It's a new day in Rephidim Temple, a day much like any other. It's a day for Leeta to get up from bed much earlier than anyone else would find worthwhile or reasonable, and sneak around, getting as much work done as possible in order to maintain the fragile illusion that many of these chores somehow just get done by themselves.

Leeta opens her eyes to the darkness of her small room. Just as Blasek predicted, she has come to sense the time by feel of the temple. If it's thebarely audible increase in activity, or her growing hunger, she isn't sure, she only knows she has to be up now! She sits up and reaches to light the candle.

The candle reluctantly lights, casting a faint glow on the modest accommodations of the Savanite slave, and her very few possessions.

Her morning routine has become a precise series of minimalized acts. Light the candle, spread the bed, lay out yesterday's robe on it, get today's from the bureau, use the chamber pot and put it out, put on the today's robe, brush her mane in three strokes, stretch her ankles, grab the mandolin and leave. Without forgetting to out the candle or close the door.

Leeta's sole hope for breakfast is to get her morning chores done before the other slaves do, so she sprints through the temple corridors for Moffat's office. When she can, that is, all the other slaves have precisely the same idea and just as strong a hunger to motivate them. There is no route she's been able to find that doesn't tie her up in a crowd with the other Savanites, all silently rushing for their destinations.

Finally the spotted traffic thins out, marking her entrance into the areas of the inquisition. The other slaves are reluctant to cut through these corridors, for reasons Leeta can easily guess at. She only has to content with a much smaller group of Savanites who also have to be there, and finally is alone for the last of the approach to her master's office.

Her run, just like every morning, exhausts her lungs, and she pants beside the office door till her breath is back, then she slips inside. If she's lucky, Moffat is absent, or asleep; If she isn't, he's awake and waiting for her.

Luck is on the cheetah's side this morning. The office is unguarded – which doesn't say much at first – but it is also, upon further inspection, unoccupied, and left unlit.

Leeta's instructions in these instances are simple: Clean up anything that needs to be cleaned, don't touch anything important, and make sure theres light so her master can be sure there aren't any assassins waiting for him in the darkness. She has no instructions on what to do if she does find someone waiting to kill the Inquisitor, but so far hasn't been called on to deal with that eventuality. She grabs the torch from the hallway, and starts lighting all the candles in the room.

No assassins are lurking in the shadows. There are a few bits of trash on the floor, but otherwise there's not much that the room presents in the way of duties to be done.

Again, her routine here is as precisely unvarying as the daily rituals of the temple high priests. She lights the candles, gathers the trash off the floor. Next, she memorizes the layout of anything on the desk just long enough to take it all off, clean the desk, and put it back the way it was. Papers on the desk, even crumpled, might be important, so they are replaced. The picture that hides the Inquisitor's safe usually has to be straightened, and sometimes a hat needs to be put away. After that, Leeta gets to run again.

The cheetah leaves her mandolin behind for this, and instead grabs the waste basket and the waterjug, and heads off for those two stops. Any stale water from the night before she can have, and usually does.

Leeta heads immediately for one of the paper waste chutes. As far as she knows, these go directly to the furnaces, and it has been frequently stressed to her how important it is to make sure all of the Inquisitor's garbage is burned. She typical goes to one of the three equidistant ones, trying to guess which has the shortest line. The fire-haired Savanite has found that there are a few slaves who seem to wait to hear each individual sheet burn, simply to slow down the others.

One of the slaves looks to Leeta and nods, unable to sign a greeting, since his arms are full. His name is Null, a name given to him in a not-very-flattering manner by his master, who seems intent on emphasizing just what a fool Null is.

Null is a fairly simple one, yes, but he goes about his duties without complaint, and he's one of those who just never presents any sort of threat.

Leeta smiles at Null, wiggling her ears to let him know that her morning is going as best as can be expected. Her hands are also too full to usually sign at him, so most of their interaction is simple expressions. In Null's case, simple is probably for the best, though Leeta does appreciate the lack of politics that accompanies the other cheetah.

Null grins back, revealing a few gaps in that grin. His ears slowly move back and forth. He's consciously trying to move his ears, rather than doing a genuine Savanite giggle, by the looks of it.

She starts stuffing her trash down the chute, and Null's as well. The fastest way to get finished here is to give him a hand, otherwise she'd be waiting behind the other cheetah while he works carefully, but slowly through all the things he has to dispose of.

Leeta signs, "How are you today?" between handfuls, "Been keeping your master happy?"

Null smiles genuinely, happy for the help. But even as he smiles, he shakes his head in a "no".

"What was it this time?" She asks, and sends more forms to the fire.

Null just shrugs. Perhaps there are just too many things to count.

Null looks to Leeta, then begins very slowly – so slowly – signing a question. At least he keeps it short. "What new with you?"

Leeta shows off her bandaged left hand, that at least is something different from the morning usual. "Cut my hand on some broken glass. Also, I've been practicing my music. I'll have to play for you sometime." She pauses, trying to think of any advice to help Null, "With your master, if he gives you an order you don't understand, just guess, start doing something, or find someone to ask. Maybe he won't be as hard on you then as he is when you wait for him to tell you more clearly."

Null pauses at this, then nods, bowing his head to Leeta in thanks for her advice.

The fire-haired Savanite signs, "Good luck, I've got to run, you should too," and scoups up her waterjug and wastebasket, and hands Null his. All she can do is give him a headnod, and then she runs for her next stop, water.

Leeta sprints through the corridors, heading for the water taps. There usually is a line here, as a lot of the slaves get water for themselves as well as their masters. Leeta takes her place in the queue, looking around for anyone she knows. A lot of the slaves also take a break here, to chat even after they've got their water, and it just adds to the crowding and delay.

The fire-haired Savanite stands a head taller than most of the others, so she usually doesn't have a hard time spotting acquaintances. Leeta can manage a short conversation in formal sign, if she puts her wastebasket down and pushes it along with her feet, and she usually limits herself to that. Especially today, after talking with Null, she doesn't have much time to spare.

An older male Savanite, the one Leeta recognizes as the slave that helped her on her first day into the temple also joins the line. His chitin waterbucket is held loosely in one hand. Some of the slaves in the line twitch their tails or wiggle their ears in greeting, some look away from him.

Leeta waves over at him, holding her waterjug under one arm long enough to sign his name, "Blasek! Hi, want in?" Letting him jump in the queue does annoy the other slaves, but it happens so frequently its almost expected.

Blasek looks at the other slaves between him and Leeta, almost as if he were sizing them up. With a stern nod of his head he steps out of his place in like and joins Leeta. "How have you adapted to Temple life so far, Leeta?" he signs with his free hand.

Leeta signs, "Getting better at it, I still don't know where everything is. Master of course, has his good and bad days, but I'm starting to be able to tell."

"I am glad to see you are adapting so well," the older Savanite signs. "Forgive me for signing it… but you looked like quite a mess when you first arrived. That is not so unusual though."

Leeta nods, "Thanks for your help, things were really bad. As much as I miss my old master, almost everything has improved since I got here. It's been really amazing just how things have turned around." She kicks her bucket along as the line moves, "Will I be able to talk to you at breakfast? I had some detailed questions, and we're almost at the water."

Blasek steps ahead. "Where must you go after you have your water?"

Leeta signs, "The usual, back to the office and see if my master is around. If he isn't, theres usually some packages or documents that I'm supposed to deliver. Those tend to take a while, especially if I have to get some kind of reply with them."

The male Savanite bows to Leeta. "I will see you at breakfast then. You shouldn't be hard to find." He begins to fill his bucket in the fountain, and then after a second bow he walks away.

The easy to spot king-cheetah with the red mane grins at Blasek's bow, already filling her own jug. She's already had some water, so she doesn't take any for herself, and that makes the wait for the slaves behind her a little shorter. She grabs up the chitin basket when she's done, and walks back to the Arch Inquisitor's office.

Leeta's morning remains Moffat-free. Going through the items on his desk, and his outgoing pile, she finds several things that need to be someplace. For these deliveries, she takes her mandolin around in its case. It would be easier to leave it behind, but she can never be sure when she's going to be required to play, so it's best to have it. Taking the forms, she makes the rounds.

These deliveries take most of the morning. Some of the places she has to ask how to get there. Other times she has to stand around, waiting for a reply to be made. Occasionally, just because she's there, and she's a slave, someone important enough to borrow her for a few minutes gives her a side job. Working for Moffat means she gets a lot fewer of these interruptions than other slaves do, but she still is used as a part of the power games of the Temple. As a slave, she has to do as she's told, even if it slows down her job for the people she belongs to. Eventually, it's all over, and she's returned the new messages to the Inquisitor's office, and she heads to lunch.

It's fairly early for lunch… although the cafeteria is open and has begun serving the first slaves to trickle in. Blasek can be seen right inside the door, watching everyone as they go in and out.

Leeta walks in, giving him a wave and heading in his direction. "We should grab some food before the rush." She looks at the buffet, "Nothing special again I see. Do you know if there's any meat, or if the bread is fresh?"

Blasek walks to the line of food, his nose twitches. "That depends entirely on what you refer to as 'meat'. It appears that the Temple has a surplus of Eeee cuisine." He shrugs, takes up a bowl and serves himself some sort of brothy soup, some pieces of bread, and… ew… some cooked bugs.

"I see what you mean." Leeta takes some soup, and bread, and tries to decide what might qualify as edible in the bug department. "At least they aren't moving," she signs, as she grabs a few and floats them in her soup.

The two Savanites head to a table and sit, while it is their breakfast, non-slaves would be having lunch at this time. Seconds aren't allowed, but that doesn't stop some of the more troublemaking or important slaves from rushing their meal and trying for them. Leeta eats quickly as well, but mostly from hunger, and because she wants to sign to Blasek.

"I need some help," she gets out, between spoonfuls of soup and bites of bread. "Master is having me play for a lot of people now, and I want to be good." She taps the mandolin slung behind her, for emphasis.

Blasek picks up his soupbowl and gulps the contents down… not even bothering to use a spoon. He wipes his chin and places the bugs between his pieces of bread, instant bug sandwich! The Savanite gobbles this down just as quickly. "You would like lessons?" he signs with one hand.

Leeta nods, leaving her floating bugs till last. She's still not sure what to make of them. "I've been practicing in my room, but I really don't know where to go. I can't seem to make the music say what I want. It always sounds better in my head than it really does."

She finishes her soup, then her bread, the takes up the bugs and eats them as quickly as she can, almost wincing at their crunchiness. They don't taste bad, just burnt, but the noise is unsettling to the red-maned cheetah.

Leeta signs, "Master hasn't said I could, but he hasn't said I shouldn't either, and all I usually do in the afternoons is wait in the general Inquisition offices for someone to come up with something for me to do."

Blasek's ears wiggle. "You will get used to the taste." He bites down the last remnants of his meal. "There is a slave here who is very skilled in many instruments. But she is kept very busy. I will try and see what I can do to arrange for you to meet a few times every week for training. She would probably be grateful that someone could learn her skills and take up some of her workload."

"I'd like that," she answers, probably to taking over some music duties, and not to getting used to the taste of bugs. "It would certainly be more interesting than just running paper around. Once in a while Moffat has something important for me to do, but usually I'm lucky, and he isn't around, and I just have to keep busy."

Leeta signs, "You were right, it's not bad here, once you get used to it. I wish I could go outside more. I am starting to feel like a bat." Leeta's ears wiggle, "Maybe that's why they're feeding us like Eeees!"

"Take comfort in knowing that you probably see the sunlight more than many here who are not slaves," Blasek signs. "But as long as we work hard and do not cause trouble… it is not so bad here."

The fire-haired Savanite nods, thinking of her new friend for whom that is very true. "I'm trying very hard to be a good slave, but I think my master likes causing trouble. I know a lot of people aren't very happy to see me when I arrive, just because of my collar. The Arch Inquisitor isn't very popular, is he?"

Blasek just looks down. He probably does not feel comfortable answering that question. "His job is hard… " the Savanite finally signs.

"I know… " Leeta signs, "My former master only drank when things were very bad for him, and the Inquisitor seems to need … stronger medicine. I'm worried about him. He nearly collapsed the other day, and he's always very suspicious and afraid of being killed."

Leeta signs, "I just don't know to do except follow his orders."

"The one before him took his own life." Blasek signs.

Leeta just blinks, staring at Blasek. Finally she signs, "It is that bad?"

The male Savanite shrugs. "Melchizedek, the one whom was replaced by the one that killed himself, did his job very well from what I'm told. But he was a very… stern man. He was demoted and sent away. I do not know why… but it probably had something to do with his own slave."

"I don't want to cause that! What did his slave do?" she signs back, "I know I have bad habits, because I was born wild, but I'm really trying. I don't want to be a problem."

"You are in very little danger of that." Blasek signs. "She stole a very important item from the Temple… then ran away. It is assumed that she died somewhere with a band of escaped rebel slaves."

Leeta feels a cold chill at the base of her mane. "You are right, I won't be doing that. There is nothing for me to escape to, I have everything I need here." As she signs, she realizes the truth of that; the Temple has brought her back to her family, and brought her a friend to play music for on her mandolin. If she was free to walk away now, she wouldn't. "Now that I'm used to things, I'm happy here."

"I just worry about being disciplined… " she adds.

The male Savanite's ears perk. "My… this is quite a change from the slave whom I saw not too many weeks ago." His ears droop at the mention of discipline. "It is something that all at the Temple face… Not only slaves are subjected to it."

Leeta smiles at the compliment, brushing back her mane, "I didn't have any hope then, I had lost everything I knew, again. But I have a new family here, and sometimes my master is pleased with me, and that means a lot. Thanks for helping me, Blasek; I was very lost and scared."

"… and as for the discipline, it is just another beast in the jungle to avoid, and I know how to do that," she finishes.

"And mind who you associate yourself with!" Blasek signs sharply. "Azhtar would probably still be alive today had she not run away with those rebels and the marked-one."

Leeta signs, "I will be careful, I do not want to do anything against the Temple." She pauses, "I was wondering, did you hear anything about Naoko, or Reseth? I worry about what happened to them, I never found out."

The male cheetah shakes his head. "If they had been sold to the Temple, I would know. And those names are not familiar to me. Perhaps if you had been sold to pay a debt … they had been sold to pay other debts to other debtors?"

"That's most likely. I just wish I had a chance to say goodbye. I just feel empty, not knowing for sure what happened. I guess we're not important enough to tell." Leeta looks around the cafeteria, which had filled, and is starting to empty. "I think I should get to my other duties; you will get me in touch with that other slave won't you, the one that can teach me to play better?"

Blasek rises. "Of course. I will try and arrange for her to visit you tonight."

Leeta rises as well, "Thanks! I'll be in my room, of course." Her ears wiggle, "See you soon, I've got some unimportant things to scurry around the Temple." She walks with him as far as the hall, where they divide to their separate tasks.

The fire-maned Savanite sprints back to the Arch Inquisitor's office. He isn't there, but his lunch is, or what's left of it. A couple dirty plates and an empty water jug. Sometimes there are some scraps left over, but not today. There's also some more paperwork in the out tray. Leeta looks them over quickly, making sure they're all signed. They're requests to the Technopriests for repairs, the same ones she runs around every few days.

Leeta leaves her mandolin behind for the short trip to drop off the dishes and refill the water; this time she doesn't meet anyone she recognizes. Her mandolin comes with her for the more involved deliveries of the forms. The cheetah's hope is that eventually one of the recipients will ask her to play, instead of just standing there while they make out their replies. There isn't too much opportunity to talk to any other slaves while occupied with these duties either. She's either running with her hands full, or waiting alone in an office.

However, there is a little time to be social later in the afternoon. Moffat still has not made an appearance, and there are no other instructions from him either. When this occurs, and it frequently does, Leeta goes to the junior offices of the Inquisition, and tries to be useful. Not single offices, but more a large room with desks and dividers; this is where most of the paperwork is generated. Leeta's tasks range from deliveries, copying interrogation results and confessions, to helping clean the 'hospitality suites'. It all depends on who finds her. While her master may not know she can write, the junior functionaries do, and make sure she is employed well. There was also once the joking suggestion she help torture people with her music, but it was only to tease her for always having her mandolin.

The other slaves here recognize Leeta much more easily than she is able to with them. Their conversations are usually brief; masters don't like to see slaves standing with waving hands, but there are momentary idle periods. Most of them are friendly, as all the inquisition slaves feel the need to stick together, and Leeta is well acquainted with a few of them. Some, of course, are jealous of her for her looks, her instrument, or that she is essentially the Arch Inquisitor's personal slave, even though she is officially owned by someone with a less interesting title. Overall, though, it's the nicest part of the day, even if she still has to be very still-fingered about the things she does.

Other aren't so circumspect, and there is always some Temple gossip to catch up on. If it isn't speculating about the political balance, or which master most recently disgraced themselves, it's about personal relationships between the slaves, and also of course, imagined slights and insults. Leeta watches, but avoids commenting; she's already too noticeable without getting involved.

These chores and breaks lead right into the slaves' other daily meal, dinner. Caught up with the crowd, the evening pickings are usually much thinner than lunch, and the wait is longer. Conversations started in the junior offices come to some resolution here. Afterwards, there are some evening chores, though Leeta's consists only of making sure the lights are still burning in the Arch Inquisitor's office, and a run back to her room.

Leeta's room is where she left it, and her chamberpot goes back under the bed. Her work is over for today, and she gets a little time to herself. Still, she uses it in almost the same way every night. First, to groom out the effect of the day, and then for practice with her mandolin.

Blasek's instructions were to stay in her room at all times. He never said that the door had to be closed. So while she practices, Leeta keeps it open, sitting in the threshold and as far out into the corridor as possible, while still being in her room. She listens to her music quietly echo back into her room, and down the hall.

Later, when some of the Savanites have gone to bed, an elderly cheetah enters Leeta's room. "I am Streak," she signs, and indeed, there's a streak of white hair on her dark mane. "I was sent by Blasek… He said you would like me to give you some mandolin lessons." She unshoulders her own mandolin and quietly enters the room, closing the door behind her. Deep into the night, the Savanites in the barracks have a beautiful two pronged lullaby played for them.