So he had sworn and promised, wanting to ask how much but not daring to. "The, er, bill, when does that come?"' "When it pleases the mama-san. I told you, Phillip, you can have pleasure the year round on credit, under the correct circumstances--of course I'm surety for you...."

The warmth of the bath water permeated him. He hardly heard her bustle out and then, later, bustle back again.

"Taira-san?"' "Hai?"' Yes?

She was holding up a towel. Curiously lethargic, he climbed out, his muscles drowsed by the water, and let her dry him. Once more the special places he did himself, finding it easier this time. A comb for his hair. Dry starched yukata and she motioned him towards the bed.

Again panic surged through him. Shakily he forced himself to lie down. She covered him, folded back the other coverlet and again left.

His heart was thundering but lying down felt marvelous, the mattress soft and clean and sweet-smelling, feeling cleaner than he had felt for years. Soon he was calmer and then the shoji opened and closed and he was filled with utter relief but no longer calm. The half-seen girl was tiny, willowy, pale yellow yokata, hair long and cascading. Now she was kneeling beside the bed. "Konbanwa, Taira-san.

Ikaga desu ka? Watashi wa Ako."

Good evening, Mr. Taira. Are you well? I am Ako.

"Konbanwa, Ako-san. Watashi wa Phillip Tyrer desu."

She frowned. "F... urri... f."

She tried to say Phillip several times but could not, then laughed gaily, said something he did not understand, ending with Taira-san.

He was sitting up now, watching her, heart pounding, helpless, not attracted by her, and now she was pointing to the other side of the bed. "Dozo?"' Please, may I?

"Dozo." In the candlelight he could not see her clearly, just enough to know that she was young, he estimated about his own age, that her face was smooth and white with powder, teeth white, red lips, hair shiny, nose almost roman, eyes narrow ellipses, her smile kind. She got into the bed and settled herself, turned and watched him.

Waiting. His shyness and inexperience paralyzed him.

Christ, how do I tell her I don't want her, don't want anyone now, that I can't, I know I can't and it won't, it won't tonight, it won't and I'll disgrace myself and Andr`e ... Andr`e! What can I tell him? I'll be a laughingstock, oh Christ why did I agree?

Her hand reached out and touched his cheek.

Involuntarily he shivered.

Ako murmured sweet sounding words of encouragement but inside she was smiling, knowing what to expect from this child of a man, well prepared by Raiko-san: "Ako, tonight is a rare moment in your life and you must remember every detail to regale us with at first meal. Your client is a friend of Frenchy, and unique in our world--he's virgin. Frenchy says he is so shy you will not believe it, that he will be frightened, will probably weep when his Honorable Weapon fails him, he may even wet the bed in his frustrated excitement, but do not worry, dear Ako, Frenchy assures me you can deal with him in the normal way, and that you've nothing to worry about."

"Eeee, I'll never understand gai-jin, Raiko-san."

"Nor I. Certainly they are all peculiar, uncivilized, but fortunately most are pleasantly rich, it's our destiny to be here so we must make the most of it. Very important, Frenchy says this one is an important English official, potentially a long-term customer so make him experience the Clouds and the Rain, one way or another, even if... even if you have to use the Ultimate."

"Oh ko!"

"The honor of the house is at stake."

"Oh! I understand. In that case... Somehow I will."

"I have every confidence, Ako-chan, after all you have almost thirty years experience in our Willow World."

"Is he like Frenchy in his tastes, do you think?"' "That he enjoys his back part tickled, and occasionally Pleasure Pearls? Perhaps you should be prepared but I asked Frenchy directly if the youth had leanings towards liking men and he assured me no. Curious that Frenchy chose our House to initiate a friend, instead of the others he now frequents."

"The House was not to blame, never. Please, don't think about it, Raiko-chan. I am honored that you have chosen me, I will do everything necessary."

"Of course. Eeee, when you think that the Steaming Stalks of gai-jin are usually much larger than civilized persons, that most gai-jin fornicate satisfactorily though without Japanese vigor, flair and urge to plumb the limits, except for Frenchy you would think they would be happy fornicators like normal persons. But they are not, they have so many cobwebs in their heads that somehow fornication is not our Most Heavenly Pleasure, but a some kind of secret, religious evil. Weird."

Experimenting now, Ako moved closer and caressed his chest, then shifted her hand lower and was hard put not to laugh out loud as the youth jerked with fright. It took her a few moments to compose herself. "Taira-san?"' she murmured.

"Yes, er, hai, Ako-san?"' She took his hand and placed it inside her yukata on her breast, leaned over and kissed his shoulder, forewarned to be careful of the wound in his arm that a courageous shishi had given him. No reaction. Moving against him closer. Whispering how utterly brave, how strong and manly, how fulsome the maid had described him and his fruit.

All the while patiently caressing his chest, feeling him shiver but still no passion. Minutes passed. Still nothing. Her concern grew. Fingers soft as butterflies and yet still he lay inert-- hands, lips, everything. Gently caressing, careful to circle, no real intimacy yet. More minutes. Still nothing. Her dismay mounted. Fear that she might fail overlaid her dismay. Touching his ear with her tongue.

Ah, a slight reward: her name spoken throatily and his lips kissing her neck.

Eeee, she thought and relaxed and put her lips around his nipple. Now it's only a matter of time to explode his virginity to the skies, then I can order some sak`e and sleep till dawn and forget that I am forty-three and childless, and only remember that Raiko-san rescued me from the sixth-class House that my age and lack of beauty had relegated me to.

Tyrer was idly watching the samurai in the Legation square, the sun touching the horizon, his mind increasingly beset by Ako, then two nights later, Hamako. Then Her.

Fujiko. The night before last.

He felt himself hardening and eased that part more comfortably, knowing that now he was inexorably caught in that world, the Floating World where, as Andr`e had told him, living was only for the moment, for pleasure, drifting with never a care like a blossom in the current of a calm river.

"It's not always calm, Phillip. What's she like, Fujiko?"' "Oh, er, haven't you seen her, don't you know her?"' "No, I only told Raiko-san the sort of girl you might like, the accent being on "sleeping dictionary." How was she?"' He had laughed to cover his complete embarrassment and disquiet at being asked such a personal question, so directly. But Andr`e had given him so much that he wanted to be "French" and forthright, so he put aside his misgivings that a gentleman should not discuss or disclose such personal information. "She... she's younger than I am, small, tiny in fact, not, not pretty in our terms but she's astonishingly attractive.

I think I understood her to say that she was new there."

"I meant in bed, how was she? Better than the others?"' "Oh. Well, there was, er, well no comparison."

"Was she more vigorous? Sensuous? Eh?"' "Well, yes, er, dressed or undressed, incredible. Special. Again I can't thank you enough, I owe you so much."

"De rien, mon vieux."

"It's true. Next time... next time you'll meet her."

"Mon Dieu no, that's a rule. Never introduce your "special" to anyone, least of all a friend. Don't forget, until you set her up in your own place, with you paying the bills, she's available for anyone with the money--if she wants."