Chapter 37

He was still laughing when Tom changed the subject on him, "You said that if there was ever another situation like the one that I found with Mei and Su that you would be interested in it. Is that still true, or have you changed your mind?"

John's laughter died in his throat. He knew that Tom wouldn't be asking this question if there wasn't a good reason. He didn't have to think for very long, "I meant what I said, and nothing has happened to change that opinion. Why do you ask?"

Tom told him everything that he had learned about Ming and Ping. John was interested and was happy about the fact that they were older. John was in his middle twenties and that made them closer to his age. He was not happy to find out that their life was in danger or the reason for it.

John then surprised Tom once again, "I don't know if I would want a couple of women like that. It doesn't seem right that they would do things like that together."

Tom stared at him for a few moments, "What about it seems wrong, or does the thought that what they do make you question your being a man?" Tom watched as John stiffened at the question.

John looked at Tom searchingly; he was trying to figure out if he was being the butt of a joke. Seeing that Tom was serious he thought about the question. "I don't know exactly. I never thought that it would make me less of a man, but I wonder if maybe I wouldn't feel like they wouldn't have a need to be with me. That does bother me. To have a couple of women that would rather be with each other than me. Yes, that would make me question my manhood. What would you do if your women started acting like that?"

Tom smiled, "Let me ask you a question, what do you think they do when I am gone all of the time? Do you think that they sit around the lodge tanning hides and waiting for me to return? Do you think that they grab any passing warrior and drag them in the lodge when nobody is looking?"

John thought about this for a moment before his eyes got big and he gasped, "You don't mean that they do those kinds of things with each other, do you?"

Tom couldn't hold the laughter back, but once he managed to get it back under control, and wiped his eyes he said, "Oh yes, they do those kinds of things. Hell, if they didn't how would I even hope to walk with six wives? Look at the benefits; they are much closer with each other and that means they get along better, it helps take the edge off when I am not home, and lastly when I am home I don't have to try to keep all of them happy every night. If all of them thought they would rather have each other than me, then I must be doing something wrong."

Tom knew that John had a lot to think about, but he wanted to get it all out so that he didn't have to go over this again. "John, how you treat a woman is not like raping a captive. You have to know what you are doing and what a woman likes. If you give her pleasure she will respond well, but just taking your pleasure and leaving her to find her own will not make you a popular man in the lodge. Have you ever seen my women greet me after I have been gone? Do the other women act like that with the other warriors?"

Tom saw that he had John attention now. "A woman is like a gun. Any fool can use a gun, but think how long you worked to learn to use that gun better than anybody else. It took time, patience, practice and the desire to learn how. A woman is just the same. They are easier to learn, and the patience, practice and time are a lot more fun. Not to mention even when you do it wrong your efforts are appreciated."

Tom grinned at John. After a minute John grinned back, "I think that I am going to have to have a long talk with you about pleasing a woman, or more to the point two women. This appears to be something that you understand, and I don't know how to do it, at least not the proper way. I can't remember any of the other warriors even mentioning it either."

Tom's smile was slipping as he said, "Yes that is a sad fact. Most of the warriors don't have a clue what they need to do, but how do you tell a warrior that he needs to learn how to treat a woman? That is not something that you just walk up and say. I have started teaching the young warriors, and they are teaching the next ones and in time most of the warriors will get the message. But it won't happen overnight. Now, as for you, that is another matter. You are ready and willing to learn, so that makes it easy. You might not like what you hear, and you might not believe some of it, but you can believe me that it has all been tried and tested."

Tom motion to John to follow him, "We might as well begin. It isn't really that complicated. You just have to forget what you know and accept some new ideas. The first is that the most important sex organ is in your mouth..."

John was sitting outside on the steps thinking when the importance of what Tom explained to him really hit him. 'The Cheyenne warriors that I know will never accept what Tom told me. That means that they will never live a happy and peaceful life, because their women will not be happy.' John shook his head and decided that he wanted his lodge to be as happy as Fighting Hawk's lodge. Once that simple decision was made he realized that the things that Tom told him weren't so impossible to consider doing. 'Hell, if Tom can do them, why can't I? It doesn't make him any less a warrior, if anything it makes him a better one. He never has to worry about his lodge.' With his mind made up the complexities of his decision seemed to drift away. He felt at peace about things for the first time since he heard about the women.

John couldn't manage to keep the smile off of his face when he went to see Tom. Tom took one look and knew what he had decided and smiled at him as he nodded his head. The two men knew exactly what had passed between them.

Tom did manage to wipe the smile off of John's face when he told him it was time to talk to Molly. His smile faltered, slipped and then was gone completely. Tom nodded at the professional inside his friend.

When Tom and John opened the door to Molly's room they found it empty. Her packing was done quickly and they even found a few of the things that were from the missing list. "Go tell Mr. Snelling what happened. Take him with you to the train depot. You might get lucky, but there's no reason to let her get away easily." John nodded his head and was gone in seconds.

Tom went to Becky and asked, "Do you know anybody that would like the job of cook?"

She looked at him for a minute before her eyes got big. "What happened to Molly?" Tom noticed that she didn't seem upset, but curious. He found that curious.

"She decided that it was time to go. She even took the time to pack a few things. Not everything, but a few things. I sent John to get Mr. Snelling and to see if they could catch her before she left town. Mr. Snelling will swear out a warrant. Then she will have a very hard time getting out of town. With any luck, we will get to see her in jail before too long." Tom smiled at the buxom blonde as he watched her gulp like a fish. It amused him to watch her and wished that there was something more that he could say, just to keep watching her.

"Yes sir, I know of a few women who would be interested, even my ma would be interested."

Tom smiled at the woman, "As much as I respect you wanting to help your family, she would have to be able to cook for all of the people here. That is a lot of cooking, and planning what she will cook, and we can't forget buying the things that will be needed. Also remember, do you want your mother living here and telling you how to do your job, just like living at home?" Tom smiled as the pretty girl shivered at the thought.

"Well, my mom does take care of my younger brothers and sisters. She really wouldn't be able to leave them alone, since she would have to live here. So it probably wouldn't be a good idea to ask her, would it?"

Tom just shook his head in complete agreement. The last thing that he felt that he needed was another woman thinking that she was going to tell him what to do. Besides, Tom knew that Becky didn't need her mother in the house watching her shake her ass at the men, like she had been. He smiled as he thought about all of them enjoying the sight.

When Tom went to check on the workers he mentioned to Li that the cook had taken off. He was surprised, "You didn't treat her good?"

Tom shook his head, "She was here when I bought the house. I found that she was stealing from me, and told her I was coming for the money. She packed what she could and ran. I think that we will catch her, but I need a new cook. I asked the maid if she knew of anybody that would be interested, and she said that she knew a few women that might be."

Li was surprised, "You mean that you won't let your concubines cook and clean for you?"

Tom noticed that Su's ears picked up the conversation. "No, I don't want my concubines spending their time cooking and cleaning. I will have a cook and a maid for that. I want them doing the things that I tell them to do, and taking care of me, not wasting their time doing simple tasks."

Li nodded his head in understanding, "That is a wise way to do things. They have impressed me and my family. It would be a waste of their abilities. Do you want me to send you a few cooks also? I know of some fine cooks."

Tom thought about it. "You would have to understand that they would live here. It would be like losing family. But I won't promise to give them the job, it will depend on who impresses me the most."

Li laughed as he listened, "Master Tom, I do know other people besides family. I understand that it would be hard to send family, but there are a few older women that are alone and would welcome the chance to cook for you. And I know of one woman that has past her honor and she is a wonderful cook. Her family runs a restaurant; it is one of the reasons that she was ignored. Unless you run a restaurant the family match isn't very good, those are just her skills. It would help restore the family honor."

Tom shook his head before he asked, "Tell me Li do you know every woman that is disgracing her family?"

Li laughed and smiled as he said, "Yes Master Tom, I do. It is a small community and I know every Chinese man, woman and child. I attend every celebration that I am invited to. When an offer isn't made I know about that as well. I do what I can to help all of the families. We compete for work, but we are all still Chinese living in a strange land. You might not understand that, but I think that somehow that you do."

Tom nodded his head in understanding, "Send them to me, but make it known that I will not be swayed by anything but good food. If they want a job they have to earn it. I will start talking to cooks tomorrow. When I find the one I want, I will stop talking to cooks. Tell them to come early or it might be too late." Li nodded his head, lost in thought.

Tom took the opportunity to follow Li's earlier example and bowed politely and back away before he turned and walked away. He wasn't sure that Li immediately noticed. He had just cleared the doorway when he was attacked. It took a minute to realize that it was Su and Mei with both of their arms wrapped around his neck at the same time, and pulling him in two different directions. He used a method that worked with his wives, he picked up both women pulling them close to his body. It stopped the tugging at his neck.

"I hear what you tell Wong Su Li. You say we important women." Su babbled in his ear.

"You have given us a great honor, master. The other families will hear how important we are. Even as concubines we will stand almost equal with the wives of the families. We will be very respected. Thank you, very honorable master." Mei's little speech didn't make a lot of sense to Tom, but he didn't think that it was necessary that he understood all of the little details of their life.

Once he managed to get them off of his neck he made his way back to the library. He had intended to see what books he had gotten in the deal. He was surprised to hear work inside the room and the door locked. He knocked and was surprised to hear Peter's voice call out, "Go away. You can't come in here, we're working." Tom was a little shocked to hear the authority in Peter's voice, but as he thought about it he grinned to himself.