Desert World Allegiances Read Online Free PDF Page B

“I am simply reminding Temar that slavery does not mean that he loses all his rights.”
    “Any rights he loses, he loses out of his own foolishness.”
    Lilian held her hands up. “Enough!” she commanded. She was a tiny woman, shorter even than Temar, and he was small compared to most people on Livre, but both brothers stopped at once. She looked from one to the other in clear disapproval.
    “There are days that I question the wisdom of having both of you on this council. Were it in my power, I would ask your groups to name another.” She turned away from them and walked to the table. Sitting down in a chair on the near side, she looked over the whole room, like an artisan considering her supplies and finding them lacking. Finally, her gaze settled on him.
    “Temar, you do keep your right to speak to the council. You have a right to food and water. You have a right to be safe from injury or danger. All other rights and names that once were yours now belong to your master. Do you understand that?”
    Temar nodded. He didn’t trust his voice, not when his emotions were pressing so hard against him.
    “You will work where ordered, live where ordered, and obey your master. You will be restrained however your master determines.” Temar went cold at the thought of being tied and tethered like a beast, the way he was tied now, but he also knew that would be Ben Gratu’s right. He nodded again.
    “Child,” Lilian said softly, “if Ben restrains you, it will be to keep you from making an even more disastrous mistake. If you damage your master’s property maliciously, show recalcitrance in following orders, or attempt to escape, the only punishment remaining will be exile. If you are placed under exile, your name and image will be sent to all the territories, and no settlement will share water with you. Do you truly understand that?”
    “Yes,” he agreed. His voice cracked halfway through the word.
    Naite pulled the rope leash tight. “It’s not that bad, boy. I got fairly good at plowing a field when chained to the wheel.” Naite almost made the experience sound amusing.
    “Naite, take the boy to his master,” Lilian said. “I suspect we will need more time to speak with his sister.”
    Temar’s head snapped up at the mention of Cyla. “Could I….” He looked around the room with a desperate hope that they would allow him to see her. Bari and Kevin studied the papers in front of them. Dee’eta watched with that same impassive face she’d worn the entire time, and Shan had an expression that Temar couldn’t hope to interpret, but it wasn’t good. It was Lilian who answered him.
    “You were told to go to your master, and you are ready to disobey already. You need to remember your place.” The matronly warmth she had shown just seconds ago had vanished, and she frowned at him.
    “It’s not so easy to give up your freedom,” Naite answered for him. “He’ll learn.” Naite gave a sharp tug on the rope leash, and Temar had to stumble forward to keep his balance.
    “Naite!” Shan said sharply.
    “You’ll learn to weigh your words before you assume that your needs are more important than the rules,” Naite said to Temar, ignoring his brother. He strode out of the room with long strides, and Temar was forced to trot after him, his arms stretched out in front of him as Naite half dragged him out of the building and to the waiting sand sled. Silently, Naite threaded the rope leash through the handle of the door, pulling Temar’s wrist close to the polished wood before tying the rope off. Given a few hours of privacy, Temar might be able to use his teeth to free the knots, but with a few townies standing around and watching, Temar was going to be forced to stand by the side of his new master’s sled, tethered and waiting.
    He blinked and turned his head away from the hot wind. For long seconds, Naite stood next to him, his body making a long shadow against the sand. “I know how hard this is,