“The person the Patrician have placed as leader, which at the moment is me. This position does change, but only after the person has expired from old age,” Jack replies.
“That can’t happen too often in a place like this,” Troy says.
“Thankfully it doesn’t,” Jack responds.
“But what if it does? How do you punish the offender?” I ask, trying to stir things up again, which probably isn’t the smartest move.
Jack stops, turns around, and looks squarely at me. “We make an example out of them, Max. Display them for all to see. A good example would be someone like you. If you were a true resident of Icarian and you continued with your smart mouth and defiant manner, I would string you up by your thumbs in front of the whole city. Then I would strip you down and whip you until you succumbed to your injuries. Now, does that sound like a decent punishment?”
I slink behind Garrett, averting my eyes from Jack who laughs and continues with the tour. I don’t speak for the rest of the day or evening. We eat a small dinner in one of the cafes in the lobby of the apartment building. I tell Garrett to stay with me for the night. He’s more than happy to oblige, but I want him there mainly for safety. Luckily he’s not into having sex tonight, which I’m overly appreciative for. He’s gone before I wake up the following morning.
My bladder calls me to attention just as the sun is rising, so I go into the bathroom, which is the cube-shaped room in the center of the apartment. Thankfully, it has no windows. The interior of the bathroom is crimson, with gold accents. Against the back wall is a sunken tub big enough to fit three people. Clean towels hang between the tub and the toilet, which is next to the vanity. Across from that is a shower stall with a rainspout for a showerhead. I step back out into the common room, go to the bedroom section, and remove a white linen top and matching pants, along with some fresh undergarments.
I refuse to get dressed in a manner where the entire world can see. When I re-enter the bathroom I make sure to lock that door since it uses a normal door handle. I hang my new clothes on hooks next to the shower stall and place a couple of towels at the base of the tub since it sits on a raised platform. As the water runs to fill up the tub, I rummage under the vanity for bath wash. There are several containers of bath salts, so I pick one and pour them into the steaming water. I strip down and ease my way in.
The hot water feels good against my tired body. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until now. I slip down till only my face is above the water. I feel everything slipping away. All troubles, all concerns, and all cares. I close my eyes and let my mind drift. I deeply inhale the scent wafting up from the bath salts as they dissolve. The aroma of the bath salts makes me wary, but at first I don’t understand why.
Frey enters my mind, and the time I spent with him in Tarsus. I should feel sad about his absence, but I can’t think of why. I feel as if I’m floating above the world, everything is beneath me.
“That’s it, Max, let go,” I hear a voice say in my head. “You know you want more. You deserve more. We can give you whatever you want. We only ask for loyalty in return.”
“Loyalty,” I whisper.
“That’s right, Max. You are a Patrician to the core. A leader everyone will be looking towards when the invasion starts. War is coming, Max, and you’ve finally chosen the correct side.”
I smile automatically at the last comment. The voice leaves me just as the water turns cold. I remove the stopper so the water will drain out and that’s when it hits me. The scent of the bath salts – it was cinnamon. Just like the cinnamon in the tea Frey gave me, it relaxed my body making it easily manipulated. I want to shake myself of the sensation, but I’m suddenly exhausted. I dry off, don my clothes, and I’m startled when I see one of the Matrons setting up breakfast in the kitchen.
“I hope you’ve found everything to your satisfaction,” the woman says to me. “If you need anything, just call and we’ll be happy to supply it.”
She leaves as quietly as she entered. I stare at the food, salivating because I’m starving, but also scared to touch it for fear of more mind and body manipulation. My hunger wins out. I sit at the dining table and eat every bit. I put the dishes in the sink, go into the bedroom area, collapse on the bed, and fall back asleep since my body is suddenly drained.
I dream about Frey. He dies horribly in front of me, burned to death by the fires that ravage the Outer Limits. I don’t cry, or even try to help him. I stand and watch, with Garrett beside me. Frey won’t stop screaming from the pain, so Garrett is forced to shoot him with an arrow, ending his life.
I bolt upright in bed. Not from the dream, but from a noise. Jack walks into the room and sits on the edge of the bed.
“Have a good nap?” he asks, leaning against the headboard.
“How the hell did you get in here?”
“Who do you think programs the biometric readers? I can get into any apartment I wish. It’s one of the benefits of being chosen as a Patrician leader. At least, that’s the deal I made with them to become one.”
“You’re pathetic,” I say.
I shove off the covers and am in the process of getting out of bed when Jack grabs my arm pulling me back
