Lilybeth

"I'll protect you Lilybeth," said Daniel as he took my hand.

"That is sweet, Daniel, '' I replied, "But, you don't even know what we will be facing or whether we will be able to remain together once we reach the shore."

"Then I will protect you as long as I can."

"You are a good man," I returned, as I kissed him on the cheek.

Daniel responded to my peck of his cheek by pulling my lips towards his and planting a wonderful kiss on my lips. It was our first kiss and I realized it might be our last. Even so, it was amazingly forward of him.

"The censors aren't on board this ship," he said firmly. "If my freedom has to end, I will carry the sweetness of your kiss into captivity."

"You darling, wonderful man!" I returned and I gave him a kiss of my own. My mind considered a future that never was or ever could be. Daniel and myself exchanging our first kiss at the altar on our wedding day like every proper couple of the community. As Daniel pointed out no censors were aboard the boat. It was just five hundred tributes, the ship's crew, a priest, and a community elder. I never imagined I would end up on a tribute ship, yet my name had been drawn and my life in the community came to an end.

I was stunned when Daniel's name was drawn as well. Part of me was selfish; no other eligible maiden of the community would have him and proceed to erase my memory from his soul. I also grieved for him. Like me, the life he knew had died just as he was entering adulthood.

I've known Daniel for as long as I can remember. He lived right next door. Though it was against custom Daniel had taken the bold step of petitioning the community censors for permission to court me and me alone instead of the community custom which was for all eligible young men and women to woo each other for a year under the eyes of the matchmakers. He succeeded because both our parents approved of the match. Daniel's mother looked forward to having me as a daughter-in-law. I spent many happy hours cooking and putting up preserves next to her or stitching quilts. My own mother viewed Daniel as an additional son. He was already my father's apprentice. Father thought the world of him.

Daniel's bold step had not been a popular one. Though my mother argued that the matchmakers would have had to be blind to not pair us. It was still considered a breach of etiquette to nullify the courting process. The neighborhood gossip claimed that many young men were vexed with Daniel as they wished to court me as, she put it, "Lilybeth is tall, fair, comely, intelligent, and full of all the good graces any man could wish for."

Other girls in the community said I was very pretty, they commented on my fair hair and smooth, ivory skin. Daniel said I was beautiful. But he ALWAYS said that even when we were both eight years old! Now, I was eighteen and knew nothing of what awaited me.

"What do you think will happen when we reach the mainland, Daniel?"

"I wish I knew."

Through the twilight, the lights of Kingdom Port came closer. Such strange lights. They run on something called electricity. Honored Teacher had explained that electricity was the lightning in the sky. I studied the blinking white and red lights. I suppose they did sort of look like lightning. Lightning bugs at any rate. I remembered my lessons from school. The ancient agreement after the great falling away. The few true believers, the first of the community, accepted exile on the great island to practice their beliefs.

The Kingdom which became the Grand Republic promised it would never invade the great island so long as the community provided tribute every other year. It has been like this as long as men have memories. The Grand Republic with its "technology" and faithless state could easily crush the community. Sacrifice for the good of each other and all was the hallmark of the island folk. Two-hundred-fifty boys and an equal number of girls entering their eighteenth year to be ceded to the Grand Republic for heaven knew what purpose, to protect all they believed in, seemed a small price to pay. In the temple, at our departure rite, the priest said that we should feel proud. That we were fulfilling heaven's purpose. I didn't feel especially noble. My parents' words on parting mirrored those of the high priest, "You represent heaven in a foreign, fallen land. Your example will shine as a light in the darkness. Obey the aliens and be pleasing always; in this way, your example may show them the error of their ways and perhaps win one or more of them a path to heaven. There seemed to be so many of us on this boat. It was fortunate that the community believed in large families!

I adjusted my head covering. I gazed up at Daniel. He stood so tall and handsome. Why was it my destiny to not spend the rest of my days with him as I was now, at his side? Why was it that heaven's aims and my own seemed at such odds?

I felt the boat impact upon the pier just as nightfall was settling on the gleaming city beyond. The gangplank was lowered and a man and a woman entered the boat. Both were tall and attractive, they wore clothing that shimmered like silk. I disliked that the man's clothing was snug enough to tell that he was well-muscled and I abhorred how much of the woman's legs were exposed. Neither wore sacramental head coverings.

The woman spoke first,

"Welcome, young souls. I am sure that most, if not all of you are confused, homesick, and pensive. Such feelings are normal and to be expected. With time those emotions shall pass. When you exit the vessel, you will form yourself into two lines by height, shortest to tallest. The young women will form one line. The young men the other."

I noted sincerity in her strong contralto voice. She, at least, meant me no ill will.

The man spoke next saying much the same thing. It was odd to see a man of his obvious age with no beard. For whatever reason at that moment, I was passingly grateful that Daniel would not be compelled to grow a beard, as he would have had we married, thus depriving the world of the sight of his manly chin. A silly vain thought, I admit. But I savored it.

The handsome couple exited the boat. The community elder doffed his cap and the priest began his invocation of the blessing for the departed. I had only heard that blessing before at funerals. Hearing it addressed to me was surprising, to say the least!

In alphabetical order, by family name, we exited the boat. The community elder shook our hands. The priest graced each of us with a holy kiss as we passed him. My name came in the middle of the manifest. I shook the elder's hand, received and returned the priest's kiss, and made my way down the gangplank.

The line of girls had formed before one door of a large, ornate building on the waterfront. The line of boys was arrayed in front of another door of the large building. I made my way to the middle of the line as I am of middle height. As I sought my place, I spied tall Daniel near the end of his line. I yearned to wave or call out to him, but it seemed improper since everyone was so subdued.

The final tribute exited the boat. The gangplank was removed and the boat backed away from the pier. I felt, no I knew a part of me was going with it.

The line I was in began moving. The door ahead opened as if magic, no attendant held it open. With a lump in my throat and a prayer on my lips, I forced myself to keep in step. I entered the door. We were in a cavernous room. It was larger by far than the inside of the temple or a barn. Just as mysteriously as the door had opened, it closed behind us. The attractive woman from the boat appeared on a dais at the front of the room. Somehow, even though she did not seem to be yelling, her voice filled the room.

"Young Women of the Great Island, welcome to the Grand Republic. A place will be found for all of you among us. The time has come to put away your old, familiar notions of doing things and your old behaviors. You are in a new, advanced world. At times, things will seem overwhelming. This is natural. I encourage you all to follow directions. Soon we shall give you a hearty meal and a bunk for the night. First, you must be processed. This will be embarrassing but it IS necessary. The life you knew ended at the pier. Like a caterpillar, you must shed your chrysalis and become butterflies.

Other women appeared out of a side door. Each one of them gathered ten of us together and led us to a smaller, equally well-lit room. There were little cubby holes in the walls. "Welcome, girls, my name is Helene, however, it is best if you address me as Ma'am. I will refer to you by your first names."

We all took turns introducing ourselves. Most of the girls I did not know as they were not from my village. All of them seemed as nervous as me. That completed, the pretty red-haired woman said,

"Now girls, you are going to undress and place your clothes in the cubby hole nearest to you. Yes, that means everything including your underwear and head coverings. You are also going to let your hair down removing all pins and braids."

That set some of the girls to grumble. Helene was having none of it.

"Girls, if you do not cooperate, you will be forced. Forced by male guards who enjoy their work."

That silenced us.

I undid the laces in my boots and took them off. Next, I undid the pins holding my dress closed and placed the pins next to my boots. I tugged the gingham dress up over my head and off. I stepped out of my full slip and carefully folded it along with my dress and placed both atop my boots. I was down to my bandeau, my step-ins, my suspenders, and stockings. Never had so much of me been exposed. Only my mother was permitted to see me this way. I stood and paused for breath.

"Your modesty will do you no favors in the Republic, Lilybeth," intoned Helene.

"Yes Ma'am," I returned softly and made the move to remove my left stocking. The right followed. I tugged down the suspenders. Completely mortified, I hastily removed my bandeau. Concealing my breasts from view as much as I could, I found the strength to remove my step-ins. I was naked in front of strangers! My eyes darted around the room. My hair! There were tears in my eyes as I removed my hair covering and braids. My hair was only to be let down in the presence of my husband on my honeymoon! I thought of Daniel and a night that could never be and would never be and began sobbing softly. At last, it was done. I stood completely unveiled! The ten of us tributes slyly took each other in. As bad as the situation was, part of me wanted to compare myself to the other girls. Was I prettier than the one called Robin? Was I more fair-skinned than Prudence? Was I destined to better nourish my babies than Evangeline?" Silly schoolgirl things that somehow followed us through life.

"Splendid, girls!" enthused Helene, "See, none of you have been rendered blind or struck by a lightning bolt! You are all going to shower now, then you will be issued clothing and led to dinner. In the morning, I and the rest of the staff shall begin the process of sorting where each of you will fit best and instructing you in our ways. All of you will be moving on at the end of the week."

The next room was positively amazing. These showers were nothing like those at home. There was no bucket. There was no pump. You just pushed a button and the water poured out! And it was hot! Not tepid like home. Helene issued us all soap. I will confess that I enjoyed my shower very much. We thoroughly dried ourselves with towels afterward. Helene introduced us to the

necessaries of the Great Republic. It wasn't a hole in the ground! The seat didn't have splinters! The paper used after was SO much better than corn leaves! You flushed everything away and clean water refilled the bowl. I never imagined such luxury. Perhaps things would not be so bad after all!

That is what I felt before they issued my clothing; practically transparent and absurdly tiny step-in, a short linen skirt that only fell to the top of my thighs, an abbreviated top that left my arms, shoulders, and tummy bare with no bandeau, just two built-in cups, and rattan sandals.

"If I wore this in public, back home I'd be locked in the public stocks for a week and shunned ever after!" complained Robin. A sentiment I heartily agreed with.

"Then it is very good that you are not "back home" isn't it Robin?" stated Helene which did very little to make any of us feel better. Glumly, we followed Helene to the dining room.

Such a meal! Long tables set with every delicacy including old favorites from home. We could take as much as we liked and I liked quite a lot. There was wine and beer and soft drinks. At home only married women could drink and that with the permission of their husbands. I sampled the sweet wine and found it very good. Much better than what we shared back home in the temple during services. As we dined we talked. I was seated between Robin and Evangeline. I knew Evangeline slightly, she lived one town over and my town's quilting guild sometimes held exhibitions in her town where our paths had crossed.

"What must our parents be going through?" she asked me.

"I know my mother is weeping and that my father is comforting her."

"They have their faith, at least, to see them through. I heard there isn't a single temple in the entire Republic. How will our prayers even be heard?"

"Perhaps not, Evangeline, but I do not intend to stop just because my circumstances have changed."

"What will they make us do?"

"Probably what we were doing at home, Lilybeth, cooking, cleaning, tending to babies. We can do all those things without a lot of extensive training. Look around, Can you tell me how anything works? That necessary, that shower, those lights above our heads? We are all at sea. What else would they want from us?"

"Well, Evangeline, they have dressed us like fallen women. But I'd die before I let one of them lay a hand upon me."

"Big words, Lilybeth. Big words. I'll bet they can get us to do ANYTHING!"

"I hope you are wrong, Evangeline."

We ate in silence after that.

When dinner concluded, we all realized that it was very late. Helene conducted us to a large dormitory where we brushed our teeth and settled into our bunks. Most of the girls slept in their clothes, but I didn't. I just can't. Even the briefest of slips is too confining for me. Ever since I was very young, I always slept naked. It helped that my part of the room I shared with my sisters was partitioned. I assume that it was Laurel's sleeping place now. She is three years younger than me, the closest of the girls in age to me. I arrived between my brothers Laurence and Lemuel. Three girls and two boys followed me and I missed all of them equally. The thought that I would never see any of them again was overwhelming. That fact set me to weeping and I cried myself to sleep.

An alarm woke us early the next morning. Bleary-eyed, I found my way out of my bunk and into my clothes. Instead of Helene, a different woman, Emily, a bit younger and prettier, gathered us together and herded us to a fantastic breakfast. This concluded, we were broken down to the same ten and led to a classroom. There was SO much to learn! Even basics like crossing the street we had to relearn. Some kind of magic lantern, with moving pictures emanated from a window on the wall. The Great Republic employed horseless carriages. These ran on electricity as did, apparently everything, except the stoves which ran on something called "natural gas" I didn't follow much of it but I did glean that if I was called upon to cook, I would not have to run to the woodpile for fuel and kindling. By the end of that lesson, I wanted to try out the stoves described. I also wondered if I would ever find myself comfortable in this strange new world.

We broke for lunch and that is when we encountered the boys who had arrived with us, passing us on the way to their cafeteria. Oh my goodness! They wore open linen vests that exposed their muscular chests and stomachs, tight short pants that stopped at the knee, and clung to their buttocks and revealed their calves, and sturdy boots. For the longest time, we gaped at each other, amazed at the transformation of our fellow tributes. I had always enjoyed looking at boys but this was almost too much. I noted some of them staring at me intently and I felt the color coming to my cheeks. I was indecently dressed. They were indecently dressed. None of us could do anything about it. I scanned those present, seeking My Daniel, but he was not in this group. Part of me was disappointed that I could not spy him dressed that way. At the same time, I was relieved that he would not spy myself clad as I was. This inner turmoil was perplexing.

Around the table, we girls could talk of nothing else.

"Have you ever seen such a sight?" stated Robin in an awed voice.

"Such muscles!" said Evangeline.

"They certainly do not look like the boy babies and toddlers, I've watched to earn a little money," said Prudence, who seemed shyer than most of us.

"They are so big!" exclaimed Robin.

"Is everything about them big?" asked Evangeline. "I mean their muscles are bigger, their arms are stronger, their legs are longer. What about?"

"The answer to your question is yes," interjected Esther.

"And how would you know?" I challenged her

"Back home. Once I hid in the bushes when some of the older boys and young men went swimming in the waterhole on a scorching August day, I had been collecting berries and mushrooms instead of attending afternoon youth chapel. When I heard them coming, I feared that I would be punished. Not knowing what to do I concealed myself in some bushes. They stripped. I was afraid to look but could not stop myself. They were big everywhere, but their things varied in size and length. I felt funny down there as I watched them splash and roughhouse. I waited a long time after they left before I made my way home. I got a switching for being late, but I barely felt it. My mind was still on what I saw and heard."

"You are lucky the censors didn't catch you!" I said.

"Don't I know it!"

"Did you know any of the boys?" asked Robin.

"Yes, several. One was the oldest boy from the farm next door to my family. I always thought he was incredibly handsome and I think he liked me, but, after that day, I had trouble meeting his gaze when he looked at me."

"Wow!" said Evangeline.

"Do you suppose something similar will happen to us?" I asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me," said Esther. "They've practically rendered all of us naked already."

"I never imagined I'd be wearing so little in front of so many," I stated.

"Judging by those women we saw on whatever that glass thing was in class today. It doesn't look like anybody wears much in the Great Republic. The matrons, short skirts, and all seem to be more modest than usual," said Robin.

"I can't imagine wearing this every day!: I gasped

"Like we have a choice, Lilybeth."

"I know Prudence, but still."

Lunch ended, and we were led to a room. There were women there and men! I felt most uncomfortable dressed as I was in front of strange Republican men, but they did not leer at me as some of the older men in my village were in the habit of doing. There were little tests for us to do at various tables about the room. They were interested in my sewing and cross-stitch skills. They asked many questions on infant and child care. Like most of the girls I knew, I was quite adept at taking care of young ones. Lastly, they checked out my figuring abilities with a math test and something they called "logic puzzles" which I didn't quite understand but I did the best I could.

Emily, the matron announced, "You girls have worked hard all day. Time for some fun." she escorted us to a large auditorium. All two-hundred and fifty girls sat comfortably in the room. The lights went low and an image appeared on the wall at the front of the room. Later, of course, I learned this was a "movie." It was interesting, to say the least. It was called "The Journey" and followed the life of a young tribute girl like myself. Her name was Victoria, and she had dark hair and ivory skin and was very beautiful. We saw her arrive at the very building in which we were seated. We watched her strip off in a room with other girls. To see their nudity on such a grand scale was disconcerting. I really liked the way the movie showed that the girl had spent time in the classroom without actually showing the lessons. Eventually, the girl was led out into the sun where citizens of the Great Republic had gathered.