Chapter 20:
By the time that John was out and about again, the trees were bare and the weather suddenly colder. John was optimistic. He’d be out by Christmas. He would have managed it last time if only he hadn’t become sick. They couldn’t keep him now his magic was working so much better. He seldom had failures any more.
John was never out from under the eyes of guards now. They were even in his room at night, two of them. He was ready to try again. But when the lights went out and Nicholas fainted, Peter took two quick strides to John and used the stun gun, sending him into a fit.
The zosters buzzed. Peter answered that John was still in custody and was warned that the cameras were not operating, but they’d be told as soon as they were online again. The emergency generator kicked in and there was more light.
Nicholas quickly revived, and he and Peter waited a little until John recovered consciousness. As they expected, he was dazed and disoriented. Nicholas took his revenge. John made no move to defend himself, and Nicholas tried to leave no marks.
Zack was surprised the following morning when John declined his ride, although talking to Naji, and making a fuss of her. He only said that he’d slept very badly, and was tired. He didn’t climb any trees, although he swam for a little while, and spent a long while in the spa. Only Clare noticed that he moved with difficulty at times, but Clare had other things on her mind and didn’t report the observation.
Nicholas and Peter were apprehensive. Use of the stun gun was justified, but taking it upon themselves to administer punishment could get them into big trouble.
But John said nothing, reckoning that a few bruises that didn’t even show, were a small price to pay for keeping this escape attempt quiet. He could try again, though not with Nicholas and Peter, who’d been too quick and were now warned. He complained to Zack that he couldn’t sleep while hostile guards watched him, that if he had to be watched at night, maybe the male nurses could do it. At least he was used to them.
Zack checked and it was confirmed for him that John was sleeping very badly, often spending hours just pacing.
Mark, when consulted, pointed out that maybe his dislike of these particular guards meant that they were being effective. They watched some film. Each time that John was apparently asleep, Peter and Nicholas held stun guns, out and ready, and usually, at least one of them at other times, too.
On the other hand, John joined them one night as they played cards, and coaxed them into describing their families’ Christmas traditions. It seemed he couldn’t get enough and wanted all the details, even those of tired, cross cooks, and evening hangovers.
“What about your own Christmas traditions?” asked Nicholas. “What does your family do?” Some of the guards never quite believed in the amnesia.
John leaned back, and gave them a highly imaginative story of Christmas on his home planet of Chroostya, where they fattened glowchooks, and ate them after the second sun went down. When the glowchooks were gone, of course, it was dark, and that’s when the fertility festival started. John entertained himself considerably with his own imaginings, although Nicholas and Peter were not at all sure whether to believe it. The three men laughed together, but when he lay down again to sleep, getting toward dawn, they pulled out the stun guns.
Mark showed Zack the film, and afterwards, Zack agreed that Nicholas and Peter should stay. John wasn’t really suffering, and he didn’t think any of the other guards would be quite so ready for problems. Eight in the evening until eight in the morning, every night, no days off, and no meal breaks, except those they had in John’s room. When they complained, they were promised a lengthy holiday over Christmas.
The day after the story of Christmas on Chroostya, John drifted off to sleep in Clare’s bed, sinking deeper and deeper into sleep. Clare stroked his hair. She’d become very fond of John, who always showed such an obvious joy in their lovemaking, and gave as much pleasure as he received. The watchers said to the Colonel that it was obvious that when it came time for his operation, they could take him as he slept with Clare. Clare was an agent. Maybe she could administer the injection as he slept.
They didn’t tell him she’d left a suicide note. Only that she’d been called away suddenly and would not be back. John stared blankly at Zack when he was told, and said quietly that she should have told him goodbye. Zack said stoutly that she was doing a job, the same as the rest of them, and probably there would be a replacement. John looked at him, and finally said, a break in his voice, that women were not replaceable, that he didn’t want any other woman.
But two days later, to Zack’s amusement, his eyes were following Emilie, one of the few female soldiers.
Clare Glover had planned it carefully. Although at first, she’d considered an abortion, her heart turned over at the very thought. She couldn’t do that. But she didn’t want her child watched, possibly imprisoned, as John was. Her baby might be unusual. Her agent’s skills came in useful. Evidence of a suicide was strong, although it didn’t include a body. False identification was well within her capabilities, and her travel documents were all under a different name. John’s baby, conceived in spite of excellent contraception, would be brought up in New Zealand.
******