The Enclosure 2 prisoners were worried. They were being used as test subjects for spells, again. This time it was the enclosure guards, each of whom were practising the spells to make a person temporarily deaf and blind. They had a strong suspicion it might be something to do with Valencio. Warn him?

Carol finally said, "It might not be to do with him, and he's so unstable. It would upset him terribly, I think."

Adelbert said, "Is he unstable? He seems to be coping perfectly well."

"Hilde tells me he's getting far too thin, that he's feeling the strain."

Clarence said sadly, "He feels it as an outrage, I suspect. Every single time, it takes something away from his strength. He might be a brave kid, but they're going to break him." Just like they broke me, he added to himself. He'd never been as full of spirit as Valencio, but now he felt himself a frank coward. The wizards had done that.

Valencio was watched with desire, as always, whenever he was within sight. The kitchen workers, especially Arikiyo, the cleaners, and the guards, the permanent guards sometimes resentful they were still not allowed to have him. Nusa'pei deemed it essential that none of the permanent guards use the boy in the way he hated, and preferably not at all, and tried to keep the rostered guards out of his reach. He thought it significant that Iraz had taken quite a deep wound, though the others had barely been scratched. Haru had not yet asked for an appointment, to his relief. Haru exercising his status to order the enclosure guards to review their blinding and deafening spells had worried him profoundly.

xxxValencio's Storyxxx

Valencio thought he might stop running soon. There was too little space, too few ways to make a variation, and maybe he was becoming more accepting, finally. It was still a humiliating invasion, but it was now months since Adil had hurt him so badly, and there had been one a night for over four months now. It wasn't killing him.

He yawned, and slipped along the perimeter fence back towards the buildings. He might just evade the guards, and present himself in the dining room. There was a sound from one of the watchers, and he glanced, and turned to look. "What on earth happened to you, Iraz?" he asked in utmost astonishment.

Iraz looked sheepish, and said, "Fahad got tired of people teasing, and challenged us one by one. So I've got donkey ears, and so has Achmiko, and Hwang and Rafik have the faces of boars, as well as two others."

Valencio doubled up with laughter, and then came closer to the fence, "Can I see?" He was gleeful. "Fahad not hurt?"

"Fahad's an expert duellist. He's not hurt."

"Pity. I hoped he might be killed." His eyes roamed. He knew them all, never forgetting any who'd used him.

"Rafik, you look absolutely disgusting!"

Rafik said, almost apologetically, "We'll be fixed soon, one of the Khatabis will make a visit and they can fix us."

"Can't the healer fix you?"

Valencio now had the three chasers behind him, and surrounding him, each with wands raised. He ignored them, as Rafik explained that Fahad's spells were particularly hard to break.

"Why don't you combine, trap him, and get him in the back?"

Rafik was surprised. "We're wizards! The honorable thing when we have a quarrel is to have a fair duel, one to one. Sometimes, people get hurt. Mostly, we just wear donkey ears until someone can fix it for us. Some of us can fix it ourselves."

Valencio approached even closer, and peered. He giggled, with utmost and infectious delight, and said, "You truly do look awful!"

They were smiling at him. The vivacious boy of the runs not at all the same one who was pulled onto his side for their pleasure.

"Do you have tails as well?"

"Not this time, luckily!"

"Do you sometimes have tails?"

Rafu and Amani glanced at each other, and took his arms in their hands, as Abensur still held his wand ready raised. Amani finally said, "Come, on, Valencio. You have an appointment."

Not long later, showered, shampooed, naked, but with a tiny but razor sharp shiv in his hair, he waited for his client. It was Arikiyo who arrived first, tossing a soccer ball casually in his direction, and saying he might like it. Valencio looked at him, surprised, and thanked him.

Nusa'pei said sternly, "Throw it here, Valencio. I need to decide whether you're allowed to have it."

Obediently, Valencio threw the ball to Nusa'pei, who checked it for firmness, hesitated, and finally threw it back. "You may keep it," and was rewarded with a blinding smile. By the time Irwandi arrived, late, he was shuffling the soccer ball up and down the room, not very good at it. He would improve.

xxxValencio's Storyxxx

A meeting of the enclosure guards, Rafu, Thuli, Nusa'pei, Abensur, Kofi-Zee and Amani. The cholera epidemic was still raging, death count now close to the hundred thousand. It was not likely that the Khatabis would be coming back any time soon. Yiko Khatabi was to make a short visit, to lift the spells resulting from duelling. No new ones in Enclosure 1 until the Khatabis came back, then Kwai-Zeeha and Veronica would probably go over to Enclosure 2, so that new ones could come in.

As for Valencio, there was no need for any change of handling. He was coping well, and seemed to be happy enough, and pleasing his customers. Nusa'pei mentioned, "There's been a few now, who have suggested to him that he take their names off his list, in return for offering pleasure in other ways. And he takes care to try and give those a good time, as best he can."

Abensur said, hesitantly, "Those extra spells Haru taught us..."

"He hasn't said anything more, except that if he does ask for the boy, he'll use the Brieke-tei. And I've been thinking about that. If it happens, and it almost inevitably will at some stage, we'll give the boy little or no warning. But what we'll do for the moment, is make a slight change when it's Zeeko - put the Restraining Chair in the end bedroom, say it's because there's extra floor space, if he asks, and at least he won't start to struggle even before he gets into the room."

Abensur said thoughtfully, "Maybe it's just like a hurdle he has to get over. It was quite discernible when Adil had him, and even before. Once he was fully restrained, he'd quite suddenly lay his head down, usually close his eyes, and relax his body. Accepting."

Nusa'pei agreed. "He doesn't do that when he's paralysed, still seems tense and as if he's hating it."

Amani said, "I forget how it came up, but he told me the other day that Adil put a spell on him once, and then gave him a deep massage of the back. Except that it was agony."

"Mizuho-Freeni Curse possibly?"

"That's sheer wickedness, if so."

Nusa'pei said briskly, "Well, there's nothing we could have done about it, even if we'd known at the time. I might be able to influence Haru a trifle, but I could never have influenced Adil."

"He acted as if he hadn't meant to mention it, and I didn't encourage him to go on."

Nusa'pei said, "Best forgotten."

Rafu grinned, "The men still love him, and surely there would not normally be as much demand for the women when the place is almost deserted."

Nusa'pei agreed, "We're mostly very quiet at times like this."

The day after, Thuli and Kofi-Zee held Valencio's arms, as they walked the corridor to the end bedroom. Zeeko was with them, and they were already talking about a famous wizard duel.

Valencio's sudden flinch of realisation was quite discernible, and he paled noticeably, but then looked at Zeeko, seemed to take reassurance, and walked on. That room where he'd been abused so often, but there were only a couple of chairs, one the Restraining Chair they always used for him, plus a table. There was also the bed, of course.

It was a regular routine, now, they'd talk about various subjects, women, Morocco and its geography, Zeeko would teach Valencio a few words in Japanese, and Valencio would correct Zeeko's Italian, and they'd be sitting in chairs, like civilised people, as Valencio said, and then after a while, Zeeko's eyes would start travelling over the naked body of Valencio, and one or other would say softly, "Bed?" Zeeko would ring for the guards, Valencio would be restrained on the bed, they'd excite each other, and usually now, both would climax. Zeeko would laugh that he knew he'd get him there, and after a bit of casual cuddling, Zeeko would wipe down his slave, and call the guards. Usage finished.

Increasingly, for other clients, Nusa'pei would only instruct in gentle usage, and leave them alone. For some, Valencio asked if he could be present, and he always complied, if so. Valencio was a lot less worried about being badly abused now, and he was physically so accustomed to it, that only real roughness hurt him.

xxxValencio's Storyxxx

School with Kaede in the morning. This time, when they finished, Valencio said, "Just a little extra time, Kaede, if possible." He smiled at Helene and Emma, "See you at lunch?" Helene looked at him with considerable curiosity, but Emma slipped off the seat straightaway. She always did what Valencio said. Valencio looked pointedly at Helene, and reluctantly, she, too, gathered up her books.

Then Valencio turned to drawing a map of Morocco for Kaede. "Elbarada is almost due west, and only about fifteen miles away. Normal population about 250,000, but currently very much reduced. Both north and south is desert for quite a while, but reasonable roads run through them, most built by American industrialists. East is a medley of small villages for a bit, and if anyone escapes and heads too far north, they run into mountains."

He looked up. "I just thought I should pass on the knowledge in case there's an escape one day." He was drawing from memory.

Kaede reproduced the map on her own paper, as carefully as she could, and when she'd finished, he gave her further information, as much as he knew.

"Zeeko himself doesn't know all that much, as they rarely travel within Morocco, and if I get him to request more books, it might alert them to what I'm doing."

Kaede asked, "Are you really hoping for escape?"

Valencio said vaguely that one had to be prepared, just in case. Then, "Kaede, remember when I hit Pervez that time, Haru renewed a lot of the charms. Did they do Enclosure 2?"

Kaede replied, "Unless he did it while we were all working. But then, he's nearly always there, too."

Valencio thought about it, and then said, "Japanese. These are the words I know."

After the first dozen, Kaede glanced at the large clock nearby, and asked, "Couldn't we do that tomorrow?"

"Now is best. I've heard Adil might be coming back, so it's best if I pass on what I know now."

Kaede refrained from comment, and started copying down the words. 'Kill' and 'castrate' were among the first he'd apparently learned, though Zeeko had looked at him worried, when he'd asked for the word for castrate, and he'd quickly gone on to lions and tigers and horses, anything to distract him from thinking too much. He was not very bright, Zeeko, but he was the closest thing Valencio had to a male companion of his own age.

Adil was supposed to be coming back, and Valencio had ideas of destroying his left eye, leaving him blind.

xxxValencio's Storyxxx

Two days later, It was early afternoon, and Valencio was in the pool with Helene and Emma, and a few of the older women, trying not to look too much at their bodies. He wore shorts. The bell rang for a line-up, but then stopped a moment, and rang again.

Valencio never had to go for line-ups, but this time, Tasha said, "Come on, Valencio, we all have to go this time."

"Why?"

"When it rings like that, it means that it's a Khatabi, and he can take anyone, whether they're already booked or not."

Adil! Valencio was very tense, and the shiv was already between two fingers when he entered the dining room with the women, now dressed. Valencio had put a shirt on, but still wore his wet shorts, as there'd only been time to grab a metal comb, the handle now filed to a sharp point. It was a risk, but it was only a line-up, and if he wasn't selected, he might not be searched. Would Adil select him? But if he wanted him, he could have simply asked for him.

He had four weapons now, the comb in his pocket, quite large, plus the tiny shiv, usually in a seam, one hidden in his hair, and a razor lodged in a pencil, but that would need a little leverage to split the wooden pencil again to get at the blade. They always took his pens and pencils away, but they gave them back afterwards.

It was not Adil. It was a small man, who looked quite old, rather yellow, and distinctly Japanese. The whisper passed up and down the line. "Yiko, second only to Riza, and her son."

Valencio thought he'd be worth killing. Maybe his life would be well lost, in order to bring about the death of Yiko.

Valencio was at one end of the line. Yiko started at the other, inspecting each woman carefully, including Emma, which would have made Valencio angry except that Gloria moved forward slightly, obscuring his vision. Valencio had not been searched, but Thuli and Rafu had their eyes on him, and wands out, as he stood with hands in pockets. The comb was in his right pocket, shiv in left.

Yiko came to him, and looked at him searchingly. Valencio stared a moment, shook his head, then stepped back, away from him, though still held by his eyes. Abruptly, he broke, and bolted. Thuli aimed his wand, but Yiko said, "No, let him go!"

There was a hiding place that Valencio had been looking at, but hadn't been able to reach. In his panic, he reached it, and crouched, shaking with terror, in a hidden place where the slopes of two roofs met. The baking heat made it far too hot to be in. Valencio lay hidden, as his flesh blistered. It was no worse than the pain he'd braved when climbing to a place protected by magic that caused pain. That man. He was a terrible man, who looked at him, and looked through him, and he knew he had no secrets.

No-one came after him, and after a while, Valencio calmed down a little. If they didn't want him now, it might be best if they didn't know about this place. But he had to make an effort to leave, and then he made sure that no-one was watching, and only crawled into a bolthole and stayed there, unable even to remember who was supposed to be having him that night.

He was absent for dinner, and searchers were sent out, finding him quite easily, just curled on his side in one of his boltholes.

Amani said, "Valencio, come with us now."

Valencio curled tighter. He didn't want Yiko near him. He was surely worse than Adil, whose cruelty was still human.

Amani said firmly, "Valencio, I can point my wand, and make your body rise up and move where I want it. You might prefer to come of your own free will."

Valencio crawled out, and Amani looked at him appalled. "What have you been doing to yourself."

Valencio whispered, "It was that man. He looked at me, and I got burned." In his own mind, that was exactly what happened. He was still pale and shaking, though he'd remembered to stash his comb. His hands shook too much to kill anybody in any case now. Not that he'd really get the chance. They were far too careful of him.

Amani said practically, "Well, Arikiyo has you tonight, so we'll fix the burns and clean you up."

Valencio nodded, looking at the ground, and walked meekly with Amani. Najam and Abensur followed, wands out, as always.

Yiko had used Kwai-Jeeya, not causing her any upset, even giving some pleasure in return for that he received. He quite liked to give pleasure, as his telepathic ability meant that it increased his own pleasure.

Amani took Valencio to the dining-room, where Nusa'pei inspected him, including the blisters, even skin hanging off legs. "Take off your clothes, Valencio."

Valencio was still pale, and had begun to shake again. His voice was a frightened whisper, "It's not Yiko, is it? Yiko doesn't want me, does he?"

Nusa'pei spoke soothingly, "Yiko has no interest in you," and didn't mention that he'd been bidden to see him the following day to discuss the boy.

Amani helped take off his clothes. Even where clothing had protected him, there were blisters. Amani said, in a matter-of-fact tone, "He said that Yiko looked at him, and he got burnt."

"Best get Zola for those burns," and he raised Valencio's chin in his hands. The boy's eyes were moist, and it reminded him forcefully of those early days, when he'd been so good at rousing pity. But the shaking of his body was very real. He spoke gently. "How did you get those burns, Valencio?"

"His mind went into mine, and he hurt me." He looked again at the ground, and pleaded, "I can't have him. You have to tell him I can't have him."

Nusa'pei assured him, "He doesn't want you. Arikiyo has you tonight."

They kept him in the dining room. There tended to be an interval about this time. Dinner was finished, and the first appointments not until half past seven, and most of them after eight. Zola came in, frowned over him, and dabbed ointment that began to heal the burns. "It might take about twenty minutes," she said. "I suggest you give him calming potion."

Valencio just sat on the chair where he'd been put. There was no fight left in him.

Arikiyo poked his head in the sitting room on the corridor, finding Nusa'pei with a list in his hand for the guards on escort duty. "What about it?" he asked, "Is he going to run?"

"He's being treated for burns. He said that Yiko looked at him, and he got burnt. He was very upset, hid for hours."

Arikiyo frowned, and asked, "Can I talk to him?"

"Of course. It's up to you whether you postpone your appointment or not."

Valencio didn't seem to notice Arikiyo looking at him. Just sat with his head down, as his burns slowly healed. He accepted the calming potion that Amani gave him, but only sipped, and then started to shake again, spilling it. He left it on the table then. His clothing lay at the other end of the table. They might search it, and find his shiv. If he touched a shiv, he'd probably drop it anyway, now.

Arikiyo strode to him, pulled him up, and hugged him very tight. Valencio burst into tears, and Arikiyo held his sobbing boy a long time, just sitting in a couch against the wall, and holding him close.

Nusa'pei shrugged. Arikiyo had been a very competent Fighter once, and he knew the boy's record. If he was willing to risk his safety... At last, the burns seemed to be healed, and Arikiyo kissed him, murmuring, "You need a shower."

Valencio was docile, just picking up his clothes, dropping them in his room, and showering and washing his hair, as Amani, Rafu and Arikiyo surrounded him, the two guards with wands raised. He was never to be trusted.

Arikiyo hugged him again as he stood, clean and dried, in front of him. He ran his fingers through the silky black hair, knowing the shiv was there, and wondering if he should say something. Maybe the boy thought he needed it. He said, very gently, "It gives me great pleasure when I have you, Valencio. Are you going to kill me for it?"

Valencio nodded slightly. Of course he was. That was his aim in life, to kill every single man that used him in that shameful fashion.

Arikiyo insisted on his way, and Nusa'pei looked at the way Valencio seemed to lean against his arm, and warned, "You may be dead in the morning."

Arikiyo dropped a kiss on the lowered head of the boy, "I'll risk it."

They didn't even put a spell on him, only used the left wrist and ankle restraints to limit his movements, and left him with Arikiyo, who massaged his front, and then turned him on his side, gently soothing for a long time before the lotion was rubbed in. Valencio tensed a moment when Arikiyo entered, but then relaxed as he only thrust slowly and gently. Arikiyo finished, and pulled out. He hugged his boy, breathing that nothing could have given him a greater pleasure.

Valencio thought of the shiv in his hair, and nestled into the strong, male body that curved around him. Arikiyo smiled as his boy went to sleep in his arms.

It was a long, healing sleep, but when Arikiyo felt the boy finally stir in his arms, he decided not to be rash. Softly, he rose from the bed, pointed his wand, and the shiv vanished. Then he got back into the bed, and held him close again. He didn't even take him again, just played a little, massaged his back, and took off the restraints when the boy said he wanted to go to the toilet. Neither said anything about a sharp weapon, now vanished.

A half-hour later, there was a knock on the door, as Nusa'pei decided to see whether Arikiyo had survived. Nusa'pei aimed his wand, and the door opened. Arikiyo was lying on his back, Valencio asleep again, his head on his shoulder, with Arikiyo's arm around him. Nusa'pei shook his head in disbelief. Could the boy have been finally tamed?

Arikiyo said softly, "I'll sleep with him tonight, and return him before breakfast."

Valencio half woke at the words, but only cuddled a little closer.

Hilde was very worried, although Nusa'pei assured her that Valencio was alright, with Arikiyo still, and seeming perfectly comfortable. She wasn't reassured until morning, when Arikiyo brought Valencio back into the room, an arm casually about his shoulders.

"I have to check my list," Valencio said, ignoring Arikiyo, and hurrying to the list, relaxing as he saw that the name for the day was Abbas, not Yiko. Zeeko too, mid afternoon, so he'd have to put on a lively face for that. Zeeko must not know about his terrors. That was enclosure business, and Zeeko never questioned when he said that.

Arikiyo casually followed him to the list, not even an enclosure guard present. Valencio looked at Arikiyo, and said, "It's alright. I was frightened it was Yiko."

Arikiyo said, "Abbas. Is he on your list for killing."

"Yes."

"Along with me?"

"Yes."

He was half apologetic, half defiant. Arikiyo pulled him close, and murmured, "I'm glad you didn't try and kill me last night."

Valencio said defiantly, "I was just a bit tired. I will next time!"

Arikiyo kissed him and left, casually presenting his back to the boy. Valencio looked at Hilde, and said, "I'll kill him next time."

Hilde nodded calmly, "Plenty of time. Are you going to school now?"

"When I've had something to eat. I'm starving!"

xxxValencio's Storyxxx

Nusa'pei had his talk with Yiko, thought about it for a while, and brought it up at the next meeting, saying that he'd like their thoughts on the matter. Valencio. Yiko's recommendation was that the boy be put down, but that the decision was left to him. "He said that it would save further deaths or injuries, and would save the boy years of misery."

There was a silence. It was not just that they'd grown fond of the boy, it was that only Nusa'pei had had him, and most of them quite definitely wanted to. Slowly, Abensur said, "Castration? Would that help?"

"I suggested it. He said on no account. If we keep him, we should let him run, as we've been doing. He said that it helped him, as we thought too, and he even said that we should not try and finally disarm him. That carrying a blade means that he retains some self-respect. He said he carries a shame, and he's surprised he hasn't killed himself long ago."

Amani said, "Yiko's right. The boy's miserable, though he mostly doesn't show it, and will only become more miserable once he's less protected."

Nusa'pei said flatly, "I have every intention of continuing to protect him from abuse."

"One day, the Khatabis will be back, and there's Haru..."

Kofi-Zee said, "There was that sudden revolt against the cuffs, and remember the time when he cut his artery to die, but sliced the number off his arm first?"

Amani said, "I don't think he could be so indifferent to physical pain, if his mental suffering wasn't worse!"

"He's getting too thin, and seems to have less energy every day, to run. Maybe Yiko's right, and he's a lot more unhappy than we know."

Nusa'pei said, "So the general consensus is that he should be put down, painlessly, of course?"

Najam, Thuli, and Rafu were suddenly vehement. He was happy enough. Yiko was mistaken. Look at the way he plays with his soccer ball, and his cutlass. He'd get used to it.

"Abensur, what do you think?"

Abensur said, hesitantly, "I don't like wastage. Here we have a beautiful, spirited boy who's giving a lot of pleasure to a lot of men. As long as we're careful, he's not going to kill anyone else, except maybe like Hafez, who died of the joy of possessing him."

Nusa'pei said, "We've had him about a year and a half, and he had a bad start. It's not a lot of time, and he might yet adjust. I'll think about it."

"The way he reacted to Yiko. Did Yiko say anything about that?"

"Apparently, he felt it when Yiko probed his mind, managed to throw him out, and then bolted. Pervez was right from the start, he does have some undeveloped telepathic talent, but according to Yiko, it happens now and then, even among the dirt-people, but is virtually never fully developed."

"The burns?"

"Yiko said they had to be physical, that he didn't cause any burns."

Two days later, Nusa'pei commented that he'd been watching Valencio fighting imaginary foes with his cutlass. "He's coping, and he's mostly quite happy. We'll keep him alive, and we won't use the Akriktia."

The Akrikita was a recent purchase, a magical device that would warn of the presence of a weapon, or any object modified with the intention of using it was a weapon. Whether of glass, metal or even plastic. Valencio would be deprived of his toys if they used the Akriktia, but they were so seldom seen anyway, and their precautions ensured that those he wanted to kill should be totally safe. Except maybe like Hafez, who died of the joy of possessing him.

xxxValencio's Storyxxx