The As soon as his head hit the hide-roll, his hand slipped off the thing he called a Laminate.  All of the floating words disappeared, I knew no one else in the room could see them, I hadn't been able to until he set my hand on it.  I reached down and grabbed his hand like he had mine earlier and put it back on the clear Laminate between us, and the floating words came up again.

I looked over all of them, glad that all girls were required to read, for the first time in my life.  In the middle of the item was the doument he pointed to earlier, 'Certification of Binding Marriage'. I read through it quickly,  and then went to the spouses line he pointed at.  First wife: Cassie of Springfield; Second wife:  Gina of Springfield; Third wife: Coran of Springfield.

I looked over the Laminate and saw two more squares like mine and called the other girls over.

"Cassie, Gina, I have to show you this, come here." The two girls were timidly approaching.  The men might control agreements between the tribes, but we woman control inside the tribe.  These two just made the decision of our next tribal chief, the older women will be furious with them for taking this decision from them.  Cassie was the chief's only child, his five wives having all passed during childbirth, Cassie's husband would be the new chief.

I grabbed each of their hands and placed them on the squares like Jesse had done to mine, then pointed at their names.  

"We have a problem you two."  They both looked at me, their eyes still showing the wonder mine must have only a few minutes ago.  I then pointed at my new husband's birthdate listed in the same document.  July, 4th 3100.  "When we pulled him out of that room it said today was July, 4th."  The two girls with me paled.  We had just married a man on his day of birth.  By the old tribal laws this meant that we would not be able to back out of our wifely duties whenever he asked.  It also meant that we agreed to never attempt to kill, or divorce him.  And if he died, we were to commit suicide immediately upon recieving the news.  The three of us were now life-bound to this stranger.

It's my fault as well.  But when I look over to our fathers, they are all smiles.  We are the first three girls in the past twenty years to take a husband without being forced, and decided on a new clan chief at the same time.  They may not be as happy in a few minutes when I announce the feast preparations.  I'm the third wife, making family celebrations my job.

I point to our fathers, a scowl, learned from my mothers, prominently decorating my face.  "You three, prepare the birthday feast for your future chief."  All the men in the room knew what this meant, everyone now knew what we had done, three new brides, life-bound to their new husband, and even if they killed him, they still couldn't take us as their own.  If we were invaded and this man was killed, three more women would be lost.

Our fathers were no longer smiling, but carried out the duty a third wife had just given them.  They would not be allowed to sleep within the walls for a month, if they failed to carry it out.  Although, now we had a man in the tribe we couldn't order, all because his birthday gift was us, his three new wives.

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He was pleasing to the eyes, and his voice, even if only asking for food, made me quiver.  Gina stood next to me, and we darted out the door as soon as he asked for food.  Going to the storage house, Gina's mother let us in.  We grabbed a few berries, and a few of each of the edible plants we had managed to find, then ran back to Coran's house.

He might make a good plaything.  Gina may not be so lucky, but we had always agreed that we would choose the same man as our husband.  So why not Coran's new guest?

I told Gina the plan, and she smiled and nodded, I think she was just happy this wasn't going to be forced.  It wasn't often women chose to get married, but we each had to do it after our first cycle, when we were officially women.

We walked in, each of us going to either side of Jesse's makeshift bed, laid our small portion of food next to him, and then silently laid our hands on his arms.  I heard the men gasp, I got the desired reaction again.  They are so easy.  

When we saw Coran touch him as well, this man's future was sealed.  Our Brightest tailor, and now, the only healer apprentice in our tribe, and then there is me, all married to the same man.  

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Coran looked panicked as our new husband fell back asleep.  She called us over, and grabbed my hand and set it on the clear thing the two of them had been looking at.  Words appeared in mid air and I know, I couldn't hide my wonder at this magic.

She pointed at one of the groups of words, the one that had my name; and then pointed a little below that.  As I looked at it, my mind went blank.  I willingly married a man on his birthday.  And that day was today, worse, I'm listed as the first spouse.  

I felt my face turn red at the implications, and slumped to the floor as Coran broke the news to our fathers in the harshest way possible.  By ordering them to prepare a birthday feast for their new son.

I want to die, but I'm now prohibited from even doing that without his permission.

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I sat up in the bed, the room was now empty of people except for the three girls who were now my wives, and myself.  Coran looked unhappy, Gina and Cassie sat off to the side, I still don't know which is which.

"Hello girls.  Mind telling me what you three thinking by marrying a complete stranger?  Actually by looking at your faces, I don't want to know.  Looks like there is a lot bothering you now."  I lift the pelt blanket off of me slightly and realize there isn't a stitch of fabric on me.  " um, so could I get some clothes?"  One of the girls who I didn't know yet stood up and walked over to me.  Her brown hair, cut just past her jawline made her face look smaller, and less childish.

"I am your second wife Gina, here are the pants I was told to make for you when you were brought back."  

I looked at her ears and noticed there were small trickles of dried blood and a decorated fish bone earring hung in her ears.  I looked at the other two, and saw the same thing.  I know that Coran's ears weren't pierced earlier.

"Why did all three of you pierce your ears while I was out?"  I asked, a bit more firmness in my voice than I intended.

Gina who was still next to me was the one to answer.  "It is a sign to everyone, including our neighboring tribes that we are married, and life-bonded.  If you die, so do we."  

I lowered my face into my awaiting hand, having trouble believing what this young girl just said.  And in a deadpan voice no less.  I grab a grape out of one of the bowls the girls bright me earlier, then throw the blanket off and slide into the pants my wife brought me.  There wasn't a shirt; in fact none of the men were wearing shirts earlier.

I look up and all three of my wives were red from embarrassment.

"Did I do something wrong?  All three of you are embarrassed."

"None of us have ever seen a naked man before, well Coran, has, but she is a healer, those don't count.  They haven't let her in the healing tents for the past three months."  Cassie answered.

"So I'm guessing you are Cassie then, my first wife? "

"Yes, Jesse,  we are preparing your birthday celebration for tonight.  But there is something the three of us need to know in order to complete everything.  How old are you?"

I looked at the black-haired, blue eyed beauty that was too young to be a wife In my mind, then down to the Laminate.  I placed my thumb on one of the activation squares, then called the three over.  

"Let's find out together, shall we?"  Each one put their thumbs on the three remaining squares to make the holograms visible to them, I cycled through the documents and found a birth certificate.  And also the record of Cryogenic Stasis.  I quickly did the math and looked at the girls.

"Well. Not counting the time in the tank, I'm fifteen today."  I said.

"The three of us are twelve."  Coran said.  Gina pointed at the Cryogenic Sleep order and asked about it.

"I was forcibly put to sleep in a way that my body stopped growing.  If we included that time in my age, I would be six hundred fifty-five years old.  But I don't want to think about that, nor do I want to be considers that old."

"Yes Elder."  The three said together.