Mother?”
“I’m up here, Darling.”
“Oh, Mother,” Jellia said, having run up the stairs, “the kesh-u at school were so excited. They all took home some of the oil, even the kesh-u. We’re going to be doing a bit of a class project, in math, the teacher took home some too, and deciding which oils work the best. But they all loved the samples I brought. Oh, I hope that this will be a good deal for you!”
“I’m sure it will. Indeed, I stand to gain either way.”
“Either way?”
“You see, Darling, I am going to be accepting all of their goods in consignment. So I can either buy them myself, or let them be bought by some other shipper.”
“Which are you going to do?”
“Well, in order to be legal… all within code and custom… I will have to let some other shipper bid on them. Bid against me, that is. Since I am holding them in consignment, it would be wildly against code and custom for me to set the price and buy them. So I am working on my bid, and then I will submit it to a bidding company. And they will choose some other company to put in a competing bid.”
“Zoomy, love ya.”
“I love you, too, Darling.” Even though I don’t know who you are, anymore.
Xiao Bestin: Fenestra: I thought you would like to know. We displayed the sample you left with us, and I already have a silent bid of one gold hex.
Fenestra: Xiao Bestin: Thanks.
Fenestra: Trader Xosta: Please send me down the list of good you would like for your cargo. The goods you have shipped so far are doing well, and I think I will be able to guarantee a shipment. That way, you will get back faster, and we can do more business.
Trader Xosta:Fenestra: We are looking for any fish with a high percentage of iodine. The fish that we know about on your planet include: Ocean Lettuce, Blue Gill Montee, any sort of ocean flipper, modified catfish…
We understand that we can take iodine supplements, but there is a strong prejudice against that. Not enough that people are dying, but enough that pretty much any food containing iodine will sell well. In the future, we will possibly be more discriminating, but right now, anything that fills my hold will make this voyage a resounding success.
Fenestra: General Snip to Fishing Companies: Looking for a quick shipment of fish and ocean products high in iodine. Looking for low-cost, high iodine load per bulk for interstellar shipment in status.
Gulf Coast Shipping: Fenestra: Will have a bid for you tomorrow lunch, if OK.
Fenestra: Gulf Coast Shipping: Fine. Will be cross bidding, so let me know what your per piece and one shop is. Might be a good long term market, so just letting you know. Although they might be more picky in the future.
She would not have said all that back on Ephemera. She would not have said half of that! Speaking of which.
Fenestra: Lawyer: We’ll need to meet tomorrow to work up a new pre-contract for one or more fishing companies.
Lawyer: Fenestera: I will be available at 1600, if that pleases.
Well, it didn’t, but she needed to meet. And… she suddenly realized… she was actually happier than she would have been on Ephemera. There she might have expected him to want to spend the night.
Fenestra: Lawyer: Fine. See you here then.
Contract Marriage
Contract marriage is an adult dystopia examining the issues of marriage. Like 1984 and Brave New World, Contract Marriage treats the relations between the sexes as a fundamental aspect of how a society is formed and, thus, how a society can go wrong.
Unlike those dystopias, Contract Marriage isn’t all horrible all of the time. The characters, for the most part, have a good time and get along in their society. But the issues of sexuality, of marriage or not, monogamy or not, faithfulness or not, and gender roles… keep coming up and causing tension and conflict and joy and pain.
My desire is that my readers would be thinking along with my characters about these issues and perhaps even arrive at the same place (minus the flying cars).
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.
If I don’t write you back it is almost certain that I didn’t see it, so please feel free to comment and link to your post. Or if you just think I would be interested in your post!
If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.
Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include the children’s/YA books:
The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid: A Christian historical fiction chapter book about four orphans who go to live with their aunt on a dairy farm.
The Bobtails and the Cousins: The sequel to Preacher’s Kid. The aunt has married, and the cousins come to visit. Meaning town kids dealing with chores and manure and…
The Bobtails go to France: The sequel to Cousins. The Bobtails, and Preacher’s Kid, get to take a trip to New York, London, Paris, and a small town in France. To get some cheese.
and
No Ordinary School: A brilliant but socially clueless boy gets recruited for a special school. Where he makes a lot of money, gets a girl, and solves a mystery. And…
Without a Word: A young woman, betrothed against her will to a disreputable older man. How will she honour God and her husband in this difficult marriage? (Published on Substack exclusively.)
As well as GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.
Arthur also has a substack, and a website. On the substack you can listen to some of his published books. Free.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Other Stories
Contract Marriage is not my only story on Substack. I have two light dystopias, or cultural sci-fi, or one of them is military sci-fi with aliens… Science Fiction can be difficult to categorise :)
Article 17: Intro
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8 JANUARY 2024
She was pretty, popular, snobby, and a planetary governor’s daughter. He was the son of shopkeepers, a social misfit, and a decorated hero. She thought she was there to dance. He had other ideas.
And a fantasy-esque series of morality tales:
The Oracle at Toko-Ri
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1 MAY 2023
Next Post →
Prologue IP0
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11 AUGUST 2023
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
Without a Word
Without a Word is a historical fiction story set in 1808 and follows the struggles of a young woman, betrothed against her will to an older man. A Christian woman, and a man of very questionable morals.
Without a Word attempts to contrast Biblical advice against the advice of this age, even the advice of the church. It concerns a young, immature woman growing in her own Godliness through her obedience to an ungodly man. And who knows, perhaps she shall even win her husband.
I find it interesting that code and custom demands that all bids are open and fair and pre-contract write up's make things aboveboard.