"It's wonderful," she said, "you two are like
brothers anyway. I'm sure he'll accept. "
36 "Oh, I hope so!" North told her. As he was speaking, there was a rap
on the door, and North called, "Come in!”
37 The young Hashon girl entered. "Pardon, sir!" she remarked, "but may
I sleep on your couch tonight? Or, must I report to quarters? I have to
call in."
38 North knew how the girl hated slave quarters, with their rack upon
rack of beds and the unwelcomed visits of Haven males. "You may use the
couch," he agreed. The girl bowed politely and left.
39 As the door shut behind her, North's mother turned to him. "There's
another place she'd like to sleep, North. I see that look in her eyes
whenever she watches you. Sometimes I don't think my son has any
interest in females, Haven, or, Hashon! I've got three sets of parents
still asking me to have their daughters visit. North, your father and I
were married when he entered Academy. We went to a small one room
apartment together, but to us, it was a palace! Aren't you the least
bit interested?"
40 'Of course, mother," North explained. "But I'm also very
inexperienced. I've seen a lot of tapes in school and heard a lot of
stories, but I haven't had the courage."
41 His mother laughed so hard North thought she would be sick! "You
definitely aren't your father in THAT way! I never DID learn where he
got all his experience, but give that little one out there a chance, and you'll have
all the
experience you'll ever need! She's in love with you, North, and she's
just as scared as YOU are!"
42 "Have you two been talking?" asked North.
43 "Of COURSE we have! " his mother replied. "We're two females, it
doesn't matter that we're of different races, we understand each
other's feelings. She's afraid you don't want her, because other men
have used her before. I told her you're just a little thick-headed and
a bit slow in that respect."