"Your clothes are ruined. Here."
I took the tan man's raincoat and slid into it, shivering at the slick nylon lining. I buttoned it over my nakedness. It was too large by a considerable margin, but I do have I lot of chest! I admit to enjoying the feeling of the cloth against my nipples…
In silence we went down, and out the front door. I smiled up at the stars. They were still there! I had not seen stars, or sun or moon or clouds, or breathed fresh good woods air for so long!
He steered me wordlessly to his car, and I saw that we were to go the long way, down his drive and out to the road and along it and into Aunt Isobel's drive it occurred to me that moment that she knew where I was. They had planned this! She had probably been in a hotel, downtown! I thought about that as he drove in silence.
He drew up before the big house, hesitated as he looked at me, then got out and came around to open the door. Such politeness for a rapist, I mused. But I said nothing; I would not break the silence. He walked me up onto the porch, and I saw that I had been right: the door was unlocked. She was home. She knew. He pushed it open, into the darkened hallway. I hesitated, then went inside without looking at him. He went in silence back to his car and drove away home.
I felt as though I were in some sort of dream. Someone else's dream, perhaps. I could not believe what they had done to me. I realized that I was still wearing his coat. I shrugged. Flipping on a light, I went along the corridor to the kitchen.
I was sitting there at the little table, having eaten only a small quantity of cold roast beef and amazed that I seemed full, when I looked up to see Aunt Isobel in the doorway.
"Hello, Tory."
"Hello. It, worked. I'm not a girl any more." There was silence for a while, the two of us just staring at each other. Again I thought the whole insanity seemed like a dream. She glanced at the saucer I had used, and the meat still on its platter on the table. I rose, wrapped the meat in foil, and returned it to the refrigerator. The saucer I slid into the sink.
"That attracts roaches," she said.
"Wash it then," I said.
I walked past her and started up the steps. She was left standing there in the kitchen with the lights on and the greasy saucer in the sink. She had not washed a dish since I had come here. Halfway up the steps I paused and turned.
"Aunt Isobel?"
She came out of the kitchen to look questioningly up at me. She looked tiny, there at the bottom of the steps.
I asked, "Was it your idea?"
She didn't bother to pretend. "Not wholly. Partially…"
"You do whatever he says."
She looked surprised, but nodded.
"You're his… slave."
She looked down. She didn't need to answer, and both of us knew it. Pushing my hand into the pocket of the coat, I drew out what I had felt there, thumping my bare leg my diary.
"Do you want to read the rest of this?"
She looked up the steps at me. "No, Tory."
"Are you quite sure?"
She nodded.
"Then keep your long whore's nose out of it hereafter," I said. "I've offered. Now don't be a sneak."
"Tory…"
"I don't care for that name. You invented it, and I really don't care for you. I think I'll call myself Vicky. With an 'i' on the end, maybe."
"Like that Johnson girl, Luci? That's common."
I shrugged. "We're pretty common people. After all I haven't any parents, and my aunt is both a slave and a slut."
She took that, just standing there gazing at me. I don't know if it was just the light or if those were tears I saw, making her eyes sparkle. But she took it in silence. Then she said:
"You're… very different, Tor… Vicky."
I gave her a short scornful laugh.
"What did you expect, Isobel, when you and your Master agreed to make me a sexual slave for a few days, just long enough to have big male organs and a dildo rammed in and out of my asshole, and the dicks of two men, one after another, rammed in and, out of my… belly." I was trying to use naughty words, but I just couldn't say "cunt", not then! Not aloud.
"I'm not a virgin any more," I told her, as if I needed to. "I'm not a child any more. I don't even feel like a girl. I think maybe I'm a woman. A woo-man. I like it. I'm delighted. I've found out what I'm for, what I love, and what I love to do. But don't expect me to kiss your hands for it, or Erik's."
She bit her lip.
"Is it true, what I've read, Isobel? That in some of the Arab countries where they still have slavery and the U.N. doesn't do anything about it because of the oilwells, that they are all dark, and so blonde virgins bring over ten thousand dollars?"
"I… I don't…"
"Just a moment, Isobel. I would appreciate your going into town tomorrow and coming back with ten… no, there's inflation to consider. Thirteen thousand dollars worth of traveler's checks for me. The man you sold me to brought me back, so it's only fair that I get the price of my own cherry. You wanted to whore me; pay me then!"
"Ten… thirteen thou…"
"You have plenty, Isobel. You won't miss it."
"Now… now look here, Tory…"
But I had her on one foot. She couldn't intimidate me with that old tone. Not any more.
I interrupted her again; it was fun!
"Don't call me Tory!" I snapped. "And you listen." I waved the diary. "I have this. It has someone else's handwriting in it. Names are mentioned, in both handwritings. I can also describe all sorts of things in that house, in all sorts of places, if you people try to say I'm crazy or whatever… I can also describe the mole on Miles' thigh, way up here, where it wouldn't show, would it, unless I'd seen him mighty bare. For about two more days, probably, I'll have some interesting marks on me."
She stared. "You?"
"Thirteen's silly, Isobel. Just make it fifteen thousand."
"You… you would not dare tell that story to anyone! It would be too embarrassing for you! It would RUIN you!"
I shook my head. "Not me. Here it would, but I wouldn't be here. I can go all sorts of places, Aunt Isobel. But it WOULD ruin you, wouldn't it, and Erik, and Lois and Miles too, I guess."
She stood there with her head tilted back, gazing up the stairwell at me. I stood there and stared back, wearing only Erik's tan raincoat with my hair streaming down, loose and tangled. At last she sighed.
"Traveler's checks," she said, "have to be bought by the person whose name is on them."
I didn't know if that were true or not. I thought about it.
"Three cashier's cheeks from the bank, then," I said, "each for five thousand dollars. And five hundred in cash."
"Your… price keeps going up, it, seems," she said quietly.
I shrugged.
"I will hand it to you before noon tomorrow, Vicky."
I nodded and started on up the steps.
"Tor… Victoria."
I turned back wearing a questioning look.
"I… I am going over there tomorrow night, uh, Vicky. Through the woods, I mean. Do… you want to come along?"
I laughed. "Don't be silly," I said. "He's your Master!"
I went upstairs and locked my door and slid into bed to read what Lois wrote here. After getting up to make sure that my door was locked, I went to sleep and didn't waken until eleven A.M.. She was back from town by a quarter to twelve, and she handed me the three checks and five one-hundred dollar bills. I stayed up here all afternoon, writing this. Now, finally, it's up to date.
She won't bother to be sneaky tonight, now that we all know all about [missing text].
LATER
There she goes! Through the woods to dear Erik's, the old whore!
And here I go. The airline already has my reservation; I called this afternoon. The plane leaves in two hours, so. I have plenty of time to get there and pay for the ticket. THAT'S why I asked the slut for some cash-type money!