The women of Kubin's brothels were seldom entirely what they seemed, but in Esseta's case appearances were more than usually deceiving. She was close to thirty, but showed not a line or a wrinkle. In the dim light of the house where she did her business, she could and often did pass for a girl of seventeen.

It was not only her face and body that could seem to be a girl's. She could adopt all the mannerisms of one, convincing any customer that he was dealing with a green, inexperienced girl, new to her trade, almost innocent. This notion inspired many of her customers to extraordinary performances and extraordinary generosity.

Other men preferred a mature woman, experienced, skilled, and perhaps even comforting. Esseta was able to please them also. In fact, there was hardly a male desire she could not satisfy. She had great skill, no inhibitions, and a cool head.

After twelve years in Kubin's houses, Esseta also had enough money to buy a house of her own and say good-bye forever to his service, or even retired completely. She preferred not to. Women Beyond the Law had a good deal of independence. In that way they were better off than the more respectable wives, daughters, and mothers held «Within the Law,» always under the protection of some man.

On the other hand, a Woman Beyond the Law was still on her own, in a land where men ruled, sometimes with a heavy hand. She didn't have to have a protector, but she often found it helpful to hire one. Esseta was now in effect hiring Kubin Ben Sarif as her protector, and for the price she paid he gave very good protection indeed. If you kept your agreements with Kubin, he would do the same in return, and at much risk and even expense to himself. On the other hand, if you cheated him, then Junah help you!

Esseta giggled again as her eyes met Blade's. He frowned, not quite able to match her lighthearted mood. «I hope you realize how nearly you came to getting knocked flat,» he said quietly. «Grabbing a fighting man from behind that way, in the dark, is not wise.»

«I'm sorry. I thought I could get your attention quietly.» She giggled again.

That giggle was infectious. Blade found it impossible to stay in a bad mood. He smiled at Esseta. «Does that giggle mean that I'm dealing with the girl instead of the woman?»

Suddenly the giggle changed to the full-throated laughter of an adult woman. «Why don't you try finding out for yourself, Blade?» She slipped a hand into his and led him in the opposite direction from the door to the sleeping loft.

With a finger to her lips, she led Blade along a dark passage he'd seen but never explored. It ended in a plain wooden door. Esseta pointed to a carved knob. Blade gripped the knob and heaved. The door slid aside with a faint grating of wood on wood. Beyond lay a square windowless chamber, dimly lit by an oil lamp in an iron bracket on one wall. The light showed dust on the floor, and Blade felt it prickling in his nostrils as his feet kicked it up.

The light also showed a wooden bed, piled with clean but worn quilts and rugs. Blade turned to pull the door shut behind them. He heard a whimper of cloth and another faint giggle as the door thudded home. He turned and saw Esseta standing in the middle of the room: Her robe had fallen into a neat pile at her feet, and she was totally nude.

For a moment Blade felt that his breath was about to stop. In Esseta's five feet there was more beauty than he'd imagined possible in any three women. Every curve flowed into every other curve as if there was only one possible way to do it. Scented oil gave her pale brown skin the sheen of fine bronze. Her hair was a tight cap of dark curls. Both her snub nose and the nipples of her delicate breasts had an impudent upward tilt.

Then her mouth curled up into a smile that was both a girl's and a woman's. She fingered her chin with one hand, resting the other hand on a well-turned hip. Slowly she walked in a circle around Blade. Without the smile on Esseta's face, Blade would have felt unpleasantly like a horse being examined by a particularly skeptical buyer. As it was, he could anticipate what would happen as soon as Esseta had finished her inspection.

At last Esseta came up to Blade from behind, and again her arms went around him and small soft hands pressed against him. He wore nothing but trousers and boots, and her fingers danced up and down his bare chest swiftly, delicately, and precisely. At the same time she brought her face close to his back, until her curls tickled his skin and her lips could caress the line of his backbone.

She did all of this with such skill that Blade was soon as aroused as if they'd already joined. He bit back a gasp, sensing that she wanted him to remain passive as long as he could. It was more of her playfulness.

At last Esseta stepped away from Blade and came around in front of him. She raised herself on tiptoe until her lips could curl themselves warmly and wetly against his. The kiss faded away with tantalizing slowness, and Blade felt her lips drifting down with the same luxurious warmth over his skin. She kissed his ribs and his stomach while her fingers twined themselves in the hair on his chest. Then her lips swooped down like a bird of prey, and suddenly his erection was swallowed up.

Blade's gasp turned into a groan of the most exquisite agony he'd ever felt or could have imagined feeling. Then for a moment he could not speak, because he could not breathe. Esseta's lips swept along his swollen flesh, kissed the tip, sought the inside of both thighs, then returned to their original place.

Esseta repeated the pattern some unguessable number of times, then began varying it. As her lips worked, her hands were pulling Blade's trousers farther and farther down his legs. Blade was hardly aware of this, or of anything else except the almost terrifying delight her lips on his flesh were bringing him.

Then he was aware of pain that was also pleasure, bubbling up within him and ready to boil over. In silence he fought against the agony, in silence Esseta's lips went on working to make that fight hopeless, and in silence Blade lost it. The ecstasy of total release seared through him, as he bowed backward, away from those lips, pumping heat up between them. He bowed so far backward that he fell over, and Esseta fell on top of him. For a moment her lips were no longer on him, but not for long. There was too much more she wanted from him.

She took it; and went on taking it, until Blade could not have given her any more if his life had depended on it. Perhaps Esseta herself had reached the point where she could take no more. In any case, she finally collapsed to lie beside him, one leg raised over his, her breasts against his side and the fingers of one hand spread on his chest.

Then she sat up and smiled. She raised her arms above her head and stretched like a cat. The movements of her breasts would have awakened desire in a corpse, but not in Richard Blade at this moment. Then she laughed, and this time the woman's laugh turned into the girl's giggle.

Blade shook his head. «You have the skills of an actress, as well as all your other gifts. Has anyone ever told you that?»

«Not many. I have shown how I play my game to only a few, and only two of those who paid for me have ever guessed.»

«What happened then?»

«Both stayed all night, and poured gold into my lap when morning came. They wanted to see what else I could do.»

Blade laughed. «Is there anything you can't deal with?»

For a moment her face was a pale mask. «Yes. The years. Against them I have no power.»

«You've done well so far.»

«So far, yes.» Suddenly she was smiling again. «And shall I tell you why I've done so well? It is my secret.»

«I'm listening.»

«This life is not easy, and much of it gives no pleasure. So when I have a chance, I play, to amuse myself and give myself pleasure. I do not have as many chances as I wish, but I have enough. As long as I can play, I can fight off the years.» She bent down and kissed Blade. «Will you help me play, Blade from the desert?»