"I called round for you, as a matter of fact," said Nen-naunir, "and Ogma told me what you'd done, so I was looking out for you. That girl, by the way," she went on after a few moments, "I don't think she's quite what you need, Maia, to be honest. Please don't take this the wrong way, but a girl as young as you are needs someone sharper and-well, knowledgeable about people and affairs and what's going on. It's a great pity you couldn't have kept that woman Terebinthia to look after you. I'm sure she'd have been delighted, if only it had been put to her."
"Why, was she a bitch?"
"Hard as nails and mean with it. The house-slaves all hated her; always sniffing about. I used to feel she was like water round a boat: you always had to be taking care to keep her outside, kind of. Oh, no, Nan, I couldn't never have done with her-not after I'd had to obey her at Sen-cho's and do what she told me. Surely you can see that?"
"Well, p'raps. But all the same, Maia, just you and that poor little club-footed ninny together in that house-I'm not happy about it. Oh, I'm sure she's first-rate in the market; and she cooks a nice meal, I don't say she doesn't. But the upper city's a tricky place, and she's not at
"I'll think about it, Nan: really I will." Maia, like most of us when some more experienced friend criticizes arrangements which we had thought suitable enough but now begin to have sneaking doubts about, felt resentful, but had no wish to fall out with a good friend like Nennaunir.
"For instance," went on Nennaunir, turning her sleek, shining head and looking Maia over appraisingly, "Terebinthia would never have let you go to a. barrarz dressed like that. Whose idea was that-yours or Ogma's?"
"Mine. Whatever's wrong with it? I wore this at Sarget's party in the Barons' Palace and-"
"I know, darling. I was there-remember? But it's not right for a barrarz."
"What is a barrarz? Elvair was on saying that-'a bar-rarz -
Nennaunir silently drove one fist twice into the other palm, like a girl tried close to the point of outburst.
"So Ogma didn't know about a barrarz? Honestly-"
"Don't be cross, Nan: just tell me. There's a first time for everything, you know."
"First time?" replied the shearna. "I'm worried about you, that's all. There can be situations where a girl only has to be wrong once, you know."
"But is a barrarz one of them?"
Nennaunir burst into soft, happy laughter.
"No, fortunately not. Of course you'll do very well as you are, Maia dear. I didn't mean to be a cat, truly. You're very lucky-you'll always look marvelous; for quite a few years, anyway. I heard you met King Karnat dressed in nothing but your shift and a bunch of golden lilies. Is that true?"
Maia stared. "How on earth did you know that? I never told a soul!"
"Oh, news travels, dear; news travels." Then, before Maia could question her further, she went on, "Anyway, a barrarz: Cran help me, I should know! I've been to enough of them. It's the custom in Bekla-and elsewhere, for that matter-the night before soldiers are leaving on active service, for the commander to give a party for his officers-and some of the tryzatts too, sometimes. Well, it's apt to become a pretty rowdy affair, as you can imagine. They boast and shout and sing and drink themselves silly and naturally they generally get to basting the girls as well. The thing is, they're usually in a mood to be pretty open-handed-you know, ready to spend what they've got before they go. Many a good lygol I've had at a barrarz, though I admit I generally earned it right enough. I lost my virginity at a barrarz, actually-the one Kembri and Han-Glat gave in Dari-Paltesh before they marched on Bekla seven years ago."
"So how do you dress for a barrarz, then?"
"Like a soldier's doxy, dear. At an upper city barrarz as classy as this one's going to be, it's fancy dress, really; but my job's to amuse people, after all."
Leaning back in the jekzha, she opened the azure cloak.
