still holding the slave tightly to his side, turned to face the Brothers. Tears streamed down his face as he raised his hand and laid it on the top of the slave’s shaven skull. Confused cheers filled the court. Gull silently motioned for his three guards to unobtrusively move Lou off the court – no prisoner was going to take any attention from The Leader when he was on center stage.

“We are pleased beyond all belief to present our newest member of our Brotherhood,” The Leader announced loudly over the cheering. Stunned silence filled the room. The Leader seemed not to notice the shock as he pulled the slave directly in front of him, both of his powerful hands resting on the slave’s shoulders. “The Great Phoenix is proof to us that rebirth and renewal is available to even the lowest member of our grand society if they only accept the teachings of the Phoenix,” The Leader said. “And this young man is the proof we all need. Do any of you have any idea what this enlightened young man said to us just a short while ago?”

Off to one side, Gull watched the Brotherhood carefully. The Leader had suddenly changed the rules on them – up until this point; slaves had been nonpersons in their society. Once castrated, shaved, and stripped naked for all time, slaves not only had no standing – they had no opportunity to ever escape their life of bondage. Suddenly, The Leader announced that a slave could rise above his station. Gull stood ready for any reaction from the Brothers.

“This slave knelt before us and announced that he lived for one purpose and one purpose only,” The Leader said. “His voice rang with sincerity and reverence as he told us that he lived only to glorify and serve us and the Great Phoenix in any capacity. All of you witnessed how he eagerly and willingly dropped to his knees before us.” A low murmur rose up from the Brothers as they nodded their heads and confirmed the truth of The Leader’s words. The slave had eagerly dropped to his knees and bowed his head in humble submission – they’d all seen it. “What you witnessed was a miracle,” The Leader cried out, his voice ringing through the auditorium. “Each and every one of you witnessed the rebirth of a soul in the heart of the lowest of our society. This young man’s heart burned with the life-giving flame of the Phoenix. With that fire burning in his heart, he ceased being a slave at that very moment – how could it be otherwise? Is there a one if you – ourselves included – who would, who could deny acceptance to one who has been so sanctified by the Phoenix?” The Leader pulled the slave tighter against his body, tears streaming down his face. “We have been blessed by the Great Phoenix – we have been given a new Brother!”

Suddenly, the YMCA gym reverberated with thunderous applause, cheers, and joyful whistles as the Brothers leapt to their feet as one unified body. Scanning their faces, Gull was amazed to see that many – actually, most – were crying with joy. Gull didn’t believe the pandemonium could get any louder, but when The Leader slowly unbuttoned his own robe and lovingly wrapped it around the former slave’s naked body, the reaction from the Brotherhood was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his entire life. The frenzied screaming and cheering from the Brothers reached new heights – they stomped their booted feet, clapped their hands and chanted The Leader’s name. Looking up, Gull could see the glass backboards of the baskets vibrate.

*****

Gulls slipped into The Leader’s suite and found that The Leader was still dressed only in the white tank top and white whipcord trousers that he wore under his robe. He hadn’t replaced his robe yet. Gull was always amazed by The Leader’s muscular physique – normally, the flowing robes hid his powerful body from view.

“Well, Gull, what do you think of our performance today?” The Leader asked, running his hands through his flowing auburn mane.

“Inspired, Leader,” Gull answered honestly. “In one simple move you have made the Brotherhood love you even more than they did before.”

The Leader smiled. “Yes. Yes, we thought that would be the case,” he muttered in satisfaction. “And the reaction among the other slaves?”

Gull considered a moment before answering. “Some will begin going out of their way to demonstrate how dedicated they are to you, Leader. They will grasp onto what happened today as a possible opportunity to leave the ranks of the slave class and move up in status.”

“Exactly as it should be,” The Leader said, taking a seat in one of the wing chairs. He regarded Gull – his chin tucked against his chest, giving his eyes a hooded, cobra-like look. “Will they be totally loyal to our person, though? Will we be able to trust them without question?” The Leader motioned Gull to have a seat and watched as Gull pondered the question.

After only a few moments, Gull looked up and met The Leader’s eyes. “Do you trust me, Leader?”

“We trust you with our very life and physical well-being,” The Leader answered.

Gull held up his hands revealing the missing little finger on each. “I once denied you, my Lord, and you brought me redemption after received the punishment I deserved. Since that moment, you have owned me body and soul,” Gull said quietly.

The Leader’s lips curved upwards as he silently regarded Gull. “And, that’s your answer?”

“It’s the only answer, my Leader,” Gull said honestly.

“Yessssss,” The Leader said slowly. “Yessssss. It’s what we thought your answer would be.” With a burst of energy, The Leader sprang from his chair and across to Gull. He moved around behind the Enforcer and began kneading Gull’s powerful shoulders. “Of course, the slaves will have to be carefully monitored – there will always be some who try to pretend they are faithful and loyal to us. We still haven’t forgotten the lesson of Beta – but we are convinced that you are right. Most will prove to be as loyal and faithful as you.”

“You know I’d give my life for you,” Gull said fervently.

“That is something we have always known,” The Leader said. “But it is something that will never need to be tested. Our faith in your loyalty is unfaltering.” The Leader stopped massaging Gull’s shoulders and began wandering around the room. “Did you know that back in the olden times … way back – not just in the times before the virus. Anyway, way back in olden times the Turkish Empire had this whole army of eunuchs. They were the most feared soldiers in the whole world. They fought without quarter – even when all the odds were against them, they fought anyway.”

“Is that what you plan for … what is his name?”

“It doesn’t matter,” The Leader shrugged. “His new name will be Prometheus – the bringer of fire to mankind in mythology. Our Prometheus will help set this world ablaze with the cleansing fire of the Phoenix.”

“I like it,” Gull grinned.

“And now, old friend,” The Leader said, turning to face Gull. “There is something we need from you.”

“Anything, you know that, Leader.”

“Yes, that’s true,” The Leader’s eyes once again took on that hooded cobra-like look. “We want you to take Prometheus directly under your wing. Train him, purify him, remove even the last minute traces of compassion from his soul,” The Leader’s voice became low and seductive. “Remold him into your image – cruel, pitiless, devoid of all fear, and totally loyal only to us.”

Gull grinned ferally. “That will be easy,” he assured The Leader.”

“Prometheus is merely the first in a special eunuch army,” The Leader said. “That eunuch elite army will be directly under your command – they will be the cream of the Enforcer elite.”

“I do have to point out that the special kind of training Prometheus and those who follow him will need is going to be costly in terms of human resources,” Gull pointed out.

“So?” The Leader waved his hand dismissively. “Feel free to select subjects from within the Brotherhood if you need to,” The Leader said. “We’ll have our scouting teams begin actively hunting subjects specifically for your training.”

*****

Jack wandered around the elaborate puppet stage, nibbling on one of Lucy’s delicious oatmeal cookies, totally lost in thought. He was oblivious to everything around him as he examined the theatre set. It was clear that the set had originally been a permanent fixture someplace else – maybe at one of the smaller amusement parks or an entertainment pier. Jack was able to appreciate the carpentry, but what really held his attention were the strands of rope lights that were now little more than dark ornamentation.

Wandering around to the back of the puppet theatre, Jack was stunned when he examined the backdrop. He had expected to find a piece of canvas or muslin stretched from one end to the other. Instead, he recognized the backdrop as a rear projection screen. This setup had been pretty impressive and high tech back in the old days.

“So, whatta ya think?” Keith asked, coming out of the back of the big wagon. Jack didn’t answer – he didn’t even look up. “Hello?” Jack still didn’t respond or even appear to have heard a word. Climbing down from the wagon, Keith wondered whether Jack was hearing impaired. Coming up behind Jack, Keith laid a hand on the Shiprat’s arm.

Startled, Jack looked up in surprise and blinked owlishly at the entertainer. “Oh, hi,” he said.

“Hi! How are you?” Keith said slowly and loudly, carefully enunciating every word so that Jack could read his lips. “What do you think of the puppet theatre?”

“Do you have a problem?” Jack asked.

“Huh?”

“I said, do you have a problem?” Jack repeated, speaking as slowly and clearly as Keith had done.

“Um, no…” Keith was flustered. He was beginning to fear that not only did Jack have a severe hearing problem, but that he was embarrassed to admit it. He looked around unsure of what to do next. He was saved when Dal and Selene hurried up, trying to suppress guffaws of laughter.

“Jack, you were lost in your own little world again,” Dal said.

“What?” Jack’s face was a comical mask of confusion that very nearly sent Selene into a fit of helpless giggles.

“Jack gets that way, sometimes,” Selene explained to Keith between giggles. “He gets engrossed in something and doesn’t even hear anything else around him.” Realizing that Dal and Selene had seen everything, Keith’s face went red. “It’s okay,” Selene assured him. “You’re not the first one who thought he was hard of hearing.”

Understanding dawned on Jack’s confused features. “You mean he thought….”

“Yeah, I thought you were deaf,” Keith admitted.

“So that’s why you were talking so funny,” Jack said the ends of his mouth curling up at the humor of the situation. “I was just lost in thought checking out your theatre – it’s really something.”

“Yeah, yeah it really was,” Keith said a little sadly. “You shoulda seen it back before the Bad Times. It was really something back then. All the lights worked.”

“Did your folks run it?” Selene asked, placing a gentle hand on Keith’s arm.

“Actually my their grandparents started it,” Keith said. “Then, their folks took it over, then them.”

“What happened to the backdrop?” Jack asked. “That’s not a normal backdrop – it’s a rear projection screen.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Keith brightened. “That was my dad’s idea. At first we just used slides – then we used a computer to create the backgrounds. All the lights worked – it was beautiful.” He reached out and patted the elaborate stage lovingly. “But, that’s all over now.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Jack said.

“I tried to run it on batteries, but they don’t last long,” Keith said.

“They would if you’d just recharge them,” Jack said wandering around the circus wagon.

“Sure, I’ll just run up to the farmhouse and ask if I can plug my battery charger into one of their outlets – that is, if I had a battery charger,” Keith complained.

“You might be surprised by their answer,” Dal said, his dark eyes sparkling with delight.

“Huh?”

“Hey! What’s on the other side of the wagon’s wall here?” Jack called. He was bent nearly double-checking the front axle, bed, and side wall of the wagon. “Whatever it is, will have to be moved.” He wandered around staring up at the roof of the wagon. “How do I get up there?”

“Um, there’s a ladder on the other side of the wagon,” Keith said automatically. “Why do you need to get up there?”

“Do you by any chance know how much weight the roof can handle?” Jack called from the other side of the wagon. “Not that it really matters – it can always be reinforced.”

“What the hell’s going on?” Keith demanded of Dal and Selene who were once again trying their hardest not to collapse in gales of laughter.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dal reassured Keith. “Jack’s on a roll and he’s off in his own little world. Let’s just say that you shouldn’t be surprised if you suddenly find yourself with enough electricity to light up your puppet theatre again.” He took Keith by the arm. “Come with me, I want to show you something you’re just not going to believe.”

Ten minutes later Keith was running across the farmyard, shouting incoherently. Every few paces, he’d stop, turn around to stare at the farmhouse in wonder, and then take off running towards the circus wagon again. Skidding to a stop, he almost fell flat on his ass as he shouted up at Jack who was still on the roof of the wagon.

“Can you really do it?” Keith screamed excitedly.

“Huh?” Jack grunted.

“Can you really do it?” Keith repeated. “Make electricity – can you really make it happen?”

“Oh that,” Jack snorted dismissively. “Nothing to it.” Jack eased himself over the edge of the roof, hung by his hands for a moment and dropped to the ground. He started wandering towards the RV where he was staying, totally ignoring Keith. “I don’t know about that roof – it really needs to be reinforced,” he muttered to himself. “Should have checked out things inside … probably don’t have enough room in there. Oh well, nothing to do but move anything in the way out. It’s just going to have to find someplace else to stay.”

Keith followed Jack into the RV and got the next shock of his life when Jack powered up the laptop computer and took his place on the padded bench at the dining table. He stood dazed for several minutes as the laptop powered up and the familiar Windows logo appeared.

“You’ve got a computer!” Keith exclaimed.

For the first time Jack looked up and realized that he wasn’t alone. “Huh? Oh yeah,” he grunted. He tended to forget that things like computers were almost totally nonexistent. “You into computers?”

Neither Jack nor Keith showed up for lunch. Lucy wanted to take them a plate of sandwiches, but Dal assured her that Jack was unlikely to even notice the food as long as he was lost in thought. He promised to make sure the two did stop whatever they were doing by the time supper was ready. Hours later, when he climbed into the RV to drag the two to dinner, he found Jack and Keith sitting side by side in front of the laptop. They were both leaning close to the screen and sitting so close together that their faces were nearly touching. They were so close that when Keith turned to say something to Jack, his lips actually brushed Jack’s cheek and he had to pull back slightly.

Dal loudly cleared his throat and spoke loudly. “Okay you two, Lucy wasn’t too happy that you both skipped lunch,” Dal said. “She said that she’s going to be royally pissed with you two if you skip supper after she’s spent all day slaving over a hot stove.”

Sighing, Jack pushed back from the laptop and leaned over the back of the bench around the dining table. “It’s supper time already?” He asked.

“It is,” Dal confirmed. “And Lucy said to tell you that if you dare to skip supper, she’s going to feed all of the oatmeal cookies to the hogs.”

That got the reaction Dal wanted. Jack saved their work and shut down the computer as Keith slid from the bench and stretched as he waited for Jack to join him. Dal followed the two of them across the yard to the heavily laden tables on the breezeway, listening to them jabber away happily. Dal shook his head in amusement – he was more mechanically inclined and preferred to leave computers and things like that to Jack, the self-confessed computer geek. He knew that whatever plans Jack had for providing the entertainers with electrical generating abilities, that sooner or later he’d be needed to fine tune the mechanical side of the generator.

*****

The freckled former slave walked nervously between the two Enforcers who were escorting him to meet Gull. It felt strange for him to be wearing clothing – it had been nearly a year since he’d worn anything but sandals and a leather collar around his neck. His feet felt heavy and cumbersome in the tall, black logger’s boots. He wiped his hands against his black cargo pants wondering what The Leader and Gull had in store for him, positive that he was being led to a horrible death. The escort stopped at the door to Gull’s suite, opened the door and stepped aside as they motioned for the former slave to enter. Gulping, the former slave – he was so used to being called only ‘Slave’ that he no longer even thought about using the name given to him when he was born – entered the room as the door was pulled closed behind him.

Gull didn’t even look up from the work he was doing at an ornate desk. The former slave fearfully glanced around the dark paneled room. Scores of candles burned – instead of giving the room a warm, comfortable glow, the candles created a sinister atmosphere in the room.

Gull finished his work and looked up at his visitor, regarding him silently. The former slave – renamed Prometheus by The Leader – looked impressive dressed totally in black. He had been outfitted in a black mock turtleneck, black cargo pants, and high black lumberjack boots. In place of a regular robe, Prometheus wore a belted martial arts jacket. Gull let his gaze slowly range from head to toe and decided he liked the image Prometheus presented. Dressed all in black and with his head shaved, Prometheus looked suitably sinister. Finally, he leaned back and spoke. “You enjoyed yourself this morning,” he said evenly. “Grabbing the prisoner’s tongue in those vice grips and holding it while I branded it excited you.”

Prometheus bowed his head, unsure of what he should say – or if he should say anything. Gull was right – he had been excited. He had felt a surge of raw power course through his body like an electrical charge – the feeling went way beyond his desire for revenge against Lou.

“But right now you’re scared,” Gull continued. “You’re afraid you’ve been brought here to me to be tortured.” The former slave’s head jerked up, fear burning in his eyes. “Relax, Prometheus, that’s the last thing on my mind.”

“Prometheus?”

“That’s your new name,” Gull explained. “The Leader himself chose it for you.” Prometheus opened his mouth as if to speak and then closed it again. “Go ahead,” Gull encouraged. “Feel free to speak – you really aren’t a slave anymore.”

“Why?”

“Why? Why give you a name?” Gull smiled. “Only slaves don’t have names. Why Prometheus? Because he was the bringer of fire to man.”

Gull motioned Prometheus over to a comfortable chair, called for a slave to bring refreshments, and then explained The Leader’s plans for Prometheus and for the creation of a special elite unit of eunuch soldiers among the Enforcers. As Gull talked, the former slave felt like his mind was stuck in overdrive – everything was happening too fast for him to comprehend clearly. It was true – he wasn’t a slave anymore. He had a name again – a strange name, to be sure, but it was a name. He rolled the name Prometheus around in his brain as he tried to picture himself going by it.

His old name – Dylan, flashed into his mind, but he immediately discarded it. Dylan had been a gangly fellow with a mass of red curls and an engaging smile. That person was gone. Prometheus seemed to fit his new image – the figure dressed entirely in black, his shaven head skull-like and menacing. He liked the image – instead of being afraid, he’d inspire fear in others. Gull’s voice drifted back to him and he faced the Enforcer leader, concentrating on listening.

“We’ll have to undo your slave conditioning and instill in you a new confident spirit,” Gull was saying. “From this moment on, only The Leader and I can give you any orders – you defer to no one else, absolutely no one. They follow your orders.” Gull drained the can of cola before him and motioned for his new apprentice to do the same. “Drink up – it’s time to see what you’re made of and finish up with that traitor.”

The Enforcers in the dungeon clearly didn’t know exactly how to behave towards Prometheus – earlier in the day; they had held the power of life and death over him. He had been a slave – naked and nameless. Now, he was clothed and had a name and answered only to Gull and The Leader. Some of them couldn’t help but wonder whether Prometheus would seek revenge against them for the way he’d been treated as a slave. They watched and wondered as he and Gull stood over Lou, who was once again strapped down on the table.

Gull lifted Lou’s cock and cradled it gently in his hand. “Nice piece of meat,” he said conversationally to Prometheus. “He liked using it whenever he had the chance.” He tilted his head towards his new apprentice. “I can’t help wonder how many times he used it on you.”

“More times than I can count,” Prometheus said coldly. “He used that dick like it was a weapon – and he was stabbing my ass and face with a sword.” Prometheus emotionlessly stared down at the frightened eyes of his former tormentor and then shifted his gaze to Lou’s groin. “He never had sex with a slave – he raped and ravaged them.”

Gull produced a metal sound and a scalpel from one of the cabinets and brought them over to the torture table. “Get the soldering iron heated up,” he ordered one of the crimson robed assistants. “We’re going to need it to cauterize the stump once we cut his worthless cock off.”

Hearing Gull’s pronouncement of his fate, Lou whined and tried to make coherent sounds around his burned, swollen tongue as he rolled his head from side to side.

“What’s the metal thing for?” Prometheus asked.

“It’s called a sound,” Gull explained. “We’ll stick it up his piss slit to keep it open. And then, we’ll – actually, you – will use the scalpel and cut his dick off. Just cut deep with the blade until you feel the resistance from the sound.”

“Uh huh,” Prometheus grunted. “Why do you use that sound thing, though?”

“To keep his urethra open when the stump is cauterized,” Gull said simply.

“He going to be executed, right?”

“Yes, he is,” Gull confirmed.

“So, he doesn’t need to be able to pee, does he?” Prometheus asked, his voice cold and dead. “I mean, what’s it matter if his bladder gets full and he needs to pee – it’ll just make him suffer a little more.”

Gull grinned down at his new protégé – he liked the way Prometheus’ mind worked. “That’s a good point,” he said. “Bring about three liters of water down here,” Gull ordered over his shoulder to one of the assistants as he returned the sound and scalpel to the cabinet. “I think our subject here looks thirsty.” He opened the cabinet doors wide and beckoned Prometheus over. “His dick is all yours,” he said. “Think you can cut it off?”

Prometheus faced Gull and for the first time his eyes squarely met the Enforcer chief’s eyes without the faintest glimmer of fear. “Oh yeah. Yeah, I can do that.”

Gull stared hard at the former slave’s face. His smile became lupine when he saw that Prometheus’ eyes were slightly dilated with excitement and anticipation, his tongue kept poking from between his lips.

Stepping aside, Gull motioned to the various tools he used for inflicting pain. “Good – go ahead and choose your tools.”

Prometheus examined the various tools hanging neatly from pegs in the cabinet and lining the shelves. He fingered a large razor sharp cleaver, turning to stare speculatively at Lou before gingerly replacing the cleaver. Gull watched as the former slave lifted one tool after another, taking his time choosing the right tool for the job. Prometheus hefted a set of large, wicked-looking hedge clippers and experimentally opened and closed the clippers several times. With a shake of his shaven head, Prometheus replaced the clippers and turned his attention to a set of pruning shears with curved blades.

He grinned as he turned the pruning shears over in his hands and faced Gull. “These – these are the ones I want to use,” he said, his voice quivering excitedly.

“Why those and not the big hedge clippers?” Gull asked.

“These are more personal,” Prometheus replied. “I want to hold his meat in my hand when I take it off,” he explained, his eyes dilating even more as his cheeks burned with color. “The clippers need two hands to operate. I want my hand on his dick to be the last thing he feels before the blades take it off.”

Gull laughed heartily as he patted Lou’s frightened face. “Payback’s a real bitch, ain’t it?”

Lou’s ruined tongue made it impossible for him to form words needed for begging as the former slave reached out for his penis. Instead, he screamed.

*****

Ensconced in his candle-lit suite, The Leader looked questioningly at Gull. “Well? What is your initial assessment of Prometheus?”

“He’s a keeper, Leader,” Gull said simply. “It will take some work to rebuild his spirit – he’s been a slave for too long.”

“Is he redeemable?” The Leader asked in concern.

“I’d say he is,” Gull said. “In fact, I think having his spirit broken will, in the long run, turn into an asset for him and us. He has fewer inhibitions to overcome and, more importantly, deep down he is turned on by power.”

“Excellent,” The Leader sighed. “Tell me everything – leave nothing out.”

Gull helped himself to a mug of coffee and described everything that had gone on in the dungeon. He spoke in great detail about how Prometheus had toyed with Lou for a long time, stroking the prisoner’s penis, bringing it erect before sliding the open blades of the pruning shears around it. He described the screams from Lou – the screams before the blades closed and removed his last vestige of manhood, the screams of pain as the blades did their work, and the higher-pitched shrieks when the open wound was cauterized closed.

As Gull spoke, The Leader’s breathing became deeper and heavier; he began slowly rubbing his hand over his chest in slow circles. Gull paced his descriptions of how Prometheus ravaged Lou’s already tortured body with The Leader’s gasps. He watched The Leader closely for a signal to bring him a slave to satisfy his carnal desires – sometimes, The Leader didn’t permit himself the luxury of release. Gull described the hungry look in the former slave’s eyes when he asked if he was permitted to inflict even more pain on the prisoner.

The Leader gasped and let his head sink back against the padded chair. Taking a deep breath, he urged Gull to continue his description. Within moments of Gull’s resuming his story, The Leader gestured for him to pause and instructed Gull to bring him a slave. Smiling, Gull rose and left the room.

Striding to the end of the hall where Gull kept a select group of slaves always ready to serve The Leader, he motioned to the guards at the door to open it as he approached. Standing in the doorway, Gull swept his eyes over the dozen or so naked slaves. His gaze rested on a skinny slave who looked effeminate, even with a shaved head.

“You!” Gull barked, jabbing a finger in the slave’s direction. “Come.”

Gull didn’t even wait for the slave to move. He just turned on his heel and began striding down the hallway. Gull smiled when he heard the rush of bare feet behind, hurrying to catch up with him. He ushered the slave into The Leader’s suite where The Leader had already removed his robes and stood waiting for the slave. The effeminate boy stopped in his tracks at the sight of The Leader’s long, thick erection. Gull gave the slave a shove from behind, sending the slave stumbling into The Leader, who immediately pushed the slave to his knees. Once on his knees, the slave obediently opened his mouth and waited for The Leader to make the next move.

Gull returned to his place, and picked up his story where he had left off as The Leader slowly slapped his thick cock against the slave’s face. As Gull spoke, The Leader’s eyes glazed over in lust and be began slowly fucking the slave’s face. Gull described how Prometheus had used the pruning shears to remove each of Lou’s nipples and his empty scrotum. Hearing how the prisoner suffered and screamed, made The Leader even more excited than he’d been. He began driving his cock even faster into the slave’s mouth and caressing his bald head roughly. Watching The Leader, Gull timed his recounting so that he finished just as The Leader reached his climax. Gull was only mildly surprised that The Leader didn’t wrap his powerful hands around the slave’s throat and squeeze the life from him in his orgasmic throws. About half the time when The Leader permitted himself the luxury of climax, it was accompanied by the death of the slave.

Gasping heavily for breath, The Leader pulled his robes on and flopped back in his over-stuffed armchair, motioning for the slave to stand and place his hands behind his head.

“Is the prisoner dead, now?” The Leader asked.

“No, Leader,” Gull replied. “He’ll be moved back here later today when he’ll be hung from the lamppost across the street.”

The Leader nodded his head in satisfaction. “Excellent idea, we’re impressed,” he said. “Do it slowly – make him dance to entertain the crowd. It should be amusing.” He turned his attention to the slave. “Turn around, slave – show yourself to Lord Gull.” The slave obeyed, keeping his hands locked behind his head. “What do you think? This one appeals to us.”

“He is cute,” Gull acknowledged.

“We think so as well,” The Leader chuckled. “We think he would look better totally smooth between his legs. Could you do that?” He asked ignoring the outburst of quiet sobs from the slave.

“I’ll have him back to you as soon as the bandages come off,” Gull promised, taking the slave out to the guards in the hall.

“Gull, let me know when the prisoner is in place out front,” The Leader said. “We wouldn’t want to miss a minute of his air dance.”

*****

After another of Lucy’s excellent dinners, Jack amazed the performers even more by calling the Queen Mary and giving Bray a list of things he’d need to build a generator for the circus wagon. Despite all the evidence of his abilities, Tong Li really couldn’t believe that Jack would be able to provide him and his performers with a way to generate electricity of their own. Luke didn’t even try to argue with him – as far as he was concerned, Jack could do just about anything he said he could.

Bray arrived early the following morning in a pickup truck with Ryan at the wheel and Sasha sitting between the two of them. Jack sat on the edge of the breezeway and resisted the impulse to dash into Bray’s arms and let Luke and Dal make introductions all around. He waited patiently until Bray was able to politely break away and join him on the breezeway. When he saw Bray finally break away, he walked out to meet him.

“Miss me?” Bray asked, pulling Jack to his side. Jack’s answer took Bray totally by surprise. Jack stopped Bray and pulled his head down and smothered Bray’s face in passionate kisses. Bray couldn’t believe it – normally Jack shied away from such passionate displays of affection in public. “I guess that means you did,” Bray laughed. He gave Jack a gentle peck on the forehead. “I missed you, too.”

During dinner, Pride and Eagle leaned over the table to tell Bray how well Jack and the others had done during Sparrow’s surgery. Bray knew they meant well, but wished there were a way to tell them how uncomfortable they were making Jack with their well-intentioned comments. They had no way of knowing of the mental pain Jack felt when he was forced to emasculate someone involuntarily as a result of injuries inflicted by the Brotherhood or some other Tribe.

Bray deftly changed the topic of conversation, asking all of the entertainers about their journeys. In Bray’s experience, news from far-off lands generally tended to interest everyone. Bray couldn’t tell whether Tong Li was perceptive and instinctively understood that Jack was uncomfortable, or whether he – like so many others – simply preferred not to mention the Brotherhood if at all possible. Tong Li talked about the different Tribes they’d entertained – mostly in small communities – and about how almost none of the Tribes had managed to reclaim the old technologies that made life more comfortable.

Turning to Jack to ask what he thought the reason for the lack of technological growth was, Bray discovered that the diminutive genius had quietly slipped away. Bray sometimes wondered if Jack had found a way to teleport himself from one place to another. He had an uncanny ability to appear and disappear without calling attention to himself.

Lucy leaned over Bray as she brought another platter of food to the table. “I saw him headed off towards the pond,” she whispered with an almost imperceptible jerk of her head in the pond’s direction.

“Thanks,” Bray whispered. He chatted a bit longer and then excused himself, explaining that he needed to stretch his legs and went off in search of Jack. The sun was already setting as Bray wandered along the fields to the large pond.

Topping the crest of a small hill overlooking the pond, Bray’s heart skipped a beat. The pond was awash with the deep gold of the fading light, but he couldn’t see Jack anywhere. Bray willed himself to stay calm as he walked down the hill – he didn’t want to give in to the panic he felt building in the pit of his stomach. Lucy had seen Jack headed out this way, and he should be here unless something had happened – or unless Jack himself had done something. The thought that Jack might actually attempt to kill himself while in the depths of depression was one of Bray'’ biggest fears.

Halfway down the hill, Bray breathed an audible sigh of relief when he saw a flash of white from under the awning of a large weeping willow tree by the bank of the pond. Jack turned and smiled sadly as Bray lightly dropped to the mossy ground to sit next to his lover.

“Sorry I slipped away without saying anything,” Jack whispered. “It was just getting too much for me back there.” He turned and looked out across the serene waters of the pond. “It’s so pretty and peaceful here,” he said softly. “You can sit here and almost forget that such terrible evil is lurking around almost everyplace else.”

Bray spread his legs and pulled Jack over to sit between his legs, wrapping his strong arms around Jack’s slender frame. He didn’t say anything – there really wasn’t anything he could say. The truth was that there was indeed terrible evil in the strange New World in which the survivors of the plague lived. It was ever present and never far from the minds of anyone he knew. And then, there were times like this when everything was so beautiful and peaceful that it was almost possible to forget about the bad things out there.

Bray bowed his head and pressed his lips lightly against the top of Jack’s head. He didn’t say anything, even though there was so much he could say. He knew that he could remind Jack of all the good things still in the world, but deep down Jack knew that. Hell, Bray thought, Jack himself was one of the good people who seemed to inspire others to acts of charity and kindness. But, sometimes words just weren’t able to say as much as a comforting embrace or the shared feel of heartbeats.

Jack shifted in Bray’s embrace so that he could wrap his slender arms around his lover and rest his head against Bray’s chest. Bray stroked Jack’s soft hair – it was growing rapidly and he found himself longing for the day when it was again dyed to the fiery orange/red that everyone had grown so used to. Brown hair somehow just didn’t suit Jack, but the color Selene had chosen perfectly reflected how everyone had come to view Jack. To the Shiprats, Jack was more than a friend and almost mystical inventor – he literally was the beacon of hope that the best of the Old World could be brought back to improve the world for everyone. It was time, Bray decided, for Jack to have that fiery orange/red hair again.

Jack, his ear pressed lovingly to Bray’s chest, listened to the soothing, rhythmic beat of his lover’s heart and sighed. The tensions that had threatened to overwhelm him drained away in Bray’s embrace. Jack didn’t need Bray’s protection – both he and Bray knew all too well that he was perfectly capable of protecting himself in most situations. But, being in Bray’s embrace made Jack feel comfortable and confident again. Jack had no doubts that technology would reemerge from the detritus of the Old World – nor did he doubt that he’d be one of the ones most responsible for bringing that old technology back from the grave. But, he did sometimes doubt whether the technology would bring happiness or grief to the New World. With Bray’s arms wrapped lovingly around him, Jack truly believed that there was hope for the creation of a better world.

Bray felt Jack’s tense muscles relax as they held each other. He bowed his head again and lightly kissed the top of Jack’s head. “They didn’t know that the things they said would bother you,” Bray said softly.

“I know,” Jack said, a note of petulance crawling into his voice.

“Yeah, but it still gets under your skin, though,” Bray said, stroking Jack’s head.

“It’d be different if Sparrow had come to me and asked to be nullified,” Jack said, nuzzling his face against Bray’s shirt. “I didn’t mind doing the surgery on Lars,” he said. “That’s what he honestly wanted. But, to take something from someone who has no choice….”

“I know – it’s pretty unfair to them and to you,” Bray soothed. “But, if you didn’t perform the surgery, Sparrow and all the others would have died. That would be an even bigger loss to everyone.”

“I know, I know,” Jack grumbled. “And I know I’m being an asshole to get so bent out of shape…”

Bray put his hand under Jack’s chin and pulled his lover’s face up to look into his eyes. “Don’t say that,” Bray said fervently. “You’re not an asshole. You feel bad because you care – that’s what makes you different from The Leader and his followers. They don’t give a shit about anyone – they’re the assholes and don’t you ever forget it.” He caressed Jack’s smooth face. “I love you because you do care – you care about making everyone’s lives better. You create goodness, those other assholes haven’t created a fucking thing – they just destroy and make everyone miserable.”

Jack snaked his arms around Bray’s neck and buried his face against Bray’s throat. “I love you,” he whispered, his lips nuzzling Bray’s earlobe. “I hope you know that.”

Back at the farm, Sasha, Selene, and Dal were sitting on the grass outside the circus wagon as Keith proudly unpacked his puppets and laid them lovingly on a blanket. Sasha reached out and lifted one of the puppets – it reminded him of the Muppet puppets from back in the Old Days.

“Did you make all of these?” Sasha asked.

“That one I did,” Keith replied. “And, those over there and these ones here, too. My dad made those over there, and my grandpa made the marionettes. That was his real love – the stringed puppets.”

“They’re all good,” Sasha said in wonder. “But, the ones you made are fantastic – I hope you don’t mind, but I think yours are the best.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah!” Sasha exclaimed. “I did some puppet shows back when I was on the road. But, I mostly used old puppets I had found in different towns when I went exploring. I tried making my own a couple of times, but they were all shit.”

“Bet they weren’t,” Keith said.

Sasha laughed. “No, believe me – they were shit,” he assured Keith. “That’s why I stuck with juggling and playing instruments.” He reached out and picked up another puppet – a furry otter puppet with expressive glass eyes. “This one is the best of all,” Sasha said as he examined the puppet. “It looks so real!”

“That’s Paolo,” Keith explained. “I made him when I was down in Mexico. There were these sea otters at a Sea Park resort. The local Tribe had let them free, but they kept coming back to the park to live. They’d go out and play and hunt for food during the day and come back to their den at the part every night. They were pretty tame – sometimes, they’d even come up and sit in your lap.”

Tong Li came out of the darkness and squatted next to Keith and ruffled his long hair playfully. “He did such a great job making and operating that puppet that everyone started calling him Paolo – bet he didn’t tell you that, did he?”

Even in the growing darkness, everyone could tell that Keith blushed as he ducked his head and playfully slapped at Tong Li’s hand.

“Paolo,” Sasha said, staring at the cute puppeteer. “I like that – the name fits.” His blue eyes burned into Keith’s face.

Selene looked from Keith to Sasha and back again and then grinned as she realized that Sasha had the beginnings of a crush on the puppeteer. Studying the way Keith returned Sasha’s glances, Selene could tell that Keith seemed to feel the same way about Sasha. She couldn’t blame him, either. Sasha was a little honey with that mass of light brown, almost sandy blond hair, his big, innocent blue eyes, and dimpled smile.

“Hey Dal, isn’t it time to check on Sparrow?” Selene asked as casually as she could.

“Huh? No, not yet,” Dal said, turning the puppet of a chipmunk over in his hands.

Selene gave him a sharp poke in the ribs with her elbow. “I think it’s later than you think,” she said firmly, tilting her head several times in Sasha and Keith’s directions.

It took Dal a moment to catch Selene’s drift. “Uh, oh yeah,” he stammered, rising to his feet. “I think it is time to check on how Sparrow’s doing.”

Tong Li caught Selene’s head tilting and looked from Sasha to Keith, one of his expressive eyebrows cocked in surprise. He grinned up at Selene, winked, and climbed to his feet. “I think I need to check with the other performers. We’ve got a show to do tomorrow.”

Sasha watched as Dal and Selene headed off to the hospital RV and shook his head. “Those two are almost as bad as Jack,” he said. “Each of them spends so much time working they forget to take a break and relax. I worry about them sometimes – they don’t seem to understand it’s just as important for people to recharge their batteries as it is to recharge electrical batteries.”

Keith chuckled and jerked his head towards where Tong Li had disappeared around the corner of the circus wagon. “I know, Tong Li’s just as bad,” he said. “He’s always checking the equipment or our supplies or just practicing his routines. I don’t think he’d know how to just relax.”

The two entertainers soon forgot about their friends as Keith proudly showed off his different puppets. Although Keith had some puppets with human form, he seemed to specialize in creating animal puppets. Although all of his animals were remarkably lifelike, there was something delightfully human and endearing about each of them.

“What’s that one?” Sasha asked, climbing onto his knees to reach out towards a golden furred monkey. “The monkey with the long arms?”

“Oh him – that’s Bosco the Gibbon,” Keith replied, moving forward to pick up the monkey and hand it over to Sasha. The two found themselves almost nose to nose.

Sasha stared into Keith’s brown eyes. “Bosco the Gibbon, huh?” Sasha repeated dreamily, staring at Keith. “He’s cute – so adorably cute.” He absently leaned closer.

“You think so?” Keith asked, unconsciously leaning closer.

“Yeah, yeah he is,” Sasha said, moving closer until their noses touched. Impulsively, Sasha kissed Keith. He realized what he was doing and started to pull away and then realized that Keith didn’t pull back – instead, he leaned into the kiss, returning it. Eventually, they both broke off the kiss but remained on their hands and knees, staring at each other. Sasha reached out and brushed a lock of hair that had fallen over Keith’s brown into his eyes back. “Bosco is cute,” Sasha said, his voice husky. “But, you’re cuter – did anyone ever say that to you?”

Keith’s cheeks colored and he managed to turn his head in embarrassment. Sasha reached out and turned Keith’s face back to his own and kissed him again, open mouthed this time.

In the hospital RV, Selene had her nose pressed against the window as she peeked through the blinds. Ryan came up behind her. “Well?” He asked softly.

“What?” Selene started and turned around guiltily. “What? I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Except spying on Sasha and Keith,” Ryan teased. “So, could you see what happened or it is too dark out there?” He leaned over Selene, his hand moving for the blinds. “Guess I just have to look for myself.”

“Don’t you dare!” Selene said primly, pushing him away from the blinds. “If you must know, they’re kissing each other.”

“Looks like you were right about those two, after all,” Ryan said.

Selene sighed. “I’m happy for them, of course,” she said sadly. “But….” She sighed again. “But, I wish someone would kiss me like that.”

The big farm boy turned Selene’s face to his own and kissed her tenderly on the mouth. “Like that?” He asked. He leaned in and kissed her again, his mouth open. “Or like that,” he asked, his breath coming in ragged gasps when they finally parted.

“Oh yes,” Selene said, pulling Ryan closer and running her fingers through his thick, hair. “I had this crush on you for the longest time, but I didn’t think you ever thought about things like that … or that maybe you … um, maybe….”

“That maybe I was like Bray and Jack?” Ryan asked, tapping Selene lightly on the nose and shrugged. “I don’t think so – at least, I never had those kind of feelings for another guy,” he said honestly. “I’ve got a confession for you … I’ve had a crush on you since we first met. But, I never thought you’d be interested in me.”

“Why not?”

“Well, you always got this swoony look when you looked at Bray,” Dal said honestly. “I just figured you liked the tall long-haired guys.” He leaned back a little. “I know I’m not the brightest bulb in the box – nowhere even in Jack’s league. And, I know I’m nowhere as handsome as Bray is….”

“That’s not true, Ryan,” Selene snapped.

“Sure it is – and, I’m honest enough with myself to admit it,” Ryan said earnestly. “Look at me – I’m just a big farm boy – nothing much to look at.”

Selene grabbed a handful of Ryan’s hair and gave it a sharp tug. “Just stop that now, Ryan!” Selene ordered. “Have you taken a good look in the mirror lately Ryan? As far as I’m concerned you’re every bit as handsome as Bray.” Selene kissed Ryan hard on the mouth to prove her point.

Ryan looked down towards his lap and felt a flush of shame. “Besides – you know about what happened to me before Tina and I came to the ship. …” His voice trailed off. “You know I probably can’t ever do much more than hold you and kiss you,” he said candidly.

In response to Ryan’s admission, Selene punched Ryan on the shoulder as hard as she could.

“Ow!” Ryan protested, rubbing his shoulder. “Why’d you do that?”

“For wasting so much of our time,” Selene said. “We could have been together a long time ago if you hadn’t been so foolish,” she snapped. She shook her head in disbelief. “According to the books and other material Jack has back on the ship, some people who’ve been castrated can have sex – did you know that?”

Ryan blushed and looked away. “Jack did say something like that to me once,” Ryan admitted. “But, I didn’t really believe him – I thought he was just trying to make me feel better. You know how Jack hates to see anyone feeling bad.”

Selene punched in the shoulder twice more – even harder this time. “You are such an asshole!” Selene hissed. “Jack would never lie just to make someone feel better.” Before Ryan could open his mouth all the way to speak, Selene punched him again. “And, it’s about time you leaned that there is a whole lot more to sex than just getting a hard on – that’s like that last act.”

Ryan held up his hands, fearful that Selene would hit him again. “Okay, okay – I’m sorry,” he said defensively.

Selene batted his hands away and pulled his face to hers. “You’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for,” she said as she pressed her lips to his. When they finally pulled away from each other, each gasping for breath, Selene had a mischievous look in her eyes. “You know, this table can be lowered and turned into a bed,” she said.

Grinning, Ryan quickly set about converting the table into a bed.

*****

The following morning, Jack leaned over Sparrow and carefully removed the surgical dressings to check the incisions. He had given up on small talk – every effort to speak with the Eco Tribe member had been met with stony silence. The incisions were healing perfectly and Jack figured that he’d be able to remove the catheter within the next couple of days. He replaced the dressings and straightened.

“You’re healing nicely,” Jack said, keeping his voice as friendly as possible despite his nervousness.

“Guess you’re proud of yourself,” Sparrow spat, his voice heavy with barely suppressed anger and hatred. “You got to show off what a great fucking cutter you are while carving me to pieces.”

Jack felt his ears go red. He wanted to flee the RV’s bedroom, but forced himself to stay and face Sparrow. “I did everything I could to save as much as possible,” Jack said, his voice carried a slight tremble. “I didn’t have many choices if I wanted to save your life. I’m sorry that I had to do what I did.”

Sparrow snorted derisively. “Yeah, sure you are,” he snarled. “Bet cutting me up makes you feel like you’re more of a man than I am now. Is that why you did it?”

Jack felt the tears burn his eyes, and he turned away. “I did what I did to keep you alive,” he said defensively. “I’m sorry I wasn’t good enough to do better than I did.”

“I hate you,” Sparrow spat. “I want you to know that, you asshole.”

Leaving the room, he almost ran into Pride who had obviously been lurking on the other side of the door and had heard everything. Jack brushed past him with a forced smile and hurriedly wiped at the tears filling his eyes.

“Um, Sparrow’s healing nicely,” Jack said, keeping his back to Pride. “It won’t be long before he can start getting to his feet and doing some limited walking around. I don’t want him pulling out his stitches by getting up too soon.”

“Jack, he didn’t mean those things he said,” Pride consoled.

The small genius turned to face Pride for the first time, his face weary. “Yeah, yeah – he did. He sure did,” Jack said. “Maybe later on he’ll change his mind,” Jack shrugged and graced Pride with the saddest smile the Eco Tribe member had ever seen. “Then again, maybe he won’t – but, at least he’ll still be alive … so, I hope he gets to hate me for a long, long time.” Pride reached out to lay a hand on Jack’s shoulder and stop him from leaving the RV, but stopped when Jack politely pulled away. “For right now, all that hate for me is probably good for Sparrow – it gives him a reason to get better as fast as he can.”

“So he can get away from you,” Pride observed.

“No – so he beat the crap out of me some night,” Jack said matter-of-factly. “At least, that’s pretty much what’s going through his mind right now – he needs a tangible focus for his feelings and I fill that role.” He gave Pride that sad smile again. “That’s okay – it gets him through the healing process and that’s what matters. But, I hope for his sake that he gets over all that hate he’s feeling. It’s not good for him mentally or physically to have all that hate festering inside of him. But, for now – he needs it and I’m okay with that.”

He opened his mouth to say something reassuring to Jack, but just didn’t know what to say. Jack was right – Sparrow might eventually get over his hatred for Jack. But, he might not, as Jack had pointed out. And, Pride knew that Jack was right – if Sparrow could never totally heal as long as he carried such hate around in his heart.

Jack found Bray and Ryan getting ready to return to the Queen Mary. Ryan saw him approach and nudged Bray. Seeing Jack’s slumped shoulders, Bray met him with a warm embrace.

“Things went badly with Sparrow,” Bray guessed, stroking Jack’s hair.

“Kind of,” Jack admitted. “But, I’m better now that you’re holding me.”

“Um, sorry to interrupt,” Ryan broke in. “But … seeing as how you two are busy, I’ve got a few things to take care of, okay? Give me a shout when you’re ready to get moving back to the ship.” Ryan gave each of them an all-is-right-with-the-world grin and hurried off.

“Guess we made him uncomfortable,” Jack said.

Bray grinned. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t know for sure – but I think he and Selene have finally gotten together.”

“What?”

“Well – you and I took the big bed last night. When I got up this morning, Dal was in the small bunk and Ryan hadn’t come back to the RV at all. When I went up to the farm house to get some coffee, I saw him and Selene sneaking out of the other RV,” Bray winked conspiratorially. “It looked like neither of them got too much sleep last night.”

Jack’s face lit up with delight. “That’s fantastic!” He cried. “They both deserve to have someone to make them happy.”

“That’s not all,” Bray said. “Sasha didn’t stay in either of the RV’s last night – and, he didn’t stay up at the farmhouse, either.”

“Who’d he stay with?” Jack asked. “Where’d he stay?”

Bray shrugged. “Dunno, guess we’ll find out sooner or later.” He gave Jack an affectionate peck on the cheek. “So, how bad was it with Sparrow?”

Jack made a sour face. “It’ll be okay,” Jack said

“Really?”

“Yeah, really,” Jack said. “He hates me – but I can’t blame him for that. One minute he has everything he was born with between his legs and the next thing he knows, I’m telling him that I’m going to cut it all off. He goes to sleep when I drug him, and when he wakes up – it’s all gone, and I’m the one who cut it all off.”

“That’s not your fault,” Bray argued.

“Maybe not,” Jack admitted. “But, I’ve got the face he can attach the blame to for now. So, like it or not, I’m the person he has to hate.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Nope, it’s not,” Jack agreed. “And, I can’t deny that it hurts for a while – but, it helps to know why he feels that way and to know that I have you to hold me.”

“And I’m headed back to the ship in just a little while,” Bray said, feeling like he was abandoning Jack.

“But, you’re here now and holding me,” Jack pointed out. “It won’t be long before Sparrow will be ready to be released from care – then, I’ll make sure you hold me for a week.”

“That’s a deal,” Bray said. He looked around and gave Jack another conspiratorial wink. “But, for now – I say we give Ryan and Selene some time alone.”

*****

Sasha and Keith showed up at the truck just as Ryan was giving Selene one last kiss goodbye before climbing into the cab. Jack and Bray had already finished their good-byes. One look at the pair was enough for the others to tell that Sasha and Keith were officially a couple. Each of the other four tried to suppress knowing grins as Sasha shuffled his feet and hemmed and hawed.

“Um, I was wondering if anyone would mind if I – ah, erm, if I uh, stayed here for a few more days,” Sasha asked.

“Well, Amber was saying something about needing you at the Market,” Bray said, trying to keep a straight face. Seeing the stricken look on Sasha’s face was enough to make Bray snort with laughter. “I’m kidding – I’m kidding. Looks to me like you have a reason to stick around.”

Sasha turned a bright red as he looked from Keith to Bray and back again. “Is it….”

“Yeah, yeah it is,” Bray said with a knowing grin. “It is that obvious.” He charged forward and swept Sasha up in a bear hug. “Congratulations!”

Before Sasha and Keith knew what was happening, they were surrounded by the others being hugged, clapped on the backs, and kissed from all sides. Sasha and Keith's expressions changed from nervousness to shocked confusion to joy in a matter of seconds as congratulations rained down on them.

“Hey, let’s not leave anyone out!” Jack shouted. “I think congratulations go to Ryan and Selene, too!” The dynamics of the group huddle changed as everyone turned on Ryan and Selene, subjecting them to the same backslapping, hugging, and kissing that Sasha and Keith had so recently experienced.

Dal came running up, his dark eyes burning with curiosity. “What’s going on?” He called.

Everyone froze, unsure of what they should say – the realization that they were all paired and Dal was left out hit them. Dal’s dark, intelligent eyes moved from one face to the next – suddenly, he grinned. “Looks like there’s more going on here than just saying farewell.” He rushed into the group and joined in the impromptu celebrations, apparently overjoyed.

After a few minutes, Jack pulled Dal aside. “I don’t understand,” he said in a soft voice. “You seem more happy for us than I’d have thought. I mean, we all have someone and you’re….”

Dal held his hand up. “Save it, Jack,” he said. “I always thought Sasha had a thing for Amber….”

“You and Amber?” Jack was amazed.

“Well, I can hope,” Dal grinned. “I’ve kind of been waiting for the right moment.”

“Then, you’re going back to the ship,” Jack said, pushing Dal towards the truck. “Stop waiting for the right moment and make it happen.”

“But, I don’t know if Amber….” Dal protested.

“I happen to know for a fact that she thinks you’re cute,” Jack cut him off. “And, I’ve noticed the way she looks at you sometimes. Now, get in that truck and stop fooling around.”

When Dal continued to resist, Jack called Bray over and told him about how Dal felt about Amber. Bray didn’t waste time arguing – he motioned to Ryan and together, they manhandled Dal into the cab of the truck ignoring his protests.

“Bray,” Selene called out. “He needs a haircut first – make sure you get him spiffed up.” She pulled Bray aside, giving him instructions on getting Dal cleaned up and outfitted in some nice clothes as Jack leaned into the cab, consoling Dal who acted like he was being carted off to his own execution.

“Why are you guys doing this to me?” Dal moaned. “I’m not ready for this! What if she turns me down?”

“Then at least you’ll know for sure that she’s not interested,” Jack pointed out. “Then, you’ll be free for when someone else shows interest.”

“Okay, you’ve got a point,” Dal grudgingly admitted. His expression changed – his eyes became filled with panic. “What if she feels the same way?”

Jack grinned. “Then the fun begins and you’ll feel more complete and happy than you’ve ever felt in your life,” Jack assured his friend. He leaned into the cab and putting a hand on the back of Dal’s head pulled him forward and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re both my friends and I love you both,” he said. “I want you two to be as happy as me and Bray.” He looked Dal square in the eye. “You two deserve to be happy.”

“You think I might have a chance?” Dal asked nervously.

“Sure you do,” Jack replied confidently. “So long as you don’t screw it up!” He stepped away from the truck grinning at the mixed look of panic and hope on Dal’s face.

Selene followed Bray up to the truck. “Now remember what I told you,” she said as Bray climbed into the cab beside Dal. “And you,” she turned to Ryan, “make sure he gets everything right.”

To be continued…