years or more before there was much of an openin', and the Chairman of the Board, they said, was a hundred and five and nowhere near retirin', but I think there was more. This sorta trickles down, too. If women aren't in top spots, they don't tend to be treated as good further down. Kinda like Russia, where all women are equal and work at jobs, but never get high up in the government 'cept as the head of culture or arts or somethin' like that, and are still expected to come home nights and clean house and cook dinner.
Here, nobody really had to work, and a lot of women didn't, stayin' home with the kids and stuff. Lots of the artists were women, I found out, and dancers and entertainers, and lots in the common classes had all sorts of regular jobs, but almost never on top unless they was the absolute best. Nobody seemed to care 'bout this, though. They all had one of them religions that believed in reincarnation, and you was a man one life, a woman the next, and so on. Me, I was thinkin' I might like to be a housewife and full-time mother to some kids, 'specially if I had lots of money, but I sure as hell would hate to be required to do that.
They trooped in, one at a time, and got greeted like one of them diplomatic receptions. More of them beautiful golden people, all of 'em, only Iookin' a little older and maybe a little shiftier, like politicians or salesmen. Mayar Eldrith, our host, was tall and strong and real slick lookin'; he brought his wife, Eyai, who looked somethin' like some Hawaiian goddess. She had that special smile and way of talkin' that all politicians' wives seem to have, and Mayar talked like he was some big shot Senator runnin' for office. Real smooth voice and delivery.
He was followed by Hanrin Sabuuk, who looked and sounded enough like Mayar to be his brother, then Dringa Lakuka, who looked older and wiser and was a real quiet type but with real bright eyes. You got the feelin' he was some god slummin' and havin' a ball doin' it. Then there was Basuti Alimati, the youngest and newest member- only fifty-seven and lookin' a good thirty-who seemed realstuffy and businesslike. They told us he was the only one of them who never married and never seemed to fool around, neither. They wasn't very hung up on sex here-you could have as many wives, or even husbands, as you could talk into it, swing with either or both sexes, and have unlimited lovers on the side. This guy, though, was never even known to swing with himself.
The last one and just slightly older than "young" Basuti, was Mukasa Lamdukur. He looked much like the others and was maybe the most human of the bunch, and he was the only one who brought along others, much to Sam's and Aldrath's distress. They looked so young I figured it was his kids, but they weren't. Mukasa's job was keepin' the records straight and generally runnin' the committee on a day-today basis, and Dakani Grista, a real young hunk of a boy, and Ioyeo, who was a little small as the women went here and looked maybe sixteen or so, were the administrative assistants, or so we were told. Only Dakani was of the manager class, though; Ioyeo (their women never seemed to have but one name, all vowels-I guess it was the way things was translated) was actually a commoner class person whose big talent was that she was oversexed and net real bright. She had one hell of a figure, though, and that sari looked painted on, and I guess that's one of the things they wanted around the office. Even on a world of beautiful women, she was a real stunner, and she even had one of them dumb blond voices-you know, high-pitched as all get-out and whispery to boot-and all the right moves. I had to poke Sam more than once that night to get his mind back where it should be.
They all treated her kinda like some servant, though, but she fetched and smiled and giggled and didn't seem to mind. I couldn't help thinkin' that if there was a leak or a traitor at the top, that's the one I'd look first at. Nobody
Here, nobody really had to work, and a lot of women didn't, stayin' home with the kids and stuff. Lots of the artists were women, I found out, and dancers and entertainers, and lots in the common classes had all sorts of regular jobs, but almost never on top unless they was the absolute best. Nobody seemed to care 'bout this, though. They all had one of them religions that believed in reincarnation, and you was a man one life, a woman the next, and so on. Me, I was thinkin' I might like to be a housewife and full-time mother to some kids, 'specially if I had lots of money, but I sure as hell would hate to be required to do that.
They trooped in, one at a time, and got greeted like one of them diplomatic receptions. More of them beautiful golden people, all of 'em, only Iookin' a little older and maybe a little shiftier, like politicians or salesmen. Mayar Eldrith, our host, was tall and strong and real slick lookin'; he brought his wife, Eyai, who looked somethin' like some Hawaiian goddess. She had that special smile and way of talkin' that all politicians' wives seem to have, and Mayar talked like he was some big shot Senator runnin' for office. Real smooth voice and delivery.
He was followed by Hanrin Sabuuk, who looked and sounded enough like Mayar to be his brother, then Dringa Lakuka, who looked older and wiser and was a real quiet type but with real bright eyes. You got the feelin' he was some god slummin' and havin' a ball doin' it. Then there was Basuti Alimati, the youngest and newest member- only fifty-seven and lookin' a good thirty-who seemed realstuffy and businesslike. They told us he was the only one of them who never married and never seemed to fool around, neither. They wasn't very hung up on sex here-you could have as many wives, or even husbands, as you could talk into it, swing with either or both sexes, and have unlimited lovers on the side. This guy, though, was never even known to swing with himself.
The last one and just slightly older than "young" Basuti, was Mukasa Lamdukur. He looked much like the others and was maybe the most human of the bunch, and he was the only one who brought along others, much to Sam's and Aldrath's distress. They looked so young I figured it was his kids, but they weren't. Mukasa's job was keepin' the records straight and generally runnin' the committee on a day-today basis, and Dakani Grista, a real young hunk of a boy, and Ioyeo, who was a little small as the women went here and looked maybe sixteen or so, were the administrative assistants, or so we were told. Only Dakani was of the manager class, though; Ioyeo (their women never seemed to have but one name, all vowels-I guess it was the way things was translated) was actually a commoner class person whose big talent was that she was oversexed and net real bright. She had one hell of a figure, though, and that sari looked painted on, and I guess that's one of the things they wanted around the office. Even on a world of beautiful women, she was a real stunner, and she even had one of them dumb blond voices-you know, high-pitched as all get-out and whispery to boot-and all the right moves. I had to poke Sam more than once that night to get his mind back where it should be.
They all treated her kinda like some servant, though, but she fetched and smiled and giggled and didn't seem to mind. I couldn't help thinkin' that if there was a leak or a traitor at the top, that's the one I'd look first at. Nobody
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