When Hsi-men returned from washing. Golden Lotus was naked on the cushions. In the heat she fanned her white limbs with a white fan, but her shoes were crimson.
Naked himself, Hsi-men wriggled his toes in another crimson shoe. Then, setting to work more seriously, he made his little plaything glisten under his fingers, the crimson opening slippery with nectar on his tongue.
The need too urgent, they played the oldest, fiercest game: The arrow through the Arch. Soon they were lost in the sounds and smells and tastes of battle. At the moment of his victory, which was hers also, Golden Lotus cried out from under him: 'Darling, Darling!' It was her battle cry