by gentle fingers. Martin's eyes met hers, hot now, and not the least bit monkish. She remembered carvings she had seen in India's northern temples: gods with thick, rearing phalluses, their consorts small of waist and round of breast. Phantom hands seemed to grip her around the ribs, lifting her, impaling her even as she hung splay-legged in the air.
It was not a position with which she was familiar. Then she knew. These memories were not hers. Martin wanted her. He was imagining how she'd feel. Tiny beads of sweat dotted his brow.
Perhaps he did not, after all, prefer a woman to be a maid.
She smiled at him and he immediately turned away—not, however, before she had seen the flush that tinged his ears.
"I will light the brazier," he said. "She is cold."
Lama Songpan, of course, had missed this little drama. "Hm," he said, circling her slowly on the rug. "In the average person, the earth's energy is continually being tapped for the replenishment of the aura. The process is as automatic as the beating of the heart. But her aura's barriers to penetration are very strong. I suspect this must serve some protective function, for she is virtually cut off from these natural forces. Her heart tsakhor in particular is quite guarded."
"You say she is virtually cut off," repeated the abbot, "but not completely?"
The medical lama crouched and laid the tips of three bony fingers on her feet. "I sense a small draw. Very small. Under normal circumstances not enough to sustain a child."
"She must be taught to increase it," said the abbot.
Lama Songpan rose creakily erect. "Perhaps. I do not know if she can." He shrugged. "I would recommend a cautious attempt. Otherwise, I do not know what to suggest."
"Very well," said the abbot. "Thank you for your advice."
His subordinate bowed and retreated, leaving the three of them alone.
The sound of Martin stoking the brazier seemed very loud.
Geshe Rinpoche turned to watch his student. From the look on his face, Luisa could only assume the abbot didn't expect her to be watching him. For once, his expression was not that of an indulgent teacher. It was considering, rather, almost cool, as if Martin were a racehorse he meant to bet on.
An instant later she thought she must have imagined it because he smiled at Martin just as fondly as before. "Come away from there," he said, a hint of laughter in the words. "If you keep that up, our guest will think we mean to roast her."
Martin straightened so quickly he nearly dropped the poker. "I'm sorry, rinpoche. I—"
"Sh." His teacher patted the air with open hands. "It is all right. Everything is well."
To Luisa's surprise, she caught a hint of her own gift in the lama's voice. He was putting calm into Martin's head, calm that was not really there. Given the expression she had caught a glimpse of, she couldn't help wondering what his motives were.
But maybe she'd grown too cynical. The love the abbot felt for his student lit more than his eyes. Luisa was not easily deceived. She doubted she could have misread that.
"Come," said Geshe Rinpoche, waving Martin closer. "I want you to show our guest how to pull up energy from the earth."
"Me?" Martin's reluctance was emblazoned on his face.
The abbot chuckled. "It is only a request, Martin. You may refuse. But she is drawn to you," he said, proving he had seen their exchange, "as you are to her. This sympathy will make teaching her easier. I will stay, though, if you feel yourself in need of a chaperone."
The implication that he intended to leave startled Martin and Luisa both. Did the abbot's trust run so deep? Or was this meant as a test of his student's self-command? Either way, Luisa was not certain she approved. She drew herself straighter, only to find that Martin had done the same.
"It shall be as you wish," he said, his chin raised up with pride.
This pricked her temper in a different
It was not a position with which she was familiar. Then she knew. These memories were not hers. Martin wanted her. He was imagining how she'd feel. Tiny beads of sweat dotted his brow.
Perhaps he did not, after all, prefer a woman to be a maid.
She smiled at him and he immediately turned away—not, however, before she had seen the flush that tinged his ears.
"I will light the brazier," he said. "She is cold."
Lama Songpan, of course, had missed this little drama. "Hm," he said, circling her slowly on the rug. "In the average person, the earth's energy is continually being tapped for the replenishment of the aura. The process is as automatic as the beating of the heart. But her aura's barriers to penetration are very strong. I suspect this must serve some protective function, for she is virtually cut off from these natural forces. Her heart tsakhor in particular is quite guarded."
"You say she is virtually cut off," repeated the abbot, "but not completely?"
The medical lama crouched and laid the tips of three bony fingers on her feet. "I sense a small draw. Very small. Under normal circumstances not enough to sustain a child."
"She must be taught to increase it," said the abbot.
Lama Songpan rose creakily erect. "Perhaps. I do not know if she can." He shrugged. "I would recommend a cautious attempt. Otherwise, I do not know what to suggest."
"Very well," said the abbot. "Thank you for your advice."
His subordinate bowed and retreated, leaving the three of them alone.
The sound of Martin stoking the brazier seemed very loud.
Geshe Rinpoche turned to watch his student. From the look on his face, Luisa could only assume the abbot didn't expect her to be watching him. For once, his expression was not that of an indulgent teacher. It was considering, rather, almost cool, as if Martin were a racehorse he meant to bet on.
An instant later she thought she must have imagined it because he smiled at Martin just as fondly as before. "Come away from there," he said, a hint of laughter in the words. "If you keep that up, our guest will think we mean to roast her."
Martin straightened so quickly he nearly dropped the poker. "I'm sorry, rinpoche. I—"
"Sh." His teacher patted the air with open hands. "It is all right. Everything is well."
To Luisa's surprise, she caught a hint of her own gift in the lama's voice. He was putting calm into Martin's head, calm that was not really there. Given the expression she had caught a glimpse of, she couldn't help wondering what his motives were.
But maybe she'd grown too cynical. The love the abbot felt for his student lit more than his eyes. Luisa was not easily deceived. She doubted she could have misread that.
"Come," said Geshe Rinpoche, waving Martin closer. "I want you to show our guest how to pull up energy from the earth."
"Me?" Martin's reluctance was emblazoned on his face.
The abbot chuckled. "It is only a request, Martin. You may refuse. But she is drawn to you," he said, proving he had seen their exchange, "as you are to her. This sympathy will make teaching her easier. I will stay, though, if you feel yourself in need of a chaperone."
The implication that he intended to leave startled Martin and Luisa both. Did the abbot's trust run so deep? Or was this meant as a test of his student's self-command? Either way, Luisa was not certain she approved. She drew herself straighter, only to find that Martin had done the same.
"It shall be as you wish," he said, his chin raised up with pride.
This pricked her temper in a different
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