The 97th Step by Steve Perry Read Free Book Online Page A

desire.
    Now, there was only innocence. She straightened slowly, coming fully upright, and she now looked like a child. Everyone with even a hint of a conscience wanted to protect her, to put an arm around those bare shoulders and keep the bad things of the galaxy from approaching this lovely child.
    She danced again, but the moves were peaceful. Full of love, but lacking desire, save to be the dance itself.
    Ferret held a sigh back, one that would have been all too close to a sob. If magic could be known, then this woman knew it.
    And, as he felt his heart breaking for her loveliness, the woman-child on the stage looked across that crowded pub and saw him.
    It seemed impossible, but the joy on her face increased. The smile grew larger, and she seemed to emanate a love that encompassed everybody—but focused on a particular man. Him.
    Many of the people in the audience turned, to see the object of this wondrous woman's attention. They couldn't see what it might be—there at the bar sat an ordinary-looking young man of no great stature, wearing the same type of costume they all wore. They looked back at the nude woman. They must be mistaken about her attention.
    But no. She moved, walking with languid grace to the edge of the stage, a yukkuri stroll down the steps and across the floor, past the crowded tables. Earlier, many men and as many women would have reached out in lust to touch that perfect body; now, however, none dared impede her progress.
    One did not trifle with a goddess, intent on some Olympian task.
    Ferret sighed, and could not help but return her smile as she approached him. Naked, she stood for a heartbeat in front of him. She did not speak, but leaned forward slightly and kissed him, gently, as a child kisses, save for a small flick of her tongue between his lips. Then she leaned back, turned, and returned to the stage. The music followed her moves now, rather than she the sound.
    On the stage, she did a final twirl and spiraled gently down, to lie on her side. She closed her eyes, and the lights in the pub went to black. Seconds later, when the lights returned, she was gone.
    There was stunned silence. The audience had come expecting to see a strip, and they certainly had, but none of them had ever experienced a dancer of such talent. It had to be seen to be believed, and even then, there was no explanation for it. Some kind of hypnosis. An optical illusion, maybe. A magic spell.
    Ferret felt the gazes of nearly everyone in the pub weighing upon him. He met none of the looks, but turned back to the pubtender. The little brown man flashed his augmented grin, and Ferret shook his head. "I wish she wouldn't do that," he said.
    "Count your blessings, Sahib. Count your blessings."
    He had to smile at that. Oh, yes. Shar was something to be thankful for, no doubt about it.
    Ferret slid from the stool, leaving a ten-stad coin on the bar as he moved. "See you later," he said.
    "Much later, I would wager," the little man said. Platinum butterflies shined from his mouth as he laughed softly.

Six
    FERRET LAY ON his back in Shar's bed, head propped on a thick pillow. He looked down the length of his naked body, but his view was impeded at his lean waist. Shar's unbound hair pooled over his loins, waving gently as she moved her hot mouth on him, one of her tawny arms over his belly, the other under his right thigh.
    He groaned with pleasure. She moved faster, using her hands now, too. He felt the pressure build, build… crest… and hold.
    He sighed, and reached down to stroke her head. "Hey," he said, "why don't you come up here?"
    She raised her head, releasing him from the warmth of her mouth, and smiled at him. "Aw, you don't like it?"
    "Up, woman. You. Up here." He pointed at her face, then at his own.
    She laughed at him, and did an exaggerated climb up his form, as if she were scaling a tree. When she reached his face, she kissed him, and sprawled on top of him limply. She faked a sob and then said in a whine,