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“I never—” Lilli began indignantly but once again she was cut off.
“Oh, poor dear! It truly is a shame she’s so behind the times.” Lady Tempertant clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “Tell me, Mirabella, is there some medical reason she can’t have a quick-grow heir like the other girls?”
“Oh no—certainly not!” Lilli’s mother exclaimed. “It’s just that she hasn’t been here long—I only picked her up from the convent last week and brought her home. And I didn’t realize—”
“That having an heir early was the fashion now? Ah, such a pity.” Lady Tempertant shook her bushy purple head. “But that’s what happens when you live outside of Opulex—fashions change so rapidly and it’s easy to fall behind.”
“Lilliana is not behind,” Lady Mirabella said quickly. “Why, I have plans to take her to the conception center by the end of this week!”
“Then you’ll want her to start taking the quick-grow shots now,” Lady Tempertant advised. “I’ll tell you what—I have an extra quick-grow kit out in my hovercraft. I was going to give it to Lady Toodleoo for her daughter when I saw her next, but I can send my servant out for another one to give to her later.”
“Oh, really?” Lady Mirabella clasped her hands between her breasts. “Thank you, my dear Mistress Tempertant! That’s so kind of you!”
“Not at all…” Lady Tempertant waved a hand dismissively. “After all, you’re part of the Sacred Seven now—we can’t have you or your daughter looking less than fashionable, now can we?”
“The next time you see us, Lilli will be expecting her heir,” Lady Mirabella promised, much to Lilli’s horror.
“Excellent.” Lady Tempertant nodded. “Let me send my bodyslave to get the kit—ah, here he is already. Excellent, Yorn!” she said to her bodyslave, who had broad shoulders and shaggy black hair. “He’s so good at anticipating my needs,” she told Lilli’s mother. “I swear I haven’t even considered sending him to the mines more than once or twice since I’ve had him.”
She took the kit from her bodyslave’s hands—it looked like a miniature black briefcase, Lilli thought numbly—and opened it. Inside were two long, silver syringes with wickedly sharp multi-needles. They were filled with a bright green formula that looked poisonous.
“Now, you’ll want to give her one in the evening about a week before she goes to the conception center and one the night right before she goes,” she instructed. “Of course, there are a few side effects.”
“Side…side effects?” Lilli finally managed to get out through lips that felt as dry as dust.
“Oh my, yes! There’s quite a strong ovulatory response. It made my Priss rather grumpy, don’t you know?” Lady Tempertant giggled. “But of course that’s necessary in order to get the womb ready for implantation by whatever sperm you pick. And it makes the process at the conception center so much easier.”
“It does?” Lady Mirabella frowned.
“Well, you know how large those conception injectors are. Why they can’t modify them to be a bit more manageable, I really don’t know.”
“You certainly have a point, there.” Lilli’s mother nodded sagely. “So how do the shots help?”
“Why, by the time the chemical cocktail in these finishes working on them, all the girls are just dying for the conception injection!” Lady Tempertant tapped the silver and glass syringes in the case meaningfully with one sharp fingernail. “Priss even insisted on going back twice—just to be certain the process had taken, of course,” she added.
“Mother!” Priss glared at her. “That’s private.”
“Sorry, my pet, but you can’t deny it’s true. The quick-grow formula is really quite strong,” Mistress Tempertant remarked.
“Yes, it is.” Priss’s frown was abruptly replaced by a thin, crafty smile. “Mother, don’t you think it would be better if you showed Mistress Mirabella how to give the injection? After all, didn’t she say that Lilliana is scheduled at the conception center in a week? So wouldn’t tonight be the best time to give her the first shot?”
“Well, you know, I do believe you’re right, my dear.” Lady Tempertant turned to Lilli’s mother. “Would you like me to show you?”
“Yes, indeed—please do!” Mistress Mirabella nodded eagerly.
“Very well. Now, it goes in the inner thigh…”
And Lady Tempertant plucked one of the syringes out of the box and came towards Lilli.
Seventeen
Up until that moment, Lilli had been held in a kind of trance—frozen in place by the awful things being said. She kept thinking to herself that the other women could talk all they wanted but the minute everyone left she was going to tell her mother she didn’t feel ready to have a baby yet. Why, she had only just come of age herself! She had no wish to suddenly get pregnant!
But now, with Lady Tempertant bearing down on her with that awful syringe and its multi-needle spikes leaking bright green fluid, she found it was too late.
“Stop!” She turned to her mother belatedly. “Mother, wait—can’t we talk about this?”
