He knew from an early age he was not like the other Dandy boys. He refrained from the gymnastics practice they engaged in to keep their bodies toned and pretty. He had no interest in fashion, cosmetics, perfume, or jewelry, all staples of the Dandies’ inconsequential existence. He avoided richly prepared foods, heavy with spices, and ate raw vegetables for sustenance only and not enjoyment. He preferred to dress in a simple black robe, with a rope belt around his waist, a male version of the garb favored by the Konna. He was mocked mercilessly by the Dandy boys for his fashion sense, or lack of it, though they never resorted to physical punishment for his deviation. Violence was the remit of the Damm Warriors, and the Dandy boys relied on sharp tongues to do their cutting. Justin the Jeweless, they mocked him, more Konna than Dandy. He did not care. He never felt comfortable with their communal living, and he saw and hated what they grew up to be. Vain men who drank themselves into oblivion, or smoked the black tar until their brains melted, occasionally fornicating with the mighty Damm Warriors or the stout Konna when a new brood of children were required, or more likely cavorting with each other. It was considered unseemly to reach an old age, and Dandies were expected to flame out as their looks faded and their bodies turned to bloat. He wanted to live forever and read, and read, and read.

Justin knew he was different from the Dandies in other ways too. While most of them were fair haired and fair skinned, his hair was black and his skin was a darker shade. That in itself separated him from his peers, and children were always quick to notice and point out the disparity.