The Bucket Boy Sometimes I write something that I don't like, and this is an example. Aside from the fact that this makes my flesh crawl, I think I'll leave this one out of the finished product for two reasons: I've sort of done the sexual exploitation thing with the late Fazi, and Shingo has enough issues to deal with in the future.

Tsukino Shingo did not live in the same timeless world as the other prisoners. Glances at watches and clocks as he went about his duties kept him reasonably current with time. So he knew it was somewhere around five when he was brought to stand before Baiburs--and seeing the antique clock, he saw he was right; it was only a few minutes before five.

The man called Baiburs was in a room Shingo had never seen before, a room next to the Yellow Room, where he had uncertainly shook the hand of the American President a lifetime ago, a moment after Usagi had read her mind and Chibi-Usa had done something with the Secret Service man. <To have powers now,> thought Shingo, <And send this demon back to the hell he belongs in.> But he had no powers, and he had not fought. <Kumada-san must have fought like a lion, the way they shot him . . .> But Shingo had not fought. He had done nothing. <All the training, and I am a coward after all . . . and Hotaru knows it. Why did she let them win because of me?>

Baiburs ignored him. There was not even a guard in the room, just Baiburs pouring over some newspaper, marking it here and there with a highlighting pen. Shingo looked for something to use as a weapon . . . a little statue on the desk, made of bronze, enough to smash in the balding head. His hands were free, Baiburs was not paying the slightest attention . . .

But Shingo did nothing.

The clock chimed, and Baiburs capped his highlighter and set it precisely within a drawer. He refolded the newspaper, and then turned to Shingo. "Prisoner Tsukino," he said, "You have performed your duties well, I am informed. You behaved correctly during the incident. You may speak to answer my questions."

"Yes, sir," Shingo found himself saying.

Baiburs reached out a hand, pushing Shingo's cheek, guiding his head to one side. "Who struck you? It is forbidden to strike prisoners above the shoulders except with the open hand."

"It was an accident, sir."

Baiburs took his hand away, slowly. "If you say." He pulled a cigarette box from another drawer, and a lighter. After lighting a cigarette and taking a puff, Baiburs said, "Do you smoke?"

"No, sir."

"I thought smoking was more common in Japan," said Baiburs. "More than in the United States."

Shingo said nothing.

Baiburs took another puff, "Just as well. I am too old to stop, but a young man like yourself should not ruin his health . . . You seem young to have a woman and a child. Young for here. Still common enough among my people . . . " He reached out again and touched around the scrape. "That could get infected . . . was this an arranged marriage? Arranged by your family?"

"No, sir," said Shingo. "I made Hotaru pregnant, so we married." Baiburs had not taken his hand away yet. "It was expected that we would marry, but not so soon."

"It is important to have a family . . . I have four sons and three daughters, would you think that?" His hand was gentle on Shingo's face. "Perhaps you will meet them . . . you are coming with us when we leave, Prisoner Tsukino."

"I am?"

"Yes, we have to take some prisoners with us . . . You understand, it is the Americans who are our real enemies, not you Japanese. But your government keeps toadying to the Americans . . . that will change. That will change . . . My people, the ignorant ones, call the ones who attacked djinn, but I know better. They came from your country, didn't they?"

"It is said so by some," said Shingo, wondering why he had not the courage to back away from this caress.

"They took a special interest in you . . . I'm certain of that. Perhaps because you are one of their countrymen. You will come with us, in case these so-called djinn are tempted to attack once more . . . " Baiburs rose from his chair, and put his other hand on Shingo's face . . . but then he let go, and stepped back slightly. "You are filthy from your work. Let me show you where to to shower."

Fahd had been terrified of Sultan, but now that Sultan was dead, he showed his contempt for Baiburs to Maria Horthy. "You'd better not disturb the Commander," he told her. "He'll want to enjoy his new bum boy for awhile."

"You sound like you know him," remarked Horthy.

"I have heard of him," said Fahd, "And I now I know what I heard is true." Fahd made an obscure gesture with his hand that baffled Maria, and then said, "