Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
“Oh, no more! I have never felt so full in my life.”
“Yeah, you don’t have any tolerance for junk food, yet,” I told her. “You’d probably better go easy for a while.”
“I will have these put away until a later time,” Splendara said. “But I thank you for making them for me—the fact that you can operate the Matter Synthesizer so masterfully and the Mental Abilities you showed during the duel have persuaded me that what I am about to do is the right thing.”
“And what is that, Your Majesty?” Sir asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I am going to make a Royal Proclamation,” Splendara announced and all the guards around her stood up straighter and took notice. One of them muttered, “Call the Royal Scribe! Quick!”
A moment later, a Korrigon Noble with a fancy peacock-blue robe came rushing up. He carried an old-fashioned-looking scroll of parchment and a pen that seemed to be made of the hollow leg of some animal.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” he said respectfully, his pen poised over the parchment. “I am ready to record your Proclamation for posterity.”
“Thank you, Scribe.” Splendara nodded her head to him regally. “Then take note and let the word spread. I hereby decree that the Twelve Peoples of the Goddess’s Cloak Galaxy are, in fact and in deed, people. They are not animals or inferior beings—they are equal to Korrigons in status and stature. This means that neither they nor their galaxy can be exploited in any way. I forbid them to be taken as slaves and their minds must not be controlled or manipulated.”
This was excellent news! I nodded and smiled, grateful that the Sovereign was pointedly and specifically putting the protected status of my home galaxy into an official Proclamation, which seemed to be as good as making a new law.
But her next words made my stomach feel like it had fallen to my feet.
“I further forbid any Korrigon to take one of the Twelve Peoples as their pet,” the Sovereign intoned. And any that are held as pets right now shall henceforward be freed.”
“Uh…what?” I looked uncertainly up at Sir, who had a grim look on his face.
“It shall be a crime to take a man or woman of the Twelve Peoples as either a pet or a Sex Pet,” the Sovereign continued. “Because they are people with their own free will and must be treated as such.” She smiled at me. “Therefore, Lady Elli, you are free. You may go where you like and do what you like from this day forward. No one will ever enslave you again.”
“Oh…uh, thank you, Your Majesty. I mean, Splendara,” I said uncertainly, though that wasn’t at all what I wanted to say.
But how could I admit to her that I actually enjoyed being Sir’s pet? Besides, this was huge—it meant no more Korrigon Pet Finders, like that sleazy Shadrack back at the spaceport—could come and kidnap women and take them back to be Mind-controlled or held against their will. So I felt like I really couldn’t protest.
“That is all,” the Sovereign said to me. “I hope to see you in Court again, Elli. Your company is refreshing and your cook-lies are delicious.”
I didn’t attempt to answer this time, I simply bowed again and tried to smile at her.
But I had a feeling that something bad had just happened—something that was going to change my life forever—and not in a good way.
FIFTY-ONE
SIR
I was stunned by the Sovereign’s Proclamation. I knew she meant well and was trying to honor little one, but did she have any conception of what she had just done? If little one was no longer my pet, where did that leave us?
Nowhere, I thought bitterly, as we descended the side of the golden pyramid in my chariot. My intention had been to keep her with me for life…now I could not even keep her by my side for the night. The Sovereign’s proclamation went into effect immediately—I would have to take little one…or ‘Elli,’ as I supposed I must now call her—home. Not my home, but hers.
I was going to have to take her back to Earth and leave her there and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
I was losing her forever.
FIFTY-TWO
ELLI
“What do you mean, you have to take me home?” I demanded, when Sir broke the news to me, once we were back in his spaceship. I had thought he was going to take me back to his house on the Northern Continent. Instead, he informed me he was inputting the Folding Drive with coordinates for Earth.
“You heard me.” He was quiet and stoic as he pressed the golden control band to his forehead and concentrated. “The Sovereign’s word is law—a law I cannot disobey. You are no longer my pet, therefore, I must take you back to your home world—back to Earth.”