I sat down by the edge of the pool, one knee drawn up under my chin, and just watched.  He completed a dozen lengths then cut across the waves to me, sticking his elbows into the gutter that ran along the underside of the pool's edge.

'Having fun?' I asked.

'Yeah.  Slow pool, though.'

'Slow?  What?  Is it full of heavy water or something?'

'No, but it's got this side wall,' he told me, patting the tiles above the gutter. 'The waves reflect back out into the pool so you're always slapping into them.  Modern pools don't have walls; the water goes right to the top and spills into a flush trench under a grating.'

I thought about this.  He was right, of course.

'Carries a lot of the wave energy away,' he said. 'Gives you calmer water.  Makes the pool faster.'

'I see.'

He looked puzzled. 'Think you could swim in heavy water?'

'D two O?  I suppose so.'

'Oh, well.  Think I'll get out now.'

'I'll wait.'

He struck out for the chrome steps in one corner, lifted himself out in one exquisite, flowing movement and dripped away to the changing rooms.

I sat listening to the air-conditioning hum and watched the reflections the waters cast on the ceiling and walls; their long twisting veins of gold shimmered across the artificial sky and flickered amongst the grooved surfaces of the white plaster columns.  I looked down at the chopping waters of the pool, recalling how perfectly still and calm they had been when we'd arrived.

Every wave, every ripple on that surface, as well as every dancing flick of light curving across the vault of sky and clouds above had been caused by him, by his body.  His muscles, powering the shape and weight and surface of his frame through those waters, had spread that grace and effort throughout the pool and sent the light unwinding across the painted clouds and sky.  I rocked forward, reaching one hand down to the water's surface, and let the liquid come up to meet my flattened palm, the little waves hitting my skin like a succession of soft caresses, their gentle, patting beat like that of an inconstant heart.

The waters calmed gradually again, the waves fell back and smoothed slowly out.  The veins of light dancing on the ceiling became lazier and broader, like a river flowing towards the sea.  The air-conditioner hummed.

'Okay?' Stephen said.  I looked up at him.

One part of me wanted to let him go back by himself, so that I could stay here alone with the humming silence of the air and the slow averaging of the lulling waters, but his freckled face, tired though still smiling and open and friendly, would not let me.  I accepted a hand up, we switched off the lights and returned to the main house.

He saw me to my room door, kissed me lightly on the cheek and told me to sleep well, which, eventually, I did.

'Mmm.  Yes?  Hello?'

'Kathryn, is that you?'

'Uh, speaking.  Speaking.  Yes.  Who is that?'

'Me.  Me…me, it is me.'

'Prince?  Suvinder?'

'Yes.  Kathryn.'

'Suvinder, it's the middle of the night.'

'Ah, no.'

'What?'

'I must…must correct you there.  Kathryn.  It is not the middle of the night, no no.'

'Prince, it…hold on.  It's half six in the morning.'

'There.  You see?'

'Suvinder, it's still dark, I've had one hour's sleep and I was hoping for a good five or six more, minimum. As far as I'm concerned it is the middle of the night. Now unless you have something very important to say to me…'

'Kathryn.'

'Yes, Suvinder.'

'Kathryn.'

'…Yes?'

'Kathryn.'

'Prince, you sound terribly drunk.'

'I am, Kathryn. I am very terribly drunk and very sad.'

'Why are you sad, Suvinder?'

'I have been unfaithful to you.'

'What?'

'Those two lovely ladies. I fell for their fanim… manifold charms.'

'You—?'

'Kathryn, I am a man of easy virtue.'

'You and all the rest, Prince. Look, I'm very glad for you. I hope those two young ladies made you extremely happy and you were able to do the same for them. And you mustn't worry. You can't be unfaithful to me because I am not your wife or your girlfriend. We haven't made any promises to each other and therefore you can't be unfaithful. Do you see?'

'But I have.'

'You have what?'

'I have made promises, Kathryn!'

'Not that I was aware of, Suvinder, not to me.'

'No. They were made in my heart, Kathryn.'

'Were they now? Well, I'm very flattered, Suvinder, but you mustn't feel bad about it. I forgive you, all right? I forgive you for any previous and all future transgressions; how's that? You just go on and have a whale of a time to yourself and I won't be bothered in the least.  I'll be happy for you.'

'Kathryn.'

'Yes.'

'Kathryn.'

'Suvinder.  What?'

'…Can I hope?'

'Hope?'

'That one day you will…you will look upon me kindly.'

'I already do, Suvinder.  I look upon you very kindly.  I like you.  I hope I am your friend.'

'That is not what I meant, Kathryn.'

'No, I didn't think it was.'

'May I hope, Kathryn?'

'Prince…'

'May I, Kathryn?'

'Suvinder…'

'Just say that it is not a lost cause which I am pursuing, Kathryn.'

'Suvinder, I do like you, and I am honestly very flattered indeed that —'

'Always women say this!  They say flattered, they say friend, they say like, and always later comes "but". But this, but that.  But I am married, but you are too old, but your mother will put a curse on me, but I am too young, but I am not really a girl —'

'What?'

'—I thought you would be different, Kathryn.  I hoped that maybe you would not "but".  But you do.  It is not fair, Kathryn.  It is not fair. It is pride, or racism, or, or…or classism.'

'Prince, please.  I've had a lot of disturbed sleep recently.  I really need to get some quality rest in at some point.'

'Now I have upset you.'

'Suvinder, please.'

'I have made you upset with me.  I can tell from your voice.  Your patience is exhausted, is it not?'

'Suvinder, just let me go back to sleep, please?  Maybe we should just, you know, stop now.  We can talk about this in the morning.  Things will look different then.  I think we both need our sleep.'

'Let me come to see you.

'No, Suvinder.'

'Tell me which room you are in, please, Kathryn.'

'Absolutely not, Suvinder.'

'Please.'

'No.'

'I am a man, Kathryn.'

'What?  Yes, I know, Suvinder.'

'A man has needs…What was that?  Did you just sigh, Kathryn?'

'Prince, I don't want to be rude, but I really need to get back to sleep now, and I'm asking you to say good night and let me get some rest.  So, please, just say good night.'

'Very well.  I shall go now…But, Kathryn.'

'Yes?'

'I shall not cease to hope.'

'Good for you.'

'I mean it, Kathryn.'

'I'm sure you do.'

'I do, I mean it.'

'Well, hurrah.'

'Yes.  Well.  Good night, Kathryn.'

'Good night, Suvinder.'