Chapter 81

"Baron," said Julie a little nervously, "how did you choose your slaves?"

I burst out laughing; I couldn't help it. "Julie, I've never chosen any of these girls. Mostly the girls themselves, or fate, have chosen me." I looked at Aline and Julia swimming. Julia was showing her pregnancy now. She moved a little slower and needed to be reassured that I still loved her even though she thought that she was turning into a heifer.

"But most of them are so talented..." Julie continued.

"They've had time to train, and, for some of them, harsh incentives to do well." I thought of Karen's idea of hanging a couple of her trainees, just to 'encourage' the others to do well.

"But..." she hesitated, "but, they didn't train all the time surely?"

"No," I answered her reassuringly, "not all the time." I paused for a moment. "Only ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week."

"BUT!" Julie was spluttering now, "THAT'S ILLEGAL!"

I had to smile at her comment. "So's slavery."

Julie stared at me for over a minute as she thought this through. "Why don't you free them then?"

I laughed louder this time.

"Something funny, my darling?" asked Sasha just before she kissed me.

"I asked him why he didn't free his slaves..." said Julie.

"Oh Julie, I had such hopes for you. Why don't you ask his girls why he doesn't free them?" Sasha sounded quite disappointed in Julie.

We watched Julie leave. I think that she was hurt by Sasha's reaction to her question.

"I do hope she learns to think," said Sasha before we kissed again.

"Karen's workshop has been completed. The women from the village started working in it yesterday." She told me.

"I'm glad of that. Her new workers arrive tomorrow and she really did need the extra room." It was very good of you and your family to make the extra room available. Thank..."

"No," she smacked me lightly on my arm. "You are my husband to be; soon you will be the Master of Martinè. I am only looking after my home and my people."

"I want to thank you anyway." I told her.

"Then thank me properly, take your pleasure from me, make me your woman again, make me squeal again."

As we kissed I slid my hand along her thigh, up, up to her breast. We made slow love in the shade of a tree. The sounds of those around us fell from our ears as we concentrated on each other. I thanked her properly as a lover thanks his lover.

Sometime later, I left my love sleeping on the blanket. We'd been washed clean, though Sasha had slept through that. Menolly and Alina watched over her, a large sunshade ready if she should need it.

I left to have a look at Karen's workshop. I opened the door and found a second set of doors immediately behind them. From the sounds of industry coming through the inner doors I guessed that they needed both sets for sound proofing.

I could also hear Karen's exasperated voice. "NO, NO, NO! How many times do I have to tell you? Your work needs to improve or I'll let you out on the streets to starve."

This was the last of the local girls who couldn't yet make the grade.

"I'm trying Mademoiselle, really I am, it's just that..."

"It's just that you haven't shown me any work as good as that practice piece." Snapped Karen.

Looking at the woman I could see that there was something wrong, something we'd all been missing. I looked along the rows of workstations all laid out in exactly the same way, all of the women reaching down to their right ... Was it as simple as that? My God what the woman must have been going through.

I picked up a spindle and threw it to her. "CATCH!" I called while it was in flight.

She caught it easily. And I smiled.

"Karen, my dearest girl." I said, "She's left-handed. All of your workstations are setup for right-handed workers. Please try setting up a mirror image of your current setup; see how she goes with that."

Karen looked shocked, "Of course my Master." She turned to the woman, "Eve, I didn't know..."

"I didn't tell you Mademoiselle, I was ... I am ... frightened of you." The woman admitted.

Karen turned to the rest of her workers, "Are there any more left-hander's here?" She called. Three other women put their hands up, all looking worried.

Karen turned back to me, "Master, this girl thanks her Master for his wisdom and understanding. This girl will try harder Master."

I turned to the woman, Eve, standing next to us. "Eve, please help Karen get your workstations rearranged."

"Oui, Monsieur Le Baron," she answered very nervously.

I smiled at her. I practically never have to 'put people at their ease'. It's usually me that needs to be reassured. But Eve was only seconds away from wetting herself.

"Karen, when the workstations are rearranged, perhaps you could give the left-hander's say, six months, to become proficient again. Then test their quality."

Karen smiled, "Of course, my Master, it shall be as you say."

Eve broke down sobbing, falling to her knees crying uncontrollably. Both Karen and I looked down at her in shock.

Marianne came running over and started hugging Eve. She looked up at us.

"Mademoiselle, Monsieur Le Baron, Eve really needs this job. Her husband died last year and left some debts. She also has two children to look after." She looked at Karen, "You told her that she'd be out starving on the streets, Mademoiselle that would be quite true. And now Monsieur Le Baron has shown us what is wrong with her work and given her time to adjust. She might even surprise us all with the quality of her work."

Marianne helped Eve stand and guided her to the small staff room.

Karen clapped her hands. "Everyone, do not touch your work. Your hands will have sweat and heavy oils on them, the workday is finished. Do not worry about your pay; go home and be back here in the morning."

Karen's workers, quietly gathered their things, being very careful not to touch their work, and left. In only a couple of minutes we were standing in an empty workshop.

Karen knelt and kissed my foot. I tried to stop her but she would not be put off. "My Master, how can a girl abase herself before you when you've shown her, again, your wisdom and kindness?"

I nearly said 'I don't need you to abase yourself'. But I now knew that these girls themselves felt that need. "Dearest Karen, I am pleased to help you. When I help my girls, they help me more."

She rubbed her cheek on my leg and I understood that this was her caress.

I couldn't even thank her.

The pool water was cool against my skin as I eased through my lengths. There were the usual sounds of others in the pool and 2's underwater speakers. Just a normal evening at the Chateau.

Then the pool went silent. This was unusual. The speakers were still on of course but there was no other noise. I stopped at the end of the pool and wiped the water from my face. Karen was kneeling in front of me on the poolside. She was crying.

I lifted out of the water and held her in my arms, soon her sobbing stopped and she seemed to compose herself.

"My Master, the ... slaves ... have arrived." Her tears continued.

"Show me." I ordered, but kindly.

Karen turned and would have just led me to them but I stopped her and held her hand.

"Walk with me precious girl."

That seemed to break her completely she rushed into my arms and cried her heart out. "Oh my Master, they're so ... so..."

"Hush sweet one, let me see them." I stroked her head and murmured soothing sounds to her. Melissa at my side looked worried.

"Master, is there something..."

"No Melissa, there's nothing that you should worry about, but I do need Julia," I stopped to think for a moment, remembering Julia's pregnancy. "No; not Julia, she's to stay in her office until I release her. Sasha, Paula and Jo, get them for me.

Sasha was at my side in moments, She looked at the still crying girl in my arms and then gave me a querying glance. I shook my head. Paula and Jo came to my side; Jo running, Paula walking with a grace and dignity that belied the speed she moved at.

"Come Karen, show me these slaves."

"Oh Master..."

It was the smell that hit us first. Sasha and Jo gagged, almost vomiting. Paula seemed to recognise the smell.

"Oh dear Paul, something is truly wrong here." She said quietly.

While I agreed, I didn't say anything.

Karen opened the door to the slave quarters at the end of the workshop and I looked at twenty of the sorriest examples of humanity it has been my misfortune to see.

They stood; those that could anyway. They started helping the others up but I waved them down.

I waved the closest one to me, she pulled her rags over her head and, naked, approached me fearfully.

She was covered in whip marks and sores. Her skin dirty, scabs and open wounds marred her breasts and abdomen. Not trusting myself to speak I gestured for her to turn around. Her back and buttocks were worse. Then I saw the evidence of dried blood on her inner thighs.

I noted the way that she stood, hunched over and fearful. These slaves were supposed to be skilled lace makers, cutters and a clicker, whatever that is.

"Listen to me, I'm the Baron, you may have heard of me, some call me the Bastard Baron." I looked round there was almost no reaction from them at all.

Melissa, get Em and Riddley. Jo, I need a phone." I held my hand out, not bothering to check that Melissa was carrying out my orders.

Jo placed a phone in my hand and, when I looked at the display, I saw that Ross' number was already for connection.

"Thank you Jo,"

The phone rang twice, then Ross answered. "How fast do you need me Paul?"

"What?" I exclaimed wondering how he knew.

"This is the emergency number I gave your girls before we left. I'm getting my kit together now; I assume as it's this number you called that you need me quickly."

"I've twenty, that's two zero, people who desperately need you Ross. Em and Riddley will be looking at them but I really think that you should bring two or three experience nurses with you if you can."

"Have your jet meet us in Luton in," there was a pause, "two hours, we'll be straight over." The line went dead.

I turned to Jo, "Good thinking Jo, well done."

She gave a little smile, "My Master shouldn't thank his slave for doing what is right."

Her eyes though kept flickering towards the new slaves.

Em arrived quickly followed by Riddley. Em took one look at the suffering women and started bossing us all around.

The women were stripped and we washed them all. Em ordered their garments to be burned but I objected. I wanted them to be checked for any information as to why these slaves were in this state.

I looked at the woman sitting in front of me, she seemed fearful of me, but opened her mouth as I lifted the spoon to her lips. She'd tried to hold the spoon herself but trembled and shook so much that she kept dropping it.

I sat on the floor in front of her, picked up her spoon and fed her a little soup. She took it gratefully. She managed to eat about a quarter of the small bowl, then I could see that she was eating because I was feeding, rather than because she wanted the food. She looked emaciated; I could see her individual ribs. Her breasts had lost volume and hung limp and flat against her chest. Her teeth were loose, I felt that as she painfully took the soup off the spoon. Her hair was dank and lifeless. Though we'd washed all of the women; their skin looked grey and lifeless. This was neglect, deliberate and sustained, almost an attempt to starve these women to death.

Karen was like a girl possessed. She fed the weakest and worst cases. She lifted them and helped them use the bedpans Cecy's housekeeper had found for us, washing the women gently afterwards. She sat with them, talking to them, holding them in her arms.

Ross arrived, he'd brought another doctor and four nurses. I was glad that they didn't ask questions but just followed Em and Ross' orders.

A problem came when Ross wanted to give one of the women antibiotics. The woman was obviously afraid for her life. Karen was there immediately.

"Prepare two hypodermics' both the same. I will have one, she the other. She will choose which. I will be injected first." Karen ordered.

Seeing Ross nod, the doctor did so. He put both syringes onto a tray and held them out to the woman. They all looked away while she made her choice. Then Karen picked up the other syringe and injected herself.

The woman looked shocked but watched Karen carefully for nearly five minutes before handing her syringe over and offering her arm to Ross. He injected her carefully and she didn't seem to feel any pain. Then Karen was off to see to another woman.

We all worked hard through the night, feeding, cleaning and caring for these women. Karen though worked harder than any three of us. She didn't stop all night. In the end I grabbed her and while she looked at me in surprise, Ross gave her an injection of Valium. We laid her to sleep in with the women she'd been caring for. Two of the nurses would take a watch and then hand over to the other two. The rest of us went to our beds.

The slave's quarters had changed quite a bit when I returned the next day. Two showers had been installed by the doors and now everyone who entered the room had to shower and wear 'scrubs', the blue tunic and trousers habitually worn by medics. Bottles of antibacterial gel were at the end of every bed and the nurses watched to ensure that everyone used them all the time.

There were also two empty beds.

The lead nurse saw me looking at the clean white sheets on the empty beds...

"That's why we have to be so careful at the moment, a mild infection could kill all of them. Those two, they were the weakest, they just ... let go." She sounded so upset that, with all of her training and years of experience, she couldn't help two abused women who'd decided that they had had enough.

I looked at her, "Don't worry, I'm going to make the people responsible for this pay, and pay for the rest of their short and pain-filled lives."

She gave a half smile, "I'm supposed to be against that sort of thing. My church tells me to leave retribution to the Lord. But..."

"Sometimes God leaves justice to us. He's given us everything we need to live good and fruitful lives. We just need to ensure that we all get a fair share."

She nodded, "You needn't try to justify this for me, I can see the justification suffering here in this room. Go and deliver your, no, our vengeance. I will stay here and tend to these women. I'll welcome you all back and thank you then. We," she gestured to the women in the room, "all will."

The factory was tall, gloomy and foreboding. Large windows should have filled the building with light, but the pitiful gleam they allowed into the building seemed only to enhance the gloom inside.

The machines were set up in long rows, little space between each one for the workers tending them. The women and children working the machines looked at us with little interest; empty eyes in vacant faces stared at us for a few moments and then went back to their machines. Then I noticed that they were all chained to their machines. From the looks of their ankles the chains weren't released for them to sleep. They lay down where they worked, slept as well as they could.

Long gutters ran down each side of the machine rows. A woman went and relieved her bladder into one of these. The place stank of the wretchedness of humanity.

I walked slowly behind the girls. Elastic had brought nearly all of her girls; Paula sent two four-girl sticks as well. Prof and Chiefy accompanied us. The inside team went from floor to floor, bottom to top. Any one able to flee would be caught by the outside team and held until we'd established who they were and what their part in this torture was.