“So the powerful desire I have to sleep with you,” said Wad. “That’s not of your making?”

“I think it has more to do with—what did Kawab say?—the apewoman that I’m riding in.”

“In other words, I just think you’re pretty,” said Wad.

“You’re male and I’m female,” said Anonoei. “You think any willing female is pretty.”

“You’re willing?”

In answer, she kissed him.

“But is it safe for me to sleep with you?” he asked her, when the kiss was over.

“Doesn’t that depend on how strong your own will is?” she asked.

“It’s a foolish thing to do right now,” said Wad.

“You’re right,” she said. “But what if we gate somewhere that Ced and his teacher can’t see us.”

That sounded good to Wad, and so he moved the end of the gate she had just used so now it led to a room in Nassassa, a locked room. With a bed.

After all, I’ve slept with a queen, thought Wad. Why not with a king’s ex-concubine?

Vaguely he thought: Shouldn’t I have the strength of will to resist this desire?

Clearly he answered himself: It is my will to have this woman, right now. And she’s willing. So shut up.

Treachery

19

TREACHERY

This is high school, Danny reminded himself. This is what you wanted.

Supposedly he was helping Laurette study for a precalculus test that was coming up. Danny thought of calculus as a game—sometimes tedious, but usually enjoyable. To Laurette, however, it was a perpetual mystery. Danny explained in words that he knew were clear. He demonstrated over and over.

Laurette concentrated hard, echoing his words, even tracing the operations he performed, yet she still didn’t really understand it. Once she got an answer right but instead of being thrilled or relieved, she almost wept in frustration. “I don’t know what I did,” she said.

“You did the operation and entered all the right numbers in the calculator and I didn’t do any of it. You got it right.”

“But why did I get it right? I thought I did all those things with all the other problems that I screwed up!”

“Laurette, are you planning any kind of career that’s going to need math?”

“I just don’t like being stupid,” she said, and then she did weep.

“You’re not stupid,” he said. “You’re just not interested in math.” He put his arm across her shoulders.

She melted into him, weeping onto his shirt. “I’m interested in A’s,” she said. “That’s always been enough before.”

And then he realized that instead of just clinging to him, she was stroking his chest.