Chapter 2

Two days after the two girls left their side of the island to see what lay on the seaward of their prison, there was a great storm. All the water in the Seven Seas seemed to be falling on the island with furious winds sending huge waves pounding the shore and inundating their cave shelter, scattering the meagre supplies left to the girls by the Inspectors and strewing them over the beach, or at least, those which had not been swept out to sea. When conditions had returned to something like normal, the helicopter swept in and landed on the beach as usual.

Inspector Van Reisen walked over to the cave, brandishing her whip. She was keenly looking forward to a bit of vigorous, sweat inducing and very healthy exercise and fun - for her! Today shewas going to to give Joanne the mother and father of all whippings and then lay with equal savagery into Annie as well! Her heart was pounding with excitement at the prospect! Her nostrils quivered as they anticipated the smell of blood. Then she neared the cave, saw the devastation, and her spirits sank. It would seem that the storm had deprived the Inspector of her sport, washing both girls far out to sea together with the majority of their possessions!

"Damn!, damn!, damn!" she muttered. Disappointment and rage at her intended victims for so inconsiderately depriving her of her morning's sport fought within her for supremacy and caused her almost to foam at the mouth!

She returned to the chopper and her colleague slashing at the air with her unemployed whip. She was one very angry lady that day! Both Inspectors got on board and were whisked back to the mainland.

"Well, we've got a couple more rebels lined up for the outdoor treatment" muttered Van Reisen "Such a crying shame about that Joanne Esterhazy, though. I loved hearing that hard bitch screaming for mercy the other day and I couldn't wait to have her singing along to Tickler's tune again! There's no one can stand up to old Tickler for long!" She looked fondly at her leather whip as she spoke, her ugly face, with its heavy black moustache under the broken nose and her pock-marked cheeks, creased into a smile that made her look almost beautiful.

Meanwhile, the two girls were holed up in a cave on the other side of the island. They had been in the lee of the recent storm and well above water level in any case. Neither Annie nor Joanne had any idea what had happened to their shelter and they were not to learn of this for some time. Without the means of lighting a fire or anything much in the way of fuel, they were both feeling very cold, and had spent most of the time clasping each other for warmth and praying for better weather.

By the time things had calmed down, both of them were tired and hungry, regretfully deciding that they might as well get back to their cave, their supplies and the tender mercies of their occasional and unwelcome visitors. As they crept down towards the sea, they realised that the storm had caused a lot of damage, including wrecking a ship. Out to sea, they could see the remains of a moderate sized coaster, and on the beach was scattered a large number of pieces of cargo, including several containing food. Also lying on the beach were the bodies of two men and a woman.

The men had both perished - drowned, in all likelihood, and then been washed onto the beach. But the woman was alive, though barely so. Joanne and Annie managed to bury the two men, utilising bits of wreckage as makeshift shovels. They carried the unconscious young lady, scarcely any older than Annie, up to their temporary shelter.

Francesca Moroni opened her eyes to see two very young, very lovely and very naked young ladies looking down at her with mingled concern and relief. Their concern was for the woman's condition and their relief that she had at long last recovered consciousness. The elder and taller of the two turned away to get something for her to lay her head on, now that the rescued girl was conscious at last. Francesca gasped as she saw Joanne's still freshly scarred back.

"I know! It's not a pretty sight, is it?" said Joanne, hearing the intake of breath and guessing its meaning. She looked over her shoulder, smiling. "More than likely it won't be much to look at ever again, but at least I'm alive. We're all alive! Let's hang on to that!"

"What are you two doing here? You weren't on the ship." said Francesca in a voice that was weak, but getting stronger every second.

"We are prisoners of the State, confined to this island indefinitely, all alone here except for a couple of aesthetically challenged goons who come over now and again to whip us and otherwise punish us for our misdeeds. We shouldn't by rights be on this side of the island and had best be getting back where we ought to be even if it does almost certainly mean more of their charming attentions. There's a suspended and very uncomfortable cage where they'll put me to rot for a few weeks and a whip waiting for poor little Annie here, when they find out. You could do yourself a bit of good by denouncing us, if and when they rescue you!"

Francesca said nothing. The effort of speaking had exhausted her, and she fell into a long and deep sleep. By the time she woke up, only Annie was at her side. She asked after the absent Joanne.

"Gone to look at the other side of the island again. She says she'll try to think of some plausible reason to give them why I'm not with her - we were going hunting, seems the likeliest. How are you feeling, and what's your name? I'm Annie."

"Francesca. Francesca Moroni, daughter of Senator Moroni. Glad to know you, Annie! I was a sort of stowaway. I say 'sort of' because the captain knew about it. He was in love with me and wanted to help. I was hoping to get away from the country and find a home somewhere free, if there is anywhere free nowadays. Maybe America, if they still exist and it's still possible to cross the Atlantic. One hears such tales of the freedom they enjoy."

"They do still exist, OK, according to Joanne, my friend, who's awfully clever and knowledgeable. But they're no more free than we are these days. The same thing happened there many years ago as did here. We two are going to stay here and fight for freedom, joining up with others who think as we do - so should you! You'll have to take all those clothes off, though, if you wish to fight side by side with us!"