TheFirstTime"Yesss!" Clytemnestra hissed in the uniform closet of the band practice room. A moment later, having caught her breath, she added "Again!" "I can't," he gasped. "What do you mean? That was wonderful." "I mean it's not physically possible. Look." He pointed. She saw. After a moment, she said, thoughtfully, "Where's your roommate?" "In his bunk, asleep." "Not for long," she purred. * * * The headmaster directed the white-haired gentleman to an overstuffed leather chair and handed him a drink. "Thanks for coming, Mr. Sawall. I know it's an inconvenience for you to travel so far." "It's quite all right, Headmaster," Mr. Sawall replied. "You know how concerned I am about my daughter. Is she worse?" "No, no, not at all. She's rather better in that respect, actually." "No longer crying herself to sleep then?" The headmaster coughed. "No, not that. And she seems much less lonely than she was. She's become quite... popular." "That's a relief. As you know, she took the separation very hard. I wondered if she'd ever recover. So, why did you call me then?" "Well, you see..." The headmaster seemed flustered. "She's changed." "Please elaborate." "She's become intimate with several of the students. And the faculty." "I'm glad to see she's making friends." "Ahem. Er, extremely, er, intimate. Frequently." Mr. Sawall's white eyebrows rose. "Oh. I see." "Yes, well. You've always been very generous, Mr. Sawall. But Clytemnestra has become a disruptive influence. No amount of disciplining seems to address the issue. She simply cannot be deterred. She's like a... a force of nature." The headmaster's face was flushed. He adjusted his tie. "We can't keep her here like this. Fights have broken out. And at her age, the potential legal ramifications are terrifying. The school could be shut down. I'm afraid I have no choice in the matter." "I see," Mr. Sawall said again. "A force of nature, you say?" * * * The white temple gleamed in the sunlight, atop the cliff and across the inlet. Perpetual thunderclouds rumbled off to the west. "Are you sure I can't just stay with you, Daddy?" Clytemnestra asked. "You're not yet strong enough to protect yourself, poppet. You'll be safer here. Work hard when I take you to your lessons, and then we'll see. For right now, though, you need to swim across to your new home and come up on the beach, right there. Do you see the spot?" "Yes. Are you sure I should be naked?" "It's traditional." She nodded, and swallowed. "Daddy, will they like me there?" Clytemnestra asked. "Poppet, they'll adore you." |
