Here readers, is another chapter of the "On Another World" saga. Again, you will read a great deal of background information at the beginning. And again, I apologize for that, but it should make the rest of the chapter read a little more smoothly. I ask you to be patient. I am by no means a professional writer...I just love writing.
More on the Qoo-jans: All Qoo-jan names are two syllables of three...and on rare occasions, four letters and are hyphenated. The letters just before and after the hyphen are nearly always the same. Male name always end in 'oh', while female names end with 'ah'. The only exceptions to these rules lie within the names of their world and their race. No one knows why this is.
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I closed the book I had been reading. I had spent most of the past of the past three days studying the history, laws and customs of Terrania, my new world. I had learned a great deal in a short time. I was living in a city named Tertapolis, which is in the province of Eutopia and is the provincial capital. This was located in the country whose name was the same as the planet itself. This took up nearly the entire southern half of Terrania's largest and northern most continent, which covers nearly forty million square miles by Earth measurement. This makes it larger than Europe, Africa and Asia combined. Again, though I have no idea why, the continent bears the same name as the planet. It is connected to its neighbor at its southeastern most tip by a very long narrow isthmus. Picture if you will, the Central American isthmus, though many times longer, yet no wider than Panama. Its entire length runs almost due east/west. There it is attached to Terrania's neighbor, Mitgartten, which is not much larger than Australia.
Time here was nothing like on earth. A Terranian year, called a cycle here, was well over twice as long as one on Earth. The days were also nearly twice as long, being over 40 hours by Earth reckoning. There are only ten months in a Terranian cycle. Yet there are ten, eight-day weeks per month. Twenty Terranian hours per Terranian day. Unlike Earth, leap years are only needed once every 10,000 cycles...Terranian years.
Terrania, the world, is very sparsely populated compared to Earth, being four times its size with only slightly more than one-quarter the people. From what I had read, I estimated Terrania's entire world population at near 1.75 billion. This was compared to Earth's 6.68 billion, though it was a complete mystery as to how, exactly how I knew or remembered that.
Yet another mystery was solved. This one about the 'Q-girls'. Since true siblings were rare here, greater emphasis is place on that relationship. Qaj-jah, being the elder, by custom became first girl in my household. Even though Qij-jah was specifically trained to serve me, starting at a very young age and that she was bound to me first. In the short time I had been on Terrania, Qij-jah was, in fact my actual favorite of the two, but I decided to live by local custom.
Later, this evening, I was to meet Verella for the first time. Verella was to become my first wife. Along with polygamy, arranged marriages were the norm here. It was my understanding that Qaj-jah had met with Verella's uncle to make all the proper arrangements. By Terranian reckoning, my title was Lord...My military rank was Grand General, which was roughly the equivalent of a Field Marshall on Earth. Simply, I was in charge of
all
the nation's military forces. Qaj-jah had told me that being related to a man like Granahkt, even if only by marriage, would give a measure of power, politically speaking. I had no doubt that he too, had something to gain from such a union. And, as much as I hated politics of any kind, I knew I would need all the help I could get to accomplish the task assigned to me by the Olygard. I quietly decided that if this young woman and I could get along well enough; I would consent to marry her.
Qaj-jah entered the room. "Is there anything that I may get for thee, my Master?" She asked pleasantly.
"Just answer a question for me, girl."
""Yes, Master?"
"Just how many wives am I expected to have?" I asked her. This information was not fully explained in my recent reading.
"For a man of thy rank and station, the norm would be five. There is no law limiting how many thou may have. But, by custom...only five, Master. The average on this world is normally three or four, but thou art of high in rank and position."
"So, nearly half the women this world will never marry?"
"Yes, Master. That is why Sappho love is permitted and somewhat encouraged here. You know...women with other women. I think the term is lesbian in thy tongue, Master. The females of this world enjoy intimacy...sex, a great deal more than the females of the world thou camest from. It is not their fault that there simply are not enough males to go around."
"I'm not blaming anyone. But five wives?" I shook my head slowly. There was no way that I really wanted to have five wives.
"What troubles thee, Master?" Qaj-jah asked me, suddenly very concerned.
I started to answer, but ended up saying nothing. I simply did not know how I could express my misgivings about my current situation to her.
She slowly approached me and slid onto my lap with a grace and smoothness that still was surprising to me. Then she put her arms around my neck and kissed me softly on my forehead. "Master, this girl begs to speak freely to thee."
"If you knew me as well as you should, you wouldn't need to ask."
She only smiled and then nodded. "Be patient, my Master." She said to me in English. "A part of thy heart and soul will always belong to thine old world. Mine sister and I understand that. Let us help thee to acclimate to thy new world. I love thee, Master, as much as mine sister loves thee. Do not concern thyself about thou having many females in thine home. The Grey Ones have given thee great strength and abilities. Dost thou believe that they would leave thee lacking in intimate matters? Please Master; do not concern thyself about Qij-jah and myself. We simply cannot be jealous...it is not possible for us to be. We are Qoo-jan. It is not a part of who we are."
How could I tell her she was only partially right? I really didn't give a damn if the Olygard also granted me the ability to 'keep up' as it were. In my youth, I would have been happy having a lot of women...and did from time to time. But as I became older, the idea of a monogamous relationship was becoming more and more appealing to me. A wife is some one to love, I mean really love! I was not sure I would be able to actually love more than one. "And what of Verella?" I asked skeptically.
"We will love her as well. As your wife, we cannot help but love her. It is our way. Again Master, we are Qoo-jah...we cannot help who we are, who we love. It just is the way things are...." She smiled lovingly at me. "It has to do with the bonding mine sister and I share with thee. In thy veins, there is a minuscule bit of my blood. Qij-jah's as well. And in our veins, a tiny bit of thine. We will love whom thou loves...we will hate those thou will hate. We are bound to thee emotionally in every way, Master. Dost thou understand now?"
I looked deeply into her eyes and nodded. "Yes, I believe that I do now. Perhaps not fully just yet. I do understand some."
"Do not misunderstand me, Master. If thou wert to be in love one who intends harm to you, we would still love them...But we would not hesitate to kill them. As painful and heartbreaking as that would be. You are and always will be our first priority in everything." She kissed me. I could see in her eyes and could feel that she had meant every word. There was absolutely no doubt of it. "Master, mine sister and I love thee more than our own lives."
I had been on this world for less than a Terrranian week and these two women were ready to lay down their lives for me if it ever became necessary. I accepted that, but didn't like it much. It was contrary to what I was raised to believe.
You're Terranian now! You need to adjust your thinking!
My subconscious yelled at me.
"Bite me." I muttered back at it.
"Master?" Qaj-jah queried.
"Nothing, little one." I answered.
She smiled brightly. "I like that, Master."
I looked her with a raised eyebrow, having no idea what she meant.
"When thou addresses me as little one, Master."
"I see...." I had absolutely no clue as to why I called her that...it just seemed to fit. I chuckled. "I guess that would make Qij-jah 'wee one', eh?"