Every Man's Fantasy Ch. 07

"What things?"

"Why would Calliope prefer her daughter to be a hostage than to be at home with her mother? Why won't the girls talk about life among the Mariners? I won't trust Belena with information about your ship until I know the answers."

"I understand. So what happens in the meantime?"

"When Urulla is well enough to return to work, I'll contact Belena and tell her about you. She would never refuse your request to visit. Meanwhile, you make whatever arrangements you like regarding bedmates."

"Whatever arrangements I like?"

"So long as there's no risk of over-lapping pregnancies, you can choose whomever you like."

"Including Kalyndra?"

"Yes, even including Kalyndra," she said indulgently. "But remember that Sharne wants another child ... and Dagma doesn't know her own mind."

"Of course. ... You know, I never spurned Dagma."

"I know. Be patient with her. She'll come around. She probably needs more understanding and kindness than I can spare or that you have yet tried."

"I'll do my best."

"Good man."

He got up to leave but when he got to the door, he remembered something.

"By the way," he said, "thank you for the loan of the book."

She waved him away, smiling. Thus ended a curious interview that left Ezra with as many puzzling new questions as answers.

***

Urulla was recovering steadily. After a week of sitting up in bed she was feeling restless and it was agreed she could sit outside in the sun, so long as she was moved into the shade in the hot afternoons.

Ezra decided that he should spend a week each with his former bedmates. In the first week, he moved in with Annela. Everyone expected it and no one was jealous or felt ill-treated. One night they stayed at the Honeymoon Lodge and he showed her the improvements he had made during his exile. There was now a crude shower (which took half-an-hour to fill for the sake of a few minutes' convenient washing), a single-seater earth closet and some useful clay oil lamps on wooden stands.

He also fucked her senseless.

Her pregnant belly was fascinating and beautiful. He kissed the bump all over and caressed and stroked it for ages. When they had sex, she went on top, as she preferred, but she also liked it doggy-style, with her bump supported by a pillow.

After two weeks' rest, Urulla was allowed to walk around and perform some light cooking duties. She was grateful to be able to contribute something.

In their week together, Dipti and Ezra spent every night in the lodge. She had hesitated at first, not wanting to leave her girlfriend, but Urulla had insisted she go and enjoy herself. No disloyalty was implied. Rather, because she could not have sex with Dipti at the moment, Dipti should have twice as much sex with Ezra. Dipti didn't question the logic of Urulla's argument but simply and happily obeyed.

At the lodge, they used the swing so often they had to repair it. Dipti also asked to be spanked. The few times Urulla had spanked her, it had been fun but not nearly hard enough. She was sure Ezra would do a better job.

He sat on the edge of the bed and she lay over his knees. He fondled her bottom first, making her wait, building anticipation. Then he smacked her hard on a buttock. She yelped but stayed in place. He spanked her again and continued spanking, getting gradually harder until, finally, she rolled off him holding her bottom, small tears leaking from her eyes but satisfaction on her face.

He got her to kneel on the edge of the bed and stood behind her. Her moist beckoning pussy looked like two damp pillows. He shoved his hard cock into her and began fucking. His thighs slapped against her bruised bottom, reminding her of the punishment. She came hard and vowed always to make spanking part of their love-making from now on.

After three weeks recovering, Urulla was up and about all day, though still prohibited by her nurses from any stressful labour or walking more than half-a-mile from the camp.

By mutual agreement, Ezra and Sharne belonged to each other this week. They had delayed until she was in her most fertile phase. Sharne was pleased to try again for another child. Their week together was sexually fulfilling and physically exhausting. She was sometimes so tired from riding him all night that she spent the morning yawning and once took a nap under a fallen trunk while the others worked. Kalyndra smiled to Ezra and Dagma's face was unreadable. This week was apparently successful: Sharne missed her period.

A month had gone by and Urulla could go out with the foragers but not with a basket of her own and she was not to bend down too much when gathering or plucking.

Although Urulla was recovering strongly, she was not fully cured, yet Mirselene began to plan how she would arrange the return of the Mariner women and the proposed visit of Ezra to their tribe. She sent a message to Belena via the traders at the monthly meeting, saying that she hoped Urulla would be better by the next trade meeting.

By chance, her message crossed with a message from Belena, asking for a special meeting between the chiefs in one week to which Thalassa should also come. Mirselene led a party to the meeting place but left Thalassa in the camp. She brought Annela and Ezra, leaving them concealed in the forest while she met Belena under the shade of a tent in the open plain.

After the usual greetings and an inquiry regarding the health of Urulla, Belena said:

"I have been asked to make a special request to you on behalf of Calliope. She would like Thalassa back to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. I have brought you another girl in her place."

She signalled a pretty thin blonde girl to came forward.

"This is Cressi. She is twenty and will make a good companion for Urulla while she recovers."

Mirselene smiled a greeting at Cressi, who smiled sweetly back.

"Sister, I completely understand Calliope's feelings and, of course, we will ask Thalassa if she wants to return early. Though she and Urulla are such good friends it would be a shame to split them up, but I'm sure she will agree to her mother's request."

"Quite so, but where is Thalassa?"

"I left her a little way back."

Mirselene felt no compunction about lying to Belena, who was certainly lying to her. It was significant that Calliope was not there to confirm the request. Belena eagerness to have Thalassa back was suspicions in itself.

"In the meantime, there's something in the forest I want you to see."

"What is it?"

Now it was Belena's turn to be suspicious.

"I'd rather you saw for yourself. Walk with me a little. It's not far."

"Just us?"

"Bring your women with, if you want. They'll be just as interested as you, I promise."

Belena was wary but she was also brave and the Woodlanders had never before been treacherous.

"All right," she agreed.

Belena and her tribeswomen followed Mirselene a short way into the forest. The party stopped by a tree stump and Belena was invited to sit down. She preferred to stand.

"As you wish," Mirselene said, taking a seat herself. "Annela!" she called.

Annela stepped out from behind a ticket. She was wearing her blouse over her peasant skirt. The blouse was too tight for her swollen belly, which pushed out between the clothes.

It took Belena half-a-minute to realise what she was seeing. She stared at Annela in wonderment. Her women gasped.

"How?" she demanded, pointing to Annela's belly.

"My bedmate, that's how!" Annela said, not offended by the rude question.

"A male bedmate? How can you have a male bedmate? Did a man fall out of the sky?"

"In fact, he did, Sister," Mirselene said. "Right into our camp."

"You have a man in your camp? Why have I heard nothing of this? How long have you had him? Where is he from? Can I see him?"

As Mirselene answered these questions in order, she ticked them off on her fingers.

"Yes, there is a man living among the Woodlanders, as a member of our tribe. I am gratified to learn that the Woodlanders can keep a secret. He has been with us nearly five months. He is from Earth and, yes, you can see him. ... Ezra!"

He also stepped forward into the glade.

Belena stared, sat down and remained staring at him while the Mariners huddled into a group and whispered together.

He came over to be introduced.

"Sister," Mirselene said to Belena, "this is Ezra Goldrick. Ezra, this is Belena, chief of the Mariners."

She took his proffered hand but neither gripped it nor let it go.

"Won't you introduce me to the rest of the Mariners?" he asked.

"Why?" She seemed stunned but recovered quickly. "Of course."

She led him to her four tribeswomen. Ezra shook hands with them as they stared open-mouthed at him, all except Cressi, who reached up and felt his beard with her fingers.

"Cressi!" Belena admonished her. "Don't be so rude."

"I'm sorry, Madam. I'm sorry, er ... I just wanted to check it was real."

Ezra smiled.

"I don't mind at all. And please call me Ezra."

Thus emboldened, she felt his beard again. So did the other women, to Annela's amusement. Meanwhile, Mirselene invited Belena to sit by her again.

"Sister," she said, "Ezra asked me if you would mind putting him up for a week. He wants to visit the sea-side. Apparently, it's an Earth custom to holiday on the beach. I can't say I understand it, no shade, no trees, just sand and sea; but I told him I'd ask you."

"You will let Ezra come and spend a week with us?"

"'Let' is hardly the right word, is it Sister? Ezra is just as free as anyone to come and go as he likes. I just thought, if he wants to visit the sea-side, whom better to take care of him than the Mariners?"

Belena was just as cunning as Mirselene and took none of this at face-value.

"So, if Ezra wants a holiday, why did you bring Annela, who just happens to prove that he likes women and is sexually potent?"

"Well, it's certainly true that Ezra likes women and, as a kindly hostess, I'm sure you wouldn't want him to be lonely while he's visiting. I'm sure he'll find all the Mariners friendly, though doubtless he'll prefer one or two over the others."

"One or two? In a week?"

"I think so."

"Hmm! And, doubtless, Ezra is unhappy with the present rate of exchange between Mariner goods and Woodlander goods?"

"As it happens, Sister, I do believe he has expressed an opinion on that very matter."

"Really? What did he say?"

"That you are stiffing us by at least fifty percent."

Belena smiled at last.

"He's not very diplomatic, is he, Sister?"

"It's apparently a manly virtue to be direct."

"All right," Belena said. "I agree, of course. ... You can have a one-quarter price-cut after Ezra has spent one month on 'holiday' with us. I'm sure if you can spare him for a week then you can spare him a month."

Mirselene nodded her agreement to these terms. She invited Ezra to join their discussion, disappointing the Mariner women.

Belena began:

"Ezra, I would like to invite you to visit the Mariner Settlement when Urulla is fully recovered and my women return to us. Mirselene says your tribe can spare you for a month but you are welcome to stay as long as you like. You will find my women are plaint and eager bedmates."

"Thank you, Madam. I look forward to the visit. I'm sure I will enjoy my stay. All the Mariners I have met so far have been charming and friendly."

Belena smiled and shook his hand again. None the less, the wonderment of a living man and a pregnant woman did not drive her original business from her mind.

"What about Thalassa?" she asked.

"I've taken a shine to the girl. I'd like to keep her in the camp," Mirselene said.

"And do you like her, too, Ezra?"

"Yes, very much. I want her to stay with us until Urulla has recovered."

Belena looked carefully at him and then at Mirselene again. It was clear she could not press for the return of Thalassa without jeopardizing Ezra's visit. Something puzzled her but she didn't know what it was; yet the visit of an actual man to her tribe took precedence over everything else. There was no thought in her mind of capturing him for her tribe but she thought she could rely on the physical attractions of the Mariner women to induce him to stay longer than a month.

The discussion ended with the Mariners swearing an oath never to reveal Ezra's existence to the Herders or Cloners. It was in all their interests to keep his presence on Samothea a secret between the two friendly tribes.

Thus the parties separated. On the way back, Ezra walked with Mirselene. Annela was a little away ahead, walking with Erin and Sharne.

Mirselene looked fondly at the pregnant woman and saw Ezra was doing the same.

"Ezra, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What do you think of fatherhood?"

"Until a few months ago, I thought it was a sublime and beautiful thing that, unfortunately, I had no opportunity to experience. Now I think it is a daunting, scary and very real responsibility."

"I'm glad you're not complacent, at least."

"Far from it. I worry about it often."

"Yet you are willing to be father to many children, maybe dozens?"

"I could say I like sex and there's no contraception on Samothea, but the truth is, I have always wanted children, in a theoretical way, and never done anything about it. But now it's what the women of Samothea want, I want it too. Also, the alternative might be that human life on this planet dies out."

"You now think of saving Samothea as your mission?"

"You sound like my mother. For the last ten years, she has been pestering me to settle down with a nice girl and give her grandchildren. Before I left for Samothea, she made it a condition of lending me money for the trip that I would settle down afterward. She said, if finding Samothea was my mission, then finding a nice girl for me would be hers."

"What would she say now?"

"I think she would say I should do as I must, so long as I love all my children equally."

"All of them? No favourites?"

"No favourites."

"Even Mariner children?"

That stopped him. All the while he had been fucking Kalyndra, he hadn't once thought about children. He wondered if Kalyndra had. But he had to think of it now, if he was to visit the Mariners.

"Why would they be different?"

"Only because every child the Mariners have will strengthen them against the Cloners. That might influence how honest they will be in an alliance with us."

"It's possible that Kalyndra and I have already started strengthening the Mariners against the Cloners."

"Yes, but one or two more Mariner brats won't make a difference. Ten will."

He was shocked by her language.

"Those Mariner 'brats' will be my sons and daughters and I will love them just as much as I will love my Woodlander children."

"Well said, Ezra! I expected no less from you. But I want to warn you against a possible misapprehension."

"What misapprehension?"

"That Belena and her women must think of the matter the way you do. You cannot be certain they will think of you as a bedmate and father, rather than merely as a human drone."

It was true, of course, even obvious. And while he was helping the Samothean population to survive, he might also be setting up the conditions for future tribal conflict. It was a worrying thought and he dwelled on it all the way back to the camp, until Kalyndra met him at the entrance to the camp to claim her bedmate rights.

He took her to the lodge, tied her face down to the bed, gagged her and then fucked her arse until his cock was sore. Afterward, dominated and fulfilled, Kalyndra held him tightly as they lay together in sweaty exhaustion, while all his worries about tomorrow washed away in a dreamless sleep.