The Mamluks (The Mamluks Saga: Episode 1) (7 page)

Chapter 27

My new room was three times the size of the first and placed
with elegant furniture. I walked to the oval cradle across from my bed and
gently placed Juozas inside. He was giggling adorably and reaching for me with
his chubby fingers.

“
What are you doing?
—
what are you doing?
” I
said playfully, waving my hand over his fingers.

Audrey walked into the room and came to me. “Hello, Emily.”

“Hey, Audrey. How are you?”

She shrugged and put her hands together. “I’m all right.
They brought me here this morning and showed me to my new room. So, I guess I’m
still your servant.”

I looked up at the high ceiling. “Yeah, this is my new
home.”

“Would you like me to get anything for you or the baby?”

“Oh no, we’re fine.” I smiled and looked back at Juozas. “
Aren’t
we
?
Yes we are
—
yes we are
.” I paused and released a silly
laugh, gushing. “
Ah
, this is so wonderful.”

Audrey let out a depressing sigh. “I’m happy for you.”

I glanced at her and finally realized how rude I was being.
“Oh, God. I’m sorry, Sweetheart.” I reached out and hugged her. “I’m
just…overwhelmed by all this.”

“It’s OK.”

I let go. She backed away and nervously scratched her arm.

“Well, I have to get going and prepare your next meal.”

“All right. I’ll see you around.”

I watched her closely as she left, feeling bad for her. She
had grown up a lot during my pregnancy. The innocence I'd seen in her eyes when
we first met was replaced with a hopeless stare.

As I stood there, losing the emotional high I had been on, a
familiar voice cheered me up again.

“Oh my God, where's the baby?” Katie said, hurrying to me
from the entrance with her arms out.

“Hey, Katie,” I said, surprised, opening my arms. I saw
Bridget come in as we hugged. “It’s great to see you guys. How did you get
here?”

“We asked to see you, and they flew us over,” Bridget said.

I moved away from Katie and hugged Bridget. “Where are your
babies? I want to see them.”

“They’re with our servants right now. But don’t worry. We’ll
have time for all that,” Katie said, stopping at Juozas’s cradle. “
Aw
, he’s so cute.”

“Thanks.”

“What did you name him?” she went on.

“Juozas.”

We gathered around the cradle and watched him for a moment.
But I was anxious to hear about their children.

“What did you have, Katie?” I asked, oozing with excitement.

“A girl. She’s so beautiful. I named her Lauren-Lynn.”

I gave her a confused look. “Why two names?”

“I couldn’t decide. So I gave her both.”

I thought about the name for a second. “I like it. Makes her
unique.”

“Agreed,” Bridget said, smiling. “I had a boy. And, this
won’t come as a surprise. I named him London.”

I flashed an ecstatic smile. “That’s wonderful, Bridget.”

“Yes. Awesome name,” Katie added.

“Thank you both.” Then, Bridget gave me a puzzled look.
“However, I’m curious, Emily. Why did you choose
Juozas
?

“I didn’t. Giedre thought of it. I wanted him to have a Mamluk
name.”

“Why?” Katie asked.

I pondered for a second. “You know—I really can’t say. I just
looked at him and…it felt like the right thing to do.”

Bridget shook her head. “No matter. It’s a fine name. They
all are.”

I smiled. “How about that? Lauren-Lynn—London—and Juozas.”

Chapter 28

We had been traveling for a few days, trying to find a new
refuge. The sun was just coming up as we approached a rocky hill. We climbed to
the top and checked the area. My body grew numb as I looked down on a landscape
filled with sandstone buildings—surrounded by a beautiful forest of plants and
trees.

Madison gasped and covered her mouth. It was shocking to see
how far the Mamluks had come. Gradually, I looked up and saw thousands of ships
gliding through the sky, like traffic on the 405.

“My
God
,” Robert said, pointing to his right. “Over
there.”

I looked to the right and realized the Mamluk city stretched
on for miles—going as far as my eyes could see. It was a stark reminder that
they had
surely
taken over the world.

“Look,” Madison said, pointing at an approaching ship.

But there was nowhere to run this time. No concrete blocks
to hide behind. I turned and glanced at Robert and Madison, putting my hands
up. They somberly followed along. I put my head down and listened as the ship
drew near. Finally, a light came over us, and the ship landed on the hillside.

I trembled mightily, feeling like this was the end. The ship
opened up, and two soldiers came out. I closed my eyes as they marched on. I
heard them stop in front of us and let out a sharp
huff
. They stayed
quiet for a moment. Then they burst into laughter.

“Lower your arms, Humans.”

We put our hands down. I opened my eyes and looked up.

One of the soldiers came up to Madison and kneeled. She put
her finger under Madison's chin and lifted her head.

“Why do you run from us?”

Madison’s chest was pumping, and she had slow tears coming
down her face. Still, she remained silent and looked on. The soldier smiled and
glanced at her comrade. Then right after, she got up and stepped back.

“Would you like to remain free, Human?”

Madison stayed quiet.

“I say this, Human. Knock me down. And you shall remain
free.”

The other soldier chuckled and crossed his arms. Madison
didn’t move.

“If you do not wish to be free—why run?”

A message came over the radios on their devices.
“Have
you identified the life force?”

The other soldier lifted his device to his mouth and pressed
a button. “Yes, My Champion. Three humans.”

Seconds later, their devices buzzed with another message.
“Bring
them to me.”

The soldiers opened the ramp and ordered us to the ship. We
hurried inside. They put us in a holding cell like the first time and took off.
We landed shortly after, and the floor opened, dropping us to a grassy lawn.
Then the ship flew away.

I looked around as we got up. We were standing in front of a
building the size of a palace. The trees and plants surrounding it were massive
and exotic. I wondered if some of them were planted in one of the holes I
helped dig. I looked up and saw a group of hovercrafts gliding over the forest,
spraying water like crop dusters.

The building was guarded by a few soldiers. But they weren’t
paying much attention to us. Thereafter, a Mamluk came out of the building and
walked down the long entrance steps. I took a good look at him and realized it
was Adomas.
The Champion
.

He came right at us and briefly looked us over.

“Follow me.”

Adomas led us inside and took us to a small, empty room on
the first floor.“Undress.” We quickly took off our tattered, filthy bodysuits
and placed them on the floor. Adomas lifted his arm and pressed a button on his
device. A wide ranging, blinking light came out. He scanned us with it and a
holographic screen popped out of the device. Adomas read some information on
the screen.

“Have you escaped us long?”

We stayed silent, glancing at each other in fear.

“Answer me. Or die where you stand.”

“Yes. We have,” I mumbled.

“Are there any others?”

“No.”

Finally, he moved the light away and turned it off. Adomas
lifted the device to his mouth and pressed a button.

“Have the servant bring me the essentials.”

A response came back promptly.
“Right away, My Champion.”

Within minutes, a young girl wearing a white dress came to
the room with a wooden cart. Inside the cart, she had three wooden bowls of
goop, three wooden cups of water and some clothing. She carefully set the bowls
and cups on the floor.

“Eat. Drink.”

We ate in a hurry and chugged the water.

“Give them their attire.”

The girl took the clothing out of the cart and walked to us.
She handed me and Robert new bodysuits, then handed Madison a plain white
dress.

Robert and I gave each other horrified looks. Madison
trembled and looked at us with watery eyes. And as a group, we were frozen,
trying to grasp what was happening.

“Dress!”

We shuddered and jumped into our clothes.

“
Servant
—take the female to a vacant room and clarify
her duties.”

The young girl pushed the cart into the hallway. “Please,
follow me, Miss.”

Madison stared at us as he walked on. I released a few tears
as I watched her leave. Robert looked down and whispered a prayer.

Afterward, Adomas took me and Robert to a dry spot of land
on the other side of the building and handed us off to a soldier. Then he
headed back inside.

The soldier threw two shovels at us. “Begin your work.”

We picked them up in a hurry and started digging.

Minutes later, I looked up and saw Adomas watching us from a
balcony, sitting on a sandstone chair that appeared to be built into the floor.
I studied the balcony for a second and realized there was another chair just
like it a few feet from his. But oddly, it was human sized.

Chapter 29

I went upstairs to the third floor and found Adomas sitting
on the balcony. I walked over and took a seat on my chair.

“Hello, Adomas.”

“Emily.”

A servant I had never seen before brought us some chilled
drinks. I watched her carefully, wondering where she came from. The marks on
her face and the horrendous condition of her hair made me think she was
recently removed from hard labor. Maybe they missed a few women?

The servant left, giving me a clear view of the two slaves
working on the dried soil for the garden we were planning.

“Is Juozas well?” Adomas said.

“Yes. He’s with Audrey.”

Adomas lifted his arm and pressed some buttons on his
device. A vivid hologram of an alien plant popped out and gradually spun
around.

He clicked through a few more. “What is your consideration
of these plants?” I stopped him at a purple and white plant that looked like a
tropical flower. “I like that one.”

“That is a
Voz
. Very radiant.”

“A
Voz
? Wow—this is so cool.”

Adomas kept clicking through. I stopped him at an orange
plant that, oddly enough, resembled a palm tree.

“
Oh
, what’s that one called?”

“That is a
Zawe
.”

I nodded. “Yeah, definitely that one.” I felt a little silly
looking at plants with him. Naturally, I was vulnerable in the presence of a Mamluk—especially
Adomas. But for the first time, I was comfortable being around him. And, I was
regaining some confidence.

“You know…I get lonely sometimes, Adomas. It would be nice
if we spent more time together.”

He glanced at me and laughed. “I am amused by you, Emily.”

I rolled my eyes and looked away. “I can see that.”

“You humans are easily controlled by your emotions.”

“Do
Mamluks
have emotions?” I asked sarcastically.

“Certainly. However, we are not controlled by them.” Adomas
bent down. “You must let go of your feelings to truly be free. Only then will
you obtain the power we relish.” He slid his finger past the marble Dalia gave
me.

I looked down and stared at it for a second. “How can I
ignore my feelings? That’s what makes me human.”

“Abandon your humanity.”

I chuckled. “How?”

“By escaping your emotions.”

I was getting irritated. “Adomas?
Please
—tell me.”

“Only you can mend the conflict of your soul.”

I paused for a moment and stared into the distance. Then,
gradually, I looked down at the marble and watched the moving parts. “Oh my
God,” I gasped. “Is that what this is? My
soul
?”

Chapter 30

I looked up at the balcony and saw a woman sitting next to
Adomas. I stared at her for a long while, studying her mannerisms. For some
reason, she seemed so familiar. Finally, she looked down and our eyes locked,
and I realized who she was.

“
No
—it can’t be.” I dropped my shovel and staggered
ahead.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a soldier lift his arm and
aim at me.

“Stop, Human!”

I froze and yelled, “
Emily
!”

Adomas stood up and walked to the railing. Emily got up and
ran to the railing. She had to duck through the enormous pillars to get a
better look.

“Andrew?” she called out.

“Yes—it’s me!”

“Emily!” Robert shouted. “Thank God you’re all right.”

“Soldier! Take them underground,” Adomas barked.

The soldier snatched us and dragged us to a tunnel on the
other side of the building. He headed inside and went to a narrow entryway. The
soldier threw us into a dimly lit room. Then, he pressed a button on his
device, and a metal door slid from the edge of the entryway and closed.

“Are you all right, Robert?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I stood up and saw that the room had stone candles embedded
in the walls. Feeling lightheaded, I leaned against the wall and crumbled to
the floor.

“She’s alive and well.” It was gratifying to see the woman I
loved once more. But I was also afraid that it might be the last time.

Chapter 31

Adomas brought me to my room. Audrey was sitting on the sofa
tending to Juozas.

“Return Juozas to his cradle and leave us,” Adomas snapped.

Audrey hurried to the cradle, gently put Juozas inside and
zipped out of the room.

Adomas glared at me as he came close. “What is your
association to that slave?”

I took a deep breath. “We were in a relationship before the
invasion.”

Adomas looked me up and down. “Have you deceived me, Emily?”

“No—never.” I carefully walked up to him. “Adomas, when I
accepted my responsibility to nurture Juozas, I left the past behind. This is
my life now.”

Adomas stared at me for moment. “Come to the main entrance
at sundown. You will be given an opportunity to prove your assertion.”

I closed my eyes as I listened to him walk out, dreading my
thoughts.

At sundown, I went to the main entrance and found Adomas
waiting for me. He was holding two circular devices.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded anxiously.

“Follow me.”

We went outside, and he led me to a dark tunnel on the right
side of the building. Adomas lifted his arm and pressed a button, turning on
the candles in the wall. He marched to the end of the tunnel and stopped at a
metal door. Then, he pressed a button on his device, and the door slid open,
revealing a small, dimly lit room.

Adomas put his hand out toward the doorway. I walked inside
and saw Andrew and Robert sitting on the floor.

“
Emily
?” Andrew said.

Right away, I realized this was my chance to ignore my
emotions. I said nothing and waited for Adomas to give me instructions.