Crime and Punishment

"How about the other slave, Naomi?" said Erin.

"She died about two months later," said Pam becoming serious, a suicide."

"Suicide?" said Erin, incredulously.

"Yes, suicide," said Pam, angrily. "Naomi had a very hard time adapting to being a slave. Mistress Yelena sensed this and was always pushing her. You know, singling her out for extra humiliation and so on. Some how, Naomi managed to get hold of a knife and one night she slit her wrists in her cell. They found her dead the next morning. The loss of two of us in such a short time caused a big stir at Zax. That's how we ended up here, six months ago."

"How's that?" probed Erin.

"Well, even though Rachel and Naomi technically belonged to Yelena, Zax used all of us quite often and, I guess, was dependent on us to entertain their important guests having more exotic tastes. The loss was, apparently, a severe blow. Rumor has it that Yelena was reprimanded by the board, and was almost expelled from Zax. Zax decided to consolidate its assets and most of the Mistresses either sold their slaves or placed them under permanent loan to Zax," said Pam.

"I can tell you, both Kelly and I have been very busy since Naomi died," said Pam as Kelly nodded in agreement. "Anyway, the rumor was that the top Zax Mistresses didn't want to wait till new slaves came on the market, so they somehow managed to set-up some girls and have them sentenced to diapered servitude. Now here you are."

"Yes," said Erin sadly, "here we are."

Jan, who had been listening silently, looked down as tears started to flow down her cheeks. Pam, looked at her sympathetically and went over and sat down besides her and put her arm around Jan and said, "I know, honey, its hard. It took me a long time until I could accept it. But in the end, it's not too terrible. You just can't let them get to you. You have to remember that no matter what happens they are forcing you to do it, its not you that's choosing to do it."

Kelly nodded in agreement. "Pam's right. If it wasn't for her, I would have gone insane or killed myself too."

Pam brushed the hair from Jan's face and dried her tears with her hand. "It's going to be OK," she said, "but you have to use your intelligence to keep your emotions balanced. I'll help you all I can, and both of you can talk to me anytime."

"Me too," said Kelly.

"Thanks," said Jan feeling better.

Erin realized that Pam was a remarkable and intelligent woman. She had survived 15 years as a diapered slave and had not only kept her sanity but her compassion. "Thanks," said Erin, "you are very kind. The first kind woman we've met since this nightmare started."

Kelly looked at Jan, and seeing that she was still dejected, said, "Would you like me to show you how to use the exercise equipment? It's one of our few true pleasures here."

Jan, looked at Erin who nodded, and said, "Yes, thanks." The younger women got up and walked to the other side of the room where Kelly started demonstrating the equipment to Jan, who quickly became absorbed in making use of the weights.

While Kelly and Jan busied themselves, Erin continued to talk with Pam. "That was very kind of you, thanks."

"I see you have been helping her," said Pam, nodding in Jan's direction. "That's hard, I know. Remember to take care of yourself also."

"Thanks, I'll try," said Erin. "Tell me how you know all this information."

Pam, smiled and said, "That's easy. With 60 plus slaves, someone is always in earshot of a Mistress. Sometimes, I think we know more about their business than they do. The real problem is figuring out what's true and what's not. Often it takes weeks to piece together information and recover the context and obtain the meaning and its significance. In most cases, it's too late by that time."

"How's that?" said Erin.

"Well, you're a case and point," said Pam. "There was a lot of information about 'manufacturing' new slaves and getting another pair of diapered girls in a few months. It wasn't till you showed up that I understood that 'manufacturing' meant manufacturing a case to have women falsely convicted and sentenced to servitude."

"I see," said Erin.

"Not that it would have done you any good," continued Pam. "Even if we knew what was going on, there is nothing we could have done with the information. As slaves, we spend most of our lives in the dungeon. If we do go anywhere, it's to a similar situation."

"So, is there any hope of getting out of here?" asked Erin.

"I guess there is always hope," said Pam. "But the odds are not very good. As slaves we have no rights, we're property. We can't really escape, because of the tracking and control devices. Those that try are caught almost immediately. Even if, you were to somehow get away, the tattoos are an instant give away, especially the ones on your face. There is only one real way to escape, besides dying, of course, and that's to be freed by your Mistress."

"Not likely," said Erin dejectedly.

"Under normal circumstances, yes," said Pam. "However, if a slave were able to persuade her Mistress to release her, then she might have a chance."

"And how might she do that?" asked Erin.

"Information," said Pam. "If one were to obtain something important enough, a deal might be reached."

"Sounds dangerous," said Erin.

"Yes, but what do you have to loose?" said Pam.

Erin reflected on this for a while and said, "OK. Suppose that one could strike a deal under such circumstances. We're slaves. How would we ever get a hold of something that valuable?"

"Not as hard as you think," said Pam, smiling again. "Remember, some of the wealthiest and most powerful women in the world come here, just to see us. Such women talk, either to each other or even in their sleep. Who pays attention to a slave?"

"Then surely, you must have heard hundreds, no thousands, of pieces of such information over the years. Why haven't you bargained your way out by now?" asked Erin.

"Because I've been waiting for you," replied Pam.

Erin blinked and said dumbfounded, "me?"

"Yes you," replied Pam. "Remember, it's not just having something that's important, it's knowing what it means and being able to make use of it before it becomes worthless. Most information is like a piece of fruit. If you wait too long to make use of it, it spoils and becomes worthless. However there is some information that is like a diamond. It lasts forever without ever loosing its value."

"I don't understand," said Erin confused.

"It's very simple. Suppose you find out that some company is going to buy another company. If you know this before it becomes public, then you can buy some stock and get rich. However if you wait too long, the information becomes public and is worthless. That's the way it is with most of the stuff we hear. However, suppose you find out that some one committed a crime. This information is like a diamond, it lasts forever. The guilty party must keep it secret forever. Such information retains its value almost indefinitely."

"You mean..." said Erin, astounded.

"Precisely," said Pam, "you were set up. So was Jan. I was in the room when Mistress April and Mistress Katrina were talking. Mistress Katrina is very careful, but Mistress April is well, less discrete, shall we say."

"But this is dangerous," said Erin. "If April knew, she might arrange for another accident."

"But she already does. It's just that she doesn't think there is anything we can do. But now that you're here, things are different," said Pam.

"And how's that?" said Erin.

"Simple," answered Pam, "April can't afford to let us all have 'accidents'. Remember, she's the one that needs to keep the secret here, not us. Before you came, there was only two that knew. Now there's four. Who knows, in a little while there may be even more."

Erin looked at Pam, who smiled slyly. Soon, Erin was smiling too. She reached over and hugged the older woman and kissed her cheek, and said "You're incredible! Thanks."

"Don't thank me, thank April!" said Pam. And with that, both women hugged again. Chapter 8: Wedding

After Erin's humiliation and sale, April worked to consolidate her gains at World. Erin's accounts were split among the various vice presidents working under Ellen. April knew Ellen was suspicious and angry over Erin, but there was little she could do. The transactions were untraceable. April had gotten several of Erin's major accounts and arranged to have Lisa as a second assistant.

Lisa was proving to be quite an understudy, both at work and at Zax. In a few years she would make a first class domitrix. After two weeks, April and Lisa announced their engagement. This caused quite a stir at work, but Lisa handled the situation well, and after a couple of days the talk quieted down. From April's point of view this was old news; she and Lisa had been planning their marriage for the last six months and preparations for the event had been going on at the castle for the last three months.

Of course, Ellen, Cassandra, and the other women who worked in the office were invited to the celebration, which would be held at Zax Castle and last an entire weekend. April had Candy arrange for transportation and lodging for the entire office. On hearing the news, Ellen had remarked to Cassandra, "Well, Lisa sure recovered fast from the loss of her fiancée. I'd sure hate to be one of her pets!" Cassandra had merely shook her head and said nothing.

As the date neared, excitement at the office built. Rumors abounded about the guest list that was said to include several prominent political figures and celebrities. For most, the idea of mixing in such company was excitement enough, but coupled with the idea of spending a weekend at the legendary Zax Castle brought the level of anticipation to a feverish pitch as the date neared.

For April, there was more work involved than excitement. She was actually planning three simultaneous parties that had to blend seamlessly together. There was of course, the wedding reception itself, and this included everyone who was invited. At the next level, was the celebration reserved for the elite guests, mainly Katrina and the politically powerful. And finally, there would be the usual party to indulge a select subgroup of the latter that required and merited special attention. This last group would receive the special attention of Zax's most valuable slaves.

It was only due to the enormous size of the castle that all of this was possible. During the weekend celebration, guests would simultaneously be feasting in the main hall as part of the wedding reception, while others would be quietly conferring among their elite peers, possibly being entertained by a slave or two, while still others would be in the dungeon engaged in some of the more exotic activities that Zax was famous for (and using some of its more talented slaves and other personnel). But this is not to say, that the mainline wedding guests would not see any slaves. A variety of them would be serving the guests, and this included Erin and the other diapered slaves. All the guests knew of their existence and it was expected that the general curiosity would be satisfied at the party.

In fact, guests were completely free to drift between the various parties, if they knew about or could find them. April, in fact, had planned a separate party for the office where Erin and Kelly would be waiting on the guests. This, of course, would be completely humiliating for Erin while at the same time flouting April's status to the group. April had also planned a special private party for Lisa and herself that included Erin and Jan.

All of this, of course, took meticulous planning and attention to detail. April's staff worked overtime to prepare for the celebration. Decorations, food, flowers, invitations, clothing, transportation, communications, lodging, the society press, and so on consumed the entire full time staff of the castle and others, both in and out of Zax. As chairwoman of Zax and hostess of the party, April found herself at the center of a beehive of activity that toiled day and night to prepare for the momentous event.

The day of the wedding a large transport arrived at the office at ten in the morning to pick up the twenty or so women invited to the celebration. These included Ellen, Cassandra, their assistants, most of the other vice presidents and their assistants. Ellen had been reluctant to accept the invitation, but Cassandra had persuaded her that it would probably be their only opportunity to communicate with Erin. "We have to try and talk to her if we can. The office gossip is that April plans to 'show her off', so to speak, during the private reception she's having for the office tomorrow. This could be our only opportunity to talk to her. Ever," said Cassandra.

"That's so typical of April," Ellen had replied angrily. But she was forced to agree with Cassandra. It would be very unlikely that any of them would be going back to Zax Castle again. Not that there was much to tell Erin. Ellen and Cassandra had spoken to Cathy just the day before, and she had nothing new to report. Her initial examination of the evidence, which included the personas of Erin used in the transaction, had proven fruitless. Cathy's results had not changed since, though she had reported that, "There's something odd about the personas, but I just can't put my finger on it. If these personas were haunted by a doppelganger, it left them very clean; absolutely no trace of anything, at all."

All this added to Ellen's frustration. Nothing encouraging to report to Erin during the one and only contact they were likely to ever have. The only possibility was that Erin herself might have remembered something or found out something since she had been at the castle. But this seemed unlikely at best. They were essentially grasping at air, or a ghost as Cathy would probably have said.

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The ride to the castle lasted about two hours and Ellen sat glumly with Cassandra listening to the excited banter of her executive staff. The much anticipated event had caused a general stir of ever increasing excitement at the office which seemed to reach a crescendo as they approached the castle. The aura of mystery, gossip, and rumor which surrounded Zax and the events that took place at the castle contributed greatly to the excitement. The opportunity to experience the castle, a party, and perhaps, some of its more exotic activities, was something that few on the transport, or for that matter, few in general, would have willingly missed. Trisha, one of Ellen's vice presidents was leading a lively discussion that captured the general mood of anticipation and excitement among the group, "I hear that April is planning to have some of the slaves serve us at the office reception, tomorrow."

"I heard the same thing too," said Michelle, another vice president on Ellen's staff. "I wonder if we'll get to do more than just see them." This caused a general outbreak of excited and nervous laughter among the female executives and their assistants.

"Well, April does owe me a couple of favors," said Trisha to another outburst of merriment.

"I even hear Erin might be there," said Michelle, giving pause to the crowd.

"Well, if she is, we'll be seeing more of her in a few minutes than we ever did in the past!" added Trisha, causing the women to start giggling, again.

And so the banter went, causing Ellen to become even more silent and withdrawn. Cassandra said to her, "Don't take it too seriously, Ellen. They're nervous as well as excited. It's just a way of relieving tension."

"Hump," grunted Ellen, who crossed her arms and remained silent.

When the transport carrying Ellen, Cassandra, and the other office personnel arrived at the castle, it stopped on a large lawn in the main courtyard. A woman dressed in black with a red axe embossed above her right breast approached the vehicle accompanied by a dozen or so servants from Zax's professional full time staff. "Greetings, ladies," said the woman, "My name is Laura and I will be your guide and hostess for this afternoon. These women will help you with your luggage and see you to your rooms."

After helping the women off the transport and gathering their luggage, the servants departed towards the cottage area adjacent to the castle. Ellen, Cassandra, and the others followed at a leisurely pace as Laura pointed out various features of their surroundings and provided background information on the castle and island. Upon arriving at the cottages she said, "You may rest and freshen up or wander about the grounds and the castle, if you please. The ceremony starts at seven, this evening in the main garden of the castle. Mistress April wishes for you all to enjoy the castle and its accommodations. If there is anything you require or desire, the staff is at your complete disposal, including myself, of course. We are here to please, so don't hesitate to ask, and we will do our very best to satisfy you. Are there any questions?"

"Yes," said Cassandra, "are there any parts of the castle where we cannot go?"

"Not, in particular, though you should avoid the lower portion of the castle as it contains many private chambers and, of course the living quarters of many of the staff and the slaves," said Laura. "Also, it's easy to get lost down there if you don't know your way around. I would strongly suggest arranging an escort if you wish to go down there. Other than that, feel free to explore."

The mention of the slaves sent a ripple of giggles through the crowd and Trisha asked, "Will we get to see any slaves while we are here?"

"Most definitely," replied Laura. "Many will be serving at the reception and you are sure to encounter several as you wander about. Also Mistress April will be using several at the private party she is hosting for all of you tomorrow evening."

This brought a satisfied murmur from the group of women and Laura smiled, despite herself, at their reaction to the novelty of being around slaves and having their obvious curiosity satisfied. "Are their any more questions?" she asked politely.

The women merely shook their heads as they continued to quietly chat amongst themselves, so Laura said, "Then I bid you good afternoon. Enjoy." And with that she departed, leaving the way they had come. Ellen and Cassandra had adjoining cottages, connected by a locked door, which Ellen opened so the two could talk as they settled in. "She was a cool customer," began Ellen, unpacking.

"You can say that again," said Cassandra from next door, "and did you get that 'Mistress' business?"

"Well, you have to admit that they make no secret about Zax's agenda or their ownership of slaves. They're very open about it," said Ellen.

"Yes, maybe too open," said Cassandra. "What do you say that we take the self tour before the ceremony?"

"Sounds good to me," said Ellen. "I wouldn't mind doing a little exploring, either. This place is huge; we could probably spend a month here and not run into Erin, assuming she had the run of the place, which I'm sure, she doesn't."

"That could be a problem," said Cassandra. "My guess is that our only chance of seeing her is if April wants us to. Otherwise, you're right, not even a month would be long enough."

"Shall we get started?" asked Ellen.

"Yes, I'm done," said Cassandra, closing her closet door.

The two women set off across the courtyard and headed towards the massive castle. The foyer was enormous with a three story stain glass window that towered above impressive thirty foot bronze doors, that were thrown open to welcome the visitors who wandered leisurely in and out talking and laughing. The room itself was vast, measuring approximately 90 by 270 feet, with a gray slate floor and dark blue granite walls. A large circular rug containing a red axe lay on the stone floor in the center of the room. Opposite the bronze doors on the other side of the room was a large cherry wood bar behind which stood servants dressed in white answering questions and directing guests. Ellen approached the front desk and asked one of the attendants, "Is it possible to get a tour of the castle?"