I knew the gate was down before you did.

I didn’t know if he was telling the truth, and of course he didn’t tell me. “Enash,” I explained to Gren, so she’d know I wasn’t just talking to myself. “What, you have some kind of psychic connection to the gate?”

No. Your character sheet. It no longer gave you two races. It didn’t say Human anymore.

Right. I looked, and he was right. So yeah, I’d lost my world, and my humanity, and I had an undead necromancer taunting me about it. But honestly, I was the same person, and I didn’t care about him.

“I better get to work,” I told Gren. “There’s lots to be done.”

Gren grinned. “That’s my Abby.”

The next morning I was out at the windmill, finally getting into operation. Until then, everyone was asked to conserve electricity as much as possible.

Eventually, things would stop working. Equipment would break down in ways that we couldn’t repair. Batteries, even rechargeable ones, didn’t last forever. We needed to build all over again with things we could sustain, but having power tools and what not to jump start the process was going to help enormously. We’d never get to the twenty-first century, or even the twentieth. Modern technology required too much infrastructure. But we could still make people’s lives better.

Now that we had one windmill built, Gruush could supervise the next one, and I told a wight to obey Gruush, letting him use a team of zombies as well.

Halfway between the orc and troll villages I started a set of new buildings, using mostly brick construction. It would be closer to the windmills than the crypt, and more like a home, too. Windows, and everything. I didn’t know how long it would take, and I didn’t have any prefab anything to speed it up. However, I also didn’t have to schedule a zillion inspectors to come by and sign off on everything; I was the closest thing to a building inspector there was. I had Gregor help me with some of the details, and I had access to plenty of intelligent labor and hundreds of zombies. And the undead could work through the night, if need be, especially with Drac and Varney supervising.

I let the two guards do the work on building their own barracks nearby.

Until you’re without, you don’t realize how layered and interdependent the world is. I wanted to create indoor plumbing, but I needed pipes. I’d gotten some, but I hadn’t had time to draw up detailed plans, and ended up wanting an extra join. Could I just make it? Not easily. Plastic was out. The trolls mined some copper, but making a copper pipe that fit well wasn’t going to be easy, and I didn’t really have time to make everything myself, either. We had a 3D printer somewhere in the stuff Jill brought over, but it was still in the box, and filament was limited. I wasn’t going to use it on this, especially as I doubted a 3D printed pipe would last.

I sent zombies, under the command of the wights, to help the trolls mine, and others to help the orcs plow fields. That freed up some more intelligent orc and troll labor. Jill and Gren would read up on something in the morning, and teach the trolls and orcs how to make it in the afternoon. Better plows. Steel to replace iron equipment. And yes, copper for pipes. We made a clay mold from the pipes I had in an attempt to standardize widths, although I knew there was going to be a lot of adjustment. I wasn’t going to be burying a lot of pipes underground, because when they leaked, and they would, I was going to want to be able to get at them. But once I got a flush toilet working in our new place, I’d help the orcs and trolls get indoor plumbing for themselves.

Pin-up pictures of Gren, Kendala, Lysandra, Jill, and myself helped fund some of this, even though it used precious printer ink, but a lot of it was zombie labor in return for people labor.

I was working my ass off, and I was happy. I didn’t have time to miss being Abel, or even wonder if I missed it, because I was too busy doing the kind of work I had always loved, in any body. At night, after each twelve-plus hour day, I had plenty of company. A huge project, and plenty of sex. What could be better?

“Abby, can we talk for a bit?” I had slept at the new place, even though it didn’t have a roof yet, and Kathy had flown right in.

“Um, sure.”

“Wha—” Xyla asked sleepily, pressing her bare chest into my shoulder.

“’sokay,” Lysandra told her. “It’s just Kathy.” She reached out for my cock.

“Is she going to join us?” Xyla asked.

I swatted Lysandra’s hand away. “Uh, Kathy, could you turn your head for a bit, so I can get out of bed and get dressed?”

“Sure,” Kathy said.

I was living out of my bag of holding. Lesseth wasn’t in it right then, because she’d taken to sleeping with Valeria most nights, at least the nights she wasn’t with me. The two of them had developed a kind of bond, that I think involved Lesseth becoming latex at night and keeping Val wrapped up tight. Lesseth had been turning herself into blood and letting the vampires suck on her just before bedtime, which meant that Valeria needed to be on hand to heal her. One thing led to another.

I didn’t rush getting dressed. I enjoyed the feeling of my silky bra and panties, and then putting on a mid-length black dress over it all. I did skip makeup. I was aware that my clothes were a limited resource, too, and that I’d outlast all of them, but I had hope that I could improve the quality of woven fabric in Amaranth at some time. Or that Jill or Kathy could. I knew that everyone was working hard. The elves made nice things, and I didn’t doubt they’d be making knock-off bras soon.

There were studs in place that marked where the rooms would be, but the interior walls were still a work in progress. I could see right through to where Gren was sleeping with Kendala, and where Lesseth was wrapped around Valeria. I decided that it was best to walk all the way outdoors.

Kathy followed me by flapping her big scaled wings and half flying, half jumping over the walls.

Captain Hornung, I noticed, was already up with some of his men, working on the barracks. They made a point of getting up before the demons did.

Kathy signaled me to move away from them, too, so I did.

“What’s up?” I said, when we were out of earshot of everyone.

“Well. It’s about Jill. And Talos.”

“Oh, really?”

“In theory, I’m okay with it all. Sorry, I’m not starting it at the beginning. Jill started trying to seduce my man, and – gah!”

“Gah?”

“My man. Like I own him. Or he owns me. Anyway, the two of them started getting along real well, and the other day, Talos asked me if it was okay if he kissed her.”

“And you said?”

“I said yes, it was fine. And hoped he wouldn’t actually do it. Hoped she’d turn him down, maybe, or that he’d chicken out, or whatever. But no. And the other day he asked if he could sleep with her. Not as in sleep sleep. You know what I mean.”

“Have sex.”

She made a face. “Yeah.”

“And you said?”

“I said yes, it was fine. And hoped he wouldn’t. He hasn’t yet, I think. I did say that I wanted him in my bed every night, and I wanted to be in his. And everyone is so busy during the day, I figure it’ll be a while before they get a chance. I’m scared, Abby.”

“Would you like a hug?”

“Sure.”

We hugged. “What I’d really like,” she said, is for you to tell me that I’m being silly, that there’s nothing to be scared of, that he’ll always be mine and I’ll always be his, regardless of what he does with Jill.”

“If you both want that, you can make it happen,” I said. “I’m not going to tell you that it always works out.” I was thinking of Sandra, but there had been other girlfriends in the past that I’d loved, and they’d loved me, but not happily ever after. “I can tell you life goes on, and there’s joy to be found, whatever happens.”

“Easy for you to say,” Kathy said. “You’re supernaturally attractive to everyone. Even I think you’re hot, and I’m straight. You could walk into anywhere in Abbyland, and probably Avonia and Tartarus too, snap your fingers, and someone would come leaping into bed with you.”

I smiled. “I don’t think you’d have any problems finding another lover, Kathy. Is that what you want?”

She shook her head. “Maybe? Part of me wants to do it just so Talos knows what it feels like.”

“That’s a pretty bad reason to start a relationship. Not fair to the person you’re using for revenge, either, unless they are in on it. Besides, has he wronged you? Sounds like he’s talking to you, even asking permission, each step of the way.”

“And I don’t dare say no because I’d feel like a bad person, with you there as the paragon of poly and everything. Not to mention the fact that I slept with you, well, just because I felt like it.”

“And to get me drunk and out of the way so you could explore my basement.”

She chuckled. “Okay, there was that.”

“Have you told him you might find someone else, yourself?”

“Yes.”

“And he said?”

“He said, ‘I guess that’s fair, so I have to take my chances, don’t I?’”

“Ah.”

“He’s smitten with her, Abby. Head over heels. And she’s got those huge boobs, and wears those tight sweaters all the time. How can I compete?”

“Is it a competition?”

“It feels like one.” She sighed. “The thing is, I don’t feel like I really object to him having his fun. And God knows Jill deserves it some, herself. She’s working super hard, and has to wait her turn with you. It’s like you being poly means there’s a whole bunch of women who are at loose ends, and now everyone else has to be poly, too.”

I shook my head. “That’s bullshit. No one has to do anything they don’t want to. There’s a whole population of orcs and trolls, and now some humans and demons too. It’s more than enough to contain any ripple effect from my lifestyle.”

“And I’m trapped here, Abby.”

I nodded. “I always meant for you to have a choice. And Talos was planning to talk to you about Jill before the gate went down, and didn’t have the chance because the whole thing got accelerated.”

“You knew about them?” she asked accusingly.

“Yes. Was it my business to tell you? No. And as I said, Talos was going to tell you himself.” Or at least, he’d said he would, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“You brought Jill here,” Kathy said.

“Yes. And as you pointed out earlier, she’s been amazingly helpful, and a hard worker. It means there’s three of us from Earth to help build this place, rather than just two. We need everyone.”

“Like she isn’t here just because you want one more girl to fu –” she stopped herself. “Shit, Abby, I’m sorry. My emotions are all over the place right now.”

I nodded. “People talk about jealousy like it’s one thing, but it’s not. It’s lots of different emotions. You said you don’t mind Talos having physical fun, so what is it? You’re worried about him falling in love?”

“Someone can love more than one person, can’t they? You do.”

“Yes.”

“You love all of them, don’t you? Wives, and Jill and Lysandra and Kendala too. Even Zargaza.”

“Yes.” I hadn’t thought of Zargaza that way, but maybe I did, indeed. Where was the line between loving someone, and just being willing to protect them, caring about them, and lusting after them? Love wasn’t just one thing, anymore than jealousy was.

“So I’m scared that Talos can’t do it. That he’ll fall in love with her, and out of love with me.”

I nodded. “It happens. But I know that Talos has no intention of letting that happen.”

“And I just feel – I guess I have FOMO? That when they are off together, I feel left out. And I guess I wouldn’t, if every time they did that, I had someone I was with, too. I don’t really think about wanting someone else, except when they are together, though.”

“Yeah. Again, that’s generally not a good way to start a relationship. No one wants to be there just as a replacement, unless it’s purely physical and they just want into your pants. Which is fine, as long as you both know that’s what it is.”

She nodded. “I think I figured that one out. How do you deal with it, though? Maybe I’m asking the wrong person, and I should be asking one of your wives. You’re never missing out, are you?”

I smiled. “I’ve been doing poly for a long time. Lots of lonely nights, knowing that Sandra or Jill or both had a date. Or before them, Cecilia or Melissa or Tammy. It sucks sometimes. But it’s the emotions that suck, not the reality. The reality is that a night to myself is a night to read a book – Jill brought through plenty of those. I can loan you my ereader, if you want, it’s almost out of memory it’s so full.”

“Can’t binge watch TV.”

“Jill got a DVD player, and a whole slew of DVDs. So yes, you could. You’d run out eventually, but not soon. The thing is, you deal with it by being yourself, and enjoying your own company. I think you used to be pretty good at that. The woman Talos fell for was good at that. We all change a little bit around other people, but it’s good to take time to just be you.”

“Sounds agonizing.”

“It’s not. But a night with the boys works, too. Or with the girls, in your case, maybe? Scratch that, it’s not about gender. Hang out with friends. Work on projects. Do stuff.”

“I guess going back to my old life isn’t really an option anymore, is it?” Kathy said.

“Do you want that?” I asked.

“No. I guess I don’t.” She sighed. “Thanks Abby. I needed someone to talk to.”

“I’ll talk to Talos, too, when I get a chance. Tell him I want him helping out here today.”

“Leaving me alone at the crypt? Jill’s out teaching orcs and trolls how to crochet today, I think. You could send someone back with me.”

“I could,” I said. “But you’ll have to ask one of them yourself.”