Mars 70 BC

            The Martian summer was sweet with honey blossoms. Tanya let her red
    hair hang down to her hips. Her skin was tattooed with prayers in ancient
    calligraphy for blessings. The letters were written in columns up her back
    and the length of her arms. Her face was painted white. Her lips were painted
    glossy red. Her eye lids painted with blue and black outlined. The sunny
    tropical climate made a copper race of Martians. But, they remembered their
    paler ancestors from the constellation Altara. The Martian women painted
    their faces white to denote their higher breeding. Tanya was just turned to
    marriageable age and she had many suitors.
            Hrothgar was a handsome young man. He had excelled in ionic
    synergistic energy. The Martian technology had tapped the magnetic field
    in the ionosphere, bringing lightning down to power their cities. Their faith in
    the Great Spirit had inspired them to reach out to their sister planet in this
    solar system. They called it Hirsh: the deer heart. It had an orbiting moon,
    which provided an operational base and mining of precious minerals.
    Tanya slipped on the moon gold bracelet Hrothgar had brought to her.
    She held up her arm and watched the gold glisten. Her smile was like ivory.
    Her eyes as bright as blue diamonds.
            "Rah be praised. This is so beautiful." Tanya said. Hrothgar embraced
    her. She pushed back playfully, "Back off! I am not yours yet. We must be
    married, before we can begin embracing." Tanya giggled and danced, swaying
    with the gold bracelet held high on her wrist. She wore only a short surapi about
    her waist. Her breast were firm and jiggled with every tap of her feet.
    "I must have a marriage with you! If only for an hour!" Hrothgar smirked.
    Tanya danced about him, swaying her hips and holding the golden bracelet above
    her on her right wrist. "Not today. You must ask my father." she giggled.
            Hrothgar snorted, "He is on Hirsh! He may not return for a year or more.
    The savages there are difficult to educate." Tanya made a swallows call at him
    and dropped her surapi. She skipped off the balcony of her fathers penthouse
    and levitated to the pool below, slipping into the water. The Martians had mastered
    the art of telekinesis. Hrothgar lept into the pool with a plunge. He clutched
    her closely under the water and they were mated. Tanya levitated to the soft
    floating cushions about the pool and laughed. "Now, you must marry me!
    My father will take your head!" she said with a wicked smile. Hrothgar laughed
    and rubbed the white paint from Tanya's face with a towel. "I have spoken
    with your father through his pyramid .. He gave me your hand for three gold
    bars." he spoke with a strong voice and showed her the bill of sale.

              "You are my concubine!" Hrothgar laughed loudly.

    Tanya stared in shock at the document. "I am to be married?" she gasped.
    Hrothgar shook his head slowly no. "Your father has many debts. Why do you
    think he is dealing with those savages on Hirsh? You will join my harem.
    If you wish, you may choose surpacu." Hrothgar gave a toothy smile.
    Surpacu was the right of every Martian to choose their death. Tanya was only
    16 and swallowed hard at the thought. "Do you want to hurt me?" she whimpered.
    Hrothgar laughed, "Do as I say and you will be rewarded." He held her by the
    golden bracelet and suckled on her ruby lips. So it came to pass the young
    Martian princess was sold. +


    ~~~
      <^>