The Age of Zeus

39. NON-ACROBATIC

H er hand was numb as she entered the pen yet again. Puffy, too, the back of it starting to swell up in a lovely sunset-coloured bruise.

She placed a plastic sink bucket brimming with water on the floor and a bale of hay beside it. The Minotaur studied both items from afar. Then up the monster got and over it came, shambling across the room. It bent to the bucket first and slurped up water sloppily. Then it turned to the hay bale. After a moment's contemplation, fleshy nostrils flaring, it kicked the bale aside, then urinated on it for good measure.

"OK, OK, I get it, I can take a hint," said Sam.

She returned with a selection of raw vegetables. These, to her relief, met with the Minotaur's approval. It fell on them greedily, munching down handful after handful.

Next she tried some fruit, and that, too, found favour.

"Well, we've established that it's a veggie," she said to Mahmoud at the end of the day, as they headed off to get some food for themselves. "Might make life easier. Veggies are peace-loving hippy types after all, aren't they?"

"Except for that Hitler bloke. I've heard he had a bit of a nasty streak."

"I think it was missing a testicle that made him that way."

"That certainly isn't the Minotaur's problem," Mahmoud said with a giggle. "I mean, ruddy 'eck! Have you seen the size of its you-know-whats?"

"Can't say I noticed," Sam said.

A sly look came over the other woman. "Probably just me then. Maybe if I'd been getting some action lately, I wouldn't have noticed either."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, Sam. Don't play dumb."

Sam glance furtively ahead and behind. The corridor they were in was empty. She lowered her voice anyway. "How did you know?"

"I didn't," said Mahmoud, gloating. "'Til now. All I had was a hunch, which you've just gone and confirmed."

"You cow."

"And you did come to our room very late last night. Not that I blame you, mind. Rick's lush. Not my type, but still lush."

"You can't tell anyone."

"I won't. Scout's honour. So, when did it start? Corsica, I'm guessing. That's when the flirting stopped between you."

"Flirting? We were flirting?"

"You may not have realised it but you were. Even when you were in a grump with each other and not talking, that was a kind a flirting. And now you're both so formal around each other in public, there just has to be something else going on."

"Does anyone else suspect, do you know?"

"Not as far as I'm aware. What's the problem? There's nothing wrong with him and you hooking up. Why do you need to keep it a secret?"

"I don't know. I just do. I think it would look bad, the team leader sleeping with one of the team."

"Or maybe, if nobody else knows, you can pretend it's not happening."

"Why would I want to do that?" Sam asked stiffly.

"Because you had someone once," Mahmoud replied. "You've never talked about him but I know you did. He was The One, and you don't want to admit to yourself that anybody could ever replace him. So it's arm's length for poor old Rick, and probably for every other man you're with from now on."

There was flint in Sam's voice. "Bollocks. That's bollocks."

"Is it?"

"You know nothing, Zaina. Nothing."

Mahmoud understood she had overstepped the mark. There were some truths Sam wasn't prepared to hear.

"No, of course," she said, mollifying. "My mistake. So, er…" She changed the subject clumsily. "More Minotaur tomorrow, then?"

"Yes."

"Pretty soon you'll have that thing eating out of your hand."

Sam decided to take this literally, as an inspiration and a challenge. The next morning she brought in a single apple, which she held out to the monster. The Minotaur sniffed suspiciously, reached for the apple, then withdrew its hand. Sam offered the fruit again, telling the Minotaur there was nothing wrong with it, it was delicious. The Minotaur still wouldn't take it. Finally Sam took a bite out of the apple herself to prove it was safe. The Minotaur, letting out short, stertorous breaths, watched her chew. Then, abruptly, it snatched the bitten apple off her and retreated with it to its favourite corner of the pen.

A day later, Sam dared to squat down next to the monster as it ate. This was a bad move. The Minotaur reacted intemperately, believing Sam wanted to share its food and not liking that idea. It batted her aside with one sweep of its arm, then slapped her a few times as she tried to get up. Sam staggered out of the pen feeling pummelled and dazed.

That night, Ramsay noted that she was moving stiffly and wincing as she undressed. When the fresh contusions on her body were laid bare, he scowled.

"El Toro not treating you right?" he said.

"My fault."

"Spoken like a true battered housewife."

"I took a step too far too soon."

"Even so. The Minotaur keeps this up, I might have to go and have words with it."

"I'll sort things out."

"Playing Born Free with that monster is all very well, Sam, but one false move…"

"I'll sort things out," Sam insisted. She climbed into bed beside him. "God," she groaned. "I ache too much to be up for anything acrobatic tonight, Rick. Sorry."

"Never mind. Least we get to spend the whole night together, now that Zaina's in the loop. You just lie here, get all snug and cosy."

"I didn't say I wanted to just sleep. I said nothing acrobatic, that's all."

"Ha! Well, I've no problem with non-acrobatic."

"Really? Prove it."

"You lie still and I will. Now, nice and gentle. No moving around while I do… this."

"Ah."

"And this."

"Ohh."

"Uh-uh. Still no moving around. Now, how about…?"

And then Ramsay was not in a position to talk any further, and his silence, for Sam, was blissfully golden.