Chapter 9

"Yes, I can see even though you are a stranger you understand how to get along. Would you like for me to arrange a meeting with the women for you?"

This was all going much faster than I could have dreamed. Talking to Gigo gave me the feeling I was talking to a car salesman. In fact his technique reminded me of the one who had sold me the CL600.

It wasn't exactly high pressure. It just seemed ancient times or not, Gigo understood how to close a sale. From what he'd told me it seemed making the deal wasn't his part of the transaction. I was sure getting the buyer to the deal making stage was at least partially his job though and he was doing respectably well.

It reminded me of buying a car in another way too. The salesman got you hooked and tried to help you select a model. When he or she had a nominal close he turned you over to someone in the office to work out the final price and set up the financing.

I hadn't seen any of the other unmated women up close, but if they looked anything like Gema and Merita then I didn't think Gigo would need much salesmanship to get things going.

"I haven't seen all the unmated women and I haven't asked any of them if they would mate with me. I do not know how it is done. Perhaps I should talk to the women I must deal with first. When they have got the better of the trade from me I am sure they will help me find a woman for a mate."

"John, stranger or not I can tell you are very shrewd yourself. Most young men like you don't even consider those aspects. Believe me, the women have much more influence with the unmated girls than any man ever can. I will get my mate to talk to you now. She is the leader of the women and can help you with your offer. You must understand though, she can not tell you exactly what will be required for the bargain, but she will be able to give you a representative request," Gigo said.

Gigo left me and returned soon with his mate, Geera, in tow. He introduced us and then left us alone to talk. I noticed he joined game flusher and some other men and they all laughed after he told them something. Since I had no reason to be suspicious I assumed it was some good-natured jesting about a lamb being led to a lion. I had a feeling I was playing the lamb to Geera's lion.

"I will speak right up and tell you I am a stranger living alone not far from here and Gigo has told me I might be able to find a mate in this camp. It would make my life easier and more enjoyable if I had a mate and Gigo said you might be able to help me with your customs and help me decide if I can make a bargain for a mate," I said.

"It is all true, but do you know the woman you want to mate must agree to take you first?" she asked.

"I would not want it otherwise. There would be no joy at my cave if I had a mate there who did not want me," I said, doing my best to be sincere and project it.

"It is very good you understand and it makes you a more desirable mate. I do wonder if you can hunt though since you do not have a spear with you."

"I can only tell you now, but I will be glad to prove it later. I can hunt well without a spear."

"We shall see. What could you offer for a mate?" she asked, trying to slip right into the bargaining.

"I am ashamed to tell you I have no idea what is required. I am afraid you will have to tell me what I must offer. I do not know your customs and if you require more of me than you would of others I will not know it. I will add I do not think you would consider doing such a thing. I just want you to know how uninformed I am about the process. What is usually given for a mate?"

"It depends somewhat on which woman you mate. I'm sure you know some women are better workers than others are and it makes them a bigger loss to their camp when they leave. Even if you do not live far from here it is still not here and we will lose the help and companionship of the woman you mate," she said.

"Yes, I understand it will be a big loss, but I still must know what I must give and decide if I can do it."

"Usually the fruits of hunting are given in exchange for a mate. If you are a craftsman with exceptionally fine goods they may be considered also," she said.

"I would find it easier to bring the rewards of my hunting to the bargain. I have some abilities at crafts, but I have not been here long enough to make anything."

"Do you have any notion of which woman you would want for a mate?" she asked.

I could see we were stuck in the middle again since I didn't have any idea about what she'd want for any of the women and she had no way to even guess about what I might be willing and able to pay. I knew damned well I could provide a month's worth of their type hunting in a day or two, but she didn't know it and wouldn't believe it if I made the claim. I figured the best way to keep moving was to take a shot at their most valuable merchandise and see if I thought I could afford it.

"I have only seen Gema and Merita. From what Gigo told me either of them would make a fine mate and they would be more than acceptable to me," I said, and congratulated myself on the understatement.

"They are the hardest workers and really the best unmated women here. They would require the most in trade. I have to add I doubt either one of them will accept you as a mate. They do not say it, but I am sure neither of them will take a mate who isn't going to stay in this camp," Geera said, and seemed almost apologetic when she did.

First Gigo and now Geera had made a point to mention I would be better off, in the mating process anyway, if I was a part of this camp. They had also been careful not to ask me to join. It was difficult trying to understand what I felt were unspoken suggestions though. At one point it seemed they might be close to inviting me to join their camp while later it seemed they were just pointing out I wasn't a member and wasn't entitled to considerations members would take for granted. In any case, joining their camp was not in my plans so I didn't inquire.

"As you know I do not understand your customs. I am ashamed to have to ask you, but I feel I must. Is it possible for me to take two mates?"

Geera looked almost shocked and I was afraid I'd cut my foot.

"It is possible and it is very acceptable. Some leaders and some very good hunters have two mates and some even have three. It is very costly though. Even the best hunters need many seasons to gather the goods for two mates and since we do not know you I am sad to say we would probably require you to gather all the goods before you took the mates. Are you thinking of mating two women?" Geera asked, as if she didn't believe me.

"You have said you did not think that Gema and Merita would mate if they were to be separated and you have also said they would be the best mates. Since I live alone, having the best mate or mates would be very good for me. Maybe they will consent to mate the same man together."

"I have a feeling you may be correct regarding the details, but I must tell you they have already rejected some very generous offers," she said.

"Can you tell me the highest offer they have rejected?" I asked.

"Gembo is the son of the leader of a nearby camp and his uncle is the best hunter of the camp. With the understanding his uncle and probably the whole camp were to help, he offered the meat of fifteen bison and the skins of eight of them for either Gema or Merita. The other women here would have accepted the offer and we tried to convince either Gema or Merita to accept, but they would not," Geera said.

"I need to ask you another question then. I am new to this area and I haven't seen any bison anywhere. I know you hunt yourself. Can you tell me how hard it is to find bison?"

"They are not hard to find. They roam in the hundreds on the upper plateau. They are hard to kill and they all run off at once if they detect hunters"

I knew exactly what bison did when men hunted them on foot and needed to get close enough to make their kills with a spear. They stampeded, but Geera didn't have any way to conceive of hunting them with a firearm. My predecessors on the North American frontier had perfected the process over a hundred years ago.

"I can kill many bison, but I am alone and it will be very difficult to kill, gut, and skin many bison at once," I said.

"You are certainly correct, but we would be willing to help you with the hunt, the cleaning, and the skinning. Only the bison you killed yourself would be counted toward your offer though," she said.

"That is wonderful Geera," I said, and knew I sounded excited.