Chapter 41

February 3^rd, 2007, Friday – February 4^th, 2007, Saturday

Galena

“Mama G, something’s up with you,” Regina said into Galena’s ear.

“You’re right,” Galena replied.

“And you don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“No. We’ll see how our layover in San Francisco goes.”

They’d been making their descent toward San Francisco for about twenty minutes.

“What’s going to happen in San Francisco?”

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure Madam Gao could have a plane ready when we land instead of there being a two hour layover.”

They exited Nancy Velacourt’s jet and were whisked into two large black SUVs.

Once they were rolling out of the airport, Galena looked at Regina with an “I’m so not surprised” expression on her face.

All they’d been told was “Madam Gao would like to meet with you”, and the security detail, while polite, were not answering questions.

After about twenty minutes, it was clear they would be crossing the Golden Gate.

“We’re going to meet Madam Gao at Canglang?” Galena asked.

“Yes ma’am.” the driver said.

“I don’t think we’re going to make it back to the airport to take off in about an hour-and-a-half.”

“Not for me to say, ma’am.”

Galena didn’t bother to hide her displeasure.

“G,” Reggie whispered, “don’t piss them off.”

“Oh, I won’t,” Galena whispered in reply. “Pissing off Madam Gao is potentially on the schedule though.”

“It’s such a pleasure to meet more of House Chorale’s Dominants,” Madam Gao said once introductions were done. “Please, come in, lunch will be served shortly.”

They were seated, the three Dommes close to Madam Gao, while the staff took drink orders.

Galena didn’t fail to notice Madam Gao’s subtle examination of her, Jessica, and Chatsirree.

“Do we want to discuss things before, during, or after lunch?” Galena said.

“After, certainly,” Madam Gao replied.

“Fair enough.”

Madam Gao had left the table after coffee, apologizing and telling them she wouldn’t be gone long.

“You handle it, G,” Chatsirree said. “I’d barely know how to begin. And you know better than to leave it with Queen Blunt and Ornery.”

“Fuck you, Chats...” Jess said, smiling.

“Problem is I’m feeling kinda blunt and ornery,” Galena replied. “But sure ... however, the two of you are gonna owe me for this.”

“Owe you what?” Jess said.

“We’ll discuss that later ... just believe you both leaving it up to me is incurring a debt.”

Madam Gao returned to the table.

“Now that we’ve had coffee, we can discuss whatever you like,” she said.

“So, any other reasons you were planning to kidnap us for five or six months? Other than social interaction with Jason’s constellation?”

“Yes.”

“Aaand you’re not going to share those reasons...”

“No, I don’t believe I am,” Madam Gao replied, smiling smugly.

Galena nodded.

“So, is all that construction we passed on the way in for the house you’re building for Jason and company?”

“Yes it is.”

“Awfully big...”

“You haven’t seen the size his constellation’s grown to. And there’s every reason to believe it’s going to become larger still. I want them to feel at home here, not crowded like they were squeezing into one too few hotel rooms.”

“Fair enough. Just how smart is your granddaughter Yan?”

Galena was pleased to see Madam Gao surprised by the question.

“Certainly more intelligent than most of the family, probably one of the five smartest of us all. The only things she was lacking in her life were close friends and a family structure concerned more with the truth of her than how she affected their position. Most of my family are willfully stupid and stuck in the last century.”

“Bitch of a mother?”

“And her father was no better. Her siblings are useless trash as well...”

“Harsh...”

“But very true,” Madam Gao replied. “There are quite a lot of leeches in House Plum Blossom who are just taking up space.”

“Are you still pulling all the strings in your House, Madam Gao? Is your successor just a puppet?”

“I don’t believe I’ll answer that question.”

“That does kind of answer my question.”

“Does it really?”

“You’re not going to lie to me ... if I ask something you don’t want to answer truthfully, you’ll refuse to answer at all...”

“Yes.”

“So ... I’ll roll the dice. Why this meeting? We could have boarded a jet within fifteen minutes of landing...”

“You’re going to be in very intimate proximity to my granddaughter and her family. Meeting the Dominants of your House convinced me it’s highly unlikely you would be unsuitable, but best to make sure of such things.”

“The Dominants of my House...” Galena said, a smile on her mouth that didn’t reach her eyes. “And what have your observations revealed to you, Madam Gao?”

“That you’re the only true Domme in your group. Jessica, you and Chatsirree are lovely and I’m sure you can pull off being seen as Dommes in public, but you’re both switches, really. You, Galena, you may play at being a switch on occasion, but that’s just putting a safety guard on a straight razor. It in no way changes the reality of the razor.”

Galena smiled, trying hard to hide any sign of her racing heart.

“How much, Madam Gao?”

“More than enough.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes, yes I am.”

Watching the Madam’s eyes, Galena saw them flicker to Jess and Chats, the faintest of questioning looks on the old woman’s face.

Galena replied with just a hint of a shrug.

Madam Gao stood.

“Thank you for a lovely lunch, Madam Gao,” Galena said. She scarcely heard Jess and Chats chiming in, her attention was focused so intently on Madam Gao.

And her continued attention was rewarded with an almost imperceptible nod directed her way, mixed among the pleasantries and hugs.

“What the fuck was that, G?” Jess said.

“I’m not inclined to answer that question just yet, Jess darling. But I will eventually. Be patient.”

Jess grumbled but didn’t push the issue.

Galena stayed in her seat, her eyes lost to a thousand-mile stare, until the jet reached its cruising altitude, on its way to Paris for refueling, then on to Florence.

Jason

Everyone was settling into their places onboard, stuffed to the gills.

“Okay ... was there anything not on that buffet?” Jason said.

“Frog legs, escargot, pig’s feet,” Estrellita said. “Lots of other things I’m sure, Sir, but all my blood’s gone to my digestion so I’m sort of brain-dead...”

“You’re brain-dead and you remembered frog legs, snails, and pig’s feet...” Jason said.

“Yeah, I love all three and they weren’t there. I looked.”

“You know a hell of a lot more about food than I ever will, so okay...”

“You ignored the prime rib, lobster, crab legs, made to order crepes ... to look for those?” Donna said.

“Yes, Mistress. The first three are found on all the better buffets, the crepes were something I’ve only seen done once or twice before at a buffet ... and I didn’t ignore any of those.

“You wait til we get where we’re going. I’ll make you all three – not in the same meal - and you’ll understand why I was looking for them,” Estrellita continued.

“I trust you,” Jason said. “I trust they’ll be delicious and you’ll be proven right. Now, I can’t imagine them being delicious, so you’ll once again be expanding my mind and palate.”

“Did someone order barbecue?” Georgia, their flight attendant, asked.

“Yes I did,” Jackie crowed. “It’s for later, y’all, don’t worry about it right now.”

As multiple large brown paper bags full of delicious smelling food were brought on board and stored in the kitchenette, Jason said, “How much barbecue did you get?”

“Enough for all of us,” Jackie said.

“This is your captain. Soon as your takeout is stored, we’ve been given clearance for take-off.”

“All of you please take your seats and belt yourself in,” Georgia said, moving up the aisle.

A moment later she notified the pilot they were clear to take off.

The jet began to move.

“Next stop, Florence, or as the locals call it, Firenze, in Italy. That’s the good news,” the pilot announced over the intercom. “The bad news, we’re gonna be in the air about sixteen hours. Enjoy your flight on Air Plum Blossom.”

“Italy!” Lizzy said. “We’re going to Italy?”

“Yeah, sounds like,” Jason said. “But don’t get too excited. We already know we won’t be doing any sightseeing.”
“Master,” Lizzy said, grinning uncontrollably, “that’s not the point! I was never going to go anywhere fun in my life. Now I’ve been to Hawaii and next I’m going to Italy!”

“We won’t be doing any sightseeing this trip, true,” Yan said, “but we will some day.”

“Waiting on you at the diner just keeps getting luckier and luckier, Sir,” Lizzy said. “Best day at work ever!”

“Best breakfast stop we ever made,” Jason said. “And ... yeah, I need to get my mind right – we’re going to Italy!

“Next question, what property of Grandmother or the House are we going to?

“Probably Villa di Santa Sofia,” replied Yan. “It’s about an hour or so east of Firenze. Fits the profile, remote enough to make casual observation of us unlikely. It’s in the hills, surrounded by forests, closest village is ... shit, I don’t remember. Grandmother had four homes built on the slope of a ridge, all based on the designs of much older homes in the area, joined them with walls, in the middle a garden and three-level pool. Place is gorgeous.”

“How close are the trees to the walls?” Ashley asked.

“Probably closer than anyone working security would like,” Yan replied. “The houses are arranged in a diamond shape. The highest one is actually on the ridge line and has a tower. Night-vision or infrared scopes will make your job easier at night. During the day ... well, from the tower you do have a great view of the estate, but that’s about it.”

“So we’ll need people on all the roofs...” Nocturnia said. “What kind of staff does the place have?”

“Uh ... four security, best as I remember, although I’m sure Grandmother will have more there by the time we arrive. As for the house staff ... this place was originally built for my uncle Yong. He was an extraordinarily horny old man. The house staff is all young, female, and very submissive, probably about twenty of them. New staff is brought in and trained every decade with the old staff moving elsewhere in the family’s properties. It makes a good training site. I seem to remember Uncle Yong died in the upper house’s master suite ... Yin, do you remember where Uncle Yong died?”

“Master suite, yeah. Died in bed with a sixteen year old.”

“Well, he died happy,” Lizzy said.

“No,” Constance said. “Most guys who die in those circumstances do so before orgasm.”

“Was he in bed with a sixteen year old naked Italian girl?” Lisa asked.

“Well, yeah...”

“Then he died happy. Maybe not as happy as he could have been, but he was happy,” Lisa replied.

Parker

He knew air travel wasn’t a predictable thing, but Parker wasn’t happy about landing in Houston over an hour later than the kids. They were already in the air, on their way to Italy.

The buffet was restocked by the time they arrived. Parker wasn’t normally too trusting of buffets, but figured Madam Gao would only use the best caterers in town.

He was seated with a slab of prime rib thick enough to choke a T-Rex and a very fresh and colorful green salad, sipping his iced tea when Otter sat down across from him, her plate loaded with sea food.

“You know where we’re going,” she murmured, cracking open a crab leg.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah you do. Don’t sweat, I won’t ask until we’re back in the air. But if you didn’t know where we were headed you’d be as nervous as a bunny at a ‘gator farm. You’re not nervous at all.”

“Say you’re right,” Parker said.

“I am...”

“Okay, you are. Why are you bringing it up?”

“Because they’re my responsibility too. I don’t want to know where, not for another hour or so, but I damn well want to know how safe it will be for them.”

Parker smiled, chewing a bite of prime rib.

When finished, he replied, “Safe as can be unless someone gets stupid or traitorous. Gao plans on the kids not leaving the estate at all. Anything the estate needs is bought in a nearby town, been that way for twenty plus years. The locals will know someone is in residence, even that it’s a lot of someones, but Plum Blossom’s good to them, like they were with the locals on Moloka’i. She trusts the staff implicitly and I hope she’s right. If she’s not, more people are going to die ... bet on it.

“However if more people die, we’re going to make sure none of them are civilians. Gao said this place only has one panic room, but it’s big enough for all of them and uncrackable with anything less than a shit-ton of high explosives. If the balloon goes up while we’re there, her people will know and rescue will be on its way pretty much immediately.”

“Okay, I’m breathing a little easier,” Otter said. “How long are we going to be doing this?”

“If we’re lucky, things will shake out sooner rather than later. If we’re unlucky, it’ll be for the rest of their lives. Then if we’re lucky that’ll be a very long time.”

Otter dipped a chunk of steaming lobster in a bowl of melted butter.

“You think they’ll be able to live that way?”

“I hope they don’t have to, but if they do, I have faith they’ll be okay. Right now, the plan is they stay in hiding while Gao has a place built for them at her estate in Marin County. Then they live there.”

“What about them moving back to Texas?” Otter asked.

“That’s not in Madam Gao’s plans for the foreseeable future.”

“Not going to make the Grimes happy...”

“I don’t think Gao gives a shit. She’s plotting something ... nothing endangering the kids, but something to serve her agenda,” Parker replied.

“And since we have no goddamn idea what that agenda is, we’re in the dark.”

“Not completely, but close.”

“You know, when Dominique Duvalier got in touch with me, she described this as ‘an easy post’...” Otter mused before spearing a grilled oyster.

“Wow, she hustled the shit out of you, didn’t she?”

“Yes she did.”

Harry

He’d moved into his hideaway. Only one of his harem at a time were allowed to attend him. Just whose turn was when he left to them to figure out. Whoever wasn’t on duty was to crash in the next room down the hall.

Harry wished his mind was more clear but the aftereffects of the anesthesia were hanging around.

“Do you think it might have something to do with a release of all the stress you’ve been carrying about this surgery, Sir?” Camille said.

“Can you read minds?”

“No Sir, but I don’t have to when you’re babbling out loud.”

“I’m glad I’m not going to the club tonight,” Harry said.

“My understanding is you’re not going much of anywhere but work for the next month, Sir.”

“Yeah, but the club tonight ... I’d be liable to say anything that crossed my mind out loud.”

“Such as, Sir?”

“Gee, Mistress Veronika, I’d like to eat your pussy right now, but it just looks so goddamn angry ... you look so goddamn angry...”

“Yeah Sir, very good thing you’re not going tonight,” Camille replied, laughing.

“Sinfonia ... goddamn you’re beautiful. If you’ve got the time, just bend over the bar and let me lick your ass sweat.”

“Definitely a bad idea for you to go tonight,” Camille said, laughing harder.

“Ma’am, I don’t know, or I don’t remember, who you are, but you’re exhibiting a bare pussy that should never be seen by human eyes. Let the hair grow back, wear a muff toupee til then...”

Camille was struggling to breathe.

“Sir, sir ... please don’t wave that prick around. People will think this club has a gnat infestation ... oh my God, Master Laney, I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you!”

“Enough ... please...”

“Okay, I’ll shut up. You’re gorgeous. I think I’m going to sleep now...”

Margo

“Nothing somber, nothing serious. We need to look like we don’t have a care in the world tonight ... and for the foreseeable future,” Margo said.

“Good plan,” Dommi said. “What do you want the subs wearing?”

“Very goddamn little,” Margo replied. “Just a scrap of cloth, collars, and any other jewelry that suits them. Time for a parade of pulchritude.”