Chapter 29: Revelations
The Bearer took seriously the threat Vaughn had made to Gabriel, although both Pomona and Landon swore that they had not asked any of their friends to seek revenge on their behalf. They just wanted everyone to forget their shame. Nevertheless, they could not control the actions of others. The Bearer nodded sympathetically. After all, they were the victims here.
He increased the guard on Gabriel again and extracted promises from him not to leave their presence except in the safety of private quarters. The Bearer also assigned protection to Animal. Knowing that he would not be able to find anyone to safeguard a slave without resentment and backlash, he ordered Mariah not to wander alone. He was satisfied with reports that she had cut down her time in the stables and was no longer riding by herself. He was puzzled, though, that instead of spending more time with Gabriel she seemed to be following the painter about. He shrugged to himself. That, at least, was not his concern.
∞ ∞ ∞
The aromas of simmering fish stew and slowly roasting herbed vegetables pervaded Gabriel's apartment. Half-dressed after his shower, he glanced in the mirror, forcing himself to look at himself with a physician's eye. His weight had returned, as had his strength. He nodded, satisfied, and put on his shirt. He opened the window shade and glanced at the blue sky. The rainy season would be over soon.
He went to the kitchen to stir the vegetables, and then looked at the saddlebags scattered on the living room floor. He picked up a pack of tent poles, weighed it in his hand, and sighed. If he were traveling alone he could make do with a couple of tarps and replace the tent with more books. Just today the librarian had shown him a manuscript on the spread of epidemics that . . . He shook his head. He wasn't traveling alone.
He made a mental note to have Mariah practice setting up the tent until they were both sure she could do it on her own if need be. He sighed again. No doubt she would prefer to work with Stefan on that. For a brief moment he allowed himself to wonder how he and Mariah could travel together when for she could barely bring herself to look at him. And he had no one but himself to blame.
∞ ∞ ∞
Mariah, Master Animal, and Rose, burst through the door to Gabriel's apartment, laughing. Rose tried to explain to Gabriel about the attempt of the new apprentice to draw an apple, and how it had looked like a pair of breasts instead, but she kept dissolving into giggles. Mariah surreptitiously looked Gabriel over, as she was in the habit of doing. He seemed tired but not unwell. Satisfied, she went to set the table.
At dinner Gabriel talked about the benefits of dried fruit versus beef jerky as travel food. Mariah was no more successful than Master Animal or Rose at showing interest, and less successful at looking remorseful about it. Gabriel eventually gave up, and the conversation turned to the panel of the mural that Master Animal and Rose were planning.
They had just finished eating when there was a knock on Gabriel's door. Mariah and Rose hurriedly cleared their place settings to hide evidence of four diners instead of two.
Master Animal opened the door. Master Stefan came in, carrying a sack in each arm. He glanced at the saddlebags on the floor and said to Gabriel, "You'll have to choose at least one more book to leave behind." Gabriel frowned, but Master Stefan was already beckoning to Mariah. He handed her one of the sacks. "I want you to try everything on. I used my cousin for sizing, but of course I couldn't tell anyone who they were for."
Mystified, Mariah reached into the bag. She pulled out a pair of tan riding pants with leather at the seat and the knees. Confused, she gave them to Gabriel, even though they were far too small for him. He looked just as baffled as she was.
Master Stefan took them back from Gabriel and put them firmly in Mariah's hands. "You don't expect to run around naked in Harmony, do you?"
Mariah stared at Master Stefan, until Gabriel hit his forehead with his hand. "Of course she doesn't. I should have thought of it."
Suddenly Mariah understood. She took a step back, still holding the trousers, overwhelmed. On the night that she had begged the Bearer to allow her to accompany Gabriel to Harmony, he had asked her what would become of her there. She had answered truthfully that she did not know. Now Master Stefan had brought the answer, and Gabriel had confirmed it. She would live as a human.
She stroked the cloth. Her eyes filled with tears.
Rose picked up the two sacks by their handles, and took Mariah by the hand. "Come," she said. "I'll help you." She led Mariah into her bedroom. While Mariah stood uselessly, Rose laid out the garments on the bed. Another pair of riding pants, darker than the first. Two tunics, long-sleeved but of a lightweight fabric. A jacket, raingear, underwear, socks, shoes, pajamas.
Rose reached into the second sack and pulled out a pair of riding boots. The black leather was inlaid with intricate patterns, but the boots were sturdy enough that they might last for years.
Mariah picked them up and inhaled the smell of the leather. They were beautiful. They were hers.
"There's more in this bag," Rose said. She pulled out gauzy forest green fabric. When she shook it out it took the shape of a dress. The underlayer was a smooth, stretchy material. The overlayer was fine lace. Rose held the dress against herself and turned to look in the mirror. She twirled a little, and the skirt flared.
Mariah saw the longing in her eyes. "Oh, Rose," she said, "You take this. Come with us."
"You know I can't," Rose said. "I belong here."
"We'll make Master Animal come too," Mariah said fiercely. "If he loves you . . ."
"No," Rose said. "We've been over this." She put the dress on the bed. "It's not my time to go."
She reached back into the bag and pulled out soft leather slippers dyed green to match the dress, a lacy white bra, and flimsy panties. "Try them on," she said, putting them next to the dress.
Mariah had no trouble with the bra and panties, but she had no idea how to put the dress on. She had never had an owner who required help with dressing, and she had certainly never put any clothes on herself. The layers swirled and she ended up with her arm in the headhole.
Rose pulled the dress off of Mariah and guided her head and arms into the correct openings. When Mariah shook out the dress the fabric dropped to just above her knees in front and tapered a few inches lower in the back. The feel of it made her skin tingle.
"Now the shoes," Rose ordered. Mariah slipped her feet in. She had no idea what shoes were supposed to feel like, but these seemed to be a reasonable fit. She had a vague recollection of Master Stefan telling her to step in heavy mud at the stables, giving some reason Mariah had thought strange at the time. Now she understood he had been measuring her feet.
Mariah looked at herself in the mirror. The green of the dress matched her eyes. Its cut was modest, with a sweetheart neckline just below her collarbone and sleeves that covered her shoulders. Clever, Mariah thought, hiding the worst of her scars. But the stretchy fabric of the bodice was skintight and smooth.
