Just as W/we reached the vehicle and before i could open the driver's door for Her, Her phone rang. Checking the number, She answered it, motioning for me to get into the back seat. As i opened the door, i heard Her side of the conversation. "Well, hello there ... Laughter ... It is the back of beyond ...Yes, it's gone well, easy travel, no delays, and legal dealings haven't been too taxing ... Laughter ... Generous, but certainly not that much..."
As i opened the door behind the driver's seat and began to climb in, i registered someone sitting on the other side. It was austen, dressed in a dallek similar to mine, though his was a light orange. he looked like he'd been crying. Settling onto the seat, i took in the odd feeling of the dallek.
"Hi austen, are you OK?" i tried to sound casual, relaxed, normal.
Before he could respond, we heard the tap of Ms. Olivia's nail on the window. She gave us an irritated look and held a finger to Her lips, ordering us to be silent as She went back to chatting on the phone. austen and i shared a look of commiseration, listening with curiosity and concern to Maestra's end of the call, at least the snippets we could hear as She paced outside the vehicle.
"no problems at all; quite docile really ... well, the younger one is very cute, but has basically lived on his own for I don't know how long ... yep ... laughter ... well, 'feral' is Your word, but yes he'll take some house-breaking ... laughter ... yeah, I bet You would ... that I don't know ... oh yes, he's in good shape, but way too old for My interests ... legally, I'm sure You're right, but I do feel a moral obligation ... no, tomorrow, late tomorrow ... have to drive to the provincial capital, then catch a flight back tomorrow ... yes, Goddess, willing ... it will be good to be home, back in civilization ... thanks and You know I will ... OK ... bye."
And that's what W/we did, on that afternoon almost a decade ago, W/we headed off into O/our new lives. She asked one or the other of us occasional questions, but generally we traveled in silence; Maestra listened to classical music in the front, while austen and i mutely considered our fates in the back.
When W/we arrived in the provincial capital, Maestra checked us into a hotel near the airport. We had a "Matriarchal Suite," which included a large, bright, airy room for Maestra and a small, windowless anteroom for austen and me. It had only one bed. "Time to start getting you boys over your reticence about the male body," She said, noticing the look on our faces.
Maestra had us remove our dalleks and hang them up so they'd be relatively fresh for the next day's travel. Then She told us to go wait in our room, which had a one way lock, allowing Her to come in at will. austen and i nervously did our best not to look at the other's naked body.
After about 15 minutes, Maestra came in, having changed into an attractive outfit and carrying some papers in Her hands. austen and i were both sitting on the bed, unsure what to do with ourselves. "When I enter, you stand," She directed, bringing both of us to our feet and earning us a smile. "you can both read?" She asked. "Yes, Maestra," we answered in unison.
"Good." She handed each of a sizable pamphlet, some 50 pages long. "This is a primer on our Matriarchal society, its laws and norms, prepared for new immigrants. It will be useful for you, too. I want you to read it while I'm out having dinner." Perhaps hearing our stomachs growling - neither of us had eaten since the morning - She reassured us: "Don't worry, I'll bring something back for you."
Then She called our attention to small cameras posted near the ceiling in all four corners of the small room. Tapping something on Her phone, She showed us that She could both see and hear what when on the in the room. "Do I need to remind you to behave yourselves?" "No, Maestra," we both replied honestly.
She returned sometime later; exactly when, we couldn't tell since we had no watches, no clock. She had a container of take-out food for each of us, which we ate while She watched and quizzed us on the pamphlet we'd read. She stressed the benefits of a Gynarchy: lower crime rates, less polarization in politics, expansive advances in the arts and sciences, healthier relations with other countries, cleaner cities, a healthier environment. Her points were hard to dispute; even if they hadn't been, arguing with one's Custodian would have been a fool's errand.
When we had finished eating and satisfied Maestra that we'd understood and internalized the lessons from the pamphlet, She took us into Her room. There, laid out on the table was a can of shaving lotion, several razors, and two stainless steel devices. She picked up one of these and looked at it for a long moment before asking, "Do you know what this is?" When neither of us answered, She said: "Well?"
"Yes, Maestra," i relied, "it's a chastity device."
"Yes, it is. A 'chastity device' ... a cock cage ... a pecker pillory ... a dick denier ... a meat masher ... an erection eradicator ..." As She said each term slowly, deliberately, She looked from one of us to the other. "This one's for you," She said, tossing it to me; "and this one's for you, austen," tossing the other to him. As we contemplated the hard steel grids we held in our hands, She repeated the Latin term from earlier: "Semen pertinet ad Magistra domae. Your cocks belong to me now, as do your balls. And those wonderful little devices will ensure that you remember that."
