As she crouched down to search for the lost buttons, Mjipa saw that she was weeping. She found two and Mjipa, one. She said: "I've tried so hard to keep my things in shape, but without even a needle and thread ..." She dissolved in tears.
"There, there!" said Mjipa, sitting beside her on the bench and putting an arm around her shoulders. "We're really no worse off than we were. Before the Reverend Hepburn taught my people that human skin was indecent, they thought nothing of going naked. And you're getting a black eye."
"I got p-punched in the struggle. Where did you learn to use your fists so well?"
"Oh, I once boxed for Oxford," said Mjipa with affected nonchalance.
She wiped her eyes and moved away on the bench. "Thanks, Percy. You're a good man."
Mjipa found himself staring at Alicia's body. It had been a long time since he parted from his wife. For all his good intentions, carnal thoughts flooded into his mind. Suddenly aware of his scrutiny, Alicia colored. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Well, to tell the truth, I—ah—wondered if you were still thinking of complying with Khorosh's demand ..."
She laughed. "That's the funniest proposition I've had, and I've had plenty. No, darling, I won't do it."
"Well," mumbled Mjipa, "you were talking of getting contraceptives smuggled in. So I thought that maybe ..."
"As you said, it's a last desperate resort. I thought maybe we could fool Khorosh into thinking we'd obeyed his orders, but without danger of pregnancy; and at the same time I could spare you the pain of unrequited lust. But I hadn't seen what I'd be getting into—or rather, vice versa."
"Okay, forget it." Mjipa took a firm grip on himself and filled his pipe.
"I'm only sorry he wouldn't take you up on your suggestion for marital counseling. That was a brilliant idea."
"I suppose it was a matter of timing. If I'd spoken when he and his Heshvava had had a particularly nasty quarrel... If she complained that he was too fast in his lovemaking, I'd have told him to count four breaths between each stroke and the next."
Seated on the little bench, Alicia burst into a spasm of laughter so vigorous as almost to make her lose her balance. When she could talk, she sputtered: "Why, P-percy, that's not like you! I didn't expect such earthy realism from my Puritan hero! Four breaths to each stroke? That's the opposite of what you do in swimming the crawl."
"Four strokes to a breath, eh?" Mjipa joined his fellow captive in uproarious laughter."If Khorosh had agreed, then when we got back to Novo, we could hang out a sign:
"MJIPA AND DYCKMAN, MARRIAGE COUNSELORS,
BY APPOINTMENT TO
THEIR MAJESTIES OF ZHAMANAK.
"And why should your name come first?"
"Because I've been married, my dear, and you haven't."
"But you haven't had my courses in marital anthropology and sexual psychology, and you don't have a doctorate. Ph.D.s take precedence in such cases. It's just your stubborn conviction of male superiority—"
Mjipa held up a hand. "Let's not start that again! We must maintain a united front. How about reviewing the present optative tense in Khaldoni?"
IV
FLIGHT
Another fiftnight dragged on. The captives became as indifferent to each other's nudity as a healthy man and woman, cooped up together for long, can be. To keep his own lust beaten down, Percy Mjipa did more and more calisthenics, until he spent the greater part of his waking hours at them. He ran in place, shadow-boxed, and chinned himself on the curtain rod until it broke beneath his weight.
Khateluts, the Third Assistant Secretary, appeared again. "Sir and madam, my master is much disappointed in you twain. He hath given you every opportunity and encouragement to copulate, yet ye remain as indifferent as a pair of sterilized rajinit."
"I told him he'd get nowhere with his experiment," said Mjipa, "but he wouldn't listen."
"Wherefore this unwonted coldness? Suffers one of you from some deformity or disease?"
Mjipa thought fast. "Tell the Heshvavu this: as even a Krishnan can see, Mistress Dyckman and I belong to different races. Terrans are sexually aroused only by those of their own race. Persons of the other sex but different races have no effect. Hence Mistress Dyckman and I find each other's appearance repellent. Thus, however willing, I could never impregnate her." Mjipa noted that Alicia seemed to be trying to hold back laughter.
"If ye twain were of the same race," persisted Khateluts, "would ye then conjoin without further ado?"
"Not even then. Among Terrans, the act requires privacy—nobody peering down from holes in the ceiling." (What lies I have to tell in my trade! Mjipa thought.)
In taking his leave, Khateluts said: "If amongst Terrans the generative process be so hedged about with restrictions and conditions, 'tis a wonder to me that your species hath survived."
Two days later he was back saying: "His Awesomeness gravely doubts your story; forsooth, I heard him say 'a pack of lies'. He hath heard of orgies amongst Terrans, who were plainly not dissuaded from flittering by lack of privacy. Furthermore, 'tis notorious that some Terrans take truly human women as their lemans, manifestly not dissuaded by the differences betwixt them, which far exceeded those amongst the races of one species."
Alicia said in English: "You overdid it, Percy."
Khateluts continued: "But, since he finds you a most uncommonly slippery evader and procrastinator, my master will graciously tender you an offer. This is that ye depart forthwith for Novorecife, leaving Mistress Dyckman as hostage for your obedience. Ye shall bear a letter to the Terran commanding the space station. Ye shall say nought of events in Zhamanak; Mistress Dyckman's life hangs upon your strict compliance. A trusty officer will be sent with you to assure your good behavior."
"What's in this letter?"
"It is not yet written, but I can recount the gist. 'Twill aver that Mistress Dyckman remains in Mejvorosh of her own free will,- and that the Heshvavu requests Novorecife to send another envoy. Pray telclass="underline" into what races are Terrans divided?"
Mjipa looked puzzled."Well, there's the Negroid or black race, which is mine; the Caucasoid or white, of which Mistress Dyckman is an example; and the Mongoloid or yellow. At least these are the main groups. You don't want to know about all the little intermediate and doubtful groups."
"Hath Novorecife any persons of this yellow race?"
"Yes; there's Ishimoto, the new consul at the capital of Dur."
"Good! The letter will request the presence of this Ish— Ishimoto."
Alicia, listening, said in English: "If he can't get me an interracial mate one way, he'll try another. If Ishimoto came here, Khorosh would chuck him in with me, hoping his experiment would work the second time around."
"Don't worry," said Mjipa. "Ishi would develop a diplomatic impotence. He'd say: 'So sorry, but I am under a curse,' or some such tale."
"Is he really—"
"No; he has a wife. Nice little thing. But Ishi is the most cautious Terran in the service. Not that I'm criticizing. Masanobu's an upright, accurate, and conscientious worker; and at Mishé he showed he was no coward. But I wouldn't pick him to rescue a maiden fair from a vile enchanter."
"Well, I'm not exactly a maiden, and neither is Khorosh much of an enchanter. But go ahead, Percy; take the Heshvavu up on his offer."
"What! And leave you here alone again?"
"I'll probably survive. Just because you can't get me out is no reason for you to waste your life here. Besides, maybe you could organize that commando raid you mentioned."