Meeting the Master Ch. 03

"I get it. I didn't mean to...," I tried, but there was no stopping her.

"Yes, I AM a slave-girl for Master and fucking proud of it, you prejudiced asshole. But I am ALSO a civil engineer and hold a degree in robotics from MIT. You already know that your wife is no dummy either -- at least she had your stupid ass fooled for a quarter of a century - and your little exotic love-kitten Motoko is a top-rated fitness coach and yoga instructor who is also plugging away in her free time on earning a degree in human physiology. We're not some empty headed damsels in distress waiting for Sir Steve Fucking Galahad to save us."

"Ehm... ok... and Monique?"

"She's a nurse. She runs our in-house health clinic as well."

"Not a veterinarian?"

"Huh? How the hell did you figure that?"

"I saw her with Horsey and Ape-man earlier."

"Horsey? Ape-man? What the fuck do you.... Oh..."

And then she buckled over with laughter. It was a nice change from having my ass chewed out.

"Congressman Smith and the Judge," she gasped. "Oh my god, you're killing me Steve!"

And then she continued to shake in a violent giggle attack. When it subsided she put her arms around my waist and looked at me with a pair of bright emerald eyes of the kind reserved for genuine redheads.

"Oh Steve you big oaf. What the hell are we going to do with you?"

I smiled back at her.

"Well, I could certainly come up with a few suggestions," I began.

"Maybe later, if you're lucky. For now you have somebody to rescue, I believe. It's the last door on the left. Good luck."

She let me go and headed back up the stairs, while I ventured deeper into the dungeon in order to locate my wayward slave girl.

**********

The heavy wooden door swung open on well-oiled hinges and there was a whoosh of scalding air escaping as I entered the torture chamber. It was large and spacious, at least thirty feet in each direction. Like the outside hallway, the room was illuminated with wall-mounted torches and several large BBQ like metal troughs were placed along the wall where they stood glowing an ominous red. Somehow I had a feeling that they weren't used for burgers.

I spotted Motoko standing naked in the middle of the room. Or rather she was hanging, because her wrists were manacled and chained to a beam at the ceiling thus forcing her to half stand and half hang in an obviously very uncomfortable position.

She didn't notice me at first and seemed halfway unconscious, which was no wonder since the room was hot like a friggin sauna. I figured that little miss Batshit had cranked up the heat in order to "punish herself" more, but that stunt could easily end in a heatstroke for both of us. I needed to get her unchained and the hell out of there like yesterday. But of course there was no key for the stupid manacles anywhere in sight and I saw no suitable cutting tools either.

There was only one way to handle this: I had to ask Motoko, and I had no time to be delicate about it.

She yelped and gasped for air when the bucket of cold water hit her overheated skin and brutally ripped her out of her stupor. She was still coughing and sputtering when I brushed the wet hair out of her eyes and uttered the romantic words that have captured the hearts of millions of lovely ladies since the dawn of time.

"Peek-a-booh!"

She stared at me in surprise.

"Master? But... what are you doing here?"

"Reclaiming my slave obviously. Do you think I want to suck my own cock for the rest of the weekend? But we need to get out of here right now."

"No master. I will not go. I will atone for my infraction by shedding my mortal coils and only then can we both regain what was lost."

"Is that why this place is so hotter than a tin roof on a summer day? Did you turn up the heat or something? Are you trying to friggin kill yourself?"

"I must atone."

"C'mon Motoko! This has gone too far. Please tell me where the friggin thermostat is!"

"No."

I tried my master powers. They had worked before, right?

"Motoko. As your master I ORDER you to accompany me to the nearest bed and fuck me senseless, after having downed half a gallon of water and showered."

She smiled weakly.

"The thought is very pleasant master, but I am not worthy of receiving neither your commands nor your seed any longer. My infraction cannot go unpunished. Until it is, I must atone."

I was getting really pissed now. Ok, I was worried, but I always get pissed when I worry.

"Seriously Motoko. I was friggin TEASING, ok? I knew you couldn't last very long, and I wanted to prolong the agony of anticipation as much as possible. I just wanted to make it better for you. I was not aiming for any of that infraction-shit. Let us just forget about it and chalk it up to me being an idiot and a poor master, ok? Kathleen already chewed me out..."

"She did WHAT?"

Suddenly Motoko was wide-awake and looked ready to rip the chains out of the ceiling with her bare hands.

"Nothing to fret about. She just told me that I was an arrogant ass... and a few more words of a similar nature."

"She has NO right to insult my master. I will have words with her!"

"And the chains?" I asked.

She slumped back down in defeat. I hated to see her like this. I had to do something very soon, and there was only one option left for me. To play along with her sick game. She wanted to feel her master's wrath and if I wanted to get her out of this friggin hellhole before we both collapsed from the heat, I had to give it to her.

I grabbed a handful of hair and lifted her face so I could look her in the eyes.

"I know you came several times when I ate your pussy. How many times? ANSWER ME SLAVE!"

"Three I think. Yes, three times, master."

"And you did so despite my explicit order not to cum?"

"Yes master."

"For that you shall receive three lashes with the cat o' nine tails. One for each of the orgasms you had against my will. And you will thank me profusely for each of them. Do you accept your punishment?"

"But master..."

"This is not up for debate. Yes or yes?"

Once again I saw a hint of a smile on her face.

"Yes master. Thank you master."

I picked a whip from the collection on the wall. Not the one with the metal balls but one with leather knots. If I couldn't get out of this, at least I could limit the bodily harm as much as possible. I walked behind her and braced myself.

"Ready?"

"Yes master."

The whip made a loud crack when the nine strings made contacts with Motoko's tender skin and cut nine red stripes across her back. The shock and pain made her scream. I gave her a few seconds to compose herself.

"Thank you for the punishment master," she gasped.

There was another sickly crack as the whip drew nine more red lines on her back. She screamed again.

"T... thanks f... for the punishment master," she rasped.

A last crack left nine more bleeding stripes on her back. This time she just moaned and sagged limply forward, hanging by the chains. She must have passed out from the pain and the heat.

Shit! I needed to get her out of these friggin manacles asap. We were both getting slow-cooked in here and I would hate having"RIP Crockpot Steve" written on my tombstone.

I tried slapping Motoko awake with my right hand while doing my best to hold her up with the other one.

"Motoko goddammit! Where the hell are the keys for the manacles? Come on! Get on the clock! I NEED those friggin keys!"

Se stirred and coughed. Then she opened one red-rimmed eye.

"Button," she whispered almost inaudibly. "Press... button..."

I quickly did a closer examination of the manacles and there was indeed a small button embedded in the edge. I pressed it and the shackles sprang open and released her wrists. It happened so sudden I almost dropped her.

I wasted no time but carried her out of the dungeon and up the stairs to the ground floor as fast I could. I was struck by how light she was, how easy it was to carry her. I felt like I could have run an entire marathon without putting her down.

"And this years gold winner of the bleeding-and-dehydrated-unconscious-Japanese-girl-carrying class is Steve Mitchel," I mumbled to myself while walking briskly through the hallways.

I kicked the door to the massage room open, jogged over to the spa without breaking stride and lowered Motoko's limp body into the water, taking care to place her head so she didn't slide all the way under.

"Get Monique!" I barked to one of the girls who were busy folding towels by the changing rooms. "Hurry please."

The girl in question -- a small busty blonde wearing a white robe -- looked stunned, but took off right away and within five minutes Monique was busy examining Motoko with the professional routine of an experienced nurse.

She was babbling away in French, which I might have understood if I had paid attention in high school instead of staring at the teacher's boobs. Luckily the busty blonde had been a more attentive student and was able to give me a translation.

"Monique says not to worry master Steve. Motoko will be fine. She just needs a little rest and something to drink -- non-alcoholic, preferably fruit juice or an electrolyte cocktail -- and she will be back to full strength. When she is dry, you should treat those nasty cuts on her back with an antibiotic ointment to avoid scars. You'll find Neosporin and bandages in the medical supply cabinet in your room."

"Thanks and merci a lot Monique."

"De rien master Steve. Now I bid you au revior. Must go to orsii."

"Au revoir Monique... and yippee ki-yay!"

She giggled left.

I suspected the judge had earned himself a new nickname among the girls. And not a half bad one, as far as nicknames goes.

**********

I had changed into my formal dinner outfit before making my way to M's private dining room. I wasn't even aware that Ruth had packed a travel case for me, but the manipulating bitch evidently knew a few things in advance that I did not.

The room was small by the grand scale of the rest of the mansion, but oozed antique luxury. It was dominated by a polished wooden table seating ten or twelve people, and the walls were covered with wood panels featuring intricately carved reliefs depicting scenes from the Kama Sutra. At the end wall was a built-in fireplace and the room was illumination by a large crystal chandelier. The table was set for four, so we had plenty of room.

M rose and greeted me with a handshake and Kathleen -- now wearing a tight green dress matching the colour of her eyes -- nodded and smiled.

"Nice of you to join us Steve. Everybody else is at the banquet down in the big hall, but... well..."

"Ruth is entertaining a trick," I said and nodded. "I understand."

"Thanks for understanding Steve. Yes, I wish to avoid awkward situations so I figured we could have our own little party up here. And it will give us an opportunity to talk. But say... where is your lovely companion? I thought she would join us for supper?"

"Dominique ordered rest, so I slipped a sedative into Motoko's fruit juice and she went out like a light. She will remain oblivious to the world for at least two or three more hours. I will see to her needs later, if she wakes up hungry."

We sat down to eat.

The dinner was an exquisite three course gourmet meal with prawn cocktail as appetiser, deer with brandy sauce and baked potatoes as the main course and home made orange sorbet for desert. We were tendered to by a pair of girls in the signature black corset and garters.

"Isn't it impractical for the catering crew to wear slut-gear. What about grease stains and sprays?"

"Slut-gear?" M noted with a laugh. "That's a good one. But it's only the servers who are dressed this way. The people working in the kitchen wear normal kitchen clothes."

M raised his glass a proposed a toast for the kitchen crew who had made us an excellent dinner, and Kathleen and I joined him.

"And now Steve -- pray tell me how it goes? Are you beginning to gain an understanding of what we do here and why we do it? Or are we still a bunch of freaks and weirdoes to you?"

I coughed and looked at Kathleen. She smiled. So evidently this was not going to be another chewing out. I was relieved.

"Well, I have hardly been here for a day, yet already I have had several of my limits limits tested and my perceptions challenged. You were right about what you accused me of down in the dungeon Kathleen. I do kinda feel like Alice behind the looking glass. But I have never encountered a sex-cult before so you can hardly blame me."

Kathleen nodded in acknowledgement of my concession.

"But after having experienced your lifestyle first hand and talked to people I am beginning to figure you guys out. At least I think I do..."

I took a sip of wine to wet my mouth.

"Except that I still don't get what can make a grown woman give up her independence and freedom to some self-appointed cult leader. I don't mind a little power play between the sheets, but living ones entire life according to some patriarchal code that belongs way back in the dark ages? That's just friggin insane. Like you said earlier Kathleen, you are smart, resourceful, well educated and you don't look like a moron. Why are you even here? What's in it for you? Why are you slaving for this guy?"

"May I speak freely Master?" Kathleen asked.

M nodded.

"I am well educated BECAUSE of Master, Steve. He took care of all my needs and sent me to the best colleges available. He helped me grow into the woman I am today and directed my path so I was able to reach my full potential and achieve my goals in life. This is what he does for everybody whom he accepts into his flock. He is always there for us, he makes sure we have everything we need and we trust him with our lives."

Her green eyes were alight with an almost religious fervor as she continued.

"Say I wanted a husband and a suburban life for instance. I don't run any risk hooking up with some deadbeat loser because Master will make sure that I pick a good man and set me up with a house and career and everything, just like he did for Ruth."

I sat my glass down a little too hard.

"Wait," I said. "A house?"

M looked away; obviously not entirely comfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. Kathleen kept going though. She tended to do that, as I had learned earlier.

"Sure Steve. Did you seriously buy into Ruth's story about a sudden inheritance from a deceased uncle? Come on. She never even had an uncle. The money you bought the house for was a gift from Master."

I palmed my face. What an oblivious idiot I had been. It never once occurred to me to check up on Ruth's deceased family members. Why the hell should it have? I'm no frigging genealogist.

"Ok Kathleen. I get it. M takes good care of his slaves and yadda yadda yadda. He's the great leader and a friggin saint. But in your case, what's in it for him? I mean, girls like Ruth, Motoko and Monique are turning tricks and can probably pull home a solid pile of cash, but you are just lounging around fixing stuff and don't seem to entertain any Johns. How do you earn your keep?"

She smiled broadly.

"Well, I happen to be REALLY good at fixing stuff, so I am confident that I am useful to have around for that purpose. But I get what you are saying Steve. And your observation is correct. Not all Masters girls are entertaining clients regularly. In fact, most of us are rarely called for that task. We still belong to him, body and soul and are at his beg and call at all times, but we live our own lives outside the mansion and contribute financially instead. Twenty percent of our income belongs to Master and most of us are high earners. So yeah -- we do our part even without opening our legs to strangers."

"TWENTY PERCENT?" I exclaimed almost choking on my wine.

"Sounds harsh to you? How much do you think members of religious cults pay to their churches? Some members give up everything they own when they join and are rewarded by being forced to walk the streets passing out pamphlets and recruiting more members. Their churches give them nothing in return but empty promises and load after load of bullshit. And even worse: No sex! In case you haven't noticed yet, we don't exactly encourage abstinence around here."

M injected himself into the conversation.

"Sorry about the deal with the house Steve. In fact, I'm sorry about the whole damned affair. Ruth should never have lied to you and I regret that I didn't intervene long ago. She is not the only one of my girls who is living a secret double life, but there will be no more in the future. I shall see to that."

"If it should turn out that I am not the biological father of my kids, you should also see to hire more goons as soon as possible. Because in that case I will be back with a bazooka. And that is NOT a euphemism."

"Of that I can assure you Steve. If there is ever the slightest doubt about the parentage when a girl gets pregnant, the pregnancy is routinely aborted. Many of our clients are established family fathers and require a guarantee that nothing will come back to haunt them at a later date."

"Shit! You are one cold son of a bitch M."

"I do what's necessary."

"And Ruth?"

He just shook his head in a noncommittal gesture that could mean "no" or "no comment."

"Either way M, my main problem is fundamental rather than practical. A servant cannot serve two masters and a woman cannot be equally loyal to two men. And yes -- it IS all about loyalty. If I asked Ruth to choose between us, she would pick you. Wouldn't she? If I walked down to the banquet hall and told her to come home with me right now, she would refuse. Wouldn't she?"

M said nothing. He didn't have to.

"I simply can't accept that M. No friggin way! I must have a wife that is one hundred percent loyal to ME and always takes my side against anybody else, just like I will do for her. What you have given me is not a marriage. It's a farce. Our family was little more than a hobby project to Ruth. A place for her to park her promiscuous ass during times when you didn't have customers willing to pay for the privilege of whacking it or fucking it."

"Yet you were very happy together for twenty years Steve. Doesn't that count for something? Was Ruth ever a bad wife to you? Did you ever feel dissatisfied with her as a partner and woman?"

"Not at all M. She was a great wife. A perfect wife. That is what makes it so friggin hard man! Can't you see what I mean? I was HAPPY, goddammit. I was content. I had found my soul mate and the woman I wanted to grow old with. And then suddenly I discovered the truth and my entire life exploded in my face. And because of you and your crazy cult we can't even work on rebuilding anything. How can I forgive and forget when Ruth keeps on doing the very thing that drove us apart? Why do you think shooting your ass seemed like such a tempting prospect earlier today?"

M ran a hand through his hair looking as if he silently counted himself lucky for having made sure that my gun had no bullets in it. Kathleen moved behind him and massaged his shoulders.

"You really should stop seeing me as a competitor for her affection Steve. I am not a lover or even another man. I'm more like her religion... her patriarch... or her god if you will."

I had to laugh at that one.

"You sure ain't full of yourself, eh? GOD? So how has Jesus been lately? Please give him my regards when you see him. I hope his hands and feet are healing ok."

M rolled his eyes.

"Ok, that didn't come out right. I assure you that I harbor no intention of deifying myself. But the analogy isn't far fetched. Think about it Steve. A religious woman can love God and live by the laws of the Bible and still love her husband and children. Her love of God might even serve to strengthen her commitment to her family. We are dealing with two fundamentally different kinds of love that coexist in perfect harmony. There might even be a level of synergy between them."