“No, it’s not like that this time. She—”
“I don’t care why she picked me. I’m not going. Now, go away and leave me alone.”
Stiffening, Zikas scowled at Theo. “Fine, don’t believe me, but you will go. It’s against the law to refuse, as you well know.”
“Lock me up then.” Theo shrugged.
“They won’t lock you up. They’ll drag you to The Testing, tie you up, and leave you there. You can go willingly, with dignity, or you can be dragged. Your choice,” Zikas finished, crossing his arms.
“Are you threatening me?” Theo barked as he rose to his full height. Any other male would have cowered in the face of an enraged Theo.
Zikas however leaned in close, looked Theo directly in the eyes, and said, “Yes. I am.”
Chapter 11
Jade looked at the contents of Theo’s folder blankly. It seemed the translator in her ear did not also translate written words.
“Can you help me out here?” she asked, handing the folder to Asivva.
“Mm-hmm.” She nodded. “Before I read this to you, I need to explain a few things.”
Jade sat back on the couch and waited. This oughta be good.
“In many cultures on this planet but especially here in Tremanta, Clecanian children start going to school when they are about seven years old. The subjects at that time are what you would consider normal. Reading, writing, history, arithmetic, technology, science, and so on. When Clecanian boys turn seventeen, their education is split in half. Half of the time, the boys take classes that coincide with whatever job it is they’ve chosen. The other half of the time is spent in husbandry school.”
A grin spread across Jade’s face. “Are you messing with me? This must be a joke. They go to school to learn how to be husbands?” An image of teenage boys wearing dad jeans and mowing the lawn popped into her mind.
“As you know, there are many more males than females here. The way our society decides who’s deserving of a wife and child is based, in part, on their grades in husbandry school.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Jade shrugged, too tired to be surprised by any more absurdity today. “What else is it based on?”
“Many things. They have to make enough money to care for a wife and child, they have to have a clean bill of health, be of a certain age…things like that. Females mostly care about their grades, though.”
“What are they graded on?” Jade asked, curious.
“There are a few classes every male has to take and then there are some they can choose. Cooking and childcare, for example, is mandatory. A husband must know how to make a good meal for his wife and, with any luck, his children. A class about pairing beverages with food, however, is optional. The males train in both schools until they’re about twenty, then they take their final exams and earn their grades.” She held up the folder Jade had handed her. “Everything you need to know about them is in here.”
“And you’re sure they’re okay with this?” Jade said, feeling guilty about what the men have been put through in order to have the chance at a family. “Being forced to learn how to do all of these things for women? Don’t any of them feel used?”
“I don’t believe so.” Asivva frowned as she thought about Jade’s question. “If they were resentful, all they’d have to do is not dote on their female. They wouldn’t be picked for marriage again and could go on living how they choose. Many males here will never have the opportunity to prove themselves to a wife, so when they’re given the opportunity, most are grateful, not angry.” Asivva grasped one of Jade’s hands. “I can answer as many questions as you want about the dynamics here, but it’s unlikely you’ll truly understand our culture unless you’ve lived in it. Our culture isn’t perfect. It’s been molded by our needs, not our wants. For now, try to accept what we tell you as truth and make your assumptions about the way we do things after a few months have passed.”
On some level, Jade agreed with Asivva. There was no way for her to truly understand what the people of this world felt about this system. Not until she lived in it for longer than a few days. So far, she’d only spoken to a few men, but none of them had seemed oppressed.
“Well, let’s hear it then. What kind of scores did these boys get?” Jade asked, clapping her hands together.
“I’ll start with their backgrounds. Fejo specializes in retrieving lost goods. Clients hire him to find stolen and or lost items,” Asivva said with pursed lips.
“And…?” Jade asked, sensing the woman did not approve of Fejo.
“Well…there’s a rumor that not all of his jobs are completely legal.” She glanced around the room uncomfortably. “In addition to retrieving stolen goods, he may also, on occasion, do the stealing.”
He actually is a pirate! Am I ready for a life of crime?
“On to Theo,” Asivva continued. “I know he’s a mercenary hired through the government but there isn’t too much information available about any specific job. I do know that most of his work is done undercover and alone. He’s very good at what he does and is often hired by powerful individuals. That is probably why no details are available.”
“That sounds ominous.” Jade wondered if it was better to choose someone who did bad things out in the open or in secret.
“Both Fejo and Theo are wealthy. Theo is slightly more so.” Asivva continued, “They’re also both in excellent shape. Fejo tends to travel for work, which may be why he hasn’t been married yet. Females generally want their males to be close by at all times. A child wouldn’t do well if their parent was always gone. Theo lives about an hour from the city
