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| - Purple rushed up and tried to explain to adolescent Blue Tentacles that he shouldn’t quarrel like this with his new family. Diplomatically he didn’t mention that in the servants’ halls they sometimes laughed at the less practical Patrician fashions as well, instead Purple hurried the group to an eating establishment that he could afford and once they'd arived Silver Grey suggested the standard menu as she guessed Purple couldn't afford much. Centaurians have evolved immune systems than can handle most of the diseases that turn up in swamps and eating off a floor cleaned to Galaxy Shipping Company standards was far more practical for the Plebeians. Once in the dining establishment tenderly Yellow Tentacles dropped some of the tastier morsels onto the dirt-free (almost) floor and pushed the grub over to his new friend Blue. In time both were snuggled up together, and poking tasty morsels into each other’s oral cavities while nearby Centaurians started pointing disapproving tentacles at the pair and suggesting all this was too intimate for a public place. Always the diplomat Purple offered to take the couple to a more private mudbath. In due course the two young lovers were in a Galaxy Shipping Company mudbath with Silver Grey Tentacles and Purple at the side. “Do you want to wrestle with me?” Yellow Tentacles started and wriggled his body in mock threat. “I’ll teach you a bit!” Blue replied confidently, after all the instructors at the teaching establishments where he’d studied always praised the superior Patrician wrestling taught there. Not many seconds later Blue Tentacles found himself spread-eagled in the mud with Yellow Tentacles gripping him expertly in a wrestling hold that he’d never encountered before. “It’s not fair!” Blue exclaimed bitterly, “You’ve got more tentacles than I have!” “When you’ve lived with us you’ll grow more tentacles.” The other replied. Silver Grey Tentacles, the mother of Yellow told him to stop wrestling that way and reminded her son how much he owed to Blue Tentacles. “It’s absolutely horrible!” Blue Tentacles complained after he’d been released, “And there’s nothing whatsoever that I can possibly do about it in any way!” “'There’s nothing I can do about it' isn’t a good answer.” Purple replied wisely. “But I can’t do anything!” Blue answered petulantly. “Let’s see how we can teach you better wrestling.” Purple encouraged. “Come on, Yellow Tentacles, you teach Blue a bit.” Silver Grey added. Remember Silver Grey was a hermaphrodite and she could wrestle as well as any other Centaurian, she could certainly wrestle better than her shaky husband. So Silver Grey and Yellow set about teaching Blue Tentacles what they knew of their style of rough wrestling while Purple looked at the robes he was wearing. “I’m in the robes which are right for a free Centaurian and an engineer of the Galaxy Shipping Company.” Purple thought, “There was such a long weary time when I was convinced I had to stay a slave. It’s wonderful that I realized I can do something about that. The new life will certainly be better for me and hopefully Blue Tentacles will be happier with his new family as well.” Then Purple thought, “The mistress always treated me kindly,” he reminded himself, “What would the mistress I love think if she just knew I plan to leave her defenceless young son with a family he hardly knows and join the Galaxy Shipping Company? May Our Lord the Sun forgive me.” Silver Grey noticed that Purple had put his tentacles over his eye stalks and his oral cavity, also his whole body had become contorted with guilt. She left the boys to practise wrestling and went over to ask Purple what was wrong. Once she knew the problem she found a way of turning things to her advantage and her family’s advantage. “If you stay with us there will just be another oral cavity to feed.” Silver Grey suggested, “If you work for the Galaxy Shipping Company and use some of your wages to lend a hand lend a tentacle and provide for us that will help us more.” The tentacles of the former slave sparkled golden and purple with relief as he prepared to start his free working life with a clearer conscience. Meanwhile there were exaggerated grunts and groans from the wrestling boys.
* Chapter 16 Struggles
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)