21.
them."
Taking down one of the volumes North saw what he had meant. The fragile old paper pages had been placed between thin plastic sheets to keep them from decaying. He had been browsing for several minutes when his host returned. North was so interested in the books that he hardly noticed that his host had changed his clothes, and was wearing a light, brightly-colored dressing robe.
"Here's one you might find quite interesting," Bright Star told him. He took a large volume from one of the bottom shelves, and went to sit down on a couch by one wall, motioning North to join him. "Have some milk and sweet cakes," he said.
"No, thank you," North replied, "my mother will be angry if I do not have a good appetite for supper."
North opened the book that had been given him, and found it was indeed a very old publication, from one of The Dead Worlds. He could not understand the writing, but there were many pictures of males and females with very little or no clothing. He marveled at how these beings looked. They had no wings or fur, but instead had soft, brown, leathery-looking, skin. Their women had breasts somewhat larger than his own race's, and the men's sexual organs were much more pronounced. North knew of such books, even among his own people, and was not too surprised. What was on the next pages did surprise him, though. There were pictures of males and females in sexual contact, and when he turned the page again, he was even more startled. For a whole page was covered with the picture of two naked men, kissing and holding onto each-other's sexual organs.
"These are both men!" exclaimed North, with surprise. "Did they actually do things like that?"
"Yes," answered Bright Star, "they found it extremely pleasurable. "There is nothing wrong with it," he said, as he reached out and put his hand on North's knee, "It is really quite enjoyable!"
North was about to say that he did not think he would find it so, when the door buzzer began to ring violently, and there was a banging on the door, itself. Startled, Bright Star rose from his seat and went down the hall. When the door opened, North heard his father's voice angrily cry out "Where is he? Where is my son?" and North rose and entered the hallway.
"I am here, father," he said as he came into view. His father looked at him, and then to Bright Star, then, to his son again.
"Where are your things?" his father asked, "And what have you been doing?"
"In the library, father. We have been looking at some ancient books."
When General Star heard this, he shoved Bright Star aside, and headed down the corridor, with Bright Star and his son following.