Marriage

by Charles Arnold

  Frederick calmed.

  “If Satomi gives you to my uncle, Mrs. Ryan, you will be eager to lick Jamie’s spunk. You will learn to lap it up like a dog, then sit beside me and lick my hand in gratitude. I would dearly like to have another pet, Mrs. Ryan. I want it to be you.”

  From out of the shadows the two female servants appeared. “They will take you to your quarters,” Frederick said. “Follow them like an obedient dog, Mrs. Ryan, on all fours.

  Back in her room, they bathed Kathy again and gave her a strong sedative. She slept but was visited by strange dreams. It seemed for a space of time there were figures in her room, shadowy, indistinguishable and someone speaking. A low but distinct voice kept repeating a phrase over and over. She felt herself forming the same words but not hearing herself say them. What the words were, she didn’t know or immediately forgot. Later there was music, not music exactly but five discordant notes. These, too, were repeated until they lulled her into a deep restless sleep.

  Chapter Six – Choices

  The next afternoon, the same two black servants awakened Kathy. After she’d taken another hot bath, they massaged her body for two hours. Neither of them spoke. They rubbed a variety of ointments into her skin and carefully injected a healing salve into her anal passage and spread it over her nipples. As they left, Ms. Foster entered. Kathy sat, naked, at the dressing table. The gaunt woman stood before her. “Doctor Gruber was pleased with your performance, as were his guests. Frederick was especially taken with you.”

  Remembering Frederick, the skeleton-like sadist with the horrible pockmarked face sent a shudder through her body. She recalled his dog and the tall mindless Negro. Then there was all that crazy talk about wanting to make her a pet like the dog. ‘My God,’ she thought, ‘Frederick was worse, much worse, than any of the others’! She looked up at Ms. Foster, “He’s insane, isn’t he?”

  “Why of course, but don’t think for a minute that makes any difference.” Ms. Foster pointed to the array of cosmetics on the table. “Make yourself look desirable. Wear the street clothes you had on when you arrived but no stockings, panties, or bra. In one hour you are to meet with the Doctor. I will return to take you to him.” Without waiting for a response, she left. Kathy heard a key turn in the lock.

  Exactly one hour later Mrs. Foster returned. She observed Kathy critically, “Good,” she said. “You look like the highly educated, wealthy, sophisticated woman you really are.” Kathy was about to thank her but Mrs. Foster held up her hand and continued, “But you are not quite what you appear to be, isn’t that right, Mrs. Ryan? Last evening we witnessed not what you are but what you are in the process of becoming.” Kathy didn’t answer. Mrs. Foster continued to look at her. A thin smile crossed her lips. “Yes, you’re an interesting woman, Mrs. Ryan. A work in progress.” Kathy felt the color rise to her cheeks. Mrs. Foster abruptly turned toward the door, “Follow me. Before your interview with the Doctor, I’ve been instructed to show you something.”

  They went single file down a long dark hallway at the back of the mansion. At its end, Mrs. Foster unlocked a heavy oak door. Kathy followed her down a dimly lit pair of stone steps to a damp basement level. Another hall entered into a brightly lit room. The walls were formed of cut stone. Thick dark planking covered the ceiling. In the center of the room were two joined cages. In one stood Negra. As soon as Kathy entered, he began to whimper and claw at the wire of his cage. In the corner of the cage Kathy noticed the cloth she’d given him last night. “He knows the smell of your cunt,” Mrs. Foster said. “The animal wants you, Mrs. Ryan,” the older woman said dryly.

  Kathy was about to turn away, but Mrs. Foster grabbed her arm and drew her closer to the empty cage. It was separated from Negra’s enclosure by a partition made of the same crisscross wires as the cages. It differed from Negra’s only in that there was a plastic covered mattress on the floor. Near the back corner of each cage a hole had been opened in the cement floor. “Toilets,” Mrs. Foster said. “Negra has been trained to urinate and defecate on his morning and afternoon exercise runs, but if he needs to go when he’s here, he’s learned to use his toilet.”

  “But why...” Kathy began.

  “Why have I brought you here?” Mrs. Foster interrupted. “I’ve brought you here to show you the cages; one occupied by the dog, the other empty.” She turned back toward to stairs motioning for Kathy to follow. “The Doctor will explain,” she said. Behind her, Kathy could hear the dog whimpering and clawing at his cage.

  She followed Ms. Foster along a different hallway to Doctor Gruber’s study. Like the other rooms she’d seen, heavy damask drapes were drawn over the windows. To her right, a fire blazed in the huge stone fireplace. The walls were lined with books. Behind a massive oak desk sat the cadaverous Doctor looking even paler and thinner than she’d remembered. His long white fingers were clasped together on the desktop. His dark eyes appraised her. He nodded toward a chair that faced the desk. Trying to hide her fear, she sat adjusting her skirt over her bare knees and keeping her legs pressed together. Gruber permitted himself a weary smile, “Modesty becomes you, Mrs. Ryan. Even though you’ve been forced to degrade yourself in unimaginable ways, you’ve remained a lady. Others, like yourself, quickly turn into sluts. Since Mr. Satomi has no use for sluts, they tend to disappear.” He nodded in approval. “It’s easy to see why he values you.” Gruber paused, continuing to stare at her until she lowered her eyes. “Indeed,” he said, “you are an essentially modest young lady and an exceptionally beautiful one...two fine qualities.” He leaned forward, “I have also noticed that, in spite of all their efforts at the Facility, they have not broken your spirit, have they?”

  Kathy looked up, but said nothing. “At your trial,” Gruber continued, “you were so determined to avoid being given to Abul, you managed to fool Mr. Satomi.” He paused again, clicking his long fingernails against the polished desktop. Kathy recalled the cold, waxy taste of his fingers in her mouth. “Of course, Mr. Satomi now realizes your submissive behavior at the trial was a clever pretense. He understands why you would employ desperate measures to keep from becoming the property of Abul.” He leaned toward her, “But Mr. Satomi is a proud man. You are the only one of his subjects who managed to deceive him.” Kathy lowered her head trying to suppress a smile. Gruber noticed. “Ah, Mrs. Ryan, do not indulge yourself. Believe me, we will break your spirit.”

  Kathy lifted her head, “Yes, doctor, you might...with force or drugs.”

  “Certainly. In fact, we did once. Do you remember the night Abul, your former limousine driver, was sent to your house in order to obtain your contract?”

  Kathy was vaguely aware that Abul had come to her house and that Miko was also there. She recalled needles and Miko’s voice. After that, her mind was a blank. She remembered that there were needles again on her first night at the Facility and later Miko told her something about being drugged and hypnotized. But she had no recollection of anything else. “Abul was in my house. I didn’t want him there. He brought with him the Korean woman named Miko. That’s all I remember.”

  “Well, it’s probably best that you have no memory of what happened after Miko injected you. Incidentally, I prepared the drugs. On a one-to-ten point scale that drug would rate a four. I have others that are at least a ten. Jamie, your mindless friend of last night, has experienced them. So, Mrs. Ryan, we could use drugs that would completely destroy your will. We could quite easily turn the very bright, very independent Mrs. Ryan into Frederick’s obedient pet and Negra’s companion.”

  “No!” Kathy shouted, “You wouldn’t! You couldn’t. That’s like murder!”

  “You are quite correct. The Mrs. Ryan I see sitting before me would no longer be. Her splendid body would not change. Her trained mouth and sphincter and cunt would be the same. But the bright eyes would be blank. The intelligent mind would be empty.” He waited a moment wanting her to realize the full meaning of what he’d said. “However, Mr. Satomi will not permit such measures, at least n
ot immediately. He does believe that, with Frederick’s help, I might succeed even without the drugs. Neither Frederick nor I want to employ drugs. Mindless creatures like Jamie, no matter how well formed, tend to be rather dull. We’d prefer to break your spirit, not destroy your mind.”

  Kathy started to rise, “You mean I’m to be given to you!”

  “That is one of two options Mr. Satomi has asked me to present you with. I assured him that if you were to stay here, within three months you would be as decorative and as docile as one of my sculptures...that you would be quite content to sit at Frederick’s side and lick his hand. That you would be eager to entertain at my parties.” Kathy was about to object but Gruber interrupted, “Last night, without drugs, you were nothing but an object...a lovely receptacle...our little Barbie doll. After a few months with me, that’s exactly what you will become.” He paused and stared at her. “Frederick wants you to be his pet. I like to give Frederick what he desires.”

  Kathy felt he could be right. The lunatic ranting of Frederick last evening were to be taken seriously. Gruber and his insane nephew frightened her more than any men she’d known, more even than Satomi. She sat back, trying to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “You mentioned two options. What is the second one?”

  “Either you agree to submit to my training for a period of three months or you agree to marry Abul.”

  No!” Kathy shouted, her eyes blazing, “I won’t! I won’t agree to either!”

  “Mr. Satomi anticipated that would be your response. If you don’t agree to one of his propositions, then Mr. Satomi has ordered that your sister-in-law be given to me. Apparently, she has proved much more resistant to the training at the Facility than they had anticipated.” Kathy tried to hide the slight flicker of a smile that crossed her lips, but Gruber noticed. “Since she’s such a difficult case, she will be given to me, not for a few months but for as long as Frederick and I have uses for her.”

  “No,” Kathy whispered, as much to herself as to Gruber, “that can’t happen.”

  “I understand this little novitiate, Mary Margaret, is not only extremely pious, but is also quite young and beautiful. They tell me she’s still a virgin. Remarkable! An innocent virgin...very rare in these times, Mrs. Ryan.” He paused. “Of course, when she’s given to me, I will then give her to my dear nephew who will, in turn train her to be Negra’s female companion.” Kathy hung her head, the tears streaking her cheeks. Gruber permitted her to cry for several minutes.

  Finally, he leaned forward again, “I hope Mrs. Ryan, you will choose to spend three months with me. Think of it as a challenge. After ninety days, you will either be Frederick’s pet or the strong willed woman you are at this moment.” His deep-set eyes struck terror to her heart. “Your will against mine,” he said. “Even if you lose, you have nothing to fear from me. I admire my creations and use them for the entertainment of my friends, but have no personal involvement with them.” Kathy was about to accept the challenge, but saw that Gruber had more to say. He smiled, “However, my nephew sees things differently. Should you lose, he will be delighted to acquire a mate for his dog. Make no mistake, you will become the dog’s companion and Frederick’s most obedient pet.” He waited. Kathy said nothing. “If you refuse both choices,” he continued, “that will be the virgin’s fate. Imagine, Mrs. Ryan, how delighted my friends will be to witness what the huge black beast might do to your holy little sister-in-law?”

  “I need time,” Kathy said.

  “I’m afraid you don’t have the luxury of time, Mrs. Ryan. You must choose this afternoon. You should know if you elect to become the wife of Abul, it will be permanent. There will be no possibility of a divorce, ever. Not even after your contract with Mr. Satomi expires. Yours will be a real wedding with all the legal papers signed and the marriage sanctified by God and a priest in a church. Of course you realize as Abul’s wife you’ll not enjoy the privileges that American wives expect. I’m sure you know what your life with Abul would be like. He’s never forgiven you. He never will.”

  Kathy knew he spoke the truth. To marry Abul was out of the question. “If I choose to be given to you, it will only be for the length of the contract, is that right?”

  “Even better, Mrs. Ryan. Mr. Satomi has granted me three months to truly break your spirit. If I haven’t succeeded, you will be returned to his service. If Frederick and I are successful, I can assure you, you will not wish to leave us. Even without drugs, you will have become Frederick’s pet, as devoted to him as Jamie.” He paused, smiling to himself. “In time, you will discover that your sexual needs will increase and intensify. Your life with us, Mrs. Ryan your waking and sleeping hours will be comprised of two things, two passions...nothing else. One of these will be a continuous and compelling need to please Frederick. The other passion will be sexual...a constant craving, and insatiable sexual appetite that fills you night and day with desire. I can guarantee you, Mrs. Ryan, as Frederick’s pet you will cross-unimaginable thresholds of pain and pleasure. You will have learned that these powerful needs can be satisfied only by pets like yourself...by dogs, Mrs. Ryan...by Negra, and the canine pets of our friends.”

  Kathy almost laughed in his face. “That’s absurd. Impossible.” She leaned back and nodded. “Three months, you say?” Kathy was about to agree to his terms.

  “Before you choose, it is only fair that you understand what your life will be like here should our project succeed. I’ve asked Fredrick to join us and together we will describe it as best we can. We wish to be fair. Your final decision, Mrs. Ryan, ought to be an informed one.” He pressed a button on his desk. They sat in silence for a few minutes waiting for Fredrick.

  He entered without glancing at Kathy. “Well, Uncle, has the bitch decided?”

  “Not yet. I’ve told her that together we would give her some sense of what her life would be like should she become a member of our little household.”

  Frederick pulled up a chair next to Doctor Gruber so both men faced Kathy. “You’re too kind, Uncle,” he said.

  Gruber smiled at his nephew then turned to Kathy, “Several weeks ago, Frederick and I watched the tapes from the Facility. For some time, Frederick has been looking for another pet and you struck his fancy. That’s why I persuaded Mr. Satomi to send you here. Your performance last evening was impressive and convinced both of us that you are the woman most suited to our purposes.”

  “Yes,” Frederick said, “we were not at all interested in common sluts. In fact, there are available a number of women like yourself: educated, cultured, rich, women of high social standing that we could have, but you are a challenge. Your spirit needs to be broken. In addition, you are, by far, the most beautiful of the prospects.” He leaned toward her. “It’s important that my new pet be beautiful. It’s important that others envy me because the astonishingly beautiful woman at my side does whatever I tell her no matter how degrading.” He pointed at her legs. “Spread,” he ordered. She parted her knees. Frederick looked at his uncle who nodded. Turning back to Kathy, he said, “Take your skirt off. I want you to show me your cunt.” She glared across at him while feeling the color rise to her cheeks. After a moment, she stood and unbuttoned the skirt, which she pushed down over her hips and then stepped out of. She sat facing the two men. Except for her heels she was naked from the waist down.

  “Do you feel humiliated, Mrs. Ryan?” Gruber asked.

  She sat straight, her knees pressed tightly together, staring defiantly across at the two of them. “Of course,” she said, “I feel humiliated, what else could I feel but humiliated and violated.”

  “But, Mrs. Ryan,” Gruber spoke softly, “Fredrick wants to look at your cunt and I’m sure you will put aside your humiliation in order to please him. Isn’t that so?”

  “No, I won’t...last night, was enough.”

  Doctor Gruber stared at her and tapped his fingernails on the desktop. “By now you must certainly know there are always consequences for disobedience.”

/>   Kathy lowered her eyes, “Yes, I am required to...I mean, yes, Doctor, I wish to please your nephew.” Hesitantly, she parted her legs.

  Fredrick leaned forward. “Move to the front of your chair and spread wider,” he ordered. It was useless to resist. When she was sitting on the chair edge, her legs opened, her pussy fully revealed, Frederick grinned at her, “I want to hear you address me as Master Frederick, Mrs. Ryan, and I want to know if showing me your cunt gives you a perverse pleasure, if displaying your cunt for me excites you.”

  Kathy looked directly at him thinking that he was the ugliest man she’d ever seen, much worse than Abul. She’d only seen him in semi-darkness last night. Here, in daylight, his pockmarked face looked worse than ever. She turned her head away.

  “Look at me, Mrs. Ryan, and answer my question!” his high-pitched voice was almost a screech.

  She turned back to face him. “Yes, Master Frederick, showing myself to you like this excites me.”

  “You are still an arrogant bitch, Mrs. Ryan, but after a few months, uncle and I will have you willing to do anything for a kind word from me and a little pat on the head.”

  Gruber nodded, “Frederick’s right, Mrs. Ryan. But for now you are precisely the woman we’ve been seeking. You’re strikingly beautiful. Both men and women desire you. You are also highly educated with, I believe, two degrees from a prestigious university. You have exquisite taste, a fine sense of style. You are quite wealthy and of the right social class. You meet our standards perfectly, Mrs. Ryan.” Gruber smiled across at her, “You see, my dear, Frederick and I, as well as our select circle of friends, appreciate beauty. We are accustomed to elegance and grace. Since we are all wealthy beyond measure, we devote much of our time to the creation of, what for a better name, we call our amusements. You were the central figure in one last night. However, that was little more than a trial. For several months Frederick has been busy devising more interesting amusements. Of course, they will depend on your choice and upon our subsequent ability to change the way you view yourself and your new place in the world...the way you come to understand your new purpose in life.”