Dawes hunkered down on his heels, resting. He was tired; his muscles would ache in the morning. But the colony was off to a flying start. The stockade was built and the homes were erected.
'Swell job, everyone,' Haas congratulated them. 'We're right on schedule. And it's wonderful the way you all pitched in and did your share.'
'What about wives?' Noonan asked loudly.
A tense, apprehensive giggle began among the women, and rapidly spread through the group. Haas held up his hand for silence. 'I was just getting to that part of it now.
It's the one remaining item of business.'
The women looked strained, oddly tense, as Haas organized them into a group for the mate-picking. Dawes studied their faces. Cherry Thomas was smiling. Some of the other women looked worried, pale, tense. Those were the ones who had never been married, who had dreamed of a different sort of wedding night, before their number came up. Others, those who had left husbands behind on Earth, were obviously thinking of their loved ones trillions of miles away.
Haas unfolded a sheet of paper and frowned. 'The time has come to couple off. The instructions I have suggest the following recommended procedure for handling this: as a volunteer, Ky Noonan has the right to take first pick. As colony director, I get second pick. After that, we proceed in order of computer registration number an order known only to me, at the moment. I think that way is better than any other system, and unless I hear any strong objections that'll be the method we'll use.'
No one spoke. Dawes privately wished that someone would speak up in favor of a more gradual system - say, letting things take their natural course, couples forming as the days went by. But colonies were warned against such arrangements. It was far safer to establish couplings right at the start, having everyone in the small community setded at once.
'Very well,' Haas said. 'We'll go down the list. Each man will select a woman, but she has the right of refusal.
In case your choice refuses you, you don't get to pick again until every other man has spoken. If anyone remains uncoupled after three run-throughs, I'll make assignments myself. Okay. Noonan, as a volunteer you've earned the privilege of picking first. Step forward and name your choice.'
Noonan came forward, smiling calmly. He was the biggest, most aggressive male in the group, and he gloried in the confident knowledge of his own superiority.
He ran his eyes insouciantly down the row of waiting women. A strange mixture of emotions appeared on fifty feminine faces. Some of the women seemed fearful of being picked by him, others openly hostile, others pleadingly anxious.
After a moment of hushed silence, Noonan said, 'All right. I pick Cherry Thomas.'
Dawes let his breath out explosively. He had been certain that Noonan would pick Carol Herrick - but he had bypassed her in favor of the older woman, for some reason.
Haas said, 'Miss Thomas, is this choice agreeable?'
Cherry Thomas stared levelly at Noonan, appraising him frankly. 'I guess so,' she said. 'If Noonan wants me, I'll go with him.'
People snickered. A little testily, Haas said, 'This is marriage, Miss Thomas.'
'Don't hand me any damned piousness I' Cherry snapped. 'You aren't any better than me, and don't forget it!
'I—' she stopped. 'Okay. Sorry. Maybe I earned that crack. Okay, Noonan will do.'
Haas made an entry on his list. 'So be it. You can have your pick of any of the bubble-houses. Suppose I say now that any marriage can be dissolved on Osiris by approval of the council, once we have a council. Until then let's try not to have any split-ups.'
Dawes watched Noonan and Cherry stroll away to take their pick of house sites. No ceremony? He wondered. It didn't seem so. The simple act of picking solemnized the marriage. Well, Dawes thought, it's a brand-new world.
Perhaps it's better this way.
Haas was next, and to no one's surprise picked Mary Elliot, who accepted. That was a foregone conclusion, of course.
The colony director looked down at his list again, and announced that Lee Donaldson had next pick. Donaldson, a strong, commanding-looking man, strode forward and announced his choice loudly: 'Clair Lubetkin.'
Claire reddened, fidgeted, nibbled her lower hp. Haas put the question to her. She wavered indecisively, glanced around at the other men, and finally nodded. 'I accept the choice.'
After Donaldson came Howard Stoker. He came forward in his bear-like, rumbling walk, with the dirt of his day's labor still clinging to him.
He eyed the women as if making up his mind at the last moment and said, 'Rina Morris.'
Ninety-odd pairs of eyes focused on Rina Morris. The red-haired girl drew herself up stiffly. She looked at the thickset, ugly Stoker with an expression that was anything but friendly. 'Sorry. I'll wait a turn.'
Stoker scowled at her angrily. 'Okay. If you're going to be that way, to hell with you. I pick Carol Herrick instead.
Dawes whitened at the thought of Stoker pawing over Carol. He wanted to shout out, to protest.
But Haas said, 'Sorry, Howard, I told you before that regulations don't give you a second choice until everyone else has spoken.'
'But—'
'You heard me, Stoker.'
'Dammit, I'm not going to wait at the end of the line I Just because that girl is too proud to have me, I—'
Haas said in a voice that suddenly crackled with authority, 'You'll do whatever I tell you to do, Howard. Get back in line and wait your turn. Mike Dawes has next choice.'
Stoker grumbled something, spat ostentatiously, and walked to the rear of the group. Dawes stumbled forth red-faced, still astonished at the sudden reprieve. Carol had been picked by Stoker, and Haas had refused to allow the choice, and now it was his choice—
A row of faces confronted him. Kindly maternal faces; frightened faces; amused faces. And one face above all others. Dawes searched for the words.
'I p-pick -I pick Carol Herrick.'
Haas smiled. 'Miss Herrick?'
Dawes waited for an agonizing span of time. He could not look at Carol's face. He stared away, at the ground, too tense to draw a breath.
Finally she said, in a voice so soft it could barely be heard, 'I accept.'
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dawes and Carol left the clearing together, walking rapidly away without speaking, virtually without looking at each other.
He said to her finally, as they approached the circular row of bubble-houses, 'We'd better pick one out.'
'Pick any one you like - Mike.'
He glanced at them. The domes were empty, merely arching shelters against the downslanting winds, but they did provide a place to sleep if you didn't mind the ground. Colonists weren't supposed to mind little things like having to sleep on the ground until there was time to build beds.
He pointed at the bubble-house that adjoined Noonan's. It might be a good idea to have Noonan as a neighbor, Dawes thought. Just in case of trouble.
'Let's take that one,' Dawes said.
They walked toward it, Dawes carrying his own suitcase and hers, each with its twenty pounds of personal possessions. At the entrance to the dome he paused, wondering vaguely whether he should bother with the old ritual of carrying his wife across the threshold. He nearly put down the suitcases to turn to her; then, changing his mind, he simply walked inside the dome. She followed him in.
Within, the dome covered an area of perhaps two hundred square feet. There would be room for a bed and perhaps a clothes cabinet of some sort, not much else.