Maiocxx

Cody and Lucas

A Personal Slaveboy Story

Chapters 20-21

Chapter twenty
The Slave Zoo

One evening John came home from work with some interesting news.

"I had a call, today from Sandra Beckham. She told me about a new venture starting up just north of the city. It's funded by the Fortnum and Mason Group from England. They're building a giant complex and have started buying large numbers of slaves, both young boys and older teens."

"But no one will say what they plan to do with them. All Commons has been told by the Home Secretary is that the facility is educational."

"That sounds all very mysterious," agreed Ruth.

The mystery was revealed a few days later when the press announced the opening of THE SLAVE ZOO.

That evening Sandra Beckham called. "We were given a tour of this Slave Zoo, today, and it's… it's… it's," she sputtered. "Well, I don't want to prejudice you, but you and Ruth must just go and see it."

And so they went to the Slave Zoo.

John paid the small admittance fee and they walked toward the entrance gate.

Just inside they found a slave-boy – ten or eleven years old, Ruth estimated – struggling to hold up a heavy sign which proclaimed

Except for a small pouch covering his genitals, he was naked and his ankles were shackled with a short length of chain. The beaten expression on his face gave ample evidence to the hopelessness of his situation.

"Well, that certainly sets the tone, doesn't it," observed John.

Ruth didn't reply, but the horrified look on her face said it all.

While they were standing there, a couple with a boy about the same age came thru the gate. The boy took one look at the slave and stopped in his tracks.

"Randy! What are you doing here? We've missed you at school. The team is lost without you!"

At this, the slave-boy dropped his sign and fell to his knees in shame with his forehead on the ground.

"Now dear," the woman addressed her son, "don't bother about Randy any more. He's a slave, now." She grabbed his hand and started to pull him along.

The boy shook off his mother's grip. "A slave? Why is he a slave? What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything," replied the boy's father. "His dad lost his job and they couldn't afford to keep him any longer, so they sold him."

At that point, an older youth in a tan uniform ran up carrying a cattle prod. "Get up you lazy slave!" And he zapped the slave-boy on his upturned ass. The child yelped, struggled to his feet and raised his sign again. He looked at the other boy and burst into tears.

"But he's my friend. How could his parents do this to him?" wailed the visiting boy.

"They had no money left," answered his father.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" asked the boy fearfully.

"We might if you don't start behaving yourself," said his father, getting angry. "Now come along!"

The parents each took a hand and dragged their son on into the Zoo. He kept looking back over his shoulder at his friend… now a humiliated, downtrodden slave. The expression of anguish on his face spoke volumes.

Ruth and John had both watched this tableau with mounting horror. "Oh John!" she declared. "How can we stop this travesty?"

"There's not much we can do," he replied. "They're within the law," he admitted grimly. "Would you like to go home?"

"No, let's see the rest of this, this, this outrage!" she sighed and they hurried on into the facility.

The first building they came to was marked 'SALES AND RENTALS' and they entered the Rental Office, moving quickly aside as an older woman exited dragging a slave boy by the chain attached to his collar. He was completely nude and his hands were cuffed behind his back. The short chain on his ankle cuffs made it very difficult for him to retain his balance as she dragged him along.

Inside the facility, they saw a stage on which stood six naked boys waiting to be 'rented'. Their hands and ankles were cuffed and each had a ball-gag in his mouth. A man was obviously waiting for his rental to be delivered and the attendant was off preparing the slave.

Ruth picked up an instruction sheet and read it over.

By this time Ruth was shaking with anger, so John led her outside to a small bench. "John, we simply must stop this abomination!"

"I'm sorry, my dear, but there is really nothing we can do," he told her again gently. "Now, I think maybe we should go."

"No, I want to see the rest of this whorehouse!" she assured him.

While they were sitting there, the man came out of the Rental Office with his slave. He held the boy's hand and they walked along like father and son, the boy laughing and the two of them chatting animatedly. The man stopped from time to time to hug and tickle him.

So, they went on.

In the Sales office, they watched mutely as a family prepared to sell their only son into slavery. Their clothes were threadbare and worn; obviously they were very poor and in deep financial distress.

"You're doing the right thing, Mr. and Mrs. Harper. Your son will be well taken care of and will learn a trade. And you will have sufficient funds until you can find a job and get back on your feet. Now, if you'll just sign here, Mr. Harper."

"Mama!" cried the boy's little sister. "Why does Petey have to go away? When is he coming home?"

"He's not coming home… ever," she replied, gathering up the little girl and joining her in tears.

The salesperson led the little boy away from them. Stripping him, he cuffed the boy's hands in back of him and gagged him before turning him over to the attendant who led him away. The boy looked sorrowfully back at his family, trying very hard to be brave.

The parents, left both of them now sobbing, carrying the little girl, who screamed, "PETEY… PETEY… PETEY! COME BACK! COME BACK!" her shrieks gradually disappearing in the distance.

John and Ruth looked at each other. "Don't say it!" he told her. "We can't save them all." And they walked out into the sunlight.

The next area was the exhibit space. WHERE DO SLAVES COME FROM announced the sign on the first building.

There were four display spaces, the first of which was a simulated rice paddy. Two naked oriental boys – obviously twins – labored away.

One was operating a pump, lifting a never-ending supply of muddy water into the paddy. His feet were shackled to a pedal device, somewhat like a bicycle, and his hands to a bar which held him upright. He stared out, completely without expression.

The other boy was cleverly strapped in a bent-over position and he pushed a never-ending supply of 'rice shoots' into the paddy where he stood knee-deep in mud.

Behind them stood an older youth in Mandarin costume, armed with… a cattle prod. Whenever the two 'workers' flagged a bit, he applied his weapon to their butts… you could see the spark jump. The 'pump boy' would jerk and simply peddle faster. The other boy would utter a short scream and 'plant' with renewed vigor. Although it was still early in the day, it was easy to see both boys were already very tired.

CHINA TRAINS AND EXPORTS MANY SLAVES explained the accompanying sign.

Two naked Indian boys, in feathers and war paint, trying to subdue a mechanical bison greeted them in the next area. In turn, each boy tried to mount the 'bison' only to be thrown into the dust repeatedly. A keeper, dressed in full chief's regalia, 'encouraged' them to try harder with his 'weapon'.

While they watched, one of the two boys was knocked senseless and had to be dragged off and replaced by a fresh victim.

NATIVE AMERICAN BOYS MAKE EXCELLENT SLAVES was the explanation.

In the next display, naked black boys battled with swords and spears. Although blunted, injuries were common and bleeding or unconscious boys were repeatedly dragged away and replaced by others.

NIGGERS LIKE TO FIGHT. ENSLAVE THEM INSTEAD was that caption.

In the last display, three naked, dirty white boys sat listlessly on a cabin porch. They were obviously drugged but were 'encouraged' to imbibe more from a jug each of them held. Every so often, one of them would throw up, continuing to sit in his own vomit.

One of the teen attendants, dressed as a policeman, would appear from time-to-time, handcuff one of them and drag him off to slavery. The supply of 'poor white' boys seemed endless.

WHY SHOULD WE FEED POOR WHITE TRASH? LET THEM EARN THEIR WAY AS SLAVES.

It was all John could do to get his weeping wife out of the building. He wanted desperately to leave and take her home, but she insisted they see everything.

The next area held a small 'petting zoo'. Four naked little boys – some not more than six years old – stood tethered to upright posts, hands fastened behind their backs, gagged and blindfolded. Children were encouraged to 'pet' them, with emphasis on their boy parts. If the 'pet' sat down or fell to the ground, he was immediately jerked back up by his collar. Little girls seemed to particularly enjoy this exhibit.

The next major exhibit showed some of the many ways slaves were utilized in British North America.

First shown was Farming, where naked boys dug a never-ending supply of weeds out of a 'cabbage patch'. An overseer encouraged them to work hard with his cattle prod.

In the Mining exhibit, two naked boys pounded rocks with heavy sledgehammers as a teen 'foreman' lashed them with a short whip. Injuries from flying chips were common.

The Manufacturing scene showed several boys at work on machines cutting, grinding and polishing metal pieces. They wore no protective devices at all and, again. minor injuries were commonplace.

Household slaves cleaned, dusted and served refreshments in the next section. At least there were no injuries in this section.

The final booth was labeled Sex Slaves. A large poster explained:

A building marked SLAVE DISCIPLINE was next.

In the first booth were three boys… naked, of course. One of them was chained to the wall, hands high overhead forcing him to stand on tiptoe. The second was tied in a very tight hogtie and lay gagged and blindfolded on the floor, while the third one was stretched spread-eagle on a rack. A teen attendant amused himself torturing them with a feather.

In the next booth, another teen sat with a naked boy over his lap, administering a very hard spanking with a flat paddle, while the child screamed and cried. When his ass was red enough to suit the teen, he was dismissed and another boy took his place.

A boy was being caned in the next booth; the stripes on his buttocks and upper legs showed plainly as he howled. This exhibit, like the last one, had a continuous supply of young boys.

But it was the final three exhibits in the building that were truly horrible.

A naked young boy was staked out over an artificial anthill. The teen attendant poured containers of live ants in the bottom and sprayed the victim with a sugar solution to assure the ants would attack every part of his body. The boy screamed and writhed until he passed out and was removed while the attendant prepared the exhibit for the next victim.

In the next booth, a sobbing boy was dragged in, his clothing torn off him as he was strapped face up on a surgical table. A teen, dressed in scrubs, grabbed the boy's balls, stretched them away from his body, placed a scalpel on the tender skin and… At that moment, a curtain fell as the boy screamed for mercy.

Ruth and John learned later, they used the newest acquisitions for this purpose and each boy had been told he really was going to be castrated, even though the grisly punishment was never really carried out. Reprieved, they were told to expect this for real unless they behaved, a marvelous discipline tool.

The final atrocity was a simulated hanging in which the naked, bound and gagged victim stood on the scaffold waiting for the trap to be sprung. He dropped a carefully calculated distance, far enough to stretch his neck a little but not enough to strangle him. Once again, the victim was told he was really to be hanged. Most wet themselves while waiting and passed out after the fall; they were quickly removed to prevent serious injury.

Out in the sunshine, it took both Ruth and John quite some time to regain their composure again. By this time, both were rigid with anger. They had seen all they could stand!

They made their way back to the entrance, passing a target shooting area. The targets, of course, were young naked slaves shackled to posts with their legs spread wide. The shooters, adults and children, used pellet pistols which stung fiercely but did not cause real injury… most of the time. The 'targets' yelped and danced whenever they were hit, much to the amusement of the onlookers. The favorite target spot seemed to be young pricks and balls.

As they prepared to leave, they noticed there was a different sign-slave at the entrance. "They probably took Randy away and thrashed him," Ruth observed morosely.

A middle aged couple came through the gate, took one look at the slave and stopped dead in their tracks. "Danny!" they screamed. "They told us you were dead! How did you get here?"

"Uncle Joe! Aunt Lilly!" screamed the boy, dropping his sign and rushing toward them but sprawling in the dust as his chain and shackles tripped him.

They picked him up and hugged and hugged him, just as one of the tan uniforms approached with the ominous cattle prod. "I'm sorry, Sir and Ma'am. But you can't interfere with a slave."

John had had quite enough!

Striding over to the group, he introduced himself. "I'm Sir John Davidson. I take it you know this boy."

"Oh yes!" replied the man. "He's our nephew! His parents perished in a plane crash six months ago and we were told he was killed, too. We would gladly have taken him if we had only known."

"I tried and tried to tell them about you," cried the boy, "but they wouldn't listen. Said I was historical. They made me a slave and brought me here."

"There seems to be a problem, here," John told the guard… or whatever he was. "Go and get the manager."

"But sir, I can't…."

"GO! NOW!" thundered John.

The youth left on a run.

Aunt Lilly continued to hug Danny and smother him with kisses.

"What can we do to get him back," Uncle Joe asked John.

At that moment, a red-faced man came pelting up. "I'm August Marsh, the Assistant Manager. What's the problem here?"

Uncle Joe explained about the crash and how they had been deceived into believing their nephew had not survived. And now they wanted him back.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," blustered Marsh.

"Well, make it possible," snapped John. "Your people did not do a very thorough job vetting this boy. You have an illegally obtained slave and you are going to correct that. Draw up a bill-of-sale conveying this boy to his uncle. How much?"

"Well, the standard price is two-hundred pounds, but I could let him go for one-fifty."

"You will have my draft in the morning."

Marsh and Uncle Joe left to do the paperwork.

Ruth took Aunt Lilly and the boy into her arms. "He's technically still a slave," she told her, "but he will leave here with you. In a day or two, go to see our solicitor, Henry Barrow, and he will help you get a Writ of Manumission. After that, he'll be a free boy again.

The guard returned with the key to Danny's shackles and a pair of ill-fitting shorts for the boy to wear. "It's all I could find," he apologized. To John he whispered, "Thank you for doing this, Sir. He's a neat kid and he deserves better."

"What's your name, son?" John asked him quietly.

The youth hesitated, then, "Tommy, Sir."

"Do you have a last name?"

"I'm not supposed to say, Sir."

"You can tell me."

The lad thought for a moment and decided to trust this stranger. "Tommy Angers, Sir. Danny told me his story and I tried to get him assigned to the gate every day, hoping someone might recognize him. And it worked!"

"Please, Sir," he implored John, "tell everyone about this place and how horrible it is. Us older kids are treated pretty well, but the little kids have a terrible life. They're worked to exhaustion, many of them are hurt, and they don't get near enough to eat. It's awful! I try to help some of the little ones, but I get punished for that."

"How are you punished?" asked John.

"You see this?" asked Tommy, brandishing the cattle prod. "Ever have one of these applied to your private parts?"

John shuddered.

"That's what the little ones get, and some of us older ones, too. They just do me on my ass and legs. I think they plan to breed me. I'll probably get punished for this afternoon."

"How did you become a slave?" John asked him. Clearly, this lad was an exceptional boy.

"The boy sighed. "I beat up another kid who was assaulting a girl. I hurt him pretty bad. His dad had money and mine didn't. So here I am, for ten years. I should have known there were other ways to help the girl."

John marveled at the lack of hatred the boy showed at the cruel situation he was in. "Does your dad ever come to see you?"

"Not very often. It's too hard for him. He blames himself for my slavery. Maybe you could…"

"Tommy, I'll do what I can. But I can't promise anything. You're a very brave lad and I admire your courage. Just hang in there and I'll try my best," John promised him.

Uncle Joe returned with the papers, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Sir John, how can we ever thank you enough, let alone repay you?"

"Do you see your wife hugging a little boy who needs her very badly? That's all the payment Ruth and I need."

And a very happy trio left the Zoo.

At home that night, John and Ruth talked to Sandra Beckham. They explored and abandoned several plans of action. Whoever had concocted this scheme knew the law and had assiduously courted the government and the Tory MP's. In despair, they decided to have Sandra file a suit challenging the tax-exempt status of the enterprise, but they had little hope that would lead to anything.

That night, Tommy went in search of Sen and Li, the two oriental boys from the 'rice paddy'.

He had fully expected to be punished for the incident with Danny, but surprisingly was not. He, of course, could not have known about the messages flying between the Zoo and London.

"Don't get John Davidson riled up. He can be a pain in the ass!" John would have been pleased they thought so.

"And don't punish the kid! You keep telling us he's good with the little ones! Just let this whole thing quietly fade away."

Tommy had heard the two boys were hurt and found them where their keepers had dumped them, too exhausted to even eat their meager bowls of gruel. Having been strapped in a bent position all day. Sen could not even straighten up and Li's legs simply didn't function any more after peddling the pump contraption all day. Sen lay in a bent position, crying softly while Li lay on his back, mute and expressionless… both conditions he had been in since his parents' deaths and his and his twin's enslavement months ago.

He rubbed Sen's back and helped the little boy sit up. Taking him by the hand and carrying Li, he led them over to a table and bench where their food awaited them. He had to feed Li who sat unmoving and expressionless. When they were finished he carried Li over to the pallet the two shared and helped them lie down for the night.

Later that night, after all was quiet, Tommy roused them and, again carrying Li, led them out of the slave area and along passageways in the staff area until they came to a door. Assuring himself no one was about, he opened the door and ushered them in.

On the far side of the dimly lit room was a whirlpool for the use of the custodial staff. He lifted them into the warm water, shucked his shorts, crawled in with them and started the whirlpool.

The warm water immediately relaxed Sen, who lay back in the water with an expression of pure bliss. Tommy held Li on his lap and massaged his legs until he could stand again, but Li maintained a perfectly blank expression.

Suddenly, they were spotlighted by a night custodian's flashlight, and froze. "Oh, it's just you," said a gruff voice. "Just don't make a lot of noise, so I can forget what I saw here." The light disappeared and Tommy heaved a sigh of relief and went back to stimulating Li's legs.

When he judged they had had enough, he lifted them out, dried them off and led them back to their own area. Li was at least able to walk the distance.

"Why don't you spend the night with me," he whispered to them. The three of them crawled onto Tommy's pallet and he snuggled down between them.

With two naked boys lying against him, Tommy quickly sprang a raging hardon, which Sen quickly discovered. Giggling, he began to fondle the teen. Tommy couldn't believe how good it felt!

"You like?" asked Sen.

Tommy nodded dumbly.

"I like make you feel real good." And, before Tommy could realize what was happening, he felt a mouth clamped around his aroused prick. With lips and tongue – he had obviously done this before – he quickly brought Tommy to his peak, swallowing every bit of Tommy's cream as he moaned softly.

"You like?"

"Very much, Sen," gasped the teen as he floated back to earth. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Father teach us before he sell us," giggled Sen. He say make man feel real good."

"Well, turn-about is only fair," replied Tommy. Sliding down on the pallet, he took Sen's little hardon into his mouth. He had had lots of experience over the years and soon the little boy was gasping his way through his dry orgasm, cooing like a baby.

Tommy rolled over and started to slide up again, but was startled to feel another hard prick probing his mouth from the other side. He stopped, engulfed Li's joy stick, and soon drove him over the top.

"Thank you!"

Those words, whispered from Li's side of the bed, were the first the little boy had spoken in over a year.

The Slave Zoo continued to pack in the crowds. The citizens were obviously interested in seeing little boys abused.

To everyone's absolute amazement, however, the Tax Court found for the plaintiff! They ruled the Slave Zoo was not an educational enterprise, but a carefully disguised business whose primary activity was buying and selling salves. As such, they were taxable. The Fortnum group was assessed back taxes from the time construction began plus entertainment taxes on each admission plus a huge penalty for misrepresentation and failure to pay when due.

A week later, the Slave Zoo went into receivership and ceased operation! Most of the management team fled when the Court held Fortnum liable for maintaining all the slaves until the business could be liquidated. The ongoing expense for caring for several hundred slaves and staff was substantial and almost drove Fortnum itself into receivership.

The morning following the bankruptcy announcement, John was summoned to the office of the Chief Law Lord, Sir John Roberts. They had been long-time adversaries and John couldn't imagine what Roberts wanted with him. At his last foray Roberts had treated him with contempt, but John remembered he had given him what turned out to be the key to saving Tristan Weathers.

But one did not ignore the Chief Law Lord, so John presented himself at the appointed hour.

Roberts was demonstrably more cordial this time. "Thank you for coming, John."

John acknowledged his greeting and Roberts continued, "I expect I did not treat you with the courtesy you deserved during our last meeting and I am sorry for that. I hope you remember I did supply you with some indirect assistance in the matter of Tristan Weathers. My people tell me he is doing well."

"But you do-gooders have put one over on us and I find myself in need of a return favor from you."

John didn't like where he thought this might be heading, but offered no objection.

Roberts didn't keep him guessing long. "The bankruptcy and closing of the Slave Zoo has caused no end of embarrassment to the Government, indeed, to all of British North America. The only solution is to liquidate the whole operation as soon as possible in a manner that won't bankrupt British North America. The Terms of Receivership places the financial burden on Fortnum and Mason, but their resources are not unlimited. The longer this goes on, the more the public will loose faith in our ability to govern ourselves without 'nanny' England."

John had to admit he was right. There was a lot at stake.

"For reasons which are obvious – many of my colleagues hold stock in the Fortnum Group – any member of my party appointed to be the Receiver would be seen by almost everyone as a whitewash." He paused, giving John time to mull over that truth. "I am asking… no, I am begging… you to take on the task."

John was flabbergasted! "You and I have been political adversaries for decades. Why, of all people, would you choose me and why should I agree?"

"Because you love your country, imperfect as it is."

That set John back a bit and what Roberts said next rocked John to his core.

"John, despite our numerous acrimonious battles, I have always, without exception, considered you a person of great integrity. Honest to a fault, completely dedicated to your vision, however naive I might think it, of what the British Empire might be. Truly John, we could use a multitude of persons like you and Ruth and maybe we might some day approach your vision. But, I doubt it."

"I am forced to admit you and Ruth have made me question some of my own beliefs about slavery… at least a tiny bit. Your own sons… I know Lucas was a slave… seem to… Well, I hope you get my meaning."

John thought to himself, "Is he the greatest con artist since Madorf, or does he really mean it? I think he might just be on the level with me." Suddenly realizing what a priceless opportunity was being offered him, he replied, "Lord John, I will consider you proposal very carefully, but I must, of course, discuss it with Ruth."

"I understand completely. May I hear from you in a few days?"

"By tomorrow, latest."

The Law Lord nodded,"Thank you for coming in."

John wasn't quite sure how he made it home in one piece; such were the millions of thoughts streaming through his mind.

Ruth had been feeling poorly of late, but when he told her what Roberts had offered him, she immediately embraced it. In fact, he had not seen her so excited and full of life for many months. "John, this is what we have been hoping for. The chance to demonstrate our cause with numbers of kids." And she threw herself into his arms, almost like a young bride.

Returning to the Law Lord the next morning, John accepted his proposal with two conditions:

He, and he alone, would decide how the slaves would be disposed of.

He must have both the power and funds necessary to care for the slaves until liquidation was complete.

John felt about nine feet [2.75 m] tall as he left to go to the Zoo. He called Ruth and asked her to meet him there. They arrived at the same time. The gate was untended and they entered and went into the building marked 'Administration'. Finding the office of the General Manager, they went in and John confronted the person behind the desk, August Marsh whom he had met several weeks earlier during the incident with Danny Livingston.

"What can I do for you?" asked Marsh, eying John and Ruth nervously.

"I need to see the person in charge of this place," answered John calmly.

"Well, the Managing Director and the three Program Managers have all fled back to England leaving me to face the music, so I guess I'm your man. I'm August Marsh and I seem to remember you from some place."

"I'm sure you do. I'm Sir John Davidson and this is my wife, Dame Ruth Davidson. These papers will explain why we are here," and he handed Marsh the court warrant.

Marsh studied the papers for a moment and finally replied, "Well, Sir John, I guess you are now my boss. Just what is our relationship to the Fortnum Group?"

"As of this moment, none," replied John. "Fortnum is required to fully fund this operation until it is liquidated, but that is all. In effect, I own the entire thing including all the slaves. My charter is to sell everything, including them, as soon as possible. But, it should be fairly obvious the Zoo will have to care for the children enslaved here for some time, so I will need to retain both you and most of your staff. I hope I can count on full cooperation of all of you. The court expects nothing less."

"Yesser!" replied Marsh. "I understand! But, please be aware this may, will be, be quite a change for us."

"First off, how many slaves do you have?"

"One-hundred twenty-two 'performers', age six to twelve, and thirty-two 'attendants', age fourteen to seventeen. Plus forty-four custodial staff."

'Fine. I want to address all the slaves and your staff, so please assemble them somewhere," directed John.

"Sir, do you think that is wise?" stammered Marsh.

"Please do as I ask," replied John.

"Right! We'll meet in the Slave Commons. Give me twenty minutes to gather them."

"You have ten!" countered John. Marsh left on a run.

While he was gone, John and Ruth conferred together. "I think your idea to meet everyone at once was good," said Ruth. "It will give us a chance to see how the staff interacts with the slaves and what kind of shape they are in."

"Yes, and everyone will hear the same story about what the future holds," replied her husband. "We should be able to sort out the staff we want to keep and those we don't. I'll be counting on you to see if we need to bring in medical help. I suspect we do," he told her sadly.

"I'm afraid you're probably right," she agreed.

Marsh returned and led them to the Slave Commons.

Wen they entered the room, it was eerily quiet. The 'performers' and the 'attendants', were arranged in orderly rows on their knees, foreheads touching the floor, with the custodians standing at the back of the room, cradling their cattle prods. The 'performers' were all naked, the 'attendants' in tan and brown uniforms and the custodians in gray uniforms.

One of the 'performers' whose leg was in a cast was having a problem holding his position. A custodian walked up behind him and zapped his rear to quiet him. The boy squealed and buried his head in his arms.

Ruth turned white and John gritted his teeth.

"I want you all to sit up and listen closely to what I am going to tell you," John began. There was an immediate stir as heads came up, with shocked expressions. "Please sit up," repeated John, "and someone please help the young man with the leg cast." Gradually, the slaves all sat up and the room became quiet again. One of the 'attendants' crawled over to the injured boy and took him in his arms.

John began, "I am Sir John Davidson and this is my wife Dame Ruth. I am now the owner of the Slave Zoo, by order of the High Court." Some of the slaves and all of the staff wore expressions of shock; most of the young slaves simply reacted with 'so-what-else-is-new' expressions.

"I know all of you must be wondering what's going to happen now the Zoo is shut down. What I can promise you is that things are going to be very much better for you boys." Where and how many times had they all heard that before?

"Let's start out by assuring you that you are no longer 'performers' and 'attendants'. You are simply boys and leaders. You will find out why in a day or two." The slaves were puzzled by this, but uttered no sounds… the result of harsh training and discipline. The custodians stood in the background smirking; you could call the slaves whatever. They were still slaves.

"Before I continue, let's get another piece of business out of the way. You custodians! Come up here and deposit your prods in a pile."

There was immediate grumbling. "Do as he says!" snapped Marsh. "He's in charge, now. Any of you who want to contest that can find a job elsewhere."

The custodians did as they were told and returned to their places… all except the one who had zapped the child with the cast; John stopped him. "Why did you use your prod on that boy? Couldn't you see he was doing the best he could?"

"Well, he wasn't kneeling right for a slave. Anyway, why worry? He's just a slave."

"Have you ever had a cattle prod touched to any part of your body?" asked John.

"Well, no!" replied the astonished man.

John picked up one of the discarded prods and advanced on the man who backed away. "What's the matter? It's just a cattle prod. OK to use on defenseless little children." He threw the prod back on the pile and turned to Marsh. "I want this thug out of here, TODAY!"

Marsh nodded as the other custodians stood transfixed.

Turning to the boys once more and pointing to the pile, he declared. "No one will ever punish you again with one of these."

The entire room gasped.

Eying Marsh and the custodians, he told them, "These kids are here through no fault of their own, victims of an uncaring and brutal system. AND, BY GOD, THEY WILL BE TREATED WITH COMPASSION AND KINDNESS!" he thundered.

Turning back to the boys and leaders, he said, softly "I know you have been treated very badly and made to do all sorts things that were not much fun and often painful. I know you have often been starved and beaten. Well, THAT is over."

For the first time, there were hopeful expressions in his audience, even some of the custodians.

"The most important thing I have to tell each of you boys and leaders is this: I will personally find each one of you a family. A family that will love you and care for you and help you to live beyond the nightmare of your existence here. A family whose goal is to help you grow so that one day you may be free citizens of our great land."

Pandemonium erupted! "Did he really mean it?" The youngest boys had no idea what freedom was; they had been slaves since infancy. But their older peers joy was contagious and they joined in the celebration. Both John and Ruth observed almost all of the leaders and many of the custodians joined in.

After a few minutes, John raised his hands for quiet. "I need your help," he told them. "I need you boys to behave yourselves and you leaders to help them." To the custodians he said, "I need you to keep them safe and to help the process of healing. Treat them as if they were you own kids… which they are."

John and Marsh left and walked back to Marsh's office. "I want them all to have decent meals, not fancy, mind you, but things that growing boys like and need. Use custodians in the kitchen if you need to. We need to get them looking absolutely healthy so we can attract good families for them. By this time next week, I want them to have an ice-cream party."

Marsh blanched but nodded approvingly. This guy is nuts, but…

John had searched, in vain, for one particular little face in the crowd and he asked with sinking heart, "I didn't see Peter Harper in the crowd. He's still here I hope."

"Oh shit!" thought Marsh. "I did not include him in the meeting since he is being shipped out this afternoon," he told John

"Shipped out? To where?"

"To England. To a rich client who purchased him. We have a contract."

"All contracts are null and void," asserted John. "No child leaves here unless I give my express approval. Now where is he?"

"Come on! They're packing him now!"

They hurried to another room in which two workers from a firm called 'Advanced Shippers' labored over a coffin-like box. Peter was already strapped into it, naked, with a catheter in his penis and a breathing mask over his mouth and nose. The workmen were about to anesthetize him prior to closing the lid.

John gazed in at the little boy and saw a look of terror in his eyes far greater than he had ever seen before. "GET HIM OUT OF THERE!" he bellowed.

The startled workers looked at Marsh, who nodded, and began undoing their handiwork. In fury, John told Marsh, "Get these vermin and their equipment out of here permanently, before I have you all consigned to the fifth regions of hell!" The workmen didn't seem to want to test whether or not he could really do that.

A chastened Marsh followed John back to his office. "How could you be so cruel, so uncaring, to allow that? Have you no decency at all?"

The little man wilted before John's wrath. "I'm sorry, Sir. It was what I was instructed to do."

"Oh God," thought John, "is he going to use that sniveling excuse?" Stifling his anger, he directed Marsh, "I want to talk to Peter, privately, as soon as he is able."

"You can use one of the Interview Rooms in the Sales Pavilion right next door."

"I'll find my way there. Go and get him."

As soon as John and Marsh had left the Slave Commons, Ruth moved out among the boys. A few were frightened and curled in balls to protect themselves. But slowly a few hands reached out to her, touched her and drew back. She could see close-up the bruises, broken arms in casts, sutured wounds and welts that testified to the horrid abuse that had been inflicted upon them.

She saw hundreds of the telltale blisters left by cattle prods touching bare skin; most of them centered on the boys' nipples or genitals. "What kind of monsters ran this place?" she asked herself.

Most of them were thin – looking like victims of warfare – which they were. A warfare conducted by citizens of her own land upon its children.

As she reached the child with the leg cast, he reached out with both hands and she took him into her arms.

The dyke broke.

She was immediately engulfed by tide of bodies, large and small, who only wanted a simple hug, a pat on the head. They were so starved for adult affection and she realized there were upwards of one-hundred forty boys – yes, the leaders, too – who needed some serious mothering.

She spent the rest of the morning trying to comfort them all. Accompanying them to their lunch… it wasn't much, but it wasn't gruel, either… she even fed a few who were two overwrought to eat. By afternoon, the leaders had them a bit organized so she could spend a few moments with each child.

In bits and pieces she heard their stories and that of another child, Angel.

As she was able to understand it, many of the boys who were assigned to the displays had trouble with the horrid tasks they were expected to do. One of the Program Directors – a loud, overbearing woman – decided to make an example of one of them. "I'll show them what will happen to each one of them if they continue to defy me."

She took one of the youngest boys – his golden hair, flawless skin and innocence had earned him the name, 'Angel' – and hung him upside down with his legs stretched painfully apart. Forcing all the boys to watch, she made one of the teens whip him with a cat, all over his chest and front, but particularly his genitals.

Continuing long after the child had ceased to scream until his little boy parts were a bloody pulp, she shouted at the rest of them, "THIS IS WHAT EACH OF YOU CAN EXPECT IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD!" She stalked out of the room, leaving the child hanging.

The teen, who had been wielding the whip, threw it down and ran immediately to the bleeding child and removed him from the rack. Everyone else was too terrorized to move. Holding the child in his arms, he sank to the floor with him.

Angel was dead!

Even though that Program Director was immediately dismissed and sent back to England, the damage had been done. The Zoo now had completely traumatized performers who would do anything – anything at all even if it meant pain and injury – to keep from being whipped.

The Program Director who replaced her was no improvement. It was she who introduced the cattle prods as both an implement of control and an instrument of punishment.

"No wonder they were frightened of me," Ruth told herself.

Her last 'patient' of that day was one of the Leaders, a gangly seventeen-year-old named Justin, who simply folded himself into her lap and began crying like a baby. Not for himself, but for all the little ones he had been forced to abuse for so long.

"I want to die!" he wailed. "I'm not fit to live!"

"I killed Angel! She said she would whip me if I didn't do as she said. I started to refuse, but then she said she would whip all the boys if I didn't…" he blubbered. "But I killed him! I'm a murderer and I want to die!" he shrieked.

Ruth was completely unprepared for this, but she managed to pull her thoughts together. Waiting until Justin had subsided into sobs, she told him, "Death is not an option. The only way to end your torment is to be strong and help us end this nightmare you have all been living in. That's what Angel would have wanted, isn't it?"

He nodded miserably.

Taking a risk, she went on softly, "The boys have forgiven you, haven't they?"

He nodded again.

"Well, I forgive you too. And so does Angel. You had no choice and what you did saved a lot of others the same fate as him. You were brave and you cared. We need your bravery and compassion."

A glimmer of hope began to soften his face. "Thank you, Mistress! Maybe I can forgive myself. Maybe I can help." And he went on to become one of the 'Nine'.

But Ruth knew the task of healing which lay ahead was more than she alone could handle. She would need help, lots of it.

While Ruth was busy comforting the masses, John sat in the Interview Room, trying to get his emotions under control once more as he waited for Peter. "How can I face that innocent, frightened little boy after what they just did to him?" he asked himself.

Marsh arrived with Peter, led him over to John and withdrew.

Peter stood in front of John, shaking violently and almost incoherent. John held out his arms, "Come here, Petey," and the little boy collapsed into them, crying hysterically. It was ten minutes before he could sit up, still sobbing a bit, and look at John.

"How did you know my name? Everyone here calls me Peter. Only my little sister calls me Petey and she…" He couldn't go on.

"Peter."

"You may call me Petey," interrupted the little boy. At that, John almost 'lost it'. The little guy still had some trust in his heart despite the nightmare he had just been through. "Petey, my name is Sir John Davidson and I was there visiting when your family sold you and I was very sad for you and for them. I saw a very loving and very brave little boy who sacrificed himself to save his family. Now, I want you to be equally brave and tell me how your family came to sell you. Can you do that?"

The youngster nodded, gathered his thoughts and began. "My dad was an accountant for a lady and he and Mom and my sister, Lori, and I were very happy. We had a nice house and I went to school and Mom made all sorts of good things to eat."

"But one day, the lady accused Dad of some really bad things and he lost his job. After that, no one would hire him. But he didn't do those things, Sir John, I know he didn't. The lady told lies about him." He had to pause a moment to dry his tears again with John's soaked handkerchief.

"We had to move out of our house and food was scarce. We had no money. I watched poor Lori begin to starve. I couldn't stand that! They said 'no' at first, but I finally convinced Mom and Dad to sell me so they wouldn't starve."

"I soon found out it was not the way the salesman said it would be, but it was too late. At least they had some money again."

"And then, they said they were going to send me to England in that b-b-b-box!" That statement set off another ten minutes of sobbing and crying, as John cuddled and hugged the boy.

"Thank you for telling me, Petey. That was very, very brave. I want you to go back to the rest of the boys, now. I'll come and see you tomorrow, I promise."

Peter hugged him once more and left, as Marsh entered the room. "You're going to send him home, aren't you?" he asked softly, his voice cracking with emotion.

John was aghast and angry. "You spied on us, you rotten sneak!"

"Please, Sir John, hear me out," Marsh begged. "I had to find out if you were really genuine. So many people have come here with grandiose offers of help, and they were frauds! We sold kids to known child abusers, something I will never forgive myself for. But you and Dame Ruth are different. You really want to help these poor little waifs. I had to know that so I could believe once more."

"I didn't want this job. But Fortnum insisted. They threatened my family if I didn't take it and do what they wanted no matter how depraved. I don't know what will happen when this is all over, but I pledge to you that I will do anything I can, anything you wish, to help bring this abomination to a close."

John's heart was warmed. He had misjudged the man! "August," he said, "when this is over, I will bring your family to North America if you wish. In the meantime, I have a friend pretty high up named Harry who will look after your family."

"You and Prince Harry are friends?" asked the astonished man.

"Yes, and now I want to talk to Tommy Angers. I think I better use your office."

"I'll be right back with him." And Marsh left on a run.

By the time John reached the office, a plainly excited teen waited on his knees for him. When John entered, Tommy bowed until his forehead touched the carpet. "Tommy, please get up. Don't ever bow to me like that again. If you do, I will be insulted."

"Thank you, master? May I speak?"

"I'm not your master, Tommy, and you may certainly speak. You may call me sir, but I hope you will treat me like a favorite uncle."

The boy rose and embraced John, not without a few tears. "Sir, this morning you gave us all the finest gift we have ever had."

"You gave us hope, something some of us have never had."

"I'm different here since I can hope for the end of my sentence, but that hope is for me, too. I just wanted you to know that."

"When you said that day you would try to help, I thought you meant well, but it wouldn't amount to anything. I'm so very ashamed I doubted you. Will you forgive me?"

John was moved! This boy was so like his Lucas; he, too, had been a slave, but full of compassion and courage, ready to take on the whole world for what he believed was right.

"Tommy, I will always forgive you, but how could you have felt any differently after they way you have been treated. By the way, you alluded to something else that afternoon. You said you thought they were going to breed you. Did they? Did you?"

"Yes, they made me give them sperm four times."

"I will see that it is destroyed, if I can. When you are ready to bring forth new life, it will be your decision, not someone else."

"Thank you, Sir. That would mean a lot to me… and my dad."

"Tommy, I know you are hoping to go home to your dad soon. After all, you are included in my promise and I don't have to find you a good family and you could go tomorrow. But I need your help. And all the other Leaders, too.

"Finding good and worthy families for all these kids – and you older boys, too – is going to take some time. I need all of you to take care of the boys while this plays out."

"You're right, Sir. I was hoping to go soon. But I can wait. I feel so honored you want my help. I will do anything you need me to no matter how long it takes."

"I knew I could count on you," John said. "You guys will have a hard task; getting these abused kids to trust you and, hopefully, trust adults again. I know you had to punish them – most of the time unjustly – and that makes the job still harder."

"First, I would like your opinion on something important. Are there any of the Leaders who are not suitable to help with the kids. And, also, are there any of the custodians we should get rid of? I know that is putting a lot of pressure on you, but I am convinced I can trust your judgment."

"We need to get rid of the 'bad apples' before we can do anything else, so think about it today and give me your list tomorrow."

"Wow!" exclaimed Tommy. "You don't want much, do you? That's a pretty big order!"

"Well, I have no doubt you'll do fine. But, you haven't heard the rest of it."

"There's more!" squeaked the boy.

"Yes, I want you to divide the boys into teams of about twelve to fifteen. Each team is to have a designated Leader and a couple of other of you guys to help. I want each team leader to understand he is responsible for the life and well-being of each boy on his team."

"The team leaders are to take their direction from you. Don't worry about what the teams are going to do. We'll work that out tomorrow."

"You must think I am some kind of miracle-worker," said a completely flabbergasted teen.

"Tommy, you are a miracle. In ways you have never dreamed of. Now, off with you! I have things to do, too."

Somehow, cuddling and making love to Sen and Li that evening was more exciting than ever before, despite the thousands of thoughts that raced thru Tommy's mind.

That night at home, John and Ruth talked long into the night, too keyed up to even eat supper.

"The kids need a lot of medical help," she told John. "I didn't spot anything life threatening, but they need a lot of attention before we can even begin to place them. And a lot of emotional therapy, too. Most of them are frightened out of their wits, and so starved for affection just a hug nearly overwhelmed them. Strangely, though, I think many of them understood what you promised to do. They may not have much of a clue to what being part of a family means, but they remember enough to know that it will be good."

"Anyway, I called Alan Jacoby this afternoon and he promised to have a full medical team and a whole squad of pediatric nurses on site tomorrow and for as long as they are needed."

"Bravo, my love! That's wonderful!" he told her. "You're so right about getting them in shape. They're so thin it's pathetic. I've got Marsh scrambling for food and other things. We may have misjudged him. He told me how he got into this mess and I'm now inclined to give him the chance to show us what he truly is made of."

He told her about Tommy and what he had given the lad to do. "He is so like our Lucas at that age, it is unbelievable. Even runs off at the mouth a bit." He paused, "You don't suppose…? No, I guess not."

He told her also about his session with Petey and his plans for the child. "We blew it, that day. I should have stepped in. Rupert Gann assures me there was no truth to the embezzlement charges surrounding his father; it was a case of a woman spurned. And David Claasen is willing to give him a job. I'm planning to take him home tomorrow."

"Oh John, I wish I could be with you, but the other little boys need me so desperately."

"I wish you could, too dear. But I understand."

Meanwhile, the young object of John's concern lay with his friend Juan trying to understand what had happened that day. While each of the boys had his own pallet, many of them slept with a 'friend'. Juan, although the same age as Peter, was so small he looked like a six-year-old. And the life of privation they all led was not helping him grow, either.

Juan and Peter had become close friends and constant bedmates. He had been the one who tried to help Peter adjust to his new life as a slave.

"Peter, where were you today? They told me you were gone? I was so sad," said Peter's bedmate.

"Juan, they put me in a box," sobbed the boy, "and said I had been bought by a rich man in England. They put a thing up my pee-pee. It HURT! They were ready to put the lid on when a man came and told them to stop. I was so scared!"

"Wow!" breathed his partner.

"And then that same man talked to me. He asked all kinds of questions about my family, how I became a slave. And he said I had been very brave."

"Do you think he is your new master?"

"I don't know. I just know I'm frightened. Being here with you is the only thing I want just now."

"Do you think maybe the man will send you back to your family?"

"No! They can't afford to keep me. That's why I'm here," cried Peter.

Juan began to caress his friend and slowly Peter stopped crying and returned the favor. Hands found their respective genitals and they slowly drifted off to sleep, fists clutching each others pricks.

The next thing they knew, they were being shaken awake by a persistent Tommy. "Come on, lazy boys! You've missed breakfast. Everyone else is up. Get your showers, NOW!" he commanded.

The warm water helped restore both boys and they emerged spotlessly clean.

"Juan, off to the common area with the other boys. Peter, you're to come with me. Sir John wants to see you."

"That's the man who promised us each a good home," exclaimed Juan.

"I think you may be leaving here today, so say your goodbyes," suggested Tommy.

The two boys fell into each others arms and hugged. "I will miss you terrible, Juan."

"And I will miss you, too, Peter! Maybe our new families will let us visit sometime."

"Oh I hope so." He turned to Tommy and asked, "Do you know where they are sending me?"

"I think so," Tommy answered, "but I'm not supposed to tell you. He wants to tell you. But, don't worry. If I'm right, you will be very happy. Here, put on these shorts. They're way too big, but they were all I could find."

Taking Tommy's hand, Peter went off to confront new terrors… he supposed nothing could be as bad as yesterday had been.

Tommy had been ready with his lists and by noon, twenty of the 'Custodians' were gone. By the end of the week, seven teens – bullies – would be learning the finer points of crop rotation and truck garden care at farms near the city.

John had commended him and then asked him to find some clothes for Peter Harper and bring him to the office.

"You're really going to take him home!" said the astonished boy. "Wow!"

"Well, I don't have to find a good home for him; he already has one. And I've arranged a job for his dad."

Tommy stood with his mouth open for a minute, his eyes shining, before running off to find Peter.

A few minutes later, Peter was standing before him dressed in a pair of ragged shorts that were much too big for him.

"It's all I could find," Tommy confessed. "I have the boys divided into eight teams and have appointed a Leader and two Assistants for each group."

"Great! What you need to do first is to try to help the medical team that will be on site starting this morning. When the doctors and nurses aren't with them, play games with them or read to them. Just keep them busy and out of mischief. And see that they get their meals and a rest after lunch. We'll talk more about a program for them after I finish with Peter."

"Yesser, yesser, oh slave driver," quipped Tommy, turning to leave.

"Just a minute, my young slave," cautioned John. "You better learn to control your tongue and show me some respect. If you don't, I might just send you to England in one of those boxes."

Tommy whirled and faced him with a look of complete fright on his face. "You really wouldn't do that, would you sir?" he gasped.

John let him stew for a minute.

"No, Tommy, I wouldn't. But you need to control your tongue. I won't stand for disrespect from you or anyone else."

"Please, Sir," he said bowing his head. "You're right. I was mouthy. It's a bad habit I have. I hate myself when I do that, but sometimes it just slips out. Will you forgive me? I promise to try hard."

"Lucas in spades," thought John. To Tommy he said, "I know you will and, yes, I forgive you. If it's any comfort, my son Lucas had the same problem when he was your age, but he struggled hard and outgrew it. Maybe it's a consequence of his having been a slave, too."

"Anyway, off with you. The boys need you and Peter and I have some business to attend to."

Peter had watched the exchange between them with mounting puzzlement and anxiety. "You do like him, don't you Sir?"

"He's a fine young man," answered John. "Just like another fine young man standing here."

Peter blushed. "Well, I like him, too. And so do all the other boys. You made him our leader and that's great. But why did you send for me? Tommy says I might be leaving here today. Where am I going?" he asked with increasing concern.

John took the little boy in his arms. "Petey, you're going home, back to your family."

Petey stared at him with shock.

"But how? How can? Oh! Oh!" he gasped.

"Petey, I said I would find each of you a loving family. I certainly didn't have to look very hard in your case."

"But they can't afford to keep me!"

"Yes they will. I found a job for your dad. He can start Monday. Your family will have enough money to start over."

"Oh! Oh!" was all the little boy could manage to gasp for a moment. "But why did you pick me to go first, Sir. There are lots of boys who have been here much longer than me. They deserve to go first. I'm not special."

"Petey, you are special, even if you don't think so. A special boy who gave up his freedom to save his family. If that's not special, I don't know what is. You have been brave and loving through this horrible experience. That deserves to be rewarded."

"Oh, Sir!" and he began to weep tears of joy.

John had managed to unearth one of Lucas's old slave tags and he told Peter, "Here, put this on. We have to obey the law even if you are going home." Taking him by the hand, he led him out of the Zoo as a slave… forever.

On their way to where Peter's family now lived, John took a detour and pulled up in front of 'BOYS 'R US', a well-known boys' clothing store. "We need to get you some new clothing," he told the boy. "Can't have you going home looking like a ragamuffin."

Peter wasn't sure what that was, but trusted John; no he didn't want to see his family again looking like whatever that was.

They entered and were greeted by the owner, Bill Sanders.

"Sir John! What a surprise! Haven't seen you in a long time. Guess your boys have all grown out of my stuff. What can I do for you? Is this one of the boys from…?"

"Yes, this is Peter. He's going home today."

"That's wonderful! You know, I heard you were involved in shutting down the Zoo and I said to myself, 'Bill, how can you help this old friend?' I was going to call you with an idea. But, let's take care of your little friend, here. Can't have him going home looking like a ragamuffin."

"There was that word again," thought Petey. He definitely did not want to be a ragamuffin.

"Peter," said Bill, "you go and pick out an outfit you like… anything in the store. The clerk will help you get the right size. And don't forget shoes, sox and underwear. Go ahead now." To John he said, "Put away your money. This is on me."

"That's very kind of you," John replied.

"That brings me to my idea. You're going to find a family for each of these kids, right? And each one will need clothes, right? So I want to give each one a complete outfit. I've made a lot of money selling clothes to rich folks; it's high time I gave something back."

"That is wonderful!" said a surprised John. "Thank you so much. I suspect a lot of the families we choose won't have a lot of money, so that will help them get started."

"Ok! Tell you what else," added Bill. "When you send the family here, let me know if they need help and I'll sell to them at cost. Guess I'll have to get a few slave markings."

John was simply astounded at Bill's generosity. "High time I started being the kind of person my mom always wanted me to be," he told John.

Just then, Petey emerged from the fitting room, resplendent in blue jeans, western shirt and boots… no surprise there.

"You look great!" Bill told him. "But wait a minute. It's not complete." Going to a rack that held belts, he chose one with a huge buckle and put it on him. "One more thing," he told Peter. Choosing a western hat from the display, he plunked it on his head. "Now you're set!"

Peter threw his arms around the startled man and hugged him for all he was worth.

Back in the car, Peter was overwhelmed. "All this for me?"

"I don't think it will fit your dad," chuckled John.

They pulled up before a tiny row house in a very poor neighborhood. While many of the houses along the block were strewn with trash, this one was neat. A little girl sat sadly on the stoop.

"There's Lori!" exclaimed Peter. But before he could jump out of the car, a woman emerged from the house, scooped up the child, ran back into the house with her and slammed the door.

"I think we may have frightened your mom, Petey. I'd better go in first. You wait here 'til I call you."

Peter nodded, but he was so excited he could hardly sit still. John got out, walked up to the front door and knocked.

"Who is it? Go away!"

"My name is Sir John Davidson and I have news about your son, Peter."

The door was flung open and there stood Samuel Harper, Peter's dad. "What's the matter? Is he all right? Why are you here?"

"May I come in?"

Samuel retreated and John entered. Ester, Peter's mother, was sitting on a ramshackle chair holding Lori on her lap. "Peter is quite all right," John assured them. He turned back to the car and called, "Petey!"

Peter jumped out of the car and ran up to the doorway where he stopped, looking at the shocked expressions on his parents' faces. For a moment, they did not know him.

But Lori did. Jumping down from her mother's lap she ran screaming to him and threw her arms around his waist. "PETEY! OH PETEY! YOU'VE COME BACK. I KNEW YOU WOULD! OH PETEY, I'VE MISSED YOU AWFUL! Still too much surprised to think clearly, his parents just sat and gawked at him.

Finally, Samuel found his voice, "You're his new master, aren't you? And you've brought him to see us before you take him away? How long can he stay?"

"No, Mr. Harper," explained John. "I am not Peter's master. And he's home to stay. He's your child again."

"But how? We can't! We can't afford to keep him! We don't have the money to pay for him!" wailed his mother.

"We can't feed him," agreed his distraught father.

"Well, I have good news for you all. Mr. Harper, you have a position with Claasen Accounting, Ltd. starting next Monday. The owner is an old friend and he will help you get back on your feet. I just wish I had known of your plight sooner and we could have avoided all this heartache. I have the papers with me that convey him to you. He is yours again."

Ester broke in, "Sir John, how can we ever repay you? How can we ever…?"

"Do you see that little boy hugging his sister… a little boy who bravely gave up his freedom to save his family… one who thinks there are more deserving kids than he? His and your happiness is all the payment that's required."

By this time the parents had gathered in both children and were in a frenzy of hugging.

"You must understand one thing, though," John told them after a few minutes. "Peter is still technically a slave, so, if you go outside the home, he must observe slave discipline. He can show you what that is. It's not hard."

"After a few weeks, when things have settled down, go to my solicitor, Henry Barrow, and he will help you prepare a petition for manumission. Peter will have to appear before the court naked and in chains, but it's all symbolic. After that, he'll be a free boy again."

It took the family a few minutes to get over that. John handed them Peter's papers along with two one-hundred pound notes. "I know you will need some new clothes to start your job, Mr. Harper. Consider it a payment for the services Peter performed for the Zoo."

And he bade them goodbye. Peter ran over to him with arms outstretched and John scooped him into his arms. "Goodbye, Sir John. I will always be your friend! I will always remember you and what you did for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"It's always good to have friends like you, Petey."

Samuel followed John out to his car. How can I ever thank you enough, Sir John?"

"Just be a good father to him. I know you will."

When John arrived back at the Zoo, he peeked in a moment at the 'medical ward' and saw the controlled bedlam there. Both Ruth and Tommy waived to him, but were far too busy to stop and talk. Ruth was applying burn salve to a child's backside and Tommy was holding a crying, squirming boy as the nurse examined him.

He walked back to the office, where Marsh met him with exciting good news. "Do you remember my saying that some groups had come here and tried to interfere with our operation? Well, the nuns from St Catherine's kept coming back. I'm afraid our Managing Director treated them rather shabbily; he even had them arrested."

"I wasn't sure what kind of reception I would get, but I went to see them. Mother Superior welcomed me and made an offer I couldn't refuse. She told me their lay teachers are finished until September and have volunteered to set up a program of activities for our boys to run until that time. I accepted. I hope you approve."

"Approve? I couldn't be happier! That is a great Idea!"

"Well, you understand, I'll need some help keeping this place from falling apart. If each of the teams can work one day a week on whatever needs to be done, I think we can keep the property looking attractive for a buyer."

"Sounds like you have a plan. Get Tommy Angers to help you with the teams."

That night he listened eagerly while Ruth recounted her day. "There's so many small injuries that need attention. And a few big ones. Alan reset a few broken arms and there's one boy who has a serious bladder infection; his boy parts are a mess from cattle prod discipline. I gave him permission to hospitalize the boy until they can get the infection controlled. Aside from that, a lot of hugging, soothing and body comfort. These poor, dear children! How could anybody have been so cruel to treat them that way, slave or not!"

"I know, dear. We've seen it before." And he told her about his visit to the Harpers and Marsh's plan for summer programs for the kids. "My word! We're running a summer camp," she chuckled.

The next morning, he asked Tommy, "How would you like to visit your dad, today?" The boy danced around the office like a two-year-old. "I take it that means, 'Yes'. Just remember, you are still a slave and must be under slave discipline. I'll have one of the custodians drive you."

Tommy left with his mouth still open from shock.

For the next several weeks, things moved along. The medical team continued to work miracles, the summer program was a huge success and they would soon be ready to begin placing the boys.

On a Friday morning, John said to Tommy, "You know, you have worked very hard these past couple of weeks and I think you deserve another reward. Your visit to your dad the other week was a great success, wasn't it? How would you like to spend the weekend?"

"Oh, Sir John. That would be super!" and then he grew serious again. "Is this unworthy slave permitted to ask another favor?"

"What's this 'unworthy slave' bit? And yes, you may ask."

"Well, that's what they taught us to say. I'm really very fond of two of the boys and…"

"You mean Sen and Li?"

"How did you know?"

"I'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind to miss how you look at them. And how they just adore you. I think it's more than fondness, isn't it."

"Yes," Tommy admitted. "I love them both, more than anyone else except my dad."

John looked down at the pleading boy, "You know you're going to have to give them up when we find a family for them."

"That's what I wanted to ask," said Tommy, starting to tear up. "Do you think Dad and I could? Maybe we could? Purchase them? Maybe?"

"What does your dad think of that idea?"

"He doesn't know about them yet. Can I take them along this weekend so he can get to know them? Please, please, Sir John. I want them to be part of our family more than anything else in my life. Even more than my freedom!"

"They've had a terribly cruel time here. I'm just getting Li to say a few words now and then. And I've had them in the whirlpool almost every night. I think their backs and legs are finally starting to come around. They mean everything to me." By this time he was crying openly.

John sighed. He should have seen this coming. It was just like the time Lucas had tried to convince Ruth and him that the Twins would be his and Cody's sons. "Let's see what your dad has to say. Please bring him along when you come back Monday morning. I'd like to meet him. Guess we'll have three less persons on campus this weekend. I guess the fact they don't have any clothes won't hinder you."

Tommy's shout of joy and his hug nearly knocked John off his feet.

Monday morning, the four of them were in John's office bright and early. He sent Sen and Li off to their programs and Tommy to his duties, and sat down to talk to Gene Angers. "Thanks for coming."

"You know, you have a remarkable son. Most boys in his situation would be terribly bitter, angry at everyone. But he's not! He just says, 'Ok. It's not fair, but I'll just try to make the best of it.' He's a lot like my son Lucas who came from a terrible background, was enslaved, but didn't let it destroy him. He is the most positive young teen I have ever seen."

"Yeah and I've been a terrible father to him," replied Angers. "When Tommy's mother died, I just kind of gave up on life. I'm a landscape architect and I let the business almost die. I didn't pay much attention to Tommy. Didn't know he was in trouble until they took him away. One more blow!"

"I just keep waiting for his term to be up. I keep hoping we can get back together again, but I realize he won't be my little boy any more. He'll be a grown man and maybe he won't want me. At least that's what I thought until this weekend."

"This past weekend is the first time I have felt truly happy for a long time. There's at last a light at the end of a very long tunnel."

"What did you think of the two little ones?"

"Oh, Sir John, I can't begin to explain how I feel. When Tommy told me what they suffered here, I cried like I haven't since my wife died. If there is even a remote chance we could purchase them, I want to do it. Maybe I can make up for years of ignoring Tommy. I know it's something he wants more than anything."

John made his decision. "Yes, you may have them. Just understand it won't be for a while, yet. I will need Tommy until just about the end."

"That's the other thing I wanted to tell you about. You have been so good to Tommy. I want to help. I don't have many clients any more, so I can probably be here three or four day a week if you can use me."

"By all means, yes. We can use your skills. We need to keep this place attractive for potential buyers. Welcome aboard!"

So Gene Angers became part of the staff.

While the boys continued to recover, John, Ruth and Marsh discussed and formulated a plan for how they wanted to proceed. They finally came up with a program:

1. They would announce their offer of slaves to sell in the local press, stressing the kinds of families they would consider and ask them to send a written application.

2. John prepared a 'catalog' with each boy's picture and any information they had about the boy's background – precious little, in most cases. They all agreed that was a much better way for prospective families to see all the boys instead of constantly parading them in front of them all the time.

3. They would ask Rupert Gann, John's old friend at the Police Department, to vet each of the applicants to weed out any unsuitable ones.

4. Families who survived the 'vetting' would be invited, one-by-one, to visit and select a child from the 'catalog'. The family would then have the opportunity to observe the child in action with his team, before meeting him for the first time.

5. If all was well, the child would spend the next day visiting his prospective family.

6. If all was still ok, the family would pick up the child the next day and the adoption would be finalized.

And several of the boys did say no, having observed things they were not comfortable with. Things that the vetting process had missed. For the most part, the families completed the process with a very happy slave-boy firmly and lovingly part of their world.

John insisted, too, the price paid by the family for their new 'son' would be governed by the economic situation of the family.

On July 15th, a Sunday, the following announcement appeared in the local and regional press and on TV:

That morning, Tommy came rushing into John's office, breathlessly proclaiming, "Sir, Peter Harper and his father are here! He wants to return Peter!"

"No, I'm just kidding," confessed the smirking boy, "but they really are here and they want to purchase a slave."

"I figured you were just messing with me," chuckled John. "Please show them in."

Tommy led them in, and, at John's request, took a seat in the corner. He thought it would be useful for Tommy to observe.

"Welcome, Samuel and welcome to you, too, Petey," beamed John. "And look at you! You look wonderful!"

"Thank you, Sir John, and I'm a free boy again!" and he flung his arms around John and gave him a crushing hug.

Tommy sat up with a distressed look on his face. He jumped up, ran over to Peter and bowed low and said, "Please forgive me, Sir. I did not greet you properly as a slave should."

"Tommy," said a plainly shocked Peter, "You don't have to call me 'sir' or bow to me. You're my friend!"

"Yes he does", interrupted John. "He did what was proper by asking you to pardon him. You're a free boy and he's a slave. But I give you permission to release him from slave protocol."

"Please, Tommy! Get up and be my friend again. Any you may always call me Peter."

"Thank you, Peter," responded Tommy and he returned to his seat.

"How did your court hearing go?" John asked.

"It wasn't so bad," replied Peter. "I didn't much like standing there naked and Mom wasn't keen on Lori seeing me that way. I kept thinking about the times they put me in the Petting Zoo and all the free kids wanted to play with my boy parts and I kept getting a stiffy. It was pretty embarrassing! But, I made it and here I am."

"He certainly did, and he blushed such a pretty shade of red, just like he is now," added his father.

"Oh, Dad!" said a mortified Peter. And they all laughed.

"Well, my eager helper, here, tells me you want to buy a slave. I assume you have a particular one in mind."

"Yes," answered Peter. "It's Juan. He was my very best friend and I want him to be my brother!"

"Which team is he on?" John asked Marsh.

Marsh consulted his notebook, but Tommy replied, "He's on Justin's team. And they should be in the old Sales Building doing some craft work." Both John and Marsh were impressed with Tommy's knowledge of the teams and what they were doing at that moment.

"Well," John told Peter, "why don't you and Tommy go and get him, so your dad can meet him." And the two of them ran off to find Juan.

"John, we need to talk," said Samuel. "It's been an exciting and happy month for us all. The job is going well – David Claasen is a super person – and I couldn't be happier. Ester and Lori are just ecstatic. But we could tell something was bothering Peter. When he saw the announcement in the newspaper, he burst into tears and we finally got him to tell us what was wrong."

"The problem is, we don't have the money right now to buy a slave. We have enough to care for one, though. Could you kind-of save him for us?"

"Well, we don't have a 'lay-away' plan," replied John, winking at Marsh.

At that moment Tommy and Peter returned leading a very surprised Juan. Seeing Samuel, Juan immediately went to his position of respect.

"This is Juan," said Peter. "Juan, please stand up and meet my Dad."

"This humble slave is very honored to meet you, Sir."

"Peter, I was just telling your father, we don't have a lay-away plan. I can't save Juan for you." Peter's face was a pool of sorrow and regret. Samuel was holding his breath. "But we do have a 'no-money-down-and-pay-when-you-can' plan. Why don't you take Juan home with you today?"

Samuel, let out his breath, and the two boys shrieked and danced around the room, hugging each other, not exactly good slave discipline, but who was to care.

Samuel shook his head, "John, you are a saint!"

"Oh, Lord! Don't hang that on me yet."

Samuel Harper departed with two very happy little boys.

"Well, three down and one-hundred nineteen to go," John told Marsh.

"Three? Who else have you sold?"

"I forgot to tell you. I told Gene Angers he could have Sen and Li, when Tommy's time comes."

"I thought we didn't have a 'lay-away' plan?"

"Did I say that? I must have forgotten." And the three of them laughed uproariously.

Marsh left to do something else and John turned to Tommy. "Tommy, you handled yourself very well indeed today and I could not be more proud of you. If you weren't going back to your dad, I would adopt you in a minute. I want you to know, if ever your dad could no longer care for you, you would always have a home with Ruth and me and our boys."

Tommy sat with complete shock on his face. He finally found his tongue and through his tears, said, "Sir, I can't begin to tell you how honored I feel. I hope I never have to call upon you, but it is hugely good to feel you care for me so. You and Dame Ruth will always be close to my heart."

"I asked you to stay today," continued John, "because I wanted you to observe the interplay between the little boy and his new master. It won't always be that happy; there will seldom be a friend to smooth the path of acceptance. That's why it is so important for you and the other Leaders to help the boys understand what will happen. Some will be frightened. And you will need to comfort them. As some boys are chosen and leave, some of the ones who are left will feel rejected. But, promise them, their time will come. If you see some really bad feeling start, you need to tell Ruth."

"And you know I am always ready to listen to your concerns."

"Sir, I don't even begin to know how to thank you for the confidence you have in me. I think you have made a man out of me and Dad thinks so, too."

John smiled. "Why don't you check on your teams. I'd like to have a meeting of all the Leaders tomorrow right after breakfast. In the meantime…"

"Oh shit! What now?" thought Tommy.

Why don't you find Sen and Li and go have some fun with them?"

Tommy was completely floored for a minute. Then he grinned and dashed off to find his special boys.

The eight Team Leaders gathered the next morning as John had asked. As he and Ruth entered the room, all of them, including Tommy, bowed deeply.

"Thank you boys! I want to begin by telling you how much Ruth and I appreciate the respect and trust you have showed us. After what you were forced to do for so long, it is a mark of your strength of character that you can do so. And your efforts with the boys have been nothing short of spectacular. Please let your assistants know what I have said."

"You probably hope that the pace might be a little easier from this point on. Yes, as we begin to place the boys with their families, there will be fewer of them to deal with. But it won't be easier." And he went on to explain the program they had worked out.

"I'm sure the initial euphoria has worn off," John continued. "While all of them… and you, too… were thrilled with the idea of having their own family to love and care for them, as it becomes reality, all of you can't help feeling a bit scared – in some cases a lot scared. We have to count on you to help each boy understand the process and support them emotionally. And that will be tough!"

"And as some boys are placed and leave, the ones remaining may feel very rejected. 'Don't they like me? Didn't I measure up?' I have no miracle cures for you. Their time will come, too. It will take all the courage and compassion you and your helpers can muster. Remember, it is the boy's decision, in the end, the most important decision he will ever make. We may have a few of the boys who simply may not be able to cope. Ruth and I will try to help in any way we can. And, when your time comes, we want you to leave here with pride in what we've been able to do for these kids and excitement for your own futures."

He went over the procedures again and then called for questions.

Justin spoke up, "Sir, the boys on my team have really become close friends." The others nodded their agreement. "I'm sure, Sir, they will ask if they will ever see each other again once they leave here."

Both John and Ruth were caught off guard. John turned to her, "We never thought about that!"

It didn't take but a second until Ruth had the answer.

"Justin, that is a very good question. We will stress to each family the importance of their new slave being able to maintain contact with his friends in other families."

"When our sons were young, one of them was still a slave." The group gasped.

"Both Cody and Lucas – but particularly Lucas who was the slave – needed to be with and feel comfortable with families like our own who also had young slaves. Each summer we had a giant family picnic at the beach, probably seventy-five or eighty families and hundreds of kids, slave and free. It seemed like hundred more from the amount of food they ate." A laugh from the group.

"Each family contributed toward the gathering. Slave discipline was completely suspended and everyone had a great time. The gathering still takes place, although the original kids are all grown and off to college and jobs. I'll bet we could count on the Harpers to organize such an effort and I'll talk to them about it."

"Dame Ruth," said one of the other leaders, "You are a super lady!" There was general agreement from everyone – including John.

And so the great experiment began.

Many of the initial applications were obviously unsuitable and could be quickly discarded. But there was a fairly steady stream of good families and placements began with few of the problems they might have expected.

Ruth took charge of the whole operation with John helping whenever his other efforts permitted. He had to be concerned with disposing of the real estate, too. The Leaders did a marvelous job with the boys and Marsh managed quite well in a slowly shrinking environment. By the end of August, half the boys had been placed and were gone. St Catherine's continued to supply teachers to restart the boy's education.

But, John and Ruth were troubled by another problem. No one had bid on the older boys except one or two clearly exploitative groups. In a burst of intuition, John went to see His Eminence Reginald Talbot, Bishop of the West.

He was surprised and pleased to find that the Bishop's personal secretary was William Blackmun, a young curate whose family he and Ruth had helped years before. William greeted him warmly and ushered him into his boss's office.

"Welcome, Sir John," Talbot greeted him. "Blackie tells me you have need of my help with your extraordinary project. I assume the Sisters at St Catherine's are meeting your educational needs?"

"Quite well, Your Eminence," replied John. "They have been simply great."

"But I am faced with another serious setback. I have twenty-four young teens whom no one wants."

"That is, indeed, sad," acknowledged the Bishop. He was silent for a few minutes and then said, "And you want the Church to buy them."

"How did you…..?" John asked, completely startled.

"Well, Blackie might dispute this, but I didn't get to where I am by being thick-headed," laughed the Bishop. "Tell me why we need these boys of yours."

John managed to recover and went on, "The boys have truly learned the meaning of service. The have skills and patience that would help any organization. Surely, your smaller congregations might find a use for such a boy. They are quite willing to do manual labor if that is required. But all of them could qualify for many tasks. They are particularly good with children and would make fine teachers' aides. My interest is to find them a home where they can finish their education, contribute to society and, one day, stand as free citizens. It is entirely possible some could enter the ministry."

"I should caution you that they will not all be available immediately as they are key to continuing to provide a safe and wholesome environment for the younger boys. As we place them, however, we can begin releasing the older boys to you a few at a time."

"Reverend Father," interrupted his secretary, "Our Lord has said, 'Suffer the children to come unto Me.' How prophetic it would be if we bring these young men, still children, unto Mother Church."

Talbot studied John for a time and then simply said, "See to it, Blackie!"

Meeting with the older boys the next morning, John outlined the opportunity which had come their way. He emphasized that, just as the younger boys, they would have the same right of refusal and they would not be abandoned.

"Consider this," he told them. "You will have the opportunity for education and advancement, perform valuable service and you will soon be free persons. The man overseeing all this is Father William Blackmun, an old friend whose family was on the brink of selling their young slave in order to survive. He knows, as only one who has been a slave can, how much freedom beckons, and he and I are in complete agreement."

"Just think! You will have an entire congregation as your family."

After months of uncertainty, John's proposal, although different from their original expectations, represented a new and exciting life and they unanimously agreed to accept it. They returned to their remaining charges with new vigor.

As boys continued to be placed, several of the teams were consolidated and their team assistants were released and took up their new lives. By mid October, the number of boys left had dwindled to fifteen, and only Tommy and the eight Team Leaders were still in residence. The remaining boys were now transported to St Catherine's each day for school, so there really was not a need for all of the teens.

John seemed to be holding them back and they didn't understand why. Finally, he told them, with Gene Angers present.

"Some years ago, Ruth and I had the great good fortune to meet and get to know Prince Harry, and he has been a good and faithful friend ever since. When he heard about our project, he immediately asked how he could help. I had no idea for him at that time, but a month or so ago, I told him I had nine truly outstanding young men available. Did he know anyone in England who might be interested in them?"

"He took the hint."

"The Prince is prepared to offer each of you the opportunity to join the Royal Household." The silence was overwhelming.

One-by-one, they stood, came forward and hugged John. It was a huge opportunity. Only Gene and Tommy looked askance.

"The offer extends to you and Tommy, Gene." And he related his conversation with Harry.

"Well, one of the boys, my paramount Leader, will return to his father."

"Does his father have a profession?"

"Yes, he's a landscape architect. And a good one. He's been helping to keep this place attractive for potential buyers and you would never guess by its appearance that it was a slave den."

"We could certainly use some new ideas at Buckingham. I don't think there has been a new idea there in four centuries."

"But wait! They have taken two of the young boys and intend to adopt them."

"How old?"

"Ten-year-old twins."

"Splendid! Page material. We'll over winter them all at Balmoral so they can learn the proper protocols and they will be ready for London in the spring. When can I have them?"

"Well not quite yet. We still have some younger boys to place. I'll let you know."

Tommy looked at his dad, "Do you think?"

"Why not?" replied Gene. "The family business is shot. And your mother would have been so proud."

"And the little guys will be bouncing off the walls when we tell them," agreed Tommy.

The last boy was placed November 15th. And, on that same day, John sold the facility to the municipality who planned to develop the property as a community college. The price was nowhere near the fifteen million pounds that Fortnum had invested, The stockholders were furious and sacked most of Fortnum's senior management.

A few days later, August Marsh left for England, where he would serve as property manager for a reorganized firm. Fortnum and Mason, after the new managing director had an audience with the King, had quickly decided to get out of the slave business and concentrate on retailing.

But Harry had still another trick up his sleeve. He invited Ruth and John to accompany the party to their new home in Scotland, with a week's detour in the Crown Colony of Hawaii.

John was alarmed by the state of Ruth's health and feared they could not go. "What! And miss all the fun? Silly man!" Ruth told him firmly. But he did insist they return home after Hawaii instead of continuing round the world to Scotland.

It was a crisp December day when the Condor, piloted by Harry himself, took off from Pacific International. They would leave the Zoo behind forever. Most of the party had never flown before.

They had been airborne for just an hour, when the second officer came back to the luxurious cabin. :Which of you is Tommy?" he asked.

Tommy replied and the officer said, "His Royal Highness requests your presence on the flight deck." And he settled into one of the seats to catch a few winks.

Two hours later, Tommy came floating back to them. "I got to fly the plane," he announced with stars in his eyes.

"Is that why we bounced around so?" one of the other boys asked.

"The Prince says everyone will have a turn. See how well you do," he replied good-naturedly.

They landed at Hilo Air Base where helicopters whisked them off to the Royal Hawaiian Resort near Kailua-Kona. Harry confided to Ruth and John that he had been absolutely astounded by his time in the cockpit with Tommy. "He's quite a boy, everything you said he was. I thought you were exaggerating. And, My God, he is your Lucas to a fault, smart mouth and all. You don't suppose ?"

For the next week, they were simply tourists. While Harry, Gene and the boys swam, snorkeled, fished, went volcano watching, sailed and gorged upon seafood and other treats so long denied, Ruth and John were content to simply soak up the sun and rum swizzles. Rarely had he seen her so happy. Their extended 'family' could not finish expressing their love and admiration.

The last evening, Harry hosted a dress-up dinner at the Club. He had thoughtfully provided hand tailored outfits for each of his new minions, and Ruth and John appeared in their absolute best, too. "What a handsome group of young men," observed Ruth. She flirted with them shamelessly and they flirted right back, much to John and Gene's amusement. The whole party sat around a huge circle. With dinner finished, Prince Harry stood at the head of the circle. "Tommy, would you please come and kneel before me."

Tommy was startled, but did as he was asked. Harry placed his left hand on the boy's head and held his ceremonial sword aloft in his right hand, and spoke these ancient words:

He stood there a minute, completely at a loss for words… an unusual condition for this normally talkative teen. The words came slowly and full of passion, "I'm FREE! I'm free again." The applause was deafening as Tommy floated back to his place.

"My brother always liked to poke around in the archives," explained Harry. "He knows more about the trivia that has governed us for almost two millennia, than all the historians and lawyers put together. When I told him what I proposed to do with all of you – Ruth and John, are you sure you won't join us – he immediately located a proclamation from the fourteenth century that forbade a slave from being a member of the royal household. A slave could be a menial, but not a member of the household, eligible to receive titles and honors."

"To make sure all was in order, each prospective member had to go through the ritual I just performed on Tommy. He is now a free person and officially in service to the King. I'm sorry, Tommy, but I don't have any title or honor for you today, but I am confident they will come."

In turn, each of them, including Eugene Angers and Sen and Li, went forward, were absolved, whether they needed it or not, and pledged their fealty.

When it was Sen and Li's turn, they went together, holding hands and when it came time for them to affirm the choice that Tommy and Gene had made for them, Harry looked down at their glowing faces wet with tears of joy, knelt and enfolded them into his arms, and announced, "I think we can dispense with the oath of fealty as I believe these rascals are in complete agreement," Neither child probably understood what had happened to him at that moment, but they both knew their 'big brother' thought it was big deal, so it was fine with them.

"Does anyone here know how to get saltwater stains out of my tunic?" asked Harry.

As they were breaking up for the night, Justin approached Ruth and wrapped his long arms about her. "You were right, Dame Ruth. Death was not an option, it was the coward's option. The only true option was life. Since that day you have given me life and freedom and a purpose. My father ran away before I was born and my Mom died giving birth to me. I would like to believe she would have been just like you. I will never forget you, or Sir John, either and I will always be in your debt."

"The debt is canceled many times over," she told him softly. "You and the others will always the close to our hearts."

Then, he kissed her.

The flight homeward the next day was bittersweet. John and Ruth would say goodbye to faithful friends, young and old; and nine wonderful teens and two little boys would part from two much revered persons who were responsible for the new life they would begin as free subjects. All the young people had their turn in the cockpit, including Sen and Li. The little boys could have floated home without benefit of aircraft had they been permitted.

Ruth and John were safely delivered to hearth and home before the Condor began its long over-the-pole flight to Scotland.

With their tasks at the Zoo completed, John at last insisted Ruth see a doctor. She chose her old friend Alan Lombardy who promptly clapped her in the hospital for tests.

The next afternoon as John sat with her, the doctor came into the room looking devastated. "Ruth, I keep thinking about the time I told you astounding news… that your sons were twins. Oh how I wish I had that kind of news to tell you today."

She looked at the tears glistening in his eyes. "How bad is it Alan?"

"Very bad, Ruth. You have an inoperable tumor on your pelvis that has spread widely. We can give you radiation and chemo, but…"

"How long do I have?"

"I'd say a year at best."

Doctors are not supposed to get involved with their patients, but Alan was trying very hard to choke off tears. This was not just any patient; she was Ruth Diane Mott Davidson, Dame of the British Empire, a very old and cherished friend. Ruth, whose sons he loved as those which he had never had. Ruth, who had just finished saving the lives of more than a hundred young child slaves.

"Thank you, Alan. I'm glad you were the one to tell us. Your friendship has meant a lot to us over the years. I can imagine how helpless you must feel."

"Yes," Alan sighed, "You're certainly right about that. At least we can count on you having fairly good quality of life until just before the end. I know your boys are due home from Russia in a few days, and you would like to welcome them back without this hanging over your heads. Don't try to keep it from them. Cody will know immediately. I know they and the Twins are your life and they will be strong, just as strong as the two of you. I don't have to tell you how to love them in the time you have left, because I know you will."

They went home the next morning, to a house that seemed empty, but knowing it would be filled with joy in a few days.

"John," said Ruth, as they lay together the evening before the family was due, "if this was to be my last hurrah, what more fitting one could it have been. We saved one-hundred fifty-four boys; almost all will be free citizens one day. How could I ever ask for more?"

"You're right, my dear. But it seems so very sad to welcome our family home with such news."

"Hush, now. Don't go all googly on me. Tomorrow begins their time to tell us about their great adventure. Let's not take away from it by trying to tell them about the Zoo. Let it wait until later."

LATER!

Later!

That word would take on new meaning as John, the Boys, the Twins – indeed much of British North America – prepared to say farewell to this good and great woman.

The Condor dropped Cody, Lucas and the Twins at Pacific International Airport before continuing on to Colorado Springs with the Barton Boys. After clearing His Majesty's Customs, there was John waiting for them.

Despite the warm, enthusiastic greeting, Cody could tell immediately something was wrong. "What is it Dad?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

Chapter twenty-one
2031

One of the Members rose again and addressed the Speaker, "Mr. Speaker, I rise."

"For what purpose do you rise?"

"I rise to speak for HB2031-32, commonly know as the 'Dame Ruth Davidson Child Welfare Act."

"The Chair recognizes the Member from Colorado Springs and gives him leave to proceed."

"Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I proceed, may I introduce some guests in the visitor's gallery. Sir John Davidson, my father, my son Ronald and my grandsons, Sean and Liam. Also, my sons' lifemates, David and Thomas Barton. My brother and our other son are away on a mission of vital importance for the Empire."

"Honorable Members, Honored Guests and those who may be watching on television, today we are about to take a historic step! One that has been long, long overdue. One which will erase a blot from our land that has long stood in denial of our claims to be a great nation."

"I know the Honorable Members are well acquainted with the provisions of the Act, but I should like to briefly review its provisions for the benefit of those watching on television."

"The Act DOES NOT abolish slavery!"

"The Act seeks to make the practice of slavery into a humane and supportive one in our modern world and one which will serve the needs of all the citizens of our self-governing dominion under the British Empire."

"The Act establishes a Department of Child Welfare within the Ministry of Health and vests it with the responsibility for overseeing the health and well-being of ALL children, slave and free. Let me be clear, the Department of Slave Administration is removed from the Ministry of Justice and becomes a sub-department of the new Child Welfare Department."

"The most far-reaching provision of the Act is this: for the first time, ALL children, slave and free, are accorded the protections from injury and abuse heretofore enjoyed only by free children. For the first time, child slaves are granted full citizenship, subject to the discipline of their masters, and recognized as the precious resource they are, to be brought up and educated so that each may one day stand beside us as free subjects of our sovereign."

"As a people, we can have no claim to greatness if we continue to abuse and exploit young children who have committed no crime, have offended no one. Children whose families have been swept away by calamity, or whose parents have neglected them such that they can no longer care for them."

"Dame Ruth once confided to a colleague: 'I believe every child… rich or poor, slave or free… is a gift from God, who lends them to us to raise to His glory. They are His, not ours! And if we fail to provide a child with the opportunities to grow and become the best person he can… whether by poverty, neglect, indifference or avarice… we spit in God's eye.' Today, we will cease to spit in God's eye."

"Many of you are aware that I was once a Class Two Slave. A few of you probably wish I had remained so." A chorus of, "Hear, hear," filled the chamber.

"Enslavement of a dependent or neglected child still remains our best way to assure the child will be able to survive the calamity which caused their dependency by providing a structured home into which the child is placed. If the welfare of the child is given its due, the child will prosper and eventually the vast majority will become free subjects. Universal DNA registration will prevent a child's unnecessary enslavement when a blood relative can be located and is willing and able to assume the care of the child."

"My birth family was one that not only permitted every child to be physically and emotionally abused, but their religious dogma required it. Like every other child in my limited community, I was constantly starved and beaten bloody every day since infancy. Indeed, enslavement was a huge improvement, and I suspect there are all too many children in that same situation."

"But, improvement could have ended there had I not had the great good fortune to become part of a family who provided me the things that every one of us would want for our children: discipline tempered by love and the opportunity and encouragement to grow and become the best person I could. My young Master… now my brother… and my Ma'am and Sir all loved me deeply. Indeed, they had to teach me what love was. I had never had any."

"And they taught me to strive for things I had though impossible. 'To dream the impossible dream' as the song goes. Without those dreams and the family to insist that I follow them, I would not stand before you today as a free person and a Member of this Honorable House. My brother spoke of those dreams at his high-school graduation and that remains one of my most cherished gifts from him."

"No, the act does not seek to abolish slavery, but it does seek to mold it into an institution that serves the needs of every citizen regardless of his or her station in life."

"Under the Act, Class Two Slaves may no longer be placed in a situation that is likely to cause them bodily or emotional harm. They may not be employed in mines or factories. They may not be employed in brothels or displayed for sexual purposes. They may be employed in a family or commercial business so long as neither physical or emotional health nor their education is compromised. A master may continue to discipline a slave in whatever fashion he deems appropriate so long as the slave does not suffer permanent bodily harm. In this manner, slaves are to be considered children first and slaves second."

"No child of either sex, slave or free, may be kept for sexual purposes or coerced into having sex with another child or adult. Consensual sex between two minor children above the age of seven is permitted, subject to the approval of the children's parents or masters. Consensual sex between a child above the age of twelve and an adult is permitted… subject to the approval of the child's parent or master… so long as pregnancy or bodily harm is avoided."

"Moreover, all Class Two Slaves must be educated so they are prepared to assume the full burdens of citizenship and must be freed by their eighteenth birthday, unless a court of competency determines that it is in the best interest of BOTH the slave AND society that the period of slavery be extended. This finding is subject to review every five years and a complete review of all current Class Two Slaves over the age of eighteen will commence with the adoption of the Act."

"The Government will no longer provide schooling specifically for Class Two Slaves. It is incumbent upon their masters to assure the child is educated in a public school, an accredited private school or an approved course of home study. The object is to prepare the child at age eighteen for admission to a college or university or to an accredited technical or vocational program."

When appearing in public, strict slave discipline may be enforced if the master desires, or the slave may simply carry the picture identification which will be issued to him. He is no longer subject to demands on his behavior except those of his master. Public nudity is permitted and may be required until the onset of puberty according to the customs of his family."

"Let me be clear, there is nothing in the Act that prohibits Class Two Slavery beyond age eighteen when it has been found to be in the best interest of the slave, his family and society. Let me illustrate."

"Many of you know that the Honorable Member from East Carolina and I were boyhood friends. His family has a Class Two Slave, now a young man of thirty five, who has been with them since he was five years old. He occupies the position of a well-loved and much honored family retainer."

"Some years ago, it was determined that he would be unable to ever survive as a free person. Instead, he has remained with the family and serves them today with grace and joy."

"Consider! He will never be in want. He will always be cared for with love. He knows exactly what his role in life is… how many of us can say that… and he is completely satisfied with it."

"Lest you think he has been denied the opportunity to grow and mature, he writes some of the most beautiful lyric poetry I have ever read, and his works in pastels and oils are displayed in respected galleries. All this while providing love and care for several generations of his family."

"If any of you wish to experience a thorough drubbing and humiliation, take him on in chess! Most grandmasters would not last ten minutes."

He paused to let the House and television audience absorb what he had told them.

"Most of you are familiar with the story of 'Danny'. A young boy, orphaned at an early age and taken into the family of an uncle. Far from caring for the boy with love, the uncle actually convinced the boy that he was a slave for life. And proceeded to abuse the boy with such savagery that he inflicted mortal injury of the most horrible nature on the child."

"The uncle could not have prevailed if it had not been for the illegal connivance of local officials who were paid large sums of money. As part of its duties, the new department will constantly monitor child welfare and local officials who are charged with enforcement. Any official who fails to do so, whether by incompetence or by collusion, will be immediately removed from office and may be subject to severe sanctions under the law."

"For years, rumors have swirled about that my brother and I were involved in aiding the 'slave' Danny in his flight from his uncle."

"The rumors are mostly true!"

"Had it not been for the fact that Danny was not a slave, we could both have been hanged under current law. Hanged for coming to the aid of a hideously maimed child and his slave attendant."

"Under the revised statute, all citizens are enjoined to immediately report abuse of any child to the proper authorities. To restrain any person who commits gross abuse upon a child, to the point of physical restraint. Absent abuse, the Interfering Acts remain in full force and the court will issue and publish firm guidelines."

"The case of 'Eric' is also well known. Orphaned at a young age, he was purchased by a shop owner who used him to painfully demonstrate torture devices for young slaves. That he eventually came to love his mistress is of no mention. He was employed in an establishment whose very purpose was to sell pain and suffering. The accident which caused his early and painful death was a direct result of his owner's carelessness. Under present law, she was not held accountable for his death, only for 'destruction of property'. That the 'property' was a living, breathing human being, a young teen who had committed no crime, whose only 'offense' was that his parents were killed and he lived, was of no importance. Each one of you who has children could see them thrust into the same hideous nightmare should the unthinkable happen."

The Members stirred uncomfortably. Most had given little thought to the effects of slavery… until it happened to their family.

"Another provision of the Act, and the department that it creates, is the requirement to assist families who, through financial distress or other causes may be on the verge of selling a child or having a child taken from them."

"Consider the case of 'Toby'. Born with an easily treatable genetic defect, it was allowed to fester untreated until it destroyed his family and earned him a lifetime sentence of slavery. That his family refused all offers of aid is, indeed, sad. Under the new Act, refusal on the part of a parent or slave owner to provide adequate medical care is considered abuse."

"You may be interested to know that Toby had the good fortune to be confined at an enterprise that has provided hundreds of Class Three Slaves the opportunity to build a new life of dignity and hope. I am, of course, referring to the Paloma Ranch. Cured of his affliction, Toby is now an honored and respected leader within that enterprise."

"Which brings me to what is the most shameful defect in the existing statutes, the sentencing and treatment of Class Three Slaves."

"Class Three was conceived as a way of ridding our society of truly dangerous young criminals. Yet, the law has been twisted and used for purposes of greed. Fully eighty-nine percent of our Native American, Oriental and African children and adults labor today as Class Three Slaves. Their only crime? They were not white Caucasians."

"Once again, the law has been perverted; perverted with the active participation of unscrupulous officials."

"The Act makes very clear that no one may be sentenced to Class Three Slavery unless they have committed one of a carefully selected list of crimes. All Class Three sentences are subject to automatic review by the High Court and no child, under the age of six may be sentenced to Class Three absent a clear and present danger to society. How a four or five year old could possibly pose such a danger is beyond my understanding. No child under the age of sixteen may be executed for any crime, no matter how heinous."

"A complete review of all persons currently serving Class Three sentences will be made and those without merit will be speedily pardoned and receive just compensation for this gross miscarriage of justice."

"How will we pay for all this, you ask?"

"It is conservatively estimated that, within five years, the entire cost will have been more than paid by the increased number of tax-paying subjects and increased productivity of all our citizens. To that end, His Majesty, the King and Prince Harry have both pledged the full proceeds from their North American holdings for a period of ten years."

There was an interested stir from the members on both sides of the aisle.

"Well, I've preached enough. But I'd like you to meet someone."

A young boy entered the chamber and walked quickly to the Member who had been speaking. He was dressed in a Speedo and warm-up jacket.

"This is my grandson, Sean. As you might be able to tell from his costume and his broad shoulders and slim waist, he is a competitive swimmer. How's the team look this year, Sean?"

"We're going to kick some ass, Grandpa," answered the boy, evoking a chuckle from the Members.

"I invited him here today because he has a story to tell, one that is quite germane to our business." Turning to the boy, he whispered, "Are you OK? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Grandpa," he whispered back. "They need to hear my story. About me and Liam."

"OK! Go ahead! If you can't go on, I'll take over for you."

Sean addressed the Members, "Me and my brother Liam have been in Grandpa's family for four years, now. And we love the whole family more than we can ever tell."

"One day, when I was eight, Liam and I were in the city shopping with our Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad started across a busy street and a car ran over them and killed them and drove off without stopping."

"This nice man was there and he took us home with him and tried to make us feel better. At first, he was real nice and fed us well and bought us nice things."

"But one day, he asked if we would like to be models and show off boys' clothing. It sounded exciting, so we said yes."

"At first, we got to wear all sorts of neat clothes and he took lots of pictures. Then, he asked us to pose in our underwear. That didn't sound too bad, so we did."

"Next, it was naked and he began to make us do all sorts of nasty things to each other. We didn't want to do those, but he threatened to whip us if we didn't. We cried a lot 'cause some of the things he made us do hurt a lot."

Grandpa took over. "We found the boys quite by accident. My one son is a tax investigator and he went to where the boys were being kept to find out why taxes had not been paid. What he found, there, was horrible."

"The two boys had been properly enslaved but had been tied, spread-eagle, to their bunks and abandoned. They had not been fed or had water for three days. For three days they were obliged to lie in there own excrement. Their master and his crew had fled, although we were able to recently determine who the owner was."

"When my son rescued them, they were both too weak to even sit up. They were terrified of any adult. He, and his brother and their lifemates adopted the boys immediately and freed them shortly thereafter. And they have been a wonderful addition to our family ever since."

Turning to the child, he asked, "The man did something to your bodies, didn't he?"

Rather than answering, Sean slipped off his jacket and stood bare-chested. Across his entire chest, from nipple to nipple and throat to groin was a garish tattoo. A glance at the visitor's gallery confirmed that Liam was standing likewise with a similar tattoo across his chest.

The Members gasped!

"Some of you have had tattoos," continued Grandpa. "Can you imagine how frightening and painful it was for these two young boys?"

There were some sniffling sounds from the assembly.

"You sure you want to go on?" he whispered to the boy.

"Yes, Grandpa. They have to see it,"

"But that wasn't the worst thing they did to you, was it?" Lucas addressed the Members. ??????

Sean slid down his swim suit, stepped out of it and straightened up. To the absolute horror of everyone, where his boy parts should have been, there was only a red gash! "They tried to make me a girl," sobbed the boy.

Screams and cries filled the chamber! Many of the Members burst into tears.

"CAN YOU IMAGINE THE PAIN AND MISERY THIS LITTLE BOY HAS BORNE?" Lucas thundered.

"And what is even worse," he told them, "the authors of this obscenity remain members of society in good standing. One of them even dishonors this House by his continued presence among us!"

A Member seated on the Opposition side of the aisle, jumped up and looked wildly about. "NO! I didn't! It was my partner! I didn't know! But he was only a slave!" Seeing the looks of anger and revulsion all about him, he fled the chamber.

Lucas dropped to his knees and cradled a sobbing Sean in his arms, as he continued to tell the Members, "We have given Sean MHT since the day he came to us and he has developed into a fine specimen of young teen-hood. The doctors tell us he will be able to accept a transplant once he is through puberty. But the bravery he exhibited this morning to come and tell you about himself is beyond my ken."

For a few minutes there were only the sounds of muted sobs and crying in the chamber. Sean picked up his clothes and began to slowly walk toward the exit.

He had just about reached the doorway, when he turned and faced the Members once more. "Please!" he begged them. "Please pass this law. I don't want any other kid to have to go through what Liam and I did." And he turned and disappeared.

Lucas rose from his knees. "Mr. Speaker, I call for the division of this Honorable House."

The Mission Commander settled into his acceleration couch and gazed out at the twin to his craft on the pad next to his. With twenty-three deep space missions to his credit, this would be his last and the one that would determine whether the Empire would move on to Mars. He gave the young lieutenant in the other craft a 'thumbs up' sign.

"MM24, this CAPCOM," came the voice over his speaker.

"Roger, CAPCOM."

"MM24, your lift off window is twelve minutes and fifteen seconds on my mark."

"Roger, we copy!" came the reply from both craft.

"CAPCOM, MM24. I am waiting for an important message."

"Roger, MM24. We'll watch for it."

The Commander chuckled at his superiors' discomfort at the names he had chosen for the two mission craft. But, as Mission Commander, that was his privilege. He didn't care a fig what they thought; he just prayed they would be appropriate for the occasion.

"MM24, your window is now eight minutes."

"Roger, CAPCOM." Was the message going to be too late?

"MM24, we have a message for you! It's a bit puzzling! It's just a single exclamation point. Do you understand?"

From the other craft, the Lieutenant's voice broke in, "Free at last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we're free at last!"

"Say again, MM24."

"Negative, CAPCOM. Lifting off in five seconds."

From the other craft, "Go for it, Dad!"

And His Majesty's Spacecraft ERIC and DANNY lifted off on twin pillars of flame and reached for the stars.

The End