The Epicene Effect
By Jerry Leckie

Chapter Six

    As Tom and Toby stood before him, Kennedy suddenly appeared to be overcome. His hands made a dismissive gesture and he shrugged his shoulders. "I seem to have no words to express what I'm feeling at this moment. And, I've waited almost a lifetime for it. Please forgive an old man then, if all he can do is stutter and stare."

    They smiled shyly and came to his rescue. Knowing that this was a person of some importance, Tom took off his cap and introduced himself. Then, Toby stepped forward and did likewise. In return, Kennedy pulled them into a hug for a long moment. Nick and John stood by smiling, knowing the emotions that must be racing through the man. At length, Kennedy regained control of his voice and said, "Well, you've had a long journey today and, being young, you must be starving. Luckily, I have lunch prepared with enough food to feed an army."

    At the mention of lunch, their growling stomachs occupied most of their attention, but once inside Kennedy's house, Toby and Tom looked around curiously. They could not imagine living in a dwelling made of felled tree trunks. They had no frame of reference for this place. Actually, they had no frame of reference for anything that they had experienced since leaving the city.

    As Nick and John entered the house, they removed their caps and Kennedy immediately noticed the bump on John's head. He looked at Nick. "What happened?" he demanded.

    "We had a bit of trouble on the way here. We were going to file a report with you later."

    "You've had trouble before, but no one has ever been injured. Tell me now."

    Nick recounted the incident, praising Tom and Toby's courage and quick thinking. He noticed tears in the boys' eyes when he mentioned the deaths of the gang members. Turning to them, he said, "I'm sorry we had to take human life to protect ourselves. But, it was us or them. Now you've seen what happens to men when they loose their civilization. May you never see it again. We're working very hard here to construct a world where men will never loose their civility."

    Kennedy nodded with a smile. "I'm just happy that I have you back safe." He turned to Tom and Toby. "And, I'm so pleased that you arrived here safely, for you are very precious to us. Now, come. Lunch is waiting. I'm sure you are ready to refresh yourselves after your ordeal." Nothing more was said about the attack; however, Kennedy stated that he would report the incident to the valley council. And, he predicted that it would decree that all further imports of goods and personnel would be airlifted into the valley.

    During the meal, it became apparent to Kennedy, Nick and John that the two youngsters were unable to frame the million questions forming in their minds. So, they tried to provide information that might prompt the boys.

    Between bites of the tasty lunch, Nick suggested, "Guys, Doc Kennedy established this village. Doc, tell them how you came to live in this valley."

    "Yes please," Toby piped up. "This place is very remote. How did you find it?"

    "It was a memory from my youth. My grandfather worked in the mine here as a very young man. And, I remembered the stories he told me about it as a child. When it became apparent that I should withdraw from society, I searched and found it. Fortunately, no one lived here, for the mine had closed many years before."

    "Did you come here alone?" Tom wondered.

    "No. A large group came with me. The people that joined me about thirty years ago--scientists, statesmen, educators--found themselves in similar circumstances, scorned by their peers to the point that they could not continue with their occupations. Then, as civilization as we knew it began to crumble and the grip of government tightened on society, others who were sympathetic to our cause joined us. For, you see, by that time, we had formed a world wide network of enclaves such as this. Finally, we began to bring men such as yourselves in."

    "You mean there are others like us here?" Toby asked excitedly.

    In answer, Kennedy sat back and said, "You boys have been wearing those contact lenses all day, and you are not used to such things. Why don't you take them out and give your eyes a rest?"

    Tom and Toby took the lenses out of their eyes and blinked in time to see Nick and John doing the same. "You're like us?" Toby asked eagerly.

    "Not quite," Nick said ruefully. "And, before you ask, we'll explain that to you later. But, to follow up on what Doc just said, we were rescued from a church the same as you."

    "Are you a couple?" Tom asked.

    "Yes, we are," John said, taking Nick's hand. "We have a house not far from here."

    Tom took Toby's hand. "Thanks for bringing us here."

    "It was our pleasure. Now that you're here, you'll be able to live your lives as you should."

    "What will we do here, or for that matter, what does everyone else do here?" Toby wondered.

    "They live," Kennedy said. "Some of us, like myself, do scientific research. Some teach, some write, some compose music, some write plays. Some are farmers and ranchers, mechanics, engineers, smiths and builders. Some make things and some sell things; you saw all of the shops on the way here. You name it and we do it here. We encourage people to be as creative and entrepreneurial as possible."

    "Yes," Nick interjected, "because one day, places like this all over the world will be the centers of civilization and people will have to know how to live happy, free, productive lives without the artificial control of totalitarian governments. There's no one left alive on the outside who remembers how to live without a central government making all of their decisions for them."

    Kennedy said emphatically. "Also, we may have diverse interests and occupations, but the one thing we have in common is the conviction that the Epicene Effect is the future of intelligent life on this planet. And we want to be prepared for it."

    "Nick and John said you would explain that to us. I now know that Tom, Nick, John and I have the characteristics. But, Tom mated with me. What am I?" Toby asked.

    "You have phrased the question correctly. And, I will answer it. I promise. But it would make more sense to you if I explained it with some exhibits in my laboratory. Can that wait until tomorrow?"

    "Tomorrow morning, first thing?" Tom asked with a cheeky grin.

    "Done," Kennedy agreed with a laugh. By this time, they had finished lunch. Kennedy was right about them being young and hungry; the four men had devoured everything set before them. "Meanwhile, you need to settle your things. I would like for you to stay with Nick and John for the time being." Then, to Nick, "Why don't you take the boys out and show them the village up close and personal?"

    "All right! Can do," Nick responded with enthusiasm. "Guys, after we look around, there's a good restaurant where we can have dinner, and a kick-ass club where we can dance until we drop. You up for that?"

    Tom glanced at his lover for agreement, then exclaimed, "Oh man, are we! After being cooped up in vans all week, we need the exercise."

    The four boys took their leave of Kennedy replete with hugs. Tom and Toby grabbed their packs out of the van and walked the short distance to the home of their hosts, a cozy bungalow of stone and glass. The interior was finished with rough stone, raw planking and exposed heavy roof timbers. The effect was quite inviting, inside and out. "This is beautiful!" Tom exclaimed. "Did you build it?"

    "Not hardly," John said, as they dumped their back packs in the spare bedroom. "One of the men here teaches the building trades to young guys. They have formed a construction company and they built it for us. We paid for it with what we earn here."

    "What do you do?" Tom asked.

    Nick gave them one of his patented evil grins. "Oh, we run errands for Doc, like rescuing beautiful boys and bringing them here." That earned him a good natured whack on the arm from Tom. "Seriously, I'm a research scientist in Doc's lab and John is a veterinarian."

    "So, everyone here earns a living?"

    "Yep, there's no free lunch," John responded.

    "What will we do here?" Toby asked as they headed out of the house for their tour.

    "What were you trained to do in school?" Nick countered.

    "I was trained as an accountant, but I never had a chance to use it," Toby said doubtfully.

    "Well, you will now. The commercial enterprises need you. There's no bookkeeper here. How about you, Tom."

    "I was trained as an electrical engineer."

    "Hallelujah," whooped John, pointing to a large solar array on the mountainside. "See that? The damn thing requires constant maintenance, and there's only one guy here to handle it and all of the energy relays in town. Both of you are going to be very rich, very soon."

    Another one of Nick's evil grins cropped up. "That is unless you're too busy birthing babies." That earned him a whack and a grin from Toby.

    They took a stroll around the village hand in hand. Nick and John introduced them as new residents of the valley, earning them free goodies at the candy shop, the bakery and the ice cream store. Seeing Tom and Toby gaze longingly at the merchandise in the clothing store, John said, "Guys, you're going to need some new duds. Your old clothes wouldn't have worked here anyway; the weather is too different. So, Nick and I will stake you to new wardrobes until you settle in and start earning some coin." The boys hugged Nick and John in appreciation.

    The tour continued. They passed by the laboratory where Nick worked, the village meeting hall and a performing arts hall. Finally, their stomachs rumbled in protest, ending the excursion at an outdoor restaurant, just as the sun set. They enjoyed a dinner of fresh fish, caught that day in the lake, and settled the food with something slightly alcoholic at a nearby bar. John said it was a local wine from a vineyard in the valley.

    Their final stop was at a dance bar. They arrived just as a band was tuning up. When the musicians belted out the first song, they took to the floor and danced for the next two hours. Toby and Tom spent most of the time dancing with each other, but they occasionally shared with Nick and John, and then several other guys, some of whom they had met earlier in the day. Being new faces in town, the bar patrons flirted with them shamelessly. The boys took the invitations as compliments and diplomatically declined offers for dalliance. Tom and Toby noted with interest that most of the men who appeared to be under age thirty had light colored hair and gray eyes. The different shades of hair were remarkable, ranging from platinum blond to light brown.

    By moonrise, the four made their way home only slightly foot sore and butt weary. Nevertheless, they said their good nights and retired to their respective bedrooms. Toby and Tom were in the mood for some quiet, romantic time, and they suspected that Nick and John were too.

    First, they enjoyed a leisurely shower, washing each other with loving caresses. By the time they dried one another, their ardor was kindled, and they retreated to the bed. Tom dropped down into Toby's arms and submitted to a long, loving, deep soul kiss, ending with them gazing eye-to-eye, searching. Now that they knew what to expect, they were less apprehensive about mating, but only slightly so.

    Tom nibbled on Toby's lower lip, then asked, "Can we make it happen again Love?"

    "I would like to mate again, but not if it frightens you," Toby said quietly, caressing Tom's cheek with the back of his hand.

    Tom smiled down at the boy he adored. "I'm not afraid, now that I know what to expect. But, how do we know it can happen more than once? I mean, the place on your belly healed up after we mated."

    Toby took his hand and placed it on his heart. "I know it in here."

    Tom smiled. "That's good enough for me."

    Toby stole another quick kiss. "Then make love to me."

    The command was a welcome one, and Tom complied. He began by stroking Toby's hair. "I love the new texture of your hair. It's like satin." Next, he licked behind his lover's ear. "The scent of your musk has changed too. It's sweeter, but just as sexy." His lips moved to Toby's arm pit. The taste of his lover was strong there, making him hard as a steel spike. Toby grasped the penis and murmured in appreciation.

    Knowing what was going to happen made Toby less frantic tonight, but no less responsive to Tom's advances. As the boy ministered to his body, Toby whispered endearments. He wriggled and writhed, his hands caressing every part of Tom's body that he could reach.

    Tom's lips and tongue made their way to his love's nipples, where he lingered for a time, nursing them into small spikes of wet sensation. Meanwhile, his hands stroked Toby's abdomen and genitals. As he did so, the penis and testicles began to shrink slowly until they disappeared into his body. He moved his hand to caress that place above the public hair, bringing a litany of approval from his lover.

    Tom kissed his way past the navel to the pseudo-scar. The area did not redden as before, but became quite warm to the touch. As his lips teased the spot, his fingers stroked the inside of Toby's thighs. The boy spread his legs and Tom moved between them. Continuing his oral advance on Toby's abdomen, he massaged the youngster's thighs and hips.

    Toby clenched and unclenched his abdominal muscles, and suddenly reached out and stilled Tom with a hand. "No more Love. I can't stand any more," he panted, his breath coming in short gasps. "Ahhhhh, yes!" he cried. Tom watched, fascinated, as the scar opened. "Now Love. Take me now!"

    Staring down into his eyes, Tom grasped his penis and glided into the boy. Both sighed with pleasure. Toby wrapped his legs around Tom's hips and pressed him forward until he was completely inside. He clenched his muscles, locking Tom's penis in place, and they were one.

    Eyes still locked, they smiled tenderly and Tom relaxed as the tingling began. There was no fear, no apprehension tonight, so they simply let wave after wave of pleasure wash over them. As Toby began to draw semen from Tom, they shut their eyes and clasped each other tightly, sobbing with joy as the electric-like sensations overtook them. Toby sank his teeth into Tom's shoulder while Tom sucked the tender skin of Toby's neck.

    At the most overwhelming moment, they cried out, their muscles tensed and the waves of sensation slowly receded.

    Tom withdrew and Toby's flesh closed. He turned them on their sides and stroked his love as they rested. "Toby, I have no words to describe what I'm feeling right now. So, I'll just say that I'm so filled with joy that I'm your lover and mate."

    Toby caressed Tom's cheek and said softly, "There are no words, in any language, to express what we mean to each other. So, I'll just say that you are my mate, now and forever."

    Let the world go as it would, whatever mystery tomorrow might bring—such as the secrets of The Epicene Effect—,this much they knew: they loved each other. And no one could take that from them.