Mindgames

Chapter 13: A new geography

Present day

That evening Master Gabriel and Mariah sat at the table in Master Gabriel's apartment, looking at a book of maps he had brought back from the Library. They had it open to the page that showed the northeastern edge of Riviera, and the area outside it.

Careful not to touch the delicate paper, Master Gabriel showed Mariah the location of Holden's Gate. He traced the short distance away where he had first seen Mariah. Not sure she understood quite how the map worked, Mariah pointed to where she thought she had been found by the hunters. Master Gabriel shook his head. "That can't be right," he said. "You must be turned around on the page."

Before Mariah could respond, Master Animal slammed open the sliding door and stomped in from the courtyard. "Is Rose with you?" he demanded. Neither Master Gabriel or Mariah answered, as they continued to look at the atlas. "She's late," Master Animal added accusingly.

Mariah sighed at the interruption. The book was a revelation. The possibilities of knowing where you were in relation to the whole land . . . . And it was filled with not just words, but with symbols and colors and lines that even a slave could be taught to understand.

Master Animal began to tap his foot. Master Gabriel reverently closed the book, putting a ribbon in the page they had been looking at. Mariah scowled at Master Animal. "I'm sure Rose is late on purpose, Master," she said. "She's always testing how much she can get away with."

Master Gabriel snorted with amusement, but Master Animal glared at her. "If she's so late that we have to eat your cooking, it's your ass that will be tested," he said.

"But, Master, I am under the protection of Master Gabriel of Harmony." Mariah opened her eyes wide, all innocence.

"He's not always around," Master Animal growled. "And he won't notice a few marks more or less on you."

"Children, enough," Master Gabriel said. "I'll cook, and you can both help me." Mariah exchanged a startled look with Master Animal. Master Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I can't make a meal?" he said. "I didn't travel from Harmony eating grass like a horse, you know."

They all turned at the sound of the front door creaking open. Rose came in, a large sack in her arms. "Where have you been?" Master Animal demanded. "Did you get all my supplies?"

"Yes, Master," Rose answered, "except Master Henri said to tell you he's still out of yellow ochre and he doesn't know when he'll have the ingredients to make more."

Master Animal frowned. Rose seemed to shrink down. Master Animal snapped, "You know I'm not going to punish you just because I'm out of paint. What's the matter with you? And why are you so late?"

Rose placed the sack carefully on the coffee table. She took a container of strawberries from the top and started to carry them to Master Gabriel's kitchen. With her front no longer covered by the bag, Mariah could see that her breasts were bruised, and as she passed she saw whipmarks on her behind. Rose's voice trembled as she said, "I'm sorry, master. I was stopped on the way."

It was a moment before Master Animal demanded, "Why? Weren't you wearing your bracelet?"

Rose's voice was husky, and she looked only at the strawberries she placed on the counter. "I was hurrying instead of showing proper respect," she said. "They said my bracelet didn't excuse me from that. And they were bored. . ."

Master Animal looked her over sharply. "Are you injured?" he asked.

"No, master, nothing unusual. Mostly they just . . ." Rose's chin shook, and she trailed off.

Master Gabriel was by her side in an instant. He took her hand. "Rose, you are hurt," he said. "You're bruised, and you're cut . . ."

Rose shook her head. "It's nothing, Master." Master Animal was looking out the window, his mouth set. But his fists were tight, his knuckles white.

"It's not nothing," Master Gabriel said. "You don't cry over nothing."

Rose tried to pull her hand away from Master Gabriel's, but he would not let go. "Master, it's just they . . . they just butt-fucked me."

Master Animal continued to stare out the window. "I'll need to examine you, Rose," Master Gabriel said. "If they tore you . . ."

Rose shook her head. "I'm all right, Master, really. They weren't that big, or rough." She tried to smile at him, but failed, and looked down.

Mariah was still sitting at the table. "If that's all that happened, why are you so upset?" she asked.

Rose's face crumpled. It was a moment before she answered. At last she said in a whisper, "I don't like it." She said, a little louder, "I hate it." Then she looked fearfully at Master Animal, but he gave no indication that he was listening. She swiped at her eyes and turned away.

Master Gabriel put his arm around Rose. He seemed to be searching for words. He glanced at Mariah and she shook her head almost imperceptibly. He nodded at her and breathed in and out. "I'm going to fix you some tea," he said, his voice noticeably even.

"Master, no, please," Rose said, breaking away from him. "Don't put me to sleep. I have to fix dinner . . ."

Master Animal said, suddenly, "Gabriel's going to cook tonight." He looked fixedly at Master Gabriel. "So if his tea puts you to sleep, that's all right." He sat down next on the couch. "I might go to sleep early tonight myself."

Rose's lips trembled. "Master, I didn't serve you last night . . ."

Master Animal put his feet on a footstool and leaned back. "It's all right. I'm tired." He patted the cushion next to him. "You just sit next to me." He closed his eyes while Rose sat where he had indicated, a few inches away from him. He looked at her briefly, took her hand, then closed his eyes again. After a minute Rose sank back on the couch. They sat together until Master Gabriel brought Rose her tea.

Mariah remembers

The week passed in a blur for Mariah. Each day Mistress Desiree called her up. Each day at Mistress Desiree's command Mariah chose two slaves, one for Mariah to whip and one to pleasure her while she did it. Mariah tried to make her choices randomly. Nevertheless the others stayed away from her, even avoided eye contact with her. During the act Mariah focused on coming as quickly as she could and on inflicting as little pain as possible.

When at last Mistress Desiree had her choose only one slave, Mariah was prepared. She sent each groan from the girl straight to her own pussy, imagined that the girl had her mouth on her, that her groans were vibrating on her. She was so deep in concentration - on the whip, on Serena's cries, on the sensations radiating, expanding, dizzying, from her center - that she did not even notice when Mistress Desiree told her to stop, not until Mistress Desiree touched her, which was enough to make Mariah explode.

Mistress Desiree nodded in satisfaction. "Very good," she said. "I knew you had it in you."

Present day

Rose's limbs felt too heavy to move, and her eyes would not open. When at last, with huge effort, she forced her eyelids apart, it was dark in the room. Still night. She could go back to sleep.

She heard voices on the other side of the window. Master Gabriel and Master Animal were arguing. "You've got to protect her," Master Gabriel said deeply, angrily. "You owe her that."

And Master Animal said, sounding reasonable but not quite calm, "If I stopped sending her out, babysat her every minute like you've got us doing for Mariah, I would need another slave to do what she does now. And that one would be no more safe, and you'd tell me I'd have to protect her too. And in the meantime I'd have no paints and none of us would eat."

There was a silence until Master Gabriel said, strained, "Send Mariah with her, then. They can look after each other."

Now Master Animal's voice rose louder. "No! Trouble might find Rose from time to time, but Mariah looks for it. Rose is a lot safer on her own than if Mariah were with her."

There was a thud against the wall, as if something had hit it. Master Gabriel's said, "You must find a way so she's not in fear all the time." Perhaps they walked away from the window then, or Rose fell back asleep, because she could remember no reply.

Mariah remembers

After, Mariah stayed to herself. Mistress Desiree never again took any particular interest in her. Mariah did what was necessary to avoid incurring punishment, but the tasks she was being taught bored her until she thought she would go mad.

On the occasions when she was sent out into the mansion she took the lead in encouraging her group to take shortcuts, to go outside, to test the limits of what they could get away with. But she never exchanged smiles with the other slaves, and she felt no joy. She concentrated on memorizing every hallway, every path. And if one of her group tried to catch her eye, to include her in the contained exuberance of breaking rules, she would look away, stony-faced.

When her need became great she would choose someone to have sex with. Always newer arrivals, too new to have witnessed her shame, although she was sure they had heard talk of it. She did the act efficiently, enough to fulfill her physical imperative but not make her care, or let on that she noticed, who she was doing it with. Sometimes, after, if the person was especially new, he might follow her around with puppy dog looks for a few days. Mariah remembered how she had done the same with Tariq. Then she remembered how that ended, and made no effort to summon his initial kindness.

One evening, Mariah looked around the room to choose a partner, and she realized that she had been in the training center longer than anyone else. Even Tariq had been sent on. Her turn must come soon. She allowed herself to feel the faintest glimmer of hope at the prospect, but quickly stuffed it down.

Present day

When Rose woke up in the morning she was alone in the bed. She sat up, her heart pounding, and threw off the covers. Then she remembered, Master Animal had told her to drink Master Gabriel's tea. He knew it would make her sleep.

She felt the space in the bed next to where she had lain. It was warm. Master Animal had not been up for long, then.

Cautiously she opened the bedroom door. Master Animal was sitting on the couch, scribbling in his sketchbook with an orange colored pencil, one side of his mouth curled in frustration. His other pencils were scattered on the coffee table in front of him.

He looked up when Rose came out. His face relaxed. "Hi," he said softly. For some reason the greeting made Rose blush. Master Animal rarely allowed himself to be distracted from his work by her.

When he did not look back down to his sketchbook, Rose faltered, "Master, forgive me for . . ."

Master Animal interrupted her with his crooked smile. "Hush," he said. He pointed with his pencil at a couple of jars on the coffee table. "Gabriel gave me some salves last night for your injuries."

"Th . . . Thank you, Master," Rose said, and she walked over to take them.

But when she reached for them Animal stopped her, putting his hand on her wrist. "I'll do it," he said, and he was looking at Rose with an odd, intent look that made her heart pound hard. He gestured for Rose to sit next to him on the sofa. "Lean back," he said, softly.

As Rose complied, he unscrewed the first jar. "Arnica," he said. He dipped his fingers into the cream, and rubbed it onto her breast. Rose gasped with the coldness of it. But Master Animal was being gentle, so gentle, and slow. Without putting any pressure on her bruises, he spread the salve all around, softly massaging her. When Rose realized that he was going to do the same to the other breast, her pussy leapt awake. And then his hand was on her breast, just where she wanted it to be, still slow and gentle. "I've always loved the color of your nipples," he said.

"Master, I haven't satisfied you in so long . . ." Rose said.

"I know," Master Animal answered. "It's been two and a half days." He continued to rub the salve in, then massaged both of her breasts once.

"Master, let me, now," Rose begged.

Master Animal didn't stop, but he shook his head and smiled a little. "No," he said. "You know I only fuck at night." He brushed his thumbs across Rose's nipples, and her pussy gushed. "Without discipline, I would lay around in bed with you all day, and never get anything done." Rose closed her eyes, the sensation overwhelming her. Master Animal continued to rub her breasts. And he continued to speak, softly. "This wasn't the first time you didn't satisfy me, you know."

Rose opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but Master Animal didn't lift his hands off her breasts. She said, "The first night Master Gabriel was here."

Master Animal nodded. "I had forgotten that. I was thinking of the time before that."

Rose blushed crimson. "My first night with you, Master," she said.

Master Animal nodded again. "You were so tired, and so scared. Too scared to rest. Yet so responsive." He looked her in the eye as he cupped her breasts, still gentle. "Do you remember what I did?"

Rose's mouth was dry. Hoarsely she said, "You ate me until I fell asleep."

"You came and came," Master Animal said. His hands slowed on her breasts, his eyes looking far away. "You made these amazing sounds when you did, nothing I expected from you."

He finally took his hands off her breasts, and wiped them on his pants. He picked up the other jar. "Comfrey," he said. "Lie across my lap."

There was a wet spot on the sofa under Rose. She couldn't remember her pussy ever dripping like this. She would have to clean it up. Then Master Animal was tugging on her and laying her across him, in a position she had only even been in to be spanked. But Master Animal was a pansy. He had never spanked her.

Instead he traced the whipslashes with his finger, leaving the comfrey tincture there. The marks were not deep; she hadn't even bled from them. Master Animal's touch was electrifying. Rose couldn't help it. She wriggled, trying to invite more contact. But Master Animal acted as if he did not notice, although Rose could feel his hard cock pressing into her stomach. When she tried to rub against it, Master Animal rearranged her so there was no direct contact. He was tracing next to her wounds now, where there was no pain.

He said, "That first day, I couldn't wait to come back here, to plow into you. I thought about you all day, about what it would be like to be inside you." He moved his hand so it was resting on the bottom of her ass. "And it was even better than I thought. You were so smooth, so giving. You came for me so easily."

"Master," Rose begged. "Please, let me do that for you now. Let me please you."

Master Animal seemed to be considering her request. But just then the door from the courtyard opened, and Master Gabriel and Mariah walked in. Master Gabriel started and backed away, almost stepping on Mariah. Master Animal stood up in a hurry. Rose would have tumbled to the floor if he hadn't caught her by the arm. "Breakfast is late," he said hoarsely. "That tea you gave Rose made her oversleep." He pulled Rose closer to him and whispered in her ear, "Tonight."

Mariah remembers

Mariah stood in Mistress Desiree's office, feet shoulder width apart, hands at her side, back straight, eyes down. Mistress Desiree sighed. "You may look at me," she said. Mariah raised her head obediently.

Mistress Desiree's fingertips were pressed together as she contemplated the slavegirl. She presented well. Pretty enough. Dark hair, green eyes, a little on the tall side but not excessively so. Smallish breasts but a plump butt. Certainly well-groomed; Mistress Desiree would tolerate no less.

And she did her tasks more than adequately. Her food never burned and was never undercooked, and she remembered recipes easily. She could clean; and she could be sent into the mansion with no fear of becoming lost, and not much fear of being stopped on the way.

Her torso was marked from a recent punishment. Mistress Desiree couldn't recall what is was for, but she was sure it was nothing too serious. Mariah was well-behaved and generally obedient.

And yet . . . There was something about the girl that worried her. What was it Corinne had said? That she was entirely unnatural, that was it.

And maybe she was. Goodness knows, she had tried to help the girl, teaching her to use the whip, to feel mastery over her fellow slaves. The depth of the girl's resistance was remarkable, really. Oh, Desiree had won in the end; that had been inevitable. The slave would feel pleasure on inflicting pain for the rest of her life. But Mistress Desiree knew, somehow, that she would never choose to.

Well, it was time for Mariah to move on, and then she would be someone else's problem.

"Your new owners will be here in an hour to pick you up," Mistress Desiree said. "You may say your goodbyes." Mariah looked to confused. Mistress Desiree waved her hand. "To your friends, child."

Mariah nodded. "Thank you, Mistress," she said.

But Desiree called her back. "It's a good placement," she said kindly. "It could last a long time, if you behave. Make the most of it." Mariah glanced up. There was a look of hope on her face. Then she quickly looked down and turned to go.

Present day

Master Animal fidgeted through breakfast. He drummed his fingers on the table, periodically stared intently at Rose, and ignored Master Gabriel's attempts at conversation. Mariah rolled her eyes, but Rose blushed and could not look at him.

Suddenly Master Animal started, squinted, and gave a shout. He jumped out of his chair. While the others stared at him, he crossed the living room, shoved open the sliding glass door to the courtyard and grabbed a pot off a plant stand there. He strode back in and slammed the pot on the table in front of Rose. "Where did you get this?" he demanded.

Before Rose could answer, Master Gabriel said, "I planted it, and I'll thank you to take care. The seeds reduce intestinal inflammation. I'm almost out and can't find more anywhere."

Master Animal opened and shut his mouth. "Very well," he said. He threw himself down on the sofa, and resumed drumming his fingers, leaving the plant on the table.

Rose stole a glance at him, then put the pot on his empty plate and wiped the table where it had been. That done, she looked at the plant. It was stubby with small yellow flowers. "This is upland cress," she said, shyly. "For salads."

"Yes, that's right," said Master Gabriel. "Its leaves are spicy."

"I don't want to eat it," Master Animal growled. "Or use it to stop the runs. The flower makes yellow ochre, and nobody can come by it by hook or crook, and I can't paint without it." He sighed heavily.

Mariah looked intently at the plant. "I know where you can get some," she said, very quietly.

Master Animal turned to her so quickly he had to grab his overstretched shoulder. When she did not continue, Master Gabriel said, encouragingly, "It would take a weight off my mind to replenish my supply of the seeds."

Mariah took a deep breath. Then another one. She looked at Rose when she said, still quietly, "Outside the walls."

Master Animal started to say something into the silence that followed, but Master Gabriel held up his hand, stopping him. At last Mariah said, almost as if in a trance, "Just before the dogs found me, I was hiding on a hillock, looking at a whole field filled with them. I recognized the leaves, but I had never seen the flowers. I remember thinking . . ." She broke off, then added, uncharacteristically, "They were pretty."