Sister Katherine (12 page)

He managed to look a little contrite, though the corners of his mouth still twitched upward.  “I am sorry, Matara.  I have never known anyone to be so uncomfortable around nudity than your people.  It just seems so funny to me.”  He gestured at his clanmates’ groins.  “To me, this is natural.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

She crossed her arms over her chest.  “According to my beliefs, it is shameful.”

Vadef cocked his head to one side and looked at her with real puzzlement.  “But why?  Your beliefs state God made you in his image.  Is that not true?”

“Yes.  But – but – it’s wrong, that’s all!” 

“‘And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed,’” Vadef quoted.  “Even the first words of your holy book show God meant you to be free from worrying over such things.”

Katherine scowled at him.  She could easily argue the nuances of biblical passages with Vadef, but she knew the bible well enough to recognize that they would be flinging conflicting tenets all night.  One could find support for any position taken with the bible as a reference.  It was why she tended to follow the parts that showed love and mercy.

Vadef wasn’t done despite her refusal to debate.  “With a few differences, we are made like your people, the Earthers made in God’s image.  You even acknowledge God created Kalquorians as well as yourselves.  So how can our appearance be shameful?”

Katherine strove for compromise.  “I understand your argument.  I don’t have an answer for it, except that nudity opens the way for sin.”

For all his sweetness, the Imdiko was dogged.  “Do you mean, ‘be fruitful and multiply’?  You’re supposed to breed, according to your beliefs.”

She could have shaken him.  “Stop quoting the bible at me!  You’re – you’re taking it out of context.  Nakedness leads to temptation, the wish to lie with each other in sin.  That’s the main issue here.”

Their conversation had Simdow blinking.  “So you fear our nakedness because it makes you want to have sex with us?”

Katherine knew she shouldn’t be having this conversation, not when the men could twist her words to suit their wishes.  It was time to stop it.  Her voice cold, she said, “I have no wish to sin at all, Dramok Simdow.”

Being in the room with these men – these naked men – had her guts churning strangely again.  She was sick or something, a new symptom of the stress that made her stomach hurt when she ate.  The stray idea of running her hands over those alien bodies, of discovering if their skin was rough or soft, cool or warm, flitted across her head.  The heat in her guts coiled tighter.  No, she absolutely did not want to be intimate with them at all.

Simdow said, “If you have no inclination to commit any transgressions, our being nude should not be an issue.  You are not tempted to sin, so you should have no concerns about us sleeping naked with you.”

A new terror crept over Katherine’s heart.  “All of us on the same bed?”

She had known that was what had to happen, but knowing they’d be bare in a bed,
right next to her
, had her shaking again.  The squirmy feeling infecting her stomach grew larger than ever.  She went hot all over.

All the amusement had fled from Simdow’s face.  His gaze on her was kind, but his words made her heart stutter.  “This is the clan’s sleeping mat, which we all share.  You will sleep between us and you will be naked as well.”

If she hadn’t been sitting down, Katherine would have fallen to the floor in her shock.  As it was, she swayed with a wave of dizziness.  When she recovered enough to speak, she cried, “No, Simdow!  I can’t do that!”

His gentle expression never faltered, but there was no compromise in his tone.  “We have sworn we will not have sex with you.  You have no fears of that, though as your clan it is our right to coerce you into it.”

Miv quickly said, “That is not our wish, however.  We only want you to share your body entirely with us if you want it as well.”

Simdow continued.  “You will sleep with your clan in the accustomed manner.  That is all.”

He meant it.  Katherine could see it in his eyes.  If she refused, would he force her to comply?  Would he demand she do all the rest despite their assurances that they would not make her?

She stared up at the Dramok, desperately trying to hold on to some thread of courage.  Yet her voice shook as she said, “I really have to do this?”

Misery touched Simdow’s handsome features.  “I would not for all the Empire wish you to be afraid.  I hate that you look at me the way you are.  However, you are our Matara and you must get used to our ways.”  With effort, Katherine saw his resolve firm.  His jaw tightened, and he said, “Please remove your gown, or we will remove it for you.”

Katherine’s misery mounted.  She was afraid seeing her naked would make the men insane with lust.  Women were inherently evil, their bodies temptations that destroyed the naturally saintly natures of men.  Would these three aliens, unaware of how wicked her kind were, be able to deny base urges when they saw her flesh?

She wished that strange, hot, churning feeling inside her body would go away.  Its force centered low, all the way down to her sinful sex.  The flesh there was indeed immoral, warming like the fires of Hell itself, ready to consume the minds and bodies of these men.  They would not be able to help themselves.  She would lead them to their ruin, as well as to her own.

Yet if Katherine did not disrobe as ordered, the Kalquorians would put their hands on her anyway.  There was no doubt in Simdow’s face.  He was ready to pull her gown off, to make her stand there before them in her shame.  It would be worse if it happened that way.

Katherine rose to her feet.  Bowing her head in humiliation, she gathered handfuls of the gown’s stiff, coarse cloth.  Slowly, she pulled it up.  At the same time she hunched lower, as if she could disappear in the voluminous folds and escape the inevitable. 

The billowing fabric went over her head.  It inched higher on her legs, skirting over shins, knees, and thighs.  Katherine paused, and drew a shuddering breath.  She drew her arms in through the sleeves before continuing on, concentrating on baring her back and leaving the front of her body shielded for as long as possible.  The fabric made its way over the thin panties covering her buttocks to slide achingly higher over her back.  It cleared her shoulders and her head emerged from the hem.  She blinked in the suddenly too bright light of the clan’s quarters.  

She stared down at the gown she held clutched to her breasts.  She did not want to drop it.  She did not.  More than that, she did not want the men tearing it from her grasp.  It still took all her will to make her hands release the death grip she held the gown with.  It slowly slithered from her fingers, puddling in a pile at her feet.

Katherine stood quivering, her head bowed as she waited for the aliens to lay hold of her, to throw her to the bed, to take their eager pleasure with her body.  Silence spun out, thick with anticipation.

No one spoke.  No one moved.  Katherine stood there as seconds ticked by, and she was not raped.

She slowly lifted her head, her gaze moving the opposite direction of before.  Now she looked at thick calves and sculpted thighs.  The sight of their penises made her suck in a harsh breath.  They appeared to be thicker, standing out slightly from the men’s groins.  Her nakedness had had an effect on them, just as the Church had warned.  Yet the Kalquorians still did not move from where they stood.

Katherine couldn’t help but look at the now larger male organs.  She thought,
They want to put those inside me.  They want to fill me with their seed to make babies.  So why aren’t they?
  The strange swirl in her loins had gained heat and weight.  Katherine was suddenly aware of wetness seeping from her sex.  Was she so afraid of the men and what they wished to do with her that she had lost control of her bladder?  She felt no need to urinate, though her insides felt like bubbling liquid right now. 

She could definitely feel the dampness soaking into the crotch of her underwear.  Embarrassed, she squeezed her thighs together.  Wetting herself was the ultimate humiliation, worse than that of showing her body.

In a small voice, hoping they wouldn’t notice the accident she’d had, Katherine asked, “May I visit the facility?”  She nodded to the closed door of the quarter’s small restroom. 

Simdow’s voice was quiet.  “Yes, but keep the door slightly open.”

Katherine looked at him in horror.  He would watch her on the toilet?  Yet there was nothing ugly in Simdow’s or either of the other two’s expression.  They all seemed sweetly concerned. 

She couldn’t have been more shocked.  Not one of the clan looked at her with violent, mindless lust.  Other than the growing erect state of their sexes, they showed no indications of wild ardor at all.

As she tried to comprehend this stunning state of affairs, Simdow explained his direction to keep the bathroom door open.  “I cannot allow you to be completely alone right now because I’m afraid you might do yourself harm.  We will not watch you attend to your personal needs, but we must be allowed quick access to you.  I’m sorry that you won’t be allowed much privacy for a little while.”

Katherine nodded.  She could scarcely believe it as he and Miv parted to let her pass between them to get to the door. 

The Dramok swallowed and said, “Take the underclothes off when you are done, Katherine.”

She hunched a little but said nothing in refusal.  She managed to walk forward, her heart pounding as she approached them.  They did not touch her as she passed by.  The facility’s door opened for her, and Simdow barked a command in his language.  When Katherine went into the room, the door slid shut except for three inches.  Through the small gap, Katherine could see none of the men.  She waited for a few seconds.  When no one peered in at her, she tended to her business.  Despite the earlier moisture, her bladder yielded only a few drops.  She did not have to pee.

Katherine stared at the wet spot in the crotch of her panties.  It looked thick and clear, nothing like urine.  When she wiped herself clean, she discovered she was slippery.  Her sex was the most sensitive she’d ever felt it, almost throbbing at her touch. 

Something was wrong with her.  The funny not-quite-sick feeling of her stomach, the heat, this strange passing of fluid – she was possibly quite ill.  Perhaps it would be best that she did visit the ship’s doctor after all.  She needed to stay healthy, if only to keep tabs on the children until the Kalquorians left them behind on Europa.

She kicked aside the underpants, washed her hands, and took a deep breath, preparing to rejoin her captors.  Katherine had managed to not cover her breasts after taking her nightgown off, but she couldn’t keep from crossing her hands over her sex.  She made up for that cowardice by looking right into Simdow’s face as the door opened for her and she stepped out.

He and the other two looked at her with intense expressions.  A million pleas rose to Katherine’s lips, useless begging that would not keep them from defiling her.  She somehow choked them back to ask, “What is it?”

Miv’s expression filled with anger instead of lust.  “Who hurt you?  Who left their marks on your back?”

She stared at him for a moment before her mind kicked back into gear.  Of course.  Her hair was long, but they’d no doubt seen the lash marks beneath the frothy veil.  Her face heated yet again.

“I did it.  Sometimes I punish myself for my sins.”

Simdow and Miv only stared, their faces wavering between confusion and fury.  However, realization dawned over Vadef’s expression and he relaxed.

“That’s right.  I heard some of your order scourge themselves to atone for misdeeds.”

Simdow’s thunderous look cleared.  After a moment, Miv’s did too.  “By the ancestors,” the Nobek breathed.  “I thought someone had attacked you at some point.”

Katherine offered a hesitant smile and shook her head.  “No.  Only me.”

Simdow made a circular motion with his hand.  “Turn around, Katherine, and move your hair so we can see.  Some of those welts looked ugly.”

She did as she was told.  They had not looked at her hands where they covered her mound.  All their attention had been focused on the injuries they’d seen as she’d gone into the bathroom. 

Her welfare had come before their lust.  It made something in her chest loosen.

Katherine was aware of them coming closer to inspect the welts of the last scourging, done only hours before they’d invaded the convent.  She imagined she could feel the heat of their bodies and remembered they were naked.  As was she.  Her belly tumbled and fresh wetness escaped her sex.  She bit back a moan.  Something was really, really wrong with her.   Perhaps the Kalquorians had some disease that she’d become infected with?

Miv’s deep voice sounded just behind her right ear.  He must have been leaning down close to check her welts.  “These have not been administered properly.  Unless one is a criminal, this level of discipline is too extreme.”

Simdow sounded like he was only inches behind her.  “That one looks a bit older and like it’s getting infected.  You are taking her to Dr. Degorsk tomorrow?”

Vadef, just as close and to her left:  “Yes.  I’ll see to it this gets healed.”

Miv moved around so he could look her in the face.  “I must insist you not do this to yourself any more until I have had the opportunity to teach you the correct method, my Matara.  Or better still, I can administer the discipline.  I am licensed to do so.”

Katherine stared at him.  “Licensed?  To punish people?”

Simdow gently pressed an injury-free portion of her shoulder to make her turn around.  He said, “He is very good at it.”

He exchanged a look with Vadef, and the pair smiled at each other with some secret knowledge.  They both glanced over at Miv to include him in the exchange.

Miv ducked his head, nearly smiling as well.  Then he turned serious again to address Katherine.  “Discipline should only be dealt by someone who knows exactly what they are doing.  You risk serious permanent damage to yourself with such clumsy efforts.  A few of these welts have landed over the kidneys.  That is not acceptable.  When you wish to atone next time, you will allow me the privilege of delivering a proper chastisement.”