"Buchi, I have something to tell you," I began. "For my sorority initiation, I have to have sex with someone, and..." I hesitated. "Take a picture."I ...eld my breath as I waited to see if he was going to be mad or what.'Oh, really? It's really true then?"He saw that I was confused."I heard something about a sorority that made their Pledges have sex, but didn't think it was true. Is that yours?"That simple question struck a nerve in me. It made me feel cheap, and he didn't even know. I didn’t see any more of the Brotherhood thugs wandering about, so they must only be at the bank. Anyway, I had just about all I could carry so I went back down to the docks and went onboard the Bright Star. I was deck-cargo, just like the bundles and baskets.I stayed out of the way until we were clear of the port, then went to talk to the Captain. He was expecting it.“Ye have yer legs. Where you from?”“The Island. You ever go over there?”“Sometimes. Ye want to go home?”“If I can. How much. Now, she was going to need to get herself a job and it was going to be a big shock to her. When we got to family court, that’s when I got screwed, having to pay her alimony and letting her back in the house. The child support was no problem, but she wouldn’t be handling it and she could damn well whistle for alimony. I kind of knew the lay of the land when it came to family court, so I wasn’t caught by surprise. In my case, she got half my retirement, half the house, half our savings, and half. "How can you decide the fate of a world with a simple brawl?" You accepted the terms once you stepped within the circle," Jondar chided him. "Strength and the skills of Combat determine who is truly male, destined to rule. But it is of no consequence. If you had refused The Test, we would have taken your planet as forfeit. This way, you had the chance to acquit yourself, and your people. But enough! You have been proven to be less than male. As the leader of your clan, you will undergo 'The.