Chapter 4B

The passage into the island was nerve wracking. I took the helm, Bob watched over the engines, our sharp shooters stood ready beside the wheelhouse, one on each side constantly scanning the cliffs beside us for danger. Sharon manned the VHF and Chang lead us through the gap to the lake inside. It was the longest half mile stretch of water I had ever come across.

Inside the island, the lake was surrounded by a sandy shoreline broken only by the gap we had come through. Green vegetation lay all around us and we could see birds flying through the trees. It looked like a veritable paradise.

"James, over there!" I heard the call from Annie and as one we all looked to where she was pointing. There on the beach a few hundred metres away we could see several figures on the sand jumping up and down and waving.

"Pete, Moe, keep an eye out."

I leant out of the wheelhouse.

"All hands, keep a good eye out. We're going to anchor closer in."

I could hear Sharon advising Chang of our intentions as I swung the ship around and pointed her towards the figures on the island. Chang, led the way as before.

When the depth read 10 metres I reversed the engines until we had stopped moving through the water.

"Let go anchor." There was a splash as the anchor hit the water. I reversed the engines slowly.

"Let out two lengths and snub it."

Slowly we moved back until the chain was snubbed. The ship moved a little further back and then stopped. I gave the engines a little more power but we stayed where we were. I put the engines in neutral and we moved forward a few metres and the chain dropped down. "Finished with engines." I called through the companionway and shortly the rumble of the engines died away.

"They're coming to us." called Annie excitedly and sure enough, the figures on the beach were wading into the water and starting to swim towards us.

"Sharon, get Chang back on board please, the rest of you carry on as much as normal. Janice watch out for the kids, Moe & Pete keep a look out for trouble. Someone go below and break out the hand guns and makes sure that everyone that can shoot has one strapped on. Safeties on, people do not take out your weapons unless I tell you to. Understood?" There was a chorus of "Aye Skipper" from everyone.

We watched as the swimmers approached. It was obvious that they were excited as they kept on calling to us. It was a happy sound not one of fear or anger. Chang stood beside me and handed me the binoculars.

"All female." Was all he said. I took the glasses and looked. Sure enough, they were. Eight of them.

We watched as they swam closer and waited until they were only a few metres away from us.

"A very good morning to you, ladies. What can we do for you?"

I know, I know, what a thing to say, but I had to say something and I'm not one for pretty speeches. The ladies looked at each other for a moment and then one of them decided to be the spokesman.

"Who are you and where did you come from?"

"Well, personally I'm James and captain of this fine vessel the 'Spirit of the Dolphin'. As for where we came from, well that is a longish story and not one that can really be told while you are still swimming. Why don't you come onboard and we can introduce ourselves properly?"

I could see that they were starting to have second thoughts about this. I turned around a bit and called out to the cooks. "We have eight visitors, would you prepare something to eat & drink, please."

"Aye skipper." called out Joanne from below. Just then Eve and Adam came racing on deck and tried to peer over the bulwark. Both were too short to see properly so I hoisted Eve up and sat her on the railing. Bob did the same for Adam.

"Cool." said Eve "Can I going swimming too?"

"Yeah, me too." Added Adam.

"Later on Squirt, let's get settled in first and then perhaps we can all have a swim."

I could see that the kids there relieved at least some of the fears that our visitors had. Sarah and Jenny took that moment to bring a rope boarding ladder on deck and soon had it lashed in place and over this side.

"Please come aboard." I told the ladies in the water. They looked at each other again and came to some sort of agreement as they swam to the ladder and climbed up.

Once they were all on deck I turned to the lady who had first spoken. "Is there anyone else on the island?"

"Not that we know of. We've been over most of it and there's no sign of anyone."

"Thank you. Moe, Pete take turns on watch." I saw the two of them do a rock scissor paper routine and Pete stayed on deck while Moe went below to stow her rifle.

I turned back to the ladies, "I think the best thing is if I introduce the rest of the crew and then you can introduce yourselves. The story of how we come to be here can wait until after that and we can have some refreshments."

I went through everyone in turn introducing them and telling the ladies what their previous occupations were.

"Finally, I'm James as I told you before I'm currently the captain of the Spirit and I used to be a software developer. So that's us, now tell us about yourselves."

The oldest of the ladies took a step forward. "I'm Cathy and I am a teacher. This is my sister Kate and she is a teacher also. The rest of the group are Josephine, Jaccqui, Mary, Alison, Zoe and Becki and they are our students." As she mentioned the names she pointed out each of the girls in turn. I'd guess that Becki was the youngest and Mary the oldest and all were somewhere between 12 and 20. I've said it before I'm not good with women's ages.

"Kate and I were employed by the owner of the island to teach the children of his staff on the island. There were about 30 of us before IT happened, all the men died we were left alone. We've had plenty of food since the owner brought in many stores in case he was prevented from going to the main islands to get provisions but we don't know how to run the equipment here and although there is a lot of stores, they won't last forever. We've been researching in the library about growing stuff but we haven't got as far as doing anything about it."

Our two wonderful cooks took that moment to reappear with trays of snack and drinks and there was a short pause in her story while these were handed around.

"We have radios and stuff here and we've tried using them but no-one has answered us and we've not heard anything. We were beginning to wonder if we were the only people left alive. Then Becki came running into the dormitory shrieking about a ship sailing into the lake and we rushed down to meet you."

I looked at Becki and smiled. "You were up early, we were trying to get in and anchored before anyone noticed."

"I needed a pee and looked out of the window as I was going back to bed."

Her comment caused several grins.

"So, the reason we are here, rather than anywhere else, is that we want to start a new colony of like minded people." I went on to tell them about what we were trying to achieve and why.

When I had finished talking Kate spoke up. "May I ask a question?"

"By all means."

"During the time we've been onboard you've been kissed by at least three women, why is that?"

"That's part of our new way of life..."

"You mean free love and communes?" She interrupted with a trace of censure in her voice.

I looked at her and waited. She had the grace to look apologetic at her outburst.

"Sorry, I should have let you finish."

I carried on as though she had not interrupted me. "... it's been our experience that the females now outnumber the males by around five to one so multiple partner marriages are going to be the norm. Bob, Harry, Joanne and Silvia are married, Smitty, Andrea and Sarah are married, Pete, Moe, Daisy and Jenny are married and Sharon, Julie, Liz, Ayesha, Li, April, May and I are married."

"Skipper?" I turned as Chang's soft voice came from behind me. He bowed to me and after I had bowed in return he continued. "Janice asked me if I would do her the honour of being her husband. I agreed."

Needless to say not too much more of the story went on until everyone had congratulated the pair. But once everyone had finished I continued.

"So you see, you will find that more than three women are likely to be kissing me and much more. They are my wives and I am their husband."

"In front of the children?"

"Yes, we are not going to teach our children to be prudes, we are not going to tell or show them that sex is taboo or dirty or something to be ashamed of. Normally we go around the ship naked unless we are working and then we wear protective clothing. We are currently not naked as we didn't know what we were going to find when we arrived here and so all hands were on duty and therefore dressed."

I could see nods of agreement from various members of the crew at my words.

"I am a man and I have already seen that you and most of the others have been sunbathing nude so what's the big deal?"

"How did you know that?"

"No tan lines. You've moved around and stretched when passed snacks and drinks and your swimming costumes have moved as well. Zoe here had the bottom of her costume up in the crack of her very lovely behind before she adjusted it and no tan lines."

I shrugged my shoulders "As I said, I'm a man and I can't help noticing these things. No big deal."

Alison spoke. "Do you really mean that? About being naked I mean?"

"We all do. Let me show you." I stripped out of my shorts and tee-shirt and stood naked in front of them. I raised my arms and turned about so that they could see all of me. "I have no tan lines either."

They stood looking at me. I'd like to think that it was in admiration, but I'm not bigheaded enough to believe that, it was probably shock. Eve tugged my hand.

"Can we go and play now?"

"Sure thing squirt."

"Goody. C'mon Adam." She and Adam stripped off their clothes and scampered away to the foredeck to play some game or other.

I looked at the group of women and watched their amazement grow and more of the crew disrobed showing more well tanned bodies with no lines.

"The only people you'll find regularly wearing swim wear when off duty are April and May, not that I'd call their fluff and dental floss bikinis all covering." I smiled at my two wives.

"You know we..."

"Only do it to excite you..."

"And it seems..."

"to work quite well."

"I know may darlings and I really appreciate it. I'll have to start taking more vitamins to keep up with you."

They both came over and hugged me. After giving me a kiss each they turned back to our guests, but stayed in my arms.

"Any other questions?"

The group of newcomers looked at other. Then with a look of defiance at the two older women Mary stripped out of her costume and hung it on the rigging to dry. Then she came and stood in front of me. "I want to join your group. I agree with everything you've said. I don't know what I can do to help you but I want to join anyway."

"Well, I have to ask the others about that."

"Aren't you the Captain?"

"Yes and I make the decisions about sailing matters and things to do with the ship. As far as our new community goes, we all decide and vote and a 75% majority is required to carry a vote."

Mary turned to the rest of the crew. "You heard me, I'd like to join. Will you vote now?"

Sharon spoke up. "Yes we will vote about you and anyone else that wants to join, but not right now. We allow a few days for you to get to know us and us to know you a bit before we decide. It's fairer that way."

I could see that several of the others were looking at each other as Mary petitioned the crew but it was Becki who made the first move of the rest of them. Calmly she took off her costume, hung it next to Mary's and walked over to me. As she did this the rest of the students also disrobed and walked over as did Cathy leaving Kate standing by herself.

Becki looked up at me. "I want to join as well. Kate says that I'm to young to make decisions for myself, but I feel old enough to know what I want to do and I'm asking you and your crew to consider me." She looked at the others now standing around her. "I think they all want to join as well."

"Yes." This was Zoe "I would like to be considered."

"And I."

"Me too."

Finally they all agreed with Zoe and Becki. Cathy was the last to speak.

"I too want to be considered. I can teach and I want to be a part of your community."

"Okay," I replied "we'll leave things for three days and then ask you all again if you still want to join and then we'll decide."

"What happens if we don't want to join you or you decide not to ask one or more of us to join." This came from Kate, still standing where she had been before.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I think, however, that the island is big enough for more than one community and so it shouldn't be a problem."

She looked at me long and hard.

"Okay."

"So, what do we do now people?"

"Come and see where we live." Shouted Zoe.

"Yeah, you can see all the neat stuff we have." Agreed Becki.

"Okay, I need volunteers to stay with me on the ship while the rest form a landing party. Chang will lead the shore party, who's going to stay?"

There followed a long discussion about who wanted to go and who would stay. Eventually I had to interrupt or they would still have been there an hour later.

"Listen up people, current on watch stays here. So does either Moe or Pete if they are not on watch. The rest of you can go or stay as you wish. Chang, organise another tender for the shore party. One person to stay with each tender from the on watch and they will return to the ship once you are all ashore. Radios to be taken. Any questions?"

"No skipper."

Chang quickly had the crew put one of the two tenders still onboard into the water and after discussion with the others found that Bob and Janice had experience in handling small boats and they were designated drivers. Moe and Pete did their rock scissor paper thing again and this time Pete won. Moe climbed onto the wheelhouse roof and took up a lookout with her rifle.

The two boats slowly covered the distance to the shore and relative peace settled on the Spirit. Sharon brought me up a mug of tea. "Thanks love." I gave her a heartfelt kiss and a hug and she went below. The others of the on watch went about their normal duties except that no-one kept an eye on Jeeves. Kate looked at me for a while. I think she was waiting for me to say something, but after a while she came over lean back on the bulwark facing me as I sat on a rope coil on deck.

"It sounds too good to be true and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

I said nothing.

"No answer?"

"You didn't ask a question. You comment was just that, a comment."

"But you could have said something."

"Yes, but what good would that do? You just are not willing to believe it at the moment and so anything I say will be viewed in that light. Whatever I say to the good will be viewed with suspicion and if I say anything negative, you'll only take that as proof of the other shoe being about to drop. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't, so I'll say nothing and save the effort of trying to convince you. You will make up your own mind in your own time."

I took a mouthful of my tea.

"You're not what I expected."

Again I said nothing and there was a long silence. I closed my eyes and rested. It had been a long and tiring time since we left the cruise ship and now that we were anchored I could relax a bit.

"Has it been that hard?"

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

"Yes. You have to understand that none of the crew had been onboard a ship like this before. I was the only one that knew how to sail her and everyday with each decision I made I held the safety and lives of my crew in my hands. A wrong decision could have killed us all or worse. There's no relaxing in that situation and my wives will tell you that for most of the time, even when I was asleep the slightest change in the ship had me up and looking for what had changed."

Sharon's voice spoke behind me.

"Sometimes two or three of us would gang up on him and wear him out totally with sex until he had no choice but to sleep well. He was wonderful."

I could feel myself blushing at this.

"He was wonderful? How can that be? I don't mean to be rude, but he is a lot older than most of you."

Sharon laughed at this.

"That's probably why he is so wonderful, he is a mature and experienced man and he knows how to use that experience. Not one of his wives has ever felt slighted or left out when we are with him. There are seven of us at the moment and I'm sure that there will be more. Annie is thinking about it."

"But you said that she is only sixteen."

"And?"

"isn't that too young?"

"At what age did you first have sex?"

I could hear the amusement in Sharon's voice as she asked this.

"Well, thirteen, but that's not the same."

"No? You were old enough at thirteen to decide that you wanted to start having sex, but Annie is not at sixteen? That sounds a little discriminatory to me."

"I suppose it does when you put it like that. So what will your community decide is the minimum age?"

"It will be decided on an individual basis. Each person is different and so each person will be judged by a different standard. That's what is wrong with the old system. I had girls come into my surgery who were mature beyond their years and women that shouldn't have been let out without a keeper. But the point being that our community will teach both by action and word that sex is not taboo and when a person feels ready to start their sexual life then it is right. None of our children will ever be afraid to ask any adult about sex, they will see us being sexual creatures without shame."

There was a long pause.

"It still sounds too good to be true." This time her words carried a hint of amusement and I chuckled.

"Yep, I guess it does."

Kate gave a big sigh.

"I think I want to join, no, I want to join your community."

Sharon went to her and gave her a hug.

"Come below with me. I have a few things to do and we can talk."

"Okay."

So saying they left me. I got up and rummaged around in the forepeak until I found a hammock that I'd noticed weeks before. I slung it under the main boom, rigged a cover to protect me from the sun and rolled into it. For a few moments I savoured the peace and quiet as the gently movement of the Spirit rocked me in the hammock.

I slept.

I woke slowly, which is unusual for me. Normally in tune with the ship I woke at every sound that was not in its rightful place. All sailing seamen do this or they do not stay seamen for long. This time I had to drag myself out of the depths of slumber. Slowly, oh so slowly I became aware of voices talking softly around me, but I could not hear what it was that they said. I felt two bodies either side of me and one small body lying on me. I struggled to open my eyes and saw that it was Eve lying partially curled up on my upper torso. She was fast asleep, totally relaxed in the way that only a trusting sleeper can achieve. I looked at her lying there and noted that she was drooling on my chest. I didn't have the strength of will to do anything about it. I turned my head to either side. I didn't recognise the heads beside me. I began to feel that I ought to be worried for some reason.

Just then I heard a voice I did recognise, my wife Ayesha. "It's aright James, everything is fine, go back to sleep and rest a while longer, breakfast will be shortly."

She stroked my cheek lightly and I fell asleep wondering why breakfast was so late.

The next time I woke I felt better. I opened my eyes and found myself looking into Eve's eyes and she rested her chin on her arms folded across my chest. When she saw that I was awake she smiled. "Hi."