"I have heard rumours," Niabheara said loftily.

Elaine snorted. "But yours is obviously above it all?" she asked nicely. "I mean, Jochy knows what he's doing. But Jochy was a girl for a while, so I think he has a better idea of what he liked then."

She flushed again at the mention of Jochy being a girl, a parallel she had not considered. "And Marcello was likewise a girl, for a time. Mayhaps it should be a general rule, that all men have to spend at least six weeks as a woman and consider it an apprenticeship."

Elaine's eyes danced mischievously. "Do you want to break the news to Starling, or should I?" she asked, amused. "I feel sort of bad; he'll look just like Judith did when she was Ninnoc."

Niabheara shrugged it away. "I would, but Judith will be disappointed. I think she always wanted a boy, after so many little girls. It's as if she's made up for it by hiring herself whole crews of sons."

"Oh, it's only for six weeks," Elaine replied. "Judith can deal with it. Besides, if somebody explains it to her as leveling the playing field between him and Jochy, she'll be all for it," she explained cheerily. "Anything to make Starling look like a better option than Jochy."

"I will be disappointed, then, how's that? He would make a terrible girl. He's too headstrong and silly and he won't hold still for the world." She looked a little more wistful. "You will be kind with him?"

Elaine looked a little uneasy. "I'm trying to," she answered. "I'm not sure I know how. And he's...I feel like he's the one who's risking the most hurt and I don't want to hurt him. I'm mad at them both for saying yes to this and I'm mad at myself for asking."

She nodded. "Whate'er her reasons, Dierdre made one true point. She came into the situation knowing about Marcello; she knew she would not be the only one in my life. She made that choice. Marcello has not."

Elaine grimaced. "All the same," she said. "Dierdre's...she's much older than Starling. Or me. She's much more headstrong and more sure of what she wants. And she's got a better sense of what she's getting into. She's also got a different choice. She's got to pick between sharing you and knowing she might never have anyone. I don't think I'm so special that anyone should be willing to share me."