Chapter 11: Confusion and Lies

The next time Riki woke, he felt none of the earlier disorientation or nausea, just a mild headache and a heavy sadness. The IV had been removed and he was alone in the room. He didn’t bother to call for the lights or to sit up, he just stared out towards the balcony doors, which were closed now. The sun was just starting to rise.

He had survived Dana Bahn, his injuries were healing, and now, according to Katze, Iason was setting him free. He still didn’t know if that freedom meant he would be sent to a brothel, or if he was free to go home, only where was home? He didn’t want to go back to Ceres, there was nothing there for him now, and he still couldn’t trust that Iason wouldn’t just call for him to come back to Tanagura again. Going back to Ceres would only put the rest of Bison in danger a second time and if Guy survived and was back there ... well, he did not want to ever see Guy again, which was why he had not questioned Katze on the whereabouts of his old pairing partner.

Would Iason allow him to continue working with Katze? Did he still have the apartment in Apatia? God! He didn’t know anything for certain and that was frustrating.

After a long moment he rose, spotted a black robe draped across the bed and pulled it on. He ran his fingers through hair that was nearly to his shoulders; damn how long had he been unconscious? Shrugging, he padded over to the balcony to throw open the doors and stepped out into the scent of the ocean.

Free. He was free. What did that even mean anymore? Did that mean he would never see Iason again, or feel his touch? Why wasn’t he happy about that? Why wasn’t he jumping for joy? Freedom was the only thing he had ever really asked Iason for, the only thing he had always been denied.

He didn’t want to go back to Eos, but nor could he return to Ceres. That left two options, staying in Apathia and working with Katze, if he was allowed, or gathering enough money somehow for a shuttle off this Godforsaken planet. If he was free to run, then he’d run as far away from Iason as humanly possible.

He leaned against the railing, stared over the beach and watched the waves gently roll back and forth over the sand. What would be allowed? He couldn’t stop thinking in those terms, couldn’t stop being afraid of what Iason would do if he made the wrong choice. He supposed that was part of his conditioning; what else could it be?

“You’re up early.”

Riki didn’t even bother to turn around as Katze stepped onto the balcony. “Don’t talk to me, mother fucker.”

Katze settled into one of the chairs, crossed one leg over the other and sighed. “Don’t take your foul mood out on me, I’m just the messenger.”

“More like Iason’s lap dog, and you’re still a mother fucker.”

“I resent that.” Katze retorted. “I’ve never fucked anyone’s mother.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve been a eunuch since I was thirteen.”

“Not that, you asshole!” Riki winced as he remembered what Guy had done to him and wondered how Katze had endured it. “Why is Iason doing this?”

Katze’s gaze held Riki’s without a sliver of emotion. “Doing what? Giving you what you asked for? I don’t see the problem here.”

“It’s a trick. He said he would never let me go, so why now?”

“Why not?”

“Damn it, Katze! What is it? I may not be the brightest fucking tool in the shed, but I know when something is not right with him. Tell me what it is? Is he healed? Is he going back to Eos? Is this something that Jupiter is forcing him to do?”

The last part made the most sense. Jupiter and their society had frowned on Riki being Iason’s pet since the beginning. Was Iason being forced to give him up? But even that, Iason had broken all their rules and snubbed their interference to keep his pet, so why back down now?

“I really couldn’t say.”

“Then She is behind this?”

“Why does it matter?” Katze waved a hand, with a careless air even though he wanted to strangle the mongrel in front of him.

He’d had almost no sleep the last few weeks, trying to take care of Master and Pet, while keeping their continued existence a secret from everyone else. Along with maintaining his usual work on the black market, his nerves were wrung raw. He was only one man after all, he couldn’t perform miracles, and now he was caught between some weird type of lover’s spat. He really didn’t have the fortitude to deal with this shit too.

“Look, another day or so and you should be well enough to leave, if that is what you want to do.”

“And go where?” Riki demanded, angrily. “Where the fuck am I supposed to go?”

Katze heard more fear than anger in Riki’s voice and wondered if Riki was afraid to leave, because Iason would come after him, or because he would never see Iason again?

“Wherever you want.”

Katze rubbed his forehead, wishing he could get rid of this constant headache that had been lingering for the last few months; he wondered if it was a by-product of communication with Jupiter? Jupiter contacted him daily and the effect caused him consistent lingering headaches.

Riki turned back towards the ocean. “So, can I stay and work for you then?”

“You’d have to ask Iason...” Katze began and winced because he had fallen into the trap.

“So, he is still pulling the strings then? I wouldn’t be free at all, would I?”

Katze quickly back pedaled. Sneaky little prick! “I work for Iason, so it would be up to him if I kept you on.”

“Why? You didn’t consult with him the first time you hired me, did you?” Riki demanded as he thought back to how he had foolishly followed Iason on a trip to Tanagura only to be taken captive by the Blondie. “You don’t screen all your employees past him, right?”

“That was different...”

“Why? You know I am good at what I do, and if I stayed working for you as a free man, you could have me do a lot more than what I was doing while I was on Iason’s leash.”

“You might still have to deal with Iason sometimes, Riki. Is that what you want?”

“If I am no longer his pet, what would it matter?”

Fucker, Katze thought as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes, then put them back again. He didn’t usually smoke this early, but Riki was putting him on edge. The mongrel was far from stupid, and those fantastic instincts that had led Katze to initially hire him, was telling Riki that something was not right with this whole deal. He knew Riki would continue to work him until he got the answers he was looking for; in that way pet and master were completely alike.

“The decision is yours, Riki.” He rose from the chair. “I’ll speak to Iason if you want to stay working for me. Beyond that, you can do whatever the hell you want to do.”

“What’s wrong with him, Katze?”

Riki’s quiet question came just as the red-head was about to step back inside and Katze stilled. He closed his eyes, sighed. He couldn’t disobey his master, but maybe he could...

“He loves you, Riki. He’s doing what he thinks is best for you.”

“He’s a Blondie! He doesn’t know what love is!”

“Oh really?” Katze turned and met Riki’s furious gaze. “And you do? You’re worse than he is for fuck sakes, both of you waging war against the other, refusing to given an inch while you scramble about in the dark. You’re both too stubborn to open your own fucking eyes!”

Katze’s words were like a knife in Riki’s chest, and he found there was no response as he watched his friend disappear back into the house.

Riki waited until after breakfast before coercing Cal to bring him to Iason. The young Furniture led him upstairs to a large master suite. Iason was settled on the balcony, his back to them, sipping tea and reading something on a data pad; Katze stood beside him.

“Iason.”

Iason didn’t even look at him. “Have you prepared to leave?”

“That eager to get rid of me?”

“I assumed you would want to leave as soon as possible.” Iason tapped the screen a few times, then held it out to Katze. “That looks fine, go ahead and make the arrangements.”

“Yes, sir.”

Iason did not turn to the glowering mongrel standing a few feet away from him, he kept his eyes on the water below. “Katze tells me you’d like to continue to work for him, I anticipate no issues with your request. You may also keep the apartment in Apatia as well. It is already paid for, so you need not concern yourself with rent.”

“And where will you be?” Riki asked, quietly.

“I will be returning to Tanagura, of course. As yet, no one is aware that I am alive, however Jupiter will make the decision to announce it and when She does, I will return to Eos and resume my duties.”

Riki’s hands fisted at his side. It was all so easy for Iason, all so calculated and controlled. The Blondie obviously felt nothing about giving up his precious pet. Did he intend to get a new pet from Raoul, or perhaps kidnap some other poor unsuspecting mongrel off the streets?

“You can’t do this again.”

“Do what?”

Why the hell wasn’t Iason turning around and facing him? “You can’t do what you did to me, to someone else. You can’t capture and train another slum mongrel.”

“Actually, I can, but that is none of your concern as you are free to go, Riki.”

So, that was it, then. Iason decided he’d had enough of Riki and was moving onto a fresher, younger model. The idea of anyone else suffering through what he had was enough to make him sick, he couldn’t allow that. He couldn’t allow someone else’s life to be ruined just for the entertainment of Iason Mink

“I’ll stay.”

Iason stiffened for a half a second, then relaxed again and reached for his tea. “Why would you do that?”

“I won’t let you do this to someone else, Iason. You can do whatever the fuck you want to me, but you are not gonna ruin the life of another kid!”

“How very noble.” Iason sipped his tea slowly, then set it back on the table. “Come here, Riki.”

Riki hesitated for only a moment, then walked around the table and met the cold blue eyes.

“Are you pledging to stay with me, merely to prevent me from taking another slum mongrel as a pet?”

Riki swallowed, hard. “Yes.”

“Again, you show such devotion for someone you do not have any real association or ties to. Why do you do that?”