"Don't be so impressed. He's not doing badly marrying us, either. He could do a lot worse."
"Why, you vain witch! Just because you play a fair game of chess—"
"Oh, I'm not taking all the credit. You're a fine cook, Doris is witty and Sue's body would make any man's mouth water—but that's just the point! Look what he's getting! Why should we have to change all our habits and tastes to conform with his?"
Now Doris entered the argument. "You know darn well why! It's still a man's world and a man's choice. Back when there was a man for practically every woman, it was different. But it's five women to one man right now—don't ever forget that—five to one, and so far the law only requires a quadracell. Just be grateful you aren't the one who's left out. You and your chess-playing! How far would you get attracting a man, all by yourself?"
"Shhh, now, all of you," Sue broke into the telepathic conversation. "Let's clear the dishes and get the apartment straightened up. Hollis did make one concession—moving in with us, instead of making us live in that dismal bachelor's hole of his. Let's not make him regret it."
They heeded Sue and got busy. Sue was the arbiter. She ruled the quartet with a gentle but confident mind. All four knew that her lithe, athletic body with its soft curves and golden hair was the greatest asset in this transaction of matrimony.
There had been no dissension on this point, nor could there have been. The bureau would never have allowed them to be together and form a marriage cell had there been the slightest dispute.
Many differences of opinion were allowable, but the four had been carefully screened in certain matters of basic tastes. They liked the same colors, foods, styles of clothing, video programs, sports and vacation activities. All were carefully schooled ambiverts of roughly equal education. Instead of conflicting, their differences of skills, talents and personality traits complemented each other.
Even with all this care in selecting and matching, however, the big test was the culmination of the marriage, itself—the whole purpose of this banding together. The unpredictable quality of the most stable feminine emotions made the choice of a mate most difficult of all.
This awareness was in all their minds this day, and it made them a little nervous. Even the argument that had started over the coffee had been faintly alarming to Sue. They were a team, welded together by the wonderful gift of telepathy, which was only possible through formation of a marriage cell. The most complete intimacy of thought and feeling had been nurtured for a whole year before marriage was permissible. Sympathy, tolerance and sharing a common experience with mutual enjoyment and happiness was the keystone of the polygamous unions. Nothing must spoil it now.