THE PREACHERS DAUGHTER

days l

ary 12, 95

. She turned to him. "You okay?" "Your form..." whispered Basel. "It's so beautiful." Eliana sighed back. It was Basel's first direct comment about her appearance and she felt quite touched by it. She thought for a moment, and realized she didn't know if he meant her martial arts form or the feminine shape of her body in the tight leotards. Eliana wasn't too sure what men thought of her face, but she thought she had an attractive figure, pleasantly proportioned, very fit and a bit curvier than most. "Thank you," she whispered back, and then more loudly, "Uh, time to get dinner going!" She headed for the ladder. "What's on the menu?" Basel called out. "A surprise! You like hot and spicy?" "Oh, my favorite!" She laughed. "Great!" "Uh, Eliana?" Basel called out after she was partway down the ladder, only her head and shoulders above floor level. "Yeah?" "After dinner, you want to... oh, play a board game or listen to music or something?" "Sure! Both sound nice. Let's just see if you survive my cooking first!" And so saying, her head disappeared from view. Eliana was surprised how excited she was during dinner. Her stomach felt tied in knots and she barely noticed the taste of her own cooking, though she was very happy that Basel obviously enjoyed her efforts. After cleanup, they both drifted to the game table in the small recreation area. Basel made a gesture, and Eliana opened the computer log and looked at the game menu. "There's a huge selection here. What's your pleasure, pure strategy, mostly chance, or something combination like backgammon? Feeling lucky tonight?" Eliana gulped. Her last question also had a vulgar slang meaning. She had just asked Basel if he thought he was going to have sex with her tonight. She looked timidly in his eyes. He was shaking his head slowly no, but his eyes were full of kindness. "Sorry." she whispered. "Basel?" "You are so amazing." "Oh? How so?" "You remind me of The Preacher Man." "Huh? What? I do?" "Yeah, the First Tower. Ilias made this wonderful observation when he first met Abigail, about how can a woman be so soft and so strong at the same time. His comment reminds me of you." "It does?" "Yeah. Your accomplishments, your dedication, your competitive spirit, you are so sharp, and all your abilities orbit such a gentle core. Eli, you amaze me." "Eli?" Eliana whispered. "I haven't been Eli since my twelfth year. Only my grandmother calls me Eli now." "Ah. Do you mind?" "N