It's been a while, but I finally found time to continue this story. It won't be long now...just a couple more chapters! Thanks for reading!
John shifted uncomfortably in his seat…or rather, his saddle. They ended up trading with Panal for horses once they saw how far away the farm was from the town. All it had taken were three powerbars and a calculator, which the bald little man found absolutely fascinating.
"Don't see why all things we gave him belonged to me…" McKay had muttered as they set off, looking glumly back at the merchant, who was happily pecking away at the keys of the calculator with half a powerbar sticking out of his mouth.
John rolled his eyes at the comment, and Teyla just gave an indulgent smile. As much as they hated to admit it, Rodney really was growing on them.
Besides, they both knew that the scientist would stand in front of a gun for Elizabeth. He actually had.
Finally, after almost a full day of riding, they came upon the first sign of civilization since Panal's shop. Several fields of various agricultural products stretched out beyond a modest farmhouse. The team noticed at least five people bent over, hard at work.
John took a deep breath as he dismounted and tried to reign in his roiling emotions. He and Teyla had discussed strategy at length during the ride, sometimes developing into a full-blown argument.
Teyla, ever the diplomat, thought it best to first attempt to negotiate with the slaveholder. John had disagreed, preferring a more active alternative – like threatening to shoot the man if he didn't hand over Elizabeth…and just maybe doing it anyway. After giving him a look of disapproval, the Athosian reminded him that Elizabeth would probably want to avoid violence, even in a situation such as this. Eventually, John had agreed – though he still held the other alternatives in mind, just in case.
Teyla opened her mouth to suggest they knock on the door when two small round faces peeked around the side of the house, giggling and whispering excitedly. Smiling, she turned to face the children and called out a greeting.
The smallest of the two squealed and ducked behind the house again, but the older child rolled her eyes and stepped out to greet the strangers. "Hello," she said cautiously.
John took a step toward the girl and put on his best fly-boy grin. "Hey there. We're looking for a guy named Phaestus…do you know where we can find him?"
Smiling shyly at the Colonel, the little girl nodded. "He's out in the fields with the others. Do you want me to take you to him?"
When John nodded, she beamed with delight, turned abruptly, and took off toward the fields. The Atlanteans followed her until they came to the edge of the first field. There, the girl's call had brought an older man out from between the rows of wheat, and John knew he was staring at Elizabeth's "master".
He had tried very hard to remain calm, but looking into the man's face, John completely lost what little self control he had left. A growl forced its way out of his throat and he lunged at the man. By the time the little girl had screamed and run off into the fields for help, John had Phaestus on the ground with his arm across his throat.
"Where is Elizabeth!" he demanded, shoving the man further into the soft ground. "You bring her to me right now, and I might consider not snapping your neck. And if you laid one finger on her, so help me…"
John was interrupted by a sudden pressure of hands gripping his arms and pulling him off the farmer. Two of Phaestus' slaves had come to their master's rescue, and a third was holding Rodney and Teyla at bay with a sharp scythe.
The Colonel struggled as Phaestus quickly got up and walked over. Staring him straight in the eye, he stated in an unwavering voice, "I never, in all the time she was here, hurt Elizabeth."
This seemed to get Colonel Sheppard's attention because he stopped struggling, although he continued to glare at the man before him. Phaestus' gaze never faltered as he began to explain.
"I never caused her any harm. The worst thing I ever had to do was lock her in her room at night, and I do that with all my slaves – standard procedure. In fact, it's required by law. I'm also willing to bet that all the things I do that you would consider inhumane are actually laws. Believe it or not, I'm a supporter of the antislavery movement!"
At John's incredulous look, Phaestus sighed. He instructed his men to release the team and motioned for them to follow him inside. He and Teyla sat down at a rough wooden table, while Rodney leaned against the far wall and John paced.
Shaking his head, Phaestus spoke once again. "Let me explain. We've had slaves on this world for so many generations that no one remembers how it even got started anymore. Recently, though, there's been a large movement to abolish the practice. The lobbyists in
the towns have managed to get a few things passed, but a lot of the ugly stuff still remains. The slave collar, attire, and lock-up are all mandatory. We're also required to use a minimum of wrist restraints during transport of any slave. But things are definitely getting better – at least in some places. For the first time in our history, slaves now have the opportunity to buy their freedom, although the price is left up to the master to decide.
He looked back and forth among the three strangers, and blew out a huff of air in frustration.
"Look, I know you don't approve of our ways here, but neither do I. I'm a fair and honest man; I only ask for the minimum payment possible to free my slaves, and I even give them a portion of my fields for their own use and profit. I'm doing the best I can in a screwed up system. It's all I can do."
John still didn't like the man, but he seemed sincere. Anyway, all John really wanted was Elizabeth. He didn't need a history lesson.
"We want to see her," he demanded. Phaestus dropped his head slightly, and the sinking feeling returned to John's stomach.
The slave master looked up at the Colonel, and the military commander saw a hint of sadness in the older man's eyes. "She's not here. I sold her two days ago. To Damien." He half-spit, half-hissed the name. His contempt for the other man was blatantly obvious in his tone.
This time, the outburst came from Rodney. "You what! How could you sell her! This is absolutely barbaric! I can't believe places like this even exist…this entire galaxy is full of nothing but psychopathic maniacs!"
Teyla, noticing the beginnings of a rant from Rodney and the fury starting to boil from Sheppard, seized the moment to ask the next relevant question. Calmly, and with a warning glance toward each of her teammates, she turned to Phaestus and asked, "If you despise this man so much, why did you agree to sell Dr.Weir to him?"
Again, Phaestus sighed and studied his hands on the tabletop. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with sadness and frustration. "It was her idea – Elizabeth's. She overheard how much Damien was willing to pay for her…about twice what I paid…and she told me to take it. At first, I refused; I can't stand Damien – greasy, lying bastard. But she told me that I could use the money to help the other slaves. She said to take whatever I paid for her in the market and divide the rest among the others."
He looked into John's eyes and said, "That woman can be extremely persuasive. Because of what she was willing to do, one of my free men was able to pay off his pregnant wife. And three others gained more than two months toward freedom. She did more for these people in one day than anyone else has in months."
John heard the admiration in the man's voice. He closed his eyes and said softly, "Yeah, she's definitely persuasive." Sighing, he looked up, more determined than ever to get her back. "How do we find this Damien guy?"
"His plantation is the next farm due east. But I need to warn you, Damien doesn't let go of his possessions easily, and he's very well-protected. Your best bet is probably to offer to buy her, but it all depends on how fond of her he's become."
John winced at the last statement, while Teyla and Rodney shared a worried glance. It was Teyla who finally broke the tense silence. "Thank you for your help, Phaestus."
"I only wish I could've done more…talked her out of that stupid sale or something. I'm worried about her; Damien is a cruel man, and I only hope you get there before he decides to…take an interest in her."
Back outside, Phaestus pointed them in the direction of Damien's plantation, and the team mounted their horses once again. They started to ride off when two familiar little faces caught John's eye at the corner of the house.
He stopped his horse and stared thoughtfully at the children. Phaestus followed his gaze and smiled reassuringly at the Colonel. "All children born in my household are born free, regardless of who their parents are. I told you, I'm a fair man."
John nodded at the weathered farmer, and turned back to the road ahead, praying they got to Elizabeth in time.
