Chapter 2: A Short Demonstration

Sue-Linn and Isobel's companion stayed where they were. Graham was still standing with his face in the corner.

The stern faced woman in the dark glasses seemed to be taking little interest in her surroundings but then suddenly spoke. "You're not a member of New Opportunity, are you?" she asked.

Sue-Linn shuffled uncomfortably for a moment. It was expected, she knew. When a girl got to eighteen, it was the done thing. The trouble was, though, she had never been much of a joiner-in. The other girls at school thought she was bookish and a bit geeky. Nobody had asked if she wanted to come along when the rest of them had organised a panty raid on the local boy's reformatory. It had been the same when two of the girls had trapped one of the delivery boys in the game keeper's shed and had auctioned off his attentions for the afternoon. Sue-Linn looked across at the woman and shook her head. "No. I guess it didn't seem like my sort of thing."

"I think you are under-estimating yourself," the woman said. "You would learn a lot of useful things, make useful contacts. You might even have some fun."

Fun wasn't something Sue-Linn would have expected the cool looking woman to suggest. The woman took off her dark glasses. Sue-Linn was astonished by the piercing blue of her eyes.

"You'd get classes in basic civic rights too. You'll need to understand those. Had you thought?"

Sue-Linn nodded. "Oh yes, but I have studied things. About property rights and contract and, and, male disenfranchisement and positive female discrimination. I've learned a lot from reading and we had extra classes at school and..."

"I'm glad you're taking it all seriously."

"Mummy was very keen that I should. She says I have no idea what she had to put up with when she was my age and I shouldn't have to."

"That's certainly what New Order was intended to do. And how about control skills? You won't be learning those at school, will you?"

Sue-Linn blushed and shook her head. "No, but mummy says ... Well, since Graham isn't my real father, more my sort of, well, step father, I guess. Anyway, she says that it's all right if I..."

"It's all right if you practice on him?"

Sue-Linn nodded.

The woman nodded too. "Yes, she is right. Provided that you are getting the practice. I would be concerned if there was any question of a girl of your age, domiciled with a sponsored male but without the skills necessary to cope with any situations that night arise."

"I can show you if you'd like. Mummy won't mind." Sue-Linn smiled brightly, keen to demonstrate her competence.

"That would help me a great deal. Thank you."

Sue-Linn went to a cupboard that stood against the far wall and opened a drawer. She took out a pair of high heeled shoes and a whippy cane. Sitting on the couch she changed her pumps for the glossy black stilt heeled shoes, "Mummy says it helps," she said by way of explanation as the other woman looked on in approval. The turning to where Graham was standing she called, "Step-father. Come here."