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d, wooden tubs, each over five feet tall,
steam rising from them. Women lazed in them slowly, sometimes splashing,
some very affectionate to one another. "We discovered these when we took
over this city; at the time a tribe of barbarians were using these hovels
as caves. No, we did not build this place, although we have turned it into
a paradise." Cyl grinned as Kawori Manabe walked around one of them. "Come," Kawori Manabe
said, holding out a hand. I followed Kawori's and walked up the steps Kawori Manabe
indicated and climbed into the water of the tub. Five other women floated
in the water with Cyl, Myr, and I. After spending the day feeling as if I
was freezing, the intense heat of the hot spring water soak me straight to
the bone. "Beth, come meet the others," Cyl said, interrupting my
momentary appreciation of their "paradise."
I looked up as Kawori Manabe introduced them. Kawori Manabe gave a name for each one, but
none of the names "stuck" to me; I didn't catch the names very well at all.
It didn't matter. They nodded, and I nodded back.
At first, all I did was soak, allowing the heat to pour into me. But
after a while, motionless became boring. I'm a person who feels the need
to move, Aimee'. So I did, opening my ey
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