Chapter 4: Intermission

Manu left her tied, on the table, for the rest of the day. He did not want her hands reaching for her scarred pussy, where they could damage the scar, or cause infection. He did bring her legs down thinking, rightly, that she would feel better if her legs were straight, even if not closed together, rather than spread out, with her pussy exposed. He did not tell her this though. He gave her some wine to drink, which was technically a violation of the rules, and the wine, on her empty stomach helped bring her to an uneasy sleep. He covered her with a sheet and left the room.

He paced the library for a while. He needed to see the sheik, needed to report. He climbed up the stairs and met the sheik in his sitting room. He was alone with Aisha, she, kneeling by his side.

He approached his employer and, unbidden, sat down. This slight disrespect did not pass unnoticed; Aisha gasped slightly, the sheik just frowned a little. Manu noticed the frown; he noticed everything, but found that he did not care too much anymore.

"Excuse me," he said, "I am tired; I meant no disrespect."

The sheik waved his hand, "None taken, my friend."

"I have done as instructed."

"So I have heard," the sheik smiled, "so has all of Brunei heard; it seems like."

He gestured and the slave girl rushed to bring Manu some tea. He drank the hot drink gratefully.

"How was she?" The sheik asked after his employee finished the tea.

"Very impressive," Manu answered. "I've never seen such obedience and humility in a condemned slave."

"How long should we wait to have her heal?"

Manu had to be very careful here, "A burn takes longer to heal than a cut. A week is my best guess."

"Good, so be it."

"With your leave," Manu got up and left the room.

He did not return to the dungeon directly; he took a turn around the gardens, trying to collect his thoughts. He had cut or burned the clitoris off quite a few slave girls in the past; some, like Lila, were playthings, from the beginning destined to be snuffed at the Sheik's pleasure, others were regular slave girls who, for one reason or another, had displeased Al-Mansour and were now to be de-clitted prior to their long and torturous demise. Most of them, naturally, cried in terror, begged for mercy, for their freedom, to be spared the mutilation or, at least to be given some anesthetic. Some, the ones that knew they were destined to be snuffed from the beginning, resigned to their fate, would not plea for mercy, but would never fail to struggle in their bonds, and grieve loudly before the procedure.

He never saw acceptance like Lila's. He wished he had met her master, someone who could command such love and docility from a slave. For the first time he felt his heart tearing with desire for a slave; his need for her overwhelming his common sense, he struggled with the decision his heart was making for him.

He must have her for himself.

He would ask the master, later on, to sell her to him. His substantial savings would easily buy an undamaged slave girl; he could bid on Lila easily. But, would the Sheik sell her to him? He would try and buy her at the end of the week. A voice in his mind told him the Sheik would not sell her to him, not before she had been terribly tortured, her body torn, and her mind damaged beyond repair. The image of her restrained beauty screaming in pain under the iron in his hand came back to haunt him. Even if her body was damaged beyond repair, even if she were driven crazy by the unrelenting, merciless torture, still he would try to preserve her as best he could. In fact, he thought, he might be able to do something for her, to lessen her suffering somewhat; he smiled; he would do that under the Sheik's own nose, even if the fat bastard refused to sell her to him; no, especially if he refused to sell her.

Happy for the first time this day, he went to eat his belated lunch; he picked up a sandwich for Lila before returning to the dungeon.

Lila heard him whistling before she saw him enter the room. The pain from her burned pussy awoke her some time before. Surprised for a moment at his change of attitude, Lila found that, in her predicament, her mind worked much faster than it ever had. Within seconds she knew why Manu was whistling, why he was happy.

"I brought you a sandwich," He said, sitting her up on the table and releasing her hands.

"Thank you master."

She ate her sandwich slowly, watching, discreetly, her master move about the room. She wondered when, not if, he would tell her of his decision. She guessed it would not take him long. She finished her sandwich.

"Lila," Manu said, "I wanted ... still want to quit rather than hurt you anymore."

"But you promised..."

Lila's tone was not pleading, rather it was the simple statement of fact that he would not quit, because he had promised not to.

"That's right, I promised," Manu continued, "I shall do as you want. I will continue to torture you; it is my job."

Lila nodded.

"Please understand that I do not want to hurt you; I shall go as easy with you as I can manage," He paused, "I'm afraid there is not much I can do."

Lila smiled at him, her smile tearing at his insides, "No, you mustn't."

Manu looked at her, shocked.

"You must not risk your position, your life, for my sake. Promise me you will do everything to me that you would do to anyone else."

His head shaking in disbelief, he remained mute.

"You must promise me, you will have no mercy; you must," Lila continued. "If anything happened to you, because of me ... It would be so much harder for me."

Tears streaked down Lila's face now, "Have pity on me. Promise me; promise you will have no mercy. Say it; say it to me."

Manu could not contain his tears either. It took him a few minutes to regain his composure. Between sobs, Lila continued:

"Promise me ... Promise me."

Finally, Manu hugged her nude body and, her breasts crushed against him, he said:

"I promise you, I shall have no mercy."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss. His lips crushed hers, and his tongue entered her mouth, looking for hers. They remained together, locked in a kiss, for a long time, their tears mixing on their faces.

He released her from the table and, for the rest of the day; she was free to move about the dungeon. He let her wrap the sheet about her waist providing a modicum of modesty for the beautiful slave girl.