“Laurent said, ‘The soldiers in Kastor’s army are trained in massage?’ ‘No,’ said Damen. ‘But I think the rudiments are easy to master. If you like.’ He applied a gentle pressure with his thumbs. He said, ‘You brought me ice, last night.’ ‘This,’ said Laurent, ‘is a little more – ’ It was a word of sharp points: ‘ – intimate,’ he said, ‘than ice.’ ‘Too.”
