Tri-ethereal Ch. 04

Lord Kennington was true to his word. The next morning William brought some writing paper and quill for Johanna and my chess set. He also brought an order, signed by Lord Kartier and Lord Clyton that no one was to open our cell door except Sir Glauco, Sir Glauco's palace guard representative or William. William Jr. can open it to bring us food and water.

I had just finished eating breakfast and was waiting for William Jr. to come collect the dishes and empty the chamber pot. Johanna and I were waiting until he came and left so that we could go through union in private. We were both surprised when both William and William Jr. showed up.

Then while his son cleaned out our chamber pot, William told us that he is now back in the prison kitchen cooking for the prisoners and guards. He said that Lord Kennington just dropped off our things and then went straight to the royal council.

Lord Kennington told William that he couldn't visit with us. The council had to officially install him as temporary Presiding Officer until the civil aristocrats could elect their own. He had to be present to accept it. But it's more than just a formality. By law the Keeper of the Records cannot call for a vote on any measures before the Lords until a new Presiding Officer is elected. Although he can open for debate any measure already before them.

It takes about seven or eight weeks for the civil aristocrats to elect a Presiding Officer. First, a date and time is set for the civil aristocrats to assemble. By law, this is arbitrarily set by the Keeper of the Records. But Lord Kennington is no fool. He always makes sure that he gives the civil aristocrats plenty enough time to attend to their personal affairs so that they can have enough time to attend the meeting.

Next riders are sent out to all 30 districts of Tri-ethereal. Notices are put up on the bulletin boards in every town and city; the larger cities have several bulletin boards. It usually takes a couple of days to reach some of the outlying districts.

The civil aristocrats of each town and city will send a representative from among themselves to their district headquarters. The larger cities will send two, three or four representatives, depending upon the number of civil aristocrats and commoners living in each city. There is on an average one representative for every 2,500 citizens.

It takes about a week to ten days for the representatives to gather in their district headquarters. The district headquarters is usually located on the manor of the Lord who oversees the district.

Each district will elect two to six representatives from among themselves, depending upon the size of the population of the district. The king's district, Norlen, sends six representatives. This takes another week to ten days for them to assemble and select their representatives.

They will all eventually meet in the roundhouse which is located on King Andrew's manor here in the city of Norlen, the largest city in the district of Norlen.

The roundhouse is an enormous amphitheater; it can hold several hundred Tri-etherealians. I don't know why it's called a roundhouse though. It isn't round. It's oval in shape with seats all around the open center. The seating is covered over but the center is open to the sky. I guess that's to allow the grass in the center to receive air and sunlight.

I only went there once. Lord Kennington asked me to deliver a message to a knight who was in a jousting contest. It's where the knights hold all their jousting matches. Spectators pay an admission price to watch but I got in that day for free.

Anyway, it is the civil aristocrats who meet in the roundhouse that will elect the Presiding Officer. But they don't do it right away. Like I said, Lord Kennington sets a date far enough in advance to make sure everyone who is going to attend can do so. They all know this, so for the first week to ten days or so everyone just sits around and talks.

Lord Kennington told me that their talks not only give everyone enough time to arrive, but they also give everyone an idea of who to elect as Presiding Officer. The meeting representatives develop and deepen their loyalties among themselves, form political alliances and make political deals among themselves in exchange for support to be elected Presiding Officer. Lord Kennington said that it is all dirty politics.

I learned all this from my many talks with Lord Kennington; usually while Johanna was in deep transition. She says she doesn't like to talk politics. I don't mind talking about politics but I'm sure I wouldn't want to have to sell my integrity down the drain just to obtain a temporary position in the royal council. It's not important enough. There are other things far more important in life.

But I was happy for the paper and quill and my chess set. I could now return to studying chess strategy.

Johanna was extremely happy for now she could return to writing her poems. She whispered her sentiments to me while William Jr. was cleaning out the chamber pot.

She used to write love poems and cast them into the wind. She had a funny way of folding the paper up so that her poems floated through the air. She would go to the second floor of Lord Kennington's library and toss them out of the window.

She said that they carried her heart to her heart's true love. She believed that he would find them and come and take her away to his castle in the sky. When I reminded her that he would also be carrying me away to her imaginary wonderland she would tell me in a nonchalant manner that I could marry his sister or his niece.

Yes, I love Johanna and she loves me. The same is true of all Trimorphs. We love our counterparts. But that doesn't mean we cannot fall in love with another Tri-etherealian, especially if he or she is another Trimorph. In fact, if a Trimorph meets and falls in love with another Trimorph there is a very good possibility that their counterparts will also fall in love. We're compatible that way.

As soon as William and William Jr. left, Johanna asked me to go through union. I told her yes; I was rather tired and wanted some sleep.

I took off my clothes and lay down on the bed. I closed my eyes and pictured Johanna's naked body in my mind's eye. Within seconds I could feel her wrapping around me, enveloping me with her passion. I pictured myself permeating her naked body.

A whisper in my ear: come, my darling, come to me. Our bed is waiting.

************************************

Our metamorphosis is finished. John is in transition; I posses our body.

"Oh John I love to go through union with you. It's . . . it's so exhilarating, so ecstatic!"

"Yes I know you love to do it. You always say the same thing too. I like to do it too. Why don't we both just relax for now and enjoy it."

"OK my love. Then I'm going to write a poem and try to fly it out of our window."

"You can write all the poems you want to. But you won't be able to fly them out of the window. It's too high."

"You're probably right. But I'm still going to try."

"OK, I'm going to let the euphoria take control of me and then let myself fall to sleep."

"Enjoy your transition, my love."

He didn't answer me. But then I didn't expect him to. I continued to lie on our bed and enjoy the bliss of our union. After about an hour I got up and got dressed. Then I sat at the table. I was just starting to write a poem when William entered our cell.

He asked me how long I had been in possession of our body. I answered him that I had just gone through union with John. Next he asked me what union was like but I reminded him that he had already asked me that earlier. Then he asked me how long Trimorphs stay in transition. I told him that different Trimorphs set up different schedules. According to Melissa, many Trimorphs have a pattern for going through union but that John and I have developed a schedule so that we can both experience daylight and nighttime.

I could tell from his questions and his demeanor that his real purpose for coming was to have sex with me. I'm sure it's because he wanted to see for himself if sex with a Trimorph is as ecstatic as everyone says it is. But I didn't want to have sex with him until I was sure that John was in deep transition.

Not that I'm worried about whether or not John watches me have sex with a non-Trimorph. In fact, we have both watched each other have sexual intercourse with other Tri-etherealians, particularly the male and female prostitutes of Norlen. It's fun to watch . . . and enjoyable because I can feel, see, hear, taste and smell everything he does and vice versa.

Nor do Trimorphs have to worry about catching a sexually transmitted disease. We are immune from them; we are immune from all diseases.

But I never got around to telling John that William wanted to have sex with me. I didn't want to have sexual intercourse with William and catch John unawares. I also wanted to ensure to William that our love making would be just between the two of us. I wanted to make sure that he would not have to worry about whether or not John was watching us.

Neither I nor John ever had to contend with our sex partners worrying about our counterpart watching us perform. That's because none of our sex partners knew that we are a Trimorph. But William is another story. He knows that I'm a Trimorph and he knows that John can watch us have sex. That knowledge might prevent him from performing sexually. I didn't want that.

So that William's could put aside any fears he may have I asked him to wait while I contacted John.

"Excuse me William for just a moment."

"Sure," he answered me.

Then, "John."

I got no response. I tried again. "John, are you there?"

Then to William, "John must be in deep transition. So it's just the two of us."

William's eyes brightened and a large smile appeared on his lips.

I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt. Then with a very demure smile I asked, "Want to make love with me?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," he answered me.

He locked the door to our cell from the inside. We took off our clothes and fell back onto the bed.

It wasn't the greatest love making I had ever indulged in. But for making out on a mattress of straw it wasn't all that bad.

I could tell that it wasn't all that great for William. He was very disappointed to learn that sex with a Trimorph wasn't any better than sex with any other Tri-etherealian. But he wasn't too disappointed because after he asked me if we could do it again sometime. I, of course, told him yes.

After he left I went to the table to finish writing my poem but I didn't feel inspired. So I returned to reading my book.

Around noon I heard the guard, checking on the prisoners. They check on us four times a day, once in the morning when we are brought our breakfast, once around noon, a third time when we are brought our dinner and finally later at night.

I'm not sure what time this last check is made. But it seems to me that it is always at different times, depending on which guard is doing the checking. Some come later than others. I think it must be just before they turn in for the night.

Anyway, I heard the prisoner who is going to be beheaded holler at the guard, something about his cell being filthy. The guard told him that he should be more carful where he does his shitting. The prisoner started to pound on his cell door, demanding that someone come and clean his cell. I heard the guard tell him, 'I'll fix you.' Then he left.

I was curious. So I got up and went to the door of our cell. I pushed lightly on the little window door in the door of our cell -- sometimes the guards don't bolt it shut. It opened slightly, enough so that I could see the other prisoner's cell door which is across the hall and down a bit from our cell.

He had his arm hanging out of the window of his cell door and he was hollering to be let out, to have his cell cleaned out, that he was innocent, that his neighbor gave him the chicken, that he was hungry and should not have his head chopped off just because he was trying to get something to eat. He just kept rambling and rambling, using the foulest language I have every heard.

Then the guard came back with two large buckets of water. He opened the prisoner's cell, presumably to give him the water so that he could clean his cell out himself.

But as soon as the cell was unlocked the prisoner pushed the door opened, knocking the guard down, spilling the water.

If his cell was anything like his appearance, I'm not surprised that he was screaming to have it cleaned out. But then I'm sure it's his own fault. Although the other prisoners aren't afforded the luxury of a bucket of water every evening -- as John and I are -- they are given a bucket or two of water every now and then, for the purpose of cleaning out their cells.

Anyway, he had long, straggly hair. His clothes were torn and filthy; he had shit all over his pants. He only had on one shoe, that didn't have any laces in it. He only had a sock on his other foot with his big toe sticking out. He had a full beard and mustache that was all tangled up, full of food and spittle. All in all, he resembled some monster from out of the swamps.

He jumped on top of the guard and took the guard's knife that he had in his belt. He stabbed at the guard but the guard was able to dodge the blow. Then the prisoner got up and ran down the hall, with the guard in hot pursuit. They were out of my sight but I could hear their struggle. The guard kept hollering for help, that a prisoner was trying to escape.

Within minutes I could hear the blows from several guards hitting the prisoner. They must have knocked him unconscious or something because the next thing I saw was them carrying him back to his cell. One guard each on his arms and right leg and two guards on his left leg, the one with the boot. The prisoner wasn't moving; he was just hanging with his head down. I could see blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

The guard who was attacked held the door to the prisoner's cell open and the other guards threw him into it. Then they closed and locked the cell door.

Later when William brought me my evening dinner I asked him about the prisoner who tried to escape. William said that he wasn't given any food this evening, nor was he going to get any breakfast tomorrow; his punishment for attacking a guard. He said that a notice was also put on several of the bulletin boards around Norlen. The prisoner is to be beheaded tomorrow at noon.

His fight for freedom cost him his life.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. William Jr. brought me two buckets of water about an hour after his father brought me my diner. He asked me if I knew how to play chess and would I teach him how to play. I told him yes John taught me how to play. But I added that my counterpart is the real chess player between the two of us. John could teach him chess strategy; I could only teach him how the pieces move.

He left me alone so that I could bathe. When he came back about an hour later to collect the two buckets, I showed him how the pieces move and we played a couple of games. Then he had to leave again. As he was locking the door, I told William that John would be in possession of our body tomorrow morning and that he would love to play him. He smiled and then locked the door.

I returned to reading my book. Later a guard came around checking on the prisoners. He opened the little window in the door to our cell and peeked in. He told me that I would have to put the lantern out in a few minutes. He said that it might disturb the other prisoners. I didn't answer him.

How a light in my cell can disturb the other prisoners is beyond me. But I'm sure the reason he told me that is because he was just exercising his authority over me. He can order me to put out the light and so I have to put it out. I'm going to ask Lord Kennington the next time he comes to visit me and John if I can keep the lantern on at night.

Not long after that John came out of deep transition. I told him about the escape attempt.

"It was you who missed all the action this time," I said.

"What?"

"The prisoner across the hall, you know the one that was to have his head chopped off next week for stealing a chicken."

"What about him?"

"Well, he tried to escape. He tried to stab one of the guards with his own knife."

"Wow!"

"Anyway, the guard called for help. Then about four or five guards subdued him. They beat him up really bad and threw him back into his cell. Now they're going to chop his head off tomorrow at noon."

"Poor guy. Are you tired? Do you want to go through union now or do you want to wait a while?"

"Whenever you're ready John I am."

"OK, let's do it. I want to study some chess strategy and play a few games with myself."

"How can you play chess with yourself? I don't understand that."

"It's easy. All you have to do is pretend that you're another player and you don't know what your opponent is going to do. You then look at all the possible moves your opponent can make and move accordingly."

"Whatever!" I answered dryly.

I took off my clothes and lay down on the bed. I closed my eyes and pictured John's naked body in my mind's eye. Within seconds I could feel John entering into me, penetrating me with his length. I pictured myself encircling his naked body.

A whisper in my ear: come, my beloved, come to me. Our bed is waiting.

************************************

Our metamorphosis is finished. Johanna is in transition; I posses our body.

I immediately lit the lantern and began to play chess. I haven't been able to play since they locked me and Johanna up five months ago. I played all night, stopping only twice. Once when I had to use the chamber pot and again just to look out our window for a few minutes. I couldn't see anything except clouds.

I wondered if Johanna had written any poems and tried to fly them out of the window. I didn't see any poems on the table we had. Nor did I see any folded up like she does. I figured she must have changed her mind about writing love poems after that prisoner tried to escape.

That wouldn't have bothered me. I would have gone back to studying chess strategy. But she lets things like that interfere with things she wants to do. I love her. I really do. But sometimes she is a stranger to me. Sometimes we are like two strangers just sharing a room at an inn who only meet when we are coming and going.

True, we often have some long and wonderful conversations. Before we were arrested, we would discuss what we wanted to do on weekends and at other times when the library was closed. Stroll through the city and look at what the shops had for sale. Borrow one of Lord Kennington's horses and go for a ride in the forest. Go for a picnic or a swim -- we both love to go skinny dipping when we are in possession of our body.

We did all kinds of things together. Sometimes we even found a book that we both enjoyed and we would read it together.

But at other times she's a mystery to me. I don't understand her. But then I guess I'm a mystery to her too, like when I pretend that I'm a sword fighter slaying a monster. But what else is there to do when you're surrounded by four stone walls and a ceiling over twice your height. I'm sure glad I now have a chess set to occupy my mind.

Anyway, I'm sure that she is just as puzzled by some of the things I do as I am by what she does. I guess that's because we're so different. But then, that's what I love about her. She lets me be me and doesn't try to make me do things her way.

I continued to play chess until William brought me my breakfast. He stayed in our cell and talked to me while I ate. He told me about the prisoner who tried to escape. When I asked him why he was going to be executed early, he said that Lord Clyton had issued orders a long time ago that any prisoner who tried to escape would have his head chopped off the next day.