Immunity, page 14
“I heard that,” I muttered.
“Light Touch,” Rhosani said, “Send someone for Otter. But don’t tell her why.”
“Go myself,” Light Touch said. She knelt just a moment and then hurried from the room. I heard her running before the door was even closed.
“This is ridiculous,” I muttered.
“I admit, I hadn’t planned on doing this quite so quickly,” Rhosani said. “Blame Bellaluna.”
“She must be even better in bed than I realized,” Myrrh said. They laughed.
“That’s not funny,” I said.
“Of course it’s funny.”
I stepped between the tables and moved in front of her. “On Earth, they make jokes about women who sleep their way into positions of authority. The implication is that’s the only way a woman can advance her career.”
“Look around you. Do you see any men here holding us back?”
“No, but I see a lot of elves who hold back humans.”
She leaned back, and her teasing tone gentled. “My apologies, Snow Dove. I didn’t consider that reaction.” She smiled. “I will point out that you haven’t slept with more than four or five of us, and yet you received far more votes than that.”
I paused, nodded, and held out my hand. We clasped for a moment.
“Khaleesi,” Bellaluna, “we have not settled the issue of seating. I feel very strongly. She should not sit beside you.”
“I agree with you, Bellaluna,” Rhosani said. “I wish her to choose her own seat.”
“At least three removed from yours,” Bellaluna replied.
“How many times do I have to say no?” I asked.
“You may ask us to vote whether we accept your decision,” Bellaluna said. “But you will lose.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“How would you know?”
“And that’s my point!”
They chuckled. And then Myrrh said, “Stop struggling, Snow Dove. Your protests grow wearying. You don’t really have a choice.”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it,” Bellaluna said. “We didn’t give you a choice. We rushed this on you.”
I looked around the room, and I was still doing that when the doors opened. “Otter,” I said.
She snapped her gaze to me and then ran, throwing her arms around me. She hugged me tightly before moving to the center of the room and kneeling to Rhosani.
“Otter,” Rhosani said. “Do you understand when I speak Elvish?” She didn’t respond immediately but then nodded. “Good. Stand up.” She waited for my friend to rise and then said, “Listen before you respond. We have invited Snow Dove to become a member of this council. She wishes to decline. What do you wish to say?”
Otter spun to me, then glanced back to Rhosani. “I will help if you need Elvish words.”
Otter ran to me, taking my hands. “You say yes. For me. For Sweet Voice and Velvet and Brush. And Glisten. Especially for Glisten.”
“I don’t understand. They should invite you.”
“No, Snow Dove,” she said. “They will never invite someone else.”
“Never is a long time.”
“My children will be dead before they invite one of us,” she said. “Never. Too many hate us.”
“You were a child. You had nothing to do with anything.”
“My father was a bad man,” she said. “Elves remember.”
“Otter,” Rhosani said. “Snow Dove needs an aide. The vote was unanimous for you.”
Otter spun to face the Khaleesi. “Ask her who voted,” I said.
“That is irrelevant.”
“No, it is not.”
“Fine,” Rhosani said. “Light Touch led the vote.”
Otter snapped her gaze to Light Touch, who spoke Persian. “There is no one else,” Myrrh whispered in translation.
Otter turned back to me. “You must agree, Snow Dove.”
“She’s right,” Rhosani said. “It would be a very, very long time before we might invite a different human.”
“I’m not qualified.”
“Then abstain,” Bellaluna said. “You aren’t forced to vote on every issue.”
I turned to her. “I’d be one vote.”
“Yes. But a full vote, with the right to bring issues before us and to be heard.” She smiled. “If the Khaleesi doesn’t mute you again.”
“Fine,” I said. “I believe we were discussing my choice of seating. There are no assigned seats, but there seem to be habits. I will vary where I sit, and my aide will sit with me. If anyone feels I should sit beside them for a particular discussion, she may invite me. If those nearest the Khaleesi wish to move seats from time to time, no one else should complain.”
“Upsetting the status quo already,” Bellaluna said. “A little change won’t hurt anyone.”
“And…”
“I don’t think so.”
“There is a law. It is illegal to teach humans to speak Elvish. Otter was afraid to admit she understood. I wish that law rescinded.”
“No.”
I smiled. “You are one vote, Bellaluna.”
“The law in question applies to elves. It is not illegal to learn Elvish. Otter faces no consequences. It is illegal for an elf to teach a human to speak, read, or write Elvish.”
I spun to Rhosani. “You once forbade me.”
“Rescinded,” she said. “No vote necessary. Sit down.”
I looked around. “I will abstain whenever I wish.”
“Of course,” Bellaluna said. “Sit down. I can make room here.”
I turned to Myrrh. “Your vote was white.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Excellent. Do you believe one of your neighbors would make room for two chairs?”
“I believe they would.”
Servants scurried forward with chairs. The elves shifted, and then Otter dragged me to a chair, pushing me into one before sitting down beside me.
“Let us settle this issue,” Rhosani said. “Snow Dove, you and I will discuss the other details in private.”
“Very good,” I said. “Is there an agenda?” There was. I’d been the one to pass them out.
“Take mine,” Myrrh said, sliding it to me. “We were nearly done.”
There were only two remaining issues. Shaerra said, “I wish us to table the next conversation. It requires more time. A stubborn human required too much convincing.”
“Not my fault,” I muttered.
“And I believe she may have interesting things to say if we give her time to study it.”
“Agreed,” said Rhosani. “Does anyone mind?”
They didn’t, and the last issue was one I knew nothing about. I leaned to Otter. “Do you understand?”
“A little.”
There was a vote, however, and so we had nothing to say. And then the Khaleesi called an end to the meeting.
So all that happened.
Professor
Rhosani led us to the library. When we arrived, Otter and I both knelt to her, but she said, “Get up. Pull seats closer.”
We made an arrangement for three. Rhosani gestured to me. “You will accept this position with no more squirming.”
I thought about it. “I want to know the rest of the implications.”
“You both remain harem girls.” Overwhelming relief flooded me. I wasn’t sure why. Who am I trying to kid? I knew exactly why. “You will continue your duties as harem girls. I may, with advance notice, excuse you from time to time, but it will not become a habit, and never for large events.”
“Yes, Khaleesi,” I said.
“Otter, did you understand?”
“No.”
Rhosani spoke Persian for a minute. The two spoke back and forth, and then they turned to me. “You Earth teacher,” Otter said. I nodded. “You Elvish teach.”
“Yes.”
“Now you Algonae teacher,” she said. “Teach me. Teach others.”
I looked at Rhosani. “What about my muting spell?”
“It served its purpose.”
I turned to Otter. “Secret. Do you know that word?” She put her hand over her mouth. “Anything said in this room is a secret, unless we all agree it’s not. Translate that.”
Rhosani did, and Otter nodded. “Yes,” she said. “No tell secrets.”
I turned back to Rhosani. “I believe you should keep your harem slave muted.”
“You aren’t a slave. You’re a member of the council.”
“Why are you arguing? And yes, I am.”
She sighed. “Why?”
“Because…” I sighed myself. “Because I am asking you to.”
“You know we’re going to do what you want, but I want to know why.”
“Because…” I dropped my gaze. “Because it helps me feel submissive. And there have been times, there are still times, where it has kept me from saying something that would be difficult to ignore.”
“What else?”
“Unless you are done sharing me, I think your elves like it.”
“I am not done sharing you.”
“All right, then,” I said.
“What do you need from me.”
“Paper and pens, from Earth if you can get them. I can’t believe you’re still using dipped pens. You don’t even have fountain pens?”
“Everyone hated them,” she said. “I’ll see what I can do. I’d rather you used slates.”
“You have slates,” I said. I hadn’t known. “I’ll use those for teaching. And I can use the old agendas for much of my paper needs. I like to take notes. Is that paper used for other things?”
“Used paper?” she asked with a shudder. “No.”
“Children’s books,” I said. “Do elves have children’s books.”
“We do.”
“Sweet stories, and none where humans are the enemy.”
“If I can, I’ll acquire some human children’s books.”
“You want me to teach English?”
“No. I want you to translate them. I’ll find someone else to make wood cuttings for the drawings.”
“I have a better idea.”
“Do you?”
“Get me the books and paper in the size you’d like to bind, enough for as many copies of each book as you wanted. And whatever art supplies you might have.”
“I don’t understand.”
“And trust me.”
She nodded. “Very good.”
We talked a while longer, and then she sent me back to the harem.
* * * *
The other women turned to us, some of them coming out of their rooms. Otter called for the rest, speaking Persian. Then she made what was clearly an announcement. Words flew back and forth, and then several of them began crying, but they hurried to us and knelt, all the way to the floor.
“No!” I said. “Get up. Get up!”
I leaned forward to Glisten, but Otter said, “Let them kneel.” And then she joined them, all kneeling to me.
“This is wrong.”
“Let us kneel,” she said. “You save us.”
“Ridiculous.”
“No understand.”
“It means-”
“You no understand,” she said. “You save us. We have voice. I have voice.” She moved forward and kissed my feet. Then, one by one, they each did the same before making room for another.
“Fine. You kissed. Now get up.” Otter let me pull her to her feet, and then the others. They clustered around me, many with tears openly streaming down their cheeks. I brushed at one and another.
“We know who you are,” Glisten said, her Elvish better than Otter’s. “Khaleesi plan this, long time.”
“No one else,” Otter said.
“I don’t want you to kneel to me.”
“We will kneel if we want to,” Glisten said. “Are you making an order?”
I stared at her. “No.”
“Good. Come. Tell us everything.”
We talked for a while, but then it was time to prepare to serve at dinner.
* * * *
We all knelt. The guards stepped forward. “Her new position doesn’t seem to have gone to her head.”
“See if she kisses a foot,” said another. And so the first approached me and gave me her foot.
Yes, I kissed it. And that was when she knelt down, set her hands on my throat, and I felt the muting spell, a comfortable old friend. “Who has her hood?”
In the dining hall, everyone acted as if nothing had changed, although here and there, I heard them talking about me. I received no ill looks, although smiles were perhaps broader than normal when I knelt.
Later, we were all returned to the harem, the guard removing the mute spell. She lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. I thought she was going to speak, but instead, she withdrew.
The women clustered around me. I turned to Glisten. “I do not lead here. But do you understand the concept of bedtime stories?”
“I do.”
“I will read bedtime stories,” I said. “When you tell me. Tomorrow after exercise, lessons for those who want them.”
“Good,” she said.
“You will make it so as many as possible can read with me, but we are comfortable. Perhaps not everyone will read with me every night.”
“Otter will,” she said. “The rest of us will shift.”
I didn’t question her. And so, it was an hour or so later that I retrieved my book of erotic poetry, the one Rhosani had given me. They made a little bed up, and more of them could see the words than I would have expected. I had two heads in my lap. There were two more women leaning against them, and two more leaning against me, looking over my shoulder.
“This is poetry,” I said. “Does someone know that word? Glisten?” She translated the word for them. “It is erotic poetry.”
“I don’t know that word.”
“It is about women together.”
“A perfect choice,” she said, the others grinning.
“Not all of you understand me.”
“No,” she said. “But this is story time, not a lesson, yes?”
“Yes. Do they understand?”
“Yes. You do your job. I will do mine.” She gestured. “Read.”
I held the book up and read the cover, pointing to the words. And then I opened it to the first poem. It was short, a single page. I didn’t point word by word, but line by line. They would grow accustomed.
“That was short,” I said. “The next two are longer.”
I read them carefully, savoring the words. They were even more fun to read aloud, and I wasn’t the only one who began to squirm.
“I liked that one,” Otter said. “Is there one about tickling?”
I laughed. “Yes, a few.”
“Read one of those.”
I moved ahead in the book. I’d read this entire book more times than I could count, and I knew which one to read. Several of the women giggled as I read the poem.
“I liked that, too,” Otter declared. “Read it again.”
“We are nearly out of time,” Glisten said. “Read the first one again, but read slowly.”
I did, and then I closed the book.
There were sighs, and then Glisten said, “Tomorrow, Otter will tickle you. And then you will teach.” I laughed, but I wasn’t surprised the next day when that was exactly what happened.
* * * *
Two nights later, Rhosani shared me with Veronna, a woman from the council. She was nearly as good with ropes as Teriani was, and she kept me panting for a long, long time. Later, after wearing each other out, we cuddled in the bed. “You’re not any better than an elf,” she said. “But you’re fun.” I smiled. As I thought the elves were excellent lovers, I didn’t feel the need to be competitive. “Most elves wouldn’t let me do that to them. You loved it, didn’t you?” I nodded emphatically. She kissed me. “Will we do this again?” I nodded again, at least as emphatically.
* * * *
If I wasn’t being shared, I read every night. And I kept my English lessons to the women of the harem until one evening at dinner, Light Touch approached Rhosani. The two spoke for a moment, and then Rhosani said, “Light Touch has a question for you. She wishes to know if there is room for some of the servants to join your language lessons.”
I touched my throat. Rhosani nodded, removing the muting spell. I turned to Light Touch. “Yes, but one moment.”
She smiled. I switched to English and turned back to Rhosani. “I do not want too many students at once. And I wish to keep lessons within the harem quarters for now.”
“This is a long-term program,” she replied. “You cannot do everything at once. You are teaching future teachers.”
“The women of the harem are future teachers?”
“Some of them,” she said. “And Light Touch will bring more future teachers.”
“I have been reading at night before bed,” I said. I grinned. “Guess which book.”
She laughed. “Do they like it?”
“Yes. Can you get me more?”
“One or two, yes.”
“We read in a big puppy pile,” I said. “And I would not want to add too many more.”
“Perhaps anyone who wishes to join story time should offer herself as a harem girl.”
“That is between them and you, but we are rotating positions so they can see the words.”
“So not too many.”
“Not too many.”
The Khaleesi spoke to Light Touch, who listened and then hugged both of us, then hurried off.
"I want to know how long you planned all this," I told her.
"Before you even arrived. Not the details. I didn’t plan the drama. I hoped to invite you to visit and then lure you with promises.”
“And if I had declined?”
“I can be exceedingly convincing.”
“Would I have become a harem slave if I hadn’t indicated I’d be returning to Earth?”
“No, but if you finish forgiving me, it turned out better.” Then she reached for me and muted me again. “Kneel.”
I did, and when she offered a foot, I kissed.
* * * *
“Don’t release her,” ordered the Khaleesi, just as Otter was about to do so. The elf moved into my line of sight and crouched down to look into my eyes. “You are trouble.”
