31. Who can find a virtuous woman?

"Who can find a virtuous woman?"

On Earth-That-Was virtue was invariably linked with morality. A woman could only be virtuous if she remained chaste.

For our Prima Noctes, Companions receive a ruby choker. It marks our caste and acts as a constant reminder of our value and virtue in a verse that has forgotten the price of beauty. Ishtar gave me mine the night I embraced by first client. Tonight she came to take it all away.

Ishtar has grown old. Her once beguiling face is deeply lined and a curtain of thinning white hair covers her back. She leaned heavily on her silver cane as she hobbled over to sit in the chair opposite to me. But her voice is still strong and beautiful. The Gods have been kind in that one aspect. She raised it addressing me as if I was a mere novice, “The Enclave met and voted. The risk Láng may find you is too great.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Your parents are dead, a shuttle accident. There is nothing left to restrain him.” Ishtar breathed deeply, “You must leave House Madrassa.”

The words should have hurt more than they did. There is a point when dreams invade reality and you can’t scream to wake yourself up. There is a point beyond pain, when you have lost all that you love and there is nothing left to feel. “I understand. May I have sometime to make the necessary arrangements.” I took the rubies and placed them in her hand.

I could not tell if it was emotion or the disease slowly eating away at her system that deprived her of her once widely praised grace. But Ishtar’s hands shook as she held my wrist and looked into my eyes, “I was very selfish, all those years ago. I should have sent you faraway. I think you might have been happy on a farm or a ranch, perhaps.”

“We will never know. Will we, Holy Mother?”

Trembling, she placed the rubies back in my hand and I helped her to stand. “I will find a way to make amends,” she promised, embracing me. She hobbled toward the door but stopped and turned to lo