Jellia was in the hobby room… which she didn’t get to do much. Her house responsibilities, her work at Garden Party, her schoolwork, managing Carl and Bobbin, and the care and feeding of en-drek kept her rather busy. But she managed to come in her and start an archaic painting of their back yard before Carl had come up and pawed at her.
A couple of sips from her breast and he was done, wobbling back to play with Bobbin.
“He doesn’t nurse much now, does he?” Gregory asked. “I manage to sleep through most of it, but I don’t recall him being in bed with us much.”
“Oh, no, hardly at all,” she agreed, searching for the exact shade of red to colour in one of the under trees. The contrast between the blue green of the corkscrew trees… which turned out to be their common if not scientific name, … and the flame brush still fascinated her.
“So is it time for us to discuss his weaning?” he asked, and, her heart pounding, she put down her brush and looked at Carl.
“Oh, curses!” she said. “Flaming curses out of the inner depths of the planet!”
Gregory looked at her, “You aren’t pleased your kesh is growing?”
“You know that’s not what I’m displeased by!”
“Well, in my vanity I would guess that it is that our time will be coming to an end.”
“Of course it is. And not only our time but your time with Carl… Except for Progenitor’s Days and birthdays. Curse this stupid system… I’m sorry, code and custom and all that. Put it down to feminine hormones.”
He came over and kissed her… not in any particular mode but handsy, as he always was. “I will miss you, too, but life does go on. Our season grows to a close, another season opens up for both of us. And for Carl.”
“And for Bobbin, and Mother, and ska-drek… And Trisha I suppose.”
“For all of us,” he agreed.
“Well, curses!” she said, going back to her painting.
“You are good for my ego, above all things,” he said. “Now, to continue our discussion. You will need to set a date, and we will need to discuss your next en-drek. Unless you wish to do it alone?”
“No. ska-drek would chastise me… verbally. Of course he wouldn’t physically chastise me. But he would be very displeased. I don’t know about Mother.”
“Your ska-drek-a can be hard to read, I agree. I suppose it is the fact that she did not grow up in our culture.”
“Well, neither did I, but I guess I was a lot younger when we came and so it has been easier for me to adjust. She had adjusted to being wealthy and having this house and all… but having an en-drek and several kesh-u is still something she struggles with.”
“As you say. So… discuss at dinner? Or begin now?”
She sighed. “Oh, let me have my few minutes in peace without such thoughts and let us discuss at dinner. Let us let ska-drek have the initial word. I’m sure I will have very little to say.”
“Oh?”
“Well… what do I know? It will only be my second contract. Ska-drek Illoh and the exo bureau and school and all watched over my first contract with an eagle eye… I can’t imagine who I would have picked without ska-drek Illoh.”
“So he picked me? That’s not what I heard.”
“No, no, I picked you. But only after he had laid down the law as to how I needed someone mature, a good leader, a good teacher, quick with the physical chastisement…”
“Oh, well, perhaps I have failed then.”
“No. You have been wonderful, and you know that ska-drek Illoh thinks so as well. You are just marvelous with the children and with me and… and with me,” she said. “But now… would you mind taking the children and leaving me alone for a few minutes? I need a good cry.”
“As you will, My Love,” he said, coming up to her and a few moments later let her go and took the children. “Come, bundles of energy, let us go outside and run for a few minutes before we need to sit for dinner.”
“Well, Ska-drek,” Jellia said, after she had finished serving everyone including Carl, who was using both hands to explore his food. “We have a subject to discuss.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Carl is all but weaned and we have decided to make it official. So we covet your advise for my next en-drek.”
“Ah, well, yes. Your ska-drek-a and I have been discussing this.”
Jellia looked at Ska-drek-a and wondered how that discussion had gone! Had Ska-drek-a tried to get ska-drek to insist on an early weaning? Or had they merely discussed what kind of en-drek for her to get?
“We are of the opinion that a lo-ska would be good for you next. You are at the stage where your career is becoming very important… finishing up your schooling and spending more and more time with your internship. An older lo-ska, who has perhaps more leisure to care for the kesh-u, and wisdom to advise you… and not so eager as to demand too much of your attention…”
“I see,” Jellia said, thinking about that. Certainly she didn’t need to break in another li-kesh. Gregory had been wonderful, and it had been wonderful to learn together, but she couldn’t really imagine some fumbling youth. “Gregory?”
“A wise choice,” he said. “I believe that many skai choose an older male for their second… those that did not choose one for their first, that is.”
Which is what Ska-drek Illoh had wanted. And Jellia wondered what her life would have been like if she had agreed. Not that he had opposed her choice in the end.
“So, what else are you looking for?”
“Well, I’d like him to be rich… or make lots of income, anyway. Getting to keep 20% of his income… no, 16% of his income, 20% of what he gives, will be helpful, I’m sure. Poor Gregory hardly made anything.”
“Well, certainly this house is nice enough for you to try for someone like that.”
Jellia had been pulling up resumes and searching through them, but at this she stared at him. “Whatever do you mean? I thought I could choose anyone… well, almost anyone. I knew there were a couple of qualifications…”
“Well, yes and no. There are certain en-drek who would be off limits to you, but you wouldn’t even see them. An infertile male, for example. But you shouldn’t just choose anyone… I mean, a normal female can’t just choose anyone.”
Jellia looked very confused. “But, why?”
“Dear!” Ska-drek-a said, sharply. “Think! Think of the power you are giving to your en-drek. If you were poor, or ugly, or both, and you chose some pretty rich man… he might resent it!”
“Oh!”
“Which could lead to an ugly situation,” ska-drek agreed. “Indeed if you… not you, since while you are technically poor you have this very nice house and a very large household budget, and you are young and beautiful so, not you. But, as your ska-drek-a says, if you were poor, ugly, old, lacking in intelligence or grace… you would have to be more careful.”
“He would…?”
“He would be very careful, but he could make your life very uncomfortable, hoping that you would violate the contract.”
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!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.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von