by Robin Roseau
“Perhaps you can.”
“Do you have thoughts about what we do in bed?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Do you have thoughts about obeying me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I have these thoughts, too. This is real, but it is also not real.”
“For me, too.”
“We barely know each other.”
“I can tell some things,” I said. “I can tell there is no one who would be better for me.”
“Oh, Maddalyn,” she said, leaning over to press against me. “I am so pleased you think so.”
“I know I am work for you,” I whispered.
“Now,” she said. “That is why I said what I said. You think you must compensate. Do you know that word?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you don’t need to compensate. I would have been a good Galatzi wife, but I am much, much happier that is your role.”
I laughed.
“When Chaladine took us from Beacon Hill, she told us what Governor Grace is trying to do. She promised we would meet the governor. She promised that she would try to let us help. Talmon needs us.”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“After Chaladine and Sartine, I am now helping more than anyone else from Talmon,” she said. “And it is not even work. I have a wonderful Galatzi wife. Do you see?”
“I think I see.”
She bent over and kissed my ear, then she whispered, “You listen to me. We are two women. Wife and Galatzi wife. Two women. Touching. Growing to love. Growing to share. That is what is important.”
“Yes, Kalorain. You are right.”
“None of the rest matters, not as much as this.” I hugged and kissed her hand. “Now, you will tell me one more thing, and then you will rest. In a while, we will go to dinner. Tomorrow, I will show you the market, and you will begin to teach me how to cook in this house.”
“Yes.”
“How did you know Governor Grace expected a phone call, and how did she guess I missed my family?”
I froze, and that’s when she said, “I thought so! How did you tell her?”
“My implant, while you were talking to Luradinine.”
“You asked for these things.”
“Yes, but I asked so she could say ‘no’ without hurting your feelings.”
“Oh,” she said. “Because you are so sweet, I will allow this today. But no more. I am the wife, and you are the Galatzi wife. Am I clear?” I thought about it for a moment, and she asked more firmly, “Am I clear?”
“That was Cecilia’s message,” I said. “When she said you will coordinate the jumper, and not me.”
“Yes. She understands. You will not do these things behind my back again.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you should not be sorry. You are learning. And I am teaching you. This was very sweet. So very sweet, Maddalyn. But this is how things are to be between us. If you do not agree, then I will treat you as if you had fought me.”
“I agree,” I said quickly.
“Good.” She kissed my ear again. “Relax now. No more serious thoughts.”
And so, as my wife hummed gently, massaging my head, I lay still, still so overcome by events.
Then I laughed.
“My humming makes you laugh?”
“No,” I said. “A thought. Someone once played a very bad trick on me. I will tell you another time. But that bad trick is why I am here. It was a very, very bad trick, and it was the worst part of my life. And now I am here with you, and it is the best time of my life. I am so lucky, Kalorain. And I wouldn’t be, if she hadn’t been so mean to me.”
“Well, it is good that you know you are lucky,” she said. “But you will not think of this other woman any more today.”
“I never want to think of her again,” I said. I kissed her fingers and slowly relaxed, but from time to time, I kissed her fingers again.
Rules
Kalorain and I settled in, establishing our habits. We spent every moment together, and I found myself becoming deeply devoted to her.
She treated me so well.
She remained deeply assertive, which of course I loved. But at the same time, she was very aware of my needs, and seemed quite pleased to help me grow dependent upon her. And of course, I loved that, too.
As one might guess, we touched constantly, and we made love. We made a lot of love. At first, it was only at night and then perhaps again in the morning, but she grew increasingly playful and increasingly good at getting me entirely worked up for her. It took almost nothing before I would be squirming, which pleased her to no end.
And we developed our rituals. The first was the foot washing. It grew from there. Berdine used to make me kneel to her and engage in other acts of submission. Aside from those used in utility, Kalorain didn’t demand those of me, and we both knelt to the other as we did some of our rituals.
There was the foot washing, and then we had the reverse, established the very next day. At the door, we helped each other into our boots, she kneeling before me and then me before her. The first time she did it, she said, “This is another ritual.” And I nodded.
We went to the public baths several times a week, and we took turns washing each other. “This is a ritual,” she declared. The third time we were to go I asked her if I could wash her hair for her.
“No,” she said. “All our rituals are to be completely shared, and I do not want to stand outside the tub to wash your hair. But we will take turns brushing our hair when we return home.”
“I’d like that,” I said.
So in some ways, we were equal partners, and in some ways I was definitely her Galatzi wife, her prize. She picked my clothing for me, which pleased us both, and when we went to the inn for a meal, she ordered for us, which also pleased us both.
We talked. We talked a lot. And I knew that Chaladine was right. I didn’t know if my accent would ever disappear, but my Talmonese was improving far faster than it had been.
Oh, I accrued points. My punishments increased and increased. I was doing my best, and Kalorain knew that, but we agreed on this, I was the Galatzi wife, and I would obey.
My points accrued, and it was our seventh day that I misspoke, and she said quietly, “That is fifteen.”
I froze. “I’m sorry.”
“I know.” She reached over and pulled my chin to her. “Are you asking me to be merciful?”
“I am your Galatzi wife, and I will obey.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “I told you this would turn into public embarrassment.”
“I know.”
“Come.” We both stood. At the door, we helped each other with shoes. And then she took my hand and led me outside.
There was a square in front of the vendart’s home. It was not the main square in town; instead, there were modest squares throughout Sudden, and there weren’t any that were considered the main square. This was called the Vendart’s Square.
And alongside the square was something I hadn’t recognized. Kalorain led me to it. It was mid-afternoon, and there were a few people about. At first, they paid us little mind, but that would change. Kalorain led me to the side of the square then turned to me. “Do you know what this is?”
“No.”
“It is for public punishment.”
I stared. “You’re going to put me in it.”
“I don’t want to,” she said. “Sartine, Cecilia, and Chaladine insisted there be these rules, and if you arrived at fifteen, this was to be your punishment. I don’t want to punish you. Your Talmonese is so much better than it was. It improves every day.” She looked down. “These mistakes are not only your mistakes, they are also mine.”
“No, Kalorain,” I said. “If you have to put me there, I understand.”
She looked up, studying me, and then she said, “You will stand right there, looking at this. Stay right there and do not move.”
Then she stepped away. I looked at the device. There we
re two stout wooden posts buried in the ground, and between them, perhaps a meter and a half from the ground, there were wooden boards between them, and three holes. I could see the hinge and the lock, and I realized how this worked.
I was filled with certain dread. I didn’t know how long she would do this to me. I imagined she was inside, retrieving the key.
She was gone for perhaps five minutes. When she returned, Valtine was with her. I glanced over, but she had told me to look and remain where I was, so I turned my gaze back.
The two came to a stop beside the device. “What is this called?” I asked.
“A pillory,” Valtine said. “Do you understand how it works?”
“It opens,” I said. “The center hole is for a neck.”
“Yes,” she said. “And then it locks. A friend could probably break a lock, but this is very sturdy, and no one has ever escaped. A few times, people have broken the lock to free the person within. This makes the vendart very angry.” She looked at me for a moment and then held up a large key. She applied it to the lock and opened the pillory, the top swinging over and down, to hang along the side.
I took a step forward, prepared to submit to my punishment, but Valtine held her hand out to me. “Your wife considers this failure her own.”
And then as I watched in horror, Kalorain stepped to the far side of the pillory and bent over, setting her wrists and neck in place.
“No,” I whispered.
I stepped forward to interfere, but both Kalorain and Valtine issued a firm, “Stop!” Then Valtine continued. “It is a severe offense to interfere with the vendart’s agent. In this case, that is me.”
“Please don’t do this, Valtine,” I said. “The failure is mine, not hers.” Valtine flipped the top over and down. “No!” I screamed. I began sobbing. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this.”
She applied the lock and declared, “Two hours.”
“No!” I wailed, dropping to my knees.
The vendart’s wife turned on her heel and walked away. “Valtine!” She ignored me.
I crawled forward, looking up at my wife. Tears were running down my cheeks. “Why did you do this?”
She didn’t answer me, and I sobbed more heavily, then crawled around the device and abased myself, hugging her legs and apologizing, over and over.
Of course, if our actions hadn’t drawn attention, the noise I was making surely did. Behind us, around us, a crowd gathered and slowly grew. If they spoke, I didn’t hear. I clutched at Kalorain, apologizing over and over.
New people arrived. Some left. No one bothered us. I would learn in the future there was usually more production to adding people to the pillory, and normally everyone would know the offense. I also would learn that the villagers could add to the punishment if they felt it was necessary, but no one tormented Kalorain.
I lost track of time, but I presume Valtine was meticulous. She appeared with the key and released my wife. Kalorain quietly thanked her, and then she bent down and helped me to my feet. Together we slowly walked back to our house.
I spent three times as long washing her feet as I might have normally, and then she led us to the sofa. I knelt on the floor with my head in her lap, apologizing, over and over. She stroked my hair, saying nothing for a long time. Finally she said, “I do not like these rules.”
I snorted. “You took my punishment.”
“That was punishment for both of us,” she said. “I do not believe I could do something worse to you than how you feel right now.”
“No.”
“But this was my fault as much as yours.”
“No! It was my mistake.”
“The Deutsche was your mistake, and you will make more. But you do not make mistakes because you are not trying. You make mistakes because people make mistakes. I do not care for Sartine’s rules. My punishment was for letting other people tell me how to care for my Galatzi wife. Maybe I did not deserve that exact punishment, but it was wrong.” She reached down and lifted my chin. “I could not possibly do to you what I would not accept for myself, and I have no intention of ever doing that to you.”
“But-”
She brushed my lips. “When you make mistakes, you will hold the chair and say one of the poems. We do this because it helps you. I will ask for help writing more poems, harder poems, and I will grow increasingly stern on your pronunciation. We will continue to count points, because they are a measure of your progress. But the chair and the poems are your only punishment from today forward.”
“I’m sorry, Kalorain,” I said. But she brushed my lips together. Then she smiled. “You said something, about halfway through.”
“I love you,” I whispered.
She smiled broadly. “And I love you, My Galatzi Wife.” She held her arms open, and I crawled up into her lap.
We made love, there on the sofa, and I don't know how many times I declared my love, or she declared hers.
Family
It was two days later that we rode my cabriolet to the embassy. Together, we unharnessed Ristassa, setting her loose with her old friends, and then we wheeled the cabriolet into storage. Holding hands, we stepped into the embassy.
Erica was at the front desk. She smiled as she saw us. “Ah, the newlyweds,” she said. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you, Erica,” Kalorain said.
Erica climbed from the chair and gestured. We followed her back outside, collected our shared bag, and turned to the storage building again. Inside, we stowed our bag in the ground vehicle and all climbed in.
Erica drove us to the landing field, coming to a stop beside the jumper. Kalorain’s eyes were wide. I smiled and said, “Erica, perhaps we should show her a little more speed before I take her in the jumper.”
Erica looked over her shoulder at me, grinned, and nodded.
She did it differently than I did. Rather than heading to the end of the runway and talking to her passenger, she began right where we were, with no fanfare. We went faster and faster, around and around in big circles, Kalorain squealing. I couldn’t tell if it was fear or delight, or perhaps a bit of both. Then we came to a stop beside the jumper again. Kalorain set a hand to her chest and breathed quickly.
Then she turned to me. “You told her to do that!”
“I might have done it slightly differently,” I said. “But yes.”
Kalorain waved a finger at me then turned to Erica. She received another finger wave. Erica simply laughed and opened the canopy.
Five minutes later, our things were stowed in the jumper, and I finished buckling in my wife. I gave her a kiss before moving to the driver’s seat. She watched avidly as I settled into place and began the startup procedure. When the screens came alive, she examined them carefully then said, “This carriage speaks English.”
“It does,” I said. “Are you all right, my wife?”
“Yes, Maddalyn. Erica did not kill me of fright.”
“We will proceed there,” I said, pointing. “And then we will begin to move forward. About halfway down the field, we will lift into the air.”
“Will we fly very high?”
“As high as you want.”
“No!”
“Higher is safer,” I said, “And you can see more. Low is more exciting.”
“That makes no sense.”
“If you are high, you are far, far from anything you could run into. It is nearly impossible to make a mistake. If you are low, it is far easier to make a mistake.”
“Then we will fly very, very high,” she declared.
I laughed. Then I nudged the jumper forward. Kalorain said nothing as we moved into place, but she was clutching the armrest on one side, and her own leg with her nearest hand. “Kalorain,” I said. “I love you.”
She turned her head to look at me. She was a little wild about the eyes, but she smiled. “I love you, too.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes. Are you going to do anything to intentionally scare
me?”
“No.”
“Let’s go.”
I commanded the vehicle. We moved forward, faster and faster, and then I said, “Now.” We lifted away, climbing into the morning sky. Kalorain gave a shriek and turned to look down at the ground.
“That is a good way to get sick,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“Look out, not down,” I said. “For the next half hour, I am the wife, and you are the Galatzi wife.”
“No!” she said. But she turned to look at me. “But you are the pilot, and so I will obey you.”
“Look out,” I said. “Head up. You can look down a little, but it is best to look where the sky meets the ground. Otherwise you can grow sick from the motion.”
“Why does where I look matter?”
“Magic.”
“It is not magic.”
“It is not technology, either. It is the motion. Vision is a portion of our balance, and how we tip our head. They begin to grow confused, and then you can get sick.”
“Oh,” she said. She looked out. “How high are we.”
“Four hundred meters,” I said.
“So high!”
“This is considered low, but not too low,” I said. “If we flew to Indartha, we would fly at ten thousand meters.”
“No!”
“It is better,” I said. “But if we did that today, we would be at Beacon Hill before we reached that high.”
“It is two days away.”
“Twenty minutes,” I said, “and only because we’re not in a hurry.”
“No.”
I smiled and took her higher. Then I pointed. “You can begin to see it.”
“No!”
“There,” I said. I leveled us out. “You can see the bay.”
She stared where I pointed, working it out.
Five kilometers south of Beacon Hill, I turned us inland, flashing over the coast, and then I made a big circle of the town, but only one, not even an entire circle, before I headed back out over the ocean.
“Where are you taking us?”
“Turning left,” I said. I brought us lower and lower then turned a half circle, settling up over the beach.
One minute later we were down, and a minute after that, Luradinine was gesturing us into the shelter. Kalorain began struggling to climb from the jumper. I was concerned she was about to be sick, so I reached over and popped her seatbelt for her. She burst from the jumper, landing on her feet. “Mama!” She screamed, throwing herself at her mother.
