“Fine, be a whore if you wish,” Marina said, sighing. “Why?”
“Well, unlike some people I don’t have a rich father to keep me,” Katya said.
“Hah!” Marina snorted. “Rich. The Russian government pays as if it was still 1980 and true communism was just around the corner. Our rent was paid by the institute but much of the time we couldn’t afford food. I had a vegetable garden in the summer; that was much of what we ate. Rich. Katya, will you keep a secret?”
“If possible,” Katya said. “I’m not going to withstand torture to get it. And I can’t guarantee that we’re not being… bugged or something.”
“Oh, I don’t care what those men know or think,” Marina said. “They’re pigs. But I have been a whore. I have taken money to… do it.”
“If you use a term like ‘do it’, you have never been a whore.”
“It was when I was at college,” Marina continued. “Sometimes I would go to the bars and pick up men, Americans or Europeans of course, and ply them for money. I was using my body, screwed men, for money. That is being a whore, yes?”
“No,” Katya said. “That’s like saying that one of these Chechen pigs is a soldier. A whore is someone who is beaten twice a day by her pimp. Who is beaten until she pees blood but goes out to make his money anyway. A whore licks out toilet bowls because it is the choice of that or die. A whore has no choice. None. At best you were a prostitute.”
“You have a point,” Marina replied. “I guess being a whore is sort of a badge of honor for you.”
“I hadn’t thought of that, but, yes,” Katya said. “It is what I am. If you do something for long you had better become proud of it or find a way, any way, to change.”
“Katya,” Marina said.
“Yes?”
“Don’t take this wrong,” Marina continued. “But I think you are probably a very good whore.”
“The best you’ll ever meet,” Katya said. “And because we are such good friends you can call me Cottontail.”
“That is a very strange name,” Marina said, nervously.
“I am a very strange person.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Hey, Chief,” Kacey said, stepping out of the Expedition. It was being driven by one of the older Keldara and she wondered how he felt about that. The Keldara women seemed more independent than some of the third world types she’d been around but they were definitely second-class citizens. He had to be a bit put out chauffering a woman. But if he had an issue with it it wasn’t apparent. On the other hand, the Keldara were pretty stone-faced. They’d make great poker players.
“Hey, boss,” D’Allaird said, closing a hatch on the Hind.
“Everything good?” Kacey asked.
“Yeah, just looking at one of their junctions,” Tim replied, grinning. “God damn those Czechs are some fine ass engineers. Call this a Hind if you want, but it’s practically an entirely different bird. All the connections are better, all the systems are more robust and they’re way better quality manufacture than anything I’ve seen out of the Russians. And they did all that without actually changing anything. Most of their parts can be switched out for standard without a hitch. The Czech ones are just better designed and made. Cool ass shit.”
“Glad you like it,” Kacey said. “How are the Czechs working out?”
“Well, saying they speak English is a stretch,” D’Allaird said. “But engineers all speak the same language if you know what I mean.”
“Good,” Kacey said. “But, we’ve got another personnel problem.”
“No crew,” D’Allaird said. “No problem, I can toss supplies.”
“I don’t want you tossing supplies,” Kacey said. “I want you back here making sure the back-up bird is golden. And I want you ready to take care of anything wrong with this one when we land. We need a body. Two, really. Cause we’re going to be unassing these supplies as fast as possible and I’d like to get people trained in so we can operate both birds.”
“Uh, there’s a personnel shortage, ma’am,” Tim pointed out. “Most of the younger males are up in the hills, you know. I suppose some of the older guys, like your driver, could… ”
“I was thinking something different.”
“That’s an interesting suggestion,” Nielson said, rubbing his eyes. “I wish the Kildar was here to pitch it, though. I don’t have a problem with responsibility, mind you. It’s just the Kildar can say ‘This is how it shall be done’ and the Keldara, in general, just do it. He’s the Kildar. That’s big mojo. I don’t have the same mojo.”
“We need the bodies,” Kacey said, ticking off the items she’d thought of on her fingers. “We’re probably going to need them in the future. The older males all have day to day responsibilities, especially with the young men gone. That’s not going to change. And there’s nothing they can’t do in the field. The US military has, sorry, proven that over and over again. It’s not field combat.”
“Let’s go talk to Father Kulcyanov,” Nielson said with a sigh.
“Father Kulcyanov, thank you for meeting with us,” Nielson said, nodding to the Elder. He realized he was going to have to translate since Father Kulcyanov had damned little English and Kacey even less Georgian.
“You are the castellaine of the Kildar,” Father Kulcyanov said, nodding. “In his absence, you are his Voice. I should have met you at the caravanserai. I am at your command in the absence of the Kildar. You honor me by your visit. I drink to you.” He took a sip of beer and then lowered the mug. “May the Father of All give us wisdom in this council.”
“The Father of All,” Nielson said, taking a sip. “He just blessed this ‘council’ to the Father of All. I’ll have to give you more background on the Keldara. They play Christian only when it suits them; they’re actually pagans.”
“I’m afraid I can’t drink,” Kacey said, uncomfortably. “Not before flying. But I, too, honor this… council by the… Father of All.”
Nielson translated and then added with a wry grin: “And Captain Bathlick does not drink alcohol anyway.”
“I shall call for water,” Father Kulcyanov said, nodding and calling for it. “I did not know of your customs. My apologies.”
“He said he didn’t know your customs and apologizes,” Nielson said. “He’s getting you water.”
“It is not meant to dishonor you in any way,” Kacey replied, uncomfortably. “I just don’t drink anymore. Also, it is very unwise to drink anything within twelve hours of flying. It requires very precise reactions. My co-pilot is a drinker but even she does not before flying.”
“She no longer drinks alcohol and is prohibited from doing so before flying, anyway,” Nielson translated. “Her co-pilot drinks but not before flying. And it is that which we must talk about. The pilots are taking up a supply run to the Keldara. They need someone to load and unload the helicopters.”
“I shall tell… ” Father Kulcyanov paused and sighed. “I am so used to having Oleg task and do such tasks. But he is with the Kildar. We will arrange.”
“He’s tapped out for guys,” Nielson said. “You wanna do your pitch. I’ll translate it as you go.”
“Sir, if I may,” Kacey said as a young woman came up and set down a mug of spring water by her arm. “Thank you. Sir, if I could ask for something. We are going to need these crew on a regular basis. They don’t just load and unload the aircraft. With training they take care of minor maintenance, respond to in-flight emergencies and man the door guns. They are soldiers, sir. However, there is nothing that requires great strength. In the US military many of the aircrews are… women.”