Chapter 8: The City of Women

Happy is he who lives contented in solitude, is well-versed in the Doctrine and who has realized it. Happy is he who lives in this world free from ill-will, and is benevolent towards all beings. Happy is he who lives in this world free from passion, has overcome sensual enjoyment, and who has attained mastership over the conceit of "I am." This indeed is the highest happiness. - Udana 2.1


By the time Zere’maya woke up the next day Karl had long been up, Ulaanaa had long been up, she was alone in the strange vardo, disoriented and uncomfortable.

The roads were flatter here, probably leading to her sleeping longer. She carefully peeked out the window. She was still riding along beside the river, on the sand. It was mid-day or close to it; there was no way for her to go out without a full veil. Good thing she didn’t need a bathroom, ever, she thought, rinsing her mouth out with water, careful not to swallow any. Her skirts were hanging up – she dug through them and took out her equipment, bit by bit, making the day’s log, trying all of the different switches and commands to see if there was any improvement in function.

It was a little like trying to find a just-barely there UHF signal – sometimes the snow would seem to have an image when it didn’t, sometimes she would miss an image that was there, but didn’t quite make sense unless she thought back about it. It was an old routine, like worrying an old scar.

Zere’maya was so busy working away she didn’t notice Zash coming in behind her.

“Hello, teacher.” Said Zash pleasantly. “B’waaagghhhh!” was more or less Zere’maya’s reply.

“It’s amazing how interesting you find those things.” Said Zash.

“Well, I’m going to be locked up for the day. Might as well have something entrancing to do. It’s either that or wait until Karl comes in with my charge-up. Do something or wait? Not much of a decision to make.” Said Zere’maya, settling in again.

“You might want to look out the window instead of looking at your tools.” Said Zash.

“I can do both now – I think – check it out! “ Zere’maya held her toy out in front of a white bowl of sand. The sand rose up and formed the sights all around them, in color. Zere’maya zoomed in, zoomed out, turned around. In the bowl of sand was a minature stream bed, miniature vardos, all seen as if Zere’maya was standing above them.

“That’s what you might be able to see from well above the vardo. How are you doing that?” asked Zash.

“I have a probe flying about 300 feet above us. It works the same way as the medical probe I use to see inside people’s bodies. I modified a 3d ultrasound and I’m using a reflector dish to keep it suspended up there. I can’t go out in the daylight, so I can see though this sandreader.”

“A lot more pleasant to look at than the inside of Ulaanaa.” Commented Zash.

“This is more a test. If I can float a probe, maybe I can alter the curve and send a beam upwards, sort of a signal flare, let people know where I am.” Said Zere’maya.

“And somehow it’s powered by the metal rod you have dragging along from the pan box.” Said Zash, bemused. Zere’maya nodded. “All magic is is technology you don’t understand – yet. To you this is still magic. Karl has got the concept down. Take some time with him and try to have him give you the concepts. Then we can do some demonstrations.”

Zere’maya sat up very straight. “Oh. My. God.” The two of them looked as the shape of a parapat came into view, then a long, dishshaped platform on three legs, then the jumble of human houses built one on top of the other inside of a gleaming rock wall.

“The city’s inside of a dragon stronghold? Impossible!” The sand came crashing down. Zere’maya held out her two hands, embracing the image now made of sparkling dust. Zash covered her nose and mouth careful not to disperse the dust. Zere’maya turned the image in her hands, then peeled away the layers. Inside she could see like the insides of an ant farm hundreds, maybe thousands of people working, going about their business in tight quarters. Zere’maya cocked her head. Zash put her hand out, and inside the cup of her hand the mirror on the mountain formed, reflecting light deep into the city.

Gently Zere’maya blew on the casting sand, raising more dust, clarifying the image. Gradually the image grew larger and more focused, moving around inside the walled city.

“Wow! Do you think they know we can spy on them like this?” asked Zash.

“I’m not seeing anything that could sense me, so, probably not. And I’m not quite believing what I’m seeing here. I can’t be sure with the figures so tiny, but I see women and girls – there don’t seem to be any men figures anywhere I’m looking.” Said Zere’maya.

“Try looking in the temple.” Said Zash. She pointed very carefully, moving slowly to not blow away the dust image. Zere’maya moved in that direction. And quickly backed out. Zash laughed.

“Men wouldn’t like to know women can see them in the public baths.” She chortled.

“All right then. Put your hand down and light up some incense – I need something finer to bring out the image. And a lot more of that. This is a dragon estate – but why are there people living in there?”

“People have been living in there for as long as we’ve been here – ten generations and more. I don’t know if the people there know that’s a dragon lair.” Said Zash, lighting a brazier.

Zere’maya gave a low whistle. “I sure hope the dragon lords don’t come back soon. They would not like to see what’s become of their real estate. Now tell me if you know where a hospital or clinic might be. Maybe I can buy some chloroform, or better, there’s someone there who can repair Ulaanaa’s wounds and I can concentrate on helping here heal faster. They’ll have a hard time understanding how she’s lived without eating or drinking ---“

“Much” cut in Zash.

“I didn’t hear that.” Said Zere’maya.

“You’re just grouchy because you can’t eat or drink anything.” Teased Zash.

“Yes. Hold that brazier – yes. Good.”

“Shouldn’t I be learning to do that? I am your apprentice.” Said Zash.

“Fine. Take my hand. “ Said Zere’maya. Zash did, feeling the strange, draining tingle.

“Is that dragon energy I’m tasting?” asked Zash.

“Straight from the source. Gently, it’s powerful stuff.” Said Zere’maya. The image exploded into tiny fireworks, then the image melted away.

”I think you are going to have to deal with your feelings for Karl.” Said Zere’maya firmly. I found a clinic. You go cajole Ulaanaa into going there and maybe getting someone else to do the ow part. Talk to Mother Faa for payment. I’ll work on bringing up the image again. I can’t leave the vardo, at least let me do my work.” Said Zere’maya firmly.

“Should I bring Mother Faa in to see this?” asked Zash.
“Sure. Good idea. “ said Zere’maya. She didn’t look up as Zash, chastened, left the vardo.

Zere’maya left her feeling so vulnerable, like she was going to cry. She looked back at the vardo. Even the few nights had brightened the paint. Zash touched the railing lightly – the paint bent, then glued back on. Where there was no paint Zere’maya’s magic would pull the elements out of anything close, make new paint.
Zash’s gypsy magic could do something like it. She kicked the wire sticking out of the bottom of the vardo, and looked up. If there was a “probe” there, it wasn’t something she could see.

Mother Faa was walking down the caravan, looking grim.
“You know that hurt.”
“I am trying to control, I have to learn.” Sulked Zash.
“Every time you lose control you cause pain to everyone in the caravan who is connected. You can’t simply assume that we will continue to bear the pain of connection as you learn.” Said Mother Faa.

“What do you want me to do?” pleaded Zash. “Mother says to just give it up. Give up magic. I don’t think that will help me.” Mother Faa shook her head.
“You live with me because my daughter’s inner eye is blind, her inner ear is deaf. She can’t understand what she is asking. Forgive her.” She replied.

“You’re blaming the wrong people. It’s not that she doesn’t understand the pleasures of magic.” Said Zash.
“No, it’s because you understand the pleasures of men, now. You are no longer a child in that way.” Said Mother Faa.
“Karl and my relationship is innocent. We have not tried to do anything!” replied Zash.
“He doesn’t want to do anything, which protects you, child. He’s not even human. You know this.” Said Mother Faa.
“Then maybe I want to be more than human, like Zere’maya is.” Challenged Zash.

“Don’t blame Zere’maya for the changes in your desires or I will send you back to your mother.” Warned Mother Faa, “Your desires have been plain to anyone since you were small. They are just – maturing now.”

“Old enough to have desires, young enough to be passed around like a bundle?” stated Zash.

“Powerful enough to have the weaker magic users still smarting, who will not tolerate this and will banish you from shared power.” Said Mother Faa.

The two women stood looking at each other. Zash turned away first. ”I won’t poison the common well.” She finally said, ashamed.
“Good girl. Now get ready for your fun.” Said Mother Faa. Zash smiled and ran off.

Mother Faa was able to enter Zere’maya’s vardo as unperceived as Zash had been. Zere’maya had gone back to the sand bowl and was watching a pair of dancers. Mother Faa smiled and walked close to her.

“I’m supposed to be looking for a hospital or clinic for Ulaanaa, but the water and the people ---“ Zere’maya sighed. “There’s a universe out there where I couldn’t find enough people to patronize a public baths on most worlds. Humans are too few. Even humanoids – beings that look sort of like and are roughly human sized – most worlds I’ve visited haven’t been human worlds as such, and the idea of a hot, mineral or saltwater bath right now ---- “ she drew a ragged breath.

“I’ve wanted to see the city through your eyes. I’ve always taken this route, every three years again and again. This is just my world.” Said Mother Faa. Zere’maya understood.

“Like a person who has always lived in New York City has to get a tourist to go up to the top of the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty. Yep, I get it.” Said Zere’maya. She welcomed Mother Faa with an eye gesture. The old woman laid her hand beside the bowl, then pressed in. With her skill the image jumped is size and detail.

“Nothing to beat experience, though. You’re very strong.” Said Zere’maya.

“I started with tea leaves, like everyone else. Now we can both see – you tell me what you understand from what you see.” Said Mother Faa.

“Well, since I’ve been a dragon personally – visiting dragon worlds being a dragon is easier – I can see that this whole structure used to be a dragon’s house – a community meant for a dragon home group of 20-40 individuals. There are all the signs that dragons built this, but inside human beings have built a city of their own. I see women, from babies to the very old everywhere. I saw a few men in a structure Zash identified as a temple – few signs of being like a church of an Earth sort. More like a public hotel, bordello, and bank all rolled into one. I’m guessing something like 2500 people from what I’ve seen, no boy children, and at most a hundred men. Very skewed gender ratio. Everyone seems pretty content though – rather like looking at a marketplace. “

“The people of the cities don’t have much use for men. They’ll talk a good game about how men are just as good as women, and that boys are as welcome as girls, but when women choose to become pregnant they have the ability to decide what they’ll have – and only the most wealthy women have sons.” Said Mother Faa. “Some outlying cities are very plain about it and close to no women choose boy children.”

Zere’maya thought about that. “I don’t know about people on all worlds – I only know a few human worlds. Most choose not to ovulate or cycle more than the minimum for good health. Some use magic, some use science. I don’t remember another world where men are selected against.”

“No one would say that they are selecting against sons. Just – every time they want to be mothers, they have daughters first. Then a spare daughter. And then if they get around to having a third child, maybe then a boy. Since few women have three or more children, you can see that “an heir and a spare” means sons are not very common, and much more common in the major cities, less common where the quality of life is lower. We’re still far from the main cities where you’ll see many more boys and men.” Said Mother Faa.

“Cities are often where people are saner, better behaved. I wonder how this all cam to be?” Asked Zere’maya. “People will often stay with the same, and you tell me that there has been three hundred years of your time. You say these cities have been here since long before you came here.” Mother Faa nodded. “We still remember how we came here. These people don’t remember Earth, or ever living anywhere else. They think that this cold world is all there is.”

“They can run big cities, in these cold worlds? That’s something, maybe their way works well enough for them.” Said Zere’maya.

“There are a few other peoples who live on this world, mostly in areas that don’t interest the Alallians. It should be interesting to see what would happen if the ice age they know would melt back, returning the oceans, making enough easily survivable land. No one here can just survive. You’ve noticed how our wagons are different.” Said Mother Faa. Zere’maya nodded.

Steel vardos with multiple layers of wool to shield the families, and so much else packed – before you learned how to live in this climate the Gypsies must have suffered.” Said Zere’maya.

“The land was warmer then – still cold, but we have had time to learn. The Allelieans had – uses for us. And of course, there are the hot springs. Other people didn’t amuse the Allelieans so much. They have had a much harder time of it. Ulaanaa’s people, for example. We are people who smell of water, who bathe. As the land grows colder Ulaanaa’s people have less and less of an edge to hold on to, soon perhaps – as you’ve heard, many who live outside the cities expect that their children will live within them. There is little hope left for a worldwide spring.” Said Mother Faa.

“The people keep on reclaiming land, though, if people are who they usually are. People like a nice steady mild temperature. At least around themselves.” Said Zere’maya.

“All true. That’s the lure of the hot springs, among others. The dragons need even more heat than humans do. An abandoned dragon holt would be an ideal home for humans, at least if the world does not continue to cool.”

Zere’maya’s eyes opened wide. “I ------ see. You’re preparing Zash to be able to Jump the Creek, if need be.”

“And her mother, and all the others after me can’t. Her mother is completely giftless. Zash is the only one with the power needed to find us another world if the ice ages close in. We out of the three caravans have the only child with even the potential, and she loves a dragon. There can be no children. We will be on this world with no help of our own if the weather closes in and the ice walls override the spine of the world, the last places warm enough for human beings to live.” Said Mother Faa.

“Pray for global warming.” Said Zere’maya. Then she looked down.
“If I was here to rescue you – I’ve failed you. I can keep myself alive through feeding on Karl, but every time I feed, something else breaks inside of me – slowly, imperceptibly. I’m not healing, just dying slower. Eventually I won’t be able to do that either. I wish it were not so, Mother Faa.”

“I wish I could heal you, or call for your people. We will all do what we can. To hide your magic and preserve your strength I will conceal you while we are inside the city. That will buy you time, as well as lower the risk for the others we must hide among us.”

“Great. After all these years I’ve found myself on Womyn’s Music Festival Planet and I’m going to spend my time in the city unconscious? “ replied Zere’maya. Mother Faa sighed.

“I’ll talk to the men and see if we can do better in the next city. Part of the problem you are for us is that you are a “daughter of Egypt”. Yes, Zash has spoken to me of this. This is my world – I know what will and what will not attract notice. This time you must stay concealed.”

“I’m going to a nearly all-woman world and I’ll be setting off their “gaydar”? What kind of women are these people?” Asked Zere’maya.

“No time.” Said Mother Faa simply. Zash came in the door. And blanched at the sight of Zere’maya and mother Faa staring each other down.

“Girls! All this for a hot shower?” asked Zash, trying to make a joke.
“Yes!” said Zere’maya and Mother Faa at the same time.

“I’ll discriminate against myself if I’m good. I’ll maintain myself in sleep, my magic undetectable. I miss out on what contact with other mad scientists or sorcerers there are out there, and I’m going to sleep through it. “

Zash made a wry face. “A universe full of possibilities and you whine at a little prejudice. You’re right, you haven’t been around human beings for a long, long time.”

Zere’maya dropped the sand out of the air. It hit with a clump. “All right – then when?”

“Then now. We’ll rouse you when we’re well through and in safe surroundings again.”

Zere’maya looked from one to the other. “It’s all the choice I have. Zash. You have been taught?” Zash nodded. “Make sure Karl charges me up regularly.” Zash walked up to her – so few steps in a vardo – and kissed her forehead. Zere’maya fell.

“I wish I could do that to Ulaanaa.” Said Zash.
“No one can. Ulaanaa has no magic. Only someone connected through Power can be lulled – and only through consent. I hated to ask her. She was as awful about it as I thought she would be.” Said Mother Faa. They carefully wrapped Zere’maya’s body, disguising her for the next week among the sacks of coal in Karl’s forge.

“I wish I could take her curse, free her.” Said Zash.

“If you did have that ability you’d have her Jinn riding you, and you would find yourself with a pile of dust instead of a teacher. Sometimes the answers aren’t easy.” Said Mother Faa.

Karl was at the head of the caravan waiting for Mother Faa and her husband. The entire caravan was stretched out behind them. He nodded to Mother Faa; she nodded in return. There was no one they could see observing them outside the doors. Karl walked to the front of his forge vardo and removed a large panel. He mounted his horse and rode up to the gate. He stood on his horses’ back and pressed the panel into the wall.

“Dragons are a lot bigger than me, usually.” He said softly to his horse. Soundlessly the gate dropped into the ground.

Karl stood at the side door, watching each caravan come in, one by one, single file. Most dragons entered from the sky, of course. There was room for humans to come through the human gate, flush to the ground. His key opened all the gated cities. It also closed them.

By the time the last caravan had passed by them the city mayor had walked up.

“Welcome lord dragon. You should be riding at the head of the procession. At least I can close the gates for you.” The woman was tall, a head taller than Karl at least – and after three months’ rough going what stood out most about her was how healthy she looked. And, how rested. He smiled tightly.

“The least I can do is close your storm doors for you.” He walked over to the wall, impressed his shield, and the great doors swung shut. Even Karl’s ears popped at the change in air pressure. Delicately balanced, those great doors could shut out sandstorm and cascading ice from the great mountains around them. Open they also let in the cold. Gradually the heat and humidity would build up again here. The last few miles had been particularly hard – even his own horse was trembling from the strain of altitude and weather.

“We have one member from the salt flats we’ll have to watch for altitude sickness. She’s never left the was-oceans. She also has an injury related to childbirth. Please tend to her needs specifically. She doesn’t speak your language, isn’t a quick learner. Please allow her to have a gypsy interpreter at her side. There is one, a tall, after-midnight skinned girl with blue-black hair. She’s the granddaughter of this caravan’s king and queen and likely next leader. She’s going to try to take an unfair number of shifts as her interpreter. Please do what you can to encourage her to enjoy her time in this city for herself. Every time she’s been here she’s had a great deal of work to do – for once she should just enjoy like everyone else.”

“Do you – have interest in her?” asked the mayor. Karl shook his head.

“I am not interested in humans that way. She’s a good friend and like a little sister. She’s dear to me above the rest because she’s smart. Scary smart. I can talk to her. I’d like her to relax and enjoy herself for the week.” replied Karl. The mayor smiled, full cheeks making her look like a ruffled pink tomato.

“Enjoyment we can do. Subtle redirection of those who overwork we can do. Glad to please, lord.”

“And please – when referring to me to the gypsies and in front of them, please address me as Karl or Karli. The gypsies have a different social order and I will be maintaining myself in that order once we leave. I would find it unpleasant if a ‘lord dragon’ slipped out with them. Please respect my wishes on this matter.” Said Karl. The mayor nodded.

“One more thing – many of the women will wish to wear a necklace with a small knife on it.” Karl reached into his pocket and showed the mayor an example. “This is a symbol of protection of others, and please allow them to wear these. I’ve taken an interest in metal-working; many of the children’s knives were made by me and as usual, the children who were not born gypsies will cling to this symbol of belonging – it’s important to them. If you are interested, the dark-haired, dark-skinned tall girl wears one of my earliest examples. I’m not sure what name she will choose to use among you, but she will be wearing a red-gold knife with blue stone with gold flakes in it – lapis.”

The Mayor made a face. “I think I know the one you mean. She has used the name “Marie” previously.”

“Just about all the young girls call themselves that. She’s beginning to be an adult now, she’s likely to choose an adult name. I’ve suggested a few, but it’s her choice.”

“It’s confusing. How could anyone keep changing names like that?” said the Mayor. Karl shook his head.

“I understand what they want by doing this, but I’d have to take a few weeks to lay the groundwork for you to understand why. Consider a name to be like an article of clothing – taken on and put off without affecting the person wearing the clothing. And worn by more than one person, to be given away and even taken away as a punishment. A name is not an identity. It’s not wrong, but it’s a different way of looking at things.” Said Karl.

The Mayor sighed. “Well, they’ll be trading in the city as they always have, they’ll be staying in the public square as they always have, we have their campgrounds set up for them as they have been for long before you rode with them. They love the baths as much as we do, so they’re welcome to trade here.”

Karl and the mayor looked at the band. Unspoken and unneeded was – we’re glad when they come and that’s because they always go, and quickly. Karl knew that the same welcome was his – as long as he was headed elsewhere, he could expect welcomes. No gypsy in known history had ever settled in an Alleliean city – some in the settlements outside, but never within the walls.

Karl stuck his hands in his pockets and went walking after the gypsy men and women, gathering together, off to the baths.

This was a high point of travel. He overheard one man saying to another “I once heard a salt flats man complain that no one was allowed inside unless they had bathed!” and heard the laughter in response.

The men gathered together, entered the baths as a tight cluster. They headed through the main doors and into a smaller changing room. They left their clothes in neat piles, and filed into the soaping rooms. Each man washed himself, and helped any child clinging to them clean themselves, carefully washing under fingernails, soaping each other’s back, using as much of the rich soap provided as they needed. There was a young woman with a hose of hot water who stared at the row of naked men – she had apparently never seen so many men in one spot. Just out of eyeshot the gypsies’ clothes were taken, and would be returned at the other end washed, and, if needed, mended.

Another woman carefully looked over each man, then gave them a token to wear around one ankle – they would be wearing this for the duration of the visit.

Then one by one they were given a towel (which they wrapped around their hips immediately) and they entered the main baths.

The baths were a huge, echoing chamber, filled with loud voices and just about every different kind of human being – as long as they were female. The sides of the cavern were filled with little shops offering food, drink, places to stay, and several different bands with different, clashing music styles. There was a row of jets of water coming out of the wall, and around the perimeter was an artificial brook, filled with people paddling around, some on floats, some walking or swimming. Different pools had signs advertising the delights of salted water (several different sorts) mineral baths (several different sorts) and pools of different temperatures and depths. Well above them were more pools, more levels. The entire cavern was sculpted to look like a narrow alpine valley somehow containing warm to hot water instead of cold. There were many waterfalls and slides and one off to the side, had people, mostly young and children who were surfing on the stone. Staying on the top of the water on a long board, under pictures of whales, octopuses, and other deep sea creatures.

“None of the people here wonder why they love to surf and love ocean creatures on a world with no oceans?” asked a young gypsy boy.

“The people here think that their own oceans used to look like this. They even have aquariums in some of the larger cities with salt-water animals in them, waiting for the time when the oceans will refill and then the people can restock them. They think this is Earth. They don’t know how far away they are. How they came to be here long before we did when they left Earth fifty years after we did, that’s still a little fuzzy to me. But they were here to greet us, when the weather was warmer and the living was easier.”

Karl and the younger children were vaguely uncomfortable with being in a room with hundreds of naked women and girls, and here and there another man. The older men were finding the situation more difficult and migrated to a pool off to one side, apparently less favored.

The younger boys saw the other children and Karl jogged along behind them. One of the more uncomfortable issues in his life could be left behind by leaving the men and returning with the children. He simply didn’t feel as they did. He wondered what men were supposed to feel, what that would be like, then discarded it. Too humiliating, especially in a playground like this.

The women had readied for being around their own men – their towels were wrapped around their heads, with the older women’s towels covering their faces leaving their eyes uncovered. When he was much younger he had seen them in places like this with their towels turbaned around their heads, ready to cover if the men from the caravan or other strange men saw them.

It wasn’t much of a disguise, just an official “I’m not here for you to look at me.” Signal. If just he was there the towels would be over their arms or piled by their sides, like with the other women and girls all around them.

One of the first people he saw was Zassh – familiar, even with the swirling turban. Her attitude was graceful, more like the women all around them. Karl frowned, looked around. Dark, really dark skins like hers were common around here. Most of the gypsies were from as pale as he was through assorted reddish and yellow undertoned tans. Zassh on the other hand was a really brown girl, brown like tiger eye with a fresh application of sweet oils on her skin.

They exchanged greetings, then, Karl smiled.
“You see something you like?” asked Zassh.

“Oh yes.” Replied Karl. “Something I’ve never noticed. See the little kids?” Karl knelt, showed each arm and leg. He then put one hand on his own leg and charm, then on Zassh’s. Zassh shivered a little, then settled.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Little kids don’t have to wear a pool tag. They don’t check little kids coming in again. We’re going to bring them in to eat lunch, and when we do we’ll have more than twelve of them.” Said Karl.
“And?” asked Zassh, confused.
“We can hide in the mouth of the wolf. We can conceal two very unhappy little girls in the middle of a mob like this – because people can only count to twelve. That’s why we count eleven twelve, thirteen fourteen. As long as we have a large enough group and act natural we can have one more head than we have sets of feet – and then Inchkin and Aruin can enjoy all of this!” said Karl. Zassh’s eyes widened, “Karl, you’re amazing!”

They began to talk, and plan out all the tricks, and amusements, and other ways that the two of them could have fun and push the boundaries here.

Karl would be sleeping back beside Zere’maya each night, keeping her alive, but for a whole week they would be working together minding the children, shopping, entertaining.

As it had in every city they had visited together for almost two years, Zassh held out hope that this time Karl would notice her, choose her, be hers. Maybe now. Maybe even tonight.