“Greetings, I am Derren ra Krispus, Assessor for the Trigon Club.” The stocky man dressed in the typical Tis Lepus fashion of a wide brimmed hat and cloak, gave a short bow as he introduced himself to Jarmel sis Nep. He removed a satchel from over his shoulder, extracted a laminated card which Jarmel accepted. “My credentials for your inspection,” he said as Camis father looked him over, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. It was the tenth period of the first of two days off.
“Welcome to our humble residence.” Jarmel returned the bow even as he noted the ‘ra’ which told him that the assessor held status high in the service class. I wonder if he wishes to join the high status class, Jarmel dismissed the idle thought. “Please step in, Master Krispus. Kinna, please assist.” Jarmel then turned and spoke to Cami. “Cami, please verify the credentials,” he said as he passed her the identity card.
“Yes father,” Cami replied, taking the card then stepping to the table and activating the comm unit. Like the rest of the family, except Dar, Cami had dressed in her best clothes for this important occasion.
*********
In his turn, the assessor quickly scanned the room as he entered. Removing his hat and cloak which he handed to Kinna, he uncovered a bald head. Under cover of this activity he noted the various expressions of the family members, watching for possible areas of conflict. With a twinge of concern, he noted that the oldest son, he had basic information on the whole family, was unable to conceal his dissatisfaction. The second oldest was calmly looking the assessor over. No trouble there, Krispus thought. The younger members of the family appeared neutral and the assessor felt that they would go along with whatever the parents accepted.
Quickly and unobtrusively gauging the parents’ attitudes, allayed any concerns with them as well. Good people of Ti Lepus. Was his conclusion. The two other daughters would be happy to get the extra room in this cramped apartment he considered. The youngest son, he dismissed as a factor. No, if there was to be any trouble, it would come from the oldest son,
Derren ra Krispus gray eyes followed Cami, watching her as she moved. He noted that apart from giving him a quick, curious glance she had not looked at him. He watched her movements with hidden satisfaction, holding his face expressionless from long practise.
“Master Krispus, if you please sir, the program needs your implant code.” Cami spoke in her most formal manner.
Noting with approval the manner in which the young girl spoke, the assessor moved to the comm unit, still watching the movements of Cami. Placing his arm at the implant reader, he listened to the audible acknowledgement. Cami read the result, turned and nodded to her father, still ignoring Krispus.
“So what happens now Master Krispus?”
“I do an interview, verify some information and take some images of Cami, in the standard costume of the club as well as in her normal dress.” The assessor replied. “All with your permission of course and all with members of her family as witnesses.”
Dars’ head came up at the mention of costumes but he remained silent.
“With your permission, Master Nep and Madam Nep, we will proceed?” The assessor finished.
The parents looked at each other. Yives sis Nep nodded to her husband who nodded back. “Very well, if Cami is ready?”
“Yes mother, father, I am ready!” Cami stood erect, a smile on her face.
Derren ra Krispus did not smile, instead he simply laid his satchel on the dining table and began unpacking it, at the same time saying, “Let’s start.”
*********
Excitement suffused Cami as the assessment proper began.
The standard procedures were adhered to. Cami was measured and all her vital statistics were recorded; weight, height, hips, bust etc., all done with clothes penetrating laser recording of course, there was no touching. Recorded at the same time was basic medical information as well, i.e. blood pressure, respiration, etc, along with Camis answers to questions as she gave them. Accommodations were mentioned as well as a school, both of which were restricted to girls of this and other clubs. The amount of pay was at the discretion of the club and would be revealed at the time of the interview. Means of communication were discussed. The family watched with interest, vaguely aware that the questions were done to elicit a response but unaware just how skilled the questioner was.
“Why do you want to go all the way to Lepus Mal, Cami?” Was asked near the end of the session.
“Well, I don’t.” Cami knew that her reply would be a surprise, which was why she gave it. “What does it have that we don’t have here?” She said. “If I wasn’t going to go to the Trigon Club, I wouldn’t think of it. Actually we have access to fresh food from local farms, so we are probably better off than you!”
Krispus was silent for a brief fraction. The rest of the family kept their faces blank even though it seemed that Cami had surprised the experienced assessor.
“You may be right about the food, Cami.” Krispus finally acknowledged. “Have you checked out the Trigon Club?” Was the next question.
“Oh yes, it seems very impressive.” Cami nodded.
“It does?”
“Indeed, much better than the ones here and even better than other clubs in Lepus Mal.”
“So you would like to go there?”
“Oh yes!” Cami replied, “I just hope that I am good enough!” A little modesty won’t go astray, she felt.
*********
The assessor nodded, than turned to Cami’s parents. “There is one last set of images I need, a set showing Cami in the costume that she will wear only in the club. I will tell you now that it is revealing and I recommend that her brothers leave the room while she is wearing it.”
Dar surged to his feet, his face showing his anger. “No!” he spat out. “I forbid it!” Cami spun around with a glare that could have killed!
Jarmel paled, then stood himself. “Dar, go to the boys room.” He spoke so quietly it was clear that he was very angry.
“Father, this is demeaning! The whole thing is demeaning. It’s the high status people rubbing our noses in the dirt again.”
“Dar, leave this room now!” Jamel almost hissed. “We will discuss you lack of good manners later.”
Staring around the room, Dar saw that he had no support amongst the rest of the family. Also, the training that he had received up till now still held him in its grip. Tremma had a troubled look on his face while Cami still was glaring at him. His mother’s face also wore a troubled look while the two younger girls were frowning and Damma looked surprised. With a shake of his body he turned to the assessor, “I apologise for my outburst, Master Krispus, it was solely in defence of my sister,” Dar spoke in a wooden monotone.
“Your apology is accepted, Master Nep, you are not the first brother to rise up in defence of his sister.” The polite words spoken as the assessor stood took some of the tension out of the room.
Looking surprised, he hadn’t expected the reply, Dar walked slowly to the boys’ room, Tremma and Damma followed.
Reaching into the satchel, Krispus fumbled around before pulling out a slim package. After confirming a code on the package with his scanner, he handed it over to Camis mother. “Madam Nep, if you would help Cami change. Afterwards she may keep the items, they cannot be returned.”
“Change out here?” Yives looked surprised and confused.
“I think that the girls room would be more appropriate, madam.” The assessor replied courteously.
*********
Koral and Kinna both giggled, their frowns gone, and followed their mother and sister to the girls’ room. As they did so, Krispus turned to Jarmel.
“I meant what I said, your son is not the first brother or indeed father to protest this stage. The reaction was anticipated.”
“I imagine so, but leave my son to me,” Jarmel replied coolly.
“Of course, Master Jarmel I meant no offence.”
“And I take none Master Krispus.”
“I have one request, Master Jarmel, your two younger daughters.” Krispus paused.
Jarmel stared, “I hope that you are not going to suggest an assessment of them.”
“Indeed not, what I was going to recommend was that the Trigon Club take an option on them, no more.” Krispus was quick to allay any concerns. An option would stop any other club from making a claim on the two sisters without permission from the Trigon Club. It also required the parents’ approval. Only the names were necessary, no images would be taken. Jarmel nodded as he gave his agreement.
*********
Cami trembled as her mother opened the slim package; on examining the contents all four in the girl’s room gasped. Stepping closer Cami fingered the bra and panties, taking in how brief they were. “Can I wear these?” She wondered aloud.
“If you want to go to this salon, you have no choice.” Her mother replied. Her two sisters looked at her, holding their breath as Camis chin went up and her hands moved slowly to her belt unfastening it and letting it drop. The smock was next, the rest of her clothes following it to the floor.
Yives turned to her two younger daughters, both of whom were staring at their sister as she dressed, their mouths hanging slightly open and their eyes big.
“You both understand now, none of this leaves this room.” The quiet words snapped their wide eyes to their mother and they nodded.
“I’m ready,” Cami caught their attention. With a nod to her mother and holding her chin up, she walked to the door.
*********
The door to the girls’ room opened. Slowly, shyly, Cami stepped out and stopped. Her mother and both sisters followed, the younger girls’ eyes wide and fascinated. Cami was wearing very brief, pale blue lingerie which left large parts of her body uncovered while accentuating her breasts and figure. A matching pair of slippers completed the effect.
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“Over here, please Cami.” Krispus tone and demeanor was solidly professional. “No, stop there,” Cami came to a stop well short of Krispus. “I am going to record you and take some images. Now keep still, you will only want to do this once I am sure. Feet further apart, that’s good. Now hold your hands away from your sides, a little more, yes like that. When I tell you too, turn slowly all the way around, stopping when I ask you.”
The professional tone and confidence of the assessor reassured both Cami and her family, especially Cami who had never worn anything so revealing in her life! She felt like she was naked. While the girls were used to seeing each other in various stages of undress, total nudity was rare and they had never seen anything like the scanty underwear that Cami was wearing right now, and in front of a stranger, no less!
A fraction later, Krispus nodded. Still without looking at Cami, he said that she could go and get changed. Camis relief was plain as was both her parents’ as she left followed by her sisters responding to their fathers’ wave.
With a satisfied nod, Krispus packed away his comm unit into its case along with its specialised programs and all the files on Cami, carefully saved. Everything then went into the leather satchel.
Turning to both her parents he assured them of the best. “I have no hesitation in recommending your daughter to the club. When they make their decision, they will contact you in regards to the interview. I will also recommend options on both Koral and Kinna, but you shouldn’t tell your daughters anything about that. Things could change and it would serve no good purpose.”
Jarmel nodded his understanding then frowned as he glanced at the door to the boys’ room. “What about ..?”
Krispus raised a hand, “That is a matter for you alone to deal with. It won’t affect Cami.” Then with a formal bow and a word of farewell, Krispus left.
*********
Out in the street, Krispus climbed into the conveyance that he had waiting for him. Entering a command to take him to the station where he could catch the overnight flyer back to the capital took a bare fraction. While Ti Lepus had craft that could fly, this privilege was only available to high government officials, police and military, so Krispus had to take the train.. Only occasionally did assessors come out this far from the capital but Cami was a rare catch and fully deserved the trip. Boarding the train and finally sitting in his single occupancy room in the overnight coach, he sat back and relaxed in his comfortable seat as he considered the Nep family.
Typical of their status, he thought. But the girls could go far, and he smiled as he considered the three young ladies. The smile vanished as he revisited Dars outburst. I must send a message to Sessi Dark gen Wattar about him. He may lead us to the real trouble makers. Satisfied, he sat back in his seat, enjoying the rare privacy.
*********
Back at the small apartment, the relief that had accompanied the departure of the assessor was brief. Cami had changed and her two sisters were still a gaga over the costume that she had to wear.
“That was brave Cami,” Koral looked at her older sister with new found respect. “I would have been too scared to make an appearance!”
“Well, you may yet, that assessor, I saw the way he looked at you. Kinna too! He was interested.”
“No, we’re too young!” Koral protested. “Kinna, anyway.” Then with hope in her eyes, “You mean it?” Kinna listened carefully.
“I do, he was really interested, I could see it although he was completely professional.”
Their mother appeared at the door, “Girls come out please,” wiped the smiles from their faces. A glint appeared in Camis eyes and her chin came up.
*********
Koral and Kinna observing this, rolled their eyes at each other. Dar had better be ready, father is not the one he needs to be scared of, both girls’ shared the same thought.
*********
Back in the common living area, all members of the family stood facing their father.
“Dar, you deserve a whipping. If it didn’t mean a trip to the local police station where it would be recorded as a public event, I would do just that, but that would impact on all our status. What do you have to say for yourself?” Jarmel was still angry and it was clear that if he had a whip, he would be using it! Cami stood close by her father nodding her head, face expressionless but arms crossed and tapping her foot in a manner untypical of her.
Shifting his feet and looking down at the worn but serviceable carpet, Dar obviously was considering his options, they were few everyone realised. His voice as humble as possible, he spoke, “Father I apologise, what I said was unforgivable.” He turned to his sister. “Cami, I apologise to you as well. I hope that nothing I said was taken as a reflection on you.”
Before Cami could reply, her father spoke again. “That’s good as far as it go’s, Master Krispus made it clear that his report will not be influenced by your uncontrolled outburst. So that also is good.”
“Yes father,” Dar was still being very humble.
“Father,” Cami spoke up, “may I address Dar?”
*********
Jamel, clearly caught by surprise at the manner in which Cami addressed him, threw a questioning look at his oldest daughter. Puzzled and somewhat concerned, Cami hadn’t used the informal ‘Da’, so he felt that he could not say no and acquiesced with a nod. Tremma drew in his breath slowly as Cami turned to her puzzled older brother while Kinna and Koral exchanged looks and nudges. Yives was also worried and exchanged a concerned look with her husband but also felt that there was little she could say. Damma the youngest just looked on, somewhat aware to the undercurrents running through the family, but not fully understanding them.
*********
Stepping closer to her brother, Cami smiled. Uncertain about what Cami wanted to say to him, Dar, puzzled smiled back, unprepared for what happened next. To the astonishment of everyone, Cami smacked him in his chest and shouted, yes shouted at him.
“What was in that tiny mind of your?” she yelled, “You don’t have the common sense of a propis, or the brains of a basticka! Don’t you realise that you almost ruined everything! He could have walked out and then no one would have touched me! You would have just dropped me in the sea!” Cami hadn’t let up with hitting Dar in the chest as she berated him, driving him steadily backwards. Reaching the side of the couch, Dar fell backwards on to the cushions, but Cami did not let up, leaning over her much bigger brother, she continued to lash him verbally while the rest of the family watched in mixed amusement and shock.
“So you thought that you would be my defender? Ha! Big brother, defender of my virtue? Right! Well that was just an excuse to rant on against the high status lot! Anyone could have seen that! You made that perfectly clear. Well the jokes on you, master Dar, that assessor is just as likely to be working for the secret police as well as the Trigon Club and I bet that your name is going onto a list.” At this revelation, all of the family apart from Jarmel, stared in horror at the eldest daughter.
“It’s mentioned in our discussions on assessments. Very carefully and not at all clearly but some of us talk about it, not openly, that would be dangerous.” Cami explained to the family who wondered at her unnatural calm before she turned her attention back to her brother.
Dar had managed to sit up and opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Cami started in on him again, grabbing his tunic, her anger still in control of her. “Now father isn’t going to whip you, but you better hope that I don’t get my hand on one or it will be the worse for you, I’ll …” Cami stopped as her father put his hand on her shoulder.
“I think that your brother is very clear about the way you feel right now, Cami.” Jarmel spoke quietly. “Indeed, I think that he should go to the boy’s room and stay there out of your way for the rest of the day.” As Dar stood, his mouth opening to speak, their father continued. “You also should go to your room, Cami.” When Cami turned to protest herself, Jarmel calmly continued. “I am sure that Leda and Ava will both be anxious to hear the results of the assessors visit.” The edited version of course, went unspoken.
“Yes father,” Cami replied demurely. Lead by Dar, the family all threw quizzical looks at the oldest daughter however Dar was not convinced that he was safe as yet. Not looking at each other the two went to their respective rooms, Cami collecting the portable comm unit along the way. All were certain that Cami was not yet over her anger but felt that it would abate over time. Their brothers and sisters followed them.
*********
With a sigh, Jarmel took his accustomed chair in the families sitting area, waving to his wife as he did so. “It seems that our daughter has not told us everything she has learnt in school.” He said with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
Yives just shrugged. “I heard that same rumour when I was in school. I too was assessed but never got a contract. Too many girls, not enough openings.” Her worn face carried a faraway look.
“That was good luck for me, then.” Jarmel took his wife’s hand. She smiled, remembering that this kindness was one reason why she had joined with him.
“Don’t worry about the secret police, Jarmel. They have more to concern themselves with than one discontented youth.”
“One never knows what the grays are interested in, but they would soon see that Dar is just one of many such.” He laughed. “I should be an informer! You should hear what I listen to serving food! People just ignore me and talk away!”
There was no laughter on Yives face, “I don’t know what I would do if I was approached by a gray, I really don’t know. And I have such access to so many houses that I clean.”
“Well, let us not worry about it. If it happens we will have to deal with it then, but I doubt that it will. There are better candidates.” A rare smile touched his lips, as a thought occurred to him. “I wonder if Cami will have forgiven her brother by the time she goes for her interview?”
That brought a chuckle from his wife. “I am not at all sure,” she said. They got up and together went to the kitchen to prepare the noon tide meal.
*********
In her room, Cami was talking to Leda and Ava who were both anxious and excited to hear the full story.
“You had to wear what?” Leda yelped in mixed horror and excitement. “I didn’t! I had to wear my own undergarments and that was bad enough!”
“In front of a complete stranger as well!” Ava giggled. She had been contacted last week for an assessment so was eager to find out as much as possible. Like Leda, it was to a local club so she would continue to live at home. “Wish I was going with you.” She said wistfully.
“I wish that you both were.” Cami also sounded wistful, “But I aren’t going anywhere yet! I still have that interview with the club to pass.” Cami tried not to sound worried. Dar better not be around if it’s by comm, she thought. I’ll see if I can get him to stay away then.
“Oh you will have no trouble there.” Leda reassured her friend. Ava added her “Oh, no problem for you!”
“Do you have copies of the images?” Ava asked. “I would love to see them, I bet that you looked wonderful.”
“No, he took them all,” Cami answered, “and if he had left any, mother and father would keep them and they would lock them up! I wouldn’t be showing them anyway, no way, not to anyone! I felt naked, that’s because I was!” Both her friends giggled at Camis emphatic reply. Cami changed to another subject “Oh, I think that I have figured out how the Trigon Club heard about me!” She proceed to describe to her friends the strange incident with serving the water to the two women in the house where her mother was working several months ago. Her friends listened with rapt interest. “Yes, the lady who was visiting looked really elegant and she never spoke!” Cami finished, while her friends listened making gasping noises.
“Really Cami, that’s so weird!” Ava exclaimed.
“So Cami, when do you go to the capital?” Leda put in.
“Sometime next month I think. I am not sure.” A frown wrinkled Camis smooth forehead. “They have to let us know.” There was silence for a fraction as the three girls pondered their futures. “Anyway, Leda, when do you start at Tremblers Place?”
“Oh, I start next week, I just got commed this morning.” Leda was almost dancing on her bed as she laid on her stomach, facing her comm unit. “I get ten Konna a month, while five Konna are held in trust and five go’s to my parents!”
‘Wows’ came from both girls. Kinna and Koral exchanged raised eyebrows from their bunk beds as they listened in without being too obvious. They got a quick glare from Cami for their trouble.
“That’s great, Leda. That’ll really help your family.”
“Thanks, Cami, they also are really excited.” Leda giggled again. “I am so excited and also a bit scared!”
“Ava, when is your assessment again?” Leda asked.
“Next month, the date has to be set.” Ava sounded a little despondent over the delay due to her being a couple of months younger than her friends.
“Look Ava, you are as pretty as both of us. You’ll get a contract!” Both Leda and Cami were emphatic in their support for their friend. A knock at the door and Yives voice brought an end to the three way conversation. “Right mother.” Cami answered, then to her friends, “Talk to both of you at school,” she switched the comm off.
Delivering the comm unit to her mother who was now standing in the open door, Cami asked if she could come out now. Without expression, her mother nodded and stepped aside. On leaving the girls room, Cami came to an immediate stop, staring at the pile of laundry in front of her.
“There are just a few chores for you, dear.” Her mother calmly informed her. Cami could have sworn that she heard Dar chuckling.