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“I promise to do your face after I do Portula’s,” Marona said

“And you said you’d fix my hair, Wylopa,” Portula said

“You promised to do me, too,” Lorava said from the entrance to the room

“If you are over your coughing spell,” Marona said, giving the young woman a hard look

While Wylopa combed and fussed with her hair, Ayla watched with interest as Marona decorated the faces of the two other women She used solidified fats mixed with finely powdered red and yellow ochres to add color to mouths, cheeks, and forehead, and mixed with black charcoal to emphasize the eyes Then she used more intense shades of the sans of dots, curved lines, and various other shapes to their faces in a way that reminded Ayla of the tattoos she had seen on some people

“Let me do your face now, Ayla,” Marona said “I think Wylopa is done with your hair”

“Oh, yes!” Wylopa said “I’m finished Let Marona do your face”

While the face decorations of the women were in

teresting, Ayla felt unco, there was a subtle use of color and design that was very pleasing, but Ayla wasn’t sure she liked the way the women looked It seemed too much, somehow

“No … I don’t think so,” Ayla said

“But you have to!” Lorava said, looking dismayed

“Everyone does it,” Marona said “You would be the only one without it”

“Yes! Go on Let Marona do it It’s what all the women do,” Wylopa said

“You really should,” Lorava urged “Everyone alants Marona to paint her face You’re lucky she’s willing”

They were pressing her so hard, itto her about having to get her face painted She wanted to take the time to find her way and not be pushed into customs she was not familiar with