The Fight For Mongo

"What now, Chief Natook?"

"So far, golden one, you have been impressive, but there is one final way to know if a man is truly worthy and that requires the female touch."

"The chief clapped his hands. His two wives who had been sitting wrapped in blankets, rose to their feet. Both were spectacularly nude.

"If you can satiate them both until dawn, you will prove yourself worthy. The women can tell the difference between a real man and a false man."

With that, the chief, the interpreter, and everyone else filed out of the show house. The naked women smiled serenely at him. Their dark eyes twinkled with merriment and deviltry. Flash noted that the room had suddenly become phenomenally warm. Flash reached for his collar to pause for breath. The women descended upon him. "Holy cow!" gasped the displaced earthling.

**

In the morning, Dale at first refused to go on a tour of the countryside with the satrap, but she relented when he suggested taking along three hostesses as chaperones and shopping partners.

Bryce, Frida, and brown-haired Kandi. shared the back seat of the vehicle with the satrap seated opposite them as it rolled off. Dale had a window seat. Winter came early in these northern lands. A fresh coating of snow gave the landscape an ethereal quality. Dale sipped her hot chocolate and to irk the satrap extolled Flash's physique and gallantry to the other women.

"Sounds too good to be true," opined Kandi.

"Flash is perfect. He would never cheat on me, and I would never cheat on him."

"Seriously?" asked Frida. "What if he was really, really handsome."

"Like his eminence!" interjected Bryce.

"No!" stated Dale adamantly.

"He's all the way up north, showing those savage Enit women how it's done," said Kandi.

"What do you mean?" asked Dale.

"The Enit share their wives and it is very bad manners to refuse the offer," returned Bryce.

"You lie!" said Dale vociferously.

The three hostesses snickered. In a huff, Dale turned away from them and focused on the landscape, and drained her tiny mug of hot cocoa. Why were these women going out of their way to mock her? The vehicle came to rest in front of the Central Trading Office. Dale carried in her cage, toured the huge building with the others. There were beautiful furs and pure ivory tusks being prepared for shipment to greater Mongo. The satrap greeted everyone he met whether they be a janitor or a high-ranking executive with a firm handshake and a kind word. Those whom he had met before he recalled by name. Watching him work the room was revelatory for Dale. The satrap was as far from a stuffy, conceited, and aloof royal as possible. It made Dale see him in a new light. He seemed even more handsome somehow.

Dale's anger from the night before evaporated entirely at the next destination, a cold-weather farm. Grand Thule's first settlers had discovered wild forms of wheat and rice that bloomed in the harsh northern landscape. They wasted no time in domesticating these hardy varieties. Dale marveled at the snow-covered soil bristling with green sprouts.

"During spring for the rest of Mongo, while they are planting, we are exporting our harvest," stated the satrap with pride.

The group toured public works, museums, and the homes of a few private citizens. Lastly, as a reward to his female companions for being so polite and engaging, the vehicle stopped at the House of Dani. Even Dale had heard the name of that fashion designer! She was known in all parts of Mongo and her fashions were worn by the luminaries of all its nations. Dani even clothed the members of Ming's harem. She had her headquarters here because of Grand Thule's neutrality. The satrap promised Dale and the hostesses that they could buy whatever they wanted. This caused them all to cheer and rush into the boutique.

At first, Dale was crestfallen. Here she was in the House of Dani, and she was tiny! She brightened, however when the famous designer came forward and stated,

"Maths are a thing, darling. I can make you up a tiny version of what you choose today and tomorrow I can have a full-size one cut to your exact measurements which I can extrapolate with a few basic ratios. All I need to know is your normal height and measurements. I'll send the full-size dress to the palace. You can wear it with extreme pride wherever life takes you."

"You are brilliant, Dani!" stated Dale.

"Not really, I just have a nose for business and an affinity for science," she replied.

"Where do you stand on the question of the revolution?" asked Dale as the fashion designer picked up a measuring tape.

"Strictly neutral, darling. Women wearing my fashions under ANY circumstances is the only triumph I am interested in!"

Dale left with three tiny ensembles in a logoed garment bag. The hostesses had two each. On the drive home, Dale sat next to the satrap. He was so good-looking, so kind, and so generous. Just looking at him caused Dale to have warm feelings.

**

Flash was beyond tired yet utterly blissful as the short northern day began. The women, he was never clear what their names were, had at last tumbled into slumber. His body was covered with bitemarks and hickeys. Natook's wives were incredibly aggressive and damn near indefatigable. Flash was so drained his thirst was overpowering. He gazed at his limp little soldier. he doubted that it would snap to attention for at least a month. He'd been sucked and mounted more times than he could remember. The wives took so many turns sitting on Flash's face there were long moments when he thought he would suffocate. He gazed at the slumbering wives, one on each side. "No, you won't ever tell Dale about this," he said to no one in particular, just as fatigue finally overtook him.

Hours later he heard, "My wives want me to kill the rest of the men you are with so that they can make a pet of you."

The native chief laughed.

"You a real man alright. Rest today. Tomorrow, we head for ice beast country."

**

Dale was modeling the dresses designed for her by Dani.

"I still think the skirt on this one is far too short, but she is quite the salesperson."

"Whether it is too short is immaterial Miss Arden. It looks terrific on you or if you prefer you look terrific in it."

The satrap was speaking the truth. Dale Arden was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered. Even among his plethora of beautiful wives and hostesses, she stood out like a beacon. The fact that she was tiny made her somehow even more beautiful and desirable.

"I should know better than to discuss these sorts of things with a man!"

Dale emitted a peal of laughter.

"Miss Arden..."

"Isn't that a bit formal, your eminence? Please call me Dale."

"As you wish, Dale."

Giant and Lilliputian gazed at each other a moment.

"I'm so glad, you like me again, Dale, after that incident last night."

"I choose to believe you had nothing to do with it."

"Thank you, Dale."

A moment later he added,

"Does Dani sell anything in her store similar to what that young magician clothed you in?"

Dale's face screwed up, first in rage, then in mirth.

"You, your eminence, are a reprobate and a scoundrel."

"Scoundrel. I like the sound of that!"

Dale sighed and said, "Men!"

She turned her back towards him and said,

"Can you unzip me?"

The satrap was floored by the request. His fingers displayed not so much as a flutter as they sought the tiny pull and gently tugged open the dress. Dale's incredibly sexy back came into view. If the satrap was in love before... Dale made her way back behind the privacy screen. The satrap imagined her changing. He felt himself involuntarily stiffen. There were so many joys to being small that the satrap was desperate to teach her, but he knew going slow was his best approach. Perhaps he should redouble his prayers that an ice beast would devour Flash Gordon.

**

It was cold. Bitterly cold. Coldest than the coldest New England winter. This was the territory that Enits came to reluctantly out of necessity. Here dwelt the walrus-like creatures with the long incisors that provided the northern tribes and all Grand Thule with the ivory they exported everywhere. Here was the ice bear and the much more ferocious, much rarer ice beast. From the descriptions they gave Flash as well as the pictures they showed him, it was largely bipedal and vaguely man-like. It had a wiry fur coat that was usually but not always grey, terrible claws and teeth, and smelled horrible; in short, a walking nightmare.

The snow and ice were thick. Walls of ice shot up in frigid mountain chains. Flash wondered how anything could survive in this godforsaken land. There was a sudden, insistent smell of death. Natook had the hunting party freeze in its tracks.

"Ice beast near," he said softly.

"Which direction?" asked Flash

"Towards sun."

"Let's go corner the bastard."

"Not so easy, stated the native chief, "Ice beast smart like man. Our legend say he once was a man, a man and his wife who offended the snow gods and were changed, made horrible and condemned to roam the ice floes forever. Once we find the ice beast, it can take weeks to pin him down, confront, and kill him."

"Oh," said Flash softly. The cold became worse somehow.

**

The dream was so vivid. She and the satrap were in the conservancy pool. On a dare, she peeled off her bathing suit. The satrap followed suit. She smiled as she drank all of him in. His handsomeness and virile maleness were overwhelming. Her finger traced the pattern of his scar. She was in his grasp, giddy, his handsome face loomed large, he raised her to his mouth.

Dale awoke with a start. The sheets were unaccountably damp. She cried out,

"Flash!"

To her consternation, it took her a very long time to recall her fiancé's features, voice, and laugh.

**

Frida arrived with a miniature hostess dress.

"Hold on I'm a guest not an employee."

"Orders from his eminence. Sources say one of Ming's many spies is set to make a surprise visit. He will ask far fewer questions if you blend in. Ming knows about General Tao's errand, of course, but not of General Gordon's. There is still a large bounty on both your heads. If the spy sees only a tiny hostess, he won't see Dale Arden."

Dale couldn't argue with that logic. She donned the sheer crimson and cream scanty garments. Just as she feared, they left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

**

The supposed diplomat was led through a tour of the palace. Dale stood at attention upon a riser amid the other hostesses. The rotund, neckless, bespeckled spy noticed Dale right away.

"A perversion of mine, ambassador," supplied the satrap. "Tiny women have particular delights in the bedchamber that their full-size sisters lack."

The faux ambassador eyed Dale lustfully. She held her breath, the odious Ming toadie

had crippling halitosis! He then laughed and said,

"Thank you very much for the stimulating mental image, satrap."

He and Ra-Hesh moved on and Dale began breathing once more.

Dale spent the rest of the day in the hostesses' main room, performing or at least pretending to perform random meaningless tasks that a woman of her tiny stature was capable of in case the spy, chose to randomly inspect this room as well. Dale had to conclude that the abbreviated hostess uniforms really allowed total freedom of movement.

Late in the day, the satrap strode into the room,

"Ladies I want to thank you all for your bravura performance today. That short-sighted windbag was completely bamboozled! This calls for a celebration, so all of you are welcome in the ballroom in a half-hour for an impromptu bash. I've given my imperial guards the evening off so that all of you will have dance partners and everyone except essential staff gets tomorrow off."

The assembled women cheered and applauded. Ra-Hesh made his way to the table where Dale stood. She looked mighty fine in the royal colors thought the satrap. Dale's almost completely unveiled flesh was even more alluring and arousing than either Frida's sketch or his active imagination. There was so much he wanted to say. So much he wanted to do. But. He had a position where duties and protocol took precedence over personal wants and desires.

"Dale, I'm sorry I had to put you through this."

"Not at all, your eminence. Thank you for saving my life."

He took a long lingering look at the essentially naked tiny woman.

"Believe me, Dale, it was a pleasure."

Once he was out of the room, Bryce, Frida, and several others surrounded her.

"You have to come to the party with us."

"Yes, even if you can't dance, you can man watch. They look so handsome in their uniforms!"

"Yep! And if you are a dog, you don't get to be an imperial guard!"

"Please say you will join us, Dale!"

"Can I change first?"

"Hey! You are one of us today. If you change you will stick out like a sore thumb."

"But this uniform is so revealing!"

"So what? You have the body for it, Dale and everyone has seen everything already, what difference does a few extra male eyes make?"

"You are going and that's that!"

Dale realized that her mind had just been made up. Only now did she really appreciate that the satrap had seen all of her. In a short time, she'd be equally exposed before a bunch of horny soldiers! Flash is NEVER finding out about this! yelled her inner voice.

Dale stood on the snack table next to a seated Bryce. As each of the guards entered the ballroom, Bryce and Dale discussed their merits. The ogling was harmless fun, and it was something Dale could do at the party that wasn't limited by her size.

"Oh, yeah! He could get me horizontal!" gushed Bryce.

"He's OK but too blond for my tastes," returned Dale.

"But General Gordon is the blondest guy I've ever seen!"

"It's complicated."

"Oh, so he's hell in bed? How's his package?"

Dale flushed crimson.

"Is he blond all over?"

Rescuing Dale from further embarrassment was the arrival of the satrap in his military dress uniform.

"Hello! Paydirt!" squealed Bryce.

Dale always liked a man in uniform and few men wore them as dashingly as the satrap. Dale felt herself moisten. What was coming over her?

She took a sip from her tiny goblet of wine and wished for something stronger.

Bryce became caught up in conversation with the too-blond soldier. The satrap approached.

"So good of you to join us, Dale."

"The girls didn't give me much choice."

"Does that disappoint you?"

"No, your eminence, I'm having a wonderful time."

"I'm glad!"

Giant and Lilliputian met each other's eyes. Dale felt such an overpowering attraction. The satrap's words to the phony diplomat about tiny women replayed within her skull. She could not force the sudden image away of the satrap naked and supine while she walked the length of his body. She could feel the firm muscles of his chest and abdomen under her bare feet as she walked in the direction of his waist towards...

"Dance with me please, Dale."

"But how can I?"

"Trust me."

Dale nodded.

The music began once more. Very gently, the satrap scooped up Dale. With both hands, he held her at arm's length and moved athletically and rhythmically across the dance floor. To Dale, it was just like childhood dreams where she was flying. The thought of dreams reminded her of her most recent. Here she was in his grasp, essentially naked, his handsome face and enticing lips so near yet so far. Was the dream a prophesy or was she a disloyal pervert? She tried to think of Flash, but try as she might, she just could not summon his face and figure to her mind. I'm the worst girlfriend in the world! she raged silently. The pace of the music slowed; the satrap pulled Dale closer. She gazed up at him and went weak all over.

"Kiss me!" she whispered.

His big handsome face loomed even larger. His magnificent lips descended and placed the most delicate of kisses over the entirety of Dale's face. The world faded out and Dale was aware of absolutely nothing for several long, incredible moments.

The music ended and the satrap returned Dale to her seat at the snack table. She sat unmoving. He staggered a bit as he strode away. As cover for his actions, he led another hostess to the dance floor. Dale could recall nothing for the rest of the evening only returning to herself when Kandi put her to bed. Her subsequent dreams were so carnal; Dale was surprised when she awoke that her pillow had not burst into flames.

**

Flash and General Tao sat across from each other over the whale oil fire. Days of frigid communal living had made them marginally more sociable.

"I admire the spirit of your revolution even though it is doomed to failure."

"I would not be so sure, Tao."

"Oh, it is a foregone conclusion. Even if you do overthrow Ming, there is no evidence that your movement knows how to govern. A year after your "victory" Mongo will devolve into a gaggle of squabbling nations and it will require a strong man to unite them once more. Ming mark two if you will. Perhaps the next Ming will be me!"

"Where I come from, freedom once earned. is never given away again,"

"But you are not from Mongo, Gordon. Your entire revolution is an alien infection."

"Nonetheless, we shall emerge victorious."

"Or you shall be castrated before being drawn and quartered, and your lovely companion, after being given to a division of marines to slake their lusts, ends up naked, collared, branded, and auctioned off as chattel."

Whatever direction the conversation would have gone was rendered moot by the cook announcing that dinner was ready.

**

Dale was in her room dressing for breakfast and considering her options.

"I need to get ahead of this thing. I need to get him out of my system. Perhaps, if I accede to his clear desires, it will be as a flash fire, quick and intense but afterward OVER! Or I can twist in the wind unable to focus on anything except his looks, charm, and personality. He needs to return to being a distant royal with me as a mere houseguest or I shall go insane!"

Would that work though? Now that he had kissed her, she wanted more of his kisses not less. If she surrendered to him, would she lose her heart forever?

"Oh, Flash! Kill that damned beast and return to me!"

At breakfast, the satrap invited her to an ice ballet performance in the opera house. It would be a very public, sedate, no displays of affection, date. Dale breathed a sigh of relief.

**

The date was utterly delightful. The lithe graceful female dancers, the handsome and extremely fit male dancers, and the amazing dance moves while on skates were breathtaking. While she was not cognizant enough of the various Mongo myths to completely understand the story, she filled in the blanks by imagining it to be Swan Lake or the Nutcracker, there was a vague similarity to both. Being in public with the satrap where he was hemmed in by tradition and expectations and therefore n his best behavior was quite refreshing. It was just a fun, wonderful date with a wonderful companion. This could just as well have been a night on the town with Flash. During the ride back to the palace, however, in the satrap's private carriage, the emotions she hoped to avoid hung poignantly in the air.

"Your eminence, we need to talk."

"We are nearly at the palace. We can convene in my private study,"

Over tea and biscuits both large and specially made small for her, Dale screwed up her courage.

"Your eminence," she said at last, "something is transpiring between us. It has to stop. We need to get ahead of it. I am engaged to Flash, and you have your responsibilities, your wives, your hostesses. We can't let what is going on ruin us. Ruin me. I...I..."

She broke down in tears.

"I think I'm in love with you damn it!"

He allowed her to lean against his forearm and cry herself out while his other hand embraced her.