Split Black /#Wattys 2021

Chapter Twenty-one

John sat in front of a computer at his local library branch, scrolling through the menu of Imperial Palace Teahouse. The porn ads refused to leave his computer screen at home this morning; the machine was now unusable. He had two days off, and he had a lot to do: Research this website, take the computer to his friendly local computer geek, and drive back to Buckroe to collect his first tapeful of recordings from the George Clay beach house. The library offered him both a working computer and the absence of Mike Little's observing gaze. John had shown his badge at the desk; the librarians weren't bothering him with any time limits.

The site seemed designed so only insiders would know how to navigate it. He clicked a link called The Okiya and found himself on a webpage filled with pictures and bios of famous courtesans of the past. He clicked out of that and went back to The Fortress—Ladies Only!

John made up a user name and joined the site. It was the only way to get permission to look at the member profiles. He and Lizzie had tried to call up the posting history for YoungQueen and found that they couldn't do it; you needed a member number. After being assigned one, John did a search for YoungQueen's postings and clicked on a thread called Introduce yourself!

Each site member had posted a few details about themselves and any characters they role-played or wrote about. John scrolled through many postings, perfect in spelling and grammar, which reported that their authors were in college or graduate school, or working in government jobs, hospitals, or law offices. "Messalina" identified herself as the website owner. She didn't say what she did for a living.

Almost all the women were single. YoungQueen's entry omitted her age and high school status; she simply said she was a model, and had posted a few portfolio pictures to prove it.

John flipped back to his original member search. YoungQueen had made the most posts under a thread called "Moonwater Perfume." John clicked that and read,

Najahal glowed though the curtains, shining down upon us. She was once the guide from the holy place of Ysonesse, our glorious and beloved homeworld of legend. In the days soon after the Deluge, the emergency intervention was attributed to her, the moon goddess, when they came to rescue our people from the floods.

This story was the thread Julie had posted on the most. If she had posted to her friends here about knowing, meeting, or working for any guy, knowing a police officer, having a boyfriend, or working as an escort, this was the most likely place he'd find it.

I was caught up in a small piece of embroidery, trying to finish off the final stitches uniting the Star with the Maiden, two obscure mythological figures from the ancient days. The Star floats out from the swaying tendrils of her hair, and is tied to the young girl by six strands of comet dust.

John paged through postings over a year old, scrolling more slowly as Palai, a courtesan raised in the Cortigiamira, and her young benefactor, Josym—a character played by the hot young actor the fan site was created for—fell in love. John made note of the story's author: Messalina.

Dear Amhrita, he was jealous. To think that a courtesan, even one he considers young, was not passed around like dessert wine is bizarre. I have not been with nearly as many aristo boys as my fellow sisters in Commitment. Lord Reunahn has been protective of me...

"Adequate is no way to describe this bond." He grabbed my hand. Josym's heart carries all the untapped virtues of brilliance and purity; anyone who captures his fancy will know those affections as her... mine ... eternal gift.