All Valencio had managed to achieve since he'd woken was to get to the toilet. Hilde had to help him shower. When Nusa'pei found him, he was still leaning on Hilde, heading back to his bedroom, but with wet hair, and clean.

"Show me your wrist cuff, Valencio."

Valencio held out his right wrist, and Nusa'pei tapped it with his wand. It turned orange.

"Adil?" Valencio asked.

Nusa'pei nodded. "Georgia is now on general duties, and Adil will come for you tonight."

Hilde spoke indignantly. "He can't even stand up by himself!"

Valencio smiled slightly. "It's not standing up, they want."

Nusa'pei laughed. The boy had spirit.

But Hilde was worried. The boy had too much spirit. In spite of his weakness, only an hour later, she bullied him from the bed, and took him to see Clarence. Clarence was a mature man, trim and good looking, probably between thirty and forty, Valencio guessed. In Enclosure 2, of course. Clarence told him about Damir. How he'd kept trying to run, trying to fight. So they castrated him.

"Castrated?" queried Valencio.

"Do you know what that means?"

Valencio shook his head, and Clarence tried to explain. It would have been easier if Valencio had had anything to do with livestock, and he could have explained the difference between a stallion and a gelding, or a ram and a wether.

"Why would they do that?" he finally queried.

"To make you more docile," explained Clarence. "You have to stop fighting. I would have told you before, but Hilde said you were being very obedient."

Valencio nodded. "The day I found the weapon, I thought I'd best be obedient, or I'd never get the chance to use it."

Hilde exchanged a glance with Clarence. It had been a premeditated attack then.

Valencio rested, ate his dinner, and then rested again, until it was time to shower before use. Georgia said Adil wasn't too bad. She was not apparently upset at her change of status.

Amani and Thuli came for him. He knew them all now, though Amani and Kofi-Zee were most familiar to him. He spoke in a matter-of-fact voice. "If you use Filuah Kay today, I won't be able to walk."

Amani said, "We thought we'd use the Compulsion Spell."

Compulsion? Valencio suggested, "You could just ask me nicely."

Nusa'pei had just come in, and gave a crack of laughter. "Just hold an arm each, and I'll come, too. That'll do today, I think." After all, he hadn't even been sure he'd live until a few hours before.

It seemed a long way to the end bedroom, marked 'Reserved.' Valencio saw the Brieke-tei immediately. It was no wonder, of course. Even if he hadn't killed Faheem, at least he'd hurt him. There had been a lot of blood.

A tall man came in, wearing more elaborate robes than Valencio was accustomed to, even with jewellery in the embroidery. He presumed it was Adil, and looked at him assessingly.

Adil looked back, not disguising his interest in the boy. "Have you searched him?" he asked the guards. They quickly and thoroughly searched the boy.

Adil said, "Search him from now on, every time, and now and then throughout the day."

Valencio made his judgement. This man would be harder to trick than Faheem, but what other weapons did he have?

Adil nodded. "Very well, let him go. Valencio, undress."

Valencio undressed, only once reeling to the right through sheer weakness. Amani grabbed his arm, until he regained his balance.

He stood in front of Adil, and Adil stroked and caressed, just as Faheem had done. His genitals were gathered up in Adil's hands, and handled.

Valencio said, "I'm told if I don't behave, they'll probably castrate me."

Adil looked surprised, "They told you that?"

Nusa'pei shook his head. It must have been the other dirt-people, then. Adil said casually, in Arabic, to Nusa'pei, "Not while he's mine," and Nusa'pei nodded.

Valencio sighed with relief. At least it was not for a while, though he suspected it might already be too late. They should have warned him earlier. Adil noticed the sigh of relief. If that comment had been understood, he'd been very quick to learn the language.

Adil said, "How often have you been punished now?"

Valencio was silent. He didn't know. Nusa'pei answered. "Every day for about six weeks, then a week of five minutes every morning. He stopped running about midway through that."

Adil said, musing, "And last night, of course." He stroked Valencio's cheek. "Was it worth it?"

Valencio's eyes filled with tears, and he looked down, saying, "I was very sorry afterwards. He didn't hurt me much after the beginning."

Adil said, "So if I don't hurt you much, you won't try and kill me?"

Valencio still looked at the ground, and shook his head very slightly. Adil said briskly, "On the Brieke-tei."

Valencio didn't resist, only laying his head down on the soft leather, and closing his eyes. The guards left. Adil was very close behind him, and said, in a light amused voice, "You see, it doesn't really matter whether we hurt you or not. We do what we want," and he raised his robe, and thrust hard, straight in, not even lubricating lotion.

Valencio yelled with the sudden pain, though he'd intended to be silent, as the tall man took him, hard and fast. Adil went onto Valencio's list for killing, though he thought he might try not to kill anyone until after they castrated him, and he had little left to lose, except his life, which maybe didn't matter.

Afterwards, Adil went and looked at his face. The boy didn't show his hatred, just gently, silently cried. Adil stroked the tears away, and almost apologised, before catching himself. Nusa'pei was right. The boy was full of tricks.

He looked at the blood that dripped down the Brieke-tei onto the floor. Healing spells had to be careful and precise. He poked his head out of the bedroom, finding Amani and Thuli.

"I haven't finished with him yet, but I want someone to do a healing spell."

Expressionless, Amani came in and did the healing spell. They all knew it now, there had been sufficient practice. Valencio kept his eyes shut. Neither Adil nor Amani should see how he hated. The words for the healing spell were familiar, and the stabbing pain of anal tearing, eased. The soreness would still be with him for a few days. It always was.

Adil's mood had changed, it seemed, and now he was petted, and caressed. A hand went underneath, finding testicles, squeezing, but only gently. Valencio knew about the Brieke-tei, knew he was totally helpless, knew that the wizard could do anything to him that he fancied. Adil was Khatabi-Vrie, and Elder. Valencio suspected that no-one would rebuke Adil, no matter how he finished up. Georgia had said that he wasn't too bad.

Valencio just lay, helpless, eyes closed. He'd either see tomorrow or he wouldn't. When Adil entered a second time, it was almost painless.

xxValencio's Storyxx

The weeks went by. Adil used him most nights, but not every night. He always used the Brieke-tei, and was unpredictable. Sometimes he'd take great care, sometimes he'd be very rough. Once, he finished what he was doing, this time very, very gently, scarcely hurting, and then he pointed a wand, and Valencio's leg spasmed in cramp. Adil was smiling, while Valencio uselessly struggled against the acute pain. It was only another reminder, it seemed, that the wizards could do anything they wanted to him, any time, and he could do nothing whatsoever about it.

Adil told himself it was so that he'd learn to be obedient. His spirit should be broken, in order to make an obedient slave. There was something else. Increasingly, Adil was beginning to find pleasure in hurting, though he'd never been particularly cruel to the women.

Valencio knew every inch of the enclosure. He searched under the thorn bush again very thoroughly, but found no other weapons. He searched under other bushes, and the guards took it for granted that there would be scratches, and sometimes quite deep cuts to heal, before he could be taken to Adil. The shrieking of the ground had become a nuisance, and for a few days, the rings on his wrist cuffs were used to tie his hands together. When that didn't stop him, the spell was changed so that now the one who disturbed the ground would be in pain, instead.

But Valencio was becoming hardened to pain, and thought the change to his advantage. Adil's ways of causing pain were becoming more creative as time went by, except that sometimes he was treated with utmost tenderness, like something cherished. Adil enjoyed being unpredictable. Only the Brieke-tei was predictable, Adil didn't contemplate any other method of control.

Valencio began to accumulate an arsenal, but kept them under the thorn bush, where nobody else went. There was a comb, with its teeth removed, as a penetrating weapon, a solid branch, though it had taken a very long time to work it free from its bush, and a thinner branch, of thorns. He exercised, 'training,' and continued to go to Kaede's school, though it was intermittent. When Kaede was not available, due to 'work,' another took her place, or sometimes one from Enclosure 1.

Emma could read quite well now, and they'd both become fluent in Arabic. Northwest, Valencio thought. If he ever escaped, he would head Northwest, and would hit the coast.

One night, he climbed the bush again, then leapt to the tree and scaled it, though making sure to keep out of the sight of the guards he could see, on what he presumed was the main external wall. He wondered if he was strong enough to get over the fence this time. If he failed, he suspected the threatened castration would not be far behind.

Adil had been his owner now for almost six months. His sadism was erratic and unpredictable. Valencio had never been in a position to resist, always used on the Brieke-tei, Filuah Kay routine, before and after. Except for the repair spell often needed, he never showed damage when Adil was finished, though he was often looking very white. Adil himself was competent at standard first aid, healed the occasional observable wound, and cleaned up any blood. Except on the boy's bottom. He quite liked to see him bleeding.

The guards had a very good idea that there were occasions when Adil hurt him badly, but when Kofi-Zee brought it to the attention of Nusa'pei, he was only reminded that criticism of a Khatabi would not be tolerated. Kofi-Zee asked instead, expressionless, if they could use their discretion whether or not they used Filuah Kay afterwards. Nusa'pei gave him a curt nod. The enfeeblement spell, on top of weakness from pain, would cause collapse.

Adil began to lose interest, but Valencio had no hope that any other wizard might be better. In his experience, he was helpless to prevent hurt, and he was learning to accept the pain, learning to put it away from him, to pretend he was somewhere else, even when Adil thought he should be screaming in agony. Valencio very much did not want to be castrated, and his fragile protection would not outlast his status as Adil's Favourite.

He didn't think he was big enough yet to make the jump that might get him over the fence, but was practising. When Amani asked him what he was doing, he provided an enthusiastic description of school sports, and bored him with a description of his best friend's prowess at jumping. Amani didn't ask again.

There were a few of the women who were regularly taken to the men's own bedrooms, and he quizzed them about the further reaches of the compound, though they knew little, only escorted there, and escorted back. He didn't know how he could escape the actual Compound, and he would be very conspicuous in prisoners' garb, when all the wizards wore robes, not to mention that he was cuffed and numbered.

xxValencio's Storyxx

He turned thirteen, beginning to mature. Clarence told him that when Adil had him, it had only lasted a little while, then there were a few others, not many, and he'd been put over into Enclosure 2 when he was just thirteen.

The women were casual about nudity. He saw them routinely in the shower, and also when they swam. He was noticing them more, and now, when he swam, he wore shorts, to conceal his erection when it happened. It never happened when he was used. He still totally loathed that, whether it hurt or not. He wasn't even altogether sure it was better than torture. Not that it was a choice. When Adil tortured, it didn't mean that he was going to escape the sodomy. That happened anyway, and was now connected in his mind, not just with shame and humiliation, but with the likelihood of agonising pain.

He was being very obedient, but Nusa'pei distrusted him, and would have liked an excuse to castrate him, in spite of Adil's prohibition. He had a list of over a dozen Khatabi-Richi now who wanted to use him the moment he became available, but no other Khatabi seemed interested. Nusa'pei was wondering again what it would be like. Certainly, both Faheem and Adil seemed to find it a satisfactory experience, and when Pervez returned from Japan, he was reminded that Pervez definitely wanted a go.

"It can be risky," warned Nusa'pei. "Remember that he made a very serious attempt to kill Faheem."

Pervez said, "Faheem was a little over-credulous, I suspect. This boy will never settle down to being used as a sex toy."

Nusa'pei said, "Yet you want to use him."

Pervez confirmed, "I want to use him."

There were high rafters running along the ceiling of the dining room. It was not a good hiding place, as he could still be seen when he worked his way along on top of the rafters. But it was a good vantage point, and Valencio would often be there when there was a line-up. If Botan ever chose Emma, and maybe if anyone chose Emma, he would try and kill him. He had a second comb, now, without its teeth, and sharpened to a point, partly with a nail file, and partly on a large decorative stone. He had the nail file, as well, though he'd been surprised when he found it in Didi's bedroom. It was a definite weapon, in the mind of Valencio.

They didn't search him very often, and he was good at secreting the small weapons. The women said nothing about the thievery, wanting to protect the one boy in their midst. He was inconspicuous up in the rafters, and the women, as well as the guards, tended to forget he was there.

When Pervez came with Abensur to choose a woman, Valencio watched him with narrowed eyes. He was the one who had brought him to this. He edged himself closer to the man.

Pervez spun around, catching the movement above him. Pervez was a Khatabi Fighter, well trained, quick of action. It was a minor miracle that Valencio had had any success at all against Khatabi Fighters, his small triumphs due to his talent for trickery. Valencio called, mockingly, "Hey, Pervez, enjoyed any good Pain Spells lately?" He had the sharpened comb in his hands. He'd stick it in his throat preferably, or maybe an eye, depending on how he fell onto him.

Pervez smiled at him. "I hear you've become quite good at your job. Not such a terrible life, is it?"

Valencio remembered that Nusa'pei had told him this man wanted him, and his fury rose further. He'd be castrated anyway, so he might as well be killed. "What sort of woman do you like, Pervez?" he called, "Small, big, blonde, buxom? Gloria, they say, gives a man a wonderful time."

Pervez was distracted, looking at Gloria, who was smiling at him, totally unafraid.

Valencio dropped onto him, brought around the comb, and stabbed him in the throat. Pervez dropped, clutching his throat, and beginning to turn blue. Valencio had pierced the trachea.

Valencio fled, still holding his weapon, bolting for the door, dodging behind the women, up the bush, jumping to the tree, and then to another and another, until he was high in the highest tree.

They knew where he was. One of the guards had kept him in sight, though the others had been preoccupied with saving the life of Pervez. Valencio thought himself safe from retribution for the time being. He was out of reach of spells, and didn't know that the Khatabi Fighters routinely practised with rifles as well. He could stay here until he starved to death, or he could dive, head first, so that he killed himself. But that thought was instantly followed by a decision to dive onto one of the wizards, and, with any luck, kill him. It just remained to decide on the one he hated most.

Nusa'pei watched the boy, sitting high in his perch, almost out of sight.

Rafu arrived with his rifle, but women were watching as well, and Shirley called, "Valencio! They're going to shoot you!"

Valencio ducked behind the trunk of a tree, and although the tops of the trees were not dense, they lost sight of him, as he descended a little, and then made his way to the next tree.

Nusa'pei ordered, "Lock the women in the dining room while we tend to the boy."

Abensur said, "Will I ask Adil whether he minds if we kill him?"

Nusa'pei hesitated, but Valencio was the Favourite of Adil, and Adil was an Elder. It would certainly be courtesy. He nodded, and Abensur found Adil sitting with Narzu-Han in the Khatabi sitting room, which Khatabi-Richi didn't share. Narzu-Han was amused, saying to Adil that his boy certainly wasn't dull.

"Did Pervez live?" Adil asked Abensur.

"Barely. Our first aid wasn't good enough, and Zola arrived just in time."

Narzu-Han said lazily, "I presume Pervez was the one who brought him in. I guess the boy felt it justified." He rose, and asked Adil, "Shall we go and have a look?"

Adil said, as they strolled toward the enclosure, "You know, I could have sworn I had him tamed."

"Did you ever give him a chance to attack you?"

"Not after Faheem!"

There were hostile mutterings as the two powerful wizards passed through the enclosure dining room and a guard opened the door for them. Adil looked back at the women in surprise. "I would have thought they'd detest him for making so much trouble."

Narzu-Han said, "They're very fond of him, and we'll have trouble with them if we kill the boy, or even much punish him."

Adil said, with arrogance, "Since when do we let the dirt-women dictate what we do?"

Narzu-Han said, laughingly, "Since whenever it's more convenient!" But they were well out of earshot of the women when he said that, and their slaves continued to think themselves helpless to influence the situation.

Nusa'pei saw Adil and Narzu-Han, and dipped his head in a respectful salute to the two Khatabi Elders.

He pointed. "He's out of sight at the moment, but in that tree there."

Narzu-Han looked up, and smiled. "Actually, you moved just in time. He was just manoeuvring himself into a position to jump on top of you."

Nusa'pei shot a startled look up, and moved away from under the tree, before saying, "He'd kill himself doing that!"

Narzu-Han was looking up, frowning a little, before saying casually, "He thinks he might as well kill someone he hates, when he kills himself. He has his weapon in his hand again."

Nusa'pei said doubtfully, "I didn't think he hated me."

"Did you think he hated Pervez or Faheem?"

"He has reason to hate them both, but I've always treated him fairly."

"It could be that's a matter of perception," Narzu-Han said absently.

Narzu-Han had a very well-developed telepathic talent, but the others were accustomed to this in the family, and accepted that he could know minds when it suited him. "He's an intriguing boy," said Narzu-Han. "If I wasn't going away in a few days, I'd take him over myself."

Adil said definitely, "I still want him," and he looked at Nusa'pei, "And I don't want him castrated!"

Nusa'pei sighed. "This boy is always going to be dangerous and unpredictable, and I don't think castration will make much difference." He inclined his head to the senior Khatabi. "I will not castrate him while he is yours."

Adil nodded casually. It didn't matter to him what they did afterwards. His interest had been waning, but Adil was suddenly very interested in his boy again. He called up, "Valencio. You are my boy, and I want you. Come down!"

Valencio's current target looked up nervously, and moved away from under him.

Valencio called, "Come up and get me!"

Nusa'pei replied, exasperated, "Come down, take your punishment, and it'll all be over."

Valencio was silent, thinking he was out of sight, and following Botan, looking for a route to bring him above the man.

Narzu-Han said, "Your wording left a little to be desired. He thinks the punishment for this means that it will all be over for him." He added softly, "And he doesn't particularly care."

Nusa'pei was shocked. "Was he that unhappy?"

Adil said, "He's just a dirt-boy. Surely you're not sorry for him!"

Narzu-Han shrugged, and strolled off, saying, "Tell me who he manages to kill. I'll be quite interested to know." He glanced at the dirt-girls as he passed through the dining room, but thought that none of them would be good company tonight.

Valencio was in sight, and a little lower as he stealthily followed Botan's movements below him. Adil pointed. "You stun him, I'll be ready, and I'll stop him falling too hard."

He was just in range, they thought. Valencio was concentrating, making sure he was in position, then let go, head first, weapon in hand. Adil slowed his fall, but Botan was still hurt, especially as Valencio brought the sharpened comb down and stabbed him in the side. Adil stunned his boy. Botan was cursing, at the pain of the small, but deep, wound in his side.

Adil smiled down at the unconscious boy. He seemed to be bleeding from cuts all over him, but it hadn't stopped him. Nusa'pei commented, "Thuli saw him go straight into a thorn bush, up, and then jump to the trunk of the tree."

Nusa'pei raised his voice. "Amani, just how often have you had to treat him for scratches before use."

"Most times, but he's very active. I thought nothing of it."

"I might have a look at this thorn bush."

Their progress was leisurely now, the boy unconscious, and under the wands of Thuli and Amani.

They regarded the wicked thorns, and then Nusa'pei raised his wand, and vanished the whole bush. He leaned down and picked up something that caught his eye, another comb with teeth removed. Adil felt the point. "Still in the process of sharpening it," he commented.

Nusa'pei picked up the thorny branch that remained, and said, "This, too, has been prepared as a weapon." He looked seriously at Adil, "I think he's too dangerous to leave alive. While he's been playing the docile slave, he's been planning to kill."

Adil said mockingly, "Are you not a Khatabi Fighter? Are the guards not Khatabi Fighters? And you're worried about a twelve-year-old boy?"

Nusa'pei said, a touch resentfully, "He's thirteen," and chose not to remind Adil that he'd never actually made the grade as a Fighter.

Adil made up his mind. "Have him cleaned, and secured to the Brieke-tei for my use. If you see Botan and Pervez before me, invite them to join us." He looked back as he strolled off. "You, too, if you like."

Nusa'pei was hesitant, but according to Narzu-Han who always knew, the boy hated him, and had been almost ready to drop onto him. He smiled. It seemed suitable.

xxValencio's Storyxx

Valencio was quite surprised to wake, and find himself still alive. He wasn't very surprised to find himself firmly restrained, and ready for use.

Pervez was in front of him, looking at him, and smiling. "Guess what. I get to use you now, and I didn't think it would happen for months!"

Valencio saw with satisfaction that there was a mark on his throat, even if he had survived. Without a blink, he said, "Fair enough, I guess. I stick something quite small into you, and you stick something quite small into me." He lay down his head. "Get on with it then. I'm tired."

Botan, Nusa'pei and Adil watched, but Pervez caressed, and then looked in the drawer for the implements that could make the experience painless, or almost so.

By the time Botan thrust himself in, there had been both Pervez and Nusa'pei. Botan still managed to hurt.

Valencio didn't give him the satisfaction of showing his pain. He stared into the distance, ignoring Adil, who watched his face. He didn't bother making any plans to kill them all. He fully expected to die that night. For the first time for a long time, he thought of his silly, beautiful mother. A comment made a very long time ago slipped into his mind. Pedro had said he was made for it. Botan grunted his way to a climax. Valencio ignored him, just waiting for whatever was to happen.

On the Brieke-tei, he didn't have to think, didn't have to fight, or resist. He was totally helpless. They did what they wanted with him.