Jellia raced up the steps, her pack on her back and Carl still on the breast. He seemed to like to eat the most when they were in public. She thought that maybe he was an introvert and it made him more comfortable. As if the world didn’t exist when he was buried in her breast. It was funny watchign him try to stay latched on as she ran up these wonderful steps up this long leg up to this shuttle! Mother was struggling behind with Bobbin and Trisha. Poor Mother.
She got to the top of the shuttle and pushed the ‘open’ button, helpfully labeled. The door slid back and she went in, but only into a little room. Must be some kind of airlock or something. She stood and waited, rather impatiently, for Mother and Bobbin to come up and Mother, when they came in, turned and pressed the ‘close’ button.
“They usually keep the inner door open on planet,” she said.
The inner door opened and she saw, standing in the doorway, a man. It must be Trader Xosta but she had only seen him once and he was bare chested, bare everythign except he had a sort of cloth wrapped around his waist going down to his knees.
“Jellia!” he said, sounding as if he was in awe, and he came over, slapped her twice on the shoulders, and kissed her. Long lost?
“Umm, Ska Jellia Xoff?” she said, and kissed ‘customer to merchant’.
“No, no, that will not do, but we will accept it for now. Trader Xosta,” he said, and kissed back, Merchant to customer. And then ska to kesh for the kesh-u and merchant to customer with Mother. What did he mean it wouldn’t do? She had used the wrong kiss?
“Come in, come in,” he said, finally. “Oh, what a day.”
“Well, I’m kind of excited too,” Jellia said, although she didn’t know why he was. “My kesh-mates simply love that oil. Did you bring any more?”
“Indeed I did. And I will give you enough so you may gift all of your ‘kesh-mates’ and family, unto the third generation.
Jellia mulled what that meant. It sounded like a lot. Well, she knew some kesh-u-i, and even one kesh, and Garden Party that would love some of the oil.
“Trader Xosta, you will excuse me for being confused,” Mother said. “This is so different from your last visit.”
“Ah ,but on my last visit I had not been introduced to Jellia, Carl, and Trisha. That makes all of the difference, although I could not tell you so.”
“You what?”
He sat down, and looked at them, with a very serious look on his face. “Each planet has different rules of culture.”
“When on Rome,” Jellia said.
“Exactly. My planet was very recently settled, and we have some very serious rules. We were settled by, what you might call ‘clans’. Each clan lives in one house, a large house.”
“How many in the clan?”
“Perhaps fifty adults, 25 families. Hundreds of children, of course.”
“When we meet with another clan, we dress as you saw me. And, indeed, we only meet with the person in the other clan who is most closely related to us. You can see how that would lead to difficulties when working with other planets.”
“Oh, yes,” Jellia said.
“But… but you met with me?”
“Yes. You are the most closely related person on this planet. Well, until I was introduced to Jellia.”
“But what diffrence did that make?”
“Well, you see, we do not need an introduction to traders. They, and certain other workers, are immune. But for most people we need an introduction. So Jellia, and your other children, are the very closest. Being her mother you are allowed… well… I am allowed to have you all over. And to give you gifts!”
“What?” Jellia said.
“Oh, yes. Oh I have…”
“Wait a minute,” Fenestra said. “What do you mean that Jellia is related to you?’
“Oh, yes. Through both the male and female line.”
“What? Through Gregory?”
He blanched. “Please, if you would, do not speak so. It is highly offensive.”
“What?”
“Darling!” Fenestra said. “When on Rome! How, Ska, is my daughter to refer to that one?”
“The word we would use is ‘father’. But she may say ‘Ska-drek’ or ‘Progenitor’. Just not… their name.”
“But…?”
“Darling! Code and Custom. And command!”
Jellia blanched and nodded her head, then gave the full bow of unintended apology.
“You are forgiven, cousine. Now, let me answer your mother’s question.”
“Our colony was formed from elsewhere, but not from nowhere. We selected colonists from all over, and two were from Ephemera. Your father’s brother emigrated, as did your mother’s aunt… you are familiar with that relationship?”
Jellia looked over at her mother, who was blushing. “I am now,” she said. “Go on.”
“And they are both part of our clan. I would call them ‘Aunt and Uncle’. So I could deal with your mother, who is related to me. But even more can I welcome you. And, as I say, give gifts to you and your siblings.”
“Oh!”
He went over to a cupboard in the wall of the shuttle, unlocked, it, and began removing… jewlrey? Heavy Jewlrey. Heavy, silver jewlrey.
He laid a ton of it on a table and came over to Jellia with something in his hand, “Cousine,” he said, and, reaching around her neck, snapped something in place and let the necklace down onto her chest. The enormous, cold, heavy, silver necklance.
“Oh!” she said, starting down at it. “What…?” she started to say, but Mother interupted, loudly.
“Such a gift!” she said, coming forward and fingering it. “Oh, no, it is too much!”
“I assure you it is not. My mother would have my hide if I gave any less.”
The next few minutes were incredibly awkward, as he gave jewlrey to all of them, including many more for her, which he left on the table, and even one for Bobbin!, who rather liked the arm band he was given, which did not come close to fitting. Soon they were loaded up with pounds of the stuff!
“Now let us eat,” he said. “We will perhaps take these away during the meal,” he added, taking the Jewlrey from the Kesh-u but not, unfortunately, from Jellia or Mother. “Sit down.”
The meal that followed was like nothing Jellia had ever eaten before. The center of the table was filled, simply filled, with bowl after bowl of differnt food, all finely chopped. Vegetables, smoked meat, salted meat, salted spicy meat, creamed vegetables and spices and heavy dairy, hot, cold… an incredible number.
Then they were each given a smoking hot tuber, obviously baked, and encouraged to load the tuber up. Oh, and they were each given some flat but delicious soft made from a tart fruit.
“This is delicious,” Jellia said, her mouth a bit full, as she gave Bobbin some more of the salted meat which seemed to be his favorite. Mother seemed to be enjoying herself (staying well away from the spicy bits, and seeming a bit off by the flat soft).
“Take your time, take your time,” he said. “On our planet we have long winters, and we spend hours at meal.”
“And at making that wonderful artwork?” Mother said. “Have you brought me much more?”
Jellia busied herself feeding herself and the kesh-u while Mother and Trader Xosta talked shipments and the like. This was wonderful! She would have to learn how to make it. Maybe she could snip him! Or perhaps a kesh-i had made it on his ship? Of course, most of it was obvious enough…
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!
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von