Chapter 7

“Irrespective of other successful defense strategies, the Eastern Alliance’s biggest surprise was our low-tech, atomic space mines seeded at the entrance of the wormhole. The mines stopped their gunboat diplomacy causing grievous loss of life, so they returned to sending in survey drones with diplomatic packages. Von Solon never did forgive their threats, so we disposed of the probes too. Never cross a Solon.”

“What about his attitude to our overtures?” Von Solon’s great-niece asked from the bridge of her unarmed exploration ship.

“I was sure the Empire would understand the lesson their enemy, the Eastern Alliance, failed to understand. They sent you, didn’t they?”

Sir Webster

Wormhole Diplomacy: Empire Pre-Deployment Preparation Manual, History Appendix

Thick-cut oak logs kept the vicious winds at bay. I paused inside the harbormaster’s office to stamp my feet and scrape off the wet sand from my boots on the door mat. The inviting smell of cooked meat teased my nose and caused me to lift my eyes to the back of the room. It was a rough, earthy office with a long counter dividing the entryway from the work area. A couple of pine tables and a half-dozen chairs were in the middle of the room. At the back of the office was a closed door and a small, iron stove plus a familiar pair of women talking with their backs to me. They laughed and chatted, seemly oblivious to me and the storm. The late fall storm had been expected, but I didn’t have to like how it delayed the departure of our recently completed dragon boat. Getting the craft completed had consumed my time and it felt a long time coming. The craft was an addition to our fast freight fleet. In an age of bulky, square-rigged cogs, the dragon ships were worth their weight in gold; money our community needed for the things we imported.

Tharin’s wives laughed again with a glee that warmed my heart. They turned to face me as I lifted a section of the counter top. I walked further into the office, easing the counter back down. Both women were pleased to see me; their smug smiles left no doubts.

“The ground beef is almost ready, and the bread is on the table,” Aberdeen said. Her equally pregnant sister-wife turned back to the frying pan and stirred the food. Aberdeen placed her hands on her baby bump. “The baby stirred when you came in. How is our body-father today?”

“Better now I am here with you two.”

Luna looked over her shoulder and blew me a kiss. Aberdeen said, “I think it is your stomach talking.”

I laughed and spun Aberdeen into my arms for a tight hug. “Yes, I am hungry, and the smell of your cooking is wonderful.”

“After discovering you placed one of the new iron stoves in here, we had to try it out. It is nearly impossible to get a turn at the one in the Women’s Center,” Luna responded in her normal chipper tone.

“It a marvel,” Aberdeen added, snuggling into my arms deeper. “We hope to learn how to get the most out of it.”

“Before anyone else learns about the stove here,” I finished for her. She swatted my arm.

Aberdeen often liked to hide her true feelings, so it surprised a lot of people when she acted playful.

“It is a good thing the harbormaster you hired hasn’t arrived from Convey. Once this office is open for business it will have regular foot traffic through here,” Luna said, turning around with the pan in her hand. The office key was hanging from her neck. They had used their womanly wiles on me to get the key about the time I declared that all the monster eggs had been placed. The shuttle had made its last run last week. All the boulders were arranged to make an artificial barrier to create a small harbor for Juniper Hills. The positive benefits from a safe port couldn’t be overestimated.

Aberdeen stepped away from me and led me to a table, practically pushing me down in a chair. Her strong personality didn’t bother me anymore, now that I understood her better. She was a bit possessive of the people she loved. Tharin had told me her calm competence was a key characteristic in making his decision to marry her. Privately, I wondered if it was her commanding attitude behind closed doors that had sealed the deal. Aberdeen’s handling of Luna and the spy were prime examples of her intensity. Both women were extremely deferential to her; indeed, I felt impressed by Aberdeen’s competence and the care of those she took responsibility for managing.

Luna dished out the cooked ground beef onto three plates. It was a simple and inexpensive meal, which the locals had picked up from Julia. It wasn’t all technology that we were spreading around Juniper Hills. Our habits and tastes from the other side of the wormhole naturally followed us around, and the women of the marsh picked some of them up.

Aberdeen sat to my right and Luna took a seat across from us. Luna passed a couple of slices of bread to me, and then offered Aberdeen a piece of bread too. They grinned at each other and in that moment, I knew they wanted something from me. Tharin was away again with another work party, so they had time on their hands.

“Von, when is the next iron stove arriving from your Convey foundry? We have the perfect space for one in our home,” Aberdeen mentioned as I gleefully chewed my food and filled my stomach with beef. I’d have chuckled at them if I hadn’t stuffed my mouth. The crumbled ground beef went well with the warmed bread. With Luna’s doe eyes boring into me, I felt compelled not to disappoint her. After swallowing my food, I sighed and decided Fort Revenge would have to wait until winter to get their stove. It was a good thing no one knew my distribution plan.

Concerned with my lack of a response Luna quickly added, “It’s such a gloomy day outside, perhaps after lunch you’d like a rest? We have a nice fire going in the harbormaster’s bedroom. We made the bed and lit a few candles too.” She batted her eyes playfully.

I wolfed down some more bread and turned my laughing eyes to Aberdeen. She smirked back at me, unashamed at their plan. She gave my free hand a gentle squeeze. Luna smoothed her hair for a long moment.

“Fine. You win,” I declared in mock horror.

Luna clapped her hands while squealing in jubilee, happy tears leaked out of the side of her eyes. She struggled to get words out, perhaps surprised at my easy surrender to their desires.

Aberdeen wasn’t in the least flustered; rather she burned with sudden passion. She extended her hand. “Sister, hand me the key, and then eat your food. I’ll lock the front door, so our rest won’t be disturbed.” She tossed her hair and looked at me with a thin smile that caused the sides of her mouth to crease up in victory.

Aberdeen’s smoldering look sent shivers up the back of my neck. A quiet by-play between them proceeded the passing of the key. With my fork I shoveled more of the meat into my mouth. My mind shut the door on my list of tasks and responsibilities. It turned to more entertaining possibilities. They had clearly planned every detail of their assault on me. “I don’t like working in the rain anyway.”

Mid-afternoon the storm ended. Alone, I made my way up the hillside. The leaves were a wash of fall colors mixed in with the dark green of the juniper trees. Even wet, the view was breathtaking. Also, the sweet scent of the cedar trees seemed to ebb and flow on the breeze. Seagulls cawing above me screeched at each other in a rich repertoire of calls that were full of life. I squinted against the sun, as I followed a pair of the birds. “I just loved the wilderness, it was a far cry from working on a starship.”

“There you are! This afternoon you disappeared like a mirage,” Sparrow exclaimed, not trying to hide the frustration in his voice. He fell in next to me and we walked along the stone trail together. Two dark and angry clouds covered the sun.

“I was blanketed by work.”

“Oh,” Sparrow responded. He was wet through from the rain. Fortunately, the clouds parted and the sun’s rays hit us. Sparrow looked up to the sky for a moment, and then his grin returned at the sight of the disappearing remains of the bad weather.

“Yes, I had to suck it up and work my fingers to the bone.”

He looked confused at my statement and I was happy to keep him that way. I had no desire to recount my recent nap nor things like who had snored in my ear after the sexual romp. Sparrow pursed his lips like he was going to question me, but he thought better of it. “Milord, I don’t understand half of what you do, but normally I can find you.”

I messed up his slick hair. “Is someone looking for me?”

“Yesterday, you told me to invite the temple maidens for a special meeting at the Women’s Center. Earlier, Lady Swarta wanted to know if any special food was needed for the function tonight.”

“Why yes, I do remember.” The whole event had slipped my mind with the bad weather, all my tasks, and the recent pleasurable distraction. Yet, I couldn’t tell him that.

He plowed on, not noticing my internal struggle. “Since I couldn’t find you, your wife told me to tell you, she has already made up the menu.”

“Swarta knows what she is doing,” I reaffirmed.

“She wasn’t happy that I couldn’t find you.”

“Is that why you were upset?”

He nodded. I pulled him in for a hug.

“She was disappointed in me, not you. You are the best messenger we have. You’re the Town Crier. Swarta would never disrespect you, because she knows how serious you carry your duties.” Sparrow’s face looked brighter from the encouraging words.

I let go of him. “Come on we can walk up to the temple grounds and check on the progress there before we do anything else.”

The sun was still high in the sky, but the light diffused as it worked its way through the branches and leaves. Speckled sunlight beams hit the forest floor creating rich patterns of light green. The resilience and tenacity of the underbrush shouted the competitive growth of nature. Suppressed juvenile trees reached at the light in the canopy gaps. Here and there the death of a tree provided an opening for bushes, moss and ferns to prosper. Forest underbrush species adapted well to surviving disturbances like falling trees or man-made trails. The plant life reminded me that there was a lesson about the importance of functional components in the forest. In particular, walking among the patchy woods spoke to me of my role in the town. Those under my rule were a diverse lot, with important roles in the town’s functioning. When I avoided or delayed dealing with a particular group it influenced the management of others.

I had avoided dealing with the temple women in Juniper Hills. It was time to make sure they were well planted in our culture, beyond keeping them busy with the herb garden. Keeping promises to people was necessary, to achieve the loyalty I needed. I fulfilled my role on Derwen’s estate, which had inspired their confidence and trust. In fact, in Convey, the success of the temple renewed growth with the towns around it. New settlers received food, healing and guidance from the temple priestesses and their staff. Even Juniper Hills had benefited from my seeding there; many displaced country folk had been screened and sent to our wilderness town. Derwen provided free passage on her ship too. Many hard-working peasants and skilled tradesmen from war-torn areas had embraced our protected kingdom. Most of the leaders in Convey had let them down when the Raiders had swept through the island. Convey was full of broken commitments, promises and covenants. We were better than that. Fortunately, we had the sea to feed us. Our bit of land was average at best; most of it wasn’t tillable, except for a portion of it around Fort Revenge and small gardens in town.

We passed a score of porters carrying sacks of supplies up the hill and a couple of guards going off their shift. It wasn’t until we stepped into the deserted construction site that I spoke again. “Okay, Sparrow go ahead and run to Swarta and tell her that I’m not lost, but on my way home. I want to inspect the temple grounds for a few minutes to pay my respects.”

“Yes, Milord.” Waving he darted towards my family tower that was at the top of the hill. He was always clamoring to please us. Manhood was important to the Marsh people and Sparrow’s attitude was typical in this land. It was an endearing attitude. Typically, marsh men sang and joked as they worked. Of course, I admired their strength too.

The temple grounds were mostly roped off to keep citizens from walking through the work area. I counted three temporary sheds that held important supplies and tools. A golem was apparently idle among the stacks of stone blocks, at the back of the clearing. The golem was one of those tasks that I’d put aside to enjoy my time in the bedroom. I was satisfied the machine had positioned most of the foundation stones in the ground.

Most of the roped off area had granite laid out in squares like a checker board. The rock was the final layer need to create a reinforced floor for the main temple building. The stacks of cut rock around the machine were for the altar. I pulled out my PDA and opened the application for the golem’s controls. The plans for the altar had been downloaded into my PDA by Webster. It was my preference to be on site when starting a new part of the project, after tapping in the confirmation codes the golem started its task.

I stepped over the rope into a small staging area that was churned up mud, crushed bushes and battered bits of broken tree limbs. It was raw ground, exposed to the sky. Eventually, it would be the outhouse for the temple staff. It wasn’t a glamorous thought, but a necessary part of the complex. I left the site to the automated sounds of the machine groaning as it hauled more stones. A couple of hunters on the path stopped and gawked at the machine as it operated. I grinned at them, their awestruck faces elevated my mood again. They didn’t even notice me passing them. The large machine was a marvel, perhaps one of the wonders of Haven.

A couple of 8 year olds were playing with stick-swords outside of my family’s wooden tower. It appeared to me they were trying to impress the two tower guards by the front door. Both little girls were shouting and stabbing at invisible foes, using basic sword techniques they had picked up somewhere. I inadvertently laughed when I saw them. They turned and saw me, immediately putting a fist to their chest. I gave the warrior reply, and then entered my home.

Swarta was just inside the door toweling off a naked Sparrow. My wife handed the towel to a middle-aged servant woman and took a shirt from her. In one quick motion Swarta put the shirt on the young man.

“Sparrow, Kya will wash your dirty clothes and return them to your home. Now, run along.”

“Yes, Lady Swarta.” Sparrow smiled and dashed through the open door.

My wife moved beside me. “Von, that boy was soaked through.”

I shrugged. “He is a good lad, determined like a dog with a bone. I got caught in the new Harbormaster’s office. Sparrow didn’t think to look there.”

The ebony maid laughed, which seemed to soften Swarta’s exasperation. Swarta placed her hand on the door, eyes growing wide while thinking things through. The two women looked at each other and giggled. The maid was rather new to our household. Swarta has been rather taken with the older woman’s joyful disposition, so she had hired her right off the ship from Convey. Of course, having a glowing reference from Derwen helped the imposing widow. She radiated confidence and refined sexuality.

“Well it was best Sparrow didn’t think to peek in there,” Swarta said. The maid snorted, then covered her mouth. Both women laughed again.

“I take it that Aberdeen’s plan was well-known?” I asked. The maid flushed under my gaze. She turned around and discreetly disappeared into the tower with the dirty clothes.

The sun shining through the open door glinted on Swarta’s hair. She looked beautiful, all put together like any other richly dressed noble woman. “No, not really. A few of us heard about it from Aberdeen’s sister. I hadn’t inquired about when they planned on setting up their tryst.” She stepped to me and hugged me. “Welcome home, husband. Now let us talk about your plans for the coming-out party for the temple acolytes. You have created a stir with that invitation.”

“That surprises me. It’s not that unexpected. I just took my time, so they wouldn’t feel rushed and they had time to settle into a routine.”

“As you say,” Swarta replied. “Fortunately for you, the young priestesses think you are testing them. Like a trial of patience to make sure they are mature enough for service to your temple.”

“It’s not my temple. It’s Moon Mother’s temple,” I answered.

“You’re the estate lord and master. A man with body magic.”

“Swarta, please, don’t throw that bull of the herd thing in this too.”

She snorted twice, just to make fun of me. It was enough to convince me that I was being overly dramatic.

Swarta smiled. “I knew you’d warm to the idea of bedding them. They are hand selected and pretty.”

I just thought, “Critically acclaimed Lord; prestigious assignment.”

In life some things you just have to accept.

The formal acceptance of the temple women into our society went well. It marked the beginning of the acolytes dream and the end of their trial of patience. There had been more than a smattering of applause as each young woman was introduced into the affairs of the Women’s Center. Each acolyte wore their finest, sheer, temple clothes to show off their bodies. Of course, they were nearly irresistible, but I played nice since it was a formal affair. Friendly kissing and modest hand placements kept me honest.

The feast had lamb and wild game as its main meal rather than fish. I was pleased with the apple pie Julia had made as a favor to Swarta. The engineer didn’t join such functions often; but, someone had dug deep and pulled her to attend. It might have been Kate but my money was on Julie. I think it was the promise of seeing all the temple women in one place, practically naked that got Julia to attend. She had a thing for women.

The benefits and duties of fully entering our society made the religious women feel more than visitors or missionaries. Since the young women came from outside the Great Marsh they had felt more like voyeurs or tourists. I had failed to appreciate that, only learning of their feelings from overhearing an unguarded conversation.

However, I did not fail them when I took them to my bed. We leisurely exercised our desires together. Each woman had a night with me alone, in a private room within the Tower of Light on the cliff. It was a lot of fun and delicate work, where I wrapped them up, had them panting with the feeling their skin was on fire. The accessories of the building helped make their stay memorable: electric lights, comfortable beds, hot running water, and flushable toilets. Building the experience up wasn’t all about sex. In the end, with their virginity removed, they were declared full-fledged Temple priestesses. From their church’s perspective the maidens now had enough experience to handle parishioners. We just needed to complete their building.

On a refreshingly warm, clear day, surrounded by cargo boxes, I inspected our first cargo delivery into Serpent’s Cove. Derwen had sent the Lady of Truth with a load of wine, goats, blacksmith equipment and an iron stove. Of course, she sent another load of immigrants too. I had been pleased to see the bulk of the passengers were older families; middle-aged men and women with teenagers. Under normal circumstances, Derwen tended to focus on sending broken families, missing their men folk. It benefited her to transfer refugees to us rather than stress her estate’s support capabilities.

The devastating fall of Northern Convey towns to Raiders created an outrageous economic blow to that area. Many of the killers weren’t among the living, but that was absolutely no solace to the survivors. We had been instrumental in blunting the Raiders advances. They tried taking one bridge too many, and we destroyed them on our shields and swords. The river flowed with blood and bodies.

Luckily, we had plenty of seafood and shelter, a safe haven for the war-torn families. With all the skilled labor working on the dragon boats and our highly effective fishing boats, we had a ready population of single men too. A mixture of marsh men, former slaves and Convey based non-residents gave the women exposure to different experiences. The marsh men were very simple-minded, with a tradition of hard work. The eunuchs were deeply loyal, willing to do anything for you, but they had a deeply wounded spirit. The contract workers from Convey were accustomed to the city life rather than the wilderness; yet, they balanced desires for city luxuries against our freedom, liberty and security.

Not surprising, most of the Convey born women preferred Convey born men. The combination of lonely shipbuilders that had money and available war widows, created a mighty powerful mixture. We were losing very few of the single men when their contract period ended. The men converted to regular citizens and kept working on shipbuilding, while living in the lower town area with their lovers and new wives. Whereas, the marsh men and eunuchs tended to live in the upper town, which was the seat of my power. In the end, whether the displaced families moved into the upper town or lower town, only the passage of time would dull the details of their painful memories.

I reached my hand into straw and cursed, flinging my hand around, splattering the open crate with my blood.

“A broken wine bottle.” It wasn’t a good omen for how the morning was going to finish.

“You all right, Milord?” A cargo handler asked.

“Fine, I think,” I responded.

“It happens to the best of us,” he answered, turning back to working on a cargo net. None of the other workmen took notice of my carelessness.

I glanced in the direction of the beach and saw Julie hurrying to me. Her prosthetic arm reflected the sun. She had a couple of female guards in tow, which was a bit unusual. They didn’t normally come down to the beach when they were on duty. Thinking on it, I realized Julie was armed with more than a sword. She had her PDA in hand and a laser pistol at her waist in a holster. I patted my thigh muscle, immediately aware that my laser and PDA were at home. However, my flare gun and blade jiggled at my touch. Julie looked out to sea, and then back to me.

“Not good,” I thought. I didn’t have my PDA with me. My wife was a hundred feet away.

The ship blocked my view west, but I was certain my first thought was right. The crew of the cog were still busy unloading, not keeping a watch. The sails were tied back and no one was in the crow’s nest for me to yell for information. Fortunately, we had already processed the families, so they weren’t clogging up the path to the beach. Palus and Swarta were settling the new people in temporary quarters inside the palisade walls.