kitchen, scouring pots and pans on her knees, the plaything of the kitchen staff, should give her some appreciation of her true purpose.' He snapped his fingers, and there was a flurry of movement, the loud moaning of the slave. In an instant I saw her, upside down, being held high, her hair streaming, as white leather cuffs were buckled around her ankles and by the lacing between them she was hung from the hook. That cannot happen to me, being hung upside down like that! But guess what, it's about to happen. And you don't have to do anything this time. Just stand still and wait. Across her back very quickly was written the word kitchen in a rather ornate hand. The next slave was already being condemned: 'Eric, for obstinacy, reluctance to obey his handler's simplest commands. I should think five days in the stables grooming the horses, and being the horse of the grooms should do it,' said the trainer, and then the spectacle in the corner of my eye of the powerful male slave being lifted just as easily as the woman, and hung by his shackled ankles from the rack. My heartbeat was registering the predicament perfectly. Yes sir, they are going to hang you upside down like that within a couple of seconds, and then what? Five days beyond the pale! Oh, no, time to call home.
Circuits overloading. Faulty equipment. Fuse about to blow. 'Eleanor, willful, independent, very proud, positively surly to the guests.' And a blonde already gagged with black leather was quickly carried by her ankles past me. 'Five days in the laundry, a good education in washing and ironing,' said the trainer as the appropriate word was quickly scribbled across her pretty back. My head was teeming. There was one more slave next to me. Kitchen, stables, aaahh. No, this isn't going to happen. Rewrite the script. I saw that woman trainer again to my left. Perfume. Click of those delicate little heels. 'Gregory,' the red-haired trainer announced, 'very young, very foolish, and very reckless, a crime more of clumsiness and nervousness I think than any other ...' The slave moaned supplicatingly, without the slightest restraint. 'Five days service with the maids should do it, cure some of that nervousness, a good workout with mops and brooms.' I stood alone now, watching the bronzed Gregory, his hair a close cap of black curls, quickly hung upside down from the bar. Obediently he kept his hands in place as did some of the others, the disobedient Eleanor writhing frantically despite or because of the repeated blows of the belt. 'Elliott,' said the trainer, as he stood beside me. I felt his hand quite suddenly under my chin.
'Proud, willful, a little too much of an individual for the tastes of his mistresses and masters, I should say.' It was unendurable. I thought I heard the son of a bitch laugh. But from behind me I heard the woman's voice. 'Richard, I want this one,' she said under her breath. All systems on emergency power. The circuitry is burning through the insulation. There's about to be a major fire. She came in closer, sweet floral perfume, dark shape in the corner of my eye, sharp angles of her little hips, pointed breasts. 'I know you do,' the red-haired bastard answered, kind of low, 'but the punishment ...'
'Give him to me,' she said. Voice like a velvet glove on my neck. 'I just made an exception in the office because I knew it was best. And you know I can best handle this.' The hairs were rising all over me. The perfume was Chanel, and it came in little waves, like with her pulse. 'Lisa, that exception was your prerogative ... But I am the Director of Postulants and this is a routine case ...' Lisa. I felt I was writhing, though I hadn't moved. The man's hand touched my chin again, lifting it. 'Elliott,' he resumed. 'I have first pick, Richard,' she said, voice a little crisper. 'And I'd like to make it now.' She pressed closer, her lace blouse almost touching my arm. I was about to combust. I could see her tight little black leather skirt, her long slender hands. Magnificent hands like the hands of saints in church. 'Of course, you do,' said the trainer. 'And you may pick him now, naturally, but he still must be punished before the training can begin.' He held my chin still, studying my face.