Chapter 7

2 Section 29 -- McNeils get Linda, Valerie

"Linda and Valerie Norris," said the AI, "it is time that you also be relocated. Unsponsored concubines are being housed together with concubines in similar circumstances. The segmenting is imperfect, as each person's circumstances are different. You will be housed with other mothers and daughters as well as sisters or very close friends. All of them are desirous of being sponsored together. Elsewhere, units will house other groups, such as couples, or concubines with dependents, et cetera. As your roommates are sponsored, new concubines will be transferred in."

"Talk about a meat market," sighed Valerie with a shake of her head.

"It is deemed extremely important that family groups be established as quickly as possible. This system will allow sponsors to choose from a number of candidates all located in one place."

"I don't really care where we sleep at night," sighed Linda. "I agree that getting a sponsor soon is important."

"We should have bonked George before we split up," laughed Valerie.

"Amen to that," smirked Linda. "Maybe we'll get lucky soon, if not with a sponsor then with a male concubine or such. There's nothing of ours here. Let's just go."

Valerie and Linda arrived within a living unit that appeared to be empty. "This unit presently is home to two other mother/daughter pairs, plus sisters aged eighteen and fifteen, and three sixteen-year-old friends," the AI told them. "All are presently out in the corridor meeting with prospective sponsors. It is recommended that you join them at this time. Room assignments should be settled late this evening."

The front door was wide open and remained so after they stepped out of the unit. There they found what must have been their roommates and many neighbors from nearby units. Some were standing. Others sat on benches. There were benches everywhere. A number of fully clothed sponsors were interviewing.

Linda took in the scene. "I can see the benefit of doing this," she said to Valerie, "but it sure is a meat market."

A few of the people were crying, or appeared to have recently been crying. Some mothers were being consoled by a young adult daughter, or the other way around. Sometimes, both mother and daughter cried as they embraced. When she asked, Valerie was informed that the tearful concubines had just said goodbye to a husband or father.

Linda and Valerie settled themselves on a bench and watched the goings-on. They politely stood and conversed with sponsors who approached them, but neither of them felt any spark. They watched as test drives took place, some in plain view and some where sponsor and concubine hurriedly went into the concubine's unit. They watched concubines agreeing to be bound and leaving with their sponsors. They watched bewildered replacement concubines first emerge from the living units and begin to orient themselves.

The units on the opposite side of the corridor apparently housed sponsors whose concubine allotment had not yet been filled. They watched sponsors escort their new concubines into their unit, only to have a new sponsor soon emerge, as bewildered as the new concubines.

All this went on for quite some time. One or the other occasionally went into the living unit for beverage refills or to make a pit stop. The scene around them was at once fascinating and boring.

"May we join you?" asked a female voice. Linda and Valerie found in front of them a male and a female sponsor, arm in arm, both smiling.

"Why, certainly," smiled Linda. "Please sit down."

"I'm Nicole McNeil and this is my ex-husband, partner and best friend, Pat McNeil. We're both sponsors and are establishing a joint household. Pat is taking our twenty-two-year-old daughter, Amanda, as a concubine. He needs three more females. I am looking for one couple. Our first priority is a den mother, a woman to be in charge of the family when we're away. Is something like that of interest to you?"

Both Linda and Valerie smiled, their interest piqued. "I'm Linda Norris and this is my daughter, Valerie, who is twenty-two. I'm forty-six. Yes, your requirements are very much of interest to both of us."

The four continued, exchanging information about themselves and their families. Nicole let it be known that son Ryan and his wife/concubine would be occasional overnight visitors. The longer they talked, the better they all felt about the others.

Finally, Pat said, "Barring unpleasant surprises when we inspect each other's CAP cards, would you like to join our family?"

Linda and Valerie looked at each other and nodded sharply, grinning. "Yes," they said.

"Good," said Nicole. "Let's compare CAP cards. Then, if you don't mind, you can help me find a couple before we all go home to get better acquainted."

2 Section 30 -- Wong, Rodriguez become Forester

"Pete," barked Maria, "what are you doing? Come back here and sit down."

"He's alright," said Juanita. "You should let him burn off some energy with that other boy. If you don't, he'll have to burn off that energy in our company and I really don't want to get in another pillow fight."

Pete and a somewhat younger Asian boy were playing with some sort of cloth. It was not exactly soccer and it was not exactly keep-away. Muriel wondered whether the game had rules. At least it was more interesting watching the boys than the milling volunteers and concubines.

A woman approached Maria and crouched. "If you don't want your son to play, I can call my Arthur back," she said. "My name is Lisa Wong. Arthur will be more manageable later if he has a chance to get some exercise now. I don't think they are bothering anyone. Do you?"

"Hi, Lisa, I'm Juanita, Pete's sister. This is my... sister, Maria, and my sister, Muriel. I think it's great that Pete has found someone besides us to inflict with his exuberance. I apologize to you both for butting in while you were speaking with Maria, who still is somewhat shy."

"Hello, Juanita, hello, Muriel and hello, Maria. I'm glad to meet all of you. We just arrived wherever we are now from wherever it was that we came from. My... husband, I guess... Benjamin, my daughter, Vickie and my daughter, Tania are over there. Muriel, I know Vickie would love to talk to someone about her own age. Vickie is fourteen."

Muriel automatically turned to Maria, seeking permission. "You are an adult now, my sister Muriel," smiled Maria. "You should enjoy your adult freedom while you can. You will belong to a man soon enough. Go entertain Vickie for a while."

"I bet you've been with your family," smiled Juanita, "and you'd like a break. Maria and I haven't found anything new to talk about for a while. Would you like to stay and visit?"

Lisa looked back at her own family. Benjamin smiled and waved his acknowledgement that she would stay. "Sure," chuckled Lisa. "We're in about the same boat as you are. There's not much new to talk about for us, either."

Lisa and Juanita seated themselves close to Maria. "Lisa must wonder whether you speak English, Mom," giggled Juanita. "You haven't said anything to her yet."

Maria blushed. "Excuse me, Lisa, if I have been rude. I am overwhelmed by the changes that have happened in our lives. I can't get used to Juanita and Muriel being my sisters and not my children. I can't manage to accept that Muriel, Juanita and I will share the bed of one man. Juanita has forced me to begin to come to terms with the sexuality of my son, Pete, and to accept that Pete will be my lover." She smiled sadly as big tears ran down her cheeks. "I am happy that we will be safe. I will proudly bear children for my sponsor. I hope we four can remain in a single family. But at the same time, this entire episode is completely unreal for me, like a bad dream that won't let me wake up."

Lisa nodded understanding. "My Vickie is only fourteen years old. Here we sit, trying to give ourselves to a sponsor, to allow -- to encourage -- a man to take my Vickie's innocence. It truly is the hardest thing I have ever done."

"You should remember," said Juanita, "both of you, that the young women like Vickie and Muriel are excited and anxious to finally be thought of as women. They know that they are over the magic age of fourteen, but it still doesn't seem real to them. You just saw Muriel ask permission that she didn't need. They're scared, for sure, but that won't stop them. They want to be adults. They want to have sex. They want to be mothers.

"Lisa," said Juanita, "Over and over, I have watched Maria get herself all worked up about this. You seem at least able to keep your own spirits up. We're going to have a big family. We're going to raise a lot of children in safety and comfort. Would you like to talk about the good parts of going to the stars?"

Instead of answering, Lisa came over to Maria and gave her a big hug. After briefly hesitating, Maria returned the embrace with a wan smile. Maria asked, "You said you just arrived here?" Lisa nodded. "We've been here for a couple of hours. I guess we need to join with someone else or else we must accept that we cannot all be together. I don't think we are going to find a sponsor who needs three concubines. Two, maybe, or four, but not three."

"We also are three," allowed Lisa. "Benjamin, Vickie and me. We have talked to a lot of sponsors but we haven't found anyone that we really wanted to join with." Juanita and Maria agreed. "Maria, it must comfort you that you will be able to share your grandchildren first hand, to be able to guide your girls as they learn to become good mothers like you are."

Now Maria beamed. "Yes, that is the one hope that I hold to, that we three -- and Pete, too -- will share the day to day satisfaction of having and raising children. I am sure that Juanita and Muriel will be good mothers. They have big hearts and they love children. I hope I can give some useful advice to them now and then."

The three women continued their chat along these lines, trying to encourage each other and themselves. Their talk became light-hearted and they often laughed with each other.

None of them noticed the sponsor who invited himself to sit with Benjamin.

"You seem to have been abandoned," chuckled the sponsor, "while your mate gets a dose of girl talk. Good for her. Would you like some company?"

"Sure," Benjamin replied uncertainly, "have a seat."

"My name is Alan Forester," said the sponsor. "This family building is harder than it looks. I need six concubines. I decided that I need a male concubine. I've been talking to couples. I confess, the naked women are more fun to look at than the naked men. I have found several women that might make very good additions to my family. But when I talked to the male, it just didn't work. I've done that four times now. So, I decided I had better begin with the man first.

"To me, your wife being out of earshot for a time is a perfect opportunity. Would you like to talk about your plans and objectives? I'll happily share mine. Maybe we can find some common ground."

"I would like that, Mr. Forester," smiled Benjamin. "My name is Benjamin Wong. My wife, if you will, is named Lisa and is over there visiting. My daughter Vickie is right over there, talking to the daughter of the woman with Lisa. Vickie is fourteen. I'm not sure how old the other girl is, but she's wearing a collar.

"My son Arthur is engaged in some horseplay over there with Lisa's new friend's son. Arthur is eleven. Lastly, my daughter Tania, over there, is eight."

"First of all," smiled Alan, "I'd prefer that you call me Alan. You said your name is Benjamin. I take it that you don't like to be called Ben?"

"Alan, I have been called Benjamin for my entire life. I'd give up more than my name if it meant I could be sponsored with my family. I know I'm a drag on Lisa and Vickie. They could easily be selected together if I weren't here with them. You may call me anything you want."

"Lisa and Vickie must think you're worth the investment," smiled Alan. "I'm going to have five female concubines, Benjamin. There are going to be a lot of babies. Does that suit you?"

"Well, it does, Alan. I don't like to talk about myself very much. I hate braggarts and I can't help but feel like one when I'm forced to talk about myself. I want to be an important part of the lives of the children we raise. I want to be a good role model of a man for the children, even though I'm not qualified to volunteer.

"I also want to be a valuable and reliable resource for the mothers in the family. I want to do whatever I can to help. It's awfully hard being awakened over and over by a tiny baby. That's one way I shine. I'll be there for the baby. I'll do everything I can for the baby except nurse it. The mother can stay in bed, nurse the baby and give it back to me. I'll do all the rest. That's what I've always done."

"Lisa, don't suddenly look," said Juanita, "but there's a sponsor sitting with your husband. They seem to be having an animated, friendly conversation. I'll keep you posted. I think you should visit with us some more. You wouldn't want to spook the sponsor. Maybe the sponsor and Benjamin will come to talk with you pretty soon."

Lisa visibly struggled to control her excitement. "Juanita and Maria, I so desperately want Benjamin sponsored with Vickie and me, I'm about to burst. You're right about me freaking out the prospective sponsor." She took a deep breath and loudly let it out, visibly trying to relax herself. "Benjamin can hold his own. The sponsor needs a different relationship with a male concubine. I know if the sponsor likes and wants Benjamin, then at least one of Vickie and me will go, too."

"I hope the sponsor isn't gay," said Maria. That thought shook Lisa powerfully. "I'm sorry, Lisa," cringed Maria, "I shouldn't have said that. I wish I hadn't said that...."

Lisa took on an appearance of firm resolve. "I'm not going to worry. My Benjamin has always, always come through for us. He's going to handle this perfectly and we'll be glad of it. Let's talk about how fashionable the shifts are."

That produced a guffaw from Juanita. "I'm beginning to like you more and more. A positive attitude will take you far. I like being around positive people. My sister, here," and she pointed her thumb at Maria, "is usually very positive and unflappable. She'll be that way again once she gets settled into her new family. Muriel is a happy person with a positive attitude of her own. I hadn't really thought about making sure that the sponsor has a positive attitude."

This was a topic the women could sink their teeth into. They began their own animated, friendly conversation.

"Benjamin," smiled Alan, "I didn't know my next door neighbor as well as I feel I know you, and we lived next door to each other for eleven years. What are you and I going to do about collecting five willing slaves of the female persuasion?"

"You mean it?" asked a shocked Benjamin.

"I told you I struck out trying to find the ladies first," he chuckled. "If you like guy/guy action, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Otherwise, I can't think of a man with a personality and character that I'd rather have in my family. What say you?"

Benjamin pinched his face closed and sat rigidly for a moment. He shook his head, slightly but certainly. "I can't leave my family," he said.

"Oh, they're in, Benjamin," chuckled Alan. "If you were willing to go without your family, you wouldn't be the man I wanted."

"But you haven't even talked to them!" answered a surprised Benjamin.

"Do you love your wife?" Benjamin nodded. "Does she love you?" Another nod. "Does the rest of your family love you?" Another nod. "Are you going to be able to let me father children on Lisa and Vickie?" Benjamin looked down but nodded his head with conviction. "Benjamin, I asked the AI for some help here. I've reviewed the CAP scores of Lisa, Vickie and yourself. I found all the things I wanted to see and none of the things I didn't want to see. You don't think they'll decline to go with me if you're going, too?" Benjamin shook his head, now smiling broadly and looking Alan in the eyes.

"Okay then," smiled Alan, "two down and three to go. Let's just sit here and consider the folks that Lisa is talking with. Don't look at them. They're trying hard not to be caught looking at us. You have to look somewhere else. I want them to think that you and I are still negotiating the fate of the Wong family." They both chuckled.

As he looked directly at Benjamin, Alan began. "Maria Rodriguez is thirty-six years old. Ordinarily, she's as solid as a rock. These last two days have shaken her a lot. Her son Pete is thirteen and Maria is deeply troubled that she will have to have sex with him. The AI says it is the prospect of the act that distresses her. It says that, once they have actually been together, she'll be fine. Maria is a great mother, very practical and she has a powerful libido."

"You got all this from the AI while you were talking to me?" asked an incredulous Benjamin.

Alan smiled and nodded. "Call it multi-tasking," he chuckled. "Can we go on?" Benjamin nodded. "Your Vickie and Maria's Muriel are well on their way to becoming fast friends. Muriel is fifteen and she has all of the traits you would expect to find of a child raised by Maria. Fifteen is young and Vickie at fourteen is younger still. Both will be very good mothers. They don't have much experience yet, but Lisa and Maria will help them.

"Last comes Juanita, who is visiting with Maria and Lisa. Juanita is seventeen, very much like her sister Muriel and very much like her mother. She too will be an excellent mother.

"The Rodriguez family wants to stick together as much as the Wong family does. Pete and your Arthur are good boys, says the AI. There is a chance that Pete will become a volunteer one day, but probably not on his fourteenth birthday. Your Arthur is too young for a CAP score prediction, but he is smart and has a lot of good attributes.

"Now we get down to brass tacks. Benjamin Wong, on condition your Lisa and Vickie agree to join us, will you be my concubine?"

Benjamin solemnly said, "Yes." His face was flushed, his eyes were full of tears, but his smile lit up his entire face.

"Acknowledged," the AI said softly through Benjamin's collar.

"Good," said Alan. "I don't want to give away my game with the ladies just yet. How can we have some fun and still secure five female concubines?"

"May I speak freely?" asked Benjamin. Alan smiled and nodded. "Alan, this is too traumatic for you to make into a game. There will be a whole lifetime for practical jokes and the like. Please don't make this more stressful for them than it already is."

Alan sighed and smiled. "You're right, of course. They can't know that I've already decided to offer sponsorship to all of them. How about I stay here while you go over there and try to soft-sell the idea to them?"

With a nod and an expression of relief, Benjamin rose and approached the women. "Hello, Maria. Hello, Juanita. May I join you?"

All three women were surprised but made space for him. "How did you know our names?" asked Juanita.

Instead of answering, Benjamin motioned to the man he had just left. "That is Alan Forester. As you know, we have had a nice long chat. I really like him. While he and I chatted, he used the AI to learn quite a bit about all of us Wongs, and about all of you Rodriguez's. What he learned made him very happy. He asked me to come over here and ask you whether he can come visit with you. Alan wants to invite all of us to join him making one big, happy family."

The expressions on the faces of the three women were priceless. As his words registered, their eyes became as big as saucers before they burst out screaming for joy. Alan sat back in his chair, satisfied that the explosion was a resounding 'yes.' Vickie and Muriel raced to their mothers, frightened. Pete and Arthur simply looked on, perplexed.

2 Section 31 -- June Davidson

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"I don't mind at all," he replied. "Pull up a chair. Rest your hands and face."

She chuckled. "I never heard that one before. I'm June Davidson." She held out her hand.

He rose and accepted her hand. "I'm Roger Wilson. I'm pleased to meet you."

"You appear to be alone," she observed. "I'm alone now, too. I decided I couldn't raise another family with my husband. I'll let him choose someone else -- a couple of someone else's -- and have a fresh start. I want to make a fresh start, too."

"I am alone," he said. "I'm recently divorced. I was just transferred a few months ago. My grown kids are back where I came from. I didn't have anyone I wanted to ask to be extracted. I figured whomever I asked would wind up being my concubine, and I didn't know anyone that I wanted to live with."

"Kind of like two peas in a pod," she chuckled. "You have any candidates yet?" He shook his head. "Me neither. Maybe I oughta tell you a bit about myself?" He nodded. "I'm forty-four years old," she said. "My seventeen-year-old daughter is here in the moon. She is also available to be a concubine. My twenty-year-old son is in the army. I've been a bookkeeper for the last seven years, and more before the kids were born. I don't care too much about politics or religion, one way or the other. I like sex a lot. I like a lot of sex."

Roger began his own bio. "I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have a daughter who is thirty and a daughter age twenty-seven. They're both married. I work in logistics. I was at a meeting in the attorney's office when the extraction happened. I suppose I'll work in logistics for the Confederacy. I have four concubine positions to fill."

"Do you have any idea what you want in your concubines?" she asked.

"Not a clue," he replied, shaking his head. "I guess I want at least one who is closer to my age. You said your daughter is here? Is she available? Would you want to live with her?"

June shook her head. "Leah said that if her mom and dad weren't going to be together, she didn't feel she could be with either one of us. It wouldn't be fair to the other, she said. We could ask her again if you like."

"You don't sound like you care one way or the other," he said. "She's probably right. There are lots of choices. There's no point in asking her to do something she'll regret."

"Did I mention that I like sex?" she chuckled. He nodded. "I don't know what they put in the water, but it's getting harder and harder to ignore my urges. Do you feel like a test drive? It doesn't matter whether I pass. You're not that much older than me. Maybe it'll work between us."

"That sounds like a very good idea," he said. "Let's go back to my place."

"The concubine June Davidson has been selected by a sponsor," intoned the AI.

"I'm surprised," said Ken. "That was fast!"

Leah shrugged. "I guess I'm not as surprised. AI, do you have further details? Can I meet her sponsor?"

"No further details are presently available. The sponsor does not wish to meet with you at this time."

Leah slumped in her seat. "I hope she's happy," was all she could say.

"It sounds to me as though you don't think that that is the most likely outcome," Ken said softly. Leah shook her head.

"Well, if you want to meet one of your new step-mothers, I guess we'd better get back out there and do some more shopping." They left the living unit and headed for an area that they had not yet tried.

This time, Ken decided to search for small children, figuring that their mothers would be nearby. As they walked, they kept an eye out for a potential match for Leah.

"Amanda!" chirped Leah. "I'm glad to see you! I didn't know you were here! Amanda, this is my dad. Dad, Amanda is a friend of mine from school."

"These are my mom and dad," said Amanda. "They're both sponsors and they're making a joint household. I'm going to stay with them. Are you staying with your dad?"

"Well," said Leah, "I'm only staying long enough to fix him up with two concubines. My mom decided to go off on her own. I don't feel like I can stay with one of them and not the other."

"After you do your duty for your dad," grinned Amanda, "why don't you contact me about joining our family?"

"I will!" chirped Leah.

2 Section 32 -- The Godwin family expands

"I'm Sarah Lang. This is my sister, Sandy Broderick, and my mother, Beth Roundtree. What can we do for you?"

"I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Martin Godwin. This is my trophy wife, Diane." Diane sneered at the appellation. "I love Diane very much. She's not keen on the idea that I will have eight concubines. Nevertheless, I am in earnest building our new family. I would like to explore with you whether any or all of you would be a good fit in our family. I think there are few sponsors here willing and able to take all three of you into one family. If that is of importance to you, then I hope you will carefully consider whether we make a good match for you. I want to be completely candid with you to minimize misunderstandings later.

"I want a lot of children, a lot of children. My first wife...."

"May her sainted soul rest in everlasting peace," Diane interjected snidely.

"...was only able to have one child," Martin continued. "He's grown and gone now. My lovely Diane has never had children, and she's leery of the prospect. Once Diane puts her mind to a task or a skill, she invariably excels. I have every faith that she will be an excellent mother.

"She is a very proud woman and sometimes can be imperious. Like me, like you, like everyone else, Diane has strengths and weaknesses. I am going to try my best to play to her strengths and surround ourselves with those who can help minimize her weaknesses.

"I want to begin assembling our family by finding self-confident individuals who are already experienced mothers. I don't have a clear idea what the gender makeup of our complete family will be. Perhaps I ought to stop here and let you ask questions."

The three women sat for a moment, digesting the words -- and the visual cues -- that they had collected. Beth looked at Diane and said, "Diane, you have made it plain that helping Martin choose your competition isn't your favorite sport. I would like to hear directly from you whether we ought to even continue this discussion."

Diane blanched. She was not accustomed to anyone being as direct as Beth had been. She looked down; gathering her thoughts, then looked at Beth. "You're right about competition. Martin does love me, and I love him. But I have been a princess in my home for a long time.

"I have a great urge to sabotage his taking of additional women. Another part of me knows that it is inevitable, and that I should cooperate and assist in choosing my 'competition' and making a happy home for all of us. So then I begin to think I ought to steer Martin towards mousy, vulnerable women who won't be competition for his heart. But then I'll be stuck all day, every day, with women who aren't my equals.

"I'm a mess, Beth. I'm also not accustomed to apologizing. I have acted the bitch with you so far. I really would like to have a discussion with all three of you to see whether we are a good match. I don't know whether we'll fit together. I sure need someone to help me get my head screwed on straight."

"Are we going to have a completely frank discussion?" asked Sandy. "Are we going to put all our cards on the table?" Diane nodded. "Okay, then," she said. She sighed and gathered her thoughts. "When Martin began, your snippy remarks were intended to put us off. I was offended. At first, I wanted to simply end the exchange and let you two move on.

"The opportunity for me to live together with my sister and my mother is very attractive to me. Martin is right: there won't be very many opportunities for us to see that come about. I'm willing to pay for that privilege, but I'm not sure just how much I'm willing to pay.

"You strike me as the ultimate Queen Bee, the rich bitch that no one ever stands up to. The woman who always has her way, no matter what. I imagine you are an expert party hostess and a witty and provocative guest. I shudder to think how you treat your domestic help but I have no doubt that you had domestics. Tell me why I should believe we won't spend all our time fending off your brow beatings?"

Martin felt a powerful urge to step into the discussion at this point. He wisely bit his tongue and let Diane handle it herself.

Diane sighed. "You were more than a little right about my domestics. I didn't abuse them on a day-to-day basis, but that was only because I established the ground rules when they first joined us. They were staff. I was always polite to them -- well, I was civil anyway -- but we did not engage in any socializing at all. We never shared a cup of coffee and chatted. I didn't know about their personal lives and I didn't want to know.

"I admit that I have been insulated for much of my life. We lived in a gated community. Beyond our back yard was the golf course. Only members of the country club could buy homes in the development. I count myself a very good friend but, admittedly, all my friends were within my social strata.

"Martin is going to be an important person in the Confederacy. His CAP score alone nearly guarantees that. But he was a commander in the United States Navy as well. I imagine there will be occasions for the socializing that I truly love, both in our home and away from home. I expect to get at least my fair share of accompanying Martin to those parties. It will be fun to have my co-concubine on his other arm.

"But I know the socializing will be a minor part of our lives. And I don't envision six or eight women sitting at home all day, watching each other's bellies swell. I hope there are social service duties that will help make our lives fulfilling.

"Martin said he wants a lot of children. He wasn't kidding. He wants all of his concubines to agree to have twins, at least for the first pregnancy. He wants one of us to get pregnant every month. In fifteen months, there will be at least twelve new babies in our home, plus however many children there are at the beginning. You have two children each. We don't know how many children will join our family."

"You said twelve babies," Sarah said. "Does that mean you envision six female concubines? That would mean two male concubines?"

Diane blushed and nodded. "I already loved sex. Martin has had his enhancements. Martin is sixty-six years old. Now he looks not even thirty years old. Martin was always a very good lover. My God, now he's unbelievable. BUT, Martin is going to have a day job. He'll probably be deployed and be gone for months at a time. Even when he's home, there's no way he can handle eight women every night, enhancements or no. Martin does want as many children as possible. It seems to us that six women and three men -- when he's home -- or six women and two men when he is deployed is about the most women that can be managed."

"So we're talking about you," said Beth, "plus we three, and two more women." She pondered that for a moment. "Do you hope to find two couples?"

"We've seen lots of unattached women, Mom," said Sandy, "but we haven't seen very many unattached prospective male concubines at all." Beth nodded agreement.

"Besides which," added Diane, "let's face it, the more different groups we add to our family, the greater the chance that there will be conflict. Just as there are few opportunities for you three to live in the same family, I don't think there are many existing concubine families that include five women and two men. Even if there were, that isn't a lot of genetic diversity.

"We can see that you three love each other. More importantly, you like each other. If you join us, maybe we'll find two women and two men together. That will mean merging three families into one. Two couples won't be that much worse -- if we believe that the couples already have a strong relationship."

"Let's take up your bugaboo," said Sarah, "you being a mother. You look to be about forty. How are you going to handle being a mother for the first time? How are you going to deal with a dozen babies under foot?"

Diane smiled ruefully. "When Martin and I first got together, I was young and I didn't want babies to interfere with my life. Later, I began to hear my biological clock ticking. But by then Martin was beginning to get up there in years. Sure, he's still a great husband and lover. Sure, I always knew I'd be a widow for a very long time. But I didn't want to have children who lost their father before they finished growing up. And I was getting up in years. Even if my biological clock was screaming at me, I was afraid of birth defects.

"Now we have a whole new ballgame. I'm going to be biologically eighteen years old again. Martin is biologically twenty-something years old, and can stay that way. Martin has always wanted a big family. I'm ready to be a mother. I'm counting on having lots of help in our family if I get frustrated or irritable with the babies. I don't want to be the first new mother in our family. I think I want to be the second, or third, if that can be arranged."

"Twins and twins and twins," Beth shuddered. "How do you two girls feel about being in such a big family? How do you feel about carrying twins?"

"No problem, Mom," chuckled Sandy. "There'll always be enough moms around to help herd a flock of babies."

"The other issue that concerns me greatly," said Beth, "is whether you'll wind up crowding us out of Martin's company; whether you plan on being his escort at every soiree, whether you plan on being in his bed every night."

Diane sighed and looked down into her lap. "That's going to be hard for me," she said, still looking down. "I don't know if I can really do that gracefully all the time. I'm used to having sex with Martin every night, every night. As hard as it must be for you three to sit here, trying to decide whether you want to go to bed with Martin, I'm going to have to size up one or two men knowing that I'm going to bed them while someone else is in bed with Martin."

"That is what it comes down to," Sarah allowed. "We're sitting here giving Diane the third degree but, at least for me, I'm wondering whether I want to hop in the sack with Martin."

"Not too romantic," agreed Sandy. "Things sure are different here. Whoever imagined that we might all be more or less married to the same man and three other women?"

"You're both right," said Beth, "but I don't want to think about that right now. Maybe we oughta let Diane give us the third degree for a while?"

"I don't think I need to give you the third degree right now," said Diane. "You've shown yourselves to be intelligent and articulate. It is evident that you care for each other and that you plan a happy home for yourselves. Sarah and Sandy, your children seem happy and well behaved, so I think all three of you are good mothers.

"You asked me how I'd manage while someone else was in my bed, fucking my man. I've tried to answer that question as truthfully as I could, but it left a lot of room for doubt that I could keep a lid on the inner bitch. I honestly don't know that I can always be graceful and calm about it. I don't know... what will happen. I am glad that my answer didn't seem to end the interview."

"Diane," said Beth, "if you have an outburst, we'll do what we must to help you feel better. We'll hold you and let you cry, or we'll hold you and calm you down. Whatever it takes. What we won't do is let you run roughshod over us. If you push, we're going to push back."

"I'm actually glad to hear that," smiled Diane. "It's sort of comforting knowing that that tactic won't work, so why bother trying it. Let me turn the tables on you. Are you going to be able to handle being in the same bed at the same time with a man? Before you answer, I have a couple of related questions. As far as I'm concerned, three men for six women isn't enough. Two men for six women will be a problem. I have never had sex with another woman. It doesn't put me off, I've just never done it. Are you going to be able to sex each other? Are you going to be able to have sex with me?"

The three women looked at each other, deciding who should answer Diane's questions. "You know they upped our sex drive," said Sandy, "and lowered our inhibitions, so we'd be more willing to rapidly form family groups?" Diane nodded. All three women blushed, obviously uncomfortable.

"It's sort of like you're not supposed to go grocery shopping when you're hungry, because you buy a lot more than you need. We decided," Sandy continued, "that we were all so horny we were about to climb the walls. We didn't want to get started looking for a sponsor with such a high risk we'd take the first man that came along just to get him in bed."

"It started off," said Sarah, "with us just bemoaning our itch. I don't know which one of us started to jill off in front of the others...."

"I remember," giggled Beth, "it was you!" They all laughed at that.

"Anyway," Sarah continued, "we sat there, sawing our pussies, watching the other two do the same thing until we all got a good 'O'. That didn't satisfy for very long. Things escalated from there. I'll leave the details to your imagination. We aren't going to have a problem with each other. If you don't have a problem being with one or more of us, we aren't going to have a problem either."

Diane turned to Martin. "Martin, I want to ask Beth, Sarah and Sandy to join our family. How do you feel about it?"

Martin looked at all four women in turn. "I'd like that, too. I know, though, that you three have a real concern about Diane. I suggest we spend the rest of the day together, and all night together. If we are all agreeable in the morning, I will take you as my concubines. How does that sound?"

"I think that sounds like a winner," chuckled Beth. "Diane, I think it's time for some introductions." Their four children had been playing in the area with other kids, and occasionally climbing into a lap. Now the two mothers beckoned them.

"Logan, Lily," said Sarah, "this is Diane and Martin. We will be spending the rest of the day and tonight with them. We're thinking about living with them all the time. Will you please greet them?" Turning to Diane and Martin, she said, "Logan is seven and Lily is four."

"Hello," said Logan. He barely glanced in the direction of Martin and Diane. Lily looked, but did not say anything. She stayed very close to Sarah.

Sandy had pulled her daughter into her lap and her son climbed into grandma's lap. "Morgan is one and Nathan is three. Morgan and Nathan, can you say hello to Diane and Martin?" Neither one uttered a sound. Morgan turned and buried her face in her mother's chest.

"Logan," said Sarah, "would you like it if we lived with Nathan and Morgan, and Aunt Sandy and Grandma all the time?" Logan shyly nodded.

"I think that would be very nice," said Diane. "I hope you'll let me get to know you better very soon. Do you like babies?" The three eldest nodded. Morgan was not ready to truck with strangers yet.

"I'm glad you have expressed some interest in the children," smiled Beth, "or at least have been polite." Sarah and Sandy giggled. "We know you aren't used to being around children. We don't expect you to dive in, head first. I think a go-slow approach might be best."

"I admit it is a bit daunting to think of being co-mother to these four and who knows how many more with the rest of the concubines," allowed Diane. "As Martin said, once I dedicate myself to a goal, I'm all in. Country club living was great, but that life is behind us now. I was resigned to never having children. Now I may have six or even more!"

"Let's go home," said Martin. "We need to get to know each other and not under interview conditions. We need to think through the layout of the living unit when there are nine adults and a herd of children."

"We need to start thinking about a schedule for pregnancies," added Sandy as they began to stroll toward the Godwin living unit. "I have a one-year-old, and I don't mind not being at the top of the list. I will if that is what's wanted."

"What about you, Mom?" giggled Sarah. "Diane doesn't want to be first. Do you?"

"I told you I liked being pregnant," smiled Beth. "I'm really looking forward to being young again. I'll be first if the other two women who join don't mind."

"It sounds like you're beginning to think of yourself as a member of this family," said a smiling Martin. "That pleases me."

"Well," said Beth, "I'll tell you truthfully, Martin... and Diane too. I'm concerned about Diane. I'm not afraid of Diane, but I'm concerned. I don't doubt she'll have episodes that we'll all regret. I'm also certain that Diane will be able to check her negative emotions longer than the time we have to make a decision."

Turning to Diane, Beth held her arms out. Diane diffidently stepped into the embrace. "Diane, this entire episode is very distressing for all of us, Martin and the children possibly excepted. But we're all going to be fine. You aren't the only one who might have an outburst. Whenever one of us gets terribly upset, she'll find a passel of sisters surrounding her to help put her back together."

She held Diane in the embrace but pulled back in order to see her face. Beth said, "I have no intention of being unhappy for the foreseeable future. I am absolutely certain that you have no such intention, either." Diane nodded. "I'm willing to make this work if you are. If you want to wait until morning to make your decision, that's fine with me." She beamed at Diane. When Diane had digested what she heard, she smiled brilliantly and hugged Beth fiercely.

The rest of the adults clapped and cheered.

They entered the living unit, which was essentially identical to the one Beth's family was living in. "I had a powerful urge," said Diane, "to decorate this place my way. I realized -- all by myself, thank you -- that I'm not the only one with a decorating taste. I decided to wait and let the decorating be a group effort." Diane and Beth hugged again. They each sensed strongly that the other was going to be a great friend.

"Sarah," said Sandy, "would you prefer to take beverage orders, or would you like to get the children's entertainment going so we can visit some more?"

"I'll do the kids," answered Sarah.

Turning to the other adults, Sandy asked, "What food or beverage can I get for you?"

"It's a bit early for a cocktail," allowed Martin. "May I have some iced tea?"

"Does the AI know just how you like it?" asked Sandy.

"Confirmed," intoned the AI.

"I like that voice," chuckled Beth. "Very manly. I didn't think to ask."

Sandy collected the rest of the beverage orders and retired to the kitchen. Sarah ushered the four children into the adjoining room and set about getting them organized to watch a movie. Martin, Diane and Beth sat down on the sofas.

"You realize, don't you, Martin," said Beth, "that I just told Diane that I'm planning to have you father my many children." Martin nodded. "I don't know exactly what they did for you in the reproductive equipment department, but I'm certain that you'll be bedding all four of us before morning."

"I suppose you're right," allowed Martin.

"So now I'm soon going to willingly have sex with a man I'd never met before a couple of hours ago," Beth went on. "I think my girls would feel less intimidated if you were sky-clad as we are. I know I would."

"This is rather surreal," said Martin as he began to undress. Both Diane and Beth watched with interest. He took the time to fold his shirt, removed his shoes and socks, removed and folded his slacks and finally let his boxers fall to the floor.

"Very nice," said a smiling Sandy as she returned from the kitchen and delivered beverages. "Thank you for doing that. I feel more egalitarian now. I'll never forget that you are the sponsor. I just hope you don't feel that you need to lord it over us."

"I think I can be magnanimous," he laughed. "I have my two lieutenants," and he gestured to Diane and Beth, "to maintain order. I can remain above the fray."

"I feel more comfortable already," said Sarah as she rejoined the group. "The kids have comfortable beanbag chairs to watch the movie. Some of them may even fall asleep."

"Both of mine will need a nap," said Sandy. "If they don't fall asleep during the movie, I'll put them down upstairs when the movie ends."

"Let's segue into the layout we'll need for such a big family," said Martin.

"Alright," said Beth, "then let's begin with you. How many concubines do you plan to invite into your bed every night? Are you planning to invite Diane every night? Do you envision one or more women that you seldom sleep with?"

Martin frowned. "Wouldn't that be tantamount to having servants? My answer is that every person in this household will be equal, or as equal as I can manage. I will not have second class members in this family. That's why I am unwilling to accept very young or very submissive individuals into this household. I love Diane, but I know that that is a weakness in her. She doesn't want to be domineering but her personality is very powerful.

"I really have no idea how this harem thing is going to unfold. I don't know how many women will want to share my bed every night. I've never in my life had more than one woman -- more than one person -- in bed. To my enormous pleasure, Diane has a powerful sex drive. I don't think most women on Earth are nearly as sexually active as Diane already is. If the Confederacy juiced her libido, I'm in trouble." That made Diane laugh and smile.

"I've never had group sex either," admitted Sarah. "They told us our libido was boosted and our inhibitions relaxed. I wouldn't think that those modifications would be temporary. On the other hand, the early stages of most Earthly relationships are torrid, and it seems likely that that will occur here, at least for a while."

"Are we going to have a rigid schedule?" asked Sandy. The unintended pun brought laughter all around. Sandy seemed to be talking to the flagpole rising from Martin's lap. Blushing, she said, "You know what I mean. Are Sarah and I going to be with Martin every third night?"

"I don't know what we'll do," said Diane. "A schedule doesn't seem very attractive to me. I think we'll be able to figure out among ourselves who wants to be with Martin -- or with either of the other men -- and who doesn't."

"Then let me take a stab at the room configuration," said Beth. "I'm sure we can change it if we find later that we have it wrong. Let's make a bedroom for each of the three men, one bedroom for any of the women who want alone time and perhaps three bedrooms for children. We won't need a nursery until after we reach the colony. We might want a fourth bedroom for kids."

"Would you split up the kids by gender or by age?" asked Diane.

"I think that depends on the age and gender of the children still to join our family," said Sarah. "We can decide that later. We also need at least one playroom and some kind of lounge besides this living room."

"Plus the office and sleep trainer room," added Diane.

"If we're expanding our discussion beyond bedrooms," said Beth, "then what about the dining area? There will be nine adults and perhaps six to nine children. Will we eat in shifts? Will we always eat in the common areas? Will we want a single long table that will seat us all?"

"AI," said Martin, "please display the first floor of this living unit in front of us." A hologram appeared in mid-air like a doll house, the floor and walls in place but without a ceiling.

"Martin Godwin," said the AI, "you are permitted two adjoining living units on account of the large number in your family group."

"I would rather have us crowded together like sardines than have some of the family isolated from the rest," said Martin. "Is there a way to make the two living units feel like one?"

The hologram changed, adding a second living unit beside the first. "This matter has been dealt with in the past," said the AI. "If you wish, you may see one or more floor plans that have met this need."

"Yes, please," said Martin.

The standard layout of the first floor of a living unit had the kitchen behind the living room on one side and, in a row on the other side, a large bathroom, the master bedroom, an office with the sleep trainer, and an additional room -- the one presently being used by the children watching a movie. The upper level had seven rooms and a large bathroom, with a reasonably wide hallway running from front to back.

The image of the first level of the additional living unit was a mirror image of the first, the two living rooms and two kitchens adjacent, the other rooms furthest away. As the five watched, the dividing wall between the two units disappeared. Instantly, the living room and kitchen were twice as wide.

The newly-enlarged living room contained two of the customary U-shaped arrangement of sofa, love seat and sofa. The kitchen area was bereft of tables and chairs.

"Will you show us some possibilities for seating so many people in the kitchen, please?" asked Beth.

Three round tables appeared, each with six chairs, evenly spaced across the room. Presently, those disappeared and there appeared a single large table designed to seat four on the narrow sides and five on the longer sides, a total of eighteen seats. Then came a series of five square tables, each designed to seat one per side.

"There are other variations," said the AI. "There is sufficient room to comfortably seat many more, depending upon the seating arrangement."

"That looks fine to me," said Martin. "Do any of you have questions or concerns?" The four women shook their heads.

"May we see the upper level floor plan, please?" asked Diane.

"Before we do that, AI," said Sandy, "will you please create a high chair and two booster chairs? The three smallest children will need them for dining."

"Acknowledged," said the AI. A hologram of the upper level of two living units appeared. At first blush, there appeared to be no elegant way to connect the two units.

"I give up," said Sarah. "How can the two units be combined without it feeling like a rabbit warren?"

As they watched, the wall separating the two units disappeared. The four newly formed double-depth rooms in the middle became narrower and there appeared three new corridors, perpendicular to the two existing corridors. "This is one variation," said the AI. "Here is another." As they watched, the centermost of the three new corridors disappeared and the two rooms in the middle expanded to take the vacated space. "Here is another." The two rooms in the middle became one.

"The upper level rooms are suitable for sleeping, lounging, sleep training and other study, and more," said the AI. "A configuration can be found that will meet any known need. Modifications can be completed in a few hours. You may modify the floor plan whenever you please."

"Cool," said Martin. "Do we want to make changes now, or wait until we have assembled the rest of the family?"

"Wouldn't this seem rather cavernous until we have enough people?" asked Sandy.

"That's a good point," allowed Martin.

"AI," asked Diane, "is the adjacent living unit already reserved for us?"

"It is," replied the AI. "However, as soon as concubine selection is completed, you will be re-located into a hundred-unit neighborhood of Navy families. Any changes you may make to these two units can easily be restored. However, it would be preferred that you complete your concubine selection, move to new quarters, and make the floor plan and decorating modifications there."

Beth turned to Diane, chuckling. "Can you smell female arousal?" Diane smiled and nodded. Looking across at Sarah and Sandy, Beth said, "Which of you is sitting in a puddle? Both of you?" Both women blushed and nodded.

To Martin, Beth said, "We don't know how this harem thing is going to work, either. Why don't you take those two and together figure out how to please them both in one session?"

Now Martin blushed. "Just like that, eh?"

"Not too romantic," Beth agreed, "but what are ya gonna do? Like the shoe company used to say, 'Just Do It.' I hope you'll save something for Diane and me. It's going to be hard enough for Diane to have to sit here with me while her man fucks two beautiful young women. Later, she's going to have me helping her fuck you senseless."

"What about the kids?" asked Sandy.

"Lily is playing," the AI reported, "Logan is watching a movie. Nathan has been asleep for twenty minutes. Morgan fell asleep thirty-five minutes ago."

"Diane and I will take care of the children," said Beth. "You go on."

Martin, Sarah and Sandy rose. Each of the women accepted his proffered arm and he led them toward the bedroom. "How can I be so embarrassed and so turned on at the same time?" asked Sandy.

"You haven't had a first time in quite a while," chuckled Sarah. "Just go with the flow."

When they reached the side of the bed, Martin put his arms around their waists and pulled them together in front of him. "I don't know how to do this," he said softly. "I don't know whether to be with one of you and then the other, or whether to try to please you both at once. I don't know which of you to start with. You want to help an old man out here?"

The girls chuckled. Sandy kissed him, on the lips but briefly. Sarah followed right behind with a longer but still chaste kiss. "We don't know how to do this either," Sarah said softly, "but we'll make up the rules as we go along. Sandy and I have fooled around with each other. That might make things go more smoothly for all of us."

The girls guided Martin onto the bed, in the middle, on his back. They approached him, one on each side. They gazed at him for a time, their hands caressing his chest. Without warning, they kissed each other, at first softly but ever more deeply and passionately. They broke their kiss and looked at Martin, eyes sparkling.

"Perhaps that wasn't the first time you've kissed each other," opined Martin.

"Perhaps," giggled Sandy. The girls kissed again. When they broke that kiss, Sarah kissed Martin. The kiss lasted a long time before she began to suck and nibble his lips. Sarah moved away and Sandy took her place with another long kiss that finally had her nibbling his lips. Her nibbling morphed into gentle licks on the outer portions of his lips. She broke the kiss but remained close, her eyes locked with his and pleasure painted on her face.

As one, the girls found his hands and guided them to their breasts. They had to rearrange themselves a bit but, when they were done, Martin had a firm breast in each hand and the girls were snuggled even closer to him. He felt their moisture on his thighs. He felt them both begin to tremble with desire.

They let their own hands travel over his upper body. One caressed his chest, up his neck, along his jaw and through his hair. The other began along his shoulder, down his chest and onto his abdomen. They changed direction, one moving up toward his hair, the other downward. Each pass along his abdomen was lower than the last.

The girls alternated kissing Martin and kissing each other. Soon Martin's kisses were every bit as passionate. One hand and then the other moved lower and lower on each pass. Soon Sarah's hand moved below his navel and to the top of his thatch. She moved her hand up, around and down the other side, but did not touch his cock. She withdrew and her hand began its journey upward.

Sandy's hand came right down the centerline of his abdomen. That itself was enough to make Martin flinch. When she reached his cock, a single finger traced a line right down the exposed underside. Martin gasped. On the return trip, she collected some of the copious pre-cum and made a show of smelling it before popping her finger into her mouth. She quickly returned to the source and supplied Sarah with a fingerful, which she readily accepted.

Sandy's hand returned to toy with the helmet of his cock. Sarah's hand came down and around Sandy's hand, straight for his balls, which she collected and began to caress. Sandy wrapped her hand around the top of his shaft and gently squeezed.

Martin, hands full of the breasts of two beautiful women and alternating kisses between them, was nearly reaching sensory overload. He was gasping for breath and sweating profusely.

Sandy moved her lower body away. "Fuck him, Sis," she whispered. In one fluid motion, Sarah threw her leg over Martin, brought herself upright and impaled herself to the root in one thrust. She sat still, wearing an expression of delight, satisfaction and lust.

"What about you?" asked Martin softly. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Ooh," hissed Sarah, grinning to her sister, "he's thoughtful and caring." She leaned forward and kissed him deeply and passionately. "I'm more than ready, thank you very much."

She fed one nipple to Martin while she drew Sandy to the other. She moaned at the sensations coursing through her body. She slowly lifted her hips until only the head of his cock remained within her, then just as slowly brought herself down and onto him. She repeated this again and again. "Oh my God," she hissed, "it feels wonderful having you deep inside me."

The speed and power of her thrusts began to increase. She moaned and hissed and squeaked and sighed. Several times, a series of rapid, powerful strokes ended with her grinding her clit against his pelvic bone as she quivered and quaked, keening out her orgasm. Martin felt the rippling of her muscles all along the shaft of his cock, but the ever-changing rhythm helped him maintain his own control.

Finally, after a powerful orgasm had passed, she brought herself down and kissed him deeply. "That was wonderful," she whispered, smiling serenely. Turning to Sandy, she said, "It's your turn, Sis." She threw her leg back off him and moved her legs away, making room for Sandy.

Sandy did not hesitate for a moment. In the blink of an eye, she was astride his hips with his cock buried inside her. She leaned forward to deliver a scorching kiss first to Martin and then to Sarah.

Her motions were unlike Sarah's. She alternated short, powerful strokes, rocking her hips and long, slow strokes. She talked, gushing about the incredible sensations, the intense turn-on of fucking Martin while Sarah watched, about the fantasies she wanted to live out, and on and on. Her words were non-stop except when an orgasm coursed through her while her entire body seized and quaked.

Sarah moved into position behind Sandy and began stroking her from her head down to her ass, along her outer thighs and back upward. On the return trip, she reached around, cupping and squeezing Sandy's breasts. Sandy's response was explicit and, at her urging, Sarah pinched and pulled Sandy's nipples.

Sarah found Martin's hands and guided them to Sandy's tits. Sarah's fingers moved to Sandy's ass and Martin's balls. Sarah collected moisture and applied it to Sandy's rosebud, eliciting a whine when her finger entered.

"Have you ever been air-tight, Sandy?" she asked. "Have you ever had all three of your holes full of man-meat at the same time? Have you ever had a cock in your womb, a cock in your ass and a cock down your throat?" Sarah knew her sister had never done any such thing. The mere thought was enough to drive Sandy over the edge again. Sarah added a second finger, driving both deeply within and sawing furiously. Sandy's voice kept going but the words became unintelligible.

With her other hand, Sandy found Martin's sphincter. After teasing the rim, she gently forced her way inside to the first knuckle. When Martin did not protest, she pressed her finger in more deeply, finding and then pressing on his prostate.

That was too much for Martin and he roared out his orgasm, blasting jet after jet deep within Sandy. For her, feeling the blast of his release on top of everything else sent her into such an overwhelming orgasm that she fainted.

Beth and Diane had watched the three others retire and then sat in uneasy silence. Beth watched as Diane's agitation grew. "Talk to me," she said. "Theory and practice aren't the same. Knowing it will happen isn't the same as knowing it's happening now. Tell me what you're feeling."

Diane sat back, looking at Beth in disbelief. She remained silent for a time as she decided how to respond. "I'm accustomed to being in charge, Beth," she finally said softly. "I'm accustomed to being the center of the universe no matter where I am, no matter who I'm with. I knew this was coming, but I was so in denial. I feel like running in there, shouting 'he's mine!' My entire world has been taken away from me and Martin is the only thing I have left. I'm not even going to be in charge anymore. I don't know shit about babies. I don't know how to be a team player except as the team leader. I feel completely lost, Beth."

Beth sighed and was silent for a time. "I'm a widow, Diane. Your present situation is not terribly unlike being widowed. When my husband died, I thought my own life was over. I was surrounded by my family and friends. They meant well, but they were going about their business while I was completely stunned. They urged me to act like there wasn't this huge hole in my life. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. It took me quite a while, but I recovered.

"You don't have 'quite a while' to get your head screwed on properly," Beth continued. "None of us can afford to have you pass successively through the phases of grieving as you come to grips with this." Beth moved and sat down beside Diane, collecting Diane's hands in her own and capturing her eyes. "I think we're going to spend the rest of our lives together, if we can get off on the right foot. Will you let me try to help you? Try to help all of us?"

Diane's instinct was to unleash her anger, to seize control of her environment through intimidation. This time, her hope and her fear blocked the anger. The two women held each other's gaze for a long while. Finally, Diane's face sagged. "Tell me what you think," she whispered.

"Okay," said Beth softly, "I will. First, you can't put the genie back in the bottle, Diane. You can't go back home with Martin. You get that, don't you?" Diane nodded but could not bring her eyes up to meet Beth's.

"The second thing is, you're going to have to share your man with more than one other woman. I don't know if Martin's CAP score is a blessing or a curse, Diane. If you need a close and limited relationship with a man and only one other woman, then you have to give up Martin. If you love Martin as much as I think you do, then you're going to wind up in a perpetual orgy."

Beth collected Diane into a hug. "I don't want to go on with shock treatment," she whispered. "This is hard for me, too. What if we just go be voyeurs for a while?"

Diane pulled back and gawked at Beth, wide-eyed. "You want to go in there?"

"Yeah," Beth chuckled, "why not?" Beth stood and coaxed a reluctant Diane to stand. They embraced each other.