Voyage of the Istanbul Tigress Ch. 06

Hamilton leaned in, pressing his cock into her throat. He held himself in that position. Bira gagged. She waved her arms around in growing panic. He waited. She began to plead as best she could, a muffled cry with her mouth stuffed. At last he pulled back. She breathed rapidly, her face red. He pressed his cock in again and fucked her mouth.

He pulled out and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. He ran his hands down her breasts as she watched him closely. His hand moved over her mound and he squeezed and played with her soft folds. Bira moved her hips, the very first time he saw her trying to fake a response just to please him. He leaned over and let his tongue probe for her clit, sliding back and forth. He slipped his tongue lower and tasted her again, pressing his tongue into her as far as he could. Then it was back to the clit. She was starting to respond now, her cunt was becoming wet as he teased her body to response.

Bira tried to look over at him. She had slid along the bed when he had forced his cock in her mouth, and now her head was hanging back. Her right hand pressed against his cock and she took hold. Gripping his shaft as he licked her clit.

Hamilton rolled off her. He stood up. "On your feet." Bira hesitantly stood before him. He moved close to her but didn't put his arms around her. His lips brushed her cheek with his lips as the tip of his cock brushed her mound. Then he stepped back, whirled her around, and again had her bend over the bed.

He placed the tip of his cock against her slit and took a firm grip on to her hips. She was breathing faster, her arms shaking slightly as he maintained her position. He pushed himself forward and took her, his cock sliding into her very tight cunt. He began to fuck her slowly, wanting to savor the moment, but the pressure on his cock, and her soft whimpers as he used her, quickly lead to faster thrusts. He fucked her hard, his fingers pressing into her soft ass. He spanked her once, generating a short cry, and more pleasure. He fucked her faster, pressing in deeply with each thrust and then let go. His cum filled her pussy.

Hamilton slapped her again and pulled back. Bira was well trained. When Hamilton sat down on the edge of the bed she went to her knees. She leaned forward, using only her mouth and began to suck and clean his cock. He held the leash in one hand as she flicked her tongue along his shaft, glancing up, once or twice, to see if he was pleased. He was. He dropped the leash and picked up his clothes slowly getting dressed. Bira discretely wiped her mouth once, but otherwise remained on her knees.

"All right, time to go. You can get dressed slave." Hamilton pointed to her clothes. She tied the wrap back on, stepped into the sandals and put on the short jacket.

Hamilton yanked on the leash and opened the door. The translator was standing there, waiting patiently. She handed him a piece of paper covered in Arabic script, presumably the receipt for Bira. He nodded and slipped it into his pocket.

##

Hamilton invited Ahmar, Zuberi and Ghanashyam to his cabin for dinner. Van Schoonhoven did not seem to be taking offense at being excluded, although, outwardly at least, the man did not seem to take offense at anything. He had given Hamilton the papers formally transferring ownership of the Tiggress with all the good cheer of a man who had sold it for a good price. And perhaps he had, Hamilton thought wryly. Without the ship the Dutchman was simply a passenger, with few, if any, responsibilities towards the mission, and able to spend his time with his personal slave Rana.

"I have made inquiries," Ahmar said. "Teleoussa is not as useless as I first thought."

"And why is that?"

"The anchorage was used to transfer goods from a ship to caiques. Those boats are common in these waters. Small. Easily sailed or rowed. It has been a very useful exchange for local pirates and smugglers."

"And it isn't any more?"

"If I may, Captain," said Ghanashyam, "the island of Ios was the main base for pirates for much of the Aegean until recently. That business became much more dangerous once war broke out in Europe."

"The seas teem with English ships," Ahmar added.

"Yes. This is likely why Mor Cuanaich's men are of such poor quality," Hamilton mused. "The better ones have gone on to other pursuits. None of them good, I am sure."

"At least one of them has done well," said Zuberi. "Rozhdestvensky, the Russian, was one of the main pirates twenty or thirty years ago. He has turned to trading in expensive tulips, various fine works of arts, mainly paintings and, of course, slaves."

"Did Roz... that is, did Vasya operate from Ios?"

"I believe so Captain."

Hamilton sat back. "He may be even more useful than I first thought. Mr. Zuberi, I would like you to go into the town, take one or two men and find the Russian. Let him know that we are going to attack Mor Cuanaich and that we sail at dawn. Invite him and a few of his men to join us."

"Yes, Captain."

"Mr. Ahmar, I would like to amend the course you have plotted. In the Ios channel we will sail just off the shore of that island. Perhaps a half-mile out, close, but not close enough that would need to get a local pilot. Then we continue around the island of Anydros and approach Teleoussa from the southwest."

"As you wish, Captain."

##

Vasily Nikolayevich Rozhdestvensky did not bring men. He brought two slaves, and Dulcina, the translator from the slave auction house. The Russian also insisted on bringing out six of his favorite tulips, and small bags of bulbs, each packed with fine dunnage and carefully marked in Russian script. After some discussion, and a few shouted words, the boxes with tulips were fixed to the deck abaft the mainmast.

The foretopgallant mast had been repaired, although they had to pay far more than it was worth to acquire the spar quickly. A pair of slaves had to be brought up from the hold and given to the ship's owner to close the deal. The two women, who so recently had lived free in their Italian village, fought when it came time to put them over the side. Ahmar had taken a cat to each one, flogging them a few times, before they relented. On shore no chances were taken, both slaves were stripped, gagged, their wrists bound behind their backs, and a rope put around their necks as a collar and leashes. The women were then taken across the quay, to the great amusement of passing sailors, and held in front of the other ship until the spar was towed to the Tiggress.

But none of that mattered now. The men worked the capstan, the anchor was brought home, and the Tiggress, at last, left the harbor. Hamilton remained on deck as they passed south between the islands of Naxos and Paros. There were too many small anchorages all over the Greek Islands, and he did not want to blunder into another ambush.

Three hours later Hamilton was in his cabin, when the door knocked. Rachel Palmer stepped inside.

"Yes, Rachel, what can I do for you?"

"Well, sir. I was hoping --"

"I am not bringing Katherine back up."

"Yes, sir, I mean, master. Yes, master. I have seen her, in that small cage, and, if, if you could see her too, sir, I am sure you --"

Hamilton slammed his hand on the table. "If she behaves she can move to a cabin, but that is all. I am not bringing her above the gun deck."

Rachel was startled. "Yes, master." Rachel looked down at the deck and then said, very quietly, "She is so worried, you see --"

"I know what she is worried about. I don't care. She is a slave. She will go where I tell her to go."

"Yes, master. You see --"

"Damn your eyes, woman! Are you looking to be punished?"

"No, master."

Hamilton stood up and moved in front of Rachel. She was wearing only a slave wrap on her hips. He idly brushed his fingers against her breasts. "And what has Katherine said is to happen to you in Istanbul."

"I... I had hoped to stay with her, master."

"You are pretty, Rachel, are you pretty enough to become one of the Sultan's sex slaves?"

"I don't know, master. I wish to stay with my mistress as her girl. She bought me."

Hamilton reached down and yanked on the slave wrap. It fell to Rachel's feet. "Yes she did. In these parts of the world that made you her slave. But... Katherine is my slave now, and so are you."

She nodded, and kept her gaze directed downward. Hamilton put his hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to him. "If you continue to argue I will do more than punish you. I will sell you in Istanbul. We have slaves in the hold who are going to be sold, adding one more to the chain will be simple. I'm sure you would bring a fair price."

"Master..." her words died out as she again merely nodded.

"Did you see the slave I brought aboard?"

"Yes, master. Bira."

"Go bring her to me."

"Yes, master."

A minute later Bira, dressed in her slave wrap, stood before him, her hands rigidly at her side. Rachel stepped back for the door.

"Stay, slave," he said to Rachel. "I want you to strip. Then, pull the wrap off Bira."

Rachel was soon naked. She stood before the Circassian and undid her wrap. Bira watched her closely, but did nothing to resist. Rachel then placed all the clothing, what little there was of it, out of the way. She stood next to the blonde woman.

Hamilton walked around them. Touching Bira's ass and Rachel's hair, then Rachel's nipple and Bira's pussy. "Look at her Rachel, this woman I purchased for a few tokens of gold. I can do anything to her I want. Anything."

Bira, locked her gaze on Hamilton, her eyes widening at his tone. Hamilton smiled, just slightly, and ran the back of his hand over Bira's cheek. "This woman is going to be sold again. In Istanbul. Although it is certainly tempting to keep her, at least for a while."

"Yes, master." Rachel said, quietly.

He stepped in front of the servant. "Now... perhaps you will go with Katherine. Or perhaps back to England. Or... perhaps something else. But, as I own you it is my decision. Is that clear to you, slave?"

"Yes, master. Very clear."

"Good. Pull over the sail cloth."

Hamilton pulled off his shirt and then the rest of his clothes after Rachel, with some belated help from Bira, pulled the folded sailcloth to the middle of the cabin. His cock was very hard in the presence of the two beautiful, naked slaves. Hamilton took hold of Rachel and guided her down to the deck.

"I want to taste you, slave." He laid on his back and pulled her up so that she was straddling him, kneeling with her pussy in front of his mouth. He leaned up and licked, his eyes locked on hers. His hands pressed along Rachel's thighs and ass, as she began to breath faster and as her cunt became wet.

"Find something to do Bira." He pointed at her and then his cock. The blonde woman was on her knees. She pushed back her hair and leaned down, kissing the top of his cock. She slowly took the tip into her mouth and then, pressed herself down, taking him deep into her throat. She pulled out and kissed along his shaft, slowly, and then took him into her mouth again.

"Mmm... Bira is well trained." Hamilton said, looking up at Rachel. His tongue was inside her, pushing back and forth, feeling the wetness, tasting her body. Rachel just nodded, her hips were responding, though she forced herself to keep her pussy within range of his tongue. Bira kept his cock in her mouth as she bobbed up and down, slowly and then quickly, varying the pace. Her tongue slid over his shaft as she sucked on his shaft. Hamilton's hips were moving, the pleasure of the Circassian's technique exceedingly powerful. He held tightly to Rachel's thighs, his lips around her clit, sucking lightly.

Hamilton felt the pure joy of owning these beautiful slaves, one kneeling and sucking on his cock, the other kneeling so that he could lick her pussy. He looked up at Rachel, as he felt the pleasure engulf him, as Bira tasted his cum. Rachel was watching him, her eyes locked on his, her breathing hard, as he began to buck his hips up to meet Bira's mouth.

"Very good," he said a moment later. "Slide off Rachel."

Rachel crawled off of his face, but stayed at her knees, as did Bira. He didn't give them orders, at least not right away. Instead he got dressed and looked out the stern window, watching the rich blue Mediterranean, with the islands of Naxos and Paros still visible on the horizon.

##

Hamilton was on deck when a cry came from the lookout.

"He says he sees land, Captain, off the starboard bow." Zuberi said.

Ahmar, who had the telescope fixed astern, simply said, "Ios."

"Do you think you have her, Ahmar?"

"Yes. A xebec." Ahmar handed the telescope to Hamilton. "A most unusual xebec."

He balanced the telescope on Ahmar's shoulder and said, "strange indeed, they're running with their lateens, the main mast is bare, but hands are aloft, I dare say they are watching us...and... oars? They have their sweeps out! All very strange... unless, of course, they desire to stay low on the horizon." Hamilton stood up. "Thank you, Mr. Ahmar, this is definitely the one who has been following us. Mr. Zuberi, send my compliments to Mr. Roz... uh, to Vasya, and ask if he might join us on deck."

Vasya had taken to the ship better than Hamilton had feared. Dulcina stood behind him as Hamilton pointed to the xebec five miles distant."

"They may have been following us from Italy," Hamilton said. "Or at least from Kefalonia. Damn, and they were anchored in the Naxos harbor all this time, just waiting for us to make sail."

Vasya said something in Russian then he grinned and nodded.

"My people are now old," Dulcina translated. "But they are strong."

"I'm sure they are," he turned to Ahmar. "You may run up the colors."

A crewman took out a flag and ran it up a halyard. The Tiggress was soon flying the colors of Vasya's old pirate fleet, white with a blue cross and a red tulip. The Russian looked up and nodded. Hamilton saw the gleam of a tear in his eye and politely looked elsewhere.

An hour later little had changed. Ios was off the starboard beam and the xebec remained in their wake.

Ghanashyam was watching the island. "There was a Dutch count, I can't recall his name, but thirty years ago he said he found the tomb of Homer on Ios."

"Homer?" Zuberi asked. "Really? Homer?"

"Yes, indeed! This count said he lifted open the tomb and gazed upon the poet's body, uncorrupted, unblemished, unchanged in all the centuries. And then, alas, it crumbled to dust." The Indian laughed. "Our large friend may have arrived in the Aegean with this count, at the time he was serving as an admiral for the Czar."

"I see them!" Ahmar said, suddenly. "Two. Four."

Hamilton didn't need the telescope. He could see the small vessels, almost like galliots, each with twenty oars, pulling out of a cove on the island of Ios. The night before, after Vasya had come aboard, they had dispatched a note to his old mates, by caique. It may not have arrived more than a few hours before the Tiggress, but still, the old pirates responded to their former captain.

Five galliots pulled off the coast at last, each with the white, blue and red flag of Vasya. They were pulling from the coast, all prepared to intercept the pursuing xebec. It wasn't clear they would catch it, the xebec would almost certain see them before they closed. But whether the old pirates captured it or not, that xebec would be pushed off their wake. If Hamilton was right, and Mor Cuanaich's hold over his men was weak, then every sign of strength he could muster would weaken the pirates hold more.

"Tell Mr. Roz.. Rozhdestvensky." Hamilton paused, finally having pronounced his name. "Please give him my thanks."

Dulcina nodded and did so.

##

The world was made of bright, bold colors as they sailed into the bay under the steep cliffs of Teleoussa. The water was a blue-green, the cliffs a gleaming white, and the sky a lighter blue with only a scattering of clouds. The sun had peaked in the sky, and still beat down a powerful heat. The cooling breeze over the open water was blocked by the cliffs and the Tiggress' progress slowed.

Hamilton had changed into his naval uniform, which did nothing to alleviate the heat. He stood at fo'c'sle, watching the vanishing bow wave and listening to the leadsman.

"By the mark ten!" the leadsman cried.

Mor Cuanaich's war galley was already at anchor six hundred yards away. The bay itself was little of a quarter-mile wide semi-circle which looked as if some ancient sea god had reached up and pulled a great plug of land down into the sea. There were only a few spots of green on the cliffs, small ledges where plants would take hold. Only near the very top, along the rim, could they see a small layer of green scrub.

"By the deep and a half eleven!"

Ahmar stepped towards the bow. "We should anchor, Captain."

"Very good, Mr. Ahmar, let her go, and then you may call away the launch."

The Tiggress dropped anchor in the clear water, scattering a pair of turtles.

Hamilton took his telescope and slowly scanned across the horizon outside the bay, there were no other vessels, large or small, but that did not mean ships were not out there, somewhere. As long as the Tiggress could get out of the bay, the winds were such that he was confident he could outrun the galley, but that would be much harder if other pirates tried to intercept them. But, whether or not they were out there wait, speed in making sail out of the bay was essential.

"The boat is ready, Captain," Ahmar said.

Hamilton closed of his telescope and handed it to him. "Good luck to you, Mr. Ahmar."

"And to you, Captain."

By custom of his rank, Hamilton was last over the side into the boat. There were six crewman at the oars, selected for their strength, and Zuberi who acted as a coxswain. Hamilton sat in the bow, while Zuberi was in the sternsheets, with one hand on the gunwale and the other around a silently weeping Viscountess in an elegant white dress, gloves and scarf.

"Quiet down Katherine!" Hamilton yelled.

"They're away Captain," Ahmar yelled down.

Mor Cuanaich had stepped into his own boat. Hamilton could see that the Irish pirate also had six hands on the oars, a coxswain and a woman.

"Shove off, Mr. Zuberi."

The Tiggress' boat made slow but steady progress to the center of the bay, matching the progress of the other boat that was moving towards them.

"Damn you woman, be quiet!" Hamilton yelled at another sob. He could see the person in the stern sheets, next to Mor Cuanaich.

"Nasira..."

The two boats both rested on their oars while a mere five yards apart.

"Englishman, I keep my word, you see!"

Nasira was wearing a shirt and trousers, she was, as the slaves had said, dressed in the clothes of a man, and her hair had been pulled up tightly. She saw Edward and smiled. A broad smile, a happy smile.

"Now, Englishman, have you kept your word?"

"This is the Lady Dunsbrooke."

"Is she now? And how be you lady?"

"Does it matter?"

"Speak up, slave!" the pirate roared.

"I am Katherine Abington, the Lady Dunsbrooke, and you are a dead man, pirate."

Mor Cuanaich laughed. "In my time, I will be, like everyone else, but my time and not yours. Ha ha ha. Very well, Englishman."

Slowly the two boats came together, the respective crews eyed each other warily. Hamilton had deliberately selected the physically largest hands, and that intimidation did seem to be having an effect on the pirates, few of whom matched the stares he had ordered his men to lay on.

The two women were lifted up, the men holding tight on their clothes to make sure the other side did not reach over too soon to drag them off. Nasira looked at Hamilton, her smile taking on more of the subtle sardonic look he had come to know in Tunis. Hamilton didn't even try to maintain that level of control. He suddenly felt as if he were going to be sick. He was so close. But she was not safe yet.