Mare's Tales - Chapter 27 – by: Beverly Taff

We had chosen the classical transatlantic small boat route to America
and we arrived off Florida at early dawn with the sun rising behind us.
We had long ago decided to boldly present ourselves at their borders
and see what reception the centaurs would get. Technically, we had
broken no laws back in Europe so we deemed unlikely for us to have
broken any in the U.S.A. Provided we adhered to their immigration laws
we could see no problems. With this assumption we casually declared our
arrival by radio and docked at the yacht club to present our documents.

As we were tying up a coastguard officer and an immigration officer
arrived to clear us.

"Hi," they called friendlily, "Where've you just come from?"

I introduced myself and stepped into the wheelhouse to produce all our
documents. They smiled and followed me into the wheelhouse and produced
some forms for us to fill in.

"There are a few of us aboard," I explained, "so we'd better go below."

"O.K. Thanks. How many are there?"

"Eight adults, three minors and five infants. But you had better come
and meet them for yourselves."

Innocently they stepped down into the main saloon.

"Who's in command?" asked the coastguard as we descended the steps.

"I am," I replied with a polite smile, "and I'm also the owner of the
boat."

"Very good ma-am," replied the coastguard inspector, "and are they all
here?"

"They should be."

I put a call out on the intercom and my friends appeared from all
directions.

I was, by now, long inured to the reactions of government officials
when they sighted my friends. The Coastguard official fell speechless
as she flopped down on a saloon chair whilst the immigration inspector
gasped as the centaurs clattered into the saloon. It was all of five or
ten seconds before they showed any reaction.

The immigration officer looked at me for several more seconds then let
out a loud snort of laughter and slammed his file down on the table.
His shoulders shook with mirth as he sorted his documents and studied
my friends.

Eventually, he regained his composure and looked at me as he chuckled.

"That's one hell of a stunt to play lady. I remember you now. You were
in all the papers a while back."

I smiled a little guiltily and shrugged my shoulders as I spoke.

"We couldn't think of anyway to do it."

"Jeez! This is one hell of a crack Annie," he chuckled to his
colleague. "What the hell d'you think we aught to do?"

"It's your problem Jack. Its gorr'a be an immigration thing," laughed
Annie.

He had seen some crazy things in his time but this one definitely
wasn't in the book. Wearily he turned to me again.

"Have you got a phone lady?"

"Not an American one but you can use the marine band V.H.F., and make a
link call. Please be discreet though and not pass anything over the
air."

"You bet lady." He shook his head and turned to the coastguard officer
again. "Annie, can you do the honours and call Max on the V.H.F. Don't
pass anything over the air just tell him to get down here real fast."

Annie had been inspecting my friends more closely and turned
reluctantly to go up to the wheelhouse. Veronica followed her up as the
immigration officer turned to me again.

"Could you ask your friend to stay down here? I wouldn't want her to
try to escape or something."

I laughed softly and smiled politely.

"I don't think a centaur would get very far galloping through Miami
yacht club and up the main drag. Do you?"

He stared at me and a slow grin spread across his face as he realised
the stupidity of his mistake. He shook his head and let out another
loud laugh.

"Ha. Of course, stupid of me to even think of it. I've been too long in
Miami and I keep thinking everybody wants to be an illegal immigrant."
He shook his head again as he chuckled at his blunder.

"Yeah, she'd have some problem trying to hide around Miami. She might
get away with it in a mustang herd out west."

This last remark broke the ice with my friends and they visibly
relaxed. The tension evaporated as the immigration officer realised
that he had answered his own question. There was no way that my centaur
friends could ever try to become illegal immigrants. He sat down and
took out his pen.

"Ah well," he sighed, "I suppose we can fill out the passenger list
before Max gets here. Right, lets have names please and passport
details. This is going to be fun."

We all knew that the next few minutes were going to be hilarious and
even Jack looked forward to his boss's reaction. He smiled as he sat
poised with his pen in hand.

"Right ma-am. You're in charge so I'll take you first. Your full name
please?"

I gave my name and passport details as he slowly noted them. I was glad
my passport entry read 'female'. It avoided any further complications;
anyway it's hard to deny somebody is a woman when they've borne two
sets of twins. I could tell he was being deliberately slow because he
wanted his boss 'Max' to have to deal with my friends the centaurs.

As he plodded methodically through my friend's particulars, there was a
shout from the wheelhouse.

"They're on the way Jack. I gave them a code seven."

"Oh Come on Annie! It's hardly a national security risk is it?"

There was the distant howl of a siren as a four by four station wagon
picked its way through the city traffic. Jack shuffled his papers and
grinned.

"On second thoughts, this'll cause one hell of a flap. Come on then
I'll do you, the dark haired centaur first."

He studied Jenny as she placed her passport on the table, then he
paused reflectively before replacing his pencil and drumming his
fingers on the table.

"On second thoughts. I better hadn't enter you just yet. It'd be just
like my boss to declare you as livestock. He's funny like that. Can you
sort of sit around the table so's he won't notice at first. It's gonn'a
be one hell of a turn when he comes in."

The centaurs shuffled around and finally presented nothing but their
human parts to view. Only Cye couldn't squeeze in.

"Shall I put the coffee on?" she asked.

"Well that's the best thing I've heard since I came aboard this crazy
boat," he laughed.

Cye turned and deliberately wiggled her delicious rump and swished her
long palomino tail. Jack couldn't help staring as she made her way into
the galley. He caught me looking at him and realised he'd been caught
so he shuffled his papers about to hide his embarrassment. Annie had
rejoined us in the cabin and it was obvious she was itching to learn
more. Eventually her official reserve got the better of her and she
plunged in with her questions.

"Where the hell did you guys come from?" she demanded.

"Europe," I replied vaguely.

"Hell I know that! I mean how did you become like you are? Were you
born like that or something? What does your government think about you
guys?"

Her questions came thick and fast without time to answer. I had to hold
my hand up to gain space and time.

"Whoa! Whoa! One question at a time please! To the last question, our
government can't do much about us because they aren't sure what, if
any, laws we have broken. To your second question; no they weren't born
like that and to your first question; - how much time d'you have?"

"O.K.," conceded Annie, "But what about your government?"

"Well I've got some documents here declaring the case to be sub-judice.
The lawyers haven't decided what to do. That is if they do anything."

A slow smile crept over Annie's face as I continued.

"It'll take years for them to sort it all out; if they ever do."

Both Americans chuckled cynically. They knew all about the law and
lawyers.

Jack sucked on his pencil before speaking again.

"Well technically I suppose you haven't committed any offence over here
if all this business was done over in Europe. All your immigration
procedures so far have been letter perfect." He paused thoughtfully as
he pored over the papers before adding. "That is for humans or animals
or- uhmm, whatever."

The centaurs glared at him and showed obvious offence at being
described as 'a- animals- or whatever'. He raised his hands
pacifically.

"No offence folks, no offence."

"None taken Sir," I replied for all of us.

It was no good upsetting Jack. He was after all only trying to do his
job and the centaurs certainly put him in a quandary. Furthermore we
had to remember that it was his country, we were only guests. He
realised that we were nervous so he changed the subject and produced
another form.

"Are you able to show that have sufficient means of support and are not
likely to be stranded in the United States."

"You mean do we have the air fare home?" I queried.

"In a nutshell; yes."

In addition to a fistful of traveler's cheques and high denomination
dollar bills, I produced a banker's draught of several hundred thousand
dollars and a bonded cashier's cheque for several millions more.

"This can be deposited with the federal bank as a bond if you wish. It
simply requires some more signatures by your bank officials in Miami."

His eyes widened slightly as he studied the cheque and then he smiled
philosophically as he noted the value of the cheque on his form.

"Another stupid question," he grinned, "Plenty more where that came
from I suppose."

I smiled back.

"Certainly. It all comes from the royalties and licensing fees from our
researches when my friends were operated on."

"You mean you did all this work yourselves?" gasped Annie.

"Yes, we're all guilty I'm afraid," interrupted Margaret, "All of us
are scientists and we worked on each other."

Annie was about to delve further when our conversations were
interrupted by the deafening wail of a siren announcing the arrival of
Max, Jack's boss at the immigration bureau. There were some other tyre
squeals and we peered out of the saloon ports. There were several more
cars and some police had spilled out onto the pier. Jack muttered a low
curse under his breath and made his way on deck. Annie and I followed
him as a large florid man approached the gangway. It was Max.

"Hi Jack. What's all the beef?"

"Hi Max. No need for all that now." He waved towards the police as a
young officer followed the immigration boss up the gangway. "This is a
Miss Beverly Hart and she's the captain of the yacht. I warn you, this
is going to be one hell of a hum-dinger."

I held my hand out and Max took it warmly. The young police lieutenant
offered his as well and I responded similarly.

"Howdy Miss, so what's the problem?" asked Max.

"You'd better come inside," interjected Jack softly, "You're gonna love
this one."

For a bulky man Max was surprisingly nimble and he followed Jack and I
into the cabin without any of the usual awkwardness associated with
large men in small confined cabins. The young police lieutenant elected
to stay on deck where his men could see him in case of any trouble. He
was obviously street-wise and hard-bitten despite his apparent youth.

Down below Cynthia was serving coffee but the harsh Florida sunlight
had left Max temporarily blinded in the dim shadow of the saloon. He
did not notice Cye for a few seconds. As the realisation dawned on him
he let out a startled curse and whipped his sunglasses off.

"Holy shit! Uh, oh heck! I-I mean, excuse me ma'am. I was complete
thrown by this one. Christ Jack! This is a real curve ball. Talk about
left field."

He let out a short snort before exploding into a loud hoot of laughter.

"Hell Jack I was about to tear your butt off for calling me out to a
little half-arsed yacht. We all thought it was drugs or terrorists or
refugees; or; - well any bloody thing but this. What the hell is this
anyway?"

Jack was enjoying himself immensely.

"Well unless I'm very much mistaken Max, it looks like a centaur.

"Uhhm- I beg your pardon! She looks like a centaur, if you don't mind,"
corrected Cynthia.

Max's gaze swept around the cabin before his eyes settled on me again.

"O.K. Ma'am, I think you've got some explaining to do. Before you do
though, I'm going to have the young police lieutenant move your boat to
a more secure place. When the press get hold of this, the shit is going
to hit the fan."

He called the young lieutenant down- as much to see his reaction as to
organise our new berth. Nobody was disappointed. The young officer
nearly shot himself in the foot for he had come down with his gun at
the ready half expecting a trap. Luckily the bullet lodged in some
heavy floor timbers. If it had struck the steelwork god knows where
the ricocheted would have gone. Also he had the presence of mind to
scream into his radio and prevent his colleagues from opening fire from
the pier.

This was to be the low point of our arrival and after the pandemonium
had settled down Max was able to organise a suitable berth. The young
lieutenant dispatched his police to meet us at their own pier while
Max, Jack and Annie accompanied us as we shifted berth. Again I noticed
Jack's admiring glances as he watched Cynthia move with graceful ease
around the deck. Cye had also noticed his curiosity and she
deliberately worked her way close to him as she attended to the stern
lines. Finally with all the sails stored away she took the helm from me
and I joined Max and Annie in the saloon amidst the rest my friends.
Here we completed the immigration formalities as Max explained his
dilemmas.

"Well Ma'am," he explained patiently, "as I see it the best way is to
declare everybody on a passenger list. Pets and humans can be deemed as
passengers so that gets us around the importation of livestock laws.
This way, I hope the arguments about live-stock wont even arise."

I smiled inwardly at the idea of my friends being deemed 'pets'.

'Still' I thought, 'if 'pets' got us around any importing restrictions,
then I was all for it.'

It was a novel solution and I mentally thanked Max for his ingenuity.
He carried on in the same vein.

"This federal bond check will amply cover any problems with the
immigration or the police and I'll get it sorted as soon as we have
berthed at the police pier."

After a few more additional forms Max turned to Annie.

"Any problems with the Coast-Guard Annie?"

"No. She's a sound craft and all her papers are in order. She's behaved
impeccably from our point of view. The cargo's your problem Max."

"Gee thanks."

A gentle bump announced our arrival at the police pier. The lieutenant
was waiting with the police chief and a lady officer whom I'd seen
earlier on the yacht club quay. Max called them aboard.

"Boy! Have I got one for you this time Chuck. Just go down there and
take a look. There's no danger but boy can we promise you something!"

"It's O.K. Max. The young lady here's told me about it. So it's true is
it?"

"Yup. It's you're problem now Chuck. They're entered legally. Public
order is your scene."

A loud oath emerged from the saloon as the police chief re-emerged.

"We're going to have to be bloody careful with this one."

"I'm afraid it's a bit late, look." Grinned Max as he glanced
significantly towards the sky.

A helicopter was already approaching carrying a reporter who had been
monitoring the police band. The police chief produced his radio and
ordered the chopper to land on the pier. He turned to me wearily.

"Lady. It's gonn'a be a bummer of a night."

I smiled and stepped forward.

"We're used to dealing with the press. The best thing is to let the
television station have its scoop then organise proper press meetings."

"I think the lady may be right chuck. She's been around the press
since day one."

"Maybe so Max, but this is the good ol' Yankee press. I can only -"

The clatter of the helicopter drowned out his last words as we stepped
down the gangway to meet the reporter.

There on the pier, as the chopper wheezed to a stop, I gave the excited
reporter his scoop and my friends made their grand entrance. We had
'arrived in America. The press in any country have an inexhaustible
appetite for sensationalism and we spent over an hour being interviewed
by the one reporter. By then the situation outside the police pier was
becoming uncontrollable as the crowds gathered. I could see the police
cordon struggling to control the crush and the police chief's worried
expression. He turned to me.

"Lady, I don't think I can control this much longer, we're going to
have to find some way out of here."

"A large helicopter's the only way Officer," I suggested.

"Hell! Ma-am. Where d'you think I can get one of those. D'you know
what sort of tiny budget I've-"

"Don't worry about that chief," interrupted Max as he emerged from the
police station. "These folks are good for anything you want to rustle
up. I've just confirmed this check with the federal bank. Its good for
what it says."

He showed the police chief the cheques and the man let out a low
whistle.

"Hell lady. This'll solve all my problems. How many choppers d'you
want?"

"One would be enough, but it'll have to be one of those big double
things."

"You mean a Chinook lady. It'll take a bit of time and time's what I
ain't got."

We both studied the crowd outside the pier. It was obvious the cordon
would break soon.

"Isn't there a more private pier we can go to?" I asked.

"Well we could use the Coast-Guard base," suggested Annie. "If we go
around there in the yacht we could easily rustle up a fleet of choppers
to land there."

This was without doubt the best idea and the chief ushered us back to
the yacht. Our activities were invisible to the crowd and our departure
went un-noticed. Within the hour we were departing from the Coast-Guard
station by Chinook helicopter. These large choppers were regular
visitors to the base and nobody noticed our final departure.

We arranged to do some more interviews with the press and T.V Stations
within a couple of days and we left for a secret destination. As my
friends departed in the Chinook, my final act was to accompany Max and
the police chief to the Federal Court to post my bond. Once this was
done their attitudes become considerably less officious and their more
friendly natures prevailed. I grew to like them as we tightened up the
arrangements for our stay. On the freeway they chatted away about the
judge.

"Did you see old Dick's face when he saw the television news video,"
Chuckled Max.

'Dick' was the judge whom the police chief and Max knew personally.

"Jeez! He's gonn'a have nightmares about centaurs forever. He' wants to
come out to my brother's ranch tommorrow to see them. He still thinks
it's a scam."

"He always was a sceptical ol' bugger," observed Chuck. "I'd give
another million jus' to be there. He'll never touch another drop."

He turned and smiled to me.

"Lady you've sure caused a stir. It's a good job Max's brother was so
co-operative."

I smiled coyly. It was best to let them chat away as the car sped
onwards. We had several hours drive before we reached the ranch and I
was desperately tired. By nightfall we had arrived to meet my friends.
The ranch was set deep in its own lands and nobody could approach
without trespassing. This suited us ideally and I greeted my friends
happily before going straight to bed.

There was no faulting Max's brother's hospitality and we all slept the
sleep of the innocents.

The following day the judge arrived to set his mind at rest. The bond
had been certified and we were free to stay as long as we wanted. I
won't dwell upon the judge's reactions. To be frank I was becoming
tired of all the sensationalism. Suffice to say that after his visit
all our legal problems were over. The judge stayed to enjoy an
excellent barbeque on the ranch that evening and left with Max and
Chuck for Miami. We were on our own at last. Our next task was to
arrange some transport and we completed this in short order.

Some large mobile homes were purchased and modified to suite the
differing needs of the centaurs. Additionally we bought some 'crew-cab'
four by fours and modified the seats for the centaurs. Within a few
days we were ready to roll. Our intention was to travel America.

Firstly we had to satisfy the press and we spent a couple of weeks
giving endless press and T.V, conferences.

Americans seemed to have an endless insatiable appetite for the
unusual and it was a worn out bunch of us that finally felt we had
completed the media circuit. Our trials were not over however for our
lectures and published papers had simply created more questions amongst
the academic circles. As the sensationalist press circus gradually died
down we found ourselves being inundated with further questions about
our work by the scientific field. It was a few months before we had
finally satisfied their curiosity and even our police escorts were
finally glad when things calmed down to manageable proportions. They
had enjoyed the show and the additional overtime pay but, like us, they
were glad for the eventual peace.

It was a happy day when were finally able to creep from the ranch by
road without being hounded by press and television cameras. We still
couldn't simply walk out in public because of the crowds that gathered
but we were able to visit some of the more remote sights and spectacles
outside normal times.

My centaur friends received some spectacular offers and fabulous sums
to appear in films or sponsor some product but they turned them all
down for the immediate present. They simply wanted to visit various
places like the Grand Canyon or New England in the fall. They even
received offers of marriage, which they ridiculed. It caused uproar
amongst some fundamentalist churches when they mentioned these offers
on a television chat show. Fortunately their impeccable public
behaviour prevented any problems from arising but it proved a
cautionary and salutary experience of the pitfalls to be avoided.

Within the bounds of fame and its attendant problems we saw most of
what we wanted as we toured the country. By and large they proved a
very hospitable people and very friendly once we met them on a personal
level. 'Small-town' America proved to be a friendly place once they had
got to know you. Their excellent treatment of us far outweighed the
occasional threat we received from some fundamentalist extremist or
oddball. Notwithstanding the general friendliness we still had to treat
the threats seriously. We never made our itinerary public in advance
for we could never be sure if a bullet was waiting to find its mark.

Sadly it was the 'bullets' that finally decided it for us. We were
enjoying a peaceful 'bake-out' in the western desert when some idiot
mistook one of my friends for a deer. The bullet lodged in Jacky's
shoulder and we had to rush her to a hospital. It was only the
hospital's excellent facilities, the total co-operation of a local
surgeon and Margaret and my skills that saved her from having a
permanently frozen shoulder.

The hunter was all apologies and contriteness but the damage was done.
The next bullet could have been a malicious one and America had proved
to be a 'gun society'. Sadly we decided to return to our boat and leave
the country. It was with heavy hearts that we made our farewell but we
simply couldn't risk the dangers of the guns.

As we returned to Florida Jane received some bad news about her family
and was forced to bid us farewell. We departed from Florida without her
and journeyed back across the Atlantic for the Mediterranean Sea. This
time we had following winds all the way and within a month we were
sailing through the straights of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco.
We docked in Gibraltar for a few days then crossed to Morocco for a
flying visit. Our little boat picked its way into the Mediterranean
where we spent the long summer months visiting the ancient sights of
Italy, Greece and Turkey.

Everywhere we went, the centaurs created a sensation but we had become
inured to the publicity and had become well practised at avoiding the
crowds. We only made public appearances when it suited us. Frequently
we left the boat at a handy berth while we hired transport for
excursions. Often our group broke up for several days as different
parties wanted to visit different things. As the summer ended we
arrived at the Suez Canal and Egypt where we spent another month
amongst the famous sights.

Strangely we found the old world peoples far more respectful and
friendly as they recognised our rights to privacy. That was not to say
that the usual hawkers and street urchins didn't pester us as they
tried to press their wares upon us. In the evenings however we found
much more privacy and peace than in the USA and Europe. I put it down
to the endless publicity we had been subjected to. Most of the people
we met had seen us on television and were more inured to the shock when
we met. Despite their reserve however, we still grew weary of the
circus that ensued every time we turned up in public. We decided that
enough was enough and we rejoined the boat at Hurgharda on the Red Sea.

We took our leave of Egypt and joined the main shipping lanes as we
motored south. We kept company with various ships as we dashed through
the Red Sea because we had heard about the piracy near Somalia.
Fortunately we met up with a warship and traveled under his watchful
eye as we rounded the Horn of Africa. Our next destination was Mombassa
and an African Safari.

Again we caused another sensation but we managed to avoid the crowds
and escaped into the bush on our safari. By the time anybody was alert
to our arrival, we had sped on. It was a bit hectic but we managed an
enjoyable holiday amongst the wild life of Africa. Cye, Jenny, Vee and
Jacky took the opportunity to get amongst the animals where our legs
couldn't get us. This however, led to an exciting little incident when
a zebra stallion decided to investigate the strange new interlopers.
His pursuit caused mayhem amongst my friends as they galloped
frantically back to the Landrovers. We all sat helpless with laughter
as our friends scattered and squealed with fright until they reached
the security of our little convoy. Even then we had to toot the horns
to persuade the stallion to go away. The tears of laughter streamed
from my eyes as we gasped out the words.

"Ha-ha. Y-you nearly had it then girls," I spluttered between gasps.

"I- I don't think that's funny," panted Cye as she slumped across the
Landrover bonnet, "we- we could have been raped or something."

This reduced us to howls of laughter. Even the other centaurs saw the
funny side and fell to tittering amongst themselves.

"Yeah," chuckled Jenny. "Just imagine little centaurs with stripy
pyjamas."

"No need to be perverse about it Jenny," scolded Cye.

"Well next time don't go amongst a Zebra herd when you're on heat,"
retorted Jenny, "It's your own fault."

The zebra stallion was still hanging around and snorting so it was
obvious that one of the girls was on heat. Cye glanced at the stallion
and blushed as she turned to face us again. She bit her lip coyly and
self-consciously climbed into the four-wheel drive lorry we'd
organised. Jenny shouted at the Zebra angrily and it reluctantly sidled
away as the other centaurs followed Cye. We had had enough fun for one
day and we drove off to search out some (for the centaurs at least,),
less dangerous wild life like lions or buffalo.

A few days more and we had seen enough to satisfy our hunger for
Africa. We rejoined our boat and set off south for Durban. Fair winds
and weather soon brought us to our destination and we stayed a few
weeks in South Africa before the big jump to Australia.

We were now competent ocean yachtsmen and the daunting voyage via the
roaring forties to Australia held only modest fears for us. Several of
my friends had other ideas though. Margaret and her daughter Susan
wanted to spend more time on a South African safari so they elected to
miss the southern ocean passage and rejoin us in Freemantle, Australia.
The centaurs and my children wanted to see the icebergs of the southern
ocean so they elected to make the passage.

I was unsure about going so far south. It was a very remote part of the
world and there would be no hope of help if we hit trouble. After three
days out of Durban the children proved to be excellent crewmen and we
decided to take the plunge. It was now midsummer in the southern
hemisphere and the southern ocean wouldn't be so inhospitable.
Cautiously we decided to try for the ice. We would take each day as it
came and decide on an ad-hoc basis. Steadily our yacht ploughed its
lonely furrow southwards and the weather became steadily colder. We
encountered plenty of storms but we had expected them. The Southern
Ocean is the most inhospitable place on earth and the winds are
constantly circling the globe on their unrestricted trek.

The wind moaned incessantly in the rigging as we hurtled along under a
single scrap of storm sail and huge seas heaped up around our lonely
little cockleshell as it bobbed along with the minimum of control.
Many times the seas swept right over us but the boat was built for
survival not speed. She was an ocean cruiser not a racer and during
one storm she even survived a complete rollover without breaking her
masts. This was a splendid tribute to her strength and it gave us the
confidence to carry on. Steadily we beat our way towards the southern
continent and the ice.

The only communication we had was when we listened to the southern
ocean weather forecasts and the occasional brief conversation with a
remote survey ship or scientific station. Eventually the rigging iced
up and we had trouble setting any sail at all. Finally our tiny craft
began to resemble the Fram when she was trapped in the ice.

Fortunately, our steel built boat was built of sterner stuff. The
steel of the hull was nearly two centimetres thick and we knew she
could withstand being trapped in the ice without being crushed. Her
broad rounded barrel shape would cause her to pop up if she became
trapped. Still we ploughed south until, with jubilation, the children
spotted their first iceberg.

Everybody was excited at our sighting and we decided to sail right
around it to be able to say we had been amongst the Antarctic Ice.
This proved to be more difficult than we anticipated for the southern
edge of the berg was inundated with bergy bits and ice flows. It took
us nearly a day to circumnavigate the berg using the engines all the
time. The children even launched the inflatable rigid, in an endeavour
to land on the iceberg but its huge tabular form simply presented sheer
cliffs of ice on all sides and their efforts ended in failure. They
returned disappointed and we resumed our course for MacDonald and Heard
Islands.

Two days later we made our landfall in a remote sheltered bay on the
leeward side of the islands. Here we found clean water and replenished
our tanks. We spent about three weeks on the island as the children
enjoyed the unique experience of wild life displaying no fear at their
approach.

The centaurs enjoyed the luxury of being able to gallop across the
beaches to stretch their cramped limbs whilst I enjoyed long walks in
quiet solitude as I recharged my emotional batteries in the long cold
Antarctic summer days. The voyage south had been a big responsibility
and I had not realised how much it had drained me. The boat was safe in
the sheltered bay for a few weeks and I could get her safety out of my
mind.

My batteries needed recharging and the long peaceful walks were just
the therapy I needed. Then a large tabular berg grounded at the
entrance to the bay and it was another month before it broke up enough
for us to squeeze past it. Glad to be free again and with the Southern
Autumn approaching, we paid our last respects to the remote island and
resumed our lonely journey for Freemantle in Australia.

The long stop at the islands had added an unexpected delay to our
voyage but we benefited from the subsequent autumnal gales that blew
strong and steadily on our port quarter. Not a single ship did we see
or speak to during our lonely passage through the grey wastes. Day
after day the only outside link with the rest of the world was the
weather forecasts.

Eventually we entered the regular shipping lanes as we approached
Australia and started to pick up the regular chatter of the radio
waves. In these lower latitudes the same storms that had driven us
eastwards were now just gales and stiff breezes. The entry into
Freemantle proved easy and we docked to find Jane, Margaret and Susan
waiting for us on the quay. They had been concerned until we had
confirmed that our delay was caused by the iceberg and not through
distress or storm.

After tying up we spent the next few hours chatting and catching up on
all the news and gossip. It was then, and only then, that we learned
about the meteor that had visited the earth from deep space.

During our lonely voyage we had savoured our isolation. We had paid
little or no attention to the news and only switched on the radio for
weather reports. Consequently we had no idea about the meteor.

Apparently, the meteor had arrived from deep space and approached the
Earth from the north polar area. It had been captured by the Earth's
gravitational pull and entered a captive orbit in a north-south
direction. The rotation of the Earth had meant that the orbits had
slowly precessed westwards so that everybody on the planet had enjoyed
a spectacular view of the Earth's new satellite as the sun illuminated
it like a second moon. For a few brief days everybody had watched the
breathless spectacle of a shining rock many times brighter than Venus
and even visible during daylight. Slowly it tumbled end over end as it
swept from pole to pole.

Like any spectacular firework however, the show was not to last. The
new satellite eventually came into conjunction with the moon and the
moon's gravity suddenly grabbed the meteor and flung it back into
space. Astronomers watched sadly as their pet satellite plunged towards
the sun to be consumed in the nuclear furnace.

By the time we had arrived in Freemantle nearly a month had passed
since the spectacle. The whole spectacular event had become a 'nine-
day' wonder. Little more was said or heard about it. We were
disappointed to have missed the display for we had been in the only
remaining tiny north-south segment of the Earth's surface that had
not enjoyed the view. Regretfully we swallowed the bitter cup of
disappointment and tried to console ourselves in the fact that we had
enjoyed a unique experience of our own in the Southern Seas.

There was no disguising our disappointment however and we all fell into
a subdued mood. Such was the children's pride and disappointment that
all mention of our not having seen it was dropped. It put a bit of a
damper on the reunion but the general excitement of seeing our friends
soon pulled us out of our depressions. We eventually forgot all
reference to the meteor and prepared to visit the Outback. Our
intention was to cross Australia by car while our friends sailed the
boat round to Sydney.

Soon we were deep in the remote outback and visiting the various
sights. It was only when we arrived in Sydney that the bombshell
struck.

Scientists the world over was dumbstruck to discover the lingering
legacy of the meteor.

Six weeks after the visit the incidence of pregnancies started to
sharply reduce until by the seventh week not a single pregnancy was
being reported anywhere on the planet.

Apparently, there had been some form of intermittent short-wave
radiation that had rendered all the male population sterile. It is
needless to dwell upon the outcome of this situation except to relate
that the human race faced extinction like the dinosaurs after the
Yucatan impact. Even if scientists managed to clone some humans they
would lose the capacity for variation that sexual reproduction
presented.

Humans would become totally vulnerable to microscopic attack by
bacteria and viruses as they lost the ability to evolve.

Politicians and scientists held meetings all around the world but the
upshot was that no more babies were being conceived and mankind was
facing Armageddon. Religious leaders preached that it was the hand of
God and warned that the last trumpet had been blown. Riots and religion
broke out in equal proportions as the normal fabric of society was torn
asunder. Small wars erupted as one state accused another of having
found a solution and not sharing it.

A world war was averted because the only thing the more rational
leaders could agree on was the fact that the meteor had caused it and
everybody was affected.

Everybody assumed that the whole surface of the Earth was affected and
the whole of mankind had been exposed to its deadly effects.

As these facts were presented and argued publicly, I became more and
more certain that neither Bernard nor I had been affected. We had
neither seen nor heard about the comet for we had been delayed on the
remote and uninhabited island deep in the Southern Ocean from long
before the meteors arrival until long after its departure. My child was
still a little too young to understand the facts yet and I resolved to
keep it that way until I could see my way clear. If I could keep it a
secret during the whole of my world cruise then I could investigate
more fully back in my laboratories at home. Fortunately, none of the
others put two and two together so Bernard and I enjoyed our peace and
tranquility for that much longer.

The irony of our situation was not lost on me. I secretly laughed at
the world and the whole human race as it sought a solution that I was
sure I already had.

My secret self-assurance was not to last however. Some two weeks after
we had left New Zealand bound for Polynesia Bernard came up to me
whilst Jenny and I were enjoying a quiet evening spell on watch. He
gently inveigled himself alongside me on the chartroom settee and
nervously whispered in my ear.

"Mummy, I know that I'm a hermaphrodite and that I have both sets of
stuff down there," he paused nervously.

"Yes. Go on." I prompted.

"Well- being as I now look just like a girl and things, can I live like
a girl just as you do?"

"Are you quite sure you really want that darling?" I probed.

"Well I find girl's clothes much softer and silkier than boy things and
it's much more exciting to wear them. Look- I have to wear a bra now
all the time now that these have grown, (He cupped his breasts in his
bikini top.) So I may as well become a girl."

"Surely you don't want to lose your penis my love?"

"I'm not sure mummy. Jeanette seems to have much more fun with her
stiff little tickly. It seems to be much more sensitive than this, (he
tapped the bulge in his bikini bottom) and Susan will let her use it on
her because it doesn't penetrate and hurt her. They get all the fun and
I get nothing. It's not fair."

I was stunned at the thought of Bernard wanting a full sex change. The
thought of his wanting that had never crossed my mind and the irony of
one of the only two fertile males on the whole planet wanting a sex
change left me breathless with confusion. I cuddled Bernard to me and
cautioned him to be patient. I hinted at the many pleasures he would
enjoy when he was older provided he kept his dual sexuality. He peered
in to my face uncertainly and bit his lip so I squeezed him again to
try and reassure him.

As he pressed against me I felt his maidenly breasts against my own and
his nipples start to harden. He became a little embarrassed and pulled
away from me slightly. The bulge in his bikini bottoms had grown and I
realised he was embarrassed by his own body. He discreetly crossed his
legs in an attempt to cover his condition then he spoke again.

"Well can I change my name to Bernadette and live completely like a
girl?

"Alright my darling. But we'll have to change your passport and that
will take some time. Do you think you can hold out until then?"

He nodded and gave me a happy cuddle before slipping self-consciously
onto the deck to attend to one of the sails that was flapping. Jenny
studied Bernard's efforts with the sail before turning and smiling at
me.

"Just look at her. She's a girl in every respect except one."

I studied Bernard's soft lithe rounded shape as he deftly handled the
sail, and I was forced to agree with Jenny. Bernard was definitely a
Bernadette.

"It's only a matter of time now," finished Jenny sagely.

I frowned inwardly. There was no way I could let Bernard have a sex
change. He had yet to realise that he and I were the only sources of
sperm on the whole planet and I had to complete some tests to determine
what, if any, genetic variation there was between us. Jenny intuitively
realised that I had something on my mind and slipped below to make some
cocoa. There was little to do steering-wise. It was fine evening and
the yacht was running free before the breeze. I decided to chat with
Margaret when she came up to take over.

After I had handed over I settled on the settee and voiced my concerns
to her. Margaret was well experienced in these things for all her
experience at Miss Lanes Academy could be brought to bear. After I had
mentioned Bernard's wishes she sat silently digesting her thoughts
before opening up.

"Well there's no problem as I see it. If he wants to be a girl that can
easily be arranged. It's the sooner the better at his age. The passport
shouldn't present a problem for he's on your passport at the moment.
His birth certificate had a special endorsement under sex so it should
be no problem to get him a passport as a girl. If we post the photos
and forms from the consulate in Tahiti we could collect the passport at
the consulate in San Francisco. Then Bernard can restart life as
Bernadette whenever he likes. It surprises me though that he wants to
go fully as a girl. Have you explained all the options open to him
yet?"

I stalled for a moment debating whether to reveal all to Margaret. She
studied my body language and spoke again.

"There's something you're not telling me isn't there?"

"Well yes and no," I admitted, "I've just been talking to him for the
last half our or so."

"Well it all seems superfluous anyway what with this meteor problem."

I bit my lower lip as I debated whether to take the plunge or not.
Margaret realised that there was still some unfinished business and
waited patiently. We knew each other's ways exactly and she could tell
I still had something on my mind.

"I'm waiting," she prompted.

"Well the truth is Mags, I haven't been entirely honest with you. It's
only this sex-change thing of Bernard's that has really precipitated
it."

"Go on."

"Well- I- I really need know what your opinions are before I tell you
but I have to have your sworn promise that you'll never divulge what I
say here to anybody."

Margaret stared at me and leaned across the wheelhouse to close the
door to the cabins. We had been through many storms together and she
knew I had a problem. She realised I was going through hell and had
something of great portent to divulge.

"Well, come on. I promise I won't tell anybody. What's the big
secret?"

"Well you know this meteor visit that's done for men."

"Yes," replied Margaret softly.

"A- and we were down south when it came."

"Uh-huh."

"Well we never actually saw the thing. I mean we were never exposed to
its effects. I plotted its course and everything. It didn't come within
thousands of miles of us. There was never less than a couple of hundred
miles of rock between us. Nearer a couple of thousand miles I'd guess.

There was a deafening silence as Margaret's brain made the connection.

"What!" she squeaked, "You mean you never saw it at all."

"Not once," I confirmed, "I checked some astronomical publications in
the Wellington Library in New Zealand and we were stranded on the
island in that tiny segment of the earth for the whole of the
duration."

"So- You- You- You may not be affected," she finished in a small voice.

"Well done," I muttered, "I wondered how long it would take you?"

"You're absolutely certain," she queried nervously.

"Of course I'm bloody certain," I snapped, "I've studied my sperm under
the children's microscope in their study. My sperm are wriggling and
alive. According to the publications I've managed to see. There is no
live sperm produced at all by the rest of the population, simply a
sterile fluid with no signs of any sperm; dead or alive."

"So it means that you and Bernard are not affected."

"Brilliant," I snapped again, "So now you see why I don't want him to
become entirely a girl; to the exclusion of all traces of masculinity."

"Quite, quite," replied Margaret soothingly.

The sun had set by now. The whispering breeze and creaking rigging
forced themselves into my brain as we sat in silence. As the
realisation entered Margaret's brain she went pale and gripped a
handrail to stop from falling off the pilot chair. I gently eased her
over towards the settee where I loosened the buttons of her blouse and
undid her bra so she could breath more easily. I then sat stroking her
head as she slowly recovered. She lay with her head in my lap and
eventually looked up into my eyes.

"D'you want a drink of water?"

"Please," she whispered.

I fetched a glass and some tablets from the medicine cabinet as she sat
upright again and studied me from the corner of the settee. Her gaze
un-nerved me and I felt forced to speak.

"So, don't just stare like that. I thought you'd be a bit more
resistant to shocks than this. What do you suggest?"

As she swallowed the second pill she spoke slowly.

"Are you absolutely certain Bev?"

"Of course I'm sure bloody Mags! I tell you, the only place on Earth
that any semen is being made is right here on this boat; in here," I
added, pointing to my cock for emphasis, "-Oh and of course, by
Bernadette, as she likes to call herself now."

"Are you certain about him as well?"

"Well of course I can't be certain. I haven't had a chance to check her
semen. If I demanded a sample she might put two and two together. She's
growing up and she's not slow. I can only assume that if I wasn't
affected then she wasn't either."

"And he wants to become a girl?"

"Exactly! Now you can see the dilemma and why I want your advice."

"Well my advice would be to make her wait."

"One small problem," I added, "She's trying like crazy to screw Susan,
our daughter, her sister. If she got Susan pregnant, then she shit
would really hit the fan."

Margaret swallowed nervously and rubbed her chin.

"Hmmm- I see what you mean. There would be no stopping the
authorities."

"Tell me about it," I added, "Not to mention all the weirdoes and
religious nuts."

"Well we'd better put all of them on the pill. After all, if Bernard's
anything like you, he could get himself pregnant."

Margaret still hadn't come to terms with the idea of Bernard having
become Bernadette.

"Shit! I hadn't thought of that," I cursed.

"I think it's time we had a little talk with them. Do you think Bernard
will catch on?"

"I don't know. Eventually he- I mean she-, will. Its older and wiser
she's getting and even if Bernadette doesn't realise it, either or both
of his sister's might."

Margaret sat silently as I paced agitatedly around the wheelhouse.
Eventually she spoke again.

"To be honest Bev. I think it would be better if we did tell him: - or
her as she likes to be known now."

Margaret had said more or less what I had been hoping to hear. I had
only been looking for another and perhaps wiser head to support my
conclusions. Additionally, if we were going to get a sperm sample from
her, we would have to honest otherwise it would only worry her. There
was no time like the present so we called Bernadette back to the
wheelhouse where Margaret could chat with her.

Bernadette returned with a mug of cocoa that she had prepared as a
nightcap. She was wearing one of Jeanette's nighties because we had
never had a chance to complete her shopping after all the publicity and
hullabaloo with the centaurs. On the boat she generally wore shorts and
a halter-top or one of Susan or Jeanette's bikinis.

Margaret and I had often exchanged glances when we had studied
Bernadette in her bathing outfits. The costumes was nicely filled out
by Bernadette's well-formed breasts, tapering to a slender waist and
then flaring out to her nicely rounded hips and buttocks. The only
incongruence was the telltale bulge straining at the front of her
costume. It was her 'bulge' that precipitated the teasing from Susan
and Jeanette and had persuaded Bernadette that it was better to have
the complete operation and become a singular girl without the dual
problems of her hermaphrodism.

As she waited in the wheelhouse we couldn't help noticing that she had
an erection under her nighty and she was trying to tuck her tummy in
and cross her legs to hide it. She was extremely embarrassed by it and
it was obvious that Margaret and I were going to have a job persuading
her to keep her male characteristics. Bernadette now moved, thought,
behaved and lived entirely as a girl. We knew we would have to explain
the situation and then describe the range of options open to her.

Gently we broke the news to her and described what we wanted. She was
extremely nervous at first but eventually, like a frightened young
filly, she fidgeted and fretted as we finally managed to persuade her
of a sample. Then after some more questions and answers we gently
tucked her into bed to sleep on the options. I took the sample to the
microscope and my fears were confirmed, Bernadette's sperm was even
more virile and numerous than mine, mainly because her testicles were
still located externally whereas mine had long since been located
internally to accommodate my dual function.

If Bernadette decided to be the same as me then she would have to have
her testicles relocated internally. This would of course reduce the
sperm count but it gave her the splendid dual options of fatherhood and
motherhood.

Wearily I told Margaret and then I slumped onto the bed alongside
Veronica. My head rested between her forelegs with my lips close to her
pussy. I gently breathed her soft aroma and she whinnied softly in her
sleep. Gently she arched around and her hands reached unconsciously
around my breasts. I fell into a deep slumber as the boat rocked and
creaked in the warm tropical breeze.

The following morning I was so tired that Veronica managed to pick her
way out of bed without waking me. There were few if any problems to
handle. The boat was sailing easily before a steady breeze and needed
little attention. We also had a landfall to make that afternoon so she
decided to let me sleep on during the morning watch. It was to be our
last island landfall before the long leg across the Pacific to America.
As I savoured the luxury of an extra watch in bed I suddenly felt
someone creeping into my bed. It was Bernadette and she had something
important to say. We lay together for several minutes as I waited for
her to pluck up enough courage. Eventually she turned and rested her
head on my breasts.

"Mummy, I think I would like to the same as you, but without such a-
(she paused nervously) a- b- big penis."

I smiled inwardly and squeezed her to me.

"Are you absolutely sure about this now?" I cautioned softly.

"Y- yes I think so."

"Do you realise what it means," I added, "You will always have to squat
and pull your knickers down to pee. You wont be able to run very far or
fast, you will become an extremely sensitive and vulnerable woman.

"Yes I know all about that mummy. I've seen you."

I frowned inwardly for I hadn't realised that my actions had been so
obvious to the children.

"You must realise that if a man tries to seduce you, you wont be able
to have a normal relationship because of your penis."

"It's girls I like mummy. Not boys."

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Bernadette was a heterosexual
transvestite in her head, which was where it all mattered. Like me she
would be able to enjoy all the pleasures of both sexes. There were
plenty of 'lesbian' women who would die for the chance to share her
soft feminine body. I shrugged philosophically before replying.

"Well, I'll do the best I can to see that you don't suffer all the
little inconveniences that I experience. I'll endeavour to ensure that
your sperm count is not badly reduced by body temperature when your
testicles are relocated internally and I'll try to arrange it so that
you don't have such a small bladder as me. It might mean that your
vagina wont be quite as accommodating as mine and you'll have a
slightly more rounded tummy."

Bernadette snuggled closer to me and smiled.

"But girls do have more rounded tummies than boys and if I have a
tighter pussy the boy's will like it."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her shoulders as I savoured the
scent of her hair. Margaret had always reckoned that my tummy was a
little too flat and masculine. It was one of her few regrets about my
general appearance after all her surgery. I still had a remarkably
tight stomach even after having had both sets of twins.

Self-consciously I gently pressed my tummy with a hand and suddenly
felt Bernadette's soft fingers following mine.

"Will I be able to have babies like you?"

My tummy gave a little flip of excitement.

"Of course my darling. You're almost capable now. In fact the bigger
danger is that you might get yourself pregnant. That would give the
whole game away."

"Does that mean I'll have to go on the pill?"

"Yes dear. But it's no problem; we can manufacture those back home in
the labs. You realise that if any 'girl' went into a chemist these days
and asked for the pill she would have a lot of questions to answer."

Bernadette gave me a squeeze by way of an answer but it didn't reassure
me.

"You do realise all the dangers facing you now, don't you?" I pressed.

I felt her slump against me and her sadness showed clearly in her eyes.

"So how long do I have to wait mummy?"

"Until we get back home to the hall and the labs. There we can operate.
You can either wait until we get back by boat or we can fly home
directly from America. Which would you prefer?"

"I'd rather see the rest of America mummy. The operation can wait."

"Good," I sighed with relief, "Now to more mundane matters. Aunty
Margaret and I want to check your fertility. You'll have to remember
that nobody knows about you and I except aunty Margaret and us. O.K."

"I understand mummy."

"Good. Now the other thing is that you mustn't make love to Susan or,
for that matter, Jeanette. O.K. The last thing we want is for either of
them to get pregnant. It would give the game away completely."

A cloud crossed her face as she contemplated the restraint and
sacrifice she'd have to endure. She reached her arms around me and
pulled herself tight to me. I felt her soft breasts meshing against
mine and the soft sobs building up inside her. I couldn't tell if it
was anguish or relief but we held each other for a long time before she
finally relinquished her desperate grip and sat up disconsolately with
her legs over the edge of the bunk.

A call from the chartroom diverted our attentions. They had sighted
land a little earlier than expected owing to atmospheric conditions. I
dressed and went upstairs as Bernadette shuffled dejectedly to her own
cabin to get dressed. She joined me in the wheelhouse dressed in jeans
and a loose shirt. It was almost a statement of her decision to defer
the operation. Despite her having dressed as a boy there was no
mistaking the soft swell of her breasts and the rounded form under the
tough denim material. Bernadette was more than ready for the operation.

We docked at the island in the late afternoon and immediately went
ashore to enjoy the sights and sensations of the town and dry land. A
few days were spent replenishing our supplies before we embarked upon
the final leg to America.

Our best destination was to be San Francisco. The winds were best
suited for that landfall and Margaret had some friends there who knew
the various gay scenes.

The letters were sent about the children's new passports and
arrangements were made for Margaret's friends to be there when we
arrived.