Chapter 10: I Got Soul But I'm Not A Soldier

Things rested on the razor's edge after Daniel's death. The sponsors at the school wanted it to be over. After a mad flurry of test-drives, a lot of them had a full complement of concubines. My classmates urged me to complete my choices so the remaining sponsors would make their final selections.

Most of the county stayed inside at night as Earth First and Pranay's playmates escalated hostilities even further. The difference between the two groups was in tactics. Earth Firsters killed where they could; Pranay's friends were working through the remainder of Black List methodically. It became obvious to everyone that our side had a plan and was not deviating to retaliate for any particular attack. It made the Earth First leaders want to find a deep hole and hide in it, but it emboldened the mobs again.

Maria was being a royal bitch. She had been at it all day, switching targets from concubine to concubine.

Stephen's sister, Elizabeth, and I were having something like a dinner date at the Berto Mansion. Her CAP scores hinted at a possible hand to manage the other concubines, but she needed me to choose her so she kept steering our conversation to safe subjects, like her children and brother. I studied her: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a body of mature curves. Elizabeth's sub-scores told the story--she chose motherhood over potential. Where Maria had the scores but lacked ambition, Elizabeth valued her role as mother above everything else.

"Cunt!" Maria yelled and slapped Alejandra.

Elizabeth sat back and stared at me. I intertwined my fingers, waiting to see what would happen. Elizabeth looked from concubine to concubine. It had not been Maria's first outburst since Elizabeth's arrival.

"This is a formality, isn't it?" she asked me.

"Did Daniel make assurances?"

"I'm sure it was because my little brother asked him to."

"That's irrelevant, Elizabeth. Did my friend make assurances?"

"Yes," she told me. "We did not get as far as test-drive or anything. I offered but he said that he didn't need it."

I smiled. "It offended you?"

She pressed her lips together. Her sub-scores showed a temper to match Maria's; Elizabeth knew the appropriate times to control it and to set it free though.

"It had nothing to do with your attractiveness," I told Elizabeth. "Daniel was having fun; you're too real for it to be just fun."

"It doesn't sound like a complement."

"Are your children ever far from you mind?" I asked. She did not reply. "That's very real, Elizabeth! It wouldn't have been much longer; he had chosen two concubines. He might have been done with his selections the weekend he died if he had not gotten distracted."

She frowned.

I tilted my head towards Cindy Marie. "Believe me, teenage boys find her very distracting."

Elizabeth smiled widely as she looked my concubine up and down.

"My brother tells me you have expectations," she said to me.

"I have hopes," I replied. "Your sex scores tell me a vast majority will be satisfied."

"Over and over again."

I tilted my head in affirmation.

"He told me if I meet some of the other expectations, it would give you more options with a pair of girls you want," she said.

I looked at the concubines. "The older Jessa sister has not pushed as much as I wished. She cares more for her little sister than anything else."

"It's not a good idea to try to change someone," Elizabeth said.

"Aren't I asking you to change if I want you to ride herd on them?" I gestured towards the concubines.

"Maybe you're affording me an opportunity to be myself," she said. "I love my kids, but they've been my whole life. If we get picked up, I could be everything they need me to be and have the time to be what you need."

"What do YOU need, Elizabeth?" I asked. "Isn't that an important question too?"

"I need my kids to live," she replied.

Elizabeth did not blink until I nodded.

"May I?" Elizabeth asked, standing up and looking at the concubines.

"Feel free," I replied.

The concubines expected Elizabeth to address Maria's peeves, but instead the woman walked up to Alejandra. I perked up when Elizabeth palmed Alejandra's tits.

"Maybe it's my kids," Elizabeth said to Alejandra. "That man sitting over there is going to save your life ... yet you're wearing black tights and a loose black sweatshirt."

Alejandra looked at me.

"Your job is simple," Elizabeth told the concubines. "Keep him sexually satisfied, have his babies, and raise his babies. You've agreed to it, right ladies?"

Alejandra nodded.

"But I don't see any of you trying very hard in the sex department," Elizabeth said. "I'm dressed more sexily than any of you."

"Take that shit off!" Elizabeth ordered Alejandra. Most of the other concubines knew where it was going, so they stripped down to their underwear.

"In the back of your mind from now on should be the thought 'would Jason think this is sexy?'," Elizabeth announced. She walked the line, inspecting the concubines.

Estrella had not taken off her clothes.

"You must be the one they used to call the Earth First Princess," Elizabeth said. Estrella's chin rose. "I bet you make Jason work for it."

Elizabeth slapped Estrella so hard that I blinked.

"Estrella, dear," Elizabeth said calmly. "Would you rather Jason have the conversation with God about those nasty things Jason made you do, like eat my pussy, or would YOU rather have the conversation with God about YOUR disobedience to the man HE chose for you?"

I put a finger over my mouth to stop the smile. Estrella removed her clothing and bowed her head.

Elizabeth put a finger under Estrella's chin. She pushed up and stared into Estrella's eyes. "Don't give me that false humility bullshit, girl. You know that you're beautiful. You're fucking proud of it! You should be--God put some good work into you. It pains me to think what God must have in store for Jason that HE so richly rewards him before Jason even starts fulfilling his purpose."

Estrella blinked a couple of times.

"His pleasure should be your pleasure, Estrella. Not out of duty ... out of love!" Elizabeth said. "I have a feeling we are the only respite Jason will have in his life."

Elizabeth walked slowly towards my first concubine.

"And then there's you," Elizabeth said to Maria. "Jesus, you've been a fucking bitch since I arrived!"