Tri-ethereal Ch. 03

Within a few minutes after the Lord Kennington left, a guard I had never seen before returned with an aide. The aide – a young boy – began cleaning out our chamber pot. While the boy was doing that the guard momentarily left, leaving the door opened. That was unusual for a guard. They're not supposed to leave the prisoners unattended. Nor are they supposed to leave the prison door open if they leave.

"He's got to be new," John said to me. "If his supervisor finds out he left the door opened he'll pay dearly."

I didn't answer John. I just continued to sit on our bed watching the boy clean out our chamber pot.

I heard the guard unlocking the door to the cell next to ours. A few seconds later he returned with a blanket and the books that Lord Kennington had given to us. Next he told the boy to leave and to wait for him at the end of the hall. He told me that his name was William; his son, the aide, was also named William.

He handed me the books and the blanket and advised me to hide them under the mattress. I thanked him and told him that Lord Kennington was going to get my and John's luxuries back. He said that he was aware of the little war between Count Strydamu and Lord Kennington; the whole prison was aware of it. He said that he hopes that Lord Kennington wins but if he didn't . . . well he was here to help me and John out.

He then revealed to me that his grandparents of six generations ago were Trimorphs. Their baby son was a non-Trimorph. He "disappeared" about the time his parents were discovered and banished from the kingdom. But it has been a family secret that a civil aristocrat took him in and raised him as one of his maid's sons.

"Cool, we have a spy on our side," John whispered to me.

I wanted to tell John to keep his harebrained imagination to himself but I was more interested in hearing what William had to say.

William said that up until two days ago he had worked in the kitchen, cooking the food for the guards and the prisoners. He put in for a transfer to this section of the prison when he first discovered that I am a Trimorph, but it took a long time for his transfer to go through. He blamed it on prison bureaucracy.

He said that he spoke with Lord Kennington the other day and mentioned that he wanted to help me and John out. Then this morning the transfer was finally granted. He is not sure but he thinks the transfer was granted through the intervention of Lord Kartier.

But he said that he told his supervisor that the reason he put in for the transfer was so that his son could get a feel for what it is like to work in all sections of the prison. He told me that the boy hoped to work in the prison as a cook some day.

Then William told me that if I ever needed anything ask him and he would get it for me. He said that was the real reason he put in for the transfer, to help me and John out a little bit. He wanted to make our life as comfortable as possible before we were banished into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal. Then he would go back to working in the prison kitchen.

"Ask William if he plays chess and can he get me a chess set?" John asked me. Again, I didn't answer my counterpart.

The guard divulged to me that he didn't believe it was fair to execute someone or banish them from the kingdom just because they were different. He said that there were quite a number of commoners who were against banishing me and John.

I told him that Lord Kennington said that most Tri-etherealians favored either our execution or banishment to Corporeal. He said that that was true but that there was a small but vocal minority of commoners, backed by a few civil aristocrats, who wanted to see us released from prison. They believed that we had done nothing wrong.

"Tell him to have his friends sign a petition and give it to the king, Johanna."

"Will you be quiet?" I said to John.

The guard looked at me like I was crazy or something. "Not you William. I was talking to my counterpart. He keeps talking to me and interrupting us."

William shrugged and revealed to me that that was another reason he put in for the transfer. He wanted to learn about Trimorphs. He wanted to learn about his ancestors.

I asked him if he was worried about what Lord Clyton or Count Strydamu would say. He said that he wasn't worried about what either one of those would do. Lord Clyton seldom came to the prison and the Count had no jurisdiction here.

Besides, he exclaimed, every time Lord Clyton and the Count come here they come with a large following of aides and attendants. Everyone in the prison knows that they are coming long before either of them arrives.

He said that such a forewarning would allow him to come here and remove anything that the Count might object to me and John having.

I asked him if he could get a bucket of water for me and John in the evening so that we could wash up a bit. He said that he would have his son bring it to us.

I then asked him if he could get some of our clothes; I only had Lord Kennington's cape wrapped around me. I like to go naked but it's always nice to have clothes around; just in case they are needed in case it gets cold or something.

William excused himself and left our cell, again leaving the door opened. He returned a few moments later with our clothes. I again thanked him and put the clothes on our bed.

He asked me if I wanted the table and chair and the food. But I told him no. I didn't want to put him in any danger if one of the other guards happened to see it in our cell.

William then began to ask me all kinds of questions about Trimorphs. How did we change sexes? What was union like? What happened to my counterpart while I had possession of our body? Was it possible for one of his children to be a Trimorph? Could he become a Trimorph? How did we live forever? Did we ever get sick?

"Whoa! Whoa!" I said. "One question at a time."

"You answer his questions, Johanna. I'm going back to sleep."

"You do that John." Then to the guard, "Exactly what do you know about Trimorphs?"

He said that he didn't know much. He further informed me that he had been to Lord Kennington's library a few times to look up information about Trimorphs but that the facts there are sparse. He added that he didn't believe any of the ludicrous tales non-Trimorphs made up about us.

"I knew I recognized him. He used to come in our library all the time Johanna."

"Excuse me William."

Then to John, "I thought you said you were going to sleep."

"OK, OK. I'm going. Don't give away any Trimorph secrets. And whatever you tell him, don't tell him about our two heads and three red eyes." Then he laughed.

"Will you go to sleep?" I hollered at John.

"Can he hear us?" William asked me.

"Yes, John can hear, feel, see, taste and smell everything that I can while he is in transition. In fact, a Trimorph who is in transition can hear, feel, see, taste and smell things that the one who is in possession of their body can't. It's kind of like a sixth sense Trimorphs have."

"Is he talking to you right now? How come I can't hear him when he talks to you?"

"Yes, but when he speaks to me, I'm the only one who can hear him. It's like he was whispering to me in my inner ear."

"I don't understand. Where is your counterpart right now?"

"I'll do my best to explain it. Transition is an out of body experience. The one in transition can perceive their body from outside of it. That's how he or she can hear, feel, see, taste and smell things that the one in possession of the body can't. Do you understand so far?"

"Yes. Please go on."

"OK. The reason you can't hear John when he talks to me is because he is inside of me, inside of my mind. So, the one in transition is actually a spirit both outside their body and inside of the one in possession of their body. We can talk to each other but no one else can perceive the one in transition."

"Can you see your counterpart?"

"No, I can't. I can't see, smell, taste or feel John except during union. I can only talk to him and hear him when he talks to me. But he can smell, taste, feel, see and hear everything I do."

"Tell me more. I want to know all about my ancestors."

I revealed to him that Trimorphs have a tri-existence. There is the male, the female and the body that the male and female share. The body is both male and female but that only one sex is evident at any one time – the sex of the one who possesses the body.

Next I told him that when a Trimorph goes through union their body just undergoes a metamorphosis. Their body changes sexes, going from male to female or from female to male. When the male possess the body, the body has all masculine characteristics, and when the female possess the body, the body has all feminine characteristics.

William said that he heard some of the guards talk about watching Melissa and Melyssan go through union. He thought that that was disgusting and considered those guards nothing but voyeuristic perverts.

I didn't answer his derogatory comment; although I agree with it.

I told him that if the body is going from male to female then the penis and testicles get smaller and go into the body. The vagina develops. The penis turns into the clitoris and the testicles turn into the ovaries. While that is happening, the breasts get larger and any facial hair falls off. The rest of the body takes on feminine characteristics.

If the body is going from female to male then the opposite happens. The clitoris enlarges and the ovaries fall out of the body. The vagina closes up. The clitoris turns into the penis and the testicles develop. The breasts get smaller and any facial hair that the body had reappears. The body takes on masculine characteristics.

Most male Trimorphs are circumcised soon after they are fully developed. Union is more ecstatic if the male is circumcised. John is circumcised.

Most male Trimorphs wear beards and/or mustaches to further change their appearance from their female counterpart. It helps hide their Trimorph status from non-Trimorphs. But male Trimorphs are not very hairy, so their beards and mustaches usually do not fill their whole faces. John doesn't have a beard or a mustache; he doesn't like them.

The male, the female and the body all have pubic hair. But like male facial hair, pubic hair is not very thick. Male Trimorphs do not have very much hair on their chests; some don't have any hair at all on their chests. Most females shave their legs and under their arms. Also, a Trimorph's body does not lose its hair, nor does it get grey as he or she gets older.

I then had a thought. I removed Lord Kennington's cape and stood up, showing myself to William. I could see the surprise in his face. But as I said, I'm not ashamed to be seen naked. I enjoy nudity; I think it's beautiful.

"You see. I'm all female."

"I can see that. You're the fourth female I have ever seen completely naked. My wife and a couple of females I had sex with before I met my wife."

I smiled.

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you," I answered him. Then I put on some of the clothes he brought me. I put the books and the blanket under the straw mattress.

Next I told William that union is not sexual; it's an emotional thing. But the male, the female and the body all hear, feel, see, taste and smell the passion that is experienced during union. The best example I could give him was bondage and discipline sex among Tri-etherealians. But I assured him that union is much more pleasurable than sex.

He confided in me that he and his wife frequently practiced bondage and discipline sex. He then asked me how I knew that union is better than sex. I revealed to him that both John and I had had sex with non-Trimorphs on several occasions.

William questioned me further about what happens to me when I'm in transition.

I told him that there are two levels of transition, simple transition and deep transition. I reiterated that transition is an out of the body and inside of the mind experience. When a Trimorph is in transition, he or she can perceive from both outside and inside of their body everything that the one in possession of their body can perceive. But that deep transition is similar to the sleep he experiences. We even dream.

Our body never sleeps. Although after any strenuous work it may need to rest a little bit.

He then wanted to know if he or any of his children or grandchildren could develop into a Trimorph. He told me that he had always had hoped – ever since he was a boy and learned of his ancestors – that he could develop into a Trimorph. Unfortunately, I had to tell him no; he would never develop into a Trimorph.

I told him that if a Tri-etherealian isn't a Trimorph at birth, then they would never become one. I also told him that a female Trimorph could only be impregnated by a male Trimorph. A female Trimorph is unable to conceive if she has sex with a male non-Trimorph. However, a male Trimorph can impregnate a female non-Trimorph but their children will be sterile.

Further, all Trimorphs are born female and their male counterpart becomes evident during puberty. The male just "wakes up" as the body goes through puberty.

The male Trimorph's development is similar to what his counterpart's development was as she was growing up. Only it is much faster. The male Trimorph is the same age as his counterpart but his mind is that of a small child. The good thing about it is that he matures rapidly.

But I told William that I sometimes wonder about John's maturity. He's got a stick that he keeps hidden in a crack in the wall. He occasionally takes it out, pretending that it's a sword and he's a pirate, a knight, a mercenary or some other swordfighter. He's like a little boy. He runs all over our cell pretending to kill dragons and monsters and other such creatures.

It is a hard time for teenage female Trimorphs. Although they do not have to put up with menstruation, they do have to put up with their body changing from that of a little girl to that of woman.

A female Trimorph doesn't have a menstrual cycle because she doesn't produce an egg each month. A female Trimorph has the ability to select when she wants to produce an egg. She just wills her egg to become fertile. Although it does take a lot of concentration and sometimes it may take a couple of months.

But the real hard part is that she has to put up with her teenage male counterpart who is just realizing that he has an existence and who has a million questions. Most of which are stupid. Like, "how come I look different than you,' and 'I can see you but can you see me,' and 'where have I been for the past umpteen years?'

The male Trimorph doesn't have any memory prior to puberty. The female has to teach him everything.

William asked me why his great, great grandfather wasn't born a Trimorph. I told him that just because a male and female Trimorph have sex that doesn't necessarily mean that their children will be Trimorphs. A female Trimorph only has two eggs; one in each ovary. There is only about a 25% probability that their daughter will be a Trimorph. More often than not their children won't be Trimorphs.

Since Trimorphs can change their sex that means that a Trimorph family can have a maximum of only four children, male or female. None of which will be sterile. But if the child is to be Trimorph then it will be female. Also, because of their tri-existence, all Trimorph children have a father and a mother as well as a stepfather and a stepmother, their parent's counterparts.

Because Trimorphs have the ability to choose when they want to get pregnant and because they are eternal beings, most Trimorphs spread their families out over centuries. Melissa told me that she is the third child of her parents, who are both over 2400 years old. Her two brothers were born centuries ago, each over 150 years apart. John and I are the fourth child of our parents. Our two brothers and sister were born centuries ago.

When a female Trimorph is pregnant the male is also pregnant. But the female has to be in possession of the body when the baby is born nine months after conception.

William revealed to me that Melissa is the only other Trimorph he has ever met; he brought her food a few times. He wanted to know why I was white and she was black. He's got Trimorph blood in him and he's black and Melissa is black. He thought all Trimorphs were black.

I told him that Trimorph skin color was no different than that of any other Tri-etherealian. Trimorphs are white, tan, brown, black and every shade in between, just like all other Tri-etherealians.

Finally, he wanted to know how Tri-morphs maintained their youth. I told him that we don't get sick, that we are not susceptible to the many diseases other Tri-etherealians are susceptible to. Further, if we get injured our body will heal itself but that the greater the injury then the longer it takes for our body to heal. As for our ability to overcome death, it was just another characteristic that Trimorphs possess.

He thanked me for the information and asked if he could come back and learn more. I told him that I would be more than happy to give him any information about Trimorphs that he wanted to know.

He called his son and prepared to leave. As he was walking toward the door, he turned around and asked me if sex with a Trimorph was more ecstatic as everyone believed. But what he was really asking me was if I would have sex with him. I answered him that if he wanted to we could have sex on his next visit. Then he could see for himself.

He smiled, closed the door and locked it.

I pulled the book I was reading out from under the mattress and returned to my reading. After a couple of hours I heard someone unlocking our cell door. I quickly put the book under the mattress and covered myself with Lord Kennington's cape.

It was one of the other guards. He opened the door and asked me if I were John or Johanna. I gave him a dumb look and grabbed my hair, showing him that it was long. That caused the cape to fall off my shoulders.

He asked me why I wasn't naked. I could tell by the way he asked that he wanted to see me naked. I told him that Lord Kennington had given me his cape and some of my clothes.

Next he told me that he had come to get John to bring him to court to receive his sentence. I informed him that John was still in deep transition. He ordered me to let John come out. I said that I would do my best to wake him up. He then told me that he would be back in a few minutes to get him. He closed the door and locked it.

I hollered at the door, "Union takes over an hour!" But he didn't answer me.

Non-Trimorphs really make me angry. They make up all kinds of fantastic tales about us. Yet when it comes to humiliating us or condemning us, their knowledge of union, our tri-existence, our ability to retain our youth and everything about us is exceeded only by their hate for us.

"I heard him Johanna," my counterpart said. "I've been awake for several minutes now just watching you read."

"Oh John, you startled me."

"I'm sorry. I should have let you know that I was out of deep transition."

"That's alright. I should have realized . . ."

"I don't want to go through union just yet, if it's alright with you. I want to wait till that guard comes back and tell him to give us an hour or more. I don't want him gawking at our body while we're going through union."

"Me neither, John. Do you think Lord Kennington will be there, in court I mean?"

"I don't know. He said he would come."

"Do you think I ought to tell the guard to send word to Lord Kennington that you will be in possession of our body in a few minutes?"

"Yeah, that would give us time to go through union privately."

A few minutes later the guard came back to our cell. I told him that John was out of deep transition and that we were going to go through union in a few minutes. I asked him to send word to Lord Kennington that John would be in possession of our body in a few minutes. I then reminded him that John and I were allowed private union.