Magic Words by Gerald Kolpan

Author:Gerald Kolpan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Lady-Jane lay in the half-light, enveloped in pleasure.

She had heard about this “glow” from other women. It had been mentioned by the prostitutes at the Nickel & Dime from time to time; she had even been able to catch a few words about it from the women in the Ponca camp. It was something that apparently occurred during the sex act: a kind of rush in the blood followed by a warmth, or a feeling of well-being or security or some goddamn thing.

Lady-Jane didn’t buy it. She had likely fucked ten times as many men as either the whores of the Dime or the wives of the Ponca; and she had never experienced any such feeling. Ever since Adrian Calhern had turned her out and taught her the moans and shrieks and the best things to tell the customer, she had carried out his orders to the letter. Get them done quick, he would say. Once they get a look at you, they’re halfway to finished, anyways. There’s more behind them and time is money. Not counting those who “finished” before their pants were off, two minutes constituted the average session—five was a veritable eternity.

With Alexander, it was different.

For her, the Great Herrmann was indeed magic. He did things with her no one ever had, exploring her like a strange valley or devouring her like a sumptuous meal. He would spend an hour pleasing her before even beginning the final consummation; and then he would stay within her for as long as she pleased, only breaking his spell when she begged him to stop or sought his satisfaction. Completed, he would hold her in his arms, her silent head against his breast, and speak of her charm and beauty. And through it all, he would kiss her, a skill he had needed to teach her in detail. Though Lady-Jane had been instructed in all of the basics of the courtesan’s art, rarely had she put her lips to any man’s and never as a professional. Such intimacy cost extra and few patrons seemed disposed to pay for the privilege.

Perhaps, she thought, this was love. It did seem very like the stories in the ladies’ novels and the lyrics of songs she had heard. They all used words like warm and tingle and shiver. But as she watched Alexander sleep, she put such questions aside, concentrating instead on the funny bend in his black beard and the rising and falling of his chest.

Then she wept. And when she finally fell asleep, she dreamt of a land where she felt this way all the time, every day, according to her command as ruler of the kingdom called Arabia: the land of Princess Noor-Al-Haya, whose name means light of life.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.