Chapter 5

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

“Good morning,” Rayla said to her.

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

“You’re no longer a care-free youth.”

“I had plenty of cares before.” She rubbed her eyes. “Just different ones.”

“I’m meeting with our owner today,” Rayla added, “to request some new clothes. I’m also down to my only pair of sandals. Do you need anything?”

“Ramina provides my clothes,” Lise replied.

“Oh, that’s right ... and nice ones, too. I’m still not used to the new order of things.”

“Ramina wants me looking my best when I’m out on the streets.” Lise grabbed a towel and bucket and headed to the courtyard to bathe.

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

“Oh, good morning, Glinda.”

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

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

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

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

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

“They certainly don’t think you...”

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

“All right -- I’ll watch him.”

“But -- you said you have a job.”

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

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

“What will happen to you?”

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

“I’ll take good care of Rinn.”

She watched Glinda head across the courtyard.

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

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

“Glinda asked me to watch him.”

“How can you do that?”

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

“I don’t know about that, Lise.”

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

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

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

Rayla shook her head.

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

“That’s the second one in ten days.”

“Do you think they’re connected?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

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

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

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

Rayla nodded. “A good chance.”

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

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

“What about your owner?” Lise asked.

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

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

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

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

Ramina had indeed provided Lise with clothing -- an entire wardrobe of matching tops and shorts in different colors and patterns. She sorted through a polymer crate stored in the corner of her room, selected a pale yellow bandeau and matching shorts and slipped into them.

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

Rinn looked up and shook his head.

“You’ll have to hold onto me tight.”

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

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

Rinn held on as the bus carried them to Megan’s neighborhood. Lise took his hand and walked to number 505. She rang the bell.

Megan opened the door. “Good morning,” Lise said.

“Good morning, Lise. It looks like it’s going to rain today...” Megan’s gaze shifted to the little boy.

“This is Rinn.”

“Lise ... I’m paying to have you watch Klarissa and Geddes.”

“I know you are. I’m sorry, but Rinn has no one else to watch him today. I’ve minded him before. He’s a nice little boy -- very quiet. He won’t need anything, except for some water. He’ll be no problem, and it’s just for today.”

Megan knelt down. Rinn moved back and behind Lise’s leg. “Oh, Lise -- he has the biggest and saddest eyes ... Hello, Rinn. Welcome to our home.”

Lise placed her hand between Rinn’s shoulder blades and pushed him into the house. Klarissa and Geddes were sitting on the floor playing with plush toys in the shapes of native Varadan animals.

“Why does he need watching today?” Megan asked.

“His mother’s owner was found murdered.”

“My goodness!”

“She must meet with the authorities and maybe a BSS caseworker.”

“BSS? Do they get involved?”

“Yes, for now.”

“What will happen to her?”

“We don’t know. She could go to auction, or she might end up in a BSS shelter.”

“They wouldn’t separate Rinn from her ... would they?”

Lise shook her head. “No -- he’s too young. It’s likely she’ll be separated from the man she lives with, though.”

“Something like that could happen to you.”

“It could happen to any of us.”

“Oh, Lise...” Megan shook her head. “The monstrosity of what we’ve done to you -- to your kind ... just sank in.”

“I look at it from the other side,” Lise replied. “I’m happy to be registered and to have an owner. Before, I spent my life hiding in the shadows and fearing the bounty hunters.” She tapped the registry tattoo above her left breast. “Now, no one can take me. I’m happy to be working for you.”

“Still...” Megan turned to her children. “Klarissa ... Geddes ... This is Rinn. He’ll be staying with us today. He’s a guest in our home -- remember that and treat him as one. Now, I’m on my way to work.” She picked up an umbrella and headed out the door.

One of the twins approached Rinn. “Hi. I’m Klarissa.”

Rinn followed her into the living room and sat on the floor. Lise watched them playing with a toy truck and the plush animals. She spotted the electronic book reader, picked it up and flicked through the titles.

She sat in a chair, opened one of the titles and began reading. Her abilities were at a middle-school level; nonetheless she never missed an opportunity to practice. She encountered a word she didn’t know and puzzled over it. With her finger she pointed to the syllables. Her finger touched the screen and the definition popped up. She smiled and continued reading.

Geddes let out a shriek. “It’s MINE!” He lunged for something Rinn held. Rinn was slow to release his grasp. Geddes made a fist and brought it down onto the bewildered boy’s forearm. Rinn let go.

“GEDDES!” Lise exclaimed.

“It’s mine!”

“It’s his favorite,” Klarissa explained.

“Geddes -- you shouldn’t have hit Rinn.”

“He shouldn’t have taken it.”

“Maybe not -- but hitting is never the right way to solve it. Apologize to Rinn.”

“No!”

“Geddes -- apologize or go to your room.”

His lip began to tremble. “Why are you siding with HIM?”

“Because YOU hit him. Now -- apologize.”

“Stupid greenie...”

“Geddes!” Klarissa exclaimed. “Mommy would wash your mouth out for that.”

“Geddes,” Lise said, “go to your room until you calm down.”

Clutching the toy, Geddes darted into the bedroom. Klarissa was stroking Rinn’s forearm. “Lise -- are you going to wash Geddes’s mouth?” she asked.

Lise shook her head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because Geddes was angry and sometimes we say things in anger we don’t mean.”

“Does it make YOU angry?”

“If there were hate behind his words, maybe. I try not to be angry with the things little girls and boys say.” She opened her arms and scooped up Rinn. He sat on her lap and she held him.

“Rinn,” Klarissa said, “Geddes didn’t mean it.”

“Klarissa -- why don’t you pick up the toys? Then the three of us can sit on the sofa and I’ll read a story.”

Lise took a plate from the refrigerated cabinet, removed the polymer film and set it before Klarissa. She filled a tumbler with water and handed it to Rinn. “I wonder if Geddes is ready to join us...”

She stepped into the bedroom. “Geddes -- come have some lunch.” He started to stand. “You still have to apologize to Rinn.” Geddes sat on the bed, crossed his arms and turned his face. “I think you really are sorry you hit him.” Tears began to flow down his cheeks. “Why is it so hard to say you’re sorry?”

“You’re siding with him because he’s one of you!”

“No, Geddes. You hit him. If it had been the other way around -- I’d have come down on Rinn.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Lise knelt so she could look him in the eye. “Your lunch is on the table, Geddes. Before you eat, you must apologize to Rinn. Otherwise you’ll go hungry. Then, when your mother comes home -- she’ll wonder why you didn’t eat your lunch and I’ll be forced to tell her the whole, awful story. You don’t want that, do you?”

Geddes broke eye contact and looked down.

“If you apologize, you can have your lunch. What happened will stay between the two of us. Understood?” Geddes stuck his lip out and closed his eyes. “I’ll let you think about it. But -- don’t take too long. Once I put your plate away, I’m not bringing it out again.”

She returned to the kitchen. Rinn sat at the table nursing a tall tumbler of water. Klarissa picked up half of a pomma bread sandwich. Out of the corner of her eye Lise saw Geddes approaching. He stood at arm’s length from Rinn.

“I’msorryIhityou,” Geddes mumbled. He sat at the table and picked up his sandwich. He looked up. “I said I was sorry,” he said and turned toward Lise. “Why don’t he say something? Can’t he talk?”

Lise put her hand on Rinn’s bare back. “He’s shy ... and he’s frightened. This is his first experience with white people. Finish your lunch, Geddes, so I can put the plates away. Then we’ll sit and I’ll let you watch some mediascreen. But -- no Jaks.”