“Yes, my lady,” I answer.
“Central Settlement can be very ugly at times.”
I shrug. I don’t believe any place in the world can compare in ugliness to our village.
“Life is hard here, but this is your home,” she adds, “where at least you’re safe.”
I remain quiet. Having a conversation of this type with my master’s wife unnerves me.
“Why do you want to leave so badly?” she asks.
“Don’t you want to leave as well?” I wonder out loud.
Augusta smirks. “It’s sometimes better to accept what life brings. I once thought I wanted to leave, but that was a very long time ago. I’ve long since given up such fruitless thoughts. And that is one thing that has kept me alive.”
I don’t know exactly what her words mean.
“Lady Augusta,” I mutter. “Will you allow me to leave? Will you sell me? Please.”
“Such decisions are out of my area of discretion, child,” she answers. “You should ask Dimitri.”
I nod silently, rising to my feet. A growing anxiety sickens my stomach. I can’t survive another year in this wretched hellhole.
“I wish you luck, Kora,” she sighs with a sad smile.
I thank Augusta for her kindness and head toward Master Dimitri’s office on wobbly legs. In a few short minutes I’ll learn my fate.
CHAPTER 2
Dimitri’s office is a well-illuminated spacious room with antique furniture and several massive bookcases. At times, Lady Augusta has allowed me to read some of these precious books. The books containing the stories about dragons, witches and heroes impressed me the most. Afterwards, I spent hours daydreaming about living in non-existent places, wishing to escape from this unsatisfying world.
Master Dimitri sits behind his desk, examining reports from the Factory. He’s a short, heavyset man in his late forties, with small expressionless eyes.
“I figured you’d be coming to see me today, Kora,” he says, still looking into the reports.
I don’t know how to answer, so I just stand silently in the doorway, digging my fingernails into my palms. I’m scared of Dimitri. He’s never done or said anything to cause my fear, but he’s still my master. I can’t help feeling vulnerable when I’m around him.
“Are you hungry?” he asks. “Shall we feed you?”
“No, thank you, master. I’ve just eaten.”
“How was your shift?” he smiles. “Did you work hard?”
I feel grateful that my face never blushes when I’m embarrassed. Last night I did half as much work as the others.
“I did my best,” I lie.
“I’m aware of why you’re here,” he says, his smile fading. “And the answer is no, Kora. I don’t want to sell you.”
I fold my arms across my chest to prevent them from shivering.
“I must take part in today’s Exchange,” I say. “I hate being a picker. You know that. You must sell me.”
I think about what our previous master might have done with me after hearing such words. I still remember the public executions carried out right in the middle of the meeting square. I still envision servants being hung from trees by their arms, their bodies bloodied after whippings. I feel a new wave of anxiety enveloping me, then take a deep slow breath, and blink the memories away.
“I haven’t selected you, Kora,” Dimitri says. “And I have good reason for keeping you in our village. You’re a very bright, curious young lady. My wife and I both like you, so we close our eyes to your occasional occurrences of misbehavior. Other masters won’t appreciate servants like you, ones who happen to have a mind of their own. All they want are obedient, dutiful workers who wouldn’t consider breaking any rules.”
He pauses, letting his words sink in. I lower my eyes. I do realize I’m a poor worker. I just can’t concentrate well enough on that drudgery. Each shift my mind tends to wander off and at some point I simply stop working. And I often skip classes in the evenings, because facing Samantha and her friends is a little too much to bear. And sometimes, I just need a day free from worry. A day to run a few miles away from the village, to a place where nobody can see me and the air is fresher. It has almost become more like a physical need to get away. So I run off and sit under some half-dead tree, daydreaming and biting into an apple snitched from Augusta’s garden. It’s all I really need. Silence, fresh air and something yummy to eat. I’m really that simple of a person. And then…
I catch myself. I can’t let my thoughts wander right now.
“I can be more obedient and hard working,” I say. “I just need to find something I like to do, something different from sorting through trash.”
“Central Settlement is a dangerous place,” Master Dimitri warns.
I don’t say anything, fed up with warnings.
“I think you should stay here,” he concludes. “Let’s at least wait another year and see...”
“I can’t make it another year! If you don’t let me participate in the Exchange, I’ll run off.”
He gives me a long hard glare. I can’t believe what I’ve just said. I wonder again what the previous master would do with me. Press a gun to my head and pull the trigger? Quite possibly. Whipping would probably be too light a punishment in this case.
“I see,” Dimitri says calmly. “And what exactly would you do after running off? Would you try to join up with a band of roamers? You may have heard they kill trespassers on sight.”
“I’m going to leave this place one way or another,” I continue. “Even if I have to die.”
“Kora.” Dimitri frowns, seemingly worried. “You don’t really mean that, do you? You wouldn’t
