• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“Perhaps this slave’s plan is the best course to follow right now,” suggests Reilin. When the others give him glares, he sticks to his guns and says, “At least go and see what this guy can do for us.”

“I’d want you to follow and keep an eye on me,” James tells Jiron.

“Oh, you can bet I’ll be doing that,” he says. Picking up the slave rag off the table he says, “Shouldn’t you be getting into this thing then?”

James looks in disgust at it and shakes his head. “Not until I have too.”

Another hour goes by and the young man has yet to return. When it’s but a couple hours before dusk, he again appears at James’ door. This time he’s alone, the other slave that was with him the previous two times is absent. Tucked under one arm is a package which he hands to Brother Willim upon entering.

“I found everything you requested,” he says. “Took some doing, though.

Bother Willim takes the package and nods. “I can imagine.” He then opens it up on the table and begins removing the contents.

Turning to James, he asks, “Are you planning on meeting with the one whom I spoke of?”

“Yes,” he replies. “It doesn’t look as if I have much choice.”

“Then when you’re ready I will escort you to him,” he says.

Picking up the slave cloth, James asks rather unhappily, “Are you sure this is the only way?”

“If you wish to meet with him, yes.”

Sighing, James says, “Very well.” While Brother Willim is beginning to crush some leaves in a bowl, he takes the slave cloth. “I’ll be in the next room when you’re ready.”

Brother Willim nods. “Be there when I am done.”

James then leaves the room and goes to the next one over. Once he’s inside and alone, he holds up the cloth and a shiver runs through him. Nothing for it, he tells himself and begins removing his clothes. Naked, he picks up the cloth and begins working to secure it around his loins. Not nearly as easy as he first thought, it takes him three attempts before it’s on well enough that it won’t fall off when he paces back and forth.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Yes?” he hollers through the door.

“It’s me,” he hears Miko says.

“Come in,” James tells him.

When the door opens, Miko comes in and sees him standing there in naught but the slave cloth. “Man oh man,” he says with a mischievous grin.

“What?” James asks.

“First of all,” he explains, “you have it on wrong. Here let me help you fix it.” Closing the door he moves forward and removes the slave cloth. Then he shows him the proper way to wear it. “The way you had it on, it would have fallen off in no time.” Tucking the last piece within the part circling his waist, Miko nods and stands up.

“I feel naked,” James says.

“That feeling will get worse once you’re out in public,” he says. “Trust me, I know.”

James only nods.

They stay in the room for a half hour and Miko coaches James in the nuances of being a slave. Keeping your eyes lowered, never talking back, all the things he learned during his time as a slave.

By the time Brother Willim makes his appearance, James has the basics down and should be able to pass himself off as one. Entering with his bowl in hand, he pauses a moment when he sees James there. White skin contrasting badly with the tanned areas of his body that had been exposed to sunlight, he almost glows in the dark.

James can see how Brother Willim is trying to fight back a grin that’s threatening to break out. “Go ahead and laugh if you want to,” he tells him.

Unable to restrain it, the grin breaks forth. “Sorry,” he says as he comes forward and begins applying the mixture to his pale skin with a cloth. In fact, he applies a coating to every square inch of his skin, including that which is under the loincloth. “With this on, you’ll be able to blend in with the other slaves.”

James stands there and endures it. The mixture itself doesn’t have all that bad of an odor, sort of smells like the forest on a hot summer day. It takes Brother Willim ten minutes to adequately apply the mixture, and when he’s done he steps back to look.

“That will do nicely,” Miko says. “You look just