When a man is of age, he’s encouraged to find his first mate from the women in the village. He takes one mate. After a month, the woman appears before the council and tells how often her mate has been able to satisfy her in that month. She also says if she’s happy and if they have enough to live on. Suppose that she tells the council that they have made love three times in the first month, or even five. That’s not her number of orgasms, but the number of times that the man has been interested and able to make love to her.
The council will say that if she’s happy with him and well fed that because he makes love three to five, half that number is about two and therefore he should take two mates. After another 40 days, both women come and report the same way. The number reported is averaged and a new determination is made. If the number in the second month were roughly four or less, twice for each woman, no more are added. If the number is roughly eight or higher, a third mate is encouraged. This is repeated for a third month, and supposedly for as long as mates are still being added.
If a man won’t take the number of mates that the council proscribes, he is encouraged to leave the village and move elsewhere.
About half the men in my village have one mate. Another two-fifths have two mates. Another very few men have three mates. No one has four at this time.”
I said, “So, you have to appear before the council and tell them how we are together and how many times we make love?”
She said, “Yes, but I can’t tell them the truth, can I? Mark, if I told them how you pleasure me, I would have to say something like four or five times every day. I know that we don’t do that, the truth is only two or three, but we go for a very long time and you could satisfy at least three women each time. I know it. If I tell the truth and say that you could make love 160 times in a month, and based on the wealth of the gem you have already given me, you would take 80 mates!
Fortunately, in Tranna, no house has more than three right now, and there’s a limit that they can’t force you to take more than nine.
Mark, it’s an incredible honor for a woman to have a husband who can love three mates. I will be very happy. I’ve told you that. But I’m afraid that because of customs on your planet that you won’t do it, and though you have promised me your love that you’ll abandon me to find a place where the laws are different.”
Aeyli-ah stopped in her tracks and stood with her head down. I put my arms around her and held her against me.
I said, “Aeyli-ah, this is a surprise, but all of life surprises me every minute here. I will never leave you. I cannot imagine loving anyone but you, but if it makes you happy, we’ll try. If it doesn’t make you happy, we’ll turn in a different direction and find another place with different laws. Or go back to the spring and live by ourselves for a thousand years. I will never leave you.”
She looked into my face and said, “I’m so thankful. But you’ll see. The others are very beautiful and they will love you like I do. There won’t be any jealousy, just like you have told me about old days on Earth. You’ll see. We’ll make you even happier than I can alone.”
I said, “If this is what you want, then I’ll find a way,” and we started toward Tranna again.
A minute later, I said, “But, you said that there would be three princesses before morning? What do you mean?”
Aeyli-ah said, “Mark, I have taken a vow. When no one had come through the portal for many years, and since no man would have a shrine maiden as a mate, when only a few of us were left, we took a vow. If any man came through the shrine during our service, then he would be the mate of all of us if he would have any of us. I must… not because of the obligation alone, but also to follow my heart, I must ask you if you will take my sister shrine maidens who have served so faithfully at what is now ‘The Shrine of Mark’. Oh, please Beloved, please be open hearted about this. We need you! And, though they don’t know that you run to them even now, they love you just as I do. We have served for 50 years each, loving you all that time.”
We ran along together and Aeyli-ah said quietly, “Mark, we could turn around.”
I said, “And live in the ruins? Why? You say that you’ll be happy if we go to Tranna. Have you changed your mind?”
She sighed, “No, not to the ruins. I could take you back to the shrine. I could take you back and you could go back. And I will never look for another.”
I said simply, “No, never! I will not choose to die. I have a mate. In fact, you say that I have three princesses in my house. I won’t turn back! Write epic songs and poetry about me if you must, but I will not turn back. If possible, I might take you to meet my son someday, but only for a visit. Barsoom is my home and even if you force a kingdom upon me, I will not turn back.”
Aeyli-ah laughed and said, “Oh, many songs and poems will be written about King Mark. Mostly bawdy ones that will be recited by your princesses. Um, they have written a few already. A shrine maiden has a lot of idle time on her hands.”
I asked to hear one, but she refused, promising to tell me another time. In the mid-afternoon, we stopped for lunch.
The Martian girl said, “Mark, my name is not ‘Aeyli-ah’.”
I said, “But that’s what you told me!”
She said, “No, what I told you was that my name was ‘Aeyli’ and I asked what I would be called because we are mates. I was asking your name. Aeyli-ah-what? You didn’t hear the question or know what I was asking. My name is ‘Aeyli-ah-Mark’ They will call you ‘Mark-ah-Aeyli’ Well, soon they will call you ‘Mark-ah-Aeyli-ah-Torani-ah-Beyla’.”
I said, “The other shrine maidens are…”
She answered, “Torani and Beyla. Torani-ah-mark and Beyla-ah-mark.”
I asked, “And is that what I should call them?”
She said, “No, that’s the name others will call us. You can call us whatever you want to. Aeyli, Rani, and Belle will be fine.”
After we had run some more, she said, “Mark, there’s the village of Tranna. See it there?”
I did see an outline of buildings in the distance.
I said, “I thought it would take us several days.”
She said, “I thought it would take me several days to get the courage to tell you about Rani and Belle. We’ll be there in an hour or so.”
Chapter 14
Before the Gates of Tranna
After we had covered about half the remaining distance, Aeyli said, “Mark, let’s talk about what comes next.”
I said, “OK, what comes next?”
She said, “When we get to the village, or before, we will meet a lot of people. They will be very curious about that fact that I’m arriving with a stranger. We’ll go to the house that the shrine maidens keep. There’s a room prepared. It has been waiting for you for a long time. Tonight, I’m certain that there will be a council meeting so that the village can see you. I will have to address them and they will ask you questions as well. It won’t be difficult. You will be welcome. Stop for a moment.”
We stopped and she said, “Mark, you gave me a gem worth a great deal; what else do you have in your pouch?”
I took off my pack and took the bag from my belt and sat down on the thick moss and poured the contents of the bag into my hand. There were the two Barsoomian compasses, a small pile of gems, and a half dozen gold coins of various sizes.
Aeyli said, “I thought that might be the case. These stones are worth a fortune. The one that you gave me will buy a large house, a large garden, and feed us all for at least two years, even if we don’t make anything ourselves. The smaller gold coins will last a very long time, even if we didn’t have the stones. You asked about tokens of marriage. Now that we’re back in society, it will be good for the tokens to be customary. We need to go to a jeweler and you need to buy several. And, I want to give you a token as well. May I take this small coin to pay for what we need?”