CHAPTER 02


   It was still a complete mystery to Julia. She had pulled up many different types of plants in just this one small yard. There were even plants here, such as two different varieties of rose, that could have easily been growing back on Earth. There was a major problem with that in her mind. Flowers, in particular, required insects. If the insects did not fly between male and female plants to pollinate then there would be no new flowers. To this very day she had not seen one single insect. Despite this, every year since she had been here, there were new blooms. The entire ecology of this planet really required some serious study. Just like everything else here it was far from what it appeared to be on the surface.

Julia kept her mind occupied by thinking about such things when she could. Some times at night, alone in the guesthouse, she would have to think about them hard. If she did not engage in these mental exercises her mind would start to wander. Julia could never let that happen. She had learned to fear it.

The man who hired Euker, and by extension her, to do the job of restoring his dilapidated yard had been a pain in the rump so far. He did not even live in this building. He lived higher up in the hills near Whide's old house. He had four basic rooms in this house and he rented all of them. While Julia was here, working, he came and hung around. He probably never came here at any other time. The guy just sat on the porch, and watched her every move. It was nerve racking to be put under a microscope like that. Julia knew that he was not here for the work, check his property, or do anything constructive. He simply liked watching her every time she had to bend over. Julia almost quit and walked home.

When the man did finally leave Julia took a break. She had a small cart sitting out on the street.  She kept a canteen with water in it along with her other supplies. She walked down the steps and breathed a sigh of relief that the jerk was gone. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a rag and then turned up the canteen for a long drink. When she looked back to the house finally, ready to get back to work, she saw someone on the porch again.  It was not the owner this time. The guy probably lived here since he was locking the door that he had just come out of. The guy was big, rotund, and even from behind he looked familiar.  

When the guy came down the walkway and then stepped out on the street he strolled away as if Julia were not even there. It did let her get a good look at him though and she did pay attention. It was Boey! It was the same guy who had bought Chreelana! Julia dropped her canteen back in the cart and ran up to the apartment door. She knocked. She knocked once again only this time harder. There was no answer and seemingly no movement from inside.  

Julia gave up and found she had a hard time finishing her work today. By the time the sun was dipping beneath the horizon, Julia was already home. That was a little earlier than usual. She walked into the living room almost still in a daze. She saw Pulsha first. Despite the girls huge frame, and large hips, she was still waddling around. When Pulsha saw Julia, the Raed girl did her usual thing and ignored her. Julia liked to make her mad by actually speaking to her, "Where's Euker at?"

Pulsha's face had a much more disgusted look on it today. Even more so than normal. The girl simply declined to speak. She only pointed up the stairs. Julia figured it was safe enough. With Pulsha this far-gone, Euker, was probably just sleeping and nursing wounds from the other days match. He had lost miserably and had been walking around the house pouting for days. Julia went on up the stairs. She stopped at his bedroom door and knocked.

"Pulsha?" it was him.

"No, It's Julia. I need to talk to you about a job I did today."

The answer was immediate, "come in please."

Julia opened the door and stepped into the room. It was far darker in here than the rest of the house. The curtains were pulled and the lamps were out. Only a few flickering candles gave the scant illumination that it had. Julia squinted her eyes till they finally adjusted. Zamatha and Thimina were in the room with him. They were standing side by side with their tops lying on the floor at their feet. No wonder Pulsha had been so disgusted.  

Euker was comfortably sitting in a chair in the shadows. He was wearing his normal evening robe, sitting back in a chair with his legs crossed and his chin propped in his hand. "You're just in time Julia."  

"What's going on here?" Julia was not the only one nervous here. Julia could see Zam's face. Even just standing there with her arms down at her sides you could easily tell that every muscle in Zamatha’s body was tense.

"Stand beside them Julia," said Euker. His voice was calm, even pleasant, but was carrying an unusual authoritarian edge. Julia did as instructed and she decided to play along with him for now. What else could she do? He went on, "Very good. You see Zamtha? She is no different than you are. Julia, remove your top please."

"Euker, what's..."

He raised his voice for the first time, "I MEAN DO IT NOW!"

A shock of electricity went flying up Julia’s spine. Both Zam and Thimina flinched. They dropped their heads even lower. Julia reached behind her back to untie the cloth strap. She took too long for Euker’s liking.  He flew out of the chair in a rage and Julia stepped back from it. He came on anyway and got right back in her face. Julia could only retreat so far.

"So tell me Julia. Is it you putting all of these perverted thoughts into young Thimina and Zamtha's mind?"

There was a sharp pain in the back of Julia's head. Like a knife cutting, it shot up from her spine, and traveled straight to her eyes. She almost collapsed. Before she could, Euker grabbed her and spun her around. He put Julia up against the wall, face first, and began untying the strap for her. When he finished he let her go and stepped back.

Julia still felt faint. She felt like her knees were going to buckle. Her stance wavered. Euker either did not care or simply failed to notice her condition. He pointed at the spot next to the younger girls. "Stand here Julia."

"Julia, are you all right?" said Zamtha. When Euker looked back to the young girl with a nasty scowl on his face she quickly went back to looking at the floor.  

Stumbling just a little, Julia stepped back into the line. Euker smiled and went back to his chair. For several minutes he said nothing. He merely sat there and looked at the wall. When he finally did speak, he was looking at the ceiling. "Zamtha, Thimina, finish undressing her please."

Zamtha took the strings on the top leather strap. She began untying each little knot that Julia liked to put in hers. Zamtha had tried to show Julia how to make a knot that was simple to pull out. Julia would not hear of it. She wanted what little clothing she had to be hard to come off. Zamtha now realized why Julia had been so fussy about the knots.

Zam was more worried about other things now though. She whispered in Julia's ear, "Are you all right?"

There was no response. Julia just stood there in a daze with her eyes glassy and looking into the great beyond. Zamtha became very scared now. She had never seen Julia like this before. Zamtha could stall no longer. She undid the blue leatherneck piece and let it fall to the ground. Once done, both girls got back in line.  

"Now girls," said Euker. He could not finish his sentence. There was a scream from down stairs. Euker jumped out of his chair and was gone in a flash.

The first thing Thimina did was grab her top piece. She didn't put it on but instead rapped her arms around her naked upper body. After a few moments even that did no good. Thimina dropped to the floor and went into a fetal position.

Zamtha was just the opposite. She ignored the clothing and quickly sprang into action. She grabbed Julia and shook her. Julia started breathing normal again. Her glassed over expression began showing signs of life. Zamtha hugged her, "what happened to you? I was scared."

Shaking her head Julia felt dizzy. She rubbed her forehead, "I got one of those headaches of mine. That's all. What happened?"

Thimina peeped out of her shell. “He gets like this sometimes. Usually after a really long losing streak at the games. When we were up north during the war if he would lose at them sports, they had in the army, and he would get mad. He used to make me watch when him and Pulsha would.... you know. Sometimes they would make me join them. That's how I had my child."

Julia looked at the open door, "Where did he go?"

"Downstairs," replied Zam.

No sooner did Julia have her answer when Euker began calling out, "help!"

Pulsha's water had broken while she was sitting on the couch. She was screaming in pain. After two and a half hours of this she still had not stopped.  Julia kept a watch on her while Thimina and Zamtha took care of everything else. Now and then Julia would look into the open door of the study. Euker was just sitting in his chair hunched over biting his nails. He was shaking worse every time Pulsha screamed.  

"Oh my god," said Julia as she checked Pulsha one more time. "She's fully dilated and the head hasn't turned."

Zam and Thimina stopped everything they were doing upon hearing that. Thimina was holding a stick in Pulsha's mouth. Zam was just coming in from the kitchen shed with a tub of hot water. Zam froze in her tracks, "What does that mean Julia?"

Julia grabbed the rag in Zamtha's hand. She wiped her own forehead and then Pulsha's. There was no doctor here! There were no midwives of any real consequence. There was no one that would come if they called. Julia, with her limited experience with things that did not eat by photosynthesis, was the best they had.  

Stepping nervously into the study Julia stood watching Euker as he quivered in his seat. He was always so full of his macho crap and now he was shivering like a child. "Euker, I'm going to have to cut her."

He jumped up out of his chair and grabbed Julia by the arms. He shook her violently with an iron clad grip. "You're not going to hurt her! You get my baby!"

Julia kicked him in the knee, slung her arms around, and broke his grip. She rubbed her arms, "You Ignorant ass hole! It's called a C-section and that's the only chance Pulsha has. The baby's head is not down! If she tried to have this baby the natural way it'll kill both of them."

Euker took a step back. He rapped his arms around himself, "do it! Save her! You’re smart. You can save her!"

Julia gave up with him. She stormed out of the study and went right to the kitchen shed out back. She had to find a sharp knife. She had never seen a sharp knife around this place! She did find a bottle of alcohol though. It was drinking alcohol but that was good since it was multi purposed. It made a good disinfectant, a pain killer for the patient, and was an excellent tranquilizer for the Doc. Now if she could only find something to cut with. Julia had to think. There had to be something sharp in the house. The kitchen would not do.

Running back into the living room Julia stopped dead in her tracks. Zamtha was standing before her, hands out, palms up. There was large sharp knife in the little girls hands. Julia grabbed it, "Where did you get that?"

"Never mind that now Julia. Will it do?"

Pulsha was stretched out on the couch. Thimina was doing her best to hold the larger girl down. Julia pointed for Zamtha to help. Julia took the alcohol and poured it over the knife blade. Before setting the bottle aside she took a swig. Julia needed it. This was going to have to go fast. For some reason Pulsha was screaming without stop now. Either the contractions were coming very close together or something else was causing the pain.  

"See if you can get some of this in her," said Julia nodding to the bottle of alcohol. Julia climbed over the couch and sat on Pulsha's legs. She cut her bottom leather strap off and pulled away the cloth of her pants legs. "Pulsha, now this is going to hurt honey. I'm going to have to cut you. If I don't the baby will die and you probably will too!”

Pulsha was not looking, paying attention, and most likely incoherent. Sweat and tears were rolling down off her face. She was constantly fighting with Zam and Thimina who were trying their best to hold her still. Pulsha then screamed out, "Get it out of me! Get that damn thing out of me now!"

Hesitantly, Julia lowered the blade of the knife to the woman's pelvic region. Julia stopped suddenly. She knew where everything would be if Pulsha had a flat tummy. This was not the case. The woman was bulging and those nice neat anatomy charts that Julia had only half way remembered were now useless. Julia felt for the head again. She would have to cut near it. That was all she could think to do.  

"Hurry Julia!" yelled Thimina. She was loosing control of Pulsha's right arm.  

"Shut up!" responded Julia. She looked, she felt, she brought the knife blade down and made a knick in the skin. Pulsha went wild. Her right arm tossed Thimina right over the back of the couch and onto the floor. Zamtha had a firm grip until the free right hand started hitting at her. Zamtha was forced to retreat. Pulsha grabbed Julia by her leather neck strap and pulled her over. Then she grabbed Julia's knife hand.  

It was in her eyes. As Julia put all of her might into retaining control of the blade she had a window right into Pulsha's very soul. Pulsha was going to die and she knew it. Now she was going to make her one last act of defiance. Pulsha had decided to take somebody with her. Julia, was now trying to save two lives. She had been trying to save Pulsha but, now, she was fighting to save her own.  

The deadlock was suddenly broken. A pair of hands on Julia's shoulder threw her across the room where she landed against the wall. She rolled over on her side and then tried to get up. A foot slammed into her ribs and shoved her back down on the floor. She stayed there for a few more moments. Her headache was coming back and now her ribs were aching too. Julia looked up finally but, she kept her body flat on the floor.

Euker was standing over Pulsha who was still screaming.  He now had the knife in his hand but, held it in a very non-threatening manner. He laid it down on the floor next to the couch so he could use both of his hands to hold Pulsha back. When her screams began weakening Euker stood back up. He walked back over to Julia.  

His foot came to rest right in front of Julia's face. He placed his hands on his hips. "Good thing I caught you in time."

A flash of pain shot through Julia's head. She almost passed out. She felt too weak to stand or do anything. She forced out the words in between deep breaths, "I was trying to save her?"

"With a knife!" Euker stormed off. In a moment he returned. Julia opened her eyes only slightly. She felt weak and disoriented. She saw Euker hand something to Zamtha.  He then yelled at her but, Julia couldn't make out the words. Was he pointing at the floor? Was he pointing at her?  

Zamtha knelt over Julia. She rolled Julia over on her belly and then whispered, "I'm sorry Julia. I... I... He's making me do this."

A twinge of pain, sharper than before, sliced out of the base of Julia's skull. She began to shiver and then her muscles began to go into uncontrolled jerks. She listened for a moment. Pulsha! Pulsha was growing silent. Julia wanted to get up, to go help her. She wanted to push herself up off the floor. Her arms wouldn't move. She twisted and she turned her wrists but nothing worked, "Zam! Wh... what are you doing..."

Zamtha pulled the rope tight and tied it off.  "Just be still Julia. It'll be all right."

"No, Zam... you have to listen to me or Pulsha is going to die. You have to!"

A foot slammed into Julia's ribs once again. The pain from the blow mixed with another bolt of electricity and Julia's system took all it could. Her eyes closed and darkness fell.



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It was not exactly the nicest building in Carbough but, it certainly beat a tent. There was some trash in the hallway. Jack thought that was an improvement over the carpet scheme anyway. The woman that was acting as the house manager bowed and left Jack at the apartment door. Jack knocked lightly. No one answered but Jack could hear some definite moving around inside the room. He knocked once more and finally the door opened.

The woman on the other side was not the most attractive woman in the world. She was probably not much older than Jack even if she looked a good twenty years past that. Women on this world seemed to die before their men. Jack had not seen too many that were what he would consider old, old, and the few that were looked bad. It probably had something to do with having been literally worked to death at an earlier age, or maybe from too many pregnancies, or just plain old general neglect.

This woman smiled as she peeked through the door crack. "Master Jack, you come in."

Jack took his coat off when he walked in. He handed that and his hat to the woman that Red always called Olivia. That was not her name but, she went with it so it stuck. Jack had been worried about why Red had not bothered to meet him at the restaurant they had agreed on. Jack figured that Red let the date pass without remembering. After all, they had made the date, by letter, several months in advance. This did not prove to be the case though.

It was not a good sight. Jack held his breath, he also squirmed, as he stood there looking down at Red. The man was lying in his bed as pale as the white sheets over him. He was sweating by the gallon it seemed. He still seemed in good spirits as he forced a smile, "Hiya Jack."

Jack was no longer in good spirits even if Red pretended to be, "Damn it Red, have you got a fever?"

He gave a less than real sounding laugh, "Shoot, is it that obvious. I thought it was just hot in here."

"Red this is serious man. We've got to get you back home. I need Pam to look at you."

Red coughed. He waived for Olivia then pointed toward a chest in the corner of the room. He sat up in bed but it was obvious that his energy was giving way. "Jack, I can't make no train ride fella. I won't make it that long no how. You know these people here. They don't have anything like what we'd call a doctor."

Olivia put a bottle of something in Red's hand. He held it out for Jack, "I been taking this stuff for my cold. It makes it go away for a few days anyhow but, it ain't doing me much good now."

Jack looked over the bottle,  "A few days? How long you been in bed?"

He coughed, "Three weeks now. I been getting these fever spells for a year or better though. Not too long after I moved down here. Never thought much about them. Just like a cold."

Jack wanted to scream. He paced around, "What am I suppose to do man? I can't get back up there and get Pam back in less than a month. I don't even know how to find their cabin exactly? Hell! I've only been there once."

"Jack!"  Red rolled back down, "It's not your fault no how. I don't think Pam could do me much good either. So don't kill you too. Not fretin’ over little ole me."

It was not sorrow that Jack felt. He didn't understand why but, he was angry.  He was mad enough to scream. He balled his fists, "Damn it Red!"

"Jack," Red was resting as best he could now. His voice was weak. He coughed again and it was obviously causing him great discomfort. "Jack... I need you to stay with me till its time. I'd like to get buried up there in the desert next to Mac. I know that's impossible though. It'd be nice spending eternity with that card cheating, story telling, old fool. I... know that.... Jack just don't bury me in that field. I don't want Dumbo crapping on me from here to eternity. Oh, Jack. If you could man... I got some papers over...  "

Olivia brought Jack several papers in an envelope. Jack breezed over them for now. Red had made out his will. He had something in there that looked like a farewell letter to every single surviving member of the crew. There were also several pages that had, "To be filed with AP on Earth." Finally Olivia brought Jack a little black book. It was Red's journal. They were the notes he was planning on turning into a book about this trip when he got home.

"Can you do all that Jack. There's instructions for Olivia too. She'll do you guys good up at the Inn. Take some the heat off you."

Jack bowed his head, "Yeah Red. I can take care of it man."

"Thanks man, you're a real pal." Jack stayed by his side. Sometime just after midnight Red had decided he was finished. Apparently Jack had been all he was waiting for, that and the end.


_____________________


There was a crash of lighting outside. There was the wind too. Julia could hear the roar of air rushing past the house. How strange it was. Not since Julia had been here, on the South Coast, had she ever so much as seen a rain cloud. Now she could hear the pattering rain outside the basement window. It was growing heavier all the time.

There was a creaking noise. It was coming from the basement stairs. Julia tried to peek out from under the blindfold. It was very dark down here but, she could sense that there was a new light source. There was that creek again. Whoever it was, was taking it slow coming down the staircase. It had to be, "Zamtha! Is that you?"

"No," it was Euker’s voice.

Julia knew she was lying flat. She figured she was on the table that she potted pants on. She wasn't really sure of much though. Julia woke up like this. Her hands were tied down way over her head.  Some more rope was rapped around her belly and her legs were bent, hanging just over the edge of whatever she was tied to. Her ankles were secured to wooden beams which she figured were probably the table legs. The only way she knew that it was the basement was from the strong odor of her fertilizer.  

The sound of his voice, the creaking stairs, the crash of thunder, and Julia panicked. She pulled and squirmed as she heard him draw near. She started to cry, "What do you want with me?"

Somehow, he had slipped right up next to her. He whispered right in her ear, "Pulsha died Julia. She died and the baby with her."

"I tried to save her. Honest to god," cried Julia.

Now he was further away. He was toward the bottom of the table now, "that's no longer a matter. I feel great grief for her but, life has to go on. The baby was a boy by the way. MY DEAD SON YOU BITCH!"

"Listen to reason, oh please god Euker listen to reason. I tried to save them! Don't kill me! I did what I could!"

His weight pushed in between Julia's legs. She tensed up as he spoke, "If I were vindictive I would turn you over to the constable. Of course he's soft. You probably wouldn't get what you deserved. If I just killed you well I'd be out six thousand gold. So, I'm going to have you do the only thing you women are good at."

"Bastard! No matter what you do! No matter how much you try! I'll be better than you at anything you ever try! How do you like that you pathetic little shit!"

Julia started rolling her wrists trying to break free. She yanked at the cords as she felt his hand rolling over her nipples. His voice was calm, "Now, now Julia. You know most men wouldn't buy a woman who could read and write. Then again, most men can't read and write either. As for me, well it doesn't bother me in the least that you can dig up plants and juggle figures because I know that no matter what you learn, you'll still just be a worthless woman. Now how do you like that Julia?”

A warm penetrating thrust sent Julia into terrified convulsions. She screamed. Her worst nightmare had just come true. She began to grind her teeth that much more as he pushed harder and harder. Julia felt it again. Her head began to swim in pain. Maybe she would be lucky and not remember this either.