After Humanity

Chapter Twenty-Four

Magnus

Magnus was surprised by the amount of anxiety he felt waiting for her to come. In few weeks since he'd returned home with the girl it was clear that Alice was still angry with him. The woman had barely spoken two words to him since she'd last come to his office. The night she presented him with Sarah's request. Though not overt in her actions, he knew she had been avoiding him ever since.

Even when he'd invited her to join him for dinner multiple times, hoping to mend the rift between them, Alice had remained almost entirely silent at each meal, eating her food without responding to his attempts at small talk with more than a few well placed nods.

It was not the first time the woman had become distant, but this level of aloofness was out of character. She had not acted so towards him since her first month on the estate nearly thirty years ago. She was upset and it was his doing. Magnus was angry with himself for having caused her distress in any way and frustrated that she would not confide in him enough that he might easily remedy the situation. After all, how could he even make amends when he wasn't entirely certain the cause of her anger?

Perhaps he should have given her advanced warning before bringing the child home, he realized. He certainly should not have questioned her so when she swore the other women had guessed at his plans without her having divulged the news of Judith's fate. He should never have grown so angry when she'd asked him to heed Sarah's request. In his guilt, Magnus had decided to give Alice space and time to come back to him willingly when she was ready.

But with three weeks passed and the arrangements now made, he had no choice but to confront Alice with the impending slaughter. One of the animals he would keep for himself he'd decided, the other had already been sold to a buyer who expected to pick up his purchase within the week.

Magnus had even been lucky enough to find one willing to purchase the whole animal at a price higher than expected. Sarah's sale would be more than enough to compensate for the extra month of feeding he'd put into her. Even with the added expenses Rachel had accrued in her addition to the flock, the money would even out easily. As always Alice's advice had proven worth following. All that remained was to give her the news and request that she inform the others.

At the knock, Magnus quickly rose to open the door for her. Alice did not speak as she walked into the room and took a seat across from his desk, waiting for him to come join her. With the door securely closed and locked he did so.

"When?" she asked as soon as he'd taken his seat.

"When?" he replied, caught off-guard by the question.

"The slaughter," she answered. "I assume it is planned already? For both?"

It was uncanny. Magnus had yet to utter a single word and she'd already seemed to guess at his intent. Alice's ability to read others was almost frightening in its accuracy.

"In three days," he said. I will process the animals on Friday and the buyer will come to collect his purchase this weekend."

Alice nodded, accepting the news with the same stoicism she always managed in the wake of business decisions regarding his human stock.

"Then there was no difficulty heeding Sarah's request?" she asked.

"None whatsoever," Magnus replied. "You were correct, given her age, rough weight estimate, and the fact that the prime season for wild stock has passed, the buyer I found was willing to pay quite well."

Another nod. "I will make the news public tomorrow then," she said. "I think none will be very surprised by it. With any luck, there will be no backlash against the child."