Thalia shrugged in recognition of something done that could not be undone. With a wry grin she continued her story. "I was at the age where a girl becomes very much aware of the assets, bestowed upon her by nature. Giggling explorations with the girls and with myself – ever since puberty – had indicated the quite remarkable possibilities of friction and suction on the female breast. We were intrigued to discover how hard and erect the little dears could pop up with a bit of help. Mine got that bit of help now. When the men were through with them they were larger and harder than I had ever known or believed possible. A moment later I screamed my head off with a metal clip firmly biting into each nipple. Rapidly my abductors got busy."
"The clips were the kind you use to hold wads of paper. You squeeze on one side and the jaws open on the other. The come in different sizes and tensions. Those attached to me were not the biggest. But they hurt so much and stood out so rigidly from my breasts that I was quite sure they were slowly cutting off the two things I had so recently learned to treasure. My, how I screamed and begged! It did not seem possible that anyone would want to hurt so intimate a part of me. I expect that, in its way, the wearing of those metal horrors on my nipples was one of my first realisations of what it is to become a woman."
"I realised afterwards that the ensuing speed with which my tortured breasts were clicked at from all the usual angles resulted from a shared anxiety that my nipples should not mortify or sustain damage. They got them off as quickly as they could. They even massaged the scalded spots. I’m still not sure of their motives, but it made me howl some more. I spent the rest of the day looking down at myself to verify that my little rosebuds were still there."
"The villains led me to believe my little girl was wearing those wicked things all through the day. I much longed to kill them," said Mr. Rabin.
"The fourth day was the most shameful I have ever known. Perhaps the worst I will ever know, or any girl can know. By that time we were all looking for the ransom. It was explained to me that my letter and the daily pictures were being delivered by an airline employee so that there was no great space of hours between taking them and my father receiving them. Twelve to fifteen hours if all went well. So I was always filled with hope." The teller of the story shook her head and grimaced. "It was my first knowledge that hope can be worse than no hope. Hope is very cruel. It will not let you rest."
"I was tied in exactly the same way as the day before. I wept – even when they were tugging at the cords and strap. I had discovered that to have the elbows held like that all day is a very terrible torture too, even though it seems so harmless. Besides, I was fearful of the clips again… my letter had not gone into detail beyond the third day…"
"The produced a leek. You know what a leek is. Like a very large spring union but with more stem and flat green leaves. Even when I saw it I did not guess it’s purpose. I was very inexperienced in such matters."
"I could see they were very amused. They took much care shaving off the root bits to make it smooth and round so that it cam to look much like the pestle used by apothecaries in pounding out their prescriptions. They then anointed it with Vaseline… Well, you know what they did with it." Thalia made a gesture of infinite disgust. "I was deflowered by a leek. I lost my maidenhood to a vegetable! They were gentle enough with their merchandise. But it hurt me terribly and I was deathly afraid. I made a lot of noise and tried to struggle, but could hardly move. I was held beautifully for their purpose. They pushed it in as far as they dared. I was quite sure it had gone right into my tummy. So there I was. You can make your own mental picture of what I looked like with my feet spread wide and those green leaves sprouting out of my sex. I took one long fascinated look at myself and then refused to lower my eyes again. I turned my eyes this way and that while they clicked away with camera and lights. They were still busy when a very English voice said gruffly: "Yer can’t that there ‘ere, y’know."
"He was one of the largest policemen I have ever seen. Had I been able to, I would have flung myself into his ample arms."
"My kidnappers had other ideas. They dived at him and the doorway he barred. One of them drew a knife. I was shocked when the constable stepped to one side and let them through. There ensued a considerable commotion and shortly they were marched in again by two even bigger members of the law. They were now both handcuffed. I had never seen felons handcuffed before. They looked so absolutely right."
"The police were very kind. They removed the intrusion from within me and set me free. One of them found a rug in which I could drape my charms. But I will always remember how I blushed when one of them was carrying out the offensive leek. I heard a fine British voice out in the hallway say: ‘Goes lovely in a stew, George. My missus does ‘em up a treat.’"
"I saved much money. The English police does not accept bribes or rewards," Mr. Rabin complacently supplied the happy ending.
Dorinda found herself looking at Thalia Rabin with fresh interest. She was a beautiful girl. She had tremendous poise. It seemed probable she possessed a sense of humour. Why had she related this shocking ordeal from her past?
Mr. Rabin bestowed upon each of the girls his very warmest smile. "You are quite free to make comment. I would like you to. There will be no punishment for imprudent words…" His tone was benign.
‘ Comment’ Dorinda groped. They could freely express sympathy or shock. But she was sure that was not required. She looked up and found Thalia’s eyes watching her inward struggles with amusement. Quite suddenly a shocking parallel became obvious.
"You were kidnapped. Now we are kidnapped. Not much difference in principle, is there?"
"Ah!" said Mr. Rabin, his eyes alert, pleased.
"That’s right, darling. You put your finger neatly on the spot. The moral is that I have been where you are. I know your feelings and reactions. The marks on your bodies tell us that you have been hurt. Perhaps more than I ever was. So we are very much even."
"But where is the happy ending for us?" Dorinda’s voice held pathos.
"I don’t believe you should think in that view. Live each day only." Thalia sounded as though she could easily have evoked Allah.
Dorinda lifted her handcuffed wrists for all to see. "A slave has no tomorrows…" She let the words hang in the air.
Thalia looked at her parent qeuryingly. He smiled indulgently. "Yes, tell them of how you were once very bad." He turned to Dorinda and Terry. "It is good that you know."
"I have told you of pain. Now I tell you of punishment. They are the same and not the same. A matter of motive and acceptance." She looked at her alert audience and smiled reassuringly. "Would it surprise you to know that my father has had me whipped?"
Thalia laughed again at their startled attention. "I have told you I am a product of two worlds. There is much friction between those worlds. As I went back and forth between Girton and my father’s house I was constantly subject to pressures. The overshadowing one being filial piety. The English were as flip about parents as they are about most things. When I came home for my first holiday I called my father ‘Pater’. He promptly had me caned before both family and servants. I didn’t mention the incident when I got back in school."
"Then I got mixed up in ‘causes’. At sixteen a girl is fertile ground. With my background it’s understandable that ‘Women’s Rights’ should catch my imagination. When I came home and started missionary work on the locals and our staff I was promptly locked up in a nice little stone room we have here for a couple of days of bread and water. However, my zeal had ignited one of the younger female staff. She unlocked the door. I ran away. When I was brought back I was tied to a post in the courtyard and left there for all to see my shame. The next day I was tied there again and very soundly whipped. And the next day… and the next… Each evening I was asked if I saw the error of my ways. You will understand the depth of my involvement when I tell you it took five days before I was able to say that yes, I did see…"