dense, Janey. Will you help me to escape?” After a moment there was a note of mockery in his voice. “Or are you too afraid for that, too?”
“Are you really sure it is a prison?” she demanded, and he paused for a while before answering: “I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t what we thought when we came – a kind of consortium of big industrialists who want the work done secretly. I feel as if every move I make is watched, every word I say overheard – except out here in the open. I want to go and see the situation from the outside. Have you nerve enough to help?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “If there is a safe way for you, I’ll help. Philip—”
“Don’t make conditions,” he pleaded.
“Philip, when did you first think of leaving?”
“It’s been in and out of my mind for weeks,” he told her.
“Good gracious! I would have thought you were the last one to be thinking of it. You seemed so—satisfied.”
“The better to fool Big Brother with,” he said lightly. “I have now placed myself well and truly into your hands, sweet lass. One murmur from you to Ashley or Parsons, and all hope for me will be gone.”
“You know I won’t talk,” she said, half-resentfully, looking at his profile. She was acutely aware of the gentle pressure of his hand. “How can I help?”
“You really will?”
“Of course I will. I—I’ve been worried for some time, too.”
“Then this is how you can help,” he said, and he drew her closer until their bodies touched and his arm was very firm about her. “You can pretend to have succumbed to my charms. You can come and spend the night with me or I can come and spend it with you. We shall talk of nothing except passion and lovemaking, we shall ooh and ah, and giggle and quip, like any pair of lovers. We might be more convincing if we let all our inhibitions go and did the real thing, without pretending, but that I leave to you. If I come to you or vice versa for a few nights, then they are likely to see us as cooing doves likely to become permanent mates.” She had never known him talk so freely, and with this light and amusing tone. “Once we are known as lovers, they will never be sure which bed we shall be in, and as they told us with such endearing frankness when we enlisted, they will care less. Whenever I am not in my bed they will assume I am in yours.” He squeezed, gently, and went on: “Delectable thought. Delectable prospect, if only you will share it.”
“And when you have deflowered me you will fly away,” said Janey, drily.
“Oh, my dear,” he said, startled. And then almost in alarm he went on: “Janey, if it really would be a complete beginning, I—I—Good God! Forget the whole thing.” He took his hand away quickly and they walked side by side in the moonlight; for the first time, her heart began to beat very fast. At last he gave a hollow kind of laugh and went on in a tone of great dismay: “I will gladly sleep in a chair in your kitchen, or—” his voice rose as if with inspiration: “In the bath! Now why didn’t I think of that before?”
“Philip,” Janey said, “why didn’t you let me know you could be such an idiot?”
“You must blame my natural shyness,” Philip retorted; and then he whispered so that she could only just hear the words. “We’re being followed. Don’t mind what I do.” On the instant he took her in his arms and their bodies were locked, and it was as if fire ran through her. He held her in such a way that her thighs were close to his, her bosom too, but her head was back, pale in that lovely light; and he bent forward and placed his open lips against hers in a kiss which seemed to draw the very breath out of her body.
She was not aware of it, but two men passed as they embraced; and soon afterwards, two women.
“So he went to her apartment,” Ashley said with satisfaction. “Good.”
“Why so good?” asked Parsons.
“Oh, don’t be absurd,” rasped
“Are you really sure it is a prison?” she demanded, and he paused for a while before answering: “I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t what we thought when we came – a kind of consortium of big industrialists who want the work done secretly. I feel as if every move I make is watched, every word I say overheard – except out here in the open. I want to go and see the situation from the outside. Have you nerve enough to help?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “If there is a safe way for you, I’ll help. Philip—”
“Don’t make conditions,” he pleaded.
“Philip, when did you first think of leaving?”
“It’s been in and out of my mind for weeks,” he told her.
“Good gracious! I would have thought you were the last one to be thinking of it. You seemed so—satisfied.”
“The better to fool Big Brother with,” he said lightly. “I have now placed myself well and truly into your hands, sweet lass. One murmur from you to Ashley or Parsons, and all hope for me will be gone.”
“You know I won’t talk,” she said, half-resentfully, looking at his profile. She was acutely aware of the gentle pressure of his hand. “How can I help?”
“You really will?”
“Of course I will. I—I’ve been worried for some time, too.”
“Then this is how you can help,” he said, and he drew her closer until their bodies touched and his arm was very firm about her. “You can pretend to have succumbed to my charms. You can come and spend the night with me or I can come and spend it with you. We shall talk of nothing except passion and lovemaking, we shall ooh and ah, and giggle and quip, like any pair of lovers. We might be more convincing if we let all our inhibitions go and did the real thing, without pretending, but that I leave to you. If I come to you or vice versa for a few nights, then they are likely to see us as cooing doves likely to become permanent mates.” She had never known him talk so freely, and with this light and amusing tone. “Once we are known as lovers, they will never be sure which bed we shall be in, and as they told us with such endearing frankness when we enlisted, they will care less. Whenever I am not in my bed they will assume I am in yours.” He squeezed, gently, and went on: “Delectable thought. Delectable prospect, if only you will share it.”
“And when you have deflowered me you will fly away,” said Janey, drily.
“Oh, my dear,” he said, startled. And then almost in alarm he went on: “Janey, if it really would be a complete beginning, I—I—Good God! Forget the whole thing.” He took his hand away quickly and they walked side by side in the moonlight; for the first time, her heart began to beat very fast. At last he gave a hollow kind of laugh and went on in a tone of great dismay: “I will gladly sleep in a chair in your kitchen, or—” his voice rose as if with inspiration: “In the bath! Now why didn’t I think of that before?”
“Philip,” Janey said, “why didn’t you let me know you could be such an idiot?”
“You must blame my natural shyness,” Philip retorted; and then he whispered so that she could only just hear the words. “We’re being followed. Don’t mind what I do.” On the instant he took her in his arms and their bodies were locked, and it was as if fire ran through her. He held her in such a way that her thighs were close to his, her bosom too, but her head was back, pale in that lovely light; and he bent forward and placed his open lips against hers in a kiss which seemed to draw the very breath out of her body.
She was not aware of it, but two men passed as they embraced; and soon afterwards, two women.
“So he went to her apartment,” Ashley said with satisfaction. “Good.”
“Why so good?” asked Parsons.
“Oh, don’t be absurd,” rasped
Similar Books
Black Tide Rising
R.J. McMillen
The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Café
Jenny Oliver
Summer of the Geek
Piper Banks
Harmony
Marjorie B. Kellogg
Tangled Betrayals
Lynn Wolfe
The Confession
R.L. Stine
The Very Best of F & SF v1
Gordon Van Gelder (ed)
Neighbors
Ashleigh Royce
Fireborn
Keri Arthur