A week and a half later Michael stood in the little office of Lady Martha again, this tiem around dinnertime. He had received an express Pen Pal message from her to come as soon as possible while at work in the bar, and was a bit nervous when he arrived.

‘You’ve called for me, Lady Martha?’ he said.

‘Yes, young man Michael. We need some input and help from a man for a special emergency, as our expert in male affairs or something like that. I think that I can safely say that we have a new refugee in our community, and it’s another first time: it’s a boy.’

‘You’re taking in a boy, into your Ghost Town?’

She nodded.

‘A lost kid, still a teenager. Eliza found him out on the streets, hungry and homeless. Apparently he was deleted completely, with even his name erased and no identity left, so no state apartment like you have for him. He won’t say what has happened, but he says that the male outlaws would kill him too, so that’s not an option either. We only know that his name is Eric. He did the free person pledge without a problem and doesn’t feel dangerous at all, just scared. He’s probably never even talked to a woman before, so we thought bringing you too might be less intimidating for him than putting him in front of a whole council of women for interrogation.’

Michael paused to let this information sink in, and was reminded of how he had said to Jibrilla that a man living in a Ghost Town was an impossibility.

‘Not so long ago there was a whole discussion about whether you’d even let me in for a single visit and now you take in a deleted boy, and ask me for advice as an expert on male affairs?’

Lady Martha smiled. ‘Who else should we ask? You could blame Eliza, even if she’s technically an outsider she’s almost a council member, so if we have her here, it’s including her connections everywhere, including males like you. You know she has a natural blindness for certain conventions sometimes, so even with all the programming of The Nation she isn’t able to keep up the distance between the sexes when it’s not explicitly needed.’

‘Isn’t that logical? It takes a lot of energy to uphold that stupid barrier between the sexes all the time.’

Lady Martha looked at him, calculating. ‘You two are very much alike sometimes. Most older people here would disagree though, like they would on the male side. A lot of them wouldn’t even have enough energy to cross the chasm between the sexes. So don’t expect it to work like that for everyone.’

‘You’re probably right. I can feel that natural distance in some people. But for me it was a relief to let go of it, and be more natural and human.’

‘And that’s exactly why we want your presence here. To be completely human we will need a future with both sexes in it in the end, in a healthy and natural way.’

Michael looked at her and just nodded. It was still strange to hear these words out of the mouth of a Ghost Town leader after everything he’d heard his whole life about female outlaws.

‘Come with me,’ she said, ‘and have a talk with him alone. I’m probably a bit scary…’

He followed her to the Ghost Town bar where a lot of people were eating. On one of the tables he spotted a lonely boy, a lost teenager indeed with messy dark hair wearing dirty clothes, looking sadly at a glass of iced three herbs tea and a half-eaten bowl of pasta with cheese. If any male person in The Nation had ever looked harmless it certainly was him, but even for Michael his presence felt out of place here. The boy didn’t move at all until he noticed Michael, who walked up to the boy, and seated himself on another chair at the table, and signalled to the lady behind the bar for a drink for him too.

‘Hi, you must be Eric. They asked me to talk to you because too many women might be too intimidating for you now.’

The boy looked at him with eyes full of question marks.

‘You’re a man? Here? In a Ghost Town? I thought that all men who tried to come here were shot down with magic and fed to the panthers in the woods?’

‘Oh, I’d watch out for making them angry indeed, but aren’t you too old to believe in magic? It’s true that there’s only women here, and I’m the only man they could get to talk to you for now. You might be the third or maybe fourth ever to enter this place since the days of Manfred to be honest. But even in the Ghost Towns the times are changing and I’m officially a friend of the community here.’ He pointed at his chest. ‘Look, a Free Person badge, like you have one too now. That means we’re good people for them, even if we happen to be a man too. But you’re lucky you ran into Eliza, most Nation women here or elsewhere wouldn’t even think about looking after lost boys and bringing them here.’

The boy nodded.

‘They kicked me out and deleted me, and I had nowhere to go, and I was sitting there with my luggage on the street not knowing what to do, and she came to me. She just said that she found I looked sad and in need of help.’

He nodded. ‘Everyone would be sad after being deleted. But why were you deleted, and so thoroughly? You’re quite young for that.’

The book looked at him, horrified. ‘I can’t say it. It’s too horrible. I’m not normal,’ he whispered. ‘Don’t be afraid. You’re not a violent person, everyone can see that. You wouldn’t assault a woman, would you? That would be the most important reason for the women here to keep you out.’

‘No, no!’

‘So what did you do? Disobey a higher-rated man? I got deleted for defending Eliza and my fiancée from an Alpha who wanted to assault them.’

‘You got deleted? You?’

‘Half, I still have my identity and my name and I work in the city. But I lost my Gamma-1 rate and my family kicked me out, and I was completely deleted from school. They kicked both girls out of Wife School too.’

‘Wow. That sucks. They punished you just for defending her?’

‘That’s what they did. They also refused to believe that the girls defended themselves too, they say that legally an Alpha can’t be attacked and defeated by a girl, you know. But in the end all three of us were deleted. For standing up for my friends who happened to be girls, against a creep who happened to be an Alpha. I suddenly went from Gamma-1 to nothing.’

‘But you made friends with two Wife school girls? As a boy? Is that even possible?’

‘Yeah, I had to choose a Wife, but I wasn’t ready for anything like that and neither was my fiancée. But at least we became friends instantly, and decided to conspire against the whole system or something like that, and Eliza naturally became a part of that. And then the whole incident happened and we all lost our rating, but not each other. That’s a bit revolutionary probably, but we seem to have been revolutionary here and there indeed. Anyway, no-one got married in the end, and I’m still hopeless with girls, but we’re all friends now, even though we’re not really that important in The Nation anymore.’

Eric looked at him, nervously.

‘So you’re not intending to marry a girl?’

He shrugged ‘I’m officially unmarriable, and legally married to a robot too. So it’s impossible. Plus, I don’t think any of the girls would really want to marry me. I’m more friend material, and Nation marriages are hell for a woman anyway, so I can’t blame them for not wanting to marry ever.’

‘But you, eh, do like girls, do you?’

‘I think so, whatever that means. It’s one of the things they found unmanly about me, weird enough. Sometimes I still feel that I need more time getting used to them, but yes, I like being around girls. More than around those Be-A-Man boys.’

Eric sighed. ‘I see you find them likeable as friends, weird as that is. But you’re actually attracted to them, I mean?’

Michael looked at the boy. ‘Yes, I suppose. I kissed a girl and got my and her heart broken and stuff like that.’

‘I envy you.’

Michael looked at him for a few seconds, not knowing what to ask, until he suddenly realised what Eric was hinting at. It had taken him way too long.

‘I see. So you’re not attracted to girls but to boys, and that’s why they deleted you. And now you’re afraid to get killed by the outlaws, or even by the other guys in a state apartment. Which might happen if they find out.’

He understood everything now. He took his freshly arrived lemonade and drank half of it.

‘That’s just horrible,’ he said.

Eric looked at him, nervously, with eyes of fear. ‘Yes, I am horrible, I know. I am a…’ Michael interrupted him.

‘No, no! You’re not the one that’s horrible, don’t finish your sentence. It’s strange how our language doesn’t even have a word for men attracted to men that isn’t a terrible insult. That’s what’s horrible. You are just fine. This whole fricking Nation is beyond horrible and I’m sorry. No-one should ever be treated like that. You know that there were times in our history when men could marry men? And here in this Ghost Town there are a lot of women couples. I’m even invited to a Love Ceremony for two women who have chosen to become life partners in a few weeks. So there should be no problem about that for you at all here. You’re certainly not horrible at all. This rotten Nation just makes a problem out of the weirdest things, like it makes a problem of my friendships with girls and a lot of other things that should be natural. Just like me you’re a harmless lost boy who can’t live up to their toxic standards of manhood that never make anyone a better person. I’m actually quite convinced it’s healthier for everyone to refuse to be a Real Man.’

Eric seemed to have a hard time processing the things he had said.

‘Wait, you say that there are women couples here?’

‘Yes. Lady Martha herself has a woman partner for example. She’s been with Lady Ruth the priestess for twenty-five years or so. They do something called Love Ceremonies instead of weddings, and promise each other completely other things than our Nation marriage vows. But they live together in couples just like the mixed marriages of normal society.’

‘But those can only exist for women. They’d probably never accept a man like me…’

‘Never say never! I told you times are changing here too, Eric. In a way you’re more normal than me for them anyway, so don’t be afraid.’

He saw the expression of Eric change, but he didn’t really see why; and suddenly he was hugged from behind by a female body with a lot of tickly curls.

‘Ah, here you are. I was looking for you. I see you’ve found our new little refugee already. Sad little story, isn’t it?’

Eliza let go of him and greeted Eric.

‘Eliza, what do I always say about boundaries and unexpected hugs? Nevermind. Yes, I’ve heard his story. I think you’re right that he’s safer here indeed. Good for you bringing him in. They could have killed him indeed. And he’s certainly harmless to women. Can I tell your secret to her, Eric?’

He looked away. ‘I will tell it myself. I’m an abomination. They kicked me out because I don’t like girls, and they wanted to kill me because I’m… I’m attracted to boys. They said I’m a danger and a horrible thing, an abomination. And not a Real Man!’

‘Oh, poor boy.’ Eliza said, and she wanted to hug him but Michael stopped her. ‘No hugs before you check if he’s okay with that.’

Eric looked from him to her, bewildered by the dynamic between them.

‘Eh, whatever. I don’t think anyone has ever hugged me before, but I don’t mind a hug from her.’

‘Poor little kid,’ she said, and wrapped her arms around him.

‘Kid? He’s just two or three years younger than you at most, Eliza.’ Michael said.

‘He’s a lost kid who never had the friendships we wife school girls had, like you, remember. He needs all the hugs he can get.’

Eric had started to cry. She put her hand on his shoulder.

‘It’s okay, Eric. You’re safe here. I will make sure you can stay here and be safe against the stupid male world. You will have to regularly repeat the free person pledge probably in the beginning, and they will ask you to work for staying here, but if you’re okay with those things it shouldn’t be a problem for you to be here. And anyone who’s against that has to fight me and my robot army!’

Michael looked at Eliza comforting the crying boy.

‘You’d be a great mother, Eliza.’ He suddenly said.

‘Huh? What? I’m Eliza the man-hater, remember.’ She winked.

‘Yeah, man-hater… Holding a boy you’ve only met today like that. Suddenly hugging me whenever you see me. Nothing man-hating about you, you’re just a bit selective with the men you don’t hate.’

‘Okay, you got me, Mister Real Man who’s an expert on how I feel about men. It’s just that I like people with whom I can have the Wife School kind of friendships, and that doesn’t seem to work with most Nation males yet. But I’m working on it, one boy at a time. In the end it will change the world.’

‘Still, maybe you can let go of your new friend now, before you’re smothering him. Are you okay, Eric?’

Eric came free from Eliza’s embrace.

‘I think I am for now. Thank you for caring about me, Eliza.’ He said.

‘Come, drink something more from me,’ she said. ‘I’ve seen Lady Martha, she will send Jenny over there for practical things later. They’re preparing a room for you. And there was some organisational stuff too.’

He looked from Eliza to Eric.

‘Eliza, don’t overdo it with the love-bombing. If there’s even an inch of attraction for girls in him, you’ll awaken it and he’ll fall head over heels in love with you. I mean, imagine being held by such an attractive girl like you as his first encounter with the other sex.’

Something in her look changed when Michael pronounced the a-word.

‘You’re projecting, Michael. I’m not really attractive to boys. Especially with my hair like this and this old sweater. But yes, I know when I have to be careful, thank you very much. You’ve been the only boy I’ve ever let my guard down with, without any results even.’

‘You’re still comfortable with her, Eric?’ he asked, just to be safe.

‘Why not? She’s friendly and she feels safe. And I need every friend I can get now, everyone hates me anyway. At least, all the men I’ve ever known do. If more women are like her I can get used to women, but, eh, even then I’m not falling in love yet, if you know what I mean.’

‘She’s unique, luckily for the planet. Only one specimen and that one is sitting in front of you now.’

‘And you two are, well, together? You look like like a great couple. But you don’t have to be jealous of me, I swear!’

Michael backed off. ‘Oh no, nothing like that,’ he said hastily. ‘I told you I’m deleted and unmarriable so the state married me to a robot. I’m not free to fall in love with girls.’

Eliza chuckled. ‘Married to Dorothy the Wife-o-matic 2.1, him? He locks his bedroom door against the poor thing every night. And she’s still recovering from an undercover rescue mission now anyway.’

‘Officially she’s still my Wife, or a state-dispensed reasonable replacement of one actually,’ he protested.

‘And officially this place doesn’t even exist. As if you ever cared for such things. Just be honest and say that you’re not ready for a relationship instead of hiding behind poor Dorothy… You could have had at least two or three freewill girlfriends by now if you really wanted. Or even experiments in chemistry with a wild nonwife who says she doesn’t believe in monogamy but still wants you. And all that is only after being deleted and becoming unmarriable.’

‘Two or three what? Who?’ He said, visibly confused.

‘Nevermind, archangel boy. Keep on being pure and naive for now.’ She patted his head and turned to Eric.

‘You see what the problem is with being attracted to boys? Most of them are toxic and not worth looking at, and the harmless ones that are actually worth being interested in are clueless and clumsy, plus completely hopeless. It’s like a curse indeed, but there’s nothing abominable about it. But I too have wished for years that I wasn’t attracted to boys…’

Michael felt uncomfortable with how two pairs of eyes were looking at him conspiratorially so he rejoined the conversation.

‘It can’t be worse than being attracted to girls. Really. Why can’t we just all be asexual? That’d make the world much simpler.’

‘It’s a biological thing originally, big boy, something with procreation and stuff like that. You’d have no new generation without heterosexuality in nature. We’re not parthenogenetic lizards,’ she said, unwittingly touching her shoulder, the one with the Ancom-chip in it that made it impossible for her to procreate.

‘I don’t need to procreate. I don’t need to be attracted to anyone. I never asked for anything like that,’ Michael said.

‘Oh, Michael, dear boy. The human gene pool needs you. But if you don’t want to do it the natural way, maybe we could start a sperm bank and use you as a genetic stock for a new sort of men?’

‘Not you too! You sound like a Hévan! Don’t be creepy and yucky!’

Eliza grinned ominously. ‘You’ve heard lady Martha. She wants to be able to see the first Ghost Town children within her lifetime. And we don’t have any parthenopills and only one quality man who’s into women for now in the whole federation of Ghost Towns. Do the math and you know where your real value lies…’ She winked again.

‘You’re going to scare the boy, Eliza. And he doesn’t even know the things you’re sarcastic about.’ He said, but Eric had just been listening to them in astonishment and didn’t really look scared, ‘but well, whatever, nevermind… There were some practical things you had to talk about.’

‘They’re sending Jenny to the bar when they are ready, and she’ll show you the room they have for you, Eric. She’ll help you find a job too. They were wondering if you were willing to help full-time with the farm. They're expanding both the vegetable fields and the animals and they need more hands there.’

The boy looked at Eliza. ‘Me? A farmer?’

‘They thought that the farm is the best place for a man here, and they’ve been looking for new workers for a while now. The Ghost Town farm is well-known among the nonwives of the City too, a lot of people come here for fresh organic veggies. Plus they have chickens for the eggs and meat, and some goats for milk. And some noisy geese to guard stuff. They might be thinking of getting other animals too in the future.’

His eyes lit up. ‘Really? Animals? If I help on the farm, they let me live here?’

‘Yes, you’ll have a place to live, you can have fresh food, and you can use the library and the phone and stuff like that. Everyone here does some work for the community and gets whatever they need to live.’

‘And I can work with real living animals? Chickens and goats and maybe others? I’ve always dreamed of that! My parents were always against it and I don’t really like industrial farms though.’

‘Yes, but don’t get too attached to the young chicks that are male, they don’t often eat meat here, but the excess roosters are slaughtered and eaten.’

‘Ah… They don’t just eat labmeat like we did in our Gammatown?’

‘Eh, no, they have great vegetarian cuisine here, and from time to time they have real meat too. Not much labmeat I think. There’s no meatlab either.’

‘That’s a whole new concept for me. But I’ll do every job they give me if I can stay here.’ ‘And don’t forget to recite the pledge…’

‘No problem.’ Eliza looked at her watch. ‘Jenny isn’t here yet, and it’s getting late. Michael hasn’t eaten I see, I’ll order some pasta too for us both.’

*

After the meal Jenny finally arrived to take the boy to his new place, with assistance of Eliza, and Lady Martha summoned him again to his office to drink one of her mint teas.

‘And what did you think of Eric. Was it a good idea to let him in?’

He nodded ‘For him it certainly was. He really might have died. The part that he was afraid to say was that he was kicked out and then deleted for being attracted to boys. But don’t tell that to anyone, he’s very ashamed of that.’

‘Ah, I see…’

‘I know you won’t see a problem with that, but you have no idea how aggressive men in the Nation can be about that subject. So he needs protection, and if he’s treated well I think he’ll adapt to your community easily, I’m certain of that. He has no problem with working on the farm, in fact he really looks forward to meeting the animals. He also had no problem with saying the free person pledge several times a day, and he seems quite attached to Eliza already, as if she’s another kind of mother figure to him. I don’t even think she’s more than three years older than him though.’

‘Another kind of mother figure?’ asked Lady Martha.

‘Not like Nation mothers, a real loving mother like in the old stories. She hugged him and comforted him and all. My mother hasn’t touched me after I turned 12 at all. She didn’t even visit my sister when she went to Manfred’s.’

‘Ah, our Eliza… It’s a pity that she doesn’t want to join us full-time. For the moment she still wants to be in her state woman house with your other Wife School friend.’

‘She’s very practical about where she lives in her own weird way. She could’ve left the SCWF years ago too but she didn’t want that either. She’ll remain a mystery…’

He sipped from his mint tea.

‘I’m wondering now if you’re not being naive in letting men in. I mean, me and Eric are okay, and poor Robert. But what if a man lies when reciting the pledge? Or if someone steals or forges a Free Person badge’

‘Ah, he won’t do that twice.’ Lady Martha said.

‘How can you know that? I mean, he could go to another Ghost Town where no-one knows him.’

‘Ah, but there’s another system that we haven’t used yet here. Any man, or woman, who breaks the pledge will be marked. Everyone will see they’re not trustworthy.’

‘Marked?’

‘We have temporary tattoo ink. It must last for a few years, but no-one knows how long exactly. Anyone who has broken the pledge will be recognisable and easy to ban, be sure of that.’ ‘Ah…’

‘Yes, the plan is to give them one dot on their forehead above their right eye, and the toxic man symbol on their right hand. You know, the skull symbol with the masculinity arrow.’

‘Ah…’ He said.

Suddenly he was reminded of the fact that he was speaking to a powerful outlaw leader that could be dangerous if you were her enemy. How was it possible that he as a man found this Ghost Town more cosy than anything he’d ever known in the male word?

‘But it’s getting late. I think it’s better to let you go home. I think Eliza must be back in the bar, and Samantha too, so you can probably walk them home. They both can use some male presence in the city at night, even if they have their invisible magic with them, and they could protect you too with our supposed magic. It’s been a long day. Thank you for your assistance. If you need help with something, you can always ask.’

‘I can’t think of anything, Lady Martha,’ he said, and slowly walked to the bar, where Eliza and Samantha were indeed still drinking.