Page 64 of Something Human

Adares’s white tunic was easy to spot in the grass. Fortunately, it lay on the sunny slope of the valley, so it was quite dry. Rus found his own loincloth, hiked up his kilt to put it back on, then found Adares’s belt and sandals, and Adares’s loincloth, a filmy scrap of fabric, which had blown much further away. He climbed back up the hill. On his way around the headman’s paddock, he ran into Kagieros, who gave him a ridiculously conspiratorial look, glanced pointedly around to be sure no one else was nearby, and said in a loud whisper, “Where’s the lord archon?”

“He is at a house in the village, with a family who invited him to stay the night. I am on my way there and can take a message if you wish.” He held the bundle of Adares’s clothes discreetly behind his back.

“Oh, would you?” said Kagieros. “I’ve been sent to look for him, which is really rather awkward, don’t you think? Guntha-whatisname wants us all to go hunting mountain goats with him this morning. That’s the message.”

“I will tell him.”

“Splendid! Well, that’s my duty done, then.”

He turned and fell into step beside Rus, and they walked up toward the headman’s hall together.

“I have to ask,” Kagieros said after a moment.

“Yes?”

“Well, you know.” He looked at Rus with a little grin and made a gesture with his elbow in the direction of Rus’s ribs. “How is he?”

Rus gave him a puzzled look in return. “Much as you left him.”

“No, no—you know. How is he? Is he a good lay? Because, I mean, he’s not my type at all, but he seems like he would be.”

“I don’t—I couldn’t—” Rus put a hand to his throat and tugged on his torque, which suddenly seemed as though it was going to choke him. “I have no idea. No basis for comparison.”

“Oh,” said Kagieros. “Gosh.”

It occurred to Rus that if they really talked so openly about these things, then he was in danger of tarnishing Adares’s reputation, so he added, “But I would say so. Very.”

And he hurried off.

He had calmed down enough by the time he got back to Kuth and Genet’s house to be able to deliver the clothes and the message almost casually. Adares accepted them with a nonchalance that was probably not even feigned, went behind the curtain the change, and set off for the headman’s hall. Rus did not see him for the rest of the day.

He barely saw him the following day, this time because Rus himself was busy preparing for a ceremony that evening at the standing stones. That evening, Adares and the other Phemians arrived along with Kuth and Genet to watch the ceremony. Rus wondered whose idea that had been. Afterward, not really knowing how it happened, he found himself climbing a nearby peak with Adares, “to show him the view.” Somehow none of the other Phemians seemed interested in seeing it.

“Do they all know about us?” Rus asked.

“All of my men? Oh, yes, by this time. They’re all trustworthy—even Kagieros, once you spell things out for him. It’s quite sweet how helpful they’re trying to be. Though ‘going up a hill to admire the view’ isn’t the best pretext for a tryst, is it? We can’t very well get out of their sight.”

“I’m sorry. After last night—I’m afraid that was very unsatisfactory for you.”

“Eh?”

“I mean because you weren’t able to … to … you didn’t climax.”

“Oh, well. That would have been nice. But I’m not the one who’d gone six—seven? seven!—months without sex.”

“Ah.”

Adares looked at him. “I should probably have put that more … I shouldn’t have sprung that on you. I’m sorry. I wish I’d been faithful to you, but … ”

“You thought I was dead. It’s not really ‘being faithful’ when you think the other person’s dead.” He thought he should leave it at that. It wasn’t any of his business. Adares was here, now, and it was like this between them, and that was all that mattered. But after a moment, he said it anyway: “Are you married?”

Adares gave him a look like a blank wall. “Am I married. No. Rus, I would have told you if I was married. And I, uh. I wouldn’t have sucked your dick out behind the horse paddock last night, if I was married.”

“I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean … I wasn’t thinking.”

“Oh, you were thinking. You were just thinking some nonsense.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”