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"You don't know that."
He rubs his wrists, as if the answer is obvious.
I refuse to take that as the answer, though. I shake my head. "Lord va'Rin is very fair. You'll see."
"But you don't know him," Crulden points out. "You said so yourself."
"I know he's a lot fairer than a lot of the other people on this end of the universe," I retort, crossing my legs on the stool to get comfortable. Even though I'm very short and round, I can cross my legs comfortably, and I dangle one foot, flicking it back and forth as I think. "It's not necessarily Lord va'Rin's words but his actions. Everyone knows the story of him and his wife. He was given a human, and instead of just using her as a pleasure slave, he married her and gave her his name and the rights of his family line. More than that, he's opened up this planet to human refugees so they can have somewhere to go where they're treated like people."
Crulden's eyes narrow as he regards me. "A pleasure slave. Is that what you were?"
I flick my foot in agitation, glancing over at the guards. They're chatting to themselves as they eat waffles and aren't paying attention. Good. Normally I'd complain about the terrible job they're doing as guards, but this suits my purposes. "I don't wish to talk about it."
"The only memories I have of your kind are pleasure slaves," he offers.
I don't know what to do with that information. I want to scream, because of course he sees us as living blow-up dolls. They're not his memories. They were either implanted or leftovers from the cloning process, but it's not his fault that he views us as objects, just like everyone else. Maybe I just keep it clinical. Facts only. "My people are not space-faring. We've only recently started to explore our universe, and we haven't met alien life forms." I give him a tight smile. "The people on this end of the universe view mine as inferior and enslave us, even though it's against the law."
"The laws don't stop many," Crulden muses. "Especially not those with deep pockets."
Boy, he's not wrong about that.
He rubs his wrists again and tilts his head, regarding me. "Humans seem very…"
"What?"
"…vulnerable." Crulden holds a hand up, showing off dangerous, dark claws that tip each finger. "You have no defense mechanisms. Your teeth are small and square. Your hands have no claws." His big hand slides up to one of the spikes that march along the backs of his arms and legs (and his back, as well). "You have nothing to protect you. Why shouldn't you be enslaved?"
I keep my smile cheery, even though I want to take that bowl of water sitting just outside his cell and dump it over his head. Is he trying to rile me? To get me to show temper? I refuse to rise to the occasion. "Because enslaving people is disgusting and immoral. You cannot own another sentient being."
He snorts, and the sound is amused. "No wonder these people think humans are stupid."
"Are you trying to make me angry, Crulden?"
"Yes," he says bluntly.
"Why?"
"We are arguing. I want to win." He gives me another toothy grin. "It's what I'm best at."
"Arguing?"
"Winning."
Interesting. "So your implanted memories are focused in regard to victory?"
"I suppose they are."
"Do you view all of this as a game, then?" I gesture at our surroundings. "A competition?"
His expression tells me the answer. He does.
That could be problematic. "And what will you do if you find there's nothing—or no one—to fight? What will you do if there's no challenge to be had?"
"There's always a challenge." His eyes turn to slits, but his expression remains amused, like he's enjoying our conversation. I have to admit, I'm kind of enjoying it, too. He's not talking down to me. He's not acting like I'm a precious doll that needs to be coddled and protected. He's not acting like I'm a victim, or that I'm damaged. To him, I'm a…challenge?
That's a little odd to think about, but I'm starting to suspect it's true. If he thinks of all of this as a game or a competition, then I'm either someone he needs to defeat or a prize to win.
I'm not sure I like either option.
"If you settle here," I point out, "you're going to be expected to abide by the laws. To be cautious of the humans that live on this planet, too. Most of them are women. Women that have been treated poorly. You need to understand that…" I cut myself off, because it feels like I'm giving information I shouldn't. Crulden feels a bit like a fox about to be let loose in the hen house, but doesn't he deserve to know what is expected of him if he settles on Risda? How he'll be expected to behave? I finish primly with, "You just need to understand how things are viewed here."
