Chapter 24

Kirk had not known it was branding day, but considered it a small matter. However it transpired that Konti wished to make it a very big deal. He had planned a large dinner party - twelve guests - and Kirk was to prepare and serve the meal single-handedly.

"This will not be like that first fiasco, nor will you pull any of your purposeful disobedience. You will be the competent and efficient worker I know you are, and you will give me a perfect performance. No mistakes, no accidents, everything done right.

"At the close of the meal, after the last dish has been cleared, we will have the branding ceremony. Your only task after that will be to fetch wraps, which I trust you can do one-handed."

"Why? Are you going to cut off an arm?"

"No, nothing so drastic. This is the three-month anniversary of your captivity. Normally this is not done for at least a year, often not for many years. It is considered a mark of honor. It is voluntary, but I do not know of any slave who has refused the honor. In effect, what it signifies is that the master trusts the slave with his life. Any slave bearing this mark has free run of the city, and is not questioned regarding his master's business.

"After we complete the usual branding, I ask for your left hand. You hold it out to me, palm up. I see that your palm contains no one else's brand. (This honor cannot be awarded a slave that has been sold.) Then I pick up the branding iron again, holding it vertically with the live end over your palm. You raise your hand to meet the branding iron, holding it in place for the required time period."

"Which is?"

Konti swallowed. "Ten minutes. This brand is only done once. It has to last a life-time."

"You expect to be able to hold it still for ten minutes?"

"I won't have to. Once its weight is resting on you, I only keep it upright; you hold it still."

"Okay. Who keeps time?"

"Koh will assist, as he has for the last two. But there's more. After I put the branding iron away for the second time, I draw my knife again. At this point, the guests will gasp and be appalled, but they will not dare to protest. This that I am about to describe is never done with the first hand, and only rarely with the second.

"I will offer you the knife, which you will take with the right hand. You will rise, and make a diagonal cut in the center of my forehead, at least an inch long. And don't forget to turn the knife in the wound so as to leave a visible scar."

"An inch-long head wound is going to bleed profusely, not like those tiny ones you give me."

"I am aware of that. Koh will be prepared."

"Konti, if this is never done, why are you doing it?"

"This action is performed by a slave who has suffered much for the master's sake, one to whom the master owes a debt he cannot pay. Perhaps the slave has saved the master's life. In any event, it is an action of the utmost trust, and actions speak louder than words."

"Konti, I am indeed honored that you trust me this much, but you do not owe me anything, nor have I saved your life."

"But you have suffered a great deal."

"I have suffered for my disobedience, rebellion, and carelessness, all much deserved."

"That's nonsense and you know it."

"But they don't. This does not fit the picture we have created."

"I'm changing the picture. No more public beatings."

"I wish you would reconsider. I know you don't like doing it, but it's safer."

"Don't like is an understatement! But what do you mean by safer?"

"As long as I am seen as a somewhat inept slave, who is definitely a slow learner, and can't even manage to avoid regular public beatings, then I am a threat to nobody. You are exercising good discipline, and I am getting what I deserve. If you suddenly elevate me to the status of utmost trusted slave, they will not believe you. They will think I have somehow tricked you, and will use this elevated status to further my own devious and subversive goals.

"I will do the dinner without mistakes if you insist, though it is a tempting audience. But I strongly advise against the rest of it."

"Does that mean you will refuse the honor?"

"No, but I would rather you didn't offer it. I will agree to gradually reduce the frequency of public beatings, so they will believe I am finally getting it, slowly."

"Very well, I see your point about the suddenness of it. I wanted them to see what I see in you, especially before they finish that new mindsifter. But you're telling me they wouldn't see it, no matter what I say or do." Konti cracked his knuckles in frustration.

"That's right. It is sufficient to me that you see it. Konti, it means a great deal to me to have your trust. Would a private ceremony have any meaning for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Here and now, just you and me. No one but us would know we did it. Couldn't do the hand-branding of course. But I would be willing to take your knife and inflict a wound where no one would see it, and no questions would be asked. But only if such an action would have meaning for you."

"It would. The belly I think. And make it a cross. However it would have more meaning if we arranged it such that you could actually kill me. I have wondered how you felt waking up to find me poised over you with a knife."

Kirk laughed. "That's different. You were actually going to do it. As I recall, my chief thought concerned how to avoid startling you. As it was, you dropped the knife. Anyway, I think I understand what you're getting at. I recommend the back room, however, rather than the bed. More room to move, and we don't have to worry about blood stains."

They stood facing each other in the back room. Konti had left his garments at the door, but kept the knife.

"This is not teacher-student, nor even slave-master. We are just Kirk and Konti, no more, no less. Are you certain you want to do this?"

"No, I'm not. I thought I was, but now I hear voices, some screaming, some whispering, all telling me that you are a warrior, a tiger, an enemy."

"The voices will get worse after you give me the knife, especially if I do what you want: make you think I might actually kill you. The decision to trust can be difficult, because you cannot know for certain what I will do. But remember this: I am a warrior; I am also an actor. Konti, I ask you to believe that I am not your enemy."

Konti slowly extended the knife to Kirk, who took it just as slowly. Once he had it however, Kirk dropped into a warrior's crouch. Konti instinctively did likewise, but after a moment slowly stood erect, refusing to try to defend himself. Kirk made a complete circle around Konti and moved in close, bringing the knife point under Konti's chin. Konti stood rigidly immobile, staring straight ahead, not looking at Kirk.

Kirk trailed the knife down Konti's chest to his belly. He drew back the knife hand as if to plunge it home. He even started the plunge. Konti gasped, but remained unmoving. Mid-stroke, Kirk altered his speed to a crawl, and carefully carved a shallow 'X' onto Konti's belly. Then he stepped back and stood quietly, waiting for Konti to recover. Konti's eyes gradually focused on Kirk's face and saw him smile warmly.

"What are the voices saying now?"

"Absolutely speechless. You really could have killed me!"

"Yes; well, possibly. That's what you wanted - for me to set it up so all you could do was cling to your belief that I wouldn't. And you did well. I'm impressed."

"Not as well as you would. You'd have been relaxed, confident, and smiling."

"I wish you'd stop comparing yourself to me. The situation is entirely different. I do expect you to kill me with this knife some day, but I don't expect you to tease me about it."

He handed the knife back to Konti, and they moved toward the door.

"Anyway, do you trust me more now than before, or less?"

Konti stopped abruptly, as if he thought the question odd.

"More, definitely."

"That's good then."

xxxx

The branding party went well. Kirk made no mistakes, but managed to give the impression that he was about to, all evening long. I will never doubt his acting skill, thought Konti.

The branding itself was equally uneventful. Kirk was glad to keep his hands securely under him. Konti did not offer the honors he had threatened to.

The only unusual occurrence of the evening was an encounter with one of the guests. Kirk had sensed hostility from several of them, but not this one. Kezak was only curious, he thought. Most of the guests had gone when Kezak asked to speak with him privately. Kirk told him that Konti would have to give permission. Expecting Konti to refuse, Kirk was surprised to hear him offer his bedroom for a conference.

Kirk led the way, offered Kezak the only chair, and shut the door. He stood in the center of the room, facing Kezak, eyes lowered. Suddenly Kezak spoke.

"Be a warrior, five seconds."

"Sir?" Kirk did not even look up, but he was alarmed, and hoped it didn't show.

Kezak was impatient. "Show me a warrior; just a five-second impression."

"Sir, I am a slave, not a warrior. I do not know what you want of me."

Kezak laughed. "Captain Kirk, I know who you are, both what you have been, and what you purport to be now. I even know what Koh does to you at night, and I have watched you walk from here to there."

"You are well-informed, sir. Perhaps if you explained your purpose, I would know better how Konti would like for me to help you."

Kezak laughed again. "You're good, very good. Konti told me I wouldn't crack it if you didn't trust me. Look, I'm not a spy for the State. Nothing you show me will get back to Korn and his goons. Konti told me you were an actor. I want to see how good you are."

"Perhaps if you explained the context of this conversation about acting, I would know Konti's wishes in the matter."

"It was a private conversation at the club. I was enumerating some incongruities in your behavior, and he told me about that fiasco of a dinner party you engineered. I didn't believe him, so he told me how you maneuver him into a public beating once a week. He even told me why you do it. I was still skeptical, so he invited me to see for myself."

Kirk was thinking that Konti talked too much, but all he said was, "Konti wishes for me to show you what, exactly?"

"I want to see you act. Show me how you would portray a warrior."

So Kirk did a very clumsy, unrealistic image of a warrior.

"Um, how about a starship captain?"

An equally bad rendition. Kezak threw out half a dozen more widely varied characters, which Kirk did progressively worse at, as he became more nervous and confused. Finally Kezak applauded, laughing.

"Superb, absolutely astounding! Well, you don't trust me, and I don't blame you. It's too bad you're not for sale. I could make a pile off you." He rose to depart.

"I'm sure you would need to discuss that with Konti, sir."

Kezak left in the company of Korn, still chuckling. Kirk was indeed disturbed. Only an expert could tell the difference between bad acting and a good actor giving a performance of bad acting. But one look at Konti told him now was not the time to discuss Kezak. Besides, he needed to leave himself in a few minutes.

"Konti, you look troubled. Did something not go right about the evening?"

"No, it was fine. You were great."

His mind was clearly elsewhere.

"What then? Konti, how can I help?"

Konti looked up bleakly.

"Kirk, I wouldn't tell anyone else this, but I'm scared stiff. Koh talked to Korn. It's all set up. We start tonight - in one hour in fact. I don't think I can face this, but I have to try. It's not the pain I'm afraid of. What am I saying! Yes, it is! But it's not just that. I'm afraid I can't do this! Kirk, I don't know how you face it night after night. But maybe it's easy for you."

"No, it's never easy. Easier, maybe, because it's familiar. Konti, every time I climb those steps, I wonder if Koh has managed to come up with something I really can't stand. So far, the answer is 'no', but I never stop wondering.

"Konti, I want to help you through this, encourage you, support you, even just be there with you. But when we get in there, Koh calls the shots. If he separates us, I won't protest. That's why it's so important that he be on your side.

"If he tortures you just for the fun of seeing you crack, he'll have found something I can't stand. That's why I'm angry that he's willing to use you to get me. If you're right, and he's really doing this for you, then I'll cheerfully do anything he tells me to, including hurt you. So tell me again. How much do you trust Koh?"

Konti straightened his back. "With my life, Kirk, I swear it."

"Okay, then. I will too. I choose to trust him with your life and your soul, because you do. Would you object if I pray for us before I go?"

"Pray?"

"Talk to God. Ask for His help."

"I'll take all the help I can get."

"Lord Jesus, we need Your help, especially in these next hours and days. We don't know exactly what we're facing, but we do know it will be difficult and painful. Help us to endure, to weather the storm with our souls intact. Lord, I would like for our relationship to survive this ordeal. But most important, I want Konti to come out of this a stronger and more whole person than when he goes in. Lastly, Lord, I ask You to help Koh. His job is difficult, made more than doubly so with two of us. Give him Your wisdom, Lord, that his path may be clear. Help him know what to do for Konti, and protect their relationship from any harm."

Kirk rose to go. "Konti, one other thing. Who is Kezak?"

"The guy you talked to in the other room. He certainly was amused when he left."

"Do you trust him?"

"Up to a point. Why?"

"Would he be likely to go to Korn or anyone else in authority with information about you or me?"

"No. Highly unlikely. Why do you ask?"

"He implied that he had information about me that you would not have shared with a casual acquaintance. But he did not actually say anything that was not either public knowledge or guesswork. He was goading me into dropping the slave character, and highly amused when I refused to do so. I am still unsure what he really wanted."

"Probably wants to steal you. But don't worry. He won't."

"Steal me? What for?" Kirk asked, confused. "He didn't strike me as being in the same league as Kadat."

"Heavens, no! Kezak is a highly successful talent master. He manages people with unusual talents - puts on shows. It's big business. He makes lots of money."

"Oh. He wanted to see me act. So I gave him the most awful renditions of characters, and he saw through the whole thing. Knew exactly what I was doing and why. But if you think he's harmless, maybe we can forget about it."

"He won't forget. He'll be back. But I'll talk to him."

"All right, then. I'll see you at the lab."

xxxx

Konti was in the monitoring room with Koh when Kirk arrived. He calmly walked into Room A, briefly glanced at the contents of the room, and began attaching the footpads to the bottoms of his feet.

"Good evening, Koh. I trust you had a restful day. It's a might nippy out tonight. I'd guess the temperature's a good five degrees colder than last night."

Koh did not respond, and Kirk continued attaching wires to his skin. It was clear he had done this many times. He began testing before he was finished attaching them.

"Testing 1, 2, 3..." And on up to 30. He finished attaching and testing at the same time. Walking over to the near wall, he thrust his left arm through a hole into the monitoring room. Koh swiftly inserted an IV needle. Kirk removed that arm and pushed the right arm in for the same treatment. Then he walked over to a tray containing several hypos.

"You going to tell me what's in these, or wait for me to find out?"

Silence.

Kirk picked up each of the hypos in turn and gave himself the injections. Then he turned to face the monitoring room.

"Now what? Am I staying here long enough to bother plugging in the IV's?"

Koh did not reply, but pressed a few buttons and turned a dial.

"You're being very considerate tonight. I can sleep through this. I'd say definitely under 50, maybe 40 or 45."

Konti glanced at the dial, which stood at 42. Kirk plugged in the IV's, lay down on the padded table he used for a bed, and within minutes, was sound asleep.

Koh turned to Konti. "Any questions, so far?"

"Was that a lucky guess, or can he really tell the difference between 40 and 50?"

"If he's not exhausted, he's very accurate. The more exhausted, the more flippant and obnoxious his feedback, also the more jokes. If he's just quietly cooperative like tonight, he's got lots of reserves."

"What about the silent treatment? He talks as if he expects you to answer, but he doesn't seem the least bothered when you don't."

"Some nights we keep up a running conversation all night long, especially when I really don't want him to sleep. Other nights he gets nothing but silence. He usually wears the head device that shuts out light and sound, but I've left it off, and I'm sure he knows it's because of you. Anyway, I can give him all the instructions he needs through the wires.

"One night I had him running in circles all over this lab. For hours, I changed his instructions every few minutes. Then just for fun, I garbled all the instructions, so he had no idea what I wanted him to do. He laughed."

"That's what he doesn't want you to do to me - that 'just for fun' part."

"Yes, I suppose so. But I don't mind him thinking I will. That was quite a sight, watching him get angry. You'd think he was a mother bear protecting her cubs."

"I may have ruined it for you." And Konti shared their conversation about trust.

"So he's going to trust me. That's very interesting. I'd love to play with that. But I won't. Kirk is a passing fancy; you and I are for a lifetime." Koh paused to stare at Konti for a moment, before resuming his constant monitoring of data.

"The thing is, with him, it is fun. He's not laughing on the outside and gritting his teeth on the inside. He genuinely thinks it's funny, and so it is. I remember a night a couple of weeks ago. I laid out six injections for him to take - twice as many as usual. So he's expecting big-time symptoms, and nothing materializes. I had put placebos in every one of those six injections. Took him hours to figure it out, but it came to him all of a sudden. And he started laughing, a deep sustained belly laugh. Kept it up for five minutes. I'm cranking the dial up the whole time. He ends up on the floor, in agony, still chuckling. Only way I would've got him to stop laughing was to knock him out. I can only fool him once though."

"He likes it when you tease him."

"He'd be bored if I didn't. There's nothing very interesting about pain, per se."

"But he doesn't want you to tease me."

"Instinct tells him that for you, it wouldn't be funny."

"It's more than instinct." And he told Koh about the private session with the knife and what Kirk had done.

"Kirk actually did that? He trusts you more than I knew."

"What do you mean? We were dealing with my trust of him, not his of me."

"What would've happened if you had believed he was really going to kill you? He couldn't prove he wasn't; he'd purposely made it look as if he was. It would've ruined everything he's worked so hard for, not to mention, cost him his life, though that seems of little concern to him."

Konti absently ran his thumb along his fingertips. "What do you mean: everything he's worked so hard for?"

"As far as I can see, his number one goal since the day he got here has been to be your friend. I don't profess to understand why, but it's the only thing that adequately explains the things he's done."

"Well, he's succeeded; I do think of him as a friend. That's why I hate those public beatings. It's so unfair!"

"Those beatings are his life insurance. He considers the benefit well worth the cost. The pain is nothing; even the humiliation is nothing."

"The pain is not nothing! When he gave me those forty lashes last week, I ended up on the floor in agony. He manages to act as if it's nothing. I want to know how he does it. That's why I'm here."

"And I want to see him teach you. But I promise not to tease."

"Koh, don't make such promises. I may not think it's funny, but I won't hate you, and I do trust you."

Koh woke Kirk up with three blasts of maximum pain. He sent him to the weight room for an hour by giving him a complex series of pain blasts on the legs. Kirk knew the routine in the weight room well. When he was finished, he gave a succinct verbal report, including, for the record, the fact that when concentrating on the weight workout, he was completely unaware of pain from the wires.

This was not news to Koh, but Konti was surprised. Koh explained that they had experimented with this phenomenon weeks ago. The dial had to be up around 80 before Kirk even noticed the pain during a workout. He could still do the workout anywhere up to 120. After that, his concentration was so divided that he couldn't lift nearly the weight he normally could.

Koh sent Kirk to each of the other rooms in the lab, but only briefly so Konti could get an idea of what they did in each room. Kirk seemed to be aware of Koh's purpose without any words. He gave a running commentary as if he were a tour guide at a museum. Konti was fascinated that it was interspersed with humor and personal transparency.

Kirk returned to Room A, plugged the IV's back in and lay down to sleep. Again within minutes he was sound asleep. Koh began turning up the dial. Konti thought Kirk would wake up. Koh explained that if he started increasing it after Kirk was already asleep, and moved it up slowly enough, Kirk would stay asleep all the way up to 150. If he was awake to begin with, Koh could increase it up to 200 before Kirk lost consciousness. Koh moved the dial up to 150 and left it there. Then he turned and faced Konti.

"Here's your last chance to back out. Kirk's crash course included over three days straight with the dials at the maximum he could tolerate and still remain conscious. The week he spent in the sensory deprivation unit, the dials were at the max non-stop all week long. I've still got the tape of that week. I don't think he mentioned the pain once. He simply didn't think about it. If you want to do the things he does, you're in for a lot of agony, and I mean a lot. You still want to do this?"

"Want isn't exactly the right word, but yes, I will not change my mind. I told Kirk I was scared stiff, and I am, but I have to do this. So let's get on with it."