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"Divertissement" Karen gasped, her hands clasped together near her chest, eyes wide with joy. “Mina! Mina, is it really you?” “Yes, it’s really me,” she said with some hesitation, then threw her arms around the younger girl. Karen hugged her back. “I’ve missed you so much!” Mina pulled away and appraised her former student. “Have you been practicing?” “Every day! Just like you taught me!” Mina nodded. “Good girl.” She drew back, beckoning Karen to follow. The room was plain, with simple furniture, but flowers covered every surface. With a swirl of green silk, Mina sat down and asked quietly, “What are you doing here, Karen?” Karen suddenly felt strange and embarrassed, like when she was little and made mistakes during training. Mina had a way of looking at her that seemed to diminish her without ever saying a word. “What’s wrong, Mina?” “I asked you why you were here.” “I came looking for my sister. She’s been missing for months now.” Mina shook her head a little. “Karen…what did you think you were going to do here? How were you planning to eat?” “Well, I thought I’d dance….” “You won’t!” Mina jumped to her feet and took Karen by the shoulders. “What do you think happens to girls in this town? This is a soldier base. These aren’t the drunken lowlifes from Kuskus…” Karen backed up a little and whispered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think…” Mina sighed and dropped her hands. “It’s all right, Karen. I just don’t want you to wind up the way I did…” Karen glanced at her curiously, but knew when Mina didn’t want to divulge anything, so she didn’t press it. “Mina…” “You can stay with me for awhile,” Mina said at last. “I have to work tonight, so you’ll be on your own. Stay inside. Tomorrow, I’ll find some way to get you on a boat to someplace else.” The thought of the boats made Karen queasy all over again, but she only said, “All right, Mina.” Mina nodded and walked over to the stove to make tea. “After you left Greenhill, I thought I could make more money someplace else so I left. What I found…is not…the life I want for you. What do you think happened to your sister?” “I don’t know,” Karen said in despair. “I can’t find her anywhere.” Mina handed her the tea, and Karen drank it slowly. “Sorry to hear it.” “And I’m out of money too. I left Kuskus in such a hurry. There were men who were trying to-“ Mina held up one hand and said, “There always are.” The was a long pause, and Mina said quietly, “It’s almost sunset. It’s time for work. Tell you what, let’s go together, and get on stage once more, for old time’s sake.” “Really? You’d let me?” Mina nodded. “We’ll be safe together. Here…” She opened a trunk and handed Karen a silky red dress. Karen dressed quickly and wove red flowers into her hair, so that her costume matched Mina’s. The two went down to the tavern, where already the bar was filling up. Karen followed Mina on stage, taking a deep breath. The two posed together, and as the music started, Mina whispered, “Show me how good you’ve become.” So she did.
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