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| - Young Blue Tentacles was brought to the flying machine that father was using. Father told Blue he should stop clinging to the slave, Purple Eye Stalks as that was unfitting for a Patrician. Then with the boy snivelling in the aircraft father came furiously into the room where his wife, the mother of Blue Tentacles and Aunt Violet were and demanded to know why his wishes had been ignored. Aunt Violet would be lucky if he at any time allowed any of his family under her care again. The two sisters turned desperate eye stalks towards each other wondering if this was the last time they would ever meet. Sadly Lady Violet linked some of her tentacles with her sister, (for the last time?) as the two made their way to the aircraft. They tightened their grip briefly before letting go and Mother climbed into the aircraft while Lady Violet stayed behind. Purple Eye Stalks came out ostensibly to make some final checks on the exterior of the machine, his tentacles were held low and dejected even shaking slightly. Purple pointed eye stalks urgently at Lady Violet. Purple knew this was the wrong time to ask but it was clearly his last chance. “If you please my Lady, were you thinking of buying me and asking me to stay as one of your staff?” Lady Violet was horrified. Certainly she appreciated Purple’s attentive service, she’d even found him a bit attractive. Despite this how could he imagine she’d take him away from his family, his friends and everyone he knew just so he could serve her? Surely Purple knew she was a kind mistress and was generous to her slaves. What nightmares had her brother in law been telling the servants? How could Purple imagine she’d be so selfish and so cruel? Lady Violet was far more concerned about her nephew and she could hear him snivelling inside but she took a bit of time to reassure Purple that she wouldn’t consider buying him. Lady Violet didn’t want to increase tensions between her brother in law and the others so she said little. Purple Eye Stalks went crestfallen back into the craft, when master couldn’t see him he put a few tentacles comfortingly over the boy, then on his master’s orders he started the plane. Purple tried to come to terms with things as he’d heard the whole argument. Yes, he was very sorry for the boy, gossip in the servants’ quarters said a great deal about Leering Eye Spots and he knew the boy could not be happy with that scoundrel. Purple was disappointed about his own hopes as well. Could he ever forget what the boy had done? So when Lady Violet had eaten with him she’d wanted to know about Leering Eye Spots because of her nephew. She wasn’t interested in Purple and had never wanted anything special with him. He gripped the aircraft controls angrily. Then Purple thought he shouldn’t be trying to make it with an unattractive old lady just to escape his difficult master. He should choose where he worked and how he worked as free Centaurians do. On Terra they say slavery is wrong. The Terrans can't always prevent slavery even in modern times. Good people try to stop slavery when it happens. Shouldn't it be like that on Porrila as well? The old tramp’s offer to help him run away was becoming tempting again. What did the Great Lord Sun want Purple to do? Purple’s thinking was interrupted as he heard his master shout, “You’d better fly that plane more steadily you clumsy dolt, you can fly better when you try. I paid out enough to get you trained as a (expletive deleted) pilot and I expect the plane to give me a smooth ride.” Master was in a very bad temper over everything and Purple was more used to boats and cars than planes. “I respectfully beg your pardon sir.” Purple replied, the plane lurched again as Purple was upset. Purple got it back under control. “Fly the plane properly slave, or you’ll pay for it when we get home! You usually fly better than that if you try.” “Sorry Master.” Purple hated his master, he hated slavery, at that moment it went so far that he hated himself because he had to answer so meekly. Purple even started to hate the Great Lord Sun for allowing slavery but he feared that was very sinful. Purple gripped the aircraft controls so tightly that his tentacles became white. In the passenger compartment the boy was still snivelling, Blue Tentacles was struggling increasingly desperately to hold onto hope that his life would improve and never guessed his biggest hope for improvement was the slave, Purple.
* Chapter 22 Crisis worsens
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)