Chapter 9

"Haaa!" said Isaac, lunging forward with his straight stick. Thomas grabbed it and tossed it aside, but Isaac mimed a karate kick. Thomas caught his foot, which sent Isaac sprawling. Thomas turned him over and straddled him, pinning his arms with his knees.

"You give?" asked Thomas with menace.

"Fat chance!" shouted Isaac, kicking Thomas's back and wriggling free.

Victor had picked up the stick and was whacking it hard on the rock. It splintered.

Addie sat off to the side, glancing at the boys from time to time but mostly picking more dandelions to add to the bunch in her hand.

The grown-ups watched.

"Hey Tara," said Bill. "I think Isaac's been getting kind of aggressive lately. Can you teach him to stop?"

Tara stuck out her tongue but sighed wearily.

Alison's twins Amelia and Evan sat in the sandbox, digging, sifting, and molding. Alison's third pregnancy was just starting to show.

Amy nursed her newborn George.

"But seriously," said Tara. "Look at the violence there. We never taught that. We've run ourselves ragged trying to get them to stop. Rewards, punishments, begging and pleading. Are the Dworkinians right after all?"

Amy answered, "They're right that the tendencies are inborn. But not that they can't be controlled."

Bill said, "Hey Addie, sweetheart, can you come here?"

The 5-year-old skipped over and handed her father the dandelions.

"Thanks so much!"

Addie climbed up on her father's lap for a snuggle.

"Addie, you see the boys playing there."

She looked at Isaac and Thomas wrestling in the dirt.

"What do you think of them? Are they being bad boys?"

Addie shrugged. "They're being boys."

"Are you scared of them?"

"No, silly."

Bill said to the grown-ups, "So maybe girls start out being OK with boy tussling until we teach them it's bad?"

"It's bad?"

Bill looked at Alison, who answered. "No, honey, we're just doing grown-up talk. It's bad if they hurt each other."

"Oh," said Addie, who gave her father a big kiss on the cheek, wriggled down, and went off to a different patch of dandelions.

"Allie, I've pretty much kept quiet for five years now, but I've got something to say," said Amy.

"OK."

"You know Tara's been trying to get pregnant for four years now and it hasn't worked."

"Yeah, that's sad."

"You remember back at Shady Pines when some of the women came and got it from Bill directly, and they got pregnant..."

"Oh, this again."

"We need more kids."

"He's my husband."

"I know, but he's also the only male we've got. I mean the only man. Who knows how women's bodies work? There's all kinds of signals and pheromones and everything. The artificial way works sometimes, but not always. What are you afraid of?"

"Afraid of?"

"You're not afraid Bill's going to leave you, are you? Let me tell you ... A half dozen times over the years I've been alone with Bill. There's been a soft place nearby. I've really wanted him so bad, and I never said anything but I think he knew. He knew he could snap his fingers and I'd be his. But he never did. His pants may have bulged a couple times, but he was very clear. No caress, no meaningful look, nothing."

Alison was thoughtful. "We never dreamed a man could be so kind, did we? Remember all that about how the man got excited by thinking about how much pain he was causing the woman?"

"Yeah, I remember."

Alison was thoughtful a few seconds. "Would it be OK if I was there? To oversee the mating?"

Amy's shock gave way to a smile. "Um, I guess it's up to them. But I know if it was me I'd agree in a flash."

Tara lay back on the bed, naked. Alison was in T-shirt and shorts that were loose enough for her modest belly. She sat to Tara's left, the naked Bill sat to Tara's right.

"Tara, what would you like?"

"I'd like to get pregnant, if I could."

"And what have you tried so far?"

"I have tried over 30 times to inject semen with a baster into my vagina during my most fertile time. In a lot of women it would cause a pregnancy, but it hasn't in mine."

"So what's the alternative?"

"If you could be so kind -- I know it's a huge favor to ask -- I'd like your husband to press his erect penis forcefully into my vagina, over and over again until he ejaculates."

Bill's penis was rising, but he looked only at Alison.

"And you, Bill, what do you think of this?"

"I think that increasing our population is important. If Tara wants to become pregnant, I am all in favor. Thrusting my penis forcefully into Tara's vagina until I ejaculate is something I believe I can do, and at the crass level of animal pleasure, I would enjoy it. But I have pledged myself to you, Alison, my savior and true love, and so would never do such a thing without your true and enthusiastic consent."

She knew what Bill was going to say, more or less, but she still couldn't help blushing a little.

"Very well. I command that this should take place. Bill, please mount Tara."

The man loomed over the receptive woman. Tara held the lips of her pre-aroused genitalia apart, while the tip of Bill's fully erect organ waited an inch from the opening. Alison placed the tip in Tara's vestibule, but suddenly got an impish grin. "Tara, are you sure you want this? Do you want to be stabbed, penetrated, degraded and humiliated by this disgusting specimen of humanity? The right to be free of such grievous insult is one of your fundamental rights under Dworkinism."

"Yes," said Tara, smiling but licking her lips. "I waive my rights, with complete enthusiasm and with no hint of duress or coercion."

"OK, Bill," said Alison. "Fuck her!"

Bill pressed forward gently and his cock slowly spread Tara's tissues. Tara sighed and smiled. When Bill was in a couple inches, he began a gentle in and out motion. His face was impassive, and while he stole quick glances of Tara, he mostly looked at Alison.

"Ah, c'mon," said Alison, and Bill at once held himself still. "We're trying to convince Tara's body to get pregnant. Do it fast and deep! Lie down on her! Clutch her! Forget about me until you're done. The most important thing in the world right now is making her pregnant." She leaned in and whispered in Bill's ear, "And go ahead and really enjoy yourself."