Part 11 (1/2)

Andwith his There had already been two knockdown fistfights and another incident where knives had been drawn before the men involved were pulled apart And it wasn't all a ees That da a married woman, even if she did walk into the shower roo tiet killed

On thebefore their scheduled departure, Zoltan approachedsome of mine His Moslems would cook the food and provide the entertain his people, a proper feast was for the men only Women and children ate later from the table scraps

Well, okay It was , but I could see where it was intended to be a goodwill gesture If there was to be entertainment, fine Aside froes, entertainment hat you did on your own Variety would be welco room of my apartment

Chapter Eleven

FROM THE DIARY OF PIOTR KULCZYNSKI

When I returned to Three Walls, I found strange things there A band of foreigners had been invited te the baths to the certain hours of the day

I discussed this with Yawalda, whose friendshi+p I had been cultivating in part because of her friendshi+p with e of the stables, and takes very good care of my horse It seemed that the men all wrapped their heads in towels, and were earb The women always kept their faces covered, even around other women They had been invited in because Sir Conrad had taken pity on them, but they would soon be forced to leave

But Yawalda had another farpiece-of news, and she swore me to secrecy before she would talk of it They weren't sure yet, but it looked as if Krystyana ith child!

Sir Conrad's ladies had long been using a ht them by Lady Richeza and known as the rhythm method Yet it appears that not all of God's children have this rhythm, for Krystyana had missed her time This excited me, for now she would have to be married or be called strumpet! If Sir Conrad would not have her, and he had often said that he would not, then perhaps at last ht yet win out and marry my love!

I was thus in a wild mood ord came to me that I was invited to Sir Conrad's apart's entertainment! But iven by the foreigners and was to be a men-only affair

I caood now that I could afford such things, and of course I wore the beautiful sword and dagger I had won in co uncoht and Ilya torooe roohteen yards to the side and is above any other rooher than the adjacent rooftops

The ceiling is more than twice that which is usual at Three Walls, which is tall in itself There are no velvets or tapestries hanging, yet the room has a certain rude splendor to it I know for a fact that Sir Conrad had originally planned so far more modest, for I was there when Sir Vladimir insisted that it was occasionally necessary to i with him

The all is done in rude lih ti is supported by other huge logs and the east wall is the raw natural face of a li enough for twenty h Yet for all its roughness, the hall had a certain vibrant strength about it that suited Sir Conrad's character

Three foreigners were playingfro was extremely odd They were far out of tune, and thequality that I disliked at first, but eventually started to enjoy

The leader of the foreigners, their zoltan, introduced each of his men to Sir Conrad and the rest of us Their nale one of theave their titles in Polish as well This one was a oldsmith There were swordsmiths, pottery-ers, bootlassblowers, and dozens of other trades mentioned, as well as some that had no word for them in Polish And all of these men claimed to be masters of their crafts, which I took with a bit of ht claim to be a master as well, for who could catchall of his men present Since I was by his side, he introduced e they spoke I felt obliged to stand, as one would at a Christian banquet, but in so doing I nearly fell over After sitting in such an unnatural position, all sensation had left s!

Sir Conrad said that the rest should remain seated, and continued around to Sir Vladi the only other nobleman present, but Sir Conrad often puts the last first and vice versa Myself, I think it part of his philosophy

Food was served after the introductions were finished, withrather than women, and while I knew that all of it had come froe There were noodles that were as tiny as grains of wheat, and a sauce on the ht that it , yet Yawalda had said that these people had cos on their bodies It remains a mystery to me

We ate with brass spoons and the forks that Sir Conrad had shown us the use of, but the foreigners, being of course uncivilized, ate with their hands, and only with their right hands, I noticed I heard later that this was because they wiped their privy parts with their left hands, not having learned the use-of hay balls, or apparently, wash stands

The zoltan stood and made a speech in his barely understandable Polish He said that he was thankful for our generosity to his people, and thanked Sir Conrad publicly for the food and clothing he had given so freely Our lord would be remembered in their prayers, even if we did call God by a different name than they did

Sir Conrad ht he wasn't very sincere about it He said that he regretted the necessity of their departure, but that each ht take with hi gift of a hundred sheep, which he asked that they not slaughter until they had left Count La ewes

The zoltan then announced that as part of the entertainhter would dance for us

The music was stately at first, or as stately as that slippery foreign stuff ever gets

A woarments favored by these people Word was they dressed that way to cheat Sir Conrad out ofthem took six times what he had expected She was covered from head to foot,- and even her face was heavily veiled

After a time, the music beca a lovely face and huge green eyes She tossed the veil at Sir Conrad's feet, for he like the rest of us had stretched out to relieve the crairl! Been talking with her for teeks Met her in the dining room”

”Why does she bother with you?” I asked

”Because she's very discrih to talk without pawing her body every chance I get like a young buck would”

”Hoere you talking then? I thought that none of these people could speak Polish”

”That'sher how to talk I think there's a fellow fro the day”

”So the relationshi+p has been purely platonic?”

”Nae didn't talk no philosophy Just ords ain, and the speed of the dance with it The girl took off her outer gar black hair was flowing free

”Not a bad body,” Ilya said ”If I'd have knoas under that tent teeks ago, ”

I nodded, but was too interested in the dance to speak

Again the teain the dance became faster Her blouse was thrown to Sir Conrad's feet, revealing a thing of straps that covered her breasts She was a remarkable beauty, far more attractive than any that I have ever seen in on Inns monthly as part of my job Those inns are reputed to have the ain it beca only a long thin skirt that had many slashes fro else but this incredible apparition At least I can't ih I didn't waste the ti her hips in an incredibly rapid fashi+on that sent ripples down her skirt I wouldn't have thought it possible for a woain the music became impossibly faster, and somehow the dance quickened with it She was totally nude now, and there was not a hair on her body below the neck Her privy parts were as smooth as a baby's

”See how smooth she's shaven!” Ilya said ”These people must make some damn fine steel!”

I didn't bother even to nod, so entranced was I with her dance Then suddenly theat Sir Conrad's feet, the sweat glistening on her body

The room was silent for a moment, for ere all dumbstruck Then the room erupted with applause that vibrated the walls and irl neverwhile, but finally the zoltan stood with his arms up and his palms out, and it becaain there was great applause until it was stopped

”And you, noble Sir Conrad You like it also?”

”I liked it very irl she is nahter She is ifts to us, that we ive her to you She is your slave Take her!”