"You can ride with me, up front if you like."
"I'd just as soon ride in the back with Ann."
"I'm afraid that's not allowed" was the polite reply.
I handed the driver my bag which was also placed in the trunk and then I sat next to the driver in the front of the limousine. When I entered the car I looked to exchange a few words with Ann. That too was not possible . The rear compartment of the limousine was enclosed in a tinted glass which was not penetrable from the outside. From within the limousine, I could look into the back which had obviously been built to custom order. Th ere was no seat in the back. Rather, there was Ann seated on a carpeted floor area. With her coat now in the trunk, she was totally naked except that her head was in a loosely fitting sack made from, what appeared to me , burlap and I could tell that she was trying to find a comfortable position. There was a glass partition between the front and the rear of the car which was soundproof and which, the driver told me, did not permit the p assenger in the rear from seeing into the front of the limousine.
As we navigated the city streets, the car bounced and bumped in accord with the rough pavement. From time to time, I watched Ann seated on the hard floor of the rear of the limousine and saw each of the bumps and jarrin g shocks of the streets translated into shakes and bobbles in Ann's flesh.
The driver and I did not converse much during the trip north. At several points the driver asked if I wanted to stop to get a bite or make use of a bathroom. When we were just north of Albany, I took him up on the inv itation and, after relieving myself, bought a soft drink. When I indicated that I thought we might give Ann the same opportunity, the driver politely told me that that would be inconsistent with his instructions. I do n ot know what would have happened if I insisted.
We departed the highway near Warrensburg, New York and spent about an additional hour tracing our way through smaller rural roads. Finally, our driver turned off a public road and onto a private road which was marked on ly by a "Private Property – No Trespassing" sign. After travelling about three quarters of a mile, on this private road, we reached a fenced enclosure interrupted by a gate with an attendant at the gatehouse. After pee ring inside and recognizing the driver, we proceeded about another half mile or so where in a cleared area, now snow-covered, I saw a magnificent stone mansion with two smaller buildings nearby.
The driver pulled up in front of the main building and with the words, "Welcome to Davenport" confirmed what I already knew. The driver took my bag from the trunk and ushered me inside. Anticipating my next question, h e told me that he would be bringing the candidate to her destination shortly.
Upon entering the building, I found myself in a central hall. The marble floor had a black and white checkered pattern. There were stairways both to the right and the left, and I saw that there was a great, vaulted ope n space in the middle of the building with rooms opening off interior balconies on each of the three floors. Within less than a minute, I saw the Administrator stride toward me from one of the first floor rooms as our d river excused himself to complete his tasks.
The Administrator was wearing what looked like a cross between a cape and a robe. It was buttoned at the neck and fastened to below the knee. It seemed to be made of a dark midnight-blue fabric.
"Robert" the Administrator said, "I am sure that you could use a little refreshment after your trip. I have taken the liberty of having something sent up to your room. May I show you where you will be staying and while you have a chance to refresh yourself, I will explain to you how things are arranged here?"
"That would be fine" I said.
"You can leave your bag there, it will be brought up right away."
I followed the Administrator into a small elevator, barely large enough for the two of us and rode with him to the third floor. The Administrator pointed me to a doorway which opened up to a small foyer with two rooms o n either side. These, I was told, were to be my accomodations while at Davenport. There was a bedroom and a sitting room with a bath off the bedroom. The furnishings were sumptuous.
On a small table in the sitting room was a plate of assorted sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, an assortment of soft drinks, as well as a pot of coffee and tea. The Administrator motioned for me to help myself. As I picked at the food (which was well prepared) the Administrator provided me with an introduction to Davenport.
"Robert, and I am calling you Robert because we go by first names here so as to respect our privacy concerns, my name is Charles, but everyone has gotten in the habit of calling me the Administrator. I know you will fin d your stay here very interesting.
"Right now, your candidate is being introduced to some of our procedures. Shortly you will be given the chance to observe the initial stages of her training. Your candidate is one of two to arrive today. Four arrived yesterday, so we will have a full complement over the next few weeks. Two are male and four are female."
I was a little surprised by the Administrator's comments as I had not anticipated either that Ann would be part of a larger group or that there would be males being part of the program.
"Of the six candidates in training only three have their sponsors staying with us. In addition to yourself, there is Gavin and Louise. They are staying nearby on this floor and I am sure you will be meeting them before too long."
"You will find that we have left a number of robes for you, like mine, in your closet. We encourage you to wear them while you are here, you will find them comfortable and convenient."
Just at that point there was a knock at the door. I rose to open the door but the Administrator called: "Enter." The door opened and there, carrying my bag, was a stunning, blonde haired, young woman in her mid-twentie s. She was wearing a dark blue cape, of the same material as the Administrator's, but with one significant difference. It was fastened only at the neck, and with each step or stride that was made, the cape opened to rev eal that it alone was the only garment being worn.
"May I unpack this for you?" I was asked.
I nodded my assent and then the Administrator explained. "Carol here completed her training at Davenport two years ago. Many of the sponsors find it useful to send their graduates back here periodically for updates and refreshers and to learn new approaches and techniques from time to time. We encourage this as we find it to our mutual benefit as we can use these graduates, like Carol, to provide staffing and support for the sponsors like you who elect to stay with us. Carol will be available for you for the first days of your stay with us."
Carol had completed her job of unpacking the bag I had brought with me. At that point she unfastened the cape which was clasped at her neck and then spread that cape out in a circular array on the floor to my right. Then without further comment, she sat on the floor, with her legs together and shifted to one side, in the middle of the cape. The effect was spectacular. It was if she were a flower, set off against the blue background of the cape. Her figure was trim with just enough curve and softness to convey a sense of lushness; her blonde hair shone lustrous and shoulder length. I knew that I would examine it more closely later.