Chapter 15

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
― George Washington

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.”
― Albert Einstein

“If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.”
― Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland

Three months later...
The Leland Residence
Lakewood Village, TX (near Dallas-Fort Worth)

“Do you, Dan, take these women, Freydís and Sía, to be your lawfully wedded wives, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, cherish, and protect, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Trudy, now an ordained minister with one of those interfaith organizations, asked Dan.

The Magistrate smiled as he exchanged vows with his chosen brides from Iceland. Freydís and Sía, of course, were very pleased to marry the even more desirable Dan Leland, now that he was the Magistrate. Not everyone knew this. The names of the Magistrates weren’t known to the general public as of yet, but who cared? He had the power, locally speaking, and he had a substantial salary, far more than he made selling weed. It was even more of a contrast to his old high school teacher’s salary, but sometimes it paid to have the right connections.

As for Dan, he was resolved to prove that he deserved to hold his new office, as he showed by making it much easier for ordained clergy from a variety of churches to perform weddings without too much scrutiny. It wasn’t the State’s business what dogmas a sect taught or didn’t teach, after all. He wore at least semi-formal clothing for once, as this was a combination wedding. David, Sasha, Trudy, Jeremy, Alycen, Les, Joanna, and Brandy would all tie the knot later, no doubt of that. For that matter, Duane was set to marry his Icelandic brides and be a co-husband to him that same evening.

“I do,” he simply answered with a saucy grin on his face.

“Do you, Freydís and Sía, take this man, Dan, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, honor, and obey, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Trudy turned to the cousins.

“I do!” they said in unison, even as they knew what would soon follow.

“Then, by the power vested in me by my church and by the Magistrate, I now pronounce you man and wives. You may kiss your brides,” Trudy announced the nuptials, beaming with pride at this particular rite.

Dan enthusiastically kissed both ladies, and signed the marriage license with them, after which they posed for photographs as the happy throuple. They also posed with Duane, as he was intimate with all of them by now. They knew that the ceremonies were far from done, especially Trudy, who functioned as mistress of ceremonies for now. He gladly and proudly had his hands on their buttocks, rubbing them through their clothes.

They were also quite pleased that they were pregnant, and both babies were likely to be Dan’s. That was as it should be. He was still fertile, unlike an unfortunately growing number of men who were sterile these days. They were luckier than others, of course, though perhaps this was Nature’s way of bleaching the genepool a bit.

“Now, time for my ladies to wed each other,” Dan told Truly, who beamed at such a prospect.

“Ready or not, cousin, here we come!” Freydís punned as she teased Sía, the Icelandic girls being both quite eager to marry each other.

“Do you, Freydís, take this woman, Sia, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, cherish, and protect, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Trudy inquired of Freydis now.

“I do,” Freydis glowed as she swore to be with her cousin for life.

“Do you, Sia, take this woman, Freydis, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, cherish, and protect, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Trudy probed Sia next.

“I do,” Sia beamed for her part, quite thrilled to be at last able to do this.