Chapter 6

thinking better of her behavior, she clamped her mouth shut and turned away. 

  What was the point of arguing with the woman? She was obviously loyal to whoever this Kaanig fellow was and decided not to test her on the matter.

  She wondered if the woman was supposed to wipe her backside, too, when necessary. 

Containing her anger, she wordlessly removed her gown and tossed it at the woman, smirking when it landed over her face and head, before she scurried naked into the adjoining bath chamber. 

  She paused at sight of the four other white-clad, gold-belted females waiting in attendance at each corner of the room. 

Snorting, she shook her head, knowing there was nothing she could do about their presence either. 

So, taking no thought to the elegant trappings of this particular room, she carefully stepped into the steaming water of the large, rectangular tub awaiting her and pointedly ignored them. 

  They apparently had been taught to do the same, as she bathed. 

After settling against the cool tub and closing her eyes, she had to admit, it had been a long time since she had enjoyed a hot bath and found this one pleasantly scented and refreshing.

  A short while later, she decided to trust the aliens enough to sample the bottled gels marked with alien symbols, sitting in a large basket nearby, assuming they were hair care products of some sort.

  When she raised one of the bottles questioningly at one of the attendants, the girl motioned how she was to pour it into her hand and then scrub it into her hair. 

  Hm, okay. Nothing different there. 

Later, when nothing atrocious happened to her, she stepped out of the tub, only to find the girl nearest her waiting with some towels. 

  No longer up to being rude to yet another alien, especially to this one who appeared around her own age, Casina merely thanked her and allowed her to perform her duties, which included patting her naked body dry and towel-drying her hair while the others began cleaning the tub area and floor behind her. Fortunately, St. Christi's had helped her to overcome any modesty she may have once had while standing naked in front of complete strangers. 

  She merely raised her arms high and let the alien go at it. 

When she finally emerged from the bath chamber, drip-dry and towel-wrapped, she found Mrovia patiently waiting for her. 

  The older woman indicated some fresh garments laid out for her to wear, on the now remade bed. 

With a quick nod, she quickly dismissed the younger attendants and stood waiting for Casina to accede to her wishes. 

Still with an attitude toward her but thinking she had better learn to cooperate or face the consequences, Casina submitted to the woman's ministrations, allowing her to dress her without complaint and, afterward, to run a comb through her long, wet tresses. Tangled, it lay darker than normal about her shoulders and down her back. 

"Your hair is so pretty," Mrovia commented, her tone almost of awe, as she struggled with the snarled locks. "I've never seen hair so white before." 

"Th-Thank...you. My mother was of Swedish and Norwegian descent." 

Mrovia shrugged. 

  "I do not know what that is, but either way, your hair is incredibly lovely. I can see why he is so taken--That is, no one in Jupitar has hair this color," she quickly corrected, clearing her throat. 

"What was that?" Casina asked. 

"Oh, nothing," the woman said. 

"Just talking to myself." 

"Hm," Casina said, doubting. "So, does everyone here look like you then?" she finally had the nerve to ask. "You know, with dark skin and black hair? You remind me of our native people back home." 

"Yes, we are mostly the same here, on Konatha," Mrovia said, shrugging. "But there are many different cultures throughout Jupitar. 

  Not everyone looks exactly the same." 

"Is that unusual?" 

"Not in Jupitar, but now there will be other changes." 

"How so?" Casina turned in her seat at the dressing table to squint up at her. Mrovia gave up on the knot she was fussing with and dropped her hands with resignation. 

"Many females have been brought from your planet," she explained. "To be joined with the Kaanig's men. There will be many different hair and skin colors once that happens. It is necessary for the repopulation of our planets." 

"But...why would that happen?" Casina said, recalling the women she had discovered aboard the spaceship that had brought her to Jupitar. "I mean, what's wrong with marrying your own kind?" 

"A few scalons ago - years, I mean, - several of our vessels encountered a strange meteor shower that contaminated them with a deadly virus just before they passed through the black void leading to our galaxy. 

The men aboard later picked it up when they left the ships, unaware of the deadliness of the organism they had brought back with them to Jupitar. 

When that happened, many of our population were also infected." 

Mrovia gave a sigh, recalling the sadness prevalent at that occurrence. She picked up a lock of Casina's hair and resumed combing as she spoke. "Millions of our women and children perished," she continued. "Later, the Altair felt it necessary to bring back choice females from your planet, which were needed to help repopulate our world. 

Your race seems most compatible with ours, which is why it was chosen. The final group of females was brought back just yesterday, on the same ship you arrived in." 

"I am so sorry," Casina said, sincerity in her tone as understanding dawned. 

"There," Mrovia said, finished with her task. "Now, if you like, you may explore the garden until evening repast.

  Or there is some reading material on the table in your language, in the small study." She indicated another doorway. "There is a conditioning chamber just off of that, should you wish to use it. 

  There is also some fruit on the table, if you want a light meal now. 

  It is so late, I thought it best not to bring you a large meal before high time, although I will bring you some merida - some tea - if you wish it." 

Casina's attitude changed. "A conditioning chamber? What on earth is that?" 

Mrovia paused to look at her. "For meditation," she said in all sincerity. 

"Or...prayer." 

Casina considered this information, intrigued. "Prayer? As in...God?" 

"Yes, mistress." 

"That's amazing. Even all these light years from Earth, with all of your advanced technology, you still believe in a Higher Power?" 

"Without the Source of all power, mistress, our Kaanig would not be able to rule the galaxy as he does." 

Casina shook her head. "Hm. That's interesting." 

"Yes." 

"Was I brought here for the same 

reason the others were then?" Casina asked, changing the subject, being more interested now as to why she had been kidnapped by the Jupitarians. "To join with one of your men?" 

The woman frowned then.

  "I think it best that the man responsible explain his reasons for bringing you here. From what I understand, he was rescuing you from a bad place and some bad men." "Oh," Casina said in a small voice, almost of disappointment. 

  As she thought about her circumstances when the aliens had arrived, she came to the conclusion that perhaps that's all it had been. A rescue. 

After all, as she considered her last days on Earth, what were the aliens to have done? Leave her there for the orderlies to drug and take back to the institute? Instead of being kidnapped, as she had initially supposed, perhaps it was indeed just a group of aliens rescuing her. 

  But for what purpose? They could have left her someplace safe on Earth instead of kidnapping her themselves. 

  "But, why did they bring me here?" she asked.

  "Why not leave me in America, where I belong? I told you, I didn't ask them to bring me here." 

"You will be told everything in good time. Please don't ask me again," the older woman said, a touch of sympathy in her tone. She walked away in dismissal, hoisted up a pile of dirty laundry, and made to leave. 

"Well, what about this?" Casina said, hurrying over to bare her wrist for the woman's inspection. 

"What is this? Why was this put here?" 

Mrovia paused, her brow furrowed as she stared at the mark embedded in Casina's upturned wrist. She carefully readjusted the pile in her arms, then shoved up her left sleeve. 

"Most everyone in Jupitar has them at some point, mistress. You are no exception." She showed her charge the mark she had on her person. Similar in size, the shape, design, and colors were different, but her point was made, just the same. Casina gaped at it briefly then stepped away. 

"I see," was all she said, then watched as the woman yanked her sleeve down and quickly exited. When Casina tried to follow, the two guards posted outside the door made it clear that she was not allowed past them. 

  She heard them secure the large double doors as soon as she stepped back inside. Frowning, she folded her hands with resignation. 

So, she was still a prisoner, after all. 

The garden was much more appealing than any study. After being imprisoned for so long at St. 

Christi's and then while aboard the alien ship, Casina hungered for any part of nature she could get.

  The fresh, breathable air, the flowers, the chance to exercise without being confined or followed around by somebody was preferable by far. 

She was careful on this particular exploratory to avoid any other aliens...or humans, for that matter. She wanted nothing to interfere with this, her first real taste of freedom in years. 

At least the aliens had allowed her that much, regardless of their real reasons for bringing her to their galaxy. 

Being alone made it easier for her to find a possible way to escape them and return home. She certainly had no reason to stay. 

When she was several hundred feet from the building, she turned to observe the unusual alien structure that belonged to Kaanig Altair, a so-called galactic ruler. 

She shook her head, still unable to believe that any one man could rule an entire planet, much less a galaxy. 

  Hogwash, she finally decided. There was nothing as impossible as that. 

Still, the place was indescribable. Gigantic, in fact. It was palatial in all aspects that she could see and briefly considered how nice a tour might be, if she didn't escape before then. The place was breathtaking and impressive, to say the least.

  She had no idea what alien architecture entailed, but she was certain that this one place was a prime example of alien ingenuity and design.

  Especially since it appeared to be built into the sloping sides of a mountain. 

The most awesome part of the entire structure was the huge dome on the roof of one of the tallest buildings. Of cut glass, it sparkled in the sunlight and sprayed prismatic streams of colored lights off in every direction. It was beautiful, and she stared up at it in wonder, never having seen anything like it. 

The outer walls of the structure were of an odd material. 

They appeared white yet muddled with blue, like clouds, and seemed to move, to ripple in the breeze. The structure was almost transparent, yet Casina could not see through it as she thought she should be able to. Shaking her head in disbelief, she gaped at it a moment longer before moving away. 

The sun was warm on her face, the breeze gentle and caressing as it stirred her hair, still damp and clinging from her bath.

  Turning, she surveyed the landscape, her heart bordering on the edge of excitement as she peered about. 

She decided on a casual walk and soon came alongside the tall serpentine wall. Curious at what lay beyond it, she was quick to locate a nearby tree. 

  As she easily shimmied up the full-branched poplar, she recalled how together she and Jimmy once did the same. 

Fortunately, the simple dress she now wore did not confine her in any way. 

  The matching pink slippers were comfortable and easily accommodated her footholds along the tree trunk and branches. 

Once near the top, she glanced behind her, making sure she was alone, before straining to see through the thick leaves and over the stone wall, unprepared for the sight that greeted her.

  Her heart skipped a beat at sight of the astounding landing strip spread out before her, about a mile in the distance, along the wide, flat plain high above the scenic valleys below. It was covered with varioussized and -shaped space vessels, as well as several hundred aliens.

  All were walking about, busily performing work activities, loading ships and what looked like large trucks, or merely standing about as several ships were being repaired or maintained.

  Other vessels were darting on and off the landing pads at amazing speeds. As she scanned the moving dots and vessels, Casina's mouth hung slack, for she was completely awed by the scene. She peered overhead, suddenly aware that spaceships were flying over the palace. 

  She hadn't noticed them before and realized it was because they were soundless while in flight. That, too, was astonishing. 

Realizing her opportunity, she wasted no time.

  Standing, she moved to balance along one of the firmer branches that boldly hung out over the wall. 

  Grinning because the aliens hadn't had the foresight to trim back the tree branches to prevent her escape, she carefully eased herself atop the thick wall. 

She stared at the field below, sparsely covered with brush, weeds, and wildflowers, estimating it was a good ten foot drop or more, when a memory suddenly jolted her.