"Can we do this somewhere in private?" Baralai suggested to Beclem. "There are extenuating circumstances that cannot be discussed openly."

"Fine. I've already got Lady Laura's statement, I just need yours." Beclem agreed, wanting to know what could possibly explain the disturbing scene downstairs. He had thought he had seen it all until today…

"Let me make a call." Baralai took out his phone and dialed a number. "We're ready, Patrice. Beclem needs to know what happened." Hanging up, he nodded at Beclem. "She'll be here in a few moments."

Beclem wondered if he meant the Patrice, older wife of Meyvn Nooj, his own leader. Sure enough, when the luxury automobile pulled up, he recognized her in the driver's seat. The back had tinted windows, so he didn't know what was in there.

"Hello, Beclem. It's nice to finally meet you." she said after she got out. "I must warn you though, I can't let you or anyone talk to her yet, only listen." she told him before opening the back door and climbing in.

Becoming intrigued despite himself, Beclem climbed in after her, his eyes widening in surprise after they adjusted to the dimmer light and was confronted with another naked and battered woman. Whore looked at him and Laura with puzzling fear, that small voice telling her she should know who they are, but not knowing made her think she was failing her Light and that terrified her. She relaxed a little when Patrice put a reassuring and protective hand on her shoulder.

"Please tell him who you are." she said to Alase.

"My name is Whore. I exist only for the pleasure of others." Alase repeated.

"Now tell him what you are." Patrice told her.

"I am Master Baralai's fucking slave. He did this to me." Whore felt more confused as Patrice patted her approvingly. Positive reinforcement was so foreign to her that she wasn't sure if she was being punished or tested.

"If you want to talk to him now, please go in the front seat and close the privacy window. Until I know more about her…experience, I can't have anyone talk to her and risk more damage being done." Patrice firmly told Beclem.

"That was the Lady Alase." Baralai informed Beclem when the privacy window was securely closed.

"What are you talking about? She's in jail! And what does that have to do with your wife being attacked?!" Beclem fired his questions at him. "You're showing me another victim who says you're the one responsible!"

"To get her to safety, I left my wife and Laura at the cottage while Patrice and I drove off, then I went back to see what happened. You saw me walking, so I had no way to know what transpired there. That's my official statement. Unofficially, I did my own investigation when I learned about Alase, but you'll have to talk to my wife if you want answers about what happened to her, that crime should be your focus, not Lady Alase." Baralai replied calmly, only able to keep his cool because he knew Trophy was going to be okay and he could proceed with his plan.

Beclem frowned. He still harbored nothing but ill will towards the name of Yevon for all that the priesthood had done to his Crusader brethren, not to mention the rest of Spira, and now the leader of New Yevon was trying to tell him how to run his investigation. Only his discipline kept him from arresting Baralai on the spot for obstruction, since he felt a need to do something to work off the emotions this investigation was evoking within him. "You'll be hearing from me again." Beclem angrily told him before getting out of the car and waving down the emergency vehicle as it was driving by.

"I'll drive you back to my house and then I'm going to the hospital." Baralai said after he lowered the privacy window enough to talk through it.

"I'm going to the hospital with you." Laura told him in no uncertain terms.

"Very well." Baralai wasn't surprised she was still upset, and he closed the privacy window again.

"You had such an eventful day, why don't you rest now?" Patrice kindly suggested to Alase. Whore was used to be giving orders posed as questions, and she felt better with the proprietary way her new Light was acting towards her, laying down the law about who had access to her, that was how it should be. She curled up on the backseat, putting her head on Patrice's lap and closing her eyes. "I know why he wanted me here, but why did Baralai want you here?" Patrice asked Laura as she started absently stroking Alase's hair.

"I'm guessing he knew I'd want to be involved, since I owe that bastard for Holly." Laura replied, a bitter edge to her voice.

"Who's Holly?" Patrice wondered.

"My sister." Laura informed her.

"I didn't know you had a sister." Patrice blinked in surprise.

"I don't anymore. She killed herself when he got through with her." Laura said flatly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Laura." Patrice told her.

"I'll be fine now. Not only did I get to beat him unconscious, but now he'll really learn what rape's like where he's going." Laura smiled vindictively.

"That's a small comfort." Patrice agreed. "But please don't use the R word around her. I don't think she understands that word, and I don't want to shock her into a breakdown that might be irreversible."

"Yeah, don't worry, I won't jeopardize any chance of recovery she has." Laura assured her, remembering how it felt that her sister wouldn't accept her help. "I don't want him winning again."

Whore's mind was still in such a chaotic state that her peaceful rest soon devolved into a confusing jumble of vague images that kept fading in and out, and she had the distinct impression she should know what they were. It filled her with fear that she was missing something vital, but she was even more afraid of learning anything without permission. Waking up whimpering in fear, she found herself in a strange bed.

"Yes, I know it hurts, but it'll make you better, I promise." Patrice said soothingly, mistaking the reason for Alase's discomfort as she applied antiseptic to the lash marks on her legs. "I wanted to get it all done before you woke up. Do you want a pill to make the pain go away?"

Whore shook her head, feeling the question must be a test. Her new Light was hurting her for her own good, and that was just as it should be, and she almost felt happy as she started looking at her new surroundings. It was a very nice room, with more furniture than just the bed, and it was richly decorated. There was also no window, being the suite Trophy stayed in the week her wedding was being arranged, and not having to look outside made Whore feel even better.

"You're in Baralai's house now." Patrice explained. "He's not here right now, he went to the hospital to be with his wife after he carried you up here." Anything else she might have said was interrupted by a sudden loud knocking on the door.