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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58827 ***
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+                           BY WINSTON MARKS
+
+                              WEDDING DAY
+
+          _Some folks say a good wife is a composite of many
+             things. And sometimes a girl finds it tough.
+       But with the ratio of the sexes drastically changed...._
+
+           [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
+              Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1955.
+         Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
+         the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
+
+
+At breakfast Polly and June had an argument over the coffee. Polly had
+brewed it. June thought it was too strong. Doris and Sue stayed out of
+the argument at first.
+
+Polly defended, "Sure, it's a little stronger, but men like it strong.
+You might as well get used to it."
+
+June said, "See here, he's got to make some concessions. After all, why
+should four of us suffer--"
+
+"Suffer? You call being married to Hollis Jamison suffering?"
+
+"Don't be so impressed. He's not doing badly marrying us, either. He
+could do a lot worse."
+
+"Why, you vain witch! Just because you play a fair game of chess--"
+
+"Oh, I'm not taking all the credit. You're a fine cook, Doris is witty
+and Sue's body would make any man's mouth water--but that's just the
+point! Look what he's getting! Why should we have to change all our
+habits and tastes to conform with his?"
+
+Now Doris entered the argument. "You know darn well why! It's still
+a man's world and a man's choice. Back when there was a man for
+practically every woman, it was different. But it's five women to one
+man right now--don't ever forget that--five to one, and so far the law
+only requires a quadracell. Just be grateful you aren't the one who's
+left out. You and your chess-playing! How far would you get attracting
+a man, all by yourself?"
+
+"Shhh, now, all of you," Sue broke into the telepathic conversation.
+"Let's clear the dishes and get the apartment straightened up. Hollis
+did make one concession--moving in with us, instead of making us live
+in that dismal bachelor's hole of his. Let's not make him regret it."
+
+They heeded Sue and got busy. Sue was the arbiter. She ruled the
+quartet with a gentle but confident mind. All four knew that her lithe,
+athletic body with its soft curves and golden hair was the greatest
+asset in this transaction of matrimony.
+
+There had been no dissension on this point, nor could there have been.
+The bureau would never have allowed them to be together and form a
+marriage cell had there been the slightest dispute.
+
+Many differences of opinion were allowable, but the four had been
+carefully screened in certain matters of basic tastes. They liked the
+same colors, foods, styles of clothing, video programs, sports and
+vacation activities. All were carefully schooled ambiverts of roughly
+equal education. Instead of conflicting, their differences of skills,
+talents and personality traits complemented each other.
+
+Even with all this care in selecting and matching, however, the big
+test was the culmination of the marriage, itself--the whole purpose of
+this banding together. The unpredictable quality of the most stable
+feminine emotions made the choice of a mate most difficult of all.
+
+This awareness was in all their minds this day, and it made them a
+little nervous. Even the argument that had started over the coffee had
+been faintly alarming to Sue. They were a team, welded together by the
+wonderful gift of telepathy, which was only possible through formation
+of a marriage cell. The most complete intimacy of thought and feeling
+had been nurtured for a whole year before marriage was permissible.
+Sympathy, tolerance and sharing a common experience with mutual
+enjoyment and happiness was the keystone of the polygamous unions.
+Nothing must spoil it now.
+
+The delivery vault thumped, and the signal light flicked on. Sue rushed
+to slide up the door.
+
+"Orchids!" they chorused mentally, and Sue noticed with satisfaction
+that June's thought was as strong as the others. The lovely flowers
+were put in the cooler, the apartment was tidied and they turned to the
+exciting task of becoming beautiful for their handsome husband.
+
+The tiff over the coffee was forgotten as they became immersed in
+sprays, powders, tints, cosmetics, body ornaments and the precious
+nuptial perfume. This latter, issued to them only yesterday when they
+signed the register and received the license, was now as traditionally
+exclusive to weddings as trousseaus had been centuries ago.
+
+Feminine clothing, of course, had long since been eliminated from the
+occasion, along with other redundancies such as waggish and mischievous
+guests, old shoes, rice and hectic honeymoon trips.
+
+The official and religious arrangements had been completed yesterday at
+the registry and the chapel, the union to become legal and effective
+at noon on this day. When Hollis Jamison walked through their door at
+twelve o'clock he would bring four gold rings, and the moment the rings
+were placed on the proper fingers the ceremony was complete.
+
+Doris said, "Let's steal just a tiny whiff of the perfume. I'm too
+curious to wait."
+
+June and Polly were game, but Sue cut them off. "Not on your life! I
+used to know a chemist at the hormone labs where they compound this
+stuff, and he told me about it. We have things to do, and if what he
+told me is true--well, it's very distracting."
+
+Polly backed her up, "I hear it is terribly volatile. I guess we
+wouldn't want it to wear off before Hollis came."
+
+"Hollis!" The thought was June's, and it came thin and quavery.
+"What--do you suppose it's like to be married?"
+
+No one answered, for there was no experience among them. Each had
+her own romantic idea, so cherished, so private that even within the
+intimacy of their clique it was too sacred to discuss.
+
+Suddenly June said, "I'm scared."
+
+The thought had come sharply and unexpectedly. It was contagious. Polly
+said, "Me, too."
+
+"Of what?" Doris asked, "Of drinking strong coffee the rest of your
+lives?"
+
+It was a weak, nervous stab at humor, and Sue knew that Doris was as
+jumpy as the rest of them. "Steady, gals," she said sympathetically.
+"It'll be worth it. We want a baby, don't we?"
+
+It was the right thought at the right time. Sue felt their minds relax,
+and the thought even did her some good. A sweet, little, round, pink
+baby--
+
+She let the mental picture flow out to the others, and the little
+crisis passed.
+
+The minutes flew, and soon it was five minutes to twelve. "Have we
+forgotten anything?" Sue asked.
+
+"The perfume!" Polly and June said together.
+
+"Hurry!" Doris said. "I think he's coming."
+
+The seal on the tiny vial was broken, one drop on each breast, and the
+rich, exotic fumes exuded a gentle, warm excitement that was entirely
+different from the innocent scents they had known.
+
+The door was unlocked, and now it opened.
+
+Hollis stepped in, bronzed body bared to the waist.
+
+"The flowers!" Polly wailed inwardly. "We forgot the orchids--"
+
+But Hollis Jamison didn't notice the discrepancy. He advanced smiling
+from his gray eyes and strong mouth. Sue opened her lips and her fine,
+white teeth showed a welcoming smile. She was proud of her lovely body,
+and June, Polly and Doris shared in that pride.
+
+Sue held out her left hand with fingers outstretched. Her man came
+forward jingling the four rings in his right hand. He paused before
+her, drew her left hand to his lips, kissed the little finger and slid
+the proper ring on it, then, in order he kissed Sue's other three
+fingers and banded them with the remaining rings, symbolic of the four
+separate feminine entities who dwelt in this one magnificent body.
+
+And with each ring he said a name: "June, Polly, Doris, Sue--"
+
+He straightened and gazed into the two blue eyes.
+
+"I thee wed," he said simply.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Wedding Day, by Winston Marks
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 58827 ***