Raising Evzen - 12. A Test of Wills

If the Císařské Louky airport was a study in majesty, Ambroz Residence was a study in muted elegance. A tall brick tower stood against the magenta skyline, blue paint lit with lights circling every floor. Sasha counted at least eighty floors, most with at least twenty rooms on each, if the windows were any judgement. Stepping through a glass entranceway led to a spacious lobby, where a group of Daknar slaves worked to make the residents feel at home.
A marble fountain drew the eye immediately upon entrance. Water sprayed from a Lidikrys’ mouth, flowing into a Daknar’s mouth at the rat’s feet. Overhead, a crystal chandelier hung carefully, more opulent than anything else in the lobby, but the way the statue held the gaze, Sasha was certain most went their entire stay without noticing it.
Wherever he looked, the decor was much the same: furniture that held the gaze more from the unusual nature, while the truly garish went unnoticed. Evžen and Jindřich both gawked in the way only noblerats could. Disinterest was painted on their faces, despite their boggling eyes. Behind them, Pavel stared openly, his head swivelling as Viktor led the group to a bank of elevators.
A group of chattering Lidikrys filed out of an elevator, drawing a snort of derision from Jindřich. It wasn’t hard to see why — their clothes were at least three seasons behind current fashion, and even then it was more of a poor rat’s fashion.
“Are we meant to mingle with commoners during our stay?” Jindřich demanded as the elevator doors closed behind them.
“Pan believes you will enjoy your accommodations, Pane Jindřich,” Viktor said smoothly, pressing a button for the top floor. “Whether you choose to mingle with the tenants is your prerogative, but Pan does not keep this tower empty. He prefers to allow those in need to live in his property for a modest fee., whether they are common or noble.”
The elevator barely seemed to move. Just under seventeen breaths later, the doors opened to a richly appointed lobby. A single door waited at the end of the lobby, with a ruby Daknar guarding the entrance.
“This floor is yours to do with as you please,” Viktor added as they left the lobby. “Pan expects you to live here for the next several draks, until your studies are complete. As such, he is granting each of you an allowance of five thousand credits every twenty storms, with the stipulation that if you run out of money, you will not receive the next allowance. Within that allowance, it is expected that you set fifteen hundred credits aside for rent, and pay your personal slaves’ wages. Other than that, spending your allowance is up to you.”
Sasha did some quick maths in his head. His wage was no issue — a slave’s wage would never be an issue for their master. With 3500 credits, Evžen would live in comfort, though if he splurged on luxury, the funds would vanish quickly. There was a chance both Evžen and Jindřich could pool their credits to afford some luxury items, but Sasha shot that idea down quickly. The two Lidikrys were already eying each other like they’d rather jump off the roof than share.
“I’ll allow you to get comfortable. If you require anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask your doorman for assistance. He will help you or contact me,” Viktor finished, before turning back to the elevator.
Left alone, Evžen and Jindřich immediately began exploring. The penthouse was large, nearly half the size of Novák House. Most of the space was taken up by an open floor, with a spacious kitchen tucked behind a half wall. Furnishings were sparse; a table was set in a relatively small dining nook, and a sofa sectioned off the parlour from the rest of the space. Everything was sized to accommodate Daknar servants, giving the Lidikrys more than enough space to lounge around should they desire.
Sasha and Pavel followed their masters as the Lidikrys trekked down a long hallway. A suite of bedrooms and guest rooms held almost as much space as the other half of the building, each with a spacious bathroom that put Novák House’s baths to shame.
Once the room assignments were settled, determined by straw, Sasha got to work setting up the room to Evžen’s liking. A curtain opened onto the eternal magenta-dark sky, and a cooler kept the room at a frigid twenty degrees, negating the need for a bed cooler, and even encouraging the use of comforters. The closet beside the bathroom was twice the size of Evžen’s old closet, something Sasha knew would be a problem. His master’s clothes barely took up a quarter of the space, leaving Evžen with plenty of empty space to fill with new clothes. That would sap his allowance quickly.
The more he looked, the more Sasha determined this was all some sort of test. Thrust together against their will, Evžen and Jindřich were bound to come into conflict with each other. Sasha would rise to the challenge — he could certainly work to curb Evžen’s expenses. Getting the two to work together would be rough, but Evžen would thrive in this environment.
Sasha would have it no other way.

Step one. Check for intrusions.
Sasha’s stomach roared as the smell of dinner wafted through the penthouse. For all of Pavel’s faults — really, who had taught the Šupinat to be a slave? He had no concept of decorum, and constantly cowered — he was turning out to be a decent cook.
Evžen was already holed up in his room. Sasha could hear the squeaking of a bed — the Lidikrys must be celebrating his newfound freedom with a few jumps. Sasha had already checked his master’s phone, shutting off an app that gave Bohdan a direct channel to listen to anything Evžen might say. That was child’s play.
But now he was dealing with professionals.
The most obvious spots were the parlour and the bedrooms. Sasha started with the sofa. Anything placed in the penthouse prior to arrival was suspect, and it only took a minute of tearing the sofa apart to find a small dot buried underneath. Sasha meticulously replaced the furniture, leaving the device intact.
It was a risky move, but he couldn’t determine who the device belonged to. Honza was testing both Lidikrys. Having surveillance was almost mandatory for such a test. But there was no guarantee Honza was the one who placed this device, or the others Sasha would doubtlessly find in the bathroom or the bedroom. Whoever was behind Jianyu and the CAPS agents, they were not ones to underestimate.
If he removed a device, they would immediately know. If he gave into his instinct and moved the device to the inside of a toilet, they would know. As much as the image of someone listening to a Lidikrys use the toilet made him smile, Sasha would not take that risk.
So the devices would remain. And he would advise Evžen that private conversations needed to be kept to a place where no one could hear. Which would be a challenge with the penthouse’s layout. Anything said in the kitchen would be heard by the sofa. But it wasn’t impossible.
With that thought in mind, the Faro began scanning the penthouse. The coat closet was an option; a thorough look under the pretence of straightening clothes proved it had been skipped when laying surveillance. It was certainly sizable enough. But Evžen could hardly hold meetings in the closet — such an idea was ludicrous.
Sasha’s search led him to a terrace, high above the city. He gazed up at the Prsteny, admiring the white glow of dust and rubble orbiting the planet. A quick look around located a few possible spots where devices could hide: a potted plant, purely decorative; the bannister bordering the balcony; a couple of chairs beside a wood table.
He headed back inside, contemplating the situation. Leaving the balcony unbugged was stupid. There had to be some device hidden out there. But it should be simple enough to destroy anything out there without leaving much evidence that he was searching.
Collecting a cup of water, he stepped outside again. The plant was plastic, but mistakes could easily be made. Sasha sprinkled the water over the broad leaves. He rustled them, and a tiny thunk told him he’d been successful. Sasha stepped on the tiny camera — oops.
That had to be the limit of his activities. But it was enough. Evžen and Jindřich now had a place to converse, safe from listeners.
He took another moment to look out over the city, mapping it for the numerous outings he was likely to have. Dark alleys, streetlights that were faded, all caught his notice. It wasn’t a thorough examination; that would have to come with experience. But it was enough that Sasha was confident he could get Evžen to safety if they were accosted on the streets.
Sasha returned indoors, satisfied with his work.

The two noblerats glowered at each other across the dining room table. Sasha stood by his master’s side, watching Pavel flounder. The Šupinat had already spilled a glass of soda over Jindrich’s best shirt and nearly set the drapes aflame by setting a candle too close to the curtains. Sasha took it all in stride, picking up the slack for the other slave. With a place like this, his job was much simpler than at Novák House — all he had to do was serve the two Lidikrys. Pavel could be relegated to cleaning; even he couldn’t fuck that up.
An oven dinged quietly. Bowing slightly to the two Lidikrys, Sasha stepped around a half-wall, into the kitchen. He pulled a tray out of the oven, filling the air with the tantalising scent of peach dumplings.
“Aleksander, make sure mine is frosted,” Jindřich demanded.
Sasha could see Evžen’s jaw twitch in anger — it was exceedingly rude for the other noblerat to order Evžen’s slave around. But pointing that out would only cause a fight.
“Yes, Pane Jindřich,” Sasha said quickly, making it clear who he considered his master. He served Jindřich only by Evžen’s grace, something the other noblerat had to realise.
“I assume that is okay with you?” Jindřich asked haughtily.
“It’s fine,” Evžen growled, entrapped by the niceties of high society, if barely.
Jindřich was pushing his boundaries, trying to set himself up as the master of the penthouse. Sasha needed Evžen to rise to the challenge. But how?
He set the tray of dumplings on the table — plain for Evžen, frosted for Jindřich. It was an inexcusable mistake not to ask his master if he desired frosting. Adding that to the fact that Sasha hadn’t verified whether he should serve Jindřich with Evžen, and he had provided a perfect way for Evžen to safely explode.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Evžen snapped.
“Forgive me, Pane. I do not understand my mistake,” Sasha said, adopting a submissive posture.
Evžen slapped him. Hard. Sasha let the blow turn his head, playing it up.
“In the future, you will ask before serving another. Is that understood?” Evžen snarled.
“Yes Pane. I understand.”
He fought back a wince. It clearly was not fine. But by chastising Sasha for that error after insisting that it was fine. Evžen had made a grievous mistake, and given Jindřich the upper hand. Still, Sasha bowed gracefully.
“I will frost your dumplings, Pane.”
Collecting the platter, he retreated from his failure. Sasha couldn’t win every fight; he knew that. But things might have just become a lot harder for both him and Evžen.