* Notes: Workers at Loch Lomand: Michael & Dot, small son, Robin, Melanie. The freed slaves: Carol & Helene, leaders. Gloria, Brigitta, Inge & Evita, the young girls. Clarence & Bernice, Tasha & Valencio (Vince.) Jimmy, (Enclosure 3.) Kaede, Connie & Mary, older ones.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter & his world belongs to J. K. Rowling. By the time of this story, Harry Potter is known as Bellamy.
Chapter 26:
That evening at dinner, Bellamy stood for a moment, and said that if anyone wanted, he could take just one on an excursion Monday, apparating, when he helped his neighbour sort out some horses. "Mind, Marcus Pickering has long hair, almost always wears a cape or full robes, and looks far more like a great wizard than I do. Some of you might not like that!"
Gloria said, "Isn't that the one who married Susan?"
"That's the one. I've never let him come here. I know you don't like wizards very much."
Gloria stated casually. "Hate wizards, but I'd like to come."
Carol took charge. "All those who want to go, give me your names and we'll select at random."
Bellamy nodded and sat down.
When names were drawn from a hat that evening in the ballroom, it was Astra's name that was pulled out. She looked at Carol, who was smiling at her, and quietly asked if she could have the chocolates out. Valencio swore to himself. He hated these stories. They were heartbreaking, what was done to the women he cared about - it made him feel horrible, churned up. Yet, each woman who did it, seemed relieved, as if it helped them.
Tasha took Valencio's hand. He was not the only one who found it difficult.
There was a hush. "It was Brahim," she started. "I was the one straight after Tiffany, I think, and I was never given a chance to fight or run, but I have a very vague memory of a monitor being used on my pelvis, before I was taken. There may even have been a physical examination, but I'm not sure."
She hesitated, and Carol spoke calmly, hoping that she wouldn't back out. "After being whipped, I imagine Pervez would have checked very carefully."
Astra nodded. "I was sixteen, and a virgin. I only have very vague memories of everything up to finding myself with restraints around wrists, ankles and knees."
She blushed, and went on with difficulty. "He took a long time working up to it, as if he wanted me to enjoy it, too. But I was frightened and embarrassed at being so terribly exposed and helpless. I don't understand how he could expect me to enjoy it.
"Anyway, he finally got to it, and it hurt, of course, even when he used a lubricant. I wore his wristband for only three days before he lost interest, and Hicham took me over. Comparatively speaking, I had it easy, as Hicham was sometimes too quick and rough, but not too bad, I suppose. I was his Favourite for years. The wristband was taken off when he went to Japan for a while. They said there were a half dozen Geisha Girls taken, and I guess he wanted to see if they were any different to the rest of us."
She looked away, firmly at the window, and finished, "That's all I have to say."
There was quiet. As Astra had said, for her, it had not been horrific. It was still a hurt. A life interrupted, plans of future career abruptly irrelevant, and above all, the sense of being helpless at the mercy of powerful wizards who were profoundly indifferent to their welfare.
Another timid voice spoke. Angini, normally quite confident. "I had Brahim, too. They left me in Enclosure 1 for nearly a week before they came for me, and everyone helped by telling me what it was all about. I was wearing Brahim's wristband, and Astra told me how it happened for her. I was also sixteen, and Pervez made very sure I was virgin. I had ideas of pushing something up inside, so I wouldn't be virgin, or not physically, but when I tried, it hurt too much and I stopped. After hearing of Tiffany's punishment, I'm glad I stopped.
"The servant who came for me was Kofi-Zee and he was quite gentle. I knew not to argue, and he took me to a room and put restraints around knees, ankles, and wrists. I was very frightened. He told me to drink a potion, and I didn't want to, but I did. And then Brahim came in, introduced himself, and told me to take off my clothes and lie on the bed. I was obedient, though I don't think I could have been if I hadn't had that time in the enclosure.
"The worst was when they clipped the restraints onto the bed, and especially when they made me open my legs, and then the knee clips were secured. And then Brahim nodded to Kofi-Zee, who left the room. But then he only sat on the bed, and stroked.
"After a while, I stopped being frightened and something else happened. It must have been the potion, as I wanted something. I'd never felt like that before. How could one actually want a hard penis put inside you, especially when it was the first time, and it was going to hurt. But he stroked, and I couldn't help it, I put myself up to him, and whimpered. I had to have him, and I hadn't even seen yet what it was that I wanted. He laughed and stroked and touched gently. There was no need for lubricant."
Angini bowed her head. "He made me ask. He made me ask him to have sex with me. I don't even know if you'd call it rape, because I wanted it desperately, and I asked him, begged him to do it. I never forgave myself. It didn't hurt much, maybe because I wanted it so much. They didn't bother with potion again, but somehow I always wanted it anyway, when it was Brahim. I was his Favourite for about two years I think, and then they took the wrist band off me, and I was for general use. Another girl was brought in, and she wore his wrist band for a week before they came for her."
There was quiet, but Angini was finished.
Amber said, "I was the next girl for Brahim, and he did it exactly the same. It was more humiliating I think, than just a simple rape." She glanced shamefaced at Angini. "I asked for it, too. I keep reminding myself that I was lucky, especially when I heard what others had been through. It was a blow to the pride, but I was only hurt by Botan a few times later, after Brahim was killed in a duel."
She sighed. "I was lucky."
Carol handed around the chocolates. They were working again, and it wasn't only the ones who'd told their stories who needed the comfort, both of the closeness of their friends, and also of the chocolates, which had assumed the symbolism of a reward for a difficult task, bravely undertaken.
Over the next two evenings, there were more stories, the easier ones. Exotic and graceful Kwai-Jeeha, for instance, had fallen in love with a dashing young man with a dark complexion and flashing white teeth. He was called Kuwaja Khatabi. After three months of closeness, and a marriage proposal accepted, she was regularly sharing his bed. But then one day he told her he was needed at home, and a Khatabi couldn't really marry, and asked if she wanted to be with him anyway.
"I told him I didn't. If I wasn't good enough to marry, then obviously he didn't care about me."
She took a chocolate and turned it over and over in her fingers. "The one I knew as Madi Khatabi-Richi took over and compelled me, while Kuwaja looked the other way. When I arrived, I was sterilised, which felt awful, but Quang didn't tell me what it was or I would have felt worse. Then he put on a coloured wristband, and explained that I was a nominated Favourite, and for exclusive use of Kuwaja. But then there was the number, and that really meant to me that I was now just a slave.
"Kuwaja didn't come for me for a week, and I heard he was 'mating' a Khatabi woman, on instructions. When he came for me, I screamed and yelled, and hit him, and cried. And he stood there and looked foolish, and kept saying sorry, sorry. But he refused to take me home. He said he wasn't allowed now, and he shouldn't have taken me. He wasn't even allowed to take me with him when he went on trips.
"It was years before I knew he was one of their best Fighters. He came for me every night, and took all the abuse I could heap on him. After a week, when I kept refusing, he pulled me close in his arms, and he smelled like the one I loved, and suddenly, I wanted him again." She smiled ruefully. "He'd done that to me, and I still wanted to make love with him. So stupid." She shook her head.
"I guess I partly forgave him. At least, I stopped abusing him, and we made love nearly every night, except when he had to do a job mating a Khatabi. He was one of those with extra power, and was wanted as a sire. The worst for me was that I itched to get out of the enclosure, but even though I knew Kuwaja's bedroom, and the route to it, there was nothing else but the prison. And at that, I knew I was lucky, as I know most were only taken to the bedrooms off the corridor."
Gloria said, "Prison! It drove me mad. The day we were taken to new enclosures, was excitement."
They'd taken Nusa'pei by surprise that day. For so long they'd been obedient, but when they saw new enclosures almost exactly the same as the old ones, there'd been a mass revolt. Dozens had wound up paralysed, their bodies just moved in and dumped by magic.
Tasha had had a very strong grip on Valencio's arm, Hilde on the other side, and there were two guards with wands raised, just for him. He'd thought it a bit silly. His wrist cuffs were already tied to his ankle cuffs, so that he couldn't raise a fist without raising the corresponding leg. What did they expect him to do? He'd done nothing, only what he was told, to Nusa'pei's relief. Narzu-Han was watching, and would have been annoyed if he'd had to be punished.
Kwai-Jeeha continued. "That's how it was for me for a long time, kept in a prison for the use of one selfish man, who used to say he loved me. Then there was a big row among the men - a lot of fighting, and Kuwaja was one of those killed. I was nearly forty by then, and he'd always told me I would have the choice if that happened, whether to go into Enclosure 2, or stay. But Nusa'pei said I was to stay. When things settled down, he came for me, himself, and used me frequently, the first man ever, aside from Kuwaja. There were a lot of Khatabi-Richi, as well, though I can't remember any Khatabi. It was another three years before I was moved over."
**x**
Monday, Mary watched admiringly as Astra smiled confidently at Bellamy, and moved under his arm to be instantly conveyed to the neighbour's place.
He returned her mid afternoon, looking a little weary, but pleased to share her experiences.
"Paul's wife is Helena and she's Medj, and said that wizards and medj were just the same really... "She said that he's still lonely because of Pat. Pat was Medj, too. She said he needs another wife, but he's too different... "They yell at each other every year, him and Paul, because they disagree on which horses to keep, but they're really very good friends."
"What were the horses like?"
"Beautiful horses, but I was sick to death of them by the end of the day. Helena showed me a brand new foal, the first of the season. It was nearly black, but she said the Andalusians are mostly like that, and then get lighter coloured every year, and the old ones are mostly white."
"Reya's still quite dark."
Valencio asked, "What was apparation like?"
"Like nothing. Just that one instant I was here, and the next instant I was there." She grinned, "Magic. It has its advantages."
Valencio shuddered, "I don't fancy it."
Tasha laughed at him, "I'm braver than you are then! I've done it."
Valencio grinned at her, "You were always braver than me."
Astra was surprised, "When did you do it, Tasha?"
"He took me shopping once, remember?"
Valencio asked Astra, "Where is his home?"
"He didn't tell me. Said it was hidden, so no-one tried to go there and kill him."
Inge said, "Melanie told me that his staff all do Defence Practice, the wizards with their wands, and the medj and cam-medj with rifles and pistols."
Valencio asked, "So how many medj staff does he have?"
"Just Victor and Oliver, I think."
"Victor? He didn't mention that."
"Maybe it's a matter for shame? You know how they always called us dirt-people, as if we were indeed just dirt."
"The Malfoy wizard was the same, remember. Looked at us as if we were insects."
"I think Susan's husband might be like that as well. Long, blonde hair, and dressed in full robes that flapped about in the wind, but the horses didn't seem to worry. But he didn't speak to me, except he was polite when he was introduced."
"Why do you think then?"
"His mum was looking at him very sternly, as if she thought he might say something rude."
"I'd never really thought of wizards having mums like anyone else..."
"The Khatabi wizards didn't. Just mothers who were told who they were to mate with."
"Always thought it so weird..."
That evening, Margaret, Hilde, and Veronica all told their stories.
Connie called to Mary Tuesday afternoon, pointing to a horse-box that appeared in the driveway. They were among the audience that watched as Bellamy pointed the driver to the horse paddocks, and strode after him, his dogs at his heels, as always.
Bellamy turned and smiled at those who followed, saying in a pleased voice, "Nigretta, Sherese, and Madigan. Also an excess riding horse from Paul's place, called Annie Oakley. Quiet to ride."
There was a whistling neigh. "Hush up, Madigan," he called. "In a minute."
The driver let down the ramp of the large horse-box, but the big black horse didn't wait, pushing past the other horses, and going straight to the boss, who hugged him. A chestnut mare looked after him, and used her teeth on the knot, freeing herself, and following Madigan.
He laughed to the women. "We call them Line of Sheba. They've got brains." Another smaller horse also freed herself.
"Annie Oakley," said Melanie proudly. "She was a cull as a yearling - too small, but she was so pretty, I asked if we could keep her to ride."
The young mare was almost red chestnut, with splashes of white all over her.
"She looks like a Red Indian horse," exclaimed Tiffany.
Melanie gave her a pleased smile. "She's good to ride, for general use."
The driver went to untie the Andalusian, waiting patiently. But the black mare was beautiful, and there were awed sighs of admiration. She pricked her ears and arched her neck. She was Andalusian. She was royalty.
Connie said to Mary, "She's the one he said was sick, and she's having a year off from breeding."
Mary said, "Even to have her for a few months - I feel as if she's too good for us."
"Do you feel that? That we don't deserve things?"
Mary nodded. "Kaede says it's natural, and we just have to learn that we do deserve things. We're not dirt-people, who just have to accept what happens to us."
Connie smiled at her dear friend, "And do you think you might abandon Ruby for Nigretta?"
"Never. I think I value kindness more than beauty."
"Me, too."
Bellamy said, "Sherese and Madigan in the paddock where no-one's allowed to go," and he looked severely at Gloria, who smiled blithely back.
"Also Nigretta because she's not yet broken in, but Annie Oakley can go straight in with the other riding horses."
"Isn't it time I put Reya in with the other mares in foal?" asked Melanie, and Bellamy nodded.
He smiled at Brigitta. "Foals in about a fortnight, Reya and Sherese, but I don't know when Revenge is due."
"Revenge!" exclaimed Gloria.
He nodded, and she ducked through the rails of the paddock where no-one was allowed to go, and stroked her cranky pony, who whickered at her, and then stamped her foot at Bellamy. Her sides were rather round. Gloria touched the flank of her mare. Could that have been movement of a foal? She waited a long time, but it didn't come again. She wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not, but hugged her mare, close. Revenge sighed and put up with it.
Gloria's eye was caught by a black horse streaking past. Bellamy, on Madigan, his own horse. No bridle, no saddle. His two dogs streaked off after him, but taking cunning short cuts now and then. Gloria shook her head. He was a strange man. It was no wonder that the American authorities had not been able to work him out. And Jimmy could have killed him! He and the other soldier, who'd been told to shoot him if they found him. Jimmy would be dead by now if he'd done as he was told, and possibly most of them, as well.
She was out on Annie Oakley early the following morning, just by herself. She quite often felt a need to go out by herself. The mare was about 15 hands, Gloria thought, now familiar with the horse terminology. The pretty mare felt so smooth and well behaved after Wentworth. She couldn't have exclusive use, of course. There were far too many wanting to ride, and even with the new ones, not enough horses.
Foals soon. Reya and Sherese, by a pony stallion called Bruno, John had told her, a result of an unauthorised escapade. And her own mare, Revenge, who was boss of Bluey's Paddock. Gloria had seen even big Madigan quickly move, when Revenge laid back her ears at him. Bluey's paddock was 'the paddock where no-one's allowed to go.' It was named after one who'd died in Enclosure 3. There was even a rather nice sign in the corner.
There were more stories in the next evenings. Nearly all of them were firm that it was important, something they had to do, though some admitted they didn't think they could. Valencio hated it. It was hard to sleep sometimes, and he'd wander in the night. It was so peaceful, and the stars were bright out here, so far from the big cities. Even when it was misty with rain, he knew the tracks very well, and didn't find the darkness too much of a problem.
One night, he was sitting leaning against the boundary fence, halfway up a mountain. He looked around as he heard more footsteps, coming quite quickly. John. He'd seen him before, wandering around at night, usually with Trey at his heels, though seldom his other dog, Shaz. John had nightmares sometimes, Bernice said.
Bellamy stood a moment, regarding him, before asking, "Want some company?"
Valencio was pleased, and indicated, "Have a piece of wet grass."
Bellamy dropped down beside him, leaned against the fence as he was, and commented, "I used to learn about the stars at school. Never remembered much of it, though."
"Kaede was my teacher, mostly. But she didn't know the stars over Morocco. Said they were different to her home." He grinned, "I suggested to Narzu-Han one night that he should take me outside the Compound to have a look at the stars. But he only laughed."
Bellamy asked, smiling, "To look at the stars?"
"Most unlikely to give me a chance to do anything else." He smiled. He might have had a go. Used to think - if only. He could have knocked out Narzu-Han, broken his wand, stolen his robes, and fled to Baradan, to the Western sector. They weren't supposed to know about Baradan, but he'd learned a lot from Zeeko, even a lot of Japanese, enough that sometimes he could make out what they said.
His rueful smile turned to a grin. Narzu-Han would have had to face the gate guards, naked and without his slave. A very pleasant thought. There were always two guards whenever he was outside the Enclosure, even on guard outside the locked bedroom, three for a while. He'd never had a chance, and he leaned back his head, suddenly sad. He was free now, but he was still irretrievably dirtied.
John glanced at him, and said, "Tasha can start riding Honey soon. Melanie's doing well with her."
"She told me you're great at getting them started, just don't bother with regular aides."
"Horses know what I want. Even before I knew I had any talent for telepathy, I knew I had an exceptional communication with animals."
Valencio said, "It's probably why you reminded me of Yiko, right at the start. He had telepathy."
"It's not ethical to use it, I feel, except when essential. The Khatabis didn't worry about that, of course."
"No, they wouldn't."
Valencio was wondering just how much Narzu-Han had known what he was thinking. He'd felt it when Yiko had looked at his mind once, but neither had done it like that since. Though sometimes, he'd felt enough to make him uneasy. He thought he'd been able to keep some secrets, but Narzu-Han had known about Tasha when he wasn't supposed to.
Bellamy turned his thoughts away again, "How's the stable block going?"
"We've redesigned it a bit, like you said, but we're going well. Ready for the roof to go on soon." They were making the roof separately, and Bellamy was simply to put it into position with magic, as soon as they were ready.
Valencio said awkwardly, "Thank you for everything you've done for us. Just because we seem to just accept everything without question... It doesn't mean we don't realise how much we owe to you."
Bellamy seemed a touch awkward as well, and said, "I appreciate your words, but there's no need to feel under any sort of an obligation. Anirage owes you whatever you need."
Valencio gave him a quick glance, and resumed his study of the stars.
Bellamy said casually, "You've got a cat, I understand, your horse, I'm surprised you don't have a dog. There's some pups at home, at least three quarters Border Collie. Would you like one?"
Valencio smiled all over his face, and said, "I hadn't even thought of it, but yes, I'd love to have a dog."
"A couple of months yet, they're only two weeks old. Archie's dog."
"There are a lot of you at your home?"
"Archie's Oliver's grandfather, there's Peter, his father, his mother, Gabrielle, and there's a couple of secretaries, counting Dot, and a few security guards..." Bellamy smiled, "It's home, and even when my daughters complain I'm not there often enough these days, it's my home. The people, the animals, they're all part of it."
They rose from the wet ground, and started to walk together, back down the mountain.
**x**
The stories dried up again, replaced with sad talk about never having children. The possibility of adoption was brought up, but Gloria said briskly that since hardly any of them had husbands, there was not much point talking about it. Shirley said that she'd asked Dot months before if there was any chance of being healed with magic, but there wasn't. That even the great wizard himself couldn't do something like that.
Tasha turned to Clarence and Valencio, and asked, "What about you? Were you ever sterilised?"
Valencio shook his head, but Clarence said, "Myself, and Giuliano. Many years ago, practice for Zola, when she was training. It didn't seem all that important then, especially since not long afterwards, three quarters of Enclosure 2 were taken away and didn't come back."
"What about you, Jimmy?"
"Not that I know of."
A couple of nights later, Astra knocked hard on Gloria's door. "Revenge. Maybe she's in trouble. She's got her head stuck over the fence, and is calling as loud as she can."
The mare didn't quieten when Gloria went to her, and she said decisively, "We'll get John."
Gloria explained, and Bellamy said, "Go back to her, keep her company, but be careful she doesn't hurt you, and I'll be there as soon as I've dressed."
It was almost miraculous the way that the little horse quietened the moment the boss went to her. She whickered to him, complaining, and he put his arms around her neck, hugged her and told the waiting women, "She's not sick, just that the foal is coming."
They were thrilled, and Astra said, "I'll tell the girls."
Gloria said, "Valencio, as well. He likes the horses."
And when Inge, Valencio and Tasha came to join her, she smiled at them, joyfully, and said, "The foal's coming. He says she's in labour. Nothing wrong, just her foal."
Tasha smiled, "A foal!"
Gloria cautioned, "We all have to keep right back. She only wants John."
"I thought she always bit John."
"She wants him now."
There was a growing crowd of women, as well as Valencio and Clarence. They stayed respectfully back, as Revenge accepted the soothing petting of Bellamy, and finally lay down, and without further fuss, delivered a little black and white colt foal.
Bellamy beamed as the foal was licked clean, raised its head, started to get to its feet, then shook its head and fell over again. There was an awed silence. They were still there when the piebald foal was nuzzled to his feet and coaxed to have a drink. The mare licked her baby's rump, very proud.
The boss stood close, still beaming as if it was his own achievement. She laid back her ears and bit him very hard on the bottom, so that he yelled and quickly retreated.
The women laughed at him, and he rubbed his bottom and complained, "I didn't get her into foal, and she blames me for the pain!"
Gloria said, "Do you need anti-bruising lotion?"
He rubbed his bottom again, tenderly, and said that he wouldn't be able to sit down otherwise, let alone ride the horses.
They were laughing, but being very bossy, ordering him to drop his pants and be treated. He held out his hand for the lotion and said firmly that he could do it himself. Gloria put it behind her back, and told him not to be so silly. He was to drop his pants, and he could choose which of them would put on the lotion.
He cast his eyes around, and said, "Clarence!"
But Clarence backed off, and it was finally Helene who rubbed in the purple lotion, as he leaned over, exposing the injured bottom, watched by a dozen laughing women, and by now, two laughing men.
"Bloody, bossy women!" he complained to Valencio after.
Valencio grinned at him, "You enjoyed it! You didn't have to do as they said."
Bellamy answered, grinning back, "I always do what women tell me. I've found it to be the best policy in life."
Valencio agreed. He always did what the women told him, as well.
Gloria went back to her mare afterwards, and just watched for a long time. Thierry joined her, not long before dawn, and whispered, "Bernice told me."
Gloria said, "It's a baby colt foal."
The foal was lying down, not much to see, but Thierry was nearly crying as she said, "He's so beautiful!"
Gloria agreed. How could anything be more beautiful than the new baby of her very own mare?
In the next days, both Reya and Sherese had their foals, but quietly, and unobserved. There were a lot of visitors to Bluey's paddock, watching every move made by the three foals. Reya had a dark grey filly foal, and Sherese had a dun coloured one, with a pale mane and tail. Thierry and Mary were both fascinated, although the boss said it was not good to have too many people handling them.
Madigan watched over them, though luckily not showing any aggression. John said he was not always easy for others to handle, and no-one rode him but himself. But Madigan understood admiration, and had even tolerated a close inspection by Cam McGonnigal, who kept saying he was one of the best horses he'd ever seen.
"It's a consolation," remarked Thierry. "If we can't have children ourselves, maybe we can share a little in other people's children."
Gloria laughed at her. "They're horses, not children!"
Thierry said stubbornly, "They're sort of children..."
Mary agreed. They were sort of children. She wished she could hold a baby again. It had been so special when she'd been allowed to hold the baby. One of Jimmy's stories of John Doe... That he'd been given a baby to hold, and had been so upset afterwards, that he'd got himself shot climbing the fences in broad daylight. And afterwards, the soldiers were not even allowed to talk about children and babies, so he wouldn't get upset again.
Mary understood. It was so special to hold a baby.
***chapter end***