was
longer." His grim face the image left behind as he strode jauntily from the Pres- ident's bedroom.
"It's all right, dear," mur- mured Consuela, patting Irena's soft back and shoulder. "We'll do something about him. We really will.”
him
"Perhaps we should let her," marry sneered Isabel, pouring a drink from the bottle she'd brought from her own room. "It'd serve him right, and then we'd have him trapped, too."
She frowned at the aghast glances she received from the other two women. How would that be any be any different from what they were asking 'her' to do already? The poor kid might as well have a little fun if 'she' could get it, Isabel thought.
ONE OF THE 'GIRLS'
Irena/Esteban's personal crisis had prevented Consuela from finding out immediately what Louis Ward had had to see her about so urgently. It wasn't until Isabel had retired in a huff, and they had relieved their tension again through ar- dent lovemaking, Irena's fem- inine nightwear adding to rather than detracting from their en- joyment, that Consuela remem- bered to ask what Ward had spoken to 'her' about.
"The El Chaco offensive has been launched at last," said Irena in her gentlest voice. 'She' sat in front of her dressing- table mirror while Consuela arranged a sleep-wig for her.' 'She' sat on the satin-covered chair, now in a long, white nightdress that was gathered tightly about her legs. 'She' wore a sleep-bra too, so that the image in the mirror was totally feminine, from bare shoulders, past narrow waist and graceful form. For the first time since Consuela had been dressing 'her,' 'she' didn't seem to mind what Consuela doing for her.
was
"The Americans have found out," stated Consuela. “Are they upset by that?"
"They didn't expect us to strike," murmured Irena, feeling a lump rise in 'her' throat as Consuela tied a very wide, pink ribbon about his hair, a pink like his panties.
"Th-they'd h-hoped for a negotiated settlement," Irena's voice pattern went on hesita- tingly, as Consuela ran her hand down Irena's arm in affection. "Ward said we're destroying the basis for a lasting peace settle- ment in.
...
"What did you say to that?" interrupted Consuela. She sat quickly beside the beau- tiful girl, incredibly so, since there was no makeup on 'her' face. It was a marvel how she'd recovered her feminine cool after the shock Ricardo, and then Isabel had dealt her. But the arduous lovemaking session with Consuela had somehow restored 'Esteban's' belief in himself, but it was so hard to think of 'her' as 'him' any- more for Consuela. She had to clench her fists to remind herself that this was a man in front of her not a pretty, young girl, ready for her bed.
--
"I told him that I would recommend to the Junta that our offensive halt at the bor- der," Irena answered naturally in her soft, feminine tones. She sat gracefully, staring through lashes that seemed more heavily fringed since she'd be- come Irena's mirror image. With tiny, thin eyebrows, hardly thicker than an eyelash, it would take a long time, 'she' knew, to restore the boy to his ori- ginal appearance if he ever
--
had to return, of course, which didn't then seem likely.
"Have you been in touch with Ramon?" Consuela tried to keep her mind on politics, the reason behind this action Sal- luca had started. But it was hard when she wanted to take the youth she knew was inside. the female form and let him
-35-
make love again to her.
took
Irena shook her head. "I should do that now," she said. She stood, allowing the folds of the nightdress to fall to her ankles. She stepped into white, high-heeled slippers. Then, she a white, silk negligee from the rack of clothes in the walk-in cupboard by the wall. She slipped her arms through the filmy material, tying the satin ribbon about her narrow waist. Even in the loose clo- thing, she minced across the white carpet to the door to the antechamber.
Consuela watched 'her' move. He really is 'Irena' now, she thought starkly. She's act- ing, thinking and looking like a woman. She could even marry Ricardo and probably keep him guessing for quite awhile, Con- but suela thought bitterly, couldn't think why she was so upset by the thought.
Irena spoke in a low tone to one of the officers in the antechamber. Consuela had followed her to the bedroom door to watch. She realized that Irena had just moved off to deal with the staff herself, without Isabel or Consuela inter- vening. Irena sat down at the communications set, the micro- phone in front of her, the nightgown smoothed about her legs. She smiled her thanks to the officer who contacted Aguilar's headquarters at Ciudad Domingo for 'her.' The officer responded to her smile with one of his own. The poor guy, thought Consuela. He was ac- tually staring at Irena in ad- miration the poor fool but Irena shouldn't be encourag- ing him as she was.
――
"Good evening, General,” Irena said calmly into the mike. Consuela moved closer to hear. Without Irena's beautiful image in front of him to remind him of Irena's femininity, the Gen- eral might suspect something in the voice. But she didn't have to worry. Irena's voice was clearly 'hers.' "This call is scrambled. We can talk freely,"