Chapter 8 – To Save Mankind
Dick and the woman sat at a small round table, lit by candlelight, in his quarters. He poured her some wine and she smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, pouring his own glass. “I am just fascinated with you. Tell me about your home world. I want to know everything.”
“I am from a planet called Prood-1. It is quite far from where we are now.”
“I have not heard of this, Prood-1. It must be far.” He took a sip of his wine. “Are all the women on your planet as beautiful as you?”
She blushed and bashfully looked down and found her hands fidgeting on her lap. “Oh, I wouldn’t know, really.”
“You’re being modest. I bet none of them come close.” He smiled and winked at her.
“What was that?”
“What?”
“Your eye. What was that?”
“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.” He cleared his throat, “Please continue about Prood-1.”
“We have no men on our planet.”
“No men?” He asked, surprised.
“None. We learned to inseminate ourselves hundreds of years ago and haven’t found the need to keep men around for that.”
“That’s no reason to wipe out every man in the universe!”
She giggled. “I’m sorry. That’s not why. Men war with each other and destroy civilizations, planets, and galaxies. The only way that our people can continue, ANY people can continue, is if we stop men and their warring ways.”
Dick laughed.
She looked at him curiously. “Why do you laugh at me? Did I say something silly?”
“A little, you silly bird! You see, the only reason why men war, the only reason why men do all the stupid things they do, is to impress…WOMEN!”
The whites of her eyes grew wide. “What? You mean…”
He nodded. “I do. If you really want peace in the universe, you would need to get rid of women, too.”
“But then there would be no one left.”
“Exactly.”
She sat quietly, staring at the floor. “I never thought of it like that.”
“Would you like to kill me?” He asked, raising his eyebrows.
“No. I don’t think I would like that. I find you quite charming.”
A thought raced through Dick’s brain. He reached over and took her hand. “Listen: Has any of your people, been with a man…sexually?”
“It was written about. Many, many years ago, the women did lay with men. But now, it is forbidden and one should not speak of it.”
He nodded, rubbing his other hand on top of hers. “I have a very important question to ask you then.”
She stuttered. “Go ahead…and ask me then.”
“For the sake of the universe, for the peace of all mankind, would you stay with me, in my cabin tonight. In my bed, with me.”
She was quiet. “For the sake of the universe, I will lay with you.”
