Balzac, Honore de Der Dorfpfarrer
Armand Antoni CzśÂowiek z lustra
Kushner, Ellen Los Mejores Relatos de Fantasia II
0886. Jameson Bronwyn W poszukiwaniu wspomnieśÂ
Heinlein, Robert A The Worlds of Robert A Heinlein
William Faulkner Intruder in the Dust
Triple M 3 Needing Me, Wanting You
Andrzej Sapkowski [Witcher 01] The Last Wish (pdf)
Dr med. G. A. Wojtowicz Ulecz sam siebie!
Glen Cook The Dragon Never Sleeps
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
there should be some recovery. And your own personality will be back in command. This
imprint will dissolve.
Oh God. Good. No offense, Griffin. It feels good, but I don't like it. Not really. I started
to rub my hand over my face, and then stopped as the rough skin throbbed with pain. What in
hell happened last night?
It wasn't last night; it was three days ago.
Three days? That explained why my hands were scabbed.
I found you in the gym. You'd been repeating the same kilij form for hours. The sleeves
of your shirt were soaked with blood. Initially I thought you'd be all right once I stopped you, but
then you began to melt down. You're eyes were bleeding& your ear as well. I was afraid you'd
have a heart attack. You'd gone white as a sheet, and you were icy cold. You kept saying his
name over and over.
I remember talking to you& and then&
I assaulted you. I'm sorry.
You son of a she-wolf. My curse lacked conviction. He'd saved my sanity, if not my life.
I can't believe I was out for three days.
Oddly, I didn't feel that I'd been unconscious for that long. Aside from some stiffness and
the distinct need to pee, I felt good.
You weren't really out. I had you up a bit. For food& water&
An Uncommon Whore 51
I don't remember.
I imagine the chip was rebooting. He stood, and I followed suit, trailing him as he left
the room and crossed over onto the bridge. If ever I meet the person who invented that thing, I'll
take pleasure in killing them slowly.
The deadly intent in his voice gave me the chills.
Once he took the pilot's seat, I settled into the vacant chair, surprised at how comfortable it
was.
We've got another two hours in ID space, and then we'll drop out just outside of the orbit
of Barris 9. I'll deliver the cargo, resupply, and we'll be on our way fairly quickly.
ID space?
Inter-dimensional. It's a fairly new technology. A small reactor throws us into an alternate
dimension of sorts. The distance varies depending on which ID you choose. We can also use
wormhole and energy jumps.
Wormholes made sense. Energy jumps?
Think of it as a giant slingshot. The ship is placed in a gate within the orbit of a major
planet or a small sun. Energy builds, and when the ship is released from the gate, it's acquired
enough energy to propel through the system. It's crude, but good for short jumps.
The remainder of the day was like that; my questions grew and multiplied, and Griffin
patiently answered. He showed me how to activate my navigational screen, and I began learning
the equations to calculate ID jumps. Thankfully it seemed that I'd actually paid attention to my
studies as a youth. The equations were complex, but with the assistance of the computer, I was
able to calculate a course with accuracy. The whole concept of moving through an alternate
dimension made me a bit uneasy, but in reality, the travel was not only faster, but completely
uneventful. Unlike wormholes, which were few and far apart, ID space was always accessible.
It's odd, Helios. After all that's happened, you're still you.
Hmm? I looked up from the display that had extended from the arm of my chair. It was
only then that I realized how weary he looked. Griffin's face was lined with fatigue; his posture
was very loose. Had he been at the helm since we'd left?
52 Belinda McBride
I said, you're still you. You may have lost your memories, and even some of your habits,
but at the core, you're the same person.
Oddly, that gave me comfort. I ended the program and pushed the display back into place.
I looked at him curiously.
You've always had this ability to shut out everything and focus completely on your task.
Of course, in the past you never allowed me to take you by surprise.
My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. I'd been kicking myself for being so careless.
You'll pick it up again, Lio. You're just out of practice.
I stared down at my hands, noticing that they were still stiff and sore. I'd blocked the pain
as well as other outside distractions.
What's the frown for?
Oh& It's just& I started to say something about my hands, but to my horror, the truth
came out instead.
I don't remember being so& gratified when U'shma praised me.
He swung his chair around in my direction, a slightly grim smile on his face. It's the
reward and punishment system. You probably received extensive training when you were first
captured. The smile faded at the mention of my capture. It was still a mystery to me; I had no
idea how I'd ended up in enemy hands.
Anyhow, you were conditioned to seek praise and reward for good behavior.
And I was punished for bad behavior. I swallowed; long-forgotten beatings itched along
my nerve endings.
I imagine you received a great deal more punishment than reward. You must have been a
terrible slave. He smiled again, turning back to the piloting console. His comment was rich with
meaning, and for whatever reason, blood rushed to my groin. What had he been up to during
those three days that I could not remember?
Griffin, may I return to my quarters for a few moments?
Why are you asking& oh. Yes. I figure you can take Markus's room. It's directly across
from mine. He kept his head averted, his blind side to me. I felt acutely disappointed that I was
An Uncommon Whore 53
being moved into another room. Didn't he want me close? I fought not to look over my shoulder
as I exited the bridge.
The cabin was mostly empty. I visited the latrine and found a comb, and carefully tied my
hair back into a long braided tail. There was a mirror inside the door of a recessed wardrobe. The
rest of Markus's clothing was similar to what I was wearing functional and sturdy. I studied
myself, taking in the tall, lean silhouette. Out of the robes, I could see that my legs were long, my [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
