dinner several nights later. "Ask Parah to send one of
the slaves up to take care of it, will you? "As you wish, my dear," Marcus replied. "Actually, we could
use a full-time slave in the compound," Jadeleine said, her brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Otry's getting too
old to do more than care for the horses, and since Fiurmin left, there's no one to trim the shrubs or weed
the flower beds on a regular basis." Marcus grunted softly. "Are you sure you want one of the slaves?"
He glanced at Ashlynne. "It might be wiser to hire someone from the city." "Why spend good money for
hired help when we have slaves at our disposal?" Jadeleine countered. "I dare say slaves are easier to
control at any rate." "Without doubt," Marcus said agreeably. "I shall go down tomorrow and look them
over." Ashlynne sat up in her chair, her foot tapping nervously as she listened to her parents'
conversation. One of the slaves, here? S he bit down on her lower lip, wondering if there was any way
she could persuade her father to pick Number Four. Six weeks had passed since the incident with Dain.
She wondered how Number Four had endured the long weeks of solitary confinement. Magny had told
her that slaves sometimes went insane after being imprisoned in the hole for more than a week. How did
anyone endure a month? Was he glad to be back in the mine? Did even his dismal cell seem welcome
after four weeks of being buried alive? She glanced around the room, its opulence unmatched anywhere
on Tierde, and tried to envision being trapped in a dark hole in the ground, with nothing to see but
darkness, no voice to hear but her own. "We've never had a slave in the compound," she remarked
casually. "Does the idea bother you, daughter?" Jadeleine asked, her voice holding a faint note of
concern. "No, of course not," she replied quickly. "Will you pick him out yourself, Father, or let Parah
make the selection for you?" "I don't need anyone to make my decisions for me," Marcus replied. He
looked at Jadeleine. "I will, of course, take Parah's recommendation into account, since he is more
familiar with the slaves than I." Ashlynne smiled at her father. "Of course." "I'll go tomorrow morning,"
Marcus decided. "I've been meaning to speak to Parah about the recent decrease in production."
Ashlynne sat forward, trying not to look too eager, too anxious. "May I ride with you?" "To the mine?"
Marcus asked, astonished. "Of course not!" "But, I mean, I just thought how nice it would be if I could
go with you. I could wait for you at the bridge, and when you're finished talking to Parah, we could take
a ride along the beach." She smiled her most winning smile. "It's been months, Father, since we've had
any time alone together." "She's right," Jadeleine said. "You haven't spent much time with Ashlynne lately.
I don't think it would hurt for her to accompany you, this one time." Ashlynne held her breath, waiting for
her father's decision. "I'll be wanting to leave immediately after first meal," he said gruffly. Jumping up,
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Ashlynne threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I'll be ready! Thank you, Father."
Walking around the table, she bent down and hugged her mother. "Thank you," she whispered. Ashlynne
glanced at her father as they rode along the narrow tree-lined path that wound down the hillside to the
mine compound. He was a handsome man. He wore his dark hair cropped close to his head. Clad in
dark gray breeches, a light gray shirt, and black leather boots, he cut a dashing figure astride his favorite
mount, a high-stepping black stallion. Both his horse and hers had been imported from Earth. Her father
had taught her to ride almost before she could walk. He was an excellent horseman. She knew he was
proud of her, had overheard him bragging about her good seat and light hands. Her mother had been
thrown when she was a child and as a result