The Mutant World (66 page)

“How…How did you handle them?” said Jawara in amazement.

“Well, you’ve already figured out by now that during the time of their menses every month you’re safe,” said Cato seriously. “You’ll get some rest from the worst ones for sure at that time sooner or later. Enjoy it. But it will get a lot easier on you once the babies start to come. With mutelings to feed and care for, they’ll not be after you for love-play…at least not
as
much.”

“Great,” said Jawara with a sigh.

“Hey, cheer up!” said Cato. “There are worse problems to have, no?” The men laughed. “Besides, you can keep doing what you’re doing now. A little away time is always good now and then. It worked for me, sort of. Just don’t make the mistakes I did. Avoid all hunting females on these trips and don’t let your women have even a hint of where you roam. It’s easier said than done, but it’s better than the alternative, trust me. Oh, and one more thing.
Don’t
try to play mediator in female affairs! The last time I did that I found myself under the control of the Melmorian snake women and two new wars came of it. When peace was finally made I had several new wives and children and was even worse off than I was before. Or better off. I suppose it depends on how you look at it. That Queen Melmore is something else! (Ahem!) Well, anyway, make them send a female ambassador in situations like that.”

“Yes,” laughed former High Lord Titus, “everyone knows Father is a chick-magnet and champion progenitor.
They don’t call him the
‘Great Ancestor’
for nothing!” The men roared with laughter at this.

Cato shook his head and said, “You should talk. You hadn’t been on Bellasaria a year before nearly all of my eldest daughters had claimed you as their mate! Then there were the two mutant girls who came with you and later that human girl and…OH! And remember my cousins, Uncle Wayne’s daughters?”

“Now Father, that’s not fair,” said Titus defensively. “I didn’t initiate any of…”

“
Oh
, not so funny anymore, eh?” teased Cato.

Soon the other men jumped in and began telling stories. Many of these guys were elders from a time when mutant men were in short supply on Bellasaria, but not all. The times may have changed, but Bellasarian women
hadn’t
. Poor Jawara was forced to come to the conclusion that to be a mutant of superior bloodlines, ability, or worse, both, in the empire meant a lifetime of drama of a female sort. He now knew why many married Illyrian noblemen wore veils and concealing garments when in mixed company with visiting queens and other high noblewomen. He decided then and there from listening to these guys that his best bet for survival (although even he had to admit that he’d probably die happy) really was to take a few days away from his wives every so often and avoid other females like the plague when he did. The empress would never let him leave the city alone of course, but a small group of guys, like now, would be acceptable to insure his return. Yes, this was the way to go. The only other option for cooling his wives blood would be knocking them all up and he wasn’t ready for that yet.

******

It was the afternoon of the next day and the empress had finally gotten herself together and sat down with her council. The women of the council looked at her in envy as she sat dreamily on her throne.

“Are you
well
, Your Highness?” asked the Chief Elder, Lady Blanca.

“I think my husband’s finally gotten even for what I did to him during his match with King Roc back then,” chuckled the empress. She let out a sigh and sank a little more into her throne smiling.

The elder chuckled and said, “That whole wing of the palace was shaking. One of the guards at the training hall begged to be relieved and (Ahem!) on good authority, she ran straight to the barracks and literally raped one of the men there for the rest of the day!” The women all howled with laughter at this and the empress turned bright red.

One of the women laughed and said, “I understand that she had her eye on that particular man for some time, but was an unusually shy girl and just couldn’t work up the nerve to approach him. You sure helped to motivate that one.” There was snickering at this and the empress sighed again.

“Actually, she should thank my husband,” said Beral with a pleased smile. “But I’m not complaining.”

“I think perhaps you’ll be the one locking the training room door and keeping
Lord Talos
out for now on,” chuckled Lady Blanca. “Well, at least when you’re training with your new daughter-in-law.”

“Are you
crazy?”
said the empress. “He can watch all he wants! If he turns into
THAT
by watching us train, I’ll do everything in my power to
get
his ass in there when I’m tussling with that bitch!” With that the room exploded into laughter, but the empress soon sat up and became serious.

“Aright,” said Beral III, “we need to take stock on my little gamble with the Earth people and the situation with Barratia and Mavieland.”

“Empress,” said Lady Noor, “I am forced to say that little of worth has come of reopening relations with our cousins on Earth. Your scheme was a good one and worked to a degree in uniting our largely autonomous nations into a much firmer confederacy, but we still ended up in the bloodiest conflict in a long time.

“Also,” said Lady Blanca, “the Earth people have nothing of value to offer us. They want much, but what do they bring to the table in exchange? We are ahead of them across the board. And any mutants coming from there will only mean trouble, I promise you that. The only people they have any common ground with are the Akkadians. We cannot allow them to become too numerous here and infect our people with their materialism, religions and prudishness.”

Another councilwoman spoke. “I also understand that their governments, well our closest kin there, the Americans, are resisting the clean energy options we’ve introduced. They’re using the need for further testing as an excuse.”

“What?” said Lady Noor. “
We
are the proof! We’ve been using these methods for centuries! Don’t they care about their own health, their children’s or their planet?!”

“No, all they care about is money and easy solutions to get it!” snapped a woman. “Our energy solutions would put their dirty industries out of business and take away immediate convenience. They also don’t like the idea of giving up plastics and other unhealthy and planet poisoning goods. Indeed, they don’t like the fact that we won’t allow them to import such goods here.”

The empress raised her hand for silence. “Yes, there is much truth in what you say, but let’s take another look at the situation.” The women looked at the empress.

“We’ve wanted to put a stop to the brutal treatment of the Barratian women for a long time now,” said Beral III. The only reason we didn’t make all-out war was because our men would have revolted and many would have fought with the Barratians. The Mavie, who were the cause of all the trouble to begin with, were no longer a problem. But
everyone
knows that when
they
were the real power and oppressing the men we did nothing to stop them. Indeed, we even supported them at times in war. Change had come to Barratia under King Roc, but even he would only move so far and the hardliners wouldn’t budge another inch even if he wanted to. Sooner or later, we would no longer be able to turn a blind eye to the Barratians and there would have been war anyway. However, in that case, we’d be up against a unified Barratia and rebellious lords and kings within the empire as well. The death toll and consequences to our society would have been terrible, much worse than now. The Earth people and great summit changed everything.” The women looked at each other.

“That elder, Terrence!” spat a woman in disgust. “Imagine, plotting the murder of his king and hoarding disgusting forbidden weapons!”

“Thanks to the events at the summit,” said the empress, “the Barratian conservatives crossed the line in such a way that we could make total war with the full support of our men. They even exposed the rats in our own barn. We quickly rooted them out and nicely had them all dealt with. They’ll supply no rebels anywhere ever again. Anyway, even the Barratians, many of them at least, joined us. Many of those who didn’t still fought the usurper and his master. Their internal divisions were a blessing for us. As tragic as what happened to my kinsman King Roc and his mate Lady Ayala was, that animal Stragg did us a favor. Ironically, because of that and other developments, the very thing the usurper and his master, Elder Terrence, feared most came to pass. With Roc dead and his sons either taken into other houses or disgraced, the only blood heir to the throne left was Princess Sandra. A woman has now been placed on the Barratian throne and many brutal practices in that country have begun to be abolished.” There was applauds at this.

“Furthermore,” continued the empress, “Queen Bal and the Barratian Prince bonded. Many of her ranking women who came east with her to the summit also found mates among the men here. Peace was achieved with
them
even before Roc’s murder. So, two birds were finally killed with one stone because of the reopening of relations with Earth.” The councilwomen looked at each other and began to applaud again. The empress held up her hand and smiling called for silence.

“Thanks to the war,” said the empress, “our path to the tribes beyond the Barratian Mountains is open. And from what I’ve learned from my new kin, there are many, many tribes and nations beyond the ones we’ve encountered so far. We know of the three great nations who have been joined to us by marriage and treaty and there are at least five major cities out there that they either rule themselves or who are allied with then. Queen Atepa, Coahoma’s mother, tells of mighty nations further beyond. I’ve heard of vast grasslands and herds of wild ceerius, similar to our forest ceerius, that nomadic hunters live off. I’ve heard of great lakes and rivers.”

“Our drones could just have easily given us this information, Empress,” said a woman dryly.

“But where’s the fun in that,” laughed Beral. “That is why Queen Bellasaris the Great, stopped using drone exploration after enough habitable land was settled and mapped centuries ago. Besides, drones only give so much, just an aerial view of land masses. When you’re a few hundred years old you’ll appreciate the excitement and thrill of seeing new places and people firsthand. I promise you.”

“I don’t have advanced regeneration,” said the other woman, dryly.

“Then I guess you won’t,” said the empress curtly.

“And what of the people on Earth?” asked someone.

“The greedy may fight change to hold onto their advantages and privileges,” said the empress, “but the masses have already seen the results. They will force their leaders to comply. If all goes well, we’ll be happy to help them clean up their planet. After all, it’s our original home too. As for new mutant immigrants to Bellasaria, we will be careful of whom we allow to come. Children and youths are always welcome. They adapt quickly. Boys in their teens and twenties
never
complain or want to leave.” There was chuckling at this from the women.

“Some young females adapt well too,” continued Beral. “It is the older mutants that would be a problem. They’re too set in their ways, unwilling to assimilate and pushy with their beliefs and ideals of morality. But there have
always
been exceptions to this rule. We will make it
very
clear that this is our home and that the
natives
don’t have to change to please them.
They
are the ones who must conform to our ways. Anyone who doesn’t like our culture can move to Akkadia…or go back to Earth. I will not allow them to establish new Earthlike nations here. One is quite enough. Also, I’ll make it clear that if anyone starts any religious shit here or try to force our people into bowing down to any of their gods, I’ll have their fucking heads chopped off and their religious leaders impaled on blunt stakes!”

“That reminds me,” said a councilwoman. “What of Lord Luther?”

“Oh, him,” laughed Beral. “The humans have taken quite a liking to him here.” Then the empress winked and said, “Us mutants too. He’s such a
likable
young man. People like him are more than welcome. I intend to make him our personal relations man with those delegations coming here from Earth.”

“What will the American President say about that,” asked Lady Blanca.

“She wants to be on good terms with us,” said Beral, “so she’ll play ball. Besides…I think he wants to stay anyway.”

“What of Lord Jawara?” asked Lady Megara. “He’s still thinking of his mountains and beyond? I think
he
planned to be the one to explore those places. A boy like that could have founded an empire.”

“I know,” said the empress, “which is why we all know I couldn’t let him escape. He has other things on his mind now. You know how it is with young Bellasarian women, especially those of high lineage. Fortunately for him, he has a superior bloodline himself or he’d be in pretty bad shape now.” Several women laughed. “But still, even Father Cato himself needed a break now and then and his descendant is no different. He and our ancestor took off the other day with a group of other men so the boy could rest. I understand that my daughter and her new sisters are most anxious for his return. Also, the house of stone has been strongly petitioning that he takes Lady Trina as a mate. The girl wants him in a
very
bad way.”