Justin Caas - The Third Sex

Major Luckner replied stiffly, “Despite these silly word games I now ask Erin—-do you deny raping my daughter?”

I replied. “Yes, I do.”

The Major gave a self-satisfied smirk. “So you admit it, just calm and casual like that.”

I said nothing.

Judge Royster interrupted, “Major you seem to have failed to grasp the meaning of the answer to your own question. Erin has said yes, I do deny raping your daugher.”

Somewhat abashed the Major continued, “Do you deny that you had intercourse with her?”

“No, I do not deny that. I would seldom deny a woman of the right age and state of health the option of being mated when she asks for it.”

“I can’t believe my ears,” Mrs Luckner expostulated, “our little girl coming out and asking such a thing, it is unheard of.”

“You said she asked,” here the Major spluttered a little, “to be raped, I mean savaged in this way and a virgin as well. What words did she use in this extraordinary request?”

I replied, “She did not use words. A woman seldom phrases a request in such bald terms but by her body language and other means she indicated a complete readiness.”

“This is preposterous,” the Major raged, “I’m going to lodge a formal complaint. He’s already admitted he is guilty of the deed and …”

The judge interrupted, “Major, does that mean that we should close this enquiry now as you seem set on lodging a formal charge?”

The Major reflected. The publicity surrounding such a scandal would not be good. His daughter would be the laughing stock of the town. Besides, the man was shrewd enough to realise that he had a very thin case. He conferred briefly with his wife. “We need to clarify just how this permission-without-words took place. Do explain it to us,” he said, again, staring at me malevolently.

“A woman can signal amorous intent by flirting and following this up with coquettish mannerisms and sly hints and innuendos”

“Flirting is not permission to rape—I mean take advantage of, and besides my daughter would not dream of flirting. She is pure in thought and deed.”

“Thomas interposed, “Major, it may come as a surprise to you to learn that your daughter is the biggest flirt in town. I can call upon at least a hundred boys who will readily back up what I say.”

The Major didn’t like the direction this was taking and tried a new tack. “Suppose you just tell us exactly what took place that night, sparing of course the details of your depraved act.”

“After supper, Lucy approached me saying that she had something to show me and asked me to accompany her to what I understood to be a guest room. Plenty of people saw us go in. Lucy turned to me and said in a provocative way that she wanted to see what I looked like as she had only heard about the “Third Sex” and wanted to see for herself what it looked like.”

Mrs Luckner shook her head, held it in her hands.

“I am quite a literal person. I obliged her curiosity by removing my pants. She then did the same saying that he wanted to compare the two styles of opening and moving closer uncovered herself and studied both with a thorough scrutiny. Then making a stumble she reached out to my shoulder as if to steady herself and in so doing we both fell back against the bed. At this point, if what dozens of boys have reported, Lucy would then hastily cover herself leaving the overwrought male to fight down his natural urges alone.

If Lucy had tried that tactic, nothing further would have happened. Studs do not force themselves on people any more than dogs do if they are invited to mount a woman. Except that Lucy did not withdraw. I suspect—and I mention this only as a guess—that what Lucy really wanted to do was to see how far she could provoke me with her body before I was overcome with helpless passion. Lucy has great experience in judging such moments and would have covered herself at the last moment.”

Both Luckners were aghast at what they referred to as ‘these wild and groundless slurs’.

Judge Royster again interrupted. “I want to hear what happened next. You will get your turn Major to refute what is said.” The judge looked to me.

“Yes, sir. Well we were both naked in the places that count and as I have explained nothing further would have happened except for one thing. Your daughter,” I looked at Major Luckner, “was on heat and very excited. The concept of actually being taken excited her even further. Pressing her luck further she urged me to get it out , those were her words and it did come out but only for one reason: that reason was that she was ovulating and her body was desirous of being impregnated, even if her mind was denying it. So having confirmed her willingness by her smell, I obliged her and have to add that despite a squeal when her virginity was taken, she very quickly recovered and became an enthusiastic participant in the action.”

The Major looked as if he was having a fit. His face was suffused with anger and veins stood out on his forehead in a way which threatened to burst. “This is outrageous slander. Claiming that my daughter…”

Again the judge intervened. “Major please do not shout. I also remind you that an action for slander may succeed only if what is said is actually true. If you wish to have that tested in open court, that is your right. But it is not what we are here to do today, which is to gain a clearer understanding of what happened and why.”

“I found the words by her smell highly offensive and hardly an argument sanctioning his conduct.”

“Major, I shall now impart an insight into the nature of Studs of which you may formerly have been unaware. Studs are creations of science, more specifically genetics. They were created specifically for the purpose of impregnating women who desired babies. The genotype shares much in common with the canine species and like canines, Stud are endowed with an acute sense of smell. So sensitive is this that a Stud can actually smell when a woman is ovulating and further when she is physically receptive to mating. These are very basic and low-level cues and can’t be faked. A woman can say one thing but she cannot disguise the message from her physical body. Yet even here, those scientists who created the Third Sex managed to build in an additional safeguard—that if a woman even at the last moment decided not to proceed, then the Stud would accept and honour that decision. What I am saying to you is in effect, it is physically ‘not possible’ for a Stud to rape anyone. The only crime of which he could be convicted is if he impregnated a willing but underage girl. Your daughter is clearly not in that category.

The room fell silent as this information was digested.

“I still disagree,” Major Luckner objected, but with none of his former forcefulness.

“Then by all means, test the reality in open court. In such a case your daughter may have to take the witness stand and if the facts surrounding the gentleman’s explanation,” here he glanced at me, “are proven to be true, then you risk public ridicule as well as a counter-claim for damages.

I think we have gone as far today as is possible and I urge both parties to think carefully on their future courses of action. Unless there is a further matter, the meeting is closed.”

Major Luckner interposed a further objection, “Now that my daughter is probably pregnant, who do I look to for redress?”

The judge glanced at me. I responded, “Sir, that is not possible. For pregnancy to occur a Stud’s testicles must descend outside the body. Any medical exam will show that this has not happened. Your daughter has not been fertilised, at least by me.”

Both Luckners decided that this was a good time to leave further questioning lest it lead to new discoveries and further embarrassment. Mrs Luckner marvelled at how little she really knew of her daughter’s life and motivations—no doubt as parents everywhere have done.