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Chapter Fifteen: Lionel's estate

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Saumur – d'Arcy de Saumur Estate

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1st September 1824

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- Why inside?

Anne was looking at the quite huge swimming pool her son's architects had created on the deepest known level of the Estate.

- Officially it's because we like to swim also in winter, in reality it's where the most powerful node is situated. Just two yards underneath the pool's floor, Mom. If we want to use it as a leyporter, it was necessary to put as much water in its vicinity as possible.

He shrugged.

- I don't know exactly why water is always necessary to secure a leyporting node but since the Spirits insist, I just do what they ask me to do.

- You haven't tried to understand?

He frowned at his mother.

- Of course, I have! But Magic isn't something my mind processes easily, Mom. I don't know why it is so, everything should be easily understood by me but when facing magic, I'm just like everybody else who's unable to feel it. I have a brain and a fine mind, but I have only a small intuition when it comes to leylines, nodes or weaving magic.

He made no effort to hide his frustration to his Mom.

- It is frustrating but whatever efforts I made it hadn't changed a thing. You need a gift to open that door and clearly being the most intelligent man on Earth is not enough to master everything.

Anne took her son in her arms.

- Poor little frustrated genius, whispered she in his ear.

- Thanks for the sarcasm, Mom, but it still is frustrating. Really! Until now I was able to solve everything thanks to my superior intelligence and here I found limits I can't overcome…

- Everything, love? I remember a few awkward occasions when your superior mind wasn't a great help…

- That's because people are, mostly, dumb and dependent on feelings. Would they use their brain they wouldn't misinterpret what I was meaning!

Her next sarcastic answer was smothered by Napoleon's and Josephine's arrival.

Napoleon made a small bow in Lionel's direction.

- Monsieur le Comte, vous avez là, ma foi, un fort beau domaine… [My dear Earl, you've got quite a fine Estate, here, don't you?]

- Uncle Geoffrey was quite generous with me and I agree with you, Uncle. And I like the caves underneath a lot.

- What boy in his right mind wouldn't love having an underground fortress all for himself? But you must be prudent, caves are dangerous…

- Uncle Geoffrey has hired spelunking specialists to secure the caves, answered Lionel. Since I intend to host my cousins for the next weeks, he and Aunt Jane have insisted that the whole complex would be visited and secured with lights and ladders and footbridges. It's less romantic but safer.

Napoleon pointed upwards.

- I've seen that you have quite an impressive machinery up there…

- It is my Estate, Uncle, and I intend to live here when I'm an adult. And since I love research and engineering, I thought it would be best to build my labs as soon as possible. Uncle Gardiner even offered me a last generation generator. I will have enough energy to light up the whole County of Saumur.

- Not to forget the power of your brain that will shine all over France.

Anne shot a frown in Napoleon's direction. They had been here for two days now and it was probably the hundredth time Napoleon was alluding at Lionel's genius. And the boy quite liked it.

- All over the world, corrected she. Fundamental research's results belong to Mankind as a whole.

- We'll see, Mrs. Darcy. As you well know we, here in France, we don't share your brother's silly trust in Mankind's wisdom. We believe that there are knowledges that shouldn't be shared with everybody.

He shot her a knowing smile.

- And I'm quite sure that, considering your main occupation, you are sharing France's views on that matter. Some things need to be maintained under wrap as long as possible. Pearls to the pigs and so on…

- But you cannot deny that Uncle Charles' policy of publishing the results of science experiments has increased the progress tenfold. Each month I do find interesting ideas in his publications. It does help me to widen my perspectives. Secrecy is a huge brake on the advancement of science. We would all lose precious time had he not decided to make everything available. I'm quite sure that your researchers are using his publications daily.

- I'm not inclined to total secrecy but there are some inventions that are better not shared…

- And who will decide what's important or not? You? And since when does political clout give a man a scientific background? I'm quite sure you are unable to understand eighty percent of what is published by Uncle Charles. And if you don't understand it how will you be able to decide what needs to be kept a secret?

Napoleon was clearly miffed but he made great efforts not to lash out. He had, after all just got the confirmation that the smartest man in the world would live and study in France. He wouldn't let a little rudeness and arrogance cloud this day's success.

- I was thinking of a committee…

This time Lionel couldn't help but laugh out aloud.

- So, you believe that a committee peopled with bad scientists who spend their time judging those others who have the ideas they will never have, will give you sound advice? Stay with your first idea and make the decisions yourself. As I see it since you won't understand most of what's published, you'll just make your decisions based on the look or the invention's title. Science should be able to survive that…

Napoleon looked at Anne and she could see in his eyes that he wasn't satisfied with her son's upbringing.

- Is he always as rude with his betters?

- Since he hasn't yet encountered anybody whom he considers his better, I can't say! But he is always rude with what he considers halfwits. And that would be everybody else but him.

- Not you, Mom, protested Lionel. And neither is the First Consul. You are not very bright, that's a certainty, but you are much smarter than those other halfwits I meet every day. At least you've found the niche where you could do something for your family. Most people are just parasites whose existence should have been ended a long time ago…

- I'm very satisfied to have been extracted from the mass of halfwits, said Napoleon with a glitter of amusement in his eyes.

He looked at Lionel.

- Did you meet some intelligent people?

- The Niepçe brothers are smart… Not as smart as they think themselves to be, but those two are the only ones who have understood my Layered Universe Theory. They dared criticize me and my work based on their very partial understanding of it but still a small part of their remarks and comments was useable to hone out my theory.

He made a grinding sound.

- The Niepçe brothers are indeed, most of the time, smart… Davy's good too. Not smart enough to understand my basic concepts but within his specialty, he's even smarter than me. But outside of Chemistry he's just a non-entity. Babbage is good! He has a feeling for mathematics. And is a very usable engineer. Would he not be an arrogant prick who believes that only adults can have a brain for science I'd love to talk with him more. But he's very unsympathetic. A real boor.

He looked at Napoleon.

- There are a few young scientists who look like they should, one day, develop a brain, but I fear that, for now, my list is finite.

Napoleon shook his head and looked at Anne.

- He does know that he's only eleven years old?

- He does and it gives him hope that one day he will be really smart, not like today a three-quarterwit…

Lionel made a very ten-year-old bubble face.

- Mom, I never said that… I do hope that when I'm out of my growing phase my brain will indeed be more efficient, but I doubt that I will gain as much as that…

He looked up at Napoleon.

- You do know that our brain is the only organ that has almost the same size as an infant than as an adult. Grandmother Bennet says that the size of the brain is of no importance when measuring a man's intelligence. But I think she's biased since the women's brain are smaller than the men's and it irks her. And her allusions that a raven is comparatively to its brain's size a lot smarter than normal Humans, are not based on any scientific data. So, I will go on believing that since I'm still not at my ultimate brain size, there is, indeed, hope.

Josephine couldn't help but smile at Anne.

- It is when you look at your friends' offspring that you end up really appreciating your own.

- They have all their very personal strengths and foibles, I must agree with you upon that, dear… But they still are our babies.

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- Satisfied?

Lionel looked up from the floorplans he was studying and nodded at his Uncle Geoffrey.

- Totally. The transformations are fantastic. It is the same castle but it is entirely different.

Geoffrey nodded and sat at his Nephew's side. They both were in Lionel's study while the rest of the company was closing the evening outside under the oak trees where the Estate's staff had organized the last dinner.

- We have enough means in the family to do a good job when it comes to rebuild a Manor. And it will be your very own place. Hopefully the place where you will raise your kids and live with your wife…

- Or wives… I could do like you did…

- Indeed, you could but I suggest that you begin with one and once that is done, should a second candidate come up in your life, enter a very thorough negotiation phase with your first wife. In the end it will be her choice, not yours.

Lionel took a long breath.

- You are probably right, I'm not good with feelings and relationships. Better to let her manage the affair.

- Better to find the one and only who will be enough to cover every little need you'll have.

- But you have three wives. Aren't you happy with them?

- Of course, I'm happy with them, a man is always happy when he has more than one wife, the need to spread his seed is inscribed in his genetic code. The more women he has the better his situation with his peers will be.

- You are sure about that?

- I am and it is right in all the societies I've encountered, the Ghandara Matriarchal Society perhaps excluded, a man's exploits with the opposed sex does bring him status and recognition.

He made a snorting noise.

- And even in Ghandara I've seen that men who have the right touch with women are more sought out than the more sedated ones. It's just a reality you see everywhere. Even here in Christian Europe, men tend to have many relations and acquaintances. Look at the number of members of the Aristocracy or the wealthy bourgeoisie who have mistresses. Muslims like me have just a small advantage since they can wed more than one woman.

He shook his head while thinking about the best way to answer. He had already had this exact conversation with William and some day he would have it with Jonathan and James.

- And don't get me wrong, weddings are not to the man's advantage. A man will always prefer a fling to a lasting relationship. And a marriage is the highest degree of protection a woman can get in a male dominated society. Weddings are the most efficient way to protect the woman's rights within a marital association.

- But having a mistress, is, if I have fathomed the way relationships evolve, about love when marriage is about duty…

Geoffrey shook his head.

- Sometimes but most of the time it is about competition. The marriage is, most of the time, a family business. And with that I mean a business between two families which want to further a preexisting link between them. The wedding partners do what their families wish and if both partners play by the rules everything evolves in a more or less civilized manner. Mistresses being accepted because they help to maintain a link the involved families don't want to lose. But a mistress is always in danger to be thrown out by the man who has found a better victim or the wife who has decided that the game has to stop.

- Why do they accept to be a mistress, then?

- For multiple reasons but the most evident is an economical one. Being a mistress gives a woman the chance to upgrade her standard of living and if she's smart she'll use the gifts she'll receive to prepare the unavoidable breaking of her relationship.

- Why unavoidable?

- Because if it isn't love between her and the man, he will, sooner or later, look for another, younger and prettier one. And if it is love, the wife will be worried and do what is in her power to get rid of the competition.

- But isn't a mistress always a competition?

- Not at all, most of the time a mistress is an advantage for all those involved. The man gets an easy way to gloat with his friends while having a second sexual partner and not acting like a cad. The wife gets more time to do what she wants, gallivanting of her own is also within her possibilities, and the mistress gets a hand to live in better conditions than she would have in normal circumstances. As long as everybody involved doesn't let love interfere it's an excellent bargain.

- What does a cad do?

- He seduces women, beds them and once done looks for another victim. He's a loathsome piece of shit who, if he isn't of the very upper class where he is protected by the system, will sooner or later end up beaten to death by a victim's relatives.

Very aware that speaking of cads could very well push him into talking about Lionel's father's loathsome habits, he forced himself back towards the initial topic.

- Being married, even in the Muslim society where repudiation is more or less easy, gives the wife a status and the guarantee of an income since a repudiating man must pay back the woman's dowry. So, you see, marriage is something that has been established to protect women while accepting the men's bad behavior.

- Have you ever thought about repudiating one of your wives?

- Hell no! Why would I do such a thing? I love Jane and Maureen with all my heart, and I respect Yasmina like no other woman…

- You don't love Yasmina?

- Yes, I do, but not in the same way I love Jane or Maureen. Yasmina needed a husband and a way out of her father's harem. Jane offered it to her, and I have seen all the advantages I could get out of that union. I'm now wed with another beautiful woman who loves me in her own very subdued way. I can't say that it bothers me to have more than one wife. Had Jane not proposed that we marry Maureen I would have accepted the situation. But Maureen would have been unhappy and so would have been Jane. To make them both happy there was an easy solution, I just had to accept to have two wives.

He smiled at Lionel.

- It never was a burden, believe me, and I didn't hesitate even for a second. The fact that they love each other has made it the easiest decision of my whole life.

- So, you are all happy together…

- We are and when you have a multiple consorts arrangement, the real question is, indeed, about everyone's happiness.

- How do you know that, Uncle? Somedays I'm not even sure that I am happy. How would I know if another is happy?

- It's not easy but there are ways. First there is the basic question: do all the members of the marital group get what they need? Not in the material sense of need but in the emotional sense.

- And, do you?

- I think so, son, I think so! It's not always easy but if you take the time to listen and talk whenever one of your partners needs to share, you will be able to know if something is ajar. And to do what's necessary to rectify what's felt as unsatisfying.

- How do you do it? All together or two at a time?

- There are no rules how to begin but, in the end, all involved must be present. No secrets and no deceptions. That's a thing I learned when I was a newly wed and it was Jane who taught me. There's no good lie that will guarantee the success of a relationship. Every lie is a nail in the relationship's coffin.

- I'm not sure I understand…

- Let me explain. You do love your sister, don't you?

- Indeed, at least I think I love her. I'm not sure what love is but she is one of the few person I care about.

- That's indeed a good beginning. Are there things your sister does that you don't like?

- Of course, a few, but they are of no importance. We aren't together enough to let them spoil our relationship.

- What if you would be forced to live constantly together, would you go on saying that they are of no importance?

- Probably not but I still wouldn't point them out since I believe my complains would make her angry and we would quarrel.

- Exactly, you would quarrel and fight but whatever happens you will still go on being siblings. Now imagine the same things between strangers who live together because, for a time, they love each other. What would happen if they began to quarrel constantly?

- They'd become crazy…

- They would risk that indeed but, before that happens, they would probably decide to put an end to their torture and stop being together. And that separation would happen only because, for what looked like excellent reasons, you didn't talk about the small things that were annoying you. In the end you will split because, perhaps out of respect or love, you've refused to point at things you knew were annoying but that you thought you would be able to put up with because of your feelings for that other person.

He sighed and shook his head.

- Love is a marvelous thing but love doesn't magically transform you into a better person, son. You will still be who you were with your preferences and aversions. And with the flowing of time, love will dim, and your aversions will grow! So, as Jane taught me the only way to avoid future explosions is to speak immediately about what you believe will, one day pose problem. And if you have pointed at those things while love still tainted your life with a golden hue, that particular thing will never grow into a weapon you'll use against your partner.

Lionel took a long breath and looked at his Uncle.

- So, what you really mean is that secrets are never a good thing and that it is best to always speak about what annoys you.

- Annoys or pleases you… The important thing is to share everything. Love isn't about hiding what you think because you fear that it will infuriate your partner to hear you decry him or her but expressing it in a respectful manner. Always remember that most people were biased and imperfect before you fell in love and that having you love them hasn't changed their true nature. When you love somebody, it is your duty to express what you feel about them and their little flaws. Being honest is not something people do very often but it is required if you envision to enter a sane and loving relationship with a man or a woman you fancy. Once he or she knows what triggers you it's up to them to find a solution -or not- but it will be out in the open and never come back to bite any of you.

- It's all about frankness, then, said Lionel. And frankness I can do easily…

- Don't forget the respectful side of the frankness. We all know that you are the bluntest boy around but when your comments come out too sharply it is often identified as rudeness by those you target. And they don't like it at all. Especially the adults who you denigrate way too easily.

- Only those who are dumb enough to believe that because they are older they are also smarter, said Lionel. They don't understand anything of the problem and still they think themselves allowed to mess with me. Who do they think they are?

- They think they are adults who, because of their greater age, should be treated with respect by what looks on the outside like a normal child.

- I respect those with enough intelligence to understand what I say. The others are just above cattle and don't deserve my deference.

Geoffrey shook his head and turned around to look Lionel in the eyes.

- Lionel, life is not easy on anybody. Not on you and not on most people around you. I know I just professed that frankness is the ultimate advantage when you deal with people but that's only the case with people who, like me, Jane or your parents, love you. With strangers there is another quality that's called diplomacy that brings you a lot more advantages than frankness. Especially with idiots who believe themselves smart enough to have an opinion on everything.

- Rob has tried to teach me but it wasn't a success. Dumb people grate on my nerves and, most of the time, after two sentences I've forgotten to be diplomatic and I tell them what I think about them…

Geoffrey couldn't help but laugh out aloud. He had seen that very thing happen so many times that most people thought that young Lionel was a lout.

- First, Rob Roy is the last who should teach you diplomacy since he's no diplomat at all. He's a good warlock and an astounding storyteller but he's is so full of himself that he needs only two minutes to become everybody's favorite opponent.

- I like him, he's fun…

- He's a funny arrogant prick!

- Some say that of you too…

- I doubt that the funny part is present but I have reasons to believe myself superior, son. I'm the best strategist in the world, I've married the most beautiful women available and I have a list of titles that's two pages long.

- He's the only warlock known…

That stopped Geoffrey's diatribe.

- Well, there's that, indeed… But whatever he is and whatever you are, having a small skill in diplomacy will help you to avoid useless conflicts.

- I'm quite good at smashing my opponents, said Lionel with a satisfied smile. Most of them don't come back for a second serving.

- The key words being "don't come back"! What you consider as today's victory could be tomorrow's defeat if the person you humiliated turn out to be a person you would have needed. Whose help you would have needed. It's not always about winning, son! It's from time to time about not burning your bridges.

Geoffrey made a 'follow me' sign and stood up.

- Let's go to my favorite diplomat, son. I'm quite sure she will have better arguments than me.

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- Diplomacy?

Jane's frown was as cute as usual but it was also clearly showing her doubts.

- I really think he should learn the basics. He's too cheeky for a boy his age. Most adults don't like his answers.

- Most adult men don't like smart women…

Geoffrey shot her a frustrated frown.

We aren't here to digress about gender disparities, are we?

No, but it is always pleasant to remind my dear husband that there are differences between genders.

I know that quite well, and I love each and every difference…

Back into seducer mode?

I'm good at that, am I not?

As long as you stay within your current specialization, you are the best…

Jealous?

Not in the least, only possessive.

- Am I still welcome?

Geoffrey shook his head?

- You see, totally too cheeky.

Jane nodded and made a shooing gesture with her had.

- Go seduce your other wife, love, I have important things to do, here.

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- Is it your idea or his?

- His, answered Lionel. I'm perfectly satisfied with the world as it is.

- He isn't wrong, you know, you are too cheeky for a boy your age. Even the smartest of man needs to survive in society and being too cheeky does make you a lot of unneeded enemies.

- I'll deal with them…

- I'm sure of it but not yet and not easily, so, why not try the cool and pleasant path? You don't need to antagonize everybody, you know? Ignoring people after having shown that you are well-behaved will help you quite a lot. Most adult don't even look at children, at least not at other people's children. If you nod, smile and greet them politely you'll soon disappear from their world.

- But most of them are dumb and what they say is even dumber.

- So, what? Do you have the sacred duty to render every idiot in the world smarter?

Lionel frowned at Jane and finally shook his head.

- No, but…

- No buts, dear! Compared to you, every single man and woman on earth is an idiot, do we agree?

- We could perhaps exclude the Niepçe brothers and Babbage, said Lionel. But for the rest you are right.

Jane acknowledged the little trio of geniuses Lionel considered as not dumb and went on while smiling smugly. Another, less honest boy, would have included her and Geoffrey in his little list.

- Do you really believe that your time is so worthless that you can waste it trying to educate all the idiots who are going to cross your path? Don't you have a lot of really important things to do?

- Of course, I have, said Lionel.

- Why waste your time then with unwinnable battles, dear?

- It irks me…

- Did it ever have a favorable result?

A smug smile appeared on Lionel's face.

- It's from time to time pleasant to humiliate a really gross idiot…

- And you think that humiliating a man who's high enough in society to have been introduced to your Mom or us, is a favorable result? Those people, even if they are gross idiots do tend to be spiteful too.

- I don't fear them…

- Neither do we, dear, but sometimes it is better to reduce the number of your sworn enemies and to stop increasing it. And, even if it is not very plausible, there are some gross idiots we, as a family, need to have on our side as truthful allies. It's called politics and it help your cousin William to reign in a more sedate fashion.

She let a mischievous smile appear on her lips.

- Gross idiots are a lot easier to manipulate than clever and brilliant young rebels…

There she stopped and made a face.

- …If they are not irked by said clever and brilliant young rebel's not very polite behavior, that is.

Lionel who was clever and very attached to his Aunt Jane's good opinion, let out a long sigh.

- I'm sorry! But…

She stopped him with a finger on his lips.

- No buts, dear. I know that you are doing your best and I don't forget that being an eleven-year-old often solitary genius is not an easy burden to bear!

He nodded enthusiastically. It was indeed a huge burden to be surrounded by people who, *Link* excluded, had not the least inkling of what the Universe was really about.

- But, went on Jane, what makes you such a brilliant human being should also be used to improve your overall behavior. You are smart enough to understand that there are behaviors that are rude and offensive. Why, when you clearly know that you are doing something that will have unwelcomed consequences, go on?

He stopped his incoming protest and forced himself to ask himself the same question.

The fact was that sometimes his reactions were not as spontaneous as he had made himself believe.

There were moments when he enjoyed humiliating a person who had been especially rude…

Well not really rude in the social sense of the term but rude to his scientific mind. Dumb was something he really loathed. And when he found himself loathing a person, he often couldn't help himself…

- It's as if I would snap, said he finally. I listen to the shit they utter, and it overcomes me, and I just can't stop myself. It's too difficult not to react. I immediately know that it is foolish to do it, but there is that little satisfied voice that whispers that since I've launched the whole thing, why stop? Why not bring it to its often satisfying finality?

Jane nodded and made an inviting gesture.

Lionel was immediately in her arms.

- It's not a bad thing, whispered she, to have a sleek tongue that follows your sharp mind's desires. In the future that particular gift will be very useful if you learn to use it to argue without ever humiliating your opponent. Arguing is a necessary social habit. Bullying is a loathsome social behavior that will make you an outcast and a loner. And since you are and smart and upgraded you have everything within you to become the world's worst bully!

She pushed him softly away to look him into the eyes.

- But you have also everything within you to become the world's greatest seducer. Not that seducing is always a good thing, but it is a lot better than being a bully. A bully's life is grounded on fear while a seducer's life is grounded on becoming everyone's favorite.

She smiled at him.

- You are already one of my favorites, and I'm very aware that you are at just an inch to discover that seducing people is so much easier than antagonizing them. I remember you as a babe, dear, and there was no woman who was able to resist to your smile. And that changed when you began to fathom that most people were not as smart as you. And it clearly disappointed you…

- They just seem to refuse to see what's evident, Aunt… Why would they do that?

- Because it is like blindness, you can live with it and you can create processes to overcome a part of the handicap, but without eyes you'll never know the difference between colors. Red or blue will for ever remain a mystery for the blind. You must look at people's dumbness with the same outlook. They will never be able to compensate every difference that exists between you and them. Should you take the time to explain, they will get better at understanding, but they will never be able to be as smart as you. They'll never know how 'red' looks like when compared to 'green'. It doesn't make them bad people just people with a terrible handicap they will never be able to overcome.

- Presented in that manner it makes me feel bad…

- No need to feel bad, you didn't know how to deal with your gift when compared to the absence of said gift with others. Just avoid, in the future to treat those others you will meet as if they would do it on purpose. They don't! And I'm quite sure that they would love to be more like you want them to be, but, since you even think that upgraded scientists are too dumb, I fear nothing we know will be able to really improve what they are.

She forced him to look her in the eyes.

- To stay on our comparison with blindness, just keep in mind that blind people, if they are not in an environment they know perfectly well, will bump into things, stumble and even, if they are unlucky, fall. Laughing at them because they fall will hurt them and will depict those who laugh at them as heartless bullies. And it hurts me each time you are portrayed in that manner.

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- Of course, you can ask even if it is a personal question. The worst you risk is a refusal to answer.

Lionel nodded and rehearsed one more time the question he wanted to have an answer to.

As usual when confronted with personal matters he had no real idea how to express the question in a natural manner.

Let's try to come there through a little bit of context.

- You have sisters in marriage…

Jane frowned at him and shook her head. Not to deny it but to express her surprise.

- I suppose this is not the heart of your question since everybody knows the truth in that matter. I will nevertheless answer and give you the possibility to ask a little more than that.

This time she nodded.

- I have indeed two sisters in marriage. And we are not…

She stopped and crossed her fingers in front of her.

- No, that's not how I need to say it. We are all hugely different and I don't have the same relationship with Maureen and Yasmina. I do love them both with all my heart but if Yasmina is a sister in every meaning of the word, that's not the truth with Maureen. Maureen is a lot more than just a sister, she's my other soul mate, Geoff being the first one.

- So, you love her more?

- Not more, differently. There is a fiery passion between us you won't find between Yasmina and me. I love Yasmina and I love to protect her and nurture her. But Maureen doesn't need to be protected, what links me with Maureen is a resonance of the souls.

Here Jane's smile became mischievous.

- And we live a perfect physical complementarity. She's my soulmate and my guardian angel. I couldn't go on living normally without her at my side. When I am with her and Geoffrey I feel a wholeness I don't feel otherwise. As if everything I will ever need has been provided.

- Is that normal?

- I'd say yes because for her and me it is normal, but if your question is: is it the same for other people living within the same sort of marital arrangement, I'd have to say no. Most of those who have a multiple wives' arrangement are in a lot worse situation. If they are lucky, there will be a link between the wives that looks like what exists between Yasmina, me and Maureen. If they are unlucky, or, if you can believe what Yasmina has to say about her father's Harem, living a normal harem life, it is a lot more like a continual battle for the Male's attention. What I would call war on a small scale. A war with casualties and even fatalities.

- Are there also marital arrangements with one female having multiple husbands?

Jane's frown became a little deeper.

- Not that I know of, dear. There have been in History, even in British or French History, female rulers who had used their power to have more than one paramour but all in all, outside of Ghandara which is a Matriarchal society, there had never been a polyandrous society.

- Polyandrous?

- The word that you use when one female marries more than one husband.

- Why hasn't there been such societies?

- We cannot be sure that there haven't been such societies, a lot of what has happened in History has happened before writing was developed, so there are long periods we know nothing about. But if there is one thing that's sure than it is that a polyandrous society will be a matriarchal society. No patriarchal society will accept that a woman gets so blatantly the overhand over more than one male.

She snickered.

- Just imagine the scandal such a situation would have provide in London ten years ago.

She took a long breath.

- And probably still would. So, it must happen within a matriarchal society. And we know one of those, don't we. Let's take the only real example I know of a society where women chose their partners and get rid of them whenever they think of changing.

- You mean Ghandara…

- I do indeed! Ghandara is a perfectly assumed and accepted matriarchal society. Women have not only the political power, they also own the land and the houses and they are the only one who have the abilities to become weavers. And weavers are, as you should know, tremendously powerful individuals.

She took a few seconds to muster her thoughts.

- I'll give you a few examples. A truly powerful fire-weaver has the power to torch another Human Being into a little dead crispy doll. A water weaver can suck the water out of your body while never ever being in your vicinity. An air-weaver can apply such a huge pressure on the inside of your lungs that they make them explode. And an earth-weaver can render your bones so brittle that every pace you run makes more of your bones shatter.

She made a face.

- I think only healers like me don't have an easy way to get rid of an enemy. It would be frustrating but not really since Maureen is my shield and is a fire weaver…

She forced herself out of her mental sidetrip.

- We are, and you'll agree with me, speaking about very lethal powers. Women with such powerful spells don't need male protectors. They need only themselves and no man who hasn't been able of surprising them will ever be capable of hurting them. And that has created another type of relationship between man and woman there. The women are the choosers, and the men are the chosen. Marriage doesn't exist like here. A man stays until the woman decides that thir relationship has lasted long enough. The children are the woman's and the girls will inherit the mother's wealth and skills while the boys will join the flock of males the women maintain. Men provide the seed and, if they are good in bed, sexual satisfaction. That's it… Why would such a woman want to attach more than one man to her?

- Not all Matriarchal societies have been dabbling in Magic, Aunt. A normal matriarchal society without magic would perhaps have that polyandorous feature.

- Po-Ly-An-Drous, from the Greek poly, numerous and androus, males. To compare to Polygamy, from Poly and Gamein, women. And, no, I don't think so. I can't prove it, of course, but marriage is definitely a Patriarchal institution that has been created by the clergies to protect the women from too much abuse by the dominant males. In a matriarchal society the women aren't at risk since they are the conduit to power and wealth. They will do what powerful men do too: they will pluck those men they fancy and dump them when they are done with them. Not a very glamorous situation for the male part of the society but like it was with women in our societies they will have to find other ways to shine and become famous. War could be the perfect channel to a better future. One way or the other…

Lionel sucked in Jane's comments and finally nodded.

- I can see why you consider that polyandrous marriage as a normality would be a nogoer in any type of society, but it still could happen, couldn't it?

- Of course, it could, Human Beings are prone to test a lot of things in their lives, but I believe that such a strange experiment would very soon become very unsustainable because of the inherent competitiveness of the Human male. A man is wired to be the best and the most successful. Imagine two or more men sharing the same woman, they would perhaps accept the situation in the beginning to wait out the woman's ultimate choice. But should the situation last too long, I'm quite sure that the odd truce between the sharing males would soon disappear. And once that happens, it would be ugly. Not only for the males involved but also for the female. You don't play that sort of game with impunity.

- But, protested Lionel. If women can do it why not males?

- Because women are the social beings within Mankind. They share and talk and try to find common grounds even if they hate each other's guts with gusto. They do it because they must protect their offspring and to do that peace is better than struggle. Men, on the other hand, are the competitors and the warriors. What women could accept and if you listen to Yasmina, even them don't do it systematically, men will never agree to. If no solution is found, it will probably end up resolved by violence.

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Soon to come… A Chapter looking Central Asia and Spain

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