Shades of Grey

JZASACH— NOVEMBER 1843

I saw nothing wrong with Jzasach upon first glance. Everyone seemed bright and happy; just like any other vivacious, burgeoning city. The women walked along the side streets in tightly packed groups, laughing together and carrying on their business like the many women I had seen in my travels thus far.

“Forma, I don’t see anything wrong,” I whispered in her ear as I dismounted and walked next to her. “The women seem to be a bit selective of whom they associate with, but all seems fairly…”

I stopped as I saw a group of men pass by us. I gasped, for I felt strangely emasculated. There were four young men all around the age of twenty-five. Their physical make-up, however, suggested that they were closer to thirty-five. The shortest among them stood at a solid six foot, five inches tall with the tallest being at least seven foot. Their limbs were all long and oddly large for such young, well-to-do men. They were not dressed like men who were accustomed to backbreaking physical labour, so how on earth had they grown so large?

“Look at those men!” I cried.

“My god…they look like Trenstors,” she remarked, looking around. “The vast majority of the younger men seem to have a similar build…”

We then walked passed a group of young, aucourant girls all with various colored dobbins in their hair gathered around the entrance to a pub. They sniggered quietly as they spotted me and I remembered that my camouflage was that of a young, powerfully built man. My stomach dropped in revulsion at the blandishing dalliances I knew they would shortly employ. How could I have been so shortsighted? I should have seen this as a possible consequence…

“Hello!” said a blonde girl with dazzling blue eyes and porcelain skin. She gave me a demure smile and I did my best to appear flattered, but the very thought that she was attracted to me made my stomach churn.

“Hello,” I said in poor effort to look charming, tipping my hat and attempting to walk around her. She stepped in front of me, obstructing my way and making her intentions quite clear.

“Do you need a hotel? My father owns one, I can give you a room for no charge!” she exclaimed desperately.

“Gabrielle, don’t lie!” cried a girl with long black hair and mysterious raven-like eyes. She turned to me and gave me another smile. “Her father just manages the hotel, he doesn’t own it! We have a guest house on my property; you can stay there in complete seclusion!”

“Well it wouldn’t be very secluded now, would it Farrah?” quipped the first girl. The other girls began laughing as well.

“Well it’s on my father’s land, which is guarded by Snapping Brazilian Rose Bushes so none of you could get through!” retorted Farrah.

The girls suddenly began arguing over who would get to show me to a place of lodging and I cast a nervous glance at Forma, who was whinnying in amusement.

“Oh come now, you should be flattered!” she reproved.

“I feel like I’m going to vomit…” I admonished.

“Is it really so nauseating? It’s your own fault for choosing such a winsome disguise.” Forma turned away from me, snorting in laughter.

“Well you should have warned me that I was so good-looking!” I shot back.

Forma took the next several minutes to whinny, clearly laughing at my ridiculous retort.

“If they want to take you to a hotel without charge, I say we go. We need to save all the money we have. And please act as if like you appreciate their generosity. Girls like a man who can accept their help. You should know better than anyone!”

I shut Forma out of my head and turned to the second girl, quieting the frivolous disputation.

“What is your name?” I asked, already having forgotten.

“My name is Farrah Hallington!” she replied, quivering as I took her hand.

“I greatly desire my privacy, for my line of work is very...” I struggled for a word, nearly laughing aloud as I saw all the girls leaning forward in curiosity “...complicated.”

“What a brilliant lie,” Forma snapped. “Now they’re going to think you’re a murderer.”

“Shut up,” I retorted.

“Well, our guest house is completely and totally private! Nobody will inconvenience you there!” she laughed.

“Except you, Farrah,” Gabrielle whispered under her breath. The other girls laughed as they walked away, accepting defeat.

“Oh shut it! Jealousy is a sin!” she called to them. They all turned back and stuck their tongues out at her, whereupon she pretended to be much more mature than they were and scoffed in disgust as she turned back to me with a youthfully pining smile.

“Just follow me!” she cried in a high voice.

I gave as refined a smile as I could assemble and held out my arm for her to take. She grasped my masculine bicep and pointed down a street to my right.

“It’s just this way,” she said with a laugh.

“I liked the arm, that was a nice touch,” Forma complimented.

“Don’t patronise me,” I quipped with a playful grin. Forma gave another snort of laughter as we followed Farrah down the street.