Chapter 28

“Thank you, Ranga. Work on becoming a good wife, and you will remain happy.”

She paused, then continued, “John, I have news for you.”

John brought his attention to bear, while cuddling Ranga protectively.

Maranga told him, “Actually, it is two pieces of news. One is that I am pregnant with your child; the tribal healer has confirmed this. The second is that I want you to fuck an ill woman, to test out a hypothesis of mine.”

“A complete stranger? Fuck her?” John was startled.

“Yes. She has a skin condition on her torso and arms that deters men from wooing her, so no man has had her at all, willingly or otherwise. She remains a virgin. My opinion, based on what I have seen and heard, is that within your body you have medicine that heals many conditions, and also keeps people healthy. All of your wives remain fit and well, and even to a lesser extent the other women of your tribe. That would not be the case in any normal group of so many women.

This woman in my tribe remains single because of her unfortunate condition, but if my idea is accurate, being fucked by you should introduce some of your magic into her body, and do something to help her heal.”

John was amazed at this turn of events.

“I have never envisaged going around fucking women as a medical treatment. Within my tribe I believe my breath has passed on some of my nanites to others, and that has improved the health of the tribe, but I have never sought to use sex as a method of transfer, though I would think that such an intense and denser transfer of body material may provide the effect you seek.”

Maranga told John, “I had a small lump on the back of my neck for years, and it is gone now. I also used to have bad headaches every couple of months, and they have stopped. Both happened after I married you and we had sex, so I have related these results to the one new action in my life, for the timing fits.

On that basis, I would like to find out if this is a general principle of your body, for I have never encountered mention of such recoveries in the past, and certainly not in my experience. That is why I have proposed that you do this. Even if it fails, the woman will be grateful for your attention, especially if she gets pregnant from it.”

John asked, “What’s with this interminable need among you women to get pregnant? There is a degree of risk of death through childbirth, remember. Why does every woman want to have a baby?”

Maranga took a new look at John. “You really don’t understand our society here, do you?”

“How do you mean?”

“Several points occur to me. One, very few women have access to preventative herbs, or to ones that work, as opposed to ‘work according to tradition’. Two, a woman unable to have a child is seen as a failure. Three, having a baby, while painful at the time of birth, is a fulfilment of a woman’s life; she loves being a mother as a rule, and dotes on the child. Four, there is a competitive element where a man has several wives: each wants to show her devotion by having more children than the others. Five, men regard themselves as failures if they can’t get their wife or wives pregnant. It is all or some of these factors for each woman.”

“Oh.” John was nonplussed, stuck for something to say. Eventually he avoided the problem by changing the subject.

“I started my own tribe – John’s tribe, but how did the Farfarers tribe start, Maranga?”

She blinked at the change of topic, but did her best.

“No-one really knows, but we have a creation story which might relate to it, or to a precursor tribe. A great god was looking down on mankind, and thought that they looked rather lost, and so decided to give their lives some direction. The god selected an unnamed number of women as his wives – purely to set an example – and arranged a tribe with him at its head. He taught the people how the tribe should be run, so that the people were all fed, watered, and were protected, and how they should procreate. He had many children, and these children went out and about, starting other tribes, and repeating what their father had taught. It is assumed that every tribe is organised in the same way.”

John guffawed at the story. “It is a great tale, Maranga, and obviously told to reinforce the tribal Chief’s entitlement to many wives. Start things with a God story, and you can get away with anything. If it was just told that the first Chief had many wives, there is no logical basis for every other Chief doing the same, but if it is a God who starts it off, then the practice has a life of its own: you can’t object, as this was the God’s rule!

Even better, if you declare that the God came down from heaven to issue such instructions, it means that no-one on Earth should do other than obey.”

Maranga frowned. “You are saying it is not true?”

“I am saying that the story is used to reinforce a tradition. Whether the story was originally true or not, doesn’t matter, for it does the job it was intended to do. Do you think that a God would act in this way?”

Maranga’s forehead furrowed as she thought about this.

“Gods can act in any way they want, surely?”

“In that case, what are Gods for, if they can do anything, good or evil?”

“They just are; that is all.”

“Just like a mountain or a river? Those just are, but that doesn’t make them gods. If a mountain explodes, and erupts lava, is there any instruction involved? If a river floods and causes people to drown, is there any volition involved? Such Gods are in the mind, Maranga. If a God always acts for good, then I can believe in him, but if he does not act in a manner that warrants respect, what is there to believe in?”

“John, you argue like a learned shaman, but without the religious aspects. Why?”

“I try to look at life logically, Maranga. If religion enhances the lives of people, then I am all for it, but if religion depresses the people, then that religious organisation is not to be trusted. If a religious leader orders bad things to happen to innocent people, than that man is a bad man and should be rejected as ungodly.

Any true God will either act in a helpful manner for all, or will leave you alone to sort things out for yourselves. Any man who claims otherwise is a charlatan.”

“Your views are noted, my husband. I will consider them later. Now, what about Delica?”

“Delica? Who’s Delica?”

“The woman I was talking about; the one with the skin condition, remember?”

“Oh, sorry. I hadn’t heard you mention her name.”

“I didn’t, until now. So, will you help her in this way?”

“Darling, the idea of helping a girl by fucking her, is somewhat unusual, but if you think it is warranted, then fine, provided she is washed and in clean clothes when we meet.”

“I will attend to that requirement. It is a wise stipulation, my husband.”

“Will you keep me up to date on Brando and his ladies, Maranga? I have to take any reject back to my tribe, along with Ranga, of course; unless you want her to stay with you for a while.”

“I think I will allow her to return with her husband; but you are not her husband yet, are you?”

“No, not yet.”

“As Chief, I can conduct marriage ceremonies, so why don’t I marry you two before you go back to the tribe? That will be a nice touch.”

“What? Right away? Today?”

“Is there any better time?”

“No, I don’t suppose so. I just wasn’t expecting it; that is all.”

“Then let her fetch her mother and we can conduct the ceremony in this hut.”

Ranga was delighted at the chance to have her aunt conduct the wedding ceremony, and rushed to bring her mother to witness it.

Soon afterwards, the three gathered at the hut, but shortly found gatecrashers at the door: Brando, his wife, and his potential wives. Brando grabbed John by the arm. “She says yes to them all! Isn’t it wonderful?”

John interrupted Maranga in her discussions with her sister and niece. “Chief, can we do a double wedding? Brando has three ladies who wish to join his household, with his wife’s approval.”

Maranga smiled. “Good thinking, my man. Bring them inside. Brando and his family to one side; you and Ranga at the other, with her mother as witness to both ceremonies.”

The cheerful groups lined up in front of Chief Maranga. She then declared. “I am Maranga, Chief of the Farfarers, and as my office requires, I am here to officiate at two weddings. One is between High Chief John and the Lady Ranga. The other is between Brando the Maker and his existing wife and three additional wives. Garma, wife of Brando, do you approve of these three ladies becoming wives of Brando, under your supervision and guidance?”

Garma replied, “I do, Chief Maranga.”

The Chief then spoke to the three newcomers lined up in font of her, naming each one.

“Do you three ladies, each and together, agree to become wives of Brando the Maker and his wife Garma?”

There was slight confusion over this form of words, but Garma nudged them, “Just all say ‘I do.’”

They repeated this, one after the other, allowing Maranga to declare, “As Chief of the Farfarers, I, Maranga, declare that these people in front of me, having made their declarations to each other, have been lawfully married in accordance with tribal practice. Congratulations, all of you.”

There were pleased smiles all round, and all the new wives got kisses from their new husband, and the trio also got kisses from Garma, who would be the senior wife in that family. The new ones had already accepted her in that position, once she had promised a benevolent attitude to them.

“An important man like my Brando needs not only additional wives, but more children for a strong future, girls. You will take on that task, will you? I have already done my part, and our children are starting to grow up, so you three will provide the follow-ons.”

Al three promised to play their part in expanding Brando’s family.

Ranga was in a different category, and knew it. She hugged her new husband, then took him by the hand to approach Maranga after the others had departed from the Chief’s hut. Her mother carefully stepped out of the way, and went home, happy that her daughters’ future was in good hands.

Ranga spoke to John, lovingly, “John, my husband, you must first go to your other wife here, take her to her sleeping pad and show her your love; then you come to me to show me your love in the same way. I shall look forward to having you inside me again.”

Maranga smiled gratefully at Ranga, and gestured to John. As she did so, she instructed Ranga, “My dear, please stand outside the door and deter any visitors for a while. Tell them I am having a private discussion with the High Chief, and not to be disturbed.”

Ranga grinned knowingly.

“Yes, Chief.”

She went and stood outside the door accordingly, trying to look important, but also assuming a guard posture such as she had observed in John’s warriors. She found this posture less onerous than she expected, and relaxed.

She only had to send away one supplicant, a woman who had a complaint about her husband. Before sending her away, Ranga asked, “What exactly is the problem? I might be able to help.”

The woman stared at the teenager in disbelief, so Ranga informed her, “I am the eldest daughter of Chief Mongo, and wife of High Chief John, so I am knowledgable about Chiefly matters.”

The woman grudgingly admitted, “My husband is asking for sex, but I have not recovered sufficiently from having my baby and he does not seem to understand this. What can I do?”

Ranga chuckled, “Tell him that Chief Maranga is prepared to sentence him to a month without sex as a punishment; or he should be looking for a second wife, if he can afford one. Any man who cannot restrain his passions in such circumstance does not deserve what he has. He should appreciate and respect you more, Chief Maranga says.”

The woman gaped at this sage advice, and asked, “Can I say this came from Chief Maranga?”

“You can. I will report it to her, so she will know what she has said to you.”

The woman walked off, amazed and pleased at this resolution of her problem.

After a long while, John appeared at the door with Maranga holding his arm tenderly, so Ranga reported what she had said and done with the woman. “I forgot to ask her name, though!”

“I think I know who it is. Your advice is very good, so I expect her husband will behave himself now. He does not have a chance of a second wife, with his limited talents, so he will be concerned at that possible punishment if he does not desist!”

“I told her that it was your determination of her request, and that you would back it up if need be.”

“Quite correct, Ranga. You will be a good wife for John, by the looks of your wisdom at an early age.”

“Will John and I be going back to the cave, shortly, aunt Maranga?”

“Not immediately, niece. I have a task for him to perform for my tribe.”

“Oh. Oh, well, I can wait until then. I will go and celebrate with my mother, if I may, Chief?”

“Please do. I will know where to find you when we have finished.”

When they were alone, Maranga told him, “I sent a message to Delica, telling her to be washed clean and with clean clothes on when she comes to meet me. We should expect her sometime soon.”

True to her words, the woman appeared at the Chief’s hut and knocked on the door jamb, to indicate her presence.

John sat where he was, while Maranga moved to open the new door that Brando had made for her. She gestured inside, saying, “Delica, do come in. I have someone I want you to meet: my husband John.”

The woman came in, puzzled at being invited to meet the Chief’s husband. “Thank you, Chief Maranga. You have a husband? I haven’t seen him with you before.”

“That is because he has important duties as High Chief elsewhere, that take him away from here most of the time, but he is here now, and wishes to help you. I have asked him to do something for you as a favour to me, something in the way of an experiment.”

“He wants to help me? But I am afflicted with an ailment that none can cure.”

“That is just the point, Delica. I have observed that every woman he beds finds her imperfections lessen in the near future. Would you be willing to participate in this experiment? It would mean being fucked by John, so if you find that objectionable, we can simply leave it be and you can return home.”

“Chief, if I may be so bold, what do you expect to happen to me? Will I get pregnant even?”

“I have to admit that it is a possibility, but that is a normal by-product of fucking, my dear. I want to find out if another result is an amelioration of your skin condition.”

“You think that him fucking me might be a cure for that? Really?”

“There is no guarantee, but it seems to be a reasonable probability. I would want you to come back and visit me regularly, so that I can check your condition for improvement.”

“If I become pregnant, Chief, and have no husband...”

“I will make sure that you and your child are looked after, Delica, as it would be John’s child as well.”

“Then I accept, Chief. What do you need me to do?”

“We will keep it to the absolute essentials, Delica. You will strip first, then lie down on your back on that fur, and open your legs wide; bend your knees up as well. John, you will fuck her until you send your seed into her, as that seems the vital essence involved.”

John frowned at her. “Darling, I cannot go into her dry. It would be sore for her and for me, apart from her maidenhead tearing. She needs to become moist as a starter.”

“Oh, all right; do what you can to make her secrete her juices so that the task is easier for you both. I have no desire to make the process unpleasant.”

John knelt down and used his fingers to stimulate her clit and pussy. Startled at the feelings she derived from this, she unconsciously became aroused and her cunt started to moisten. She sighed, “Is it always like this, with a man?” she asked, looking up at Maranga.

“Not always, but it can be if the man is attentive to your womanly needs.”

“This is wonderful, Chief. You are a lucky woman.”

“I know, but beware; as a virgin you will feel pain as your maidenhead breaks when John inserts his man prong. Try not to cry when it happens; the pain will not last long.”

Deciding that the time had come, John brought his penis into play, and Delica grasped it and steered in into her hole. He tried to be gentle, and eased it in and out a little, getting the head oiled with her juices, then he pushed in and through her hymen.

She gasped, gritting her teeth, and he stopped, waiting. When the pain level had dropped enough, she told him, “It should be all right now, High Chief.”

At that, John started to increase his speed, forcing his member in and out at a gradually increasing pace, and she slowly opened her eyes wide as a new sensation entered her. She gasped at the sensation sweeping over her, and her vaginal muscles gripped him tighter, making the effect even stronger. An involuntary cry came from her throat, a cry of delight, and her arms came round to hold John’s body closer, despite his regular rhythm in and out of her sex.

Finally, after she had another orgasm, John came, spurting his sperm into her. They both felt this happen, and Delica exulted at having got an important Chief to make her a true woman. John collapsed as his penis slowly ceased pumping baby material inside her.

Maranga waited until both had recovered a little, then asked Delica, “Was that a worthwhile experiment, Delica?”

“Oh, yes, Chief!” she responded. “That was amazing. It must be wonderful to have a husband like that!”

“I like it, Delica, but it doesn’t stop me having responsibilities as Chief. One is to look after the health of my tribe, and you are my test subject. Will you report to me at least once every few days, and I can see what, if anything, is happening to you.”

Delica didn’t like raising the question, but felt she must. “Chief, will I need to have further experiments of the same sort by the High Chief? I will be happy to comply, if that is your wish.”

Maranga smiled, but explained, “High Chief John, as I said before, is often away from here on his own duties, but if your condition improves, we might be able to arrange a repeat injection of his seed, to see if that speeds up your recovery. You do realise that any more of these inputs will increase the chances of pregnancy?”

“Yes, Chief. I am beginning to accept that it might happen to me, but if my skin gets better, a baby will be a celebration of that event, and I might even attract a husband.”

“Delica, beware. When you are well, men will flock round you for your newly attractive assets, but you must take great care deciding if you want any husband at all. If you want one, check with other women about the man’s attitude towards women. You do not want to tie yourself to a poor standard of husband. As and when you get well, be strong, and careful. It took me many years to find a suitable man, but I found the right one at last.”

“I will take good care to examine your words, Chief Maranga, and make use of these words wisely.”

Delica exited the Chief’s hut with a smile on her face. The smile remained as she walked back to her own little hut, surprising some of the people who passed her by. She needed to change back to her older clothes to return to her normal work looking after children of the tribe while their parents were otherwise occupied. She was expected to teach the youngsters things about tribal life and traditions, and recently that instruction had changed with the social revolution granting equal rights to women. It had to start with the children, telling the boys and girls that when they became adults they would be treated equally. The girls would for instance have to be prepared to learn to help defend the tribe, thus the children’s play had to reflect that coming change in their lives.

Truthfully, it was more difficult for her to change her tuition lessons than for the children to adapt to it. She had spent most of her life as part of a male-oriented society, but the children were young enough to be easily malleable.

Maranga and John returned to cuddling mode, and she told John that while the tribal healers were satisfied that she was pregnant, it would be a long time before she showed her condition. She wondered if being pregnant might lessen her authority in the tribe.

John was horrified that anyone would make such an assumption. “If a Chief is unwell or getting old, that would not be an excuse to regard him as unfit to rule. It is the same with your pregnancy. It might help, though, to appoint your own ‘enforcer’, a man or woman who would act in your stead when a trip was warranted.

“Brando seems like the sort of man whom you could rely on; a man who will do your will without countenancing taking over from you. Your ‘enforcer’ would know that I am your protector, and would come down like an avalanche on an offender. Chief Numa has the same situation, though there she has all her co-wives to assist her.”

“Thank you, John, for that reassurance,” Maranga was quick to praise him. “You may not always be on hand, but your promise will be enough, I believe. Brando is most grateful for your help in gaining his new wives, so he will want to repay you in any way he can. Assisting me will be one of these.”

They had not long concluded this discussion when the door swung open and Ranga barged in, followed by her mother. Ranga told him, “Mama wants to thank you for everything, my husband. Will you listen to her?”

John raised his eyebrows. “Whyever not?”

Bertha came forward and spoke. “By your leave, High Chief John, may I offer you my personal thanks for taking on Ranga as your wife, and your intention in future to do similarly for my other two daughters? To be taken on by a High Chief is a great honour for our ravaged family.”

“Bertha, my friend, It is just as much of an honour for me, to be welcomed into the family of Chief Mongo of the Farfarers. I hope we will forever remain friends. You will always be welcome at our fireside.”

Bertha burst into tears, and John gathered her into his arms and hugged her. The occasion meant a lot to both of them.

Almost immediately, Bertha left for home, and Ranga grabbed John tightly. “That was lovely, John. My mother will always love you for what you are doing for her family. If I have a daughter, I would like to call her Bertha, if that is all right with you.”

“No problem, my love, but it is a bit early to be thinking of children.”

Ranga glared at him. “John, I will have my first baby in nine months, and it is up to you to ensure that it happens. When do we start on the baby-making? We are now married, so we should consummate our marriage right away.”

“Ah, there is a slight problem in that I have passed my current load of seed into Maranga and Delica...”

“Eh? Who is this Delica?”

“Sorry, I should have told you before. She is an experiment that Chief Maranga wanted to try out. Maranga suspects that any woman I fuck gets some magic potion along with my seed, and that magic potion helps illnesses and diseases to go away. Delica has a skin condition, and Maranga wants to see if it can be cured by my seed, so I did what Maranga asked of me. Based on what Maranga has observed, she may be correct, for all my wives are healthy in the extreme.”

Ranga dismissed this story as irrelevant to her own needs.

“So when can you make some effort towards giving me a baby?”

“Later today should be fine, but if we are to travel home, it is best not to turn your attention away from the surrounding forest and its dangers, so tonight at the cave, or else remain here overnight.”

“At the cave, there are other women awaiting your loving, so can we stay here tonight, and we can fuck to our heart’s content?” She grinned as she asked this.

John sighed inwardly, knowing that Maranga would also be asking again, but nodded.

“If that is what my darling wife wants, that is what she will get.”

This gained him another hug and a pleased kiss. “I must tell Mama that we will leave in the morning, and we will say our goodbyes then.”

She scampered off on that errand, and Maranga smiled gleefully. “If you are not leaving until the morning, then you can make love to me as well as to Ranga. Make sure your seed goes in her first, for I have enough for now, as long as I get the pleasure of your loving.”

In the morning, Chief Maranga made a show of seeing off her guests. Brando was present and handed over a gift from the tribe to High Chief John and his new wife. It was a one-wheeled reverse variation on the travois, with a deeper carrying pouch in the middle, which John recognised as a primitive wheelbarrow; with two sets of bows and arrows held inside. He thanked Brando, and suggested a few minor alterations which would make it into a genuine wheelbarrow. After the gifting, Chief Maranga took the opportunity to make a declaration that Maker Brando was to be her own official adviser in tribal matters and to act for her in any absence. He was surprised at this, but graciously accepted the honour.

John swapped the wheeled travois round, holding the wide arms part way down, to become the basic wheelbarrow; deposited their travel rations and extra clothing into the remainder of the carry section, and proceeded on their way. Brando watched them go, and noted carefully that putting the wheel in front and shorter side poles allowed for easier steering. That would be a useful feature in future.

The trip back to the cave was uneventful, except that Ranga kept wanting to hug and kiss her husband frequently. John participated willingly, but always with an eye on the surroundings.

Their arrival was noted by the warrior on guard duty by the forest, and Ranga whispered to her. The guard hurried back to the cave, and when the couple came close to the entrance, they were greeted by a shout of “Hail High Chief John and his wife the Lady Ranga!”

They entered, hand in hand, and were welcomed by Chief Numa, who congratulated Ranga on her elevation to the status of a co-wife.

“You are welcome in our family, Lady Ranga. The family will be enhanced by having a daughter of Chief Mongo joining us.”

Neither of them made reference to a future for Ranga’s younger sisters. That was a matter for later private discussion, but Numa took John aside.

“John, we had another delivery yesterday. It was unexpected, but we had maintained our precautions around the site, so we were ready for anything. What came through was another animal; one which Sheila and Vickie called a nanny goat.”

“A goat? Just one? That suggests they will send a male later.”

“Possibly. What came with it was another three crossbows, and several packs of bolts. Why?”

“I suspect someone back there has realised how useful a crossbow might be back here, and persuaded the others to send extras to their assumed primordial Fuehrer.”

“That’s a funny word: Fuehrer.”

“It means leader or guide in another language, so please ignore it.”

“Very well. What about these crossbows?”

“I must train some people in their use. It is not very difficult to learn to use them; easier than a bow and arrow, apart from having to wind them each time. Talking of which, I have a couple of bow and arrow sets with me, so we can try them out with various warriors and hunters, to see who has the right talent for such weapons.”

Numa nodded agreement, adding, “We had better let Ranga go meet her sisters, to tell them all about her trip. You didn’t say you would marry her at the Farfarers,” she added accusingly.

“I didn’t know myself, Numa. Maranga decided that her niece merited a marriage performed by herself as Chief, so we went along with that. She also did the ceremony for Maker Brando and his new ladies. His wife accepted them all into their household, astoundingly.”

“Yes. I know how she must have felt at first, then she would realise that additional wives emphasise his prominent position in the tribe.”

“Brando got a new shock this morning: Maranga made him her chief adviser, so he is even more important now!”

Numa chuckled. “An important man, indeed. Oh, by the way, my own important man, your Vickie and Sheila are reading some of these books you found in the cave.”

“Should be useful, if they read the right ones.”

“Sheila said the one on plants was very helpful for her, as she couldn’t keep all the information in her head. The book is like an extra memory for her, she told me. I could see her argument.”

“What did Vickie read up on?” John asked Numa.

“She said it was a book on being a mother; how to look after children and teach them things. That didn’t seem worth it to me, for I already know all about preparing to be a mother. My parents gave me all I need to know in that line.”

“Not quite all, Numa. The medicine men and women back in our time had learned a lot about birth and the first few months of childhood. They looked at all the times when women had trouble birthing a child, and worked out what was going wrong. In many instances they solved the problem. Sometime it was the position of the baby in the womb, and just by persuading the baby to turn round, the birth ended up successful instead of killing the baby and its mother when the baby could not come out. Knowledge like that can be extremely useful, Numa.”