Sappho Chapter 7 free porn video

Chapter 7 Late fall in Woolf is not so different than on Earth. Leaves turn brown or orange and tumble from trees, leaving bare branches and empty places. The sky turns gray and the pace slows. Not entirely, of course, the season is too long for any significant malaise, but the open air is colder and less hospitable. Women take on quieter pursuits and children play more indoors. The afternoon was gray at the park where Indira and I had fist kiss. I certainly didn't plan it that way. I'd chosen the location to remind me, and hopefully Indira, what we'd had - a place where it all started and where it would end, a full circle event with an implied chance for a new beginning for each of us. Sappho weather, however, conspired to make my optimistic philosophical "event" a dreary affair. Cold, wet fog rolled in from the ocean, a rare thing for that time of day, and I shivered in my long woolen coat, drawing it tighter around me, stuffing my hands into the coat's warm pockets as I leaned against the very tree of our most romantic moment. "Damn it to hell," I said. "That's not a nice thing for a fem to say, Debbie," came a voice from behind. Then she moved around the tree, a figure in a dark gray coat to my green. "Indira," I said in surprise, cleverly identifying my ex-lover. "Have you been here long?" She shook her head. "I just got here. Something about you made want to sneak up on you." She looked up and affixed those warm brown eyes to mine. "Now, tell me what is so important that we can't work it out and be together." I'd planned to work up to it, but that would have seemed an evasion now. "I'm leaving to go back to Earth in five days, Indira. I'm the scout that came here over a year ago." Her face first went to disbelief, then turned slowly to anger - and pain. "Damn you, Debbie, or whatever your name is! It makes sense. I wish to the Goddess that it didn't." "Indira, I'm sorry. This went far very fast. I didn't mean it to go..." She held both arms in front of her body as if to push me and stepped back a couple of feet. "Shut up, Debbie!" she screamed. I shrugged my shoulders helplessly, taken aback by her ferocity. "I'm sorry, Indira! It was my fault." She whirled furiously, showing me her back, reminding me to keep away with a stiff hand thrust behind her. "Just shut up, Debbie! I'm so angry with you I can't think." As she shook in anger then sobbed into her hands, I could only stand and wait, biting my lip and streaming silent tears, unsure if I had the right to do more. I'd never felt so much like scum, so damn - guilty. We'd agreed not to get serious, but how can you regulate your heart, tell it when to love, when to remain silent? She'd had more to lose than I; I should have broken it off when I felt us get too close, not wait until my time was up in Woolf. She finally turned, her eyes red from crying and still blazing, but not quite as murderous as before. "All right. Reni respects you and Joanne likes you a lot - maybe even more than that. Those are points in your favor. They both know who you are?" "Yes, and very few others, mainly in the Paglia government. I'm so sorry for not telling you, but if the priestesses had found out..." "Yes, you had a reason to keep it a secret; I understand that," she said impatiently. "But I don't understand you, not any more." She slapped her hand into her palm furiously. "Damn it! I have to know who you are, Debbie. I need to know with whom I've been sleeping." "I'll tell you anything you want to know; answer any questions you have about me." She nodded and folded her arms. "That's good, because I want to know everything." I followed her in my rented car to a secluded area just north of Martina, not far from the university. A long gravel driveway led to a gorgeous ranch house, of a style popular in the mid 21st century on Earth. She was obviously quite wealthy, even richer than I thought. Once inside, she calmed, fixing coffee and offering me a beer, which I accepted. We took seats on opposite ends of an expensive gray couch, arranging large puffy cushions to lean against. It was a confrontational pose, but even in this conflict of a sort, I couldn't rid myself of an image of us kissing, the feel of her, her scent of her hair - undoing her blue blouse and skirt. "The recording you made with that reporter - was it true?" she demanded. "Completely." "And the recording of you after the operation, when you explained how happy you were to be a woman?" "Complete bullshit. That was me, but Jezzi had drugged me to the gills. I wanted to kill her when I found out what she'd done." She gifted me with a trace of the lazy smile I knew so well. "All right. How does Joanne fit in to all this?" "She was the first person I saw on Sappho, the scientist who first saw me wake up in the pod. She did tests on me, and later became my monitor for Jezzi Belladonna and friend. Why don't I just tell the story from where the vid interview ends? Feel free to interrupt me anytime." She nodded. "Go ahead." I went through it fairly fast, the advantage of repetition. Recalling the bad parts in Stein went pretty well - events since then had pushed it into the background. She only asked a few questions and was silent after I'd finished. "Thanks for seeing me in person," she said. "It took courage to do that." She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, either to clear it or, like me, in disbelief that what we had could be over so quickly. "Debbie, are you a fem, a dom, or does that term have meaning for you anymore?" she asked me abruptly. "Indira, I am exactly what I was with you. I wasn't faking anything." "Goddess," she exclaimed, looking up, nearly in tears. "What a universe! Debbie, do you love me?" "Yes," I said quietly, and my hormones or whatever released the floodgates. She inhaled sharply and issued a tiny cry. "Oh, Goddess, please! What kind of love, Debbie?" "The marry, have a life, produce kids, and grow old together kind." She sat upright and leaned forward, grabbing my hand. "Then take me with you!" My jaw fell open. "What the hell?" "You heard me. You have a ship. You're going back to Earth. We can't be together here, so why not there?" "Because..." I'd never thought about it. I'd never figured that she would want to stay with me once she knew who I was. "Oh, yes!" she laughed. "Keep thinking. It's possible isn't it? I knew it!" "Maybe," I replied cautiously. "When I came out of the pod in Paglia, they allowed all the preservative to drain all over the floor. There is a back-up supply, enough to get me back, but I'm not sure how much there is." "But the hyperdrive ship project - they must have planned for hibernation pods and preservatives." "Sure. But it's a long, involved process to make it. Part of it requires rare- earth elements. You have them on Sappho, and there are plans to mine for them, but it will take some time." She gripped my hands like a vise and stared me straight in the eye. "I have to go with you, Debbie. Fate would not bring me so close to everything I've dreamed of then slap me in the face." She leaned forward and kissed me softly. "Please find a way, my beautiful fem." Words like that are hard to ignore. I reluctantly relinquished my place on the couch and stood; I had some serious thinking to do. I said, "Before we talk about this any further, we have to know if it's possible. If Reni is at home, there may be a way to find out tonight." "Then what are we waiting for?" She sprang for the vid phone. Reni was at home and willing to return to the lab. We had to wait a couple of hours for my ship to come around the backside of Sappho, but I had Vicky on the dish as easily as before - even easier because I didn't have answer a lot of personal questions. "Nice to hear your voice again, Debbie. I caution that you have one more set of confirmation codes. After that, I'll need more proof." "Understood, Vicky, I'll send you up my picture. Vicky, any update on the ship? Have you detected anything strange about the Sappho crew's behavior?" "Difficult to say, Debbie. Some activities could be explained by curiosity, others are harder to explain, and I don't have eyes that cover everything. I did see them remove the hyperdrive interface unit again and reinstall it. It had already passed diagnostics. I have no ready explanation for their actions." I didn't like that. "Hmm. Did they just remove it and put it back or did they take it off the ship?" "They took it from the ship, Debbie, and brought it, or another identical unit back and reinstalled it. The entire operation took less than four minutes. I'd like your opinion of it." "Could be innocent, but I'm very suspicious. I'll check it out along with everything else when I get there. Vicky, I need to know if it's possible to bring back another person in hibernation." "It is possible to reroute the back-up circuits and circulators to accompany another in the same pod - it's one of the emergency procedures. The issue is low preservative. How much does this person mass?" I turned to Indira. "About 57 kilos," she replied. "We both mass about 57 kilos. Vicky." "Unacceptable, Debbie. The outer limit for safety is 110 kilos. At that, you are fortunate the pod was originally configured for a man. A woman would have had less preservative." I shrugged. "So we lose some weight," I said casually, although I hated to hear it. I hadn't put back all the kilos I'd lost during my ordeal in Stein. Fortunately, Indira, although in fine shape, had a kilo she could spare. "Acceptable solution, Debbie." "Oh, thank you, Goddess!" Indira shouted, leaping into my arms. It was a hell of a kiss, lasting a long time, like a lifetime promise should. She wasn't the one with whom I'd ever dreamed of sharing my life, although at least her gender was correct, but her body against mine was warm and right, and we fit each other - not in the traditional sense of tab fitting slot, but as matching bookends, holding up each other. It was a different kind of bond than the one I imagined I'd have growing-up, but I had this wonderful woman's love that I never would have had as David, and that suddenly made it a whole lot easier to be me. "The voice I heard was the excitable young woman who will share your pod?" I was still smiling like the grateful woman in love I was, smoothing back hair behind Indira's ear that didn't really need it. With her, I sometimes felt like we were a pair of felines, always grooming and stroking. "Yes, Vicky. Her name is Indira Albright. Go ahead and talk to her; you two should get to know each other." "Hello, Indira," came the smooth voice of my AI through the speaker. "Hello, Vicky!" she exclaimed, still grinning and looking at me. "Just a few questions to make a voice match, Indira. Please answer calmly." She laughed. "Sure, Vicky!" "Go ahead, Indira, get acquainted. I'll upload our pictures." I left her in Vicky's capable algorithms and walked the few steps to where Reni had been waiting. Reni nodded firmly, pronouncing her verdict. "I like Indira. She has spunk; not many here would want to go to Earth." She swiveled an eye in my direction. "Does she have any idea what she's in for? Do you?" "I think so, Reni. It won't be easy getting used to it. The culture shock for her will be nearly as big as it was for me. Interested men will be looking at both of us, women don't relate to each other quite the same there, and we'd be a minority. But Earth is huge and crowded; it's more impersonal. There are places where we could feel comfortable, and it's not as if lesbians wear the triangle of Aphrodite on their backs." "Have you thought of your news value when you get there? It might be a small story; it might be large, but I'll bet that scouts don't come back changed from man to woman too often." I regarded her with hands on hips. "Reni, you're not exactly a walking bundle of joy." She shrugged. "It's one of the rare pleasures of age to demolish the dreams of the young." "Well, I hope you're wrong; lets hope the press doesn't get wind of it at all - or will understand our need for privacy." Reni snorted. "Do you want me to respond to that?" "Crap," I said disgustedly. "I don't want to get another face change, and I sure want to keep Indira looking just like she is." "Who knows? You've been gone a long time; maybe things will have changed." "The hell with it," I said determinedly. "We'll face it whatever it is. We're going to have to anyway." She slapped me hard on the back. "That's the spirit! If only you had come here forty years ago you might have left with me. What an adventure you and Indira will have." I glanced over at Indira. She and Vicky were chatting like old girl friends - not the giggling variety, Indira was too smooth for that, but more "girlish" than I'd heard either of them, and Vicky was certainly keeping up her end: "Yes, Indira. When Debbie was David he had several odd quirks. For instance, before he had his coffee, I noticed that his behavior was abrupt and often irrational. But you did say that you were dom in this relationship. I'm not completely familiar with the term. Does this mean that Debbie will be making coffee for you?" I sighed. "Reni, could you take our pictures for us? And I'll want one of you, too." "Of course." *** "Debbie," Indira said to me in the early morning, "I'll be right back." "Sure, Indira, I said sleepily, still in the congenial thrall of a well-used haze, watching her slide out of bed and pad away. She returned a moment later and sat beside me looking down, her eyes glimmering. Uncharacteristically for Indira, she seemed nervous. "Is something wrong?" I asked her. Indira shook her head, her hair swinging loose and free. "Not at all, Debbie. Just something I must do." She opened her palm and showed me the ring I'd seen earlier on the boat, and my heart stopped, knowing what was to follow. "Debbie, my love," she said trembling, "will you make me the happiest woman on Sappho and consent to be my wife?" A tingly glow tripped up and down my spine like tiny fingers; my skin chilled and stirred to heightened awareness; dark pink nipples rose to hardened points. I'd never felt so female in my life. The ring meant for my finger gleamed blue in the low light, a ring very much like a woman's engagement ring of Earth, and I had a sudden moment of panic: I loved Indira; I needed her, but before that evening, I'd never really thought about what marriage to her would mean. Indira's hand went to my cheek, held it there, and my breathing gradually slowed as I pressed it closer. "I can only imagine what you're feeling, Debbie," she said sympathetically. "I don't blame you for being frightened. You've had so many shocks, so many changes. I doubt that you truly know yourself. But I've been waiting for you all my life. Let me guide you where I can, and I will follow you proudly where you must guide me." Within those words I saw our future together, a vision of give and take, a strong fem to her considerate dom, acceptance and a type of equality I never would have had if I'd stayed a man - and I relaxed. I would be a fool not to accept. With Indira by my side, it was a vision well worth living. "I accept with all my heart, Indira. Be my guide, and I will be your guide when necessary, and may the Goddess grant us the wisdom to know when." She laughed. "Those are not the traditional phrases, but they might fit us better than the originals. I accept with all my heart." She took my right hand in hers and slipped the rock on my ring finger, and every slow inch forward was a part of my old life closing. "That ring has been in my family for generations, Debbie. It has adorned the hands of beautiful fems in satin and lace that set the graceful tone of a nation, and powerful rulers of Woolf's castles. I'm pleased beyond words that you wear it on your finger." I held out the ring and took a closer look. Its construction was more solid and practical than most; the diamond was set deep and the silver edges worn smooth and bright. It would catch the light, but not fabric, and would be likely to withstand a hard blow. A small set of nicks and a spot at the base where a minor repair had shifted the delicate pattern of interlocking flowers lent character rather than marred the ring's beauty, and I wondered at the lives of the women who'd worn it before me. "It's very well made. Has it been in your family a long time?" "You are the eighth to wear it. Its history goes back nearly three hundred years, when Duchess Chloe ordered it for her wife, Karen." "Indira, I don't have a ring for you. I have a graduation ring from my Academy, back at my apartment in Paglia, but it's not exactly suitable." "We have time to buy one - or do we?" Her eyes grew suddenly large. "Debbie, when do you have to be back in Paglia?" "We have all day. I have a flight late tonight." "Good." She nodded firmly. "You must meet my mother this morning." "Oh. Goddess, everything has been happening so fast - of course, your mother. You've never spoken much about her. Do you plan to tell her who I am?" "If we're leaving, then she'll have to know everything. Debbie, this will be a shock to her. She won't be pleased to hear of this." "However you want to handle it, Indira." She inclined her head graciously and smiled. "Why, thank you, my beautiful fem. We have no time to buy you a dress, but I think that you and I are very nearly the same size. I'm sure I have something that will fit." "I have a nice dress at the university." "Ah, Debbie, my mother is Irani Albright, the Duchess of Chesler. Fem-casual isn't going to work." "What?" I sat up straight. "She's the Duchess? Doesn't that make your mother something like the fourth in line to the crown?" She shrugged. "Actually, she's third. I don't tell many people about her because they tend to act strangely, although they shouldn't. I'm my mother's second daughter, and I'm very unlikely to inherit anything." "Indira, will your mother be all right with us? Is it possible that she'd try to prevent us from getting married?" "Umm," she frowned, squirming uncomfortably. "It's possible, yes. She and Queen Denise are like this." She held up two intertwined fingers. "The Queen could hold me until you were gone, but I'd never forgive either one of them her if she did that." She bent to kiss me. "This is my area, Debbie," she said gently but decisively - like a dom. "Don't worry. When you meet her, just be yourself and let me do the rest." "Yes, Indira." I was sure that she was right. Indira was a very competent woman; she would undoubtedly be right a lot, and I had the feeling that I'd just had a taste of what much of our married life would be like. So, how do you like your coffee, Indira? She slid her smooth body beside me into a comfortable position and snaked an arm over my stomach. Brushing aside my hair as if it belonged to her, she tickled my ear with a hot breath: "Tell me about Earth, Debbie." "Well, you've come to the right person," I admitted. "Anything you want to know in particular?" "My mother would want to know that her daughter will be safe and happy on Earth. And I want to know how I could make a living. I'm a trader. What could I trade?" "I don't know how much has changed in the last fifty years, but I'll tell you what I can." And we talked long into the early morning before we slept. The morning was a blur at first: Indira called her mother early and set an appointment for late morning; transformed my hair from an easy, free-flowing style into an elaborate presentation with a fall behind; dressed me in one of her gowns, a rich, silky thing of blue, black and gold; and finally, applied the first real make-up to my face, which I found disturbing. Like most women on Sappho and Earth, I'd always put on a light sunscreen with highlight that protected my face from premature aging, and occasionally, a light shade of lipstick. "Debbie," my dom said to me as she shaped and darkened my eyelashes, "eventually you're going to have to be proficient at this - unless the women of Earth don't use make-up?" "They do. I've just never felt the desire before, nor the need - except at my job in Paglia, and that was just the basics." "I do like to see you at your best and prettiest sometimes." she purred. I breathed slowly while I assessed a few contradictory feelings, some coming from my head and a few from the lower regions. I'd never minded dressing to be attractive to a woman before; I did want to be attractive to Indira; I'd even bought a pair of pretty nightgowns for her earlier, but putting on make-up to be more even more feminine than she ... And yet it wasn't an unreasonable request from a dom to her fem. "I don't mind dressing for you, Indira, and I'll put on make-up when you think it's necessary, but I'm telling you, I don't like it very much." "All girls on Sappho know the art of making themselves more attractive. Do you object to the act itself, or is it too much trouble?" "The act. I don't mind a subtle shade of lipstick and a very minor highlight too much - I'm used to that, but I was not taught the art and it seems unnatural to me. There are surely billions of women on Earth who dislike it, too." "Hmm. Well, I won't ask you to wear it every day if it makes you uncomfortable; I don't like wearing make-up much myself, but you need to know how." "Yes, Indira." We picked up the ring in the morning, as the jewelers opened, a pretty ring close to the same style as my own. I had it auto-engraved, "Be my guide. Love, Debbie." Once I bought it, charging it to my expense account, naturally, I had the pleasure of slipping it on her finger and watching her face glow all over again. She reached for me for some mischief upon my lips and body, but I held up a stern finger. "Remember, Indira, the make-up!" Thwarted for the moment, she merely raised an aroused eyebrow. "This is merely a delay, Debbie." "I hope so." Chesler Castle was close to Indira's house, one of the castles making up the ring overlooking the valley. Like most castles, it was built upon a hill, although not a steep one, permitting a straightforward route to the gate. About the same size and configuration of Alana's castle, a square with four towers, it didn't have the decorative feel; the guards wore modern garb, red shirts with bloused blue pants in black boots, and carried side arms and shoulder radios. They recognized Indira's car and waved her through, giving me a thorough visual once-over. Indira had been cool the entire trip, but once through the gate, she laughed bitterly. "I don't believe this. I'm nearly thirty standard years old and I'm afraid of what my mother will say." "Anyone would be worried in this situation, but we'll get through this." She glanced at me sideways. "You don't look worried. I would have thought that you would be the one panicking." I grinned. "Why? I'm just the fem here. All I have to do is look pretty, act polite and answer whatever questions she has. I have confidence in you, Indira, and however bad your mother may be, she has to be better than the priestesses." She pulled the car into one of the parking spaces marked "Royalty," but made no effort to get out. Instead, she rested her head against the steering wheel. "Who am I kidding?" she groaned. "She'd never let me marry you." "What?" Rolling her head in my direction, she said, "I love, you, Debbie, but I can't take the chance and tell her about you. What could I say? 'Hello, Mother. I'm marrying the man who landed here, but it's all right because they made him a woman. By the way, I'm leaving Sappho and going to Earth and will never see you again. Goodbye forever!'" "Then what do you want to do?" "I want you to meet her, but don't tell her about yourself. As far as she's concerned, you're just a young assistant professor from Paglia. I'm a big girl now, I don't need her permission, and I don't want to take a chance on her making trouble." She shook her head sadly. "I haven't been a good dom so far, have I, Debbie? My first big decision, and I'm already reversing myself." I realized then that she'd been at least as nervous about being dom with me as I had being fem with her - and the cruel choice she had to make with her mother was because of me. I took her hand and covered it between the two of mine. "You had to make a very tough decision. I'll support whatever you decide, Indira." She smiled gratefully. "All right. We'll need to get a new story. Hmm. The circumstances where I asked you to marry me has to change; our wedding date will have to be sometime suitably vague in the future..." Indira introduced me in the sitting room of her mother's chambers, a curious combination of soft fabrics, feminine colors, subtle scents, and the power of castle pennants, family coat of arms, and the pearl-handled dagger of state, which represented her position as First Minister to the Queen. My first impression of the Duchess was familiarity. Calm and assured, she reminded me in both demeanor and appearance of Indira. Duchess Irani was in her mid-fifties, graying, but still strong, attractive, and behind the warm brown eyes that she and her daughter shared, an active mind calculated. I suspected she hadn't used cosmetic surgery, being one of those who felt that age lent her authority. I curtseyed low in my blue and gold dress as Indira introduced me. I smiled as I rose. "Highness, I'm very happy to meet you." We were the same height, and she looked me over marginally less objectively than one might a brood mare. "You're pretty. Indira has told me much about you." "Then you have the advantage, Highness." She smiled, but geniality didn't quite rise to her eyes. "Indira has tried to keep her family a mystery, a practice of which I approve. There are some who think becoming a royal wife is an end in itself," she remarked coolly while continuing to appraise me. "I'm sure you're right," I said easily, as if such a thing could not possibly apply to me. "Mother," Indira said with an edge to her voice. The Duchess held up her hand without taking her eyes from me. "Control, daughter. I think Ms. Larranti can handle herself." "Please call me, Debbie, Highness." She nodded. "You're not afraid of me, are you, Debbie?" she asked me - really more of a statement. "Highness, why should I be?" "For one thing, I have the power to stop this marriage." A quick glance in my fianc?e's direction showed Indira ready to explode. "Highness, Indira told me that you were tough but fair." I gave her a very direct look, the better to judge me with. "I love Indira very much and it would be the greatest honor to marry her. If you doubt my fitness, then here I stand, ready for your scrutiny." I wasn't quite rude, but I think she understood that I didn't like being called a gold digger. "And you're a fem," she said skeptically. I blushed. "Well, I can go both ways, Highness." She smiled wryly. "I believe it. I want to make sure of my daughter's happiness. If I'm a little hard on you, then try and understand. You come from Paglia. I had hoped that she would marry a nice Woolf girl. If you marry then you would move to Woolf, of course." "I'd like to, Highness. I'd have to get permission from the universities in Paglia and Woolf to transfer. I know Jezzi Belladonna fairly well; she could make the arrangements in Paglia." The Duchess stood back a pace and shot me a stern look. "It does you little credit to know the Executive Directress well." "I've had dealings with her, Highness; I'm not her friend, nor do I approve of everything she does. May I ask why you dislike her?" "Isn't it obvious? Jezzi is a good administrator - some might say ruthless - but she has a blind spot with this man. Cutting its maleness away is one thing, letting it loose to roam Sappho is quite another." She tsked disgustedly. Indira was staring back when I risked a look her way, but I followed the lead anyway. "Do you know that I actually met the man once, Highness? This was soon after she had her parts removed. She was quite naturally upset at Jezzi, but didn't seem to be a raving monster. And she did save that girl at some risk to herself. Perhaps she isn't the evil some say she is?" She disposed of that hypothesis with a shake of her head. "You make a reasonable argument for an ordinary criminal, but you're not seeing the whole picture. What if the man is pretending to be good while waiting for an opportunity to do us some great harm? And many believe that the man's true purpose on Sappho is to hide its true nature and stay out of trouble. This way the man reinforces the view that men aren't evil, damaging the Temple and casting doubt upon our founders' vision." I smiled. So, if I did something bad, I was evil; if I didn't do something bad, I was really evil. "Well, Highness, I doubt that Jezzi would let her out of her sight for too long." She grunted. "That sounds like Jezzi. Lets hope you're right." She smiled abruptly and motioned towards a divan where spiced tea and a tray of mouth- watering treats awaited. "But enough of this talk. Tell me about yourself, Debbie." The rest of that morning was spent with well-memorized tales of me growing up as a girl in Paglia, my deceased Paglia mother, and a few amusing anecdotes. Indira had recovered by that time and chipped in with a few stories of us together and things that put me in a favorable light. Duchess Irani was first and foremost a decent mother who wanted her daughter's happiness. It wasn't a problem to show her what we meant to each other; acting is unnecessary when you're in love they way we were. Indira and I naturally moved close, touched each other casually, frequently made eye contact, and smiled for little reason, as lovers often do, and I forgot for a while that my future mother-in-law would rather I was safely in a cage somewhere. We rose just before lunch and she gave me a parting hug. "I like you, Debbie," she pronounced, "and I think I see what my daughter sees in you. I hope to see you again soon." I lowered my head. "Thank you, Duchess. It was a pleasure." Indira waited until we were out of the castle to ask me. "What was that all about, asking my mother about you?" she demanded. "I wanted to know how she felt about me." "And if she said that she liked men, what would you have done?" "If you're asking me if I would have told her about me, then the answer is no. I'm not crazy and I told you that I'd do it your way. But it wasn't just curiosity, Indira. You weren't sure how she felt about 'the man,' and I didn't want you going through life wondering if you should have told her about me. Now you know you made the right decision." She nodded after a moment. "Yes, now I know, and I'm glad I do. Actually, that was rather clever of you, but Goddess, Debbie, why didn't you tell me earlier that you were going to talk to my mother about 'the man'?" "Sorry. It only occurred to me when I was talking to your mother." She laughed and reached her hand over to ruffle my carefully coiffed hair. "There isn't one fem in a thousand who would have done what you did, Debbie. Is this what I'm getting when I marry you?" "Well - yes." She pulled the car off the side of the road, unbuckled her harness and planted a kiss on my lips that made me feel grossly overdressed. When she broke for air, she looked me in the eyes from a foot away. "Good," she said huskily. "I'm not waiting any longer. We're getting married now." My heart pounding at the words, I reached forward and held her soft/firm body tightly in my arms, pouring all the love I had for her into a kiss. "Goddess, yes! Just one thing, Indira - no Temple priestesses. That's all I ask." She shook her head and grinned. "Who needs 'em? We'll make our own ceremony." A civil marriage on Sappho is simplicity itself. We drove straight to the main courthouse, rented a vid booth, keyed in the appropriate information, verified our identities with thumbprints and a video testimony, and stated our intent. The main records on the net were checked, updated and made public to anyone who was interested. We walked hand in hand out of the courthouse and jumped into the car legally married. Indira laughed all the way back. "I can't believe what we just did. My mother would hang me by the thumbs if she found out! A royal heiress marrying in a civil ceremony? Unheard of!" I wondered about that myself. If the news agencies had an auto search feature for key names on the net - like Indira's - then the joyful event might be public before nightfall. On the other hand, it might be just an oddity that few people would care about or note. When we arrived at her house, she brushed back her hair and adjusted her silk silver and green dress, and made sure I looked presentable. After setting-up the vid camera in the living room to record, she faced me, holding both my hands, her eyes glittering on the verge of tears. "This is the real ceremony, Debbie; the one that means everything to me, and the one to keep for all time. I will speak only truth. When I turned twenty, I prayed to the Goddess for a woman who understood me and my spirit, to be my equal and complement, to share my dreams - and to be pretty, of course. I'd never forgotten that prayer, but the Goddess usually ignores specific requests for women, so I had little hope." She laughed. "Who knew the Goddess was guiding you through space and a timeless sleep? My love, I must speak the truth. I'm glad Jezzi made you the way you are. I'm glad they burned your testicles in the pyre. It's selfish and cruel, but I love you the way you are and wouldn't change a thing." She brought her hand to my cheek and held it there. "Let me be your guide where you are weakest, Debbie, and be my guide when necessary." You're glad that they burned my balls? I avoided overanalyzing, and took it for the endearment it was meant to be. "It's been a long and difficult path to your arms, a journey I never dreamed of making, but it was worth it - everything." I sighed and just said it: "Including becoming a woman, for I would never have met you otherwise. You are the one who guided me to peace with who I am, and then made me love again." I stopped for a moment to wipe away a few tears. "Indira! I never imagined I'd be a wife, but I'm proud to be yours." We took off each other's ring, transferring it from the right to left hand. One last quick look between us and we were each other's arms. I held her close, crying for happiness and allowing myself to finally feel the moment. Now we were married. *** My wife dropped me off at the airport late that evening, waiting until the absolute last moment to release me from her arms to go to the plane. "I'll call you as soon as I get back to my apartment!" I yelled over the noise of the jet, making the sign of a vidphone with my fingers in case she couldn't hear. She waved back and nodded in understanding then returned to the terminal as I entered the cabin. The flight back wasn't crowded, allowing me a window seat. I watched until we were airborne then sat back and closed my eyes, adjusting my fem-casual Woolf skirt and stretching like a cat. I'd wanted her to come with me, but there were far too many things for her to do in the morning: assign power of attorney to the family business lawyer, put her house up for sale with a broker, assigning her assets and wrapping up her business interests, among other things. It wasn't a long flight, only a couple of hours, and I couldn't fall asleep; I kept rolling the wedding band around my finger, already missing her. When we pulled into the terminal in Paglia City, I checked the time. It was nearly an hour past midnight. I drove my car home from the airport parking lot and called my wife on the computer, and we alternated between sappy love and dirty talk for a while. "Good night, wife," Indira said finally, blowing me a kiss on the vid. "Somebody has to end this call. You need some sleep and so do I. I love you." "Good night, wife," I replied. "I love you, too." I smiled and cut the connection. After a quick shower, I put on a long nightgown and crawled into bed, grabbing the other pillow to hold next to me. 'Thank you, Goddess.' I flipped my long hair out of the way and fell asleep. The next morning I made the drive into town to the same building where they'd taken me to prison, walking the stairs to Jezzi's suite of offices. I looked a little different after the surgery, so I wasn't surprised when Jezzi's main secretary didn't recognize me. I also hadn't been there in months, preferring to stay out of the evil one's way, but today I had reason. After a brief verbal joust with her secretary, I passed into the demonic lair of the gray-haired bitch. "Debbie Larranti," she purred from behind her desk. "What brings you here, my lovely girl?" From anyone else it would have been a term of endearment. I ignored the reminder of how she had lopped off my middle extremity, and raised the hand with the ring. "I was married yesterday, Jezzi. I want to bring my wife back to Earth with me." The black eyes perusing me were as unreadable as polished onyx. "Debbie, you do surprise me. Your wife knows who you are?" "Of course. I've already checked the shuttle schedule. The shuttle has plenty of space for the ride up with me. It's the return flight that will be crowded with the four workers currently on board my ship. There shouldn't be a problem." I watched her search for a reason to turn me down. "It would be cruel to deny you this." She smiled. "Congratulations on your marriage, Debbie. I'll authorize the extra passenger right away." She pressed a button on her desk. "Ms. Haish, find Commander Tabor of flight control for me please." "Yes, Ms. Belladonna," came the voice through a speaker. "So, have you come to appreciate your new feminine configuration, Debbie?" Jezzi asked me sweetly while we waited. I grinned. "I have. I can't stay angry with you forever, Jezzi, especially after finding my wife." Jezzi normally projected the happy grandmother or, when she wasn't getting her way, the fury of the harpy. This time she showed me nothing. "Ms. Belladonna, Commander Tabor is ready." The grandmother was back. "Thank you, Ms. Haish. Put her through." "This is Commander Tabor, Executive Directress. What can I do for you?" Jezzi leaned forward closer to the speaker. "Our pilot has found a wife, Commander. They will be traveling together on the last shuttle flight." "Very good, Executive Directress. What's her name?" Jezzi looked to me. "Indira Albright," I said. "I'll make a note of it. Anything else?" "That's all, Commander." She smiled up at me and rubbed her hands together. "Is there something else I can do for you, Debbie?" "No, thanks, Jezzi. You've been a big help." I got up and left her office. Maybe I was too suspicious, but I was sure she was up to something. She hated me; I had thwarted her too often and forced her to do things she didn't want to do. Something gnawed at my unconscious - something that Jezzi and Tyrona had done earlier. I went into the lobby, found an unoccupied room with a logged-in computer, entered a request and left the building with the printout folded in my purse. I hopped in my car, pulling out into the street in a hurry, leaving behind the faint smell of ozone and burning rubber. The first stop was the flight control to find Commander Tabor. Day three passed slowly. I called Indira that night, completely sure that the vid was being monitored, even if it hadn't been before. Besides our usual love talk, we discussed what awaited us on Earth and the progress she was making in transferring her business and house. I avoided any mention of my fears, not wanting to give my monitors any ideas. Day two crept along and I wracked my brains for something I might have missed. Indira was due to arrive late that evening, solving one of my worries - that someone would try to detain her in Woolf. I picked her up at the airport, bringing her to the beach before heading to my place. I placed a finger to my lips when she saw where I was going in case they'd bugged my car. She stopped me with her hand a few dozen meters from the car. "All right, Debbie, what's wrong?" she asked me, her voice filled with concern. "I'm not sure, maybe I'm being paranoid, but I think that Jezzi may try to prevent you from going on the shuttle with me tomorrow morning." Her mouth dropped. "What? Why? How?" "Why?" I laughed wildly. "Indira, she cut my balls off just to prove that she could. She's a bitch, and she plays some dangerous games; this is just one more. If she can hurt me by forcing me to leave you behind, she will. Honey, it may be nothing, but I've been thinking of things she might try. She's tricky; she'd do it some way that wouldn't lead directly back to her, make it look like it was someone else's fault: get someone to talk to your mother, start some rumor in the press, maybe get the Temple involved somehow." "She can't be allowed to succeed. What can I do?" "Not much we can do except to play it out. I have some leverage as long as I'm free on Sappho. If I refuse to go then the ship stays here and the beacon Jezzi is worried about continues to beep its message to the universe." I bit my tongue; I hadn't wanted to bring it up, but she had the right to know. "There is another option, my landing craft. If she does succeed in keeping you behind, then it would be possible to land it on a strip, probably in Woolf, and pick you up." She went to my arms and her heart hammered against me through the thin cloth. "Thank the Goddess for that. You had me so worried." "Indira," I said softly through her hair, "I'd rather not use the landing craft it if I don't absolutely have to. It's a single-seat vehicle that was never designed to sit in storage for over fifty years. The fuel has deteriorated to some extent - how much, I don't know. I'd never risk it except as a last resort." She withdrew her face from our embrace and looked at me confidently with those warm brown eyes. "This is your area, wife. Lead here and I will follow." My vision blurred, and I wondering why I should even try to hold back my tears. I wouldn't think less of Indira if she cried, and neither would she be upset with honest tears from me; it was strange, this kind of equality. After being a woman for a year and living as a woman for longer than that, it still surprised me every now and then to actually be expected to behave like one. She was my wife, but I was very much hers as well. "What did I do to deserve you, Indira?" She smiled and wiped away a few tears from the corners of my eyes as naturally as she would her own. "Don't you think I wonder the same thing about you, sometimes?" "Indira, lets go home. I don't want to spend our last night on Sappho worrying about it. There is a good chance that I'm wrong." She looked up into the clear Paglia night and took a deep breath. "I'd like to look at the stars for a while with you before we go back. This is our last time for that, too." "Sure." I reached for her hand. "Only one thing would make this better, Indira." She grinned. "Food, maybe? I'm hungry as hell from that forced diet." I laughed. "I saw a chocolate brownie in the machine inside the terminal. Lets split it." "Goddess, chocolate," she groaned. She snuggled against me and said, "Well, dom for the moment, I'll go along and eat half, but only if you think it's best." I nodded rapidly. I'd always liked chocolate on Earth, but had recently developed actual cravings for it for some reason, and my mouth was already watering. "Oh, yes, my beautiful fem. I do! We'll just have to find a way to work it off somehow before morning." Some time after finding a way, we woke up in the morning at the buzz of the six o'clock alarm. While Indira took a shower, I used my portable to access the net through Indira's vidphone - it was harder to trace like that - and saw what I'd hoped to see. I pumped my fist quietly like I'd just scored a goal. Then I shut my portable down and joined her in the shower. I took her from behind, kneading her breasts while sliding mine against her back. Then I moved south along her front until I reached over that smooth mound and the lips within, teasing that which I had come to know well. She leaned back against me and spread her legs slightly, and I circled her there until her breaths turned into panting. "Goddess, Debbie, I didn't think we had the time." She turned, wrapped her arms around me, and gave me a passionate, wet kiss. "I know what Jezzi's up to, love," I said in her ear a moment later, letting the noise of the shower deafen any microphone that might be lurking nearby. "It's the same thing they did once before to get me back from the priestesses. They changed the marriage records on the net. It's a subtle and neat trap. They assume I don't suspect them. We'll report to the shuttle bay as planned, but someone will have tipped off the supervisor that we aren't really married. They'll check the net and 'discover' the fake records. "Naturally, they'll refuse to let you go with me, but promise to bring you up on the next flight when the 'discrepancy' is fixed or you show proof of our marriage, such as the easy to obtain hard copy from the records in Martina. Somehow this never happens. By some means, you'll will be forced to recant our marriage or a good actress will recant for you; you'll refuse to talk to me; your mother and the Queen will get involved, and suddenly I'll be stuck in orbit with no wife, no leverage, and only one place to go - onward." She brought her head back and stared at me furiously. "Damn them," she hissed softly, aware of the possible bugs. "What do the records say now?" "They say that I'm married to Tyrona. Complete crap. We were never married in the first place and I made sure that we were divorced in the system before I went up to Stein. But this 'mistake' is designed to be slick and plausible enough to cause just enough confusion at the right time. But your wife anticipated such an event, Indira," I declared proudly. "I have made arrangements." Then I waited. But Indira declined to squeal for joy. "Not that I don't trust you, Debbie, but I would be more impressed if you described the arrangements." I grinned. "I told the flight controller what Jezzi might be up to, showed her a printout of our marriage - even showed her the records on the net. When she sees the new records, she'll know it's a phony and let you go with me." "Are you sure?" she said, searching my eyes. I nodded. "Absolutely. The Commander told me so herself. She doesn't want to be a part of this cruel game." "Good," she sighed. "I won't be calm again until I'm safely in orbit with you." "Neither will I." An hour later, we left the apartment for the last time and stepped out onto the sidewalk for the short walk to my car, wheeling our heavy sealed case of mementos, particulars, and trade goods behind us. I looked around at the morning sky, took a deep breath of the sea air and smiled at Indira by my side, dressed in a cool gray top, blue shorts, and wearing her trademark reflective shades. "Debbie, I have a good feeling about today. I feel it!" I reached for her, giving her a last kiss just before she stepped into the car. As we broke apart, I felt a pain like a bee sting at my neck, reached up and pulled out a tiny dart. It could only mean one thing and I looked at my wife in shock. Then she shrieked as she felt something at her back. "Indira!" I wailed, and yanked it out, but it was already too late. Suddenly dizzy and without strength, I collapsed to the ground, numb and dazed, hearing Indira fall with a thump a few seconds later. A moment later hands under my arms and legs picked me up and lay me down on a thin mattress in a medium-sized commercial van. The doors closed and it drove away. I heard the grunts of a woman as she pushed something heavy behind me - the case, I assumed. Another body lay beside me, and, although I couldn't move, by the scent in her hair, I knew it was Indira. I tried like hell to look around with my eyes, trying at least to identify our abductors, but everything was a blur. It didn't make sense for Jezzi to do this, or at least I couldn't understand why she would. I wanted to hate: what would they do to my wife? But who did it? Was it those crazy priestesses? My skin crawled and my brain reeled at the thought of being back in their hands again, to be raped, beaten and humiliated for their sick pleasure. I blinked slowly several times as some minor motor control returned. Three women came gradually into focus; the one over me I recognized, although her hair was now black, her skin was a comfortable brown, and her eyes were different. "Barbara?" I croaked, barely managing a sound. She held my hand and rubbed it slowly like a mother or affectionate lover. "Rest, Debbie," she cooed. "The drug will wear off in a few minutes. Neither you nor Indira will be hurt. In the meantime, listen." I glared at her in hot fury. "Debbie," she pleaded, "Goddess, I'm so sorry for the darts. Please just hear me out. I told you on the beach that you couldn't trust Jezzi and that I had a plan to keep her in line. I was furious at Jezzi and Tyrona for what they did to you and for ruining our plans. At first I wanted to replace most of the sperm in the Paglia depository with the sperm you gave me as David, filtered to produce girls, and let the little critters do their work." She leaned back on her heels and smiled beatifically. "Imagine, Debbie! It might have been the best part of a decade before the mothers of Paglia understood that nearly all of their brand new little girls preferred men. That would shake things up! "But I decided against it, Debbie. You found a better solution with the hyperdrive ship and temporary satisfaction with the fake men. So, my darling, instead of replacing lesbian sperm with your own, I decided to enforce your bargain with a threat powerful enough to make even Jezzi pee all over herself." I cleared my throat. "What threat?" "There are three sperm depositories on Sappho, one for each country. 300,000 throwbacks don't seem like much, but it's enough to control most of the sperm on Sappho. You see; all we have to do is be in a position to destroy it. We are in such a position now." "You can't do that!" shouted Indira by my ear. Barbara looked down at her, smiling sadly. "Indira Albright, I have no wish to destroy anything. I merely want Jezzi to do what she says. Sappho can remain the single lesbian planet in the known universe as long as it wants. After Debbie leaves, we will inform Jezzi of her dilemma. She's a snake, not insane; she will do what is right for Paglia and Sappho, but should that wrinkled nightmare not fulfill her end of the bargain, then boom!" She made an abrupt expanding motion with her hands. "And suddenly, Indira," Barbara said low and cool, bending directly over her face, "Sappho discovers to its horror that nearly all of their sperm supply has been destroyed. From then on, anyone wanting to have children would have to deal with us. And what do you think Sappho society would look like after twenty or thirty years of producing 'throwback' girls and boys?" I managed to twist my head enough to get a glimpse of Indira. "Goddess! Making women give birth to boys - that is sick," she said disgustedly. I winced at her attitude; even knowing how she grew up, it still bothered me a little. "Damn you, Indira for not understanding," Barbara exclaimed bitterly. "You're a pretty woman, capable of being happy with any number of women. I have no one. Understand this: It wouldn't disturb me if Sappho became like the rest of the heterosexual universe; I withhold my finger from the button because of Debbie and, unlike you for me, I have compassion." She swung her attention to me. "This is deal, Debbie: We won't do anything except make sure that Jezzi does what she said she'd do. And I take Indira's place on your scout ship." "No!" Indira screamed in anguish, such a heart-wrenching sound that even Barbara blanched. I glared at her. "I'm not taking you back with me, Barbara!" "Yes, you will!" She wiped away a few tears that were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "I am so sorry to both of you; I know you love each other, but I can't take this any more. Debbie, this is partly your fault. I had you when you were David. How can I go back to this life?" she wailed. "I'm thirty- one. When the ship is built, and if I get the chance to go to Earth on it, I'd be in my forties. Darn it, Debbie! I've done so much! I'm making your solution possible. I just want to be a mother, have a husband. Is that too much to ask?" "Hell yes, if you take my wife from me! Barbara, this is wrong; you know it is. At least you have a chance at happiness now, even if it is a little late." She bit her lip at that and for the moment couldn't meet my eyes, but she recovered quickly enough. "I'm sorry, Debbie, but I'm going with you. It's not even your choice. Indira, choose! Decide the fate of this world. You may go with your wife; I won't stop you, but by the time you arrive on Earth, I guarantee that this planet will be well on its way to becoming heterosexual. If you ever returned, you wouldn't recognize it." "Barbara, stop it!" "Sorry, Debbie. It's out of your hands. Choose, Indira." Indira looked at me and I knew immediately. The unspeakable sadness in her eyes said it all. "Indira..." I began. She shook her head, and a few tears ran unimpeded down the sides of her cheeks. "This is my place, my love; here I must decide. As much as I despise what she's doing to us, she's giving me no choice; I'll stay behind. It seems that today is not such a good day after all." I lay on my back and stared at the roof of the van as feeling and strength returned. There must be a way out! I only had to find it. But by the time we arrived at the entrance to the shuttle bay, I still had only vague ideas and cold hate. I kissed Indira goodbye from the van just outside the building. "I will find a way, Indira," I promised her, although I was far from sure. She held my face and smoothed my hair for the last time, looking at me like she was memorizing my face. "If you can't find a way, my love, then find a way to forgive Barbara. She doesn't have the right to do what she's doing, but may the Goddess help us; I think I understand her." I gripped her hand firmly. "This is not over, Indira. Trust me. Stay in touch with Reni; I'll leave you a message." "I will." And then it was time.