Chapter 4: Recruiting A Caretaker

Several hours passed, and talk had dwindled to an occasional question and answer. During a pause they heard a gasp, and then, “Two! He has two Companions! AND they are beautiful! What would such a Hero ever want with a plain thing like me?”

They turned and saw the diminutive Soo-Min holding tightly to a tall, slim woman with close-cropped flaming red hair. She was - ‘svelte’ would be a good word - and her words did not match her lovely appearance. Soo-Min’s captive was clearly trying to escape.

Without pausing to think, Robyn called out, “You’re in luck; the Hero Pēteris has a real thing for red heads. Come sit with us!” She shifted to make a space between herself and Pēteris. Then, changing her mind, she stood and opened her arms to the still trembling woman.

Soo-Min led her charge to the three now-standing comrades. “Hero Pēteris, Hero Companion Robyn, and Hero Companion Miriam - I present to you Moira as candidate to be Caretaker for Hero Pēteris and Companions and a member of your team.”

She paused while first Miriam and then Robyn grasped both hands and stood on tiptoe to kiss Moira’s cheek, murmuring, “Welcome.”

Pēteris enfolded her, and then urged, “Moira, sit here. Squeeze in; it’ll be tight, but it will work.” He looked a question at Soo-Min asking her to explain what he knew to be a variant from normal procedure.

“She is the only candidate who meets all your stated requirements,” Soo-Min began. “She wasn’t in the pool, and because compatibility with your whole team was a prime concern, I decided that reading her file wouldn’t enable you to make your decision. So I skipped normal protocol and brought her.”

Soo-Min continued, “I took a huge risk, because if you reject her, she has no chance of becoming any other Hero’s Caretaker. She wouldn’t even be accepted into the pool. The assumption will be that she has a character flaw or physical flaw that will render her unsuited for such a role. Just as your lives would be in her hands, her future is entirely in yours.

“I will provide Moira’s file, but here are the salient facts. First - Moira is different from most women of Cassandra. I believe the Earth term for her would be ‘tomboy’. In her earliest years and on into adulthood, she has befriended men on their own terms with none of the usual female obsession with sex. Most of her friends and playmates were boys with a sprinkling of girls. Her play and other activities were outdoors and centered on animals - especially bugs.”

Moira looked from the Hero Greeter to the three sitting with her on the sofa and asked, “Soo-Min, there are things I wish to share with Hero Pēteris and his Companions that I do not wish known to anyone else. Is this permissible?”

The Hero Greeter’s response was immediate and affirmative, “Everything else about this process is unusual. I don’t see why not, but for now, let me continue.”

“Cassandra rates your future Caretaker as a genius. She received what you would call her first MS in Biology at fourteen and her PhD in Botany at seventeen. Her thesis was on practical use of medicinal plants of Chaos. She is your equivalent of an RN and has completed both her education and residency for an MD with an infectious disease specialty - which I might add, is largely unneeded on Chaos - and also in pediatrics which is in high demand.” Soo-Min paused for breath.

“Moira is skilled in two self defense disciplines, and serves as an instructor and as a mentor to aspirants in these, and to young people interested in medical fields. On the minus side, she has no weapons training whatsoever, and her self-image could use a boost,” Soo-Min finished. “So, what do you think?”

Moira looked from side to side at the trio - with both hope and fear in her eyes.

“I think,” Pēteris began, “that we need our private time with Moira.” He stood and asked, “May we have a room and privacy?”

“Certainly,” replied the Hero Greeter. “Melody Caretaker and I will leave you now. Moira knows how to reach me if things don’t work for you, but I think they will. You won’t see either of us again unless I need to respond to an issue, or Melody, if you should choose to travel with Hero Daniel as Companions.” She stood, and the three young warriors and their probable Caretaker rose to hug the departing pair and bid them thanks and farewell.

After Soo-Min’s departure, Moira began to tremble, and her face reflected pure misery. Pēteris gathered her into his arms, and she buried her face in his neck. After holding her for a short while, he sat back on the sofa and drew Moira into his lap, saying, “Why don’t you order us all a pleasant drink, and we can all relax for a while. I’ll have a brandy, chilled and straight up.”

Given even a simple task to focus on, Moira began to regain her composure. After soliciting requests from Miriam and Robyn, she ordered drinks and a light snack from the computer. Then she began, “After that display and when I’ve finished my cautions, I’m sure you’ll reject me. But I want to help you and be your Caretaker, so...”

She paused, drew a deep breath, and blurted, “I’m twenty-five and still a virgin!” She buried her face against Pēteris - again. When she heard no reaction, she peeped at one Companion and then shifted her attention to the other. She drew back and looked at Pēteris, who regarded her. “Don’t you care? I’m supposed to take care of my Hero, but I’ve no training - no experience at sex!”

Miriam reached over and patted Moira’s shoulder. “I’m a virgin, too. That can be fixed for both of us. There has to be more of a reason than that.”

Robyn chimed in, “I was a virgin, too, and Pēteris fixed that for me. He can fix you, too. You’ll like it, I promise. So spill it!” she demanded.

Moira took another deep breath followed by a large pull on her drink. She paused again, took another breath and shakily stated, “I’m frigid because, I was sexually molested - raped really - by two girl friends and their mother before I reached menarche.” She took another swallow and continued, “They said they were concerned about my frigidity and lack of normal interest in sex. They said they were going to show me how great sex was and that they would cure me. All three had multiple orgasms, but all I could do was lie there and cry.

“I never told anyone. Cassandran women would only laugh. They all want sex any way and any time they can get it. I was already a tomboy, and I began to avoid females and hang out exclusively with boys. I’m pretty sure the boys felt our shared vulnerability, so it was even easier than before to get along.”

She stopped to look for a reaction, then it hit her, “Wait, Miriam, you said you are a virgin. How can that be? Were you assaulted like me? Do you only like women?”

Miriam replied, “No, I early on promised myself to only give my virginity to the man I love and who truly loves me.”

“But, but, but,” Moira sputtered, “you and Robyn clearly love Pēteris, and the man is just as clearly besotted with the two of you! What in the name of all gods are you waiting for?”

Pēteris sat back, thinking about Moira’s assertion. Miriam and Robyn each leaned forward and looked steadily at the other sister. “We have an agreement to share, right?” Robyn confirmed with her red haired sibling, and received a wink and a nod.

Then Miriam spoke sotto voce, “And we knew there would be a Caretaker and Damsels in the mix. The cat’s outta the bag.” She turned to Moira and spoke in her normal voice, “Moira, the final decision is up to the Hero here, but for our part, welcome to our polygamous family.”

Caught sorting through the recent revelations, it took a moment for Pēteris to process the last statement. Then, his arms tightened around the tall beauty in his lap. “Moira, we will never, ever force sex upon you. Will you join our family? Will you consider becoming our Caretaker, our advisor and protector, our friend, and hopefully our love? Maybe, with time, you’ll heal and become our lover, but that’s not required.”

Before the shocked woman could answer, Miriam added, “Tell you what, before you decide, we’ll get the stud here to fix my little problem. You can watch. After that, you can decide each step and commitment.”

Moira, flushed with emotion, at first could only nod. She shivered, and buried her head once more. Then she stood and bravely declared, “I will strive to love you, and I will overcome this mental barrier to sex. This will be a full partnership - I swear these things by all I value!”

She pulled Pēteris to his feet and began a tentative kiss. At first her lips were hard and pursed, but when he made none of the aggressive moves that Cassandran lore always described for Heroes, she began to soften her approach and nibble. Following her lead, Pēteris softly nibbled back.

Moira’s eyes widened, and she leaned back and wailed, “No orgasm. See, I’m frigid!” Expecting rejection, she began to cry.

From both Earthling women exploded, “Really?!”

“Jesús Hernández Cristo!” continued Robyn at high volume. “Those Cassandran bitches have you so fucked up!”

“Listen up, girlfriend!” Miriam demanded. “I know you gals are supposed to be wired to explode at the least touch, but going straight for the big “O” is like boarding a cruise ship to Jamaica, then walking right off in Kingston Town without the cruise. That may be just fine for a date with Battery Bob, but when you’re spending quality time with someone you care about, the journey is at least half the fun. That’s why I’ve been waiting - I want the ship, the cruise, and the destination.”

“What she said!” Robyn chimed back in. “You work with us, and those bitches are going to turn green with envy. They’re addicted to orgasms and don’t have a clue. You, my dear, we are going to get you the whole damned journey.”

Robyn turned to Pēteris and instructed, “So, big boy, give your new lady a cuddle and another kiss. Then she can set us up a nice dinner with drinks in front of the fire, and we can relax and get ready to show her what real love and real sex is all about.”

Pēteris continued holding Moira and swung his gaze back and forth to his two women, watching as they assimilated his third into the fold. ‘Damn!’ He hadn’t ever suspected that he could have two women - now he had three.

Feeling newly empowered, Moira spoke, “Computer, what she said. Take their orders and get on with it. While you’re at it, make sure our bed is big enough for five active people.” A Damsel would surely be added later, and there needed to be room for her.

While they were eating and chatting, Pēteris asked Moira, “Have any of the rules changed since Daniel was on his last adventure? It has been a while, so if there have been changes, we need new copies of all the Crossroads and Cassandra rules.”

“Computer?” asked Moira.

“A set of new rule books will be ready for each of you whenever you are ready. I placed them in the study,” replied a bodiless voice.

“Moira, can we give our computer a name? I don’t really like the current label,” Pēteris continued.

“Neither do I,” answered the voice. “Would you call me ‘Galahad’? I like that name.”

“Hello, Galahad,” Pēteris responded. “I, myself, wouldn’t like to be called ‘man’ or ‘hero’ all the time.”

“Hello, Pēteris,” responded Galahad. “Based on your request and recent discussions, I think you would be interested in one change in rules negotiated by Hero Sid during his visits. In Hero Daniel’s version of the rules - for Heroes and Companions - you would not have been allowed to have sex with your Companions while on Crossroads. Under current rules, Robyn’s offer to demonstrate would be entirely legitimate, and I venture, a very good idea. BUT, I should also inform you, that because neither you nor Moira has officially accepted the offered roles, sex among the four of you would even be permitted under the old rules.”

The four looked up and stood up. With his three ladies holding hands, Pēteris led them into the bedroom suite. As they looked at the huge, silk-sheeted bed, Galahad offered, “I took a liberty and extrapolated a future request from the sizing of your bed. Your ensuite ‘facility’ now has a shower large enough for six. Hot water is unlimited. I’ve also added a hot tub and a sauna in the adjoining room.”

Robyn and Miriam were shedding clothing before Galahad’s last period sounded. Looking at Moira, they started on her, stunned posture or not. Pēteris, happy with the jiggling bouncing scenery, took his time undressing.

Laughing and giggling, the two vixens dragged the protesting Moira into the shower. They found that Galahad had set the water to the perfect temperature, and wetting Moira thoroughly, they proceeded to wash her hair. When Moira continued her protest, Robyn told her, “This ain’t sex Honey; this is the start of love.”

Working their way down the towering beauty, they left no prominence, nook, cranny, nor crack unwashed. When done, they handed Moira the shampoo, and Robyn presented herself for the same treatment. And so it went for the three women, while Pēteris leaned against one wall and watched as a heavy spray of steamy water cascaded down his body.

By the time they were done with Miriam, Moira was fully into the fun. Finished with the red head, the three turned their attention to Pēteris. As a physician, Moira had dissected corpses and performed surgeries on both genders - all of varying ages. She had never seen an erection so huge and certainly none that lasted - well - forever would be her not-so-clinical description.

By the end of their shower, all three women had transitioned from naked to nekkid.

Okay, side trip here to visit my UGA journalism classmate, Louis McDonald Grizzard, Jr. From one of his tapes: “Yankees think we talk funny. God talks like we do. Yankees don’t understand that the Southern way of talking is a language of nuance. What we can do in the South is we can take a word and change it just a little bit and make it mean something altogether different. Take the word ‘naked’. It means you ain’t got no clothes on. Sometimes ‘naked’ just won’t do. You need something a little bit stronger. So we change the word just a little bit. We say ‘nekkid’. ‘Naked’ means you ain’t got no clothes on. ‘Nekkid’ means you ain’t got no clothes on and you’re up to something. ‘Darlene was nekkid’. [Laughter.] Sounds like you know Darlene.” RIP Louis.

We return to find three barely dry and fully nekkid nymphs dragging a similarly nekkid Pēteris towards the previously noted giant, silk-sheeted, bed. “Galahad, please turn up the heat so we don’t freeze,” requested Miriam. Robyn was too far along to care.

“Okay, Sweetness,” Miriam continued. “You lay on the other side of Robyn and watch. You can participate if you get the hankering, but Pēteris is going to demonstrate a pleasant journey to the big O. And you know, unlike your sisterhood, we won’t blow an O and lose control anytime a male touches or even looks at us.”

Pēteris looked over at Miriam and said, “You’ve never shown any sign of jealousy or hurt when Robyn and I have played together. But you have to promise to hold steady with that tonight, because tonight, for the first time, I’m going to make love with her.”

He kissed his finger and touched it to Miriam’s lips. “Robyn needs to be first and thoroughly sated, because when I love on you - and likely Moira - tonight, I suspect we’ll use a gallon of restorative and still screw ourselves senseless.

Pēteris turned to Moira and asked, “Are you getting this? There is huge difference between ‘just’ sex - even between friends - and ‘making love’ sex. Until now, Robyn and I have been friendly ‘fuck buddies, ‘ but tonight, that’s going to change. The three of us are going to become lovers, and if you wish it, the four of us will become lovers. You can have your choice between ‘no’ sex, ‘just’ sex, or ‘making love’ sex.”

Moira’s hungry eyes widened, and she asked back, “How will I know if, or when, or what kind?”

“I think you’ll know,” stated Miriam, “and I think you’ll know tonight. At least I truly hope so. We three have come to know each other, and even so, arriving at this decision has not been easy nor quick. But for you, I hope something comes that is better than the isolation you’ve been walking. If it does, it can only grow better. We will never hurt you, I promise.”

“Now for a practical moment,” Pēteris interjected, “I anticipate being totally wiped out several times tonight - by Miriam alone, if she is anything like Robyn was her first time. If you join us, I’ll need a gallon of this restorative that Daniel bragged on.” He grinned, “So, my Caretaker candidate, please instruct Galahad to place a glass of restorative in the hand of any of us that is raised so...” He held his hand like it was holding a glass. “That way, if you just happen to be distracted or incapacitated...” He left the thought unfinished.”

“Galahad,” directed Moira, “Do as Pēteris requested. For the future, should I not be present and Hero Pēteris or either of his Companions makes a request or expresses a need, you are to treat it as if it came from my mouth. Is that clear?”

“It shall be so,” came the disembodied answer.

As described earlier, Pēteris was a considerate, gentle, and kind lover. To be so, he was also very observant. Not only had he mapped Robyn’s triggers and desires, Miriam’s close presence all the while gave him more than a start on what would ring her chimes as well.