The Carnival

"This is a terrible idea," said Mari.

"Is it?" said Rosania, "Or is it just that genius sounds crazy to a fool?"

"No," said Mari, "This is a terrible idea."

"Look at it this way," said Rosania, "If I am right and the plan works, then tomorrow the Secret Sisterhood of Glorious Thieves will be famous across the land. If you are right, and it doesn't work, then..."

"Then tomorrow," said Mari, "Our innocent young friend, Kasey, is going to be really, really sore."

They stood on a crowded terrace overlooking an even more crowded plaza. Around them the carnival swirled in all its raucous cacophony of colors, shapes, and sounds. Revelers in skimpy outfits and body paint danced and played instruments. They drank and sang and caroused.

To blend in with the crowd, Rosania wore nothing but a thong bikini and gold body paint, while Mari was dressed in a blue leotard with fluffy, blue cat ears and a matching tail.

Below them, in the plaza, their friend, Kasey, worked her way slowly through the crowd.

Unlike Rosania and Mari (and nearly every other reveler on the street that night), Kasey wore both a mask and a full-length dress. A strapless, lacy, white, ball gown covered her from chest to ankles, while an ornately wrought harlequin mask covered her face.

"I can't believe you convinced her to wear that," said Mari.

"At least one of you showed some daring," said Rosania.

Mari snorted derisively.

"Look," said Rosania, "We know for a fact that the legendary Pendant of Frozen Flame is being kept in the duke's palace. Unfortunately, after our last caper..."

"Debacle, you mean," said Mari.

"After our last...not-entirely-successful caper," Rosania continued, "Duke Arturo and his guards now recognize all three of us on sight. So, if we tried to enter the palace, we would be stopped. But, according to tradition, no one can stop a woman dressed as the Belle Libre from going where she wants except the Puck, and he is..."

"Right over there," said Mari.

She pointed. Rosania looked.

A slender figure wearing green tights and a mischievously grinning imp mask wound through the crowd heading inexorably towards Kasey. A spot light shining from the roof of one of the surrounding buildings followed his progress. People who saw him laughed and cleared a path between him and the woman in white.

"Oh, damn!" said Rosania, as their friend continued to blunder her way towards the palace, unaware of the growing commotion behind her.

Only when the spotlight fell over her did Kasey turn around to find herself standing face to face with the green imp in an expanding circle of laughing and cheering revelers.

She froze.

The Puck bowed theatrically and took her unresisting hand. He turned to the crowd and raised his arms, lifting Kasey's hand with his. The crowd applauded.

Several people stepped forward and took the petrified Kasey by the arms. They led her to a nearby table, which had been quickly cleared of drinks, and gently-but-firmly bent her over it.

The Puck took hold of her dress and pulled it up, piling the frilly folds over her back. This revealed a full, round bottom covered by a very modest pair of white, cotton panties.

The crowd laughed.

"The Belle Libre isn't supposed to wear underwear!" said Rosania, "What was she thinking?"

"She was thinking no one would ever see them," said Mari.

The Puck pulled the panties down: off her buttocks, down her shapely legs, to her ankles. Then paused. For a moment, nothing happened.

Finally, Kasey slowly lifted one foot, then the other, allowing him to pull her underwear over her feet. He stood up, bunching them up in his hand, and threw them into the crowd where laughing people caught them.

He stepped aside, then, presenting Kasey's bare backside to the audience for inspection. In the bright spotlight, her flawless, round buttocks seemed to glow white, while the puckered, pink lips of her labia poked out beneath, framed by wisps of soft, blond hair.

The audience cheered.

"Wow!" said Rosania, appreciatively, "You have to admit she has the ass for the role."

"She's never going to forgive us for this," said Mari.

Below them various bystanders reached out to slap or squeeze Kasey's exposed bottom. A few questing fingers even slid between her labia.

"Come on," said Rosania, watching the show, "You know that in past years she has cheered as much as anyone at the Belle Libre ceremony."

"Yes," said Mari, "But those girls volunteered to perform the role."

"So did she," said Rosania.

"True," said Mari, thoughtfully, "But she thought she was volunteering to disguise herself as a Belle Libre, not to actually be one. I wonder if she thought about the possible consequences."

Down on the table, Kasey was thinking hard about the consequences right then. While the spotlight warmed her buttocks and strange hands explored her most intimate parts, her upper body lay in an oddly calm pool of shadow cast by the voluminous folds of the dress piled up over and around her.

She had known this might happen, in an abstract sort of way. In fact, she had masturbated to the idea of being the Belle Libre last night. But being here for real, bent over the table, with a thousand eyes staring at her naked backside, she found herself burning with embarrassment.

She waited anxiously for what she knew would come next.

Behind her, two lithe women in matching, green tights had materialized out of the crowd. They carried various bottles and other supplies. One of them poured ointment into her hand and began to massage it into Kasey's pussy with skillful fingers.

Meanwhile, the Puck turned to the crowd. He selected a large, muscular man dressed as a barbarian (a costume that required only a loincloth and the man's own impressive physique) and had him step into the spotlight.

The narrow strip of the man's loincloth was clearly struggling to cover the swelling erection underneath, so he whipped it off and stood naked in front of the onlookers.

"Wow!" said Rosania, and the audience shared her appreciation.

The other green clad woman took hold of the man's enormous cock. She rubbed lotion up and down the shaft until it glistened and throbbed with anticipation.

Then he turned and took up position behind Kasey.

Kasey felt a hand on her hip, then tensed as the swollen head of the man's penis brushed against her. He ran the tip up and down, from clitoris to anus and back. Then he worked the tip between the soft folds of her vaginal lips and pushed inside.

She gasped.

He started slowly, sliding in and out, pushing deeper each time. Then he put both hands on her hips and began pulling her towards him, so that her soft buttocks slapped against him with each thrust.

She tried turning to see who was inside her, but the voluminous dress blocked her view. She turned back to find that several people on the other side of the table had knelt down to eye level with her.

"Gosh! You're braver than me," said a woman wearing a feathered boa, glitter, and little else, "Did you see the size of that guy?"

Kasey wanted to say that she could feel the size of the guy quite clearly, but all she managed was a muffled grunt behind her mask, as the man's pelvis slammed against her again.

"I hear they choose the men ahead of time," said another woman, "They check them out for health, size, and so forth. She probably met every one of them at the orientation, didn't you?"

Kasey tried to say that she had no idea who was fucking her, but all she managed was a groan.

"See," said the woman, apparently taking this for confirmation.

"I wonder how many there will be?" said the first woman, craning to see over Kasey's dress.

"They usually limit it to five or six at a time," said the knowledgeable one.

This time, Kasey's groan reflected her thoughts perfectly.

Up on the balcony, Mari watched through half-closed eyes, biting her lip and rocking her hips with each thrust. Beside her, Rosania absently tapped along with the rhythm on the railing, while around them the audience clapped and stamped in time, growing faster and louder as the man neared climax.

They cheered as he came, pulling out and spraying his semen across Kasey's buttocks. Breathing heavily, he gave her a last, fond pat on the rump and turned away to join the crowd once more.

The women in green approached again. They cleaned her up with surprising efficiency and applied more lubricant.

Meanwhile, the Puck selected another man, this one dressed as a genie, with a long, curved mustache, parachute pants, and his torso painted gold. He stepped forward, saluted the audience, and dropped his pants, revealing his pale, unpainted, lower half.

The green women poured lubricant on his member, and he walked slowly in front of the crowd, letting people stroke his cock and fondle his balls until he was stiffly erect. Then he returned to Kasey and set to work.

As with the first, the audience clapped and cheered along, rising to a crescendo to accompany the sexual climax.

When the genie had finished, a man dressed as a fire spirit, in bright red tights with swirls of orange and gold, stepped up. He was followed by another man who wore only blue body-paint and a ribbed sheath over his penis (which he kept on while he fucked her).

Next came an excited, young juggler, barely out of his teens. He passed his still-flaming torches to a startled green woman before eagerly approaching Kasey's now bright-red pussy.

As the young man set to work on their friend, Mari noticed a new figure working his way through the crowd. She grabbed Rosania's arm and pointed.

It was Arturo, the duke. He was dressed as a pirate, with a feathered hat, fluffy, white shirt, and leggings, though this was so similar to his normal attire that it could barely be called a costume. He stopped at the edge of the circle and watched the amorous display with interest, tapping his polished boot in time with the clapping of the crowd and the thrusting of the young man's hips.

"You don't think he's going to..." began Mari.

Many in the audience had already recognized the distinguished guest, so when the juggler finished (his slender body shaking like a vibrator), those nearby gestured for Arturo to enter the circle.

He politely deferred to the Puck, but the man in green was a showman and new a good thing when he saw it. Everyone had heard of the duke's reputation with women, and plenty of people in the audience were eager to see him in action.

The Puck bowed and invited him to step forward. He did so, to enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.

"Bastard," whispered Rosania.

"He's been fucking us every step of the way," said Mari, with resignation, "He might as well do it for real this time."

He unbuckled his belt and whipped it off with a flourish. Then he undid his pants and presented cock and balls to the audience. His was not the largest member they had seen thus far, though he was certainly well-endowed.

"So that's all he's got to offer?" scoffed Rosania.

"I suppose..." said Mari, thoughtfully.

Rosania gave her a quizzical look.

"Well," said Mari, "To be honest I would rather have someone like that than some of those oversized monsters we saw earlier."

When Rosania didn't respond, she continued, "I mean, I've always thought that the duke would be more of a sensitive lover, you know, if you were into that sort of thing. Someone who would really pleasure you, rather than just riding you like a horse, like some of the other guys who..."

"You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?" said Rosania.

"Have you not?" Mari asked.

Rosania blushed and looked away.

Kasey lay panting on the table. Her pussy was sore but she was enjoying this more than she would have expected.

She had experienced one orgasm from the man with the ribbed cock, and felt that she might be approaching another. The smaller, younger man (she had guessed his age from the awkward jitteriness of his lovemaking) had made a nice interlude from the pounding she had taken earlier, but now she waited eagerly for the next round to begin.

When she felt the new man's penis press against her vagina, she spread her legs wider to allow it to slide more easily inside. She groaned with satisfaction as the thick shaft filled her up. She laid her head down on the table and let herself be rocked by the rhythm.

Unlike the previous men, who had mostly used their hips, this man leaned over her and seemed to put his whole body into it.

He pushed down the piled folds of her dress and ran his hands over her back. He massaged her bare shoulders and Kasey found herself relaxing in a way that she had not since this whole ordeal began.

She sighed.

She raised her chest a bit to let him tug down her dress, so that he could cup her exposed breasts in his hands.

She moaned.

Mari and Rosania watched, silently.

After awhile, Mari said, "He's really good at that."

Rosania grunted.

"I think she's enjoying it," said Mari.

"Looks that way," said Rosania.

"Do you notice how she's actually pushing herself against him with each thrust," said Mari.

"I noticed that," said Rosania.

"And now..." said Mari, "There...she...goes!"

Kasey arched her back and gave a cry of pleasure. Arturo pushed deep inside of her and came. The couple rocked with orgasm and then she fell forward, exhausted.

Kasey lay panting, while Arturo slid himself out of her. He gave her glistening, red bottom an appreciative caress and then turned to the audience, who cheered their approval.

The Puck and the duke bowed to one another. Then the green man and his two assistants led the audience in one more round of applause for the exhausted Kasey. He raised his hand, theatrically, towards the spotlight and it disappeared with a flash.

The party began again.

At the table, those around Kasey lowered her dress and helped her shakily to her feet. Some shouted words of encouragement above the din and patted her on the back. She turned around to see who she had been with and froze in shock.

Everyone laughed at her reaction, thinking she was merely surprised to see a famous local figure.

Arturo smiled and took her unresisting hand. He kissed it.

"I hope we were not too rough with your tender body, fair lady," he said, "But your beautiful form inspires much...enthusiasm."

"No," she whispered.

"Come," he said, "Let me accompany you into the palace, where you will be bathed and tended to. Can you walk?"

"Yes," she said, swaying gently.

She tried to take a step, but her knees buckled and she fell forward. The duke caught her and she leaned heavily against him.

Part of her mind told her that she should be furious about all this: furious with Rosania, furious with the Puck (whoever he was), and especially furious with Arturo. But, at the moment, her head was still fuzzy from the afterglow of the most intense orgasm of her life.

"Allow me," the duke said.

He swept her up in his arms in one of those gallant displays that she and the other Sisters hated him for. This time, however, she lay her head on his shoulder and let him carry her away.

"What do we do now?" asked Mari.

"There's nothing we can do," said Rosania, "Except hope that she comes to her senses before he unmasks her."

They watched Arturo carry their friend up the steps into the palace.

"How does he do that?" said Rosania in frustration, "I always thought Kasey was the most level-headed of us all."

"Well, you have to admit it," said Mari, "He is smooth."

"No," said Rosania, "It's not that. I think he just fucked her brains out...literally."

It was well past midnight when the door of the Sisterhood's hideout opened and a very primly dressed Kasey entered. Her hair had been freshly washed and combed and the fragrance of lilacs wafted around her.

She gave the other two sisters a cold look and then tossed the Pendent of Frozen Flame onto the table. They looked at it, but neither moved to take it.

"So," said Mari, cautiously, "How did it go?"

"Not...as...expected," said Kasey, pronouncing each word slowly and deliberately.

"But you got the pendent, right?" said Rosania, "So everything is..."

Her voice trailed off under Kasey's withering stare.

"But, how did you...?" began Mari, "I mean, you were...ah...carried you into the palace, right? And then..."

Kasey tossed her head dismissively.

"Then I stole it," she said.

"Right," said Mari, "But how?"

Kasey transferred her withering gaze from Rosania to Mari.

"Maybe I'm just that good," she said.

Rosania reached for the pendant, but Kasey snatched it back before she could touch it.

"All things considered," she said, "I think I will take care of this for now."

"Yes, of course," said Rosania, "And in the morning we can take it to this jeweler I know and..."

"Actually," said Kasey, "I was thinking that it would be better if I kept it awhile: you know, until the heat dies down."

"What heat?" said Rosania.

"Oh, I'm sure there will be heat," said Kasey, "Probably until at least..." she considered, "The day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow?" said Rosania.

"Yes," said Kasey, "Now if you will excuse me, it has been a long night...for me."

Mari and Rosania watched her go.

"What do you suppose she meant by that?" asked Rosania.

Mari gave her an odd look, "She meant that she just had rough sex with six men and..."

"No," said Rosania, "I meant about waiting for the heat to die down."

"I don't know," said Mari, "But I guess we will find out the day after tomorrow."

And they did.

On the morning of the second day, Mari and Rosania stood with the crowd on the docks, watching the duke's ship set sail on a round-the-world tour.

He smiled and waved from the deck.

So did Kasey.

She stood beside him, his arm around her waist, and the Pendent of Frozen Flame gleaming at her neck.

"That shameless hussy," said Rosania.

"Yeah," said Mari.

"After all the work I put into stealing that thing," said Rosania, "Now he up and gives it to her."

Mari gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing.

"It's not fair," said Rosania.

"It's...sort of fair," said Mari.

Rosania glared at her.

"I mean, she did sort of...take one for the team," said Mari.

Rosania said nothing.

"Actually, more like 'took six for the team,'" said Mari.

Rosania sighed.

"I suppose you're right," she said and turned away.

They began to walk back along the dock towards the city.

"You know," said Rosania, after a while, "This has given me a great idea for another heist."

"Oh, has it?" said Mari.

"Yes," said Rosania, "And you've got a crucial role to play."

"What are the chances that my role will involve fucking one or more total strangers?" asked Mari.

"Highly unlikely," said Rosania, "Or at least, fairly unlikely...honestly, I would be extremely surprised...well, somewhat surprised...and they probably wouldn't be total strangers."

Mari sighed.

"From now on," she said, "I'm going to come up with the plans."