Lalloc having replied by Terebinthia that he had no objection as long as the girl was not scratched, bitten or otherwise marked, the youth was summoned.

Five minutes were enough to convince Sencho that he would at any rate make an offer: and he was about to indulge with Meris the very natural inclinations induced by what he had been watching, when Terebinthia, bending over him, enquired in a whisper whether he wished to see the second girl. Being in haste to do as he wished, he had already declined when the black girl, slipping quickly out of the room, herself led in her companion and removed her pleated, green-and-white robe.

Sencho, his lust already inflamed, stared at her in astonishment. Living in the debauchery of the upper city like a shark enclosed in a lagoon, it was a long time since he had even seen a girl like this. She was very young-no more than fifteen-and startlingly beautiful, with an air of naivete and a child-like, unspoilt bloom; golden hair falling about her shoulders and a firm, opulent figure glowing with health and vitality. More delightfully still, she was blushing, trembling and trying to cover herself with her hands; he could see the tears standing in her eyes. The very sight of her roused him beyond endurance. He found himself consumed with the desire to clutch her, to feel her struggling, to hear her begging for mercy as he forced himself

upon her. His huge bulk quivered in an access of delicious, intoxicating concupiscence.

Scarcely knowing what he did, he attempted to rise from the cushions but, far too fat, sank back, helpless and panting. A moment later the girl had broken free from Tere-binthia's restraining arm and run out of the room. Sencho, however, had seen enough to realize that there was nothing further to be gained by questioning or testing an innocent like this. He must either buy her as she was, or else let be. As things had turned out, with the loss of Yunsaymis he needed two fresh girls. He recalled the large sum which he would undoubtedly gain from the new Tonildan copper mine: he could well afford a little extravagance.

Having finished with Meris, he sent word to Lalloc that he would be ready to discuss terms of purchase that evening, and thereupon told Terebinthia to order dinner to be served early.

20: MEWS

"Thirty thousand!" said Occula with satisfaction. "Thirty thousand meld, banzi, for the two of us! That means you'd probably have fetched at least fifteen thousand on your own. What about that?"

"I can't see why you're so pleased," said Maia, who was rubbing Occula's back with pumice as she lay on a couch in the women's quarters at the High Counselor's house. "We don't see a meld of it-well, only five hundred. Anyway, how d'you know?"

"That Terebinthia woman told me," answered Occula. "She was there when they did the deal. 'Well, I hope you're pleased with yourselves,' she said. 'You ought to be. This is the richest house in Bekla, next to Durakkon and the Sacred Queen.' All the same, I wouldn't trust her a yard, banzi, if I were you. You can be quite sure she tells him everythin'."

"We could have fetched a hundred thousand, come to that," said Maia. "Wouldn't have made any difference to us, would it?"

"Oh, you really make me cross! Lower down, banzi! That's lovely! Go on doin' that! Doan' you see, pet, we're really val'able now? They doan' damage or waste beautiful

things like you-not unless you go and make some sort of fool of yourself. You're like that fountain in his hall; he's paid for it-he's not goin' to see it spoilt or messed up."

Maia burst into tears. "I think he's horriblel I can't bear him! He makes me feel-oh!" Pulling Occula over on her back, she flung herself into her arms. "Oh, I was so excited to be going to Bekla with you; and to think it's all come to this! That dreadful-"

Occula sat up quickly, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders.

"Are you crazy? Banzi, it couldn't have turned out better! All my good advice, and you haven' understood the first thing! You think that fat brute's supposed to be in exchange for your Tharrin, doan' you? You think you're expected to have a nice time, as if it was Tharrin, or me? Can' you see that's a totally wrong idea of the business altogether?" She stroked Maia's shoulders and arms. "Oh, there's a lovely body, if ever a girl had one! Now listen: you used to use that body for swimmin' in your lake, didn' you, and that was effort and pleasure, right? And you used to use it for choppin' wood and carryin' pails of water, and that was effort and work. Well, this is the same. Where he's concerned, you use it for work. It's not supposed to be pleasure-that's the secret. But it's easy work, banzi- easy! That randy old pig-Terebinthia was sayin' half the time he's gorged himself until he can' even do anythin'. Any girl who knows what she's doin', take about half a minute to make him piss his tallow and go to sleep. But you take the trouble to please him and keep your wits about you and Cran only knows where you might end up."

She stared seriously into Maia's blue eyes.

"And you mustn', banzi-you must not let him think you're frightened of him. Tell you why. He's a cruel bastard: he mus' be, or he wouldn' be where he is. If he thinks you're frightened or disgusted he'll set out to have some fun with you. He'll have you buggered, or basted by a goat or somethin', jus' so's he can enjoy watchin' it. It all comes down to what I told you in Puhra, remember? You've got to keep some kind of authority, even if you're underneath a Deelguy cattle-dealer. That's accomplishment, that is!"

"But I've got no accomplishments!" cried Maia desperately.

"You told me you could swim."

"So I can; but what good's that going to be?"

"You never know. Girls who can swim well look nice when they're doin' it, same as girls who can dance well. Ah, that's an idea! Why didn' I think of that before? If you're a good girl I'll teach you the senguela. You're made for it!"

"What's the senguela?"

"It's a dance about Shakkarn and Lespa. The way I do it, it's just sort of Come and Get Me: but the way you might learn to do it, it could be like Lespa come down to earth. Ah, well! plenty of time."

"Fifteen thousand meld!" said Maia. "THat's far more than my mother'll see in her whole life!"

"And if I know anythin' about it, most of it's peasants' taxes," said Occula, drawing up a stool to a large mirror fixed to the wall. "That's a laugh, isn't it? Your mother takes Lalloc's money for you, pays her taxes to Sencho and Sencho pays it back to Lalloc. She might as well have blown it out of her venda, mightn' she?"

"But Occula, you said you were going to tell Lalloc about Genshed-what he got up to that night in Puhra: but you never."

"Oh, not yet, banzi! That'll come later, when we've become the bounciest girls in Bekla-thousand meld a bounce. But I shan' forget, believe you me. He'll come to bits like a turd in the rain, you see if he doesn'." She put on her necklace of teeth and arranged it carefully. "For Lespa's sake, do count your blessin's. Look at that bath- this mirror-your clothes! We're wallowin' in luxury! There's others outside beggin' their bread; and all you've got to do is learn a few bed-tricks and look as if you were enjoyin' yourself. With your looks you can' go wrong."

At this moment the Belishban girl, Meris, quite naked, entered quickly from the corridor leading to the bedrooms and, ignoring Occula and Maia, stepped down into the pool. Occula broke off and for a time there was silence, broken only by Meris's ripplings and splashes as she moved restlessly in the water. At length she looked up and said to Occula, "Where the hell are you from, anyway?"

"We're from Tonilda, both of us," answered Occula placidly.