Slave - Second Part

When they returned back to Stephos's home, Lenara was very quiet.  Stephos let her be.  He knew she had been through a lot.  After making sure she was as well as could be expected, he went to meet with those he had left in charge while he was gone to see how things had been.  The trip had been much shorter than originally expected and the leaders were surprised to see Stephos back after just one day.  He decided this was a great chance to show how he trusted them and encourage them to trust him more as well, so he told them exactly what had happened.

As anticipated, they were angry that such a thing had happened, though they still held back some of their rage.  One of them even said out loud what Stephos had hoped they would be thinking:  that what had been done to Lenara was worse than what had been done to them because she had been betrayed by those she loved.

"I know I can't begin to understand your circumstances," Stephos said, "and especially Lenara's, but it does show that I can't really trust the rest of my family.  I know I can't group myself with all of you, but I see the wrongs that have been done here and I want, with your help, to make them as right as I can."

It was then that something unexpected happened.  One of the leaders, a man named Greton, held his hand out to Stephos.  "You are becoming one of us, Stephos," he said.  "You are beginning to see us and we are beginning to see that you are a good man."

Overcome by this praise from a man he had once thought of as simply a worker but now knew by name and even cared for, Stephos choked back tears as he shook the hand.  And then the other leaders were patting him on the back and shaking his hand as well.

"I don't deserve this," Stephos told them.

"Maybe not," Greton admitted, growing bolder, "but at least you've been trying."

Stephos smiled.  "I do have a plan," he told them.  "It isn't much of one, and I'm going to need your help.  It will take a long time before things really change.  We could wait for my father to die and me to take over, but I think we should put things into motion now, just in case that doesn't go quite as anticipated."  They looked a little confused at that and Stephos decided it would be dangerous to say too much just now.  He would talk to Lenara about it later.  "Basically," he continued.  "I'm going to try to release those who are weaker off of this planet, if they desire.  I'm hoping to get stronger workers to take their place so that Ed can't use the strongest workers against me.  I'm not sure how everything will come together, but I'm going to do my best to help those who I can.  I'm counting on all of you to work extra hard and I'm going to have to start working in the fields, too."

The eyes of another leader, Samantha, grew wide.  "You're going to work along side us?" she said in disbelief.

Stephos nodded.  "That's the only way we can make this work.  I know I'm not used to hard labor, so I'm hoping all of your can cut me a little slack."

Greton smiled and slapped Stephos on the back.  "Don't worry boss," he said.  "We'll toughen you up soon enough."

------

For the next week or so, Stephos did what he had never done in his life:  he got out in the fields with his workers and actually worked.  He found that they did many things, from simple tasks he could easily manage, to more complicated or grueling jobs.  He remembered assigning people to this different jobs, but he hadn't realized before just how different they were.  He was certainly glad that he had been smart or kind enough to assign people like Glados to the much less intense jobs.

He knew that Lenara was still mourning the loss of the parents who had abandoned her, so he did not expect to see her in the fields and did not look for her, but every so often, he would glance up at her old room and see her looking back down at him.

When he finished up work each night, he would return to the home to find Lenara had silently prepared a meal for him.  When he told her she didn't have to do that, that they could continue to work together as they had been, she said nothing.  It was almost as if she was pretending to be the slave her parents had sold her to be, and it broke his heart to see it.

Every night, she would still quietly crawl into bed with him, snuggle up against him, but say nothing as she fell asleep.  Then one night, she started to make advances, stroking his hair and body and starting to kiss him, but he pulled away.  "If you're doing this just to spite your parents," he said, "I don't think that you should."

She sat up in bed and that and looked down at him.  When he looked back at her, her eyes were red, but then they faded to gray.  She frowned and then quietly got out of bed and walked away.  He wanted with all of his heart to go after her, for he could almost feel her soul crying out in sadness, but he also knew that she still needed some space to work through what she was feeling.

He hadn't expected her to work through it quite so quickly, but it turned out that maybe she had been working through it all along.  He awoke the next morning and she wasn't there.  He went down to get breakfast, and she wasn't there.  He ate alone and searched through the house for her, but he couldn't find her, so he sadly went out into the fields, where he saw her standing there, in front of his workers who had started their work for the day, but not really in earnest because they were watching her and wanted to see what would happen.  Her hair was long and free, blowing in the wind.  She was wearing work clothes, but she was still gorgeous.  He skin shown with the dark tan that she always had and her eyes were sparkling in a way he had never seen before, with greens and blues and purples all at once.  He had to stop just to take it all in and she then advanced towards him.

"I'm sorry," she said.  "Sorry for what I've done to you these past several days.  I don't need to tell you why I acted as I did, but I've decided, for sure, that I truly want nothing to do with what I left behind.  My family that I had before is really, truly dead and lost to me, as I said.  But I'm not alone.  You're my family."  She looked at him and smiled and then turned to gesture towards the fields.  "And all of them, they're my family."  She turned back to him.  "And I love you, with all my heart and soul."  And then she leaned in and kissed him.  He most definitely did not pull away.  It was the purest most intense kiss he had ever received from her, and it told him that she was being honest.  She really did love him, for some insane reason, just as much as he loved her.

When they pulled apart, he saw all the workers nearby looking at them.  There were smiles and hints of giggles and some were trying to look away but he could still see their eyes training back towards them.  He smiled and in the most joyful manner perhaps he had ever spoke the words he said, "Okay back to work."  And then he and Lenara, hand and hand, walked into the fields to join the workers.

-----

Stephos had a plan that he was starting to put into action in earnest now.  The productivity of his workers was increasing, but he was being careful to hide just how productive they were.  He was storing up those numbers for when they would start losing workers, so that the change would not be noticed.  Over the next couple weeks, he got better and better at really helping his workers, both in the fields, and at a personal level.  He talked to them all again, and compiled a list of those who wanted to leave and then worked with Lenara to determine the most urgent cases.

Glados, of course, was at the very top of the list.  She was the one who had really, finally turned Stephos's heart around after all the initial work Lenara had put in.  It only seemed right that she would be the first to be free.  And after her, Stephos was rather surprised to see only 33 other names out of the nearly 300 workers under his direct command.

Lenara was the disbelief on his face and smiled.  "The numbers would have been much higher a year ago," she told him knowingly.  "But now, they are no longer slaves, not really.  You are their boss and their friend, but not their master.  For those like me who really don't have anywhere else to do, they hope for nothing better than what they've found here over the past few months."

Stephos was a bit skeptical and feared that in reality, some of the workers were still afraid to be honest with him, but if anyone really knew what they felt, it was Lenara, and he trusted her words due to his deep love and respect for her.

And so, the plan started to go into motion.  Every few days, Stephos would talk out one or two of the workers on the list of 34 names to wherever it was they wanted to go.  He would give them a share of what he had in his personal supply of goods and a small portion of money, what he could afford to take from the treasury, and wish them the best of luck.  And in case they ever wanted to come back, he left them with a way to contact him.

He wished that he could do more, that he could stay to make sure all was well, but he would be missed back home if he wasn't careful.  The first departure with Glados was the hardest.  Lenara went with and the girls both cried as Glados said good-bye.  For a moment, Stephos thought she might change her mind, but she was resolved to go back home, even after all she had lost.  Stephos feared the worst might come to her and part of him wanted to beg her to stay, but that would be to undo all he had done to get her freedom and so he let her make her own choice, no matter how much he feared it might turn out for the worse.

He shed a few tears himself on the way back home, but Lenara held his hand and smiled.  "You did the right thing," she said, and kissed him tenderly on the cheek.

------

Things went quite well for several weeks after that.  Stephos was slowly giving freedom to those workers who desired it and balancing his productivity records to make it look like nothing had been lost.  His next plan of action was to let the numbers drop just enough that he could justify transferring some of the slaves from the more efficient parts of the planet to his own plantation.  His hope was to continue spreading hope among the slaves, maybe even send a few clever workers of his own to other areas to spread the hope further, and continue to free those who wanted to be freed.  He still hadn't quite figured out how he was going to help all of the slaves short of waiting for his father to die so that he could take over, and really wasn't sure if he could help them all before his father died.  As guilty as it made him feel, Stephos started to think about how much easier it would be if his father would just pass on and leave Stephos the inheritance.  But as angry as Stephos was at realizing what had been done to acquire these slaves, and especially Lenara, he still had a hard time accepting that his father had been fully aware of the harm he was doing.  After all, it wasn't his father who actually went out and got the slaves.  It was Ed.

"I think I need to talk to my brother," Stephos said to Lenara over dinner one night.

She looked up and there was an inquisitive twinkle in her eye.  "Whatever for?" she wanted to know.

"I just... I feel like I need to know... how much he or father or anyone was really conscious of what we're doing here."

Lenara's eyes grew wide.  "You mean us?" she asked.

Stephos shook his head.  "No, sorry," he corrected himself, "not you and me and the good we're doing now.  I mean the evil my family was doing before."

Lenara frowned but nodded.  "If you're going to do that Stephos, you must be very careful," she warned.  "You've told me how nervous your brother makes you.  If you reveal to him that you've grown a heart for the slaves, well, if he and his father are fully in all this together, I'm certain he would sell you out and take the whole inheritance for himself and then where would we be?"

Stephos took a deep breath and looked down at his soup.  He felt ill.  "I suppose you're right," he muttered.  "I can't risk asking him about it, not now."  He looked up at her again.  "The truth is, Ed is probably fully aware of all that he's been doing.  I just don't want to believe..."

"That it was the same for your father," Lenara finished softly.

Stephos nodded.

"I'm sorry to say this, Stephos," Lenara said, trying to remain gentle, "but didn't your father start using these 'refugees' before you and your brother even understood any of this business."

"I still don't understand this business," Stephos said.

Lenara sighed.  "You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do," Stephos admitted.  "I just... we're talking in circles.  I want to know what my father's real motivation was, or is, just like..."

He trailed off there, but Lenara finished, "Just like I wanted to know about my own family."

"I'm sorry," Stephos said.  "I'm sorry that you always seem to know the things I'm about to say but shouldn't."

Lenara smiled.  "No, Stephos," she said.  "Don't apologize.  I love you.  I love all of you.  And I understand.  I understand wanting to know.  You want to love your father, and even your brother too, I'd wager.  But you're angry at them for what they've done and what they've hid from you all these years.  You're just hoping that what you suspect may not be entirely true.  Just like I was hoping..."

"I'm sorry," Stephos said again.

Lenara laughed.  "Didn't I just tell you not to be?"  She got up from the table and walked over to where she could place her hand on Stephos's shoulder.  "You're a good man, Stephos," she said.  "Good men don't just come from nowhere.  Seeing who you are, it's possible your father, and maybe even your brother, has a good heart, too.  But don't get your hopes up.  And please, I beg you, don't risk all the good we've done to try for your sliver of a chance of fulfilling your personal hope.  As much as I love you, I am going to put the well-being and happiness of these people above whatever personal issues you might have with your family."

Stephos looked up at her and saw her eyes growing red.  "Your passion never ceases to enthrall me," he said.  "And I love you for it."  He glanced back down at his half eaten bowl of soup.  "I'm not really hungry anymore," he said.

Lenara squeezed his shoulder.  "Me neither," she said.  "Let's just go to bed.  Tomorrow is another day to do good and try to figure things out."

Tomorrow also turned out to be the day that Ed decided to pay a surprise visit to Stephos's farm.

--------

The arrival was quite unexpected and had it not been for Lenara glancing up at the sky and saying that something was coming, Stephos would not have even had time to run out of the fields and into his house to change out of his work clothes.  Stephos wasn't worried about his workers.  They knew how to behave around visitors.  He was mostly worried about himself.  He had just been talking about Ed and now his power-hungry brother decided to show up?  Could Ed possibly know... Stephos decided there was no way.  After all, his farm had been producing well, better than in the past even.  Maybe Ed was simply impressed.  As unlikely as it seemed that Ed would pay a visit to Stephos just to tell his big brother he was proud of him, Stephos forced himself to not believe the worst.

When Stephos finally emerged from his home dressed in the usual clothes and a bit out of breath, Ed smirked at him.  "These slaves all seem afraid of me," Ed said.

Stephos was a bit surprised by this comment.  "Well yes, isn't that how it's always been?" he responded truthfully.

Ed shrugged.  "Well, I don't care about them," he said.  Stephos resisted the urge to punch his brother in the face.  He opened his mouth as if to deliver his news and then closed it again as he looked his brother up and down.  "You're looking a little haggard, brother," he said.  "Are you sure you wouldn't like for me to take over your duties here for a while so you can get some rest."

Stephos clenched his fists, hoping Ed didn't notice, as he fought even more to punch brother dearest in the face.  "No, I'm quite fine, thank you," he said, "and my slaves are performing admirably."

Ed glanced around.  "Yes, I'm quite sure they are," he said as if he didn't fully believe it.  The he sighed and looked back at Stephos.  "But they are, for once, not why I'm here.  I'm here to tell you about father."

Stephos's heart seemed to skip a beat.  Could it be?  Could they finally be free?  He felt a twinge of sadness and a bigger stroke of guilt for thinking of his father's death positively, but it certainly would make things a lot easier.  What Ed said instead was not even close to what was expected.

"He's cured," Ed said.

Stephos's jaw dropped.  "What do you mean cured?" he asked.

Ed rolled his eyes.  "Just what I said, big brother.  There's some crazy doctor.  Our old man's been paying him millions to research the disease that's slowly eating away at him and the doc finally did it.  Dad finished the treatments this morning.  He's going to live another thirty years at least."  There was a gleam in Ed's eye as he added, "So don't start counting on owning this land quite yet."

Stephos was shocked.  "How would I not be the one to hear about this?" he demanded.

Ed shrugged.  "Dad was very secretive about it," he said.  "And you almost never go to visit him.  Haven't been over there for months in fact... ever since you got her."  He gestured towards Lenara.  "Strange how absent you've been since she became yours..."  Ed let that thought float in the air for a moment and then went on, "Anyway, you're welcome to check it out if you don't believe me.  The doctor's name is Griswell.  I'm sure you've at least heard of him, seeing as he's dad's chief doctor.  Well anyway, I just thought I should deliver the good news in person."  There was a devious glimmer in his eye as he ended with, "Have a good day, big brother."  Then he turned, walked back to his ship, and flew away.

When he was well out of sight, Stephos let out a monstrous scream at the sky that caught the attention of everyone around.  Lenara rushed to him.  "Stephos, it's going to be okay," she urged.

He turned to her, fire in his eyes.  They almost seemed like they had turned red like hers could.  "How is it going to be okay?" he demanded.  "He knows.  Somehow he knows what we're up to.  We have to leave.  All of us we have to go now.  I can't wait around here another 30 years to have power."

Lenara reached for his hand and rubbed it gently.  "But look around you, Stephos," she urged.  "You do have power.  Look at all these people you're helping.  You can't throw all that away now.  If your brother really knew what was going on here, he wouldn't just let it continue so easily, but he doesn't know.  He thinks you're just anxious to take over everything.  It's the same rivalry there's always been and nothing more.  Don't let him rattle you.  If you act rashly now, you'll let all these people down."

Stephos looked around at those people all staring at him now.  They were looking to him for answers, but he didn't have them.  And then he realized, maybe they weren't looking to him for answers, maybe they were looking to him with ideas and thoughts of their own.  "What about all of you?" he cried out.  "Who wants to get away from this place, to run now, all of us, while we still can?"

A few scattered hands went up.  Stephos was a bit surprised it wasn't more.  He knew at least this many were waiting to be sneaked away.

"And who wants to stay?"

An overwhelming majority of the hands went up.  Stephos was amazed.

"Why?" he asked.

Greton, that well respected leader, stepped forward.  "I told you before, Stephos," he said, not fearing to address his master in a familiar way, "that you've changed.  With you, we aren't slaves anymore, not really.  Some of us still want to go, yes, but life is better for me here now than it's ever been in my entire life.  You treat us as equals.  I mean, look at what you just did.  You asked us what we wanted.  A year or two ago, that thought would have never even crossed your mind."

There was silence as Stephos looked at him stunned and then mummers of assent rose up throughout the crowd.  Not sure what to do, Stephos felt a tear slowly falling down his cheek.  He felt Lenara squeezing his arm and he looked at her and she smiled.  Stephos smiled too and looked back to the men and women standing before him.  He was struck again by how much they had endured and how brave and strong they were.  "If you want to stay, then we will stay," he announced, "but at least let me do this for you... let's take the rest of the day off and have some fun while we still can."

The workers smiled and cheered and as they set up for a party that night, Stephos reflected that he had never been happier.