The Wild West and Sex Slavery Ch. 11

The combination of the new Betty Jo letter story and the reports that Lena Fesch was arrested, together with the accusation by the German government that she was being held without charges somewhere in the FASUG, finally caused the FASUG and Lena's situation to make it above the fold worldwide.

Schnupper gained some notoriety himself by vouching for the existence of the person who wrote the letter. He admitted that he had spent most of two exhausting weeks on the Big Nosed Kate on the Mississippi River undercover as a customer of the sex boat. He reported that the women were very talented, but two weeks of having sex three or four times a day was more than he wanted. His sacrifice for the sake of informing the public was lauded by many and questioned by many.

Lena had been concerned that the disclosure of the Betty Jo letter would lead to a big investigation by the FASUG authorities, and Don, the delivery service guy, would get in big trouble. She need not have been concerned. Officially, the FASUG authorities took the position that the letter was not authentic, that the things discussed in the letter were not bad, and that everything discussed in the letter that was bad was being corrected.

Because the FASUG said the letter was "fake news," made up by Social Democratic States of America agents, FASUG authorities did not conduct any investigation as to how the letter could possibly have gotten out from the Big Nosed Kate to the SDSA and Europe. One does not launch an investigation of something that did not happen.

The SDSA, Pacific and Mountain States of America and European media did not think the Betty Jo letter was fake news. Large majorities in those countries found the disclosures to be very damning of the FASUG. The media and people in those countries ranted about poor women being forced into sexual slavery by poverty and a morally bankrupt social system.

However, even within the SDSA, PMSA and EU, views differed. Some commentators in the SDSA stressed that all heterosexual sex was rape and that sex slavery in the form disclosed by the Betty Jo letter was simply the logical extension of heterosexual sex. It was concluded by some in the SDSA that heterosexual intercourse in the SDSA should be abolished and that the population could be maintained, if that was desirable, through immigration, adoption of children from the FASUG indentured servants, and in vitro fertilization for lesbian couples that wanted to have children.

Abolishing heterosexual sex was not the majority opinion, though, even in the SDSA. Straight sex was still practiced covertly by many in the SDSA, and human extinction was not universally embraced as a worthy goal.

Within a few days of the letter's release, boycotts of companies with holdings in the FASUG started to be organized in the SDSA, the PMSA, and Europe. Some members of the Bundestag argued that Germany should not allow Wallace Trading Company's Winnetou paint gun fight events on its territory. Both Amnesty International and the International Association of Engineers held emergency sessions of their boards to condemn sex slavery in the FAGUS and the wrongful imprisonment of Betty Jo and Lena.

Madeline, Betty Jo's Sister, wrote an article calling for an international campaign to give the women on the Big Nosed Kate the option of leaving the boat.

On the other hand, the reaction of most of Asia, Africa and South America was pretty much "so what."

It was pointed out by some in India and Nigeria that Betty Jo had food, shelter and, unlike nearly everyone else in the FASUG, healthcare. In Abu Dhabi, it was stressed that even Betty Jo did not seem to think she was too bad off.

A spry 93-year-old Vladimir Putin, despite his continuing duties as Tsar of all the Russians (wherever they lived), found time to say that the only scandal connected with the disclosure of practices on the FASUG sex boats was that certain degenerate Western countries found fault with countries that had maintained their traditional values. He further noted that Mother Russia had preserved her Orthodox traditions and that boats on the Caspian Sea and the Don, Narva, and Volga Rivers contained many beautiful women who had been convicted of committing slander against the Russian state.

Lena had mixed feelings about the Betty Jo publicity. She was pleased that she had succeeded in creating another uproar and caused those in power to sit less securely. She was upset that she could not take any credit for the disclosure she had arranged and that it did not appear that the uproar would cause any real change. She thought many things in Betty Jo's letter required further investigation, but she was not going to be able to do it herself.

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING

In a large conference room in Little Rock, the highest authorities in the FASUG met with select other witnesses and stakeholder interests to decide on Lena's fate. Attorney General Herbert Brownell, FASUG Spiritual Leader Harry Powell, Dixieland Security Secretary Chief J. Edgar Smith, Deputy Secretary Dixieland Security Maxwell Klug, Richard Haydrick, chief of the FASUG Ministry of State Security, a semi-independent branch of the Department of Dixieland Security, FASUG Information Director Joe Gobbles, current Leader of the Free States Council of Churches, Rev. Mark Tailor Brown, the Most Holy Grand Dragon of the Invisible Empire of the Free States, Joey Hostein, Sheriff Bull Hawley, Sheriff Conner Tauro, Everleigh Captain Ralph Semmes, and Neck Wallace were at the meeting.

It was evident that Brownell, Powell and Smith were furious that all this furor had been created by their subordinates and others. There were ugly stares all around, and the indentured servant taking notes nearly had a nervous breakdown as the participants shouted at each other.

The meeting was chaired by Herbert Brownell. He started the meeting by saying, "I guess we all know why we were suddenly brought together here. It seems this whole mess was created by the incredible lack of judgment of some of the people in this room. This foreign woman was taken around the country for weeks. Naturally, President Gaetz and those of us on this council cannot follow the entry and activities of every tourist who enters the Free States. The president and the cabinet had no idea that an investigative journalist was invited into the Free States to look around and study our peculiar institutions and as well as fuck around the whole country.

"The boats are no secret. For years, they have been the subject of international advertising, targeted to men interested in sex tourism. Now, though, suddenly, we have interconnected international headline stories of, first, a foreign journalist arrested in the Free States for doing things that are legal in the lands of most of our major commercial trading partners and countries, like the Social Democratic states, with which we have to maintain peaceful relationships whether we like it or not. Second, there was a pathetic sob story by a female engineer who apparently is one of the women on the boats.

"What in God's name were you guys thinking in letting this crazy Kraut woman into the Free States and, having let her in, why in God's name did you prevent her from leaving.

"Do we know if this Lesch woman is somehow connected with the so-called "Betty Jo" letter?"

"Well, yes," Max Klug said; Dixieland Security believes that Lesch was connected with the creation and release of the Betty Jo letter. We are not sure how. It is not like it revealed anything that is unknown in the Free States. It is just that there had never been international publicity in the major press before this."

"Ok, Herbert," Powell said, addressing Brownell, "we could conduct an inquiry into what the idiots did which would probably lead to some of us screaming at some of these gentlemen who have apparently done things that can only be described as moronic, but we have to make some immediate decisions."

"You are right, Harry," Brownell answered, "We have to face the immediate issue. There will be time in the future to determine who created this mess.

"Mr. Wallace, you are at this meeting although you do not even hold a government position because I gather you are friends with President Gaetz and because you are the guy who brought Ms. Lesch to the Free States and was responsible for giving her a tour. Just what did you show her, and what the hell were you thinking?"

"Weelp, your Honor, I was thinkin to fulfill some promises I'd made in Europe to Frau Fesch and her boss, Frau Direktor Marlene Sprengler, and maybe persuade Fesch to become a, well, what shall we can em, services provider on the Everleigh. If that had all gone smoothly, it would have been good for the Free States economy.

"And very good for you," Powell added.

"As fir what I showed her," Neck continued, "it's nothin to fret about. I took her to do some bass fishin in Florida, to see a bunch of historical sites in Alabama an Mississippi, to an auction in New Orleans an to see a couple of our finest boats that happened to be docked near Memphis at the time. I gather the sheriffs believe that she may have learned some stuff that they wish she didn't know and that maybe she had a hand in the Betty Jo thing, but that's water o'er the dam.

"Thanks enough shit out of you," Brownell thundered. "So, do any of you guys have any suggestions as to what we are going to do?"

"It is quite obvious that she should be publicly stoned," the Most Holy Dragon, Joey Holstein, said. As we know, that was the Biblical punishment for adultery, and the Lord was clear that those without sin should do it. Those forgiven of their sins can perform the deed, and the hussies here and abroad will know that they must return to obedience to the commandments, at least while they are in the Holy Free American States under God.

"Are you insane," Powell said. "I'd rather let her go free and have you stoned for stupidity. Stoning for adultery hasn't actually been done in Iran or Saudi Arabia for decades, and no one here but you wants to join the Taliban.

"Seriously, why don't we just put her on a plane and get her out of here."

"Well," Sheriff Tauro said, "she did violate our laws, and we don't know what she knows. There are three witnesses who say that she committed adultery after meeting them in New Orleans and riding to Picayune, Mississippi, less than two weeks ago. That brings her to Mississippi jurisdiction. She can't be expected to be quiet. It seems that the obvious choice is to put her on a strict discipline boat where she will not be able to make further trouble."

"Three professional witnesses?" Brownell asked.

"Well, yes," Sheriff Tauro said.

"So, you are proposing we put a foreign national on a strict discipline boat for 20 years for supposedly committing adultery with three professional liars," Powell shouted. "And what will we tell the countries with whom we have trading relationships that don't believe in returning to the Middle Ages about the woman with the Iron Mask?

"And what are you guys worried about that she'll disclose? Was she snooping around defense installations? Did she obtain all our nuclear weapon codes?"

"Well, no," Sheriff Hawley said. "She's mainly been interested in the sex boats, the auction and the way the sheriffs do their business."

"And is there anything wrong with the way the sex boats or auction are run or the way that the sheriffs do their business?" Brownell said, starring Tauro and Hawley in the eye.

Hawley and Tauro glanced at each other before Hawley said, "Well, no, of course not."

"Then why don't we get her out of here. She'll tell the world what everyone already knows: that we allow people to sign indentured servitude contracts and enforce the servitude contracts for the few women that Mr. Wallace brings over from Europe and punish crimes with penal servitude that may be ordered to be served on the boats rather than on a chain gang. The human rights fanatics up North won't like that, but we don't like things they are doing either," Powell said.

"We have to uphold our law," J. Edgar Smith said.

Brownell said, "Listen, the worst we can do to this Fesch is what you'd do with other women convicted of sexual offenses. What would that be?"

"That's pretty obvious," Neck said. "We all know she'd be sentenced to penal servitude for twenty years, put up for auction an go to one of the high-end boats given that she's very beautiful, speaks a dozen or so languages, loves sex, and has lots of experience pleasin men."

"We can't have any public auction," Powell said. "That would be another news hit in the international press, particularly as some idiot at the auction wouldn't be able to resist filming the whole show and releasing it somehow."

"That's quite right," Neck said. "We need a new deal, and I got just the compromise we need here. I kin tell you that if a Free States woman as pretty and educated as Lena Fesch were convicted of adultery, she'd get 40 years with time off for good behavior on the very finest boat. An' Captain Semmes here can promise that she'll have the very best security against her gettin hurt or tryin to run off. We won't auction her. We will reach a gentlemen's arrangement as to how to divide the profits that I kin personally guarantee that Lena Fesch will bring to the Confederate treasury, the Everleigh, the sheriffs, and the Free States economy.

"How are you going to keep her from talking to customers," Hawley asked.

"Why do you think she needs to be kept from talking to customers, Sheriff, if she has not learned anything that we are not prepared to share with the world," Powell said. "If she has learned such things, why don't you tell me about them?"

"Exactly," Neck said. "She should talk to customers an be as charmin as I know she is. An' I know that we can make sure the sheriffs get a fair share of the proceeds. What do you say that the Sheriff's association gets 5% of the net profits, with another 5% to go to Sheriffs Tauro and Hawley, who did so much to bring this criminal to justice?"

Brownell gave a broad grin, "I don't see how you sheriffs can turn that down fellows unless you have something mighty terrible to hide."

Sheriffs Hawley and Tauro and Max Klug were worried about what Lena might disclose, particularly as they had all raped her since her arrest. They decided, though, that they had no good choice but to accept the monetary inducement and that Lena would go to the Everleigh. How much could she disclose orally to customers intent on having sex and who would believe them?

An hour's discussion of details followed after Brownell, Powell, Gobbels, Smith, and Haydrick went off to attend to greater matters. The details worked out, Max Klug, Neck, and Captain Semmes were tasked with seeing Lena to tell her about it. An hour later, the three were visiting Lena in her cell.

"Weellp, Lena, it could be worse. Nobody but the Taliban representative pretendin to be a Christian wanted you dead. The sheriffs wanted you on a strict bondage boat, but the politics on that did not play out well for them."

"Due to the quick action of Killer and me, you are a prisoner of the central confederate Government. Accordingly, the chief confederate officials, Brownell, Gobbels, Powell and Smith, were the decision-makers," Klug added. "They don't much like the sheriffs.

"You're gonna have to behave and make clear to everyone that you are gonna behave. There was some more talk after the main meetin, an' it was decided that you sure did not need any trainin on the sex part of the job. Hell, you even removed all the hair below the neck that we would have removed. The behavin part, though, will be tough.

So, you're gonna get a bit of trainin that some people might call 'slave discipline,' though we prefer not to use such terms. The sheriffs insisted on that an' on them organizin the teams that are to make you behave.

After that, though, once you've proved you kin behave, you get a real nice suite on the Everleigh with all sorts of protection and comfort. If you follow the rules, you'll have a lovely next 20 years. All you gotta do right now is plead guilty to the offence of transportin a woman across state lines four times for immoral purposes."

Captain Semmes gave his word as a gentleman that every effort would be made to make Frau Fesch's stay on the Everleigh as pleasant as possible.

While thoughts of a bird in a gilded cage passed immediately through her head, Lena realized that saying anything about such thoughts would be getting off to a very bad start in her new life. Instead, trying to sound like Scarlett O'Hara speaking to Rhett Butler without sounding like a German imitating an Englishwoman imitating a southern belle, Lena said, "Why thank you, Captain. Whoever said that chivalry is dead certainly never met you."

"And allow me to say," Semmes continued, "that despite your current situation, my respect for you has only grown."

Klug then broke that mood by suggesting that they seal the deal by triple penetrating Lena immediately. Neck, though, said he preferred private sessions, and Semmes said he felt that taking any further liberties with Frau Fesch that day would be entirely inappropriate and ungentlemanly.

Neck added, "I have some other information that is highly relevant here. First, here is a copy of the affidavit of your husband. Well, no, I guess your former husband, Herbert Schwach, statin that you were married to him at the time that you arranged to have sex with other men in Oregon, Wyoming and Montana. There is also a copy of the divorce papers. You'll be free to have sex with any unmarried man you want when you finish your sentence.

"Also. of interest to you, Lena, here are the envelopes regarding certain payments made in the EU that you entrusted to Herbert and Frau Dir. Sprengler. I guess you ain't gonna be able to use that info as leverage while you're suckin dicks and spreadin your incredibly hot thighs on the Everleigh."

Herbert and Marlena Sprengler betrayed me too, Lena thought. She decided not to mention at this point that there was a third copy of that set of documents that she had assembled recording the EU payments by Wallace Trading and Import Company to EU Commissioner Ikeia that she had entrusted to Thomas Schnupper.

After Neck explained to Lena that the alternative to her pleading guilty was that Killer would have to testify, Lena Fesch pled guilty to four violations of the Mann Act and was given a 10-year sentence for each offense with a year off for each year of good behavior.

There was not going to be an auction, but Lena still was taken back to New Orleans for her slave training. She was in a special class in the school where she was the only student.

Lena's arrest, guilty plea, and sentencing naturally became a matter of international news and the subject of rumour in many parts of the FASUG. While many were outraged, it could not be denied that Lena had violated FASUG laws while within the FASUG and that she should have known better. There were those who pointed out that the FASUG laws on transporting women for immoral purposes and adultery were medieval and seemed to be enforced very selectively. It was hinted that Lena would not have been arrested except that some in the FASUG wanted to silence her.

On the other hand, others stressed that "the law is the law," and the likelihood that it was imperfectly enforced did not erase the crime. Still, others argued that the FASUG had done the right thing in seeking to reverse the immoral and blasphemous behavior that had become acceptable in much of the Western world. Lena's well-deserved reputation as a libertine did not help her.

Herbert Schwach was upset that German law did not allow him to have all the property that he held jointly with Lena despite her admitted adultery. But getting beyond his life with Lena was the main thing on his mind.