Author's note: Yes, yes, I know, first I take liberties with history, then with geology. So you're thinking to yourself, does that woman's cosmological meddlings no know bounds? Oh, and as always, all previously applied caveats still apply!
*****
Considering it's short life, the American Emporium Hotel was quite a sizable structure. Of course, a lot of structures in the capital of St. Lucia seemed to have sprung up overnight, but the American Emporium Hotel was an all-consuming behemoth, slowly swallowing the smaller structures and properties around it. Point of fact, the American Emporium Hotel had originally started as three separate structures: an aging hotel, a once prominent restaurant and small row of shops that had been abandoned. All three structures would have been doomed to eventual dilapidation if it had not been for the Edison Moon Project. On the eve of the launch of the Prometheus, the American Emporium Hotel had not only connected these three structures, it had absorbed them. With the thriving business that came with the Edison Moon Project and all the other industries and commerce popping up on St. Lucia, the hotel's appetite was only growing more voracious.
The hotel was already a grand, byzantine structure, surrounded by (and often surrounding) two-story cottages, such as the one James called his "room" (James had wanted just a simple room, but the three partners of the American Emporium hotel had decided it was unbefitting for the head of the ethernaut corps and local hero to sleep in a small room with a shared bath). The hotel had grown in such a fashion that very few could navigate the structure in its entirety without getting lost at least once.
And there were the caves.
Underneath the original hotel was a large cave, which had originally been used as a storage area and trash dump. When workers cleared out the debris, a tunnel was discovered that connected the large cave to four or five smaller caves, all surprisingly very stable and well ventilated. These newly discovered caves were used for the wine cellar, cold storage and other similar uses.
Dayo Wong had converted one of these caves for his family's personal use, and it was his daughter Cuifen who had discovered another tunnel that led to a cave with water. Specifically, the cave had a pool fed by a hot spring, and another one that was cool but not cold. The cave in question was amply lit with diffused sunlight coming from the ceiling. Cuifen immediately told her father about it and asked if she could use it as a bath for her and her friends. That might have seemed an odd request to any other father from his daughter, but Dayo had grown up with public baths in his town (with separate areas for each gender, of course), and his first thought was to investigate the soundness of this new cave. Exploring the caves himself, Dayo, who had some experience with tunnel building in the Western United States, declared it sound. Building a door for the entrance of the cave baths (to ensure the modesty of his daughter and her friends), Dayo gave his daughter several precautions, such as not to light paper lanterns around the bath. Finally, after one final check of the cave, Dayo pronounced the Wong Bathhouse for Women open.
Of course, Cuifen only had three friends to share it with, and they were reluctant at first. Bathe with a group of other people? It seemed an outrageous idea. Of course, a number of people might have considered the friendship that existed between Cuifen Wong, Jane Meynard, Sophia Fiorvanzo and Katherine O'Sullivan outrageous but, when examined, it was quite understandable. Cuifen, Jane and Sophia all worked at the hotel and, being of the same age and not really knowing anyone else, slowly gravitated toward each other. And Katherine, for all her worldliness and talk of independence, did yearn at times for the company of friends other than the hard writing, hard drinking press corps that she was usually surrounded by. So the four young women found themselves becoming fast friends.
When Cuifen gleefully told her friends that the four of them would have their own bathhouse, the news was met with shock, which of course shocked Cuifen. To her, it was an unheard of luxury, one that was surely reserved only for noblewomen, to have a bathhouse just for her and her friends. So why shouldn't she want to share her good fortune with her friends? After an uncomfortable silence, it was Katherine O'Sullivan who slowly drew out tales that Cuifen had heard from her father, about the various wonders of a Chinese city, including the public bathhouses.
After chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully, Katherine looked at her two Occidental friends and said, "Well, ladies, let's get out of our knickers and take a proper bath." Sophia and Jane were now doubly shocked, but Cuifen was filled with glee, uncharacteristically hugging her friend Katherine, then grabbing her by the hand, leading her to the bath. With an air of dread and foreboding, Sophia and Jane followed.
Once they got down to the bath caves, Cuifen showed them the door, with it inside lock and slide bar, then led them to the bath cave. The room was dimly lit from some unseen vents in the cave's ceiling, giving it the look of early morning. Cuifen showed them the various racks to hang their clothing on, and then, in one seemingly swift motion, disrobed and launched herself into the warm waters.
Exhibiting more courage than she felt, Katherine made a show of nonchalance as she undressed. Turning to Sophia and Jane, she said, "Well, come on you two. If you wait too long, I'm sure that water will get cold, hot spring or no."
It was probably Cuifen's obvious glee of having such a treasure to share with her friends that gave Sophia and Jane the courage to disrobe in front of others in public, and climb into the warm water. Cuifen was laughing and clapping, and began talking about how they could perhaps bring fruit juice and chill it for serving here. The western women nodded, finding the water actually quite comfortable, and the natural bench in the pool rather smooth. They still felt rather exposed,both physically and psychologically, but slowly began to get, if not comfortable, less uncomfortable. After a short time, the group shifted to the colder pool. Later, as they got dressed, Cuifen happily announced that this would be a weekly event, an announcement that was not met with universal glee among her Western friends.
Still, it did not take long for the weekly bath to become tolerated, and after a while, even anticipated.
During the weekly discussion that was taking place on the eve of the launch of the Prometheus, Katherine O'Sullivan was sitting forward in the warm water, naked as the proverbial jaybird, regaling her friends with the story of her appointment as the Moon Project's spokeswoman.
"And then he stuck out his hand to shake mine, to confirm the deal," she concluded.
"Because he wanted to show you respect," Jane noted solemnly, and Katherine nodded her head in agreement.
"And so what did you do next?" Sophia asked.
"I kissed him, of course," Katherine deadpanned. There was a collected gasp, and then Sophia laughingly said, "You Jezebel!" which led to a giggling water fight between Katherine and Sophia.
