Читать книгу Seeking Peace - Tiera Harding - Страница 8

The Hok-Kar squadron leader barked an order at the Lemarian woman and she began to speak, her voice amplified by some kind of microphone so everyone could hear her.

“Greetings, Earthlings. I see your surprise at seeing me here. I assume you have encountered others of my people before. I am also surprised to see you here. The Hok-Kar have never captured anyone from your planet before. I, like you, was brought here as a captive. I am a slave, and it is my unfortunate task to inform you that that is what all of you will now become. The Hok-Kar don’t commonly learn the languages spoken by other races. After all, they think we are all inferior to them. That is why they have slaves like me that can speak many other languages, so we can inform new batches of slaves of what lies in store for them. In a few minutes you will be taken to holding cells where you will remain until you are purchased...or until you die.” She said nothing else, but the expression on her face seemed to convey sympathy and sadness.

Single file, the crew of the Amity were herded through a doorway at the far end of the room. Liam wondered how many people from how many races had entered through this door before him, and how many of them had ever seen the light of day again. They entered a long hallway, lined with cells. The Hok-Kar guards began roughly shoving the crew members into cells. Liam tightened his hold on his daughter and on his wife’s hand so they would not be separated.

Ten prisoners were kept in each small cell. There was barely room for them all to sit. The cells were filthy and dimly lit.

Once all 412 of the new slaves had been locked up, the Hok-Kar guards marched back through the door through which they had entered the room. The clang as it shut seemed to seal the reality of their imprisonment with finality.

Esther began to cry. Liam was half-inclined to do the same himself. Instead he reached out and began to gently stroke his daughter’s hair.

“It will be okay, little star. We’ll get out of this.”

Esther sniffled, crawling onto Liam’s lap, “How do you know?”

Liam managed to give his daughter a tiny smile, “Would you like to hear a story?” Esther nodded, and Liam began.

“You know that your middle name is after the constellation Andromeda. Well, that constellation is named after a person, a Greek princess.” Esther seemed to perk up slightly; she loved princesses.

“Princess Andromeda’s mother made Poseidon the god of the sea angry by saying that she and her daughter were prettier than the Nereids, fifty beautiful sea-women. Poseidon sent a great big monster to attack the people of their kingdom.”

Esther’s crying had ceased, except for an occasional hiccup she was quiet, absorbed in the story. Liam was aware of those in his cell and the cells close to it listening as well.

“Poseidon said he would only stop the monster if Andromeda was chained to a rock for the monster to get her.” Esther’s eyes were wide, and Liam wondered if the story was too scary for a six-year-old. Then again, what could be scarier than the situation they were in right now?

He continued, “Princess Andromeda was chained to a rock out in the sea. She was very scared, waiting for the sea monster to come and eat her, and she started crying. Suddenly she saw something up in the sky. At first she thought it was a bird, but as it drew closer and landed on the rock she saw it was a boy, a boy wearing flying sandals.

“Why are you crying?” the boy asked, and Andromeda told him about the monster.

“Don’t worry,” the boy said, “I’ll protect you.” When the sea monster came to eat Andromeda up, the boy, whose name was Perseus, pulled out a special, magical item that he had.” Liam decided to leave out that the magic item was Medusa’s severed head.

"The magic item turned the monster to stone. Princess Andromeda was unchained and her people were safe. She and Perseus got married and they lived happily ever after. The end.” Liam smiled down at Esther, who was now completely calm. Somehow telling the story had eased his own fear too.

Esther smiled back, “That was a good story, Daddy. I‘m not scared anymore. I bet we’ll find a way to escape like Andromeda. And then we’ll all live happily ever after.”

She wrinkled her nose, “I don’t want to get married though. Boys are yucky.”

She smiled sweetly, leaning her head against Liam’s chest and yawning, “Except for you, Daddy, you aren’t yucky. At least there aren’t any sea monsters here.” In minutes the little girl was asleep.

“She’s worn out,” Liam said softly,

“She’s had a rough day; we all have,” Clara murmured.

Liam smiled wryly, “That’s an understatement. I can’t imagine a day being much rougher than this.”

He looked around at the others in the cell, “I’m not giving up yet, though. Esther’s right. We’ll find a way to escape.” And despite how hopeless the situation looked, he believed it.