Chapter 5

Our farm was doing very well. We harvested the corn, beans, and finished up the garden. I had begun to turn the garden for our fall crop, when Erma came running and told me that Verine had been arrested.

"Erma go to the house and get your gun and stay inside unless I tell you different. I am going to get our wife from the people who arrested her, and I may have to kill some of them."

I got my sword and my pistol and hitched the mules and headed to town. I caught up with Verine between the house and town. "Why have you arrested my wife?" I asked the first man I got close to.

"Her father owes taxes to the state," he told me.

"She is mine now, and is carrying my child. Why is she under arrest for her father."

"The Magistrate told us to arrest her. That is all I know," he told me.

"Let me drive you all to town, she should not be walking so near to the time of delivery," I said.

They agreed, and I drove them to see the Magistrate.

I walked into the courtroom with Verine.

The Magistrate spouted a large ration of bullshit. I asked how much it would cost to get Verine out of trouble.

He said "One small silver coin."

"I am paying Tobias Essik's taxes for one year, then?" I asked.

"That is correct," he answered.

I asked for a received a receipt for the coin and took Verine home.

I drove the mules very fast all the way home and ran inside calling Erma's name. She called out to us and I ran to find her. She had hidden in the closet to our room.

She said that some men had come to the house and searched everywhere, looking for something, she assumed money. She had the money pouch under her butt in the closet.

"They heard you rattling up the road in the wagon and ran out the back just a minute ago," she told me.

"Did you see them?"

"No, but I know the voice of one of them. It was the Magistrate's cousin."

Verine, you and Erma get your things together. I am taking you to your father's farm.

Verine said, "Our baby is coming in two months, Bill. I want you here and alive for his birth."

Erma heard that and said, "Bill I will not leave you. If you are killed without giving me a child I will never forgive you."

I said, "Alright, we will not go to your father's."

I put the mules up and rubbed them and fed them after their fast trip to town and back.

I went back to working in the garden.

I had been thinking about what had happened today and I was quite angry with the Magistrate. We could afford the tax, but if Verine had had a premature delivery, I would have had to kill the Magistrate and all of the police in the town.

"I am going to kill the Magistrate," I told the girls that night. "He took an unacceptable risk with you and our baby."

Erma said, "Husband, if you kill him, it will bring the army down on our town, and many people will be killed."

"Have you seen this happen?" I asked them.

Verine answered, "No, Bill, but I have heard of it happening before."

"I will let him live for now, but if he attempts to harm either of you again, I will kill him and any police he has with him," I told them with the conviction I felt.

"Thank you, Husband," they both said.

Our fall garden was ready and I had also finished up Mrs. Kornet's garden.

On our next trip to town, I told Verine and Erma to point the Magistrate's cousin out to me if they saw him. They both shook their heads.

"Will you disobey me?" I asked.

Erma said, "Bill, don't do this. Verine doesn't want to do it and her bonding will force her and upset her badly."

I said, "Alright, don't tell me. I am going to have a talk with you when we get home."

"Oh, good, I like those." Erma said smiling.

"Not that kind of talk, my disobedient girl, a serious talk."

They both looked at the ground and nodded.

"I still love you," I said with a laugh.

They both smiled and seemed to feel better. I stopped the wagon and asked them to sit on my lap for a few minutes.

They both liked that and sat on my lap while I felt their skin and whispered how happy I was with our life and how much I needed them to take care of our family and me.

I was feeling around on their bodies and felt their breasts. "Verine, I think your breasts are bigger than Erma's," I said giving them both a kiss on the cheek.

"I hope so," she said. "I need to be able to feed your big baby."

That kicked me in the head. "Oh, Verine, are you and Erma big enough to have my children. If I have killed you I will never forgive myself."

Erma hugged me and Verine looked directly into my eyes and said. "I have thought about it, Bill. I think I can have this baby. If I can't, Erma and I have already had a talk about it and she knows what to do."

I started crying.

Verine said, "Your baby is more important than my life. I am yours, and if I can give you a child I have fulfilled my greatest desire."

I knew that what she said was how she truly felt, but it was not how I truly felt.

We went on and did our business in town.

I was very depressed after that and really didn't feel like doing much of anything.

I worked on our farm and cut some hay for the winter. There were no more incidents with the tax police for a while.

My wives were very solicitous of my welfare, but I couldn't shake the foreboding I had.

I was walking up to the house one day and heard Erma saying to Verine, "Our husband is very worried about you Verine. He hasn't touched me in a week, and I imagine it has been two weeks since he has touched you."