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“We came because Cumbig heard about this new religion where wives have to worship their husbands. Ha!” Sister Kissie gave a sarcastic laugh. “He knew there was damn sure no other way I was getting down on my knees to suck his cock five times a day!”
“Kissie,please!”Sister Teebra looked scandalized. “Your language! If any of the Elders hear you, you’ll get called up for a Judgment Review!”
“Oh please—there’s no men around here.” Kissie waved one floured hand dismissively. “They’re all too busy having meetings and telling each other how important they are while we women do all the actualwork.”
Teebra looked shocked but Mia was beginning to like the woman with the unusual seaweed patterned skin. Kissie didn’t seem nearly as caught up in the cult as Teebra was—she had a practical view of what was going on in the PPP Dome.
“So…you don’t believe that men are higher than women and husbands should have the right to punish their wives?” she asked, still kneading the pale pink dough.
“Of course I don’t think that! I’m not a brainwashed ninny like the rest of them around here,” Kissie said. “Present company excluded—Teebra is a sweetheart,” she added, nodding at her friend, who still looked scandalized.
“Why are you here if you don’t believe in the Prophet or his teachings?” Mia asked in a low voice. “I mean, why are youreallyhere?”
Kissie laughed.
“Are you kidding? Where else can you live in a Smart House that does practically all your chores for you except for cooking and have somebody else raise all your children?”
“So…the PPP really does separate the mothers from their babies?” Mia asked. She knew what Brother Jonash had said, but she wanted to hear it from women, who might have a different perspective.
“That’s right—they take ‘em away as soon as you have ‘em,” Kissie said carelessly. “You’re allowed to go visit once a month on visitation day, but it’s the Aunties who raise them.”
“Those are the older women who have lost their husbands and can’t have babies anymore,” Teebra put in. “If you lose your husband when you’re younger and can still conceive, you become a Concubine of the Prophet. But if you’re older, you become an Auntie and get to care for the babies and children.”
“Like Sister Zellah, over there. She’s one of the Concubines.” Kissie nodded at a young Chakioun woman with a slender, willowy figure, large breasts, and long silver hair that reached past her hips. She was standing at another table all alone and appeared to be deep in thought.
“She looks sad,” Mia remarked after studying the other woman for a moment.
“She just had her latest baby taken away, poor thing.” Teebra sighed. “And the next visiting day isn’t for almost a month.”
“But…don’t youmissyour children?” Mia asked uncertainly. Once a month didn’t seem very often to visit your kids, she thought.
“I miss mineterribly.”Sister Teebra swiped a tear from her eye with the back of a floury hand. “I’ve had two and they’re getting so big now! But you know, we must do as the Prophet says,” she added piously.
“Please—he only wants the kids out of the way so our husbands can have the non-stop fuck fest he promised them in the brochure,” Kissie said crudely. “And no, I don’t miss mine,” she added, speaking to Mia. “I’m a Telurrian—we have litters of up to five or ten at a time! I’m perfectly fine with seeing them once a month—that’s plenty for me, thank you very much. Look—I think this bread is ready to be made into loaves.”
They parceled out the bread into oblong metal tins while Mia tried to think of how to get the answers she needed. What shewantedto ask was if there was any way out of the PPP Dome, other than the single door and the long tunnel that led to the Docking cave. But she couldn’t think how to frame the question without sounding suspicious.
They covered the loaves for a second rise and the three of them washed their hands. As they were drying them, Kissie gave a little jump, as though she’d been stung by a bee, and swore loudly.
“Kissie—what is it?” Teebra looked alarmed.
“Oh, these damn devices—they don’t fit me right!” Kissie stuck one hand down the front of her white dress, looking to Mia like a woman who is rooting around for something she put in her bra. “They keeppinchingme,” she complained. “I told Cumbig to adjust the vibration level but he’s too damn lazy!”
“Kissie, you know we’re notsupposedto criticize our husbands!” Teebra looked around anxiously, as though wondering if anyone had heard them.
“Well—it’s true! I told him to just leave them off me, but he won’t do it.” Kissie looked aggravated.
“My Dannok won’t take mine off until I’m in need of a milking.” Teebra spoke in a low voice, her cheeks glowing with a purple blush as though she was confiding something embarrassing or private.
“Er…what do you mean, a ‘milking’?” Mia asked uncertainly.
“You know—on the milking mat?” Teebra said, still blushing.
“Every domicile has one,” Kissie added. “But if you’re new here, you won’t have used yours yet.”
“But—” Mia began, but just then Sister Ersla’s powerful voice could be heard shouting,
“Lunch time! Everyone to the far table—lunch time, ladies.”
