Olan Thorensen - Cast Under an Alien Sun

“Well,” said Yozef, “I can see the logic as a solution to excess women, but it’s a brave or foolish man to have even two wives, much less more than two.”

Cadwulf smiled. “Yes, the obvious problems of two women in the same house.” His face took on a more serious demeanor. “Not to mention the ability to commit to the marriage equally and as deeply as the Word instructs. Then there’s the obligation to care for all children resulting from the marriage. More wives mean more children. That’s the primary responsibility of marriage—the children.”

“In the last case today, what if the man accused of rape hadn’t been killed?”

“If there was confirming evidence or a confession to the rape, then he’d be held responsible for the rape and care of the child.”

“What if the judges didn’t decide there was proof of rape, and the child was his? He could claim the girl consented?”

“It’s the same. If there was proof or admission that the child was his, then he’d be responsible for helping support the child. If no such proof, then the judges would rule he had no obligation.”

The classic “he said, she said” problem. There are no DNA tests here.

“And if the girl was considered too young to give consent?”

“Too young?” questioned Cadwulf. “What does that matter?”

Oh, boy .

“Could she not be considered a child herself and not of age and maturity for such a decision?”

“All persons, of whatever age, can make decisions. The younger they are, the more their age is taken into consideration in handling the consequences of such decisions. She and her family shouldn’t have put her in a situation where rape could occur.”

Zounds! We’re not in Kansas anymore.

Okan Akuyun was two hours into the current stack of paperwork when interrupted by a knock at his office door. From the rhythm and strength of the four raps, he recognized it was the tall, solid, and dangerous-looking Major Perem Saljurk, long-time aide and unofficial bodyguard.

“Come, Perem,” he said and laid down his quill. The door opened, and the officer strode across the floor and handed Akuyun a dispatch with the seal broken. Akuyun had no secrets from Saljurk, and the aide read most dispatches before deciding whether they needed to be delivered immediately or could wait.

“From Admiral Kalcan, General. A picket sloop came on a group of Buldorian ships and is escorting them to Rocklyn.”

Right on time , thought Akuyun. Captain Adalan was as efficient as he’d judged. They’d arrived as agreed, five months to the day. He opened the dispatch and read, while the major waited. Seven Buldorian ships, their usual design, each with sixteen 15-pounder cannons. No one of the Buldorian ships was a danger to a Narthon frigate, but a pack like this could be dangerous to a larger warship caught alone.

Kalcan estimated the Buldorian ships would reach the abandoned Preddi fishing village by early evening and assumed they’d anchor well offshore before any of them docked the next morning.

“Thank you, Perem. Please send the admiral an acknowledgment and request he accompany me to Rocklyn first light tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir, and I’ll arrange a carriage and escort.”

“Make that two carriages. I’ll be returning the next day, but the admiral or some of the staff going with us may stay longer.”

Akuyun watched his aide leave. There was definitely an advantage to having someone like Perem, who’d been with him so long he could anticipate.

They would ride in relative comfort, instead of on horseback, himself preferring the carriage option, since his riding skills had atrophied once he rose in the Narthani hierarchy. Also, he knew the admiral detested horses.

One more step on the path. Akuyun mentally checked off a milestone. Once they got the Buldorians settled, they could move along. Within a year, with good fortune, they could finish their objectives here. When this assignment was completed, Grand Marshal Turket hinted a successful conclusion would impress the High Command enough to pull him back to Narthon. There, he anticipated a rise in rank and assignment to either a field position or a regional command over a conquered territory. Akuyun wasn’t in love with war, but after years of administrative work dealing with political and civilian issues on Caedellium, a field position would be a welcomed change. His current rank was equivalent to a division commander, so a promotion to the field would likely be as second-in-command in a corps at a major front. Command of a reserve corps or facing a lesser enemy was also possible. Any would suit him.

He turned in his swivel chair and pulled one of several cords hanging from the ceiling. Elsewhere in the headquarters, the other end of the cord rang a small bell. Within seconds, a runner appeared in front of his desk, as he finished a short note.

“Take this to my wife.”

The soldier took the paper, saluted, and ran off. Rabia would pack an overnight valise for him, since he would spend the night in Rocklyn. He didn’t fancy riding even in a comfortable carriage the sixty-mile round trip in one day.

Next, he wrote a memo to his senior commanders to alert them that the Buldorians had arrived. There was nothing for them to do at the moment, but he assiduously kept his immediate subordinates apprised of everything relevant. He turned and pulled a different cord. This time, a clerk came in.

“Copy this memo and send copies, except the last paragraph, to Commanders Zulfa, Metin, Erdelin, and Ketin. Send the complete copy to Assessor Hizer.” The added words “invited” Hizer to accompany himself and Kalcan to Rocklyn. The assessor wasn’t formally a subordinate, so Akuyun couldn’t order him to accompany them. The Buldorians would coordinate with the Narthani navy, and Hizer would provide intelligence on targets for the Buldorian raids.

The three Narthani leaders left Preddi City at first light. The morning sun vanished behind a weather front that blew in, and light rain began falling halfway to Rocklyn. Heavier rain didn’t come until they were within a few miles of the village; otherwise, the dirt roads would have turned to mud. As it was, they made the thirty-mile trip in four hours. Akuyun used the time to go over every detail of the mission plans and the Buldorians’ role. Not that either Kalcan or Hizer didn’t already know everything, but Akuyun never missed an opportunity to reinforce every man’s position and duties. Even so, they talked it out within two hours, followed by an hour of conversation about home and families. The final hour was quiet, as they crested a low hill and saw the fishing village.

“There they are,” noted Hizer, pointing to three Buldorian vessels docked at the village harbor, while the other four anchored two to three hundred yards offshore.

“And there we are,” responded Kalcan.

Two Narthani sloops and three frigates were anchored seaward of the Buldorian ships, ostensibly to provide protection when the Buldorian crews were ashore, but also reminding the Buldorians in whose waters they sailed.

The village itself consisted of two dozen structures assumed to be meeting houses, warehouses, shops, and homes of more prominent Preddi. Surrounding this cluster were forty to fifty smaller houses and huts, enough for an original population of four hundred. Though the village citizens had avoided most of the harsher consequences of the Narthani conquest, the last three hundred had been forcibly moved to allow the village to serve as the isolated base of operations for the Buldorians.