by Elin Peer
“I see the good intentions behind the argument that it’s our responsibility to protect our fellow citizens and that we need to eliminate all danger. It’s a nice thought. But it’s also a pipe dream that ends up causing more harm than good to our people. Why? Because it’s a proven fact of life that we can never create a natural environment without dangers!”
Jonah held up a hand with three fingers. “Humans have fallen from trees and died, yet cutting down all the trees is not an option if we want to breathe clean air. Humans have drowned in water, yet removing all the water is not an option if we want to live. Fire has killed people and burned down whole towns, yet it has also helped cook our food and keep us warm since we lived in caves.
“We can never shield people from all danger. The best we can do is educate them against dangerous situations.” He paused. “Raise your hand if you learned how to swim in school.”
All the Council members raised their hands.
“Now ask yourself this question… how would you feel if two hundred years ago swimming had been banned because someone drowned? Would that seem fair to you? Would it seem right?
“We forget that many activities that are now illegal used to be everyday pleasures in the past. Enjoying a horror or romance book, having a glass of alcohol, racing for fun, or gambling with your friends… all these things were done responsibly by billions of people throughout history. They were ordinary and legal things in the past and in some parts of the world, they are still legal.
“And yet, here I stand defending myself.
“Some of you have mentioned that I was bound to get in trouble because of my male gender and that I’m proof that men can never be trusted.”
Leo booed at the screen and was shushed by the rest of us.
“I’m fine with you calling me a rule breaker. But it’s mind-blowing how many of you identify as advocates for change, while pointing fingers at me for taking a stand against rigid rules and laws that hurt and suppress a number of minority groups among us. Many of which never felt like they had a voice on this council, until I came along.
“The irony is that you’d all like to call this council an open-minded place with values of inclusiveness and tolerance. But how can it be tolerance when the only people you tolerate are the ones who agree with you, act like you, and share the same values as you?
“You embrace people of all colors, shapes, and sizes. But only as long as they think like you. Where’s your tolerance for those of us who don’t fit into your mold of homogeneity?”
Pearl was nodding her head. “I love that part.”
This time we all collectively shushed her.
Lifting his hand, Jonah held up the forbidden book that I’d read seven chapters in. “Two hundred years ago, this small romance book called Forbidden Letters from the North caused our predecessors to take radical measures. Out of fear that women would throw themselves at the mercy of the monsters living on the other side of the wall, they banned all romance books and made it illegal to even speak about the Nmen, whom they believed to be violent and brutal by nature.
“People who dreamed of love were ridiculed in public as being simpleminded, and even to this day, being called a romantic is an insult. But did you know that there was a time before all this when a romantic person was seen as an idealist, dreamer, visionary, and someone with a kind and soft heart?
“As a bunch of bullies, the Council members of the past pushed good people into a corner full of shame that they never deserved to be in. Obviously, we are not responsible for what our ancestors did hundreds of years ago, but if we do nothing to rectify this mistake, we’ll be remembered by future generations as a bunch of followers who failed to stand up against injustice.
“Romantics shouldn’t be forced to trade love stories on a black market or live in fear of ridicule and being caught. Nor should anyone who likes a cold beer or the adrenalin rush of driving fast.
“Who are the romantics harming by reading books about love?
“Who were we harming by racing in a secluded area?
“The good thing is that things are changing for the better. For one, we now know that our neighbors to the North aren’t really monsters. They are just big, hairy men who are crude at times.
Magni pushed his arm against mine. “What the fuck is he talking about? He’s saying crude like it’s a bad thing.”
I smiled but kept my focus on Jonah.
“Twelve years ago, after a powerful speech by Pearl Pilotti, a number of brave Council members agreed to lift the ban on mentioning the Men of the North. Today we have many of the men living among us. Likewise, many of our fellow Motlanders have chosen a life up North.
“That’s why I have to ask you this; doesn’t it bother you that it’s legal to have a romantic relationship, while it’s still illegal to read about it?
“My point is that sometimes it’s not the people who are wrong. It’s our outdated laws that need to be revised. Rather than punish good people like me and my family for enjoying alcohol, a game of cards, and some racing in private, we should lift the ban on those things and allow our people freedom to live as they see fit.
“Thank you for listening.”
Jonah stood stoically and waited for the reaction of the Council.
Pearl’s mother, Isobel, had served as the chairman of the Council for as long as I could remember and she spoke first. “Thank you, Jonah. You made some good points, and I’m sure the Council has a whole lot to say. Let’s begin the questioning.”
Almost the entire room of women had activated their question mark buttons, signaling that they wanted to speak.
Juliana Hernandez, a woman close to seventy who had been a member for more than thirty years, stood up. “I’m deeply disturbed by your lack of regret. I’d hoped for a heartfelt apology and instead you’re putting the blame on us and former members of this council. I demand an apology for you calling us bullies. Shame on you, Jonah. It would be irresponsible of us to lift any ban on things that have the potential to harm our dear citizens. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since Josephine Martin, the poor woman who married an Nman, got killed by him. She died because we failed to protect her, Jonah. I fought as hard as I could against our women being allowed to marry those awful men, but I failed. Now, I will carry her death as a burden on my conscience to the day I die. For you to suggest that we should make books legal again is the kind of reckless behavior one would expect from a man. Romance books are a gateway to more disasters. We can’t allow those toxic fairy tales to poison the already fragile minds of romantics. They may be soft hearted, but they are also naïve and believe in soulmates and finding one true love. Josephine was a romantic who followed her heart, but it cost her everything.”
Jenna McFulham was the next to speak. “I just want to point out that if we were to lift some of the laws you suggested, it wouldn’t help you since you broke them while they were still in place; you understand that, right?”
Jonah didn’t respond so Jenna continued,
“Although I sympathize with the guilt that Juliana is carrying, I don’t think the blame for Josephine’s death is on us. She was an adult who made a decision for herself. No brides have ever been killed before or after, so her death should be seen as an isolated case. Personally, I thought Jonah made some good points today. I’m willing to look at lifting the ban on romance books. Not that I would ever read one myself, but with the rise of people who enjoy that sort of thing, I agree that we should show acceptance and tolerance.”
Councilwoman Leah was the next to speak. I’d seen her before and thought her drooping eyes reminded me of Holger, my big Great Dane. “Jonah might have a point about the romance books, but I would like to remind the council members that Jonah isn’t accused of reading forbidden books. His crimes are much worse, and with the complete lack of guilt he’s exhibiting, it would suit him to reflect on his actions and work on his self-awareness. The Council is no place for a self-proclaimed rebel and rule breaker.”
Pearl protested when Khan stood up and turned down the sound. “Turn it up, I want to hear it.”
“Why, that debate will go on for hours and it’s clear that Jonah is screwed.”
“You might not want to watch the whole thing, but I do.” Pearl got up and walked out of the room with a worried expression on her face.
Leo emptied his beer and sighed. “Jonah gave a good speech, but they’re still going to kick him out and lock him up in one of those places of reflection. It’s hard to wrap my head around that drinking a beer is a crime half an hour from here.”
Raven sat leaning against Leo. “At least we’re getting Hunter back to play soccer here. Willow is excited about that, so it’s not all bad.”
“Yes, it’s bad, Raven!” Khan began pacing the floor. “Getting a male on the Council was hard enough and I was hoping that by the next election in two years, at least ten or twelve men would follow. If Jonah is kicked out for criminal behavior, who knows how long it will take for the next candidate to get elected?”
Magni stretched out his arm. “Don’t be so gloomy, brother. You might be surprised that the people want what Jonah has to offer. The forbidden has a certain appeal to humans. Maybe they’ll vote in fifty men next time just to make a point.”
Khan stopped pacing. “Let’s hope so. But right now, it’s not the people who get to decide. It’s a hundred uptight mother hens who think it’s their job to shield their citizens from all potential harm. There’s no way they’ll ease those rigid laws, and Jonah took a big gamble by standing his ground like that.”
Magni snorted. “What choice did he have? If he had apologized, every man in the world would have lost respect for him. I’ve always found Jonah annoying, but he faced those women head on and didn’t take any shit from them. That was badass and for that I respect him.”
I gaped a little. For my dad to say that about a Motlander man was a first.
Khan stood with his left hand supporting his right elbow, while his right hand was covering his chin and nose. It was his favorite thinking pose.
Even though I was still grieving over my broken dream of a life with Jonah, I wanted him to succeed and be happy. “Couldn’t we do something? We should show our support from the North. Maybe Pearl could go and talk to them. She’s always been good with that sort of thing and Jonah always talks about the time she changed the Council’s mind with a powerful talk.”
Khan tapped his chin. “Hmmm, yes, I think I know what we need to do.”
“Brilliant, what is it?” Raven sat up straighter.
“Mila just gave me an idea. Pearl’s speech back then was good, but if you ask her, she’ll tell you that it was the video that Christina and Kya recorded with Boulder, Archer, and Raven that made the difference. The Council wouldn’t let her return to me because they feared I had brainwashed her, but then Boulder and Archer spoke about how I’d gone soft in my head with Pearl around and how I’d shown mercy to my enemies. They joked that people were starting to wonder if it was me or Pearl who was running the Northlands.”
Raven tilted her head. “I think I remember that video. Christina and Kya made Archer and my dad shave and they insisted that they couldn’t wear any leather that day.”
Khan pointed to Magni. “We need to make another video.”
Magni’s hand flew to his beard. “I’m not shaving!”
“You don’t need to. The more gruesome you look to the Motlanders, the better. All your scars are great for this.”
Laura was quick to defend my dad. “Hey, those scars make him look sexy, not gruesome.”
“I’m talking about the Council members, Laura. They already fear Magni and we need to use that to help Jonah.”
Magni gave a crooked smile, and grinned to Leo. “Khan’s right. They once called me public enemy number one.”
Leo grinned back. “Wow, that’s an impressive title!”
“Dad, it’s not something to brag about.”
“Magni, focus!” Khan stabbed his hand in the air. “We’re going to take advantage of the fear and resentment they have for you.”
Magni squared his shoulders. “You had me at fear and resentment… I’m in!”
“Good, you’re going to talk about how you were always against democracy and how Jonah changed your mind. And then you’re going to talk about how you respect him and that he has become someone you trust and admire.”
“Wait, what?” My dad pushed himself to the edge of his seat. “I can’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“We’re talking about a five-foot-eight Motlander who pisses me off with all his positivity shit. I can’t say that I admire and respect him.”
I didn’t even think before I defended Jonah. “He’s six foot tall and you just said that you respect him.”
“Yeah, but that was because he didn’t take any crap from the women.”
“He doesn’t take any crap from you either,” I pointed out and my mom was quick to support me.
“And what about that quote he left you? Don’t pretend it didn’t inspire you to get the operation.”
Khan came over and sat down on the coffee table. “This isn’t really about how much or little you respect Jonah. It’s about getting what we want, which is males on the council.”
“Then you say it. You’re the ruler, that’s much better.”
“Let me paint you a picture.” Khan swiped his hand around like he was physically painting in the air. “You’re a Motlander woman watching the biggest most lethal grizzly bear growl and roar, and you’re terrified.”
Magni frowned. “Go on!”
“And then as you’re watching in fear, a brave person steps in front of you to protect you.”
“Me?”
“No, not you, Jonah.”
Magni gave a grimace. “Jonah doesn’t know shit about bears.”
“Nevertheless, as you’re watching in fear, he walks in and reaches out his hand to pet the bear.”
Magni growled low, “That’s not brave. That’s stupid! Told you he knows nothing about bears. He’s gonna need one of these.” He wiggled his new hand.
Khan sighed. “As you watch him pet the bear, something unexpected and unexplainable happens. The bear sniffs Jonah’s hands and settles down. It’s a miracle and you’re impressed with him.”
Magni looked around to Laura, Raven, Leo, and me. “Okay, tell you what, if Jonah walks up to a roaring grizzly bear and makes friends with it, I’ll record a video telling the whole world how impressed I am.”
Khan looked straight into Magni’s eyes. “He already did.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I would have heard about it.” Magni snorted and waved a hand dismissively.
Khan’s face was impassive. “You were there. To the Motlanders you’re that scary bear and Jonah made friends with you.”
Magni frowned and then he narrowed his eyes. “I hate it when you speak in metaphors.”
“If the Council members believe that Jonah has done the impossible, they will respect him. And if they are smart, they’ll keep him on, thinking he can influence us.”
Magni looked thoughtful. “You think it’ll work?”
“Of course it will work, I’m a genius.”
I watched my dad and uncle. “What about the scrutiny that you’re going to face at home when people see that you two were influenced by a Motlander Council member? Remember when you announced the election and the journalists kept asking about that. It’s going to bite you in the butt.”
“Mila is right.” My dad gave me a nod of recognition and tapped his temple. “Maybe my daughter is the real genius here.”
Khan crossed his arms and scoffed. “Obviously, we’ll have to make sure the video is seen only by the Council and not in public.”
“There’s still the risk that a video like that would get leaked or at least talked about,” Leo warned. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to help Jonah too, but are you willing to risk losing your power in the Northlands to hel
p secure Jonah’s in the Motherlands?”
Magni looked at Khan. “No.”
Khan had that faraway glance in his eyes telling me that his head was spinning with thoughts.
“You’re not risking our position to help Jonah,” Magni repeated.
I leaned back in the couch. “It might be worth it from an equality standpoint. I mean no matter who wins the election in the Northlands, a man will rule. If Jonah loses his seat on the Council it might push back the chance to have equality on the Council for decades.”
Khan shook his head. “I’ll come up with a way to secure both him and us.” Standing up in a fast movement, he walked out of the room. “Where did Pearl go? I need to discuss this with her.”
I looked back at the wall, where Jonah was still answering questions. Even without sound it was clear that the Councilwomen were critical and he was doing his best to defend his position. “I feel bad for him.”
My dad nodded. “Yeah, when you talk to him, tell him that, worst case, he can always come live here in the Northlands. At least here, he can drink, gamble, and race as much as he wants to. We’ll help him pack on some more muscle to fit in.”
I felt emotional just from talking about Jonah, and changed the subject to something I knew would work. “What about Mason, Aubri, and Dina? When are they coming home? I miss my little troopers, and talking with them long distance isn’t the same as being together.”
My parents exchanged a glance and I sensed that they had debated this topic recently. “Honey, your dad and I are hoping to bring them back home in a few days.”
“Good!” Getting up, I hugged them all and withdrew to my room with an excuse of being tired.
My dogs were happy to snuggle up with me on my bed and, surrounded by their warm bodies, I thought about how amazing Jonah had been today. His strong personality and high level of confidence made him the most attractive man in the world to me.
Don’t torture yourself like this!
But what if we didn’t marry but just lived together?
Wouldn’t it be better to have him in secret than not have him at all?
The mere thought of having to hide my love made my stomach churn. I was affectionate and loving by nature. Hiding our relationship would mean suppressing the very essence of my soul. I’d grow to resent myself for giving up on my dream of a family.
