Michael stood in the hall of the C-floor again, handing in a new bundle of papers to official Greystone when Megan arrived. Instead of bringing Eliza she was accompanied today by a blond girl today who didn’t seem very comfortable. The paperwork took only a few seconds, and then he walked off with the girls, but only when the official was out of sight Megan started talking.

‘Shirley will replace Eliza today as our chaperon. I don’t really know why, but she had something else to do or something like that. She sends her greetings.’

Michael nodded. ‘The more friends the merrier I guess. Hi Shirley.’ He said.

Shirley looked at him, still a bit suspiciously.

‘Hi, Mister Adams.’ ‘No Mister to you, why so formal?’

‘Eh…’

‘She’s not used to boys and she’s always shy with people she doesn’t know. First time she ever meets a boy actually I think. First time being a chaperone too. And she has a hard time telling Miss Hunter’s classes from the truth sometimes too.’

Michael sighed. ‘That infamous please-your-husband curriculum? I’ve read some of your handbooks and the only thing I can say is: forget all of it, my dear girl! Maybe there are men out there who fit those descriptions, God save ‘em, but if you ask me it’s just a bunch of toxic stereotypes that’ll never help anyone at all. You can just treat me as any of your girl friends, more or less. But no unexpected hugs please.’

Shirley seemed to relax a bit. ‘I’ll try. I can do the no unexpected hugs part. But are you really okay with this, Megan?’

‘Why not? No unexpected hugs from girls is a good personal boundary in his case. He’s not so used to physical affection in friendship as we are.’

Shirley stared at her friend, trying to find a connection between her own world and the new world that she had just entered, which had completely new rules about basic reality. ‘That’s not what I mean. All of this is too real. I mean the being friends in the same way as girls are friends part. Isn’t he supposed to be, eh, only friendly with you? He’s your fiancée and stuff like that. And why would he even need a rule like that? Who’s going to give him unexpected hugs?’

Megan laughed. ‘Mainly Eliza, don’t ask me… But there’s also that flirty Woman are Human activist girl that knows no boundaries at all.’

‘Eliza? Hugging him unexpectedly? A boy? Really? I still don’t see it, Eliza liking any male in any way at all. She’s the most notorious man-hater ever in our school, just ask Miss Hunter…’

‘You’re wrong about that. She never chose that nickname herself, and doesn’t completely hate men at all, she only hates toxic people and toxic behaviour, and our culture pushes men to be toxic. But toxic masculinity isn’t actually a pleonasm, and he isn’t toxic. Just as not all women are as toxic as Miss Hunter.’

‘Still… But nevermind, that’s for you and Eliza to deal with. What is the plan for today? And is there anything I need to know about making reports?’ Michael shrugged.

‘Just be factual, that’s enough. And I think I’ll just show you the unsegregated spot in autumn sun for today unless one of you girls wants to do something else. Just sitting in the park drinking beer again might be rather boring. I just need some time off from my schoolwork for today. Theoretic robotics is killing me. Antique robots were quite advanced machines and the theory is not that simple. Some even had radio and wifi. And radios are not easy to understand.’

‘Now I see why you get along with Eliza…’

They walked away from the Seventh City Wife School building. Shirley looked behind at the enormous building with the words “Seventh City Wife Factory” and the sexy cartoon girl logo. ‘Wow, this is the first time outside in ages.’

‘Then just consider it a small vacation trip, and don’t bother too much with the date and chaperone stuff. Basically we’re just hanging out as friends. No stress or social anxiety needed, that’s just a waste of focus and energy.’ Michael said.

‘Easy for you to say that, fiancée boy. They warned me that you are the opposite of what we have learnt about men, but I can’t get used to that so fast. And it creates even more uncertainty.’

‘All boys are different, just as all girls are. There’s never a one-size-fits-all approach that can be applied to a whole sex.’

‘If you say so…’ Shirley looked at her shoes, and shut up, and then turned to Megan, whispering.

‘Oh, sorry, Megan, I’m talking to him too much, aren’t I? I’m being indecent?’

Megan stopped walking and gave her friend a hug. ‘Don’t be nervous about stuff like that. He meant that we’re just hanging around as friends basically.’

‘I can’t get used to it yet…’ Shirley said. ‘But definitely could get used to it.’ She smiled as if she had entered a trippy unknown world.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at Square Plaza.

‘So, this is the famous unsegregated spot?’ Shirley asked. ‘The original one. There are more of them now, and they seem to be popping up in other cities too, in all kinds of cafés and restaurants. Even though a lot of people find them indecent. It is a tiny revolution after all that we started it seems. Are you still comfortable joining us?’ Megan said, in a voice that resembled a city guide.

‘Ah, well, I haven’t seen the outside of school in years, I have no concept of what is true and what isn’t anymore. The outside world is one strange place for me anyway. I don’t even know what people do there.’

‘Ah…’

‘Eliza told me that’s done on purpose to get an easier marriage.’ Michael said. ‘More malleable Wife material… So that’s why girls are trained in a Wife School away from the rest of the world, so that they can adapt to life with their husband as the only reality they know after losing their whole school environment. It sounds rather extreme and very sad, but she might have a point indeed. If you isolate them it’s easy to train them up however you want. If you’re into that kind of stuff that is. I can’t be the only man who finds it a horrifying idea.’

‘She’s probably right. Being Eliza and all…’ Megan mused.

Shirley laughed. ‘Eliza said that? She’s the one girl on whom it won’t work at all. She is the only one on the E-floor who has connections outside of Wife School, not counting the fiancés and very sparse family visits. It wouldn’t work to isolate her at all. And we made a promise not to let that happen, her, me and Megan. We’ll find ways to keep in contact after Wife School.’

‘I heard about that. Sounds like a good idea.’ Michael said.

He suddenly realised that he still didn’t realise how extreme the isolation was that girls underwent twice in their life, first from their family to Wife School, and then afterwards from Wife School to marriage. Two times they completely lost everyone and everything they knew before. The female world was more strange than he ever had realised, and not in the ways you’d think. There was so much that he still had to learn.

The conversation had fallen silent. The afternoon weather was quite good for the time of year, and grey rock pigeons were fighting with the typical landgulls that usually populated these kinds of squares. It was indeed a relaxed day, and it felt like a holiday, even though all three of them would have to go to school tomorrow.

‘Michael, dude!’

The silence and his train of thoughts were stopped when looked up and noticed a face he knew. ‘Hey, Robert.’ His classmate looked uneasily at the girls.

‘Why are you hanging around with girls again? Dude!’

‘It’s date day, Megan’s here’s my Wife School fiance, and Shirley is the chaperone for today. And the unsegregated spot is a perfect place to spend a casual day off talking and drinking. Want a Coke too?’

Robert looked at the girls, still uneasy.

‘Come on, I insist. What kind of man is afraid of just two girls? They’re not going to eat you, or force you to marry them.’

Robert still looked uneasily at Shirley’s blond locks.

‘But these are women from a Wife School. They are just waiting for a husband that’ll take care of them, and then they rule his house and make his life miserable. It’s all at trap’

Megan turned to Shirley. ‘Take notes now. This specimen is probably much closer to Miss Hunter’s theories, but still not the dominant type it seems so the whole thing might get inverted here and there. I’ve never seen anything like him in the wild.’

‘Megan, what did I say about talking about people that are present. It’s indecent.’

‘I’m sorry, dear master husband who needs to be obeyed in all things.’ Megan said with a straight face, doing a little bow with her head. Shirley almost burst out in laughter, but Robert looked very confused.

‘Don’t mind her, she’s just teasing me. That’s’ part of a good relationship.’ Michael said apologetically.

‘She’s just disrespecting you and trying to take over your male power and erase your manhood.’ Robert said.

‘Ow, it’s getting interesting now.’ Megan said. ‘Come, my dear man, have a Coke and tell us about my evil plans against my poor Michael’s manhood, because you seem to know more than I do.’

She came closer and Robert took a step backwards.

‘You’re scaring him, Megan. Stop it.’ Michael said, when Robert turned to him, rather pale in his face.

‘I’m not scared of a girl. But I worry for you, friend. And I’m just warning you.’

‘And I don’t need a warning about her, dude. She’s a trusted friend. As are all the girls I know. Except maybe for Samantha but she’s not here now so she doesn’t count.’

Robert shook his head. ‘You’re mad, Michael. And naive.’

Megan turned to him, half quoting Eliza. ‘Hmm, you do sound like Miss Hunter indeed. Let me guess: men should be the boss, and even when they will never have any sexual selfcontrol they have other superior talents that can never be named though, and that’s why they should always be obeyed. Because the only way to ever be happy as a woman is to have a happy husband.’

Robert looked at her, completely puzzled. ‘No, no, no. It’s the other way around. We men are the victims. It’s you who want to dominate us. It’s a matter of life and death. Men have to stay in charge because otherwise women would be our boss, and our life would be miserable. It’s unavoidable.’

‘And why would that be, my dear boy?’

Michael was amused, he had never seen Megan like this, and Robert was visibly shocked to find himself in this conversation with a rather attractive young woman who dared to call him her dear boy, while biting her fingernail. Women were even worse to deal with in real life than anything he’d ever been taught it seemed. But he couldn’t lose face now. He had to fight back.

‘You are not stupid, young woman. You know that there is no other way. The war of the sexes is a harsh reality you can’t escape. And if it’s not us men who are winning, it’s you. And you would make it a hell for us. Only the rich and extremely pretty men would find a wife, and the rest would be lonely. Or just be the plaything for promiscuous women who use you as a toy.’

Robert seated himself to talk more easily, and Michael gave a one more Coke signal to Tom. Shirley seemed more at home in the conversation than Michael expected, and he assumed it was probably closer to the things she knew from the Wife School curriculum than his relationship with Megan.

‘And what would be the solution to the war of the sexes then? What if you cannot win? You’re only a Gamma-3 from your badge, and clearly a brainie like Michael. Not the kind of man who’s going to hit his wife and wield physical power over her.’

‘I’m well aware of that. So all we can do is stay away from women. Go your own way. That’s the only safe way. Keep the whole babymaking thing to the Alphas to raise a new generation to the strong men who can handle a woman, and leave the battleground to them. Better for human evolution too. Being single is the only way to escape the war of the sexes if you’re not an Alpha or strong Beta.’

‘So you don’t want a wife to dominate, who obeys you at every command?’ Shirley asked.

‘No, I couldn’t do that. I’m not man enough for that. I’m a brainie indeed. Not a fighter. Women are way too dangerous for me.’

‘Do you think that if I ever were married, I would try to dominate my husband at every point?’ She asked.

Even Michael could see that Shirley was rather baffled with this unexpected upside-down version of the whole Nation theory of men and women, but also amused at his strange irrational fear.

‘Sure, you’re a woman. Everyone knows that the strong sex is women, and that it’s a myth that men are always in power. That’s just talk for silly boys who are not strong enough to handle reality. The reality is endless war between the sexes and most men losing. Sure, you’re not going to admit that. You’ll act friendly and whatever. But I know what you want. I know what women want.’

‘But if you had one, you would want your wife to obey you and be in power over her?’ Shirley asked again. ‘Sure, anyone would want that, but I won’t be able to enforce that. It’s her or me and I would be the loser. I’m a wimp. The only way for a man like me to be happy is not to have a Wife. Women always bring misery to a man.’

‘Do you realise you’re telling this to an actual woman, Robert?’ Michael said.

‘She can’t do me anything. I’m man enough to face them in a setting like this. I’m man enough to talk to them. I’m not less of a man than you, Michael. I only see things more clearly.’

‘I’m just glad you didn’t scare Shirley. It’s her first time ever meeting boys.’ ‘Then it’s better that she learns that there are men who see right through their facade before she gets strange ideas. Unlike some of us.’

‘Sure, Robert, sure.’

‘I like Michaels way of seeing it more, but you’re rather interesting, Robert.’ Shirley said. ‘You’re both affirming and negating the things we learn in different ways. Miss Hunter never said anything about men who wouldn’t be able to dominate us. So what you’re saying affirms the basic theory, but with a strange twist. The girls at home wouldn’t believe that men like you exist, just like we didn’t believe in Michael’s words of friendship and openness at first. I just happen to like his anomalies more than yours, Mister Robert.’

‘You believe in that stuff? Or you’re just manipulating him?’

‘Why would I manipulate him? I’ve only just met him and he genuinely tries to be my friend as well as Megan’s and Eliza’s.’

‘You’re a woman.’ He said.

‘You’ve said that before, but why does that matter so much for you?’

‘Ooh, who is this cute new boy?’

A high female voice from behind stopped the conversation, and Samantha placed herself in between the boys, followed by an apologetic Angela.

‘I’m repeating myself, but the working day is over in the trash sorting factory, and I hoped you’d be here. Isn’t Eliza here?’ Angela asked, looking around.

‘Nope, Shirley here is the chaperone of the day. Shirley, Robert, meet Angela and Samantha, two non-Wives and friends. More or less…’

Michael looked warningly at Samantha, who seemed intent on ignoring whatever he wanted to tell her subtly.

‘Hi Robert, hi Shirley!’ Angela said.

‘So, Robert? Gamma-3 and still single? Looks like you’re an interesting fish to catch. Wanna have fun with a real free woman instead of those prudish Wife School kids here?’

Samantha winked at a terrified Robert, also biting her pink playfully but with a completely different effect. ‘You want to get used to girls too before you get married? Wanna have some more intimate experience with the other sex? I’m open to giving you some experience, and some experiments with chemistry whenever you want me, pretty boy.’

Robert froze up completely, Megan started giggling, Shirley just fell silent observing the scene, and Michael and Angela didn’t even bother to react.

‘So, tell me, pretty boy. Wanna drink something from me? I don’t make much money, but I can buy you a fruit beer. I’m a working woman after all as a non-Wife. Stupid Tom still doesn’t want to give me an actual man beer. But he might give you one if you order it for us. I’m happy to share it with you.’

Robert still looked at her, terrified. ‘Eh?’ was the only thing he could say.

‘This is your chance, Robert. Here’s a woman who doesn’t want any marriage at all… Shouldn’t that be better for you after your whole rant against how dangerous women are inside a marriage.’

Megan looked at the frozen perplexity on his face and turned to Samantha. ‘You always come at the right moment, Sam. You interrupted an interesting conversation about how dangerous women are when you marry them, and why men should always avoid them. And I think I’ve finally mastered Eliza’s mode of talking to men.’

‘Ooh, so much fun, now I definitely need a beer for that. Could you order one for me, pretty boy’ She winked at Robert, who didn’t reply. ‘And tell me, how am I dangerous?’

‘You’re a woman. You must want to dominate a man, to domesticate him, and emasculate him.’

Samantha combed her fingers through her short and very light hair.

‘Wow, interesting choice of words, pretty boy. But let me assure you, emasculation would be the last thing a woman has in mind for such a cutie like you. Takes away all the fun. I rather have your complete body… If you know what I mean.’ She winked again.

Robert suddenly stood up. ‘See you in school, Michael, Bye Shirley!’ he said, and disappeared after drinking what was left of his glass.

‘Pity,’ Samantha said, completely unmoved.

‘Did I do anything wrong?’ Angela asked. ‘No, you’re fine. He’s just even more afraid of women than you and Shirley are of men. And he believes in a war between the sexes that men are likely to lose if they aren’t high-class alphas. I must say he really did his best. He even seemed to like you in some kind of way, Shirley. But your aggressive flirting was too much, Samantha, after Megan in Eliza-mode. His poor heart almost stopped.’

‘Ah, I was just playing with him. He looked like fun.’

‘You’re always going too far! And remember that you’re not going to flirt with Michael either, Sam!’ Megan said.

‘Ooh, competition, I love that. It makes the hunt more interesting.’

‘I advise you to hunt elsewhere, or turn to other prey. Maybe you can buy a gun and shoot some pigeons? People used to eat ‘em you know?’

‘No thanks!’

The rest of the afternoon was spent with more superficial talks about school, life as a non-Wife, and all the ways in which the sex segregation of The Nation was unjust. Before they realised it it was time for the girls to go back to Seventh City Wife Factory for their evening meal.

‘Today was very interesting.’ Shirley said when they were walking back. ‘I’ve never met so many interesting people in one day. Boys who are friends and boys who are afraid of women and non-Wives, all at the same place. It sounds like some kind of unrealistic revolutionary fiction.’

‘Sometimes life is stranger than fiction.’ Michael said. ‘But as long as we have fun that isn’t a problem at all.’

‘Eliza was right to like you.’ Shirley finally said.