The Cyborg's Daughter ( I'm close to 100K reads! Then Party)

Chapter 14/The Kimjodo of Shadow's fall

"Here! This way" the man in the shop door way shouted to us.

I pulled Jenny into the building, the man slipped in behind us and pulled the door shut. He turned a card to say 'closed'.

I looked around, this was a wine shop. The kind used by the collaborators and the few cyborg's who cared for such things. There were twelve square tables. On top of each table were bottles of wine standing on it. Under each bottle was the glow of a light. The light had a colour which a sign said indicated 'popularity'. The design was stylishly designed but the slight dust on the bottles suggested the shop didn't do well. To the rear was an exit I made a mental note of as an escape route. The man by comparison was well dressed and didn't have a collar. He looked very handsome, large hands, elegant movements.

Time snapped back into the real world and I realised I was out of breath.

"That was fun," said Little Jenny smiling.

"That was very brave, what you did there" said the man quietly and calmly. He was thin dressed in tight stretchy leggings and a loose shirt.

"Thanks Master," I said.

"Brave but stupid. You shouldn't take on Ovids." said the man "their all fanatics to the last Ram. Oh and don't call me Master"

"But you're an eternal Mater" I said. I didn't need any new enemies and he didn't have a collar.

The man smiled, he had once been very handsome. The kind of handsome the machines liked. He had grown older possibly in his early 30s but his features hadn't aged naturally.

"I was once a slave, but I worked my way free" said the man.

"You can do that?" I said confused. It was the first I had heard of it. There was a commotion out side. I could hear shouting.

"There are ways. Come into the studio in the back. You can hide there"

We walked into the back I looked around, a soft floor and a wall of mirrors. It looked like a dance studio.

There was a loud rattle on the door. We hid while the man answered.

"Two children moving very fast did you see them" came the voice of an Ovid.

"No, I don't know what you're talking about. Can't you see were are shut." said the man. The door slammed.

The man back came in.

"They will search the area for a while you hide here as long as you need." said the man smiling "Welcome to my dance Kimjodo, I'm Bret Fox "

He had a physique but not the demeanour of a dancer.

"I've done ballet" said little Jenny

"Have you now?" said the Bret, Smiling at Jenny.

"We both did." I said "On the island where we grew up. There was this woman called Miss Peterson. She had been a dance instructor before she was frozen. She taught ballet for a year before the robots took her for service." It was few years ago but it was the happiest eleven months little Jenny had.

"I did think there was something rather elegant in the way you moved" said the instructor.

"I'm 5642 I belong to Hunter Underman" I said.

"Of cause you do. I used to be called Eleven ten seventy two before that I was called Bret Fox" he said "But many people call me the Shadow's fall".

Bret brought us both a glass of water we sat down on the mat

"Tell me would you like see some Kimjodo while you wait? I I'm sure the Ovid will be waiting for you out there in the square. They will give up soon enough. They don't have any patience. When you have your breath back that is."

We waited. I could hear drones outside.

"Yes please" said little Jenny. It seemed stupid to be rude to our saviour.

"You haven't seen any no OK ? Kimjodo is a dance between pairs of dancers." | Bret began moving. "Two of you two of them. You improvise by putting standard moves together. This move for example is the swan opening it's wings." He said. He showed some other moves and danced to some complex music rich in drumming and sound.

"Can I try" said Little Jenny.

"sure, I would be happy to show you" said Bret

We got up and copied him.

"Very good. Stand feet wider apart. Good, now hold your body to the mirror but turn your head to face me. Now move as elegantly as possible like this" he said pulling his hands up.

"Good very good now bend your knees" he said bending down. We followed him. He seemed pleased.

I thought it was time to chance something. "Would it be OK for me to charge up here?" I said.

"I think we can work out a deal" said Bret.

*****

A/N Things are developing for Emily,Hunter  and little Jenny. Three new chapters today - the holidays have been very kind to us. We have been immensely pleased with Emm & Jenny's progress up the now much less stable charts (every day is a new adventure).  Thank you so much for you reads and votes. In these early days ( less than 10,000 reads) every read and every vote is so so precious to us and we are so grateful. Your comments are very encouraging and never    Thanks RK+Reb.