notherbeautywithherhaircasuallykhenapeofherneck．Slightlyvisiblewrihesideofhereyesonlyatedhermaturebeautyandnoblecarriage．ItwasAisha，whosaidsmiling，

    "YoumustbeMegginn．KingDimitrihasalreadynotifiedusofyouring．Areyoutiredbythelongjourney，mydear?Yourroomsarereadyforyou．Wouldyouliketoliedownaforawhiletorefreshyourself?"Shechattedaffablyondoingherbesttoputthenew-erateaseassheusheredherintothehall．Beforeshecouldintroducehertohernewsurroundings,ahostofnakedbeautiesarrived．Theatmosphereatoncebecamevivaciouswhiletheyintroducedthemselvesandweledtheirnewpanion,keepingupalivelychatterallthewaytoherspaciousandexpensivelyfurnishedroomsohirdfloor．Everythingwasarraohertaste，asifshehaddesighemherself：thickcarpets，antiquefurnitureandawonderfulviewofthesplendidmountainranges．AishathenformallyintroducedMegginntotheotherswhoweledherwarmly．

    Megginnwasquiteoverebytheirbeautyandfriendlinessandtriedherbesttomatchthehebeautiestothesebeautifulfacessurroundihefadnakedslenderfiguresfloatedaroundwithinhervision1ikeacloudofwaveringshadowsreflectedoer，remindihemyriadofrareblossomssheenteredoothepace．Megginnhadalridedherselfonherbeauty，buthereshesawthateveryohemwereatleastherequal．Afterawhile，Aishasaid，

    "WeshouldletMeggiawhile．Whydon’tweallgoandmakepreparationsforthewelepartytonightinhonorofYoko,MaraandMegginn?"Thebeautiesnoddedinagreementaodisperse，agaieratingtheirweleandaskioetothepartyassoonasshefeltrested．Soon,theonlyowasAisha,whoalwaysactedashostessandinitiatedthenewmembers．Megginntooktothemellowandintelligentwomanatooldheraboutherayregardingherirualperiodandaskedifshecouldborrowsomepads．Aishasmoothedthehairoftheyoungwomansoftlyandlovinglyasamotherwouldandsaidsoothingly，

    "Don’ttroubleyourselfaboutthesetrivialthings，Megginn．It’snoproblematall．Justrestandtakeiteasy．YouseethathereintheKingdomallofusgoaroundnaked,freefromallstraints．Everythingisnaturandcasualhere．Ifyouwish，Stephaniecouldteachyouhowtostopyourperiodaltogethersoyouwoheredwithitanymore．NowtakeanapMegginn,andwhenyoufeelrestedeandjoinusbytheke.”

    15

    AfterAishaleft，Megginnremaiedthere,notknowingwhattodo．Shekeptonthinkingofthenoveleventsoftheday．Whatastrangeanduniquepceshehadeto！Itringtimeinautumn,withextravagantflowers，floatingshadowsandfaceswhichdriftedaway．Whatastrahiswas！Yearafteryear，flowersbloomeduhenurtureofthespringbreeze，andmonthaftermonth，menstruationcame，abiologicalfunthatartofanaturalcycle．WearealllivinginthebosomofMotherNature．Ifthemonthlycyclestopped，wouldtimestaystill?Probablynot，shethought．Yearafteryear，thespringbreezewouldblowjustasithadalwaysdonefromthebeginningoftime．Ifthemonthlyperiodstopped，thentimewouldstopandwomenwouldnotage．Theywouldremainyoungaifustheywerenow．Perhapstimeflowedintwodires．Whatastrahiswas!Shefeltdrowsy,scarcelyabletokeephereyelidsopen;soshedecidedshewouldnotthinkofitanymore．Walkingtotheotherroom,sheydownoinvitingbedandbeingfatiguedfelsleep．

    Inthefaintlightofthegloaming，Megginnwasawakenbyasoftnudge．Sheopenedhersleepyeyesandsawalovelyfacesmiling

notherbeautywithherhaircasuallykhenapeofherneck．Slightlyvisiblewrihesideofhereyesonlyatedhermaturebeautyandnoblecarriage．ItwasAisha，whosaidsmiling，

    "YoumustbeMegginn．KingDimitrihasalreadynotifiedusofyouring．Areyoutiredbythelongjourney，mydear?Yourroomsarereadyforyou．Wouldyouliketoliedownaforawhiletorefreshyourself?"Shechattedaffablyondoingherbesttoputthenew-erateaseassheusheredherintothehall．Beforeshecouldintroducehertohernewsurroundings,ahostofnakedbeautiesarrived．Theatmosphereatoncebecamevivaciouswhiletheyintroducedthemselvesandweledtheirnewpanion,keepingupalivelychatterallthewaytoherspaciousandexpensivelyfurnishedroomsohirdfloor．Everythingwasarraohertaste，asifshehaddesighemherself：thickcarpets，antiquefurnitureandawonderfulviewofthesplendidmountainranges．AishathenformallyintroducedMegginntotheotherswhoweledherwarmly．

    Megginnwasquiteoverebytheirbeautyandfriendlinessandtriedherbesttomatchthehebeautiestothesebeautifulfacessurroundihefadnakedslenderfiguresfloatedaroundwithinhervision1ikeacloudofwaveringshadowsreflectedoer，remindihemyriadofrareblossomssheenteredoothepace．Megginnhadalridedherselfonherbeauty，buthereshesawthateveryohemwereatleastherequal．Afterawhile，Aishasaid，

    "WeshouldletMeggiawhile．Whydon’tweallgoandmakepreparationsforthewelepartytonightinhonorofYoko,MaraandMegginn?"Thebeautiesnoddedinagreementaodisperse，agaieratingtheirweleandaskioetothepartyassoonasshefeltrested．Soon,theonlyowasAisha,whoalwaysactedashostessandinitiatedthenewmembers．Megginntooktothemellowandintelligentwomanatooldheraboutherayregardingherirualperiodandaskedifshecouldborrowsomepads．Aishasmoothedthehairoftheyoungwomansoftlyandlovinglyasamotherwouldandsaidsoothingly，

    "Don’ttroubleyourselfaboutthesetrivialthings，Megginn．It’snoproblematall．Justrestandtakeiteasy．YouseethathereintheKingdomallofusgoaroundnaked,freefromallstraints．Everythingisnaturandcasualhere．Ifyouwish，Stephaniecouldteachyouhowtostopyourperiodaltogethersoyouwoheredwithitanymore．NowtakeanapMegginn,andwhenyoufeelrestedeandjoinusbytheke.”

    15

    AfterAishaleft，Megginnremaiedthere,notknowingwhattodo．Shekeptonthinkingofthenoveleventsoftheday．Whatastrangeanduniquepceshehadeto！Itringtimeinautumn,withextravagantflowers，floatingshadowsandfaceswhichdriftedaway．Whatastrahiswas！Yearafteryear，flowersbloomeduhenurtureofthespringbreeze，andmonthaftermonth，menstruationcame，abiologicalfunthatartofanaturalcycle．WearealllivinginthebosomofMotherNature．Ifthemonthlycyclestopped，wouldtimestaystill?Probablynot，shethought．Yearafteryear，thespringbreezewouldblowjustasithadalwaysdonefromthebeginningoftime．Ifthemonthlyperiodstopped，thentimewouldstopandwomenwouldnotage．Theywouldremainyoungaifustheywerenow．Perhapstimeflowedintwodires．Whatastrahiswas!Shefeltdrowsy,scarcelyabletokeephereyelidsopen;soshedecidedshewouldnotthinkofitanymore．Walkingtotheotherroom,sheydownoinvitingbedandbeingfatiguedfelsleep．

    Inthefaintlightofthegloaming，Megginnwasawakenbyasoftnudge．Sheopenedhersleepyeyesandsawalovelyfacesmiling