Now, gentle reader, you will have been wondering what our pair of scholars will be asked to learn? Ironic isn't it that our two anthropologistsโpeople who are to teach the rest of us about the cultures of the worldโare themselves made to be students.
As the field notes indicate, both Professor Winderly and doctoral candidate Doume' were directed by King Moloko to undergo the tribal custom of learning about themselves sexually. It seems it was more difficult for Professor Winderly, even though she was an expert in this tribe's customs. Her student, Jim, was, clearly, much more eager to submit to the lessons. Unlike the Western tradition, there was no curriculum, no semester, no syllabus. The Molokoni had a wisdom tradition. They would simply know when the student had learned the lesson.
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The four guardians who drew Professor Winderly away from the King's cabin were lovely creatures to behold. Their bodies, taut with muscles under smooth black skin, seemed to glisten in the morning sun. As they closed in around her, Dee thought they had a very pleasant odor about them, perfume-like but faint. They wore the simple apron that seemed to be the Class B uniform of the tribe. No covering over their athletic breasts, but cords of fine braids encircled them and wove around their chests, accentuating their bosoms. Each had firm nipples and small areolae. They were built for competition, Dee surmised.
A runner herself, Dee saw in them the legs of people used to sprinting and jumping, not the lean and lithe bodies of distance runners. Their legs were used to bursts of speed, adept at climbing. Their arms were well-shaped and firm as well, but not overly muscled. Overall, she concluded these four were toned, fit, and able to exercise or work for extended periods of time. Like most people in guardian or paramilitary units, they were ever-ready to act, but those times were infrequent, so they filled their hours with training and preparation.
Though they were skillful archers and deadly with their long knives, King Moloko had chosen them to educate Dee Winderly because of their bond as women. This small clan of women were joined to one another in a matriarchal sect. Whereas, King Moloko ruled the tribe, his power emanated from the strength of its women. Their power and influence explained why there was a single woman leading the men in the ritual of showering the saplings with their semen. Dee had not yet understood this. Molokoni women direct the waters of life.
King Moloko believed rightly, therefore, that the best person to teach a woman how to be strong yet sensitive was another woman.
The guards picked up the pace and Dee fell in. It felt good to stretch her legs again after hours of flight, canoeing, and just wandering the village. She had not had a good run in a couple of weeks. The small party ran up a path that climbed through deeper woodlands and across a rocky plain away from the tribe and away from men. Dee could hear running water to her right. She was beginning to breathe a little harder from the sustained pace. The sound of water made her want to take a cool drink. Running in the city was so easy because she could carry her water bottle and her tunes with her. This run was a challenge.
Still they ran. Dee was beginning to flag a bit and fell off the pace. The ones behind her slapped her buttocks to encourage her to continue. Another mile or so and Dee's legs began to cramp. She stumbled and was caught by the woman next to her.
The group stopped suddenly and the four chuckled as they looked at Dee, clearly amused, perhaps impressed, that this white woman had done as well as she had. Resting her hands on her knees, Dee gulped air. Then a pair of hands reached for the gown she was wearing and from the back of her neck tore the gown to his hem. Another pair pulled the light gown from her and Dee stood naked on the trail, sweat pouring down her. She winced from the violation, but was too winded to care. Besides, she was among other women who were naked from the waist up. It felt good to feel the air on her skin. Her nipples perked a bit perhaps from the sudden coolness as her sweat began to evaporate, perhaps from the liberties taken by her escorts.
They resumed the travel, but at a much slower pace, a walk, allowing Dee to get her wind back. As she walked, the women touched her deliberately. A hand rested on her right ass cheek for several paces, then another found its way to her belly. A bit farther along and a woman reached across to cup Dee's breast in her hand as they covered another 20 yards. Then another woman dove her fingers through Dee's pubic hair and rested her palm on Dee's pubic bone.
Smiles and murmurs that Dee could not understand accompanied the touching. They were taking liberties with Dee. It was a close call between just playful exploration and a feeling of violation. Dee's natural rigidity left her feeling more violated than played with. To cope, she strove to maintain her objectivity, making mental notes and trying to discern a pattern to their touches.
They came to an encampment at last. The water she had heard as they ran along the path was a quick, rocky stream. The camp was made near the stream, at the foot of a low-head falls where a pool had formed. Without breaking stride, the women led Dee into the pool.
The cold water shocked her, taking her breath away. As they walked her deeper into the pool, the water stung as it rose higher on her naked body. Her nipples were as erect and straining as she had ever felt. Her flesh had puckered and she was covered in goosebumps.
Her head was ducked and held under. Without time to take a deep breath, Dee quickly felt panic as if she were about to drown. Then just as suddenly, her hair was jerked and her head popped out of the water. Dee gasped and was quickly pushed under.
The combination of the hard run and the shocking cold zapped her strength. Dee went limp and would have fainted had she not been fetched by the arms and dragged to the edge of the pool. Barely awareโor unable to careโDee did not resist the women's further efforts. Somewhere in her mind she was able to recognize that, though the women were firm, they were not unkind to her.
Two of the guards grabbed handfuls of sand and started to rub Dee's skin beginning with her feet and working up her legs. As they scrubbed her skin, they massaged her muscles. Hard scrubbing with more sand and soon the cold was replaced by warmth and then stinging again, from the abrasion.