The Diaries of Ayesha

Barcelona Spain. The second largest city in the country, a major seaport and manufacturing center. Pablo Picasso had studied here in his youth. And reputedly Henry Jones Jr. had worked as an intelligence operative for the Belgians here during World War One.

What has all this got to do with Mistress Minx and I?

Mistress Minx in her mundane persona as Miss Minkin Dawes of Dawes, Jones, Mosley & Grubbs Banking Investments LTD. had been requested to address a women's conference on international industrial investment. As her personal assistant I was included to take notes, run errands, and provide for the general welfare.

The arrival in Barcelona was routine and unlike the last time we traveled together, the limo I had requested was waiting for us on arrival. The conference organizers had made arrangements for us to stay at the hotel the meeting was at.

The name of the hotel should have tipped me off. Hotel Dante.

Checking in was uneventful and our rooms were next to each other with a connecting door, as we had requested. I unpacked for the both of us and started organizing Minx's notes for the session while she attended a cocktail party in the lounge. One of the topics to be discussed was on the influence of women in investment planning.

I smiled as I read that topic, thinking of Ay'esha and the financial wisdom that had allowed them to grow undetected all these years, simply by influencing the men who made the choices.

You find the real powers behind the throne usually wearing a dress.

I worked my way through the outline for her lecture then dressed and went downstairs myself. I ordered a cup of coffee from a waiter and sat at a quiet table watching the party progress.

Minx was dressed in a suit looking every bit the professional she was, and holding an intense discussion with a gentleman who had a touch of a Russian accent. "In the new Russia, we need investments from people like you. Women would be welcomed as investors without question.", he was saying.

"Mr. Kirov, the situation in Russia is unstable and so far overseas investors have lost money. Why should women invest in a losing proposition?", Minx asked looking over the rim of her wine glass at him.

"There are always risks Miss Dawes , in any investment. But great profits come from great risks."

I've heard that before. Minx turned to walk away at that point but Kirov took her arm and stopped her. Even before I could make my presence known, she had applied a pressure point hold and was removing his now limp arm from her body.

"Mr. Kirov, I would suggest you study your manners. A gentleman should never put his hands on a lady without her consent.", she said sweetly, as she released her hold.

He withdrew cradling his arm , blind to the stares of the others in the room. Another woman came up and apologized for Kirov's bad manners, and introduced herself as Natalia Rombova.

"He is too used to the old ways Miss Dawes. Now woman to woman, I would ask you to forgive his bad manners."

"And you Miss Rombova, represent the new Russia?", Minx asked politely.

"And why not? Because I don't look like the stereotypical Russian woman, built like a peasant wife? I represent the Russia of change and progress. And profit.", she said raising her glass in salute.

She had a point. She looked more like a dancer rather than a tractor driver. Minx nodded and I could sense she was looking for a way to escape, so I provided it by appearing at Minx's elbow and announcing that I had finished my work.

"Excellent ,Michael.", she said seizing the chance to leave.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your assistant?", Natalia asked putting her glass down.

"Miss Rombova, this is my assistant Michael. Miss Rombova is here to represent Russian interests at the conference."

I took her hand and kissed it gently and murmured a greeting in Russian. She laughed and withdrew her hand.

"If I could train Kirov to behave that way, you would invest all the money you had in our country.", she said. Minx looked at me and smiled that knowing smile of a superior Mistress.

"Oh yes. He is well trained, in many things.", she said knowingly. We took our leave of the party and went into the dining room where Minx brought me up to date on the conference.

"There will be quite a few people here trying to get us to invest in their projects. One of the things that I will be doing is consulting with other members of Ay'esha that are here. Only six of us at any one time know the total amount Ay'esha has invested and where it is. Once a year we meet, and this year the conference provides a perfect cover."

I nodded sagely.

"Remember other forces are also likely to be here. Our Russian friends for example. In fact the only groups that probably won't be here are the Arab bloc and the Chinese."

"Well it sounds like it should be interesting. Is there anything special I should plan on doing? "I asked, cutting my steak.

"Actually, yes. I want you to be prepared to follow any order I give you without question, no matter how silly it seems.", she directed.

"Of course Mistress.", I said, mulling over the order.

"By the way, how much Russian do you speak?", she asked.

"I know just enough to get myself in trouble. Mostly the standard tourist phrases, and the seven words you can't say on television. Slavic languages have such a rich vocabulary of invective", I admitted.

"I see." Our meal was interrupted by the waiter with a note for Minx. She excused herself and left the table. When she returned she explained she was going out, and that I should return to my room. If she needed me, she would telephone.

"But Mistress - ", I started to protest in a low voice. "You agreed to follow my orders. Is this how you obey?", she said mildly.

I bowed my head in respect to her point. She left me at the table with a half eaten steak and a heavy heart, concerned for her safety. In my mind I knew she could take care of herself, but my heart had a mind of it's own. I decided to follow her at a discreet distance of course and see where she went. I felt like a character in a bad spy novel as she walked down La Rambla towards the docks. She maintained a steady pace and I wasn't having any trouble keeping track of her until she crossed a street and a bus blocked my view long enough for me to lose her. I crossed the street as well but couldn't find any sign of her at all, so I turned left and walked towards the city square. In doing so I passed a bar with loud guitar music playing. I glanced in and saw Minx standing at the bar talking with an older Spanish woman, who might have been the owner. I hurried to return to the hotel before that sixth sense of hers detected my presence. I knew that eventually I would have to tell her I had followed her.

I got back to my room and opened the door to find the bedside light on and the bed itself occupied.

"I saw this in a movie once. From Russia with Love. I thought you might like it.", Natalia said, from under the covers.

"I appreciate the joke. Now get out.", I said pulling the covers down to expose her seminude state. She looked up at me and held her hands covering her tits. "Like this? What would people say?", she protested prettily

"You mean like your partner? Babushka, the old badger game is the same in Russian or English. Boris Badenov comes in here, finds the two of us together, and makes a scene. Now get out of here before I call the manager and report a thief.", I said grabbing a shirt from a hanger and throwing it at her.

"You are serious? I just found you so charming earlier, I wanted to know you better.", she said, not putting the shirt on.

"This is not a good way to know me better. If you want to know me better, ask Miss Dawes for permission first. I'm on her time, not my own." , I said insistently. That's when Minx came in.

"Well, promoting international relations?", she said looking at the scene. "Actually she was just leaving.", I said fiercely.

"Oh, I think she should stay for awhile. In fact, she should join me in my room for some girl talk.", Minx said evilly. She levered my Russian doll out of the bed and marched her through the connecting door into her bedroom. I listened to the voices through the door change pitch and intensity and then die out.

That was the state of affairs when Kirov arrived and found me quietly reading a newspaper. "Where is Natalia?", he demanded. I pointed towards the connecting door and followed him as he threw it open and stopped short. I peeked around him and saw Natalia tied to the bed naked with Mistress Minx rubbing her pussy in her face. Minx's hand was buried between Natalia's legs and I could tell from the angle her hand was at that she was masturbating her tied toy.

"Was there something you wanted?", Minx asked without concern. Kirov didn't quite know how to react to that question and left the room shaking his head. Minx rolled off her new pussy toy and joined me in the doorway where I was standing. "That should keep the Russians occupied. It's one thing for Kirov to catch her in bed with another man, but another woman? The Russians are very backwards about homosexuality. In fact, this might just be enough to cause them to leave from embarrassment.", Minx said looking back at Natalia's tied body. I could see that Minx had gagged her as well.

"You took advantage of that poor girl. She didn't want to do anything with you at all and you forced her.", I protested.

"True enough. But will Kirov believe her? I don't think so. Now let's get her out of here."

I untied the helpless girl and Minx removed the gag. I will say that my language skills came in handy to translate the torrent of words that came from Natalia's ungagged mouth. In fact I was beginning to wish Minx had kept the gag in by the time she stopped swearing at us.

"Listen to me carefully. Tell Kirov that he minds his manners for the rest of this conference, and nobody has to know his partner had a deviant fling with another woman.", she told Natalia. Natalia scrambled to her feet and into her clothes and borrowed shirt. "You - ", she started to say and was cut short by Minx slapping her across the face.

"Be silent. Or I will hurt you in ways the KGB never taught you. Get out." She got out and left us looking at each other in amusement

"How was your walk?", I finally asked.

"Very nice. And yours?", she asked pointedly.

"Short. Changed my mind after a few blocks.", I said.

"You disobeyed my orders M-5.", she said with a cold gleam in her eye.

"Yes Controller, I did.", I confessed.

"Then take your position." I lowered my pants and waited for the punishment.

THWACK.THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK. Five hard fast blows across the ass with a hairbrush.

"The next time I tell you to go to the room, I mean it.", she said.

"If I had, the results might not have been quite as . . amusing.", I ventured.

"M-5...", Minx said warningly.

"Yes Controller?"

"Go to bed."

Bright and early the next morning the show started. Each country had their own ideas for investments for women. The Russian plan was presented by Natalia Rombova. Minx did her presentation for the Bank pointing out how much money was available for the right projects. The Indian Government tried to sell the idea of funding birth control clinics as an investment. The Germans took a more pragmatic approach and suggested the investing in German auto companies was a good deal. Not necessarily for women, but for Germany. The most practical one was starting a small loan service for women owned businesses in the Netherlands. I will say that the European Union proposals carried the most weight, being practical, and with reasonable payback times to the investors. A speech from the United Nations Commission on Women representative was the climax of the first day's meetings.

Our evening was much like the evening before, except this time Minx stripped me of my clothing and chained me to the bed in my room before leaving on her walk. Not that she didn't trust me to obey. She just . . . didn't trust me to obey. Upon her return hours later, she released me and re chained me at the foot of her bed and turned out the lights. I laid there in the dark listening to her breathing. Time passed slowly in the Castillian darkness and my hearing became more sensitive. Sensitive enough to hear a soft sobbing sound from the bed.

"Mistress..", I called softly.

The sobbing continued, still muted in volume. I tried to move to her side of the bed but the chain was too short and stopped me. The noise however woke her enough to stop sobbing and she soon was sleeping peacefully. I laid there wondering what would make her weep in her sleep. My dreams sometimes caused me to do that, dreams of my wife's death, but in the time I had served her, I had never heard the sounds of sorrow. Who or what had caused her sorrow? I was determined to find out.

Sunrise came all too soon to the Hotel Dante, and the light creeping in the windows found me still awake and concerned about my Mistress. The covers had been kicked aside at some point during the night and I saw in the morning light the cause of her pain. The marks of a whip were evident across her perfect flesh. What happened during her walk? Who had attacked her? Or was it an attack? My mind spun with the possible explanations. I knew she occasionally liked playing with other women, but I had never see her with marks before. The ringing of the phone next to her bed woke her and she answered it sleepily. She listened for a moment than hung it up and slipped from the bed. I feigned sleep and watched her go into her bathroom. I saw as she entered the bruises forming across her ass as well as whip marks. She came out a few minutes later wearing a rope and nudged me with her foot. As was my habit I rolled over and kissed her toes before looking up at her. "Good morning Mistress", I said as nonchalantly as I could.

"Good morning slave. Were you comfortable enough sleeping here?", she asked.

"Of course", I lied." Why not?"

She looked at me with suspicion. "Because I know what you look and act like when you don't get enough sleep. And it looks like you didn't.", she challenged.

"Just dreams Mistress. I could hear someone crying in the darkness in my dreams and it bothered me. I wanted to help her, but I couldn't."

Goddess forgive me for my deception. If I told her I had seen the marks . . . She stiffened slightly at my story and then accepted it at face value. I hoped so anyway. She unlocked my chains and directed me to get cleaned up and dressed.

"I will meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes. We'll have breakfast out on the terrace before the session today.", she said. I followed her instructions and met her at the appointed time. I noticed she walked somewhat less gracefully than usual, so I knew she was in pain. The warmth of the sun on her back seemed to help somewhat because by the time we finished our breakfast she was moving almost normally.

Most of the sessions that day were one on one sessions, with brief group meetings to share ideas. Minx agreed that the bank would fund the child care project, and committed to the small loan idea. I deflected questions from Natalia on the depth of our commitment to investments in Russia. I knew without asking Minx exactly what the answer was: Nyet. During one break I was approached by a woman from Sweden, red haired instead of blond, but a sure choice for the Swedish Bikini Team.

"I noticed your medallion when you were out on the terrace this morning.", she said. "The workmanship is African isn't it?"

I looked down to see if my medallion from the Mother of Many was exposed. Through my shirt I could see the pattern of the man's head. I hadn't really noticed it before. When I'm wearing a suit, I try not to expose it

"You have excellent vision. It was a gift from my mother.", I said looking up.

"Does your mother have many children?", she asked casually.

"Yes, she is a mother of many.", I said nodding. She smiled at the reply.

"Minx told me you were discreet. I'm Eva, and she told me to see you. I need to access the Internet from a secure terminal.", she said. I nodded and led her to a phone booth in the lobby. Nobody can tap that many phones, so pay phones are the most secure ones to use. I hooked the laptop up to the phone and stepped away while she logged in to , well I can't say, really. A few minutes later she finished her typing, disconnected from the phone and handed the unit back to me with thanks.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Miss?", I asked.

"I expect that you will be able to provide some service to me later. Pretty boy.", she said as she walked away.

Sigh.

Minx and I were joined at lunch by an older black woman from Kenya named Jatana Welker. "Your assistant has made some interesting points at the conference.", she said , sipping her tea," and I understand a new friend or two."

"Oh, has he?", Minx said looking at me with interest.

"Yes, that little Russian girl was quite . . impressed with him." I choked on my coffee as the waiter arrived with the shrimp the ladies had ordered. "In what way?", Minx pressed , her look becoming more irritated than interested.

"Well, I wouldn't want to say anything embarrassing....."

"I wish you wouldn't.", I interjected dismally.

"Do tell me what she said.", Minx said cattily.

"She said he was a real man in the bedroom.", Jatana said conspiritally.

"Excuse me, I think I have a call waiting for me in the lobby.", I said , sliding my chair back, feeling the blood rush to my face in embarrassment.

"Sit still!", Minx ordered.

I was about to be executed for a crime I didn't commit.

"Miss Welker, I think you may have the wrong impression of my assistant. ", Minx said quietly.
"Really? How depressing."

I guess the stricken look on my face was enough for Minx, because she started laughing.

"We've tortured him enough I guess. M-5, Jatana is one of the Ay'esha members at the conference. She just wanted to see how you'd react under stress.", she said patting my head.

"I hope I was sufficiently amusing.", I said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, you were!", Jatana said. " Minx was right, you are special. Perhaps you would like to come to Nairobi and serve me for a time? I could use someone as well trained as you are." I looked at Minx for a clue as to the correct answer.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I am otherwise engaged.", I said after a moment of consideration.

Minx looked towards Jatana with a "I told you so " kind of expression. The rest of my lunch was spent feeding one shrimp at a time to each of the ladies to the obvious amazement of the other diners on the terrace, including Kirov and Natalia.

After lunch I attended all but one of the sessions. Minx directed me to skip her session with the representative from Ireland an attractive blonde from Dublin named Molly McBride.

I started to question the order then remembered the hairbrush and decided my ass was sore enough for the week. I decided to try and find out what Minx had gotten into at the bar.

Changing to a pair of jeans and a t shirt, I retraced my steps to the bar I had seen her at. I found it closed during the day, but not deserted however, because I could hear music inside. I circled around to the alley behind the building and tried to peer in the window set in the back door. My attempts at stealth were defeated by the opening of the door and my discovery in the alley. Using what Spanish I could manage to remember from high school, I tried to explain away what I was doing looking in the window. The man who had opened the door just looked at me with a grim expression on his face. This guy was six feet tall and built like an ape. King Kong. I started backing away and was stopped by a hand the size of a catchers mitt attaching itself to my arm and dragging me inside. He marched me through the back room and into the main part of the bar, where the woman I had seen Minx with sat at a table with a drink on the table, and smoking a cigar. A rapid fire burst of Spanish between King Kong and the lady resulted in my being thrust into a chair and held in place by his arms across my chest, while she sat considering my fate. She blew smoke in my direction and spoke to me in English. "Young man, I take it you have an excellent reason why I should not call the police and have you arrested as a Peeping Tom." I summoned up my flagging nerve and gave her a reason.

"Minkin Dawes."

"Who is Minkin Dawes?" , she asked studying the ash of her cigar.

"You were speaking to her two nights ago in the bar about nine o' clock. Dark hair, fair skin."

"I don't know the woman.", she said, with a sidelong glance towards the shadows in the corner of the room by the bandstand. My courage increased with her discomfort. Was there someone else involved?

"I don't appreciate whip marks on my Mistress.", I said in a low tone.

From the shadows came a man's voice. Polite, but with an undertone of steel in the question. "And who are you to question your Mistress?" I turned towards the sound as best as I could.

"I am her property and her protector. And you are ..?", I called into the gloom.

The voice took form as a tall slender man dressed in black pants and a white ruffled shirt and leather vest came forward. "I am her Master."

I didn't know what to say. Mistress Minx had a Master. My mind went into a spin. He walked up to me , indicated that the big man could release me and pulled up a chair opposite me.

"You are a foolish man to come here.", he said staring at me sternly.

" I broke a leg trying to protect her. I have endured pain and torture to please her. Foolish? Perhaps, but my heart has a mind of its own." , I said staring at him.

"She comes to me of her own free will. And someday she will marry me, of her own free will.", he said. I was repulsed by that idea. Then I thought about it. I had no right to say anything or think anything about it. She made her own choices. And I knew she would not give herself to someone who did not love her.

"May I ask a question?", I said slowly.

"I may not answer it. Go ahead.", he said with an amused tone in his voice.

"Do you love her as much as I do?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, but not in the same way. You and I are much alike, both of us have a fire in our hearts for her, but yours is to serve and mine is to control. She submits to me because of her love. You submit to her because of your love."

He stood up and started to leave, then stopped.

"You will not speak to her of this meeting. If you do, I will punish you myself.", he said , walking back into the shadows and disappearing into the gloom as silently as he had come. The big man picked me up by the scruff of my neck and dragged me to the front door, opened it, then tossed me into the dusty street.

I got up and brushed myself off and started back towards the door I had been thrown through. I started walking. I walked for hours and miles trying to accept the fact Mistress Minx, my Mistress, served a Master. It was well into the night before I returned weary to the hotel and my room. Minx was waiting for me when I returned with fire in her eyes.

"Exactly where have you been all evening?", she said in a deadly tone of voice.

"Walking. Just walking.", I said dispiritedly, not caring what she said or did.

She noticed my expression and her tone softened a bit. "What's wrong Michael?", she asked , reaching for my hand.

I didn't take her hand, I just sat down on the floor and leaned against her legs like a dog and nuzzled her. She pulled my head up to look into my eyes and saw the tears starting to leak out, trickling down the side of my face.

"Why are you crying?", she asked gently.

"I've been thinking about the future.", I said. " I know that someday you'll get married and I'll be left alone again. I know it in my head, but I just didn't really accept it in my heart until today." "What brought that on?", she asked, stroking my head.

"Just things.", I said, unwilling to say more.

"You met Him didn't you?", she said, looking into my eyes.

"Met who? If I'd met Him, I'd be playing a harp. I got close enough to that once before.", I said trying to lighten the mood.

"You know who I mean.", she said knowingly. I tried to look innocent, and failed. "Did you talk to Him?", she asked intently. I thought about his warning to me. Unless otherwise directed, Mistress Minx's orders override His.

"We spoke. He did advise me not to speak to you of the meeting.", I said.

"He did, did he? You are not under His orders, you are under mine unless I tell you otherwise.", she reminded me.

        "I know. We didn't talk much really. He told me who he was in regards to you and told me not to mention the meeting to you or He would punish me." I took a deep breath to get my nerve. "Are you going to marry him?", I asked, and waited for the expected explosion for intruding on her personal life.

"He likes to think so. And I may. I do care for him. I went to see him to play. He doesn't know of Ay'esha and you are never to tell him. He knows I am switch, and he knows I have a number of slaves myself.", she explained.

"He loves you, you know." I said reluctantly. "I know. But that doesn't mean I love him or love you any less. You are my last slave and special to me."

"Mistress, I saw the marks he left on you. You shouldn't be given pain.", I protested.

"Am I so perfect I should not suffer? I'm flesh and blood like you are. And sometimes I need to be reminded of it.", she countered. "You suffer pain for my pleasure when I desire it, or I think you deserve it. You choose to accept it. You could leave me and many would. Why do you do it?"

That stopped me. Why did I do it? To prove my love? But she knew that. "I don't know. I just do it. After my training it seems natural to me to accept it. I don't always enjoy it. I hate pain. But the pleasure you give me for performing well wipes out the pain.", I admitted.

"Do I deserve pleasure Michael?"

"Of course. Don't I give you pleasure Mistress?", I frowned

"Of course you do you silly child. But I don't derive the same pleasure from you that I get from Him."

        I let that idea rattle around in my head for awhile. It never really settled into one spot, but I accepted it at face value.

"I understand."

"Do you really, or are you just saying that?", she said as she stroked my head.

"I don't really understand why I do what I do, other than love for you. Why not the same answer for you?"

She smiled at my answer and kissed my forehead.

The next day it rained in sunny Spain, and it didn't stay mainly on the plain either.

Minx had arisen earlier than I had and was gone by the time I checked her room. I discovered that she hadn't appeared at the first seminar of the morning. I made my way into the rain using a borrowed umbrella and a sense of unease. Had she gone back to her Master? I had only gone a couple of blocks when I saw her coming up the sidewalk drenched from the torrent from the sky. I dashed to her and extended the umbrella as she laughed. "Now you show up with an umbrella. Where were you half an hour ago ?", she said in a cheerful voice.

"Looking for you inside the hotel. We need to get you back and changed into dry clothing", I said hurrying her along towards the hotel. We both left puddles behind us in the elevator as we returned to her room. She went into the bathroom and came back a few minutes later in a white terrycloth robe.

"I went and saw a friend of ours.", she said as she toweled her hair dry. " I told him I tortured the information out of you."

"Thank you... I think.", I said, stepping behind her to help dry her hair.

"He told me what you said. That was a bit dangerous.", she continued.

"Hey, I was already in trouble. What's a little more? I expected to get my head beat in anyway.", I said rubbing her hair.

"You really love me that much?" I stopped toweling her and walked in front of her and knelt on one knee and looked into her eyes.

"Yes I do. I love Minx the Controller , and I love Mistress Minx, and I love Miss Minkin Dawes, of Dawes,Jones,Mosley, Grubbs. I love all of your aspects. And if things were different, I would propose to you. But they aren't, and I can't, so I have to accept things the way they are."

She smiled as she looked into my face. "I wouldn't marry you Michael. You love me very much and I know that. And you would do anything for me, and you have proven that time and again. "But I know you still love your wife, Denise. You always will. When she died part of you died as well. I have returned as much life to you as I can, but I can't hope to replace her. And you would accept nothing less.", she concluded kindly. I knelt before her knowing she was right.

My one true love had died ten years before. Time heals all wounds they say, but it is a truism, not the truth. "I'm sorry." , was all I could say." I guess I'm cheating you."

"No ,Michael . You are not.", she said sharply." You are giving me all the love you are able to give me. But the fire burns in your heart for her, not me. And you need to admit it to yourself. " She kissed me gently on the lips, a true rarity for her . "Now, get cleaned up. We still have work to do.", she said pointing towards the door.

The rest of the meetings seemed to take forever, but they ended at last with an invitation to a party. I was inclined to decline the invitation, but Minx had other ideas. After dinner that evening Minx and I returned to our respective rooms to dress for the party. Minx ordered me to dress in my tuxedo for the event, which I did reluctantly. . The party turned out to be at a casino a short distance from the city. Wearing the tux and being in a casino really made me feel like a refugee from a Bond movie.

When I ordered my drink at the bar I had to resist the urge to say shaken not stirred. Mostly because shaking ginger ale can be a messy experience at best. Minx was elegant in her black sheath dress and heels, devoid of jewelry except for a silver band on her left wrist. She led me towards the nightclub at the rear of the building. I heard the guitar music I had heard the night I followed Minx to the bar. The headwaiter bowed to her and escorted us to a ringside table. The band reached a climax and the audience applauded. The lights dimmed and the MC stepped to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I have the honor of presenting the finest dance troupe in Spain. They have graced stages around the world and tonight they are home to perform for you." He stepped into the shadows and the bands started playing a flaminco number. The lights came up and there stood Minx's Master, dressed in black, with six young women dancers behind him. He started dancing as Minx and I watched. He was graceful and I was truly impressed by his ability to dance, as well as the ability shown by the other dancers. After a rapid fire farrago of , well stomping for lack of a better word, the number was concluded. The ladies knelt beside him as he stood before the microphone.

"The dance requires precision and timing and tremendous amounts of practice. For our next number, I shall require a member of the audience. Anyone at all." He fixed his gaze at Minx and I and his eyes narrowed to slits. "You there. Yes, you. Please come up here. Ladies help our assistant to the stage please.", he directed. "Let's have a round of applause for him."

My protests were ignored as were Minx's unspoken ones as the women led me to the stage. "Lay down.", he directed.

"Excuse me?", I said."Lay down?"

"Yes. Lay down!", he said with steel in his voice. The women pulled me down where he indicated, and the band started playing again. I was suddenly surrounded by stomping high heeled boots which both deafened and frightened me. The boots came ever closer to my outstretched body and through all of it I could see Minx's Master gloating at my helpless situation. He was almost smiling as he himself stomped his way closer and close to my crotch. I waited for the pain of the impact on my cock and balls of his massive boots. It never came as he gauged his steps to the fraction of an inch and tapped in pace for a few moments looking down at me with evil in his heart. He danced away and the young ladies followed him leaving me in the middle of the floor sweating and deaf. The music stopped and the MC helped me to my feet, and back to the table where Minx was sitting. A waiter took my jacket and brushed me down while the women dancers came out and did another number.

"Are you all right?", I could dimly hear Minx asking.

"I'm a bit deaf right now.", I said looking at her so I could read her lips. Her lips formed a swear word but said something else. Her Master came up behind us and sat down in a chair next to Minx and looked at me with an expression of satisfaction. I nodded to him and excused myself.

My path towards the men's room took me past the bar where I could see Gregor Kirov working his way down a bottle of Stoli a water glass full at a time. I walked up to him and sat down on the stool next to him.

"You. You are nyet kulturny", he growled at me and took another drink.

I've been called uncultured before, but not by a drunken Russian before. "Gregor, do you love Natalia?", I asked

"What? What are you implying? She is a woman of the new Russia, nothing more.", he protested drunkenly.

"Well, the way you came in my room, I thought maybe ...", I said letting my voice trail off. He stared at me with bloodshot eyes and took another swig. "And if I did?", he demanded. "Gregor, there's a guy in the nightclub that's putting the moves on my boss. And he was bragging that he'd already fucked Natalia. Now if she was my woman...well anyway, I'm glad to know that you don't care about her." He staggered off the barstool and demanded that I point out the zvoloch who would say things like that about his woman.

I pointed him at Minx's Master and stepped back to watch as Gregor Kirov made his way through the tables in a somewhat random course and grabbed Him by His shirtfront.

It was about four AM before I could bail Gregor out of jail, and I made sure that I had plenty of black coffee waiting for him when I got him back to his room. Natalia stood watching as I poured coffee into Gregor to try and sober him up, and told her what had happened, up to and including him declaring his love for her as he swung at Minx's Master. "The big fool. I have worked with him for years, and he never said anything to me.", she said as I poured a cup of coffee for her and myself, having decided to let him sleep it off.

"Well, now you know. The next step is up to you.", I said. "If you'll excuse me, I have a firing squad to face at dawn."

"I don't understand.", Natalia said as I walked towards the door.

"Well, when Miss Dawes finds out that I incited a riot, I'll probably be fired. Hell, she may even make me ride outside the plane on the trip back." I went back to my room to find Minx waiting for me with a paddle in her hand.

"Good morning Mistress. I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long.", I said hanging my coat on a hanger, and sitting down.

"Not at all. I just got back from the hospital myself a few minutes ago.", she said in a silky smooth tone that covered the sharp edge inside.

"Nothing serious I hope.", I said with a deadpan expression on my face. "No, just a concussion and a broken nose. He'll be just fine in a week.", she responded with an equal lack of expression.

She walked to me and stood looking down. "Would you care to tell me exactly what you were trying to accomplish?", she said tapping the paddle against the palm of her hand.

"Trying to accomplish Mistress? I did it. I wanted to see that ... gentleman flat on his back. Gregor was just drunk enough to do it. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa."

She just stood staring, then shook her head in amazement. "Just like that. You decided to take a cheap shot at my Master by having Gregor Kirov punch him out."

"Well hardly cheap. The fine was about four hundred dollars American. They were going to charge Gregor with assault and battery. ". I smiled thinking about the incident. " Of course it would have been worth twice that much ."

"No remorse. No apology.", she said bitterly.

"No Mistress. I await your punishment."

She sighed deeply. "Before you decided to interfere , I had already decided to break it off with him. His actions towards you were inexcusable and I told him as much. He told me to mind my own business, and I told him that you WERE my business.

"Gregor showed up at that point and closed the argument with a right cross."

I couldn't help snickering as I replayed the scene in my head.

"You know you'll have to be punished for this.", she continued, raising the paddle.

"Yes Mistress.". I started to stand , but she pushed me back down.

"You won't be permitted to sleep at my feet for the next month. And you will not be permitted to worship me for the same period.", she said severely.

"Yes Mistress.", I said looking down.

"And Michael...."

"Yes Mistress?"

"Do you know was a zvoloch is?" .I shrugged my shoulders and turned my palms up.

"Nyet."

I have to keep some things a mystery.

Sections 6 and 7
Follow my Leader

The Rain in Spain
You bet your Assegai