Mistress of the Air Ch. 34

The fun went on into the evening, and ended with the dwarf being invited back to Lady Sally's bedchamber, much to the envy of Victoria, the four gentlemen and, though he was reluctant to admit it, Captain Wyndham. The squeals of pleasure from the room echoed through the passages of the gondola through the night.

The dwarf was an enthusiastic convert from spying to debauchery.

Her name was Frau Kina Linguzh. She was born in Poland, moved to Germany where the Hanoverian Society of Lesbian Dwarves was known to be especially active, and through them recruited into the Prussian Secret Service. It turned out she had many humorous stories about hiding in wardrobes, cupboards and drawers spying on British, French, Russian and Austrian Empire diplomats, and their sexual shenanigans. She promised to introduce Lady Sally and her gentlemen to the exciting erotic delights of voyeurism, which she had acquired from her experiences as a spy.

Overnight they flew over the Adriatic Sea heading towards their next destination, the Italian Empire, and the city of Naples. Lady Sally was excited. Other aristocratic tourists visited Venice and Florence, attracted by the wonders of Renaissance art and architecture. Lady Sally's tastes were more exotic; her ambition was to see the erotic frescoes at Pompeii.

The Corseted Domme took a route following the Amalfi coast, over the elegant Italian resort of Sorrento towards the port of Naples. As the airship descended, Lady Sally took her place in the cockpit alongside the captain and Clarissa. She insisted on flying the airship over Mount Vesuvius.

"Over a volcano," queried her maid, "isn't that dangerous?"

"It's ok, Victoria. It erupted in '06, it won't blow again for decades," explained the captain.

The maid looked sceptical as she stared into the crater at the seething lava and wisps of steam and smoke floating up into the sky, "Yes, but you know stuff happens when madam is around."

"Cheer up, Victoria, you know what they say, See Naples... and die!"

"Thanks, that's all I need," she groaned.

Captain Wyndham sought out the mooring mast on the dockside. Naples was a huge, sprawling port-city, dominated by its massive, medieval fortress, the Castel Nuovo. It was also extremely poor. The Corseted Domme was a revelation to the city's residents. As usual, the airship attracted attention, and soon a horde of curious, bare-footed street kids surrounded her.

"I'm simply ravenous. Captain, go ahead and order pizzas from a stall on the dockside. We'll join you in a minute when we're ready to disembark. Mine is a Pizza Napoletana, and make sure it's made with San Marzano tomatoes, they grow on the volcanic plains below Vesuvius... oh, and order plenty of carafes of red wine. I think we deserve a celebration after surviving so many alarms and exposing our stowaway."

"What's pizza?" asked her maid, suspicious about her next culinary experience after the horse's testicle.

"You'll love it. It's thin bread with tomato and cheese and different toppings. Everybody loves pizza! Besides it's the local fare, so we must partake of it."

The party, which included their new companion, Frau Kina Linguzh, sat overlooking the harbour at simple tables with checked table-cloths laden with massive pizzas, drinking copious amounts of wine.

They were soon joined by cook who, hearing of mistress's impromptu meal on the dockside, was on the warpath.

"Milady, what's this muck you're eating. I've kitchens full of venison bred on your Scottish estate, Gressingham duck and corn-fed spatchcock chickens. I've fresh vegetables from your kitchen garden. I tell you, this stuff will bung you up, milady. I remember from when you were a child, you always needed brussel sprouts to make you fart. Peasant food, that's what it is, milady. It's beneath an aristocratic lady like yerself."

"Really cook, that's way too much information. It's merely a snack of the local delicacy. And I will eat what I wish. Now get back to the kitchen and prepare dinner."

Cook stormed back to the airship in a huff.

"Ah, this is the life. My enemies are left far behind, so we can relax, safe in the Italian Empire, eating pizza and drinking wine. I just need to wait at the dockside and take delivery of my statue. You know, I've commissioned a bronze statue of myself for the courtyard at Rudston Hall. My agent here has arranged for me to collect it."

"A bronze statue?" Captain Wyndham smiled. "I presume that, as well as a brass mine, Lady Sally has a bronze mine too?"

She looked askance at him with an expression of disdain, "What are you talking about, captain? Are you making fun of me? Everybody knows bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, so a bronze mine is quite impossible. I'm most surprised at you captain. I thought a man of the world like yourself knew such things."

Captain Wyndham was left open-mouthed, before spluttering, "But, wait a minute, what about your bra..."

He was cut off in his protestations by a dismissive wave of Lady Sally's hand and the sound of wheels rattling ponderously along the cobbled streets of the docks. A cart, pulled by twenty horses, turned the corner and came into sight

And what a magnificent sight it was. Mounted on the cart was an enormous bronze statue, lines of rope securing it into place. The representation was at least four or five times larger than the real-life Lady Sally Rudston-Chichester, which was a scary prospect. It was a remarkable and unmistakable likeness, which captured her in a dominant pose with a fearsome expression. She was depicted wearing a corset and thigh-length boots, a whip grasped in her hand, its bronze thongs dangling menacingly

"How splendid," exclaimed Lady Sally. "I'm overwhelmed. What an accurate characterisation. I love the bronze moulding on my cleavage, and they've even managed to capture my phoenix tattoo."

"Bonjourno, Lady Sally. What a delight it is to meet-a you again. You look-a more stunning than ever. You-a English ladies are bellissima."

He was introduced to them as Signore Giovanni Fellatio, a Neapolitan gentleman with a closely shaven beard, dressed in black. He was burly and muscular, with an aspect like the dockers at the port, yet, in contrast to this there were obvious displays of wealth, a gold fob watch and silver-tipped cane. He strode up to Lady Sally and demonstratively kissed her on both cheeks.

"Thank you, Signore. You flatter me. And how is business?"

"Ah, well-a this is Napoli, my lady, everything is chaotic! But it's-a always a pleasure to do business with the dominant-a English ladies. Your-a crates of wine are-a following in another cart."

Captain Wyndham studied the man with suspicion. He had been to Naples before, had stopped there briefly on the way back from Khartoum after fighting for the British Empire in the Sudan. He noted the lion-headed ring. He recognised the striking markings: a rat, a key, and a line of women's names (almost certainly his mistresses), tattooed on the back of the Italian gentleman's hand... and he was concerned. Lady Sally certainly kept strange company.

"And what-a are your plans whilst your ladyship is in-a Napoli."

"Tomorrow I'm planning a visit to Pompeii to examine the erotic frescoes. It's always been an ambition of mine. I don't much care for Rennaisance art, but one cannot beat fine erotic etchings."

"An excellent-a choice, my lady. But do you intend to go alone with just your friends?" he asked, glancing disdainfully at the four strange gentlemen, Victoria in her French maid's uniform, and a lady dwarf. "I do not-a recommend that. I will a offer-a you my protection."

"Do you believe that's necessary, Signore Fellatio?"

"Most-a definitely. The bay of Napoli is lawless. A rich-a English lady is a target for thieves. And-a you know the motto of my brethren, Loyalty, Honour... Revenge. You know-a we look after our friends-a."

The captain looked alarmed. His suspicions were confirmed.

"Well, that's most kind of you. And quite right too; Loyalty, Honour... Revenge, that is, indeed, a creed I follow in my own way... and expect my submissive slaves to adhere to, especially the loyalty. You are very generous. But your protection will be discreet, won't it?"

"Lady Sally, our-a brethren are always discreet."

"Excellent, so that's settled then. You must join us for dinner on The Corseted Domme."

"It would be-a pleasure, but now I have-a more business to attend to. Bonjourno, mia bellezza."

Lady Sally poured herself another glass of red wine, "There, you see, what gentlemen the Italians are."

Captain Wyndham did not look impressed, "But, madam, surely he's a member of the Camorra?"

"What's the Camorra?" asked the bishop.

The lawyer and banker certainly knew, they looked as alarmed as the captain.

"Well, the Camorra is a society of criminal gangs; basically, they're a Neapolitan Mafia," explained the captain

"Oh, don't be such a fuss-pot, captain. I've had a partnership with Signore Fellatio for many years. It's impossible to do business in Naples without dealing with the Camorra, everything entering and leaving the port is controlled by them. How else am I going to get wine from my Tuscan vineyards shipped to Rudston Hall? If Signore Fellatio says they will protect us, then I believe him. Besides, they're extremely loyal to their friends."

"... And extremely murderous to their enemies," the captain muttered under his breath.