Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

Raisins and Almonds 1
women who are expecting. Rebecca says she’s going to be allowed
to do the whole fast this year. She says it’s to teach her what it’s
like to starve and thirst.’
‘I know that already,’ said Ruth soberly. Jane and Ruth
exchanged glances. They were considering their school mates,
who had certainly never been hungry for more than ten minutes
in their well-padded lives.
‘I think it’s a good sort of thing to do,’ decided Ruth.
‘So do I,’ agreed Phryne, who also knew all that she needed
to know about privation.
‘And I found out about giraffes,’ said Jane. ‘I asked Mr.
Levin. He says it is kosher for the same reason that camel isn’t.
Giraffes have hoofs, but camels have hard feet. But he said that
the Talmudic teachers say that if it is a choice between eating
non-kosher food and starving, one is required to live, so one
could eat camel if the alternative was death. He pinched my
cheek and laughed,’ said Jane philosophically, who could take
the rough with the smooth in pursuit of knowledge.
Phryne chuckled. ‘What shall I wear? I’m going to dinner and
then to the Kadimah, which may be anything from an anarchists’
den to a Sunday School—well, no, not precisely that, perhaps.’
‘Where are you dining?’ asked Jane.
‘The Society.’
‘You must really like this one,’ commented Ruth. The Society
was one of Phryne’s favourite restaurants. She only took people
she really liked to the Society.
‘I do,’ said Phryne. ‘What do you think, Dot, the green or
the red? Or maybe the tunic and Poitou trousers?’
‘Are you going to be doing anything active?’ asked Dot, who
had divulged her story about Mrs. Katz and the broken plate. ‘I
mean, not climbing around anything in the dark or that?’
‘No, mostly sitting, with a little quiet elegant dining and
some driving.’
‘I’d wear the green and a fillet,’ said Dot.
The girls nodded in unison. Phryne therefore dressed in
a cocktail length dark green dress of figured satin, with black