Chapter 10

"I want you to have a class on shaving, you can make me be your model" announced Zithrusa, while blushing over her entire body.

John said he would agree only if the women who wanted their husbands to learn all agreed and their husbands too. John was only going to demonstrate on Zithrusa and if she wanted to be part of the class, Vedeya, but would not be shaving any other woman, married or unmarried. Zithrusa agreed, and went about setting up the class. She thought that having the women shaved would enhance the show somehow, perhaps with the masked costumes, it would at that.

John provided a very sharp flake of volcanic glass to each shaver in the class, and first demonstrated on his beard, and had all the men in the class shave their beards, so they could see how easily they could cut themselves without using much care. Some of the women joked that they wouldn't let their husband shave them until they could shave themselves three times without bleeding. It wasn't a bad idea, at that.

Next John had Zithrusa show just how spread she had to be in order to have room to get the right angle with he razor of glass. He commented on how it was important to use a piece of linen to dry the area frequently, to be able to keep a firm non-slip grip, maintaining control was very important. By this time, he had to quit, and switch to Vedeya, as Zithrusa was squirting and having orgasms from being lewdly displayed like she so loved. Vedeya was able to remain clinical and detached from the wanton effect she presented, and the wives were able to keep their husband's attention on themselves and what they were doing.

John finished his demonstration, and about half the class was able to also get the job done. There were a few slips, engendering yelps, slaps upside of heads, and profound apologies, but the wonderful thing about sharp glass cuts is that the cut is so clean, pressing the edges together will seal the cut and stop the bleeding very quickly, and it will heal without a scar.

That night the camp seemed to be practically swarming with leopards. There was a lot of joking in the morning, and many men refused to remove their shirts and vests for the remainder of the week. John just shrugged, bared his battle scars, after all, he had earned them, and took the ribbing and joshing in good humor.

Zithrusa did an inventory a few weeks later, after the scouts had returned reporting 'all clear' in all directions, for a fast horse trot several hours out. Scouts remained posted ready to ride in if trouble should show up.

The wealth the caravan possessed was amazing, more than the wealth of five or six usual caravans, the amount of high value goods was so concentrated.

It looked like they carried trash, loads of silk thread, wood, fine wine amphora, and brass dishes, but buried within were jewels, perfumes, saffron, fine jade, rare John carvings and Indian steel weapons, along with many intermediate value items such as ceramic and glass cups, glass beads, silver chains, silver and copper mirrors and jewelry, chafing dishes and tea sets, along with several priceless items like Tuk's perfect tiger skin and survival suit.

Perhaps the greatest wealth the caravan possessed was its people, able to fight and defend themselves down to the smallest child able to wield a weapon, to vanish into the desert in an instant, to march all day and night, rest six hours and do it again, to bring in game in the most forbidding wasteland, to talk in the subtle language without any outsiders even knowing a conversation was occurring, and able to put on a highly worthy show.

The entire caravan enjoyed John's story night, and he enjoyed the interested audience of the little nomads who thrilled to adventures thousands of years of story telling would eventually distill. Tuk also provided stories for them as part of their training, parables of wisdom and humor which also taught and informed.

It was the equivalent of a science and ethics class, combined with a how to detect and counter scams, flimflams, badger games, bait and switches, false friends, inside men, cheats, poisoners, druggers, muggers, forgery, debasers, cults, fake spiritualists, fortune tellers and greedy priests, traps and ambushes.

They were taught to be suspicious, paranoid, observant and wise. They were instructed on how to diplomatically seek confirmation of a man's words without giving cause for false offence. (What, don't you trust me? I am insulted!) They were taught how to keep their purse close and their weapons ready, and to not be lulled by a smiling face. In short, how to survive in the world. This was the main purpose of 'bedtime stories', and why fairy tales were so dark in their older versions.

John's stories encouraged honorable behavior, while Tuk's cautioned against dishonorable acts by their fellow men. All the adults gathered around during story time, and even heard Tuk tell new ones they hadn't heard before of the wickedness of men. He had gathered many stories in his quest for adventure when he was Emperor. Most were true, horrific as they were.

The less acrobatic of the little nomads still found a role to perform, they asked to use Tuk's tiger skin, and four of them got inside it, (it had been peeled off the tiger like a small animal pelt, leaving only a slit at the back end, and the paws and skull left on the front end, to be de fleshed by carrion beetles as it had dried stretched inside out before being tanned.)

And figured out how to make it move fairly realistically. They couldn't have it leap, but it could slink along, turning it's head from side to side, it's red jewel eyes glinting in the firelight. The camels didn't like it one bit, and John had to carefully show Sukuli the empty skin before the children got inside in front of her before she appreciated the joke. Otherwise, she would have attacked the tiger skin, to protect her herd, because even against a tiger, she was a warrior.