Chapter 4: The Long Mission

In the colony, which was essentially a great farm village, the people were used to an early rising. Gina and Carlo had another long day scheduled and did not get much sleep. Plus they had already been awake for over an hour just enjoying the wonders of each other in the sunlit room, as a married couple might. Carlo seemed particularly interested in kissing her body in a variety of places his lips had not visited before. Her newly denuded nether lips seemed to draw him. She let him and returned the favor as she could, there was so much to learn and experience. They were aroused, but also antsy to get up so they did.

When they finally got to breakfast the sun had been up for some time and they expected the others would be at table. But they were alone. Still, they were seated and the cook said he had eggs and ham, plus berries with fruits and fresh cream.

They were halfway through there meal when the Patron arrived for breakfast. He was not alone. Gina thought that the Patron always ate early, and alone, so he got right to work. Thus, his appearance was one surprise, but not the only one. He entered the room, hand in hand with Eve, they looked like lovers, but holding his other hand was Gina’s sister Gwen! Like Gina and Carlo, the others were wearing clothing appropriate for the bedroom, not the field. From the state of their clothing, hair, walk and general demeanor, the Patron and both ladies looked like Gina and Carlo felt: well loved! All three were grinning widely at the young married couple.

The Patron spoke as soon as he entered the room. “Gina, I must say that in this morning light the sight of your smile would stir any man, much more so than yesterday. It seems married life agrees with you. Carlo, it is good to see you again my deputy. I can assure you, the thought of you young lovers from last night was an inspiration, and not just to me. Am I right ladies?”

Surprisingly, Eve was the one who blushed bright. “Oh yes my Husband,” she said.

Gwen seemed rather more restrained. “I certainly was prepared to serve, but somebody was rather more demanding than usual. I could not serve nearly as much as I intended.”

The Patron waved her comment off. Speaking to Gina and Carlo he said, “I asked your beautiful sister to stop by because I reasonably expected I would be more active than usual, I am sure you see the familial resemblance.” They all shared a smile at that, it was clear the Patron had second thoughts about yielding Gina to Carlo for the First Night. “However, when we got to my bedroom my darling wife Eve was in quite a state thanks to Carlo’s attentions, and where she is usually content with one serving, last night she required rather more of me! As a result, I fear that poor Gwen was under-served, getting much less than she deserved. Perhaps somebody will make it up to her later ... she made a special request when I was in a delicate position so I could not refuse. But we will speak of that later.”

After that they talked about the party, the wonderful breakfast, and Gwen’s history of nights in the hacienda. A Prince never got a chance to select his first bride, they were chosen by their Father, usually around the time they were 30, and were primarily based on genetic considerations. Rey married early (at 21) due to his father’s poor health.

However, from the time when they came of age Princes were encouraged to seek to expand the population of the colony by procreation, typically with widows - including former martial brides. They were even allowed married women with the knowledge of the husband. In all cases care was taken with regard to the bloodlines, which restricted the population of candidates and increased repeat visits. Expanding the population was one of the core pillars of the community. A wife being with another man was unthinkable, because it raised questions of bloodlines, but the exception was made for the Patron and any Princes who needed heirs and recorded each episode in a record available to all. Why should the community suffer if the Patron’s wife could not give him an heir? Any woman would see it as her duty to offer her aid. This was viewed as an extension of the White Scarf.

Gwen explained that she had come to Rey with her first White Scarf, and returned after her first soldier-husband left, she missing having a man in her bed. At meals she charmed old Patron Raul, and was asked to serve him. (There was no shame in a cook serving the son one day and the father the next, why should it be different for a bedwarmer? Royals seemed to get the best cooks.) She was willing, saying that even at the end, Raul was very much a man with her. For a time she was with Raul one night and Rey the next night. At present she was typically with the Patron once or twice a month. Sometimes Eve was in the room, and sometimes not, the two women had become close friends.

Community values - from child’s fables that did so much to define attitudes - were such that all of this was considered laudable, but Gwen preferred that it was not widely known. She still had hopes of children, and love.

After breakfast the Patron ushered the newlywed couple into his library - their classroom - for a talk. They all stayed in their nightclothes, after last night he did not require a change and they had much to discuss. He got right into the subject. “My friends, Father saw the value of your minds. Now the colony has a mission that needs you. You have shown that you can study and work independently, without close supervision. You see what needs to be done and do it. So many cannot. But you must, for you will be both students and teachers. I know it will go well, you have been clever learning many things. I know you have been led to believe that you would work here, in this room, keeping records for me, and indeed that was the original plan. But my Father had a visitor ten years ago, the man spoke of a vision. Father saw another plan, and circumstances have favored you for that mission. He had you in mind when he planned this.”

He led them to a globe they had looked at many times, when they came for lessons. Both knew where their home was, in South America, on the east side of the Andes, which isolated them from the outside world. “Can you find the City of the Angels?”

Gina could in an instant, part of their studies involved movies and magazines; Los Angeles and Hollywood were featured in both. When Carlo was asked about Dallas and Miami, he located both as well.

The colony had no TV, but Gina had read every English language magazine in the colony, had a question. “‘Surfside 6’ and ‘77 Sunset Strip’ are TV shows set in Los Angeles and Miami. There is a third series in New Orleans. Does our mission have something to do with that?” They saw just a hint of a blush. “Will we meet Kookie?”

The Patron did not know of these things, so she explained her references. The Patron was once again amazed at how she devoured information. Then it was his turn to explain.

“Actually, your mission is sort of like a private eye, but it will not be a one-hour episode. Your mission is to establish yourself and build a life while sending me reports. I am sending you to Los Angeles.”

The Patron explained that they were part of a larger party. Carlo and Gina would travel with two of his older solders, who would be replaced an two years. Two other couples - both in their mid-twenties - would travel with them, each with their own soldiers for protection, to settle in Dallas and Miami. The whole group would be escorted to the US by a senior retainer, the Patron’s Uncle Caleb, and additional soldiers. They all knew the others involved, they had been to English-language events and camps with them. Uncle Caleb was one of their English instructors.

There were two paths to the colony. The first group of settlers had walked across the Andes, a long hard journey. One of the few history books mentioned how Hannibal had crossed mountains with elephants, but the Andes were a much rougher journey, and they had no elephants. So the bishop in Spain sent an explorer with the second wave. this explorer traveled downstream from the colony, noting carefully the path to the Amazon and then to the Ocean. The third wave of settlers, with entire farming families with livestock and equipments like anvils, plows, and the critical millstone came by water, reversing the explorers journey. Since then, “cousins” from Spain returned to the colony by both paths, bringing news and some supplies. Where the third wave had to make rafts to move upriver, there were now regular riverboats to make the trip to the seaport easier.