The Slave by Laura Antoniou Read Free Book Online

say.
“But... but... who should I give respects from?”
    “ Heavens! Where have mah manners
gone?” The man drew himself up and bowed politely to her. “I’m
Leon, ma’am, and I belong to Mr. Reynolds, 14c. I ’spect we’ll be
seeing each other a few times while you’re here. Chris does like
mah cookin’!”
    “ Thank you,” Robin said again, taken
slightly aback by Leon’s ease and friendliness.
    “ You’re right welcome! My pleasure to
be of service.” He bowed to her again and headed off to the
elevator.
    He sounds like he’s from far
away , Robin
thought, taking the tray into the kitchen. Texas? Arizona? She opened the covered dish,
and a luxurious scent filled the air, making her mouth water.
Dinner was couscous, with spiced chicken and grilled vegetables on
the side. Not exactly what she expected from the blond cowboy at
the door.
    Let’s face it, girl. Nothing is
like you expected it to be. The only thing you know for sure is
that you are not using the furniture in this house. At least that was
something that she had read and heard about that seemed
true.
    “ No, sit up here and put your plate on
the table,” Chris said, when she seemed ready to take her place on
the floor again. He patted the seat of one of the comfortable
chairs. “But you are correct to seek the floor until invited to do
otherwise.”
    This time, she managed to catch the
exasperated sigh before it came out.
    “ Leon sends his regards,” she told
him, cutting into a piece of eggplant. “He seemed very
friendly.”
    “ Yes, he is. I used to liken him to a
large golden retriever.” Robin could easily see it; she nodded.
Chris continued. “His skill as a cook and a household manager made
him an excellent bargain, too.”
    “ Then, he is...”
    “ Oh, yes. He’s been in the Marketplace
for about six years. With his current master for almost two. Before
that, he was with a rather large family, and I think he misses
caring for a lot of people.” Chris indicated the food. “So, I
indulge him. And at the same time, his owner gets to show him off.
Now... while we eat, and for some time afterward, I want you to
continue your story. This time, I do want it from the beginning.
You’ve told and lived lies for too long. You must now get used to
exposing yourself, in many more ways than the obvious.”
    Robin blushed, but at least she knew that
this was coming. She drank some water and composed her thoughts and
began to tell him just how much of a liar she had been.

Chapter
Three
    Robin’s Story: Games of Youth
     
    From the age of five, Robin lived a life of
deceit. There were no warnings, no hints that those thoughts and
dreams she was having were wrong or bad. But deep in her heart,
beyond any understanding that she could put in words, was the
knowledge that no adult should know what she was thinking. And no
grown-up should ever, ever know what she was doing.
    It started with the games she played at
family gatherings, with cousins and friends. Their feverishly
charged, impulse-driven antics ran from quiet playing with blocks
and dolls to dashing through the rooms of the house, crawling under
tables and through the legs of the grown-ups, creating havoc until
their goal had been achieved. Temporary banishment, until their
silence became too mysterious, at which time they would be called
back to eat or nap or go home.
    During those times of banishment, their
imaginations gave way to games that were shrouded in mystery and
secrecy. And although some of them were as uninteresting to Robin
as any of the earlier frolics, it was during those serious moments
that someone could suggest games involving the kinds of stories and
play she was so taken with.
    For then, they played Pirates, or House, or
Spies, or any variation of a game where some of the kids turned
into some kind of authority figure with the power to judge the
others and cast sentences upon them. They used roles from Saturday
morning cartoons, and they used comic book heroes