Mitchell's Revenge
Orlov homestead at Noo, on Tarasov

Anja’s long black skirt swirledaround her ankles as she sat heavily on the edge of the bed. Everything hurt. Herfeet, her ankles, her shins and calves. Even her shoulders and neck ached. She prisedthe suede soled practice shoes from her feet and threw them to the floor. Sheswivelled her legs up onto the bed, lay down on her back and stared up at theceiling. She stretched her legs out and pointed her toes, flexing her feet backand forth.

Three months had passed since thatterrible day by the lake. Yuri and Anton brought her up to the homestead andintroduced her to Daria. Anja came to think of her as the blonde bitch with theice blue eyes. She was the most vengeful person Anja had encountered in hershort life.

Tatiana’s death had changedeverything. After scaring her half to death on the day she arrived, Yuri lefther with his wife. Anja learned that she was to live with the Orlov family hereat Noo as their adopted daugther. She would not be returned to her family underany circumstances. If she spoke about her past with anyone on Tarasov she wouldput her parents and brother in danger. And if she tried to escape, well, sheknew what would happen to her.

Her dream of going to flying schoolwas crushed completely as Daria explained her plans for her future with theOrlovs.

“Both my daughters ran away fromhome,” she said to Anja. “To work in space. They left me! You will not.” She glared at the blond childstanding in front of her.

Anja’s knees finally stoppedshaking and she stared back at Daria. She folded her arms across her chest andshifted her weight from side to side as she waited.

“You will live here with us,” Dariawent on. “If you do as you are told you will have the run of the homestead, youwill be well fed and properly cared for.”

“Am I going to go to school?” Anjaasked.

“You will have classes here,” Dariareplied. “You are going to learn ballroom dancing.”

“I’m what?” asked Anjaincredulously. “What for?”

“There is an intergalactic ballroomdancing championship in twelve months’ time. You are going to be a champion. Youwill dance to win. If you do not, there is always Lake Ladogat.”

“Are you crazy?” asked Anja beforeshe could stop herself. “I’ve never danced in my life!”

Daria stepped towards the girl andgripped her shoulders with both hands. Her grasp was surprisingly strong forsuch a slight woman. She brought her face close to Anja’s.

“You will put away any thoughts ofwhat you can’t do, and focus on what you can,” she said quietly. “My owndaughters disappointed me so much. Fighting like boys all the time and ignoringmy wishes. All I wanted them to do was learn to dance and be champions!”

“You’re crazy,” said Anja trying tostep back from her. Daria released her grip on Anja’s shoulders and slapped herhard across the face.

“You will not defy me!” she spat. “Ifyou want to live, you will do as you’re told.”

She grabbed Anja’s upper arm anddragged her down the corridor of the homestead to what was now her bedroom. Shepushed the child towards the bed and slammed the door behind her. There was aloud click as the door was locked.

“Think on your situation,” she saidloudly from the other side of the door. “You really don’t have much choice. WhenI come back you will behave.”

Anja lay down on the bed and criedfor what seemed like an age. Eventually she ran out of tears, closed her eyesand went to sleep. She woke several hours later with a nasty bruise formingdown the side of her face and the realisation that she had no choice but tocomply. The months of school work and dance practice began.

Today was her eleventh birthday. Shehadn’t told anyone. As she lay on her back on the bed Anja thought about hermother, Sibil, and how she would be coping now. She thought about her father,Tim, and her half brother Jake. She had to believe they would be looking forher and try to rescue her.

She thought about their apartmentin Covington and how different her life was then. She remembered standing withher parents on the little balcony off the living room and looking skywards towatch the pylon racing. The events were held every few years when there wereenough pilots in the Karhu system to take part. The competitors were requiredto have a bright neon signature for their craft so that the people watchingfrom EQ2 knew who was who.

The races were held at night, sothat everyone could watch. Bets were placed and the city was thronged withpeople watching as Anja had done, hoping they would be winners too. She lovedwatching the little craft as they skipped and danced around the pylons, then suddenlyblinking out if they missed the turn at the end of the course and flew into thewormhole. She thought watching the race was like looking at fireflies blinkingand dancing in the night air.

Anja watched Lucy and Jake competemany times. Lucy often won. Anja loved watching the races. That was why shewanted to be a pilot. To race like Lucy and Jake. To fly, and be free. And now here she was, caged like an animal andbeing trained to fulfil someone else’s dream.

The only comforting thing that hadcome from the last three months was a subdued friendship with Anton, which washelping to keep her sane. Anton explained to her that she would compete firstas a junior, in the age group under twelve years. He said that the Tarasovfamilies started their children dancing as young as eight. They learned how todance, how to compete and how to handle the pressure of competition.

His mother’s plan was to groom heras a future adult champion. He said that the couples earned a lot of money atthe competitions when they won. He explained how Daria and Yuri had beenintergalactic champions before they had children. He said his mother was soughtafter as a coach because she knew how to develop champions.

If Anja worked hard and did as shewas told she was treated cordially by Daria. She had a nice room, all the booksand other resources she needed for her school work, and endless pairs ofpractice shoes and dresses. The ballroom was adjacent to the house. Her schoolsubjects were handled by a tutor who came to the homestead from Achernar threetimes a week.

She was eating well and had growntaller over the last three months. Her shape was changing from the dancepractice. Her legs were becoming finer and her hips narrower. There was not anounce of fat on her body. She was gaining muscle. Her posture had improved. Gentlestrength training once a week was building her core strength for dance.

She turned her liking for facts anddetail into learning the correct figures for each dance. She learned theirnames and the way to do them. Up until now she worked with Daria and practisedon her own.

She listened to music constantly,trying to identify the beats and rhythms so that she would be able to dance intime. Daria told her this was the very first thing the judges looked for fromthe dancers on the floor. If they could not dance in time they were dismissedimmediately as contenders in the competition.

In three months Anja had learned tostand up straight, with her shoulders back and down. She had learned to holdher arms up in the right position for ballroom, and how to shape her feetcorrectly for the Latin dances. She learned fast and found that practicing forhours was better than being stuck in her room on her own. At least she couldlisten to lovely music and move freely around the ballroom.

The championship was nine monthsaway and she had not yet danced with anyone other than Daria. Anton told her someweeks ago that they were looking for a suitable partner from amongst the Tarasovdancing families. He also told her that the Championship was being held onTiberion. This information gave her hope that by returning to her home systemher family might just have a chance to rescue her. She put that thought to theback of her mind and focussed on doing exactly as Daria asked.

Anja stretched her aching bodyalong the bed. She had about half an hour to rest before the family’s eveningmeal and the regular questioning from Yuri on her progress. Sometimes he cameto watch his wife teaching their adoptee. He’d stand at one end of the ballroomand watch them quietly for half an hour or so. Anja could see his reflection inthe mirrors that lined one wall of the ballroom as they worked. Sometimes hisface looked sad.

This afternoon he did somethingdifferent. He interrupted Daria and ordered Anja to sit on the floor by thewall and watch. He selected a piece of music and walked his wife to the end ofthe ballroom. Together they danced a soft and flowing waltz. Both their faceschanged as they moved together to the beautiful music. They smiled as theymoved smoothly around the ballroom.

She watched their feet rising and falling to themusic. She watched their upper bodies and arms, which were controlled butrelaxed. They had obviously been very fine dancers. As they rose and fell tothe music Anja finally got a sense of what it was about. And it was lovely.