gliding in. The human panther, with a sleek head of curly black hair, eyes quickly scanning the place.
'Let's have our talk now, Elliott,' he said. Hand on the back of the neck again, hot silky fingers. Everybody at The Club has hot silky fingers, I thought. Richard was waiting in the room, and he explained that Lisa was in the kitchen and it was our turn to talk now. Those stiletto heels of hers, the rhinestone straps glittering, were lying on the rug. Like the slipper on the floor of her bedroom that first time. Icepick right through the head. I sat down in the armchair. Scott was in a little straightback by the secretaire. Richard, with his hand in his pockets, leaned against the post of the bed. 'Elliott, I want to ask you a few questions,' Richard said. Face pleasant, manner a lot like Martin's, deep-set eyes cheerful, smile a little tight. Scott seemed lost in his own thoughts. 'Were you happy at The Club before you left? I mean were things popping, were they working out?' 'I don't really want to talk like this without Lisa,' I said. He shook his head, just a touch of impatience. 'We can't solve this, Elliott, unless you come straight with us. We have to know what's going on. Now, from all our reports, and we're awfully good judges in these situations, you were doing beautifully at The Club. We were both getting our money's worth.' Narrow eyes. Pause that said let's hear you contradict that. 'Now when a slave gets to The Club, Elliott, I mean before anything happens, if a slave gets as far as The Club grounds, Elliott, that slave is pretty deep into S&M. I mean he knows a lot about his sexuality and what he wants. I mean you don't wind up full time at The Club because you had a weird weekend in the Castro District of San Francisco with a kinky friend.' I nodded.
'I mean you have an individual that is not only interested in acting out his fantasies, but one who is committed to living them in a very intense way for a long period of time.' Again I nodded. Where was Lisa? Was she in the other room? I did not hear a sound. I shifted uneasily in the chair. I asked very politely, 'Would you get to the point?' 'I am getting to it,' he said. 'What I am trying to say is the experience of The Club usually means a great deal to the slave or he or she would not be there. I mean we are not some run-of-the-mill whorehouse in ...' 'Believe me,' I said, 'we are in total concurrence on this. There is no need to go on.' 'All right. Now what I am going to tell you is going to sound harsh, but you have to understand why I'm saying it and I want you to keep quiet until I speak my peace. If you do not leave and come back with us now on the plane of your free will -- and I assure you no one is going to lay a hand on you to try to force you to do that -- you will be blackballed utterly and entirely and forever from The Club. You will never see The Club again, as a slave there, or a member, or an employee on any level, at all.' Pause. Slow breath. Voice a shade calmer, slower as he went on. 'You will be blackballed from every place like The Club with whom we have connections around the world. You will be blackballed from the houses of the trainers who sell to us as well. That includes Martin Halifax.
He will never let you in the front door because if he does, we won't deal with him ever again, and Martin will not risk that. 'Now, what that means, Elliott, is that for the rest of your life you will remember this remarkably intense experience that you had. But you will never be allowed to have it again. As The Club gets bigger, as it branches out, as more clubs open, you will read about them but you will never be allowed in. I ask you to think about that.' I didn't nod or say anything. Again he said: 'I ask you to think about that. I ask you to think about your sexual history, your background, how you came to us. I ask you to think