While she did, she commenced his education.
La cucaracha, la cucaracha,
Ya no quiere caminar- “Ah.” Frieda von Moltke’s breath came warm and musky.
“That was good. You are very good.”
Martti Leino opened his eyes to the round, wide-nosed, fullmouthed Side 100
Anderson, Poul – Avatar, The countenance below his. He was not tall; she was; she had readily been able to kiss him on his lips and inside them till it began to crest in her. Then she roared, and it was like riding an earthquake. Her arms and thighs still clasped him. Sweat glued strands of yellow hair to the slightly florid brow and cheeks; he felt the same moisture against his belly.
“You too,” he said. “I had fun, and I surely needed some. Thank you.”
She laughed. “We are not done yet, my friend. Howeffer, what about a beer first? And do you mind if I smoke?”
“No. I don’t myself, but no.” He rolled off her and propped himself on his pillow at the headboard. Her feet smacked the deck. She was heavy; not fat, save for the huge breasts; solid. Crossing her cabin, she took a cheroot from a box – the ship was stocked for a variety of minor vices – and put it between her teeth before she dealt with the bottles.
Returning, she paused at the bedside. Her regard of him grew speculative. “Martti,” she asked, “why did you close your eyes after we began?”
He moved them from her. “Habit,” he mumbled.
“I think not. We could haff turned the lights off if you wanted. You were using effery sense, until- Did you decide to pretend I was somebody else?”
“Please!”
“Oh, I am not offended if so. We are not in luff. I don’t want to pry, either. I am just curious.”
He kept silent. She handed him a flask, which chill had already bedewed, and lit her tobacco. Smoke eddied acrid. She joined him, sitting up, flank against flank.
“I like you much, I belieff, Martti,” she told him. Slyly: “I expect you will compare well with your shipmates. Stefan Dozsa is nice but- hasty? Maybe not promising. I am not sure of making the other two at all. Weisenberg acts thoroughly married when we talk, and Brodersen has his mistress, who is far prettier than me.”
Leino scowled. “Yes, he does.”
Once more Frieda’s gaze grew thoughtful. “She is a delightful person.
Gifted; she was singing a few of her own songs while she took measurements to make me some decent clothes. And she runs a splendid galley. And seems to handle the rest of the quartermaster job well. What else?”
“I can’t say.” Leino spoke fast “I haven’t known her long. Yes, she is quite a girl.” Abruptly, twisting about to confront her: “Tell me about yourself, Frieda. Everybody’s been lost in talking about Beta and Earth politics and things like that. Now we have hardly any time left before- Well, what has your life been?”
The gunner shrugged and blew a smoke ring. “I haff knocked around.”
“Tell me.”
“If you will then tell me your story.”
“Mine isn’t much,” Leino said. “I’m such a young fellow- I’m beginning to find out how young- You’ve seen more.”
She collected bottle and cigar in her right hand, that the left might rumple his hair. “You are cute, Martti.”
Relaxing into her pillow: “Well, an outline, if you want. I was born in East Prussia thirty years ago, except for me it has been thirty-eight. My family was not rich, but we remembered across a couple of centuries we had been Junkers, and later furnished officers for the Soviet Empire, and after it broke up- Ach, the mansion our ancestors owned was in sight of our home. My father was a guerrilla in the Troubles. I joined the Freiheit Jugend; we neffer had to fight, but we held us ready. At last I took a Wander Jahr before I enlisted in the Peace Command. They gave me space training. When Emissary began to recruit, I applied and was accepted.”
“Not exactly a homebody, you,” Leino said.
Wistfulness flitted over her. “I would like to marry, and get my immunity refersed, to haff children while my parents can still enjoy being grandparents. If they are alife. . . and we may be headed into death ourselfs.”