Glimpses of the Island

Slip of the Tongue

"Settle down, let's begin," Mrs. Yates raised her voice to get everyone's attention. Elise turned around to the front of the classroom. She stood next to her desk. Sitting was a privilege; as the instructor Mrs. Yates would decide when it would be allowed. "I want everyone to remain standing."

Elise crossed her hands in front, the right hand lightly resting on her skirt and the left hand on top. By now her training was becoming a habit so she didn't even notice that everyone else stood precisely the same way. If someone had pointed it out and asked her she would have explained that it was the proper, expected way to be attentive while standing. No other way was acceptable. There were no grey areas at the Facility; there was one right way and a whole lot of wrong ways for every situation.

"Today I'm going to change the topic somewhat. Up to now the theme has been the ways in which we serve our masters. Today we're going to explore the other side. What goes on inside his head? What are his motivations, why does he seem to be perfect one day and insufferable the next?" Everyone laughed. "Well, I can't answer that, so today we will have a guest lecturer who will try to answer those and other questions. He should be here in just a moment…"

Mrs. Yates stopped as the door open and a tall man in a business suit came in. Elise didn't fail to notice the way Mrs. Yates visibly changed in an instant, facing him with crossed hands and lowered eyes.

"Good morning," he spoke quietly with a pronounced Irish accent. "My name is Clancy Yates. I am currently the Director of the Facility. You will address me as Mr. Director. If you happen to notice the similarity in the last name then you might also rightly assume Mrs. Yates is my wife. Not that it grants her any special privilege here. Siobhan, would you join the group?" He gestured to a desk next to Elise.

"Yes, sir." Mrs. Yates went to stand by the desk to Elise's left.

"You may all take a seat." Elise sat down, along with the rest of the class. "Now then," he began, "Mrs. Yates has asked me to say a few words on those mysterious creatures known as masters. First, I have to qualify my remarks by saying there are no safe assumptions. We all have our own idea of what we want and what we expect. I can tell you a bit about my own philosophy on life, but don't expect your future master to be the same."

Clancy gestured toward Mrs. Yates. "I'm sure Siobhan here has impressed on you the need for order and discipline. While it may not be universal, you can safely assume that to some degree your master will expect the same. That's one of the primary reasons we emphasize the virtue of submission expressed as obedience to authority. The rules exist for a reason."

In the back of the room someone whispered. "Too bad we don't have a rule limiting the number of rules we have to learn." Everyone heard it, and there were even a few hastily suppressed giggles.

Elise was shocked. Who had made the outburst? It had come from behind her but she dare not turn around to look. At the front of the room the Director stood silently, a blank expression on his face, but the steely gaze of his eyes as they swept the room told the story. When he briefly stopped and looked directly at her, Elise was so scared she couldn't move or even breathe. Not until he continued on did Elise remember to take a breath. A feeling of impending doom warned her that the lecture today would not be ending in a normal manner.

"Would our commentator care to identify herself?" He waited. "No? Somehow I thought not. Whoever you are, you miscalculated in one important respect. Anonymity does not shield you here at the Facility. Had you been more patient you would have heard me explain that you have a collective responsibility to the group as a whole, to help and support each other. Not just here in the Facility, but on the Island as well. And more importantly, to uphold the standards you all share."

He took a cell phone off his belt and opened it. He looked up from the small display, as if counting the number in the audience, and then punched in a few commands. He studied the small screen for a moment before closing it and clipping it on his belt.

Elise listened as he spoke. "In any society we as individuals bear a responsibility to maintain order in exchange for the benefits we receive. Here on the Island we have a unique social structure, but the basics do not change. All of you, as submissive women, as women who will one day be owned and sheltered by your masters, have a collective responsibility to see that your peers do their part to uphold our way of life. And your friends and classmates should see to it you are reminded if you have a momentary lapse. None of you should ever tolerate what we just heard here. It is unacceptable behavior in any circumstance.

"That one of your classmates would even consider what she has done would earn your approval is indicative of a failure on the part of all of you to work together to preserve our lifestyle. Tacit approval by silence is grounds for punishment here at the Facility. I don't care who made that comment; I do care that she thought she could get away with it. All of you," he turned to look at Mrs. Yates, "are to be held equally responsible for this incident."

"It no longer matters who spoke out of turn. It was disrespectful and unacceptable. It is not to be tolerated under any circumstance. When you act in this manner there are consequences you must face." He stopped as the classroom door opened. Four guards, all large men, came in. Two carried cardboard boxes. From the corner of her eye Elise saw Mrs. Yates jerk back in surprise. Clearly something very unpleasant was about to occur.

"Stand up." As Elise turned to the side to get out of the desk she saw Mrs. Yates hesitate. "All of you," he clarified. That answered one question as Mrs. Yates, Siobhan now, stood up. He had included her in the group.

Elise would never forget his next words, directed to the guards who had just entered. "Collective punishment, close confinement for all of them." Then he turned back to the class and spoke. "I am disappointed in each and every one of you. I had hoped you would be supportive of each other as you learned to be the best you can be. Instead I find this. See to it that it never happens again." He walked out the door without looking back.