Chapter 15
Kadat arrived early. Kirk met him at the door, took his cloak, and announced his arrival to Konti. By the time he had served liquid refreshment, Khlat was at the door. He was none too happy that Kirk was functioning as butler, a job he would normally have done, even though that fact elevated him to the position of guest. Koh arrived last, demanding an inspection of Kirk's wounds before removing his coat.
"Well there's no sign of infection yet, and by this afternoon, it won't matter. But tell me, how are we playing it this morning?"
"Straight reality, and let the chips fall. Konti refused to let me. I asked twice."
"I told him you were trouble. If Kadat reports this, there's probably nothing I can do. In fact, Khlat and I will undoubtedly also get the ax."
"I'm sorry."
"It's crazy, but I believe you really are sorry."
They entered the main room, and Kirk poured Koh a drink. No sign of shaky hands or clumsy feet. Kirk was the picture of efficiency and effectiveness, while maintaining a properly respectful demeanor. The whole thing was the exact opposite of the previous evening's performance. Kadat did not remark, but no one doubted that he observed the difference.
After a few minutes of slightly forced small talk, Konti sent Kirk for the branding iron. Without hesitation, Kirk fetched it from the other room. He dropped to his knees without waiting for the command. His eyes were full of warmth and encouragement. He hoped that Kadat could not see his eyes.
No one spoke a word during the entire ceremony. Konti did not falter, and of course, Kirk never moved. The silence continued even after Kirk put the branding iron away. Kadat looked at Kirk very thoughtfully and said nothing. Konti offered a refill on the refreshments, which Kirk served with as much ease as before. Finally Konti gave up waiting for Kadat.
"I trust you found the branding satisfactory?"
"Oh, yes, everything is perfectly in order." He paused. "There is one thing that puzzles me however. Dr. Koh, perhaps you can answer this. How is it possible for someone to be utterly fearless at one point, yet a fear-crazed coward at another?"
Koh drew a deep breath. "You are undoubtedly referring to Kirk's recent behavior. I don't have a very good answer for you. Kirk is the most unusual patient I have ever had. Nothing about him is what I'd call normal. So predicting his response to any given situation is nearly impossible."
Koh proceeded to describe Kirk's response to the total sensory deprivation. At first Kirk didn't understand where Koh was headed. He seemed to just be digging the hole deeper. Then he had it: Koh was going to try and pin the whole thing on him, leaving the three of them blameless. And it might work, but Kirk doubted it. Kadat was too sharp to miss the obvious flaws.
"So you think Kirk's behavior last night was an act, that he did it on purpose?"
"It's possible, sir. With Kirk, almost anything is possible."
"If that's true, then for whom was he performing, and why?"
"A very good question. You can ask, and maybe he'll tell you."
"I asked you. Are you telling me you don't know?" Kadat's voice rose incredulously.
"I freely admit that I do not understand Kirk, even though I studied him closely for two weeks."
Kadat straightened his already straight back. "All right, listen to me, all of you. It was clear from the beginning that last night's performance was an act, a very good one indeed. But no less so this morning. Neither is a true representation of Kirk. I will show you. Kirk, get the whip."
Kirk looked at Konti, who nodded consent. Kirk then brought the whip to Kadat.
"Stand there," Kadat pointed to a spot in the middle of the room, well away from the chairs.
"Attention!" He barked the command in Standard, and Kirk snapped to without thought. Kadat paced in a circle around Kirk. As he continued to talk, he casually flicked the whip at Kirk, leaving a new bloody welt on Kirk's skin with every flick of his hand. That his skill with the whip greatly surpassed that of Khlat became obvious when he laid welts on Kirk's cheeks - two parallel lines on each, about a half inch apart. Kirk hardly noticed, his attention was so focused on Kadat's words.
"Kirk is a military man, trained as a warrior, very self-disciplined. This whip is nothing to him, a mere child's toy. Even the branding doesn't faze him. Nothing shakes him. Watch his face now. See, not a twitch. Does he fear this? No. Now watch. I'm going to do it again, this time a little closer to the eyes. Do you see any signs of apprehension? Neither do I. Anyone who can stand rock-steady for this does not fall apart under the threat of hundreds of lashes, or the reality of hours upon hours of it.
"So last night was an act. But just as obvious is that he had help. I wasn't sure until this morning whether Koh was in on it, but now it's clear that all three of you conspired with him to produce this little play."
As Kadat talked, Kirk prayed. Lord, this seems like an irredeemable mess. But I choose to trust you. Let no harm come to Konti because of me, Lord. Kirk relaxed his stance, looked at Konti, and smiled encouragement. Kadat noticed immediately. Whirling around, he confronted Konti.
"What did he just say to you?!"
"Nothing, sir. He didn't say anything." Konti tried to sound puzzled.
"Don't give me that! I know it wasn't words, but he said something nonetheless."
"I said, 'Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay,'" Kirk supplied.
Kadat turned on Kirk. "How could you know that?!"
"The Lord Jesus Christ will protect Konti from harm."
"Who's he? How would he do that, and why?"
"Jesus Christ is God of all that is. He can do anything He wishes. He will protect Konti because I asked Him to."
Kadat stared, then laughed harshly. "God does what you want him to. Now that's the height of arrogance. However, more to the point is, why do you want to protect Konti?"
"Because the Lord wants me to," Kirk calmly replied, knowing he wasn't going to be understood.
"The Lord - as in God. You're talking in circles. I want some answers that make sense, and I'm not leaving until I get them! Konti, I very much doubt that Kirk's God can protect you. Conspiring with the enemy is treason. So start talking, and make it good."
Kirk reflected that Kadat must be very sure of himself, to accuse them of treason without any backup support. Four to one odds were pretty high. Khlat was clearly apprehensive. Neither Koh nor Konti appeared alarmed. That didn't mean they weren't. Konti began talking.
"I have committed no treason, nor have any of us. Kirk is not an enemy; he is my slave - to do with as I please. I have been playing this game with Kirk all week. Last night was the final exam. You see, given his behavior during the first two weeks I had him, I said he couldn't and wouldn't act like a slave. He said, 'try me'. So I have made him do every menial and disgusting task I could think of, repeatedly humiliated him in public, and given him every opportunity to escape.
"Two days ago, I took him to the club, told lots of lies about how much of a coward he was, and when they asked for a demonstration, he pretended the lies were true, and put on quite a performance. Last night was a continuation of the same performance, which I let him plan himself. He would have continued it this morning as well, but I did not allow it. The branding ceremony is not to be profaned by such falsehoods."
"The whole thing was a game? A contest between the two of you? To see if you could push him beyond his willingness to yield-" Kadat circled Kirk, studying him thoughtfully. "Not forced to yield, but freely choosing to yield. A very intriguing idea. But I doubt that it would work with the average prisoner."
Koh snorted. "Kirk's anything but average!"
"So who won this contest?"
"Kirk did, but I don't mind. It's been a very interesting week."
"Very entertaining, I'm sure." There was just a hint of sarcasm in Kadat's tone. "All of which doesn't entirely explain last night. You said Kirk planned the whole thing. Khlat, is that true?"
"Well, yes, and no, sir. I don't know whose idea it was, because they had clearly been talking about it before I arrived yesterday morning. But Kirk was giving the orders. I thought it entirely inappropriate, but Konti told me to do what he said. So I did."
"What did he tell you to do?"
"We spent some time covering his back with welts and putting the rope burns on his wrists. He wanted it to look like we'd spent hours at it the night before too. The biggest thing he wanted me to do was engineer mistakes into the serving of dinner by giving him incorrect instructions. They were to get progressively worse and finish with a colossal blunder that would leave Konti furious with him. I was supposed to do all this without making it obvious that I had it in for Kirk."
"But Konti knew you were doing it?"
"They both knew. But Kirk told me not to tell either of them where the mistakes were. He wanted it to look real."
Kadat snorted and turned to interrogate Koh. "How much did you know about all this?" Whether he believed any of it wasn't yet clear.
"I knew the basic idea, but none of the details. We discussed it the night before."
"We, as in, you and Konti?"
"No, we, as in, Konti, Kirk, and I. Kirk's biggest concern was how to make it look bad enough to be believable. May I ask a question, sir?"
"Yes."
"How did you know it was an act?"
"It was a superb performance, I'll grant you. Had I seen any flaws, I would have called a halt to it on the spot. Certain reports I had concerning his behavior on board your ship led me to believe that what I was seeing was not real. However, I was not absolutely certain until this morning when I sent Kirk for the whip."
Kirk kicked himself mentally. If only he'd been consistent, Kadat would not have known. He'd been out-maneuvered, and believed Kadat knew more than he did. But none of this self-recrimination showed on his face. Kadat turned to Konti.
"So, how do I get Kirk to talk to me?"
"I can only tell you what I do. I sit down, I make eye contact, and I ask questions. I have no idea whether he will answer you. I can order him to do so, but I suspect you might get more honest truth if he is free to choose."
"Very well. Kirk, sit down."
Kirk sat on the floor. Kadat sat down directly in front of him, on the floor within arm's reach. Kirk resisted the urge to back up. Distance would not protect him from Kadat. Only the Lord could, and he need not fear Kadat.
"Look at me."
Kirk raised his eyes to meet Kadat's, deliberately opening his soul to Kadat's view. For several minutes, Kadat said nothing, but stared into Kirk's eyes, non-verbally declaring his dominance over Kirk. Refusing to challenge, Kirk withstood the onslaught, never breaking eye contact, nor closing the window into his soul. Still not backing off, Kadat spoke.
"Explain yourself." It was a demand, not a request.
"Concerning what, specifically?" Kirk kept his tone mild.
"For starters, why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish? Then, what is it with this slave routine? And how does pretending to be a coward fit in? Lastly, why aren't you afraid of me?"
"I am here because I was taken prisoner by Konti's battlecruiser."
"An event which you yourself engineered."
"I did? Why would I do that?"
"That's what I'm asking you." Kadat was not amused at Kirk's flippant denial.
"I'm sorry. I don't know. I do remember being glad that we weren't going to start a war, but I don't know why I thought that."
Kadat continued to stare at Kirk, looking for deceit. Kirk continued to hold himself open, not counting the cost.
"As to what I hope to accomplish, I wish to be a friend to Konti. A friend is more concerned for the other than for himself. A friend seeks to know the other, and to be known by the other. A friend gives of himself without thought of return. It seemed to me more possible to accomplish this as a slave than a Federation prisoner."
"Why do you wish to be a friend of Konti? What do you expect to get from him?"
"I expect to give, not get. As to why, because the Lord Jesus Christ wants me to."
"Don't get off on that God stuff. Stick to reality."
"You prefer a more believable answer, however untrue? How about this then: I hope desperately that Konti will like me enough to risk his career and his life to save me from the mindsifter, and in gratitude, I will spend the rest of my life groveling at his feet? Or this: the coward act is to convince you that I can in fact be controlled. After all, it's obviously dangerous to keep a slave who fears nothing?"
Kirk's eyes held a mixture of mockery and amusement. Kadat did not reply. He had in fact been thinking along those lines, but Kirk made it seem ludicrous.
"You see, I cannot give you truthful answers that do not include God. He is an integral part of my reality. Konti told you the truth about last night. It was part of the game. A good slave seeks to preserve the reputation of his master. I suspect Konti thinks it got a little out of hand, but it certainly wasn't boring.
"What else did you ask me? Oh yes, why don't I fear you? The truth includes God, but I'll try to explain it without Him. This afternoon, I have an appointment with the mindsifter, after which I expect to die. With that kind of a future, I doubt you could make the situation worse."
"I could take you away to a place where no one would ever find you. There you would experience days, weeks, even months, of non-stop agony. The mindsifter would seem a welcome release."
"Charming. Ask Koh what my probable reaction to that would be."
"Or I could kill you right here and now."
"Korn would not be pleased. What is the purpose of these threats?"
"Or," Kadat paused, "I could save you from the mindsifter altogether."
"By killing me now. No thanks."
"I could return you to the Federation."
Kirk's internal alarm system jumped to Red Alert. Lead me on Your path, Lord. Let me not stray into temptation.
"What happens to Konti if you do that?"
"He would undoubtedly be blamed for your escape."
"No thanks then. I'll stay here."
"Why?"
"No friend would do such a thing. I will not abandon Konti to save my own skin."
"Supposing I could fix it with Korn?"
"Why would you? What do you get out of this?" Kirk's voice dripped with skepticism.
"If you were my slave, I could protect you from Korn and his mindsifter."
Kirk said nothing.
"You don't believe I could? Or that I would?"
Kirk still said nothing.
"You're much too valuable to waste on the mindsifter."
Still no response.
"What's so special about Konti that you would go to such lengths to protect his reputation, that you would give up your life to preserve his?"
No answer.
"Answer me! I'm much more powerful than Konti is. I want you to be my slave. I could make your life very comfortable."
"Why are you trying to negotiate with a slave regarding a decision to be made by his master?"
"Because you are no ordinary slave. Given what I know about you, if you don't come willingly, the deal's off."
"No deal then. I'm staying here," Kirk declared adamantly.
"Why?"
"My goals have nothing to do with power or comfort."
"What is your goal then?"
"To do the will of the Lord Jesus Christ."
"Not that again! Give me a straight answer."
Knowing he would regret it, Kirk said it anyway. "I don't trust you."
Kadat's response was swift and violent. He slapped Kirk in the face, sending him sprawling. They both got to their feet. Kirk stood quietly waiting. Kadat slapped him again, knocking him to the floor. This sequence was repeated half a dozen times, as Kadat vented his anger.
"Not interested in power, are you? Getting mighty uncomfortable, I should think. See, Konti does nothing. He can't protect you, or won't, which is the same thing."
Kirk stood after each fall, not defending himself, but also refusing to stay down.
"Last chance to change your mind."
Kirk simply shook his head. Kadat launched a vicious set of blows that sent Kirk to the floor for the last time. Not quite unconscious, he heard Kadat address Konti.
"It's a good thing he dies today, or I'd have to report you and your little games."
And he stormed out of the house. As soon as he was gone, Koh began fussing over Kirk, just like-. Kirk didn't know, but it seemed very familiar. Setting aside that mental agony, Kirk struggled to his feet over Koh's protests. He stood in front of Konti with lowered eyes.
"Look at me." Kirk did.
Konti saw no trace of condemnation, anger, disappointment, or contempt. Instead he saw a warmth, a reaching out, that inexplicable something for which he had no word. Kirk's concern was for Konti, not for himself. Konti sighed.
"You know, he probably could have delivered what he promised. And he makes a very bad enemy."
"I'm sorry. You might beat him to it by reporting everything before we go see the mindsifter. Meanwhile, will you want your mid-day meal as usual?"
"Yes, but go get cleaned up first."
"As you wish. Will you have guests for the meal?"
"No, just me."
He turned to give Khlat directions. Koh followed Kirk into the bathroom.
"You've got three cracked ribs, and two of those cuts on your face ought to have stitches."
Kirk turned to Koh. "Don't make me laugh. What do you think would be the reaction if I walked in this afternoon with a taped chest and stitches on my face? I like you, Koh, and I appreciate the thought, but it won't matter after this afternoon anyway. I'll manage to survive that long."
By the time Kirk was serving Konti's meal, he appeared more or less normal.
"Well, Kirk, I took your advice. Korn will see me at 1330, after which we'll head down to the mindsifter."
He gazed at Kirk thoughtfully.
"You're still not afraid of it?"
Kirk smiled and shook his head.
"I'm sorry I'm not powerful enough to protect you from it."
"Don't be. The Lord knew that when He picked you for me to belong to."
"Do you expect Him to protect you?"
"I'll not deny I'd be delighted if the Lord's path for me did not include another encounter with the mindsifter, but no, I don't expect to be rescued from it."
"Then why didn't you accept Kadat's offer?" Konti was genuinely puzzled.
"I knew he was lying from the moment he suggested sending me back to the Federation. The only question was how to get rid of him without starting a brawl."
"You managed to get pretty beat up."
"Yes, well, I'm expendable."
"If you don't expect to be rescued, then this is our last conversation."
"Possibly. I do not know whether the Lord will heal me afterwards, but do you remember what I asked of you last week?"
"To let you wake up before I kill you?"
"Yes, and don't be in any hurry to put me out of my misery. Take a good long look in my eyes. Take several looks. And remember this: God loves you; He's in absolute control of my life; and He sent me here to tell you that He wants to know you."
Konti cracked his knuckles before answering. "Kirk, you are a most unusual man. It has been my privilege to know you these past weeks. If your God is anything like you, He must be most unusual too. But how can I know Him if you are not here?!" Konti's voice rose in frustration bordering on anger.
Kirk ignored the emotion and replied quietly but earnestly. "There are ways. If you truly seek Him, He will make himself known to you. He will find a way."