Chapter 10: Chapter 10

One day, completely out of the blue, Hastings asked, “Would you like to have a son?”

I hadn’t really thought about it. I was happy having him all to myself. I enjoyed the fact we could make love anywhere we wanted, any time we wanted. A son would bring all of that to a halt. But I could see by his expression how much he wanted a son, and that made me change my mind immediately.

“I’d love one,” I replied. “How do we go about it?”

“Well,” he began, and I knew from the way he said that one word, he’d done his homework. “It’s quite easy. We apply to the Council of Brothers and when the next boat arrives we can pick him up.”

“How long have we got? I mean, until the next arrival.”

Hastings wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me. “A whole eight months,” he replied

The boat was only permitted to cross the Border Sea once a year. Firstly, to take the group of selected men across to do their reproductive duty and then to bring them back, as well as any eligible boys.