Page 11 of Varro's Human Bride
“I’m fine,Xerr,” she said, forcing a smile as they entered the kitchen. “Would you show me how everything here works? My-my Tarrkuan teacher only brushed upon the topic of Tarrkuan appliances.” Her stomach nearly bottomed out as she told the lie. For a moment, she feared her whole world would come crashing down as Varro realized she was an imposter.
“Surely you realize I’m part of the ruling class?” he said, appearing confused.
“Yes,Xerr, I suspected you were.” She didn’t know where he was going with this. Was it meant as a threat? Her insides surged with fear.
“I have two servants, Caylee, a cook named Barllist and a housekeeper named Geech, the male who carried in your suitcase. You don’t need to worry about cooking or cleaning.”
“Servants?” She cringed inwardly. He made it sound as if he were a lord of a castle and Barllist and Geech were two of his lowly servants.
He stood taller, obviously not liking the judgment in her tone. He clenched his jaw and his eyes darkened. She chided herself for the slip, and, remembering something Beth had told her, lowered her head in a show of submission. Beth claimed that when a Tarrkuan male became displeased with his wife, the best thing to do was lower your gaze and look apologetic. She gulped hard and hoped he wasn’t as angry as he looked.
“Yes, servants,” he finally said. “They have been with my family for years and they are well-paid.”
“Forgive me for my tone,Xerr,” Julie said. “I did not mean any offense. I was simply surprised. No one on Earth has servants. Not anymore.” With the creation of the dome-cities, everyone who lived within the protection of such a place was granted equality. Each person was guaranteed a job—usually working in some type of factory—and given a house to live in. Residents of the dome-cities cleaned their own dwellings and cooked their own meals.
“You are forgiven, little human.” He tipped her face up, forcing her to meet his gaze. He no longer appeared livid, and she felt a spasm of fear recalling how angry he’d looked simply as a result of her judgmental tone.
The longer he stared at her, the more the tension seemed to drain out of him. Relief flowed through her, and she was startled when a Tarrkuan male appeared in the kitchen doorway. The man was slim and wore a white uniform identical to the one the driver of the hover transport had been wearing. A memory tugged at her conscious, something she’d overheard Nova say long ago. Nova had rarely discussed what she learned from her Tarrkuan teacher in New Leesburg, but there was a time over dinner one evening when her father had asked what each of them learned in school that day. Julie had complained about a new unit in math class, while Nova had mentioned something about Tarrkuan servants.They’re always male and they’re always castrated. But they volunteer to be servants, for they think it brings them honor from their Gods.
She tried not to look curious as she stared at the tall, skinny male.
“Caylee, I would like you to meet our cook, Barllist. Barllist, this is my new wife, Caylee.” Varro also spoke in his native tongue, but thankfully he spoke slow enough that she was able to understand. She shot him a look of gratitude.
“I’m pleased to meet you,” Julie said with a smile, hoping Barllist would understand her. She was pretty sure she’d gotten all her words correct, but her accent was thick and the Tarrkuan language sounded especially strange coming out of her mouth.
Barllist nodded at her. “I am pleased to meet you as well, Mistress.”
Mistress?She was taken aback by the title at first, but she supposed it made sense for him to call her that word, which sounded like,Yarr.
“Can I cook for you, Master?” the servant asked in Tarrkuan, lowering his head as he spoke.
Varro squeezed Julie’s hand. “Are you hungry?” he asked, switching to English.
“Not yet, but thank you for asking,Xerr.”
“You can prepare dinner at the usual hour, Barllist,” Varro instructed in his native tongue.
“Yes, Master.” The servant gave a slight bow and departed the kitchen.
“Come, little human, and I will show you the rooftop garden.”
Placing a hand on her lower back, Varro guided Julie through the house, up three flights of stairs, and out onto the roof as the sun beamed down upon them. From this high up, she had a view of the capital city below, as well as the rolling mountains in the distance.
“Wow,” she said, pausing as a sense of awe settled over her. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s…amazing.”
Tarrkua was vastly different from Earth. The sky was blue with only a scattering of billowing white clouds. The air was breathable and there wasn’t an impending dust storm in sight. It wasn’t any wonder that Nova loved this planet. In person, it was far more beautiful than even her most vivid descriptions.
Varro wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as they stared at the majestic landscape. “I am pleased you like my planet, Caylee. Perhaps in a few days, I can give you a tour of the capital city.”
“Thank you,Xerr. I would like that very much.”
Her heart fluttered at his nearness and his promise to show her around. But as he walked her through the lush garden—another wonder to behold—her thoughts soon strayed back to Nova.
Julie longed to speak with her sister, but she also dreaded it in equal parts. She blinked hard as she recalled the day smoke filled the eastern side of the dome-city and everyone ran to see what was going on. She’d run with the crowd and cold fear had gripped her the moment she saw flames coming out of the factory windows.
Mom and Dad, I promise I’ll find Nova. I promise we’ll be together again.
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