Jeanne G'Fellers - No Sister of Mine (13 page)

“You two have it bad for each other, don’t you?”

“Just because we did what we did doesn’t mean we love each other.”

“Two Kimshees making physical love? I know enough about Taelach customs to know what goes on, and that just doesn’t happen.” He kissed her forehead then held her at arm’s length. “Jolly and Trishvor will like you.”

“And they are?”

“Krell’s and my brothers of course.” The Autlach released his hold and strode to his worktable. “Be patient with Krell. Things will work out.”

“I doubt it. We can barely be in the same room together.”

“That’ll pass.” Firman winked at her. “Wait and see.” He waved her toward the door. “Time you got into character and made your way around front, but take your time about it. Give me a chance to get up front before you appear. A woman in the Hiring Hall line’s going to cause a stir.” Firman let the door smack LaRenna’s rear the third time.

Alone again and becoming oddly used to it, LaRenna circled the hall, stopping where the alley and narrow stone street came together. The line leading into the hall was immense, stretching from the entrance to cross several adjacent storefronts. The owners of those shops complained about the blockage, but it did little good in a time when so many were searching for employment. LaRenna took a spot at the end of the line and tried to be patient. Heads turned her way—eager, dark-faced leers followed by the low rumble of voices. One impudent older man in well-worn coveralls and heavy boots stepped out of line to approach her.

“Need work?”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Can’t your man take care of you?”

“I don’t have a man.” The last word rolled off her tongue with particular distaste. Autlach society treated its women as helpless creatures, incapable of independence or thought. Sadly, the majority of Autlach females believed it to be true, a fact that disheartened the equality-minded Taelach.

“No man?” The older man laughed uproariously. “The likes of you? No man?” His whistle gained the attention of the dwindling few unaware of LaRenna’s presence. “Lookee here! She’s searching for work. Says she doesn’t have a man to keep her!”

“What is she,” yelled someone near the head of the line, “one of them snow-headed witches?”

“She’s no Taelach. This one’s Autlach through and through.” He whistled again, this time directing it toward LaRenna. “And what a woman she is.”

All movement had ceased in that section of the Commons. LaRenna, thrown off guard, closed her eyes for a brief moment, wishing she were somewhere, anywhere else but there. Firman had warned she would make a scene, but she hadn’t imagined this. Several more whistles and select lewd comments were thrown her direction, adding to her anxiety.

“Over here!”

“I’ll put you to work!”

LaRenna opened her Autlach eyes and forced an amused expression on her face. If she couldn’t pull this off, fooling two of her own kind would be impossible. “Why, gentlemen,” she purred, tailoring her accent to the regional dialect. “What would I want with a man who doesn’t have work? I’d be no better off than I am now.”

The cocky Autlach slapped his knee in a resounding laugh. “She’s got us there. This one’s witty, she is.” Every male in the crowd roared their agreement. Several women shopping in the area left disgusted, visioning what kind of work a woman could hope to find at the Hiring Hall and what she would have to do to gain it. The man choked off his laugh and took a step closer, something approaching greed shimmering in his eyes. “Seriously girl, why you here?”

“Work.”

“Mean it, don’t you?” His sun-creased face wavered from humored to suggestive while maintaining its smile. “I know an easy way for someone of your looks to make a bundle.” Several men winked at each other while still others began fumbling in their belt pouches.

“I know what you’re getting at,” replied LaRenna. “And I am far out of the price range of the unemployed.”

“Miss a few meals,” squeaked an elderly male voice, “and you’ll do it for almost nothing!” The crowd burst with laughter again and began to throw an increasingly vulgar display her direction.

“What’s going on?” Firman Middle filled the main door of the Hiring Hall. LaRenna hadn’t realized that while a good two heads shy of Krell’s height, he was far broader in the shoulder. “I’m running a business, not a gambling hut.” He looked directly at LaRenna. “Or a brothel. If you men want to work, get in line and shut up. Woman, go sell yourself elsewhere. You’re disrupting my day.”

LaRenna pushed out of her place in line. “I came for work, just like the others.” Their dialogue had been carefully scripted to gain her entrance.

“You’ve got a live one here, Hallmaster Middle!” shouted one of the waiting men.

“I see that,” replied Firman, his thumbs looping his wide belt as he sauntered to where LaRenna stood. “Want work, do you?”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t come easy these days.” His expansive fingers twisted into her hair, the touch reminding him how much finer Taelach hair tended to be compared to Autlach. “Everyone here needs work. What makes you so special, besides the obvious?”

“I’m good at what I do.”

“That so?” Firman pulled her head back until it was directly under his then gave her the slightest wink of assurance. “And what work do you do, woman?”

“Whatever pays the most.”

“Really?” Firman gave those closest his most enlightened smile. “And just what would you do to get work? The hall doesn’t generally provide employment leads to women. Females of decent upbringing are properly supported by their men and would never be seen here. You know what this will cost.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes. I have to eat,” whispered LaRenna, intent on her role. “I have to support myself.”

“Well, if you want it that badly . . .” Firman fairly swooned with counterfeit excitement. He wrapped his hand fully around her upper arm and half-dragged her toward the hall. LaRenna dug in her heels as she was jerked along. She didn’t want to appear too eager for what the others thought awaited her.

“Not fair!” protested the Autlach who had started the ruckus. “We can’t whore ourselves to get in your good graces.”

“You could try,” said Firman with a grin. “But the answer would be no and your friends would never let you live it down.” Successful in diverting the crowd’s attention, Firman slammed shut the hall door. He lay against it as he wiped his brow. “You’re good, too good,” he told LaRenna. “You all but got yourself mobbed out there. Aut men aren’t used to a woman commanding attention. It either excites them or pisses them off, neither of which you want when you’re that outnumbered.”

“Got me in here without anyone the wiser, didn’t it?”

“That it did, but will it get you past the Hallmaster still clothed?” He took her arm again, not quite so roughly this time, and led her to the double doors on the foyer’s far side. “Ready?”

“In a second.” LaRenna closed her eyes tight then refocused on Firman through glass-blue eyes. “Now.”

“Taelach eyes.” He shivered. “They can be so cold.” He slammed his free hand against the doors, flinging them open with a bang. “Look what I found outside, Hallmaster Tynnes.” He shoved LaRenna into the room. “This one wants work.”

“Hello there.” The Hallmaster peered over the recorder in his grubby hands. “Only one way for a woman to get work out of my hall. She willing?”

Firman stroked the back of LaRenna’s head, half for effect and half to offer silent support. His other hand still gripped her securely. “She said she’d do whatever it took.”

“Is that so?” Tynnes scratched beneath the greasy knots making up his hair. “Come here, woman, and we’ll, um, discuss your qualifications.”

Firman released his hold and she walked around the worktable, careful to keep her gaze from the Hallmaster’s. When she drew near, Tynnes clutched her about the waist, pulling her into his lap. “My, my, but you’re a pretty one. I’m going to enjoy this immensely.”

“I figured you’d like her,” agreed Firman. “I know I do.”

“Out!” The Hallmaster pointed to the double doors. “I need to interview this young woman.” He pushed his nose in LaRenna’s shoulder and breathed deep. “Sweet.”

“I found her, Tynnes!” Firman rounded the table in a single fluid stride. He was not going to allow his superior one second alone with his sibling’s love interest. Damn the pretense. Damn the outcome. “I should get a turn, too.”

“Very well.” Tynnes sneered. “When I’m finished, she’s yours.” He undid two snaps of LaRenna’s frock and set his face deep into her cleavage as his hand inched up her skirts. She cast Firman a look of expanding terror and revulsion. The lead Hallmaster was disgusting, both physically and mentally; his smell, combined with the pressure of his excitement against her leg, was enough to make her vomit.

Firman’s expression became anxious. “Do it,” he mouthed, his skin crawling at the thought of Tynnes’s filthy touch.

“Tynnes,” LaRenna cooed in the Hallmaster’s ear. “I’ll do whatever it takes for work. The better the job, the more I’ll do.” She massaged his bony shoulders and tickled his neck. His skin prickled in response.

“I can see you will,” he mumbled and pulled her into a greedy, full-mouthed kiss. Then he pushed back to stroke her downcast face with a greasy finger. “Look at me,” he demanded, digging his fingers into her side until she squirmed in his lap. “Look at me, woman.”

“Whatever you want.” LaRenna focused a deep stare on him and smiled, delighting in the way his expression shot from ecstasy to repulsion.

“WITCH!” Tynnes jerked his hands back and stood, throwing LaRenna to the floor. She never lost eye contact as she fell, pushing pain phase enough for him to grab at his head. His mind was open, defenseless to the attack. So open, it made her glad Krell had forced her to practice. A loss of control would prove deadly right now and she wanted to temporarily disable, not permanently handicap the smelly little man. When she pushed a little harder, the Hallmaster collapsed in his chair.

“Did you kill him?” Firman rushed to his employer’s side.

LaRenna scrambled to her feet and wiped Tynnes’s slime-ridden kiss from her mouth. “Of course not, I only phased him unconscious. He’ll be out most of the day but when he does wake, he’ll be satisfied. I gave him a wonderful delusion of what happened.” She ran her fingernail over his neck, leaving a thin scratch.

“Why’d you do that?”

“Effect. Adding the physical to the mental heightens the memory’s effectiveness.”

“Oh.” Firman jerked the Hallmaster upright and threw him over one broad shoulder. “LaRenna, remind me never to piss you off. You’ve too much of a mind.” Tynnes’ lack of hygiene forced a crinkle into Firman’s nose. He pushed the offending Autlach as far from his face as possible and carried him through the small door at the back of the workroom.

“Where are you taking him?”

“To his bed.” Firman stepped into the bedchamber, tossed Tynnes onto the unmade platform, and partially undressed him. “For effect,” he assured her, then closed the door and drew a long breath. “Only thing worse smelling than Tynnes,” he declared, “is his room. It hasn’t been cleaned once in the seven passes I have worked here.”

“Neither has his mouth,” replied LaRenna as she snapped her top. “Maybe I should plant the suggestion of bathing in his mind.” Tynnes’s dirty hands had smirched the laced edging of the frock. She rubbed at the stains and glanced up at Firman. “What’s next?”

“I process some of those waiting in line and you stay out of sight until this Starnes arrives.”

“Where do you want me?”

Firman grinned and pointed to the corner door.

“Oh, no.” LaRenna cringed at the suggestion. “Not in there. Anywhere but there.”

“Sorry, kiddo, but the crowd will get restless if there are further delays in processing. All the other rooms are in use.”

“What about your personal quarters?” she pleaded.

“You have to go through the main waiting area to get there.” Firman shrugged. “And anyone who saw you come in will be expecting you to be entertaining the Hallmaster.” He pointed to the door again. “In there.”

“Only for my post would I even think of doing this!” LaRenna held her nose and stepped into the doorway quarters, Firman giving her a little shove forward before he pulled the door shut. The room was acrid with sweat and urine.

“Have fun.” The door muffled his voice but failed to buffer his amusement. LaRenna cleared the garbage from a chair, turned it backward, and straddled the seat. The high back was the exact height for a chin rest when she crossed her arms on the top so she draped over it, trying to ignore Tynnes’s snores. The noise and smell must not have been too offensive because suddenly Firman was shaking her awake. LaRenna stretched and wiped her mouth. She’d been dozing hard.

“Hard night last night?” Firman indicated her sprawled position. Her skirts were pushed into a mid-thigh wad. “Not very ladylike, especially in skirts.”

“I’ve always detested skirts. They’re impractical, especially for a Kimshee.”

“That’s almost refreshing to hear. Personally, I have always fancied the definition leggings bring to the female form. Wish more of you wore them.”

“Krell was right about you.” She laughed. “You’re too fresh for your own good.”