Michael stood at the town centre of Seventh City Ghost Town and looked at his clock. He tried desperately to not look nervous, which was not easy now on the day of the Love Ceremony of Jessica and Erica, and he still had no idea what to expect and felt out of place. He had arrived early, and felt a bit lost in this female world, where women in beautiful dresses were going to the chapel of the Angel. Why hadn’t he asked one of the girls to come with him? He cursed his own awkwardness once Angela had used the word ‘date’, because now he had to do this all alone. It was one thing to casually walk around in a Ghost Town every now and then, but being at one of their secret ceremonies while being male was something else. He forced himself to enter the chapel room, and kept standing there in a corner trying to be as invisible as possible while women came in around him. It probably didn’t work, but while a lot of people looked at him no-one approached him until his first friend arrived.

When Megan came in he wasn’t the only one in this room full of impressively pretty women to look up. She wore the most impressive dress he’d ever seen any girl wear until a few minutes ago and came straight to him, completely relaxed.

‘Ah, you’re here already!’

‘Wow…’ was the only word he could say when he saw her.

Once he had thought her a girl that you wouldn't notice if you weren't looking for her, but that was in another world now, when they didn’t know each other yet and he was forced to pick a fiancée from a line of nervous girls in cheap black bikinis displayed like dolls in a perverse toy shop.

‘Ancient traditions say that you have to make yourself beautiful on an occasion like this.’ She said apologetically when she understood what was happening, and she was blushing slightly now for the first time since their earliest dates.

‘You’re always beautiful, but today…’ He started, but suddenly someone put their hands before his eyes.

‘Don’t let your eyes fall out, Loverboy! Plus it’s a bit late to start flirting with your ex-fiancée now,’ the voice of Eliza said from behind him.

‘I’m just being objective. I’m not trying to flirt at all,’ he said matter-of-factly, turning from Megan to Eliza, who stood behind him in a black and white dress with a single red flower in her tamed curls. ‘And you’re beautiful too, by the way, Eliza, eh…’

She looked him up and down with a disapproving look.

‘You on the other side, to be honest, Michael boy, are looking a bit boring today, even as the only man in the room you’re quite underwhelming. And as the only man ever at an occasion like this even you could have made a much flashier entrance than this.’

‘I didn’t know what to expect. And I don’t want to stand out too much, you know. Being a man in a ghost town at an event with a lot of important outlaw women and all…’

She circled around him to look at him from all angles.

‘Yep, you completely look like a man in a Ghost Town because that’s what you are too. You stand out automatically, so why not play along and dress for the occasion? Although I don’t think you’re ready for wearing a pretty dress like us, so it’s probably better like this. The same dress that looks so great on Megan would look terrible on you, and I say that with all possible respect to all the natural beauty that you do have. But on the other hand it’s clear that they’re getting used to you here. No-one has been trying to stun you yet, or even to kiss you. Honestly it’s a bit boring even…’

He didn’t answer, and was blushing himself now. Since when did Eliza make him blush? Was it because she talked about kissing?

‘Stop it you two! We’re at a Love Ceremony, this isn’t a girls’ night out.’ Megan said.

‘Shht, he’s not even a girl, and Lady Martha has arrived.’ Eliza said and he turned his head.

At the door Lady Martha entered in a wide green and white dress, together with her partner Ruth, who clearly was the priestess here today.

‘Now that’s a power couple…’ Michael remarked, clearly in awe.

‘Jealous?’ Eliza whispered, coming too close again. ‘Remember that you came alone, but technically you’re the only man in the country ever who could have asked out a girl as a free will date for a Ghost Town ceremony. More than one girl might have said yes even.’

‘I know, but I’m not going to play with anyone’s feelings,’ he said dismissively, ‘and I think it’s time to find a chair.’

He chose three empty seats and sat down in the middle one, with both girls placing themselves on both sides of him. It might not have been the best idea, but he saw no way to change that now.

The ceremony started when both partners, two beautiful women in their twenties, entered the room too. Both of them wore a colourful dress decorated with jewels and flowers, completely different from the black and white he knew from a Nation Marriage ceremony. The atmosphere here was completely different too. Everyone was relaxed here, and there were no arrogant-looking men ogling one of the two ‘brides’ as he still called them in his head with that weird mix of lust and contempt here that only men ogling a woman can have. But there were no men here at all, except for him, the weird glitch in the war of the sexes.

Priestess Ruth looked angelic in her long green dress, wearing simple jewellery of silver with green and amber stones, almost radiating some kind of light or spiritual energy. Like her partner she was older than his mother, but in a way she looked much younger, or at least more alive, and quite beautiful even with her long flowing grey hairs. It was definitely true that everyone was beautiful here today, except for him then…

Suddenly a keyboard instrument started to play, and a harp and a hurdy-gurdy fell in when a singer started to sing a slow song. Michael knew both instruments from books, but he had never heard them played live, and now he came to think of it, he had never heard a woman sing live before either. In church there were only men who sang, and while he certainly had heard a lot of women's voices in historical recordings, it was a completely different experience to hear this singer sing live with those instruments behind her.

‘I’m quite sure you’re not supposed to stare at the musicians,’ Eliza whispered in his ear.

‘It’s beautiful’ he whispered, but she only heard the last word.

‘Yes, everyone is today, silly boy. It’s the occasion for that.’

‘Oh shut up, I meant the music. And I want to listen.’

His look made her shut up, but the song was almost over, and it wasn’t long until Lady Ruth had started to talk.

‘Ladies, today we are present again to witness the love and commitment of two women who want to share their life together as a part of our community. I want to thank all of you for your presence and love for the couple, and for our community. Let us start with a prayer to the Creator of all things, and ask the Angel of the Earth for her blessing too.’

Michael had expected a boring prayer, but instead the harp and the hurdy-gurdy began to play again and the singer, who was now joined by a whole choir of women of all ages dressed in white and green, began to sing a song. It was a slow but beautiful melody with a lot of counterpoint melodies from the instruments.

‘Love is the deeper force, that unites us all

Life can only make sense, if we give ourselves to love

Oh make us all one, without darkness in our hearts

Loving each other as ourselves,

loving the Earth and the Creator

Oh make us all one, with the Light in our hearts.’

Throughout the song, and also later in the ceremonial part Michael was surprised at the references to the old scriptures that he recognised, which seemed to actually mean something to the women here. This was so different from the church meetings he knew, and he was certain Paul would be shocked by everything. But Paul wasn’t his friend anymore anyway, and The Church wouldn’t even let him in as an unrated man. These women here on the other hand had let him in, and they were becoming his friends even.

After the song the expected prayer came, but it was more like an invocation, in which first the Creator was asked to come with love, and then the blessings of the angel of the Earth were spoken upon the couple and upon all women -and man- present. With that addition to what he presumed to be a well-known liturgical text he felt a lot of people look at him, but not in a negative way, more with a sort of weird curiosity. He remembered the stories about the Angel striking men who entered her sanctuary down with lighting, and hoped that no-one present really believed that, but no lightning appeared and she ended her prayer and called the couple to say their vows, while the musicians played an instrumental piece.

Erica and Jessica came forward, holding hands, and instinctively he wanted to grab a hand too. Somehow it felt like something he should do in the magic of the moment, but with both Megan and Eliza next to him something in his brain crashed. Or maybe it was his heart that completely went crazy now. These women were clearly in love, and very happy to affirm a life-long union to the world, which was completely unlike the Marriages he had seen where the woman was ritually sentenced to a life in painful servitude. He listened to the vows, which were about support and love, but also about lifelong friendship and intimacy in good times and bad times, until death would part them.

Something in his heart almost exploded. He saw both women, which he didn’t know that well, and he knew they were speaking the truth, and he believed that it would happen for them. He hadn’t realised how deep these Love Ceremony partnerships went, but it was a world that he was excluded from as a man. Only a woman could love and understand another woman as these two, not? Men could never be lovers like that. He didn’t know when it had happened, but he was holding both Megan’s and Eliza’s hands now. He discreetly let go of them, and turned red, but the girls seemed to be more interested in what was happening than in him.

‘So from now on you will be known in this Ghost Town and to all other people as Erica Jessicas and Jessica Ericas. The ancient traditions older than The Nation say you can kiss now to affirm that you love each other.’

He saw the women kiss, and felt some ancient magic that was completely unlike the dark magic of a Marriage ceremony even if the words had been so alike. He remembered how his brother had looked at Natasha, with greedy and hungry eyes, and how she had stood there before that altar as a frozen robot, knowing that she was now bound to Sam for the rest of their lives, and shivers went through his spine.

‘And now you can give each other these rings, made here in Seventh City Ghost Town, as an outward signal of your covenant of love towards the whole world, and to the Creator and the angel of the Earth herself.’ Priestess Ruth said, and she produced a small pillow with two rings. Again he more or less knew the ritual from a Marriage ceremony, and he saw the magic of it at work, but again the effect was completely opposite. The two women gave each other the ring, and they kissed each other again, and everyone cheered. He grabbed both girls next to him in two enthusiastic side hugs simultaneously and cheered too.

‘They really love each other.’ He said.

‘Why else do you think they would call it a Love Ceremony, dummy.’ Eliza said, pinching him in disbelief.

‘But, some parts of it look like a Marriage ceremony. And still it’s the complete opposite of that. They really love each other.’ He said, confused.

‘Is your e-radio stuck in a loop? And? In the days of those ancient mixed-couple romance novels there must have been marriages like that too, if it wasn’t all fiction.’

‘Do you really think that a man is capable of having that kind of love then?’ He asked, and it was Megan who answered because Eliza was completely lost with his confusion.

‘I honestly don’t know anything about men in general, but I knew that you would be able to do so from that weird first date with that glass in between us. More than I’m sure about myself even, and it clearly isn’t for us.’

‘Shht, this is the end’ Eliza said, and while the music started again the couple walked out and people started to get away from their place to talk.

‘The party will be in the bar, and everyone is invited. They will have wine with bubbles from Fifth City Ghost Town, an ancient drink that is rare nowadays but fits well on occasions like today.’

‘Ooh, I have always wanted to try that one.’ Eliza whispered enthusiastically in his ear.

*

An hour later in the Ghost Town bar he was drinking a glass of the famous wine with bubbles finally alone with his thoughts. Eliza was talking to Lady Martha’s assistant, whose name he had forgotten, while Megan was with a woman he didn’t know, discussing something about the best recipe for choy cabbages. He looked at the people, and was still processing the whole evening, including the mere fact that he had been able to be the witness of such things, when suddenly Lady Martha and the priestess stood before him.

‘And, did you enjoy the Love Ceremony of Erica and Jessica, young man Michael?’ the community leader asked formally, and he instinctively curtsied.

‘I was impressed, Lady Martha. It’s the complete opposite of Nation Marriages. It was indeed a Love Ceremony. The ritual meant to bring two people together in love, not to bind the woman to the will of the man.’

Lady Ruth nodded. ‘You seem to have insight into how rituals work. I couldn’t have described it better. To be honest I haven't seen a Nation Marriage in over thirty-five years so I can’t really compare the two but I’ll trust you.’

‘I saw my brother marry a few years ago. It was so horrible, Lady Ruth. It seemed like everything was meant to affirm my brother as the master and Natasha as his personal slave and possession. And the atmosphere was so grim, with all these men ogling the bride. That predatory gaze mixed with contempt was horrible, and this was really the opposite. And you’re all so beautiful too.’

‘Yes, it’s a celebration of beauty too. Love and beauty are connected, as are truth, goodness and justice.’ Lady Ruth said, and he nodded, and said nothing for a while.

‘What are you thinking of, young man Michaels?’ the priestess asked him.

‘So, these ceremonies only exist for women couples?’ he asked and Lady Martha looked at him now, as if trying to read him.

‘Traditionally, yes. You’re well aware that you’re probably the first man to witness one of them in more than a century. But the times are changing, and I’m quite sure there will be more men with that badge in the future who might be present on an occasion like this,’ and she pointed at his Free Person badge, ‘,so maybe one day there would be a man who wants to overcome both his fear for women and the extreme taboo on same sex unions that the Male Society has and do a Love Ceremony with another man. Everything is possible in an open future, but seeing the state of your world I still don’t see it happening soon. You?’

He looked at her, confused. ‘You’re probably right about man couples being a taboo. I’ve never understood why men are so violent about it. The typical Real Men seem to be extremely afraid of it even. They would say God doesn’t want it or something, but even that doesn’t really feel like a good reason to invest such extreme hate against something.’

‘They might be afraid that a man will look at them like they look at a woman?’ Lady Martha suggested.

‘Maybe… But anyway, I wasn’t thinking about man couples, but, eh…’

She smiled. ‘I know what you mean, Michael Michaels. You’re talking about the possibility of Love Ceremonies for mixed couples. I’m not stupid. Everyone knows you’re still cursed with heterosexuality as Eliza calls it. So do you have a girlfriend you want to commit to as a life partner in a Love Ceremony?’

She seemed to be looking in the direction of Eliza.

‘Eh, no. It’s not for now, maybe not even for me, I’m just wondering about the future possibilities I think. I wasn’t ready for a Wife School marriage when they forced me to go to the partner choice ceremony, and right now I don’t know how to navigate free will relationships either yet.’

She nodded her head.

‘Young man Michaels, you yourself were the one who wrote history when he started to fight the segregation between the sexes with friendship. You have more female friends than any man alive in this nation now, plus one from the land where men are like mythical monsters. The problem is more that you need to be ready than that you won’t be able to find someone. Heterosexuality is a fairly common curse it seems, there’s still more women who are attracted to men than that are attracted to women, even in this Ghost Town, and here they just stay single and know nothing else than that. We used to call them Ghost Town asexuals as you know. But you and your friends are from a new time, and even some of our younger Ghost Town members are starting to think completely differently about those things I’ve noticed. Especially with the recent arrival of our new blue-haired rebel.’

‘Shir, eh Leya? She’s quite openly friends with Robert now I guess, and of all the boys I knew I would have said he was the least likely candidate to ever visit a Ghost Town. It’s weird. But it’s just friendship.’

‘There’s no such thing as just friendship, young man, especially not in this case. Friendship in itself is a miracle. There have been countless Wife School escapes before, but none with the help of a man as a friend. And for some here it would be even more impressive if he isn’t interested in her as a lover at all, and still wants to be her friend. It would disprove so many stereotypes… Like you with Megan.’

‘Can a Ghost Town woman have a rated man as a lover? He’s a Gamma-3. At a certain point he’ll be forced by his parents to choose a Wife, and then there isn’t much he can do but obey or get in deep trouble, a Real Man must get married. Maybe he could find a Pen Pal girlfriend in Wife School that agrees to a Marriage pact or so, but I doubt that. He’s too shy. I’ve heard from Eliza that there’s a girl in her former class who’s already negotiating about that with a boy.’

‘The future is full of things we can’t imagine, Michael. Hope always finds a way somehow, and on a day like today it’s impossible to believe that Love will win. And love has many forms.’

‘I feel that too now, but that’s just the moment, not?’

‘Who is to say that magical moments like today aren’t more real than everyday reality, young man?’ Lady Ruth said, and her partner suddenly pointed at Jessica and Erica, who were coming in their direction, still holding hands.

‘Don’t they want to talk to you? Isn’t it impolite for me to talk to them tonight?’ He said nervously.

Lady Martha seemed amused again. ‘No, they would want to see you first. You are the special guest here, more than we, young man. They see us all the time. We’ve talked with them a lot when we prepared this whole ceremony, but you weren’t even properly introduced to them. And you were invited as a special representative, a historical one even. Usually we just have some city non-wives and guests from other Ghost Towns at best. Not men and Hévans.’

‘Ah, I didn’t even see Jibrilla, is she here too?’

‘She just attended the ceremony, she didn’t come along to the afterparty. I think it’s a bit too crowded for her.’

‘Ah’ He said, looking in awe at the two beautiful women who were approaching.

‘Welcome, Michael Michaels,’ Erica said.

She was long and blond and wore a flowered dress decorated with real flowers. The flower motif was so detailed and realistic that you had to look at which flowers were real and which weren’t.

‘Eh, thank you for inviting me. It was a beautiful ceremony. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.’ He said, shyly.

‘And we heard good things about you. So when we invited representatives we added you. I don’t think Jessica believed that you would actually show up until Lady Martha confirmed it.’

Jessica looked at him. She had a very dark skin and hair and she was also breathtakingly beautiful.

‘You can’t blame me for not believing a man will show up in a Ghost Town.’

‘I see your point,’ he said, ‘but why even invite me? I’m half deleted and I’m not really a good representative of anything, let alone the male society. Plus you don’t want them to be represented at an occasion like this here. They’d turn this whole thing into a Marriage and kill the magic if they could!’

Erica looked at him with deep blue eyes.

‘No, no. We chose you as a representative of the good men in the world. Not them.’

‘I’m completely inadequate, I’m just a lost boy.’

‘You? We saw you there with Eliza and your Wife School ex, as very good friends. That sight alone makes it worth inviting you, you know. You do represent something unique.’ Erica said.

‘You don’t know what that means I suppose, to see you there like that. So unlike all the men I’ve ever known. So unlike him too. The man I escaped from Wife School for I mean.’ Jessica added.

‘Any man really. I’ve known a lot of mixed marriages and all of them were miserable. And you come here as close friends. That’s quite healing in a way even.’ Erica said and he felt shy again.

‘You really make Eliza shine, do you know that?’ She added, with a twinkling in her eyes that he ignored. ‘Oh, and you seem to have kept elder Mildred away today. That’s a plus too.’

He shrugged. ‘She seems to avoid me, I’ve heard a lot about her but I’ve never seen her.’

He took a sip from his glass. ‘So how does it feel? How do you know you’ve found the one you want to share your life with? Your life-sharer as they say in Héva?’

‘He’s asking the right questions, Jessica.’ Erica said, looking at her lover.

‘You just know? Or maybe that’s a cliché, and it’s not just that. It’s a choice too. You know it’s possible because you feel at home with each other like you’ve never done before, and you grab the possibility together. But you know you need to make it work together.’

‘I’m sure you two will be able to do that. I’ve never seen anything like this. I always thought the best thing a couple could do was damage control and trying not to be horrible, you know what I mean. I instantly clicked with Megan on a friendship level but we didn’t seem to manage beyond that. Marriage wouldn’t have been the usual hell, but still…’

A girl that he recognised as Leya’s roommate gave him another glass of bubble wine, and he sipped from it, having forgotten what he was saying. Erica gave him a kiss on his cheek and took the hand of her partner.

‘We’re going to greet everyone else too. It’s a busy night for us. Thank you for being here. Have you seen the Hévan representative by the way?’

‘Jibrilla? No. I wasn’t even aware she was at the ceremony, Lady Martha said she didn’t come to the afterparty, too many people.’

‘We’ll talk to her later then.’ Erica said, and the couple disappeared to talk to an unknown Ghost Town elder in another corner of the room.

For a while he talked to Leya, and then to some of the musicians. He didn’t even think of it when he got offered another glass of bubble wine, and when it was almost empty suddenly Eliza stood before him again.

‘Hey, big boy, you’re tipsy and it’s too late for you to go home.’ He looked at his wristwatch. ‘Ow, shit. Time flies when you meet interesting people…’

‘And now the most interesting one of all is going to put you to bed, or the boss won’t be happy tomorrow, and neither will mine.’

‘Your house is even further away than mine, and I can’t sleep there.’ He said.

‘That’s not true tonight. I have a place for us three to sleep here, you dummy. Did you think we’d let you go home now and in this state? And Megan thinks it’s time to go to sleep too.’

‘Ah…’ He said. Seeing the time he couldn’t say much against that.