Page 84 of Diamond

"No, that is confinement."

I shrug and wrap my hands around my body. "Confinement, cloister, they're all the same."

He just doesn't seem to get it.

"That is not what a cloister is like," Kuret says quietly. When he has my attention, he speaks again. "Cloisters are made by women and respected by men. On my planet, it is a great honor to guard and protect a cloister." Kuret makes the clicking sound again. "No. I can assure you that it will not be the same with Ree. I will make sure of it even," he promises.

Looking into his wide eyes, I see that he means every word that he says.

"I guarded a cloister. It was my life before I was taken, and I can help Ree make sure it is a fair place to live."

I let out a long groan and place both of my hands on my face. "I don't think you are getting this, Kuret. Why do women even need to live so closed off from men?"

He looks confused by my question. "To protect them."

I shoot him a look. "Whatever those hunters can do to me, they can do to you and women can also protect."

He does not seem to understand what I am saying, and I roll my eyes.

"My point is, why do we have to be in separate places to be safe? We are on a new planet. Why does there have to be segregation?"

Kuret looks completely dumbfounded by my talking. "Because it is safer for women," he maintains and I groan even longer.

"I don't see why you would disagree after what you said those males did to your friends."

I open my mouth to disagree, then close it. He has a point. But then I shake my head. "There have been males in my life who have not been like that. Ones I miss very much."

He doesn't respond. I sit with my thoughts, not sure how to explain this properly to him. Our conversation is getting circuitous and I am trying to make a serious point here.

The argila bray playfully behind us and I turn to look at them.

An idea sparks in my head. "Look at Roshan and Darya. They are male and female who spend time together and they are fine."

He turns to look at them and I see his face softening.

"Males and females do not have to live apart. They can be free together, everyone contributing to the life and what it entails."

He is still quiet, but his brow furrows in what I assume is confusion at the last part of my sentence. I suppose it was pretty vague.

"Do you understand? Instead of separation, there can be collaboration—people working together to build a better life because they're people, not because they're male or female. Females can bond with females. Males with males. Females with males. Or whatever they may consider themselves. All of those relationships can be healthy, and on my world, they all exist."

Kuret runs his tongue over his dark bottom lip and I look away, concentrating hard on the rocks in my path.

The arousal is always there, but sometimes it surges at the simplest things, and now is not the time to be jumping on him.

"We don't have to be apart. I trust you, Kuret."

My eyes open wide as I say it, especially when I realize it's true. Somewhere along the way, he gained something that no man has had since mybabadied. My mouth opens, then closes, then opens again, but there are no words.

41

Kuret

After Nasrin tells me the story of her friends who were taken away and kept for months, I can't help but wonder why she is still speaking about putting males and females together. Since the situation seems to have happened because of that very mixture.

Females are fragile and even if I had no way of knowing, spending all this time around Nasrin has surely proven that to me. They are a special commodity that males are always trying to hurt and exploit, and I can't stand by and let it happen.

When she speaks about collaboration between males and females to build a better life, I fight the urge to laugh—not because it is funny, but because I know that it will never happen.