0 comments/ 15157 views/ 2 favorites Jewel of Lust By: Jewel of Lust As he lay there, Guy's mind drifted back toward sleep. As sometimes happens specifically at times like those, the thoughts hardest to suppress float innocently to the surface. She had been working at the labor office when Guy picked that particular day to visit. He still couldn't understand why it was that day. Maybe because school had let out early. The teachers hadn't explained, just turned them loose. Maybe because he just wanted to see her. Or maybe, a thought nudged him, maybe he knew. Deep down, maybe he knew it would be the last time he would see her. The labor office was housed in the enormous government building. Its marble facade made it the most intimidating fixture in town. She had spoken of many visits by high ranking state officials as of late, her voice nearly always edged with a certain anxiety. Guy found her in the staff office. She was furiously pounding away at a typewriter. When she saw him, it was as if she didn't recognize him. She didn't say hello, she only lowered her eyes and continued typing. Guy was used to her manner. She was intense by nature, but he wasn't prepared for what had happened next. 'Mother. Are you well?' he had asked. 'Guy! You must go.' Her eyes had darted up for only a moment. She typed a few more lines, then grabbed the sheet of paper and tore it from the machine. As she crossed around to the front of her desk, she grabbed Guy by the shirt. He had turned ten the day before. 'Guy! Now! I want you to go home. Grab one change of clothing. Then go to Nana's. Get Nana to bring Seraph. Then I want you three to meet me back here.' Nana was his aunt. She had been looking after Guy and his sister while their mother worked her recently extended hours. 'Why?' Guy had asked. His mother was nearly out the door. She wheeled about, holding the paper in her hands. 'East has declared war!' she screamed. Guy hadn't understood what that meant entirely, but her fury, her anxiety, her fear, had propelled him to stand. He ran passed her, descending the steps and had just set foot on the pavement when there came a loud whine he had never heard before. As he looked up to locate the source, there was a sharp buzzing of a straining airplane engine. A second later he saw the plane soaring almost straight up into the heavens, the cry of its engine fierce. Then the air caught fire. Guy was thrown across the street into a column of bushes encircling a fountain. Bits of brick and marble rained from the heavens and struck his head and back. He covered his head with his hands, shielding himself from the debris. An awkward sensation in his stomach caused him to heave. As if an invisible string he only recognized the moment when it was being severed. His head was throbbing. He felt an urge to look over his shoulder. When he did, he understood. The entire government headquarters lay in a smoldering ruin. A climactic whack issued against the wall, and then there was silence. Guy rolled over and fell asleep, damning all nightmares past, present and future. When Guy awoke, his eyes were fixed on the chair in the corner. There was another half loaf of bread there. This time with a purple ribbon around it. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his locked door. Someone had come in during the night. Someone with their own key. He dressed and went downstairs. The House was already bustling. He was surprised. It was barely seven. The sun had scarcely peeped over the horizon, and yet as he descended to the landing, ladies were racing about willy nilly. Just then, Charlotte appeared from the proprietor's office. "Mr. Thompson, so nice of you to grace us with your...groggy presence." She hardly acknowledged him at first, but then did a double take. "And my, don't you clean up nice." The hint of a smile crossed her lips. As if that were an unacceptable sign of some weakness, she made certain to squash it. "Ladies! Back to work." She pointed at the woman who had yesterday asked Guy his name. "Eyes on the dirt!" As she exited toward the dining parlor she called out, "We shall be ready to entertain guests in one week!" Guy had to admit, aside from the work he had yet to do, the place was looking pretty good. There was hardly any dust to speak of, the floors were clean and even the carbon stains had all but disappeared from the walls above the oil lamps. His eye fell on the caking plaster. That would be his chore for the day. At noon, Lua came through, slapped Guy on the shoulder and made him come in for lunch. When he had seated himself at the long table, the women filtered in around him. He was surrounded by nine of them, each in what he thought were probably the most ratty clothes he had ever laid eyes on. Lua served eggs and bacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Today was no different. The women groaned and began prodding their food. For his part, Guy had not yet had a chance to tire of the lack of choice and hungrily dug in, content enough to be eating at all. Lua noted it, addressing the ladies. "Should be like Thomp-SON. Now, he know good protein-rich meal when he eat it!" This brought a few moans from the women, but they otherwise ate quietly. A woman on the end finished and rose hastily. She addressed Lua. "I will take The Jewel her food now." The women looked up and waited for Lua's response. Lua nodded. Guy glanced about himself. The Jewel? Was that another name for the Lord of the House? He went back to eating. As Guy ate he couldn't help but steal occasional looks at the women around him. If not simply because there was nothing else to look at. He noticed that although their dresses were horrendously sloppy and ragged, the women who occupied them all appeared quite cleanly. Their hair had begun to shine, no longer appeared rat chewed, falling straight or sitting in tight, neat buns atop their heads. He looked down to spoon up the last of his eggs, and noticed the two women's hands on either side of him. Their fingers were spotless, and aside from the day's doings, even their fingernails appeared manicured, albeit closely trimmed. "Deception is an important business piece before one opens her doors to the public, Mr. Thompson." Guy looked up to see Charlotte standing in the entry way between the parlor and the lobby. "I see you have noticed some subtle changes in our ladies' appearance." It was plain to Guy this woman missed nothing. "Lua had the bathhouse operating much sooner than I anticipated, as I see you yourself have discovered." Lua looked at Guy and grinned. "You are not the only one who benefits from its renovation." At this a few of the women giggled. "Quiet!" ordered Charlotte. "As I was saying, you will do well to say nothing of what goes on in here. I will be ready to open the doors soon enough. Until that time, it is long-standing customer appointment only. The girls will wear their uglies until then. We do not wish to have the hordes tearing down our doors prematurely, do we now?" Guy had to hand it to her cleverness. Just then the young woman who had left earlier, returned. She was empty-handed. She was examined closely. When the Lord spoke, her voice was low. "Has she taken lunch, or thrown it out again? Do not lie to me." The young woman blushed fiercely, obviously intimidated. "She ate it, madam." The young woman's eyes shot quickly at Guy, as if a strong notion had beckoned them. His eyes shone. The woman suppressed a gasp. Charlotte reached out and took the girl's chin, holding her face close. "Since she has chosen to refuse me admittance to her room, the responsibility for her preparedness rests squarely on you. Do you understand?" The young woman nodded, turning quickly a deeper shade of crimson. Guy watched through the top of his eyes, becoming more intrigued by this 'Jewel', by the minute. He was careful to look like he was eating, not eavesdropping. "That means if she is not healthy, prepared and vastly rested, you will suffer. And my dear, I assure you my wrath is not kind. Understand?" A timid nod answered. "See that the water you bring for her bath is hot." Another nod, the young woman's eye downcast now. If Charlotte were speaking to anyone else she might have grinned, knowing how much fear this woman held for her, but because of the gravity of the situation, her manner was quite serious. In fact, beneath the facade it was the Lord of the House who appeared terrified. She must have some investment holed up in that mysterious room at the end of the hall. For his part, Guy had an inherent quality he didn't even fully recognize in himself. He could see in people, the true emotions hidden behind their deceptive veils. He saw with ease Charlotte's trepidation. Her anxiety. His head lifted involuntarily toward the ceiling, as if he might see through the floor to that forbidden room. A feeling he had not had in many years surfaced. It was wonder. And the wonder was burgeoning. Soon after, Charlotte left. Guy was beginning to stand when the woman next to him dumped her eggs onto his plate. He looked at her and she grinned sheepishly, biting her newly manicured index nail. "I can't," he began, but she interrupted him. "Miss Lua, I think Mr. Thompson is going to get up without finishing his eggs." Lua's head shot up from her food. She pointed at Guy with her spoon. "I made for you. You eat!" "But, I..." "Tut-tut! You need be big, strong for work all day. One week. You hear Charlotte. Eat!" Guy sighed and gave a sharp look at the grinning woman beside him. He spooned up some more eggs. Truth of the matter, he was still hungry, so he ate. Ironically, just as he finished the girl to his left immediately dumped her eggs onto his plate. The plate had hardly been touched. So once again his plate was brimming with scrambled yellows and whites. Guy looked up quickly, sure Lua had noticed. But, she had her chin fastened to her neck, pecking at her own food like a chicken pecks at the dirt. Guy looked between the two women. They were grinning with teeth bared. He tried to smile, but didn't understand their game. He started to stand, but Lua looked up. "You try to insult me? Sit down!" She shook her head and went back to pecking. Guy's jaw dropped. He didn't want to upset Lua, but didn't she see what they were doing? He sighed once more and slowly scooped up an egg. It was beginning to look less like the delicacy it started as. The woman to his right leaned over slightly. "Now, you know what it's like to eat eggs all the time," she whispered. Guy smiled. Now it made sense. He looked at the woman. She grinned at him, her face young. Almost, beautiful. He looked around himself more freely. He suddenly began to see them all in a new light. They were all looking at him, some smiling shyly, others grinning openly, waiting for him to eat another plate of their amply dreaded feast. He chuckled in spite of himself. Lua looked up. "Good." She looked down. Guy returned their gaze, one by one. Beyond the rags, they each held a subtle charm. Yes, that was the word. Charm. Some were plainly beautiful, but Charlotte had done such a job of covering it up, Guy had not noticed until that moment. He finished his food and this time jumped up plate in hand, so abruptly the entire table broke into laughter, Lua guffawing the loudest. Guy gaped at her. "You were in on it!" Lua rocked back and forth, her white teeth gleaming as she grinned. "Time for work, Mr. Thomp-SON!" The plastering was easy work, but it was tedious. The compound had to be kept wet but not so wet that it slid down the walls. There was a fine line between the two. It took Guy a while to get the hang of it, winging it, but soon he was in a steady rhythm. He finished patching three hours later. Charlotte was behind him as he stood, admiring his work. "Good. This shall do nicely." Guy took pride in her compliments, as hard a woman as she. In that way, she reminded him of his mother. He decided to see if she would converse. "Say, I noticed some strange patterns on the walls, in the places where the plaster had fallen away. And over there," he pointed, "there were some interesting designs where the papering had peeled off. Was this always a...whorehouse?" Charlotte shot him a quick look. "Don't mind that!" Guy sensed something in her manner. He quickly changed the subject. "I think I'll head into town and get some papering to cover the plaster," he said. "Trouble is going to be finding something to match the paper that's already on the walls." Charlotte waved him off. "That will not be necessary. Leave things of the decorative nature to me. What I would like you to do is install the new beds I had delivered." He nodded, still curious as he descended the staircase. The beds were a big step up from the rusted metal cots. For one, they were aluminum framed, and the boxes were of lacquered pine. Guy picked up a frame and started up the steps. A familiar voice stopped him. "Hey you, fella," came the voice, followed by an awful snort. Guy turned to see Casper Evers standing at the edge of the lot. He seemed hesitant about coming any closer. Guy frowned inwardly, then nodded. "Afternoon, Mr. Evers," he said, kindly enough. Casper seemed disarmed by Guy's amiable greeting. After a moment though, the gears clicked and he recovered. "Yeah. Uh, so you believe I can get in there see my girl?" Guy sighed to himself. He set the frame down, and not wanting to make an enemy, turned to face Evers. "I don't know, Mr. Evers. You gotta ask the Lord." At this point, Charlotte appeared high on the steps. She called out to Guy. "Mr. Thompson. I haven't all day." Guy noted a distinct change in Casper's posture. As if a large, winged creature were descending on him. "And if it ain't the bitch who says so," he cried. Guy glanced over his shoulder at the Lord of the House. She had her hands on her hips. Guy reached down and picked up the frame and started toward the House. "Well, fuck it," Casper groaned as he turned and stomped away. As he climbed the steps, Guy found Charlotte glaring distantly. "You'd do well to ignore that beast," she stated flatly. She looked out past Guy, over the town. "When this establishment re-opens, it will no longer cater to the underbelly of this town. It will maintain a certain class." She looked back at Guy, her eyes piercing. "Both, of its staff as well as its clientele." With that, she stepped inside and disappeared into the proprietor's office. It was nearly done and Guy was exhausted. The beds had been a chore; lugging the frames and boxes up the steps, up the staircase and into each room to assemble, then removing the corroded cots, each twice as heavy as the replacements. It was well into the evening that he was laboring away on the last frame, when a young woman entered the room. Guy glanced up at she entered. She sat down on the stool near him and watched. She was silent a while before finally speaking. "How old are you?" Guy heard Lua's words echo around in his head. He continued working, acting as if he hadn't heard the question. The young woman fidgeted and from the corner of his eye Guy could see her dress had bunched under her upon the stool. He could see a good deal of her thigh. His mind went to a place where thoughts of this nature were meant to be harbored, to cultivate. But in Guy's mind, those thoughts quickly discovered the place abandoned. The notion slipped from him just as quickly. He worked. "We got to try on our new dresses today!" Her voice was merry. "They're so lovely. Mine is pink with ribbons and butterscotch lace." Her voice trailed as she rose. She trounced about the room. "I'm Ani, by the way." Guy smiled quickly, but didn't speak. "Oh! It's been so long since we got to be beautiful! It shall be such a joy to receive the men like that." It occurred to Guy she was in her own world, parading around in the rags, as if she had fallen out of a fairy tale and didn't realize she where she was. The image of Guy's young sister tore into his mind and for a moment he couldn't see the frame, his tools, the room, anything. Only her. He had shared a birthday with her the day before chaos descended on their world. Had shared his birthdays with her for each of ten years he had been alive. And that was where she was fixed in his mind. She had been eleven. It was the last time he had seen her. Guy overcame his reverie and stood. Misery was yet another emotion that slipped furtively through his mind, unable latch hold. He slid the box onto the frame and left the room. The young woman looked after him curiously. The week passed, the doors to be thrown open the following day. The mood of the House was feverish. There seemed to be a never-ending line of women leading from the bathhouse, and Guy had had to repair the stove in his room just to get a bath. Charlotte had made good on her decorative promises. The walls were now doused in cascading volumes of billowing fabrics, laces and ribbons. It was a striking change. One that Guy felt completed the effect of a House of Pleasure. Someone else's pleasure, of course. Guy sealed himself in his room for the evening and took a quick bath. Standing in the tiny wash basin, he found himself missing the bathhouse greatly. When he had finished he shivered into his freshly laundered johns. He drew a breath. The air smelled richly of perfume, all traces of mold either masked or displaced. He walked to the oil lamp to extinguish the flame bathing the room in darkness, but for the window. He walked to it and peered out. It was difficult to discern much through the thick layer of dirt that clung to the glass, but a room across from his in the U-shaped House had its curtains pulled aside. What drew his attention was the intensity of the light cast off from inside the room. While he gazed down, he saw familiar figures pass the window. They seemed to be dancing, tossing face powder into the air. Suddenly, a figure appeared at the window. Guy felt the air being sucked from his lungs. His knees began shaking violently, nearly buckling. His cheeks flushed hotly, a tingling sweat coursed down his chin to his neck then consumed his body. His mind was at a loss to keep up. His eyes could not comprehend the vision. A face seemingly so unhindered by time...by anything. The chin lifted and the eyes sought contact with his. The piercing emerald orbs stared into him and possessed him. Guy felt a vibration, the trembling of lips on his soul. The vibration transformed into a whisper. We Must. We Shall. Guy fell back from the window onto his bed as if shoved by an unseen force. His arms, fingers, legs shook but not from the cold. It was something else. Something infinitely more mysterious and powerful. He could sleep a thousand years, but never be so awake. The face had breathed life into his dusty, forgotten spirit. Guy struggled to his feet and gazed once more out the window. The room across from his was dark. He woke. Had he slept? The night was a myriad of bent, inverted images all facing one another, reflecting themselves back, in an endless game of confused tag. Like a diamond surrounded by other diamonds. Dreams, fractures of memories. His mother. His sister. His home. Suddenly, a fountain of emotion welled from within. Tears leapt into his eyes and danced off his cheeks. He had not cried in so long, the man had nearly forgotten the very sensation and it surprised him. The pain of loss came in all its glaring perfection. Pristine, intrusive, and strangely welcome. Like a diamond. A jewel. Out of the glittering darkness his vision slowly cleared. His skin drank the moisture of pain and tears. In their wake wandered in a craving. A desperate hunger that demanded new satisfaction. When Guy came to, the daylight shone through his window. Out of reflex he looked there first, not surprised at the late hour but at what he might see. What he saw was a typical day going through its motions of dawning. His eyes fell upon the chair. It was unoccupied. Jewel of Lust He sat down at the long table, barely able to fit himself at the end, the ladies' billowing dresses increasing their girths considerably. Lua entered with the giant wok of eggs and set them in the middle. She wedged herself in at the end across from Guy. It was clear by the look in her eyes, he was in for trouble. "Wakey, wakey! Mr. Thomp-SON, you sleep so soundly, you not hear Charlotte calling for you." Guy's eyes shot up from his plate. "Oh no. Really?" The table was suddenly racked with guffaws. Lua choked on her eggs, not expecting her victim to take so easily. "Nope," she replied simply, then broke down in another fit of giggles. Guy slumped in his seat. He was drained. The alarm, however false, swept his appetite away. Then again, had he been hungry? He pushed his plate forward a few inches and stared down. "Not gonna eat?" Lua had flecks of yellow at the corners of her mouth. Guy shook his head. It ached. We Shall. The whisper seemed to rise from the table. Guy looked at the young woman sitting beside him. "What?" She looked at him curiously, her mouth working. She cocked her head. "What?" "Did you say something?" A mischievous grin formed itself on her lips. "Me? No." She went back to eating, the grin never dissipating. Guy's eyes darted about himself, around the table. They all wore the same grin, all except Lua. Guy started to rise, but suddenly felt a hand on his leg pressing downward, staying him. He looked at the woman. She immediately looked away. Guy followed her gaze to a youngish girl across the table. She said something with her eyes, was trying to, but Guy shook his head. He had no idea what she wanted. The hand that gripped his leg moved. It curled over his thigh, in between his legs near his crotch. Guy caught his breath and stared hard with surprise. The pounding in Guy's head gained tension momentarily, then suddenly it was gone. The creases at the edges of his eyes softened. He felt strange. Reborn. The woman ventured farther with her hand. Her eyes she kept on her plate. She resumed eating but it was clear where her focus was as she slowly worked her hand down into and through Guy's pants. He stiffened instantly at her touch. The hand made a further push, now firmly grasping his cock. Strangely, the embarrassment, the nervousness, the apprehension were without. Guy drew a long breath and exhaled slowly. A mysterious heat emanated from the woman's hand and seemed to seep into his glans. Guy felt his stomach tighten and his testicles shift and tingle. A sudden shiver took Guy by surprise and he bit his lip. The hand quickly enveloped the head of his swelling penis, and just like that, he came. Guy grabbed the side of the table and clenched it until the throes of orgasm faded. He thought he could hear a crackling noise inside his head, like the sound of soap bubbles popping. And then his mind was clear. All reservation returned and Guy looked down just as the young woman was removing her hand from within his trousers. His eyes were wide with shock and embarrassment as he gazed upon a large pool of semen resting in her palm. Guy stared in confusion as the woman passed her hand until the table and poured the contents of her palm into the waiting hand of the woman next to her! The ritual continued all the way around the table, ceasing when all of the women save Lua had wet their hand with his ejaculate. Their eyes were aglow. Each of the women looked serenely at Guy, expressions betraying a curious look of self-satisfaction. Of triumph. Suddenly, The Lord, Charlotte entered the room and all faces were promptly cast down. Even Guy, afraid for the mask of embarrassment he wore, dropped his eyes to the untouched plate before him. Charlotte was dressed in a stunning, tight red blouse with ornate orange and yellow flowers woven into the fabric. Her dress pants matched, the light material swaying as she moved. Aside from her hard features, she appeared solemn. "Ladies. It is time. Finish eating, and be ready to receive the men. Mr. Thompson, if you are finished, please accompany me to the landing." Guy rose to his feet and numbly followed. She opened the door slightly. Already a dozen men were lined up, some with hats in-hand and fists full of hard-earned cash, eagerly awaiting the grand opening. Guy then noticed two rather large men standing at the door. "These gentlemen are to see that procedure is followed. This is Charles and this is...I'm sorry, your name?" "Sligh," came the brusque baritone. "There you have it," said Charlotte. Guy shook hands with the two men. "I have already explained to them your duties so as to allow you unimpeded comings and goings, Mr. Thompson." She paused a moment gazing out over the crowd before continuing. "It is possible, Mr. Thompson, that I have taken a liking to you. You seem to me a moral man. A man who prides himself on resisting the foolish temptations of immoral men." Guy swallowed hard. "Someone worthy of my trust. With the start of regular business, Lua will be busy with the ladies full-time. I will need someone to keep an eye on," a sweeping gesture, "everything else. I would like to offer you the position of House Manager. You will still be responsible for maintenance and upkeep, of course." Guy must have been silent too long for Charlotte's liking. "The pay increase is the incentive, you realize?" Guy took a deep breath. He couldn't focus on the importance of this offer. Point of fact, he could not focus at all. His mind swirled amid a cloudy daze. The word survival kept bobbing at the surface, but its meaning could not be found. He shrugged. "OK." Charlotte was taken aback by his indifference, but she recovered. "Have I been mistaken in offering you my trust?" Guy's reply was crisp. "I shan't think so," he said flatly. Charlotte decided the sun must be getting to one or the other of them. She concluded the meeting with a clap of her hands. "Now, your first order of business is to observe." With that she raised her hands and addressed the sizable gathering at the foot of the steps. "Gentlemen! Is that what we shall call you?" There was an excited chorus of laughter from her audience below. "Good. For those of you new to The Diamond Mine, welcome." Guy woke from his reverie. He slid from the passenger side of the stagecoach in his mind to the driver's. At last, he regained control of the reins. The Diamond Mine. Had he heard that name before...hadn't he dreamt of a jewel of some sort? Charlotte went on. "For those of you who were guests of the Jade Palace, you shall find our new establishment far more welcoming. I am Charlotte Powers, Lord of the House. Before we open I will quickly tell you how this operation will be conducted." A man in overalls spat on the first step and interrupted Charlotte. "Just let us in for 'em girls!" His bellow was met with a few grunts of agreement. Guy watched as Charlotte leaned over and spoke quietly to the doormen. "See that he does not get in until he has learned some manners." The two men nodded, fixing their gaze on the man, who now stood anxiously. "As I was saying, there are a few ground rules. First of all, and most importantly, to gain entry all guests must first visit the bathhouse located at the edge of the lot." Several groans issued from the crowd. A few cursed in protest. The mood was becoming slightly tense. Guy was amazed by the Lord's audacity. She continued. "The bath is free gentlemen. "When you are clean, and that goes for all cracks and crevices, my men will admit you. And do not try to fake your cleanliness. I can smell many of you from here." A few chuckles arose and the tension was eased, though it was far from dissipated. Guy saw Casper step nervously from the crowd, scratching his jaw uneasily. "What about The Jewel?" His voice was hoarse. Charlotte thought a moment, then decided to address his query. "Certainly, I need not explain procedure as relates to possession of The Jewel. Her reputation precedes her. But I shall, so we may avoid confusion. "The Jewel will be presented at 4 o'clock pm, at which time men may make silent bids to the House Manager, Mr. Thompson." She touched Guy's arm. "The highest bidder will have the pleasure of accompanying The Jewel to her private parlor." A series of whoops lit from the crowd along with a mew guttural expressions. "And you, sir," Charlotte said, addressing Casper directly, "are not permitted, now or ever." Casper's eyes seemed on the point of leaping from his skull. He flew into a fury, kicking the dirt and shoving men aside. Quite directly, he began stomping up the steps. Guy saw him reach into his pants where a bow knife was tucked. "Why you bitch, I'll cut your throat!" He had climbed less than a third of the way when a pair of shotguns leveled at his approach. Guy took a nervous step sideways. He had not noticed the guns resting behind the doormen when they first stepped out onto the porch. Casper raised his hands gingerly and stopped dead in his tracks. Charlotte, in a challenge to her sanity, took five steps down, coming close enough to Casper to have her guts spilled. She spoke slowly to the crowd, though her piercing glare was on Casper. "Be there no mistake, I am well within my right to have you killed where you stand. You are on my property, and are unwelcome." She raised her address to the crowd at-large. "If at any time, any one of you overstays his welcome, my men will ask that you expedite your own removal. If you should find difficulty in doing so, they will assist you. If you refuse further, you will removed and consequently barred for a month. "Further, if any one of my ladies is harmed while in your company, you will be removed and barred for a month. If there are repeated complaints on your person, you will be barred, period. As in the case of Mr. Evers, who has made a rather disgusting reputation for himself. Shall I elaborate, Mr. Evers?" Casper's eyes turned a bitter gray as his cheeks flushed. "Please remove yourself from this property and do not set foot on it, henceforth." He was slow to animate, then finally he turned, his body seemingly sunken in upon itself. Casper Evers stumbled down the steps and disappeared into the crowd. "That is that. "Bathe gentlemen! Then the House is yours!" Men clamored over one another in an all-out scramble for the bathhouse. Charlotte turned and looked at Guy. His eyes were wide, a mix of anxiety and awe shining beyond their pale blue. It must have been a look Charlotte recognized as his return to self. "Good to have you back with us, Mr. Thompson." She grinned and led the way back in doors. Guy could not help but ask. "Pardon my saying so, but won't you be running yourself out of business, making so many demands of those fellows?" Charlotte laughed. Without turning around she said, "For pussy, Mr. Thompson, man would climb to the moon if there were a ladder." Guy could not help but shiver to hear Charlotte utilize that part of a woman's anatomy is such a turn. "Make yourself a fly on the wall, Mr. Thompson. I want you to see how things work. Observe Lua. She will show you. Oh, and perhaps if you are around at 4 o'clock, you will have the pleasure of a real show." On this, she turned back. "But, do not look too close. If the bidders don't gut you, your emotions may." With that, she disappeared into the proprietor's office. A tremor rumbled through Guy's abdomen. Lua was standing behind the manager's screen. She beckoned him. "Come, come. Don't be nervous. She love the power. Never have the beauty, but she have the next best thing. Maybe the best thing, really. She drunk with the stuff." Guy slipped behind the screen and latched the door. He looked down at Lua. She was sifting money into the register. "What power is that?" asked Guy. Lua grinned. "You too young to understand it. But someday soon you gonna." She seemed to think a moment. "Hmm. You can call it Pussy Power." Lua laughed so hard tears leapt to her eyes. Guy did not feel like laughing. He was quite certain he had bitten off more than he could chew. What's more, something was happening inside him. Something he felt, should it continue unabated, he might not be able to control. The first day progressed easily enough. Charlotte had been right about the men. They complied with her requests at bathing and passed obediently by the gun-wielding doormen. There were a few attempts to circumvent the bathhouse altogether, but Charlotte's men were efficient at executing her desires. The 'Dirties' as Charlotte called them, were turned away with word or with force, which ever was required. Guy stood behind the screen and watched. A man made his pick and the woman led him to Lua behind the screen. When he paid, the woman led her guest up to a room to have his desires fulfilled. Guy admired Lua more all the time. She was as clever as they came, and the lessons she taught him were subtle, yet invaluable. "Always remember your guests. You must recognize every man who walk through door." "Why is that?" "I show you." Her eyes passed quickly over the room. "OK, OK. See that man talking to Liana? Lua pointed. The man was a redhead with a ghostly complexion. "He look sick. Some kinda man you no want ladies to be doing nothing with, yes?" Guy nodded. He had to admit, the man looked like he was standing at death's door, his color so pale. "Truth be," said Lua, "he work in mine." "A lot of the men work the mines, though," amended Guy. "Yes. But he certain type of skin that go whiter than others with no sun to tan it. I see him now long time, and he always that color. Talk to man at market, he say he that way years ago, too. So, now I know. I see he just ghost. I no go kicking white ass out of House." Lua gnashed her teeth and chuckled. "Must be hard to remember them all," said Guy. "Not so hard. Small things, keep note in you head." Lua tapped her temple with her index and middle fingers. "If you be one of these men, I say to self: 'Remember young man with deepest blue eyes. Eyes like ocean'." Guy smiled, his strong white teeth showing. "OK, I understand." Lua also taught him to keep track of how men spent, how often they came in, their personalities. All these were important things the doormen could miss, and could mean danger for the ladies. If a man spent a lot, and showed up often, then all the sudden the money went dry for one reason or another, it did not mean he would stop wanting to quench certain needs. Usually, that sort of man became a problem. "They think you going to treat them special because they spend much be-FORE. So when the money go bye-bye, they come in trying to get handout. They pay for hand job, when used to buy whole package. Then, take lady upstairs and try to do rest for free. Pretend, they don't know better! They know better. So you watch out for those things." Lua was a fountain of knowledge when it came to behavioral patterns. Her observations made her even more comical, too. "My ladies no need to tell me when man they with into kinks. I know when he walk in door." She scanned the room as Guy listened, enthralled. "Oh, yes, yes," she said pointing excitedly. "Purfick, purfick example. See man with Lila?" Guy looked up. He was not sure who Lila was, but then spotted the tiny young woman at the end of Lua's pointing finger. He nodded. "Many men pay for her so they can touch virgin woman. She never been with the penis, but today in for crazy time, yes, yes. Watch!" The man had his hand clenched into a fist. He kept touching different places on his fist and telling Lila kiss him there. Then he would take his handkerchief and wipe his lips and do it all over again. Lila wore the same obedient smile, and kissed his fist each time he chose a place. Just then, the man grabbed her by the hand. He suddenly seemed terribly eager. He led her across the room and up the stairs. Lua pulled a timepiece from her sleeve. "Humm. I say three minute." Lua pointed out a few more men who she supposed were fetishists, but because they were not making any overt, unusual requests of the ladies who sat with them, Guy was not so sure. Three minutes later a door slammed upstairs and floating down the stairs in great haste, came Lila. Clamoring after her, trying to get his shirt buttoned, was the man who had paid for her. Lila came straight to Lua, who was suppressing her patented grin. "He tried to shove his whole fist inside me!" Lila shot a glance over her shoulder, and then dashed around the side of the screen trying to avoid her guest. For his part, the man strode directly to Lua. "I demand a refund. I paid for a woman's company, and hardly received it. I shall have my money back, immediately." Guy recognized him as a bank teller from the First Local Bank. The man glanced at Guy. They both quickly averted eyes. Lua was gentle. "Oh, that is so terrible, sir. But, one big nice fist for such little lady? I'm afraid not too possible. You agree? No refund, but..." She looked beyond him. "Ag-NES!" A large woman lifted herself from a chair and approached. "Here, Mister. Agnes fit one, even two fist if you like." The man turned and gawked at the hefty Agnes. He seemed to consider the proposal as he looked her up and down. He then turned to Lua and gave a sharp nod. He immediately grabbed the surprised Agnes by the wrist and led her upstairs. Lua sighed. "Another satisfy customer." Guy shook his head. Lua turned her attention to the young woman. "It's OK, now. Go mingle. Find you a smaller man, smaller hand." She laughed at her joke. The young Lila moved away, but not without making the mistake of retort. "I ain't ready to be a damn popsicle." For all Lua's gentleness, she was the matron. And that was the point where her pleasant nature had its limits. "Lila! Get fuck back here!" Guy was startled at the venom in her speech. Lila's posture sank and turned back obediently, a look of regret firmly planted in the furrow between her brows. Lua's voice was low, but lacked no power. "You do what you told, or so help me, tomorrow morning, I put you on mule and sell you to whorehouse on north coast. You know about north coast House? No rule in those Houses. Many sailor, many disease, dying..but ohhh, lot of popsicle sticks! In one month you be with child, while one those virus start eating your ovaries, then gobble up baby, then you! You like sound of that, then act up again! Understand me?!" Lila was as white as the ghostly man from the mine. She nodded, trembling. "Good," said Lua. "Now go receive Mr. uh, Lyles. He wait for nice young woman to talk to." Lila turned thankfully and rushed away, here eyes all but brimming with tears. Lua turned to Guy, all semblance of anger vanished. "You must be tough, Thomp-SON." She giggled sweetly and turned her attention to a new guest. "Pussy special! All you can eat! Two dolla!" 4 o'clock came and the air was laden with anxiety. Guy sat on a stool, his feet up on a block. Lua had just opened bidding for The Jewel. The entire town's men, married or not, must have made their way to the House and were now crowded in the lobby. Guy looked on in utter amazement at the vastness of the crowd. The doormen were earning their keep. The mood of the room was calm, all bodies more or less clean, apart from their clothing. As each man stepped up to the screen, Lua pushed forward a slip of paper and a piece of lead to write with. The man scrawled his bid and Lua committed the number and corresponding name to her list. Soon all the men had bid and were eagerly awaiting the announcement. Guy glanced over Lua's shoulder, as she ran a finger down the list scanning for the highest number. She announced the names of seven men. These seven had all bid highest, writing the same number, and were now to take part in a bid-off. The remaining men, grumbling and/or quiet, stuck around to catch a glimpse of The Jewel, which was rumored to be an event in itself, and of course, to see the lucky fool who'd be claiming the rights to her.