Stranger in a Strange Land

«Haven't met 'em.»

«You will. But Mike is the only one who can be certain that soon. Very occasionally, Dawn, or Patty, will spot somebody … but never as far down as Third Circle and they always consult Mike. Not that they have to. Anyhow, into Eighth Circle and sharing and growing closer starts. Then Ninth Circle and the Nest itself — and that's the transition service we mean when we say “Sharing Water” even though we share water all day long. The whole Nest attends and the new brother becomes forever part of the Nest. In your case you already are … but we've never held the service, so tonight everything is pushed aside to welcome you. They did the same for me. Ben, it's the most wonderful feeling in the world.»

«I still don't know what it is, Duke.»

«Uh… it's lots of things. Ever been on a real luau, the kind the cops raid and usually ends in a divorce or two?»

«Well …yes.»

«Brother, you've only been on Sunday School picnics! That's one aspect. Have you ever been married?»

«No.»

«You are married. After tonight there will never be any doubt in your mind.» Duke looked happily pensive. «Ben, I was married before … and at first it was nice and then it was steady hell. This time I like it, all the time. Shucks, I love it! I don't mean just that it's fun to shack up with a bunch of bouncy babes. I love them — all my brothers, both sexes. Take Patty — Patty mothers us. I don't think anybody gets over needing that. She reminds me of Jubal … and that old bastard had better get down here and get the word! My point is that it is not just that Patty is female. Oh, I'm not running down tail — »

«Who is running down tail?» a contralto voice interrupted.

Duke swung around. «Not me, you limber Levantine whore! Come here, babe, and kiss your brother Ben.»

«Never charged for it in my life,» the woman denied as she glided toward them. «Started giving it away before anybody told me.» She kissed Ben carefully and thoroughly. «Thou art God, Brother.»

«Thou art God. Share water.»

«Never thirst. Don't mind Duke — from the way he behaves he must have been a bottle baby.» She kissed Duke even more lingeringly while he patted her ample fundament. She was short, plump, brunette to swarthiness, and had a mane of heavy blue-black hair almost to her waist. «Duke, did you see a Ladies' Home Journal when you got up?» She took his fork and started eating his scrambled eggs. «Mmm… good. You didn't cook these, Duke.»

«Ben did. Why would I want a Ladies' Home Journal?»

«Ben, stir up a couple of dozen more and I'll scramble 'em in relays. There's an article I want to show Patty, dear.»

«Okay,» agreed Ben.

«Don't get ideas about redecorating this dump! And leave some of that for me! You think us men can do our work on mush?»

«Tut, tut, Dukie darling. Water divided is water multiplied. Ben, Duke's complaints never mean anything — as long as he has enough women for two men and food for three, he's a perfect lamb.» She shoved a forkful into Duke's mouth. «Quit making faces, brother; I'll cook you a second breakfast. Or will it be your third?»

«Not even the first, yet. You ate it. Ruth, I was telling Ben how you and Sam pole-vaulted to Ninth. He's uneasy about the Sharing-Water tonight.»

She pursued the last bite on Duke's plate, moved over and started preparations to cook. «Duke, I'll send you out something other than mush. Take your coffee and skedaddle. Ben, I was worried, too — but don't you be, dear; Michael does not make mistakes. You belong here or you wouldn't be here. You're going to stay?»

«Uh, I can't. Ready for the first installment?»

«Pour them in. You'll be back. Someday you'll stay. Duke is correct — Sam and I pole-vaulted. It was too fast for a middle-aged, prim and proper housewife.»

«Middle-aged?»

«Ben, one bonus of the discipline is that as it straightens out your soul, your body straightens out, too. That's a matter in which Christian Scientists are right. Notice any medicine bottles in the bathrooms?»

«Uh, no.»

«There aren't any. How many people have kissed you?»

«Several.»

«As a priestess I kiss more than “several”, but there's never so much as a sniffle in the Nest. I used to be the sort of whiny woman who is never quite well and given to “female complaints.”» She smiled. «Now I'm more female than ever but I'm twenty pounds lighter, years younger, and have nothing to complain about — I like being female. As Duke flattered me, “a Levantine whore” and unquestionably more limber — I sit in lotus position when I'm teaching, whereas it used to be all I could do just to bend over.

«But it did happen fast,» Ruth went on. «Sam was a professor of Oriental languages; he started coming because it was the only way to learn Martian. Strictly professional, he wasn't interested in the church. I went along to keep an eye on him. I was jealous, even more possessive than the average.

«So we worked up to Third Circle, Sam learning rapidly and myself grimly studying because I didn't want him out of my sight. Then boom! the miracle happened. We began to think in it, a little … and Michael felt it and had us stay after service one night … and Michael and Gillian gave us water. Afterwards, I knew that I was all the things I despised in other women and I despised my husband for letting me and hated him for what he had done. All this in English, with the worst parts in Hebrew. So I wept and moaned and made myself a stinking nuisance to Sam… and couldn't wait to share and grow closer again.

«After that things were easier but not easy as we were pushed through the circles as fast as possible. Michael knew we needed help and wanted to get us into the safety of the Nest. When it came time for our Sharing-Water, I was still unable to discipline myself without help. I wanted to enter the Nest — but wasn't sure I could merge with seven other people. I was scared silly; on the way over I almost begged Sam to turn around and go home.»

She looked up, unsmiling but beatific, a plump angel with a big spoon in one hand. «We walked into the Innermost Temple and a spotlight hit me and our robes were whisked away … and they were in the pool calling to us in Martian to come share the water of life — and I stumbled in and submerged and haven't come up since!

«Nor ever want to. Don't fret, Ben, you'll learn the language and acquire the discipline and you'll have loving help all the way. You jump in that pool tonight; I'll have my arms out to catch you. All of us will, welcoming you home. Take this to Duke and tell him I said he was a pig … but a charming one. And take this for yourself — oh, you can eat that much! — give me a kiss and run along; Ruthie has work to do.»

Ben delivered the kiss, the message, and the plate. He found Jill, apparently asleep, on one of the couches; he sat down facing her, enjoying the sweet sight and thinking that Dawn and Jill were more alike than he had realized. Jill's tan was unmarked and just the shade of Dawn's; their proportions were identical — in rest even their features were more alike.

He looked up from a bite and saw that her eyes had opened, she was smiling. «Thou art God, darling — and that smells good.»

«You look good. I didn't mean to wake you.» He moved across and sat by her, put a bite into her mouth. «My own cooking, with Ruth's help.»

«And good, too. You didn't wake me; I was just lazing until you came out. I haven't been asleep all night.»

«Not at all?»

«Not a wink. But I feel grand. Just hungry. That's a hint.»

So he fed her. She let him do so, not stirring. «Did you get any sleep?» she asked presently.

«Uh, some.»

«How much sleep did Dawn get? As much as two hours?»

«Oh, more than that.»