Book 2: Living free from Jupiter's law - Rising from the ashes of Herbay

Difficult choices

The vehicle landed and stopped beside the gate. Katze, who was sitting on the passenger side, got out first. Daniel joined him and they rang the bell. They had to wait a few minutes before they spotted the placid brown-haired boy hurriedly running down the courtyard driveway to join them. He had been taken by surprise; Cal wasn't really expecting guests.

"Good afternoon, Master Katze, Daniel," he greeted them cordially, as he opened the door. "Iason and Riki are not at home. We were not aware of your arrival."

"Good afternoon, Cal," the red-haired trader replied. "I know. I'm not looking for Iason. I came to talk to you."

The young domestic assistant did not hide his astonishment. Why would a busy man like Katze travel so far just to talk to him? The first reason that came to his mind was that he had made some serious mistake, which had only recently come to light, during the months he had been in charge of the black market. The second reason was that Katze's visit could have something to do with his recent enrollment in the sex education course for eunuchs. That last possibility literally made him panic.

"Can we come in?"

Cal realized that lost as he was in thought, he had been stunned at the door blocking the way and immediately hurried to move. "Sure, sorry. Have a seat!"

Cal was not alone in the house; Benson had been with him and went to meet the guests excitedly. "Daniel, Katze, What a nice surprise!"

In the months Raoul had lived confined in Eos, Benson had developed a nice friendship with Daniel and was really happy to see him again. Katze no longer intimidated him either, since they had talked and he had made it clear that he didn't hold him in any way culpable for his capture.

"Hi Benson, I didn't expect to find you here," the redhead said.

"I'm just passing through. I came to see Cal."

"So, I'm assuming the motorcycle parked outside is yours".

"Yes, it's a gift from Master Raoul to facilitate my movements".

"I see." Katze and Daniel exchanged a nod. Catching the message, the younger of the two grabbed Benson by the arm and dragged him outside. "How about we go out in the yard for a while? Let's leave Katze and Cal alone."

Along with his former owner, Cal immediately felt uncomfortable. "Master Katze, if I have disappointed you in any way by making some mistakes, I apologize. It wasn't intentional at all."

"Sit down, Cal," the trader interrupted him, taking a seat on the couch in turn. "Actually, yes, I'm a little disappointed, but not because of some flaw in your work - the way you replaced me was impeccable - but rather because I expected you to show up on your own initiative. Perhaps I misjudged your intentions?"

The Mink family's domestic assistant was confused. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand."

"Didn't you like running the black market?"

"Of course. It's a task I've been very happy to do."

"You have shown great skills not only in computing but also in organization and management. Most of my staff didn't even notice my absence and you've managed to keep profits steady."

Cal was embarrassed because he wasn't used to receiving compliments. "It was no big deal. Anyone could have done it just as efficiently."

"You are wrong," Katze contradicted him. "I don't know anyone else who would have been able to. So, I have a question for you: would you like to keep doing this?"

Cal, who had not taken the advice to sit down and was still standing, had to look for a foothold to keep his balance and not fall. It was his dream to return to leadership in the black market, yet the answer he offered was somewhat pragmatic. "I would love to, but I have to take care of my masters Iason and Riki. It's my duty."