Back to The Aliens of the Flaming Red Sun
Rage and Aftermath[]
Sad Tentacles was with a group of overseers in the boathouse checking if anything else was missing as well as the submarine when one unfortunate Centaurian was selected to tell Leering Eye Stalks the latest development. Quietly holding his head and tentacles in the prescribed way for a deferential and dutiful slave Sad accompanied that supervisor and hoped he would get a chance to help Purple, the boy or his mistress. Leering was in an extremely good mood when the two found him and was entertaining himself describing in some detail what punishment he thought was proper for the runaway boy. His audience was a group of servants and relatives of the family who clearly would have preferred to do something different.
“Why is it taking so long to catch one silly half-grown boy? Wherever can he be cowering?” Leering Eye Stalks asked the overseer with Sad.
“Respected Sir, it appears an undutiful slave has stolen one of the master’s boats and run away as well.” the overseer replied.
The whole body of Respected Sir flashed alternately lurid green and deep ginger with rage as he grasped that his prey just might have slipped through his tentacles and got away for good.
Furiously Leering exclaimed that if he couldn’t get what he wanted there was no point in staying at the mansion. The slave Sad Tentacles drooped his tentacles in a deferential manner and suggested humbly,
“We will prepare your vehicle most excellently if you wish to leave Sir.”
Servants who were keen to get Leering out of the way went down with Respected Sir to the garage area, there fawning servants made a big show of getting the vehicle comfortable and sprayed the interior with Patrician Quality Mud. Other servants fetched the belongings of Respected Sir and loaded everything into the vehicle. It was all done with a big show of humility but also quickly so Leering had no time to change his mind.
The tentacles of Leering Eye Stalks were still contorted with wrath when he was in his vehicle with an unfortunate chauffeur about to start the engine. Fuming he told everyone that he would see to it the family lost influence and added they would all pay because Leering had been disappointed and frustrated. The servants minded this a bit as their status would drop compared to servants from other establishments if their household fell in esteem. Overall though everyone was relieved the villain was out of the way. Only the master minded when he found out that Leering had left and there was no chance to persuade him not to harm the family and no chance to offer compensation.
Sad Tentacles didn’t have to consider the villain Leering Eye Stalks anymore. Instead he thought of Purple and the boy escaping and he imagined them, perhaps frightened, perhaps hopeful about the free life they wanted. Sad knew Purple must regret that he couldn’t look after his mistress as she needed and remembered Purple had wanted him to check on her. The mistress was sleeping when Sad got to her though Centaurians hardly ever sleep. There has never been any reason for sleep rhythms to evolve on a planet where the inhabited side is in perpetual daylight. Sad Tentacles realized how totally exhausted she must be but gently, compassionately he roused her.
“Mistress whom we all love, it seems Purple has escaped with your son and there’s a good chance they’ll reach freedom together.”
"May Our Lord the Sun shine His Light onto my child Blue Tentacles and protect him while he escapes."
"May the Lord protect your son indeed."
“You say he is with Purple? How long have you known? Where have you been Sad Tentacles?”
“I was helping to get that sadist who wants to marry your son away my mistress.”
“Has he gone for good? Can my other children come out of hiding?”
“We hope he's left for good mistress but we can’t be sure yet, we got him away quickly before he could change his mind.”
“Thank you.”
The mistress put a few tentacles onto Sad in gratitude. Sad felt a surge in his self respect but was awkward as Centaurians from the master’s family hardly ever show appreciation to a slave like that.
“Mistress, can you condescend to sell me back to your sister, Lady Violet so I can be with my family again?” The slave raised his tentacles hopefully.
“My husband decides those things.” Both Centaurians lowered their tentacles in resignation.
Sad remembered poignantly how he felt when he lost contact with his family and knew the mistress was losing her son similarly.
“Shall I stay with you?” he ventured.
“No go.”
“But mistress you shouldn’t be alone when you are so tired.”
“My husband will be angry if he finds any of the servants fussing over me.”
Reluctantly Sad Tentacles went away and found other work.
The mistress or mother of Blue Tentacles was alone with her thoughts. So that sadist with the Leering Eye Stalk wouldn’t get his tentacles onto her son. That was a big relief. But her young son was homeless and at the mercy of strangers with only Purple to protect him. Mother might never see her son again and might never find out if things went well or badly for him. At least Purple was with him, mother knew Purple was intelligent. She had always been sure Purple was one servant she could absolutely trust. But Purple was one of the last servants she’s have expected to run away. Clearly there was a side to Purple’s character that mother didn’t understand. One matter really worried mother. Just supposing Purple and Blue Tentacles did ..... together? They very easily could. Mother remembered how she had to go into hiding with her sister and pretend young Blue Tentacles was born later than he actually was so no Centaurian would know he was conceived when her husband was away. Mother remembered how she had the poor new born infant tattooed. Afterwards those lilac spots round his eyes didn’t show and he look more like her husband’s child. Still mother knew that Purple was the biological father of Blue Tentacles.