Island IV – Meetings · Part 20 (20/21)
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“Tomorrow evening is movie night. All of you will be attending. There are some special arrangements, which will be explained to you before you go to the dining room.” He paused for a long look at Barbara. She met him, eye to eye, positive he would find no flaw. There was something in his expression…
Sandy is here because of me, she suddenly realized. This is for my benefit. I can’t figure out how or why, but he did this to help me, I’m sure of it. Without another word Ray walked away, closing the outer door behind him.
After a short delay Barbara relaxed, and the rest followed her lead. “Let’s go back to the living room and get to know each other,” she suggested. After introductions all around Barbara led off with a question. “Sandy, we were talking about the Facility, but you have more actual experience than the rest of us combined, especially about living here on North Island. Any insight you’d like to share with us?”
Sandy let loose a short laugh before answering. “I don’t think there’s any secret to reveal. I can’t say if my previous owner or my present master are typical or not. Hmm…” she paused to think.
“There is one thing I’ve picked up on; not just me, but friends too. When it comes to our men, it’s the tiny details that matter the most. You know how men are attracted to appearance? For us it’s a bit different from the outside world.
“Barbara? I see you have to keep your hands on your knees. Penny, Sheila? The two of you might be carved in stone the way you sit up so prim and proper. Facility way, isn’t it? I’ve seen it before, very distinctive. Me, I have to wear a dress everywhere; no pants, no jeans, not even a skirt. Why must we do this? I don’t know for sure, but my educated guess is they want to see some tangible way they control us. My experience is that if we give them what they want, then life can be pretty good.”
Penny spoke up. “At the Facility we’re told, over and over, how important it is we encourage our masters to not hold back, that we aren’t so fragile we’ll break if they stare at us for too long.”
Sheila continued. “In some respects it’s the men who are fragile. They hold back, often out of guilt over being so dominant. They grew up in the outside world, where they were taught to build consensus, be sensitive instead of assertive. That may be fine for most women, but not for us. That’s what Penny is talking about, we have to overcome lifelong prejudices.”
Sandy shrugged. “All I can say is both my previous owner and my current master overcame the guilt trip very quickly. If he hesitates in telling me what to do, I’ve yet to see it. I doubt Barbara has that problem either, considering what Mr. Madsen does for a living.”
Penny and Sheila exchanged a quick glance. Barbara had noticed they frequently did that, some kind of nonverbal private communication that wasn’t comprehensible to anyone else. She shifted to look directly at the pair.
“Don’t take this as advice, per se. Master would throw me into the darkest dungeon cell he could find if there was the slightest hint I was interfering with the relationship between you and your owner. What I will say is the two of you are fortunate in having the time to adjust to wearing a collar. The one drawback, it was designed for a life on South Island, not here. You’ll find many of the preparations from the Facility don’t apply on this side.
“Don’t worry about fitting in. You’ll do fine. You’ll get some stares because you’re unique, but they aren’t hostile. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished, but also remember you’re among a peer group that’s composed of experts with years, even decades of experience.”
At The Movies Fatima made a few minor adjustments before stepping back to examine her work. “Excellent, you’d be right at home in Kandahar. Remember, modesty in dress above all. It is your solemn duty to ensure men do not gaze with lust upon your bodies. They cannot control themselves. We must do our best to help them!”
Barbara, Penny, Sheila and even the normally taciturn Sandy began giggling. “Sorry,” Barbara apologized. “I’ve never heard that particular perspective spoken out loud before now. I don’t think I’d like to offer up that particular observation to my master.”
The four women were covered in black from head to toe. The ensemble included: black boots; a black burqa, the head-to-toe garment that covered all from the face down to the ankles; and long black gloves to conceal that last bit of skin. The portion over the face had a small panel covered in lace, to see and speak. The four were indistinguishable from each other except for height.
“The black color means all of you are in purdah, or sexual segregation. It requires strict seclusion from men in public. Never forget, you are ‘behind the curtain’ in the burqa. Under no circumstances will you speak to a man or even answer his questions. That also applies to the brokerage guards, even though they will be our mahram, our escorts.”
Fatima pulled up the veil across her face. “This is called a niqab, a face veil. I’m a married woman, so not in purdah. I can talk to the guards.” She had on a long abaya, a loose-fitting dress, and a hijab, a long scarf covering her head except for the face.
Barbara went into the kitchen and came back with a glass and straw. “There’s a snack bar, where we can get drinks, popcorn and candy.” She lifted up the bottom of the face cover and held the glass under it. “You can drink this way, but be sure to get a straw. Same for a candy bar, reach up under the cloth to take a bite. Always keep your face covered. Remember, no skin at all! Make sure your glove is all that shows.”
Fatima went over the rules one last time. “Barbara’s right. We’re going to attract attention when we go into the dining room. Do not speak to anyone, man or woman, except to me or each other. You are not being rude by ignoring everyone else. Don’t respond to your name if you hear it, or behave in any way that might reveal to others who you are. Especially you, Barbara; no hands on your knees! If anyone sees her forget, give her a sharp poke in the ribs.
“I will be our go-between for the guards. They won’t speak directly to you. I’ll repeat any orders from them, so don’t comply until I say so. If you need permission for something, tell me and I’ll pass it on. I can’t stress this enough. Do not let anyone hear your voice. Low whispers, that’s all.
“The guards will be sitting behind us and to either side; do not turn to look at them. We will be separated from the rest of the audience by a row of empty chairs. No talking once the movie starts. It’s vital that no one knows who you are.”
Fatima looked them over. “I misspoke; times have changed. You’d stand out in Afghanistan now because of the black color. Nearly all burqas there are blue, more modern. Yeah, ironic, isn’t it, too conservative for Taliban Land? Anyway, in Pakistan or eastern Iran you’d be accepted, though viewed as old-fashioned.”
It was Sandy who seemed to be the most troubled by their outfits. “Are you sure this is permitted? Master is very emphatic about me not wearing anything but a dress. Does he approve of this?” She gestured at the burqas.
Fatima held up her hands. “Mr. Madsen is the final authority here, until our masters return for us. All of you were told to give him your full cooperation while he acts in place of our owners. Sandy, I can assure you that you are not being disobedient. Penny, Sheila, I know about your left-right requirement. The guards won’t be able to tell you apart, even if they knew the two of you are present. If you’re seated the wrong way, do not ask to change.”
The Showdown “Well, it’s a mixed bag. We blocked a change of venue to South Island, which benefits our side. That keeps Penny and Sheila here on North Island. We lost the motion to have them returned to your custody pending outcome. I didn’t have too much hope of winning that one.” Ralph Welk sat at the defendant’s table with Virgil. “The next step will be the Plaintiff’s presentation concerning what evidence he intends to introduce. We follow him. As I explained, they are arguing you broke South Island law when both Penny and Sheila boarded the ferry. The problem is there’s no precedent for this, and the regulation as written is ambiguous. I’ll be honest, Virgil, the case depends entirely on what the judge thinks of the whole mess. I wish I had more encouraging news, but there it is.”
Virgil hung his head, staring at the tabletop. “I blame myself. I was in such a hurry to own both of them. I suppose I should have taken them to North Island one at a time. But, you know, it’s traditional at the Facility to stake your claim immediately, no delays. We were just passing through South Island. I had no idea something like this would happen.”
Wait a minute, Ralph thought, passing through? There was something nagging at him, about what Virgil had just said. “Virgil, did you sign the ownership papers at the Facility? For both of them? Think carefully, this is critical.”
“I’m positive. The Director had everything ready, assuming Penny and Sheila would agree. That’s why I brought the collars with me. Clancy Yates, the Director, assured me the Facility was chartered as an independent registration authority; no one else had to be involved in the legalities. I didn’t have to stop off at the registration office on South Island.”
Ralph nodded in agreement. “He’s right. Legally, the Facility is not part of South Island. They are an autonomous entity, like North Island. Hmmm….” He suddenly slapped a hand on his forehead. “Of course! Why didn’t I see it before? I’m an idiot! Don’t worry, Virgil. Judges hate complicated cases, but I’m going to straighten it out and hand him an easy judgement in your favor. I’m sure this time tomorrow it will all be resolved and you can go pick up Penny and Sheila.”
Judgement “Your Honor, this concludes the Plaintiff’s evidence. Defendant has demonstrated he was aware of South Island law at the ferry terminal from the video recording. This was a clear violation. At trial I will present testimony from Clancy Yates, the Facility Director, that both women had their status changed to permanently owned before the incident at the ferry terminal. Our contention is the proper procedure was not followed at the terminal. We seek redress by having both women returned to South Island and the ownership agreements vacated, according to South Island regulations.”
Virgil could see the judge wasn’t happy with being given this case. Regardless of how he ruled it was certain to be appealed and could drag on for months or even years. “Mr. Welk, are you ready?”
“Yes, your Honor. I have a single rebuttal witness, professor emeritus Dr. Ivan Silenko from the university’s law college. It’s regarding the Plaintiff’s evidentiary claims.”
“Call Dr. Silenko,” the judge told the bailiff. Glancing over at the plaintiff’s attorney Alex saw the man frown, puzzled as to what was happening.
After swearing in the professor took the stand. “Dr. Silenko, could you tell us of your involvement with the statutes relevant to this case?” Ralph had explained to Virgil he must lay what was called a foundation by establishing the credentials for an expert witness.
“Certainly. At the request of the Island Council, I wrote the final version of the border regulations as enacted. Although it only applies to South Island, it required the concordance of all Isla Del Sur legal entities to enable amendments. I also wrote the amendment in question, the so-called right to transit.”
Virgil noticed the Plaintiff’s attorney suddenly jerked upright. He must know what’s coming, Virgil thought. I hoped he warned his client in advance.
“Dr. Silenko, could you summarize the right to transit?” The judge was looking at the Plaintiff attorney, expecting some kind of objection. None came.
“South Island is the transportation hub of the entire archipelago. Nearly all the ferries dock there, and it is the only deep-sea port for ocean-going ships. Since the monogamous owner relationship is not a universal practice, an exemption from the law was included to allow anyone who was not a resident of South Island to enter the island without complying with local regulations providing the purpose was merely to cross without staying or conducting business.”
“The last question, Dr. Silenko, in your expert opinion, does the right of transit apply to Mr. Sorenson and his property, in regards to this case?”
“No question, the amendment was explicitly added for just this reason. Mr. Sorenson was transferring his legal property from the Facility, an independent entity on its own island, through South Island to North Island, another independent entity. As an established resident of North Island, Mr. Sorenson was within his rights to bring along his registered property while traveling. He did not engage in business or stay overnight in South Island.”
“Thank you, Dr. Silenko. Your Honor, I move for summary judgement in favor of the Defendant, on the grounds no violation of law has occurred. I further ask that Mr. Sorenson’s property be returned to him immediately.”
At the Plaintiff’s table one of the two men sitting next to the attorney started pounding his fist on the table. “There’s nothing I can do!” their attorney all but shouted. Both men at the Plaintiff table suddenly jumped up out of their seats and stormed out of the courtroom.
“Order!” the judge proclaimed. “Does Plaintiff object to the motion?”
“No, your Honor, no objection.”
“Very well. The case is dismissed due to lack of evidence. I’m declaring this a frivolous case; court costs will be paid by Plaintiff. Clerk will prepare a property release order immediately. Mr. Welk, contact my clerk in about half an hour. My apologies, Mr. Sorenson, for being put through all this. Your property will be available as soon as the clerk has the order ready and has notified the Public Administrator.”
Epilogue
Penny: Reunited Virgil was standing outside on the porch when the Madsen Brokerage car pulled into the driveway. The driver got out and opened the rear door on his side. He helped Penny out and led her around to the other side of the car. When she saw Virgil, she started to run toward him but the driver held her back. Virgil noticed her hands were cuffed behind her back.
Sheila joined Penny when the driver opened her door. Standing behind the two women he removed the cuffs. Virgil concluded that must be some kind of company policy. “Right or left?” the driver asked Sheila.
“Sir, Penny to the left, and myself to the right.”
“Change places,” he ordered.
Meanwhile Virgil walked down to meet them. The driver handed him a slip of paper to sign. “It’s for the Public Administrator, Mr. Sorenson. This is a receipt for two females, personal property, returned to you in good condition. Apologies for the inconvenience.” The driver sounded almost bored, delivering a pro forma speech so many times he’d memorized it.
Virgil held out his arms and the two women rushed into his embrace. The driver backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.
Penny started crying, quickly followed by Sheila. “Sir? We still don’t know what happened. We were sent to the Madsen Brokerage without any explanation. They were very nice to us, but kept us in the dark. We weren’t even allowed contact with anyone else there, except for Barbara. She belongs to Mr. Madsen.”
“Let’s go inside and I’ll explain everything. But first, both of you will go to your rooms, get cleaned up, whatever is necessary, change your clothes and take a few minutes to relax. I’ll come for you in…” he considered how long his patience would hold out, “twenty minutes. You will be ready when I open your door.”
Once inside they raced to their rooms. Firm, clear instructions, that’s what was needed to restore normalcy. He grabbed a beer from the kitchen and went to the living room. The black pit of despair that had been an empty house once again felt alive with all of them reunited, a family at home.
At the appointed time he stood up, waited two more minutes, and then headed for the nearest bedroom, which happened to be Sheila. When he entered, she was standing at her designated spot, arms at her side, feet together, head high, in the proper stance for a room inspection. Slowly he glanced back and forth, looking for anything out of place. She watched him with the confidence gained from her Facility training. The room was immaculate, which was no surprise to Virgil.
Still, he had to be thorough. He glanced in her bathroom, her closet, and finished by what he considered comically overacting an intense evaluation of her appearance. He knew they didn’t see it that way, but he did feel self-conscious about it.
He indicated his tacit approval with a slight nod of the head. “Go to the living room and take your seat. You may stop at the kitchen if you want something to drink. We’ll order Chinese takeout.” He waved his hand to dismiss her.
Watching her go he spotted the bounce in her step. He had made the right decision, a fast return to everyday routine. Always take the lead, Virgil, he told himself. Act quickly, with confidence, speak clearly, and they’ll follow me to the ends of the earth. They weren’t the only ones who needed the return to normal life.
In Penny’s room he repeated the ritual inspection, with one deviation. While the two of them were very similar, they were not clones. When it came time to check Penny’s closet, it required a special procedure. He’d seen the video of their Facility room inspections, which taught him how to conduct his own version of checking her closet.
In the recordings he found several times where Mrs. Yates had reprimanded Penny for some infraction in her closet, a tiny detail that Virgil couldn’t even recognize. As a result, Penny obsessed over properly organizing her wardrobe down to the smallest detail, far more than Sheila. And that meant Virgil had to acknowledge her efforts by somehow faking a concentrated examination for, what? He had no idea, but that wasn’t the point.
Of course she wouldn’t turn around to see what he was doing, but he knew full well she could see every move in the mirror on the vanity which also doubled as a desk. He began by checking the dresses on hangars, but halted after the first two. No, that was too obvious. She wouldn’t take him seriously if he kept repeating himself.
Instead, he crouched down on one knee and leaned forward, lowering his head to examine her shoes on the closet floor. They were supposed to be lined up by back of the heel, with a slight space between each pair. Sure enough, she’d made sure it was all in order. Good, he told himself, I’d hate to reprimand her on tonight of all nights.
Though if there had been an issue, he’d have no option but to do just that. Overlooking even the slightest hint of disobedience was as bad a move on his part as the worst sort of disrespect on hers. He had a straight and narrow path just as intolerant of deviation as the one instilled in them at the Facility.
Relevance “So, it turns out neither of you had to submit to questioning when we were at the ferry terminal. Thanks to Ralph Welk what happened to you will never occur again.” The three of them were at the kitchen table, finishing off chicken curry and Mei Fun noodles.
Sheila spoke up. “Sir, so it was all political theater? We were pawns in their game?”
Virgil nodded. “Yeah, it looks that way. Small consolation, but I’m told that Alliance is imploding over the loss. They may not be around much longer.”
Penny added, “I’m sorry if this is disrespectful, sir, but I say good riddance. No one ever asked us if we were being abused at the Facility. This Alliance for Humane Treatment had no idea what we faced. Difficult, sure. Strict discipline? Of course, but we were warned about all that going in. This stuff about inhumane conditions though? That’s so far off the scale as to be a joke.”
“You have to see it from their point of view. You don’t realize it, but the two of you are brainwashed zombies sold to subhumans, like me, as sex slaves. You’re treated like animals, forced to wear dog collars. I guess I’m not doing my job if you aren’t suffering.”
Sheila started to choke on a bite of curried vegetables while laughing. “Sorry, sir.” She grabbed her collar in both hands and slid it up and down her neck. “I’m suffering from this dog collar, makes it hard to eat. Arf, arf, sir. Will you be using your club to beat us tonight, or will it be the usual kicking a dog routine?”
Virgil sighed. “Okay, you made your point. But that is what they actually believe. We’re insulated from their activities here on North Island, but over there,” he gestured to the south, “I’m worried it might become a real problem politically. So far, they’ve proven to be incredibly inept, but we can’t count on it forever.”
“What can we do, sir?” Penny asked.
“Hmm…” Virgil pretended to think about it. “I think tonight both of you will demonstrate to me all those sex slave skills indoctrinated into you at the Facility.”
Barbara: Bad To Worse Les steered Barbara through the office door. “Here you go, Ray, back safe and sound from a grueling work schedule.” Barbara stood next to him, hands locked behind her back, and still wearing the company uniform. Les had just now retrieved her from her Gilded Cage, after delivering Penny and Sheila to their owner.
Ray pointed to her usual place on the office sofa. “I want you to sit there, quietly, until Les and I are finished.” With the help of her escort, she sat down. Quietly, that means I don’t answer, she reminded herself. By habit she tried to place her hands on her knees, but the linked bracelets on her wrists were a quick reminder that wasn’t possible.
Les took the chair opposite Ray. She listened while they discussed the impact of hosting Penny and Sheila. That included, to her amazement, how much they would charge the Public Administrator. Before this moment, Barbara had never been present when Ray discussed financial details. She was so shocked by his out of character inclusion of her that she nearly spoke up in protest.
She caught herself in time but not soon enough for Ray to notice. His face didn’t betray any reaction, except for the telltale way his eyes narrowed when they fixated on her. Oh great, I’m in for it now. She resigned herself to, at a minimum a reprimand, or worst of all outright punishment for disobedience. There was no getting round his “quietly” order. Dumb, dumb, and dumber, she thought, mentally pounding her head against a wall.
He’s such a good man, more than I ever hoped for. And what do I do in return? I practically spit in his face in thanks. He’ll be furious with me, and rightly so. I deserve whatever correction he considers appropriate. Barbara sank into a depression, tuning out the conversation between the two men.
Even though preoccupied with her own problems she didn’t fail to notice how Ray occasionally glanced over at her sitting on the couch. She sat up straight, in position, satisfied he would find no fault with her in that respect. It brought to mind how effortlessly Penny and Sheila knew exactly what to do and never got it wrong, while she still had to work at focusing on the small details. Even Sandy, who didn’t have the benefit of Facility training, made her feel inadequate.
“That should cover it,” Les said as he stood up. The discussion was ending; that brought her back to the present. As Les turned toward the door he stopped and regarded Barbara, and then glanced back at Ray.
“I’ll handle the rest,” Ray replied enigmatically. The rest of what, Barbara wondered anxiously. That odd look from Mr. Unger unsettled her even more. Somehow, he saw it too. By tomorrow everyone in the brokerage will have heard of what she’d done, about how inept she was at following even simple commands. What else could go wrong?
After Les closed the door Ray came around the desk and stood close in front of Barbara, towering over her. He reached down, took hold of her arms and lifted her up. Spinning her around he unlocked the cuffs. With her back still toward him he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Listen carefully. You will go into the washroom,” he gestured to the closed door near the back wall, “where you will take a long, hot shower. You will not rush. Let the water carry off those stresses. I will know if you hurry, and I will not be pleased. When you finish, there’s a dress I picked out for you on the back of the door. When you are ready, then and only then you will come out to the office and stand in front of the desk. Go!” He gave her a slight shove toward the washroom.
