Olan Thorensen - Cast Under an Alien Sun

“Cania Narberth. Now there’s a good-looking woman,” whispered Filtin, as they passed a black-haired woman in her late twenties. “To bad she had to get married. She and I had some times.”

“Before he was married,” added Cadwulf.

Filtin continued his running travelogue, as they passed a teenage girl with long auburn hair. “Ah, one of Gerrael Horsham’s daughters. Elwin is her name or something close to it. A little young yet, but in another year or two our young Cadwulf will sniff around her.”

Cadwulf laughed. “No, in this case. It’s best to avoid complications with more than one woman in the same family.”

“You dog,” laughed Filtin, “I assume that refers to the oldest daughter, Rhawna?”

Cadwulf sniffed. “An honorable man does not discuss such details among common louts such as yourself.”

“I’ll have you know I am not a common lout,” declared Filtin. “It takes effort to stay an uncommon one!”

Although Yozef told them he had not had thoughts of women, meaning sex, since he arrived, what he realized was that he had not consciously had such thoughts. He had been noticing females more lately, though he hadn’t realized how much until minutes ago. As it always seemed here, realization of one issue raised more questions and problems.

Trying to sound nonchalant, he asked, “Exactly what are the customs here on Caedellium, as far as men and women are concerned?”

“I assume you don’t mean how they dress different,” replied Cadwulf with a mischievous grin.

“He means how do they undress ,” ribbed Filtin. “Or more to the point, how does a man get a woman to lie back and spread her legs.”

Yozef’s face heated. “I mean, if they’re attracted to each other, what are the customs here? What’s considered appropriate behavior?”

“Appropriate behavior?” said Filtin. “That all depends on who you ask.”

“True,” Cadwulf conceded. “The Word sanctions the union of husband and wife but is not clear on non-husband and non-wife. You can get the theophists to argue endlessly over the issue without coming to a consensus. What the Word emphasizes is the responsibility to care for any children that result.”

Filtin’s jovial expression became more serious, as he listened to Cadwulf’s words. “And it must be that the woman is both of a reasonable age and willing.”

Cadwulf nodded. “Definitions and customs vary. What is defined as ‘appropriate age’? Parents will believe it’s several years older than the girl does. There’s also some sense that a person is less respectable if he or she is too frequent or public in relationships with the other sex. On the other hand, it’s a fairly common custom for two such persons to acknowledge the relationship in front of others, in case a child results. That way, there is evidence of fatherhood, if necessary.”

“That sounds better than what really goes on,” Filtin qualified. “Too often, there’s some reason not to want to be public, such as embarrassment or the perceived objections of family or friends. Not to mention that opportunity and urges might not fit with planning or rational thought.”

“True,” said Cadwulf, “which is why, whether fair or not, the burden falls more on the woman to be sure of circumstances and intentions. Especially since she needs to know her monthly bleeding cycle. Unless she’s too much a simpleton, she knows that the chances of getting with child are greatest the sixdays around her time.”

“That gives her at about four sixdays each month when it’s safe, if she wants to avoid getting pregnant,” said Filtin.

Hmmm . . . considered Yozef. That’s interesting. The larger of the two moons here had a thirty-six-day orbit pattern. The month divisions were matched on the same cycle, and women here must have their ovulation cycles synchronized with the moons, as on Earth, except here it was thirty-six days, instead of twenty-eight. So, for maybe two-thirds of each month, a woman here could have intercourse with a lower risk of pregnancy, assuming she was regular and kept accurate track.

I wonder what this means for customs on extramarital sex?

Before he could ask, Filtin answered .

“Mothers teach daughters to be aware once they start their monthly bleedings, but when she reaches her full size, she’s considered an adult and responsible in this matter.”

“That coincides with reaching what’s considered the usual marriageable age of seventeen,” added Cadwulf.

Seventeen ? Yozef did a quick conversion. That was about fifteen years on Earth.

“So, if I understand, when she’s of marriageable age she might start to engage in sex. Are there any restrictions for age or position of the man?”

Cadwulf shrugged. “While it’s not considered good behavior for a man too much older to have relations with a much younger woman, that’s her responsibility.”

The two Caedelli continued with Yozef’s sex education class for several more minutes. Yozef listen carefully. It was evident relations were condoned outside of marriage.

“Ah . . . is there any problem with . . . ah . . . illnesses passed between a man and a woman when they have sex?”

“Diseases?” queried Filtin. “Why would there be? Sex between men and women is natural. Why would God design diseases to prevent it?”

“Oh, just wondering,” said Yozef. So, no STDs came along with the transplantation from Earth. I wonder whether that was planned or a side effect of sampling from small, isolated populations? Of course, with those nanomachines or whatever, that wouldn’t supposedly be a problem for me, anyway.

“What about relations between two people who are already married to others?”

Filtin grunted. “That’s different.”

Cadwulf agreed solemnly. “There might be room for different interpretations of women and men outside of marriage, but the Word is very specific once you’re married. To violate the marriage bed is a major sin.”

Filtin nodded agreement. “And for even the less observing people of the Word , there’re the practical implications. Inheritance goes through children of the couple. Children from infidelity can be excluded from inheritance. Husbands can divorce their wives if the women have been unfaithful.”

“In theory,” said Cadwulf. “Though if most of the property was originally the wife’s, it reverts to her, so husbands might be hesitant to divorce in those cases and just take it out on the wife by beating her. Another option is to accuse the other man of infringing on the marriage and ask for a monetary penalty. That requires making it all public, shaming everyone involved, and having proof a magistrate will accept.”

“Can a wife divorce a husband for his being unfaithful?”

Filtin looked surprised. “The wife divorcing the husband? That rarely ever happens.”

“Except for cases like you saw in the justice session,” Cadwulf chimed in. “You must understand that in a divorce, unless there are extenuating circumstances, the children and the property of the couple go with the father and his family, if the father demands it. This means that if there are legitimate children, the wife might only ask for divorce if the husband didn’t want the children or any property that once belonged to her. Otherwise, she’d have to go back to her family with no children and no possessions, except her clothing.”

“And you don’t see this system as putting more burden on the woman than on the man?” queried a disgusted Yozef.

Filtin raised an eyebrow. Though he didn’t say anything, Yozef interpreted the expression as, “What are you talking about?” Cadwulf seemed to consider this a novel idea, although he simply said this was the custom.