wasn’t doing it.
I couldn’t, unless I wanted to go to someplace like Beautiful Phera’s, which I didn’t, and besides, none of my company went to places like that — they all liked women, or at least pretended to when they went to Whore Street, and the specialty places charged extra.
Even before I asked Tabar about it, I knew that didn’t really make any difference that I couldn’t.
Anyway, I got talking to Tabar about it all, and we talked and talked, and by the time I headed back to the barracks it was just about midnight.
And the next sixnight, when the men were getting ready to go, I had an idea. I said, 'Hey, wait for me!' and I went along with them.
Some of them were kind of nervous about it; I could see that in the way they looked at me, and they weren’t as noisy as usual. One man — you don’t know him, but his name’s Kelder Arl’s son — asked where I thought I was going, and I said, 'Rudhira’s.' And everyone laughed.
'You like women?' someone asked, and someone else said, 'Or are you trying to pick up a few extra silvers?' And I didn’t get mad or anything, I just laughed and said no.
I didn’t get mad because I knew Tabar would be there.
As soon as we set foot in the door I called, 'Tabar!' And there he was, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me, and this big grin spread all over his face.
'Shennar,' he said, 'what are you doing here?' 'The boys and I are just here for our regular fun.'
I said, and everyone laughed, and we had a fine time.
I talked to some of the girls, and joked with the men, and then when the men went upstairs Tabar and I went back to his room… He’s wonderful, Mother. If you ever come down to visit you’ll have to meet him.
Love,
Shennar
Dear Mother,
What’s wrong with a whorehouse bouncer? It’s honest work.
Mother, I’m not a delicate little flower. I’m a hundred and eighty pounds of bone and muscle. And Tabar is two hundred and fifty pounds of bone and muscle. I like him.
And seeing him has really helped. I’m fitting in better than ever. I love my job, Mother, and going to Whore Street every sixnight is helping me with it.
Besides, I like Tabar a lot, Mother. And it’s not as if it costs me anything, the way it does everyone else. Tabar and I joke sometimes about which of us should be charging.
The only thing is…
Well, it looks as if Tabar and I will be married, at least for a while. We hadn’t really planned on it, but it’s happened. The lieutenant says I can get leave when I need it, and I’ve been saving up what the men use as brothel money so I won’t starve while I’m on leave, but I’m not sure how it’s going to go over with the rest of the company having a baby around here.
I think they’ll get used to it. But it’s driving the armorer crazy enlarging my breastplate every sixnight or so!
Love,
Shennar
