AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The visits to the Yulta were beginning to form a regular pattern to her life. Today, she wanted to sort out her unruly hair. It needed a cut and possibly a new style to blend in with the local fashion of straightened bangs with shoulder-length tresses. Sava thought it was a good idea.
Once again, there was no sign of Elga. She’d not seen her in the senate house either, which worried Paige. If Jamen had complained to Lapak about her behavior, had she lost her job or something worse?
“Sava,” she began tentatively. “What’s happened to Elga? She’s not in trouble because of what happened?”
Sava seemed perplexed by the question. “Trouble?”
“I told Jamen she was unpleasant to me.”
“Far as I’m aware she’s with Lapak. He’s been staying in his district for a while dealing with an issue there.” Sava reached out and touched the door sensor. A beam of light scanned her palm and opened the door to the Yulta.
“So she’s fine, then.” Paige couldn’t hide her relief that she’d not suffered some terrible punishment.
“Naturally. That is why you have not seen her. I am sure she does not hold a grudge against you. It would not be like Elga to meddle with another senator’s hanjin. She needs a little time to transition.” Sava led as they walked the maze of corridors to the hair salon.
“She’s been a hanjin for a while?” Paige assumed Elga had only been with Jamen.
“Longer than me. I think though, Lapak will be her last. She’s told me she wants to live on one of the more prosperous colonies. Take up a trade. She has learned many useful things working for Jamen and Lapak.”
They bowed their heads a fraction at a group of passing women. Paige recognized some of them from the music group.
“What about you and your plans?” she asked. “Didn’t you say you wanted to work for the imperial family or something?”
“That’s one opportunity. But, I might teach. I like children. I have a qualification.”
Paige felt ashamed—she had assumed many things about her friend and it hadn’t crossed her mind that Sava had ambitions beyond the life of a hanjin. “I’m sorry. I’ve misjudged you and Elga. I thought you desired the company of men above all else.”
“You mean sex?” she chuckled. “I certainly like sex. Who doesn’t? And why wouldn’t I use this position to gain both experience and pleasure? There’s a waiting list for women wanting to be hanjins, did you know that?”
Paige shook her head. “I didn’t know,” she said quietly. She’d skipped over everyone on that list.
“I’m not afraid to explore options. There are plenty of opportunities here and off-world.” She halted, turned to face Paige. “Do you think they would let the Vendu teach human children? Would that be possible?”
Paige opened her mouth, imagining the answer to be no, then shut it. She’d no idea. But, perhaps she could find out. “I’ll ask.”
She expected some futuristic robotic hairdresser would style her hair, but it was a smiley-faced woman with a pair of scissors. She hid her amusement and enjoyed the simple pleasure of having her hair trimmed as she would on Earth. Jamen had given only one instruction: no shorter than her shoulders, otherwise he left her to decide.
Pleased with the outcome, they left the salon, and went in search of some company. Paige hadn’t yet found the courage to bathe naked in the pool. She’d been willing to do it to prove a point to Elga, but now that Elga was on the far side of the planet, it didn’t seem necessary. In her shoulder bag, the one she’d brought from Earth, was her music player. She wanted to play a few songs for the women.
The excited women gathered around her as she set up the player. She’d picked a soothing song, rather than a racy dancing one. She turned up the volume and waited for their reaction. Huddled close, their ears directed to the sound, they hushed each other. At first, they seemed bemused, unsure of the melody. The words would be meaningless, but the lyrics weren’t important. Gradually, they started to tap their feet and smile, and a couple even swayed and nodded their approval at Paige.
When the song finished, they gabbled away to each other, their curiosity stoked sufficiently to request another song, then another. Paige upped the beat and threw in a dance song. To illustrate its purpose, she cast aside her shyness, and rose to her feet to bop to the rhythm. The younger women giggled, the older ones frowned. Dancing was perhaps a step too fa
r?
When she finished, they gave a polite applause, which involved a slow clap of their hands that sped up then abruptly stopped. Sava told her afterwards as they ate, that she thought it had gone very well.
“We’ve much to learn, too,” she said. “Tell me again about women in positions of power on Earth.”
Paige brimmed with enthusiasm as she spoke about the Earth Defense Council, half of whom were women. She couldn’t make big changes on Halos, but she might make a little difference to the few she met.
* * *
“Where are we going?” she asked Jamen.
He’d ordered a warm coat, two fur-lined boots, a hat and gloves, and presented them to her. She tried them on and immediately started to perspire. They weren’t necessary, so why had he requested them from his supplier?
“Don’t wear them yet. You’ll have to bring them,” he said, giving nothing of his plan away.
