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

Friends reunion

"Hey, pass me some of that dark yellow sauce!"

Riki brought the bowl up to his nose and sniffed its contents, curling his lips.

"All yours," he exclaimed, sliding it across the surface of the table toward Luke. "I really don't understand how you and Iason can eat this stuff! It's disgusting! What's it called, Cal? "

The placid brown-haired boy looked up from his plate. "It's called mustard, Master Riki."

"M-a-s-t-e-r Riki," Sid taunted him, punctuating each syllable sarcastically. "What do we have to do, Cal, to make you stop addressing us as like we're your superiors? "

"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Sid. No, Sid, I mean, just Sid." Cal blushed. If he could, he would sink into the plate of stew in front of his nose. He hated being the center of attention.

"Leave poor Cal alone," Guy chimed in. "He's just a boy and it's only been a few weeks since the new laws were passed, give him time!"

"This reasoning might apply to Benson," Sid replied firmly. "But not for Cal! He has been living outside Eos for almost two years. During the entire time Katze was gone, he ran the black market alone. Don't you think he had enough time to settle in? When is he going to stop using these subordinate appellations?"

Benson looked shyly at the other eunuch, who seemed on the verge of tears, and sympathized with his embarrassment. He understood his state of mind well because he also had difficulty assimilating changes. At times, no longer having a tag on his wrist made him feel almost inadequate as if he had no tribe or category to identify with.

Norris tried to divert the conversation. "Where are Riki and Guy's Blondies? Why aren't they with us?"

"They had some kind of formal dinner in Parthea," Riki replied. "A gathering of the twelve to celebrate Iason's return."

"Katze and that boy who is always after him, instead, where are they?" Norris asked again.

"That boy has a name, it's Daniel, and he's Katze's boyfriend," Guy pointed out. "They left the planet for a few days on vacation."

Norris wanted to ask about Aylin and Creek as well, but since Sid was present, he decided to avoid the topic. The two youngsters were living a few blocks away, in the mansion they shared with Gideon before Guardian's occupation, but they had cut themselves off from the world and made it clear that they wanted no company. Not even Sid had been able to talk to Aylin anymore and didn't give himself peace about this, especially considering the precarious physical and mental health conditions of the girl when she had returned from Tanagura.

It had been a month since the great siege. This was the first time the former Bison members had reunited. Luke had lost a pair of phalanges on his left hand and Maxi had to undergo surgery for internal organ damage, but both had already recovered almost completely.

Thanks to the sacrifice of all the war heroes, now anyone in Ceres could work and earn a living without the need to steal from the citizens of Midas or gorge themselves on Stout to forget the misery of their existence.

Midasians were still reticent to offer mongrels employment, but there was ample labor supply even within the slums themselves thanks to construction work, educational institutions, agriculture, maintenance, new factories, and waste recycling.

Ceres' army had disbanded but all the soldiers had declared themselves available for a new convocation, should the need arise.

The improvement in living conditions was not limited to the mongrels: the furnitures that left Eos had already begun to integrate into the community and those who remained inside had raised their quality of life thanks to the advantageous labor contracts drawn up by Louis.