Life and Times of a Priestess Ch. 21 Pt. 03

Chapter 21 : Danella On The Streets

Part 3 : Experience and Advice

Danella had finished with her customer. The man had, as always, been grateful for this prostitute who gave so much more of herself than most he had ever encountered. It had been luck that had turned him to walk down that particular street. When such a beauty had accosted him he had been in no mood to refuse. He only ever picked and fussed about going with those whores who were not so attractive or did not seem to take much care of themselves. There were many of those. But a good looking whore was what he had come down here for, and he had certainly found one.

He had found more than he bargained for. He had asked her price. As usual the whore had made it sound low, but indeed even when they had finished their business together she had remained true to her initial quotation and not increased it a penny, despite having delivered a service far in excess of any he had enjoyed from a prostitute, or even from any woman. He could hardly believe his luck.

Most certainly he would come here again and seek her in these narrow streets. But he did doubt whether her prices would remain so low for long. Word would get out and the men with spare change would be out in large numbers looking for the whore who was not only cheap, but also extremely loving. She was better than a man's wife, not just because she was beautiful, but also because she was so friendly and helpful.

Her services would soon be bought by gentlemen wealthier than he, and very soon she would be transported to some circle of higher class prostitutes, able to charge exorbitant fees and live the luxurious lifestyles they could then afford. Better to come here again soon and hope to experience her charm soon before the woman disappeared.

Perhaps he would even come here again tomorrow evening even though he would normally have considered it a waste of his precious money to come again so soon. If he could only experience the lovemaking he had just received a handful of times in his life he would die a happy man. While the opportunity was still here perhaps he should make the most of it, for when the woman was gone he would still have his memories. She was not like the normal whores. She had not been greedy or selfish.

Even the most polite and helpful whores around here would tire of a man who took too long and would be only too ready to renegotiate the agreement of the price for such a man. Many a man's pleasure had been spoiled by such greedy negotiation, he did not doubt. Many of these whores were poor and knew not how long their attractive looks would last. He supposed that most of them were keen to make as much money as possible for as little effort as required. Although as a man he could not understand why these women should not be in this business for the pleasure of sex, as well as for the money, it seemed that for many the longer they plied their business the more greedy they became.

This whore had been different. Her name was Danella she had said. Instead of charging more as their lovemaking had extended, she had encouraged him to persist for as long as he might. Instead of shrieking sounds of false pleasure, or trying to encourage him to ejaculate before he was ready, she had coaxed him gently, become excited when he needed her, and took her own pleasure alongside his.

She had sounded foreign, her accent definitely not of Prancir, so he had asked afterwards where she was from. When she had answered 'Pirion' he had wondered. Wasn't there a war on at the moment with that very country? He had read it in the newspaper quite often in recent years. There was always a war on somewhere, and this one was distant, so didn't concern him very much, but he believed it was a land of backward practices which had seen little progress in centuries. Prancir's soldiers sought to bring modern government and opportunity to that country.

"I have never met anyone here from the Empire of Pirion before," he had told her. "We have in this city many expatriot Vanmandrians, and Spalopians, Alboranians, and many in these late days from places further east and further south." Well if that was how the Pirionites made love he was pleased to meet one. He complimented her after his final release. "Is that how your people always make love?" he had asked.

She had laughed and said, "Our ways of making love are very varied, but yes it is, some of them. So you think we are good at making love?"

"Yes that was wonderful"

"I can tell you," she said, "We have many other practices too, but you can see that we are all brought up to live in the natural way. We are taught to please each other and to be generous. Do you know much of my country?"

"Not much, I have to admit. You are not a very modern country I believe. You ignore progress and you live in laziness, and we are at war with you. I know little else."

"Then you have no reason to hate us?"

"No, why should I," said the customer. The only people we Prancirians hate are the Vanmandrians, and sometimes the Alboranians, but that is only when we are at war with them, and because we fear them then, because they may invade us at any time. You Pirionites live a long way from us and pose little threat. We do not know you well enough to hate you. Your government must have done something to upset ours, but that is of little concern to me."

"That's good. I am pleased you do not hate us just because your government tells you to. In fact if you were to meet more of us you would probably like us very much. Do you like me?" she had said.

What could he answer to that. "You are very lovely and very patient with me. Of course I like you. I am very aroused by you."

"Good," she said. "You will find that all our women are good lovers like me, and our men are happy as a result. That is not something you can say of Prancir is it?"

"No, not at all," he agreed. "Our women are ignorant of the finer arts of love, and very jealous of it, and even our whores are not as good as they think they are."

As he went away from there he thought to himself about what she had said and what she had done. If what the woman had said of Pirion were true, and he saw no reason to doubt it because her actions had been as good, in fact better than her word, then Pirion was a better land than this one.

Here in Dumis he had a wife, old and bitter before her years, who suffered so much from the common attitudes of women that she had become uninteresting to him. With her life could no longer be a pleasure but only an endless succession of complaints, and even lovemaking was to be bought only with the satisfaction of her other wants. He worked like a dog to satisfy employers and wife and family, and there was little respite. When he could set aside money and time to come to the whores he was treated again as someone else's source of funds, to be ripped off and used just like everyone else used him. But at least he got what he paid for, the opportunity to explore a different woman's body, and if he was lucky, the satisfaction of squirting his seed deep inside her.

Well tonight had been different. For once he had not felt used by anyone. The woman had treated him with respect. He would willingly have paid the money he spent in the same way, again and again. Instead of the guilt of feeling he had spent more of his hard earned money than he could afford, he felt for once, that he had really had his money's worth and more. Instead of a quick twenty minutes, half an hour or three quarters, if he was very lucky, he had been granted two hours, in which his cock had fired twice, and his mind and not just his body had been exercised and calmed. The woman had been a lot more than a whore. She was a woman who for once understood what a man needs, and gave it freely, a woman who rose above the day to day struggle to earn as much money as you can from whoever might become a victim. She was a lady, a real lady, one of the very few he had come to know well in life. Most of the other real ladies he had known had been held back from becoming what this woman was, even though it might have been in their capacity if only they had been shown the way. Rarely had he come across anyone who was so free of the pressures and antagonisms of ordinary life, except in the young, who would find out soon enough and be spoiled by it.

Danella perched on the arm of the settee, on which Marie was sitting, and put her arm around the shoulders of her upset friend. She intended only to calm the poor girl. "Don't worry Marie. You are not trapped or shameful. What you do is a perfectly good occupation. Don't listen to the people who tell you you can't do this. And you don't have to be trapped by it. You do have a choice. You could always go back to your family or survive in an ordinary job if you prefer."

"I can't," she whimpered, in great distress. "What else do I know. I can serve behind bars but that don't pay well. That's a worse prostitution than what I do now."

"I agree," acknowledged Danella, "This bar work is alright for an hour or two at a time but when it's busy it's hard work, and when it's not busy it can be dull. I think I prefer prostitution."

"It's easier money. Sometimes I don't get a customer or the customer don't pay but it keeps me quite well normally. It's just that it screws me up."

"I know. I know it does," sighed Danella. Why could the young woman feel so sad. She was closer to nature in the work she did than most Prancirian women in their dull marriages, their factory or cleaning jobs. Marie was closer to being a priestess than any other occupation Danella had yet come across in Prancir. And yet she was not happy. She despised the men she worked for. She worshipped money, and not the Goddess. She found little pleasure in the act of love. Perhaps she regarded the act of love as a means to make money, not as an expression of her love for the human race. She had been told repeatedly throughout her life that sexual promiscuity was wrong, that the men who trawled the streets of Dumis for young female flesh were unsavoury and somehow perverted. Danella, with her long experience of life and of men, knew otherwise. Men were creatures of nature, to be loved and enjoyed, not despised as sinners, as so many women here in Prancir seemed to believe.

Danella pulled the girl to her, hugging her in sympathy, patting her pretty blonde hair. Marie seemed to regard her by now as she would a mother who was close in age, or an older sister. The affection was returned by Marie as she clutched at Danella, feeling for her warmth and support. Danella felt the appeal of her young warm flesh and it became an effort, when after a minute or two, she felt it was time to break this link for the time being.

"Why don't you change out of your clothes and have a nice hot bath. I will run it for you while you change. And then we'll have a drink together," she suggested.

Marie seemed to perk up a little but seemed loathe to part from the warmth of her comforter. For a while she stayed in Danella's embrace while agreeing she would take a bath in a few minutes. The tears began to dry up. Presently they both arose and went to the bath room. The boiler was already on and Danella was able to prepare a hot bath for the girl almost immediately.

Marie came into the bath room partially unclothed. Her dress was off now and her corset was ready to go. "Do you need a hand with this?" Danella stretched her hands over the corset, appreciating the contours of the young lady's body. Her hands lingered, and it was with pleasure that she heard Marie say yes, with a touch of nerves in her voice, so Danella thought.

"You have a lovely body you know. It's no wonder so many men want it," said Danella.

"Do you think so?"

"I do. You're very beautiful. Any man would want you. I would like to touch you myself."

For moments Marie said nothing. It was as if she did not know what to say. Where there had been an easy relaxed warmth between them, now there was a tension, not of hostility or of misunderstanding. There was probably uncertainty on the part of Marie,

and Danella, who had so often before learned to appreciate the female flesh, felt the tension of not being sure whether Marie wanted what she would soon offer. The knowledge of the risk she took with Marie's friendship would not stop her now because she had been here so many times, but the risk amongst Prancirians in particular would always be there, and it was always felt by her, however experienced she may be.

"Yes please help me," said Marie. Danella half expected the girl to start chatting about something completely different from what was on their minds, but thankfully she did not. Marie seemed to share a feeling, for once, of the importance of the moment. Again Danella's hands were on her flesh, strong and firm, as she unlaced the corset and helped it off. Her hands did not leave the young body as the corset disappeared. Instead she lightly explored its curves with her fingers, and still Marie said nothing. Danella turned her round to face her.

"May I join you in the bath?" she asked. Although it had been possible that Marie might make this move it remained up to the older woman to make it happen.

"Yes," said Marie after another pause. The voice was surely nervous. Marie had been with many men but perhaps never had she shared the appreciation of each other's bodies so closely with a woman.

Danella undid the belt of her robe to reveal her body. Then she dropped the robe from her shoulders and returned to touch Marie's fresh young body. She studied the girl for a few seconds, content to anticipate the whore's loveliness. She ran her hands along Marie's sides and inwards, over her hips and across her soft stomach, then upwards towards her breasts. As her hands travelled over the gentle swells, Marie reached out to feel her body in the same way, rising from her waist to her nipples as they stiffened in arousal.

"Your body is lovely", said Danella softly.

Marie seemed embarrassed to hear this from a woman. From a man it might have meant nothing unless it were from someone very special, but from a beautiful woman such as Danella it made a difference. "That's what all the men say," she quipped, smiling naturally. Then she added, "Yours is beautiful too," as Danella's arms reached around her to draw her in closer. They stood for a while like that, petting each other gently, soothing away Marie's cares and beginning to know each other more than they had before. Then they were kissing, Danella exploring the inside of Marie's mouth with her tongue. The younger woman clutched her closely and reached a hand down to cradle her buttocks and feel the wetness below.

"Come let us share the bath," said Danella presently. She stepped in carefully, testing its temperature and helping her younger friend in more ways than were merely necessary.

"Are you ready for the next step?" Danella asked.

"Certainly, if you tell me what it is."

"Play your part to the full. Become a willing prostitute."

Marie protested, "But I've done that already."

"What I mean is that you become a 'real' prostitute, not just for the money."

"Is that supposed to advance me towards freedom?" Marie sounded amazed, possibly even shocked. "I have always assumed that prostitution is a form of servitude, which no woman would choose, except perhaps for the experience, unless compelled by money, bad luck, loneliness, drugs, or poverty. We are all captives of our weaknesses."

"The woman who prostitutes herself when there is no compelling reason for it is the opposite of a slave. Even those who have few other options can enjoy the life if they take control of it. I myself was a priestess of the Goddess in Pirion. I still consider myself to be that. It was similar to being a prostitute here but we didn't call it that and we didn't do it directly for money in the way the ladies do here. Our attitude towards it was quite different from the attitude of many of the women who do it here."

"I see that," said Marie, "But what is the difference, then, between that and what I have already done?"

"It's a matter of degree. You need to serve more, and therefore enjoy more. But perhaps that is not what you're after?" Marie smiled, still anything but convinced. "Many men and women too regard their profession as their pleasure as well, if they are lucky. They may enjoy leaving their mark in the world. It provides them with a routine for living, a framework for life, a pride in what they do. Let your job be to make love, but not just to dabble in it, to be good at it. Be a professional."

"Why then does the world respect bankers, generals, and even bookkeepers, but it despises us whores?" Marie asked.

"Not the whole world. Not in Pirion, which is larger than Vanmar. But in Vanmar maybe it's because those who can see the truth of these matters are too cowardly to shout out their real opinions, and it is those who don't think or don't understand enough who have the loudest voices, who dominate with their mistaken notions. But centuries of hypocrisy and stupidity in Vanmar need not hold you back. The human race ought to be old enough to understand that their young and childish moral pretences are ridiculous. These pretences are ugly and cruel as well, but that doesn't seem to bother them. Let's try to demonstrate to them that their 'morals' are restrictive, and show them how confused their values are. They have nothing but praise for the woman who rents out her body as a machine slave, or even to expose it as a dancer or a singer. No one is morally outraged by the fact that her employer remunerates her for such services, which are physical services. But it is not legitimate, or decent, it is sinful, obscene, sordid, shocking if she decides to utilise the nature of her body. Do they really mean that it is less dignified to make love than to sit typing letters or accounts?"

"But if all women were whores who would type letters or work in the clothing factories?" pointed out Marie.

"Are the two functions so incompatible?" suggested Danella. "The secretaries I would most respect are those who also whores."

"Not every woman is well enough endowed to be a successful prostitute," said Marie.

"There are very few young women, at least, who could not earn some kind of living from prostitution if they had the confidence and knowledge to try it. I can tell you Vanmarian men are much denied and very willing. It is money and the low quality of service, as well as the fear of discovery, which keep them away from prostitutes. But if approached in the right way, and for a fair price, there are fewer who would refuse. Many women here do not understand the power they hold and the choices which lie before them. If they could but realise it they might live much kinder, and certainly more exciting lives. In Pirion many Priestesses are not particularly attractive, or ladies of other professions, but they never ceased to participate in the ceremonies. In Vanmar it will be easier for the more attractive ones amongst us, but if the price is right, and the correct approach is made, most women could do well."