found Ana sitting with most of the other odalisques in the divan suite. Here couches were laid out around the walls and across the room at well-spaced intervals so the young women could lounge, relax, take some iced tea or sweet pastries if they chose, but, importantly, where most could inhale the fumes of the burning garammala.
This oil, yielded by squeezing the leaves of a tree that grows only on the fringe of the desert, was headily expensive, yet most of the rich of Percheron enjoyed it occasionally. Pez had tried it only twice and both times had been violently ill, so he had never grasped the attraction, although watching others, he realised it had a completely different effect. It appeared to relax users to a state of calm whilst somehow keeping them alert, as if all their senses were heightened. Unlike other relaxants, garammala did not make the user slur, drowse or hallucinate. It simply put them into a gentle mood and one that was happy, bordering on mildly euphoric. It apparently made the inhaler feel almost instantly erotic too, for Pez remembered wandering into this room whenthe previous harem had made good use of the pipes and noting that all inhibitions were dropped. It seemed the women were quite happy to spend their newfound erotic currency with anyone who’d pay attention, hence many a eunuch found himself in a compromising position, and it eased amorous relationships between the women themselves. Knowing how they were left longing and lonely and sexually frustrated for years, he could feel only pity for the women who escaped their demons through garammala.
Only Herezah, he recalled, never took the oil, and just as the Valide had resisted it all those years ago, now sat Ana, contriving similar symptoms of joyful mood. She, too, as the Valide did before her, ignored the pipe by her side, knowing no-one would notice…no-one except him, of course. He winked at Ana and she gave him a soft smile as she swung her legs down and stood to greet him.
‘I’ve missed you,’ she said, hugging her friend. It didn’t look out of place. Pez was popular amongst the harem; he had long ago stopped frightening the youngsters with his terrible tales and now worked hard to keep them entertained by his antics. ‘Where have you been?’
Pez gave her an equally gentle smile but tinged with regret. ‘I’m sorry,’ was all he said, pulling at his hair, as if it were crawling with nits. A couple of girls nearby laughed. ‘What have you been upto in my absence?’ he added more brightly in a whisper.
She took a breath and arched her eyebrows as if to say plenty had occurred. ‘The Valide requested a meeting with me today.’
Pez expressed his surprise, despite the foolish little hops and jumps he performed to conceal his intelligence from the others present. He burped. More of the girls giggled. ‘And?’
‘Shall we walk?’ she asked.
‘Cartwheel for us, Pez,’ one of the youngsters beseeched.
He did so, happily spinning around the room and expertly avoiding collisions with furniture and beautifully attired women. He enjoyed warranted applause before pretending to be dizzy and staggering out onto the pathways outside the room. Ana duly followed and no-one took much notice of her departure, save a few eunuchs, and none would have thought it a curiosity for one of the odalisques to take a stroll. Pez carefully sat on a small wall and studiously picked his nose, staring at the sky as if uninterested in the person who had followed him. Ana spoke in a low voice as she strolled by him very slowly, pretending to enjoy some sun on her face.
‘She made a bargain with me.’
‘Tell me,’ he whispered.
‘I’m to co-operate, help her with the others girls, especially on this boating trip.’
‘And?’
‘And if I promise not to try anything that breaks the harem rules, she’s going to let me out for a few hours of freedom.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘I’m to be permitted into the city alone
This oil, yielded by squeezing the leaves of a tree that grows only on the fringe of the desert, was headily expensive, yet most of the rich of Percheron enjoyed it occasionally. Pez had tried it only twice and both times had been violently ill, so he had never grasped the attraction, although watching others, he realised it had a completely different effect. It appeared to relax users to a state of calm whilst somehow keeping them alert, as if all their senses were heightened. Unlike other relaxants, garammala did not make the user slur, drowse or hallucinate. It simply put them into a gentle mood and one that was happy, bordering on mildly euphoric. It apparently made the inhaler feel almost instantly erotic too, for Pez remembered wandering into this room whenthe previous harem had made good use of the pipes and noting that all inhibitions were dropped. It seemed the women were quite happy to spend their newfound erotic currency with anyone who’d pay attention, hence many a eunuch found himself in a compromising position, and it eased amorous relationships between the women themselves. Knowing how they were left longing and lonely and sexually frustrated for years, he could feel only pity for the women who escaped their demons through garammala.
Only Herezah, he recalled, never took the oil, and just as the Valide had resisted it all those years ago, now sat Ana, contriving similar symptoms of joyful mood. She, too, as the Valide did before her, ignored the pipe by her side, knowing no-one would notice…no-one except him, of course. He winked at Ana and she gave him a soft smile as she swung her legs down and stood to greet him.
‘I’ve missed you,’ she said, hugging her friend. It didn’t look out of place. Pez was popular amongst the harem; he had long ago stopped frightening the youngsters with his terrible tales and now worked hard to keep them entertained by his antics. ‘Where have you been?’
Pez gave her an equally gentle smile but tinged with regret. ‘I’m sorry,’ was all he said, pulling at his hair, as if it were crawling with nits. A couple of girls nearby laughed. ‘What have you been upto in my absence?’ he added more brightly in a whisper.
She took a breath and arched her eyebrows as if to say plenty had occurred. ‘The Valide requested a meeting with me today.’
Pez expressed his surprise, despite the foolish little hops and jumps he performed to conceal his intelligence from the others present. He burped. More of the girls giggled. ‘And?’
‘Shall we walk?’ she asked.
‘Cartwheel for us, Pez,’ one of the youngsters beseeched.
He did so, happily spinning around the room and expertly avoiding collisions with furniture and beautifully attired women. He enjoyed warranted applause before pretending to be dizzy and staggering out onto the pathways outside the room. Ana duly followed and no-one took much notice of her departure, save a few eunuchs, and none would have thought it a curiosity for one of the odalisques to take a stroll. Pez carefully sat on a small wall and studiously picked his nose, staring at the sky as if uninterested in the person who had followed him. Ana spoke in a low voice as she strolled by him very slowly, pretending to enjoy some sun on her face.
‘She made a bargain with me.’
‘Tell me,’ he whispered.
‘I’m to co-operate, help her with the others girls, especially on this boating trip.’
‘And?’
‘And if I promise not to try anything that breaks the harem rules, she’s going to let me out for a few hours of freedom.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘I’m to be permitted into the city alone
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