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Prologue

This part of the story is devoted to Fritz who saddled me with a slave during a campaign in a role playing game (RPG). Thanks :-)

Reports

In the course of the next days, Usagi learned a lot about the being behind the slave Tep. To his surprise, Tep turned out to be highly educated and wise. Smiling, he admitted to himself that Käl's comparison between the slave and a geisha had more substance than he had ever suspected.

Since Tep noticed that Usagi liked it when he had an opinion of his own, he managed the feat to have an opinion and still be servile. When Usagi finally realized his subconscious rejection of the idea of slavery and now carefully distinguished between slavery as such and Tep in particular, Teps behavior got much calmer and easy-going.

Since his earliest childhood, Usagi had learned to suppress his emotions or at least not to show them on his face. The changes which Pau had initiated in him had dissolved these patterns of behavior to some degree but unconsciously, Usagi had fallen back into them when he had met with Tep.

His attempts to suppress his dislike in order not to hurt Teps feelings had lead to a lot of irritation in the sensitive Tep. Usagi was sure that there had been no trace of his emotions on his face and yet, Tep had still sensed and literally done everything to overcome them.

But in the end, it was Usagi who had to change and when he did, his relationship with the slave had become a lot more pleasant.

Tep turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable person to talk with, one he could share every thought with. With a few words, he managed to make Usagi laugh or leave his master gaping at the enormity of a thought from him. Just like a well-trained geisha.

Tep never actually contradicted Usagi and still he managed to stand his ground. Usagi was fascinated by this phenomenon. He soon realized that it was in fact Teps ability to surrender himself completely to someone else which allowed him to teach to the other person.

In a certain way, he used Paus strategy to never attack someone where he expected it in order to avoid the already erected defense lines.

Tep, too, was never where he expected him. When Usagi attacked him during a conversation, he met no resistance at all. His carefully planned attack turned out to be futile. But now, he already had spent energy to reach this point while Tep had simply avoided him and was watching him from a different place, now.

This way, Usagi overexerted himself until he had to give in. Or he found some resistance and when he was about to triumph, he had to realize that he was only at the place where Tep had wanted him to be.

Usagi never would have believed this but he had to admit that Tep had turned humbleness into an art which allowed him to achieve his ends.

After Usagi had decided to accept Tep for what he was, the slave became his shadow in the matter of a few days. He literally managed to anticipate Usagis every wish. It was a terribly comfortable life and Usagi soon began to fear he would loose his ability to survive just like Pau had warned him.

Käl on the other hand turned out to be a completely different matter. He was a character with rough edges, a bit like Gen. Usagi wondered if Käl really was that rough or if he just impersonated this behavior just like Pau did. And at several times, Usagi noticed that Käls empathy even exceeded Teps.

But he wasn't really astonished about this because Käl told him that he was a pupil of Pau Tai for more than 3000 years, now.

Alone to accept to sit in front of a being which had existed before there had been a calendar in Japan was a challenge.

Käl also shared his knowledge willingly with Usagi just as Tep did. Usagi learned how Käl had met with Pau for the first time and some of Paus stories just form a different point of view: "And way," Käl finished his story, "I became one of the greatest fighters of all time."

"You just lowered your demands on yourself," Usagi replied amusedly.

"Yes," Käl admitted and laughed.

"But not "just"," he went on seriously. "One has to give up all his demands to be truly free. If you don't expect anything anymore, then you can shrug off anything anyone could ever inflict on you."

"Only when you don't want to own anything anymore, nobody can take anything away from you."

Usagi silently chose this to be the next goal of his life which he wanted to reach. He didn't know how long it would take but now, he had a lot of time.

Having become curious by Käls hints, Usagi learned to use the technology of his new home, so he could read the reports which Pau had written. In the next days and weeks, he often sat on his terrace, sipped his tea or one of the delicious juices which Tep mixed for him and read about himself or people he had known while Tep curled himself up next to him and rested.

Pau had collected an enormous amount of knowledge about him and his relationships. The overview which he had seen at the station on the moon of his home-world had really only been an overview. Usagi had access to the biographies of over 15'000 people, their likes and dislikes, friends and foes, strengths and weaknesses. What they had done when; predictions about their fates -- sometimes over centuries.

Paus reports also went far back in time. It seemed that Pau had began to observe his world several thousand years ago. About 400 years ago, he had personally visited it for the first time. Usagi found his family tree and the corrections which Pau had done in it.

Apparently, Pau had planned and prepared for his birth centuries ago. Many citizens of his home village had been selected and their family trees had been modified as well. People from other villages had been made into moving into his village. Pilgrims and refugees had settled there and other villagers had been killed or been driven out.

And there was information with warning sign.

"Please read only when ready," it read prominently.

Usagi had become wise enough to heed the warning.

Some reports were full of these references. Practically everything which was related to Kusanagi contained it. Carefully, Usagi tried to avoid to think about what this could mean.

Reports about Jei, on the other hand, were open and seldom contained a warning. Fascinated, Usagi learned to know the samurai which Jei once had been. He found a map which showed Jeis current location and where he had ever been. He could look up his travel paths or get an overview where Jei had been most often.

Usagi also found a report in which Jeis skills were explained. One of his abilities was to suck the life force from others. That was the reason why everybody felt cold when he was nearby. Jei used this energy to become immortal. But his main ability was to take in the soul of another being.

But unlike Pau, Jei didn't integrate this new soul into his consciousness. Instead, he somehow imprisoned them. When Usagi had killed Jei with the help of Kusanagi, Jei had lost control over his soul-prison for a short time and many of the captivated souls had managed to escape.

Fortunately, Jei had killed many people in the past and taken in their souls who had not really been evil. Therefore, Usagi had not caused a catastrophe with his victory. Still, some pretty bad guys had escaped and had not shown up in hell. Pau suspected that they would be reborn sometime somewhere.

Despite of this, Pau still took positive stock from the events. In the next reports, Usagi found some plans and ideas how to improve Jei's disadvantages. Some of them, Pau had already turned into reality when they had healed each other.

When Usagi remembered the healing, he couldn't help asking himself what had happened to the other people which had attended the positioning. In a good mood, he looked up the respective report and followed the links to the different participants.

Keiko and Neko were dead, killed by bandits. Usagi sighed and mourned their death. Tomoe and he had really liked them. At least, they had had a good time after the healing. Out of pure curiosity, he asked the computer how much time had passed between the healing and their death.

The result: Two days.

In disbelief, Usagi stared at the pad. He went to the end of the report which contained information about their lives and found a link to another report where Pau explained his reasons why he hadn't intervened and Usagi learned to know another facet of the state in which one didn't demand anything anymore.

Carefully, Pau had weighed up the advantages and disadvantages of the consequences if he had saved them. The disadvantages had outweighed the advantages and therefore, he hadn't done anything. Stunned, Usagi read that they had been very happy at the time of death. He realized that Pau wasn't heartless or cold. But he could accept the fate of someone else as it was. Without demanding anything.

Thoughtfully, Usagi put the pad aside, sipped at his tea, looked at the illusion of the sunset and pondered about this.

TAURUS

After Usagi could accept Tep as he was, he asked Käl to show him something about the TAURUS itself. In the meantime, Usagi had learned that the TAURUS was a spaceship even if it was an uncommon one. From a ship, Usagi would have expected that it moved but the TAURUS usually stayed a long time in one place. So long, that it never ever moved for most of its inhabitants.

It also was quite large. The TAURUS had a diameter of almost 3'100 Rio(1) and therefore was more like an artificial planet than a spaceship. And hollow at that. Most of the 800 billion trillion inhabitants lived below the surface in artificial environments which they did designed to their liking.

Käl showed him some which were inhabited by people who had a lot in common with him so the chance of unpleasant surprises was low. For example, Usagi did not need any special equipment to breathe there, the gravity was bearable and most manners seemed normal to him.

The first thing which Usagi learned during these excursions was the incredible magnitude of different life-forms which Creation had produced. He learned that his own world was an exceptions and that most planets were usually inhabited by one or very rarely two dominant life-forms. In his home, many different forms had survived next to each other and that was most peculiar.

Usagi reasoned that this was the main reason for Paus interest in his world but Käl wouldn't confirm this.

One could find representatives of many life-forms on the TAURUS but Käl assured him that by far, not every life-form which existed had found its way to here. Usagi, for example, was the sole representative of his kind. Still and even though Usagi restricted himself to those areas on the TAURUS which would look familiar to him, he saw more different species every day than he could have ever imagined to exist.

Mostly, Usagi didn't actually walk around but sat down in one of the many cafes, ordered something to drink and then watched the people who passed by. It was incredibly fascinating for him to admire the variety.

Käl didn't mind. Patiently, Tep and he sat down next to Usagi and answered his questions when Usagi had spotted something which stood out of the masses.

Sometimes, people came over and asked if they could sit down next to them. Then, they talked with each other or just had a drink. To Usagis astonishment, there were seldom people who wanted to talk to Käl or Tep. Most of them didn't seem to know them at all.

"It's not that Pau hides himself here or something like that," Käl explained. "Much information about him, his abilities and things like that, are readily available. But as you can see for yourself, it's hard even for an immortal to keep an overview, here. I guess that even Pau only knows a very small fraction about the beings who live here."

"Is Pau at all interested in the beings who live here?" Usagi asked.

Käl didn't answer right away. "I would guess so but I can't say for sure. The TAURUS is Paus child and therefore, I would think that he is interested in the people who live here. On the other hand, he doesnt' spend much here and doesn't seem to care much about what is happening on board."

"How old is Pau, anyway? A robot in the station on the moon told me that he is probably older that 80'000 years."

"That mostly depends on what you define as Pau," Käl started. "Pau consists of many beings and most of them are much older than the 96'000 years of the soul which calls himself Pau Tai or rather Pau Tai."

"He calls himself Pau Tai or rather Pau Tai?" Usagi wondered.

Käl laughed. "Technology is only so reliable. When Pau visits another world, he usually chooses a name which will go without any real fuss. In your case, he called himself Pau Tai but here, he has a different name. I used that one but the automatic translators have translated it into the name which you know. Therefore, you have heard that I seemed to repeat his name twice."

"What's his name here?"

"Here on the TAURUS, everyone calls him Philmann Dark."

"Viman Daka?"

Käl laughed once more. "Since he can read your mind, he would probably be able to figure our that you want to address him but with everyone else, you should probably stick to Pau Tai."

But something else was already on Usagis mind. "The name is much longer and more complicated than Pau Tai. But when you speak, then I cannot hear or see any difference. The same happens with Tep but I would expect that I see that you say something other than what I hear."

"Actually," Käl admitted, "my snout is not able to produce any sounds which you could hear. Therefore, I just open and close it and send my thoughts to the TAURUS which then creates the illusion for you that I actually say something. Tep, on the other hand, has learned your language. He really speaks Japanese."

With new respect, Usagi looked down at the slave which had curled himself up on the ground next to him as he always did. Immediately, Tep looked up: "Master?"

"You learned my language?"

"Yes, master. It makes me a better servant for you."

Usagi had to laugh. "How long did it take?"

And it was Käls turn to laugh about Usagis look when the slave answered: "Four days, master."

"Four days? That took me years!"

Käl redeemed the slave from an answer: "Tep is incredibly adaptable. He can not only learn new languages in a matter of days but also the necessary gestures and the body language which one involuntarily expects."

Usagi moved the long hair from the backside of his hand over Teps naked head and the slave shivered with delight. With a content smile, he curled up again.

"Tep is full of surprises," Usagi admitted, "but I should have expected something like this. Even if Pau is not really interested in all the people who live on the TAURUS, that surely is not the case with the people who live in his own house."

With an almost human gesture, Käl nodded. "To come back to your question: Nobody knows for sure how old he really is. I would guess that he is almost as old as Creation itself because he represents the first priest-line of Ookaa'h."

"What is that?"

"All priests of Ookaa'h are immortal. One of the disadvantages of immortality is that you remove yourself from the other beings over time."

Usagi nodded. He had already worried about this, too.

"On one hand, this makes perfect sense because otherwise, one would spend his time to mourn all those which one had lost. But it also has other aspects. In the end, one simply looses interest in the things which are so incredibly important for the mortal beings."

"This leads to tensions but those are not the real problem. The real trouble starts when one looses the interest to show consideration because your own interests have developed so far that there are almost no areas of common interest between you and the mortals anymore."

"One looses contact to reality," Usagi guessed but Käl shook his head.

"It's more that these beings see reality much more as for what it really is than we do. They see the world as it as rather than as we want it to be. In reality, it's us who have not yet made contact with reality but that doesn't matter."

"To put it bluntly, you become bored if you have to teach another generation of promising mortals a bit of common sense for the millionth time. Other things become more important like your own spiritual development. One looses the ability to communicate with normal beings because the things which one thinks about are way beyond the comprehension of a mortal."

"One has reached a new level of consciousness, a bit closer to God if you want, but one has also moved away from the mortal beings."

"Won't one become very lonely, then?" Usagi asked.

"Not really, because Pau is not the only one who develops in this way. There are 801 other priests of Ookaa'h and also all the others who made it that far on their own. There aren't that many people with which you can still talk but those who understand you now are much more interesting."

"Pau will do this step within the next twenty- or thirty-thousand years and become unreachable for us."

"And the souls before Pau have done the same thing," Usagi thought aloud.

"Correct," Käl confirmed. "Actually, Pau gets a large part of his powers and his ability to understand incredibly complex facts from these higher developed beings. They can communicate with him because he himself is already a higher form of consciousness."

"That's why he seems to be so strange, sometimes," Usagi guessed.

"Exactly."

"But even someone like him, who has these incredible abilities, still makes mistakes," Usagi added with a little bit of relief.

"Are you sure?" Käl asked. "It was my impression that every of his 'mistakes' in the end turned out to be carefully planned and enacted."

"But back to the topic at hand. A priest-line is a succession of priests who have moved away from the reality as we see it because they are all immortal. Usually, such a being will only communicate which another being on the same level of development and maybe with someone one level above and below."

"This way, you get a long row of priests, which all call themselves with the same name but who are in reality always someone else."

"In this case, Pau represents the oldest of the lines, the first one. He was the first priest of Ookaa'h in a time which lies so far back that even Pau himself probably cannot remember it anymore."

"It's an interesting fact that the real name of Pau Tai is Ookaa'h."

Confused, Usagi looked at Käl who laughed. "Names don't matter for the gods, I think. When she made contact with Pau or better Ookaa'h at that time, she had no name, yet. Maybe she had no use for one herself or no one else had given her one, yet."

"Pau named a goddess after himself?" Usagi laughed.

"He was probably too lazy to think up a different name," Käl smiled.

"So Pau is just the being which currently represents the first priest-line of Ookaa'h," Usagi summarized.

"Yes."

"What about the other lines?"

"You can find information about them on your pad."

"Can one meet them?"

"Well, they don't meet regularly but it shouldn't be impossible, either. I would guess it would be most simple to ask Pau because all priests always know where the others are."

"Well," Usagi replied, "in my specific case, that probably means that I have to locate another priest so he can tell me where Pau is ..."

"True."

"Something else: I couldn't find any hints in the reports as to why Pau has accepted me as his pupil."

"Yes," Käl admitted, "that's something which made me wonder, too. I have read a lot more about you than you have, yet, but I also couldn't find anything about this either."

"Why have you read more than I did?"

"You see, when you read 'Please don't read that, yet', then I read 'Please don't tell Usagi, yet'. Incidentally, I also got two warnings not to follow certain links."

"And, did you heed them?"

"I'm still quite impulsive but I also know that Pau usually warns too seldom instead of too often."

To this, Usagi could only agree.

"And Pau has not left any notes for me? Something of the kind that I should perform some specific exercises or something like that?"

"He probably didn't expect you to make your peace with Tep that quickly."

They looked at each other and shook their heads synchronously.

"Highly unlikely," Usagi laughed and Käl joined in.

"Well, in that case, your next task is probably to find something to spend your time with. Can you calculate?"

Usagi nodded.

Käl tilted his head: "Now, that would come as a surprise for me. For most calculations which I use, there isn't even a word in your language!"

"Like what?" Usagi asked slightly indignant.

Käl took a pad out from somewhere, drew a square on it and then a connection between two diagonally opposite edges. "If all sides have the length of 1 ken(2), how long is the diagonal line?"

"Roughly 1.5 ken."

"And exactly?"

"Well ..." Usagi hesitated.

Käl spread his arms. "If you have to build something like this spaceship, then 'roughly' is not good enough anymore. Tep, Usagi needs a basic education in maths and physics."

The slave was immediately awake. "Yes, master. I will make the necessary preparations."

"How come that you don't mind being disturbed in your sleep all the time?" Usagi wondered. "If I get disturbed for the third time, I usually go for the throat."

"I don't sleep, master, I just don't move."

"And when do you sleep, then?"

"Never, master."

"He doesn't need sleep like you do," Käl explained. "You have to rest so you can process the events of the day and make new knowledge permanent. With Tep, this happens all the time on the side and therefore, he never needs sleep."

"Ah, yes, like Pau," Usagi said.

"Yes. You should also learn the standard language so you can cope more easily with the other knowledge."

"It becomes more easy the more I learn?"

"To a certain degree, yes. You can remember things more easily when you can make connections to something which you already know. Therefore, it makes sense to learn not only what you need or want but also other things to which you can already relate. Through the additional connections, the knowledge sticks better in your mind."

The Unbearable Paradise

So Usagi first learned how to learn and then exploited the wonders of science for himself. He learned to see behind the things which he had taken for granted as a mere ronin. After the learning devices had transfered the knowledge into his brain, Tep and Käl helped him to put it to use.

With the help from Käl, he learned to fly gliders and simple spaceships which turned out to be much more simple than he had expected. Almost anything in these things was automated and all he had to do was to explain what he wanted. But after some time, Käl also showed him how to fly with more simple machines. That was still worlds apart from the way in which Pau had allowed him to fly but it appealed to him nonetheless.

He had a lot of fun flying a virtual battle glider over the ragged surface of an imaginary planet and to fight simulated battles against or together with Käl or to simulate the building of a whole society.

To be unable to suffer from any poverty had its advantages. There was always enough to eat and the food was of extraordinary quality. If he needed anything, it could be produced for him in a few moments.

But he was still worried. Pau had warned him that if he wasn't careful, he would loose his ability to survive outside of this man-made paradise.

After some time, he shared his thoughts with Käl: "That's causing me more worries every day."

Käl looked at him with his intelligent eyes: "And?"

"What should I do now?"

"What is it you want to do?"

"I don't know," Usagi replied indecisively.

"Why do you expect me to be able to advise you if you don't know what you want yourself?"

Usagi made a face. "Well, maybe I should spend some time 'outside'."

"And why don't you?"

"Too many options. Where should I go to?"

"Pay a visit at home and say hello?"

"Well, I could do that," Usagi said thoughtfully, "but somehow ..."

"The core of your problem is that you feel useless."

Usagi nodded. "I put useless knowledge into my head. What is it worth if I can't do something with it?"

"Then you should set yourself a goal."

"But what? There is so much I could do!"

"Something that gives you something in return. Something that moves you ahead. Have you made peace with the thought that there is slavery already?"

Usagis posture spoke volumes. "Not really," he admitted.

"So why don't you work on that?"

"I don't want to," Usagi refused.

Käl was patience itself.

"Maybe I should," Usagi gave in.

Käl nodded. "A few days ago, we have passed some Tsykotallars. Your reaction was not optimal, yet."

"Optimal?" Usagi yelled. "What the one did to the other was disgusting! Humiliating and sickening! It was ..."

Käl didn't say anything, just sat there until Usagi had calmed down again. Usagi closed his eyes and all strength seemed to pour out of him. "I simply can't accept it."

"You don't want to accept it," Käl corrected him gently. "And as long as you reject this behavior from the deepest depths of your soul, you cannot help. Accept ..."

"... then understand," Usagi completed the sentence with Käl. "Maybe you're right. There is still something for me to learn."

"Good, now we know what you want. That leaves us with the where and how."

"I would like to pay a visit to a different planet."

"Very well. I would suggest that you choose one which is not too different to the one on which you were born or your body would have to be modified for the new environment, first."

"Such a place exists?"

"I would answer that with a clear yes without hesitation. Creation is really huge, Usagi."

"Then we are left with the question if the computers here already know about such a place."

"Yes. I would usually hesitate here but ... by pure chance," he stressed the words, "Pau has left me with a list of worlds which meet this criterion."

"Ah, I see. So no trouble here, either."

"Right. And as what are you planning to go?"

That question took Usagi by surprise.

Käl enumerated a few options: "As the owner of slaves, as a lord, as ronin as slave or as slave trader?"

"As slave? You're joking!"

Käl did not laugh. "I have been sold several times as a slave myself and willingly at that."

Disgusted and fascinated at the same time, Usagi had to ask Käl to tell him more.

"Like you, I was a very proud fighter and the very idea of slavery was unbearable for me. So Pau impersonated a slavetrader and sold me a couple of times to various people."

"Several times," Usagi repeated with a flat voice.

Käl nodded. "It really sounds worse than it was," he continued and then stopped. "No, it actually was worse."

"But also interesting. I have been able to meet with some very interesting people. As a fighter, I was used to bear hardship but some people brought me to my limits."

He laughed at the memory. "But the worst weren't those who tried to humiliate me because I could cope with that. Torture and pain don't mean much to me."

"The worst of all was a philosopher," he stated more precisely.

"A thinker?"

"Yes. A friend of him had bought me and because I turned out to be smarter than expected, he passed me on as a present. That in itself was not bad. Unfortunately, the philosopher was extremely forgetful, untidy and absent-minded. He drove me mad."

"All the time he was looking for something and when we had finally located it, he had actually forgotten why he had looked for it in the first place! It was a very hard time for me until I had finally learned to live with that."

Usagi didn't laugh. Only too well, he could understand how Käl must have felt.

"I stayed until he died. He was the being with which I learned to accept someone as he was. Today I know how important this lesson was and I'm still thankful to him for that."

Usagi shook his head. "I don't think that I could do that, yet. Maybe I should go as myself, buy me a slave and then see what happens."

"But a ronin who buys himself a slave will cause an unnecessary sensation. Furthermore, you should think about which security measures you will take."

"Security measures?"

"Well, if you should unexpectedly stumble into trouble," Käl began and Usagi laughed out, "then you will probably want to be able to contact us."

"That's a good idea."

"You have several options. You could for example install an automatic mechanism which transports you back here if, for example, your heartbeat stops. Or Tep can observe you all the time. I wouldn't suggest to take a sender or something like that with you because these devices turn out to get lost or be broken at the most inconvenient times."

"Furthermore, you should think about whether you want to be able to access the knowledge here and if so, how. Or if you should go yourself at all. You could send a puppet instead, for example."

"A puppet?"

"Yes, a body which is remote controlled. Your own body never actually leaves the TAURUS. You only feel as if you do. If you do it this way, it doesn't matter if the puppet is destroyed and we could even give it a completely different look or add useful extras like the ability to fly."

"What happens with my real body during that time?"

"It will rest in a remote control tank. That works very similar to the healing tanks but there are additional devices in there which give you the feeling that you actually are inside of the puppet."

"Sounds a bit like what happens when I dream."

"Yes, the remote control tanks actually use the biological processes of the dreams to fulfill their tasks. The difference is that the things you will experience really do happen but only in the reality of the puppet while your real body is safe here."

"And the drawbacks?" Usagi asked.

Käl thought about this. "In your case: almost none. The distance is of no importance but in a high-tech environment, there could be interferences with the remote control or the environment could find out that you are only a puppet and try to find out more. But on the world which you plan to visit, there are almost no drawbacks."

"Good. I would prefer not to have to change too many things on my body like adding implants like the ones Tep has. So using a puppet sounds like a good solution to me."

Together with Tep, Usagi made the necessary preparations. A few cells were taken from his body to clone several copies of his body which would be very much like his actual body so he wouldn't have to get used to a new perception of his own body. Fascinated, Usagi had watched them grow in the tanks every day. After about three weeks, the first body was ready.

The only real difference was that the new body had no cerebral cortex and therefore no will of his own. In a complicated operation, the receiver for the remote control was installed in its place. As Usagi had wanted, the new body was almost an exact copy of his own. He had only added an automated translator so he wouldn't have to learn a new language just to forget it again when he was back and the bones were more sturdy than normal.

Finally, the new body floated in an emptied healing tank, held only by invisible force fields, near the remote control tank. Fascinated, Usagi moved his hand through the clean, white fur. The body breathed on its own and its eyes were open but there was no life in them. The automated reflexes had been trained in so that he would react very much like Usagis own body. The puppet really withdraw its arm by itself when Usagi pinched it. It was spooky.

Shaking his head, Usagi passed his clothes to a robot and stepped into the remote control tank. Tep activated it and Usagi fell asleep to wake up again a short time later. He stared at the ceiling. To the right, he could see Tep, smiling as always.

Usagi tried to feel a difference but he could not sense anything unusual. Carefully, he tried to sit up. As he had been warned, the reaction of his new body was strangely vague. Together with Tep, he began a sequence of exercises while still being held by the force fields to train the feedback loops of the remote control for himself and the body.

A few hours later, he could stand without help and walk around. He went over to the remote control tank and looked at himself, connected to the life support system of the tank. It felt strange to see himself. To know that the one whose eyes he used was not himself and still feel this body as his own.

Usagi spent two more days with training so he could be sure that his new body wouldn't surprise him unexpectedly. He also used the virtual mode of the remote control tank which allowed him to leave the puppet and to access the network of the TAURUS, for example to speak to Tep or Käl or to access the vast knowledge which was stored here.

In the three weeks in which he had waited for the body of the puppet, he had selected a world which he would visit and learned the most important things about it. He had memorized all relevant information and created bookmarks in the net so he could quickly access the other information when he needed them.

As he had seen with Pau, his own look got strangely absent minded, when he left the body and dove into the network. He had experimented a bit with that by moving his body into his rooms and then going into the net, selecting one of the surveillance cameras of his flat and watching himself.

Of course, he couldn't move his body in this state but it was an interesting experience to be at three places at once.

At last, all preparations were made and he could start. The long-distance transportation system of the TAURUS transported him and a horse with his equipment close to a small village of the destination world. The planet was called "World" by its inhabitants or Tschular in the language of the people of the continent which he had chosen to visit.

As he had expected, there hadn't been any problems with the transport or the control of the puppet afterwards. Despite having learned in his physics course that the transport of information necessarily takes longer with growing distance, the puppet still followed his orders immediately. Käl had explained the trick to him which was used by the remote control but that had been beyond his understanding.

Skilled, he mounted his steed and directed it towards the street and on the street towards the next big city which he planned to visit. There was not much traffic on the street. When he met someone, he greeted them friendly but he never ran into someone with which he felt the need to begin a conversation or to cover some distance with.

Instead, he enjoyed to feel the wind in his fur again, to breathe unprocessed air and to see a real horizon. Even if he hadn't really left the TAURUS. When he arrived at an inn a few hours later, his back ached because he hadn't riden something so uncomfortable for years and he decided to order a cushion for dinner(3).

The horse and a small coin found their way into the hands of a surprised stable lad who promised to pay special attention to the animal.

The common room was large and comfortable. Flickering light from oil lamps lightened the tables and a large pot hang over the fire in the chimney. The smell of the soup within made Usagis mouth water. The owner of the tavern and he quickly agreed on the price for the night and a dinner and his things were brought up to his room. A couple of other guests were already dining, watching him with interest because of his white fur but only when they thought he wouldn't notice.

Usagi ate alone and wasn't really unhappy about that. The life on board of the TAURUS had already taken its toll. Nothing serious; only small things. The soup turned out to be unexpectedly hot after the food on the TAURUS which was always served at the perfect temperature and he burned his tongue. In all the weeks and months on the TAURUS, he had never had aching muscles or any other pains even if he had been given a good shaking when things had gotten rough in a simulated battle glider.

Temperatures had always been pleasant; not too hot at some time and then too cold at another. He missed the unlimited supply of freely flowing, hot water and wet toilet paper.

Luckily, his many slip-ups were taken as the usual behavior of a high ranking gentleman. Still, he was unhappy how quickly the effortless life on the TAURUS had spoiled him. He promised himself to spend less time there in the future because he was afraid that sometime, he would start to fear to leave at all.

The next morning, he continued his ride to the next city. As he had expected, his muscles ached from yesterday's riding. But he also knew that resting for a day would not make things any better. And when he finally arrived at the city close to sunset, he had to solve a much more important problem.

Only after a lengthy discussion, the city guards allowed him to enter the city with his swords. It seemed that there had been ugly incidents with armed, drunken young men before. From the information in the network of the TAURUS, Usagi already knew that something comparable to the class of the samurai didn't exist on this world. So he wasn't really surprised when the city guards only reluctantly accepted his oath not to use his weapons. Honor was probably more a word than a way of life, here.

A friendly guard, who still peered discretely at his weapons, gave him directions for a clean, good and still not too expensive inn. And lucky as he was, they still had empty rooms. After a simple but good dinner, Usagi went to bed immediately after this exhausting day.

The next day brought good weather and the reassuring insight that he was slowly but surely recovering his old skills. After breakfast and a warm bath, his aches were almost gone and he decided to have a closer look at the city.

In contrast to the cities which he had visited on his home world, the buildings of this city were built very close to each other and the streets were very small, twisting and dark. Luckily, the people who lived here already knew about the advantages of a working sewerage system and the streets were cleaner than he had feared. The inhabitants also seemed to be mostly polite but always in a hurry. He was a bit less tall than the average man here and his pure white fur drew a lot of looks.

He was stopped twice during the day by city guards whose questions he answered openly and politely. After the guards had reassured themselves that he was no imminent threat to public safety, they let him pass.

On the terrace of a tavern which had been erected on the top of a hill, he had lunch. The view was spectacular. In his mind, he compared the city with Edo. While Edo was magnificent, wide-spaced and open, this city was more simple and tighter. But Edo was also cold and impersonal and the splendor only superficial. This city had a heart and he could feel it from here.

The waiter who served him turned out to be a lush source of information about the city. In great detail, he explained Usagi what was where, which sights he must not miss and what wasn't worth a look. He knew an astonishing amount of things about the history of the city and its districts. When Usagi finally left, it was already late in the afternoon.

During his dinner at his inn, he had his first closer look at the other guests. He had enjoyed the time on his own but he didn't plan to spend the whole visit alone. After the meal, he took his mug of wine and moved from table to table to talk with some of the other guests. Finally, he stayed with a young man who was a member of one of the lesser aristocratic families. His name was Tredamus Joska.

Usagi quickly read between the lines that Joska felt misunderstood by his family. Apparently, there had been quarrels in the past and now he had come to this city for a change and to break with his past.

"And what are you doing here, Mr. Usagi?" Joska asked and drank from his mug.

"I've come here to purchase a slave on the slavemarket," Usagi replied honestly.

Joskas rejection of the very idea was obvious. "Well," he said coldly, "I, myself, find the idea of slavery revolting."

Usagi smiled at the reaction because he remembered his own reaction all too well. "Another similarity between us," he raised his glass to Joska. He really enjoyed to be around men who openly showed their emotions.

Now, Joska was confused and he frowned: "But if you reject slavery, why do you plan to purchase a slave?"

"Actually, this is quite and simple and then, it's not. Right at the moment, I reject slavery and everything which has to do with it. That means, if I have to handle a situation which is related to slavery, I have to overcome my rejection, first."

"That uses up my strength and leads to me being unable to decide freely. Therefore, I have decided to take a closer look at slavery so I can overcome my general rejection to be able to turn to the real problems," Usagi tried to state his intentions more precisely.

Joska showed confusion: "What do you mean? What could be worse for someone than to be owned by someone else?"

"At first, I thought the same," Usagi admitted, "but it turned out that I was wrong. I learned to know Tep." He had a sip and went on.

"With Tep, I've learned that it's not slavery itself that is the core of the problem but the people who have something to do with it. In the end, there is not much of a difference if you're a slave or not if your superior doesn't treat you in a correct way."

"Pah," Joska made, "a slave can't run away if he cares for his life."

"That's true," Usagi admitted, "but if the master is wise and treats his slaves well, there is no reason to run away."

"That's not the point!" Joska exclaimed. "We were talking about what happens if the master is mean and unjust! In this case, a servant can leave but a slave cannot."

"I would not agree to that and the stable lad would probably agree with me that things are not that simple," Usagi argumented. "Sure, he could simply walk away if he wanted to and the city guards would not try to hunt him down and kill him but the source of the problem is not slavery but the mean master."

"Do you really believe you can change the people?" Joska asked angrily. "If there was no slavery then the whole problem wouldn't exist at all!"

"But it exists and I don't believe that things will change ever so soon," Usagi contradicted.

"Well, I just want to tell you that I've joined a group of people who share my view and we plan to achieve just that," Joska answered reservedly.

"That sounds like a good idea," Usagi said. "I hope that you have some influential people in your group. Otherwise, I don't think you will be able to achieve much."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you're just a small group of young people, then the rich and mighty will just ignore you. In the end, it's not the people but those who rule who enforce changes."

Joska laughed dryly: "You see this city? Its wealth comes mainly from the slavetrade. None of the rich and mighty would support us."

"In this case, you will not achieve anything," Usagi said forcefully.

"We can't simply sit back and wait!" Joska retorted angrily. "The situation is unbearable!"

"For you."

"For everyone!"

"No," Usagi shook his head. "It's only unbearable for you. All others agree with it -- that's the reason why it is as it is."

"That's not true!"

"Well, let my try to explain it in a different way. Lets say tomorrow, there would be a new law which forbids the slavetrade."

"Wishful thinking."

"Let's just assume this for a moment. What would happen?"

"The problem would be solved at last."

"Are you sure? What would happen to all those slaves who are right now on their way to here? They probably won't bring them back to their homes! That would be much too expensive. So I would guess that they would simply slaughter them."

"That would be horrible!" Joska moaned.

"It would be even more horrible to let them live!"

"You are insane!"

"Really? What should the freed slaves do? Where should they go to? They have no money, don't know the language, they usually don't even know a trade," Usagi said. "You see, the situation is just simple for you. You have money, live in a comfortable inn and therefore, you think that it's the same for everybody else."

"But it isn't," Usagi went on. "Slaves have nothing. To release them means that they either have to starve or to beg or to steal. If you want to do something, then buy all slaves and then bring them back home. Or buy them and teach them a trade so they can earn their own money and then release them."

"But just storming the slavemarket, hoping that this would change anything is only a sure recipe for disaster."

By Joskas reaction, Usagi noticed that he had hit a sore point. 'They don't plan just that, do they?' he thought uneasily.

"Mr. Joska," Usagi said slowly, "whatever you are about to do, please think first what it will mean for the others. Should you use force, then blood will be spilled and not only your but also the blood of innocents."

"No innocents in this city," Joska said coldly. "Good night, Mr. Usagi."

Sighing, Usagi massaged his brow after Joska had left. He really hoped that Joska and his friends wouldn't do something stupid. He laughed dryly at the thought. To hope that Joska wouldn't do something stupid was like to hope that water would flow uphill. Unfortunately, impulsive young men like him had the uncanny ability to cause the largest possible damage.

He said good night to the landlord and went upstairs into his room and lay down in his bed. Before he went to sleep, he left the puppet and searched the net for information about Joska. With the name and the picture which he imagined and which the computer read from his brain, he searched the net in the slim hope that he would find something. Since this world was observed by Pau Tai, maybe there were already some records.

Besides the name and a few other dates like the age and a couple of pictures, there wasn't much else. It just said that Joska was impulsive and tended to act without thinking things over, first. 'Sounds familiar,' Usagi thought and remembered his own youth. "I just wonder if he will already get into any trouble tonight or if he waits until dawn ..."

Joskas father was a different matter: There was a lengthy report about him. As Usagi had already guessed, father and son were very different. The father was a realist and had a temper. Usagi wasn't surprised that the two couldn't stand each other. But the more he read, the more he came to the conclusion that there was more to Joska than met the eye.

If the report was right, then Joska must dislike his father much more than he had said in their talk because Joskas father earned his money by supplying the local slave market with slaves.

Sighing silently, Usagi returned into the puppet and went asleep.

When someone hammered at his door, he woke up instantly. At least his instincts still worked reliably. His sense of time told him that he had slept about four hours.

"Yes?" he called.

"It's me!" Joskas voice sounded through the door. "I must talk to you! Please open!"

'So trouble is early,' Usagi thought and took his sword but didn't draw blank, yet. Then he opened the door.

Joska quickly stepped into the room. He held his arm and Usagi smelled blood. Joskas face was white and his gaze unsteady. Usagi gently took his arm and led him to the stool. After Joska had sat down, Usagi had a closer look at the wound. It wasn't deep but it did bleed a lot. If there were pursuers, they would arrive here, soon. And Joskas scabbard was empty.

"What happened?" Usagi asked calmly while he searched his saddlebags for bandages.

"We were ... slaves ... didn't want to come with us ... cries ... guards ... Paller dead ... blood ... blood everywhere ...," Joska stammered while Usagi cleaned the wound and then dressed it. Joskas state at least had the advantage that he didn't feel the pain.

'So they really tried it,' Usagi thought unhappily. They probably hadn't only got unexpected resistance from the slaves but there had also been some guards. Usagi stepped to the window and peeked outside. If he wasn't mistaken then the dark figures on the street were members of the city guard who followed a fresh trace of blood.

'Had Joska had the brains to catch his blood with his cape inside of the building?' Usagi wondered. 'Probably not. Now what? Will the city guard believe my words when I tell them that I've met him a few hours ago for the first time?'

While Usagi was still evaluating his options, someone already knocked on his door.

"Who is there?" Usagi asked after a slight delay.

Joska stared at the door with his eyes wide open as if it had suddenly turned into the gate to hell.

"This is the city guard! Open the door!"

"One moment, please," Usagi replied and went to the door. Pleading but without uttering a word, Joska followed him with his gaze. Usagi took his sword with him; inconceivable what Joska could attempt with it in his current state.

Usagi put his hand on the doorknob and changed in the state of the Tai Chi technique. Outwardly unchanged, he stepped out of the room into the corridor and closed the door behind himself. The captain of the guard, who stood a bit to the side and was about to enter the room at the same time as Usagi left it, stepped back in surprise.

"How can I help you?" Usagi asked calmly. His time was running.

"We are under the impression that a dangerous criminal is hiding here somewhere," the captain automatically replied.

"In this room," Usagi answered, "if a man which I met after dinner today and whatever might have happened tonight, he surely isn't dangerous. What's more, he is injured, unarmed and shaken by fear."

The eyes of the captain became small slits. "Injured and unarmed, you say?"

"In that case," he went on coldly, "this man has probably killed a member of the city guards! Step out of the way!"

Unmoved, Usagi calculated his chances. 'The few members of the guard in this small corridor would be little match against my skills but what would I win?' If what the man said was true, Joska was already a dead man walking. And if it wasn't, then his chances wouldn't be much better if they took him. And if Usagi shed more blood, then his chances would be even worse.

He tried to guess the reactions of the captain. 'How far can I go?'

Wordlessly, he offered his sword to the captain with the handle first. "I would be honored to be able to help to resolve this without further bloodshed," he offered. "Will you allow me that?"

The captain relaxed a bit. He took the sword by the scabbard which Usagi took as a good sign. "I would be in your debt," the man accepted.

Usagi bowed and went back into the room. He closed the door but for a small gap. Nonetheless, he was unsure if he could achieve anything: Joska was gone.

The window was open, his saddle bags had been combed and his wakizashi had probably left with Joska.

Inwardly cursing, Usagi ran to the window and looked outside. The roof was insanely steep but probably not deterrent enough for someone who was as desperate as Joska.

"He's gone!" he yelled and leaned out to see how far Joska had got.

While he looked for a grip on the roof, someone on the street had noticed him and calls sounded up to him. The door was kicked open. While the guards spread professionally in the room, the captain came to the window.

"And where are you going?"

"After him, saving what's left," Usagi said through clenched teeth. Since he hadn't had to fight, yet, his time was running out only slowly but it was running out nonetheless.

Another call from below and Usagi finally noticed the shadow against the dark sky. Only the gods knew how he had got up there. But he didn't seem to be able to get any further, either. Like two small, white moons, Joskas eyes stared down to the street three stories below.

Then his desperate luck ran out and he fell. Unable to stop himself, he crashed down the roof and his fearful cry rang thought the night. Emotionless, Usagi looked for a chance and found one. A minute one but a chance nonetheless.

The captain must have suspected something because he tried to catch Usagi who had jumped for the falling body, parallel to the edge of the roof.

Only by his inhumanly quick reflexes in this state, Usagi was able to catch a hand of Joska. The roof was uneven but not enough. No chance to get a hold somewhere and to stop the fall. Except for the gutter.

Joska called out once more when Usagi grabbed his injured arm and tried to brace his feet against the tiny channel. At least this part of the plan worked. With one flowing movement, he jerked the yelling Joska around and threw him towards the window where the captain was still standing.

Then the gutter gave way and Usagi fell. "Usagi!" Joska cried hanging from the arms of the captain and a guard. "Usagi!"

The street below was horribly far away. 'Next time, I should really bring a flying device or something which can take some of the impact,' Usagi thought unmoved while he fell.

So all he could do was to turn while falling so he would at least hit the ground with his feet first. Hopefully, his reflexes would allow him to roll over and reduce the impact of the fall somewhat this way.

At least his improved bones survived the impact. In his state, he couldn't feel the pain but that would change, soon. He prepared himself as good as he could and left the Tai Chi state.

It wasn't as bad as he had feared. To roll over seemed to have had the expected effect and he didn't loose his consciousness but could lie motionless on his back.

Faces appeared in his vision, with shadows which had a life of their own from the flickering torchlight. A guard bent down to him and he could see the surprise in the face above him when the guard noticed that he was still alive.

"My saddle bags," Usagi pressed out between clenched teeth.

"He's alive!" the guard called out, "He is still alive!"

Up on the roof, Joska called his name one last time and then he was probably dragged from the window.

"Can you move?" the guard asked worriedly.

"My bags," Usagi asked once more, "bring me."

"He asks for his saddle bags!" the guard yelled up.

Several people had been awoken by the racket and windows were opened so they could see what was going on.

A short time later, the captain arrived with a crying Joska down on the street. The landlord came running but was held back by the guards.

"I've never seen someone," the captain said when he knelt besides Usagi, "attempting such a feat and surviving it. What do you need?"

"Brown bottle."

"This one?" the caption showed him the bottle.

"Yes."

Carefully, the captain helped Usagi to lift his head and sip once. As Käl had promised, the effect of the pain killer set in quickly. He was still hurting but he could stand it now. On the other hand, his mind stayed focused.

When the pains had become bearable, Usagi turned around and looked himself for the vial with the medication which should help his body to recover. With stiff fingers, he put it into the inhalation device just as Käl had shown him and took a deep breath. He had to cough when the vapors reached his lungs but the pain killer kept him awake.

With a sigh, he sat and took deep breaths while the medication did its job.

"You could have killed us all in the corridor," the captain said casually.

"I never spill blood unnecessarily," Usagi replied when he felt able to.

"You are an uncommon person. What is your name?"

"Usagi Miyamoto."

"You come from far away?"

Usagi nodded slightly. "Very far."

"Are you planning to leave the city in the next few days?"

"Won't leave my bed for the next few days," Usagi tried a little joke and the captain actually smiled.

"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Miyamoto?"

"Maybe some of your men can help me to reach my bed," Usagi said not completely serious but the captain nodded.

"What happens to him, now?" Usagi asked.

The caption looked at the crying Joska, who was sitting on the street between two guards, his face covered with his hands. "There will be a examination of the circumstances. When we have found out what has happened, he will either be a free man or will be sold as a slave to cover for the damage which he has caused."

"Thanks," Usagi said, "it would be a pity if I would have made this sacrifice for nothing. Will you have an eye on him?"

Calculating, the captain looked at Usagi. "I'll see what I can do. Are you sure he is innocent?"

"He is harmless," Usagi replied. "If he really killed someone, then without intent."

"Sometimes, people are not what they seem to be."

"True," Usagi said calmly.

"How can I find you?" Usagi went on after a small pause.

"Visit the city guards headquarters and ask for Captain Kaut."

"Good night, Captain Kaut."

"Good night, Mr. Miyamoto." The captain motioned some of his men who really helped Usagi to reach his bed.

The Slavemarket

When he awoke next time, he actually felt good. Well, at least in comparison to how he had felt before. As a pleasant surprise, he found his daisho on the table.

He ate one of the energy bars and went to bed again. When he awoke again, it was late afternoon. The medicament had worked a miracle on him. He was still a bit stiff but almost free of pains. A warm bath helped to relax and when he enjoyed his dinner, he was almost well once more.

The landlord looked nervously at him and some of the guests, too. Usagi didn't mind and ate a nourishing soup with great appetite.

When he left the inn the next morning, the landlord opened his mouth to speak to him but it took him some time to be able to say anything.

"It's very embarrassing," he admitted, "and even more so to bother you with it."

Usagi already guessed what moved the man. "I would guess," he helped him, "that Joska didn't pay his bill when he left."

Embarrassed, the man looked at the floor. "I would never think of asking you to stand in for him! But I would be in your debt if you could talk to Mr. Joska about this if you should meet him again," the landlord asked.

"Of course," Usagi promised much to the relief of the landlord, "I will see what I can do."

On the street, Usagi thought what he should do next. 'Visit the city guard? Or Joskas father?'

He decided to visit the city guards. Maybe Joska had turned out to be innocent; in this case there was nothing he would have to do. And then, maybe Joskas father was not in the city at all and even if he was, it would be better if he already knew something to answer the questions that would surely come.

So Usagi went to the headquarter of the city guards and was received by the deputy of Captain Kaut who answered his questions.

"The investigation is still not completed," he said, "but three guards who accompanied Sergeant Trimol that night testified against Mr. Joska and I doubt that he will be found innocent."

"What will happen should he be proven guilty?"

"In this case, our laws say that he looses his civil rights and will be sold as a slave in order to cover at least part of the damage which he has caused. That of course only covers the material damages. The loss which the colleagues and the family of the victim have suffered cannot be rectified with money."

"Is it possible to see Mr. Joska?"

"Certainly," the captain agreed and called a guard to lead Usagi to the cells. Usagi thanked him and followed the guard to hear the other side of the story.

Joska wasn't happy at all to see Usagi again. He looked more like a walking dead to Usagi than a prisoner. Faltering, he recounted what had happened that night. His version of the story was almost the same what the captain had told Usagi already.

Joska didn't mention any of the other men he had mentioned in the conversation with Usagi in the inn and Usagi didn't ask. The young man swore that the killing of the guard had been an accident and that he had never planned to endanger anyones life, neither the one of the guard nor Usagis.

"It would have been better if you had let me drop," he finally said hopelessly.

"Could you have done that?" Usagi asked instead of an answer.

Unseeing, Joska stared at the ceiling and didn't reply. Usagi shook his head sadly and called for the guard to be let out.

When he met the captain once more, Usagi told him that Joska had an open bill at the Rosegarden. The captain let Usagi know that the landlord himself should pay a visit so his demands could be added to the list. When Joska was sold on the slavemarket, the demands on that list would be payed with the money that he would achieve.

Usagi thanked him and left. Outside, he asked for directions to the slavemarket and went there.

He felt with Joska, even more after he saw the inhuman conditions in which the slaves waited for being sold. Like cattle. Surely, there might be some like Tep amongst them who actually looked forward to being slaves. But Usagi had strong doubts.

Here, slavery showed its ugly face. And he probably didn't even see the worst because it would have turned the buyers away.

On the market, Usagi asked for directions to the house of Joskas family. The house itself turned out to be large and noble and was locate a bit away from the market itself in the next part of the city.

A normal servant opened. "Welcome, sir. How may I be of service?"

"My name is Usagi Miyamoto," Usagi introduced himself. "A few days ago, I met with Mr. Tredamus Joska." He carefully noted the reaction of the servant when he mentioned the name.

"I've come to break the news to his father that his son is held in prison so he can take whatever actions he deems appropriate."

"Very good, sir. Unfortunately, Mr. Joska has left the city in some important matter and is expected back in the evening. Are you wishing to wait or can we find you somewhere?"

"I've found accommodation in the inn Rosegarden, should he have any questions. Tredamus is currently in custody of the city guards."

"Is it the Rosegarden near the western gate?"

"Yes."

"I will forward your words to my lord," the servant promised reservedly.

Usagi thanked him and left. 'What now?' he asked himself. But there was a reason why he was here at all. So he went back to the slavemarket.

He couldn't bear the horror for long, though, then he had to leave this misery. It was terrible to see this and being unable to do anything. Usagi hated being helpless more than anything else.

Depressed, he returned to the tavern on the hill but neither the waiter nor the view could change his mood.

When most of the other guests had left and it had become calmer, the waiter asked if he could sit down. Absent-minded, Usagi nodded.

"You want to talk about it?"

Usagi gave a sigh. "I payed the slavemarket a visit."

"Why?"

"Because I despise slavery."

"I wouldn't take you for someone who enjoys torturing himself."

Despite himself, Usagi had to chuckle. "No, probably not."

"Then why?"

"It's not so simple to explain. A friend of mine gave me a slave. By mistake, I tortured him horribly. I just couldn't accept that he is a slave. That it's his life. Because I didn't want it to be that way."

After a small pause, Usagi went on: "I just couldn't stop myself. I did this to him because I wanted to help. He suffered greatly and I did, too."

"So you want to make sure it doesn't happen again," the waiter guessed.

"Yes," Usagi replied, "it must not happen again."

"But why do you torment yourself then?"

"I'm looking for a way."

"You know what my mother always said to me? She said that the people suffer too much with their fellow man instead of feeling with them. Less pity, more sympathy."

Usagi frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Right now, you feel pity. You feel desperate because of the fate of those poor fellows who are being sold at the market for the welfare of the city. But your suffering doesn't change anything. You just feel bad."

"To feel sympathy with them," the waiter went on, "would allow you to see the situation in which the slaves are; to see how it really is, what it really is but you wouldn't suffer from it. You would be able to do something because you wouldn't be wasting your strength to feel bad about it."

"Hmm," Usagi sounded and looked over the city thoughtfully which lay below him peacefully in the light of the afternoon sun. "I have to think about this."

"Maybe with a piece of cake?"

Usagi gave a laugh. "No but tea would be most welcome. If you want to, you can have a piece for yourself and put it on my bill."

"Please, sir, have mercy," the waiter pleaded exaggeratively, "we already have to eat all that isn't sold!"

Against his will, Usagi felt better. 'Sympathy,' he thought and sipped at his tea, 'more sympathy.'

When he ate his dinner in the evening, an elegantly clad servant entered the common room and went to the landlord who in turn led him to Usagi.

"Mr. Miyamoto?"

"That's me," Usagi replied. The coat of arms told him that the servant was in the service of Joskas family.

"My name is Tear Kulong and I'm in the services of the Family Joska. My master would like to send you his best regards and thanks you for going to the trouble to tell him about the fate of his son."

"Thank you."

"Furthermore, my master would be most honored if he could dine with you tomorrow if that could agree with your plans."

"This invitation is a great honor for me," Usagi replied formally but not quite correct for this world. The servant blinked in surprise but caught himself immediately.

"Please tell your master that I would be glad to meet him," Usagi went on.

"Very good, sir," the servant bowed. "May we offer you a coach?"

The prospect of not having to walk back after the meal was very tempting. "That would be most welcome."

"Very good, sir. I do wish you a pleasant evening."

"Thank you," Usagi replied and the servant left.

The next day, Usagi could cope much better with what he saw on the market. It was still horrible to see but he tried not to feel bad or responsible for what was happening here.

And he learned a trick. When he saw that an assistant of a trader was about to beat a slave, he stepped to him and asked for directions. He played dumb and so it took quite some time until the assistant could finish his explanations.

After that, the assistant had forgotten that he had been about to punish the slave. The slave, on the other hand, had recovered in the meantime and of course tried everything to make the assistant not to remember. So Usagi prevented the abuse of a slave and he was a bit proud of himself.

He had helped one, no, actually two people, without having had to resort to violence. Pau Tai also had used this trick but he had been much more subtle. Now Usagi began to understand what Pau had meant when he had told him that he had just shown Lord Hikiji an alternative when he had been about to burn Usagis home village to the ground.

Being much more relaxed, Usagi walked across the market and didn't only watch the slaves, now, but also the non-slaves. Much to his dislike, he had to admit that they weren't the monsters he had expected but normal people.

He rarely saw that someone abused a slave deliberately or because he enjoyed it. The slavetrader over there, who was offering a slave for sale, could also have sold vegetables. Again, Usagi had made himself a picture of how things had to be and had therefore been unable to see how the situation really was.

More thoughtfully than before, Usagi went on until by chance his look fell on a booth where women were sold. Immediately, he imagined how slobbering men bought them to bring them home to abuse them.

Spontaneously, he joined the crowd.

It turned out that most buyers were in fact women who were looking for servants for themselves. A man passed with a female slave whom he had just bought and happily chatted with his friend how happy his wife would be when he got home.

Ashamed, Usagi looked to the ground and not only because the female slave didn't wear any clothes.

He was about to leave to think over this new idea a bit when two female slaves were offered together. The younger one was very pretty and almost still a child. But it was the other one who had stirred his interest. For one thing, he had never before seen that two slaves were sold together. And the second slave wore clothes. Furthermore, there was something about her, which he wouldn't have expected in a slave.

A price was announced. Usagi couldn't say if it was low or high but it seemed that other buyers also didn't trust the offer because no one raised his hands.

The seller showed his best smile and began to extol the advantages of the two female slaves in the brightest colors. Still no one seemed to be interested.

Sighing and whining, that he was driving himself into certain poverty, the seller lowered the price a bit. And when that didn't help, he did so many more times.

When Usagi assumed that the seller was about to give up and just call a new slave, he lifted his hand.

It seemed that others had come to the same conclusion and suddenly, there were several other bids. Slowly, the price went up again. Usagi was greatly enjoying himself.

To see the show which the seller performed and how the people reacted to it almost let him forget where he was. 'No place is so terrible that you can't find something nice there,' Usagi thought and bid again.

For a bit more than the initial price, he got his first two slaves. Usagi had no idea what he should do with them but he would accept the challenge and grow at it.

'Who knows, maybe the slaves will grow at it, too?' he thought for himself.

An assistant came over to him to determine how he would pay. Usagi paid the usual deposit and received a document which made him owner of the two slaves. It was agreed that he would pay the rest of the money tomorrow.

The two female slaves were brought and Usagi could have a closer look at them for the first time. Both were catlike but while the younger one had a fur with white and orange stripes like a tiger, the fur of the other one was pitch black -- at least in the places where Usagi could see it. The younger of the two was about as tall as Usagi or maybe slightly smaller but the older one towered by at least one head over him. And his initial guess was confirmed.

He would have bet his life on the fact that she was no slave. Usagi had no idea what she was but he was absolutely sure that she was no slave. No slave had such an expression on her face.

But there was more. While the assistant got more and more nervous for some reason, Usagi just stood there and tried to figure out what had attracted his attention: She moved as if her muscles were locked. Usagi added one and one.

"Please look at me," he asked the second slave with a normal voice.

Her face was a mask. No trace of humility, resignation or any other emotion in the fine fur of her face. The pain just showed in her eyes. She had been whipped a short time ago and she wore clothes so one didn't notice right away.

"Is something the matter?" the assistant asked openly nervous, now.

"Is it common that slaves are sold with clothes?" Usagi asked friendly.

"Um," made the assistant.

"I was under the impression that it isn't," Usagi went on.

"Well, there are a lot of other traders here and we were thinking if we could do something to make us stand out of the mass," the assistant stammered a quickly constructed lie. Usagi really enjoyed to torture him for what had been inflicted on the woman.

"Isn't it forbidden to sell a slave without telling the buyer about existing ... health issues?"

"Well, of course ..."

"Of course only if they are known to the trader, that goes without saying," Usagi completed the sentence friendly.

"Because it would be terrible for your reputation if you would, say, just as an example, sell a slave who has been ... whipped a short time ago without telling the buyer, wouldn't it?" Usagi mercilessly continued in a friendly voice.

The mouth of the assistant opened and closed but he was unable to say anything.

"But I'm sure that you would never even think about doing something like that."

"Never," the assistant stammered.

"And I'm absolutely sure that my friend, Captain Kaut of the city guard would have absolutely no sympathy for something like that."

"Kaut. City guard."

Usagi didn't go on but cursed himself that he had not been able to stop himself. He didn't know why the woman had been punished. Or if the assistant had anything to do with it or even would have been able to stop it.

"What do you want?" the assistant finally managed to say.

"I will visit a healer with my new property and you will pay for that," Usagi said calmly.

"Certainly," the assistant agreed immediately, "the satisfaction of our customers is our most important goal."

"It's not necessary that you burden yourself with coming here and showing us the final bill," he quickly added. "You are a man of honor and your word is more than enough for us," he offered Usagi the rest of the price.

Usagi nodded curtly and left. The assistant had to sit down after this. He looked over to the owner of the booth who made an unhappy face.

Outside, Usagi was confronted with several problems of his own at once. He had boots but the feet of the women were unprotected. Since they would never step too far away from him, he now had to chose his way carefully.

And he had to decide if he should buy clothes first for the naked slave, to spare her unnecessary humiliation or to care for the wounds of the clothed slave instead. For both, he had to find out first where one could find a tailor and a healer.

Furthermore, there was the issue with the names. Plus the content smile of the older slave irritated him, too.

While looking around, he said casually: "Should you smile because of what I did to the assistant, then I must inform you that I do not approve of that."

He turned and looked directly at her. Despite her looking at the ground, he could see the expression on her face very well. At least one advantage to be less tall.

"I'm sorry, master," she said in a tone of voice which she probably deemed humble. Again, no emotion showed on her face and her voice was controlled and calm. Still, Usagi was sure that she was enraged.

'Is she furious with me or herself?' he asked himself. 'Still, her self-control is impressive. To be as good, she must have had a decent and long training. Who is she?'

He couldn't solve this puzzle here and decided to look up someone of the city guards. Surely, they would be able to name a healer to him. After that, he would look for clothes.

Kauts Healer

Shortly, he toyed with the thought to transport himself and the slaves on board of the TAURUS so Tep could care for the injuries but he decided against it. He would try to pull through this without help from outside. To fall back upon the comforts of the TAURUS would quickly erode his resolution to regain his independence. Even if the reason was as good as this one.

'But where should I stop?' He could have called a battle glider and leveled this city in a few moments. Or force the traders to release the slaves.

'Sympathy, no pity. Helping instead of suffering.'

He couldn't believe his good luck when he ran into Captain Kaut and a couple of his men in the very next street.

"Captain Kaut," Usagi called with delight and the captain stopped and turned to him.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you again," the captain greeted him. "And as I can see, you're already on your feet again."

"Yes," Usagi thanked him, "the fall from the roof passed without serious consequences."

"I have to admit that I was greatly worried when I saw you lying motionlessly on the cobbles of the street after you saved Joskas life."

"Thank you," Usagi bowed slightly, "and I have a question."

"Yes?"

"Can you recommend a good healer?"

"After-effects?"

Usagi shook his head. "No, I'm feeling well. But I want him to have a look at this slave."

Kaut frowned. "Is something the matter with her?"

"I payed 15 Thalers for both," Usagi replied mysteriously.

"Where?" Kaut asked obviously angry. "At Kengas?"

Usagi nodded and Kaut snorted.

"Or allow me to put it that way: I've payed 5 Thalers and Kenga will only see what the healer doesn't keep for himself from the remaining 10," Usagi went on smugly.

Kaut had a closer look at the two. "Let's just say that Kengas reputation could be better," the captain said sullenly.

"Don't you say," Usagi said sarcastically.

"Do you want to bring a charge against him?" the captain asked in a depressed tone.

"Would that help?"

"I would have to accept and follow it," Kaut explained.

"So it wouldn't change much," Usagi concluded.

Kaut didn't reply to this and Usagi went on. "Let's say with 5 Thalers for both, Kenga is punished enough as far as I'm concerned."

Kaut gave a laugh. "The day just got better! I would have never dared to hope to be able to see that someone cheats Kenga! Come, I'll show you to a healer."

"What are you doing here, if I may ask?" Usagi asked.

"Ah, yes, there is still this issue with Joska for whom you stand up as I've been told," Kaut replied while they went on.

"I just talked with him," Usagi corrected calmly.

"And with his father."

"Yes, I did notice some people who followed me ... discreetly," Usagi said.

"Really? So why didn't you try to shake them off?" Kaut asked with a chuckle.

"Because I trust you."

That made Kaut fall silent. "You know how to surprise people," he finally said.

"I've heard that one before," Usagi replied politely. "What about Joska?"

"He got his sentence. He has been found guilty and will be sold here the day after tomorrow."

"I see," Usagi said a bit sad. "It's sad to see how a young, promising life can be ruined in a single night."

Kaut shot him a really strange look, when he said that. "Yes," he said slowly.

"Where?" Usagi asked as casually as he could but of course, he couldn't deceive Kaut.

Lost in thought, Kaut just walked some distance next to him. "On the big booth on Freedom Square, in the afternoon of the day after tomorrow," he finally said.

"A strange name for a place on a slavemarket."

"The freedom of one is the slavery of another," Kaut replied with a strange undertone.

In silence, they continued walking, followed by Kauts men and the two slaves.

"There is something which makes me wonder," Kaut eventually began.

"Yes?"

"Why have you bought the two slaves?"

"Is it still far? Because the answer will need more than a few words."

Kaut nodded. "It will still take some time."

Usagi chose his words carefully. "I know someone whom I trust. Maybe I trust him more than anyone else, including myself."

"He had me tortured, brought me to my limits. Still, I'm thankful. Do you understand that?"

Kaut shook his head.

"I grew, you know. He showed me what I can endure if I only want to. He took everything from me and in return, I got back myself. The ability to be just myself or at least to know how I could eventually be."

"Go on, please."

"I can't stand the thought that there is slavery."

"So you buy slaves."

"I can't change slavery. But I can buy a few slaves and offer them a life in dignity."

Kaut looked at him. "Do you really think that matters?"

"Yes, it does matter. It might be minute compared to all the slaves who have ever been sold here but no matter what else happens, it still counts."

"I can't make slavery vanish," Usagi went on. "I can't force the traders to do something else, can't release the slaves or change the laws. So I do what I can. Maybe it isn't much but it's something that makes sense and it will make the world better by a small amount."

"Nobody will have to die for that and if I should succeed, then maybe no one will even have to suffer for it," Usagi finished.

Kaut laughed silently and shook his head about the strange rabbit who was walking next to him.

"When I met you for the first time, I was sure that I would never see you buying a slave," Kaut said.

"You are still correct," Usagi simply said. "I just bought two humans without rights with which I plan to learn not to abuse the responsibility that I have accepted by doing this."

Kaut laughed out loud and pointed at a house. "Here we are. Come," he invited Usagi after sending his men away on another task.

Kaut led them inside. "The healer here often cares for me and my men."

Usagi found this peculiar. 'Why isn't he located in the building of the city guards? Why is he here so far away?'

Kaut stopped before a door and knocked. A broken female voice answered: "One moment!"

An old, stooped woman opened. "Kaut? Come," she asked them inside.

Her body might be stooped but Usagi noted her sharp look with which she scrutinized them; especially him.

"He is a friend of mine," Kaut explained, "and he would like you to examine this ... slave."

"I see," the healer said slowly and shot another piercing look at Usagi.

"This is not for me," Usagi said to the healer when she turned to the slave, "it's for her."

The head of the healer turned to him in the blink of an eye. He had touched her heart. "What's your name, friend?" she croaked.

"Usagi Miyamoto."

"Sit, child," she ordered the slave. The face of the slave twitched when she was addressed with child but she didn't say anything.

"You're from far?" the healer asked Usagi.

"Farther," Usagi simply said.

"Hm," the healer muttered while she turned the slave so the sunlight fell on her back.

"Did you do this to her?"

"No," Usagi replied, "I bought her in this state."

"She, hm? Where?"

"Kenga," Kaut spat.

"Kenga." The healer repeated the name as if it was a curse.

"Seems to be a well-known name," Usagi said openly amused.

"There is nothing funny about that," the healer retorted.

"Maybe there is," Usagi went on unintimidated. "You see, your help will cost 10 Thalers."

"What I ask is my business."

"Well, maybe you will make an exception in this case."

"Really."

Usagi nodded. "If it would cost less, then I would have to see Kenga in the morning and hand over the difference."

He pretended to be lost in thought. "Which makes me wonder what will happen if it will cost more than 10 Thalers? Maybe I could see the trader Kenga in the morning and ask some more of my money back?"

Kaut roared with laughter and even the healer couldn't help but smile at the idea.

But their laughter quickly died when the slave took off her dress.

Usagi was close to sacrifice his resolution and request a transport onto the TAURUS this instant.

"Is there something you can do?" he asked with a hoarse voice.

In silence, the healer went to the shelves at the wall which were filled with many pots filled with spices. She selected one and took a few inconspicuously looking, dried leaves from an unknown plat out of it.

"Chew. Don't swallow," she ordered the slave.

Reluctant, the slave took the leaves from her and then chewed as ordered. The taste didn't seem to be to her liking.

The healer turned again to the destroyed backside of hers.

A muted sob reminded Usagi that there was someone else in the room. He spun around and saw the horrified gaze of the young slave, who stood there shaking by fear and couldn't pull her eyes from the terrors which people could inflict on each other.

The healer, Kaut and himself had seen things like this before but what effects it might have on the young innocent, he could only imagine when he saw her eyes.

Gently, Usagi took her hand. "Come," he said softly and led her to the door. She still couldn't look away and followed him clumsily.

"Yes," the healer replied when they were passing through the door, "and maybe I can even do more than you could achieve."

'What does she mean?' Usagi wondered. "I would like to leave her here in your care, while we two find something suitable for my other slave to wear."

The healer nodded. "That is a good idea. Come back in two days."

Usagi pushed the slave through the door into the corridor, so she couldn't see anymore. "Money doesn't matter," he said seriously.

"I know," the healer replied and actually smiled, "stop worrying."

Usagi tried to smile back but failed miserably. "Thanks."

"Off with you."

Usagi nodded and stepped into the corridor, too, followed by Kaut. The slave huddled on the floor and sobbed her heart out. Wordlessly, Kaut took his coat and wrapped her in it. Then he picked her up as if she didn't weigh anything and motioned Usagi to follow him.

In the back yard, there was a large tree with a bench around and a well before it. They sat down and Usagi put his arms around the sobbing woman. Stiff, Kaut sat next to them.

"Kenga will pay for this," Kaut spat out after some time.

"I wonder," Usagi said silently and thoughtfully, "why he still tried to sell her. I mean, he should have known that almost no buyer would have accepter her in this state."

"Kenga is greedy and unfortunately, there are people in this city who cover his back. Sure, the buyer would have complained but there wouldn't have been much which I could have done. Kenga simply would have taken her back, refunded the buyer and just sold her again the next day."

"And you should not forget that not everyone is like you. There are actually people who buy slaves to torture them for fun," Kaut said bitterly and the young slave cried out.

"Shh," Usagi made and rocked her in his arms. Uncomfortably, he noticed the slave-ring around her neck pressing against his shoulder.

Uneasy, Kaut looked at the disaster which he had caused. He stood up and said goodbye: "I've got to go. There are things I must see to."

"Kaut," Usagi called after him and the captain looked back once more, "promise me that you will not attempt anything before tomorrow morning."

"What?"

"Promise me or I will not let you go," Usagi demanded seriously.

Kaut stared at him as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head. Then he gave in and his shoulders sagged. "Very well, I will do as you say."

"I will return your coat tomorrow morning at the headquarters of the city guard. Maybe I will be able to offer you something which puts an end to this without further loss of lives."

Kaut nodded and went away. For a long time, only the sobbing of the young woman could be heard.

When someone quietly came closer, Usagi just shot the newcomer a short glance. The old healer sat down next to them on the bench and offered Usagi wordlessly a bowl with a murky liquid.

Softly, Usagi took the head of his slave and held her so that she had to look at him. "Please," he said gently, "drink this. It will help you."

He took the bowl and helped his slave to drink. She coughed and sank then back into his arms. Thankfully, Usagi returned the bowl and really, after a short time, her breath came evenly and she stopped to twitch.

"How is she?"

"She's sleeping now," the healer evaded a precise answer.

"Good."

"You are a strange man, Mr. Miyamoto."

"Just the second time today someone says that," Usagi smiled.

Unfortunately, with the calmness also the slave returned. Eventually, she realized what she was doing and filled with new fear, she tried to pull free from Usagi.

"Please look at me," Usagi asked.

Her eyes clearly showed the disturbed emotions which filled her. "Are you feeling better again?" he asked softly.

"Yes, master," she lied.

"I'm most sorry that you had to look at this. It was my mistake," Usagi said excusingly which only embarrassed her more.

Regretfully, he let her go. Unfortunately, she wasn't yet ready to see more in him than her master. Immediately, she took the coat off, folded it neatly and put it on the bench next to Usagi. Then she sat down with humbly lowered gaze on the ground to his feet.

It made Usagis heart ache to see her retreating so far from him again but he knew that any further words would only deepen her confusion.

With a sigh, he turned to the healer who smiled at him unexpectedly. "Thank you," she said.

"I do thank you," Usagi replied.

"You despise slave-owners," he went on.

The old woman laughed silently. "Well, I guess, I just can't stand people who are cruel to the weak."

"Then there is still hope for me."

Thoughtfully, the old woman looked at him. "Since I've seen you, I actually think that there might still be hope for this whole city."

Usagi took a clean handkerchief from one of his pockets and offered it to his slave. "Please go to the well and clean yourself," he asked her.

"At once, master," the slave took the cloth and sprang away. Usagi followed her with his gaze; she really was beautiful.

'I wonder if Tomoe would like her?' he wondered and smiled.

"The fates of these two will be easy if you can find the balance between strictness and kindness," the healer said.

Usagi knew what she meant. "It's a lot like raising children," he spoke his thoughts out loud wile the slave washed herself. The sun shone favorable in her fur.

"Children who went through hell," the healer said.

"Yes," Usagi agreed, "at least from our point of view. But we must never forget that they have their own needs and a will of their own who is different from what we think and want."

"I would agree to that," the healer said in a satisfied tone. "Come back again in two days."

"I will," Usagi said smiling. "Wait! Maybe you can tell me where I can buy some clothes?"

The healer laughed as if he had made a good joke. "Well, I have little need for fashionable clothes but I have been told that near the Deepwellsquare, things like that are sold."

"Master?"

Usagi turned to his slave who had returned. "I still don't know your name," he said to the humble figure to his feet.

"I don't have a name, yet, master," she replied humbly. This seemed to be a universal formula because Tep had reacted in a similar way.

"How did they call you before?" Usagi asked amusedly because he remembered how hard it had been to coax Tep's name out of him.

That was almost too much to ask from his slave. When Usagi was almost willing to accept that he had to come up with a name of his own, she said: "I have been called Karla, master."

She still held her head low but Usagi noticed the look which she shot at him to see his reaction at this brave move. And that she quickly looked back at the ground when she saw that he had noticed her look.

"Karla it will be, then," Usagi agreed calmly.

"There is still the issue to buy you some clothes," he went on.

"Master?" she asked.

"You do want clothes, do you?"

"Uh, yes, master, but ...," and what little bravery she had left her.

"Yes, Karla?" Usagi encouraged her.

"There is dirt on your shoulder," she bursted out just to wince in fright about what she had just said.

Usagi took off his jacket and looked at the shoulder where snot and water were about to dry in. "You're right," he admitted undecidedly.

"Please, master, am I allowed to clean it?" she proposed eagerly.

"Oh, sure," Usagi said thankfully and handed the jacket over. She almost ripped it out of his hands and hurried to the bell to clean the traces of her breakdown.

Relaxed, Usagi sat on the bench and watched her. He saw the play of her muscles while she pulled a bucket with fresh water from the well. Her behind which presented itself to him prominently, while she cleaned his clothes.

Forcefully, he pulled his eyes and his thoughts away from her and tried to find something else to stare at in the back yard which all of a sudden had become very tiny.

Eventually, she was satisfied and spread the jacket next to the handkerchief so the sun could dry it. Again, she sat down next to him on the ground in a humble posture. Just like Tep.

He wondered if he should try to ask her something about her past. 'But what? I'll probably only be touching sore points,' he guessed.

To ask her something about the other slave would probably be even worse. So he told her something about himself. "My name is Usagi Miyamoto," he introduced himself.

"Yes, master," she said although she had heard it before.

"Once, I was a simple warrior," Usagi started and told her something about his life. Attentive, she listened to him and maybe another tiny part of the distance between him and her vanished.

She actually laughed when he told her something funny. Much too fast his jacket was dry again.

But back on the street, she quickly returned to her old self. Submissive, the slave followed her owner. Usagi sighed inwardly but he wasn't in a hurry.

After a short time, they had reached the Deepwellsquare who had got his name from a well which, according to legend, was so deep that a coin which someone threw into it, would fall forever.

A lot of shops were located near the square, cloth-traders and tailors and those, who sold complete clothes. Usagi had a look at a few displays and bought two portions of warm Kaulas because he had become really hungry and probably his slave as well even if she didn't let it show.

At least she had finished her helping while he hadn't even eaten half of it. "I'm already full, you want it?" he offered her the rest.

"Thank you, master," she thanked him.

Usagi went on slowly, so she could take her time to eat. Her manners were without fail. Carefully, she kept an eye on the sauce so it didn't ooze into her fur and cleaned her lips all the time so that one could almost only notice that she was eating at all by counting the ever-shrinking number of Kaulas in her hand.

"Is there something special, you are looking for, sir?" a friendly voice asked.

Usagi looked for the source of the voice and found a friendly smiling dealer, who bowed deeply. "In fact, it seems that I've found something," Usagi smiled back.

"And which of my merchandise and services has caught your eye?"

"Your friendliness," Usagi laughed. A quick glance at his slave told him that she was finished with the meal. "I'm in need of clothes for her."

"Certainly, sir, and for what purpose?"

Usagi hadn't expected that question and so he hesitated. "Well," he replied undecidedly, "I'll travel a lot so I need a set of durable traveling clothes and today, I have an invitation at the Family Joska, so a nice dress seems reasonable."

The afternoon passed in a flash. Usagi couldn't decide; Karla looked enchanting in all the dresses. Eventually, he let her decide and, just as with Tomoe, this seemed to be the right decision.

While a tailor made the necessary adjustments, Karla tried the shoes which a shoemaker from a nearby shop showed them so they didn't even have to leave the shop. Usagi guessed that he was a friend of the dealer.

When she had selected two pairs of shoes, too, it was Usagis turn. After all, he couldn't be serious to show up at the house of the Joskas with the plain clothes which he did wear now. As with Tomoe, Usagi noticed that Karla didn't stand for any nonsense when it came to represent oneself in a proper way.

She also turned out to be a very pragmatic person especially when it came to haggling for the price which Usagi would have payed without second thought. In the end, he payed a little more than half of what the dealer had originally asked and the man didn't even seem to bother much.

At least, he thanked them still friendly and wished them a good evening when they left his shop in the early evening.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any time left to fix the ugly steel ring around Karlas neck by something more suitable. 'Unless ...'

Content, they returned to the Rosegarden. On the way, Usagi bought a pink scarf which matched beautifully with the color of her fur.

Back in the Rosegarden, he quickly told the landlord that they would not stay to eat tonight and then, they went directly up to his room. Deliberately, Usagi tried to ignore the curious gazes of the landlord and the other guests.

In his room, he asked Karla to sit down and close her eyes. "There is a little surprise which I have for you," he said mysteriously. Obediently, she followed his order.

Usagi leaned on the wall, so he wouldn't topple over and went into the net of the TAURUS to talk to Tep. In quick words, he explained what he needed. Tep promised to see to it immediately.

Usagi returned into his body and after a few moments, the markers of a transportation field appeared in the middle of the air. He held his hands below it so whatever would appear here in a few moments wouldn't drop on the ground.

Without a noise, a silver ring and a small mortising machine appeared within the marks and Usagi caught both without effort. He put the flexible ring, which had his name engraved in it with curved letters, on the table.

The mortising device had already been adjusted by Tep to dissolve only metal so he just had to pull it across the width of her slave-ring. Karla twitched when he touched the ring but she kept her eyes closed.

With a quiet squeaking, Usagi opened the ring and put it and the mortising device to the side. The fur below the ring didn't look as bad as he had expected. It seemed the ring had been clean despite its color and the edges had been rounded off. Still, he tied the scarf around her neck and then put the new ring with his name on her.

With a quiet click, the gap vanished when Usagi brought the two ends in contact just as Tep had promised. Satisfied, Usagi looked at his work.

He took her hand gently, helped her to stand up and led her to the tiny mirror on the wall. "Have a look," he whispered into her ear.

Her face told him that it had been worth it to ignore his resolution for once.

"It's most beautiful," she whispered and touched the shining ring which fell over her shoulders in a flexible way. "Thank you, master."

"I'm glad you like it," Usagi replied happily.

They went down to the common room to wait for the coach.

The old clothes of Usagi and the coat of the captain were passed on to a maid who promised to have both washed and ready the next morning. And Usagi ordered that another bed should be prepared in his room when he found out that all other rooms were already occupied.

When Karla stepped into the room, many looks followed her. Usagi ordered something to drink for them both to shorten the wait.

Joskas Father

The coach was impressive and the driver knew his job well. After an astonishingly short time, they arrived at the estate of the Family Joska in this city. A servant opened the door of the coach and led them into the house.

Lamar Joska received them together with his wife in a large, brightly lit hall of the house. Attentively, Usagi registered that, although Mr. Joska dealt with slaves, there were none to be seen inside of the house.

Reservedly and coldly, Mr. Joska received them and Usagi realized that it must have been Ms. Joska who had actually invited them. She probably knew nothing of what happened to her son because the father probably hadn't allowed her or someone else from the household to visit the son in the prison because it would have meant to blacken the name of the family.

"Welcome in my house, Mr. Miyamoto."

"Many thanks for the invitation, Mrs. and Mr. Joska. I'm most sorry that the circumstances, in which it has been given, are so unfortunate," Usagi bowed and his slave bobbed a curtsy in which she carefully payed attention to the fact that she bowed more deeply than he did.

'How had Pau said? Always attack where you're not expected.' Mr. Joska had been prepared for a lot of things but probably not for an excuse.

"We do thank you for your sympathy," he said after a small pause and less coldly. "Please come, dinner is already waiting."

On the way and during the dinner, they talked about minor matters: If Usagi had had a pleasant journey to the city, how he liked it here and other casual things like that.

Politely, Usagi gave answers while Ms. Joska was like a cat on hot bricks. When they reached the dessert, Usagi felt that it was time to talk about more serious matters.

"If you wouldn't mind, then I would like to tell you how I met with your son for the first time," he offered.

"Well," Mr. Joska hesitated but not completely cold.

"I'm positive that your wife wouldn't mind if we spoke about him," Usagi took him by surprise.

"No, certainly not," Mr. Joska replied in a surprised manner.

"I came to this city four days ago to buy a slave for myself," Usagi started his report.

"On the first day after my journey, I was so exhausted that I immediately fell into my bed. I barely could finish my dinner," he laughed.

"On the second day, I had a look around the city but all alone, it was not to my liking. So in the evening, I had a look at the other guests of the Rosegarden and talked to some of them."

"This way, I met Mr. Joska. He was a pleasant, nice and intelligent person to talk to. But I also was under the impression that he suffered greatly when he had to notice someone else being mistreated. He seemed to be very caring to me."

"We separated for the night. In the middle of it, your son knocked at my door. I allowed him to come in. He was injured and beside himself. I dressed his wound which wasn't very serious; it just bled a lot. A short time later, a group of men from the city guard arrived at the Rosegarden to arrest your son."

"I talked with them to find out what had happened because Joska had been unable to mumble more then a few words. Since I knew how sensitive he is, it was my guess that he had stumbled into something that had grown beyond him."

"The city guard told me that, allegedly, Joska had been involved in some fight in which a member of the city guard had been killed. After I had made sure that I wasn't handing over Joska to a mob who would kill him without further proof, I went back into my room. But Joska had already tried to make a run."

"He tried to escape over the roof but he failed. He fell and only with a lot of luck, I was able to catch him before he could fall three stories onto the street."

"Then the city guards arrested and took him with them. Two days later, I payed your son a short visit. In the meantime, proofs for his guilt seemed to have been found and just today in the morning, I have been told that he will be sold on the slavemarket in two days in order to cover for the damages which he had caused."

"When I saw your son last time, he was alive but he is also terribly sorry for what had happened in this unfortunate night," he finished.

Mrs. Joska asked them to excuse her and hurried from the room before someone could notice her tears.

"I'm most sorry, ...," the two men said at the same time and stopped. An embarrassing pause followed.

"Let us go next-door," Mr. Joska finally offered.

"Do you want to talk with me alone?" Usagi offered.

Joska looked at the slave as if he saw her for the first time. "I don't mind her presence."

Next-door was a small room with lots of books on the walls and a warm fire in the fireplace. Two armchairs were there and a low, padded bench for his slave. Without complaint, she sat down while the two men made themselves comfortable.

"Do you smoke?" Joska asked and offered tobacco to Usagi. Politely, Usagi declined and remained silent. Now, it was his turn to listen.

Joska took his time to fill his pipe and lit it with a chip from the fire. "I have to apologize for my wife. To see my son hate me, is more than she can bear."

"I've lost him," the wealthy trader sighed, "to his friends."

"You see, it was her wish to invite you and I couldn't make her change her mind no matter how much I tried because I knew it would only touch her sore points."

"I was afraid, you were one of his ... friends," he almost spat the word out, "which he enjoys to waste his time with and who persuaded him into thinking all kind of nonsense."

"He is a dreamer and his dream is a world without slavery. But on the other hand, he willingly accepts the advantages of our wealth. He hates me but he still takes my money. And instead of putting it to some good use, he just gets drunk with his pals."

"I was most surprised when you appeared here with a slave of your own in your tow because I was fearing the reason for accepting out invitation was just that you could vent your rage at us for being uncaring parents who let their son rot in prison."

"I have to ask for your pardon, Mr. Miyamoto," he said and had a deep puff from his pipe.

"I once had a friend," Usagi said firmly, "who really hated his father. His father sacrificed his life and that of his family for an ideal. He was obsessed with it. His wife was buried in a shallow grave in the middle of nowhere. The father denied his son to weep at her grave because he had no time for such nonsense."

"If one only mentioned the name of the father," he went on, "he flew into a rage. He hated his father."

More quietly, he added: "You son doesn't hate you. He sufferes from seeing how you make your money. But he doesn't hate you."

The shoulders of Mr. Joska sagged, the words had really affected him. "Maybe you are right," he said depressed, "but things have gone too far, already."

"Then you will not buy him yourself?"

"Buying my own son?" Joska laughed bitterly. "No, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"You see, I'm a well-respected citizen of this city. It would look as if one could bend the law if I would do that."

"Please explain this to me in more detail," Usagi asked.

"As you know, a member of the city guard has been killed in the course of Joskas ... adventure."

Usagi nodded.

"If I would buy him myself, it would look like one can kill members of the city guard and avoid all consequences buy just enough money. All I can hope for is that a master with a kind heart and enough money will make it to the auction."

"I see," Usagi said.

"Not to forget that people would think that I had everything arranged to harm Dealer Kenga."

"What's his role in this?"

"You don't know? It was his house into which my son and his friends forced their way."

"Hmm," Usagi made and watched the fire.

"There are rumors that they had help from the inside. Allegedly, one of the slaves was on their side."

Joska laughed dryly. "If that is true, this slave will now cursing his own birth."

The wide open eyes of Karla confirmed Usagis suspicions. "She doesn't," he answered calmly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I bought her myself this morning," Usagi replied lost in thought.

"She??" Joska asked, being quite surprised, and stared at Karla.

Usagi shook his head. "No, Karla was just the bait to sell the other one." He told Joska the part of the story which he didn't know, yet.

"You payed 5 Thalers for this slave and the one which had caused Kenga all this trouble?" Joska asked to confirm he had understood correctly.

"That is right."

"At least a small consolation," the old man said and laughed quietly.

"And who knows, maybe the problem Kenga solves itself in the near future," Usagi said casually and sipped on his wine.

"You're not going to try anything, are you?" Joska was worried because he began to like this uncommon rabbit more and more.

Usagi shook his head in mock terror: "What are you thinking! Not in my wildest dreams," he replied sarcastically.

Mr. Joska decided to let it pass uncommented: "Good. Kenga is a powerful man and sometime resorts to ugly ways. It would be a pity to sacrifice him even more then he will already get."

"What does he already get?"

"He claimed that he has to get 100 Thalers for the damage which has been inflicted on him."

"That much?"

"Yes and since he was the first one to claim anything, he will probably get everything which will be payed for my son because no one will ever pay that much."

"Which in turn means that the others will be left empty handed."

"Yes, since they claimed their damages afterwards."

Thoughtfully, Usagi looked into the flickering fire in the fireplace. "How do you know all these details?"

"Your friend Captain Kaut has been seeing me in the morning and told me everything."

"He also can't stand Kenga."

"Certainly not."

"Can you tell me more?"

Joska shook his head. "That is something which you will have to ask Captain Kaut himself."

"Of course," Usagi agreed.

Since there was nothing else to talk about, Usagi said goodbye. Joska walked him to the coach.

"Mr. Miyamoto," Mr. Joska said when they shook hands for the last time, "I do thank you for everything which you have done for us. And please, don't do anything stupid. It's already much too dreadful as it is. To loose my son and then someone like you because of a person like Kenga would be disastrous."

"Don't worry," Usagi smiled back. "A friend of mine once said that my only ability which is greater than getting into trouble is to survive it."

"Will we meet again?"

"I will see you at least once more before I leave the city again," Usagi promised.

"Good night, Mr. Miyamoto."

"Good night, Mr. Joska."

They climbed into the coach and were driven back to the Rosegarden. While they were on their way, Usagi noticed that Karlas behavior had changed. She had remained silent before but now, something was different.

"What is with you?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"Please, Master," she begged, "don't do anything against Kenga! He's a devil!"

Usagi laughed heartily because he had already been worried that she feared something serious. Gently, he took her hands.

"Karla, don't worry about me," he said to her, "as long as I'm on your world, nothing can happen to me."

Her doubts were obvious on her face. She was very afraid for him. And for herself. What would happen with her should he die? And with the other slave?

Usagi smiled. When they climbed out of the coach, he pointed at the gutter: "You see the broken gutter?"

She nodded and he went on: "I fell from up there onto the street after I saved young Joskas life."

Unbelieving, she stared up. "Come," he said laughing, "You can look down from my window. Then it looks even higher!"

There was another bed in his room; simple but enough for the night. While Karla had another unbelieving look down to the street, Usagi wondered about the sturdy chain which was attached at one of the bedposts.

"You really fell all the way down from there, master?" Karla asked with awe.

Usagi just nodded. He really was very tired because the day had been long and exhausting. Sighing, he undressed, threw his clothes on the cha