From The Seduction of Emy and Other Stories

Copyright 2023 A. R. Gregory

 

Reciprocity

The old bishop cinched his robe about his waist again, then eased back into his comfortable armchair. He gazed down at Thomas sprawled on the carpet. The boy looked mesmerized by the flames dancing on the hearth. His fervent young mind had been elsewhere all afternoon. But oh, the rest of him! The finely chiseled intaglio of his shoulder blades, his spine glistening like a serpent writhing in silt, his haunches as firm and agile as a young Pan’s. The old bishop sighed.

In complexion, features, and especially intellect, Thomas was far fairer than his native brethren. But then, some two-and-a-third millennia ago, great Alexander’s army had overrun the land. Could not the boy’s ancient forebear have been one of that formidable band? Brilliant young Thomas could even be the proof that Alexander’s own seed took root in the native muck. Would the great one not have savored all manner of the local delights, from the liveliest of boys to the comeliest women? The old bishop sniffed with satisfaction as he nestled his cropped white hair against the headrest of the armchair. Life in this bygone backwater, this unspoiled repository of the primal essentials, had indeed its rewards....