"ayesha! why are you treating your slave so nastily?”
“what is it to you, my dear bathsheba, how i treat my slaves? after all, “ princess ayesha laughed. “they are slaves, are they not?”
“indeed. but surely you are aware of the empress’s directive to treat the slaves with a touch of respect in order to ensure their loyalty in the coming confrontation with the bakkadian empire?”
“pooh! it was a suggestion, not a directive. i, as much as you, am still free to treat my slaves as i will. i ask you, if the empress dd not trust my judgment, would she have trusted me with the command of the central fleet?”
“i suppose not,” the princess bathsheba agreed. “still - look how sad the poor fellow looks! he is still smarting from your rebuke.”
“who cares what a slave looks like? or what they are thinking? after all, men have been slaves for ten thousand years - at least within the happy confines of the empire, which we, as princesses and officers of the fleet, are sworn to defend.”
“true,” bathsheba agreed, with a hint of reluctance.
suddenly ayesha whirled on the slave. “you! what are you standing there for? with your ears flapping in the breeze like the wings of a flying alligator?”
the slave, a hulking fellow with broad shoulders and a flattened nose, hung his shaggy head. “you did
not dismiss me, mistress.”
“i am dismissing you now! get out of my sight! but be ready when i summon you!”
the slave shuffled out of the antechamber and headed down a winding corridor.
“and we are expected to treat such creatures with respect!” princess ayesha exclaimed. “i rather think not!”
“but here is the empress now,” bathsheba noted.
the empress approached the two princesses without ceremony. she had a serious look on her face.
“what news, cousin?’ ayesha enquired.
“serious news,” the empress replied. “but nothing to be alarmed about. i have just received word that the bakkadian fleet is approaching more rapidly than we had anticipated. perhaps indicating some desperation on their part, hoping - how pathetically - to catch us unawares. be that as it may, i advise you both to return to your fleets immediately and await further orders.”
“it shall be done,” both princesses replied in unison.
“we have beaten these patriarchal empires before and we will beat them again,” the empress intoned solemnly.
“we shall!” exclaimed bathsheba.
“and men shall always be our slaves!” cried princess ayesha.
“indeed they shall,” the empress agreed, wth a smile. “but this is no time for words. report to your fleets.”
the two princesses hastened out of the antechamber toward the front door and front steps of the palace.
the slave, who had remained within listening distance around the first bend in the corridor, continued on his way with an impassive countenance.
No comments:
Post a Comment