As I opened the crate filled with age-yellowed documents, I had no idea that what was inside would change everything.
I had arrived in Washington, D.C. three months earlier. Before that, I had been considered something of a prodigy: Master's in History at age 21, Doctorate at 23. In the next five years I had worked as a researcher, until I was offered my own project by the American Historical Group. Despite the impressive-sounding title, the AHG was a small, private organization, endowed by a few wealthy dilettantes who wanted to be thought of as historians, though not especially willing to spend their money on it. Still, I grabbed the opportunity to head my own project, especially when I discovered its subject would be The History of American Slavery.
I confess, my fascination with the slave period, as much as I would tell people of its importance to American history and significance to American life, was secretly rooted in my lust for black women. The idea of the slavemasters, with harems of gorgeous African women at their command, always excited and tantalized me. Yet at the same time, as a professional historian, I knew that it was a lie. From reading the journals of slave women, I knew the physical and psychological abuse they were subjected to. From the writings of slave owners, I knew they looked on slave women as little more than cattle. As I further knew that the memory and knowledge of that treatment was retained by African-American women to the present day, I guiltily avoided any serious relationship with any black woman, despite my powerful attraction to them, fearing I would be misunderstood or resented. Never did I think that a black woman could feel an attraction to me. Result: severe frustration.
The frustration only increased when I got to Washington. First, I met my 2 co-workers. My partner, Dr. Alicia Woods, was another prodigy, a 28-year-old whose articles I had read in several respected historical journals. The journals said nothing about her flawless cinnamon-colored skin, delicately beautiful face, and deep brown eyes. Only 5'3", she had a body of death and perfect, perfect legs. Also a warm, friendly manner that might have had me unable to keep my mind off her if it hadn't been for the presence of our graduate student assistant, Nona Charles. With skin the color of dark chocolate, 23-year-old Nona was an exotic beauty: full lips, high cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes, and a long mane of tangled black hair, all atop a 6-foot supermodel's body, most of it, it seemed to me, endless legs. Her enthusiasm and eagerness to serve set off a whole new set of fantasies.
The situation didn't get any easier when I got home. The Group had found me a second-floor apartment in a 3-story brownstone. On the first floor lived the landlady and her teenaged daughter. Lynn Baylor was in her late 30's, a classic beauty. Great bone structure, as they say, with a full, finely-modeled mouth, deeply-set flashing eyes, and lithe yet luscious body. Her 18-year-old daughter Tysa, a high school senior, was lighter-skinned, soft green eyes in an angelic oval face. She had a long, graceful, dancer's body, excepting only the full round 36C breasts. But the most dizzying tenant was Lynn's 30-year-old sister Jan, who had the third-floor apartment. Wide eyes, wide smile, her 38D-24-37 body was always in evidence, thanks to her usual uniform of belly shirt and skin-tight jeans, or halter and spandex shorts. I rarely saw he in anything else, and the effect on my libido was just what you'd expect.
So that was my state on the day that the last effects of Jebediah Harrington arrived. Jebediah Harrington was a slave owner, born 1770, died 1853. Some of his belongings had recently been found in the Tennessee house he once lived in, including some primary documents: his financial ledger and 3 journals written by slave women. The Group had bought these from his heirs and sent them to me for study. The local historical society had also sent along some general research, which included some peculiarities. For one thing, though Harrington's land holdings were relatively small, he had accumulated a great amount of wealth and influence. He had more slaves than was necessary for the upkeep of his estate, slaves whom he seemed to treat unusually well: no whip, no chains, not even an overseer. None had ever attempted to escape. He gave many their freedom in his lifetime, and all the rest were freed at his death. I opened the first slave journal wondering just what kind of man he was.
Slave journals, though not unrelievingly grim, are often harsh reading, recording occasionally the joys, but mostly the pains, of existence in servitude. But I was completely unprepared for what met my eyes when I opened the first journal, written in 1804:
"Such happiness with Master Jeb. I know I shall never get enough of his lovemaking. Last night his caresses drove me to spend I know not how many times, and this morning was bliss as well. If only I could be in his arms every hour of the day, I would be the happiest woman on Earth."
I blinked in amazement, then read on. The entire volume was a record of her joyous sexual relationship with her master. I had never read anything like it before. She seemed wildly in love with Harrington, overjoyed to be his slave.
Astounded, I picked up the second journal, dated 1822. In a different hand was written:
"I so love to fuck Master Jeb. Even now, just the thought of him inside me makes my woman's parts wet and eager. No woman has ever been so happy as I am when I am fucking Master."
And that was only the beginning. Again it was an extended account of riotous and wonderful sex between master and slave. Scarcely believing what I was reading, I turned to the third journal, dated 1832:
"Though he is past 60 and I am but 20, I fear Master Jeb has worn me out. His lovemaking of last night has left me so sore I could not rejoin him in his bed this morning. I only hope that I am healed by tonight. To go for more than a day without his touch seems a torment."
Who was this man, I thought. How did he make these women willing slaves? I eagerly turned to the ledger, but it was nothing more than the usual record of financial transactions. But as I went through it, I found something. Stuck between the pages were a few yellowing sheets of stationery:
"The Secret Of My Life
June 1853
I, Jebediah Harrington, feel the end of my life approaching. I have lived these many years in the glow of great happiness. I feel the need to write down the great secret of that happiness. If it was undeserved, I leave it to posterity to judge.
Fifty-eight years ago, I engaged myself in the scientific study of how various substances occurring in nature affected the human body. In the course of my experimentations, I concocted a mixture which I believed would, if consumed only once, fight off diseases and increase bodily strength and stamina. Not wanting to create an unknown risk in any other person, I swallowed the mixture myself. Its effect was immediate, increasing my body's strength and endurance to many times the human norm. But that was not the only effect. To my great amazement, I found it also increased the strength of my mind. I discovered that with little effort I could see within the minds of anyone I chose, read their thoughts, memories, passions as clearly as one might read words on a page. Beyond that, I discovered that with little more effort I could rearrange the thoughts and passions as easily as moving chess pieces across a board. I could release hidden passions, turn enemies into friends, create desires where there were none.
Once I discovered this remarkable ability, I selfishly kept it to myself. In the years since, I have used it to my advantage, accumulating wealth and power, basking in the flesh of my beautiful African women. But now, as I reach the end, I wonder if I could have been a benefactor to the world instead. I write down the ingredients and instructions for creating my original mixture. If posterity finds them, may they have some beneficial use.
J. Harrington"
That was all, except the list of ingredients and the formula for combining them. They were all simple herbs and plants, all of which could still be easily purchased at any natural healing or organic foods store.
I read it over and over. Could it be possible? The late 1700's and early 1800's was the time of The Talented Amateur, average but educated men who dabbled in the sciences and occasionally made discoveries of genuine value. Could Harrington have made one? Or was it just the senile ravings of an old man on his deathbed?
I remembered a nearby shop that I knew would have most, probably all, of the ingredients. One phrase, I admit, decided me: "β¦basking in the flesh of my beautiful African women."
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