Synopsis: Peter, Gordon and Kenny have successfully delivered "Love Boat II" from San Francisco to Seattle. During the trip, Gordon confessed his bisexual interest in Peter. Meanwhile, at home, Marge reported that she had taken Doc as a lover.
Chapter Eleven
As he had promised, Doc Porter had moved into the Baylis house to protect it while Peter was away. Marge, however, had not moved out. She explained that she had been too concerned for the old man's safety.
The telephone had rung repeatedly at all hours, even as late as two in the morning, but when Marge or Doc answered, no one was there, even though the line was open. Hate mail began to arrive, addressed to Godless Fag Lovers and Antichrist Bastards.
Four days before Peter and his crew made landfall on Tatoosh Island, Doc had discovered a swastika painted on the sidewalk in front of the house. That night, the phone calls kept Doc and Marge awake until 2:30.
"My nerves were shot," she said. "I was almost hysterical, and Doc made me drink a hot toddy, and cuddled me here on the couch where he had been sleeping. I was afraid to go to bed alone, so he came upstairs to tuck me in, and I made him stay.
"He turned out the lights except the one in the bathroom. When he crawled into bed with me, he felt like a great warm woolly Teddy bear. He held me for a long time, then softly began stroking my arms and shoulders. `Roll over,' he whispered, `I know what you need to relax.'
"He did, too. He gave me the most delicious massage, backrub, or whatever you want to call it, a girl could ask for. He literally soothed me to sleep.
"We received more awful mail the next day. I had to get out of the house, so that evening, after supper, I went shopping; I was gone only an hour or so, but when I got back, it was dark. A police car was parked in front of the house. I was almost afraid to go into because I was scared something bad had happened to Doc.
"I almost cried when I saw that dear old man standing in the living room talking to two police officers. He shook his head when he saw me come through the door. `Someone tossed a beer bottle through the kitchen window while I was watching the news,' he said. `A note was inside. I don't think you want to see it.'
"You know me. Telling me I don't want to do something is the surest way of getting me to do it. I made the policeman who put the note into a glassine envelope show it to me."
"What did it say?" Peter asked, when she paused.
Marge avoided eye contact. "I'm not sure I ought to tell you," she said.
"What?"
"It won't do any good, and it'll only worry you."
"What did it say?" Peter's tone hardened.
She sighed. "It said, `the next bottle will be full of gas'!" she said, adding, "that's a fire bomb! That's why Doc called the police."
"My God!" Peter exclaimed. "Well, one thing's clear enough, now! I've got to get out while I can."
"Like hell, you do!"
Apart from erotic pillow talk, Marge didn't often swear, but when she did, Peter knew it was important to pay attention. "Look," he said, "be reasonable. There's no telling what they might do, but I don't think we should assume this was an idle threat! Whoever's behind this is serious!"
Marge nodded. "The policeman thought so, too," she admitted. "He told me to be very careful and not to open the door to strangers, but that doesn't mean that you should turn tail and run!"
"There's got to be more that we can do, Peter said. Maybe I should give Doc a call."
"Maybe you should," Marge said softly, "but not before you decide whether you're going to stand up to those people! Frankly, I don't see how you can walk away from this now; not after all they've put me through."
Peter was instantly contrite and secretly ashamed of what he considered his cowardice. "OK," he said grimly, "if you're willing to take your chances, I guess I am, too! But I still think I ought to call Doc."
"Before you do that, lover, maybe you'd better hear about the rest of my experiences with the old man."
Peter smiled for the first time since walking in the door. "Will it make me horny?"
He was relieved to see her laugh. "I don't know about that," she said, "but it makes me horny, just thinking about it."
"You mean after all we did for you this afternoon, you're still horny? You're really depraved, woman!"
Peter was glad to hear her laugh again. She gave Peter her sideways 'I've been a naughty girl' look, and said, "It was the most natural thing in the world for him to tuck me in again after that awful scare. I really wanted to cuddle with him, that night."
She paused, and looked at Peter strangely. "But you know, I'm still not sure whether we had sex."
"How can you not be sure about a thing like that?"
"Well, it started off like the night before. He was cuddling me against his furry body, stroking my arms and shoulders, and I began to tingle a little; you know what I mean. Suddenly, he said, `Are you sure you want to do this?'"
"I don't understand," Peter said. "Do what?"
"I guess I forgot to mention that part," she said. "I was curious whether a man his age could still get it up, so I guess I was sort of playing with him."
"And?"
"He sure could! But that wasn't the best part. He had taken his teeth out, and when he began chewing on my nipples with his bare gums, I damn near came right then. Then he nibbled and licked his way down my body, and the insides of my legs and thighs from my feet up to my crotch. Honey, I'll swear you haven't lived until a toothless old man goes down on you! He damn near turned me inside out. It felt like my insides had turned to jelly and were about to run out on the floor!"
