One Thousand Brides by Solange Ayre Read Free Book Online Page B

the next Spring Running. If we mate with them, most of us will have babies by the time we land on the new planet. Three or four babies, actually, because Terilian females conceive in multiples and so will we.”
    Many of the women in the room looked horrified. Jan continued, “But Terilian young grow up much faster than human children. By the age of six months, they’re talking and dressing themselves. By the age of twelve, they’re teenagers, learning their professions. Secondus Delos is only twenty-eight years old but he’s been a doctor for the last ten years.”
    “Don’t they have birth control?” a dark-haired woman demanded.
    Jan wrinkled her brow, wishing she’d been able to make a PowerPoint presentation. This was a lot for everyone to take in.
    “Husbands and wives can mate whenever they want—just like humans—but wives don’t get pregnant while they have children to tend. When the children reach the age of twelve and leave to learn their professions, another Spring Running is held. At that time, mated couples can stay together—or choose new mates. And the wives will conceive again.”
    She went on to tell them about Terilian male anatomy.
    The other women were still waiting expectantly. I have to tell them everything. They must have all the facts.
    She’d been a computer programmer. A solitary one who’d had few boyfriends until Gary. She wasn’t used to speaking of intimate details.
    This is different. You’re their liaison. Tell them what it was like with Delos.
    The Hall was utterly hushed as she spoke about what they’d done together in bed.
    Beth, the redheaded woman who had cried at the first meeting, addressed Jan when she finished. “So the doctor is nice. Maybe the rest of them are brutes!”
    Jan explained how the males couldn’t achieve orgasm without a female. “I think—I think if we mate with them, we’ll enjoy it.” The rest of you will, anyway.
    If only she could be Delos’ wife. But it seemed that if Taddus wanted her, he had first choice.
    It wasn’t fair. All her life she’d wanted to be beautiful. In this culture she was but it was working against her.
    The women seemed interested.
    “I get to come first? Always?”
    “They can’t jack off?”
    “You sure they don’t have tails?”
    Jan answered everything she could. Finally, Beth spoke again. “I don’t care! They made me miss my wedding! Now I’ll never have one!”
    Jan drew a deep breath. “Secondus Delos thinks we can do something about that.”
    * * * * *
    “The Brides want what ?” Primus Taddus demanded.
    “They want a ceremony to celebrate the marriages.” Raising his brows, Delos added, “And if you ever want to be happily mated, Primus, I think we’d better do what they want.”
    Primus Asher linked with the handheld computer Delos had given him, then passed it to Primus Goldus. “But Delos! How can we grow flowers in time? And we don’t have any horses on shipboard!”
    Goldus chimed in worriedly, “There are no children aboard to carry a ring on a pillow. And I don’t understand this part about garters .”
    “I downloaded samples from many different human cultures,” Delos said quickly. “I don’t think the details are important. The Brides expect festivities. Music—and a feast.”
    “Ridiculous,” snorted Primus Bardus. “You want us to put all these resources into a party ? Look at this estimate for computer time!”
    “I want us to put our resources into making our Brides happy,” Delos retorted. “Let me remind you, if they resist us, we won’t have a good Spring Running.”
    “How can they resist our pheromones?” Asher asked.
    “The human females are strong-minded,” Delos answered. “If they decide to resist, I can’t guarantee a happy outcome, pheromones or not.”
    “Why should we give these primitives the upper hand?”
    “True, their culture is not as advanced as ours. But the human females are little different from Terilian females.” Sighing inwardly,