Chapter 5: Angela's Gnashes - October

THE DEAN AND I

"Well, Angela, how are things going?" the Dean of Faculty hails Professor Dawney enthusiastically, as he emerges from a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor and sees her passing the VC's office, on her way to the library.

Angela knows that he's not interested in her health and well being. What he wants to know about, is Jennifer McEwan's project. What he really wants is to be reassured of its potential 4 Star rating. Actually what he really, really wants is for Angela to take full ownership of this particular project which he has been steadily promoting with the Vice-Chancellor. To put her head on the block, so to speak.

For her own part, Angela has been careful to make sure that nothing she says can be misinterpreted. Quite apart from the usual problems of assessing the significance of research in its early stages, she knows enough about Jenny to realise that something could spook her and damage the whole project before she's published anything at all. The outline that she has given the Dean before his meeting was worded as obliquely as she dared. Unsurprisingly, the Dean has recognised that Angela is holding back.

"Sherry?" he says. It's not so much an invitation as an instruction to join him. "I'm sure the library can wait."

As Angela sits down and the Dean simpers through the pleasantries. His smug self satisfaction is increasing Angela's annoyance. She allows herself a few moments to consider the prospect of the Dean at the hands of one of the staff at Inward Bound. Ylena, she thinks, might have an improving influence on him, if Jenny's account is anything to go by.

"So," says the Dean, bringing Angela back to earth, "how are things with that doctoral student of yours. What's her name? McEwan?"

"Working hard, Dean," Angela responds, "busy on some further data collection. Still trying to see some sense in the data, I expect."

Angela has noticed is that this latest project does seem to have caused a few upsets around the McEwan household. It wasn't what she had intended, you understand? Not at all! But she has overheard some tense telephone calls going on when she's walked in on Jenny. That, and the occasional, exasperated, "Oh, Joe!"

Angela is rather hoping that at some point Jenny is going to want to discuss the problem with her, which will give her the chance to have a chat with Jenny about the impossible nature of men in general and their unreliability as sexual partners in particular.

"I'm very glad that things seem to be progressing. The VC is very interested. I know we were worried about possible sensationalism in any coverage but we mustn't let that interfere with the academic thrust."

Angela is astonished by this. When Jenny's research proposal had first been discussed, the nervousness over the subject matter had been palpable. Obviously the Vice-Chancellor and the Dean have either rediscovered academic principles, become desperate to show something interesting in the next round of the Research Assessment Exercise or been overwhelmed by prurient interest. She's not sure which of the last two it actually is. She's suddenly aware that she's chewing her lip in irritation. She takes a deep breath, exhales slowly, sips her sherry and starts again.

"Well, Dean, I'll be in a better position to assess the international position after my meetings In Moscow next week. There are a few papers tabled that seem to be touching on similar areas so we might find ourselves overtaken just as we are about to pass the winning post."

"Surely, others working in the field means greater opportunity for international recognition? My own work only really got the recognition it deserved once the Americans started their work in the field."

"It can help, Dean, but there's always the risk of our studies being pre-empted or worse still having contradictory findings manifest themselves. You know how difficult it is for us to attract doctorate students, and manage to sustain the consistent support that's needed to build a genuinely world class programme. I can just imagine the sort of support that McEwan would be getting if she was at Yale or Lomonosov."

"Well, we must see that she gets the resources she needs," the Dean replies, adding. "Within the bounds of the budget, of course."

Angela purses her lips in annoyance. "I'm sure the Department will get very good value from this programme Dean."

To herself she says, "I wonder how the little bitch is getting on?"

A NEW APPROACH TO DATA COLLECTION

Jenny is sitting at her laptop in her room at Inward Bound. She's just had a shower; she's wearing the towelling robe from the bathroom. She's finishing off some of her notes on the behaviour and responses of two of the trainees who have just encountered Ylena for the first time. She's feeling jealous, remembering the eager submission of one of the girls, and Ylena's evident appreciation.

Gerry and Corinne come in to the room without knocking. Jenny looks up. They are deep in conversation; it's almost as though they don't realise she is there. "I think it's a very good idea," Corinne says to Gerry. "It will be nice to have one."

"That's what Ylena thought," Gerry responds. "It's just lucky that there's one on-site." He puts down the bag he's carrying.

"Excuse me," says Jenny, a little irritated. "I'm trying to do some work here." Having decided to get to grips with her work, she wants to get on with it.

Corinne and Gerry take no notice. Instead Gerry reaches into the bag and pulls out a collection of straps and what looks like a pink rubber bone. Without a word to Jenny he has the straps around her head in a moment, the 'bone' pulled across her mouth like a bit. "Haarng!" Jenny protests but somehow she isn't moved to put up more than a token struggle as Gerry tightens the buckles. Jenny tastes the rubber of the bone. The scent of the leather straps fills her nostrils. "There we go, pooch," says Gerry. He pulls off her bathrobe with little effort, moving her from hand to hand as he untwines the towelling from her arms, leaving her naked. He traps her arms. Corinne takes each of her hands in turn and slips on a leather mitten. The end of each mitten is pulled back and fastened to the wrist cuff, forcing her hands into a fist and robbing her of the use of her fingers. Another broad belt is fastened around her waist. The two of them force Jenny down on to all fours, straps and short chains link her elbows and knees to the belt. Then there's something else, more leather, clipped to the leather harness around her head, across her nose in front of her face and on the top of her head. She shakes her head to try to prevent them fitting it but she can't stop them. Corinne and Gerry stand back.

Jenny shakes her head and gives another "Haarng!" through her rubber bone bit.

"Don't fret, pooch," Gerry says. Jenny realises that she can't stand. The chains from the belt to her knees and elbows are so short that she'll have to stay on all fours.

"Look what I've got for you," Corinne says. She's holding a collar but it's not one of the heavy rubber and stainless steel collars that Jenny wore when she was first here; this one is pink leather, decorated with bright silver studs. Corinne buckles it around Jenny's neck and fastens a leash to a ring on the collar. "There," she says "isn't that fine? Now be a good dog and come with me." She jerks Jenny around until she is kneeling beside her.

Jenny looks up from the floor at Corinne staring down at her.

"Haarng?" she says.

"Good dog," says Corinne, "Good dog." She pulls on the lead sets off. Jenny unable to do anything else without being choked by the pull of the leash, shuffles along beside her.

Jenny falls quickly onto the new role that Corinne and Gerry have assigned to her. She tries to keep up as Corinne leads her down the corridor. Other submissives stop and wait quietly with bowed heads as Corinne passes. They don't seem to notice what has been done to Jenny. They seem just to take it for granted, Jenny thinks to herself, that another woman here is being treated as they are. And that is a relief.

In Corinne's room, Jenny is introduced to a large wicker basket on the floor near to the foot of Corinne's bed. "You'll sleep here," Corinne explains, "You'll go back to work tomorrow but if you're a very good dog, we might let you have some more time like this. Is that good?"

Jenny knows that this is the only opportunity that she will have to object, but she doesn't want to object. If she can undertake her work and at the same time, let it be clear that she is not part of the Faculty, she will be happy. In reply, she 'mews' over her rubber bone gag.

Corinne laughs. "Good puppy!" She turns to Gerry. "You'll swear she understood every word. We can leave her here to sleep for a bit. I'll bring her some food up later." Corinne pats Jenny on the head and loops her leash around the bed post. Jenny knows that with her hands helpless in their mittens she won't be able to release the leash from the bed post or her collar. She curls up in the basket and watches Corinne and Gerry as they leave. It's only as the door closes with a click and she turns back that she sees a reflection of herself in Corinne's wardrobe mirror. The leather pieces that Gerry clipped to her harness have given her a long snout and two floppy ears. With her hands formed into paws by the mittens and the pink rubber bone strapped across her mouth as well, there's no risk of her being mistaken for a dominant, that's for sure.