Carnal Rites

by Ines Johnson

  Merlyn couldn't tell which one. Though they were of different ages, hues, and hair color, they all looked the same to Merlyn. They were all dressed in robes of the deepest purple with accents of greens and blues, the colors of the Goddess' womb.

  "True," said Merlyn. "The Goddess has withheld females from this world due to the devastation wrought by men."

  Merlyn recited the facts she'd heard all her life. The words landed hollow in her ears. She met her Mother's eyes. Lady Angyla's stern face is what made Merlyn continue.

  "But the Goddess also designed females with superior knowledge that we might fix what men destroyed."

  Merlyn saw the only man in the crowd bristle. His muscles bunched under his linens. He was the Male Voice, the sole representation for the male population. He had no vote, but he was allowed to speak for the men. Though, he was only allowed to speak at appointed times. Merlyn's voice ceased at the sight of his closed mouth.

  Her heart ached at the loss of Jaspir. Her mind swirled at the absence of Liam. Her body still felt the effects of their lovemaking from the previous night.

  "Lady Merlyn," said Sister Mychelle of the Chamber of Culture, "what you propose —to designate the gender of a child—smacks at the hand of the Goddess and Her designs."

  Merlyn snapped out of her memory and found her voice. "The Goddess gave us our brains and our own two hands. Women of science healed the tear in the sky. We eliminated pollution in the air by banning the use of fossil fuels and coals and only using solar energy and hydroponics. Female medics have eradicated many diseases by a simple change in diet. None of this smacked at the Goddess' hands. I believe we've stood up to the potential She set within us.

  "What we know about insemination, back in the time before the Great Destruction, is that the procedure was performed due to low fertility in women. That is no longer a problem with the women of our time. We are able to conceive. We just aren't able to conceive the correct sex."

  The Male Voice bristled again. From the corner of her eye, Merlyn saw his fists clench and unclench. She saw his chest heave in a deep breath and then let it out slowly.

  "My partner and I—" From the other corner, Merlyn saw her Mother bristle. Merlyn began again. "By the grace of the Goddess, I was been able to identify the female chromosome in the makeup of spermatozoa."

  Merlyn's tongue felt swollen as she forced the words out of her mouth. It wasn't by the grace of the Goddess. It was by the mathematical work of a man. She wished Liam were here now. He rarely stood beside her when she presented findings to her Mother and Grand Mother, but at this moment, he was sorely missed.

  Merlyn's hand went to her lips. They still tingled from his kiss. Her hand reached back to the nape of her neck where he had held her to him. She'd watched his fingers fly across a calculator for years, but she had never known how strong they were. Had never thought it.

  "Merlyn."

  She looked up. Her Mother glared at her. Everyone stared at her, including Alyss, who sat behind Sister Valyrie of the Chamber of Health and Sciences. Alyss' appointment to the Chamber of Health and Sciences was still fresh. She was an intern. Her eyes told her sister not to embarrass her in front of all these people. Alyss cared about appearances. Merlyn cared what people thought, but not about her appearance. She cared that they thought her smart.

  "Merlyn," her Mother said in a tone of false kindness. "Please finish explaining your findings to the Sisterhood."

  Merlyn took a step forward. "We—"

  Her Mother glared. Merlyn clearly read in her Mother's eyes: men don't count.

  Merlyn stepped back. "I was able to isolate the female spermatozoa by a mathematical calculation. You see, they weigh more than a male due to the extra leg of the chromosome that forms an X. We could isolate these X spermatozoa and place them in a fertile female uterus. The procedure would be painless, with little to no side effects."

  "And then nine months later," interrupted Lady Angyla, her voice dripping with enthusiasm and fervor, "a guaranteed baby girl."

  "And thereby completely eradicating the need for men."

  There was a gasp through the room. Merlyn didn’t doubt it had less to do with her Mother's conclusion and more to do with the speaker.

  It wasn't the Male Voice that spoke, but a male behind him. His skin was a deeper brown than Jaspir's. He looked at Merlyn with narrowed eyes. Merlyn had never seen this male before, but suddenly she felt ashamed.

  "That will be all, Emet." The Male Voice motioned for the young man to step back.

  His fingers gripped the banister. He released the banister, hunched his shoulders and hung his head. The maneuver made him appear smaller.

  "My apologies ladies, for the outburst," said the Male Voice. "But I do feel that I need to speak to this matter."

  "It is not your appointed time," said Sister Valyrie.

  "If I do not speak now, men may no longer be able to speak. We will be minimized to laborers, slaves."

  "Don't be outrageous. Men have been given a voice on this panel."

  The man nodded. "A voice, but not a vote."

  The male's eyes connected with Merlyn. The mix of anger, frustration, and... fear. It overwhelmed her. The Male Voice sat down beside Emet in their small booth.

  Once again, Merlyn struggled to find her voice. But her voice was no longer needed. Lady Angyla stepped in front of her.

  "In truth, ladies," Angyla said. "There are more of them than there are of us. I think the Goddess showed my daughter this jewel of reproductive science so that we can take our destiny in our own hands, and defend this planet and Her womb from more of mankind's ill will. We have had peace these last centuries. But we all know resistance is within men's ranks." Lady Angyla pointed to the Male Voice and his assistant who sat rigidly in his chair. "That outburst should prove that to us."

  A debate rose up amongst the women. But it was all gibberish to Merlyn. She stole out of the room at the first opportunity.

  Bursting out of the glass doors, she gulped in a lungful of air.

  "Merlyn?"

  Merlyn looked behind her to see her sister.

  "What are you doing out here?" Alyss said. "They're debating your finding. I thought this was what you wanted?"

  "Liam should be here."

  "Why would he be here? The males already have a voice on the council. Though he will be reprimanded for speaking out of turn. Can you believe the nerve—"

  "It's Liam's finding."

  Alyss frowned. "I don't understand you? Even if Liam did the calculations, he couldn't put the whole thing together. That would take a woman's mind. Men don't do complex things like this without it causing destruction."

  "That's not true Alyss. I couldn't have done this without Liam. He's gone now and I don't know where he is. I don't know where Jaspir is either?"

  "Who's Jaspir?"

  "Never mind." Merlyn began walking away.

  "Merlyn." This time it was her Mother's voice. "Get back in here. The Sisterhood has questions for you."

  Merlyn turned. She looked up at her Mother. The stern look on her Mother's face beckoned her forth, but Merlyn's feet wouldn't budge. She felt off balance. She shook her head and then turned and walked away. A moment later, an arm linked through hers.

  "What are you doing?" Merlyn asked Alyss.

  "The look on Mother's face was too priceless." Alyss grinned ear to ear. "Plus you are obviously in a state of shock or insanity. You shouldn't be alone now. You can deal with her later."

  But Merlyn didn't want to deal with her Mother later on. She didn't want any deals with her Mother any longer.

  Merlyn made it to her conveyance. Alyss hopped into the passenger seat and Merlyn began to drive. When the car stopped, they were at Chanyn's. If she couldn't find Liam, perhaps she could find Jaspir. Jian knew where he was the first time, maybe he'd know this time.

  When they got to the house, Rianald, the manservant, let them in. Chanyn sat on a sofa in the cradle of her bondmate, Khial. The two of them looked
up at a portrait on the wall.

  Alyss stepped in front of Merlyn, not waiting to be announced. She made a beeline for the portrait. "That is simply breathtaking."

  Khial looked around and frowned. The two had never met before. His arm reflexively tightened around Chanyn.

  "Hello, Alyss." Chanyn said from her husband's arms.

  "Hello, cousin Chanyn. Felicitations on your conception." Alyss never turned to Chanyn as she spoke. Her eyes were riveted on the portrait. "This is simply lovely. The lines, the colors. They're unlike anything I've ever seen before."

  "Thank you, Alyss," said Chanyn. "It was made for me by a friend."

  "She is amazing."

  "She is actually a—"

  "The only thing I would've done differently," Alyss continued, "is add a spot of color, right here. You should tell her to add more of it in her future renderings."

  "You can tell him yourself."

  Alyss turned confused. Chanyn pointed to the far side of the room where a man stood, his attention rapt on Alyss as though she were unreal.

  "You did this?" Alyss pointed at the paining.

  The man's eyes tore away from Alyss and followed her finger. Then, as though they were magnetized, his eyes snapped back to Alyss. He didn't respond with any words.

  "This is one of my mate, Jian's, brothers. His name is Adom."

  Alyss frowned. "Are you apprenticed to the painter Amalyia? Or perhaps Koryn?"

  Still no response.

  "Surely you could not have done this all by yourself."

  "And why not?" His voice was soft.

  "Men don't have the capacity for artistic endeavors outside of a paint-by-numbers exercise."

  The man blinked and lowered his eyes.

  Jian entered the room. His expression grave. His eyes locked onto Merlyn.

  "Jian," said Chanyn. "Is everything all right with Jaspir?"

  "What's wrong with Jaspir?" Merlyn said.

  "You didn't know? He was arrested."

  "Arrested?"

  "But he's free now."

  "Free? Where did he go?"

  21

  The drive outside of the city took Liam a few hours. The paved roads turned to gravel and then to a green carpet. There wasn't another house for miles. Liam could just make out the smoke from a chimney in the distance. He pulled up to a quaint little cottage and parked his conveyance.

  "This is it?" Liam turned to Jaspir. "This is your dream home?"

  They'd come straight here after Liam took Jaspir to the landowner's offices. Liam paid the remainder of the debt to the landowner, who looked over her shoulder at Jaspir. Jaspir fidgeted behind Liam. His protests, after he'd left the courthouse, had grown more and more lackluster. All fight had gone out of the male. His money had been stolen by some fiend who was long gone. Jaspir had a good idea of who the culprit was. The concierge who had greeted Liam at each of his visits to The Stallion, save the other day, had mysteriously disappeared. The platinum-haired male could be found and prosecuted. There weren't many places to run and hide. But the matter would take time and the land would be gone by then.

  The look on Jaspir's face now as he looked up at the worn structure was one of rapture. Liam had seen the same look on his face the night he'd taken off Merlyn's shirt, when he and Jaspir beheld her naked form.

  Jaspir's throat worked but no words came out. Jaspir nodded in answer to Liam's question. Tears pricked at the edges of his eyes. Liam thought he should look away at such a private moment, but he couldn't tear his eyes from the man.

  Liam had to wonder, had anything ever inspired him so much? So much that he shook just standing before it. So much that his mouth parted in awe and his heart sank into his chest.

  Liam looked away from Jaspir when the answer came through to his mind. He'd spent years licking up the crumbs of affection Merlyn tossed over her shoulder to him. And they weren't true crumbs. He knew that now, after he'd had her in his arms, had been buried deep inside her body, had tasted the sweetness of her lips. The mere thought brought a tightness to Liam's chest.

  Tightness at the thought of her, despair at the loss of her. He had no clue what he would do next, where he would go, who he would even be. He'd put everything he had into being what Merlyn needed. Without her, he didn't know who he was.

  "Would you like to come see it?"

  Liam's instinct was to turn away from Jaspir, to hide his uncertainty. An uncertain mathematician, that was a joke. When he turned back to Jaspir, Liam saw that the male's expression was open, an invitation. They both disembarked from the conveyance.

  The steps were crumbling on one side of the porch. The railing rusted with a few spaces of the metal missing.

  "It's going to be a fixer upper." There was no shame in Jaspir's voice. He sounded excited, loving as he explained his plans for the house, just like he'd explained to Liam how to touch Merlyn.

  The house was one story, like most modern homes. There was a large living room with a fireplace. The floors were wood, the exterior brick. There was a small kitchen and an attached first meal nook with a table, made from the roots of a tree and a circular glass top.

  Liam found himself seeing Jaspir's vision and getting excited at the possibilities. Tentatively, Liam began making his own suggestions. At each of these Jaspir smiled and nodded. A time or two Jaspir asked Liam for more of his thoughts.

  The last parts of the house were two rooms. One with a large bed that looked as though the room had been built around it. Together Jaspir and Liam spread out a huge quilt that Jaspir's brother, Adom, had given to him. And then they stood looking down. Neither man moved.

  Liam couldn't tell what Jaspir was thinking as he looked at the large bed. Likely he was thinking of what it would be like to have Merlyn between those sheets.

  Jaspir's hand came to Liam's side. Liam jumped, his whole body tense. He turned to Jaspir.

  Jaspir smiled. The smile told Liam that Jaspir had caught the racing of his heart, the throb of his cock.

  In answer, Jaspir cocked his head. "Let me show you the last room."

  He led them out and down the hall to a room somewhat smaller than the bedroom. It was obviously a second bedroom. Liam wondered if Jaspir was about to ask him to stay. He wondered how he'd answer if the question was posed.

  "In my dreams, I'd envisioned this room as a lab," Jaspir said.

  "Oh," Liam croaked, hope going out of his voice.

  "I know." Jaspir walked to the far edge and looked out the window. "She'll probably never even see it, but I can't change my mind. It was my plan. I'm a stubborn bastard."

  "No," said Liam. "You have faith. It’s not something that I understand as a scientist; a belief without facts." Liam shook his head. "The fact is that she does love you, always has. She might see it one day after all."

  Jaspir found two tin cups in the kitchen. They went out back to a well. They sat at the edge of the well drinking the cool, earthy water, staring out at the fields.

  "So, they kicked you out?" Jaspir asked.

  Liam had finally recounted the events of the early morning when he had been thrown bodily from the house.

  "She loves you, too, you know."

  Liam shook his head at Jaspir's statement. He'd seen and felt what was between Jaspir and Merlyn.

  "I think she feels compassion for me," Liam said. "I think she wants me to be happy. But it’s not... inexplicable like it is with you."

  "Liam?" Jaspir waited for Liam to look at him before he continued to speak. When green eyes met brown, Jaspir said, "That is the definition of love. Wanting another to be happy without condition. I knew I couldn't be with her, and so I trained you, all in an effort to ensure her happiness. And now you've given her all of your calculations so that she can achieve her dreams and be happy."

  He had done that. He'd worked to ensure her success. Liam didn't think twice about allowing her to take credit for his work. That may have shown his love for her. But it didn't show her love for him. But that was okay. As Jaspir s
aid, his love for her was without condition. It was just...

  "I don't know if it’s going to make her happy," Liam admitted. "I've never actually seen her smile or laugh in the presence of her Mother. Yesterday, in your bed, is the happiest I've ever seen her."

  Jaspir didn't disagree.

  "Do you think..." Liam looked up at Jaspir, feeling as sheepish as a child asking. "Do you think she might ever come to realize that, and come here to find you?"

  Jaspir smiled at the thought. "It’s another one of my dreams, and as you see, I don't give up on my dreams." Jaspir rose from the well. "Stay for dinner?"

  Liam looked up. "Yes."

  "You can stay the night, if you’d like."

  The fire of desire in Jaspir's eyes made the parameters of his invitation crystal clear. Liam's cock throbbed in his pants. He couldn't speak. He only nodded his head.

  Jaspir smiled, this time it was that confident, knowing smile. "Maybe you'll stay for a while." Jaspir turned and headed back to the house. "Grab the crate of food from the car, will you?" he tossed over his shoulder.

  Liam sat rooted to the well long after the screen door had closed. The taste of Merlyn was amazing, but his first taste had been of Jaspir. The idea of Jaspir grabbing the back of his neck and teasing his open mouth made his pants feel tight. Liam remembered the feel of Jaspir's cock pressed against his ass, and wanting to push back until there was skin on skin contact. Well, tonight, he'd have it. And maybe he'd have some more for a while after.

  Liam hopped up from the well and made his way to the car. In the distance, he saw another conveyance headed to the house. As it drew near, he gaped. The car came to a stop before him and Merlyn tore out of the driver's panel.

  In her arms was that blasted plant. She set it down on the ground and flew into his arms.

  "Liam." She grasped him tightly.

  Liam's arms came around her.

  "Liam, you're here."

  "Yes," Liam stated. "I am," he reached for another fact. "And so are you."

  Merlyn pulled away from him. "I told them at the Sisterhood. I went back and told them that it was your math."