Aunt Phoebe's Masturbatorium

At this point, the woman whom Angelique had pointed out to me earlier as being the distant cousin of my uncle Pierre stood up and addressed the angry girl.

"Did it ever occur to you, young woman," said Charlotte, "that Mr. Villon's inhibitions might prevent him from succumbing to your will?"

This question, hurled at my cousin from out of nowhere, and from a woman whom Angelique regarded as beneath contempt, left her momentarily speechless. I thought my aunt was going to reply, but it was Lenore who spoke first.

"What is your point, Charlotte?" she asked.

"If this man was unable to produce a sperm sample for the doctor, what makes any of you think he would produce one in front of all these women? It is obvious that his shyness is greater than his need to ejaculate."

Before Lenore had a chance to respond, Angelique turned to Charlotte with a hateful stare.

"He's not shy!" my cousin rasped. "He's just a fucking asshole who needs to have his balls kicked down his throat! But none of you here seems to understand that!"

"Shut up, Angelique!" my aunt said. "Go and sit down!"

"I'm going to make that bastard pay! You'll see. I can conquer any man!"

"I've no doubt you can conquer anything," Charlotte said with a wan smile, "except your own arrogance."

Before my cousin could retort, my aunt pushed her forward in the direction of the door. It was an ugly display of impropriety gone awry, and my cousin, the usually resolute and impervious master at arms, was found to be lacking. I almost felt sad for her as she was forced to sit between her mother and Lenore, looking like a defeated warrior who now had to settle for terms that her pride would never allow her to accept.

Mr. Villon was sitting quietly by himself while Dr. Monroe, nurse Alicia, and the two assistants conversed amongst themselves. He looked sad sitting there all alone, his failure to produce the much needed sperm sample, and the unanticipated attack upon him, reflected in the look of dejection upon his face.

Lenore had called for a short intercession in which she and my aunt took Angelique into an adjoining room. I never found out what transpired during their conversation, but when my cousin came out again she looked as defiant as ever, refusing to acknowledge her defeat as anything more than an apparently successful attempt at subterfuge perpetrated by the duplicitous patient, focusing all her contempt into a singular, hateful glance that she now cast upon him and the rest of the room.

I saw Charlotte look toward Angelique a few times and then turn to her associates and murmur something to them, causing them all to laugh. I know my cousin was aware of this little game Ms. Anjou was playing, but she would not allow her pride to be sacrificed any further by the antics of someone whom she despised. Like a lioness who, after a kill, enjoys the feast while the vultures are kept at bay, so she regarded Charlotte and her entourage: aware of their presence, but totally contemptuous of their race.

At one point I made eye contact with the beautiful woman, but instead of seeing any hint of dislike in her face, her expression softened as she looked at me, and ultimately a gentle smile spread across her face, a smile that made me think of her ancestor Yvette, my erstwhile guide and mentor. I thought it only polite to smile back, and I did so, much to her delight. And the more I watched her, the more I felt that somehow Angelique must be wrong in her estimation of this woman, who now, once again, was the center of attention amongst her small group of friends—laughing, joking, and enjoying their company as much as she was enjoying theirs. I knew that at some point I would have to introduce myself to her, but now was not the time. I had been purposely segregated from the rest of the Sisters so that I might partake in this little test of theirs, which so far had resulted in one casualty, and which I hoped would not result in another.

Seeing my aunt, Lenore, and their colleagues still conversing, I took it upon myself to approach the diffident Mr. Villon and introduce myself. Halfway on my journey toward him, he lifted his head up and stared at me intently, sitting up straight in his chair and adjusting his robe so that he would appear more presentable. Dr. Monroe and Alicia smiled curiously at me as I took a seat beside the wary patient, as if trying to figure out why I had chosen to strike up a conversation with him. For his part, Mr. Villon remained quiet, even after I had greeted him.

It had occurred to me from the beginning of this test, or so-called "punishment," that his shyness would have to be conquered if any positive results were to be expected. It seemed that no one had taken the time to actually question the patient as to the cause of his inhibition, and employing verbal and physical intimidation, as Angelique had done, not only proved ineffective, but had also revealed a severe lack of judgment on her part. I was not about to succumb to a similar fate. I quickly surmised that I would have to get at the root of his problem if I were to pass this test and obtain the coveted sperm sample. And the only way to do that was to get inside his head.

"Did my cousin hurt you?" I asked him.

"No," he replied softly.

"She doesn't like it when things don't go her way."

"That's no reason to get angry," he said meeting my gaze. "I am no stranger to bad luck myself, but that's no excuse to hurt other people."

"I agree. But you humiliated her. She'll find a way to get back at you for that."

"She can try," he said, his voice thick with scorn.

"You're really not a submissive man, are you?"

Mr. Villon looked at me as one would look at a clairvoyant who had just revealed to him the secrets of the universe.

"You are very perceptive, mademoiselle...."

"My name is Holly McKenzie."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," he said, graciously.

"And you don't like to be pushed around either."

"True again."

"So why are you here?"

"It's simple, really," he replied. "I love women and I enjoy pleasing them."

"Any submissive would say that," I said of his feeble attempt at disingenuousness. "Tell me the truth."

He paused a moment before replying, aware, as I was, that Dr. Monroe and nurse Alicia had moved closer to us in order to hear what we were saying.

"You're not very subtle, doctor," the patient said to the intruding physician. "You can hear what I have to say. I have nothing to hide."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Villon," Dr. Monroe replied. "I'm not trying to be rude. But I would like to help you if you will let me."

Mr. Villon smiled broadly at the beautiful woman and invited her and nurse Alicia to join us.

"Please go ahead with your line of questioning, Holly," Dr. Monroe said with a cheery smile. "Oftentimes, we doctors get too clinical and fail to really understand a patient on a personal level. And I think we have failed miserably in your case, Mr. Villon. And for that I am truly sorry."

She said these words with such heartfelt sympathy that Mr. Villon's face suddenly brightened up.

"Thank you," he replied. "That means a lot to me."

Doctor Monroe placed one of her hands over his and smiled. And as she continued to let her hand linger over his, I wondered why I had previously regarded this woman with such disdain. Surely, my cousin's influence over me had something to do with it, but this was not the "jealous bitch" she had described—far from it. She was a warm and compassionate human being, whose only desire was to be of help to someone in pain.

"Do you mind if I continue?" I asked him.

"Go ahead," he replied with a newfound sense of enthusiasm. "Ask me anything."

I first asked him to give me a truthful answer to my previous question.

"I am not lying when I tell you that I love women and I love pleasing them," he began. "But I also wanted to get into Ms. Anjou's scholarship program. And one of the ways to do that is to be of service to the Sisterhood. That's why I took the oath of servitude."

"But when you took that oath," Dr. Monroe cut in, "it was explained to you that you would have to be naked in front of clothed women and sometimes 'perform' for them on command. Knowing that you are shy, didn't you realize that this would be a problem for you?"

Mr. Villon thought for a moment. "It's only a problem for me when I'm around strange women," he answered. "Once I get to know someone, the shyness is gone."

"And then you would be able to ejaculate?"

"Yes."

"That's weird," I said. "Most men would give anything to stand up in front of a huge crowd of strange women and masturbate for them. You're just the opposite."

He laughed. "Oh, what I would not give to be able to do that! But alas, my inhibitions..."

"Your inhibitions can be conquered," I assured him. "People do it all the time."

"The Sisterhood won't allow him to go around making friends with everyone just so he can provide them with a sperm sample," nurse Alicia remarked.

"There may be another way," I said. "Do you feel relaxed now, François? I mean, now that you have had a chance to talk with us and know us a little better?"

I think he felt grateful that I had addressed him by his first name, encouraging familiarity between us.

"Yes. I do feel relaxed around you," he replied. "I even feel relaxed around the doctor's assistants too," he added, with a nod in their direction.

"And you don't feel anxious or nervous or anything like that?"

"Absolument pas!" he said, resorting to his native tongue. "I feel comfortable with all of you."

At that moment I heard Lenore call out my name in a loud voice, as if she had already called it out several times before and was growing angry at not getting a response.

"If you don't answer me this time..."

Several women in the audience began laughing.

"I'm sorry Sister Lenore," I said quickly. "I'm here."

"I can see that," she replied. "But you're not listening to me."

"I'm listening now."

She ordered me to return to my seat, but said nothing about the fact that I had been conversing with Mr. Villon, for which I was grateful. After she got the audience to quiet down a little, she once again began to talk with my aunt, who now seemed preoccupied and uninterested in what the Sisterhood leader had to say now that Angelique had succeeded in quashing any hopes she held of her daughter's rise to prominence based upon her recent failure with Mr. Villon. My aunt respectfully nodded her head and looked dutifully attentive, but I could tell that her heart was not in it. Now and then she would turn to look at her daughter, who was now casually looking over some papers that Justine had handed to her, and I could read the disappointment in her eyes. I think Lenore eventually realized that further conversation with my disinterested aunt was pointless and stood up to make an announcement.

"Doctor Monroe," she began. "Is the patient able to continue?"

"Yes, Sister Lenore," the doctor replied.

"Then move him back onto the platform and let's get this over with. I'm sure our Sisters have better things to do than spend an entire afternoon waiting to see if this man will ejaculate or not. Get him up there!"

As Dr. Monroe and nurse Alicia accompanied Mr. Villon onto the platform, Lenore turned to me.

"I am now placing the responsibility for obtaining this man's sperm in your hands, Holly," she said, issuing the edict with all the comportment of an empress seated upon her throne. "If you fail, he will be sent to the lower levels to await further punishment. I'm sure both you and he would not want that."

"No, Sister Lenore," I replied. "Not if I can help it."

"Very well. You have my authority to use whatever means necessary to obtain the sperm sample. You may proceed."

Lenore resumed her seat and the entire room fell silent, all eyes now focused upon me. I knew that I would only have one chance to prove my theory before being summarily ridiculed and dismissed, and I could only guess at what further unknown punishment would await Mr. Villon should I fail. I wished I had had more time to talk with him, to get to know him a little better, to understand the depth of his psychosis. As it was, I would have to rely upon my own innate sense of judgment to present my case to the Sisterhood, and hope that these intelligent and insightful women would be open-minded enough to allow me the latitude to circumvent some of their rules for the sake of getting at the truth.

I saw Angelique glaring at Mr. Villon from across the room; her intense stare cutting through the air like a knife. And if that knife could have carved a hole in the young man's chest and removed the heart, it would have, leaving a gaping wound into which the ridiculed girl could pour all the shame, insult, and fury she now felt at being made to look a fool.

My aunt was looking only slightly more dismal than my cousin, painfully aware that her latest bid to increase her daughter's prestige in the eyes of Lenore had now become a lost cause. Several times she tried to consult with her daughter, but Angelique would have nothing to do with it. My cousin remained steadfast in her hatred of Mr. Villon to the exclusion of all else. And now, as I rose to address the crowd of expectant women, Angelique's menacing stare rested upon me, as if defying me to rise to the challenge of Mr. Villon's preservation, warning me that serious repercussions would follow in the wake of my possible success.

"François," I said, addressing the naked man. "Please put your robe back on."

The fact that I had called the young man by his first name caused some of the women to mutter under their breath, the import of their whisperings decidedly negative. Lenore looked like she was going to say something to me, but quickly decided against it, even when my aunt and Angelique looked as if they were going to protest my decision to address Mr. Villon on familiar terms.

As the young man tied his robe about him, I asked that the conference table be removed to another room, which Lenore reluctantly ordered to be done. Several Sisters were employed in this endeavor while I subsequently had Dr. Monroe, nurse Alicia, and the two assistants accompany Mr. Villon to a chair in the middle of the room, which I then instructed him to sit in. I watched the patient closely, looking for any signs of fear or mistrust, but he simply looked at me and smiled timidly, happy to no longer be standing naked on the platform. I then asked the women to pull up their chairs in a circle, effectively surrounding him on all sides. I, Dr. Monroe, nurse Alicia, and the two assistants took up seats immediately next to him, constantly offering words of assurance to minimize his anxiety.

"Can we make it darker in here?" I asked Lenore.

With a nod to Justine, the overhead lights were extinguished with a light tap of the assistant's finger on a nearby wall panel. The harsh glare of the fluorescent lights was now reduced so that the room's illumination was cut by about one half. We now sat directly between the borders of light and darkness, our bodies casting long shadows across the floor and walls, lending the room a somewhat more eerie but softer atmosphere. With a smile to Mr. Villon, I began.

"All of you know François," I said, feeling my cousin's eyes upon me. "Now I would like him to get to know all of you."

One stern-looking, rotund, old woman sneered. "That is ridiculous! Are we to start addressing our servants by their first names?"

Several other women also voiced their objections to my request, but before I could offer my rebuttal, Lenore broke in.

"Please, all of you, be quiet," the Sisterhood leader commanded them. "I promised Holly that she could use any means to obtain this patient's sperm sample and I expect all of you to comply with her directions."

"But she asks us to ignore our own rules of conduct," one old woman complained. "I refuse to acknowledge any familiarity with this man."

"He is just some stupid slave," said another woman with a slight slur in her speech. "A god-damned non-entity as far as I'm concerned."

Lenore shook her head in dismay. "One of you is just plain foolish," she said looking at the old woman, "and the other has had too much to drink. Unless either of you can come up with a way to procure the patient's sperm sample, I advise you to keep your mouths shut and follow the young lady's direction."

The two women looked dumbly at one another but offered no further resistance. I now turned my attention to Mr. Villon.

"I am going to invite the women to introduce themselves to you and I want you to feel free to answer any questions they may have. Can you do that?"

"Yes... mademoiselle."

"Holly, please. Call me Holly."

"Okay, Holly."

I looked around the room searching for some friendly faces and was surprised to find that one of them belonged to one of Charlotte's odd group of devotees.

"Yes, you," I said pointing to the woman. "Please introduce yourself to François and ask him any questions you like. Please use first names only."

She was a pretty girl of about 25, dressed in a striking blue blazer and matching skirt that firmly embraced her supple, hourglass figure.

"My name is Adriana," she began, "and I want to know if you were born with that penis of yours or if you did anything to make it so big."

Many of the women chuckled at her question and even François himself could not suppress a smile.

"I suppose constantly tugging on it when I was a child may have helped, but otherwise it's simple genetics."

This provoked even further laughter from the crowd.

"I'm glad to see you have a sense of humor," Adriana said. "So, this tendency toward gigantism runs in your family?"

"Yes, mademoiselle," he replied. "My father and my two brothers all have...how do you say it...big dicks."

His emphasis on the last two words threw the audience into fits of laughter. Adriana tried hard to keep a straight face amidst all the merriment but it was useless.

"As big as...yours?" she blurted out.

"At least," François replied with a huge grin.

"Well," she said coyly, "I hope you'll have the good sense to introduce me to them!"

The crowd was once again in an uproar. Despite their gloomy expressions, both my aunt Phoebe and Angelique could not help but laugh at Adriana's suggestive quip. Angelique tried to seem unaffected by the lewd questioning by covering the bottom part of her face with her hands, but I could tell she was laughing along with the rest of us, enjoying the lewd repartee in spite of her suppressed hostility toward the timid, young man. I, myself, was pleased to see the effect humor was having not only on the crowd, but also upon François himself. He looked around the room several times, gauging the women's responses to his answers and looking immensely pleased with the results. The laughter seemed to act as a restorative, helping to assuage his shyness while putting the women in a more relaxed and tolerant mood.

Several more women, including Felicia Antonetti, who delivered one of the most impassioned speeches about humane treatment of those who served the Sisterhood, engaged François in mostly friendly, and often wanton, conversation, and he responded to all this attention with a most compliant attitude, which appeared to please the Sisters greatly. Quite a few women had a chance to question him about his sexual habits, and especially about the remarkable organ that lay hidden just underneath the flimsy bit of fabric that comprised his robe. At one point he recalled an incident that had occurred when he first discovered masturbation, and the entire room was filled with laughter. The inquisition continued for about twenty minutes and would have continued if the Sisterhood leader had not intervened.

"I have a question," Lenore said to François as the laughter in the room slowly died down.