The Aliens of the Flaming Red Sun/12 Home's horrid

Proxima Centauri and the Aliens of Porrila/16 Home's horrid
When lessons started the tutor told young Blue Tentacles how far he had had got behind others of his age. That’s what came of wasting so much time in prison. He pointed out any number of mistakes the boy made. The tutor remembered his employer had said he want the boy to understand he’d done wrong and made sure he did. The boy tried to learn although he was thoroughly miserable.

Later the tutor told the boy’ parents that the Blue Tentacles remembered more than teachers would expect despite being away from studies so long. The boy was also learning new material better than expected. Normally it would be some time before a youngster got back into the rhythm of studying after a break. This hadn’t happened. The boy had learnt quite a bit from the skills for life courses at the prison and many adults wouldn’t have bothered with those courses.

Father called the boy in to see him, told him off for all the things he’d forgotten, told him off for all the things he’d missed learning in prison, told him off because what he’d learnt during skills for life wasn’t what a Patrician youngster needed to know. Finally he said the boy would have to do much better before he could get a mudbath. When the boy started crying father sent him away for being weak. Later mother came to him and took him quietly to one of the smaller mudbaths. Neither told father he’d been there.

There was plenty of studying and little free time. At first young Blue Tentacles tried to study hard. Tutors kept telling him that Terrans were good and he shouldn‘t have say bad things about them. Once the boy reminded them that most Terran cultures are more equal than Centaurian society. He got punished for that. However he worked the tutors hardly ever told him he had done anything well. His father was even more critical. In the end the boy stopped trying. Then father told him he was stupid and lazy.

Life went on for young Blue Tentacles. Mudbaths were only when mother was sure father wouldn’t find out. The younger siblings of Blue Tentacles came to him fresh from a mudbath. They wriggled their tentacles mockingly at him, saying things like, “You can’t have a mudbath because you’ve been in prison!” Blue Tentacles grabbed at them and tried to rub off some mud that was still sticking to their tentacles. Then he was in trouble for fighting. The older siblings of Blue Tentacles hardly spoke to him. Father had told them that Blue Tentacles had damaged their marriage prospects and they might have to make do with marriages to older and less attractive Centaurians than they would have liked. The servants weren’t much comfort for the ex-prisoner either. Their boss wouldn’t have liked that. Some didn’t think Blue Tentacles deserved better than he got. Others felt sorry for him. Servants were uneasy round him. They didn't want to annoy father by being friendly with the young trouble maker. They knew making an enemy of the boss's son was bad too.

When father was away the boy went to his mother. He hoped she would make him feel better. Father wouldn’t have allowed even that when he was at home. Mother was busy with some long distance communication device but she asked a trusted servant to take Blue Tentacles to a small mudbath. “Can you come with me, mum?”

“I can’t talk to you now, I’ve got things to do.” “Please come with me.” “I’m talking to your Aunt Violet. It’s very important. Later you’ll understand.” “Please be nice to me. Every one’s horrible. It’s worse than the prison.” “I told you, you’ll understand later.”

Proxima Centauri and the Aliens of Porrila/17 Who will like the boy?