7
Two days later it was time for the prisoners to receive their punishment. They walked onto the square with smiles.
All the Guard was present for their punishment as usual. I stood with the rest of my family in front of the Council.
I saw Katey standing just on the outer edge of the square watching.
All three were shackled. Only a few of us knew about the whips. It was done with the blessing of the Council. They were curious about the effects of Katey's blood on them.
The three shifters doing the flogging were Liam, Lizzy and Beverly. They had told the Council it was their responsibility to see to their punishment. They agreed, of course.
After the first few hits, they were not smiling anymore. They started to realize something was different.
By the time they were finished with the flogging. The prisoners were crying out in pain. They were taken down and carried back to their cell.
Shaun dismissed the Guard.
Councilman Klaus asked for Beverly to come to their chambers. She went.
Katey walked over to us.
"I am quite pleased they are being properly punished now." She said to us. "They will feel the whip for a while."
"Yes they will." Shaun said.
"I am sorry Mister Shaun. I do not mean to gloat."
"I understand Katey. I feel better too."
She smiled. "Good. At least I am not the only one."
"No Katey. You are not." Colleen told her. "We, I think all of us feel better knowing they just can not brush this off."
"Good." She nodded. "I have to see to dinner. See you later."
"Speaking of dinner. Let us eat." Colleen said.
Beverly joined us for dinner a short time later. I noticed Lizzy glancing at Beverly every few minutes.
"Lizzy is there something wrong?" Beverly asked.
"No. Why?" Lizzy blushed.
"She is probably getting tired of you staring at her." Liam teased.
"Oh?"
"If you want to know what the Council wanted," Beverly smiled. She was teasing Lizzy, "all you have to do is ask."
"Seeing that you brought it up?" Lizzy smiled. "I was waiting until you were finished eating."
"Is that what you call waiting?" We laughed.
"Actually yes I was calculating how much longer it was going to take you to finish your meal?" Beverly grabbed the bowl of potatoes and put more on her plate.
"Recalculate." We snickered.
We had friendly chatter until tea and cookies were served.
"The Council was very pleased with today's punishment of the prisoners. They are curious to what else Katey's blood can do to them." Beverly told us.
"What did you tell them?" Lizzy asked.
Beverly smiled. "I told them they would have to ask Elder Camarillo. He is the one studying this subject." She took a sip of her tea. "Now that peaked their interest. They asked me to contact him. They wish to discuss this issue with him."
"Did you contact him Beverly?" Liam asked.
"Oh yes. He will be here in a few days." Liam and Lizzy become very excited.
"We will make a grand feast for him when he arrives." Lizzy told the rest of us. We nodded.
Paddy took my hand and kissed it. "Its time for my sleep cycle. Good night all." Paddy told them. We left for our quarters I was thinking it was too early for his sleep cycle.
"I know what you are thinking. It is too early." He whispered. I nodded.
"I was getting tired of listening to the punishment. It kept bringing up the reason for their punishment in my mind. It hurts too much still." I could see him glancing at me out of the corner of my eye. "It still bothers you, does it not?" I just nodded. "I thought so." He wrapped his arms around me.
We stood in the corridor for a few minutes. We heard someone clear their throat behind us. We turned to him.
"Yes Connor?"
"I am sorry to disturb you but do you know if Gen is in her quarters?"
"Yes she is." Connor had a huge grin. "Thank you Paddy." He turned towards his parents' quarters.
"I think Gen has an admirer."
"I think so too." I said.
We continued our walk to our room.
The next night we went with the Council to the shipyard. They wanted to see the ship's progress. It was still in dry dock. We walked around, Councilman Klaus was admiring its lines.
"It is a beautiful ship Klaus." Councilwoman Cleo told him.
"Yes it is. I can hardly wait to sail her." He smiled.
We came to the gangway Councilman Klaus looked around.
"Let us take a look, shall we?" He sprinted up the gangway. Shaun and Paddy followed. They were back a few minutes later.
"It is going very well, my dear." He took Councilwoman Cleo's hand and kissed it.
"By the looks of it. We might be sailing within the next six months."
"That is excellent Klaus." Councilwoman Cleo sounded a little nervous.
