Yosef's farm home is remote from the settlement with no close neighbors. The marriage with Teena is a marriage of convenience, enacted due to the harsh Oridung rules. A pretend wife is safer than a suspected concubine. The latter could result in his, and her, execution in a gruesome fashion. Pretending marriage is a concept beyond consideration under the Oridung. No one would question a claim of marriage, if they sell it well. He maintains the pretense during her absences via the fiction of a distant ailing mother-in-law. This deception also explains his …show more content…
It required several hours to map the new location of the Nexus relative to the original location. Teena's tender ribs slowed progress, hobbling her movements about the field. She was in pain despite the Vicodin. She walked about with difficulty, leaning on a long walking stick. She stopped often to rest, holding her side. I was rather worried for her, I confess. I offered to take her place, but she declined, insisting she must map the matrix.
She had often dropped odd little comments about protecting other societies. I had inferred there may be a sort of 'Prime Directive' she was attempting to follow. I couldn't decide whether the task was too skilled to teach, or she held deeper concerns. In any case, I could only stand by and watch her struggle, and worry.
While we waited, occasional passersby traveled the road below us. A few stopped and waved, engaging Yosef in conversation. They expressed concern whether there might be some difficulty. He reassured them all was well, that the family had stopped in the midst of a long trip for a picnic. Reassured, they continued without incident. Despite our fears and cautions, no serious incidents