Dawn.»
«I will.»
«And kiss him right away and see what I mean!»
«I intend to.»
«Ben, be a good boy and do what Dawn tells you.» She left, not hurrying — but running.
Dawn flowed up against him, put up her arms.
Jubal cocked an eyebrow. «Are you going to tell me that at
«I didn't have much choice. I, uh, “cooperated with the inevitable”.»
Jubal nodded. «You were trapped. Whereupon the best a man can do is try for a negotiated peace.»
XXXII
«JUBAL,» Caxton said earnestly, «I wouldn't say a word about Dawn — I wouldn't tell any of this — if it weren't necessary for explaining why I'm worried about them …
Ben Caxton awakened not knowing where he was. It was dark; he was lying on something soft. Not a bed —
The night came back in a rush. The last he clearly remembered was lying on the soft floor of the Innermost Temple, talking quietly and intimately with Dawn. She had taken him there, they had immersed, shared water, grown closer —
Frantically he groped around, found nothing.«
Light swelled to dimness. «Here, Ben.»
«Oh! I thought you had gone!»
«I didn't intend to wake you.» She was wearing — to his sudden disappointment — her robe of office. «I must start the Sunrisers' Outer Service. Gillian isn't back. As you know, it was a big class.»
Her words brought back things she had told him last night … things which had upset him despite her gentle explanations … and she had soothed him until he found himself agreeing. He still didn't grok it all — but, yes, Jill was busy with rites as high priestess — a task, or happy duty, that Dawn had offered to take for her. Ben felt that he should be sorry that Jill had refused —
But he did not feel sorry. «Dawn … do you
«I must, Ben dear… dear Ben.» She melted against him.
«Right
«There is never,» she said softly, «that much hurry.» The robe no longer kept them apart. He was too bemused to wonder what had become of it.
He woke a second time, found that the «little nest» lighted when he stood up. He stretched, discovered that he felt wonderful, looked around for his shorts. He tried to recall where he had left them and had no recollection of taking them off. He had not worn them into the water. Probably beside the pool — He went out and found a bathroom.
Some minutes later, shaved, showered, and refreshed, he looked into the Innermost Temple, failed to find his shorts and decided that somebody had put them in the foyer where everybody kept street wear… said to hell with it and grinned at himself for having made an issue out of wearing them. He needed them, here in the Nest, like a second head.
He didn't have a trace of a hangover although he had had more than several drinks with Dawn. Dawn didn't seem affected by liquor — which was probably why he had gone over his quota. Dawn… what a gal! She hadn't even seemed annoyed when, in a moment of emotion, he had called her Jill-she had seemed pleased.
He found no one in the big room and wondered what time it was. Not that he gave a damn but he was hungry. He went into the kitchen to see what he could scrounge.
A man looked around. «Ben!»
«Well! Hi, Duke!»
Duke gave him a bear hug. «Gosh, it's good to see you. Thou art God. How do you like your eggs?»
«Thou art God. Are you the cook?»
«Only when I can't avoid it. Tony does most of it. We all do some. Even Mike unless Tony catches him — Mike is the world's worst cook.» Duke went on breaking eggs.
Ben moved in. «You look after toast and coffee. Any Wor cestershire sauce?»
«You name it, Pat's got it. Here.» Duke added, «I looked in on you a while ago, but you were snoring. I've been busy or you have, ever since you got here.»
«What do you do, Duke?»
«Well, I'm a deacon. I'll be a priest someday. I'm slow — not that it matters. I study Martian…everybody does. And I'm the fix-it boy, same as for Jubal.»
«Must take a gang to maintain this place.»
«Ben, you'd be surprised how little it takes. You must see Mike's unique way of dealing with a stopped-up toilet; I don't have to play plumber much. Aside from plumbing, nine-tenths of the gadgetry is in this kitchen and it's not as gadgeted as Jubal's.»
«I thought you had some complicated gadgets for the temples?»
«Lighting controls, that's all. Actually — » Duke grinned. « — my most important job is no work. Fire warden.»
«Huh?»
«I'm a deputy fire warden, examined and everything, and same for sanitary-and-safety inspector. We never have to let an outsider go through the joint. They can attend outer services
but they never get farther unless Mike gives an up-check.»
They transferred food to plates and sat down. Duke said, «You're staying, Ben?»
«I can't, Duke.»
«So? I came just for a visit, too… went back and moped for a month before I told Jubal I was leaving. Never mind, you'll be back. Don't make any decisions before your Water-Sharing tonight.»
« “Water-sharing” ?»
«Didn't Dawn tell you?»
«Uh… I don't think so.»
«I should let Mike explain. No, people will be mentioning it all day. Sharing water you grok; you're First- Called.»
«“First-Called?” Dawn used that expression.»
«Those who became Mike's water brothers without learning Martian. Others ordinarily do not share water and grow closer until they pass to Eighth Circle … by then they are beginning to think in Martian — shucks, some of them know more Martian than I do. It's not forbidden —
«Uh… some.»
«I know damn' well you have. But you will never again crawl in with one who is not your water brother.»
«Hmm…»
«A year from now
