“You’re a disrespectful little brat,” she hissed.“You’re nothing but a slutty cow bitch. You don’t deserve respect.”‘Don’t you know?...All strong, independent women are secret masochists. All you have to do is hit them with the right level of cruelty and they’ll melt like butter.’ My instincts told me to take Lorraine’s advice with more than a few grains of salt, but I felt in this case, she was right. The first time Betty and I had sex, she certainly changed her tune once I took charge.“In fact,. ‘Part of me wants you to jump out of the chair and take me, but I know you won’t.’ ‘That’s probably why you can think about it pleasurably. If you really thought I’d do that you’d be in a state of advanced nervousness. I’ve been watching you since Christmas Night, Uli, and you’ve been thinking and asking and thinking some more. I’m not going to spoil that. That night was memorable and I’ve been thinking about it too, but trying to repeat it won’t work.’ She looked at me curiously. ‘I thought. My favorite waitress was on tonight, and she came over to ask for our drinks. I ordered a bottle of wine for the two of us, and then asked our waitress where the lavatory was, though I knew the answer perfectly well. She inclined her head slightly to one side, and I blinked absentmindedly and rubbed the right side of my nose briefly as if I had a momentary itch. She cocked her head back the other way just so, and pointed the way, politely, calling me sir. I excused myself, telling my exchange. So what does that make me?’ The sun of sound that she had created began to tremble and boil as though sensing her fury. Let it. ‘What does that make me?’ she asked again. A Kelad, came a voice. ‘Who said that?!’ Anahid turned her head over the crowd. Those that weren’t already burying their heads in their hands flinched beneath her eyeless glare. None owned up. She looked down at Eldrian, still as before. The answer came from inside. A memory or a dream, she didn’t know. But there he was, her.