From the Top Shelf - A Master of Discipline, part 19

Last week we saw Stephen ride to Ruth's aid, but our happiness was short-lived by the end of the chapter. We pick up where we left off, with both unconscious Stephen and traitor Nicky to be dealt with. Some of you have expressed concern that the story has become too dark, and I agree. In an effort to keep the story about spanking, I have carefully redacted out passages that contained descriptions of humiliation and explicit sexual activity in the original manuscript. I hope the author will forgive me.

"I suppose you hoped that he would help you?" Robin sneered. "And you turned Nicky against me as well. Very clever, except that this oaf wasn't nearly clever enough. He didn't even think that we might have the grounds wired for intruders. He's been out there since the middle of last night but, once we were sure that he wasn't going to cause us any immediate problems, we decided to let him stew for a while. I asked Luc to bring him in just so that he could see what we have in mind for you, but the idiot tried to tough it out with Luc. Just in case you haven't worked it out yet, that is not a wise thing to do."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Ruth tried to bluff it out. "Who is he? What has this got to do with Nic-" Her reward for this interjection was a resounding slap on her bare bottom from Kim, causing her last word to be cut off by a gasp as the sting brought tears to her eyes.

"Don't be a fool," Robin said angrily. "I knew as soon as I saw him that he was on the course with you, here at Damocles. I recognised him from the video. The only mystery was how he came to be here. I guessed that Nicky had something to do with it, she was looking pretty shifty when we brought him in."

"I didn't, Robin, I didn't! Oh leave me alone you beast." Nicky was close to frightened tears already.

"Leave her alone. She's just a child. You've got me imprisoned - leave her out of this." Ruth knew her shout was a futile gesture but, despite her own predicament, she still felt responsible for Nicky's peril, even though the youngster had chosen to get involved with Robin's scheme of her own accord.

"Put a gag on her," Robin ordered sharply to Madam Karabengse. "We'll hear her singing to a different tune before long. He gestured at the prostrate Stephen. "Strip him naked and then make sure you tie him securely. We'll need to ask him a few questions later."

Robin Henderson turned his attention to Nicky, who shrank back in fright as his eyes narrowed. "Now then, you little traitor, let's see what you have to say for yourself. Put her over the birching bench, Madam K, and let's hear her sing."

Nicky turned to run, but was no match for the wiry housekeeper, who grabbed her and, assisted by her brothers, swiftly had Nicky secured across the birching bench, facing Ruth, her tear-filled eyes begging Ruth to help her. Of course, Ruth could do nothing. Bent over, her legs splayed and her most intimate parts wide open to attack, she could only watch, unable to even protest, as Robin stepped up to the birching bench and lifted Nicky's skirt high over her shoulders. There was a sound of ripping cotton as he tore the terrified youngster's panties from her hips. Then he stepped back, breathing heavily.

"Now I want to know what you had to do with him coming here." He pointed at Stephen , who was still out cold.

"Robin, I swear I had nothing to do with it," the terrified girl gasped. "Please let me go. Why are you doing this to me?"

"I don't believe you. She put you up to this, didn't she?" He pointed at Ruth.

"No! No, I don't know what you mean."

"We'll see about that. Luc, how would you like to show my pretty little friend here just what she's been missing? Give her a taste of what you gave her fancy school teacher friend last night."

The burly steward needed no second invitation. He swiftly unzipped his trousers and let them drop to the floor before stepping out of them. As he advanced on the terrified Nicky, Ruth had a clear view of his erect shaft rising from a forest of black hair. He stepped between Nicky's spread legs, his cock fiercely erect.

"Your last chance before he puts it in," Robin was at her head, his back to Ruth. "Admit you called that idiot here and I'll let you off."

"YES, YES!" The girl was hysterical and Ruth could not blame her. "Yes, I telephoned him, she made me do it. Oh God, Robin, don't let him do that to me!" Her frenzied sobbing made her words difficult to understand.

"Very well, Luc. I'll have to ask you to wait." Luc did not look at all happy at being made to back off, but Robin's hold on him was powerful. With a grunt of disgust he backed away.

"Madam K, take this little bitch back to her room and lock her up." Robin ordered. "And don't think I've finished with you yet," he snarled at his sobbing ex-girlfriend, as she was released from the bench. "You might have avoided Luc's gentle attentions, but I'm going to thrash that juicy little arse of yours red raw when I've finished with your teacher friend."

He gestured at Ruth. "But, first of all, I'm going to teach Miss Jamieson a lesson she won't forget in a hurry." Madam Karabengse took a firm grip on Nicky's arm and led her away, still sobbing pitifully, as Robin continued to rap out orders.

"You two, put him over the bench, tie him down then wake him up." Kim and Luc jumped to obey and, in a matter of seconds, Stephen's naked body was being tied face down over the bench just vacated by Nicky. To Ruth's great relief, it was not long before her would be rescuer began to show signs of life, as Kim and Luc repeatedly drenched his head in cold water from a bucket which Luc had fetched for the purpose. Stephen's eyelids flickered then opened as consciousness returned.

"Nice of you to rejoin us." Robin's voice was heavy with contempt.

He had picked up a riding crop which Ruth recognised as the one Reverend Mould had threatened to use for his so called advanced course; three feet of menacing, black, plaited leather, laced over with a stiff core and terminating in a loop of leather about an inch wide.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Stephen's voice was slurred as if he had not fully woken from a deep sleep.

"I'm called Robin, and you are in my power. That is really all you need to know at present. " Robin curled his lip in scorn. "What is much more important to me is that I should know who you are and why you are here." The riding crop was being held out towards Stephen, the leather loop at the end rubbing up and down under his chin.

"Why should I tell you anything? Let me go at once!"

"The reason why you should tell me what I want to know is that, if you do not, you, and more especially, your lady friend here, will be made to suffer." The riding crop was removed from Stephen's chin then suddenly, with no further warning, lashed down across his bare buttocks.

Ruth closed her eyes in sympathy at Stephen's plight. She had thought that the caning she had been given the night before was the worst thing she had ever experienced, but it must pale into insignificance against the fire which was now being lit in Stephen's bottom. Again and again Robin sliced at his captive's upturned rear, all the time demanding answers to his questions.

"Please, Master Robin, you must be careful not to damage the merchandise." Madam Karabengse's voice was genuinely concerned. She had returned silently from her mission of imprisoning Nicky, and now seemed about to take charge again.

"How are we going to get information out of them if I can't hurt them?" Robin was like a petulant child. Ruth looked at Stephen, his face still contorted in pain.

"No, Master Robin,"Madam Karabengse chided. "I did not say you could not hurt; only that you must not damage. There are ways." She drew Robin to one side and whispered something in his ear. He looked sharply at Ruth and, with a sinking feeling, she realised that Robin was going to turn his attention to her.

"It seems that Madame K has plans for both you and your gentleman friend as he seems to be a good physical specimen, "Robin said with a sardonic grin. "But I promised you last night I'd make you suffer for what you did to me and Nicky, and now you've taken her away from me as well, you stuck-up bitch!"

Robin had been standing directly in front of Ruth as he had been speaking, with one hand behind his back. The concealed hand held the crop. Now he brought it forward in an underarm sweep between the uprights of the pillory; making the crop whirrr as it slashed through the air. The thin shaft was horizontal when it made contact with Ruth's body, exactly bisecting her torso, making a ruler straight line between her breasts, down her belly, and across her navel. She gave a piercing scream, recognisable even through the gag, as the leather loop at the end of the whip curled round viciously between her legs.

"Now I'll show you just what it means to be humiliated. You haven't experienced the half of it yet. " As Robin spoke, he flicked the crop twice, the loop at the end dealing Ruth a slap across each nipple, setting her breasts swinging wildly.

"Now I'm going to let Kim and Luc have fun with both of you for a while then, when they're done, I'll come back and ask you some questions. If I don't get the answers I want, then we'll start all over again and things could get even worse for you. They are all yours, Madame K. I'll just sit back and watch the fun."

"What the hell is going on here?" A new voice, which she couldn't recognise yet seemed somehow familiar, came from somewhere behind her.

"Father?" It was Robin who spoke in surprise.

Ruth was stunned. Sir Harold Henderson? What was he doing here? She suddenly wanted to cry. Although she was relieved, she was, mentally, as taut as a bowstring. The application of the crop followed by Kim's tantalising but ultimately unsatisfying entry combined to raise her nerves to the jangling edges of tolerance. The fear, pain and anticipation which she had endured over the last few hours made a heady cocktail which was almost more than flesh and blood could stand.

"I said, what the hell is going on here? When I told you that you could run Damocles as you wanted, I didn't mean you could use it for your poxy orgies. Nor did I intend you to use it for petty revenge." Sir Harold was clearly furious.

"I'm sorry, Father, but I didn't think you'd mind. After all you did say you'd put in a complaint against this cow." Robin gestured at Ruth. "So I didn't think you'd mind if I had some fun with her. I had it all arranged. Madam K was going to ship her to Thailand afterwards, so there would have been no comebacks. Only she went and spoiled it by getting this guy to help her. Except, of course, he proved to be useless."

"You bloody fool, you wouldn't have got away with it. Don't you realise that you haven't got the organisation to accomplish that sort of thing. It takes resources to manage something like that. You haven't the faintest idea how to go about it. It's a good job Madam K kept me informed all along."

Ruth listened to the family argument, eagerly waiting to be released.  She gargled frantically into the gag. Surely Sir Harold had to release her first, before continuing the argument with his son?

"OK, so what should we do with her now?" Robin's voice was petulant.

"There's only one thing TO do; we'll have to finish off what you began. It's no good sending her to Thailand though, as that will take time which we haven't got. No I'm sorry, Madam K. I know you were hoping for some new recruits, but this one will be missed sooner rather than later. We just don't have time to organise the transport to Asia."

"You are right, Sir Harold, as always." Madam Karabengse was deferential to the point of being obsequious. "It is a pity - this one had a rare talent. She would have been a good addition to my uncle's stock." Ruth gave a grunt of indignation from behind the gag. This was her they were talking about, not some lifeless piece of meat on a slab! Sir Harold's next words drove home to her the sickening realisation that she may as well have been just that!

"We'll ship her to Africa. It just so happens that I've been doing business with some very influential people over there. I might have a container ship leaving Liverpool tomorrow night with a consignment to Lagos. It'll be no trouble to get these two in the helicopter and ferry them out as the ship works its way down St. George's Channel. The captain will do as he's told and I can fax my contacts at the African end to receive them."

Ruth was suddenly, grimly aware that Sir Harold was in a different league to his son. His easy manipulation of the trappings and tools of power was visible proof of that. Far from being out of trouble, she realised that she and Stephen had just passed from the control of a psychopathic youth to the clutches of a powerful and ruthless man, used to getting his own way and with plenty of resources to achieve it. In a matter of minutes, their peril had increased tenfold.

What shall we do with them in the mean time?" Robin was trying to re-assert himself.

"Oh, just leave them here for now. You can untie one of his hands. I imagine it will take him quite a while to get free and release the girl. It will give them something to look forward to while they are waiting." He laughed heartily. "Just be sure that they can't escape or make enough noise to attract attention. You'd better give them some food, I suppose, but don't give them their clothes back. They're less likely to do anything stupid while they're naked."

"They won't cause trouble, Sir Harold." It was Kim who spoke. "This one -" he gestured contemptuously at Stephen who was slumped in his bonds, a picture of demoralised despair, "- knows he will get worse if he causes trouble. And this one -" he turned to Ruth "- she knows only too well what will happen to her."

He gave a deep belly-laugh and swung his hand, in a wide, hay-making arc, to connect with Ruth's bare bottom, the resounding crack echoing through the room. "Don't you, miss?" His hand was still resting across her smarting buttocks. Ruth squirmed helplessly. "Pity we could not finish what we started."

So Ruth's hopes have been dashed once more. Things looked so promising for a moment.