In Which the Science of Algebra lives with the virtues of Innocence and Dodie discovers some of the more bizarre attributes of Algebra.
True to her name, Algebra was a student of Mathematics at the University of Congress. She had applied unsuccessfully to read at the University of Labia, but Congress was a good second choice, where she was able to study with some of the very best professors in the country. Also true to her name, Algebra was a girl of very pure principles and practices. She was one of many students who was a practising naturist at the university, although one of the very few who were women.
She felt no shame about wearing nothing but a pair of small pumps and the large round glasses she needed to compensate for her myopia. She knew that she was thought very attractive by the male students and lecturers, and by not a few of the women, but this didn't trouble her in the slightest. She very occasionally indulged in sex with them, but she wasn't noted for a particular promiscuous lifestyle although she very rarely had sex with a partner on more than one occasion. She did however have a taste for urine and for pissing on her lovers which put off some of the more squeamish of those she made love with.
She didn't often wonder why it was that the release of her urine over a lover's body, clothed or naked, gave her so much pleasure. It seemed in any case quite a natural relief to the build up of the pressure that lovemaking necessarily entailed. She also found the taste of urine in her mouth or dripping down through her hair, over her forehead and over her cheeks somehow very stimulating. She had to be very careful about swallowing the stuff. She didn't want to catch anything, although she had often managed to convince herself that urine, like saliva, was probably quite safe and antiseptic.
Like all students, she needed somewhere to live and not somewhere at all expensive. She wasn't at first particularly excited by the advertisement in the Congress Evening Post for Third Girl to Share Flat. Must be broadminded. She had no idea what was meant by broadminded, although friends of her told her that it was probably a euphemism for something quite disgusting. She turned up at Innocence's and Dodie's flat really having no preconceptions of what to expect. Her main concern was that they too should be broadminded with regard to her own naturism. The landlady of her last flat was far from so on this matter, and had insisted, rather forcefully, that she either get dressed or get out. Algebra's principles wouldn't contemplate compromise, so she moved out almost immediately and had spent most of the last month sleeping on a sofa in a girlfriend's bedsit.
She didn't immediately warm to Dodie when she opened the door. Dodie had grown her hair, but it was still quite short, and she wore a large sweatshirt which pretended that she too was a student at the University of Congress, which of course she wasn't. The polytechnic she'd been to had been far less illustrious. She quite liked the fact that Dodie wore no trousers or knickers, but she felt that by wearing other clothes the girl was compromising on a principle which Algebra held quite dear. However, she herself hadn't turned up naked, wearing the long white laboratory coat she habitually wore whenever she ventured out of the university grounds into the city beyond.
Dodie quite clearly took a liking to her and appeared quite enthusiastic when Algebra spoke of her naturism and vegetarianism. She suggested that Algebra take her clothes off. "It's much better to dress as you feel comfortable." With no celebration, Algebra undid her coat, and lay it down on the back of the chair she was sitting in. She was very impressed by the flat. It was very expensively decorated, and had more than enough of modern conveniences to have deserved the notice All mod. cons. which in fact the advertisement had neglected to mention.
"I've often thought of becoming a vegetarian myself," Dodie commented, stroking her pubic hair idly. "It seems a sensible thing to do. I wouldn't want to harm any animal, and I often feel disgusted when I'm eating meat that once this fleshy chunk of brown stuff once belonged to a living breathing sentient being."
"Exactly," agreed Algebra, who nonetheless slightly despised any lack of resolve on this or any other matter. At that moment, Innocence arrived wearing a short skirt and an even shorter top which showed off her breasts and waist to their best advantage. Algebra was slightly disgusted by the fact that this young girl was also wearing black stockings and awfully harmful stiletto heeled shoes. However, when Innocence sat down and started talking, her character seemed much more in keeping with her name and she was very concerned about Algebra's welfare.
"You've been sleeping on a sofa? And all because your landlady doesn't like nudity? How awful! I'm not a naturist myself, although I often don't wear any clothes. Particularly in my line of work."
"What kind of work is that?" Algebra wondered.
Innocence blushed slightly and looked embarrassedly at her red painted fingernails. "I'm an actress. Of sorts that is. I appear in films and videos. But they're a kind of specialised market. I make pornographic films."
Algebra had no real opinion on this activity. In fact she barely ever even thought about pornography. Images of naked women didn't bother her, although she thought there was rather too much underwear worn in most of that stuff. "Is that the reason why I must be broadminded?" Algebra quoted.
"Sort of," admitted Innocence. "But that's not the only reason. Another reason is that Dodie and I are lovers. We're very much in love, in fact. And there are quite a few girls who don't like sharing with couples like us."
