Chapter 21

           "Youknowanythingaboutsynamorphesterone?"

           "Heardofit."Ortegadugabsentlyatthesandwiththetoeofoneboot.Itwasstilldampfromthetide’sretreat,andourfootprintswelledsoggilybehindus.Ineitherdirectionthecurveofthebeachwasdeserted.Wewerealoneapartfromthegullsthatwheeledingeometricformationshighoverhead.

           "Well,sincewe’rewaiting,youwanttofillmein?"

           "Haremdrug."WhenIlookedblank,Ortegapuffedouthercheeksimpatiently.Shewasactinglikesomeonewhohadn’tsleptwell.

           "I’mnotfromhere."

           "YouwereonSharya,youtoldme."

           "Yeah.Inamilitarycapacity.Therewasn’tallthatmuchtimeforculturalawareness.Weweretoobusykillingpeople."

           Thislastwasn’tquitetrue.FollowingthesackofZihicce,theEnvoyshadbeensteepedinthemechanicsofengineeringaregimecomplianttotheProtectorate.Troublemakerswererootedout,cellsofresistanceinfiltratedandthencrushed,collaboratorspluggedintothepoliticaledifice.Intheprocesswe’dlearntquitealotaboutlocalculture.

           I’daskedforanearlytransferout.

           Ortegashadedhereyesandscannedthebeachinbothdirections.Nothingstirred.Shesighed."It’samaleresponseenhancer.Boostsaggression,sexualprowess,confidence.OnthestreetintheMiddleEastandEuropetheycallitStallion,inthesouthit’sToro.