Dorel said, “I will. It’s easy to delegate such things. I want to sit and know Mark better too. Tronuck says that he’s in a very good mood, and so are the women of his house this morning. And last night as well. It has been a good time here since our meeting. So, I will delegate. Rani and Belle, will you run to the market and make the announcement that we will gather tonight for stories and surprises?”
Rani and Belle jumped up and said, “Right away! And then we’ll run home and wait for our prince to come!” and they ran out the door to spread the word.
Tronuck said, “Do I need to be warned about these surprises, or should I wait the same as everyone else? See what a good mood I’m in? I think that you shouldn’t tell me unless you think that I need to know. It’s my bet that we can’t even know all of the surprises that may come. In fact, I hope not!”
I looked at Tronuck and said, “Grandfather, come aside with me for a minute. I’d like to speak to you about a surprise for your own house.”
I took Tronuck to the side and leaned close and whispered, “This good mood of yours, if it’s not inappropriate of me to ask, is it because you have had milk today?”
Tronuck smiled and said, “I don’t mind telling you that it is. And if you have advice for me, I’ll be happy to hear it. I invite you to instruct me the way that old women instruct the girls when they come of age. I have had a taste of milk for the first time in a long time and I find that I like it better than I remembered.”
I smiled and said, “Like the old women, ah, then I’ll say it as a rhyme.”
He said, “Oh, how saucy. Say the rhyme and I’ll see how it sounds to me.”
I thought for a moment and then said,
Tronuck pulled his head back and looked at me as if a bit shocked. He said, “My boy! A bawdy rhyme indeed! But let me see what it is you are saying. You are saying to kiss with my lips on the ‘lower lips’? I have never heard it said like that. They do look like lips turned sideways.”
I whispered, “They are made for kissing my friend. Go slowly and give your mates a surprise that they won’t forget. Keep at it until they have had an ample amount happiness. And when it’s time, and it won’t be too long, they will pull you to them and beg you to be happy inside them. Trust me on it.”
He said, “I’ll try it. I’ll try it as soon as you leave I think, and I’ll report what I find when I see you. But, what if they won’t see it the same way that I do and push me away?”
I said, “You see how they whisper to Aeyli at the other side of the room? I think that she is telling them the same that I’m telling you now. At the very least, she’s telling them that I’m sharing something with you and that if they’re smart they won’t resist you, no matter what you try. You’ll be fine.”
He said, “I admit that I have never heard of this, but is this what you will teach to men in private at the Academy?”
I said, “If it will help them, then yes. You tell me what you think when I see you tonight. If you tell me that it wasn’t what I claim, well then I’ll have you tell me what you did and I’ll tell you that you did it wrong!”
He clapped me on the back and laughed and said that he certainly would.
We decided that there was no more that really needed to be discussed. We talked about the generous offers from Narhu and Oshen. We mentioned that Alexia was assigned to work for us, but said nothing more about her.
Dorel said, “She is a very odd girl. The shrine maidens have always been partial to her. Somehow they seem to share a fate.”
Then she stopped and looked at Aeyli as if a strange thought had just come to her. Aeyli smiled and winked at her and the conversation turned to other things.
After a little more, Aeyli said that she wanted to talk to her grandmother in private and invited the other women to join her. I said my goodbyes and asked for directions to make sure that I could find my way back to Narhu’s shop.
Tronuck said, “Oh, I thought that you said that you had been there once before. No matter, go this way and that and you’ll find it.”
I had forgotten that if anyone on Barsoom has been to a place then he knows where it is at all times. I made a note to myself to be careful not to ask directions like that again, but to ask only Aeyli, Rani, and Belle who knew that I was from a different world.
I found my way by passing through the market. As I passed the fruit stand, Sashar was closing up, apparently having sold more fruit than usual and she waved at me brightly and I waved back. I went on and found Narhu’s and found he and Alexia in an office still discussing plans.
Narhu said, “Mark, Alexia is a much different girl than I had thought. She has a very good eye and a sense of space and light and traffic better than any I have ever seen. When she’s done working for you, I’ll try to convince her to come to work for me and then I’ll fight with Oshen to let her go. She is remarkable.”
I said, “She is very remarkable. I don’t know that she will ever be done working for me if I have a say in it. She is more valuable to me than you can imagine.”
He said, “Speaking of which, two of my workers came back from a break and told us how you told stories in the marketplace. It seemed like a very good teaching to me. They repeated it in great detail. I wish that I had heard it firsthand. Even so, I will take it to heart.”
I said, “There will be a meeting at the council hall tonight so that I can tell another story if you care to come.”
He said, “Oh, I will come! And both of my mates. I won’t miss it!”
I said, “I’m very glad to hear it. You honor me. I hope that it will be good for the village. Are you done here? I was hoping to walk back to the house with Alexia, if you are finished.”
He said, “We finished quite some time ago! She has been consulting with me on plans for the Academy and for several other projects. I’ve had great benefit from you today by allowing her to help me while she worked for you. I’m in your debt even more.”
Alexia and I said goodbye and that we would see Narhu at the meeting. Actually, no, I said those things and Alexia stood silently beside me.
When we were outside, Alexia said, “Mark, I heard them repeat the story you told. Was it truly about me?”
I said, “It was very much about you! I’m happy that you know it!”
She said, “Say it to me so that I can know that it’s the truth, though I really know it already.”
It was so strange to hear her say things that should carry so much emotion, but from her lips and mind gave away so little.
I said, “Alexia, my princess, I would pay ten times any price asked to have you by my side. You are precious beyond measure. I am a rich man as you will see. I would give it all if that is what was required to live in a hut with you for the rest of our lives.”
She said, “Now I know it. I would like to take your arm and hold onto you the way that Rani and Belle do. I hope that my milk is good. It gets heavy. Mark, I fear that you will pay a high price for me.”