I’d like to know that one myself, Sabatini put in. My manifest says you’re a
boy, you’ve got a voice to match that, and you passed a Master System identity
check as a male.
So here it was. He knew he could not be mystical; the Chow sisters would accept
it, but Deng Ho—who could only stare in wonder, not a little lust on his face as
well in spite of his bindings—and the captain would never buy it. He had worked
out a story, though, that explained the facts even if he didn’t know if it was
really possible. He’d been refining it for days.
It is none of my doing, he lied. They—changed me. A surgeon and a
psychochemist. But they never completed the job. They changed me from a boy to a
girl, but you can tell from my voice, my ways, that they never changed me
inside.
The outside does just fine by me, Sabatini noted.
But why would they do such a thing? Chow Dai asked him.
They were remaking me to replace somebody. Somebody important who was sent down
for work but who had power enough to fake it. Song Ching, the daughter of the
chief administrator. They had no other use for me, and they decided I was about
her size. I had no choice. But they were fooled near the completion of their
goal. Orders came from somewhere that I was to be sent here. They could not
change the orders, and they could not give someone else my prints and patterns,
so they had to send me.
Rat—is that really you? Deng Ho asked in wonder.
Deep inside, my cousin. I am sorry. They fixed me so I would not know myself
what had been done until the day I left, when it wore off.
Oh, I am so sorry, Chu Li! Chow Dai cried. Why did you not tell me when you
knew?
Sooner or later I was going to tell you, he replied honestly. I—I just cared
for you, Chow Dai. I am a man in a woman’s body. I feel as a man feels, as I
felt before they did this to me. You have your scars, and you were pleased that
I looked past them, but how could a normal woman look past this?
Sabatini had let the touching scene go on. He was somewhat fascinated himself by
all this, particularly when the name Song Ching had been mentioned. The reason
they had all been forced through an extra and complete security check was that
Song Ching, the daughter of the chief administrator of the China District, had
been reported vanished from a maximum security area. He knew the powers those
butchers had. They were perfectly capable of turning a worthless kid into a
duplicate of this girl and maybe turning this girl into something else, somebody
she’d disposed of and then replaced, or maybe even somebody outside China.
Her story held together. For a moment he thought she might be the real Song
Ching, although why anybody’d pull strings to be sent to Melchior was beyond
understanding, but the fact that she’d passed the security exit test as a boy
named Chu Li made her story ironclad. Briefly he considered not turning her over
at Melchior but bringing her back and passing her off as the real one, which
would save a lot of asses and earn him some real powerful friends, but by this
time they’d run security checks up the rear and the plot would be easily
exposed— which would only send him back to Melchior—this time in chains and
one-way.
The captain looked her over. Well, kid, they did a really great job. No scars,
no nothing. Perfect. I think you got to get used to being a girl no matter what
your head says. They threw away all the old parts, anyway. I think maybe you
ought to learn what it’s like to be a girl these days Uh uh! Careful! You can’t
do anything but sit.
Chu Li had attempted to lunge forward in anger at the captain’s words, but it
had been fruitless.
Now you sit and listen, he continued. You’re property and you got a great
body and you are being sent to hell. They’re going to love you on Melchior. A
slightly incomplete job but an expert one, just up their fields of interest.
They’ll study you, pick your brain and chemistry apart, then they’ll have what
they want. Then they’ll complete the job and make you somebody’s present. Since
you look like this Song Ching, they won’t want you anywhere where her father
would notice, but they’ll find a bunch on Melchior in a region where chief
administrators never even look and stick you there, all right, only you won’t be
interested in machines or escape anymore. It won’t hurt anything to start now,
and it might put me in a good enough mood to forget this little incident.
I will, never dishonor myself so! Chu Li spat. Perhaps they can make me as
you say, but then I will not know my shame. I will fight you even if I fail!
Chu Li! You must not! both sisters said at once. Look at our bodies! And it
was to no avail! The price is great enough without adding more!
You do not know what it is like, Chow Dai continued alone. You cannot. But
can’t you see, under that smile of his he is one of them! No different from the
ones who did this to us?
Listen to her, the captain urged. She’s right, you know. I can be
quite—creative, within my charter.
Never! Chu Li exclaimed. To me it would be a perversion as well as an
assault! What does it matter to me if you do things to this body? It would be
better for me if you did make it less beautiful!
You’ve got a point, the captain admitted. He thought for a moment, then said
something in his language into the headset. They waited, not knowing what was
going to happen, and he seemed both relaxed and patient. Finally the rear center
door opened, and an emergency medical unit appeared.
Now, I don’t want all the bother of keeping you shackled or caged all the time,
not if I can help it, he told them, again sounding casual and almost friendly.
There are many ways around it, but I’m still in a bad mood, having been
awakened and all that. It seems to me the heart of this—incident—are our two
locksmiths here. I can’t see that doing a little more to them here is going to
change anything on Melchior, either. Seems to me that if you don’t have any
thumbs or index fingers, you won’t be stealing things and picking locks anymore,
will you?
No! Deng Ho cried out. They have suffered enough, you monster! You cannot do
this!
He won’t do it, Chu Li responded. He has to deliver his cargo undamaged.
Oh, of course I will, the captain assured them. They don’t mind a few things
like that. They understand. See, you of all people should know that those types
can grow back things like missing fingers and the like if they feel the need.
Look at what they grew out of you!
Chu Li’s spirits sank as he realized the truth of that, even if they hadn’t
really grown anything on him. The two girls’ faces were masks of terror. All
right, you serpent. What do you want of me? To ravish my body? Is that the
price?
At the start, yes. Now I want more. I want cooperation. Enthusiasm. It will be
a long trip yet. I want a servant. Someone who will do exactly what I say
without needing restraints. If I don’t cut their fingers, I must leave their
hands where they are. Makes it inconvenient for them to eat, so they must be
fed. I want a mistress who will do my bidding without even thinking about it.
He drew the little pistol. Hesitate, argue, or fail to please me in any way for
the next month and you’ll feel this. He fired at the torso.
Chu Li had never felt such pain, and he cried out.
Betray me, fail to do my will, or act or even speak with them about acting in
any way against me and it will cost your girl friend’s sister her thumbs. Twice
and your girl friend loses hers. As for the fat boy on the chair, if he gets out
of line in any way or is involved in anything at all I don’t like, I’ll bring