A Tangled Web

Vera could barely stand, let alone walk, but she was lifted up, grabbed by her elbows and frogmarched through the building with her feet dragging behind her, until they reached a large sumptuously decorated room where several people were sat around a large table. She barely had time to register that Xui-Li, Mei-Xing and General Chang were amongst those present before she was thrown to the floor. Bizarrely, her main concern was that she might bleed onto the carpet. However she just lay there, awaiting developments. She was vaguely aware of a pair of shoes just in front of her face.

"And this, comrades, is our spy. This... girl was directly responsible for the disaster at Nan Tung," she heard General Chang announce from where he stood towering over her.

"What have you done to her?" she heard Xui-Li's demand. "Why has she been treated so badly? Could you not have covered her nakedness at the very least?"

"Surely you are not concerned about the welfare of one such as this?" General Chang responded. "Were we not led to believe that your interest in this one was over?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Xui-Li blustered and Vera could tell she was shaken. "I'm sure you only did what you felt was necessary, that you didn't enjoy mistreating her so."

"I did what was needed to get to the bottom of this case. I took whatever steps I felt appropriate. Maybe your concern for the girl is personal rather than humanitarian, and your professed indifference is all part of the tissue of lies that surrounds this matter. We will let the facts speak for themselves. Now, let's see what the girl has to say."  General Chang went to one side returning with a chair, which he placed next to where Vera was sprawled. "Get up, girl, sit on this chair and tell this court your name."

As Vera struggled to her feet General Chang reached down as if to help her but, as he did so, he was able to whisper in her ears.

"Remember, I can have you set free or sent back to the cells. Bear that in mind as you answer, it's in your best interests to cooperate," he hissed.

As Vera sat down her mind raced. She felt scared; she huddled forward in the chair, clamping her hands between her thighs; her physical nakedness only added to the feeling of vulnerability and a very real fear for her life and well-being. General Chang's threats had further unnerved her; what more did he want from her, what more did she have to do to stop this world of pain? What added to the confusion were her tangled allegiances. Xui-Li had seemed sincerely genuinely shocked at her condition, even startled to see her, but wasn't it her note that had brought her here in the first place? Why then her surprise? Furthermore, even in her battered state she had this feeling that she was but a bit player in a much larger game; did it really need all these people to interrogate a spy?

"Now then, what is your name, girl?" General Chang asked once he had got her settled.

"Vera, Vera Talisker."

"Is it not true that you are known by another name, one that someone else gave you?"

"Madam Hong calls me Jun-Nui," Vera said curtly.

"Jun-Nui, Truth-girl. How very appropriate. Now then, when questioned earlier you confessed to being a spy. Is that not also true?"

"Yes, but that was because I was...."

"A simple 'yes' or 'no' will suffice," General Chang cut across her again.

"Why won't you let me explain? What's all this about?" A little spark of defiance blazed within Vera.

"We're not interested in your opinions, your excuses or your attempts to justify yourself, we just want the simple unadorned truth, and, as to what this is all about, I have no need to explain myself to one such as you. It's better that you don't know, that way you won't know what lies to invent," General Chang snapped. "We only want the unadorned truth and the truth is that you are a spy. Once again I ask is this not true?"

"Yes." The defiant spark died and Vera's head dropped again.

"Yes, what? Speak clearly and address the court," General Chang demanded.

"Yes, yes Sir, I'm a spy," Vera confessed.

"A spy must have a master, someone she reports to and your master is Colonel Fortesque, commander in chef of the British forces here. Is that not also the truth?"

Hurt and confused Vera could only nod.

Triumphantly General Chang turned to the council. "This girl before you is a self-confessed spy who deals in secrets, our secrets, and takes them to her lord and master, Colonel Fortesque, the leader of our hated foes. However a spy is nothing without secrets to reveal. Let us see what she has to say on that matter."

"So where do you get the secrets that are your stock in trade?" General Chang turned back to Vera "You go to that house of ill repute, the Pussy Cat Club, don't you?"

"Yes, Sir, I go to the Pussy Cat Club."

"The Pussy Cat Club is a den of iniquity located in the docklands area, pandering to the deviant tastes of the sort of women who prefer the company of other women, rather than that of a man as is right and proper." Again General Chang explained things to the court. "Apparently some of our number, some, perhaps, who should know better, are accustomed to meeting there. Tell us, girl, tell the court, who was it that you met there?"

"Madam Hong, I met Madam Hong, but you know that."

"Indeed, in fact it was Madam Hong who first invited you into the club; without her you would have been stuck outside, was that not so?"

"Yes, but...." Vera started to explain but General Chang once again cut her short.

"And then, having invited you inside, she subjected you to the most appalling abuse, she stripped you naked and paraded you about in front of everybody, forcing you to fight in the pit and humiliating you in front of all and sundry before throwing you out naked into the gutter; is that not so?" General Chang's questions were gently insistent and, in response, this time Vera merely nodded.

"So, your first visit didn't go so well, and most young ladies would have run away with their tail between her legs but not you; despite this cruelty, this depravity, this degradation, you returned for more. Why was that? Why, when they'd been humiliated so, why would anyone possibly even consider going back?  You returned because you were ordered to, because Colonel Fortesque was demanding it."

"Yes, I'd lose my job if I didn't...."

"Your job? Your job as a spy which was to get real intelligence, secrets that could damage us," General Chang prompted.

Vera simply nodded.

"So, despite the abuse, despite the humiliations, you were so desperate to find a way into our inner circle that you came back for more and when you did return Madam Hong took you somewhere else, to a house where you were used as a concubine."

"At first I was at the club but later I was taken to a house, a house where...." Vera wasn't sure what to say, how to describe what had been done to her.

"A house where you were used as a concubine," General Chang repeated.

"A concubine?" Vera queried.

"Yes, a concubine, a woman kept for purely sexual purposes. You were forced to work as a slave and then to offer your body for another's erotic pleasure. Surely that is what happened; how then were you not treated as a concubine? Tell us, who was it that forced you to disgrace yourself like this?"

"It was Xui-Li... err... Madam Hong. But it wasn't like that. It was...." Vera felt she had to explain. General Chang was putting everything in the worst possible light.

"It was exactly like that!" General Chang roared. "You were treated as a servant, serving her meals as if the lowliest kitchen maid. And, when that was over, she abused you for her own erotic pleasure? Do not try to hide the truth, Miss Talisker. Was it not as I said?"

"Yes, but...." Vera tried again to explain.

"Yes, or no, Miss Talisker, yes or no."

"Yes," Vera replied with a sigh.

"So Madam Hong took you to her house, used you as her slave and then performed unnatural acts upon you," General Chang continued. "And all the time you were allowing this because you were spying for Colonel Fortesque, because it enabled you to get close to our inner circle. Such bravery to put up with such perversion; you must have earned yourself a hatful of medals. And then, on the next occasion, this time you didn't need to find a way in, you were actually invited, is that not so?"

"Invited..." Vera was non-plussed for a second or two until she remembered the note. "Yes, I guess you could call it that."

"I say that you were invited because that is what it was. You were taken on a pleasure cruise, a cruise to a refugee camp. I saw you there and expressed my concern only to be brushed aside. Did Madam Hong at any point try to hide the location of the camp, or, for that matter, the name of the ship you sailed on?"

"No, why would she?"

"Why indeed. And while you were on the ship, you slept in her cabin, did you not?"

"Yes, I was in Madam Hong's cabin," Vera replied.

"But let us be more specific. It wasn't just her cabin you shared but her bed as well. You spent the night as her whore pandering to her whims."

"I was her lover, not her whore!" Vera almost shouted. She felt awful. General Chang was turning what she shared with Xui-Li into something dirty and distasteful. She looked up at Xui-Li and, for a moment, their eyes met. "I was her lover," Vera repeated.

"Her lover, Miss Talisker?  Do you so freely admit your depravity? That a woman should lie down with another is distasteful enough but I'm sure that was not the full extent of the night's perversity; were you not also forced into other unnatural acts?"

"I... Please... I can't say." Vera stuttered.

"Come now, I can understand your reticence at speaking of such things but it's a little late for modesty and there's no need to be shy, we're only wanting to get to the truth. After all, everyone here knows what sort of depravity Madam Hong likes; we all know how she treats her whores; how she likes to make them suffer. What form did your punishment take?" General Chang sounded quite gentle, caring.

"I cannot say," Vera almost whispered.

"Speak louder, let the whole court hear," General Chang commanded.

"I cannot say," Vera repeated. She again took the opportunity to glance up at Xui-Li who sat open mouthed with a look of deep concern on her face.

"You cannot say. The humiliations she put you through were so vile that you cannot repeat them. You poor thing, what ignominies you had to go through, how low you had to stoop to get the information you needed so much. What information could be worth such a sacrifice, what would entice you to debase yourself like that? It must have been something special; you would hardly have let yourself be treated so badly for mere tittle-tattle. How about troop movements? That surely would please your masters; that might justify what you put yourself through."

"Troop movements... I... I suppose so but I didn't...."

"Oh, but I know very well that you did. It was you that wrote the report, the report, which fell into our hands tragically late, the report which told Colonel Fortesque where to find our troops, the report which led him straight to Nan Tung. I know this is so, I only ask that you confirm it to the council."

"Nan Tung? But I...."

"Again a simple yes or no will suffice. After all, we can hardly blame you for doing your job. Now, once again, it was you who told the Colonel where to find our troops."

"Yes, but...."

"So, you don't try to deny it. Once more, please confirm this for the council. Did you tell Colonel Fortesque about our troop movements in Nan Tung?"

"Yes, I did, but let me explain." Vera started. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Xui-Li’s horrified expression and she realised that this was the question that General Chang had been working towards all the time. "I made it up."

"You made it up? Do you really expect this council to believe that a report, which pinpointed our troops with devastating accuracy, which directly led to the death and capture of so many, that this report was a fabrication. How could it have been 'made up' when it was so complete in all its detail? How dare you lie to this court?"

"But I did, I made it up, I promise you I made it up...." Vera said desperately.

"Enough!" General Chang once again cut across any chance of further explanation before turning to the court.  "We need hear no more; by her own lips this English whore confesses her guilt. This is the spy who sold our secrets; this is the source of our current woes. We've heard quite enough from her. Guards!"

Before the startled Vera could say any more the guards stepped forward, manhandled her to the side of the room and a hand was clamped over her mouth. General Chang picked up the chair she had been sitting on from where it had fallen and stepped forward to address the court.

"And there you have it, comrades. There you have the confession of the spy who wormed her way into our midst and, single-handedly, brought tragedy to our troops. Without this one and her wickedness a whole brigade would still be living and fighting, fighting for our cause. Do not for one moment be misled by her apparent meekness, young innocence is her cleverest disguise. With ruthless determination she found a weakness and used it, used it in an attempt to destroy us from within. Were it not for Mei-Xing's vigilance, her unceasing watchfulness, it could have been far worse; we could have all fallen.

"But just as important as unmasking the spy is unmasking the weakness she exploited. Without this weakness she would have been impotent, left knocking on the door unable to enter. No, it didn't take long for this one to find a way in, a weakness in our armour, a failing she could exploit. Perhaps the question should be not what is our weakness but who is our weakness? Who was it that allowed this serpent into our camp, not just allowed it in but invited it in? The whore's testimony has made that clear and has pointed to exactly where the weakness lies, just whose depravity she was able to exploit, just who was so blinded to common sense that she led us into jeopardy, who has let her unnatural appetites override any sense of loyalty, any sense of propriety and has thus endangered us all?"

"General Chang!" Xui-Li cut in, unable to stay quiet any longer. "If you're going to make such scandalous accusations...."

"Oh, yes, you know to whom I'm referring but, Madam, you will be quiet, you will let me have my say. That is my right as a member of the council," General Chang snarled before continuing. "Now, we must pass judgement and, when it comes to passing that judgement, do not let any sense of loyalty mislead you. Much as we have been indebted to Madam Hong in the past we should not let that blind us to what we have before us now. We know she invited this spy into our midst, we know that, even when this was unmasked, she not only continued to invite the spy in but led her ever closer to our inner secrets. Her unnatural desires overrode any sense of right or wrong, blinded her to all but her basest cravings. For far too long we have excused her abhorrent appetites because it was in our interests to do so but now we find that it was exactly these appetites which have led us into danger. For far too long we have turned a blind eye but now it has to stop.

"For, just as this spy is guilty, condemned by her very own words, so too is Madam Hong guilty, guilty of the deaths of so many of our brave boys, guilty of betrayal, guilty of treason. Perverted by her filthy desires she paid her whore with our secrets and our poor troops paid the price."

Xui-Li stood up as if to give rebuttal but, acting on some pre-arranged signal, two guards stepped forward and grabbed her, holding her tight and, as with Vera, her startled cries were muffled by a hand across her mouth. The two women, Vera and Xui-Li, stared at each other as the plot against them was finally sprung. There was so much to say, so much to explain, so much to sort out but the situation was out of their control. Desperate unspoken messages had to be conveyed with only a look and Xui-Li's eyes spoke clearly, her concern was all for Vera, not for herself.

"Treason and espionage, the case against Madam Hong and her whore is clear cut and there can be only one outcome." General Chang again addressed the council. "Death by firing squad; that is what our law lays down and that is what is fair and just. We must rid ourselves of these vermin, we must cut the cancer from our midst; all those in favour say Aye!"

There was a mixed reaction from the room, but Mei-Xing and General Chang had done their work well. The enthusiasm of their supporters swamped the doubts of the others who, quickly seeing which way the land lay, were soon joining in. Xui-Li tried to remonstrate but, with the guard’s hand clamped over her mouth, her muffled protests went unheard.

"So be it!" General Chang announced triumphantly. "The answer is clear, the council is unanimous. Guards, take them away and throw them in the cells. I will arrange for a firing squad to be ready at dawn."

With her wrists still fastened before her Vera was led away back down to the cellars and thrown, almost literally, into a cell. There was no furniture, merely the cold stone walls of an empty room, and the sole light source was from a barred window high up in the wall. Shivering from a mixture of fear and cold she curled up in a ball in the corner and tried to make herself comfortable. The aches and pains, both inside and out, were hard enough to bear and all the time her mind whirred as she thought through what had transpired. Even to her, it was obvious that she had witnessed some sort of coup and that General Chang had effectively taken over. By twisting and distorting the evidence he had completely framed her and used her as an excuse to oust Xui-Li but, quite frankly, that was immaterial now. She was condemned to be shot in the morning. What had started as a bit of a lark was now ending in disgrace and failure and she had but a few hours left to live.

But the image that she really couldn't shift, that kept overriding all other thoughts, was the look in Xui-Li's face as they had stared at each other as the plot had been sprung. Was it only a few days ago that Xui-Li had disowned her, had cast her out; the woman who had stared back at her had stared with care and compassion, possibly even love. Vera's heart ached with a need to find out, to know how Xui-Li felt. For all the lies and deceptions that General Chang had unleashed upon them the only truth that Vera wished to uncover was the truth within Xui-Li's heart.

But that would never happen, she would go to her grave never knowing and that was what hurt the most.

For hour upon lonely sleepless hour she had only these hurts to occupy her mind and she was far gone in a pit of misery when, with a cold grey light filtering in through the window, she heard the door being unlocked. With a fearful thought of 'this is it' she looked up to see Mei-Xing standing there.

"Stand up and behave yourself and you might just live," she said shortly. "Chang wants you shot and if we don't get a move on the guards will be here soon. On the other hand he's had everything his own way and it's about time I had part of the action. Here, put this on."

A serving girl who had been standing behind Mei-Xing stepped forward and held out a shapeless woollen garment which, when unravelled, turned out to be a hooded cloak. In a daze Vera got to her feet, wondering what this all meant.  She hardly saw Mei-Xing as a friend. After all she had been there during her torture and hadn't raised a finger to stop it, but, if this meant that she got to live beyond the morning, then what did she have to lose? Mei-Xing took the cloak from the girl and placed it over Vera's shoulders, raising the hood, which completely covered her head; noticeably she did not unfasten the cuffs holding Vera's wrists together but simply wrapped the cloak around her, letting the empty sleeves hang free. The cloak was tied together at the front with a belt so it completely covered her, enveloping her, making her anonymous.

"Don't say a word; do you understand?" Mei-Xing snapped. Vera just nodded in reply. Then, shepherded by Mei-Xing and the serving girl, she was led up out of the cellars to the courtyard where a coach was waiting. After looking around to ensure that they were not being watched, Mei-Xing hustled the group across the cobbles and bundled them into the coach. She then pushed Vera down onto the floor and threw a blanket over her before calling out to the coach driver to lead on.

They had hardly started before they arrived at the gate and Vera heard a guard telling them to stop. She heard the door being pulled open and a rough voice demanding explanations.

"Do you know who I am?" Mei-Xing snapped. "If you don't step back and let us through immediately I'll see to it that you spend the rest of your time here scrubbing latrines."

"One thousand apologies... of course...." The startled guard replied and Vera heard the door of the coach being closed and, moments later, they were on their way.

Vera left it a few minutes until, wishing to relieve the growing cramp in her legs, she started to get up. A hearty kick, she assumed from Mei-Xing, told her that this was not to be permitted so, making herself as comfortable as possible, she settled down for the ride.

The trip seemed to go on forever and, even under the rug, Vera could tell by the rise in temperature that the sun was well up and it was, maybe, mid-morning. Except when she gave any sign of movement she was completely ignored by Mei-Xing so she just lay there, trying to make sense of what was going on. At last the coach lurched as it turned a corner and pulled to a halt. The door opened, Mei-Xing and the serving girl got out and the rug was pulled away exposing Vera and leaving her blinking in the bright sunlight.

"Get out," Mei-Xing ordered as Vera pulled herself to her knees. "Get out and get on the ground where you belong."

Vera stumbled to obey realising that, whist she might have escaped death at the firing squad, she was still far from free and that she had no reason to expect any good to come from her captor. Shaking slightly she knelt down and bowed her head.

"Do you wish to live?" Mei-Xing snarled. "Do you wish to avoid the whippings and beatings it would give me so much pleasure to subject you to?"

"Yes, Mei-Xing," Vera replied in little more than a whisper.

"What's that? I didn't hear you."

"Yes, please don't hurt me any more." Vera said, louder this time.

"Very well. You are to do everything you are told to do, instantly and willingly. Even if the order comes from the lowliest serving girl you are to treat is as if it came from me. You are not to speak unless spoken to and, when you do speak, you will keep you answers short and to the point. If I detect the slightest sign of resistance, if there is even a hint of disobedience, then we will do this the hard way and you will surely suffer. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"

"Yes, Yes, Mei-Xing."

"For a start, from now on, you will address me, and all others, as Mistress or Master, whichever is appropriate. You will not use anyone's name unless directly ordered to do so. Now follow me." Mei-Xing set off towards the house and Vera hurried to her feet to follow. The serving girl brought up the rear. For one fleeting second Vera thought about making a break for it but Mei-Xing's threats had hit home and she knew only too well that they would and could be carried out.

As they approached the door it was opened from within and Mei-Xing was greeted as if royalty. She immediately gave a flurry of orders, making sure that all the staff knew that she was there and ensuring all was just as she wanted it. Finally she went through to a room and, as she followed, Vera knew with a start where she was. This was the house where Xui-Li had taken her, and this was the beautician's parlour. They had hardly been there a moment or two when the beautician arrived with her assistant in tow. They both bowed low to Mei-Xing.

"Tidy this one up," Mei-Xing ordered. "She's to be sold this afternoon and I want her spotless."

Vera gave a little gasp at the word 'sold' but a sharp look from Mei-Xing stopped any further questions.

"Certainly, Mei-Xing," the beautician replied and went over to where Vera stood and removed her cloak. Once she had done so she stood back and gave Vera a thorough appraisal.

"There's been some damage." the beautician commented. "I won't be able to do much about the bruising and swelling but I can at least cover some of it up."

"You'll need to do better than that. You have until sundown, if she's not in a saleable condition by then..." Mei-Xing left the threat hanging. "Here, you'll need these." Mei-Xing passed the keys to Vera's cuffs before turning to the door and leaving them to it.

The beautician looked annoyed at Mei-Xing's bossy behaviour but, like so many, she had no option but to get on with things Whilst the assistant made the bathing pool ready the beautician made a more thorough examination, going over every inch of Vera's battered flesh. All the while Vera was wondering what Mei-Xing had meant by 'sold'; surely they didn't have slavery locally? Whilst she was, at least, still alive, her prospects didn't sound particularly appealing. A wave of emotion overcame her; she felt so lost and alone, she desperately needed someone to cuddle up to, someone to tell her it was all going to be all right. A memory of being curled up in Xui-Li's arms came to her and unbidden tears rolled down her cheeks. For all that their time together had been brief, for all that it had been based on a lie, Vera would give anything, anything at all if they could just be together again. But that was wishing for the stars, even if Xui-Li had not been condemned to be shot that very morning their relationship was far from certain and as for Vera's prospects.... At that moment the beautician told her to stand with her legs apart and Vera pulled herself together and co-operated.

Being bathed was pure bliss. The water was warm and welcoming and, in the first instance, the beautician's assistant was gentle and tender as she bathed away some of the worst of the dirt Vera had accumulated. Even so, as she bathed Vera's nether regions, it stung like crazy and Vera wondered if she would ever recover from the guard's brutalities. Similarly her torso was a mass of bruising and even the softest sponge made her wince.

At a command from the beautician, Vera was taken out of the pool and placed in the same chair as before.  Again straps were fastened round her to hold her tight. The chair was swivelled backwards allowing the beautician and her assistant easy access. Once she had been settled, the beautician and her assistant set to with lotions, soothing them over the worst of the bruising. Despite the occasional twinges of pain, Vera was able to relax and, for a moment, forget about all her troubles. Whilst she had grave doubts about the purpose of all this pampering, there was no doubt that it made a pleasant contrast to her recent treatment.

Whilst the lotions were left to work, the beautician and her assistant set to with teasers seeking out stray hairs and removing them. Whilst they were not brutal, this was inevitably uncomfortable, especially when stray pubic hairs were removed from her nether regions. Vera had done the best she could with a razor but, inevitably, she had left quite a few and now each one of those was being painfully extracted. Her armpits got similar treatment and, by the time they had finished, Vera was completely hairless below the neck.

When the beautician was satisfied that the lotions had had as long as possible to do their work, Vera was unstrapped from the chair and led back into the bathing pool. Here, once again, the assistant washed her down thoroughly, making sure that all traces of any medication were removed. This done, Vera was taken from the pool, dried and returned to the chair. This time, however, they concentrated on beauty rather than health. Vera was given a complete make-over from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Only when the beautician was completely satisfied did she return the chair to its upright position and release Vera from the straps.

Once Vera was out of the chair and standing, the beautician went over to a cupboard and returned carrying a collection of silk kimonos. These she held against Vera, one by one, until she chose a delicate shade of pink. As she put the others back in the cupboard, she fetched out a pair of the wooden sandals that the local girls used and, returning, passed them to her assistant to put on Vera's feet. Vera was finally taken to a mirror where she could see what had been done to her.

It was quite a shock to see herself. She had to admit the beautician had a good eye; the kimono was perfect for her colouring. But, more startling than that, was the heavy makeup that had been applied. Her face was caked white in the traditional Chinese fashion and her lips and eyebrows contrasted strongly. She looked, and felt, like a porcelain doll. The beautician showed her how to stand, each hand grasping the opposite elbow inside the deep sleeves of the kimono, and, after a number of admonishments to stand up straight, she was left to wait, and wait, and wait.

Finally a maid was sent to fetch her and she was led through the house to the large room where she had served Xui-Li all those days ago. Today however, it was Mei-Xing who was sat waiting for her and, next to her on the sofa, was another woman, older, coarser, and somehow lascivious.

"Is this her?" the woman asked as Vera approached. "Is this the girl you've fetched me over to see?"

"I just felt we could do a little business together, Madam Yang. After all, our needs coincide. I need this girl to... disappear. You always need fresh blood for your stable, so to speak, and think what your customers will pay for a round eye," Mei-Xing replied.

"She's certainly pretty, I'll give you that. Come here, girl." At Madam Yang's order Vera went over and stood before her. "Yes, very pretty, but she's certainly no geisha, look at the sloppy way she's standing."

"I admit she'll need a little training but you'll find she's very compliant. A touch or two of the rod will keep her in line."

"It looks like she's had a touch or two of the rod already." Whilst Mei-Xing had been talking Madam Yang had undone Vera's kimono and was inspecting her closely. "I would guess that she was severely beaten within the last day or so."

"There were some aspects of her capture that were... unfortunate," Mei-Xing replied. "However, she's fit and young and will soon recover."

"She's not intact, though." Madam Yang's hand was probing at Vera's labia and she had noted the damage done by yesterday's rape. "She's been badly used as well as beaten. That drops the price. Turn round, girl, turn round and bend over."

Vera did as she was told and, as she bent over, she felt the kimono being pulled to one side. A push from Madam Yang's hand told her to move her legs apart.

"Do you see?" Madam Yang continued as Vera felt fingers probing her anus. "She's been raped here as well."

Then Vera was told to stand up and Madam Yang got up off the couch and continued her inspection. Vera was getting increasingly horrified as it became more and more clear that Madam Yang was here to purchase her for a brothel, that she would be reduced to life as a whore, that, from the way that Mei-Xing was talking, her main selling point was to be as some sort of sex slave to rich Chinese who enjoyed making 'round eye' girls suffer. There was certainly no compassion, no humanity, in the way she was being treated and, as Madam Yang was feeling her breasts as if she were checking a dairy cow for possible milk yield, Vera's temper suddenly burst.

"I won't do it, I won't, I won't. I'd rather die!" She shouted as she pulled herself away. To her dismay neither Mei-Xing nor Madam Yang seemed in anyway perturbed by this, even laughing together as if she were a petulant child.

"What a fiery little temper!" Madam Yang commented. "Has she not been told of her new position?"

"She was told but I don't think it's quite sunk in yet," Mei-Xing replied. "Maybe you would like to explain."

Madam Yang went over and came and stood in front of Vera looking her up and down.

"You have much to learn, starting with some basic obedience," she finally said. "What you will or won't do is not up to you anymore. You'll do what you're told to do and you'll learn not to answer back, the rod and the whip will make sure of that. And, as for the 'I'd rather die' bit, I'd be careful what you say because, if you really want to die then that can be arranged. Some of my clients have somewhat sophisticated tastes and will pay heavily for the right sort of girl. It's a one time payment, of course, and not as lucrative in the long run, but it's a profitable way of disposing of those for whom I have no further use. I don't enquire too closely but I understand that there's quite a thrill for some in seeing just how much they can make a girl suffer before she finally dies. Are you sure you want to find out?"

Vera stared on in horror. The calm way in which Madam Yang had described her options left no doubt as to how seriously she meant them. Fighting back a wave of nausea she was overcome by her emotions and sank to her knees.

"Please... please... I've suffered so much..." she sobbed. "Please don't hurt me any more."

"Do you see?" Mei-Xing commented. "I told you she was a natural submissive. You'll have no trouble training her."

"She's quite pretty when she breaks," Madam Yang responded. "I think I will take her. Now, as for price..."

Vera continued to kneel on the floor as Mei-Xing and Madam Yang haggled over the price she was to sell for. She had no strength left within her to fight any more. In the last twenty four hours she had been kidnapped, tortured, raped, condemned to death and now sold into sexual slavery. She had had little sleep and no food and this was beginning to catch up with her. The room swam before her eyes, the words that Mei-Xing and Madam Yang spoke no longer made any sense, and, as darkness finally overcame her, she slumped to the floor in a faint.