From the Top Shelf - Tai-Pan

James Clavell's epic novel Tai-Pan - now there's a treasure trove of spanking where I least expected it. I don't remember now whether I read the book before or after I saw the movie, but in any event, there was spanking in both.

Here's a snippet taken from an early chapter. Struan, the Scottish Tai-Pan (supreme ruler) has arrived at the residence of an English courtesan. As he stands, looking out the window, she appears behind him and speaks.

"Hello, Tai-Pan."

Struan spun around, drawing his knife. Mary was standing in a doorway which had been concealed in the wall. She wore a gossamer robe which hid none of her. She had long, fair hair and a dimpled chin; long legs and tiny waist and small, firm breasts.  A priceless piece of carved jade hung from a gold chain around her neck. Mary was studying Struan with a curious, flat smile.

"You can put the knife away, Tai-Pan. You're in no danger." Her voice was calm and mocking.

"You ought to be horsewhipped," he said.

"I know all about whipping, don't you remember?" She motioned to the bedroom. "We'll be more comfortable in here." She went to a bureau and poured brandy into two glasses.

"What's the matter?" she said with the same perverse smile. "Haven't you been in a girl's bedroom before?"

Sadly, this doesn't go anywhere, but it's a nice promise of what is to come.

There has been trouble on the streets, and Struan comes home to find out that May-may, his Chinese mistress, has been out alone. She has returned from the hairdresser with an abundance of gossip to share, but he is angry.

"You'd risk your life to talk to soothsayers and get your hair treated?"  he erupted. "What the hell's the matter with your hair? It's fine as it is!

"That's where I hear rumors. At hairdresser's." She took his hand and made him touch her hair. "There, you see. It is much softer, no?"

"No! It is na! God's death, if you ever leave without telling me where you're going, I'll whack you so hard you will na sit for a week."

"Just try, Tai-Pan, by God," she said and glared back at him.

He grabbed her swiftly and carried her, struggling, to the bed and flung up her robe and petticoats and gave her a smack on her buttocks that hurt his hand and tossed her on the bed. He had never struck her before.

May-may flew off the bed at him and viciously raked at his face with her long nails. A lantern crashed to the floor as Struan upended her again and resumed the spanking. She fought out of his grip, and her nails slashed at his eyes, missing by a fraction of an inch, and scoring his face.

He caught her wrists and turned her over and tore off her rob and underclothes and smashed her bare buttocks with the flat of his hand. She fought back fiercely, shoving an elbow in his groin and clawing at his face again. Mustering all his strength, he pinned her to the bed, but she slipped her head free and sank her teeth into his forearm. He gasped from the pain and slashed her buttocks again with the flat of his free hand.

"By God, you'll never bite me again," he said through clenched teeth. Her teeth sank deeper, but he deliberately did not pull his arm away. The pain made his eyes water, but he smashed May-may harder and harder and harder, always on her buttocks, until his hand hurt. At last she released her teeth.

"Don't--no more--please--please," she whimpered, and wept into the pillow, defenseless.

Struan caught his breath. "Now say you're sorry for going out without permission."

Her mottled, inflamed buttocks tightened and she flinched against the expected blow, but he had not raised his hand. He knew that the spirit of a thoroughbred must only be tamed, never broken. "I'll give you three seconds."

"I'm sorry--sorry. You hurt me, you hurt me," she sobbed. 

There's more to come next week.