“Maybe he fell and tried to catch himself. I don’t know.” Trig gestured with the cloth for his nose. “He was in his room all day, so it’s not like I saw anything.”
He went on to say he heard a strange noise, got up to check, and found Riju and Kit ready to leave and spouting nonsense. He tried to get them to go to bed and calm down, but they ran out, and he had to follow.
“Neither are mentally well, and Riju’s worse. I’ve taken care of him for years, and he’s mentally retarded, so he shouldn’t be out on his own in the middle of the night. He needs someone with him for the most part. Kit is too, although he’s a little more suited to living on his own. He’s still not entirely well.”
Nawson peered at his notes for a moment. “So…you’re sure Riju is mentally retarded?”
“Yes,” said Trig. “As you can see, he has dolls, and he hasn’t directly looked at you once the entire time. You can ask others in The Edge who have seen him. They know he’s not normal.”
“Do you pay him as your apprentice?”
“Yes. He is capable of basic work and tasks.”
“How long has he been with you?”
“He was nineteen when I got him, and he’s twenty-six now. Closer to twenty-seven.”
“Explain how you met him.”
Trig explained all those early days, which were true. He didn’t need to bend anything since there hadn’t been any violence except for Trig wrestling Riju into his shop.
Nawson squinted at Trig. “If he’s retarded, and you’re saying he can’t be out by himself, you had this man as your sexual submissive in bed?”
Trig paused. “He’s not too retarded to consent.”
“That…sounds like a convenient explanation for the person supposedly receiving the consent.”
“He can consent. I haven’t been raping him!”
Nawson shifted in his chair. “It’s clear he was highly distrustful of you at first, which makes sense. A man living on the street for years who wasn’t taken care of properly during childhood likely wouldn’t be keen on someone who’s suddenly offering free food and a roof.”
“He-”
“I’m still talking. I’ve seen it with plenty of homeless kids and teenagers around here, and it’s usually the same whether they stay alone or form a gang. They’re leery of adults, and honestly, it’s usually safer since there are some nasty bastards out there who know a homeless kid won’t be missed. Why did you take Riju in? I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to find an apprentice. Why him?”
Trig explained how he was homeless and a carpenter gave him a chance. “I figured I should give someone else the chance, and I’m sure you’ve heard about him? He was attacked a fewyears ago, and the three who did it were hanged. He escaped from the physician. That shows he’s not well.”
“I was terrified,” said Riju. “I woke up in a strange place…”
“I was just a guard back then, but I remember that incident, and I heard about him fleeing the physician later,” said Nawson. “I figured he was the same guy since not many have red hair like him. Riju, was it you who was attacked in the warehouse down by the docks?”
“Yes.”
“It still bothers me how you’re positive he’s retarded and can’t live on his own, yet, he can be your sexual submissive.”
“He can consent,” said Trig.
“What if he simply trusted you, saw you as a savior, and maybe some actions of yours led to him having other feelings? If someone is truly unwell in their head, I don’t think they should be made into a sexual submissive because if they trust another, they might think they should agree to whatever. It seems like the other would be taking advantage.”
“For fuck’s sake, I haven’t been raping him. He came onto me first, and I didn’t bring him in with that intent. The relationship just happened.”
“Hmm.”
“The thing is, I’m not retarded,” said Riju. “Neither is Kit, and we don’t like being called retarded.”
“Do you feel you can consent to sexual activities?” asked Nawson.
“Yes. I have needs and wants like any typical man!”
