The Great Escape Chapter 14, Part 6 of 11

The Great Escape
Chapter 14, Part 6 of 11

"Megan!" Solange was reprimanded. "Herders, don't giggle!"

"Sorry, Madam," she said with another bad curtsey. "By the way," she whispered, close to

Solange's ear, "What do you think 'fetching' means?"

"It's Earth-speak, for he wants to fuck you," Solange whispered back.

"I thought so," Megan said happily.

When dinner was over, the table was cleared, a fresh pitcher of water was brought, and the books returned. The Juniors were sent away. Megan was disappointed but had to go with them. She took off her precious dress and handed it back to Preeda. She washed the makeup off her face in a subdued mood. She had seen how Ezra and Gloria looked at each other, and her jealousy of Gloria was confirmed. Then she felt disappointed in herself for being jealous, though she knew exactly why she felt like this.

The Juniors had to stay awake for their final day duties: putting the councilors to bed. They sat on their beds chatting, distracting Megan from her thoughts.

Over dinner, as the chiefs and councilors continued their discussion, something interested Ezra.

"Gloria, can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course, though I don't promise to answer."

"You said Madam Lawspeaker is your aunt, but I believe the rule is that a woman has only one chance to make a clone."

"That's true, but some Cloner families have a different arrangement."

"A different arrangement?" He sounded suspicious.

"It began with my great-grandmother," Gloria explained with an understanding smile. "She was one of the Founders, a woman in her twenties. Before we knew we might run out of cloning serum, we wanted as many clones as possible to sustain the population. By the time she'd had her second daughter, however, cloning had to be rationed, so great granny established our family tradition."

"The older daughter would devote her life to politics and give up her chance for children. The younger daughter would take the older daughter's cloning rights and thus have two chances for children. Luckily, my grandmother and mother succeeded, and I have two wonderful nieces."

"From what I know of the women of Samothea," Ezra said, "how much they crave children.

You and Madam Lawspeaker have made a great sacrifice - and taken a significant risk."

"It is a risk, but there are compensations. I had something that most women on Samothea have lacked for a half-century or more."

"Which is?"

"A sister."

Ezra paused. He considered himself lucky to have a sister himself.

"Madam Gloria, I hope I can find the right raw material to recharge the cloning kits so that every woman on Samothea can have as many children as she wants."

She smiled in understanding.

"And failing that, I hope you'll consider the traditional method," he said.

Not everyone was pleased by that offer. Madam Lawspeaker began to puff herself up and prepared to speak.

"Yes, Aunt," said Gloria: "you have an objection?"

"We've just agreed that women of the Cloner tribe are off-limits to Ezra Goldrick!" she said.

"We have, assuming we can increase the supply of cloning nanotech, yes," Gloria agreed.

"Also, assuming Ezra Goldrick can father boys," Madam Medic reminded them. "Otherwise, he's our only hope; every woman should be available to him."

"Though we will be neglecting the law," Madam Lawspeaker persisted, "and showing contempt for the wisdom of the Founders?"

"Explain yourself, Madam," Gloria demanded, beginning to be impatient with her fussy aunt.

"The Founders were strict on sexual morality and graced us with clear laws."

"What sexual morality is infringed were I to take Ezra as a bedmate? How would our laws be broken?"

"You'd be consorting with a known adulterer."

There was stunned silence.

"It is good, then, that we haven't consorted - yet," Gloria said in a lighter tone, but Ezra wasn't amused.

"I am not an adulterer!" he protested. "I've never even been married!"

"By our laws, you are married to Annela Freya's daughter, Woodlander," Madam Lawspeaker rejoined.

"How can I be? There was no ceremony. I gave her no ring. We made no vows."

"None of these was necessary. Was Annela married when you and she became bedmates?"

"Of course not."

"And you have just admitted you were unmarried. By our laws, therefore, you are married to Annela, and any subsequent bedmate you take is an adulterous union."

"Madam," Ezra said, turning to Mirselene. "You never told me this."

"It's an obsolete custom," she said. "I assumed the law was abeyance without men and conventional marriage."

"That is not so, Mirselene," Madam Lawspeaker replied. "The law survives in our constitution.

The sexual union of an unmarried woman and an unmarried man is equivalent to a marriage ceremony."

"But Ezra cannot marry all his bedmates!" Mirselene exclaimed. "Polygamy is also forbidden!"

"So, it is. It's worse than adultery."

"Please explain?" Ezra said: "I'm sure adultery ceased to be a crime on Earth many centuries ago, at least in my country. How come it is a crime here?"

"The Founders made strong laws to prevent sexual infidelity and jealousy. It's a measure to preserve a peaceable and harmonious society. After the men died off, there was no need for the law, of course, but the law stands nonetheless."

"But what consequence does it have," Ezra asked, "except that it allows you to condemn me and my bedmates?"

"It means that Freya Annel as daughter is legitimate, and all your other children are bastards."

"Careful whom you insult, Dolores," Solange said with a warning snarl.
Madam Lawspeaker looked pointedly at Solange's belly and said:

"Congratulations, Solange. I wish you a healthy delivery, but it changes nothing."

Solange was not mollified, though the Lawspeaker had sounded genuine and not sarcastic.

"So, what if my other children are illegitimate," Ezra protested again. "What difference does it make? Won't they inherit from their mothers?"

"They will inherit from their mothers, but only Annela and Freya will inherit from you."

"That's all right. I've nothing to leave anyone."

"Nothing you may gain in the future can go to any of your illegitimate offspring."

"Is that all: just laws of inheritance?"

"That is all the law cares about. The stigma of bastardy is conferred by the law but maintained only by society."

Madam Lawspeaker spoke calmly, without rancor, but her words stung Ezra.

"Then I suggest you change the damn law," he said coldly, "because none of my children are going to have a stigma if I can help it."

"That's for the citizens of Samothea to decide, Mister Ezra Goldrick," Madam Lawspeaker said firmly, "and I think you will find the Cloners and Farmers have the majority."

"My dear aunt," Gloria said in a gentle voice, "no woman is forced to be Ezra Goldrick's bedmate, and the fear of adultery and illegitimacy does not weigh much on the consciences of those who so far have enjoyed his affections."

"Do you propose that we should just sanction law-breaking?"

"No. I mean to change the law."

"We cannot change the law simply because you have taken a fancy to the Earthman."

"We can get a two-thirds majority," Gloria replied, smiling.

Madam Lawspeaker was not amused.

"You will not survive a moral challenge, Niece."

"Perhaps not, Aunt, but I know someone who would get a near-unanimous victory if he stood
for Prefect of Samothea."

'Prefect' was a political position that had not existed since the Founders' days, before the system of separate tribes correctly took off. The suggestion was met with silence, though the stony look on Ezra's face was a clear signal to those who did not already know him that he had no desire for social status.

"However, this is not something to argue about now," Gloria relented. "It seems that Ezra lacks political ambition and, besides, we are a conservative lot on Samothea, so my aunt may be right about what changes to the constitution will pass."

Then she added in an even more conciliatory tone:

"I have no wish for political controversy - and even less desire for family conflict - so I thank my aunt for her legal advice and wisdom. We have no urgency for a decision on our constitution until we know whether Ezra Goldrick can father boys. What do you say, Madam Medic?"

Madam Medic had thought about this.

"Ezra, how many of your bedmates are pregnant?" she asked.

"I believe at least a dozen, though not all of them have told me."

"A dozen is a big enough sample. We should know within a year. If all his bedmates have girls, then it will be a good guess that Ezra cannot sire boys on Samothea."

"I suggest we revisit this question in a year," Gloria concluded.

The Lawspeaker was not completely mollified but wise enough to accept a small victory. Some others at the table were more mystified than angered by the exchange. Solange was one whose temper vanished as quickly as it arrived. However, Ezra brooded. He was happy to learn that Solange was pregnant but unhappy to have got into a fight with the Lawspeaker. He tried to find some common ground with her.

"Madam Lawspeaker," he said. "Were you in office when Eloise pleaded for Yael, that is,
Tamar, to be returned to her?"

"I was," she said warily, not knowing in what direction his question ventured.

"She spoke highly of the Lawspeaker at the time, who took her side in the case and was overruled by the Cloner Chief."

This pleased the Lawspeaker.

"I was new to the role," she explained, "and the old chief was secure and powerful. The law was on the side of Eloise, so was I, but it taught me the limitations of the Lawspeaker's power and the need for balanced political authority."

"Just so," he agreed. "You'll be pleased to know that Eloise and Yael are reunited, that Yael discovered her mother in the White Mountains."

"Yes, I know this. I visited Eloise as soon as I heard she was in the camp. We are old friends."

She spoke matter-of-factly, not unkindly, apparently warming to Ezra, as he wanted to reconcile with her.

There was silence once more at the table, which Gloria broke after a while to say to the three chiefs:

"It's getting late, Ladies. You should go soon to return to your tents before the night rains.

Thank you for your company and for bringing Ezra to visit us."

Mirselene stood up to reply for the chiefs, saying:

"It's been a day of astonishing revelations, Gloria. I'm happy to admit I've misjudged the Cloners.

She put her plump hand on the Medical Textbook," This means a lot to us. Thank you."

Madam Gloria stood and bowed. All the women rose, and the chiefs prepared to leave.

"I expect you and Megan will leave early tomorrow morning, Ezra," Solange said.

"Yes, I want to be back with the salvage party as quickly as possible to revive Yumi. The process will take a day or two. Calliope, would you leave the Cloner fair to come and help Thalassa?"

"She cannot leave the Cloner Fair," Madam Lawspeaker answered on Calliope's behalf. "She has to face a hearing."

"What hearing?"

"An accusation of mutiny and usurpation has been made against acting Chief Calliope by Chief Belena. It is to be heard during the council of all the chiefs."

Ezra swallowed his instant protest. He'd just learned not to question the Lawspeaker until he knew all the facts, yet he had to speak.

"I was partly to the events that unseated Belena," he said, "and so were Kalyndra, Devon,

Cressi and Thalassa are none of them here. On Earth, we don't have trials without witnesses."

"Nor do we, Ezra Goldrick, but this is not a trial; it's a hearing to see if there's a case to be brought to trial. For this, we need only the testimonies of Belena and Calliope."

Ezra realized he'd again been guilty of judging the folkways of Samothea by his own Earth customs. He made a judicious apology.

"Please forgive me, Madam Lawspeaker? I do not mean to question your system of justice."

She smiled at him, mollified at last.

So, he ended a meeting that Ezra knew was a turning point in his sojourn with Samothea.

Nothing would be the same as before, and all his plans, hatched out of incomplete knowledge and faulty supposition, would have to be composed anew.

After the meeting.

With the three chiefs back in their tents and the Juniors putting the councilors to bed upstairs, Gloria and Ezra had the council chamber to themselves. They sat on adjacent chairs, enjoying being silent together.

Gloria realized it was best not to start something she couldn't finish. Instead, she turned to a safe topic:


To be continued