by Nina Pierce
“Complicated?” Merenith picked up a stone and heaved it into the churning waters. “It’s not really. A simple yes or no would suffice.” She threw another rock.
“Yes.”
Merenith turned her. “I’m not really surprised. Despite how hard I tried, we never really fit together did we? There was always something missing.”
“We both tried, Mer. I wanted so badly for you to be the one. When I came here, I had convinced myself I could live without all the pieces of my heart. But that was before …” Jahara didn’t know how to continue.
“Before someone else caught your eye.” Her words sounded so bitter.
“I wasn’t looking if—”
“I didn’t suspect you were.” Merenith lifted Jahara’s hand. “It wasn’t really a commitment ring, but obviously you’ve fallen in love if you’ve taken it off already.”
Jahara fished the ring from her pocket. “I took it off today. Right after your call when everything became very clear for me.” She looked back over her shoulder at Brenimyn.
“You’re not …” Merenith scanned Jahara’s face then over to Bren and back at her. “Oh no, don’t even … it’s not possible.” Her gaze darted again from Jahara to Brenimyn. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” Stretching her arm, Merenith shook her finger at the man placidly sitting with his face turned to the sky. “There’s something unnatural about this. I can feel it.”
“Merenith, he’s telepathic. Brenimyn brought us here so I could be with you.”
Merenith laughed out her disbelief. “Telepathic? A man with gifts? Right. And I suppose you’re going to tell me you’ve found a talking horse and a singing rabbit at the Garden as well.”
“Mer—”
“No, Jahara. This is crazy talk.” She turned and began to pace.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. And Bren isn’t the only male I’ve met with gifts.”
Merenith laughed. “What lies has this man been telling you?”
“Think about it. Genetically how could offspring, whether male or female, not develop traits of both parents? How could males not have gifts as well? I think women just want to ignore the possibility so they don’t have to admit men are our equals.”
“And I suppose you’re going to tell me he’s the one you’ve fallen in love with?”
Jahara stood her ground.
“Oh, no. No. No. No. And hell no!” She took Jahara by the shoulders and squeezed hard. “Even if you never come back to me, you can’t ruin your life this way.”
“I’ve learned much from—”
“Don’t say him. Just don’t say it.” Merenith spun around in a circle. “It’s not real, Jahara. None of this is real. Don’t you see how he’s tricked your mind? I don’t know how he’s doing it, but he’s taken hold of your common sense, hidden it deep and filled your head with crazy thoughts.” Her voice softened as she took Jahara’s hand in both of hers. “We both know there’s not a man on this earth who is capable of loving. He’s a breeder, for goodness’ sake. He was raised to copulate, to impregnate women, what does he know of love?”
Merenith’s words cut deep. Holding her own rage at bay, Jahara kept her tone even. “He was kidnapped from the Garden as an infant and raised by his Dame. He grew up with his birth-sisters. He knows love.”
“If you believe that, then be with him at the Garden. Let him stay in your apartment. Be together. Bear your two offspring, but then come back to the world of reality, Jahara. You’re fooling yourself if you think it can be otherwise.”
“But it can be. I’m not the only woman who believes. There are others at the Garden. Men and women in loving relationships. They—”
“No!” Merenith held her hands up between them to stop her words that no doubt sounded impossible. “This is insane. You’re talking about changing the natural order of things.”
“The time is now. I’ve come to believe that.”
“Only a revolution could change our world. You can’t be—”
Jahara nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Is he truly worth all that, Jahara?”
“This isn’t just for Bren and me. This about the rights of all men to be allowed to live a life beside the woman they love. For families to live as they choose without the government deciding what is natural and unnatural. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Then let someone else lead the fight.” Tears welled in Merenith’s eyes. “I care about you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t be doing this alone. Bren will be at my side through it all.”
“Are you sure he hasn’t brainwashed you or something?”
Jahara laughed. “Yes, I’m sure. My heart, not my head has made this decision.” She held Merenith’s face in her hands. “Brenimyn’s the one for me. I wasn’t looking, but there he is. There’s always been something missing.” Jahara took Merenith’s hand and pressed her palm between Jahara’s breasts. “With Bren, my heart is whole.”
“A man? You’re sure?” Shuddering at the thought, Merenith’s mouth curved in a sad smile of acceptance. “They’re not for everyone.” She looked over Jahara’s shoulder. “It must be destined. You’ve known him such a short time.”
Brenimyn’s love gave her courage. “I knew him the moment I met him. It just took some time before my head accepted what my heart knew to be true.”
Merenith took the jade ring Jahara still held. “We were never destined, Jahara. We both knew that. Even if you didn’t want to admit it.” Merenith put the ring on her finger and leaned forward, kissing Jahara’s cheek. “If it’s he who makes your heart sing, then you need to fight to make a life with him.”
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.” Fearing the fates would hear, she didn’t mention that she would lay down her life to fight for that love.
Chapter Sixteen
Xylice LeMoine yawned loudly, hoping the two burly women in the front of the vehicle would get the message. It was much too early in the morning for a sane woman to be moving about the Garden. The head of computer technology had called her barely an hour ago to report some major malfunction that required Xylice’s expertise with computers.
Rolling out of bed, she’d waddled into the bathroom. The seven-month-old fetuses taking up residence in her body made any quick maneuvers difficult. Splashing water on her face, Xylice had tried to wash the sleepy cobwebs from her head, wondering which system could have gone down. Everything in her apartment seemed to be in working order.
The Garden had an elaborate computer network running all aspects of the residences and the environment; from air and water purification to temperature controls to gentle rain showers that circulated water. Even the timing of the perpetual full moon, which had already set for the evening and the rising sun, whose rays were barely dusting the horizon, had been programmed to simulate the real world.
In the year since Xylice had arrived, no system had ever shown the slightest deviation from the norm. She couldn’t imagine what the government found so important that she had to be roused from a perfectly good night’s sleep. Everything around her seemed to be functioning.
Xylice had had little more than enough time to pull on some breeches and tie back her hair before the women escorting her were pounding on her door. They’d hustled her into the waiting car, discussing whether or not they should run with sirens. Xylice didn’t even know the government vehicles had that capability. As she fell back against the seat and closed her eyes, she was pleased they’d opted to ride to her office without the wailing noise. It would give her time for a brief catnap.
Yawning loudly again, she absently rubbed the growing mound of her stomach. In the last week, the babies seemed to have stretched her belly beyond any size she’d thought possible. The smocks she preferred no longer fit. Xylice could wear nothing more than breeches slung low on her hips, below the rounded mound of her stomach. Not that she minded. She was proud to show off her new body, with its protruding bellybut
ton and weighty breasts.
Her stomach growled. Her body demanded if she wasn’t sleeping, she needed to eat. She hoped there would be the usual assortment of pastries and teas at the computer complex. It seemed her babies were never satisfied until they had their daily dose of sugar. As if they knew she was thinking of them, one of the twins did a slow roll. Though the healer hadn’t told her, she knew he carried a boy and a girl. The thought made her smile.
Unexpectedly, the tires squealed as the vehicle careened around a sharp turn, throwing Xylice out of her musings and against the side of the door. She came fully awake, her heart pounding against her ribs. She hadn’t realized how fast they were traveling.
It took her a moment to realize she wasn’t being escorted to her office. The driver’s white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and the grim set of her profile, sent nervous energy skittering over her skin. Every fine hair on her body lifted with the adrenaline pumping through her blood.
What in Hades was happening?
They drove through the empty streets of the Garden at an alarming speed, the first rays of the sunrise gently washing the breeding residences in an orange hue. Normally, Xylice found the quiet solitude of early morning to be calming. Today, the curtained windows of the quiet neighborhood seemed to be hiding something dangerous and ugly.
Searching for explanations, her thoughts scattered, traveling along several paths, each one more treacherous than the last. She had no doubt something—or someone—was threatening the government. The computer team had trained for espionage scenarios, but no one believed any male breeder would find his way into the computer systems deep enough to threaten the inner-workings of the Garden.
It seemed they’d all been wrong.
By the time the tires screeched to a stop at one of the larger buildings, Xylice had realized her life may actually be in danger.
“We’re here,” the guard on the passenger side of the car muttered. She looked down at the official papers in her hand, confirming the address.
“A private residence? Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, honorable breeder.”
“The occupants are suspected of crimes against the government.” Swiveling in her seat, the driver looked back at Xylice. “The security system’s gone down and needs to be repaired immediately. We can’t tell you more than that.” The deep timbre of her voice made the words she spoke even more frightening.
“You can’t or you won’t?”
“There’s no need for you to know what has transpired. Just that the government requires you get the security feed functioning as quickly as possible.”
“How much danger am I in?”
“Absolutely none.” The first woman spoke with complete confidence that they could overpower a male. “There is no need for you to worry about your safety or that of your unborn offspring. We are here to protect you.” Her escorts laid their hands on the weapons at their hips.
Xylice had never noticed security guards were armed. Terror stole the breath from her lungs. “My gift is computers, not warfare. Why don’t you just go in and arrest the male?”
“Our orders are to have you repair the damage to the security system, not to take anyone into custody.” The driver got out the car. “We really need to hurry.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I talk to the head of my department. I don’t like any of this,” Xylice said as she unclipped the portable communication device from the waist of her breeches.
The call connected immediately and was answered on the first ring.
“Elona here.” The woman didn’t sound sleepy.
“Elona, it’s Xylice. What’s going on?” Fear trembled through her words.
“I don’t know. Hold on a minute.”
Xylice heard Corinna, Elona’s partner, murmur a complaint then the rustling of bedclothes, all the while, the small screen bounced pictures of Elona’s apartment as she moved into the adjoining bathroom and shut the door.
“Can you hear me?” Elona’s voice was a mere whisper.
Fear, cold and heavy, knotted in Xylice’s gut. “Yes, but just barely. What in Hades is going on?”
“I’m glad you called my personal communicator. I don’t want to upset Corinna.”
Xylice heard the water of several faucets.
“I haven’t been able to sleep since Dr. Bresilee called over an hour ago,” Elona said. “The woman was nearly hysterical, demanding my best tech be transported to some breeder’s residence immediately to repair some broken security cameras. Told me everything should be done immediately and with the utmost secrecy. I’m sorry, Xylice, I don’t know anything more than that.”
“There’s a male breeder threatening the government and they want me to go in there?” Xylice’s high-pitched voice cracked when she spoke.
“Xylice, I’m sorry. She asked for the best, so I sent the best. Don’t you have two guards with you?”
“Yes but—”
“I’m sorry, Xylice. We have no choice in this. Those women stopped here to pick up the gear. In the trunk of the car are the new cameras we’ve developed. Dr. Bresilee demanded the most up-to-date equipment we have. I included some of the small cameras to hide in the bathrooms and extra audio amplifiers. She wants this residence wired with everything we can put in there.”
“Elona, I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I. In the decade since I became head of computer technology, I’ve never been asked to do anything like this. But those two behemoths with you can surely outwrestle even the strongest male.”
Xylice turned her head into the seat. “They have weapons.”
“This is bigger than I thought.” Elona’s voice trailed off. “Listen, I’m sorry to put you in danger with the pregnancy and all, but you’re the only one I trust. I’ll be going into the office as soon as I can get away without arousing Corinna’s suspicion. In the meantime, just go in there, wire the place and get out. Program the feed to go directly to my office, Dr. Bresilee’s office and her personal computer. Call me when you have it all set up and I’ll give you the specs and frequencies for the routing information.”
“What did this male do?”
“Dr. Bresilee didn’t say, but it’s got to be bad if she’s asking us to do all this. Contact me on the secure line at the office. I figure it’ll take you the better part of the day to get everything hooked up and programmed. Sorry, kid, I can’t send you any help. Dr. Bresilee said only one tech and me. We’re the only ones in the loop. Hold on …”
Elona covered the communicator, her voice sounding distant as if she were responding to Corinna.
“Listen, I’ve got to go,” she said into the phone. “Merrick’s here and they’re calling for me.”
“Excuse yourself and join me here.”
“No can do. Since we scheduled his services, it would be hard for me to walk out now without Corrina asking questions.” The water turned off. “I’ll be in the office within the hour and be ready to program the feed from the office as soon as you’ve got it running. Sorry Xylice, you’re on your own.”
Elona clicked off the line before she could protest.
It wasn’t fair that Elona was snuggling back in bed with her lover while Xylice was walking into a hornet’s nest. She looked from the communicator to the expectant expressions of the guards. They actually appeared excited about the possibility of encountering a dangerous situation.
With tentative steps, Xylice followed the security guards up the walk. They didn’t have their weapons drawn, but their hands were at the ready. Wanting to move quickly if a fight erupted, she carried nothing but a small valise of tools. Once they’d cleared the apartment and determined it was safe, she’d send the muscular women out to unload the rest of the equipment in the trunk.
The guards didn’t bother knocking. One of them slammed her elbow into the fingerprint panel, sending a cloud of smoke into the air and effectively destroying the key pad. The other woman shouldered the door open. Though they could have
easily overridden the security code and retracted the door, it seemed the women wanted to demonstrate their authority.
The greasy nausea Xylice had held at bay finally reared its ugly head. She bent in half over the azalea bushes, puking her guts out as her escorts stormed into the residence, weapons drawn.
* * * *
Jahara couldn’t take her eyes off Brenimyn. Her fingers trailed along the curve of his jaw, her thumb sweeping his full lips. The angry lines that had creased his features last night were gone. The only time the man seemed fully at peace was in the arms of sleep.
For the first time in weeks, she’d passed the night in dreamless slumber. Without the burden of guilt pressing on her heart, her entire world had become lighter. The reunion she’d been dreading with Merenith was finally over.
After destroying the cameras and reassuring Bren, she’d contacted Mer again on the vid-com. The three of them had travelled again to the world by the river. Suspended between reality and imagination, they’d talked long hours into the night.
Brenimyn had been his usual charming self, winning over Merenith in the first few minutes of their meeting. He’d spoken eloquently of the new world order and taught Merenith the ways of the ancients—about family structures and the roles of men prior to the plague.
He’d walked away and allowed the women time to say proper farewells.
“He loves you, Jahara. What you’re doing is right.” Merenith held Jahara’s hands, affectionately rubbing her thumb over her knuckles. Both of them had known theirs was not a relationship based on love. Respect, yes, but not the life commitment kind of love she shared with Bren. “Your love surrounds you both like a circle of light. It isn’t something you can hide. Be careful at the Garden, they don’t like breeders to become attached. His vision asks much of you. I fear for your safety.”
“Thank you for your blessings and the warning.”
Merenith hugged her tight. “Be safe, my friend.”
“And you also.”
In the end, they’d parted sisters.
Now, lying in the bed with Brenimyn, Jahara felt at peace. She leaned in to kiss him, wanting another opportunity to make love in the privacy of an apartment void of cameras. Last night had given them a freedom they’d never enjoyed. They’d experimented, pleasuring each other in ways the Governmental Body wouldn’t have liked.