Chapter 11: The Whippings - Before Lunch

In the Throne Room on the 2nd April the honoured guests, the sponsors, the spectators, and the contestants were again seated as they had been on the previous day. A third dais held a whipping bench and a bastinado rack. Screens were placed round the contestants' dais again, so that they could not watch the proceedings, though of course they would hear everything.

The Emir opened the proceedings by reminding the audience of the three choices available to the contestants of the eunuchs whip, the birch, or the bastinado. Several of the Chief Eunuchs of the sponsors were all present and had been told which contestants they were to whip, but not which instrument that entrant had chosen. Naturally no Chief Eunuch was to perform on his own master's nominee. The Emir had decreed that since some, but not all Masters required blows to be counted, the women were at liberty to count, but not required to do so.

"Contestant one," said the Emir, "Come to the whipping dais."

Kashiefa came forward and, as she had been instructed, removed her abaya and her finery.

"Which whip have you chosen?" asked the Emir.

She spoke up in a clear and confident voice, "If it pleases the Master, the birch."

"Three strokes of the birch for a maximum of nine points," intoned the Golden Palace Chief Eunuch, handing the instrument to the selected eunuch.

Kashiefa draped herself over the whipping bench and all waited until she was settled.

CRACK!

A murmur of approval went round the crown as the woman remained stationary and silent. Her skin blanched momentarily and then rapidly darkened as the broken blood vessels flooded the area of the injury.

CRACK!

The eunuch had waited until all was quiet before applying the second stripe, and Kashiefa could not restrain a small squeak as the second blow landed very close to the narrow line of black where the first had landed.

CRACK!

The third blow elicited an involuntary scream as it landed in the narrow gap between the two previous landing sites. The eunuch left the birch resting on her arse, and the Emir inquired why he had done that.

"It is the habit in my Master's harem to leave the instrument so at the end of a punishment. It signals to the woman that the end has arrived. She may not rise until it is lifted," he replied, looking slightly surprised.

"Oh," said the Emir, "That is slightly different from our practice, but I see the point."

When it was moved, Kashiefa rose and took the birch and kissed it. Then she made obeisance to the Emir and moved quietly behind the screens, though tears could be seen streaming down her face.

"Contestant two," said the Emir, "Come to the whipping dais."

Vega came forward and, as she had been instructed, removed her abaya and her finery.

"Which whip have you chosen?" asked the Emir.

She spoke up in a clear and confident voice, "If it pleases the Master, the bastinado."

"Two strokes of the birch in the bastinado manner for a maximum of ten points," intoned the Golden Palace Chief Eunuch, handing the instrument to the selected eunuch.

Vega lowered herself very tentatively into the bastinado frame and her ankles were cuffed to it.

CRACK!

She screamed aloud at the first stroke and threshed about in the frame for some time. Evidently the blow had caused much more pain than she had anticipated. This wriggling was watched with some interest by the audience as it caused her breasts, belly and hips to wobble like jelly; a sight which some of the old men evidently found entrancing.

The Emir spoke quietly, but all could hear, "Are you ready for the second stroke?"

The woman could hardly speak and was obviously torn by her fear of the next stroke.

"This is a competition, not a punishment," he continued, "You may decline the second stroke, but it will cost you a lot of points."

Eventually she said, in a very thin and shaky voice, "I accept the second."

CRACK!

Her screams were cut off when she fainted after the second blow.

The eunuchs, at a signal from the Emir, unshackled her ankles and it took four of them to carry her well fleshed unconscious body behind the screen where she started screaming again as she was revived. He felt that her effort was worth no more than five out of ten.