The Clever Fox: Part One (The Pleasure Hound Series) by Ines Johnson Page A

them concerned with the material trappings of the world. Trappings like clothing and status. As for the men, the passage of this bill would directly affect each and every one of them. Yet, they lusted after the woman who held the fate of their testicles in her virginal, entitled, untried hands.
    The seas parted and Lady Alyss drew near to him. Emet set his face to the unaffected mask he’d learned from Elder Gerry, his former teacher at the temple. The mask failed him and crumbled when she came into full view.
    Lady Alyss stepped forward in a masterpiece of a garment. It was a gown that Emet knew. He’d seen it hanging in his home just the other day. The color was simple. The detail was all in the fabric. The pattern knotted around the bodice, banding her breasts into a swell that threatened to spill over the top. It clinched at her small waist and then lassoed around her ass, which Emet got an eyeful of as she steeped up to the podium beside her with a smile lashed with cunning. The Male Voice had told him not to underestimate Lady Alyss and her family. Emet had been wrong to ignore the male’s words.  
    She turned to him. Her eyes expectant. Expecting what? To trip him up at seeing her in Adom’s dress? That she flaunted her money before him? He wasn’t sure what her game was, but he wasn’t about to play with her. The fact that she was playing a game showed that she wasn’t taking this matter seriously; that she didn’t care for anyone other than herself. She likely had a manservant order the dress so Adom was none the wiser.
    Anger boiled inside him. She could try to get inside his head if that was her game. But Emet would not stand for anyone toying with his mate.  
    Sister Dynesse, of the Chamber of Energy, banged her gavel and the chamber immediately came to order.
    Lady Alyss stood at the podium representing the Chamber of Health and Sciences. To her left stood a young woman he knew to be Lady Milysa. She represented the Chamber of Worship.
Emet stood to the right of both women representing the health and well-being for all males in society. As the presenter of the bill, Lady Alyss had the right to speak first.
    “For centuries, our society has been plagued by low birth rates in general, but low births of females in particular. For a time, we could not sustain ourselves until we bonded as triads. We did this originally not to placate men and give them the opportunity to bond with a woman. We did this to increase the likelihood of birth rates. If one man was infertile than another would step into his place.
    “Hundreds of years later we see the fallacy of our thinking. It is not the frequency of fornication, but the quality of the seed that will answer the problem of more female births. I’m pleased to inform you that today we can now see the quality seed with our own eyes.  
    “My family’s advances in gender selection studies has identified the female spermatozoa. By isolating this genetic material, we can guarantee female births. We have successfully completed animal trials with no casualties. We request permission to move onto human trials.”
    “What Lady Alyss proposes is heresy.” Lady Milysa began. “It is the Goddess who determines the sex of a soul, not a scientific instrument.”
    “Every bonded triad prays to the Goddess for girls” countered Lady Alyss. “Scripture tells us that the Goddess helps those who help themselves. We now have the ability to help ourselves.”
    “The men of the twentieth century tried to solve its problems with science.” Lady Milysa looked pointedly at Emet. “See where it's gotten us all.”
    “If I may speak?” Emet spoke quietly and bowed his head though he wanted to stick out his chin and shout. He waited for Sister Dynesse to acknowledge him before he continued. “More female births would be a blessing to our society.”
    He caught Lady Alyss raise her eyebrows at him.
    “But man-kind is concerned that this science will take away a basic, Goddess