Chapter 64

That night the two girls looked exquisitely regal as they entered the banquet hall flanked by Duke and Duchess, both meticulously groomed for the occasion, and both pacing with their heads up high as if they were escorting a monarch to his coronation.

For the occasion the girls were wearing the tiaras they had last worn at the gala in Prague. The sponsors of the award dinner were nonplused. First, the computer and software people are famously casual; it's not uncommon for someone to show up at such an affair in Levi's. But second, the universal reaction was that these young women truly were to the manor born. Their grace and dignity were just an integral part of themselves. The men — and women — realized that there was nothing added or taken away. What they were seeing was the way Ann and Mary truly were.

After being greeted by COMDEX's president and top officers, they were introduced to the members of the board of directors at a very private reception held in a room behind the banquet hall.

The girls found themselves talking to a woman who was the founder and chairman of a specialty computer software company, Jane Ellis. The woman was very attractive and still on the sunny side of 40 — but just. She took Ann's hands in hers, looked deeply into her eyes, and then slowly shook her head. "I have a confession to make," she said. "I voted against selecting you for this award. I was convinced it was all smoke and mirrors, somehow. After all, we know it's impossible for a couple of women to do what you have apparently done.

"Now that I meet you, I am utterly ashamed. Like so many other people here, I saw the KNBC interview you did with Joyce Johnson."

She smiled and interjected, "That must be the most well-worn bit of news film since marines erected the flag on the top of Mount Suribachi. Every station in the country, if not in the whole world, must have run it by now."

Again she shook her head and said, "But regardless of what I thought when I saw it, now I know it was just the complete truth. It was, wasn't it?" Ann just nodded her head. "But the focus of the show was on your brains. They totally overlooked your incredible beauty."

Then she paused and studied the girls some more. Grinning now, she continued, "But something new has been added, hasn't it? You two are now head-over-heels, desperately in love, aren't you?" Both Mary and Ann smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I'm so happy for you!" Jane exclaimed. "Who are the lucky guys?"

"I'm sorry, Jane," Ann replied. "It's so new, we don't want to jinx it. I hope you don't mind?"

"How could I possibly?" the woman answered. "I'm just being nosy." Then she said, "But now I really see it. The children you two will bear — lots of children you will bear — will be utterly perfect little things." Then she shook her head and added, "Don't I wish that could be me!"

"It can be, Jane," Mary said softly. "And it will. It's not too late."

Suddenly the woman beamed. "Thank you. I so hope you're right." Then she paused and added, "You two really have your priorities straight."

Then she laughed and said, "I'll tell you how screwed up I've been: After voting against giving you the award, I thought about it some more and was delighted about your receiving it. You were really showing up the men! But now I realize nothing could be further from the truth. You're just trying to be helpful. The idea of showing up men would never enter your heads. You just do your thing, and I think your thing is great!"

Dinner was served, and then the award was made to the two girls for the greatest contribution to the computer industry in 1995. Both girls made short speeches thanking the Association for the honor, and then received a heart-felt standing ovation. When they left the dinner, they had captured the hearts of everyone present.

Had they known it, they would have rejoiced at the fact that many of the attendees were rethinking their position regarding the importance of God in their lives. Bill Gates often spoke of it, but his statements had previously been dismissed as only being a way to avoid telling anyone the true secrets of his success with Microsoft. But now, after hearing the girls, they were not at all sure.

The next morning when the girls emerged from the locker room at UNLV, they found the men waiting for them beside the pool. They were just wearing very brief racing trunks which covered next to nothing. Ann went to Mark, slowly ran her fingers over his torso and murmured, "Pretty nice."

While she was doing that, Mark was looking at Ann's body in the white racing suit she was wearing and said, "Utterly magnificent! Ann Whitfield, you are perfect."

"You're not quite perfect," she replied, "but you're close." Then with a grin she asked, "Are you and Mike ready to get your clocks cleaned again?"

He slowly shook his head and then asked, "What's the deal today? You said yesterday you would give us a chance to win our company back. How does it work?"

"How's this sound?" she began. "Mary and I put up the stock and the $250 million apiece we offered yesterday. Okay?"

"What do we put up?" Mark countered. "Our lives?"

"You put up the money you have in the bank and in securities. Okay?"

"Do you know what you're asking? Mike and I probably have less than $20,000 between us. And that's all we put up against the company and $500 million?"

"That's all," Ann agreed. Then she grinned and added, "Mary and I thought we might have sandbagged you yesterday, so we're trying to even it up a little."

Instantly, the two men shook on the bet. But when Mark went to take Ann into his arms she said, "None of that! We have a race to swim first. If you think you can turn me into a pile of warm mush just before the starter's buzzer sounds, you're crazy!" Then she winked and added, "Later ... Maybe!"

UNLV — University of Nevada, Las Vegas — is a new school. Being located in a sparsely populated state, yet one with enormous revenues largely derived from gambling and related activities, the school is very well-funded and no expense had been spared in its facilities. For this reason, its swimming pool was true Olympic caliber, 50 meters long by eight swimming lanes wide. In addition, it was fully equipped with the latest in electronic timing equipment and underwater and above-water video capability.

As they stepped up on the starting boxes, Ann looked around and was surprised to find a large number of spectators in the seats watching. She also saw a group of men wearing UNLV jackets who she guessed were members of the swim team coaching staff. Earlier the men and girls had agreed that Mike and Mark would swim in lanes 2 & 3, while Ann and Mary would be in lanes 6 & 7. The two middle lanes and the two wall lanes were not going to be used.

When they were in position on the boxes, they waved to the coaches, one of whom waved back and activated the automated starting process. An electronic voice rang out, "Swimmers ... Take your marks ... Get set..." Following was the loud starting buzzer. The girls beat the men off the blocks in perfect dives.

The instant he saw the girls go off, the head swimming coach verified that all of the video cameras were operating and were tracking the girls through the water. As he watched he muttered, "My God! Those girls are perfect." He stood up to try to improve his view.

The girls might as well have been synchronized swimmers as they moved through the water with identical strokes. At the same time, there was not the slightest waste motion. Every ounce of effort was driving them through the water. Moreover, the coach realized that their pace was incredible. It was as if they were racing 50 meters rather than 400. By the time they made their first turn they were leading the men by a quarter of a pool length, but just kept pulling away.

The men were also swimming well, but were not in the same class as the girls. The coach's eyes widened as he realized the girls were not slowing down. They were continuing the same blistering pace when they made their second turn at 100 meters and third at 150. At that point they were leading by almost a full length of the pool and were opening their lead even faster than they had at the start. But at the same time, there did not appear to be as much as an inch separating the two girls from each other. It was obvious that there was a private race in progress between the two of them with neither willing to yield an inch.

An assistant showed him a set of stopwatches with their lap times. He blinked and looked again. The girls' pace was in record time for 100 meters but they just kept going. At 300 meters, they passed the men and were now leading by a full lap, yet neither girl had slowed by even a fraction of a second. As they started their last lap, the coach and his assistants left their seats to go down to the pool deck to greet the girls when they touched out.

At the same time, their swimmers, watching the electronic timer on the wall and realizing that a new world record was in prospect, got to their feet and began to chant, "Go... ! Go... ! Go!"

The coach said as much to himself as to his assistants, "I just can't believe this! Those girls haven't slowed down at all. And their form is as perfect now as it was in their first few strokes."

When they made their last turn, it seemed that the two simultaneously cranked it up a notch and launched finishing drives for the wall. The chanting had risen in volume and pitch until the screams were bouncing off the wall and the watching swimmers were starting to jump up and down. Finally they touched, with the light coming on in Ann's lane. She had touched out Mary by 0.001 of a second! In the process they had lowered the official world's record by fifteen seconds.

For the first time in a very long time, the girls didn't just pop out of the pool. Instead they held on to the wall to try to regain their breath and sufficient strength to lift themselves out.

The coaches offered their hands and lifted the girls from the water as the two Campbell men made their turns for their final lap. The coach, Bill Hawkins, hugged Ann and said, "Congratulations, Miss Whitfield! That was an incredible race!" Then he drew Mary in with his other arm and hugged her, too.

The girls took off their racing goggles and Mary took off her swim cap. Ann, with her shorter hair didn't wear one. "Thank you very much, Coach Hawkins, for letting us use your pool. We certainly appreciate your courtesy."

At that Hawkins howled with laughter. "You're thanking me?" he exclaimed. "Get serious! I have just seen — and recorded — the finest 400 meters ever swum in the history of the world, and you're thanking me? Good grief, girl! This is a signal honor for UNLV, believe you me. Just look around you!"

The girls did and were startled to find all the UNLV swimmers packed around them waving anything they had been able to get their hands on that could serve as something the girls could autograph.

"In case it's not obvious to you, young ladies, you have just lowered the men's world record for 400 meters by more than fifteen seconds."

Then turning to Mary, Hawkins just shook his head and said, "You're the one I feel sorry for. You lower the world record by fifteen seconds but get touched out by your sister by one one-thousandth of a second! My God! I've never seen a race so tight at 50 meters, forget 400." Then he just shook his head and said, "Utterly brilliant! There's no other word for it."

While waiting for Mike and Mark to finish, the girls cheerfully signed anything that was passed to them. One young man who asked them to sign his shirt said, "You're the women who won the Nobel Prize, aren't you?" When Mary admitted they were, he just shook his head and said, "The world just isn't fair. Aside from being the smartest people in the world, you're the most beautiful, and the most athletically gifted, besides. Why aren't you married?"

"Because no guy has ever asked me," Mary responded with the cutest giggle the young man had ever heard.

As they were finishing their signing, the coaches were helping Mike and Mark out of the pool. Once out, they just sat down on the deck to try to regain their strength. Finally they were able to stand. When they did, they found the girls standing close by, just waiting. The two men pulled the girls close and kissed them hungrily while they felt the incredible flow of love and electricity between them.

Mark had Ann in his arms. When he looked down at her, he gently moved a hank of hair from her eye, and then kissed it lightly. "You're incredibly beautiful, Ann Whitfield." Then he reached down, took her buns in his hands and squeezed. The instant he did, she crushed her pelvis to his and simultaneously squelched a scream as she instantly came. When he released his hold, she relaxed in his arms with her eyes closed and murmured, "No damage done, this time. I'm already so wet, no one could possibly see my love juices, anyway."

"Well, I guess you now own all our worldly possessions. What happens now?"

"Now we give you one more chance to get even," Ann replied. "We will allow you to take us to dinner. Then we have a poker game arranged. It will be just the four of us, along with a professional dealer to keep things honest."

"That's nice," Mark replied blandly. "And what are Mike and I going to use to play with? Match sticks?"

"No, darling," she said softly. "Just a wish."

"And what does that mean? What is the bet exactly?" he persisted.

"The bet is essentially what the first two were. If you win, you get everything back plus our $500 million. If you lose, you each owe us a single wish," Ann replied.

"Like you wish we were dead?" he asked with a little grin.

"What would you do if I said that was the bet?" she asked.

"I would play anyway," he replied. "So would Mike."

"That's not the wish," Ann said with a quirky little smile. "And since you would risk your lives, it should go without saying you will play for any lesser risk. Am I right?"

"You're right, of course," he conceded. "But there is one small problem. Right now, I couldn't pay for a glass of water."

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me. We're buying. And you are joining us for cocktails at six in our suite. Mary and I thought you should meet our parents. I guess you have, but that was only passing by in a receiving line."

The twins appeared at the door precisely at six. Ann opened it and to the twins' surprise, Mary was standing back in the entryway, blindfolded. Ann said, "This is in the nature of a test. I want you each to kiss Mary to see if she can tell you apart. Want to bet?"

The two just shook their heads and Mark kissed Mary and then Mike did. After kissing Mark, Mary held his sleeve while kissing Mike. After the kisses, Mary pulled lightly on Mark's sleeve and said, "Hi, Mark. Ann is right over there."

Then slipping off the blindfold she turned to Mike and said, "Could I have another kiss, please?" This time Mike folded her in his arms and kissed her with every ounce of love he possessed. Mary did the same thing while sinuously moving her body against his. Then she just stayed in his arms and caressed his back with her finger tips.

Finally recovered she said, "Thank you, Mike. That was wonderful! Now we would like you to meet our parents."

The two men were wearing dinner jackets, and Mary was delighted to see they had given up on the intentional identity confusion: Mark was wearing a red carnation, while Mike's was white. She couldn't resist teasing them, though. Looking carefully from one to the other she finally said, "It's about time."

When Mike bit and asked what was, she answered, "You're what? — 28 years old?" He nodded, still puzzled. "It certainly took you long enough. I'll bet this is the first time in your entire lives you have not dressed identically. It is, isn't it?" When the two brothers exchanged looks and then sheepishly nodded, she grinned triumphantly.

Entering the living room, they found Donald Whitfield on his feet waiting for them, while Marion was seated in a lounge chair beside him. Since Mary had led the group inside, Mike Campbell was the first to greet the parents. After shaking hands with Don, he continued to study him for a moment. Then he shook his head and said, "I just don't understand it. I know you're in your eighties — that's what your biography says — but you don't appear to even be thirty! How do you do it, sir?"

"Mike, I guess I don't care how old I look. After all, you're only as old as you feel, right? And with this ... thing ... beside me, I feel like I'm ninety going on 105!"

"Gee, that's nice," Mike responded agreeably. Then looking at Marion he said, "Does Her Grace agree with that assessment?"

"Absolutely!" Marion exclaimed. Thinking for a moment she just nodded her head and continued, "When Don took me an hour ago, I don't think he was able to maintain my orgasm for even thirty minutes!" She rapidly nodded her head and said, "He's definitely ninety going on 105."

"Why were your eyes dancing when you said that?" Mike asked innocently. "And why do you seem to be unable to put your thighs together?"

"To your first question, Mr. Campbell, I have no answer except to suggest that you might wish to have your eyesight checked. To your second, the answer is quite simple, and very PC as you Yanks like to say: It's spousal abuse. You see, I was a virgin when Donald took me to his bed the first time. Ever since, it has been a constant series of assaults on my virginal body. So much so that I've never had a chance adequately to recover from his initial assault."

"If that is so, my darling, why do you always attack me with your body? Why do you cry so when my poor cock is limp and lifeless? When even your very talented mouth is insufficient to revive it?" Don asked.

"Because you've transformed me, Donald, to the point where I live on your cum." Then looking up with her eyes wide with innocence, yet dancing with merriment, she added, "It's another one of those male dominance things. He insists on making me his sex slave."

Then she added with her eyes gleaming, "Why the first time he sexually assaulted me, I was in the castle's torture chamber suspended from the ceiling by chains on my wrists while my ankles were chained to the stone floor. I was utterly defenseless."

"Then you are the Duke's sex slave?" Mike asked. Marion just vigorously nodded her head. "In that case I can only say that slavery becomes with you." Then he added, "It's just not fair, though."

"What's not fair?" Marion inquired.

"Until a few minutes ago, I knew — Mark and I both knew — that the most beautiful women in the world are Mary and Ann Whitfield. But then we have the opportunity really to meet the parents. Now we both know that the most beautiful woman in the world is you, Your Grace. And it's not fair that given your overwhelming beauty, you couldn't have given more than one percent of your own to your daughters."

He nodded his head sharply and added, "Selfish! That's all I can say, Your Grace. You are terribly selfish. Couldn't you have shared a bit more? Twenty percent, or at least 10?" Then he added, "Of course, while you didn't give them much in the way of physical beauty, I see in them the same thing I see in you: a limitless quantity of Divine grace that just spills from your body and saturates everything around you. That is one facet of your beauty you certainly did share with your daughters."

Marion opened her mouth to make a retort, but then closed it again. Finally she said, "Thank you, Michael Campbell. Indeed Mary and Ann are filled with the grace of God."

Over cocktails the Campbell brothers tried to explain the problem they had with their mother. Mark made the first attempt. "Do you remember The Wizard of Oz?" They all nodded. "There was the Wicked Witch of the West. Remember? Well, if you take the Witch's bad points and cube them, then her good points — although honestly I don't remember if there were any — and cut them by about two-thirds, that's a good picture of our mother.

"Isn't that a bit ... harsh?" Marion asked mildly. She didn't mention that she and Don had spent most of the day with Cara playing golf and enjoyed both the day and Cara's company immensely.

"I have a question," Donald said mildly. "You two are ... eloquent ... regarding your mother's shortcomings. But what about yours? After all, the Lord said, 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.' He didn't say, 'Let he who has fewer sins... ' So, are you two perfect? Mike? Mark?"

The twins exchanged looks. Looking very sheepish, Mark replied, "No, sir, we're sure not. In fact, it's fair to say that the girls have taken us down more than a few pegs in the last 36 hours."

He straightened up in his chair and continued, "Thirty-six hours ago, we were real hot tickets. We had it all: we even had our own company, Campbell Computing. Now? We've got nothing. Nothing at all. And the way things are going, we will end up owing these girls something — probably our lives as their slaves — for at least the next ten years."