48 Hours on Blue Bayou Pt. 46

I tried to put on a pleasant face and took a deep breath, waiting for my Master to explain.

"We need to talk a bit about you and your life since you came from Blue Bayou," Igor said. His voice was soft, with no hint of anger, but with no clue to what his emotions were.

Mine, of course, were a complete jumble, as is usual for a slave facing an uncertain task. I waited for my Master's command, uncertain even about whether I should still be sitting on a chair or, more likely, be kneeling at his feet. Still, as I did with the CEO's Domme, I waited.

"Julie, I remember when you came aboard the yacht, barefoot and handcuffed, and then, during the night, when I took you out of Anne's hogtie so you could pee. You knew nothing about anything then, remember?"

Yes, I did remember. I suppressed a giggle and answered. "Yes, Master. I remember how you left me: on the cot, hands still tied, but with my legs free. I wondered if you'd forgotten about them, because Anne had said slaves didn't get to know how long anything was to run."

I saw a flash of surprise cross Igor's face. "No," he picked up. "The hogtie was done to introduce you to bondage ties, to the idea of restraints. Once you found out how to relax into the tie, that purpose was accomplished. I suppose I could have taken off the wrist tie also, but you looked so cute with your arms tied back that I left it on."

The idea that I looked "cute" had never entered my mind. Now, I had a flash of resentment that, when he could have made me comfortable by releasing my arms, he hadn't. But, my Inner Goddess reminded me that, for a Master or Mistress, looking cute is enough reason to leave a slave tied. She also reminded me that I learned quite a lot from that first night in restraint.

I tried a smile and said, "Master, the idea of 'cute' never entered my mind. But, you're right; those first hours in bondage taught me a great deal about what a slave is for and what it means that all the power is with the Master or Mistress. Thank you, Master."

Igor smiled back; one of his best features!

"OK, Julie. That's a good place to start the talk I wanted to have tonight. You know that we all consider you a Good Slave, that you understand and support your mission — "

"To serve, to be of service, to be used." I rattled off the mantra easily; it had become as much a part of me as my name.

"and not to interrupt a Master," added Igor.

I was shocked into silence. How could I have spoken without a question?

Igor's face showed his concern. "My dear, that's what makes this talk so hard for me. I've been talking with Martin, your formal Owner, about the Transport Mode and your idea of a week-long trial without it. Now, you show a lack of one of the first things we taught you: control of your speech. It's like you would be starting at Square Zero, not even at Square One."

He stared at me, a sad expression on his face. Too late, I realized my mouth had, again, gotten me into trouble.

Igor sighed, and my heart went out to him. This man had trained me carefully, never roughly or with anger, always trying to make me into the Good Slave. It wasn't his fault I was slipping backwards.

We were silent for what seemed an eternity. Then, he seemed to come to a resolution. His face hardened and his voice was a bit edgy.

"OK, Julie, here's what we'll do, what I want us — that is, you — to do. I'm going to set up that one-week trial without Transport Mode you asked for. It's going to start at dawn, tomorrow. I'm going to have you every night for the week. We'll go over all the training you've had for slavery. I won't penalize you for one slip-up, but the second one ends the trial and makes Transport Mode permanent; you don't get to ask for a second trial. I'll be checking with your other trainers and any Masters or Mistresses you meet during the week. We'll run this out of your present room; there's no need to send you back to the Intake Training Slave Corridor. Now, you don't get to agree or disagree with these orders. I do get to ask the standard slave question: do you understand?"

I was overwhelmed. This Master was overlooking a severe fault in his slave's speech, but setting up the trial she had requested. Even with fresh evidence of his slave's defect, he was going to grant her wish! I knew there was no point in asking whether I agreed to the conditions of the trial. But, I wanted to thank him for his courage in setting up the trial and his confidence in the slave he had trained.

"Master, your slave understands. Second defect makes Transport Mode permanent. Thank you for your trust, Master. This slave appreciates — "

"Yes, yes. And, most slaves don't speak so much."

Oops! There I go, again, with the mouth! Now, I slid off the chair and into as perfect a Position One as I could manage, my eyes downcast and focused one meter in front.

Igor said nothing, but went to the phone. "I'm done with her. Please take her back to her room."

For the next few minutes, the only thing filling the air in Igor's kitchen was the aroma of fresh brownies. A tap on the door brought Fifteen and my return to Transport Mode. I missed even the casual peck on the cheek or that stroking of my hair that they had taught me to enjoy.

Fifteen was silent going back to my room. The girl had developed a keen insight into the people and slaves she served; she had to wonder about the suddenness of Igor's call, the short time I'd spent with him. Finally, she managed some sort of question.

"Ma'am, are you OK? Are you going to need anything this evening? Can I do anything for you?"

It could be simply that slaves are always generous to each other. But, I could tell that this young woman, who knew only slavery in her life, felt a genuine concern for me.

"Fifteen, thank you. I think I'll be all right. I just got a new project to do. I'll be sure to ask if I need any help."

The young woman smiled and, releasing me from Transport Mode, said Good night. I entered the kitchen, finding Pat and Anne having a coffee. From the startled look in their eyes, I knew they recognized that something big had happened in Igor's apartment. I explained the background, my request, and the new trial which would start at dawn.

There was just a short discussion of the trial before Anne took charge. "Look, this is not some rocket science thing. We just have to make sure Julie keeps acting like the Good Slave we all know she is. Now, there's at least two ways we can do this. First, we just remind Julie that Igor and the other Masters are watching her. We know that she knows what to do or say; it's just that her mouth sometimes gets in gear before her brain. We keep her brain tuned in, this trial is a piece of cake."

I had to laugh at the simple strategy Anne proposed. Still, it usually was my mouth getting me into trouble, so Strategy #1 should work. "And, Strategy #2?"

"Also simple," Anne grinned. We paddle her ass every morning to give her something to focus on."

Everyone laughed, of course, including me. But when the laughter died down, I wondered if that would be a real help.

"Please, Ma'am, I'd like to try both strategies, perhaps just one or two swats for #2?"

Anne shook her head. "No deal, kid. It has to be real; your ass has to be red. And, this has to be a secret for just the three of us. Anybody else can spill this into the grapevine and Charles and Edward will hear about it and cancel the trial and the whole thing will go down the tubes. Not even Fifteen. Got it?"

I had to back down. "Yes, Ma'am, my ass will be red. Thank you, Ma'am."

Of course, there would be some practical problems. How do you walk gracefully with a red hot ass? Simple. I "sprained my ankle" on a wet spot in the kitchen, Pat got a "soft cast" from the First Aid Station, and Anne got a cane for me to use.

Author's Note: What do you think are Julie's chances of surviving Igor's One Week Trial? Good enough to buy a ticket to Hong Kong's Mark Six Lottery, sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club? Of course, slaves have no money to buy anything, so Our Heroine couldn't even if she wanted to.

As usual, your authors appreciate your suggestions and comments. The old saying applies: Keep Those Cards and Letters Coming!

J Spe