ONLY HOO-MUN

by Niteowl

Chapter 1

All at once, Flark was jolted awake by the torment of a stinger strike and with a cry of pain; he stood up and leaned into the straps that secured him to the cart. He'd been caught dozing again, and it was work time. At the end of the day, he and the others would be unstrapped from their carts and taken to their cells. Flark didn't mind the cell much, none of the Glukkons did. It was far more punishing to be driven outdoors, where the sun left them sore eyed and sunburned.

How had it happened? That his kind would now be slaves instead of masters? It had started when several mysterious ships that had come from the sky turned up in the desert. The Glukkons thought the beings inside them would make adequate replacements for the Mudokon workers. They hadn't counted on certain quirks in these beings' temperaments. They never knew what they were unleashing when they treated these beings just like Mudokons. It was said the "hyoo-muns" had been receptive at first, even enthusiastic about the jobs but the Glukkons cruel treatment of them actually turned them into an invasion force. The details were sketchy but it was said that some of the newcomer's children were killed and the hyoo-muns were angered thoroughly. Their Slig guards were killed and the Glukkons were rounded up and now THEY were slaves. There were still Sligs, but they had new masters now. His race had fallen into disrepute after Abe's revolt, and so no other races came to their aid. The hyoo-muns apparently acquired a fearsome reputation among the other races of Oddworld.

Gone was the beautiful clothing they once wore, gone too was the lavish food they once ate. The pellets they were fed were as tasteless as stones.
He remembered the day he had been broken. He had been in a holding pen with several other Glukkons. He watched as the others were dragged, one by one, down the corridor. The indignant "You can't do this!" soon changed to screams and begging. They'd be brought back, eventually, barely able to walk.

Then they came for him…

He soon lost all notions of resistance, these beings could make him hurt in places he didn't know he had. The nerve inductors were the worst. With these varied devices, a "trainer" could make him feel like he was being skinned alive, like he was on fire or like his bones were being crushed. The first stage, they adjusted it so it wasn't quite crippling, but just enough to wear him down, then left him in the cell. They used some severe stuff for "training" sessions. These beings demanded instant obedience and, under the excruciating pain, the Glukkons soon learned to give it. The few who wouldn't ended up killed. They learned obedience, or they were tortured until they choked on their own screams. Few dared to kick after all this. 
He wore a jaw pinch, they all did. A device that did exactly that, pinched his jaw painfully when the lead was pulled. It resembled a bit used to control an animal, a final blow to his pride. There was a chain under his chin that was part of the mechanism. A single strap around the back of his neck kept it there to do its merciless work. It had taken Flark a long time to accept it with it's metal bar resting just under his tongue. It was most uncomfortable, but the trainers didn't give him any choice. He had fought it during training and paid the price. The jaw pinch was insistent in it's demands and they quickly learned to obey it. Once it was installed, they were expected to wear it at all times and it was seldom removed except to replace it. They eventually got used to its constant presence, eating and even talking around it, although usually on the sly because they were forbidden to speak unless commanded to.

A sudden yank on the lead left him tasting blood and he quickened his pace…

The wristbands they wore discouraged bolting. Anyone who tried to run away often ended up writhing on the ground in agony as the wristbands slammed together and all their nerve inductors fired. The wristbands were equipped with attraction beams that locked them together when they were activated. The guards would drag the offender to his cell, leaving him in agony. It was common to hear them, crying and begging during rest time, until a trainer turned off the nerve inductors. But they took their sweet time.
There was also the "stinger", another nerve inductor device resembling a crop, but the tip glowed, and it always hurt more than the blow should when it struck you. Favorite targets, his drooping ears, his vestigial hind feet, under his chin or across the front of his face. The hyoo-muns also used the big whip-like stinger that flicked out like a Fleech tongue. Also used were "anti-shirks". Nerve inductor anklets that could be fastened around their dangling feet. It would activate when it neared the ground, thus an exhausted Glukkon, sagging to his elbows, would jerk upright with a yelp. The ones going lame always wore a haunted look, seeing the day they would go down and be unable to rise. That would be "Meat wagon day"

Flark shuddered.

He sometimes wondered why these beings, who had managed to cross the stars, would need to enslave his people like this. He thought it was all about revenge. Old Scrumm thought it must be punishment for enslaving the Mudokons. Scrumm knew the most about their history.

He thought about some of the others, Thignu, whose stupidity earned him more pain than most during training. Tarkus used to pull the cart over the trainer's feet, but they soon broke him of that, and Morglik. The last time he saw Morglik, he was limping, and he wore an anti-shirk. He hadn't seen some of his friends lately…

Bane, the head trainer came out of the torture room, closing the door to muffle the cries of its last occupant while the guards put him away. This one had been caught running away again. These filthy creatures were slippery, even with their wrists tied; they were capable of ten-foot leaps and could hop away faster than a man could run. The attraction beam would tie their wrists together; the pain would incapacitate them. Unrestrained, they could outrun an ostrich. That was what the jaw pinch was for. It gave you something to grab to lead them. The Glukkons could leap into a brick wall without hurting themselves, but they were tender inside their mouths. It was safer than grabbing an ear. The nerve inductors were quite effective in containing runaways and revealing their location. They didn't leave marks like flogging or branding irons did. Such things ruined the hide. Slaves were brought to him for conditioning or punishment, Glukkons and the occasional Slig. The Glukkons, these glow- eyed monsters had to be properly subdued, or they would walk all over you. If you weren't careful, they'd kick you. They shirked any chance they would get. 

Bane smiled tightly. It was amazing what the proper application of the right intensity of pain could do. Bane excelled at that. He could wring obedience from the most obstinate Glukkon and make them fit for work. He could usually make a Glukkon shrink in fear just with his steel cold gaze, any sign of defiance, he crushed it like a maggot. When you finally couldn't get them to their feet, it was time to dispose of them at the nearest butcher. He looked up and saw a driver approaching with a Glukkon. Another troublemaker, he thought… 

In the past, Flark had been lucky, but today, he had been caught resting out of turn yet again. The driver directed him through a familiar gate and a sick fear washed over him. He had been broken here. The driver was taking him back. The guards came out, unstrapped him from the cart, led him (dragged him really) into a room and secured him in a restrainer. He could barely move. The trainer came in, looked him over, and calmly snapped an anti-shirk around his ankles. The trainer then reached for a box in his pocket and pressed a button on it, and the anklets sent searing red-hot pain through Flark's feet. He screamed and thrashed in the restrainer but it did no good. After what seemed an eternity, the trainer released the button, the pain subsided, and Flark sagged in the restrainer, sobbing.

The trainer then had the guards come up and unstrap his jaw pinch and remove it. They brought a new one, more ferocious than the last, this one had knobs and prongs on it that would bite all the more painfully. Flark tried to refuse it but the trainer reached for the box again. Flark had learned the trick of pursing his lips when the pinch was put on. But the trainer saw it. A quick blow with a stinger and the jaw pinch slid into place and was buckled securely. The trainer then yanked repeatedly on the lead and seemed satisfied with the look of anguish on Flark's face, and his shrieks. This one was a dual action. It pinched if pulled from the back or the front.

It was a sample of what he'd feel if he tried to rest out of turn again. He was released from the restrainer and led back to the cart. As they were hitching him up, he was still shaking. He still had been lucky. That trainer was Bane, if Flark had shown too much resistance, he could have spent the next few days here. There were few worse things than to have Bane work you.

All went well until the next day when he forgot and sagged to his elbows, the pain was instantaneous. Flark cried out and stood up quickly. It was as if there was a fire forever burning behind him, and he dropped his feet into it every time he tried to rest. One of the guards saw it and laughed…

The drivers pushed him harder now. One climbed into the cart after it was unloaded, lashing him with a stinger, driving him back into the mines at a dead run. As they went back for another load of rocks, he wondered how long he'd be able to go on…

Chapter 2

Thignu was in serious trouble. His stupidity in forgetting commands was already trying his driver's rudimentary patience. He was crossing a desert with a caravan when a driver struck him suddenly with a stinger. Thignu jumped and accidentally kicked sand in the driver's eyes.

Now he was tied to a tree, screaming, his jaw pinch pulled as tight as possible. And the hyoo-muns were beating him mercilessly with stingers. They were going at him in shifts. His voice became ragged and hoarse from his cries. Finally, when he thought he'd either go mad or die, the flogging stopped. The driver disdainfully wiped the blood off his stinger with an old rag as he walked back to the cart. Thignu heard his teammate cry out and they made off, leaving him there, tied to the tree with his jaw strapped up painfully. He waited in agony as the sun climbed higher in the sky…


It was late afternoon; Jarrek stood up and looked around. Everyone was getting ready to move. They were crossing the wasteland to get home. They had come to the marketplace for supplies three days ago. While they were doing business in Banetown, Jarrek had seen a line of some thirty Glukkons being led toward a holding pen. It was a caravan transporting Glukkons to the mines. Jarrek's heart had ached for them.

Jarrek and his friends had come in the crawler car and a few skybikes. While they were in town, they picked up a few Glukkons, two of them very young, and two grown ones, each hitched to a cart.

Jarrek realized that they should have repaired the hovertruck and brought it along. The skybikes and hovertruck were vehicles created with technology borrowed from security orbs and sentry robots that had been on this world since before the humans came. Caleb was driving the crawler car full of supplies, and the cage holding the little Glukkons. He considered the grown ones; they were still on their feet. He needed a way to make the journey easier on the Glukkons, but how?

Darana called "Hey, Jarrek, How about this?"

Jarrek looked up and saw that Darana had unhitched a Glukkon and hitched her skybike in the creature's place. She then tied the lead rope to the back of the cart, after trying and failing to coax the Glukkon into the cart so he could ride. 

Jarrek nodded, That was clever. 

They set out again; the Glukkons plodded along with their eyes closed. 
Jarrek had once worked as a guard, but quit after watching a young Glukkon slaughtered as painfully as possible. He knew the history; about how the Glukkons had enslaved humans when they first arrived, about how they had enslaved Mudokons beforehand. The Glukkons had been a slave-maker race. They survived by having other beings serve them. But the extremely brutal treatment of the Glukkons by humans had begun to rub him the wrong way. Jarrek knew about how a Glukkon had ordered some kids into a Fleech pen to clean it and later ordered some Slig to throw the lever and dropped the door and let the Fleeches in before the kids got out and the children were killed. It provoked a revolt by the humans. Maybe those first Glukkons, the guilty ones, deserved to have their butts kicked, but was it really fair to punish the whole race the way he'd seen? He'd seen a poor yutz being broken, not even understanding what was happening to him, crying for days. He'd seen a trainer yank a Glukkon's jaw pinch so hard; it fractured the Glukkon's jaw. He'd seen a "training" session degenerate into a torturous lashing on the ears with stingers. It was enough to make Jarrek ashamed of his own race. Abe had only done what he had to, to free his people. But humans… 

After he had quit his job as a guard, he found that quite a few people felt as he did, and the human population split. Jarrek and "his" people founded their own colony in a fertile land just beyond this desert. Life on this planet was a curious mix of the primitive and high tech. The spacecraft the humans had arrived in were no longer space-worthy. One formed the central basis for Banetown. Another of the ships formed the central basis for Jarrek's colony he called Ship's Rest. 

There were quite a few Glukkons waiting for them back home. Jarrek rescued Glukkons every chance he got. There was an older one known only as Sad-Eyes, rescued from a butcher who had hung him alive on a meat hook. There was the little one, Midj, who had been running free in town, an escapee. Skeeter caught him. There was the blind one, Rouk, and Morglik, who was intercepted on the way to the Axman. And there were several others.

Jarrek had spent some time with the Mudokons when his vehicle broke down near their village. The Mudokons were decent folk, if a bit ungainly and clumsy looking. But looks can be deceiving. The Mudokons had some startling mental abilities and they did know how to survive around the various creatures of this world: Scrabs, Paramites, Fleeches, Slogs and various others. Because they knew the subtle nuances of this planet's ecology, the Mudokons became valued advisors. The Mudokons taught Jarrek much. 

Some of Jarrek's people raised Slurgs, Blurps, Whergs and Pukes. These proved tastier than their disgusting names or appearance would suggest. The humans also had a few animals that came in the ship with them, some livestock and their pets. Jarrek's people kept tight control of these. Most of the animals native to this world looked sufficiently alien to the humans. The Paramites did superficially resemble spiders. Stranger still were the familiar creatures found here, namely birds, bats and bees. These had not come on the ship. The bats seemed to be venomous carnivores that would come at you like winged piranhas once you were bitten, unlike the bats of Earth. The South American vampire bat wasn't as aggressive as these Oddworldian bats. Jarrek thought about this and wondered if humans had just fallen through to another dimension. Could similar portals be lurking in space, portals that opened spontaneously? He pondered the bird portals that the Mudokons used for transport. The birds flew in a circular pattern at the location of a portal. Jarrek thought the birds were sensitive to spatial disturbances and were attracted to them. The birds seemed to be a crucial ingredient for a Mudokon to open it. Maybe the familiar creatures here could have arisen here like they did on earth or perhaps the portals had something to do with it. He'd heard of the legendary Bermuda triangle on earth and wondered if there was a link.

Another strange thing about Oddworld; its sheer size suggested that its gravity should have crushed the humans on arrival, but it was fairly comfortable. Evidently, there was an element here that canceled out some of the gravity. Perhaps it was the same element the Jarrek and his friends had salvaged from the old security orbs to build the hovertrucks and skybikes. 

There did not seem to be a lot of seismic activity on this planet. The precarious architecture he'd seen wouldn't have survived otherwise. 
Abe told him all about what his people had suffered under the Glukkon's rule. About SoulStorm Brew, the Tear X-tractor, and Mudokon pops. Some of the Mudokons disdained the Glukkons, saying they got what they deserved. Nonetheless, when Jarrek stopped by the Mudokon village with a bunch of Glukkons in the truck, Sad-Eyes was in there with Midj and several others, even the Mudokons who had said the Glukkons got what they deserved, stared in shocked silence when they saw the condition of the creatures. Some of them, like Ari, a good friend of Jarrek's, were even moved to come with him to the colony to help.

Jarrek was startled out of his memories by a nasal voice calling him; it was Kakek, a Slig that had come with them. He was having trouble with his pants, those mechanical legs that gave him his mobility. Ben reached him first and pried out the pebble that had jammed in one of Kakek's joints. The joint was damaged and so they put Kakek in the crawler with Caleb. Jarrek was going to have to replace the bearings in the Slig's pants. The Sligs hadn't fared much better than the Glukkons. Kakek was one of a small group of Sligs he and Darana rescued. Jarrek was aware that Kakek's use of words like "Boss" or "Sir" was part of his nature. Such bootlicking tended to keep Sligs out of trouble some. But Jarrek recalled that the head trainer he once worked for had a Slig restrainer in his punishment room. The Sligs assigned to unpleasant tasks like scrubbing floors were most likely to be punished. Retirement meant the same thing for Sligs as it did for Glukkons, the axman's blade. Kakek and his "brothers" had been spared the worst of that life. Jarrek named most of his Sligs for the sounds they made. One of the Sligs back home, Zuff, had been punished so severely before Jarrek got him, that to this day he refused his legs, and never spoke, even to other Sligs. The only noise he made was that strange wheeze that gave him his name. He tended to hide a lot, but Jarrek or Darana could sometimes call him. Zuff would timidly crawl out of his hiding place, acting more like a crippled dog than any sentient being.

The Mudokons were a little touchy about the Sligs at first too.

They continued on. As they came to a place with a few barren trees, He heard Ben call out, "Hey, look at this!"

Everyone looked where he was pointing, and there, about a hundred yards from his path, tied to a tree, was a Glukkon. The creature was facing the tree, almost strung up by his jaw pinch. At first, everyone thought he was dead. Darana walked up to him and touched him.

A low moan told them the poor thing was still alive. Jarrek called to the others. " Skeeter! Caleb! Come here and give us a hand. Cut the rope here, that's it." 

They cut the ropes and the creature collapsed. Jarrek caught him. The Glukkon's eyes were gummed up and sunken as if trying to burrow deeper into his skull to escape the sunlight, the third eyelids halfway over the eyes. There were tear tracks down his face and his body had numerous wounds like he'd been beaten.

They gently propped the creature against the tree, and Darana held his head up. Somebody brought water but the Glukkon kept pulling away, as if expecting punishment. It took a couple of tries to get the Glukkon to drink.


Thignu wasn't sure how long he waited, several days perhaps? He was so terribly sick, his eyes burned, clouded with a gooey substance. Suddenly, he heard voices, hyoo-mun voices. Different from the ones he knew. Suddenly, his bonds loosened and he collapsed. Then he felt gentle hands on him, lifting his chin, one of the figures lifted something to his lips, twice he winced away from it. Each time, his chin was gently pulled around. Water was poured into his mouth and he drank weakly -so that was a cup or bowl then. Another caravan had found him. Likely, he would soon be ordered to his feet and made to march to who knew where, and he felt that he could not move. He was sure he would soon feel the pain of a yanked jaw pinch or a stinger. He leaned against the tree, groaning, and passed out…


The sun had just gone down, Caleb and Skeeter helped lift the creature, who was unconscious again, into one of the carts. Jarrek got in with the Glukkon and held him, comforting him as best he could whenever he woke up. Jarrek noticed some broken bones in the Glukkon's hind limbs; they would have to fix those when they got home.

They set out again, with a severely sun sick Glukkon.


Thignu awakened to a damp cloth wiping at his eyes, his vision cleared a little. It was dark, and he was in a cart rather than hitched to it. One of the beings held him, rubbing his chin in a most comforting way, making a curious hissing sound that strangely wasn't at all threatening. He tried to speak, but he couldn't manage more than a rasping croak. He was given some more water. What kind of creatures were these? They certainly looked like hyoo-muns, the same sort of beings that had dealt him and his kind so much torment. What was the hyoo-mun up to? He passed out once more…

A little while later, ahead of them, the humans saw a vehicle approaching. Tension turned to relief as they saw it was Ari, the Mudokon, driving the hovertruck. The folks back home had completed repairs. And now they were going to arrive home sooner. They loaded the Glukkons, and climbed aboard.

Sad Eyes and Midj greeted them at the gate when they arrived home. Darana gently distracted the two Glukkons while they unloaded the hovertruck.

Jarrek didn't especially like using the restrainer but it was the best way to keep a nervous Glukkon from injuring itself or any one of them. The fear of torture usually suppressed kicking, but you never could tell. The creature woke up while they were cleaning his wounds. This one seemed to be too weak to put up much of a struggle. They were using the restrainer to hold the sick Glukkon up.


When Thignu woke up, he was strapped in a restrainer; he uttered a rasping cry and struggled weakly. "No more, no more." he whimpered. Again, that strange hiss and gentle touch, he calmed down. The hyoo-muns were tending his wounds. He realized he was indoors again. Someplace new. Somebody brought a bowl of gruel and poured it into his mouth and he gulped it down. Finally, something with some flavor…


Thankfully, this one had taken the gruel well. This Glukkon's initial reluctance to drink had worried Jarrek. He remembered how some Glukkons were conditioned against taking any food other than the pellets they were fed: the trainer would put the Glukkon in a restrainer, tempt him with various delectable treats, and activate the nerve inductor if the Glukkon tried to get it. It was difficult to reassure a Glukkon trained this way. Often you had to use the attachment on the restrainer to hold his head up, and pour the food down his throat. They would often fuss and struggle and you would have to rub their chin and tell them it was okay to take it. They would eventually come around and begin to eat on their own. 

When it dawned on a Glukkon that he wasn't going to be harmed, The Glukkon would stare at Jarrek and his friends as if they couldn't believe it, or maybe they were trying to see some distinguishing characteristic. Sometimes they just broke down and cried. Understandable, considering what they'd been through. Treated worse than animals, it was a wonder any of them had any sanity left. Jarrek knew the Glukkons had once held positions of power, now they were pitiful wretches.


After cleaning his wounds, and setting broken bones, the hyoo-muns took Thignu out of the restrainer and he tried to stand. He would have fallen if there weren't a hyoo-mun on either side of him to help hold him up. They took him down a corridor with several rooms on either side, similar to the barracks he'd known. They took him to his own cell. There was a padded mat on a wooden platform raised off the floor, they laid him down on it and pulled a blanket over him. A real blanket. One stayed with him, rubbing behind his ear and talking soothingly to him. The hyoo-mun asked his name, after a long moment, he rasped "Thignu", barely audible. The sick Glukkon slowly drifted off to sleep…

Chapter 3

Flark was unhitched from the cart and taken to his cell. He was utterly exhausted. The driver removed the anti-shirk like they did every night, and he stumbled into his cell and sank to his elbows, then laid down on the cold stone floor, too tired to eat. The guards closed the door behind him. It was really unnecessary; he really wasn't in any shape to move anyway. He could hear Glukkon voices, new ones as he faded into sleep.

In the morning, he heard the guards coming. In a moment, he expected one would open his cell, grab his jaw pinch rope and yank on it until he struggled to his feet.

But no, they looked in, and continued on their way. This was a mixed blessing. Flark was to have some rest while the guards hitched some of the new guys to the carts. The ones he had heard last night. He heard some harsh shouts, and the guards passed by his door again, leading another Glukkon, a big fellow, his face contorted. The hyoo-muns would probably get a lot of arm withering work out of him.

He managed to rise shakily to his feet and eat some of his food, more of those pellets, and drink some water. He lay down once more. The cold floor never helped his aching shoulders, but those drivers could make you hurt worse. There was no telling how long this respite would last…

That night, he managed to communicate with some of the other Glukkons, the new ones. Faces pressed to the bars, they all passed messages quietly in the dark. Some of the new Glukkons had arrived by caravan, one of the cruelest methods of transport. They were forced to march for days under the blazing sun. He heard that one so angered the driver that the hyoo-mun bound the unfortunate Glukkon to a tree then flogged him and left him there. 

Some had arrived by hovertruck, a Glukkon could rest on his elbows, but the air smelled real bad on such a trip. The ones in the hovertruck had been sent to Bane's headquarters.

He heard the news that some of them were doubled up, two to a cell, a bad sign.

Flark went to his food trough and nervously scooped up a few more pellets, his jaw pinch rattled as he ate, and his undershot lower jaw chased the last one up and over the edge of his trough. It fell onto the floor and went into the latrine in the corner of his cell.

The hyoo-muns had brought a bunch of new Glukkons in. Sometimes they rounded up the weakest Glukkons and sent them elsewhere. The hyoo-muns wanted strong ones to pull the mine carts. You might get some rest in a holding pen, but you really had to pay attention lest your new master broke you all over again. Or they might get sent to the butcher. He heard the comfortless gossip about Glukkons being skinned while they still lived, or the arena where the hyoo-muns engaged in blood sport, setting a bunch of Slogs on a Glukkon. Or put him in a maze with a few Fleeches on his tail. Sometimes the hyoo-muns even fought each other like Scrabs. 

There was some talk about a Glukkon in another barracks having been attacked by a Fleech that had come up through the latrine. A discomforting thought. 

Then they were talking about two Glukkons on outdoor detail on a hot day, they were tethered, waiting for their driver, when a young Mudokon fetched a pail and gave them a drink.

He heard Scrumm's incredulous response. 

Too loud, Flark thought, you're slipping Scrumm. Flark thought it was too much to hope for, the Mudokons helping them?

Suddenly, somebody coughed, hawked and spit, the signal. The whole block suddenly fell silent. The guards were coming. Glukkons everywhere retreated from their doors and lay down. Somewhere, somebody shook his head and his jaw pinch rattled.


The guard walked slowly down the corridor. He knew something was up but didn't know just what. For one thing, normally you heard something, a moan or wheeze, sometimes unintelligible muttering or crying. It was so quiet, you could hear a beetle's footsteps, and nearly all of the Glukkons were sleeping back to. He fingered his stinger. He was going to have to watch these troublemakers close.


Flark lay there, afraid to breathe, eyes closed lest his eye-shine give him away. He heard the guard pause outside his cell. For a long moment, the guard stood there. Finally, Flark heard the footsteps fade away. Whew, close. They all decided to go to sleep. It was getting late. Flark knew tomorrow's work would be on them before they knew it.


Dead Sligs were laying everywhere. Heavily armed hyoo-muns were standing around in solemn silence. A hyoo-mun, the Leader of the revolt calmly walked down the line of newly captured Glukkons. His eyes were like steel. He was carrying a metallic looking rod. Its tip was glowing. The Glukkons rested on their elbows; their hand-feet tied to a low railing, about twenty inches off the floor. Some of the Glukkons squirmed uncomfortably as the hyoo-mun passed by. Most glared at him defiantly. Hatred hung in the air like the heavy scent of the Sligs' blood. The hyoo-mun spoke grimly.
"First, you enslaved the Mudokons. Then you enslaved us. You killed my children. Now you will learn obedience. From now on, you and yours will serve US!" 

A rumble of agreement came from the other hyoo-muns present.
One of the Glukkons rasped, "No! You can't! Help!" as the Leader approached.

A moment later, his shrieks echoed through the huge executive office…


Scrumm awoke with a start. He'd been dreaming about that terrible day again. It had been many years. By inciting the hyoo-muns' hatred the Glukkons had actually created an invasion force. The hyoo-muns had inexorably rounded up all of the Glukkons and put them to work. The last vestiges of the Magog Cartel were swept away in a matter of days. For the first time in their lives, the Glukkons were brutally confronted with their own helplessness. Not merely confronted, but had their faces rubbed in it. Few of Scrumm's contemporaries were still alive. It had been hardest in the early days. The Glukkons had been used to being obeyed rather than to obey. Once they'd been conquered, all the products and pleasures they took for granted, those handsome suits, the cigars, the tasty foods, profits and Moo-lah tickers passed out of their lives. They were replaced with the jaw pinch, those insipid rations, and these cold cells, the toil, and pain, terrible, intractable, unbearable pain. Relief was their only reward for obedience.

The youngsters were often raised in a separate compound until ready for training, and then they would be shipped to the trainer to be broken.
The Glukkons had been blamed for the economic disaster in the years after Abe freed his people, so no one cared about the Glukkons' present plight, least of all the Mudokons. Scrumm really couldn't blame them. He couldn't bring himself to believe that story he had heard last night about a Mudokon showing kindness to a pair of Glukkons. It was just too unlikely.
Scrumm heard the drivers coming, interrupting his dark memories; the driver soon came in, grabbed his lead, and led him to his cart…


The pain exploding through his jaw woke Flark, a split second later, he heard the shout to rise, he stood up with a yelp and the drivers led him out. Work time again. The other Glukkons too were being led out. The anti-shirk was snapped into place, he had always hoped they would forget. He was led to his cart, a slightly different one. They hitched him up and the driver got in. A sudden stinger strike and he was off, passing a parked shipping truck where a few Sligs were scrubbing the mess out from its last cargo under the watchful gaze of a guard. One of them grumbled about the Glukkons' incontinence. Flark headed for outside…

Chapter 4

With Thignu sleeping, Jarrek and his friends turned their attention to the others. Kim and Darana were tending to the two baby Glukkons, who stared wide-eyed at the humans. The little ones had cried pitifully when they were separated briefly for the medical exam. Their crude rope jaw pinches were removed. Then they were placed in a five by eight pen, and the girls sat down in the pen with them, and began to coax them to eat. 
Jarrek remembered when they first got Midj.

It was the same day they acquired Sad Eyes. It was said that torture tenderized Glukkon meat. Sad-Eyes had apparently passed out under it. He came to, hanging on the meat hook. The butcher's equipment broke down and there was a conscious Glukkon hanging, and several others waiting their turn in the holding pen. Jarrek made an offer for them and so Sad-Eyes was taken down and the Glukkons were loaded onto Jarrek's truck.

They were at the edge of town when Caryl caught sight of a small ape-like figure scurrying through the shadows. It was a baby Glukkon, an escapee. The little one wore a crude rope jaw pinch with a loop for a lead. The little Glukkon saw them and ran. As he ran past a tree, he didn't notice the loop snagging on a tree root. Jarrek winced as the little one was brought up short. The youngster cried out and struggled. Skeeter reached him first and wrapped his jacket around him. The humans walked back to the truck and got in with their new passenger, who trembled and cried, regarding them with wide, terrified eyes. When they got him home, they took the rope pinch out of his mouth and it took many days of cuddles and soft words to calm him. Eventually, Midj's need for food and company slowly won him over.

Now they had new arrivals. Midj had greeted him, trying to clutch at his feet and chirping "Jawek! Jawek!" when they arrived home. The two new Glukkons had stared. Where they came from, the little one would have been kicked in the teeth for such a greeting. Jarrek reached down and gave the youngster a pat on the head before Darana called Midj to her. Midj's arms were starting to lengthen, but he still scampered about. He would soon outgrow this mode of travel. As his arms grew, his hind limbs would be lifted clear of the ground.

One good thing about the youngsters, they seldom refused to eat. Food and water went a long way in gaining the youngsters' trust. One of the two grown ones refused the gruel. There were many ways to deal with this, they could leave the gruel in his trough but it tended to spoil quickly. Sometimes, you could order a Glukkon to eat. Feeding him while he was in the restrainer was another way. They reconditioned Glukkons to eat whatever was given; reassuring them it was ok to eat food with some flavor. Sometimes housing them in pairs worked, nothing like a little competition to get them eating. Jarrek saw no reason for Glukkon's food to be so bland. He didn't push it too much if the Glukkon genuinely disliked something offered, however. That could be told by a characteristic grimace. How long it would take to assure the creature that he wasn't going to be punished, Jarrek didn't know. It usually didn't take long. 

He remembered how Sad-Eyes had to be force-fed for two months. Sad-Eyes was different, he was reluctant to eat at all, until Abe and some other Mudokons had stopped by Ship's Rest. Jarrek had talked to Abe about how he'd gotten Sad-Eyes, about how the Glukkon had suffered and Jarreks puzzlement on the Glukkon's reluctance to eat. Surprisingly, Abe had offered to help. Jarrek watched Abe hesitate for a long moment, then approach Sad-Eyes, the Glukkon shrank back. Abe spoke to the Glukkon, and then gently laid a hand on the Glukkon's shoulder; the Glukkon sagged to his elbows, crying in a way Jarrek had not seen since he'd rescued Sad-Eyes from the meat hook. Jarrek thought he heard the Glukkon say something; sounded like an apology? Abe talked some more, Jarrek then saw Abe feeding Sad-Eyes. Abe came out of the room a little while later when Sad-Eyes had calmed down somewhat.

"You two know each other?" Jarrek asked when Abe came out.

"Long ago" Abe replied, but refused to say more
Sad-Eyes ate on his own after that day. Jarrek had been glad for that. He didn't like having to pour the food down the Glukkon's throat.

Chapter 5

Flark slowly came to a stop, breathing heavily. This cart wasn't as heavy, but the drivers sometimes demanded your top speed. He was on outdoor detail. He followed Scrumm's advice about closing his eyes when the light got too bright.

That first morning at the entrance, the light had struck him like a blow, he had balked. His driver's stinger had flashed out like a Fleech's tongue repeatedly until he stumbled out into the light.

Now it was early evening, the light had eased somewhat and they pulled into a structure with stalls for parking carts. He heard Bane's voice, "Move! Pick it up!" Flark looked up to see them hurtle around the corner. Bane was riding in a two-wheeled cart drawn by a Glukkon with a tear-streaked face. Third stage training, Flark thought. The other Glukkon's anguished eyes met Flark's, but only for a moment. Bane saw it and snapped "Eyes on the road!" and struck the luckless Glukkon with his stinger. The Glukkon cried out, but didn't slacken his pace.

Most of Flark's training was done by Grogan, another trainer not quite as exacting as Bane. Bane was a dark legend. Bane wore boots that bore an all too familiar pattern, said to be made of Glukkon's hide. He was reputed to be the toughest. The few times Flark had been under Bane's hand had been some of the most agonizing of his life. Bane was implacable, and expected a perfect performance and instant obedience. You had to move just so. 

Flark watched as they circled back and stopped near a parking space. "Back in!" Came the command. The Glukkon stood there dumbly. Bane hauled back on the rear jaw pinch rope. His luckless student gasped, his face contorted, and he backed up. By judicious application of the stinger, Bane expertly guided the cart into the space flawlessly. Bane tied the pinch rope to the cart, pulled tight so the Glukkon was forced to stand at attention. He got off the cart and came around to stand in front of the Glukkon. "What is the cost of relief?" Bane growled. The Glukkon didn't answer fast enough and Bane cracked him under the chin with the short stinger. "SPEAK!" 

"Obedience." The Glukkon gasped. He could barely choke out the word. "And you didn't obey did you?" Bane struck him again, then locked the bar in front of the space and tied the lead rope to it. Bane walked away then. Flark's driver had him back into another space, secured him and walked off in the same direction.

When they came back an hour later, it was with dread he noticed his driver chatting amiably with Bane. Fervently hoping they hadn't worked out a deal pertaining to his ownership, he waited nervously. Bane came up to him. "What is the price of disobedience?" he barked. 

"Pain." Flark responded immediately. Bane was not somebody to say "Who Me?" to. It was as if somebody poured cold water over him as Bane climbed into the driver's seat and his driver opened the bar that blocked his way. Bane clicked his tongue and Flark set out immediately.

Scarfen watched Bane take the other Glukkon out. Scarfen stood in agony. With the rear jaw pinch pulled tight, the pinch painfully pressing on nerves in his jaw, forcing his head up until his neck ached. It didn't allow him any rest. He could only wait until Bane came back. 

Flark sprinted along. Don't think; just do, he told himself silently as Bane guided him down the trail. If he thought too much, he might miss a command. He paid close attention to the commands; several times he 
earned a stinger beating or a yanked pinch. It was a great relief when Bane gave the order to turn around. He headed back to the space where his driver waited. Flark trembled as Bane got out of the seat and his driver climbed in. They headed home. Bane had gone easy on him this time. It would be harder if Bane owned him.

Scarfen saw Bane returning, still driving the other Glukkon. Bane relinquished the Glukkon to his driver. Scarfen was still standing at attention. Bane would no doubt expect him to pull Bane's cart back to the training center with no mistakes after all this, and Scarfen had already accumulated a lot of demerits today. He knew what that meant; tonight he'd spend a certain amount of time in a restrainer with his nerve inductors activated. The tears rolled down his cheeks as Bane approached. 

Later, Flark told Scrumm about the incident. "Sometimes they do that to scare you" Scrumm said…

Scrumm backed away from the door and went to his water trough. "Bane," the hyoo-mun's name fit. The notch in Scrumm's lip was from Bane's training, Bane had worked Scrumm briefly years ago when he'd gotten in trouble. The hyoo-mun could provoke screams that couldn't get out fast enough and seemed to claw at Scrumm's ribs like a live thing. Bane knew where to hit you, he had a talent for striking the tender places under your throat or just behind your jaw. The moisture on his cheeks wasn't from the trough. He was grieved. He hadn't been entirely truthful in his response to Flark's questions. He couldn't be sure Flark's driver wasn't planning a trade with Bane. If he'd seen it, he might know more. With hyoo-muns, anything could happen. The one thing worse than to be worked by Bane was to be owned by him. It was said that Bane marked every hint of resistance, every hesitation, and every mistake and then he punished his slaves at the end of the day according to the number of demerits they accumulated. This meant they were punished for the same things twice. 

Scrumm shuddered. Mine work was heavy but you could get away with more in the mines. You were expected to haul your load up the tunnel in a decent interval. The drivers usually patrolled the tunnels for shirkers rather than ride behind them. The drivers in the mines didn't allow talk, but at least they didn't mind Glukkons glancing around while they worked, and you did get the occasional day off. The drivers pushed them harder if they got in trouble, but it would slack off after a couple of days. Scrumm had tried to reassure Flark as best he could. If there were nothing to it, it wouldn't do to panic Flark. It would devastate him and none of them would get any rest. If Flark's driver WAS planning a trade, there was nothing either of them could do about it. And he wasn't about to ASK Flark's driver about his plans, that was a good way to get a stinger shoved into your ear. He'd found that out the hard way. The only thing he could do was listen to the hyoo-muns' talk and see what he could pick up. The trainer might have just been checking up with Flark's driver about how well the anti-shirk was working.

Chapter 6

Thignu awoke. For a moment, he didn't know where he was. Then he remembered the journey, the beating and the strange hyoo-muns that had released him. There was a small furry alien creature curled up on his bed. It made a pleasant sound, as if a little motor was running inside it. It didn't look threatening. He stood up shakily and explored his cell. It was larger than the cells he knew. There were two curious little doors in the wall, one on either side, each with a ring hanging from the ceiling nearby. Not knowing what they were for, he went to the water trough for a drink. He was still wearing the jaw pinch but his nerve inductors were gone. The padded mat and blanket was still there, so it wasn't a dream. Never had he been allowed a bed, Glukkons had always been expected to sleep on the floor. There was a second padded platform on the other side of the room, undisturbed

"Thignu." Startled, he turned toward the voice, a Glukkon's voice. It was Morglik, standing on the other side of the barred door. " They'll leave the door open in a coupla days. They didn't want the little one to disturb you."

"Little one?" Thignu asked, "What are you saying Morglik?"

"These hyoo-muns are different; they rescued me when I couldn't pull anymore." Morglik said.

Thignu remembered how these hyoo-muns had been strangely gentle when dealing with him but he was still uncertain.

So when he heard hyoo-mun voices approaching, he whispered "Run, they're coming." and backed away from the door. Morglik didn't go and two hyoo-muns opened his door and came in. One reached for him and he backed up against the far wall. The hyoo-mun stood there, stroking his face and talking soothingly, making that strange hissing sound. Tears came to Thignu's eyes and he shook. He never thought there could be such a thing as kindly hyoo-muns. After a while, his eyes closed and he started to lean into that hand. After all this time, he was finally safe. The hyoo-mun eased toward his jaw pinch strap and unbuckled it, then carefully slipped it off. He opened his eyes and watched the hyoo-muns, but they didn't bring another pinch. The hyoo-mun just rubbed his chin talking softly. The second hyoo-mun brought more gruel, which he ate eagerly.

A moment later, he caught sight of Midj peering around the door. Little one- so that's what Morglik had meant.

The second hyoo-mun motioned for Thignu to follow, but Thignu sagged down on the mat again. Again, no punishment was forthcoming.

"Tomorrow then." The hyoo-mun said as he pulled the blanket over Thignu once more. They went out and closed the door.

"Told you." he heard Morglik say.


Jarrek and Darana headed back down the corridor. Darana called the cat, " Here Kimo, come get some dinner." and he came frisking down the hall after them. Cats had been among the animals on board the ship when they arrived, their pets. The cat often helped to comfort Glukkons. Kimo had an uncanny ability to tell which Glukkons would respond well to him. Thignu was still weak but recovering nicely, he'd slept for two days. The ones that were real bad off seemed to accept Jarrek and his friends quicker. A few remained sad and melancholy. Today, Thignu had acted fairly calm when he and Darana had been in to see him, so Darana had removed the jaw pinch. They didn't think Thignu would kick. The pinch was often the last to come off. However bad off a Glukkon was, they knew that kicking a human while they held the lead would hurt their jaw, so they wouldn't even try it. The real test would be the examination tomorrow, and there was no telling how he would react…


The next day, Thignu opened his eyes and noticed that the small window in the wall was open. He stood up and approached slowly. The window closed, then opened again a moment later. He grabbed the ring hanging from the ceiling in his mouth and pulled. The little window closed. A moment later it opened again. He looked through the little window and saw another Glukkon. The window opened into another cell. Thignu pulled the ring again and it closed again, Then he pulled it again. The little window was open once more, and the other Glukkon closed it. Thoroughly enjoying this game, Thignu pulled the ring again… 


Jarrek figured Thignu should be ready to meet the other Glukkons very soon but the evaluation came first. He watched the game Thignu was playing with Tarkus. One of the side effects of the torture training was mindlessness. They'd likely play this game all day if he hadn't come by. Jarrek and went into Thignu's cell. The Glukkon looked up, startled. "You ready to come out today?' Jarrek asked. "Come with me." It was a gentle command. Thignu hesitated for a moment, then followed. They headed down the corridor and into a room and the door closed behind them. Thignu's eyes widened at the sight of the restrainers in the room, and he shook in every limb and sagged against the wall, crying. Jarrek rubbed behind his ear to calm him. Good, this one still wasn't inclined to kick. Jarrek would need to use the restrainer if he kicked.

This was evaluation time. Jarrek got to know each Glukkon personally here; he would learn what they feared, what they liked and try to get them to talk. Some cried from fright when you gave a command, but they usually obeyed. Jarrek hated to deal with some of Bane's handiwork, Glukkons that were almost mechanical in their obedience. In these cases, Jarrek would bark a nonsense word like a command. The Glukkon would spook, and he had to work to calm them, but it was enough to break the trance so they could be reached. Jarrek could sometimes tell what the Glukkon had been through by watching them. Glukkons who had been lashed mercilessly on the ears would develop a characteristic ear twitch for example and Thignu had it.

Darana came in and they changed the bandages on Thignu's back and arms and checked the splints on his hind limbs. Jarrek pulled out a healing accelerator and held the beam over the break. Thignu startled, and Darana rubbed Thignu's chin and spoke gently to him. One or two more treatments and the splints would come off. Jarrek spoke, "Now how did you end up tied to that tree, eh? Speak." The Glukkon's eyes widened and he backed up against the wall again. "Ok you don't have to." Jarrek said as he rubbed Thignu's chin. Jarrek figured Thignu would spill THAT story on his own once he'd had his first nightmare. With regular sessions, Glukkons would eventually realize that no torture was forthcoming and they would relax, you might even coax a smile out of them. Most never lost "that look" however. Jarrek had some food brought in and they fed Thignu, who gulped it down eagerly. Jarrek then sat down at his desk to work; keeping an eye on the Glukkon while the creature explored the room. A few Glukkons were so mentally warped by their training; they needed Jarrek's work for quite some time before even meeting the others. But Jarrek felt that Thignu shouldn't have any problems joining the other Glukkons.

A couple of hours later, Jarrek stood up "Come on, let's go meet the others." Jarrek said. Thignu hesitated, then came cautiously through the door and the two humans coaxed the Glukkon back down the hall and into another room where a number of other Glukkons were milling about. Thignu stood there for a moment as if he didn't believe it, then slowly headed toward Morglik. Tarkus was there too. The one Thignu had been playing the window game with. 


Thignu remembered Tarkus and Morglik. They had been in the holding pen with him when they had been broken, then they had been sent to the mines together. Thignu found himself thinking about Flark, wondering where he was or if he was even alive.

Thignu startled when one Glukkon turned around, and he had no eyes, just terrible scarring where his eyes should be. "That's Rouk." Morglik said. "He was blinded before coming here. He doesn't talk much." Thignu watched as Midj went up to Rouk, and Rouk stooped down to nuzzle the youngster.


Jarrek watched for a while, Rouk approached, and Jarrek spoke to him and rubbed behind his ear for a little while before the blind Glukkon headed back toward the others. Bane had burned Rouk's eyes out and then sent him to the Axman's holding pen with Sad-Eyes. Jarrek had to work with Rouk for a week before Jarrek could lay a hand on him without Rouk screaming, longer still before Rouk would lean into his hand. It was a month before the jaw pinch came off. Sad-Eyes had likewise taken a lot of working with. It had helped to tether the both of them in the training room while Jarrek worked with Midj. The little one came around much faster. Seeing and hearing the little one learning to trust a human helped the older ones settle down.

Jarrek headed back down the hall…

Chapter 7

Morning at Banetown, Flark was finally taken off outdoor detail and evidently going back to work inside. Outdoor detail sometimes meant spending the night at a different barracks. That "Fleech in the latrine story" had kept coming back to him and he wondered which barracks it had happened. Bane hadn't come to take him away so the worry that Bane would be his new master had faded somewhat. 

Now he was hitched to the wheel, a circular mechanism that he pulled around and around. Maybe it was some sort of grindstone or generator crank, maybe even a water pump, he didn't know. He just knew it was monotonous and there was a driver there all the time, sitting in the center on a swivel seat, ready to lash any shirkers. Flark was hitched with four others, who followed each other in a dejected circle. One of the other Glukkons slacked off and the driver lashed him, he cried out and quickened his pace and they all were forced to speed up, it would not do to be considered the "slow" one now. 

He heard that Scrumm had been assigned to the treadmill. Most of what he knew about these varied duties was from what Scrumm told him, They were trained on the treadmill but during training time, the trainer was always right there. Scrumm had said you could slow down on the treadmill here provided you picked up your pace when the driver came anywhere near. It was a little like mine work.


The driver came for Scrumm and led him to the day's work assignment, the treadmill. He was hitched up as if to a cart but there was nowhere to go, just run in place, going nowhere fast. It was almost like being in a restrainer. There were a number of others, all arranged in a row, each one on their own treadmill. The driver barked the command and Scrumm leaned into the straps and started the day's toil. As the day wore on, the work became heavier. Suddenly, around midday, a stinger struck him; he hadn't seen or heard the driver steal up behind him. He cried out and leaned harder into the straps and ran for all he was worth and the belt beneath him flew but the driver continued to lash him. 


Later, that night, Flark was back in his cell when he heard Scrumm crying. The guards had put him away and Flark caught sight of him as he walked past his cell. Flark saw he had been beaten. When the guards had gone, Scrumm told him about what happened. The driver had pushed him steadily for a couple of hours. Scrumm had always been wise enough to pay attention to the drivers and so often avoided the punishment that novices suffered. Often, the severity of punishment depended on which guards were on duty. Scrumm's age was catching up with him. Flark backed away from the door and rooted through his food trough. Likely that would be Flark's own fate as well when he began to fail. Around here, retirement meant only one thing.

Chapter 8

EEEEAAAAAUUUUUGGHH!

The scream woke Jarrek suddenly and he threw on a robe and ran to the barracks to see who it was. He could hear the Glukkon crying; it was Thignu. He trembled in the corner of his cell, muttering "I didn't mean to kick the sand, I didn't mean to!" over and over again. Jarrek tentatively stepped into Thignu's room. The Glukkons' eyes were better in the dark, but Jarrek was uncertain of the Glukkon's state of mind.

"What happened? You have a bad dream?" Jarrek asked gently. Thignu stared, "I'm not going to punish you." Jarrek said as he reached out and rubbed behind the Glukkon's ear. Thignu shuddered and leaned on Jarrek as his story poured out, from Bane's training techniques to the matter of kicking sand in his driver's eyes, and the resultant flogging and abandonment in the desert.

Bane isn't here, your old driver isn't here. They're not coming to get you." Jarrek said, wishing there were a quicker way to kill the ghosts. The torture training left them all cringing wretches. Many had the mentality of children. It was a strange thing to see that in a gruff being that stood up to seven feet tall. Some of them were reluctant to even stand their full height around a human.

"Everything all right?" asked a voice behind him. Jarrek looked up to see Darana peering in. "Nightmare." Jarrek said simply. Darana disappeared for a few minutes, then came back with some herb tea. By then Thignu had quieted somewhat. They coaxed Thignu into drinking the tea. They stayed with him until he drifted off to sleep. Jarrek had expected this, just as a Glukkon was starting to settle down, the nightmares started. It would take a while for them to realize they were safe. They didn't want to sedate the Glukkon any more than necessary. It would take time; it always took time…


Shortly after dawn, Flark had been driven to the other side of Bane's immense compound, a huge network of tunnels. His driver had some business to see to here. Flark was tethered next to Slubber; Flark had seen him led past his cell on Flark's rest day. Slubber was a rugged, strong Glukkon and Flark was surprised to see him assigned to anything other than mine work. Glukkons like Slubber were prized for heavy work like pulling mine carts. 

Realizing Slubber had arrived by caravan, Flark asked for the name of the Glukkon who had been left in the desert.

Slubber was silent for a moment, then answered "Thignu." 

Flark stood there, numb. His friend, Thignu, left to die. "We were in the training center together." He said. Slubber only grunted his acknowledgement. Then Flark asked, "How did it happen?"

"He kept missin' commands, then th' driver came up an' hit him an' he jumped an th' driver got an' eyefulla sand and th' hyoo-muns tied him to a tree and…" Slubber broke off sadly.

Flark knew about the flogging from the nightly gossip. Likely the hot sun finished Thignu off. To hyoo-muns, a Glukkons life was worth less than dirt and it didn't take much to provoke them. Thignu had tended to be a bit dim and klutzy, couldn't seem to avoid infuriating his driver. Flark's eyes blurred.

Slubber's driver came back first, untied Slubber, climbed into the cart and pulled back on the rear jaw pinch lead, backing Slubber up. Slubber cried out under the repeated stinger strikes as they set out. They left Flark behind. Slubber's driver must have learned his techniques from Bane, Flark thought. A little while later, Flark's own driver came out, untied Flark and they too set out. Fortunately, the two drivers hadn't decided to race.

Chapter 9

It had been two weeks since Thignu's rescue. His wounds would leave scars but were almost healed. Morglik had helped Thignu to settle down here in Ship's Rest. Thignu was quick to respond to Jarrek, but the nightmares continued to haunt him. Thignu still bellowed like a wounded bear when he woke from one, and he still had that ear twitch. 

The two new little ones, Pog and Raith, had become great friends with Midj and they raced each other down the hall.

Jarrek loaded the last of the machinery onto the hovertruck. They had done well with their salvage work, and now it was time for another trip to Banetown. The crawlercar and skybikes were likewise ready to go. They also had some produce from the farms to trade in town. Jarrek and a number of his friends set out toward Banetown.


In Bane's training center, Yurkie, a half-grown Glukkon, was in third stage training. Yurkie sagged to the floor in his cell, sobbing. He didn't understand what had happened; he had offended Bane in some way. Bane suddenly had his guards pounce on Yurkie and put him in a restrainer; his head immobilized. Bane walked up, then coldly said, "Begin!" and the guards started lashing him on the ears with their stingers. Yurkie felt like his ears were on fire; he writhed. Yurkie's frantic 

"WhatdidIdoo!WhatdidIdoo!WhatdidIdoo!" soon gave way to steady screaming. Bane changed guards every few minutes. As the lashing went on, blood began to fly. At long last, Bane had given the signal to cease, and they took Yurkie out of the restrainer and dragged him to his cell; his ears still felt like they were on fire. 

He had heard some talk about Sligs starting a food fight in the mess hall the previous day- Bane had gotten a face-full of something sloppy. He had heard the Sligs cry out as Bane dealt with them. Yurkie wondered what it had to do with him; had he looked at the hyoo-mun wrong? The day before, Yurkie had been beaten on his vestigial hind feet; he knew what THAT had been for; he'd stepped on Bane's toe. Yurkie had been careful of that today. What had he done?

Chapter 10

Scrumm was struggling with his load when Slubber, one of the other Glukkons, came tearing around the corner, his driver goading him on mercilessly. The side of the cart struck Scrumm, knocking him down. There was a sharp pain in his shoulder and pain in his vestigial feet as the anti-shirks kicked in and his guttural screams echoed down the tunnel. After all these years, Scrumm had nearly forgotten just how the nerve inductors felt. He heard Flark call his name and an angry driver's shout. A moment later, Flark started screaming too. Slubber and his cart went careening into some stacked barrels, knocking them down.

Drivers came, striking Scrumm with their stingers and yanking his jaw pinch in an effort to get him to his feet, but there was something wrong with his shoulder and he couldn't get up. Eventually, the drivers took off his anklets, scorched his hand with a hot iron, and dragged him by the jaw pinch back to his cell. 

Scrumm knew what the brand meant; he was going to go to the Axman. After all this time, it was going to end this way. Likely, they'd take his hide and the rest of him would go into Slog food. Bane was probably going to get a new pair of boots; Scrumm had personally known the Glukkons that had furnished Bane's current pair. Scrumm had long counseled new slaves on the rules, how to communicate without being caught, and how to read hyoo-muns in order to avoid punishment. Now he wouldn't be there. He hoped the others wouldn't suffer for his absence. 

The guards unhitched Slubber and dragged him to his cell, then activated his nerve inductors. Flark too, was under punishment. Scrumm heard Flark crying down the hall. The poor fool had tried to help. Now the nerve inductors were dealing his punishment. Flark should have known better than to bolt. Poor Slubber was being punished for his driver's actions. Some others were crying too, what for, Scrumm didn't know.

A little while later, the guards were leading the other Glukkons to their cells. Some guards came into Scrumm's cell, threw him into a cart, bound for the butcher's holding pen. He saw Flark struggling in his cell when he passed by. The hyoo-muns took him outside and headed for the Axman's building. They put him in the holding pen behind the axman's building with three other doomed Glukkons.

The hyoo-muns were going to celebrate the eve of their victory over the Glukkons by watching them get slaughtered in the arena. The hyoo-mun that was to kill them had gone to the arena. The Glukkons had some time yet. Scrumm couldn't reach the troughs to eat or drink. One of the other Glukkons, Gorm, who was still on his feet, brought food and water to Scrumm by carrying it in his mouth. Gorm dropped it into Scrumm's mouth like a bird feeding it's young. Scrumm remembered a time when no Glukkon would be caught dead doing this. A hyoo-mun, an employee apparently, watched them, then turned away. 


Slubber writhed in agony. His nerve inductors flickered as they sent excruciating pain through him. Sometimes the pain jolted through him like lightning. Sometimes it crawled like a searing Slurg. Sometimes it would ease momentarily, only to spike torturously again. He screamed and cried and begged for someone to turn off the nerve inductors. He heard Flark crying likewise. Slubber hadn't meant to knock Scrumm or those barrels down. His driver had been pushing him at top speed when he and the cart had careened into the stacked barrels that contained some chemical. Now the nerve inductors dealt their merciless torment, and it hadn't even been his fault. 

The barrels were restacked, but no one noticed when some of them began leaking…


The guard fumed. There had been trouble and as luck would have it, it happened at the worst time. A crowd of Sligs had started a riot in the mess hall yesterday. It had started with a "food fight." Bane had some of them killed, and a few of them were under punishment. Now today one of the Glukkon slaves had been running too fast, injured another slave, and collided with a stack of barrels. The slave was now under punishment and the injured one was delivered to the Axman's holding pen. And to make matters worse another slave had broken rank and tried to run toward the injured one. That one was also under punishment. A few others took advantage of the commotion to try to bolt, and they too were under punishment. All this had to happen when he was planning to go to the arena. Bane had been directing preparations all week. All of Bane's trainers, drivers and guards were going to see a great show tonight. They had plenty of critters to feed Glukkons to: Paramites, Slogs, Fleeches, and a Scrab. Bane himself was likely already there. The guard looked at the clock; he and some of his cohorts were going to be late. He was putting the last Glukkon away.

The guard suddenly felt lightheaded…


Scarfen stared. The hyoo-mun was just putting him away when the hyoo-mun staggered and fell. He choked and struggled and soon lay still. Scarfen's cell had not yet been closed. Cautiously, he ventured out. He didn't know what had happened, all the hyoo-muns were down. He wandered the halls, looking for a way out. He eventually found a garbage chute and climbed in and slid through the chute. He ended up outside and he ran toward the wilderness, not knowing where he was going, except away from Bane's tortures.

In the barracks below the arena, Gurgrum leaned on the wall of his cell. He was doomed; he had been deemed too scrawny to do much work, and so he would die in the arena. He heard the others crying; it would change to frantic begging as the guards dragged a Glukkon to the arena. He could hear the hyoo-muns cheering; it grew more fierce when he heard a Glukkons frantic shrieks as the Glukkon was torn apart. Soon there was him and two others left. The guards came for him. They took him up the stairs and shoved him into the arena. There were seats all around the arena; elevated so the hyoo-mun had a good view of the carnage. A cage of Fleeches was brought. The door just opened slightly and the hyoo-mun opening the door collapsed. Gurgrum noticed the crowd sounded different. He looked up and the hyoo-muns were slumping in their seats. They were soon silent. The door to the Fleech crate didn't open enough to let the Fleeches out. Gurgrum wandered aimlessly among the mutilated remains of his companions.


Scarfen didn't know how long he ran. He had begun to slow down somewhat. He had ended up in the desert and he wandered aimlessly for a day or so. He was thirsty and hungry. He trudged along when, suddenly, he heard a voice. "Hey look a Glukkon!" Scarfen looked up, startled. More hyoo-muns and he'd blundered right into them. He panicked and ran. The hyoo-muns pursued on skybikes. Even then Scarfen knew it was only a matter of time…


As soon as they saw the Glukkon, Jarrek knew they had to catch him. If he got away, likely he'd die out there. They grabbed ropes and set out after him on the skybikes. They tried to lasso him, carefully because they didn't want to get the rope around his neck. The Glukkon franticly dodged behind rock formations, and they kept roping the rocks. "Ya really can't blame him", Jarrek thought.

Finally, a desolate wail told him that one of his companions' ropes had found its mark. Jarrek rode up in time to see the second rope slipped around the Glukkons upper arms. Ben and Skeeter held the Glukkon securely while Jarrek walked up and carefully snapped a lead to the Glukkon's jaw pinch.


Scarfen was struggling. The hyoo-muns had him; one took hold of his lead rope and said, "Come with me." The hyoo-mun pulled slightly on the lead but didn't yank it. It was all over, Scarfen sank to his elbows and sobbed, he knew what they did to runaways. He remembered the Glukkons under punishment back in Banetown, the nerve inductors… Again, the command, "Come with Me." but more gently. "Come on, let's getcha some water."
He shakily rose to his feet and followed the Hyoo-mun. Their hovertruck pulled up and they loaded him onto it. There was nothing he could do but obey anyway.

How'd you end up way out here? The hyoo-mun asked, "Speak." The hyoo-mun commanded, but there was a gentleness that confused him. He blurted out his response.

Somebody crashed the cart an' they were gonna put on a show an' hyoo-muns were falling down an' they were all laying there an' I-I got scared an' I ran away an' I didn't mean to p-please don't punish me…Scarfen sank to his elbows again, sobbing.

"Ok, ok, shhhhhhhhhhh." The hyoo-mun said as he rubbed Scarfen's chin. "I'm not going to punish you." Someone brought some water and the Glukkon drank eagerly.

Jarrek thought about the Glukkon's incoherent answer, then turned to Caleb. " I think something's happened in Banetown."

They set out again, going a little faster. The Glukkon grew uneasy, they were going to where he had fled. Jarrek rubbed behind his ear to calm him.

When they arrived in Banetown, they found the people that were left were afraid to venture into the compound. These were people who didn't go to the arena to watch the slaughter of Glukkons. It was said that something killed everyone inside. Jarrek went in cautiously holding the portable analyzer, checking for toxins. The humans were all dead throughout Bane's huge compound, The Glukkons had survived and the various animals in the pens near the arena had survived. The seats in the arena were full of bodies. There was a lone Glukkon in the arena, wandering bewildered among the remains of a few other Glukkons. This one hadn't had the Fleeches set on him yet. They were going to have to catch him and put him in a pen. They found two more Glukkons in the arena barracks. The creatures panicked when they saw Jarrek and his friends. The Glukkons were convinced it was their turn to die in the arena. When Jarrek took hold of the lead rope, one of the Glukkons suddenly lunged against the jaw pinch and hurt himself. He sagged to his elbows, pleading. Jarrek noticed blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. He checked it and was relieved that the jaw wasn't broken.

"Desperation makes a poor student." Jarrek said as he gently took hold of the lead again. Ever watchful for a kick, Jarrek reached up to rub their chins and comfort them, and gently spoke the command, "Come with me" and led both of them away from the arena. At that point, the Glukkons followed more obediently. 

In Bane's training center, Jarrek and his friends found Glukkons in the last stages of training, The creatures stood up in their cells and stared, wide-eyed as the humans walked by, no doubt expecting another "session." One of them was fairly young, standing about five feet tall, and he backed into the corner of his cell, crying, with his ears red and sore from stinger beatings. There were some Sligs under punishment in Bane's training room, and they could hardly move, a couple had died. "More like Zuff." Jarrek thought, as the Sligs lay there scarcely able to raise their heads. Jarrek released them from their restrainers and put them in a pen. 

Jarrek analyzed the human bodies; they found the barrels and pieced together what happened…

Tortured Glukkons produced a chemical in their blood, Torglukkadrine. A special filter machine distilled it. Jarrek was familiar with the stuff. The substance was used as a drug by all the guards and trainers. They injected the drug. They said it kept them alert. The vapor from these barrels had interacted with the drug, creating a deadly poison. None of Jarrek's folk had the drug in their systems. That's why they were safe. The Glukkons were apparently immune.

With the trainers gone, the Glukkons had been unfed for a day or two, and they could hear the ones under punishment, crying. Jarrek heard one Glukkon muttering, "We're screwed! We're screwed! We're screwed!" the Glukkon fell silent when they approached. When Jarrek or one of his cohorts deactivated nerve inductors, some of the Glukkons would clutch at the human's feet. Jarrek noticed one Glukkon standing there in his cell with his jaw hanging open in a certain way. "Fractured jaw" Jarrek thought. He'd seen this sort of thing before.

Jarrek and his friends had a lot of work ahead; they activated food and water dispensers, collected the bodies for burning and comforted frightened Glukkons. Jarrek decided they'd put the Glukkons in the holding pens to ship them home with them later. He'd put that one they'd found in the desert in there too. Eventually a few of the townspeople ventured in to help, once Jarrek determined they didn't have Bane's drug in their systems.


Flark looked up when he heard the hyoo-muns approaching. He leaned on the far wall, crying franticly. Never had any of the mine slaves been left under punishment for more than a few hours. This time had been much longer. The hyoo-muns opened his cell door, one of them aimed a control box at him and the nerve inductors finally ceased their tortures. He crawled to the hyoo-mun clutching his feet and crying. The hyoo-mun reached down and rubbed behind his ear and gently disengaged his grip. 

The hyoo-mun took hold of his lead. "Can you stand? Hup." came the command and after a long while Flark rose unsteadily to his feet. Two hyoo-muns steadied him while they took him to the holding pen. He saw the bodies of the guards lying around. Slubber was already there in the holding pen with several others. And he recognized Bane's "student." Flark had seen him that day in the parking stall. His name was Scarfen. Scarfen had been terrified the hyoo-muns would blame him for the dead hyoo-muns lying about, but they didn't seem to be overly upset by the bodies, certainly not angry.


When Jarrek went outside, he was passing the Axman's office when a young fellow called to him. It turned out that this teen, Dale was his name, was unwilling to kill the four Glukkons in the Axman's holding pen. He didn't have anything left to feed them. Jarrek looked in; The Glukkons regarded him with eyes like dying embers. One of them an old one, not quite so old as Sad Eyes, was hurt in some way. Jarrek went in and examined him; the oldster had a dislocated shoulder. Jarrek recalibrated the nerve inductors to block pain. The Glukkon cried out when they were activated then quieted when he felt no pain. Jarrek carefully snapped the joint back into place. He noticed the burn on the old Glukkon's hand and cleaned and dressed the wound. He had them brought back to the mines, and put them in the holding pens there where they were fed. The Glukkons there apparently knew each other; they nuzzled each other. Jarrek put the old fellow in the next pen and fed him.


Flark looked up and saw the hyoo-muns bring Scrumm back. He'd thought his old friend was a goner. He watched as the hyoo-mun carefully fed Scrumm. 

A Glukkon by the name of Gurgrum had been in the arena. He said Bane and his trainers had died suddenly. After a long while, these strange hyoo-muns had come and caught him in the arena and led him here. Gurgrum was rather scrawny as Glukkons go. The scrawny ones, unfit for heavy work, were often disposed of in the arena.

Flark had noticed there was something strange about these hyoo-muns. They hadn't struck anyone with a stinger, and only reluctantly pulled anyone's lead. Any of the guards Flark knew would have kicked him if he clutched at their feet. This one had responded with a gentle touch. 

Flark sagged to his elbows. He'd been unable to sleep under punishment and now it was catching up with him, likewise Slubber was also nodding off as well as several others who had been punished and so the rest of them took the hint and laid themselves down to rest.

Chapter 11

It was morning, Jarrek and his friends had rested well after the work they had gotten done, the bodies cremated, the worst of the Glukkons' injuries were tended to including one poor creature with a deep gash in his arm that needed stitches. The rest would be taken care of at Ship's Rest. It was time to return to Ship's Rest. Jarrek and the remaining townsfolk had made a deal and they had divided Bane's goods. They had a number of trucks to take back with them; some loaded with supplies and some to ship the Glukkons too. The shipping trucks were brought to the holding pens, where the Glukkons would be loaded. Several people went into the holding pens and grabbed a Glukkon's lead and gently led them out. The creatures' eyes widened, but most obeyed at once. One by one, the Glukkons were loaded onto the shipping truck. The Glukkons rested on their elbows in the truck, on either side, facing each other, and they were strapped in securely. They all looked very apprehensive; Jarrek knew that their last experience with shipping trucks was most likely when they were sent to Bane's training center; of course they'd be frightened. Special posts with rollers on top allowed the loading ramp to slide into the truck, neatly gliding over the Glukkons' forearms and handfeet, forming a second deck. The old Glukkon was strapped to a stretcher and loaded onto the truck. Jarrek would drive the truck and Darana would be on hand to keep an eye on the Glukkons, to comfort them when needed.


Flark looked around at the other Glukkons in the shipping truck; he was frightened, where were they going? Flark had seen a number of other trucks being loaded with Glukkons; it looked like they were all being taken. All of them. Flark saw his apprehensions mirrored in the faces of his companions. Slubber was on the other side of the truck, facing him. Slubber sat there with his eyes closed, a single tear rolled down his cheek. Gorm was on that side too, eyes wide. There was one, only five feet tall when he stood up, named Yurkie, his ears raw from lashing, and he was whimpering. He'd just come from Bane's training center. Gurgrum was on Flark's side of the truck; Flark could see him, looking very frightened. One right next to Flark had a broken jaw and he was the only one without his jaw pinch. Flark shook his head and his jaw pinch rattled; he wished they'd take HIS jaw pinch off. Another Glukkon had a bloody bandage on his arm. Scarfen was also on Flark's side of the truck. Traveling by shipping truck, at least they wouldn't be expected to walk for miles, but there were horror stories about Glukkons being lashed with the stinger for getting sick on the trip. The restraining straps and the second deck kept them all in place effectively; it was like being in a restrainer. The deck was padded where their elbows rested so it was a little more comfortable than expected. Scrumm was loaded on the second deck on a stretcher. Scrumm was allowed to rest on his side, on his uninjured shoulder. Slubber looked at him sadly and muttered an apology. "I know. It's all right." Scrumm said. The engine started and somebody cried out. It was the scrawny one, Gurgrum. A hyoo-mun came from in front of the vehicle and began to speak softly in a high, almost Mudokon-like voice to comfort them, rubbing brows or chins when needed. The hyoo-mun wiped the tear from Slubber's face and said they were going to a place called Ship's Rest, wherever that was. The hyoo-mun paid particular attention to Yurkie and Gurgrum, then came to Flark and rubbed his chin. 

The truck stopped, and the back door was opened once more, and a couple of crates were loaded on. 


Outside the main office in Banetown, a couple of crates had been delivered. They contained some baby Sligs, food and water systems were built into the crates. Bane had no doubt sent for them to replace Sligs that were killed. Since Jarrek had taken over Bane's affairs, he decided to take them to Ship's Rest as well. He tapped the crates and heard the Sligs scurrying around inside. The crates were loaded on the truck and the whole convoy set out toward Ship's Rest.


Somebody retching suddenly awakened Flark; he must have fallen asleep. It was Gurgrum. The hyoo-mun was right there with a pail and managed to prevent a mess. There was always somebody who got motion sick on a trip like this. The truck stopped briefly as the hyoo-mun got off for a few minutes, then got back in the truck and the journey resumed. The hyoo-mun opened some vents to let some fresh air in. Gurgrum stared when it became plain that the hyoo-mun wasn't going to punish him. The hyoo-mun just spoke reassuringly to him, and kept an eye on the rest of them. 

The rocking of the vehicle soon sent Flark drifting off again. Before the trip was over, Yurkie also got sick, this time the hyoo-mun didn't reach him in time with the pail. Certain he was going to be punished, Yurkie panicked, and his cries woke Flark once more. It was plain the hyoo-mun was irked, but kept right on rubbing Yurkie's chin; no lashing on the ears. Flark had noticed how raw and inflamed Yurkie's ears were, the poor fellow couldn't even bear the thought of any more stinger strikes to his ears. 


Darana was furious; she would have liked to shove Bane's face in the reeking mess right then. But she quickly wiped it up as best she could and worked to calm the frantic Glukkon that seemed to think more punishment was forthcoming. Praying that the other Glukkons wouldn't get sick too; she spoke softly to the half-grown Glukkon, trying to soothe his fears. Likely, his nerves were as raw as his ears. The smell was terrible, but they were nearly home. The Glukkon slowly calmed down when time passed without a stinger strike.

Soon they pulled into Ship's Rest, and began to unload the Glukkons. Most were put in a holding pen, but some were sent right into the exam room. Ben and Skeeter took the old one and "Fractured jaw" in first. Darana watched as somebody took the half grown one's lead and led him into the exam room. When she and Jarrek went in, the half grown Glukkon was standing in a restrainer, crying bitterly. The restrainers allowed the safe removal of nerve inductors. The old one was strapped to the table, and "Fractured jaw" was in a different restrainer. Jarrek rubbed the small one's chin to calm him and asked his name, "Yurkie." the Glukkon rasped. The Glukkon's ears twitched. 

"We're just going to get you cleaned up, Yurkie." Jarrek said. "Shhhh…" The Glukkon whimpered and strained to pull away while they gently washed the raw and bloody ears with an antiseptic bath. Darana could almost hear them hiss when the wet cloth contacted those wounds.


Yurkie struggled to understand what was going on. He had heard these two hyoo-muns' names "Jarrek' and "Darana." He was strapped in a restrainer but "Jarrek" removed his nerve inductor wristbands and collar and "Darana" took a bowl of some strange smelling liquid with a cloth and proceeded to wash his ears with the wet cloth. It cooled the burning pain in his ears. No punishment? The hyoo-muns then brought a pail of warm water and washed him all over. Then they dried him with an absorbent cloth and applied an ointment to his ears. They checked his mouth for sore spots and applied a medicine to them. He looked up and saw another hyoo-mun working on Scrumm, holding a strange device over Scrumm's shoulder. Scrumm hardly noticed it; he watched, incredulous, while Jarrek and Darana worked on Yurkie. Then Jarrek gently released Yurkie from the restrainer as Darana took hold of his lead. Yurkie stood there, trembling. Jarrek reached for him and he shrank back slightly; the hyoo-mun just rubbed his brow, then rubbed behind his ear and said, "Come with me." They led him down a corridor and put him in a cell, a larger one than the one he'd been in. They showed him the padded mat and told him he was permitted to use it. Then they left. A few hours later, another Glukkon, Gorm was brought in.


Jarrek and Darana headed back to the exam room. The old Glukkon, named Scrumm, was being led to his cell, still showing a hint of his injury. More Glukkons were being brought in. Jarrek was leading one in when he heard Thignu's voice, "Flark!" The Glukkon stopped suddenly and looked around, tugging at the lead and calling, "Thignu?" 

"Come on, Flark." Jarrek said. The Glukkon looked at him in shock. Jarrek noted the Glukkon's reaction. Yes, that was his name, Flark. Jarrek thought. Jarrek pulled slightly on the lead; and repeated the command; "Come with Me." the Glukkon followed him inside.


Flark's world had turned upside down. He could have sworn he heard Thignu, but Thignu had been tied to a tree and left to die. Slubber had been on that caravan and had told him about it. 

Flark had felt the pressure when the hyoo-mun pulled on his lead, but didn't yank. Not wishing to try the hyoo-mun's patience, he meekly followed the hyoo-mun into the room, a training room from the looks of it. He was put in a restrainer and he eyed the hyoo-mun warily. The hyoo-mun issued commands firmly but gently and didn't try to hurt him at every opportunity. That gentle pull when he thought he heard Thignu was uncomfortable but not painful. What was this hyoo-mun up to? They applied medicine to any sore places in his mouth and carefully removed the nerve inductors. He then realized this hyoo-mun suddenly knew his name after he heard Thignu call him. Could Slubber have made a mistake? The hyoo-muns tended the numerous scrapes he had acquired in his struggles under punishment back in Banetown. 

He even saw some Mudokons lending a hand, what was going on here? 
He saw Slubber brought in as the hyoo-muns released him from the restrainer and led him to his cell. 


Jarrek saw the questions in Flark's eyes as he led him to his cell. Later, Jarrek would bring each of them back here for evaluation and work with each one alone. Right now they had to get everyone settled. Jarrek met Ari in the hallway and told him that the few townsfolk back in Banetown would feed the Paramites and the Scrab until the Mudokons could help deal with them. Ari said, "Okay." and continued on his way. Jarrek went back for another Glukkon. 

They worked, tending wounds, learning the Glukkons' names whenever possible, calming them down and taking them to their cells. Kakek and Thunn helped when the grown Sligs from Banetown were brought in. The work took the rest of the day and well after dark and they all went to bed late that night, exhausted.

Chapter 12

As the hyoo-muns left the barracks, the Glukkons began passing discreet messages to each other. Flark was awake as well, and he explored his cell. It was larger than the cells he knew and much cleaner. It wasn't as cold either. He drank some water before checking out some rings hanging in the room near the wall. Flark grabbed one in his mouth and pulled. He jumped when a small aperture opened up in the wall. It led to the next cell. He saw two Glukkons named Glunk and Blarf in the next cell. This would make it much easier to pass messages and soon, most of the little windows were open. Did this mean talking was permitted here? A Glukkon down the hall muttered a warning about a trap. Flark looked for listening devices and found none.

Whatever the answer, there was quite a bit of talking going on and Flark heard-what was that? Talk of Scarfen actually escaping from Banetown? There had been many attempts but no one had ever succeeded; the wristbands saw to that. Scarfen had stumbled onto the hyoo-muns in the desert and they caught him. He hadn't suffered so much as a stinger strike from them. They discussed their current predicament at length; they had only received medical care for their injuries, no torture. These hyoo-muns did seem to be different. Many were still unsure; Bane sometimes allowed a Glukkon to recover, only to put him to torture again.

Suddenly, a loud scream split the air as one of the sleeping Glukkons awoke from a nightmare. Flark froze. He heard hyoo-muns coming and Flark waited for the sound of stinger strikes and shouted commands to be silent, but no, just soft words and that strange hissing sound. 

Flark went to the padded mat and laid himself down, pulling the blanket over him with his teeth. A bed with a blanket; he'd never had these before. The hyoo-muns had removed the nerve inductors: the collar, wristbands and anklets, but the jaw pinch was still in place. He didn't understand all this; it had been the way of things that hyoo-muns tortured Glukkons. While he was glad for the respite, he wasn't altogether sure that he hadn't lost his mind. Kindly hyoo-muns? He would have never imagined such a thing. From the talk going back and forth, it was plain that he wasn't the only one so confused. There was a little intermittent crying, but it didn't sound like anybody was under punishment. Perhaps Yurkie's ears were still sore.

"Mieeoow."

Flark startled at the cry and he looked around and saw a small furry alien creature pad into the room. It slipped easily between the bars of the door. Flark watched as it hopped up on his bed and nuzzled his face. It made a strange sound, like a little motor was running constantly. The sound had a calming effect.

Flark slowly drifted off to sleep…

Chapter 13

After a good night's rest Jarrek went into the room set aside for the baby Sligs. The crates had been brought in. Darana and several of his friends were there too. He started to open the crate; little squeals came out of the box as the baby Sligs scurried to the other end of the crate. Jarrek had Skeeter dim the lights. He opened the crate. He smiled as dozens of shining eyes greeted him. The little Sligs blinked at him for a moment, then crawled toward him, making that curious high "cricket" sound. He lifted each of them out of the box and cuddled them briefly before setting them down. They weighed about three pounds apiece. Before long everyone wanted to hold one. . Young Sligs imprinted on their caretakers. Sligs could be surprisingly loyal, if a little dim. Jarrek was glad these youngsters would never feel Bane's training. He remembered how it hadn't taken Jarrek very long to win Kakek's allegiance after he and Darana had rescued Kakek and his "brothers". Kakek and his "brothers" had helped considerably with the grown Sligs from Banetown. The three out of Bane's torture room were, as Jarrek suspected, rather like Zuff. At least Zuff had some company. Maybe some of them would recover with time. Today was the day to evaluate the new Glukkons. After playing with the baby Sligs for a while, Jarrek headed for the exam room to evaluate the first Glukkon…


Scrumm had responded well today, after a terrified start, Jarrek managed to get the old Glukkon to talk. Jarrek found Scrumm to be a touchingly gentle Glukkon, very concerned about the other Glukkons' welfare. He was confused by Jarrek's kindness, as if he had found a river that flowed uphill. The old fellow enjoyed a good rub behind the ear. They all did, Jarrek thought to himself. The old Glukkon spoke with tears in his eyes about what he'd seen and the pain he'd suffered. The poor fellow thought the tortures he and his race had suffered was a punishment for what his race had done, to the Mudokons, to the humans, and to this world. Perhaps in some strange way, that belief helped him survive. Jarrek thought it was a bit much and it had gone on too long. He did learn some details about history. Jarrek got the sense that this one had been a mentor to the others. Of all the Glukkons, this one was the most willing to talk.

Jarrek decided it was time for the jaw-pinch to come off. He reached up and gently removed the pinch and rubbed Scrumm's chin and the old Glukkon leaned into his hand. Jarrek could have sworn he saw Scrumm smile.


Jarrek took Scrumm to his quarters; he put him with Sad-Eyes. Scrumm looked at Sad-Eyes for a moment, Sad-Eyes was even older than Scrumm, his body covered with scars of the sort Bane's training produced, worse than many Scrumm had seen. It was likely that Bane had used him to practice his techniques on. And there were the prominent zipper-like scars around Sad Eyes' wrists and going up his arms…

"Molluck?" Scrumm asked incredulously.

Sad-Eyes looked up, startled, then his eyes widened. Scrumm turned around and saw that Jarrek had heard him. The hyoo-mun knew! But Jarrek gently laid a hand on Scrumm's shoulder, leaned close and said, "I took this one off the skinning machine. His name is Sad-Eyes." Scrumm stared a moment. "His name is Sad-Eyes." Jarrek repeated with a knowing look in his eyes, and Scrumm slowly nodded. 'Skinning machine' Scrumm replayed the words- it was then that Scrumm understood the implication of the scars going up Sad-eyes' arms. Sad-Eyes had suffered unspeakable tortures under Bane's hand. They had all paid dearly for their past mistakes. Scrumm knew more than anybody that watching the youngsters' sufferings had its own torment. Scrumm walked over to Sad-Eyes and nuzzled him briefly with the side of his jaw, and Sad-Eyes relaxed. 


Jarrek walked down the corridor. Sad-Eyes hadn't re-acted much to the news that Bane was dead. The only thing that provoked a smile out of him was Midj's antics. Whoever Sad-Eyes had been, his experiences under Bane's hand and under the Axman's hand had wiped out every vestige of the Glukkon's pride. The whole Glukkon race had been effectively spirit-broken, even Scrumm. Abe had likely felt Sad-Eyes' soul and knew the poor wretch could never threaten the Mudokons again. Jarrek knew that Bane had put Sad-Eyes through the "breaking" process repeatedly, allowing him to recover (physically) each time. Then there was the incident at the Axman's yard. By the time Jarrek got Sad-Eyes, the Glukkon had suffered worse than most. Jarrek had worked with Sad-Eyes for a long time to give him some semblance of sanity. 

Jarrek had more Glukkons to work with and he headed back to the training room to evaluate the next Glukkon.

Chapter 14

Flark was strapped in a restrainer. The trainer came in with the jaw pinch. Flark tried to avoid it by refusing to open his mouth. The hyoo-mun simply struck him with a stinger repeatedly until the Glukkon cried out, as he did so, Flark felt the jaw pinch pushed into place with a metal bar resting right under his tongue. The strap was fastened around the back of his neck. The Glukkon worked at the pinch, franticly trying to get it off. Then the hyoo-mun hauled back on the lead rope with all his might and pain tore through Flark's jaw…

" Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaggghhh!"

Flark awoke suddenly, screaming. He looked around disoriented for a minute before he realized he had been dreaming about the time he had his first jaw pinch put on. That was the time he learned why Glukkons meekly followed hyoo-muns that held their lead, even when being led to the torture room. It was agony to resist it. Flark remembered those early days, listening to the incessant rattle of jaw pinches as the other Glukkons were struggling to accept the infernal device. The jaw pinch had been his first lesson in obedience. Flark sobbed. He heard startled cries throughout the barracks as Glukkons responded to his cry. 

Flark looked up; it was morning, almost everybody was awake. The furry creature had left. He heard hyoo-muns coming and he shrank back in his cell as the hyoo-muns came in. They took hold of his lead and told him to follow. They led him into the training room.


Jarrek watched as Flark rattled his jaw pinch as if pleading for its removal. Jarrek spoke gently. "Come on Flark." and led him to a restrainer. Flark started sobbing again, but he obeyed. Jarrek whispered "Good. Shhhh." and rubbed his chin. Jarrek gently fastened the straps on the restrainer, locking Flark in. The Glukkon watched Jarrek fearfully. This one had woken from a nightmare just before being brought in. These creatures could kick, hard enough to crack ribs, so the restrainer was necessary. Jarrek then gently ran his hand down the Glukkon's arm toward Flark's handfeet, the Glukkons's arm quivered slightly, but there was no attempt to kick. Jarrek applied salve to the wounds on Flark's arms then released the Glukkon from the restrainer. Jarrek then asked questions and gave some commands, always noting the Glukkon's reaction. Jarrek remembered that this Glukkon seemed to know Thignu. Jarrek sat down at his desk, watching the Glukkon as he always did during evaluation. The Glukkon stood for a while, glancing around nervously, not knowing what was expected of him. After a while, Flark slowly began to explore the room. After a couple of hours, Jarrek called Flark. The Glukkon jumped, startled, and then approached Jarrek's desk, glancing quickly at Jarrek and then dropping his eyes to the floor. Jarrek reached up and rubbed the Glukkon behind his ear and under his chin, until Flark began to lean into Jarrek's hand. "Goood." Jarrek said. " There's somebody I want you to meet. Come on." Jarrek then led Flark out and headed for a different cell than the one he'd spent the night in.


Flark heard Thignu's voice. "Flark?" 

Thignu was in the room. 

Jarrek then said, "Go ahead and talk, it's alright. Ok, come here" Jarrek reached up and took off the jaw pinch. Flark shook his head and seemed shocked at the sudden absence of the rattle. Jarrek rubbed his chin gently. Flark stood there with his lower jaw quivering. Finally, at long last, the jaw pinch was off and it didn't look like Jarrek was going to bring another. He slowly turned to Thignu. Thignu looked on; he'd seen this before.

"Thignu." Flark said. "Slubber told me the driver tied you to a tree and left you. I thought you had died!" Flark looked at the numerous scars on Thignu's body. That must have been a terrible flogging. Flark thought and he shuddered. 

"These hyoo-muns found me, took me down and brought me here, healed my wounds. They're not like the other trainers." Thignu replied. 

Flark was silent a moment. These hyoo-muns were different, there was no doubt now. "Bane and his trainers are dead." Flark said. "These strange hyoo-muns rescued me too."

Flark caught sight of that furry creature again. "What's that?" he asked.
"It's called a cat." Thignu said. His name's Kimo. "He kept me company when I first arrived here."


Jarrek left the two Glukkons to their talk and headed back to the training room. He'd felt that Flark wouldn't mind being Thignu's roommate. Hopefully, Thignu would help Flark settle in…

Chapter 15

Several weeks passed…

Jarrek remembered how the evaluations had taken several days. Most of the Glukkons had calmed down quickly and were able to join the others right away. The Glukkons were just so glad to have relief when they allowed themselves to believe it. The Glukkons were also getting used to having humans call them by name. There were a few, including Yurkie, had needed to be worked with gently over a week to calm them down. It was plain that Yurkie had suffered arbitrary punishment. When Jarrek removed Yurkie's jaw pinch, Yurkie followed Jarrek around for quite some time after that. Some of the Glukkons had even gotten so used to the jaw pinch, it took them quite a while to get used to its absence.

Thignu had taught Flark how to open the door to the cell a few days after Flark arrived; a button set in the floor would activate the door when stepped on. Some of the others too, were quick to catch on.

Jarrek had finally learned "Broken jaw's" name, Gorrik. Jarrek had learned the names of many others as well, Glarp, Glummer, Turpik, Dimluk, Glunk, Blarf, Drek, Krayt, Gralik, Turdock, Gleeg, Meevin, Gurgrum, and quite a few others. Gorrik's jaw had almost healed and he was starting to eat on his own. Many of the Glukkons still had that ear twitch and that persistent sad expression, but most were finally getting comfortable around Jarrek's people. They were even getting comfortable around Mudokons. That was really something, Jarrek thought.

Some of the Glukkons had started to wear simple garments that left their handfeet unrestricted. Darana had made the clothes after seeing an old hieroglyph showing a running Glukkon wearing a shirt-like garment over his shoulders. Some Glukkons found this strange after having their backs laid bare to the stinger lash for so long. The Glukkons hadn't been allowed clothing before coming here to Ship's Rest. Scrumm and Sad-Eyes had welcomed the clothing at once. It was enough to keep the drafts off their shoulders and hide some of their scars. Perhaps the older ones had lingering memories of clothing, or maybe their bones ached from drafts…

The other night at about dusk, Darana, Kim, Ben and Caryl were working in the garden outside when they looked up to see Morglik, Flark and Thignu helping to cover the seeds they were planting. The Glukkons looked up and stopped for a moment like they thought they had done something wrong. A few gentle words from Darana and the Glukkons resumed covering seeds. They wanted to help. Their huge handfeet were perfect for kicking the soil over the seeds. 

Perhaps the Glukkons could be given a plot of their own to cultivate. Jarrek thought. 

Most of the Sligs, having imprinted on humans, would do anything that was asked of them. Now they were so impressed with Jarrek's kindness that they were willing to do all that much more. They were so glad to be out from under the threat of punishment that they didn't louse up so much. One slig was even showing interest in salvage work and was often seen in the workshop. Of the three that had come out of Bane's punishment room, one had begun to speak and he made friends with Thignu. The other two joined Zuff in his hiding places. 

Jarrek felt that the young Sligs raised with kindness were showing signs of being smarter than any of the grown Sligs. Jarrek had plenty of help naming them since everybody wanted to adopt one. The Sligs ended up dubbed with names like Sliggie; Goober, Tin Pants, Skidder and various others and they didn't seem to mind. 

Jarrek walked down the hall. It was evening now. He passed a room where the three little Glukkons were listening to a story Darana was telling them. Pog and Raith had become as trusting as Midj.

Yurkie came walking down the hallway, his fearful expression eased at Jarrek's gentle words. He was having difficulty finding his room, and so Jarrek led him to the right room. Yurkie still got confused easily. The torture Bane gave him still affected his mind. Scarfen was already in the room, Yurkie walked in and Jarrek stayed with them awhile before closing the door and walked back down the hall.

Jarrek headed back toward his own room. He rested better these days knowing that much of these Glukkons' and Sligs' suffering had come to an end. There were still a few nightmares, but even they were becoming fewer for most of the Glukkons. None of them would have to go through that again, if Jarrek had anything to say about it!

Epilogue

Time passed…

Scrumm stood there in the yard, looking at the night sky musing about how things had turned out. The death of Bane and his trainers had marked a turning point. The rescues slowly leveled off once the Glukkon mothers were saved. Torturing Glukkons slowly passed into disuse.

Now there was no longer the rattle of the jaw pinch though a few were preserved in the museum.

Scrumm thought it ironic; his race had enslaved Mudokons and hyoo-muns, and ended up suffering horribly for it. Now after his race had endured so much, hyoo-muns attended to them and even the Mudokons accepted them. Many of Jarrek's folk even found them endearing. The Glukkons and Sligs all still depended on hyoo-muns, but they didn't mind it now.

Now new youngsters were growing up, never having felt the jaw pinch or stinger. They knew about them though. Midj, Pog and Raith had grown up sweet natured. They had become best friends with Jarrek and Darana's kids.

Scrumm turned away from the stars and headed back inside. The moon with its Mudokon's handprint no longer bothered the Glukkons.

Scrumm was glad he lived to see kindly hyoo-muns, the worst days were over. His race had learned compassion, but it had come at a horrendous cost. The Glukkons would never forget what they or the hyoo-muns were capable of; likewise they would never forget the hyoo-muns who had helped them.