Monday morning started as all mornings at the Academy do. With people hustling to get the day started. The slaves were rushing through morning routine. The Trainers were finalizing plans for the days training. Devon oversaw it all. Andre and Geneva traveled to pick up Josh, and found that the Doctor was due in an hour or so to release him. They waited and chatted, and before lunch, Josh was ready to be discharged.
Arriving back at the Academy, Josh was shown to his room, and given a hand radio in case he needed anything. Geneva got out of her clothing quickly, and the afternoon progressed as always, people were busy. Josh wondered into the Admin area, and felt wrong somehow, but he didn't want to be naked right now. He hung out and chatted with Jeannette, and the others as they passed in and out. He found that Master Thomas enjoyed the same reality shows that Josh did, and they discussed the shows for a while, kibitzing about the choices the people made.
Monday's dinner was normal too. Josh ate with the Master's, declining to have a tray in his room. He just wanted to be around people. After dinner, he asked Master Devon if someone could run him to the Apartment tomorrow, so he could get his things.
"Certainly Josh, I'll take you myself. I'd be honored." Devon had surprised him in saying.
Josh hadn't set the alarm clock in the room, accustomed to having Jeannette wake him when it was time to get moving. Surprising him a great deal, at 7:35, Diane arrived with a tray and woke him with a knock on the door. Opening the door he found her holding the tray and he saw it was liberally covered with food and beverages. "Hello." He said in confusion.
"We assumed you'd want to eat in your room this morning, and I volunteered to bring you the tray." Diane said. "After Breakfast, we'll all be working, but someone should be around Admin, you know the drill Josh."
Josh watched Diane place the tray gracefully on a small table near a comfortable chair. "Uh, thanks Diane. I'm sorry you had to bring that."
"No problem, just leave it after you're done eating, we'll pick it up shortly." Diane said smiling. "I have to run now." Diane was gone in a flash, and Josh knew she was already behind schedule because he hadn't gotten up in time.
Josh ate, not too quickly, his right arm worked, and could steady a plate, or hold a fork to steady the meal, but it was too weak, and it hurt too much to eat with it. After breakfast, he quickly cleaned himself, and went to Admin. Master Devon was at his desk, and at the first sight of Josh was up and ready to depart at Josh's request.
First they went first to the Graveyard, and Josh sat on a bench near Brad's grave, and wept silently as he said goodbye to his friend, his master, and his lover. Devon sat with him, holding his hand, offering support, and friendship. Devon was wise enough to know that nothing needed to be said, that Josh was doing everything himself.
Devon had called the Lawyer and informed him that Josh wanted to get his things today. The lawyer had arranged it and called Devon back in minutes saying it would be no problem.
At the Apartment, Brad's brother, Jacob was there, and prepared to be ugly to Josh about the things. Devon pulled him aside and spoke quietly to him. Jacob was not friendly, but could be considered civil for the rest of the short stay.
Devon helped Josh pack, and then carried the things down and put them in the mini van, which had been chosen for this purpose. In the van on the way home, Devon accepted the inevitable question, what had he said to Jacob. "It's not important, really."
"Master." Josh began, he couldn't think of the trainers as anything else. He'd tried. "I've never known Jacob to be anything but ugly towards me. Today, he wasn't. I just wondered what you'd said to him."
Devon shrugged. "I explained to him that no one would be served by a scene now. It could change nothing that had happened, and nothing that would happen. All it would do is annoy me, which would not be in his best interests."
Devon frightened Jacob in truth. Devon spoke with such easy power, such confidence, that Jacob was concerned, and uncomfortable. Devon didn't act like he owned the world, he acted like everyone knew he owned the world, and he didn't need to mention it. Jacob didn't like it, but decided until he knew more about this Devon, he shouldn't cause problems that may interfere with the inheritance that he stood to get. Besides, Devon had a point, nothing could be gained by a scene, and things could be lost.
Josh looked at him as they drove north. "I don't understand. Brad could never get Jacob to act civil, and had just about stopped seeing him except at Family gatherings. You spoke to him for a minute, and he was behaving like a Gentleman."
"Josh, it doesn't matter what I said. What mattered is we got your things, and we did so without any problems." Devon explained. It wasn't what he'd said, it was how he said it. Jacob was a bully, and like all bullies, backed down when confronted by someone who didn't show emotion, or fear. Devon showed amusement, not anger, not resentment. He was amused by Jacob, and let Jacob see the humor in his eyes. Devon merely acted as if he could squash Jacob like a bug, and it was only at his sufferance, that Jacob existed right this instant.
At the Academy, Josh described the scene to Jeannette and Geneva, and they grinned. Jeannette summed it up. "Master can be quite convincing, and he sees things in people the rest of us don't."
"Yeah." Geneva said. "He saw through me in a couple minutes."
"Me too." Josh admitted. "He said he needed to talk to me about something going on tomorrow. Any idea?"
"We have a demonstration tomorrow afternoon, and a formal dinner tomorrow night." Jeannette said. "I think he wants to talk to you about it."
"I don't think I can serve." Josh said cautiously.
"I'm sure Master has a plan." Jeannette told him. "Wait for him to talk to you."
Jeannette and Geneva finished getting him unpacked into the dresser. Setting him up for a longer term stay, and hung his nicer clothing in the closet.
Josh went to the office, and knocked on the door with his left hand. He stepped inside when Master Devon looked up. "Master, you wanted to talk to me?"
"Sure Josh." Devon said. "We've got a number of guests coming tomorrow. I'm looking at nine diners." He gestured for Josh to sit. Josh did so, uncomfortably. "I was hoping I could ask you for a favor."
"What favor Master?" Josh asked.
"I know you can't serve, and I don't think you'd be comfortable at the table. So I was hoping I could talk you into helping in the Kitchen. While the courses are being served, just help Chef lay out the next course, he's got warming lamps to keep them ready to be served. That will make it easier on the girls to serve the diners and attend to them."
Josh thought. "Just hang out in the Kitchen, and help Chef?"
"That's it." Devon agreed. "I know your arm still hurts, and I don't want you to hurt it anymore."
Josh agreed. "Sure thing Master. I'm not sure what help I'll be, but I'll do whatever I can."
"This is a one time thing Josh, we're just too short handed otherwise." Devon admitted sadly.
"Sure thing Master. I like Chef anyway, he's a great cook." Josh said readily. It wouldn't be bad. Things here weren't really bad ever. Well most of the time they weren't bad.
"Josh, there's something else I should have mentioned to you." Devon said a bit more seriously. "As a guest, you are entitled to seek someone's company. In other words, you can ask if someone would like to spend time with you, should you desire to do so. I'm certain that right now, with the injury so fresh, and with Brad's loss still so painful." Devon had seen Josh wince. "I know it's too soon. However, I wanted to let you know that you can ask any of the staff, not the trainee's, to spend some time with you. That includes trainers."
Josh nodded. "Thank you Master. I understand what you're saying." He hesitated. "I'm not really ready for that yet."
"I know, but I wanted to make sure you understood. You're not a slave, despite your insistence to call us all Master. You're a guest. As a guest, you have certain privileges. You can borrow one of the cars, and we'll attend to you the best we can."
"You've all been great so far Master." Josh said with a faint smile. He knew they were hoping he'd join them, and he might. Just not right now.
Devon nodded and held up his hand. "I read a book where a man described what I see as the duties of a guest, and a host. A guest is a jewel, resting on a cushion of hospitality."
Josh chuckled. "That about sums up what I've been feeling so far."
Devon stood and walked to the library, and returned handing Josh a book. "That's the book. It was written in 1936. One of the first books by Rex Stout."
Josh looked at the cover. "Too Many Cooks?"
"It's a mystery, and the stories are entertaining. Picture the physical representation of Falstaff, and the brilliance of Sherlock Holmes. The character is called Nero Wolfe, and he's absolutely unique in the genre of American Mysteries."
"Thank you Master, I'll check it out." Josh said. "I've noticed that all the trainers are usually reading books. Some of the slaves read too. Why do you stress reading? Isn't it faster to watch TV and get the same stuff?"
"Books are our window into society." Devon said. "They contain the author's original words, his or her original intent. Sometimes, the intent can be captured by the screen, other times, most of the times in fact, you find that the version of the story in cinema is adjusted to the Director's view. Take something simple, like the story we've all seen so many times. The Wizard of Oz is a good example of this. The book is very different from the movie, darker and more difficult. There are two good witches, and several other changes. The movie is good, I grant that. The book is the original, and we should know where the movie came from."
Josh considered. "I never read much."
"Perhaps this will start to show you that bigotry has always existed. We must choose not to participate." Devon said as he sat back at his desk. "The book was written, and at the time it was written, many minorities were referred to in very disparaging terms. The conversations in the books include many of those terms. Yet Wolfe, the Detective I mentioned in the story, rejects those terms. He even goes so far as to consistently treat Blacks and other minorities as equals. Well as equal as he treats anyone." Devon leaned back and considered for a moment. "I think you'll get a glimpse into how the Author, Stout, felt about Minorities. How they were treated, and I think you'll see that the storyteller, Goodwin, is swayed to Wolfe's point of view."
Josh looked at the book. "Will bigotry ever end?"
