Pran smiled ruefully. ‘You will both sleep well tonight. Come, I’ll ask Theuli to put the two of you to bed.’
Deborah was asleep the instant her head hit the pillow, with Éha firmly in her embrace. Theuli sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers up over their naked bodies. Smiling humorously, she said, ‘You two are absolutely shameless! No wonder Pran was reluctant to put you to bed himself.’
Éha, laying with her back to Deborah and facing Theuli said timidly, ‘Is it bad, to be without shame?’
Theuli had to laugh. ‘That question, when asked by the innocent, requires no answer. Now turn over and go to sleep.’ She watched the girls for some time, even after she was sure they were both deep in slumber. Sensing someone behind her, she turned to see Ralph standing in the doorway.
‘How are they doing?’ he asked quietly.
Touching the girls fondly, Theuli rose. Studying Ralph for a moment, she said, ‘What do you think?’
Sensing the seriousness behind her question, he replied, ‘Does their relationship bother you?’
He studied her profile in the semi-darkness as she considered this. Slowly, she said, ‘I fear for Deborah, not only because of this attraction she feels towards the Dance of Life, but also because of that which brings herself and Éha together.’