Chapter 74

Gonzalo:

Wednesday morning provided me with a situation unique to my function. Jasper Harmon taught sixth- and seventh-grade history and gym at the school. On Monday, he had taken on the Montoya family -- Hernando, his mate Consuela, and their thirteen-year-old concubine-tracked daughter Guadalupe -- but subsequent to that, there had been ... issues...

"I know what I COULD do," Jasper told me, obviously frustrated, "but it's not something I WANT to."

"What has happened, exactly?" I asked.

"There have been two occasions since Monday when I approached Consuela -- and Hernando has interfered on both of them, denying me access. We've limited things to staring contests, but he refuses to allow me to become at all familiar with Consuela."

"What about Guadalupe?" I asked.

"She's very comely, but still only thirteen. I've managed thus far to avoid being a pedophile," Jasper replied, somewhat frostily. "I can wait a few months."

"Nonetheless, it is your intention, eventually..." I pointed out.

"Yes, it is," Jasper agreed. "Lupe seems to like me; to be fair, her mother is, ah, less enticing."

"You could alter that," I pointed out.

"I more or less plan to, in a limited manner," Jasper replied, "but the problem with Hernando needs fixing first."

"I agree," I mused nodding. "It has already gone too far. Hernando doubtless lacks respect for you."

"I didn't want to get into fisticuffs and get him killed in front of the women," Jasper frowned.

"Can you take him?" I asked.

"I think so." Jasper WAS an athletics coach, after all; he HAD the musculature...

"We could arrange for you to prove it, but you should not have to," I mused. "Hernando needs to accept you as his patron -- something he understands culturally. He needs to understand that you have the power of life and death over him -- something he clearly does not at this juncture."

We had a short discussion of ways and means and invited Hernando into my office. He came in and stood there, looking truculent. "Hernando, have you not been paying attention in your training classes?" I asked mildly. "Please assume the position of attention."

"I bow to no man," Hernando declared belligerently.

"But you accepted this man as your patron," I replied.

"Patron?" Hernando eyed me oddly.

"Exactly. That is what you and your mate did on Monday -- accept Jasper Harmon's protection. Patrons expect loyalty -- and they expect obedience -- and most of all, they expect you to bend to their will when it comes to paying for their protection," I stressed.

"I see nothing to compel me..." Hernando blustered.

"What would you want to see -- a gun?" I asked. "You do not understand the danger here, obviously. AI?"

"Hernando Montoya has committed numerous offenses against Jasper Harmon, any one of which could result in his termination," the AI intoned.

"Jasper Harmon has asked me to intercede -- not because he is a coward, but rather because he was loathe to have you executed in front of your mate and child," I told him harshly. "You mistake his reluctance to kill you for cowardice. At this point, he has few choices: You can declare your fealty to him here in this room, or you can be banished -- separated from your family for all time -- or he can just kill you."

"He cannot kill me!" Hernando sneered.

"You need to see a gun?" Jasper erupted. "Very well..." He pointed his finger at Hernando and mimed pulling the trigger on a gun. "Bang!"

Stinger fire erupted, at a power level designed to stun and cause intense pain, but not a loss of consciousness. Hernando went to his knees, bellowing like a wounded bull, his eyes bulging.

"This ... less than final solution was always available to Senor Harmon," I pointed out. "He need not be armed. Just like many powerful men, he has his ever-vigilant enforcers with him at all times -- they are merely invisible."

Hernando blundered to his feet. Jasper rasped sharply, "Hernando! Assume the position of attention!" Hernando growled, glaring. "Very well..." Jasper communed with the AI yet again, and Hernando was again stung -- this time more harshly.

"Do you really wish to die, then?" I asked Hernando. I turned to Jasper. "If you decide to use the collar, I would appreciate it if you did not do it in my office..."

"Hrrrgh!" Hernando shook his head. He was on all fours from the second sting. "Collar?"

"Assume attention, you fool!" I snapped. Hernando lurched to a vertical position, kneeling, but reeling a bit. "Do you not remember this demonstration?" Between us, the AI constructed a three-dimensional reproduction of a concubine threatening his master -- and POP! The explosive charge in his collar separated his head -- messily -- from his shoulders!

Hernando reached for his collar, howling. "DON'T!" I barked. "An attempt to remove it at this point would result in the explosive being discharged, and I do NOT want blood all over my office!" Hernando released the collar, finger by finger.

"Now, Hernando," Jasper admonished, "we are doing this in private -- not in front of the women -- so that you may retain their respect. But you have your duty to me and you owe me your loyalty and I intend to either receive it or dispense with you -- do you understand?" He came forward to stand over Hernando. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes." Hernando glared, but gave the proper response.

I sighed and shook my head. "My patience is completely exhausted, Hernando -- so I am certain that Jasper Harmon has none. At this point, you can accept his patronage, you can be banished, or you can prepare yourself for death. Which is it going to be?" I shifted my attention to Jasper. "It is with some reluctance that I must advise you to kill him."

There was a long silence while Jasper eyed Hernando, weighing his fate in the balance. Finally, Hernando hung his head. "I am sorry, Patron. I did not understand."

"Understand now," Jasper grated. "The AIs watch over me day and night. In the unlikely event that you manage to kill or injure me, you won't survive the effort -- they will kill you before you can leave the room. This is my power over you; this is EVERY sponsor's power, but it is mine, in particular. You will return to our quarters and you will inform your mate that you have been foolish and you will remind her of her duties to me. You will do the same with your daughter. In return, I will not embarrass you before either of them by demanding your mate's attentions in your presence -- unless you anger me, in which case I will publicly cuckold you and kill you without warning if you interfere. Do you understand?"

"And my daughter?"

"She is not yet a concubine," Jasper replied, "and I am not a pedophile. Still, she has reached the age where she may consent to limited sexual contact with an adult. If she presents herself to me -- in or out of your presence -- I will accept her attentions. You would have to give her up to some male soon in any case, right?"

Hernando nodded. "Right."

"And you wouldn't be sleeping with her, so I wouldn't be cutting you out, right?" Jasper pressed.

"Right."

"Then she can do as she likes. I don't expect you to interfere. Likewise, until she reaches the age when she becomes a concubine, I will make no demands of her. When that time comes, if she offers herself to me, I plan to accept her -- at which point I WILL bed her, when and where I please. Are we clear?" Jasper rasped

"Clear, Patron."

"You should be dead. You have undermined my position and disrespected me. I've tried to be lenient, but it hasn't helped. From now on, expect to get stung if you screw up -- I'm not taking any more crap!" Jasper hollered.

"Yes, Patron."

"Get out! Go do as I told you! I want to find Consuela in my bed when I get there!" Jasper pointed at the door.

"Yes, Patron!" Hernando hove himself up and staggered out, his nervous system still fried from stinger fire.

Jasper tuned to me. "I may have gotten carried away, there..."

I steepled my fingers. "Perhaps not. Hernando needs a strong leader -- and he does not understand the strong silent type. I believe that this is a 'tough love' situation -- Hernando is a child in his way." I pursed my lips. "No, I believe that you need to be firm with him; he should always know that you are in charge. Do not merely threaten him, either -- offer him some physical abuse if necessary. He must know that you can follow through. Coordinate with the AI so that he isn't unnecessarily terminated by mistake." I paused for a moment, then added, "But if necessary, kill him. I don't think it will be, now, but he tends to act like a bull. Do not hesitate to punish him because of the women, either -- no doubt they will understand." I paused again before adding, "I noticed that you are careful about his manhood -- but it might not hurt to press that a bit -- even in the presence of Consuela and Guadalupe."

"Thank you, Gonzalo," Jasper said, turning to leave. "I appreciate your help and advice. I REALLY didn't want to kill him."

"There are other tools at your disposal," I replied, smiling.

"I have a few minutes, and then I have a class to teach, so I'll be on my way." He extended his hand and I shook it and we parted company.

Jasper:

I hurried up the hallway toward my quarters; my schedule didn't support sex with Consuela at this point, despite the instructions I gave Hernando. I hadn't given him a whole lot of time to talk to Consuela, either; when I burst into my quarters, they were talking in the main room. "Go!" Hernando yipped, pointing, and went to his knees. "Patron..." Consuela took off at a dead run.

"Never mind -- change of plan," I told him. "Consuela! Come back here!"

She stuck her head around the corner, "Patron?"

"Come here. Things have changed. I need to be elsewhere." I beckoned her and she came cautiously forward. "Stand there," I directed, then circled her. I'd had nothing done to them since their selection; Hernando's belligerence made me think that I might have to send them all away. I went to stand beside Hernando. "I think we'll back you both off ten years to start. AI, project this." Life-size representations of Hernando and Consuela appeared in the air before us, with Consuela on the other side. "Let's keep the breasts -- properly supported, but not sticking straight out. Let's keep them real -- bring them up a bit, but not anything stupid." Apparently, Consuela's bust had increased markedly when she breast-fed Guadalupe. The AI slid them slowly up the projection until I said, "There!" and added, "Remove the scars." She had a Caesarian section scar and an appendectomy or something, apparently. I turned to Hernando, "Why were there no more children after Guadalupe?"

"I'm not sure, Patron."

The AI announced, "Endometriosis has been diagnosed and will be corrected as a matter of course."

"Fine. Do either of you have any invisible issues?" I asked.

Consuela shook her head. Hernando said, "No, Patron."

"All right," I nodded. "You can finish your talk with Consuela on the way to Medical. I have classes to teach. And Hernando -- you can be a bull, or you can be a steer, understand? Right now, you're still a bull..."

"Yes, Patron." One look at the expression on his face said he got it. Consuela did, too. It was a good jab and it hit the mark.

"Go," I told them. "Spend the time to get a good start on things. I'll contact Medical and make sure they understand. I'll see you all after lunch. Do you think Lupe requires anything?"

"Minor things, Patron, maybe. Scars or whatever," Consuela replied, getting into the swing of things. Guadalupe had a few acne scars -- and might have other things.

"Okay," I replied. "I'll give them general guidance for her. Take her down there when she comes in, Hernando." If I was planning this correctly, Hernando and Guadalupe would be in Medical when I got back from classes -- but Consuela would be available ... I waved them out ahead of me and all but ran to class.

No doubt the kids would have preferred to have gotten a vacation -- but it was more convenient for all concerned (except maybe for us teachers) that they spend some structured time every day out from under their parents' feet. Pursuant to that, I was teaching two periods of history -- American History to sixth graders and World History to seventh graders -- and a gym class for male students. American History almost started late due to the Hernando issue. Still, I had thirty young faces in front of me -- none nude. American History was probably less than required at this point, since we were in the process of resettling elsewhere -- but it was in the curriculum that we had built to meet local standards. I suspected that by the next term, it would have been deleted and a more in-depth World History curriculum proposed as a replacement. There were still lessons to be learned from the home world's past, after all ... I was working on computer animations and models with the AI designed to make things more interactive and less dry and hoped to have something that Ms. Epperson, the curriculum coordinator, would pass on for next term...

I had Lupe in World History -- that's how her family came to my attention. After class, I called her up. "I had to be somewhat forceful this morning, but I think your father and I are now on the same sheet of music," I told her. "After class, your father will take you to Medical for a checkup. Make sure they fix anything they need to -- old broken bones and such." Tactfully, I didn't mention her acne scars. "I like this..." I waved at her generally, "the way it is, so don't go thinking I want you to move up a cup size or anything. For now, we'll let nature take its course, understand?"

Lupe nodded. "Yes, Sir."

I held up a finger. "Your mother is to stay in quarters. Speak to her, if you need to, about your needs -- but she stays home. If your father doesn't understand, have him call me."

Guadalupe understood -- I could see it in her eyes. "Yes, Sir." She hesitated. "Sir..."

"Speak to your father," I told her. "Later, when we both have the time, I'll ask you what he told you and we will see if his instructions mirror mine -- okay, Honey?"

"Yes, Sir." She nodded tightly and ventured a smile.

"Run along, then."

Gym gave me a chance to settle down, somewhat. There were a couple of fourteen year old students in World History -- female, concubine-tracked ones who were necessarily nude. I would be a liar if I didn't admit that I found them attractive, but they were also taken, as I understood it. Boys seventh-grade gym gave me an opportunity to cool off -- even if there were a few male concubines present ... Frankly, I needed relief, but the Donovan kid freaked me out a bit...