Chapter 8

 8

    Johppa put her hand on Katelyn’s shoulder and she jumped.  “Couldn’t you have made a noise or something?”
    “Come, let’s go to the Common Room for awhile.  This afternoon is the last of the testing.”
    Katelyn rose and followed her rather numbly.  The mechanical voice saying “ten minutes” kept replaying in her mind. Just ten minutes, that was all the longer she had stayed alive.  Most of the video games she’d played in the past she’d played much longer.  
    “Johppa, did I do as badly with the Battle Simulations as I think I did?”
    “I’m not allowed to tell you, Katelyn.”
    “Well can you at least tell me how well you did when you took the test?” Katelyn asked.
    “I don’t see any harm in that.  My time was seven minutes.  Of my whole time at the games it was the most devastating blow to my self-confidence.”
    The common room was noisy with people.  In the corner the same group of kids sat playing Kravit.  Throughout the room, groups of kids talked or played games.  Katelyn didn’t want to be with any of them.  She was still brooding about that last test.
    “Johppa, can we just sit and talk?”
    Johppa led Katelyn to a quietish corner of the room.  “Sure, sit here.  I’ll get us something to drink.”
    Katelyn sat at the table.  She ran her hand across the table.  She couldn’t help but wonder at the lack of graffiti.  Not one carved initial, limerick, or “for a good time call Maggie”.   Katelyn thought it was amazing.  
    Johppa put the drinks on the table.  Katelyn tasted hers.  It tasted sweet in a mango sort of way but was thick like syrup.  “What is this?”
    “It’s the juice of the marshfruit.  It’s difficult to harvest so enjoy it while you can.  You’ll find this delicacy is rare and expensive. Most of us go without.”
    “Unless you end up a coach at the games,”  Katelyn
giggled. “Johppa, what’s a typical day like for you?”
    “Keep in mind no two masters are alike.  Early in the morning we walk in the mountains.  We talk about earth science, botany, biology, whatever we happen to be studying at the time.  Nature provides our breakfast, like berries mushrooms, eggs, and some type of herb for tea.  Then we return home where we work on languages.  It’s important to others that you know or at least try to speak their language.  We take a lot of time with languages because it’s so difficult for me.  My master’s slave serves the noonday meal and afterwards I have some free time about an hour or two.  That’s usually when I write in my journal and meet with my friends for awhile.  My master sounds a gong and I return to work on mathematics and practical applications and physics.  Even though the computer does a lot of the calculating, you still have to know how to do it yourself.    
    We all take dinner together in the common room.  Occasionally there is entertainment.  After dinner my master and I work on various fighting techniques; karate, ninjitsu, boxing, and others.”
    “Sounds grueling,”
    “Believe me Katelyn, there is plenty of time to get into trouble,”  Johppa grinned, “Let’s get some food, and I’ll tell you about the next event.”
    The girls went to the buffet table and helped themselves to several dishes that Katelyn was unfamiliar with.  Katelyn realized that since she arrived she hadn’t eaten one food that she recognized.
    “I sure could go for a pizza about now,” she thought.
    The two sat at their table and as Katelyn picked up a fork Johppa began explaining the next event.
    “This afternoon’s event is call the “Hawk Run”.  You will work with three other competitors.  The object is to work as a team to capture a wild hawk, tie a hood on him and tie him in a bag.  Your team will go into a large cage where  a hawk is flying free.  You’ll be given a hood and a bag.  The rest is up to you.  You won’t be allowed to take any meat to entice the hawk to come to you in the cages. In the past competitors have carried meat with them.  That’s considered an unfair advantage.  I’ll be obliged to search you before the event.”    
    “Who will I be working with?”
    Johppa shook her head. “I know only that you are part of team four.”
    “So, when do we do the search?” Katelyn asked.
    “Soon, finish eating first.” Johppa answered.
    Katelyn took a few bites of her food in silence. “Johppa, are you happy here?  Do you like your life?”
    “You’re full of questions,” Johppa said. “Are you finished yet?”
    “Yes.”
    “We’ll do the search in your room.” said Johppa.
    Katelyn looked at Johppa’s serious face and had a sudden urge to tease her.  By now Katelyn had learned her way from the common room to her quarters.  “I’ll race you there.”   She took off running.  Johppa tore after her.  The two ran giggling down the halls to Katelyn’s room.  Johppa caught up with Katelyn and tackled her.
    “Are you trying to get me in trouble?” Johppa was laughing too hard to really sound serious.
    “Wouldn’t dream of it, coach.  Can I get up now?”
    Johppa rose from the floor, then held out her hand to help Katelyn up.  They went into Katelyn’s room and resumed the business at hand.
    “You’ll have to undress down to your underwear,”  Johppa said. “If you have to use the bathroom, you better do so now, because once we do the search I can’t let you leave my sight.”
    Katelyn giggled uncomfortably and shook her head.  She began to undress.  Johppa searched through all the pockets on her shirt and handed it back to her.  She then searched the jeans, pulled out the pocket knife, and handed them back also.
    “As soon as you’re dressed, you’re ready to go,” Johppa said.
    Katelyn finished dressing.  Johppa led the way to the gaming cages.