Tapestry - Chapter 20
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The staircase was one of the longest I had ever seen, spiraling down and around the inside of the entire second floor of the mansion. I had a firm grip on the banister with one hand and my dress slightly bunched in the other, raised high enough to ensure my toes didn't snare themselves in my hem as I descended.
Wufei was waiting for me at the bottom, his hair pulled back in his normal ponytail, dark eyes narrowed and focused, looking absolutely sharp. I wasn't quite sure if he was wearing a tuxedo or a suit, but whatever it was, it was form fitting and made him look deadly and beautiful at the same time.
I reached the last step and glided off the staircase, took a deep, relieved breath, and strode directly toward him, wobbling a little. This was the first time in a long time that I had worn high heels, and as silly as it sounds, walking in those shoes was a skill I had never quite mastered. When I did wear them, it usually felt as if I was lumbering through a swamp clogged with duck grass and Georgia mud, graceless and clumsy.
I touched his arm and smiled. "You look fabulous, Wufei."
He turned and glanced at me, obviously irritated, and didn't say anything - which made me wonder if he even knew how to respond in the first place. Probably not, I realized, surprised. Sometimes, it was hard to know what to say when someone gives you a compliment.
"Say 'thank you,' Wufei," Treize prompted, his cultured voice coming from directly behind me.
I started and turned around to look at Treize as Wufei said "Thank you," his tone automatic, obeying the general's gentle command. Even wearing those high-heeled strappy sandals I found myself bending my head back to look at Treize. He was still significantly taller than I was.
He looked down at me and smiled, tilting his head to one side. "Why, Sally Po," he said, his voice soft, his gaze traveling up and down my body slowly for a long moment. "You look .... incredible. Had I known you were going to clean up this well, I would have insisted on it before."
I nearly lost what composure I had. Apparently, I didn't know how to respond when someone paid me a compliment, either.
"... Ah ... why ... thank .. you ... Treize ... "
Treize took my hand and bent over it, glancing up at my face while still bent over my fingers, giving my hand one tiny, chaste, kiss. He watched my eyes carefully, his own filled with fire.
Words could not describe how I felt as I looked at him. I knew my hand trembled; I fought with myself to keep it there, and not to snatch it back. Really, why should I? He was acting appropriately, completely within the bounds of propriety. He simply looked totally indescribable - and it was that indescribable power of his that drew me to him.
A small, functioning part of my brain wasn't quite sure whether I should lean forward and kiss him or run away screaming. I wasn't even sure what it was that I really wanted to do. An even smaller part of my brain suggested I drag Wufei with me while I ran away screaming. That part, though, was pessimistic when it came to estimating my chances of ultimate escape; in fact, it calculated our odds at a depressing million to one, and even thought those were optimistic.
Gads.
"Are we ready?" Treize smiled, now completely normal, looking at Wufei and me, waiting.
I blinked and shook my head. Wait. Did I just imagine it, or ... had Treize really been like that? There was something nagging at the back of my brain ... something that refused to come forward, no matter how hard I tried to remember it. Something that happened the previous night - or this morning? - or -
"Eh ... yes. I ... I'm ready," I stammered, still staring at him.
Treize smiled, touching my arm lightly, comforting in a way. He was wearing gloves, a marvelous tuxedo, and looked dashing and debonair.
"Wufei?"
Wufei looked at Treize, snorted, and walked in the opposite direction, obviously disgusted with the entire scene.
He gave a slow sigh and shook his head, looking after him. "Wufei," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "I am so sorry, Sally. He's still young - the importance of manners has not made an impression on him as yet."
"That's quite all right, Treize," I murmured, watching Wufei march out of the foyer. "I understand."
But my emotions were completely out of kilter. Half of what I was feeling was slightly miffed that Wufei would just walk out without saying anything at all, but the other half were celebrating that he had walked out without saying a word. Because I didn't really want a close, hard look at what I was feeling, I decided to think about that tidbit of information later.
Much, much later.
"This way, please." Treize bowed slightly and offered me his arm.
"Why - thank you."
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Odd experiences seem to be the mainstay of my life. Here I was, being walked very properly through the front door of an expansive, Mediterranean villa, wearing a breathtaking dress that did things to my figure that no other piece of cloth had ever been able to do, on the arm of the wealthiest and most powerful man in the world, strolling toward his private yacht for a journey to Naples, to dinner and then to the opera. From the outside, this appeared to be every woman's fairytale dream. Me, carried away by the prince.
From the inside ... well. The phrase "appearances can be deceiving" wasn't just a little something tossed off by the local media. It was a phrase that endured through the ages, through a multitude of cultures, precisely because it was true. It may have looked like a fairytale dream, but ... really. It wasn't.
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Something was definitely off with my emotions, and honestly, I could not figure out what it was. Analysis was not one of my strong points under normal circumstances - and believe me, I was not up to any deep analysis right now.
It was beautiful outside, just the perfect day for sailing. I smiled a little at Treize as we walked on the path from the house to the docks, nearly the same as the one from the helicopter pad to the house. When I swung my head around, though, to get a good view of his pleasure yacht, my breath caught in my throat and I tried to pull my hand away from his arm, almost stopping dead.
Oh. Merciful. Heavens. That wasn't just a little yacht, a rich man's toy, something to amuse himself with as he puttered around the Mediterranean - this was a ship, a cruise ship, something built to withstand rough seas and high winds and enormous amounts of people.
People. Good gods, there must have been over two hundred people on that ship. All sizes, all shapes ... and if I wasn't mistaken, it looked as though many of the leaders of Romefeller and OZ were on this vessel. And they were all staring at us. Specifically, at Wufei and me.
Gods.
Wufei was already on the ramp going up to the main deck of the ship. Many people were standing at the railing in their finery, watching Wufei board, compassion and sadness in their attitude, as if he was to be pitied because he was wasting his life, or something. I was staring at them in shock, not quite believing that Treize would neglect to tell me something so obviously critical; such as, 'oh, by the way, you'll be sailing with a large number of Romefeller and OZ officials and their families on this cruise to Naples.'"
"Now, now - don't worry, Sally," Treize said, patting my hand, not letting me pull away. "No one will condemn you. I have forbidden it. You are safe with me. Come along."
He gave me a gentle smile and led me inexorably toward the ship.
"I ... I had no idea you would have so many guests today ..." My voice didn't sound panicky, exactly, but it certainly didn't have the calm, cool tones I liked. Mentally I was kicking myself - I should have realized he'd do something like this. Gads, I was such a moron not to anticipate a move like this.
You should know by this time that he'd tell Wufei anything before he'd tell you, muttered my snarky inner voice. You're just lucky you saw the people before you walked up the gangplank.
Shut. Up. Gods, just shut up.
"Saa ... I thought I had mentioned it." Now Treize sounded apologetic, if such a thing was possible. I sincerely doubted it, though. He kept speaking to me; his words washed against my skin as I stared at the plethora of people crowding the sides of the ship. They peered back at me in an unfriendly, predatory fashion. I tried to decide how I was going to deal with them once I was on board - because I knew, as surely as I knew my own name, that I would be thrown to the sharks the moment we were on board. If he could do something like not tell me how many people we would be sailing with, his next logical step would be to toss me in with them, alone, and watch what happened.
"... they will not be with us the entire evening, or on the way back. Forgive me, Sally. I thought you knew."
I looked right at the writhing mass of humanity that massed at the railing and refused to look at Treize. "Oh. Well. That's perfectly all right, Treize," I replied, my tone as coldly neutral as I could manage. "I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern."
"You'll be more than made up to, Sally. I promise. Dinner will not be with company."
He led me up the ramp, being completely proper in the way he held my arm, the way he guided me toward the rest of his guests.
Of course, my mind supplied. He has an audience.
I took a deep breath and let my anger propel me forward. A sea of faces swam in front of my eyes; I was sure I saw Duke Dermail, that strange, twisted little man with the white hair and the sunken cheeks who was rumored to be Treize's uncle. There were more people there, of course, more people pressing forward, all pushing to get close to Treize, coming close to shake his hand, to touch him.
All those people. And they were all my sworn enemies.
Once we reached the deck of the ship, Treize dropped my arm immediately and started shaking hands with those people surrounding us, nodding and smiling, not even looking at me. I fixed a smile on my face and slowly moved away from his side, trying to glide through the crowd toward the bar I saw in the middle of the deck. People reluctantly parted as I murmured "Excuse me," their expressions impossible to read. It was obvious they knew who I was, and just as obvious they wanted to do more than simply block my passage to the bar; but they were dull and stupid, and too dazed by Treize's presence to block my way effectively.
Good. I hated him, but I wasn't above using him when I needed him. I was going to the bar, and that was that.
As I elbowed my way out of the crowd, I looked over at the railing of the ship. Wufei was standing there, a sullen, long-suffering look on his face. He was surrounded by several people, male and female, all giving him very flattering looks - including a couple of the women and one of the men looking downright lustful.
My jaw almost dropped to my chest when I realized what I was seeing, and my feet couldn't take me over to Wufei's side fast enough. Changing my direction completely, I found myself pushing through the crowd, placing my hand on Wufei's arm, standing at his side in mere moments.
"Wufei, would you like something from the bar? May I get you something?"
I smiled at him, pointedly turning my back on everyone else surrounding him, including the man who had been speaking to him. Yes, I interrupted someone. No, I didn't care.
"Excuse me - do you know who this is?" That officious little man was right at my ear, whining into it, giving me a look that plainly said, 'why are you touching this monster?'
I turned my head, slowly, and regarded him as I would a bug that had accidentally dropped onto my dining room table. My gaze shifted to the women surrounding him; they were staring at me with those sly, catty looks that only women can give and are SO incredibly hateful.
"Of course I know who he is," I replied, my expression as frosty and cold as I could possibly make it. "And if you knew who he was, you would be polite as well."
The man narrowed his eyes at me, adjusted his pince nez and frowned.
"I've found that good manners go a long way in mending relationships," I finished, smiling smoothly at him, still holding Wufei's arm. Wufei gave him a death glare, not sparing him in the least.
That ... man ... blinked once; then a hateful smile spread across his face. He chuckled. "Indeed. I'm surprised he allows the two of you to interact."
Wufei continued to glare at him. "Keep that up and I'll tell him you said that."
The man stared at Wufei, not blinking.
Wufei stared back, not intimidated in the least.
The ladies, of course, saw this staring contest and started clucking behind gloved hands, cultured hens that they were. I consigned them to the same hell I put Treize in. In my opinion, they deserved each other.
I narrowed my eyes and smiled sweetly at all of them. "Now, now ... I don't believe there's any reason for rudeness here, is there?"
The man backed down, his face flushing as he muttered, "Fine. You'd best watch it, boy."
"As had you," Wufei said evenly. "I know what he'd do if he found out you were being rude to us."
The man took a deep breath, eyeing me as he did, his face turning a pasty pale. Wufei's words obviously had their desired effect as the man sniffed, straightened his shoulders and walked away, grumbling. I caught a few words he muttered under his breath as he stalked by me, key among them 'going to hell.' I smiled and turned toward Wufei, again ignoring the other people still gathered around him.
"Come on, Wufei," I said gently. "Let's go have a drink."
"I sell myself every time I do that," Wufei murmured, resigned, as we turned and headed across the deck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw most of the ladies near us watching him - some of the men, too - and their voracious, hungry expressions made their faces a grotesque parody of the proper and elegant facade they held up for public display. I shivered and walked a little faster, looking at Wufei. And then it struck me - not only was he completely alien in looks, he didn't move the way a normal person moved. He was catlike, graceful, strong and silent; no wonder those people were watching him with such avid interest. Why didn't I notice that before?
I followed him, trying to keep myself in between their gazes and Wufei, hoping that we'd disappear into the crowd. We finally made it to the bar, with Wufei sliding on top of one tall barstool, leaning on the broad counter.
The bartender - a muscled, tough looking guy, slightly balding with red hair, anywhere from his late forties to early sixties - gave him a pitying look. Not, however, like the other passengers. It was more along the lines of - well - as if he knew what was actually going on, and didn't really approve.
I frowned as I walked up and looked at him. Could that be true - was it possible ...?
"The usual?" He spoke kindly to Wufei, looking right at him, wasting no words.
"Please."
The bartender turned and immediately started fixing whatever was 'usual' for Wufei; and whatever that was involved several bottles snagged from the bottom of the bar and a blender.
I slid onto the seat next to Wufei, tilting my head to look at him. "How long - how long do we have to be here, with all these - ah - people ...?"
He knew exactly what I was asking. "Oh. Until we arrive. At least two hours."
The bartender handed him his drink. It was an ugly, orange color, in a very tall glass. Wufei accepted it with a nod and knocked it back, draining it in one gulp. I sat there and watched him, stupefied more at his answer to my question than at what he just did.
"Do you want one, too?" the bartender asked, amused, looking at me.
"Um ... yes, please."
The bartender nodded, grinning, and turned back to make my drink as I continued to stare at Wufei. "Two ... hours?" I felt like I was a hothouse flower, taken into the freezing cold, starting to wilt. This was going to be more of an ordeal than I had anticipated.
"Umm ... okay, then. Tell me something. What did you mean about - 'selling yourself' every time you 'did that' - did you mean 'selling yourself' to those people? and every time you did what? I wasn't quite sure..."
"Not to them," he replied, bitter. "Never to them."
I blinked, as his meaning became clear. "...oh." Gads. It doesn't take me long, now, does it? Only being hit between the eyes every now and then.
The bartender's soft laughter brought me back to myself. "Something's funny?" I asked as I accepted my drink from him.
His look was amused, but not condescending. "Lady, you might want me to add a little liquor to this. It's a glorified V8."
I put the glass down and stared at it. At the same time, Wufei handed his glass over to him. "Another."
The bartender nodded, took his glass and scanned the room, apparently not pleased with what he saw.
I stared at my glass again, then pushed it toward him. "You're damn right I want something added. Vodka, please."
He nodded at me as he took my drink. "Ignore them," he said, bobbing his head at the crowd. "Don't even look at 'em. It'll just make 'em more annoyed. One shot? more? Or would you like to add it? I wouldn't advise getting drunk, considering who's in charge here."
Feh. There was always that, hanging over my head. A quick glance toward the other end of the ship showed me Treize, smiling, flirting, and very much in control, not even looking in our direction.
Good. I nodded, staring at him darkly. "Just give me the bottle. I'll put my own vodka in. I know how much I need." About three liters should do it.
The bartender shrugged and handed the bottle over to me, then went back to cleaning glasses. Not his problem now. He warned me. I turned my back to the rest of the boat and splashed a generous amount of vodka into my glass, then put the bottle back on the bar.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Don't overdo it." He shrugged and put it back under the bar, as if it was something he did every day. "Just lemme know if you want the bottle again."
Maybe it WAS something he did every day ... gods, I didn't know.
"Okay ... I will. And I'll keep your advice in mind." Really, what else was I going to do? I sighed, and took a long, satisfying pull from my glass. The vodka ran down my throat and into my body like a flame.
I sighed, feeling the liquor relax my muscles. The talking and laughter from the crowd on board washed over me, a shallow chittering sound common to this kind of party. Treize wasn't even glancing in our direction; it seemed as if he was allowing us some privacy, as strange as that seemed.
Well, good. We could use it. At least, I knew I could use it.
"Wufei ... you never explained exactly what you meant."
"You even wonder?" He snorted softly, looking at me. "I am not only putting myself under Treize's dubious 'protection,' I am claiming him as my owner - and as such, am something that others may see but may not touch."
"Oh. I see what you mean." I took another long pull at my drink, feeling the vodka run through me again, staring in front of me. "I suppose, though, that's true enough for both of us. That we're both just - trophies. Toys of war, given to the victor ..."
"No. He's never that impersonal. He doesn't want trophies - they're dull."
"So ... what are we, then? If not trophies, then what?"
I leaned my elbows on the bar, looking closely at Wufei, turning my back on an older man who was pointedly trying to get close enough to overhear our conversation. Pervert.
"Don't bother glaring at him," Wufei said, nodding at the older man. "Callahan is right. Just ignore them."
"Okay ..." I tried to relax, looking at him, reasoning that Callahan must be the name of the bartender. "You didn't answer my question, you know."
".... I know," he finally said, reaching for another veggie drink. "Pets might be a closer term, but it's still not right - because he wants us communicating on a much higher level. He is fascinated with man, and what man can do. And those of us who are above average ... attract his attention. Like shiny things to an infant."
"Infants do not dangle their toys in front of others just to show them off - and we are definitely on display," I snapped, testy.
"That's different. We are being shown off because it's expected. He would rather not show us to anyone at all."
"And how many times has this happened to you since you've been with him? How many times have you had to endure this?"
He thought, frowning. "Three or four. He's always loathe to do it."
I looked at Wufei critically; it wasn't that I didn't believe him, it was that I knew if Treize had a choice, he'd rather not show Wufei off. He certainly didn't have any compunction about showing me off at all. In fact, he just dumped me off in the crowd at the top of the gangplank as we came aboard the ship - no preparation, no nothing. I almost snorted out loud - that really showed me the difference between Wufei and me. And apparently, he told Wufei he was 'under protection,' whatever the hell that meant. He certainly didn't tell me that.
"Wufei. I think you're right, if we're only discussing you. It's a different story, though, if you're including me."
He didn't hear what I said; he tossed back another veggie juice, slamming his glass down on the bar, demanding, "Again."
Callahan nodded and started to mix another drink. He wasn't laughing at Wufei, because that would be rude, but he obviously thought Wufei was cute.
I watched Callahan. "So. You've seen this happen before."
Callahan glanced over at me, across the blender. "Seen what?" he asked calmly, pouring Wufei's drink into a tall glass, putting a long stalk of celery in it and handing it to Wu.
I gestured to the crowd around us, tilting my head and looking askance at him. "Why, this young man being ogled by countless well wishers, of course; and coping with that by drinking enormous amounts of tomato juice laced with Tabasco." I raised my eyebrows in feigned disbelief. "One would wonder why there wasn't any alcohol in his drink, but I'm sure I could take a guess ..."
"Well, he won't drink it. And as to the other - yes, I've seen this before." Very casually, Callahan added, "I like the kid."
"That's good," I said, looking right at him, "because he seems to like you, too. That doesn't happen often."
"He likes men that are real with him," Callahan said, watching me.
"Yes," I agreed, nodding. "Not much of that in this crowd, though." Thinking for a moment, I sipped my drink and asked, "Callahan ... where are all these people going? Are they all going to the opera, as we are?"
"No," he said, wiping the counter. "They're all going to dinner. There's a meeting tonight - like minds, and such. It's official, but not quite. Treize is skipping out early."
"Really?" That certainly piqued my interest. Treize was supposed to be attending a meeting tonight? Now, how was he supposed to be at a meeting AND be at dinner and the opera with us? Could he really be in two places at once? I was anxious to see how he was going to do that. "So, they're all going to be in the same place for dinner?"
"There aren't that many of them, you know. Just the brains of -"
And then he stopped talking; turned right off like a spigot. Callahan shut up and went back to cleaning glasses, his face poker blank. I looked at him, realizing he saw something that shut him up.
"Ms. Po?" A deep, unfriendly, masculine voice called my name right behind my left ear. I sucked in my breath, turned, and came face to face with Duke Dermail, the former Romefeller commander in all his militaristic grandeur.
"Why, Duke Dermail," I murmured, inclining my head slightly, trying my best to appear as cold and distant as possible. "What a pleasure to finally meet you." I was amazed to find that I still had the power to sound so sincere, even when I was lying through my teeth.
"So. You are the real Sally Po," he rumbled, not intimidated in the least, staring at me.
"I am indeed," I said, watching him, as glacially frigid as I could manage, waiting for him to say something else.
"Come with me," he ordered peremptory, turning on his heel and striding through the crowd that magically parted for him.
Well. That was certainly surprising. I looked sideways at Wufei, who simply shrugged. I shrugged back, slid off my barstool and sauntered after the Duke. The crowd parted for me, too - just not as smoothly as it did for him. More people crowded forward to gawk at me, it seemed. I ignored them, of course; pretended they weren't there, and kept on walking, never allowing my gaze to stray from Dermail's back.
He led me right into the midst of a small cluster of heavyweights, both men and women, the movers and shakers of what used to be the most powerful people in the world - until Treize took over, that is. Now that Treize is your new sovereign, I thought nastily as I stood there, ticking their names off in my head, I wonder - how does that make you feel?
In fact, if I wasn't mistaken, that was Treize watching this little tableau from the other side of the room. I thought I saw him out of the corner of my eye, not really turned in this direction, but just glancing over here. Keeping an eye on things, I suppose.
I stood back and watched them, sharp-eyed and wary, waiting for one of the crowd to speak to or otherwise acknowledge me. Dermail led me over to them, true, but once he accomplished his task, he took his place among the ranks, folded his arms and regarded me with a suspicious, unfriendly stare. As I slowly turned and looked around the group, I found the others seemed to be doing the same thing; summing me up, measuring me for ... something.
I felt as if I was standing eye to eye with a nestful of pythons, and the worst thing I could possibly do was to show them I was afraid. Something inside me stiffened at the very IDEA that these people actually thought they could intimidate me; anger surged through every vessel and pore, and I felt as though sparks of electricity snapped through my fingers. I raised my chin, narrowed my eyes and stared back at Dermail coolly, daring him or any of them to say something. I was determined to wait until one of them spoke. I could wait all day, if necessary. I knew how this game was played.
"So. This is she." Dermail was always terse, but especially so when he was displeased with something.
"Interesting," one of the erstwhile generals replied. "Not as much as I'd thought."
"I think I will STILL need to speak with him," Dermail said, his dry tone speaking volumes.
I gave him an inquiring look. I had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about, or who he was discussing at this point.
"Hardly necessary," another former general broke in. "The boy can handle himself."
Boy? What boy? I wondered, my brain turning over slowly in my mind. Who the hell was this man talking about?
Dermail tsked loudly. "And has not in the past ... over a pretty face ..."
All the generals laughed, as though that phrase was extremely funny. I stood in front of them, my hands at my sides, my brain racing, not believing they could possibly be considering ... Khushrenada and ... me...? Didn't they know him? How could they possibly think -
One of the ladies, who had been tittering behind her hand, now had the gumption to speak up, ignoring me completely. "Well, as long as he doesn't produce any MORE illicit heirs ..."
Duke Dermail cleared his throat loudly, his mustache twitching. The generals and ladies had the good grace to stop talking, but then they all turned and stared at me.
And frankly, I almost fell off my high heels in shock. Fortunately, I had had plenty of training and was able to keep my expression completely calm and serene while I stared back, the meaning of their discussion and laughter crystal clear. I couldn't believe it, though. These people couldn't be that asinine to say that they knew Treize, and then actually think that I would be able to sway him in any matters at all - and what, because of my looks? Good heavens, he told me I wasn't his type. They didn't know that?
"He will not do any such thing, ladies and gentlemen. You know it. Indelicacies of youth are just that. And he is no longer a child." Dermail was firm, looking each general in the eye as he made his little speech.
I couldn't have agreed more. My reasons were different, but the result was the same.
At the same time, some idiot woman was tittering something to her friends standing around her about men and producing babies, and the entire nest of them started to snicker.
I had had enough. I was calm, and was presenting a calm front to the world, but was several moments away from asking her to politely go fuck herself AND whatever vehicle brought her there.
"Will there be anything else, General?" I asked politely, turning toward Dermail, a slightly bored expression slipping across my face, telegraphing nothing of my true feelings. At least, I hoped he couldn't see what I was feeling.
"Yes, there is," he snapped, staring at me, his white brows thundering together. "We would like to know what you intend to do."
"Do? In what sense of the word, sir?" I tilted my head and looked at him, my eyebrow arched in mild inquiry. "My activities, as I'm sure you know, are proscribed by General Khushrenada. I can do nothing without his express approval." I gave him a small smile. "So I'm sure that if you'd like to know what I'm going to be doing - sir - you should ask him." I gave Dermail a level stare, raised my chin and kept smiling as I concluded. He was trying to intimidate me, but by God, this man and his friends were NOT going to cow me into submission.
The Duke seemed ready to explode by the time I was finished. Another general pushed next to him, towering over me, trying to make me step back. "My dear lady," he rumbled, leaning toward me, "we don't know anything about your current activities."
In another situation, I might have given way, and actually ceded to him; but right at this instant, I was so angry, so put out by these circumstances, that I actually took a step forward and stared up at this man, narrowing my eyes.
"Indeed?" I asked, my tone as cold as an antic wind. "My current activities - sir - are as I have described them. Or are you deaf as well as thickheaded in not understanding what I previously described?"
While that man sputtered and moved back, Dermail stepped into the fray, snapping, "None of us feel that you have the right to be alive at all."
"That's eminently clear, Duke Dermail. Fortunately for me, General Khushrenada disagreed with you - and here I am." I spread my hands expressively on each side as I stood in front of them, unbowed, clear eyed and very obviously not cowed by their supposed power and position. "Should you wish a full report of my activities, sir - " - and I kept stressing that 'sir' so that it was just the right side of insubordinate - " - you may wish to consult with General Khushrenada. I'm sure he would be happy to give you particulars about my whereabouts, and what he has planned for me in the near future."
I gave them a very small, very polite smile, and bowed my head briefly to them.
Duke Dermail glared at me.
He doesn't like me. Good. He's an asshole. I don't like him, either. That means we're even.
"Ms. Po. Given that he IS my nephew, some responsibility does fall on me. You, I feel, are a threat. Nothing that you have said or done has relieved that. Excuse me, ladies. Gentlemen." Dermail bowed to the people surrounding me and walked away, a senior member of the cabinet, temporarily defeated but by no means conceding the war. A bloodied soldier, to be sure.
I turned and looked at the rest of them with the coldest glare I could muster. Several of them dropped their glances, but the majority of them did not. Most of them, generals and ladies included, seemed utterly cocky. Upon reflection, that was terribly funny, considering that Treize took away all their power; they really had nothing to be haughty about. It was an odd situation.
Nodding to the group, I said, "Excuse me, please." Not waiting to see what anyone said, I turned my back on them and started to wade through the crowd, moving back to the bar, toward Wufei.
I was looking across the crowd when my left arm was grabbed and shaken. Whirling around, I came face to face with Lady Une - but this was not the gentle Lady Une from the colonies. This was the woman I thought of as 'Military Une,' the woman who wore full military regalia and had her hair so tightly wound that I feared she might have pulled several veins in her head.
"Lady Une. It's such a surprise to see you." Watchful and wary, I hoped that she wouldn't try to hit me as she did this morning.
"Lord Treize sends his apologies to you, and hopes you were able to fend off these ... poor people," Une said, looking like she was sucking on a lemon.
At the mention of Treize's name, my eyes narrowed and my hackles rose. I'll just bet he did. His sympathy for me knows no bounds, does it? Give me a very large break.
"Thank you, Lady Une," I said, my tone as icy as possible. "Please convey to Treize that I am apparently - unscathed." I deftly shook off her hand, turned and stalked toward the bar once more, cursing the moment I'd every heard of Treize Khushrenada, that fine red mist settling over my vision again.
"I was not finished with you, prisoner," Une hissed in my ear. She grabbed my arm and hauled me back to stand right in front of her. Amazingly enough, no one noticed anything amiss, other than two women having a close conversation; or, if they did, they chose to ignore it.
"Forgive me, Lady Une," I grated out, now trying to pluck Une's viselike grip off my upper arm. "What else did you need to tell me?"
"The rest of Treize-sama's message, you fool. And you do not leave until you are dismissed."
I stared at her, deciding to let that go. "...and the message was...?"
"That since you are obviously fully grown and quite capable of handling yourself with adults, to please go and help Wufei." She let go of my arm as if it burned her hand. "Now you are dismissed." Une spit the last part as if it was something completely distasteful, wrinkling her small nose in dislike. Then she tossed her head and marched off, her task finished. The crowd quickly swallowed her up.
I was left staring after her, dumbfounded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where's Wufei? Where's the young man I was with?"
The bartender, Callahan, nodded surreptitiously toward an area near the back of the bar.
"Thank you," I said in relief, and hustled over in that direction.
I found Wufei in a very odd situation indeed. He was surrounded by several of those generals who had just surrounded me; and in fact, they were the ones who hadn't dropped eye contact, the ones who thought they were still in charge of ... something. I wasn't even sure what they thought they were in charge of, though, since their commissions were null and void; OZ was in power now, not Romefeller. Treize was standing off to one side, sipping a glass of wine and not interfering, with an expression that looked as though he was an impartial observer, conducting an experiment.
I ignored Treize, glided over to Wufei's side and put my hand on his arm. He automatically pulled his arm away but didn't move away. By this time, I understood a little more about Wufei; I knew he was sensitive to touch, and since he didn't physically move away from me, I knew he wasn't rejecting my presence or my help. Wufei was simply being ... Wufei. .
"I said, the answer is completely illogical," Wufei snapped at the generals. "Your reasons are riddled with fallacies, and you have no proof other than the deranged ideas of your own mind."
I gave the generals my best winning smile. "What are you discussing, Wufei?" I asked, not taking my gaze from the men in front of us.
"Idiocy," he snorted, glaring at the generals.
Some of the older men laughed at that. One man, his hair grizzled and gray and with a scar halfway down his face said in a lofty tone, "I simply think, my dear boy, that once you've lived a little longer --"
"I have lived as long as I care to," Wufei broke in, peevish, "and length of life does NOT change foolish preconceptions!"
"Gentlemen, please," Treize interrupted. "The boy IS only 15." He gave Wufei an even glance. "And ad hominem arguments are never acceptable."
Wufei flushed and looked away.
Well, I was not going to allow Treize to have the last word, certainly not treating Wufei like that. "However, the observation Wufei made about length of life and preconception is accurate," I interjected quietly, glancing at Treize. "Possibly the adjective describing such preconceptions could be omitted -"
"Exactly!" Treize exclaimed, beaming. "You see? They all become scholars."
I blinked up at him, then over at Wufei - and knew that Treize had just used me again. This time, though, he used both Wufei and me to show how we had been reformed under his tutelage. Now I felt my face grow warm with embarrassment. Here was something else I should have anticipated, but didn't.
Gods. I so wanted to scream and hit something. Instead, I kept my calm and serene mask firmly in place and myself firmly under control. I was not going to allow anyone the satisfaction of seeing how angry I really felt.
There was soft chuckling all around from the generals. Wufei did not look up at them. I frowned and moved slightly closer to Wufei.
"Well, Treize, I DO see you have him properly cowed," one robust general boomed, looking at Wufei then swinging an unfriendly glance in my direction. "He, at least, is still young enough for reformation."
I glared back at that man, and believe me, there was nothing friendly in my eyes as I looked at him.
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence as Treize regarded that general.
"That was unnecessary, Cartaign," Treize said, his voice soft. "I do not appreciate that, and neither do my guests."
The general's gaze darted from me to Treize. "Your - your guests? My lord, this is just -"
"My. GUESTS."
And had I not been standing in front of Treize, I would not have believed what happened next; in fact, I would have sworn something like that would have had to have occurred only in the imagination of whomever was telling the tale.
A wave of raw, concentrated energy, focused at the generals, hit them en masse and swept over, around and through them, leaving very little room for doubt about who was in charge. It bypassed me and Wufei completely, but we were able to feel it. I could have sworn that Treize's eyes changed color when that happened, from their normal blue to a polished bronze.
Wufei was staring at him, looking both spooked and impressed, which was exactly how I was feeling; I couldn't speak for Wufei, but for myself, I'd say that it was more spooked than impressed.
"My ... apologies ... sir," the general stammered, staring at Treize.
Treize nodded, relaxing a little. "Very good, Cartaign." He looked over at me. "My apologies, Ms. Po." Then he nodded his head - but it looked as though he bowed to me - straightened - glared at the rest of the generals, and walked off, smiling and calm, to address another group.
The rest of us were left there, staring after him. No one moved at all - they all watched him as he moved into the next group, smiling and talking to the next cluster of people.
Enough is enough, I decided. I nodded to the generals. "Gentlemen ..." Then I turned to Wufei, and spoke to him quietly. "Let's go, Wufei."
Wufei looked at me and hesitated.
I murmured so that only he could hear. "Please ... if you don't leave with me now, all this will have been for nothing. These people understand strength, and that's it. Please come with me now."
Wufei looked up at me, pulled away a little, and then marched off through the crowd toward the bar. I heaved a sigh of relief and followed him.
Once I reached the bar, I slid onto one of the barstools and leaned on the padded section, feeling exhausted.
"Diet Coke, please."
Callahan poured it into one of the tall glasses with ice and handed it to me wordlessly. A long straw and a pink umbrella made it look festive. I made a face at him. He grinned at me.
"I have no strength," Wufei said woodenly, sipping a veggie drink, sitting next to me. "They respect Treize's strength, and that is that. Hit me."
I wanted to bang my head on the bar. "You have strength, Wufei - they are foolish. They are like dogs in a pack - only brave when there are a large number of them around. Plus, the only reason they respect Treize is because he's already beaten them once, and now he's their superior officer. So please - stop talking about how weak you are. It isn't true."
I looked at Callahan, and noticed he was giving Wufei a slightly disapproving look. Frowning, I saw that Wufei didn't notice that. I wondered about it, but that was swept away when Wufei spoke again.
"He is stronger than all of them - and me."
"Yes, well, but isn't that to be expected? Age does have something to do with that - superior strength, experience .." I looked at him. "Wufei - other than your colony, what other planets did you visit when you were young? Before you started fighting, I mean?"
He shrugged. "None. I never left my colony."
I stared at him, nonplused. "N - none? You never left?" Squinting at him, I asked, "Then how can you possibly expect to be better than everyone if you've never SEEN anything other than your own colony and limited parts of Earth, or tested yourself against anything else other than that?"
Well, Treize did say he came from a race of assassins, you know, my snarky inner voice informed me. And they were SO deadly, remember, that the upper echelons of YOUR military organization ordered you to eliminate all of them ... which you refused to do, remember?
Oh, gods, just shut up, would you please?
Wufei continued speaking as if he never heard me. "I supposedly am superior to him; and I have been given enough opportunities to kill him. He is younger than anybody else on this ship, and he has solidly defeated me. He never makes mistakes. It is impossible."
Callahan refilled my diet Coke. "Don't let him get to you, miss," he said softly. "He does this whenever he gets embarrassed in public. He IS learning not to do things that get him embarrassed."
"Ah ... thank you." I still wanted to rub my face in my hands. "How much longer ...?"
"Look," he said kindly, pointing across the deck.
I gazed in the direction he pointed - and there was a shoreline, dotted with delightful, white, low houses, lovely little sailboats; it looked just picture perfect, Mediterranean beautiful.
An acute feeling of relief washed over me; I couldn't recall seeing anything more welcome or attractive in a long, long time.
I turned to tell Wufei we were almost there, and saw that Treize had just taken the seat on the other side of him. That, more than anything, put my teeth on edge, because it was his fault we were in this position in the first place. I took my diet Coke and stayed on the other side of Wufei, not looking at him at all. In fact, just seeing him there reminded me that I currently hated everyone around me, with the exceptions of Callahan and Wufei.
"Are you all right?" Treize's voice was gentle and soft; he was addressing Wufei, certainly not me.
"Yes." Wufei was short and to the point, not looking at him.
"I am sorry," Treize continued. "I had not expected them to be quite so rough."
After a moment, Wufei replied. "It's fine. I'm fine."
"You handled them well."
Wufei said nothing; then out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod once.
"And you, Ms. Po ... I am quite impressed. I feel I can comfortably release you at ANY time among these wolves."
I stared at the shoreline, refusing to meet his gaze. "Indeed," I murmured coldly, leaning back against the bar. I couldn't care less what he thought.
"Indeed," he echoed.
For some reason, not only did that set my teeth on edge, it actually felt as though he scraped them against metal. I leaned forward, my eyes narrowed, fury and outrage blazing at him. I barely kept myself in control, balling my hands into fists into the fine fabric of my dress.
"You did this on purpose."
At least I was able to keep my voice even and low, and I didn't give in to my first reflex, which was to leap across Wufei and try to strangle him.
Treize looked back at me. He wasn't cold; in fact, it was the first time that I could remember he appeared real. "Tested your courage? Yes. I needed to know if you were capable of handling yourself - and you are. Now, I don't need to worry about you. Be glad, Ms. Po. In a very real way, you've earned yourself some freedom."
I had no idea how it happened, but somehow, he effectively deflated a lot of the anger I held toward him. Now I was confused. "I - I'm not sure I understand -"
"Simply put, Sally, I am going to keep you under my protection in order to keep such vultures as the ones populating the ship away from you. But part of that is my attempt at learning how strong you really are - just HOW much protection you need. It seems to me that you need very little, and that is a compliment, indeed."
Treize stopped talking, and suddenly looked tired - more tired that I had ever imagined he could look. "This is ... all such a hoax. I hate these things," he murmured, putting his head back and closing his eyes.
I stared at him, not trusting what I saw and totally at a loss. "You - you - what? ...then ... why have them?"
"Because they are required." He gave a slow sigh. "Part of society. I hope to eventually make them not as required. Your presence helps, you know, simply because you break the mold - and they cannot cow you." He lifted his head and looked right at me.
"My presence?" I was becoming more confused by the moment. "Well, perhaps - but surely, Wufei does not need to be here -"
"Yes, Sally, he does," Treize said with a weak smile. "Otherwise, he will not build up sufficient defenses against these people for the time when he is freed."
Treize paused at that point; his body language tensed, indicating he wasn't supposed to say that. Both Wufei and I were staring at him, not moving a muscle.
Freed? FREED? He was - he was contemplating setting us free?
"I see ..." I said, after a moment, not seeing anything at all.
"Of course, that is assuming quite a lot ..." Treize began.
"What do you mean, FREED?" Wufei demanded.
"I'm surprised, Treize," I broke in, speaking softly, "that you would mention something like that so soon after we've been made your prisoners. It shows, I suppose, incredible forethought on your part."
"No, Ms. Po, what it really shows is an extreme lack of sleep, tied with the stress of functioning in this kind of situation, plus the nervousness involved with letting the two of you roam." He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "All has gone well thus far, and I am very pleased, but it also means I am less cautious at the moment than I should be. I do wish to free you. Eventually. I am not some collector of people."
Wufei looked at him, amazed. "Wh .. what?"
I looked back and forth between the two of them. "Treize - I'm not sure Wufei understands the timetable you're using. As I'm sure I don't, either."
Treize snorted softly and looked at me. "The timetable is up in the air, my dear lady, depending on how malleable the world proves to be to reform, and how helpful the two of you become. I wish for all these wars to cease. This pettiness, this hypocrisy ... the stupidity that requires us to meet in such a setting as this."
"But ... Treize...." I protested, coldness now shivering up my spine, "what kind of help could you possibly need from us?"
"Why - exactly what you have done," he said gently, looking at me. "You have proven you are more than a match for those foppish fools, which is not what they expected. You have already begun to break down their ideas of the world."
I leaned forward, not believing what he was saying. "Those people hate me, Treize. They've told me that to my face. They want me dead. They would kill me in an instant if they could."
"What?" Wufei exclaimed, staring at me.
"Of course they do," Treize nodded. "They fear you, and with good reason. You are outside their control, outside their comprehension. They dislike you because you represent something they hate - freedom. Putting you under my protection is merely to keep you safe while you do what you do best - live."
Both Wufei and I sat back and stared at him. We had nothing to hide. We were both speechless.
Wufei was the first to try to speak. " .... wait ... you ..."
I tried next. "You ... are keeping me alive ... as a symbol of ... freedom?" I felt as if my brain was going to implode.
Treize gave me an even look. "Yes. You are the living embodiment of it. Of defiance against tradition. Against the stupidity that allows some to rule. I am tired of convention, Sally. Man cannot flourish when stifled."
My mouth was slightly open; when I realized that, I closed my mouth and continued staring at him. Wufei's mouth worked a bit, but nothing came out.
I tried again. "Do - I - I was a leader with the resistance - are you saying that - that you agree with their position - and - "
One look from Treize was enough to stop me from talking. I closed my mouth again and just looked at him.
"Sally," he said gently, "I led my OWN resistance. Or are you forgetting that I gutted the current administration completely? I am reforming it. I find you to be a most excellent example of humanity. A marvelous, noble, beautiful creature. One to be prized, not condemned. And the fact that these fools cannot see this simply proves their own inadequacy."
And what does one do after someone says something like THAT, hmm? I stared at him helplessly, then looked away, knowing my face was turning the color of ripe tomatoes again, but powerless to do anything about it. I glanced over at Wufei, wondering if he could help in any way ...?
No help there. That poor boy was gaping at Treize like a fish out of water. He'd be lucky if his jaw didn't hit the floor.
And now Treize wasn't looking at either one of us. He was sprawled against the bar, his arms draped on either side of him, relaxed; his legs stretched out, long and lean on either side of the barstool; and I was noticing once again how beautiful, how perfect he was. I shook my head, looking at the floor, my face still flushed. Gads - how irritating was this? I really had to fix this bizarre hormonal quirk of mine somehow. I didn't even like the man.
"Vodka, please."
"Right away, sir." Callahan splashed some in a shot glass and handed it to him. Treize nodded his thanks and knocked it back, neat, with a single wrist motion, the way I'd been taught. Sunlight somehow filtered through the deck and caught the edges of his hair, turning it bronze. I had to shake myself; I was staring again.
"There. I think I can go back now." Treize put the shot glass down on the bar, stood, turned, and eyed both Wufei and me. "Thank you for the refresher." He smiled at us. "Oasis, really." He bowed slightly in our direction. "See you on shore."
Treize turned and walked slowly across the deck, in character again, smiling and shaking hands.
I watched him leave and spoke to Wufei at the same time, hissing urgently, "Wufei - what just happened?"
"I ... I ... don't know," he replied, looking stunned and more than a little confused.
Callahan leaned over the bar to get close to both of us. "You know - it MIGHT be wise to stick close to Treize before you leave, just for the sake of avoiding trouble." He smiled gently. "Just a little friendly advice."
I nodded, still a little shocked. "Um .. yes... okay.... thanks, Callahan. That's a good idea. Okay, Wufei ... let's ... go."
Sliding off my barstool, I took Wufei's arm and guided him toward the crowd, trotting in Treize's wake.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The staircase was one of the longest I had ever seen, spiraling down and around the inside of the entire second floor of the mansion. I had a firm grip on the banister with one hand and my dress slightly bunched in the other, raised high enough to ensure my toes didn't snare themselves in my hem as I descended.
Wufei was waiting for me at the bottom, his hair pulled back in his normal ponytail, dark eyes narrowed and focused, looking absolutely sharp. I wasn't quite sure if he was wearing a tuxedo or a suit, but whatever it was, it was form fitting and made him look deadly and beautiful at the same time.
I reached the last step and glided off the staircase, took a deep, relieved breath, and strode directly toward him, wobbling a little. This was the first time in a long time that I had worn high heels, and as silly as it sounds, walking in those shoes was a skill I had never quite mastered. When I did wear them, it usually felt as if I was lumbering through a swamp clogged with duck grass and Georgia mud, graceless and clumsy.
I touched his arm and smiled. "You look fabulous, Wufei."
He turned and glanced at me, obviously irritated, and didn't say anything - which made me wonder if he even knew how to respond in the first place. Probably not, I realized, surprised. Sometimes, it was hard to know what to say when someone gives you a compliment.
"Say 'thank you,' Wufei," Treize prompted, his cultured voice coming from directly behind me.
I started and turned around to look at Treize as Wufei said "Thank you," his tone automatic, obeying the general's gentle command. Even wearing those high-heeled strappy sandals I found myself bending my head back to look at Treize. He was still significantly taller than I was.
He looked down at me and smiled, tilting his head to one side. "Why, Sally Po," he said, his voice soft, his gaze traveling up and down my body slowly for a long moment. "You look .... incredible. Had I known you were going to clean up this well, I would have insisted on it before."
I nearly lost what composure I had. Apparently, I didn't know how to respond when someone paid me a compliment, either.
"... Ah ... why ... thank .. you ... Treize ... "
Treize took my hand and bent over it, glancing up at my face while still bent over my fingers, giving my hand one tiny, chaste, kiss. He watched my eyes carefully, his own filled with fire.
Words could not describe how I felt as I looked at him. I knew my hand trembled; I fought with myself to keep it there, and not to snatch it back. Really, why should I? He was acting appropriately, completely within the bounds of propriety. He simply looked totally indescribable - and it was that indescribable power of his that drew me to him.
A small, functioning part of my brain wasn't quite sure whether I should lean forward and kiss him or run away screaming. I wasn't even sure what it was that I really wanted to do. An even smaller part of my brain suggested I drag Wufei with me while I ran away screaming. That part, though, was pessimistic when it came to estimating my chances of ultimate escape; in fact, it calculated our odds at a depressing million to one, and even thought those were optimistic.
Gads.
"Are we ready?" Treize smiled, now completely normal, looking at Wufei and me, waiting.
I blinked and shook my head. Wait. Did I just imagine it, or ... had Treize really been like that? There was something nagging at the back of my brain ... something that refused to come forward, no matter how hard I tried to remember it. Something that happened the previous night - or this morning? - or -
"Eh ... yes. I ... I'm ready," I stammered, still staring at him.
Treize smiled, touching my arm lightly, comforting in a way. He was wearing gloves, a marvelous tuxedo, and looked dashing and debonair.
"Wufei?"
Wufei looked at Treize, snorted, and walked in the opposite direction, obviously disgusted with the entire scene.
He gave a slow sigh and shook his head, looking after him. "Wufei," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "I am so sorry, Sally. He's still young - the importance of manners has not made an impression on him as yet."
"That's quite all right, Treize," I murmured, watching Wufei march out of the foyer. "I understand."
But my emotions were completely out of kilter. Half of what I was feeling was slightly miffed that Wufei would just walk out without saying anything at all, but the other half were celebrating that he had walked out without saying a word. Because I didn't really want a close, hard look at what I was feeling, I decided to think about that tidbit of information later.
Much, much later.
"This way, please." Treize bowed slightly and offered me his arm.
"Why - thank you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Odd experiences seem to be the mainstay of my life. Here I was, being walked very properly through the front door of an expansive, Mediterranean villa, wearing a breathtaking dress that did things to my figure that no other piece of cloth had ever been able to do, on the arm of the wealthiest and most powerful man in the world, strolling toward his private yacht for a journey to Naples, to dinner and then to the opera. From the outside, this appeared to be every woman's fairytale dream. Me, carried away by the prince.
From the inside ... well. The phrase "appearances can be deceiving" wasn't just a little something tossed off by the local media. It was a phrase that endured through the ages, through a multitude of cultures, precisely because it was true. It may have looked like a fairytale dream, but ... really. It wasn't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something was definitely off with my emotions, and honestly, I could not figure out what it was. Analysis was not one of my strong points under normal circumstances - and believe me, I was not up to any deep analysis right now.
It was beautiful outside, just the perfect day for sailing. I smiled a little at Treize as we walked on the path from the house to the docks, nearly the same as the one from the helicopter pad to the house. When I swung my head around, though, to get a good view of his pleasure yacht, my breath caught in my throat and I tried to pull my hand away from his arm, almost stopping dead.
Oh. Merciful. Heavens. That wasn't just a little yacht, a rich man's toy, something to amuse himself with as he puttered around the Mediterranean - this was a ship, a cruise ship, something built to withstand rough seas and high winds and enormous amounts of people.
People. Good gods, there must have been over two hundred people on that ship. All sizes, all shapes ... and if I wasn't mistaken, it looked as though many of the leaders of Romefeller and OZ were on this vessel. And they were all staring at us. Specifically, at Wufei and me.
Gods.
Wufei was already on the ramp going up to the main deck of the ship. Many people were standing at the railing in their finery, watching Wufei board, compassion and sadness in their attitude, as if he was to be pitied because he was wasting his life, or something. I was staring at them in shock, not quite believing that Treize would neglect to tell me something so obviously critical; such as, 'oh, by the way, you'll be sailing with a large number of Romefeller and OZ officials and their families on this cruise to Naples.'"
"Now, now - don't worry, Sally," Treize said, patting my hand, not letting me pull away. "No one will condemn you. I have forbidden it. You are safe with me. Come along."
He gave me a gentle smile and led me inexorably toward the ship.
"I ... I had no idea you would have so many guests today ..." My voice didn't sound panicky, exactly, but it certainly didn't have the calm, cool tones I liked. Mentally I was kicking myself - I should have realized he'd do something like this. Gads, I was such a moron not to anticipate a move like this.
You should know by this time that he'd tell Wufei anything before he'd tell you, muttered my snarky inner voice. You're just lucky you saw the people before you walked up the gangplank.
Shut. Up. Gods, just shut up.
"Saa ... I thought I had mentioned it." Now Treize sounded apologetic, if such a thing was possible. I sincerely doubted it, though. He kept speaking to me; his words washed against my skin as I stared at the plethora of people crowding the sides of the ship. They peered back at me in an unfriendly, predatory fashion. I tried to decide how I was going to deal with them once I was on board - because I knew, as surely as I knew my own name, that I would be thrown to the sharks the moment we were on board. If he could do something like not tell me how many people we would be sailing with, his next logical step would be to toss me in with them, alone, and watch what happened.
"... they will not be with us the entire evening, or on the way back. Forgive me, Sally. I thought you knew."
I looked right at the writhing mass of humanity that massed at the railing and refused to look at Treize. "Oh. Well. That's perfectly all right, Treize," I replied, my tone as coldly neutral as I could manage. "I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern."
"You'll be more than made up to, Sally. I promise. Dinner will not be with company."
He led me up the ramp, being completely proper in the way he held my arm, the way he guided me toward the rest of his guests.
Of course, my mind supplied. He has an audience.
I took a deep breath and let my anger propel me forward. A sea of faces swam in front of my eyes; I was sure I saw Duke Dermail, that strange, twisted little man with the white hair and the sunken cheeks who was rumored to be Treize's uncle. There were more people there, of course, more people pressing forward, all pushing to get close to Treize, coming close to shake his hand, to touch him.
All those people. And they were all my sworn enemies.
Once we reached the deck of the ship, Treize dropped my arm immediately and started shaking hands with those people surrounding us, nodding and smiling, not even looking at me. I fixed a smile on my face and slowly moved away from his side, trying to glide through the crowd toward the bar I saw in the middle of the deck. People reluctantly parted as I murmured "Excuse me," their expressions impossible to read. It was obvious they knew who I was, and just as obvious they wanted to do more than simply block my passage to the bar; but they were dull and stupid, and too dazed by Treize's presence to block my way effectively.
Good. I hated him, but I wasn't above using him when I needed him. I was going to the bar, and that was that.
As I elbowed my way out of the crowd, I looked over at the railing of the ship. Wufei was standing there, a sullen, long-suffering look on his face. He was surrounded by several people, male and female, all giving him very flattering looks - including a couple of the women and one of the men looking downright lustful.
My jaw almost dropped to my chest when I realized what I was seeing, and my feet couldn't take me over to Wufei's side fast enough. Changing my direction completely, I found myself pushing through the crowd, placing my hand on Wufei's arm, standing at his side in mere moments.
"Wufei, would you like something from the bar? May I get you something?"
I smiled at him, pointedly turning my back on everyone else surrounding him, including the man who had been speaking to him. Yes, I interrupted someone. No, I didn't care.
"Excuse me - do you know who this is?" That officious little man was right at my ear, whining into it, giving me a look that plainly said, 'why are you touching this monster?'
I turned my head, slowly, and regarded him as I would a bug that had accidentally dropped onto my dining room table. My gaze shifted to the women surrounding him; they were staring at me with those sly, catty looks that only women can give and are SO incredibly hateful.
"Of course I know who he is," I replied, my expression as frosty and cold as I could possibly make it. "And if you knew who he was, you would be polite as well."
The man narrowed his eyes at me, adjusted his pince nez and frowned.
"I've found that good manners go a long way in mending relationships," I finished, smiling smoothly at him, still holding Wufei's arm. Wufei gave him a death glare, not sparing him in the least.
That ... man ... blinked once; then a hateful smile spread across his face. He chuckled. "Indeed. I'm surprised he allows the two of you to interact."
Wufei continued to glare at him. "Keep that up and I'll tell him you said that."
The man stared at Wufei, not blinking.
Wufei stared back, not intimidated in the least.
The ladies, of course, saw this staring contest and started clucking behind gloved hands, cultured hens that they were. I consigned them to the same hell I put Treize in. In my opinion, they deserved each other.
I narrowed my eyes and smiled sweetly at all of them. "Now, now ... I don't believe there's any reason for rudeness here, is there?"
The man backed down, his face flushing as he muttered, "Fine. You'd best watch it, boy."
"As had you," Wufei said evenly. "I know what he'd do if he found out you were being rude to us."
The man took a deep breath, eyeing me as he did, his face turning a pasty pale. Wufei's words obviously had their desired effect as the man sniffed, straightened his shoulders and walked away, grumbling. I caught a few words he muttered under his breath as he stalked by me, key among them 'going to hell.' I smiled and turned toward Wufei, again ignoring the other people still gathered around him.
"Come on, Wufei," I said gently. "Let's go have a drink."
"I sell myself every time I do that," Wufei murmured, resigned, as we turned and headed across the deck. Out of the corner of my eye I saw most of the ladies near us watching him - some of the men, too - and their voracious, hungry expressions made their faces a grotesque parody of the proper and elegant facade they held up for public display. I shivered and walked a little faster, looking at Wufei. And then it struck me - not only was he completely alien in looks, he didn't move the way a normal person moved. He was catlike, graceful, strong and silent; no wonder those people were watching him with such avid interest. Why didn't I notice that before?
I followed him, trying to keep myself in between their gazes and Wufei, hoping that we'd disappear into the crowd. We finally made it to the bar, with Wufei sliding on top of one tall barstool, leaning on the broad counter.
The bartender - a muscled, tough looking guy, slightly balding with red hair, anywhere from his late forties to early sixties - gave him a pitying look. Not, however, like the other passengers. It was more along the lines of - well - as if he knew what was actually going on, and didn't really approve.
I frowned as I walked up and looked at him. Could that be true - was it possible ...?
"The usual?" He spoke kindly to Wufei, looking right at him, wasting no words.
"Please."
The bartender turned and immediately started fixing whatever was 'usual' for Wufei; and whatever that was involved several bottles snagged from the bottom of the bar and a blender.
I slid onto the seat next to Wufei, tilting my head to look at him. "How long - how long do we have to be here, with all these - ah - people ...?"
He knew exactly what I was asking. "Oh. Until we arrive. At least two hours."
The bartender handed him his drink. It was an ugly, orange color, in a very tall glass. Wufei accepted it with a nod and knocked it back, draining it in one gulp. I sat there and watched him, stupefied more at his answer to my question than at what he just did.
"Do you want one, too?" the bartender asked, amused, looking at me.
"Um ... yes, please."
The bartender nodded, grinning, and turned back to make my drink as I continued to stare at Wufei. "Two ... hours?" I felt like I was a hothouse flower, taken into the freezing cold, starting to wilt. This was going to be more of an ordeal than I had anticipated.
"Umm ... okay, then. Tell me something. What did you mean about - 'selling yourself' every time you 'did that' - did you mean 'selling yourself' to those people? and every time you did what? I wasn't quite sure..."
"Not to them," he replied, bitter. "Never to them."
I blinked, as his meaning became clear. "...oh." Gads. It doesn't take me long, now, does it? Only being hit between the eyes every now and then.
The bartender's soft laughter brought me back to myself. "Something's funny?" I asked as I accepted my drink from him.
His look was amused, but not condescending. "Lady, you might want me to add a little liquor to this. It's a glorified V8."
I put the glass down and stared at it. At the same time, Wufei handed his glass over to him. "Another."
The bartender nodded, took his glass and scanned the room, apparently not pleased with what he saw.
I stared at my glass again, then pushed it toward him. "You're damn right I want something added. Vodka, please."
He nodded at me as he took my drink. "Ignore them," he said, bobbing his head at the crowd. "Don't even look at 'em. It'll just make 'em more annoyed. One shot? more? Or would you like to add it? I wouldn't advise getting drunk, considering who's in charge here."
Feh. There was always that, hanging over my head. A quick glance toward the other end of the ship showed me Treize, smiling, flirting, and very much in control, not even looking in our direction.
Good. I nodded, staring at him darkly. "Just give me the bottle. I'll put my own vodka in. I know how much I need." About three liters should do it.
The bartender shrugged and handed the bottle over to me, then went back to cleaning glasses. Not his problem now. He warned me. I turned my back to the rest of the boat and splashed a generous amount of vodka into my glass, then put the bottle back on the bar.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
"Don't overdo it." He shrugged and put it back under the bar, as if it was something he did every day. "Just lemme know if you want the bottle again."
Maybe it WAS something he did every day ... gods, I didn't know.
"Okay ... I will. And I'll keep your advice in mind." Really, what else was I going to do? I sighed, and took a long, satisfying pull from my glass. The vodka ran down my throat and into my body like a flame.
I sighed, feeling the liquor relax my muscles. The talking and laughter from the crowd on board washed over me, a shallow chittering sound common to this kind of party. Treize wasn't even glancing in our direction; it seemed as if he was allowing us some privacy, as strange as that seemed.
Well, good. We could use it. At least, I knew I could use it.
"Wufei ... you never explained exactly what you meant."
"You even wonder?" He snorted softly, looking at me. "I am not only putting myself under Treize's dubious 'protection,' I am claiming him as my owner - and as such, am something that others may see but may not touch."
"Oh. I see what you mean." I took another long pull at my drink, feeling the vodka run through me again, staring in front of me. "I suppose, though, that's true enough for both of us. That we're both just - trophies. Toys of war, given to the victor ..."
"No. He's never that impersonal. He doesn't want trophies - they're dull."
"So ... what are we, then? If not trophies, then what?"
I leaned my elbows on the bar, looking closely at Wufei, turning my back on an older man who was pointedly trying to get close enough to overhear our conversation. Pervert.
"Don't bother glaring at him," Wufei said, nodding at the older man. "Callahan is right. Just ignore them."
"Okay ..." I tried to relax, looking at him, reasoning that Callahan must be the name of the bartender. "You didn't answer my question, you know."
".... I know," he finally said, reaching for another veggie drink. "Pets might be a closer term, but it's still not right - because he wants us communicating on a much higher level. He is fascinated with man, and what man can do. And those of us who are above average ... attract his attention. Like shiny things to an infant."
"Infants do not dangle their toys in front of others just to show them off - and we are definitely on display," I snapped, testy.
"That's different. We are being shown off because it's expected. He would rather not show us to anyone at all."
"And how many times has this happened to you since you've been with him? How many times have you had to endure this?"
He thought, frowning. "Three or four. He's always loathe to do it."
I looked at Wufei critically; it wasn't that I didn't believe him, it was that I knew if Treize had a choice, he'd rather not show Wufei off. He certainly didn't have any compunction about showing me off at all. In fact, he just dumped me off in the crowd at the top of the gangplank as we came aboard the ship - no preparation, no nothing. I almost snorted out loud - that really showed me the difference between Wufei and me. And apparently, he told Wufei he was 'under protection,' whatever the hell that meant. He certainly didn't tell me that.
"Wufei. I think you're right, if we're only discussing you. It's a different story, though, if you're including me."
He didn't hear what I said; he tossed back another veggie juice, slamming his glass down on the bar, demanding, "Again."
Callahan nodded and started to mix another drink. He wasn't laughing at Wufei, because that would be rude, but he obviously thought Wufei was cute.
I watched Callahan. "So. You've seen this happen before."
Callahan glanced over at me, across the blender. "Seen what?" he asked calmly, pouring Wufei's drink into a tall glass, putting a long stalk of celery in it and handing it to Wu.
I gestured to the crowd around us, tilting my head and looking askance at him. "Why, this young man being ogled by countless well wishers, of course; and coping with that by drinking enormous amounts of tomato juice laced with Tabasco." I raised my eyebrows in feigned disbelief. "One would wonder why there wasn't any alcohol in his drink, but I'm sure I could take a guess ..."
"Well, he won't drink it. And as to the other - yes, I've seen this before." Very casually, Callahan added, "I like the kid."
"That's good," I said, looking right at him, "because he seems to like you, too. That doesn't happen often."
"He likes men that are real with him," Callahan said, watching me.
"Yes," I agreed, nodding. "Not much of that in this crowd, though." Thinking for a moment, I sipped my drink and asked, "Callahan ... where are all these people going? Are they all going to the opera, as we are?"
"No," he said, wiping the counter. "They're all going to dinner. There's a meeting tonight - like minds, and such. It's official, but not quite. Treize is skipping out early."
"Really?" That certainly piqued my interest. Treize was supposed to be attending a meeting tonight? Now, how was he supposed to be at a meeting AND be at dinner and the opera with us? Could he really be in two places at once? I was anxious to see how he was going to do that. "So, they're all going to be in the same place for dinner?"
"There aren't that many of them, you know. Just the brains of -"
And then he stopped talking; turned right off like a spigot. Callahan shut up and went back to cleaning glasses, his face poker blank. I looked at him, realizing he saw something that shut him up.
"Ms. Po?" A deep, unfriendly, masculine voice called my name right behind my left ear. I sucked in my breath, turned, and came face to face with Duke Dermail, the former Romefeller commander in all his militaristic grandeur.
"Why, Duke Dermail," I murmured, inclining my head slightly, trying my best to appear as cold and distant as possible. "What a pleasure to finally meet you." I was amazed to find that I still had the power to sound so sincere, even when I was lying through my teeth.
"So. You are the real Sally Po," he rumbled, not intimidated in the least, staring at me.
"I am indeed," I said, watching him, as glacially frigid as I could manage, waiting for him to say something else.
"Come with me," he ordered peremptory, turning on his heel and striding through the crowd that magically parted for him.
Well. That was certainly surprising. I looked sideways at Wufei, who simply shrugged. I shrugged back, slid off my barstool and sauntered after the Duke. The crowd parted for me, too - just not as smoothly as it did for him. More people crowded forward to gawk at me, it seemed. I ignored them, of course; pretended they weren't there, and kept on walking, never allowing my gaze to stray from Dermail's back.
He led me right into the midst of a small cluster of heavyweights, both men and women, the movers and shakers of what used to be the most powerful people in the world - until Treize took over, that is. Now that Treize is your new sovereign, I thought nastily as I stood there, ticking their names off in my head, I wonder - how does that make you feel?
In fact, if I wasn't mistaken, that was Treize watching this little tableau from the other side of the room. I thought I saw him out of the corner of my eye, not really turned in this direction, but just glancing over here. Keeping an eye on things, I suppose.
I stood back and watched them, sharp-eyed and wary, waiting for one of the crowd to speak to or otherwise acknowledge me. Dermail led me over to them, true, but once he accomplished his task, he took his place among the ranks, folded his arms and regarded me with a suspicious, unfriendly stare. As I slowly turned and looked around the group, I found the others seemed to be doing the same thing; summing me up, measuring me for ... something.
I felt as if I was standing eye to eye with a nestful of pythons, and the worst thing I could possibly do was to show them I was afraid. Something inside me stiffened at the very IDEA that these people actually thought they could intimidate me; anger surged through every vessel and pore, and I felt as though sparks of electricity snapped through my fingers. I raised my chin, narrowed my eyes and stared back at Dermail coolly, daring him or any of them to say something. I was determined to wait until one of them spoke. I could wait all day, if necessary. I knew how this game was played.
"So. This is she." Dermail was always terse, but especially so when he was displeased with something.
"Interesting," one of the erstwhile generals replied. "Not as much as I'd thought."
"I think I will STILL need to speak with him," Dermail said, his dry tone speaking volumes.
I gave him an inquiring look. I had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about, or who he was discussing at this point.
"Hardly necessary," another former general broke in. "The boy can handle himself."
Boy? What boy? I wondered, my brain turning over slowly in my mind. Who the hell was this man talking about?
Dermail tsked loudly. "And has not in the past ... over a pretty face ..."
All the generals laughed, as though that phrase was extremely funny. I stood in front of them, my hands at my sides, my brain racing, not believing they could possibly be considering ... Khushrenada and ... me...? Didn't they know him? How could they possibly think -
One of the ladies, who had been tittering behind her hand, now had the gumption to speak up, ignoring me completely. "Well, as long as he doesn't produce any MORE illicit heirs ..."
Duke Dermail cleared his throat loudly, his mustache twitching. The generals and ladies had the good grace to stop talking, but then they all turned and stared at me.
And frankly, I almost fell off my high heels in shock. Fortunately, I had had plenty of training and was able to keep my expression completely calm and serene while I stared back, the meaning of their discussion and laughter crystal clear. I couldn't believe it, though. These people couldn't be that asinine to say that they knew Treize, and then actually think that I would be able to sway him in any matters at all - and what, because of my looks? Good heavens, he told me I wasn't his type. They didn't know that?
"He will not do any such thing, ladies and gentlemen. You know it. Indelicacies of youth are just that. And he is no longer a child." Dermail was firm, looking each general in the eye as he made his little speech.
I couldn't have agreed more. My reasons were different, but the result was the same.
At the same time, some idiot woman was tittering something to her friends standing around her about men and producing babies, and the entire nest of them started to snicker.
I had had enough. I was calm, and was presenting a calm front to the world, but was several moments away from asking her to politely go fuck herself AND whatever vehicle brought her there.
"Will there be anything else, General?" I asked politely, turning toward Dermail, a slightly bored expression slipping across my face, telegraphing nothing of my true feelings. At least, I hoped he couldn't see what I was feeling.
"Yes, there is," he snapped, staring at me, his white brows thundering together. "We would like to know what you intend to do."
"Do? In what sense of the word, sir?" I tilted my head and looked at him, my eyebrow arched in mild inquiry. "My activities, as I'm sure you know, are proscribed by General Khushrenada. I can do nothing without his express approval." I gave him a small smile. "So I'm sure that if you'd like to know what I'm going to be doing - sir - you should ask him." I gave Dermail a level stare, raised my chin and kept smiling as I concluded. He was trying to intimidate me, but by God, this man and his friends were NOT going to cow me into submission.
The Duke seemed ready to explode by the time I was finished. Another general pushed next to him, towering over me, trying to make me step back. "My dear lady," he rumbled, leaning toward me, "we don't know anything about your current activities."
In another situation, I might have given way, and actually ceded to him; but right at this instant, I was so angry, so put out by these circumstances, that I actually took a step forward and stared up at this man, narrowing my eyes.
"Indeed?" I asked, my tone as cold as an antic wind. "My current activities - sir - are as I have described them. Or are you deaf as well as thickheaded in not understanding what I previously described?"
While that man sputtered and moved back, Dermail stepped into the fray, snapping, "None of us feel that you have the right to be alive at all."
"That's eminently clear, Duke Dermail. Fortunately for me, General Khushrenada disagreed with you - and here I am." I spread my hands expressively on each side as I stood in front of them, unbowed, clear eyed and very obviously not cowed by their supposed power and position. "Should you wish a full report of my activities, sir - " - and I kept stressing that 'sir' so that it was just the right side of insubordinate - " - you may wish to consult with General Khushrenada. I'm sure he would be happy to give you particulars about my whereabouts, and what he has planned for me in the near future."
I gave them a very small, very polite smile, and bowed my head briefly to them.
Duke Dermail glared at me.
He doesn't like me. Good. He's an asshole. I don't like him, either. That means we're even.
"Ms. Po. Given that he IS my nephew, some responsibility does fall on me. You, I feel, are a threat. Nothing that you have said or done has relieved that. Excuse me, ladies. Gentlemen." Dermail bowed to the people surrounding me and walked away, a senior member of the cabinet, temporarily defeated but by no means conceding the war. A bloodied soldier, to be sure.
I turned and looked at the rest of them with the coldest glare I could muster. Several of them dropped their glances, but the majority of them did not. Most of them, generals and ladies included, seemed utterly cocky. Upon reflection, that was terribly funny, considering that Treize took away all their power; they really had nothing to be haughty about. It was an odd situation.
Nodding to the group, I said, "Excuse me, please." Not waiting to see what anyone said, I turned my back on them and started to wade through the crowd, moving back to the bar, toward Wufei.
I was looking across the crowd when my left arm was grabbed and shaken. Whirling around, I came face to face with Lady Une - but this was not the gentle Lady Une from the colonies. This was the woman I thought of as 'Military Une,' the woman who wore full military regalia and had her hair so tightly wound that I feared she might have pulled several veins in her head.
"Lady Une. It's such a surprise to see you." Watchful and wary, I hoped that she wouldn't try to hit me as she did this morning.
"Lord Treize sends his apologies to you, and hopes you were able to fend off these ... poor people," Une said, looking like she was sucking on a lemon.
At the mention of Treize's name, my eyes narrowed and my hackles rose. I'll just bet he did. His sympathy for me knows no bounds, does it? Give me a very large break.
"Thank you, Lady Une," I said, my tone as icy as possible. "Please convey to Treize that I am apparently - unscathed." I deftly shook off her hand, turned and stalked toward the bar once more, cursing the moment I'd every heard of Treize Khushrenada, that fine red mist settling over my vision again.
"I was not finished with you, prisoner," Une hissed in my ear. She grabbed my arm and hauled me back to stand right in front of her. Amazingly enough, no one noticed anything amiss, other than two women having a close conversation; or, if they did, they chose to ignore it.
"Forgive me, Lady Une," I grated out, now trying to pluck Une's viselike grip off my upper arm. "What else did you need to tell me?"
"The rest of Treize-sama's message, you fool. And you do not leave until you are dismissed."
I stared at her, deciding to let that go. "...and the message was...?"
"That since you are obviously fully grown and quite capable of handling yourself with adults, to please go and help Wufei." She let go of my arm as if it burned her hand. "Now you are dismissed." Une spit the last part as if it was something completely distasteful, wrinkling her small nose in dislike. Then she tossed her head and marched off, her task finished. The crowd quickly swallowed her up.
I was left staring after her, dumbfounded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where's Wufei? Where's the young man I was with?"
The bartender, Callahan, nodded surreptitiously toward an area near the back of the bar.
"Thank you," I said in relief, and hustled over in that direction.
I found Wufei in a very odd situation indeed. He was surrounded by several of those generals who had just surrounded me; and in fact, they were the ones who hadn't dropped eye contact, the ones who thought they were still in charge of ... something. I wasn't even sure what they thought they were in charge of, though, since their commissions were null and void; OZ was in power now, not Romefeller. Treize was standing off to one side, sipping a glass of wine and not interfering, with an expression that looked as though he was an impartial observer, conducting an experiment.
I ignored Treize, glided over to Wufei's side and put my hand on his arm. He automatically pulled his arm away but didn't move away. By this time, I understood a little more about Wufei; I knew he was sensitive to touch, and since he didn't physically move away from me, I knew he wasn't rejecting my presence or my help. Wufei was simply being ... Wufei. .
"I said, the answer is completely illogical," Wufei snapped at the generals. "Your reasons are riddled with fallacies, and you have no proof other than the deranged ideas of your own mind."
I gave the generals my best winning smile. "What are you discussing, Wufei?" I asked, not taking my gaze from the men in front of us.
"Idiocy," he snorted, glaring at the generals.
Some of the older men laughed at that. One man, his hair grizzled and gray and with a scar halfway down his face said in a lofty tone, "I simply think, my dear boy, that once you've lived a little longer --"
"I have lived as long as I care to," Wufei broke in, peevish, "and length of life does NOT change foolish preconceptions!"
"Gentlemen, please," Treize interrupted. "The boy IS only 15." He gave Wufei an even glance. "And ad hominem arguments are never acceptable."
Wufei flushed and looked away.
Well, I was not going to allow Treize to have the last word, certainly not treating Wufei like that. "However, the observation Wufei made about length of life and preconception is accurate," I interjected quietly, glancing at Treize. "Possibly the adjective describing such preconceptions could be omitted -"
"Exactly!" Treize exclaimed, beaming. "You see? They all become scholars."
I blinked up at him, then over at Wufei - and knew that Treize had just used me again. This time, though, he used both Wufei and me to show how we had been reformed under his tutelage. Now I felt my face grow warm with embarrassment. Here was something else I should have anticipated, but didn't.
Gods. I so wanted to scream and hit something. Instead, I kept my calm and serene mask firmly in place and myself firmly under control. I was not going to allow anyone the satisfaction of seeing how angry I really felt.
There was soft chuckling all around from the generals. Wufei did not look up at them. I frowned and moved slightly closer to Wufei.
"Well, Treize, I DO see you have him properly cowed," one robust general boomed, looking at Wufei then swinging an unfriendly glance in my direction. "He, at least, is still young enough for reformation."
I glared back at that man, and believe me, there was nothing friendly in my eyes as I looked at him.
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence as Treize regarded that general.
"That was unnecessary, Cartaign," Treize said, his voice soft. "I do not appreciate that, and neither do my guests."
The general's gaze darted from me to Treize. "Your - your guests? My lord, this is just -"
"My. GUESTS."
And had I not been standing in front of Treize, I would not have believed what happened next; in fact, I would have sworn something like that would have had to have occurred only in the imagination of whomever was telling the tale.
A wave of raw, concentrated energy, focused at the generals, hit them en masse and swept over, around and through them, leaving very little room for doubt about who was in charge. It bypassed me and Wufei completely, but we were able to feel it. I could have sworn that Treize's eyes changed color when that happened, from their normal blue to a polished bronze.
Wufei was staring at him, looking both spooked and impressed, which was exactly how I was feeling; I couldn't speak for Wufei, but for myself, I'd say that it was more spooked than impressed.
"My ... apologies ... sir," the general stammered, staring at Treize.
Treize nodded, relaxing a little. "Very good, Cartaign." He looked over at me. "My apologies, Ms. Po." Then he nodded his head - but it looked as though he bowed to me - straightened - glared at the rest of the generals, and walked off, smiling and calm, to address another group.
The rest of us were left there, staring after him. No one moved at all - they all watched him as he moved into the next group, smiling and talking to the next cluster of people.
Enough is enough, I decided. I nodded to the generals. "Gentlemen ..." Then I turned to Wufei, and spoke to him quietly. "Let's go, Wufei."
Wufei looked at me and hesitated.
I murmured so that only he could hear. "Please ... if you don't leave with me now, all this will have been for nothing. These people understand strength, and that's it. Please come with me now."
Wufei looked up at me, pulled away a little, and then marched off through the crowd toward the bar. I heaved a sigh of relief and followed him.
Once I reached the bar, I slid onto one of the barstools and leaned on the padded section, feeling exhausted.
"Diet Coke, please."
Callahan poured it into one of the tall glasses with ice and handed it to me wordlessly. A long straw and a pink umbrella made it look festive. I made a face at him. He grinned at me.
"I have no strength," Wufei said woodenly, sipping a veggie drink, sitting next to me. "They respect Treize's strength, and that is that. Hit me."
I wanted to bang my head on the bar. "You have strength, Wufei - they are foolish. They are like dogs in a pack - only brave when there are a large number of them around. Plus, the only reason they respect Treize is because he's already beaten them once, and now he's their superior officer. So please - stop talking about how weak you are. It isn't true."
I looked at Callahan, and noticed he was giving Wufei a slightly disapproving look. Frowning, I saw that Wufei didn't notice that. I wondered about it, but that was swept away when Wufei spoke again.
"He is stronger than all of them - and me."
"Yes, well, but isn't that to be expected? Age does have something to do with that - superior strength, experience .." I looked at him. "Wufei - other than your colony, what other planets did you visit when you were young? Before you started fighting, I mean?"
He shrugged. "None. I never left my colony."
I stared at him, nonplused. "N - none? You never left?" Squinting at him, I asked, "Then how can you possibly expect to be better than everyone if you've never SEEN anything other than your own colony and limited parts of Earth, or tested yourself against anything else other than that?"
Well, Treize did say he came from a race of assassins, you know, my snarky inner voice informed me. And they were SO deadly, remember, that the upper echelons of YOUR military organization ordered you to eliminate all of them ... which you refused to do, remember?
Oh, gods, just shut up, would you please?
Wufei continued speaking as if he never heard me. "I supposedly am superior to him; and I have been given enough opportunities to kill him. He is younger than anybody else on this ship, and he has solidly defeated me. He never makes mistakes. It is impossible."
Callahan refilled my diet Coke. "Don't let him get to you, miss," he said softly. "He does this whenever he gets embarrassed in public. He IS learning not to do things that get him embarrassed."
"Ah ... thank you." I still wanted to rub my face in my hands. "How much longer ...?"
"Look," he said kindly, pointing across the deck.
I gazed in the direction he pointed - and there was a shoreline, dotted with delightful, white, low houses, lovely little sailboats; it looked just picture perfect, Mediterranean beautiful.
An acute feeling of relief washed over me; I couldn't recall seeing anything more welcome or attractive in a long, long time.
I turned to tell Wufei we were almost there, and saw that Treize had just taken the seat on the other side of him. That, more than anything, put my teeth on edge, because it was his fault we were in this position in the first place. I took my diet Coke and stayed on the other side of Wufei, not looking at him at all. In fact, just seeing him there reminded me that I currently hated everyone around me, with the exceptions of Callahan and Wufei.
"Are you all right?" Treize's voice was gentle and soft; he was addressing Wufei, certainly not me.
"Yes." Wufei was short and to the point, not looking at him.
"I am sorry," Treize continued. "I had not expected them to be quite so rough."
After a moment, Wufei replied. "It's fine. I'm fine."
"You handled them well."
Wufei said nothing; then out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod once.
"And you, Ms. Po ... I am quite impressed. I feel I can comfortably release you at ANY time among these wolves."
I stared at the shoreline, refusing to meet his gaze. "Indeed," I murmured coldly, leaning back against the bar. I couldn't care less what he thought.
"Indeed," he echoed.
For some reason, not only did that set my teeth on edge, it actually felt as though he scraped them against metal. I leaned forward, my eyes narrowed, fury and outrage blazing at him. I barely kept myself in control, balling my hands into fists into the fine fabric of my dress.
"You did this on purpose."
At least I was able to keep my voice even and low, and I didn't give in to my first reflex, which was to leap across Wufei and try to strangle him.
Treize looked back at me. He wasn't cold; in fact, it was the first time that I could remember he appeared real. "Tested your courage? Yes. I needed to know if you were capable of handling yourself - and you are. Now, I don't need to worry about you. Be glad, Ms. Po. In a very real way, you've earned yourself some freedom."
I had no idea how it happened, but somehow, he effectively deflated a lot of the anger I held toward him. Now I was confused. "I - I'm not sure I understand -"
"Simply put, Sally, I am going to keep you under my protection in order to keep such vultures as the ones populating the ship away from you. But part of that is my attempt at learning how strong you really are - just HOW much protection you need. It seems to me that you need very little, and that is a compliment, indeed."
Treize stopped talking, and suddenly looked tired - more tired that I had ever imagined he could look. "This is ... all such a hoax. I hate these things," he murmured, putting his head back and closing his eyes.
I stared at him, not trusting what I saw and totally at a loss. "You - you - what? ...then ... why have them?"
"Because they are required." He gave a slow sigh. "Part of society. I hope to eventually make them not as required. Your presence helps, you know, simply because you break the mold - and they cannot cow you." He lifted his head and looked right at me.
"My presence?" I was becoming more confused by the moment. "Well, perhaps - but surely, Wufei does not need to be here -"
"Yes, Sally, he does," Treize said with a weak smile. "Otherwise, he will not build up sufficient defenses against these people for the time when he is freed."
Treize paused at that point; his body language tensed, indicating he wasn't supposed to say that. Both Wufei and I were staring at him, not moving a muscle.
Freed? FREED? He was - he was contemplating setting us free?
"I see ..." I said, after a moment, not seeing anything at all.
"Of course, that is assuming quite a lot ..." Treize began.
"What do you mean, FREED?" Wufei demanded.
"I'm surprised, Treize," I broke in, speaking softly, "that you would mention something like that so soon after we've been made your prisoners. It shows, I suppose, incredible forethought on your part."
"No, Ms. Po, what it really shows is an extreme lack of sleep, tied with the stress of functioning in this kind of situation, plus the nervousness involved with letting the two of you roam." He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "All has gone well thus far, and I am very pleased, but it also means I am less cautious at the moment than I should be. I do wish to free you. Eventually. I am not some collector of people."
Wufei looked at him, amazed. "Wh .. what?"
I looked back and forth between the two of them. "Treize - I'm not sure Wufei understands the timetable you're using. As I'm sure I don't, either."
Treize snorted softly and looked at me. "The timetable is up in the air, my dear lady, depending on how malleable the world proves to be to reform, and how helpful the two of you become. I wish for all these wars to cease. This pettiness, this hypocrisy ... the stupidity that requires us to meet in such a setting as this."
"But ... Treize...." I protested, coldness now shivering up my spine, "what kind of help could you possibly need from us?"
"Why - exactly what you have done," he said gently, looking at me. "You have proven you are more than a match for those foppish fools, which is not what they expected. You have already begun to break down their ideas of the world."
I leaned forward, not believing what he was saying. "Those people hate me, Treize. They've told me that to my face. They want me dead. They would kill me in an instant if they could."
"What?" Wufei exclaimed, staring at me.
"Of course they do," Treize nodded. "They fear you, and with good reason. You are outside their control, outside their comprehension. They dislike you because you represent something they hate - freedom. Putting you under my protection is merely to keep you safe while you do what you do best - live."
Both Wufei and I sat back and stared at him. We had nothing to hide. We were both speechless.
Wufei was the first to try to speak. " .... wait ... you ..."
I tried next. "You ... are keeping me alive ... as a symbol of ... freedom?" I felt as if my brain was going to implode.
Treize gave me an even look. "Yes. You are the living embodiment of it. Of defiance against tradition. Against the stupidity that allows some to rule. I am tired of convention, Sally. Man cannot flourish when stifled."
My mouth was slightly open; when I realized that, I closed my mouth and continued staring at him. Wufei's mouth worked a bit, but nothing came out.
I tried again. "Do - I - I was a leader with the resistance - are you saying that - that you agree with their position - and - "
One look from Treize was enough to stop me from talking. I closed my mouth again and just looked at him.
"Sally," he said gently, "I led my OWN resistance. Or are you forgetting that I gutted the current administration completely? I am reforming it. I find you to be a most excellent example of humanity. A marvelous, noble, beautiful creature. One to be prized, not condemned. And the fact that these fools cannot see this simply proves their own inadequacy."
And what does one do after someone says something like THAT, hmm? I stared at him helplessly, then looked away, knowing my face was turning the color of ripe tomatoes again, but powerless to do anything about it. I glanced over at Wufei, wondering if he could help in any way ...?
No help there. That poor boy was gaping at Treize like a fish out of water. He'd be lucky if his jaw didn't hit the floor.
And now Treize wasn't looking at either one of us. He was sprawled against the bar, his arms draped on either side of him, relaxed; his legs stretched out, long and lean on either side of the barstool; and I was noticing once again how beautiful, how perfect he was. I shook my head, looking at the floor, my face still flushed. Gads - how irritating was this? I really had to fix this bizarre hormonal quirk of mine somehow. I didn't even like the man.
"Vodka, please."
"Right away, sir." Callahan splashed some in a shot glass and handed it to him. Treize nodded his thanks and knocked it back, neat, with a single wrist motion, the way I'd been taught. Sunlight somehow filtered through the deck and caught the edges of his hair, turning it bronze. I had to shake myself; I was staring again.
"There. I think I can go back now." Treize put the shot glass down on the bar, stood, turned, and eyed both Wufei and me. "Thank you for the refresher." He smiled at us. "Oasis, really." He bowed slightly in our direction. "See you on shore."
Treize turned and walked slowly across the deck, in character again, smiling and shaking hands.
I watched him leave and spoke to Wufei at the same time, hissing urgently, "Wufei - what just happened?"
"I ... I ... don't know," he replied, looking stunned and more than a little confused.
Callahan leaned over the bar to get close to both of us. "You know - it MIGHT be wise to stick close to Treize before you leave, just for the sake of avoiding trouble." He smiled gently. "Just a little friendly advice."
I nodded, still a little shocked. "Um .. yes... okay.... thanks, Callahan. That's a good idea. Okay, Wufei ... let's ... go."
Sliding off my barstool, I took Wufei's arm and guided him toward the crowd, trotting in Treize's wake.
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