Mindgames Ch. 25

She grimaced. "Making more work for the rest of us. Although," she added with a grin, "it has been entertaining."

Mistress Pomona snapped her fingers and the two housegirls assumed the standard position. They did so without hesitation, but the darker haired one was breathing heavily and looked almost mutinous. The other girl trembled.

Mistress Pomona circled them. "I see he's given you bracelets," she said to the housegirls. "I respect tradition. I won't touch you." She exchanged a look with Master Landon, then smiled sweetly at Master Animal. Kevra's stomach lurched. She knew that expression. "You do it," Mistress Pomona said to Master Animal.

"Do what?" Master Animal growled, still looking around the room.

Mistress Pomona tossed her whip to him. He caught it reflexively. "Show us how much you want your houseboy back," Mistress Pomona said. Master Animal just stared at her. "I know you understand." She laughed. "Whip them, and I'll bring Sniffly to you."

Master Animal's eyes widened in horror and he took a step back.

"Now, now, my dear," Master Landon said. "That's not showing hospitality." Mistress Pomona scowled, but her expression lightened when Master Landon said, "Let him choose just one of them."

"Oh yes, that's fair!" Mistress Pomona said. "Just one."

Master Animal stood as if frozen. Mistress Pomona shrugged. "Of course, if you don't want him back . . . But he is quite ill."

"Bring him to me right now or the Bearer will hear of this," Master Animal growled.

Mistress Pomona tittered. "The Bearer? What will he hear? That you ruined a houseboy, then sent him out without a bracelet, and I had to clean up after you? I don't think he'll be interested in that."

Master Animal glared at her. But then he looked down. "Please," he said. "Just bring him to me."

"Choose," Mistress Pomona said.

Reluctantly Master Animal looked over at the two housegirls, who had not been released from standard position. He shook his head. "I can't," he said hoarsely. Kevra didn't know whether he meant he couldn't choose or he couldn't whip either of them.

"They're both so lovely," Mistress Pomona said. "Anyone would have a hard time deciding between them."

Master Animal took an uncertain step towards them, then stopped. He looked from one to the other, and then around the room as if looking for an escape. "I can't."

One of the housegirls, the darker haired one, fell to her knees in front of him and placed her forehead on the floor. "How charming," Master Landon said. "Do let's hear what she has to say."

"Speak." Master Animal's voice was a croak.

The housegirl kneeled up, but kept her eyes respectfully on Master Animal's shoes. "Master, do you remember the day of the fire in your kitchen?" Her voice was low and respectful, but there was an urgency to it. "You had given me a black eye. Later you asked me a question, and I told you that when the time came I would let you know. The time is now." Kevra could not imagine what the girl was talking about. How could she be so bold? The time for what? But Master Animal seemed to understand her.

"Mariah, no," he said. "I can't." He sounded anguished.

"Please, Master," Mariah said. She looked at him, only for a moment. "This slave begs you." When Master Animal still didn't move, she said, "He's ill. Please."

After a moment he nodded heavily. "Brace yourself against the couch."

The other slavegirl, trembling violently now, gave a small sob and shook her head, but no one but Kevra seemed to notice.

"This slave thanks you, Master." Mariah moved to the back of the couch and put her hands on top of it, leaning over slightly. Kevra was fascinated. What had Mariah said to Master Animal sometime in the past that would lead him to whip her now when he clearly didn't want to? She wondered what it would be like to have a pansy master. She looked at her own master, his face gleaming with anticipation. She shuddered and stopped herself from daydreaming about a better life.

Master Animal took his position behind Mariah. He raised the whip and brought it down on her upper back. It barely left a mark.

"Oh, come on," Master Landon said. "You can't that kind of effort will get you your boy back."

Master Animal raised the whip, and this time brought it down with a competent blow. Master Landon nodded. Master Animal did it over and over until Mariah's back was crisscrossed. Throughout it all she stood stoically, flinching but never crying out. Kevra thought it was almost as if the girl did not feel the punishment.

"Lower now," Master Landon said. Animal glared at him but whipped Mariah's butt and the back of her legs. Still Mariah acted as if she barely noticed. All the while the other housegirl remained in standard position, trembling and quietly crying.

When Mariah was marked down to her knees Master Landon nodded. "Now the front," he said.

"No!" Master Animal threw the whip down with such force that its handle broke when it hit the floor. "Where is he?" He looked half-crazed.

All of a sudden an incoherent howl came from Kevra's sleeping room. Sniffly.

Master Animal rushed over, knocking Master Landon aside as he went. The two housegirls followed close behind, heedless of their lack of orders. The noise continued from the room.

Mistress Pomona came out of the sleeping room and closed the door behind her. "Just a little going away present," she said. Master Animal rushed passed her and flung open the door. He stopped short, horrified.

Mariah stepped past Master Animal and then stopped as abruptly as Master Animal had. Kevra moved so that she could see into the room. Sniffly was on his knees, bent over a storage trunk, his torso flat on it, his wrists cuffed behind his back, his knees held wide by a spreader bar. Something jutted out of his ass.

"A cactus dildo," Mistress Pomona said, loud enough to be heard over Sniffly's frantic noises. "It has little metal spikes on hinges all up and down it. They don't scratch going in, but you'll have to tear him to take it out."

Sniffly, facing away from them, was not aware that his rescuers had arrived. The slavegirl Mariah rushed to him. Kneeling in front of him, she took his face in her hands. "I'm here," she said. "I'm here."

"Please, Mistress, take it out. I'll be good, I promise."

"I'm not a mistress," Mariah said. "It's me."

Sniffly was beyond hearing her. He continued to plead. Mariah looked helplessly over at Master Animal.

Master Landon had come in. "Pomona left you a choice, of course." He laughed. "You can take it out now, or later."

Kevra saw a silent conversation seem to take place between Master Animal and Mariah. Master Animal nodded. Still holding Sniffly's face in her hands, Mariah said, "This is going to hurt. Be strong." Although she had not cried when Master Animal had beaten her, now there were tears in her eyes.

Slowly she stood and went behind Sniffly. She put one hand on his lower back and her other hand on the handle of the dildo. In a fast, smooth motion she pulled it out. Sniffly screamed. Mariah threw the dildo to the floor. She freed Sniffly's hands and undid the cuffs of the spreader bar.

Sniffly's scream subsided but he continued to groan. "It burns," he moaned. "It burns."

Master Animal and Mariah helped Sniffly to stand. The other slave girl, crying and shaking, watched.

Sniffly was led out of the room with one arm around Master Animal's shoulder and the other around Mariah's. His eyes met Kevra's. He seemed to come to himself for a moment. "Stop," he said. "We have to take her."

Kevra thought he meant the other housegirl, the one whose name she had not learned, but Sniffly said, "I promised her. I promised I'd rescue her. I can't leave without her." Kevra knew then he was referring to her. She looked down. Poor Sniffly, still lost in the mindgame. She was grateful now that she did not belong to Master Animal, who must be adept at destroying his slaves.

Mistress Pomona laughed, and Kevra understood that she would pay over and over for Sniffly's rantings.

Master Animal seemed to know as well as Kevra that it was futile, but he asked anyway. "Will you give her to me?"

Master Landon did not laugh. "Let you ruin her like you have these others? Certainly not."

Master Animal nodded, unsurprised. "We have to go," he said to Sniffly. Mariah put Sniffly's arm around her again, and they walked out, trailed by the other housegirl.