They both hugged, thanked him, and entered the dismal tunnel. Dank walls surrounded them, and darkness covered them like a blanket while they descended the rungs. They stumbled down the small craggy shaft to an uneven bottom and fell in the dirt. Delah cried and couldn’t stop. Teeabu held her hand and led her. To where she didn’t care. She couldn’t see for her tears.

He finally stopped.

“You’re sad to see me?” Teeabu said, turning to her. His voice wavered with emotion.

“No, I can’t see you now,” she cried in a small voice, hearing him chuckle at her joke.

“Don’t cry, we’re together now. I’ll never let anyone harm you.”

His words slammed into Delah, and she dried her tears. Tears were becoming intolerable for her. Tears couldn’t help her or bring forgiveness or her mother back. She was defiled and already had been harmed. She’d never tell him about her defilement. He would despise her.

Teeabu sat with her in the dirt and embraced her. Strength immenated from his warm embrace. It was strange to hold him. He was different now. Taller and his muscles harder. He was a man and Leptis would never know how much he grew. And the pain, the ache consumed her. She would break into more tears again. Breathe in and out. At least, he must be told about Leptis.

“My mother is dead.”

“Dead?”

“They killed her.” Delah could feel him tense and draw from her.

“Who?” He grabbed her hands that dwarfed in his. He squeezed, but it hurt only slightly.

“I remember a little through the Centrex. It was a guard or something. I don’t know.”

“Oh, Adoini! They’re killing us all! How can we live here in filth and violence? When are we going to be free from all this?” Delah could hear Teeabu’s breathing, hard, raspy. She touched his strong face. Teeabu crying? That wasn’t supposed to be. She had to distract him.

“I know the tunnels here,” she whispered in Teeabu’s ear. “I used to get away and find privacy like Councilman Yal. Over there.” She pointed to the left. “About two-hundred yards away is my chamber. But it’ll take too long.” She laughed. “We’re supposed to be...”

“I know.” He sounded so far away. What could she do to bring him back. If they caught him crying, they would become supicious. They must be found like the images of...romancers—happy and strange looking.

Any female would union with her cousin. In the dark, she could barely see him. But she had seen him in the chamber, strikingly handsome, he overwhelmed her with his wide span of shoulders and pronouced muscles. She wondered if Araidia allowed Shatarians to union. But she was his cousin and defiled. If only someone could love her like a romancer and look just like Teeabu. A curious thought came to her. Had Teeabu ever found someone to union with? She didn’t want to ask him up front so she hedged around her question, curious to know.

“Has anyone touched you like those romancers?” Delah wished she could see his face better. Her eyes were keen, but in pitch darkness, seeing proved a challenge. She took both his large hands, calloused and rough.

“No, well.” He sighed. “One tried to at first, a guardsman. If only he was a female.” He chuckled, but Delah’s eyes widened in disbelief. This city’s inhabitants were far too different for her.

He continued. “And that’s how Yal got me here. It’s been hard but a good turn in my life. Adoini has protected me.” He paused for a long time. “You? Did they…?”

“No, no.” She snatched her hands back, shook her head a number of times and was glad now they were in the dark. He’d be able to tell if she lied because her eyes would dim.

They scuffled to find a small area in the tunnel’s wall. Little groves proved it was the perfect place in the dankness to hide the sash. Teeabu dug with his hands more into the wall until he felt something angular, hard, different. When he yanked it out, part of the wall collapsed, and more of the brownish white stuff fell. Delah screeched when saw what they were. She grabbed Teeabu’s arm and wrenched him away from them.

“What is it? They feel like sticks but heavier.” Teeabu held it in his hand.

“Nooo!” She slapped it out of his hand.

“What is it?”

“Bones, they look like baby bones.”

They scurried from the site, panting, breathless, and stood thirty feet away from the chambers above used as guests’ suites. He decided to bury his sash there.

“I never heard of babies dying around here.” He dug into the ground and the hole deepened.

“The Centrex knows, and I’ve seen some strange things between downloads.”

“Centrex? Mindling?” His voice sounded guarded, suspicious.

“No, I’m only learning languages and customs of different worlds. And...the bones—”

“Delah,” Teeabu interrupted, “I have to pray right now. Can you tell me in a second? Will you?” She nodded. He was a priest. He became breathless and took the sash from his pocket and kissed it, trembling. He prayed and put it in the dirt. Her cousin looked at her and nodded. She took the que.

“The Centrex said the Araidians are dying and can’t reproduce. Babies are used to lengthen their lives. It has to do with the babies’ regenerative cells, DNA, or something like that.”

“That couldn’t be. It doesn’t sound right. Why would anyone harm babies? Is there anything else you know about this?” He finished covering the hole, marking it by piling loose stones on top to make a mound.

“I’m not an erudite. I’m only twelve.”

“Well, you’ve filled out pretty well.”

“Nooooo.” She paused. “I have?”

Teeabu smiled and wiped the dirt from his hands onto his pants. “Yes. I’d be a shiadung if I didn’t notice. Hey, I’m seventeen…full grown.”

“Oh! Good, you’ve finished. I don’t want to be down here with bones.” Delah shivered and turned toward the way they came. “Hurry! Our time is up.”

“Delah!” He grabbed her hand. While she faced him, she could feel his eyes search her soul. This was a time to listen and not dash hurriedly away.

He planted her hand fully on his chest and covered it with his other dirty hand. She could feel his heart beat fast. Suddenly, she became aware of his chest muscles rising up and down while he spoke to her. Embarassed, she wanted to remove her hand.

“I pledge that I will not wear my priesthood sash until we are both free. Neither of us will leave without each other or this sash. Before Adoini, I know we will be free because He promised us this. And I know you are protected, and you will never be defiled! No one will touch you. Do you believe that?”

A sob heaved from her stomach to her throat. She was already defiled. This burden was too much for a twelve-year-old. Through all of this, God had punished her and must hate her allowing her childhood to be stolen and the death of her mother. It was all her fault, and there was no protection for her. But Teeabu was protected. If she stayed close to him, perhaps God would have mercy on her. And if she worked hard enough and helped Teeabu, perhaps God wouldn’t punish her by sending her to Sheol. She bit her lip, keeping the tears at bay and claimed back her hand to embrace him.

“I love you,” Teeabu said against her ear.

She tightened her embrance. No more “I love you’s” would escape from her lips, she vowed. If she wouldn’t say them, then her heart would be safe and she wouldn’t disappoint Teeabu or anyone else anymore. Expect the worse and disappointment and sadness won’t ever hurt her as much again.

Teeabu released her and squeezed her hand. “You’re my family.”

●

“You won’t leave me, will you, Pertz?” Delah asked, hugging the furry creature that felt so soft and warm.

Aarghhh...click, click. “No...too happy to be with you,” Pertz said, writhing in her arms, always wrestless.

Lately, Delah’s step had a spring to it and her furry friend followed her around in the room. A few months had passed since her meeting with Teeabu. She had been meeting with her cousin below, talking of past events. Her Grace Betha-busa and Mistress Kharma seemed well-pleased with her performance with the Shatarian aprentice. Everything worked out well, even keeping the small creature in her room. After Teeabu and Delah’s reunion, Pertz was transferred to Delah’s care. But she couldn’t lose him again, so she took care to hide him beneath her room, feeding him, playing with him. It was good to have her little friend back, to share her loneliness with him.

She hadn’t seen Teeabu since last week and ached to see him again. He was like a big brother to her. He was family. She sighed.

The girl could tell Pertz was lonely and worried for his family, too. He had been lost when they were abducted from Irema as slaves. She waved over the sensor and plopped on the day bed that ejected from the wall. The furry creature leaped into her lap and whined.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’ve heard from other slaves that my family, click...click, was abducted as slaves. My family and I crashed between here and the small dwelling where you found me. I got lost, couldn’t find them, click, Delah.”

She hugged him again and kissed the crown of his head. “I’ll find them for you.”

“Now! Now!” Pertz ran from one side of the room and back to her. She laughed.

“No, I have to attend a special meeting. Afterwards, we’ll see. You come here.” Pertz leaped in her lap. She opened the grating and let him down. Pertz clasped the rungs with his ample clawed hands and feet and descended into the moist darkness.

                                                                                                                                                         To be continued...