Chapter 2

Binta escorted Ana from the Canteen, along another series of corridors, illuminated by lights over the doors, around a confusion of corners and up disconnected flights of stairs. Ana felt very self conscious of accompanying a naked woman and averted her eyes as much as possible. She had no idea where they were in relation to the Canteen and the elevator by which she had originally arrived, but she understood better the scale of the Brothel. Binta chatted idly to Ana and greeted the prostitutes they passed either by name or by just a smile. They differed somewhat in age and appearance. Not all were particularly attractive and many were immigrants. Most wore make up and provocative clothing, which gave the impression that they had been unexpectedly interrupted while getting dressed.

"So you come from Rif?" asked Binta. "I don't know it, but it's probably quite similar to Jebel, the district I come from. Do you know it?"

"No, not at all. I've never travelled far from Rif before."

The door to Binta's room was identical to all the others, paced out in both directions. The light above the door was switched off, but the light above many other doors was green. The one above the door to the right was red. Binta pushed open her unlocked door to reveal her room.

"It's really nothing special," she said desultorily, waving her arm around theatrically. "Almost all the bedrooms are exactly the same. Their official title is boudoir, but since it's where I sleep and stay when there are no Clients it's mostly just a bedroom to me."

The room wasn't especially exotic. It was dominated by a plain double bed with a robust mattress covered by synthetic silk sheets. Lining one wall was a wardrobe and book case adorned by paperback novels and inexpensive ornaments. Next to that was a small alcove enclosing a sink, a mirror and a plastic shelf supporting an array of scented soaps, shampoo and tooth paste. On the other side of the bed were a simple arm chair and a full length wall mirror. A sealed double glazed window was beside the bed, through which was a view of office blocks and a distant park. The only evidence that the room served as a boudoir was the predominant rich sherry red of the room and the three pictures on the wall displaying women in states of undress. One was a black and white photograph and the other two were prints of paintings by not particularly talented artists.

"No, I didn't choose the decor!" laughed Binta, sitting on the edge of the bed while Ana cast her eyes around. "I hate the pictures and red is not my favourite colour! I'd have painted it green, I think, if I'd had the choice. But at least I get a nice view."

Ana smiled shyly, closed the door behind her and strode to the window to survey the City of Blad below. It still seemed intimidating but exciting. Would she ever get used to the hustle and bustle? She turned round, her back to the window, and mused at her reflection in the mirror. She was such a timid animal with none of Binta's natural self confidence. She could never walk around a Brothel with no clothes on.

"It's a very nice mirror!" Ana remarked, her eyes tracing her figure from her buckled low heeled shoes to the straight hair that felt so lank and unmanaged.

"It's in a very commanding position, don't you think?" Binta commented, also regarding Ana's reflection.

"Yes," Ana agreed. It was set at forty five degrees from one wall to the other and cut a corner off the room. "You can see every part of the room in the mirror."

"And it can see you in every part of the room as well. It has a television camera behind it, you know."

Ana gasped. "What! To spy on you?"

"All the Prostitutes have them! It's no big deal. It's so that the Clients can view us from the selection room when we're on duty. They scan a live video relay of prostitutes to choose the one whose services they want to purchase. When on duty, we have to stay in our rooms all the time, so they can examine us like that. Do you see the light above the door?"

"It's just like the one outside."

"When it's green, that means that I'm being looked at, so I have to advertise myself and look like I'm really keen to provide my services though of course I haven't got any idea at all of who to!"

"Ugh! That's sounds horrid!"

"You really don't like prostitution at all, do you," smiled Binta indulgently. " ... And when they've chosen you, the light goes red and you know that for the next half hour or an hour you're not going to be able to continue doing the crossword, reading the paper or whatever else you might have been doing before." Binta lay on her back on the bed, her head resting on the pillow. She rolled over to observe Ana who was still standing by the window. "My theory is that that's not all they use the mirror for. I think they record us having sex with Clients and make pornographic videos."

"I can't believe they would do that!"

"Well, I don't know for sure, of course. But I wouldn't put it beyond them. I often think someone out there's watching what I'm doing and evaluating my performance!" Binta smiled wickedly. "You mustn't forget that this is a Brothel, you know."

Ana felt uncomfortable, so she sat in the armchair, after facing it away from the mirror. "But living here is not all just being a prostitute is it?"

"No, not at all. It's a prison as well. It's all things. It's home, work and prison. And it's most like a prison when it's work. Then, I'm confined here waiting for the green light to come on. And when the light is red, no matter how bad I feel, or whether it's one Client or ten, I have to provide a service. The more Clients I serve and the more satisfaction I give the more likely I am to be offered remission for good behaviour. On a very good day, the light never goes red."

Binta rested her head against the wall and supported her body on her shoulders. Ana's eyes nervously wandered down the length of Binta's slim tanned body to focus on the mass of brown hair between her legs, but she checked herself and raised her eyes up to gaze at her face.

"I can do what I like when I'm not working, as long as I don't leave the confines of the Brothel. I can watch television in one of the television rooms. Visit other girls who're not on duty. Drink tea in the Canteen. Keep fit in the swimming pool or gym. And even tend my garden on the roof and enjoy the little bit of fresh air that I'm allowed. It's not such a bad life, I suppose, when I'm not working. There are people in Alif, not in prison, much worse off than me. I can see the beggars in the streets below. I've heard about the poverty and famine in the remoter regions of Alif. But I hate the work. I hate sex with these nauseating men! And I hate never being able to leave the Brothel!"

Ana shivered at the mention of the men and Binta noticed that.