A Tangled Web Ch. 05

"Yes?"

"Later, I might have been a naughty girl...." The maid let the sentence trail off.

Xui-Li looked at the maid, standing demurely but with a wicked grin on her face. Her reputation was well known amongst the girls but still they offered themselves up as victims, no, as willing playmates. This one was young and sweet and Xui-Li would not have resisted temptation even if she didn't owe her a debt of gratitude.

"We'll talk about that later," Xui-Li said. "For now, just pour me some wine."

At the end of the evening, after she had dismissed the maid, Xui-Li lay in her bed unable to sleep. She had much to mull over; the news that General Chang and Mei-Xing were plotting against her didn't come as that much of a surprise. General Chang's views were well known and Mei-Xing, well, she always had been overly ambitious. Extra care was the order of the day until all this could be sorted out. More troubling was that they were going to use Jun-Niu as evidence against her. Hopefully, now that she had ended the relationship this too would cease to be a problem but she well understood that she had stirred up ill feeling. She remembered the visit to the refugee camp and how the camp leaders had reacted. Her resolve never to play with Jun-Nui ever again hardened.

But, for all that, she was going to miss having Jun-Niu around. The maid had been willing, biddable and with the prettiest little bottom that just cried out to be spanked but it spoke volumes that she could hardly remember the girl's name. The sex had been fun and both of them had been fully satisfied, but only in a corporal sense; there had been no spiritual contact. With Jun-Niu, for all that there relationship was based on lies, there was some sort of connection, some sort of bond, and Xui-Li was going to miss that.

*******

"Ah Vera, come on in. This is Major Strickland, he's been sent out from the foreign office to... well, let's just say he's here." Colonel Fortesque ushered Vera into his office.

"Do come in. Pray take a seat," Major Strickland said, motioning Vera towards a chair. "These reports of yours make very interesting reading. I gather you have some contact with the rebel leader, this," he flicked through a few pages "Madam Hong. Do I gather she's accepted you into her inner circle?"

As Vera sat down she looked at Major Strickland and realised that it was going to be far harder to pull the wool over his eyes. He had an air about him that made Vera think of a weasel and his stare seemed to bore into her.

"Err... I wouldn't say the inner circle, exactly." Vera decided to downplay the role she had been building up with Colonel Fortesque. "I don't think they would ever trust a European but sometimes they talk quite freely and almost seem to forget I'm there. That's when I can pick up bits and pieces of information."

"Bits and pieces; come now, it's far more than that," Colonel Fortesque cut in. "Why without you we'd never have heard about this 'crane' woman. Really Major Strickland, she's done wonders, and in such a short time. The 'crane' story was confirmed by other sources."

"That's as may be," Major Strickland returned. "But these groups pose a very real threat to our security here in the Far East. We need to nip them in the bud and come down heavily on the leaders. Anything that could bring this Madam Hong to justice would be a definite feather in our caps. Maybe Miss Talisker here could act as decoy; get her to come out into the open, somewhere where we could arrest her."

"I know she's a rebel leader but do we have enough proof to arrest her?" Colonel Fortesque asked. "If we brought her to trial with insufficient evidence it would go badly against us."

"Proof! Trust me, once I have her in the cells we'll have all the proof we need and more. What with one thing and another we learnt a few techniques during the recent conflict that will loosen anyone's tongue, I don't care how tough they think they are. And as for some mere woman, we have found some rather special ways to deal with them..." Major Strickland seemed to catch himself. "And once we've finished with her, well, I don't think we need bother HMG with any formalities such as a trial; she can just... disappear. As long as the thing is stopped, then the ends justify the means, that's current Foreign Office thinking, anyway."

Vera listened open mouthed. There was no mistaking Major Strickland's meaning, he was advocating torture and murder with no moral compunctions whatsoever; the ends justifying the means as far as he was concerned. This would have chilled her to the bone even if they had not been talking about Madam Hong, someone she knew and respected.

"You sound as if you would... enjoy torturing Madam Hong." Vera was shocked at her own audacity but she couldn't stop herself.

"Enjoy it? I would certainly enjoy doing to these vermin what they would do to us, if we gave them half a chance. What's this? This is serious stuff we're dealing with; have you no stomach for the task now that you're seeing the dirtier side? There's a lot more to this than writing reports on wrestling matches." Major Strickland's voice dripped with disdain as he mentioned wrestling matches. "You're to go back in there and get some real intelligence, something we can work with, something that will bring this bitch down. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Vera understood all too plainly.

"I want you back in that club tonight and I want a full report on my desk by ten thirty tomorrow morning and, as for wrestling matches, I'm not interested. I want hard evidence, stuff we can use against them, or maybe you aren't up to it, maybe we ought to send someone else?"

"No, no, I'll go back there tonight. I'll see what I can do," Vera replied, shaken.

"Make sure you do," and with that Vera was dismissed.

*************

That night, still shaken by Major Strickland's virulence, found herself down in the docklands, knocking on the door of the club. The shutter was drawn back briefly but quickly slammed shut again and Vera found herself waiting, wondering what was going on. The minutes dragged on and still she got no response until....

"Well, if it isn't little Jun-Nui," Mei-Xing, with a younger woman in tow, approached from down the alleyway. "Why are you standing outside like this, won't they let you in? Here, allow me."

Mei-Xing knocked on the door, which, this time, was opened; Mei-Xing swept past the doorkeeper imperiously and motioned Vera to follow her in. There was a barrage of Mandarin as Mei-Xing consulted with the doorkeeper from which Vera understood that Madam Hong wasn't there at the moment but was expected soon.

"It would appear that you will have to wait," Mei-Xing said to Vera. "Whilst Madam Hong may care to indulge you I, on the other hand, have no such sentiments. If you wish to remain here you will have to sing for your supper, understood?"

"Of course, Mei-Xing," Vera replied, her heart dropping as she remembered what she had been ordered to do last time.

"Let's see, what tasks can we find for you, what would suit your status? The latrines, they always need cleaning; I seem to remember that you showed a certain aptitude last time, or maybe such menial work is beneath you."

"Of course not, Mei-Xing. Whatever you say." Vera knew she had to play along.

"Well, you can't work in those clothes. Come along." Mei-Xing led Vera to the staff rooms with its row of hooks along the wall with coats and other items hanging from them. Mei-Xing stood with her arms folded and looked expectantly at Vera, who, remembering the last time she had been brought here, started to undress. Mei-Xing's steady unwavering stare only helped to make her nervous and, when she was finished she turned towards her and hung her head.

"How dare you stand in my presence!" Mei-Xing snapped. "Get down on your belly like the worm you are." Vera, taken aback by the sudden outburst, got down and lay on the floor. "Do you think for one moment that you are other than the lowest of the low, unfit even to kiss the feet of an underling like this one?" Mei-Xing indicated the younger woman who had accompanied her all along. "Come here and beg before her, see if she'll allow you to do so."

Vera squirmed across the floor until she was in front of the two women, her belly and breasts rubbing against the rough wood of the floor. When her face was in front of the young woman's feet she craned her head to look up as far as she could.

"Please, Miss, please be so kind as to allow me to kiss your feet," Vera said quietly.

"What's that, speak up!" ordered Mei-Xing.

"Please, Miss, it would be an honour if you would grant me the privilege of kissing your feet," Vera said, louder this time. It was obvious that Mei-Xing was going to have her fun and the only option open to Vera was to play along and pray that Xui-Li would soon arrive. The young woman just giggled at Vera's request so Vera took this as assent and kissed gently at the tips of her toes.

"Do you see, do you see how base she is, this yang guizi who wishes so fervently to be one of us that she'll grovel in the gutter to gain acceptance," Mei-Xing said to the young woman. "Make sure she understands her place whilst I go and get a few bits and pieces." Mei-Xing walked away leaving Vera at the young woman's feet.

"Rub yourself, go on, give your bi a good seeing to," the young woman ordered. "Do as I say or I'll tell Mei-Xing that you attacked me."

"What?" Vera was amazed. Was this... this girl ordering her abuse herself?

"Do it, give yourself a good fingering or... Help! Help!" the young woman cried out, only softly, but it was obvious that the next time it would be louder. Horrified at the thought of what would happen if she were accused of attacking this woman, Vera reached under herself and placed her palm over her lower lips.

"Not like that, stick your finger in, go on, act like the chou biaozi you are. Just because you're a round eye whore doesn't stop you being a whore, and a filthy disgusting one at that."

Vera, scared by the vitriolic hatred, made a show of it and, when Mei-Xing returned, that's how she found them, Vera lying at the feet of the young woman, her hand working furiously between her thighs.

"Look, look, Mei-Xing," the young woman exclaimed. "She's like a bitch in heat, absolutely shameless. I ordered her to stop but it just made her worse."

"That's little more than I expect from a whore such as this one. The more you abuse her the more she loves it," Mei-Xing commented dryly whilst Vera cringed at the lies and humiliations. Mei-Xing nudged Vera in the ribs with her foot. "Kneel, and put your hands behind your back."

As soon as Vera got to her knees she felt her hands being tugged behind her back and steel shackles being attached to her wrists to hold them there. This was followed by a steel collar with a short length of chain attached, and, once that was fastened around Vera's neck, Mei-Xing took the chain and with a sharp tug, led Vera away.

When they got to the latrines Mei-Xing fetched a bucket, filled it with water and put it in front of the still kneeling Vera. Then she fastened the end of the chain to the handle of the bucket. Vera looked at the scrubbing brush which was floating in the bucket. It has a ridge along the back and, when Mei-Xing, without releasing her wrists, urged her to 'get on with it', Vera realised what it was for; not only was she to scrub the latrines but she was to do it with the brush held in her mouth. Tears filling her eyes she looked up at Mei-Xing.

"Please, please, this is too much. I can't do this," she begged.

"You can and will," Mei-Xing replied. "May I remind you that you're here of your own free will, that you asked for this?"

"But... But..." Vera stuttered.

"Get on with it, or do I need to fetch my cane? That will make short work of your objections."

"No, no, I'll do it." Vera bobbed her head down and took the ridge on the back of the brush between her teeth. The foul taste made her want to vomit but she fought it back and, kneeling forward, started on the floor.

"Please, Mistress," the young woman said as Mei-Xing headed for the door. "I'll be with you in a moment, I just need to use the latrines."

"Very well, but don't be long."

Once Mei-Xing had left the young woman went round to stand with her legs straddling the bucket. Then she lifted up the skirts of her robes and told Vera to look up. As Vera did so she was greeted by a stream of urine splashing in her face and in her hair as the woman emptied her bladder over her.

"Goodbye, choubi, have fun with your scrubbing," the woman laughed as she dropped her skirts and headed for the door.

Vera couldn't stop sobbing as she scrubbed away. This was far, far worse than she had expected. Surely Xui-Li wouldn't be too long, surely she would arrive and put her out of her misery. From time to time the door would open and Vera would look up expectantly but each time she was disappointed. Mostly she was ignored, a slave, a servant, she was beneath contempt and was left to scrub away. One customer complained about the state of one of the stalls and Vera had to drag the bucket using the chain around her neck and set to work there.

After what seemed like hours Mei-Xing arrived and came over to where Vera was kneeling.

"It seems the Madam Hong has arrived. Would you like to be taken to her?" Mei-Xing asked.

"Yes, please, Mei-Xing. I've suffered enough here," Vera replied, spitting the brush from her mouth.

"I'd be careful about being so presumptuous if I were you. Others will decide whether you have suffered enough," Mei-Xing said as she reached down and unfastened the chain from the bucket. "Now, follow me."

Vera, by now, was immune to the stares as she followed Mei-Xing through the club. Let them think what they wanted; many of them had already seen her, disgusting and degraded, on her knees, scrubbing the latrines. There was nothing worse they could throw at her. Finally they came to Xui-Li's alcove at the rear of the club and, there she was, lying full length on a sofa with a serving girl knelt before her. Xui-Li looked up and gave a little gasp as she saw Vera.

"What are you doing here, Jun-Nui?" she asked. "You were not called for."

"I... I wanted to see you," Vera replied.

"And what if I didn't want to see you?" In truth Xui-Li was torn. Seeing Jun-Lui kneeling before her, looking so bedraggled, was weakening her resolve. Heaven know what Mei-Xing had put her through but by the looks, and smell, of it whatever had been done to her had been far from pleasant. However, the cat-like grin on Mei-Xing's face rang all sorts of warning bells. Whether engineered by her or not, this was exactly the sort of situation Mei-Xing would love to use against her. Once more she would be portrayed as inviting the viper into the camp. She had no choice, she had to send Jun-Lui away, and keep her away, and there was no way to do it without being cruel.

"But Madam Hong," Vera pleaded. "I've come just to see you. If you knew what I've just endured just to be allowed to see you, what I've suffered."

Again Xui-Li nearly melted. She knew all about Mei-Xing's cruel streak and how it would have amused her to put this round eye through the foulest degradations. However, she didn't dare weaken.

"But I didn't ask you to come, I didn't ask you to do this for me and now I'm busy, busy with this little one." The serving girl turned and gave Vera a smile, a smile of one who is where the other wishes to be. "Why should I bother with you when this one here will give me everything I want, and not make such a fuss about it?"

Vera felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach by a mule. How could Xui-Li compare her to this... this floozie, this nothing, this little tramp. Hadn't she just shown that she would go through anything to be with her and now to be rejected, and in such an offhand way? That she would have to go back to Colonel Fortesque empty handed was bad but the real pain came from another place; all the lies she had told herself were stripped bare as she realised just how much she had been looking forward to serving Xui-Li, how much she wanted, no needed, to be with her. Unbidden tears streamed down her face.

"Please, please, Madam Hong. Please don't do this to me. Didn't I mean anything to you? I've tried so hard, so hard to be what you wanted. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Xui-Li glanced at Mei-Xing who was looking like the cat who had swallowed the cream. For Jun-Lui's sake, for everybody's sake, she had to end this and make it look convincing.

"How typically arrogant of you to think that you were something special to me. Sure, it amused me to have a round eye in my bed, but it could have been any round eye, you just happened to be available. I don't know how you got to think that there could be anything between us; I just wanted to see you squirm and now," Xui-Li slid her hand under the robes of the serving girl who gave a little squeal, half of pleasure, half of pain, "now I want to see this one squirm. I've done with you, it no longer amuses me to play with you, it's over, finished. Good bye."

"But... but... but...." Vera was devastated.

"Enough, I said it's over and that means it's over. Go, and never bother me again." Xui-Li turned to her guard "Chu-hua, take this trash out and make sure she stays out."

Chu-hua stood up and, taking Vera by the elbow, helped her to her feet and guided her towards the door.

As Xui-Li watched the bedraggled girl being led away she knew in her heart that everything she had just said had been a lie. Every fibre of her being wanted to call them back, to have Jun-Nui brought back before her, to have her cleaned up and cared for, to show her the affection she really felt. But there, as a reminder of why this was necessary, there was Mei-Xing standing there looking smug and superior. Xui-Li smiled sweetly but inside she was seething; however the power struggle between them worked out she would never forgive Mei-Xing for this. Now it was personal.