*Note: Technically this interlude falls in the timeline before session 20, however I had writers block and didn't get it done before it was time to post the session writeup.
"Are you well, Lady?" Feruzi asked.
Lady Agasta seemed to give this some consideration. "Well enough, considering. I'm still alive, unlike poor Royster."
"You were very fond of him?"
"Of course. I
think his loyalty was all that kept me going, sometimes."
Feruzi frowned.
"He seemed . . . fond of you.
More than fond."
Agasta smiled sadly.
"Yes. I know."
"Then why didn't you marry him? Why marry Chopper instead?" The frown deepened. "Why marry anyone?"
Agasta cocked an eyebrow at this series of questions. "Is something bothering you, my
dear?"
"Marriage seems such a troublesome matter. Feruzi is only here because her sister Ukele
ran away from it--ran away from it twice--and
caused a mess of troubles. That, and no
man in the village would have Feruzi for a wife, so she was available to do the
chasing. Now Captain Pegsworthy is
sending Feruzi gifts that make no sense.
Why all this . . . this trouble."
Agasta's chuckle was deep, resonant, and cultured. "Exactly how old are you, dear?"
Feruz bristled.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Humor me."
"Feruzi has nineteen summers, if it matters. Ukele has only sixteen, but every man in the
village was after her like a pack of dogs after a bitch in heat."
"Oh, how very flattering."
"They deserved it.
They made so much fuss for the war-chief that he declared a games so she
could choose the best to be her husband.
It lasted for ten days and kept everyone in the village from their work
before she made up her mind. And then she
vanished."
"That sounds more like a cattle auction than a
courtship to me. I'm glad I wasn't born
to your people."
Feruzi shook her head, not in disagreement so much as
correcting a misapprehension. "It
was so unseemly. Ukele did not even have
her own hut yet. Usually, when a woman
is decides to marry she establishes her own hut and the man just moves in with
her. They stay married until he leaves
or she kicks him out. Ukele couldn't be
put to all that work, no, she has to make up to every man in the village and
nearly cause a brawl."
"Did you ever think that maybe she didn't want to get
married?"
"No? Then why
was she always showing it off?" Feruzi gestured to Agasta's dress. "You show off, you marry Chopper. That makes sense."
Agasta's eyes rounded in shock, then she burst out
laughing. She laughed so long and so
hard that Feruzi began to look mulish.
"Feruzi doesn't see what is so funny," she said
stiffly.
"Oh, my dear, you are fantastic. I don't 'show off' for Chopper. I dress this way because I like to. It's who I am, and it makes me happy. I would dress this way even if I lived on an
island by myself, or an island filled only with other women, although I admit
that would be rather dull."
"Do you like
Chopper?"
"Of course, dear.
He's a sweet young man. But I
wouldn't have married him just for that.
Maybe a fling, but that would have made Royster so terribly
unhappy." Agasta's face fell and
she sighed. "Poor man. I wish . . . oh, but there's no use in
wishing. Besmara does as she wills with
us all." She visibly put aside her
grief and brightened again. "But
you, don't you have any fancy clothes?"
Feruzi huffed in offense.
"Feruzi got new clothes in Senghor!"
"Those things!
They look nice enough, but that's a suit, dear. You wear it to work in. I mean something you wear just to wear
it--because it's beautiful. Every woman
should have some thing beautiful for herself.
And, yes, to show off to a man if you want to. But it's really for you, dear." Feruzi shook her head mutely. "Oh, well, we'll see about that! I'm sure there's something in my closet we
can make over to suit you. Let's go
look!"
"Oh . . . Feruzi doesn't want to take up your time . .
."
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