DESERT DISCIPLINE by Mark Stewart

Copyright Mark Stewart

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Prologue

      The naked slave entered the spacious room between the two eunuchs who had escorted her from the room where she had been prepared. Her long blonde hair, which had been brushed until it gleamed, hung in waves down her pale back. Fresh cosmetics had been applied to her face and her young body which apart from her neat pubic bush had been depilated had been liberally daubed with her Master's favourite perfume This night she had been selected to serve her Master. It was far from being the first time she had been chosen and she was fully aware of what would be required of her. She was equally aware of the fate that awaited her if she was found even in the slightest degree, unsatisfactory She knew, from experience, that her sister slaves both envied her for being chosen and felt sorry for her, knowing the fate that awaited her. She was the only slave who was made to please her Master in this fashion before he ordered her to his bed and imposed his mastery on her body. The slave shuddered with fear as she heard the door close behind her, leaving her alone with her Master and his personal slave Souran.      

          Although her eyes were suitably downcast in submission, she knew her Master's eyes would be scrutinising her to ensure she had been prepared in strict accordance with his requirements. As she began to walk slowly towards the divan on which he reclined, her Master, Sheikh Hassan Al Rashid, smiled to himself. He was envied by his peers for his ownership of such a luscious slave. She was now twenty two years old and due to the exercises and dancing in which he had ordered her to be instructed, her body had developed nicely. Her legs were long and shapely. Her waist narrow separating nicely flared hips and full but firm breasts with dark nipples protruding from lighter brown aureoles. Her oval face was exquisite with large doe eyes and a seductive mouth. The slave halted at the raised padded bench that stood a metre from the divan. Slowly she turned a full circle to display for his gaze a full firm bottom that was shortly to provide satisfaction for his cruel desires.

      " Fifteen, this time, Souran".

       Her Master spoke for the first time since she had entered the room. Slowly, the slave raised her eyes until she looked directly into those of her Master. A cruel smile curled at the edges of his lips and was echoed in his dark eyes. She shook with dread at the order he had given his servant. The young, half-naked, eunuch stepped forward and a fresh spasm of fear shuddered through the slave as she saw the heavy whip he held in his hand. The lash was a metre and a half long and a thick as her thumb. It was an instrument that she knew well.

 The slave stretch herself along the length of the bench and the eunuch secured her wrists and ankles in leather straps. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands and prepared for the ordeal to come. As always, she felt a stirring in her loins and a dampness manifest itself in her vagina, Her sex lips began to swell and become hard.

Swish. Crack.

The heavy lash sped through the air and curled across her bottom leaving a line of fire where it had struck.

Swish. Thwack. A second line of fire joined the first.

Swish. Thwack.

       The slaves body seemed to bounce up from the bench as the lash struck and an agonised groan escaped her tightly closed lips. Swish. Crack. Unable to control herself any longer, a cry of distress surged from the slave's throat. She felt her body's betrayal grow as her nipples hardened and the wetness between her thighs increased.

       Swish. Thwack.

       A shrill scream echoed around the room as her body seemed to bounce up and down on the bench. She felt a hand slide between her thighs and a finger rub against her sex lips as the eunuch tested the degree of her arousal. "She is responding as usual." The eunuch announced. The slave shuddered as her body's betrayal was made known to her Master. She hated him and the eunuch for the pain she was suffering but she hated herself most for the way her body always responded.

     Swish. Crack.

     Again the leather lashed across her soft buttocks. That made six, she told herself. Now she began to concentrate on keeping count. It was her Master's wish that the whipping should arouse her sexual desire, as it always did, but it would incur his intense displeasure if she allowed herself to orgasm.

      Swish, Thwack.

      Swish. Crack.

     The plaited leather thong added another two lines of agony to those already burning in her cheeks. She squirmed as each struck wringing a loud scream from her which rebounded from wall to wall. Thwack. Due to the cloud of pain into which she was gradually sinking she had not heard the approach of the lash. Caught by surprise, she was unable to control her reaction. Instead of screaming, she started to whimper like a whipped animal. Crack. That was ten her mind registered. Only five more to endure.

A sheen of sweat covered her body. She turned her pain contorted face towards her Master, her eyes beseeching him for the mercy that her mind knew would not be granted. Again she felt the eunuchs hands on her breast and between her legs. There was no disguising the hardness of her nipples and the juices that were now flowing freely from her aching sex buds.

      "How is she responding?" She heard her Master ask.

      "Very well, Master" the servant replied.

       "Stretch her".

       To her horror the slave felt the straps holding her ankles released, her legs forced wide apart and thrust down below the bench. A metal bar was pushed under the bench above the back of her knees and her ankles pulled up above the bench and

manacled together. This forced her stomach away from the padded surface. Her buttocks were stretched taught, the cheeks widely separated placing her dark anus bud and sex lips on full display. The short respite from the lash had enabled the cloud to disperse so she was fully conscious of the erotic posture to which she had been forced.

       Swish. Thwack.

      This time she had heard the lash whistle through the air before she felt the impact. No longer could she squeeze her thighs together to ease the pain, Pour more strokes to come.  Four strokes that she knew she could not avoid but which she must absorb without letting her forced arousal reach uncontrollable heights. 

       Swish. Crack.

       Swish. Thwack.

      She screamed her agony as each stroke blazed another line of fire across her already searing bottom. Only two more to come and, at that moment, she would have given anything to avoid them.

     Swish. Thwack.

     The plaited thong continued the assault on her bottom, not as a punishment, merely to please her Master and ensure her body was ready for him to use for his satisfaction. Only one more stroke to come she told herself with relief. So far she had controlled the arousal that the whipping was instilling in her body. Her body which now wanted nothing more than to be taken, entered and used for the purpose which it had been made. She braced herself for the stroke that would end her ordeal. Although she had not been struck, she screamed with fear as she became aware that, instead of standing to her side the young eunuch had moved and was now standing in front of her.           Through her tear filled eyes, she saw the smile of sheer delight on his mouth as he raised the whip high above his head. The slave writhed and squirmed in terror but she was too securely held. The heavy plaited lash sped through the air and landed between her spread cheeks raising a line of fire which covered her exposed anus and sex buds. A shrill scream echoed long and loud around the room as the slave's body writhed and squirmed with the exquisite agony of this last stroke he was allowed a short respite to regain control of herself then her bonds were released. Stifling a groan of agony, she eased herself up from the bench and keeping her hands well away from her throbbing bottom, stood facing her Master. At his signal she moved to the foot of the divan and, lifting the sheet that now covered her Master, slid under the covering until her head was level with his knees. Very lightly, she began to lick the inside of his thigh with the tip of her tongue. From practice even though it was dark under the covering, she managed to keep her tongue dry and just brush against the hairs on his leg. She slid her arms up until the tips of her fingers met with his penis. Very gently she glided her fingers up and down teasing her Master's manhood until it seemed to come alive. Her tongue worked upwards until she was licking his heavy scrotum and the base of the shaft. She could smell his arousal and as much as she hated herself for it, longed for his penis to invade her body and quench the sexual flame that burned there.

     She felt the erect penis begin to throb. She had now arrived at the point where the utmost concentration on her part was essential. Her tongue passed up the throbbing shaft and her lips gently closed over the crown, from which the foreskin had been drawn back. She tasted the salty sweetness of his cock and her own arousal increased until she felt a drop of secretion escape her sex buds and run slowly down into her pubic bush. Her body cried out to receive his manhood into her love tunnel which was now so wet with her desire. She concentrated hard on the task in hand. Until her Master indicated otherwise, she must extend his pleasure for as long as it pleased him for her to do so. Her lips closed tight over his shaft, which was now standing erect, and took the full length into her mouth until she felt the hot crown throbbing in the back of her throat. Her lips passed up and down his thick shaft her tongue seeking the slit in the top which widened as his passion increased. Her ministrations brought him near to a climax many times but she slackened her efforts until the threatened moment had passed. To prematurely end his enjoyment was a sure way to feel his displeasure in the form of Mahmud's cane or, if her Master was greatly dissatisfied with his slave, the cruel whip that hung in Mahmud's room. Her attentions began to arouse him again and she felt him grasp her hair in his hand and pull her up the divan until her head was level with his own. She knew what was required of her and she turned on to her back and spread her legs wide exposing her own throbbing swollen sex buds. Her Master knelt between her thighs and she reached down and grasped his shaft and, as he lowered himself, guided the fearsome weapon onto her waiting opening. Keeping her own arousal under control, she forced her muscles to relax. With a sudden thrust, he entered her and she felt the full length of his manhood assert itself in the depths of her willing body. Slowly he moved up and down above her the movement sending exciting shivers throughout her body which was now crying out for satisfaction. She must not, she knew, allow herself to climax without permission. He continued to slowly take his pleasure of her as her internal muscles alternately contracted and relaxed as her body sought to give him the utmost satisfaction. Gradually his momentum increased, his thrusts into her depths becoming faster and more violent. Her body responded to his demands and her hips started to thrust back at his until suddenly his lips descended on her own in a savage kiss. This was his signal that she might let go of her control. Her body arched upwards until only her head and heels were in contact with the divan. Still he continued to thrust rapidly back and forth inside her contracted muscles which held his massive penis in a vice-like grip. With a final thrust she felt his semen spurt into her. She managed to force herself to stay conscious long enough for her vagina to milk him dry of his seed before a wracking orgasm over took her and she sank into darkness. She was brought back to consciousness again by Mahmud roughly shaking her shoulder. She had been removed from her Master's presence and was now in one of the smaller rooms adjoining the harem. She quickly gathered her wits and slipped from the bed on which she had been placed and knelt in front of the large eunuch. Nor the period of waiting began until, in the morning, it would be known if she had been pleasing enough. Obeying Mahmud's directions she followed him into the adjoining wash room and lay face down on the wooden bench. A wide tube was then thrust into her and a douche of warm water flooded her body roughly cleansing her inside of her Master's secretion. Despite the draught she had been given in the preparation room, which was to ensure that she did not conceive, this precaution was always taken. For a slave to become pregnant meant instant death No slave was ever permitted to bear the Master's child. When Mahmud was satisfied that, internally, she had been thoroughly cleansed, she was allowed to bathe and then seek her own bed. Sleep, however, did not come easily despite the exertions of the last hours and the strength draining climax to which she had been led. The fear was ever present that, if she had not been perfectly satisfying to her Master a thorough lashing with the cane, or even the dreaded whip, awaited her. This period of suspense does a great deal to quell the self satisfaction of even the most brazen woman. It was said that even Yasmine, who had been his favourite for several years, trembled during this waiting in case she was found wanting and would be made to pay the price on her bottom. Eventually, she fell into a light dose plagued with dreams of the terrifying things that could, and she did not doubt would, be done to her soft body if she had failed to please her Master even in the slightest degree. She was wakened by being shaken by the shoulder by Mahmud. She quickly leaped from the bed and knelt before him. Her heart beat raced as she kept her eyes fastened on the ground at his feet, not daring to look into his eyes for fear of the message they might convey.

       "You may return to your duties". His words fell on her ears as welcome as rain on the desert.

      "You have pleased the Master and you may rejoin the others"

      "Thank you Master" she replied the relief she felt showing clearly in the tone of her voice.

       "This slave is grateful that her Master found her poor services pleasing."

       She took her clothing from his outstretched hands and put it on. As revealing as the skirt and skimpy bolero jacket were, she was grateful for the minimum of modesty they offered She clipped the veil in place over the lower half of her face and, bowing submissively to the eunuch made her way out of the room and back to the hareem. Once back amongst the other slaves she experienced the same feeling of relief that always came after nights spent pleasing her Master.

      She was again safe from incurring her Master's displeasure. Her sister slaves were eager to hear her account of the nights events and any ill feeling they had had towards her the previous evening had evaporated. Caterina the Russian girl who had been the first to befriend her when she first arrived in the hareem shooed them all away and led her to a couch in a corner where she could rest and catch up on the missed sleep. As was the customer she would stay nearby ready to wake her if Mahmud, or one of the other eunuchs, called for her. She lay back and listened to the sounds of chatter and laughter that drifted around the hareem. They were all, despite the strictness of their captivity, reasonably happy and the hareem was generally a very pleasant place to be. It was only when a punishment was about to be carried out that the chatter and laughter were replaced by an unwelcome silence that seemed to make the waiting even worse. They could not bring themselves to be cheerful knowing that one of them would soon be screaming under the painful attentions of the chief eunuch or one of his assistants.

      Despite the soreness in her bottom, which even then still throbbed from the beating, and her love tunnel, she settled down but sleep was slow coming. Her mind floated back over the past three years since she was captured and sold into slavery. There was little or no resemblance between the innocent girl that had fled from her guardian's house and the happy slave which she had become. Slavery had realised the truth of her latent nature. She thrived in the submissiveness of her new role in life. Even the frequent beatings which she received, although they hurt terribly, added to the thrill of being owned. As these thoughts floated across her drowsy brain she fell into a peaceful and refreshing sleep

Chapter 1

     Suzanne Veldour had been brought up in a happy home until, when she was twelve years old, both her parents had been killed then the carriage in which they were travelling had overturned. Her father's brother, who she hardly knew, had become her guardian and taken her to live with his wife and only daughter.

     Even at such an early age it was clear that Suzanne would grow into a beautiful woman, unlike her guardian's daughter who, like her mother, was very plain. Consequently, Suzanne's beauty was the cause of a great deal of envy and jealousy both from the girl and her parents.

     From the first day Suzanne was kept under the strictest supervision. Any misdemeanour on her part, or for which her cousin caused her to take the blame, was dealt with in a summary manner. She was called to her uncle's study where he would rant and rave at her until his temper had her quaking in her shoes.

     These tirades always ended in the same way. She would be ordered to bend over the end of a table and her aunt would pull her dress up over her back and lower her drawers baring her young bottom. Her aunt would then stand in front of her tightly gripping her wrists to hold her in position.

     Then it would happen. Her uncle would take a birch from off the wall and proceed to thrash his niece's buttocks until they were raw. Suzanne would writhe and scream with the pain but the worst part was knowing that her cousin was watching the punishment.

     The final straw came just after Suzanne's eighteenth birthday. Her uncle informed her that she was to be married to an old merchant in return for a lucrative business deal. The thought of this horrified Suzanne, She threw caution to the rind and informed her uncle in no uncertain terms that she would not be 'sold off' to increase his already considerable wealth.

     "If you think I will marry that old decrepit crow, you had better think again" she had shouted at the top of her voice. To make matters worse, the 'decrepit old crow' was in the next room and heard every word.

     "You will do as I order" thundered her uncle.

     "I will not and there is nothing you can do to make me". Suzanne brazenly retorted.

     "We will see about that" her uncle replied and stormed out of the room.

     Suzanne was left with her aunt who stood glaring at her, her face crimson with anger. Suzanne prepared herself for another meeting with the vicious birch rods determined that no matter how hard she was beaten this time she would not give in.

     It was some five minutes later that her uncle returned accompanied by the merchant and the butler.

     "Have you changed your tune?" he demanded.

     "NO!"

     "Right then. On your head be it". Then turning to the butler. "Do as I ordered".

     The butler grasped Suzannes arms behind her back and she was frog marched from the room the others following close behind. To her consternation she was not taken to the study but out of the house towards the stables.

     As the procession entered through the stable door, Suzanne began to tremble with fear at what confronted her. A heavy wooden table had been put in the centre and the head groom, whose advances Suzanne had once rudely rejected, stood there a long riding switch in his hands.

     "You had your last chance girl. Now you will get a sound lesson in obedience and respect for your elders. Take off your clothes."

     "I will not." Suzanne replied, her face red with embarrassment.

     "Obey my order this instant or I will order the groom to do it for you."

     Realising that resistance was useless, Suzanne removed her garments one by one until, her face bright red with shame she stood naked before the gathering. She was pushed over the end of the table and her wrists and ankles tied to the legs.

     "Carry out my order, Jacques."

     The last thing Suzanne saw before she screwed her eyes tight shut was the sadistic smile on the groom's face as he took a practice swing with the switch.

     Swish. Crack.

     The stroke curled across the centre of her taut bottom raising a streak of fire far verse than any the recipient had dreamed possible. A shrill scream echoed around the stable.

     Swish. Thwack.

     A second line of fire rose in her cheeks as again Suzanne screamed

     Swish. Thwack.

     This was far worse than any beating she had received before. It felt as if the switch was biting deep into her flesh. She had only taken three strokes yet she was writhing and screaming as if she had had a dozen with the birch.

     After the sixth stroke Susan felt her head pulled up and she looked through her tears at the angry face of her uncle.

     "Are you ready to change your mind yet?" he asked.

     "No, and I never will" sobbed his niece through her tears.

     "Carry on Jacques" Suzanne heard her uncle order "and lay them on harder. The ungrateful wench will learn to do as I order."

     To the accompaniment of her screams and sobs, the groom satisfied his revenge on Suzanne's bottom. Twelve, fifteen strokes he delivered, the effort making his face run with sweat.

     Suzanne lost count of the times the switch lashed across her raging buttocks. Her determination not to give in outlasted her body's ability to absorb the beating and, after the eighteenth stroke had burned another path across her writhing body, she sank into welcome oblivion.

     She slowly surfaced through the mist of pain to find herself laying face down on her own bed. Her uncle stood beside her.

     "You have until tomorrow to think things over. If you haven't changed your mind them you will be taken back to the stable for a further whipping. This will be repeated every day until you learn obedience to my orders"

     So saying he stamped his ray from the room. Suzanne heard the key turned in the lock and she was left alone with her pain.

     Despite the thoroughness of the beating, her resolve was just as strong. She would not let herself be 'sold' for her uncles financial benefit, especially to some old merchant.

     She knew well that the threats her uncle had uttered were not empty ones. Equally well she knew she could not withstand being whipped like she had just been every day until she surrendered to his will.

     She decided that the only course open to her was to escape from the house. As the day wore on she made her plans. She collected what few things she owned that were worth carrying and the little money she had been able to save and waited until the household had settled down for the night.

     As midnight struck from the distant church clock, she picked up her bundle of possessions and opened her bedroom window. Trying hard to ignore the pain that began to escalate in her bottom she climbed out onto the roof. From here she managed to safely make her way to the ground.

     Throughout the remainder of the night, she hurried away from the area heading towards the coast avoiding the main roads. Fortunately, she was able to get lifts from several farm carts and at night she either bedded down in a remote barn or slept under a hedge.

     What little money she had with her she reserved for buying food and some for the cost of cleaning herself up when she arrived at her destination.

     This she arrived at after a week of travelling. Toulon, a small fishing village on the south east coast. Here, after cleaning herself to the best of her ability, she inquired after work in the local auberge. At first the patron was reluctant but, once Suzanne had told his wife of her predicament and shown her her still badly bruised bottom, a place was found for her.

     She knew she would not earn much money but it was somewhere to live and her food was provided for her. She thought she was sufficiently Par from her uncle not to be found.

     She had been living there for three weeks when fate took a turn for the worse. Due to the kind attentions of her employer's rife, who knew much about healing, her bottom had fully recovered from her whipping and no visible sign remained.

     Late one night she heard a commotion in the street outside. Not realising what was afoot, she made the mistake of going outside to see what all the fuss was about. She heard many voices yelling and shouting and had just made out the word 'pirates' when a sack was thrown over her head. The next thing she knew she had been lifted up and thrown over someone's shoulder.

     She began to kick and scream until she felt a heavy blow to her head and sank into blackness. When she came to, she was laying, manacled by her ankles, on a bunk which seemed to be rolling all over the place. As her head began to clear, she realised she was on a boat. She could hear the water rushing by carrying her to she knew not where.

     Suzanne found herself in a very small cabin. She could hear the sound of men's voices coming from the deck above but could not Understand the language they were speaking She was overcome by a terrifying dread as she recalled what she had heard in the street before she had been knocked unconscious- She tried to get up only to find that her ankles were shackled to the bunk on which she lay. To her horror she realised she was in the hands of pirates.

     A rough looking sailor entered the cabin and checked that she was securely confined.

     "Where am I?" She screamed at him. "Who are you and where are you taking me?"

     She tried to lunge at him, her finger nails seeking his face. The only response was to be slapped across her own face and rudely pushed back onto the bunk. The heavy contact with the edge of the bunk knocked the wind from her and, before she could recover, he had made his departure.

     She spent three days in isolation in the cabin her only contact with another human being was when one of the sailors brought her food and water. This happened twice each day. At first her stomach heaved at the fare but soon hunger overcame her revulsion and she ate whatever it was that was put before her. She was unable to wash and soon the air in the cabin became rank with the smell of her filthy body and excrement the disposal of which no provision had been made.

     On the third day from the sounds that seeped into the cabin, she deduced that they had reached some port or other.  The noise of the docking and from the quayside filtered into  her prison. Suddenly she heard sounds outside the door.

      "Take the women to the market" a deep gruff voice  commanded. "All except the blonde in there. Cover her eyes  and take her to Abdul the Slaver. She must be worth more  than all the others put together"

      "Aye, aye Captain". An equally gruff voice replied. "As  you wish. Once she is cleaned up she should fetch a nice  price"

      This time she had understood since they spoke in Lingua  Pranca. She was horror stricken. She had escaped to avoid being 'sold' by her guardian only to find herself on the  verge of being sold by some slaver to a complete stranger.  She was to become a real slave and as the knowledge sank in  conflicting emotions flooded through her. Pear of the future  was tinged with strange erotic feelings that the knowledge  induced. She was to be put in the power of a strong and  probably cruel man.

      Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and  two men entered. Her wrists and ankles were trussed and the manacles that had confined her removed. A gag was pushed  into her mouth and secured in place by an evil smelling  piece of cloth. Another was tied across her eyes and what  seemed to be a sack was thrown over her. She was lifted up  onto one of their shoulders and carried from the boat.

      Judging from the noise around she had been taken  ashore. After a few minutes she was taken from the man's  shoulders and dropped onto a hard surface. This turned out  to be some sort of a cart for, with a sudden jerk which  threw her about, she felt it move forward. The rhythmic clip  clop of a horses hooves and the creaking of the wheels as  they turned seemed to foretell of a bleak future ahead.

      After a short journey the cart stopped and she was  lifted out on to the shoulders of one of the men who knocked  on a wooden door which eventually creaked open.

      "What do you want?" demanded a gruff voice.

      "Captain Rossella sends this piece of merchandise for  Abdul".

      "You had better come in".

      The man carrying her moved forward and the door  close behind them. She was dropped to the floor and the sack removed.

      "By Allah. She stinks" said the man who had let them  in.

      "Aye, but when she is cleaned up you will find a  delicious piece of slave meat for your Master. We must be  getting back to the boat. The captain will be along shortly  to collect his money that will give you time to give her a good wash".

      Again the door opened and closed leaving her in the  care of Abdul's man. The blindfold and gag were removed and  she gulped the fresh air as her eyes became accustomed to  the light. She was in a large hall and a shudder passed over  her as she recognised the Moorish architecture. What sort of  adventure awaited her in this place? She had read about the  pirates and their activities and assumed that she was now  in some part of the Arab world.

      Her surmising was interrupted by the man who stood  looking at her with an expression of distaste on his face.

     "We had better get you cleaned up before Abdul sees you". He seemed to be speaking to himself. "Mansour" he suddenly bellowed .

      Within seconds a door at the far end of the hall opened  and a half naked black man appeared.

      "Ah Mansour. Take this creature and scrub her clean  then bring her to the inspection room".

      "She certainly needs it" said the black man then  looking at Suzanne. "Follow me".

      Suzanne was grateful to be given the chance to wash  away the filth that encompassed her due to her confinement  and she eagerly followed the man called Mansour out through  the door by which he had entered. She was led along a short  corridor and into a room at the end. It was obviously a  cleaning room of sorts and she saw with pleasure a deep  sunken bath filled with water from which a thin cloud of  steam arose.

      "Get those stinking clothes off" he ordered then  clapped his hands together.

      "I am not going to undress in Front of you" Suzanne  replied. She was appalled at the idea of undressing in front  of this black man even if he was, as she suspected, only a  eunuch.

      She had hardly finished speaking when another door  opened and a young black boy entered.

      Mansour looked at him smiling then turned to Suzanne.

      "Get a move on. We do not have all day or do you need  some encouragement?"

      His gaze turned to the vail to the side of her a look  of pleasure flitting over his face. She followed his eyes  and, her horror, saw a heavy whip hanging on the wall just  behind her. She learned later that one hung in every room  of Abdul's house and they were not there for any decorative  purpose. She looked at Mansour and the expression on his face  persuaded her that the whip was the encouragement to which he  referred and there was no doubt in her mind that he would  not hesitate to use it if he thought it necessary.

      The idea of that terrible lash being used on her soft  body was enough to convince her that, modesty or not, she  would be well advised to obey him. Slowly she removed the  dirty garments and stood naked in front of them. She did not  fail to notice the knowing glance that passed between them.  They were plainly used to being obeyed without question.

       "Take these disgusting things and burn them" Mansour  ordered the boy who, turning his eyes to heaven at the  smell, collected the bundle and left.

     "Next girl, get into the water and scrub yourself clean.

     Suzanne willingly obeyed and gradually lowered herself into the welcome hot water. For the first time since her capture she enjoyed the luxury and proceeded to wash herself from top to toe until all the traces of her journey were removed. She was not permitted to late too long however. Once he was satisfied that she was clean, Mansour ordered her to get out of the bath and lay down on a long table.

     The young boy, who had now returned, proceeded to cover her body and limbs with a thick cream. She tried to stop this attention but a glance by Mansour at the whip made her change her mind. Once she was completely covered in the cream the boy took a sharp curved knife and proceeded to remove the cream with it. In doing so she realised he was removing all traces of hair from her body except for her head and pubis.

     Suzanne was then ordered to lay on her back. The boy, standing at her feet, gripped her ankles and forced her legs wide apart. She felt Mansour's fingers probing around her sex lips. She began to struggle but soon ceased when his hand descended with a stinging slap on her stomach. She lay perfectly still as his fingers entered her body. Her face reddened with embarrassment as she felt a sudden dampness where his fingers probed.

     Eventually he stood back and turned to the boy. "We have a prize one here" he announced. "She is a virgin. She will fetch an excellent price. Perhaps even Mahmud will buy her for the Sheik's hareem".

     She was then ordered back into the bath for another wash to remove the liquid that had seeped from her sex. As she removed any trace of the cream and the secretion that had trickled down her thigh, she thought over these last words.

     It was plain to her that these men, in whose presence she had arrived so unexpectedly, were used to being instantly obeyed by women. That they were themselves servants made her quail at the authority their master must wield. That she was now one of their women made a strong and strange feeling of helplessness flow over her. She was surprised to find that this excited her. She, a eighteen year old middle class French girl was to become the slave of some foreigner.

     Her mental wandering was interrupted by Mansour ordering her from the bath. She was made to sit on a stool while the boy applied cosmetics to her face and perfume to her body. Her long wavy blonde hair was then brushed until it shone like silk. Once they were satisfied with her appearance, she was ordered to dress in the clothes the boy had brought on his return. When they were satisfied with her appearance, she was permitted to see herself in a mirror.

     The vision that looked back at her made her catch her breath in surprise and wonder. From a jewel studded belt on her hips a chiffon skirt fell to the floor so sheer that it hid nothing of her body and long legs that it covered. Her breasts were encased in cups held in place by a cord round her neck and another round her back. The fastening was under a red stone that nestled between her full breasts.

      The lower half of her face was covered by a chiffon yashmak through which her sensuous mouth was clearly to be seen. Above this her bright blue eyes looked back at her in wonderment at the reflection they saw. seeing herself thus attired and revealed brought home to her the hopelessness of her position.

     "Good. Very good" Mansour was evidently pleased with the result of his labours. "Follow me".

     Suzanne obediently followed him from the cleaning room into another corridor until he paused outside an ornately decorated door. All the while she could not stop her mind from conjecturing on the fate that lay in store for her.

     Mansour knocked on the door and was answered by a deep voice from within. Leaving her with the boy he entered, closing the door behind him. A few minutes later he returned and, having given her precise instructions on what to do, opened the door and ordered her to pass through. He followed close behind.

     Laying on a couch across the room was a repulsively fat man dressed in very expensive robes. Following Mansour's instructions Suzanne slowly approached and, then some eight metres away, stopped and knelt with her eyes lowered. She was conscious of the fat man staring openly at her.

      "You are sure she is a virgin?" the fat man asked.      

      "Yes Master", Mansour replied.

     "Display her. Let me gee if Your assessment is correct".

     Frightened by the malevolent aura that exuded from the fat man, who Suzanne assumed was Abdul the Slaver, she obeyed Mansour's order to rise and stand perfectly still. With obvious delight, Mansour first removed the yashmak and ordered her to look Abdul straight in the face. Then the cups were removed allowing her breasts to fall free to his gaze. Last of all the skirt fell away leaving her stark naked. Abdul's eyes slowly travelled from her feet up over her legs and body assessing her with the judgement of a very critical connoisseur.

     "A genuine blue eyed blonde." Abdul mused. "She has a fine body and a pretty face to match. My congratulations Mansour. In this instance I fully endorse your accurate assessment. She will indeed fetch an excellent price. You will immediately send word to the Sheik's chief eunuch and advise him that we have a piece of merchandise that may interest his master. Meanwhile see that she is kept under strict guard".

     During the appraisal and Abdul's speech Suzanne felt her face blush crimson. She was being appraised and valued as if she was nothing more than an animal that had fallen into his hands. She had great difficulty in restraining an outburst of indignation at this treatment. It was only the sight of the whip hanging on the wall behind him that stopped her.

     Gathering up the discarded garments, Mansour ordered her to follow him. She was taken to another small room where her wrists were secured behind her back and an ankle manacled to a chain stapled to the wall. She did not fail to see the customary whip hanging in it's place.

     Suzanne was kept confined in this room for two days, only being taken out to wash and relieve herself. She was under constant guard by the black boy or one of his several colleagues who fed her regular meals. None of them expressed any sexual interest in the naked girl they guarded and therefore she assumed they were all eunuchs.

     Gradually Suzanne became used to their presence and her nakedness ceased to embarrass her. She did, however find it hard to accept their presence at the time she squatted over a bucket to expel her bodily wastes. These two days under their vigil did, she later realised, stand her in good stead for the life she was eventually to lead where privacy was totally unknown.

     The need for immediate and unquestioning obedience to their orders, her nakedness and the confining manacles made her fully aware of the submissiveness required of her. A submissiveness which they were perfectly ready to enforce with a whip if necessary. To Suzanne's surprise this state aroused strange feelings within her that both frightened and excited her and made her sex lips swell and juice in a way that only her playing with herself had achieved previously.

      On the morning of the third day in Abdul the Slaver's  house Suzanne was taken to the cleaning room. Here she was  bathed, cosmetics and perfume applied and finally dressed as  she was on her first day. Mansour inspected her closely and  ensured that she was prepared to his satisfaction.

      "You are nor to be displayed for the appraisal of  Mahmud, chief eunuch to the Sheik. You will follow my orders  without question or hesitation. Abdul has made up his mind  that Mahmud will buy you and if you are not found pleasing  to him you will be severely whipped. So it is in your own  interest to do your best. Life in the Sheik's hareem will be  more pleasant than being sold to a brothel owner;. That and  a good whipping will be your fate if Mahmud does not buy  you"

      Mansour then proceeded to instruct her how to behave  when she was presented to the chief eunuch. He was so  determined that she should not let him down that he vent  over everything several times until he was sure that she  fully understood all that would be required of her. When  he was satisfied, she was led to another part of the house.

      They entered a large room and she was ordered to stand  on a raised platform in the centre. Mansour then made her  stand with her hands clasped behind her head and knees  slightly bent. Leaving her with strict orders not to break  position, he departed.

     Some minutes later the door opened and Abdul waddled in followed by a tall, very important looking nubian. Suzanne saw him out of the corned of her eye. He was quite fat but this only seemed to accentuate the strength of the man. This she assumed was Mahmud.

     Slowly the nubian walked round her looking her up and down then took a chair next to Abdul facing her. Mansour mounted the platform and stood at her side. At a whispered command, she broke the pose and stood, feet together arms to her side, facing Abdul and the man who must find her worth buying.

     As he had done when presenting her to Abdul, Mansour removed her garments slowly one by one, gradually revealing her body to their gaze. As the skirt floated away, she noticed the nubian's interest quicken as his eyes took in the blonde down of her pubic growth. His eyes scrutinised her nakedness with open approval.

      Mansour then began to whisper a series of orders which  she obeyed. Slowly she raised her arms until they stretched  above her head making her breasts rise as she did so. She  was then ordered to turn her back on the watchers. She  felt Mansour part her hair and drape it forward over her  shoulders so that her back was fully exposed. Then she was  ordered to lay on the platform and adopt various poses that  displayed her body to perfection.

      Finally, just when she thought that there were no more  revealing positions possible, she was made to kneel, knees  wide spread, facing the audience that, so far, had viewed  her exhibition in silence.

      "Well?" enquired Abdul. "What do you think of my latest  acquisition? I have given you the option of first choice  before she goes to public auction".

      "She is not without interest". She heard Mahmud  reply. "You say she is a virgin. May I check for myself?"

      "By all means" Was the reply. "Mansour Prepare the  slave".

      Suzanne was then ordered to stand with her legs spread  wide. The man Mahmud approached her. He crouched down in  front of her. Suzanne felt his finger tips stroke across her  sex lips which, to her shame, immediately hardened. With a  grunt of satisfaction, he slid his fingers inside her vagina  and began to feel carefully around. This unexpected move  made Suzanne's body begin to juice and she felt herself  pressing forward onto the source of her arousal.

     Eventually satisfied with his investigation, Mahmud and the slaver left the room. Instructing her to remain on the platform, Mansour followed them. She waited in dreadful anticipation. Had she performed well? Had the nubian found her pleasing enough for his master? She glanced with terror at the whip on the wall, knowing her body would be lashed thoroughly with one similar if the sale was not concluded. The thought of that cruel lash curling across her tender flesh only seemed to increase the arousal that Mahmud's fingers had begun.

     After what seemed an eternity, Mansour returned carrying a heavy black cloak. Suzanne's wrists were tied behind her back and the cloak placed over her and adjusted so that she could see through the two slits that were level with her eyes.

     "You have been sold" Mansour informed her to her intense relief. "You are now to be taken to the sheik's palace"

     A thick leather collar was placed round her neck from which hung a thinner leather lead. Holding this in his hand, Mansour led her from the exhibiting room to where Mahmud awaited. Taking the lead, he bade farewell and hair pulling led her from the slaver's house.

Chapter 2

     Mahmud set a quick pace as he led her through the

streets. Suzanne heard the sounds of people around her but, due to the restricted view from the slits in the cloak could see little of what was actually going on. She did notice that no one took any notice of the huge nubian and the well covered naked girl who stumbled along behind him.

     Eventually they halted before a heavy wooden door which, in response to Mahmud's knock, was opened by an armed guard. Suzanne was pulled through and led across an inner court to another heavy door. This also opened to Mahmud's knock and they entered a large hall. She had little time to look around as she was again led through a side door and along a passage at the end of which was another heavy door, this time guarded by two fearsome looking sentinels.

     Once through this door, which was closed behind them with, what seemed to Suzanne a deathly finality, the change was astounding. They were in a pleasant hall which was light and airy and there was a strong odour of scent in the atmosphere. The collar and cloak were removed and she stood naked, staring in wonder at the opulence of her surroundings.

     Mahmud clapped his hands together and immediately a door opened and a young black boy entered the hall. He wore nothing above his waist and his black torso shone displaying a well developed muscular physique. His waist was encircled by an ornately decorated belt from which hung wide baggy trousers. Suzanne did not fail to notice the leather strap that also hung at his side clipped to the belt.

     "Take this slave and prepare her for the Master's

inspection". Mahmud gave the order to the boy who, bowing slightly to Mahmud, turned and beckoned her to follow him.

     Wondering what lay ahead for her, Suzanne followed and was led to what was clearly an ablutions room. Here she was ordered to bathe herself after which she was made to lay on a table and another black boy proceeded to depilate her body except for her golden pubic bush. Mahmud entered the room and watched as the young eunuchs proceeded to rub scented oils into her skin 'and made up her face with bright cosmetics.

      Suzanne enjoyed this luxury having, by then, overcome  any residual embarrassment at being naked with the eunuchs  attending to her. As his deft fingers moved lightly over  her bottom and between her thighs, she began to feel herself  becoming aroused. She was unable to prevent her face blushing as his hands and fingers probed over her intimate parts as the oil was smoothed into her skin. She was ordered to stand while Mahmud walked slowly round her satisfying himself that she had been properly prepared. A thin gossamer sheet that Fell to the floor, was then placed over her head.

     Suzanne was aware that this hardly concealed her young body and it had the effect of making her more conscious of her nakedness. The vulnerability she felt seemed only to increase the state or arousal that had seldom left her since her entrance into the house of Abdul the Slaver.

     "You are now to be taken to your Master for his assessment" Mahmud informed her. "See that you do nothing to displease him".

     Suzanne was then given careful instructions which she was ordered to follow carefully if she did not want to be whipped.

     As she followed the huge nubian. along yet another corridor the sight of this giant in front made her feel very small and vulnerable and yet he, himself, was only a slave. She wondered how would she react when face to face with his Master who held the power of life or death over those he owned. Whilst part of her reacted against the fact that, like it or not she was now a man's slave, another part of her felt a sense of excitement and anticipation of what fate held in store. This conflict within her was to the cause of many uncomfortable hours in the future ahead.

     To Suzanne's relief they had passed no one during the short walk, not even guards, and Suzanne assumed they were still within the hareem. They halted outside a heavy door on which Mahmud knocked gently. The door opened silently and she followed the nubian into the room beyond, keeping her eyes submissively lowered until they came to a halt and she saw two feet, expensively shed, in front of her.

     "Master. This is the new slave you were informed of". Mahmud's voice had lost the air of authority he had used before and was now positively grovelling.

     "Strip her and let me See if I agree with your glowing description".

     "Yes Master".

     Suzanne felt the thin covering lifted away and she again stood naked, this time in front of the man who now owned her. She longed to see his face to judge what manner of man she would have to serve. A long silence followed during which she was thoroughly inspected.

     "Look at me slave"

     Slowly, as Mahmud had instructed, she raised her eyes and saw a white robe secured at the waist by a jewelled belt from which hung a similarly decorated dagger. As her glance moved upwards, she was surprised to see not a mass of fat blubber, as she had expected, but a firm, strong physique. It was when her gaze reached his face that her legs began to tremble with fear. A handsome face looked back at her the eyes displaying a mixture of amusement and interest but it was his mouth that held her gaze.

     A firm mouth that belied the softness of his eyes. A cruel mouth that signalled that it's owner would tolerate no nonsense from anyone. A shiver of Pear, and excitement, passed through her body. In that moment Suzanne knew she was face to face with the man who would make her a slave to him and whom she would serve and love with all her body.

     "Mahmud. I am forced to admit you have chosen well. A genuine blonde with not only pleasing legs and body but a pretty face as well".

     "Thank you Master". The relief in the eunuch's voice was easily discerned.

     "You have checked that she is truly a virgin?"

     "Yes Master. I personally confirmed that she is untouched"

     "Good. You will keep her in a belt until the situation is changed".

     "As you wish Master".

     "I was watching her as she approached. She has a very supple way of moving and with those legs she should make a good dancer. See that she is quickly trained. Amina can be her teacher under your supervision".

     "Yes Master. An excellent choice if I may be so bold as to say so".

     "Look at me girl".

     Suzanne's gaze had dropped to the floor being unable to look at his handsome yet cruel face while they had decided her future. She forced herself to look at him.

     "You are now my slave: You will serve me perfectly in all ways and at all times. You will only live, now, to please me. You understand?"

     "Yes Master". She stammered.

     "Your life here can be very pleasant. It is up to you. If you prove to be satisfactory you will live in luxury but, remember I demand the highest standards. Even the smallest transgression will earn you a beating. Mahmud and his boys carry a strap which they are allowed to use on your bare bottom for minor faults. See to it that you do not earn anything' more severe than that"

     "I will try my best Master" Suzanne replied trying to hide the fear that his words had aroused in her.

     "Mahmud. See also that she receives the usual training as well as in dancing. I may require her to serve me soon. Take her away now and begin by three strokes of your strap. Just so she knows her position here".

     Mahmud gathered up the sheet that had covered her and ordered her to follow as he made his exit.

     Once more in the room where she had been prepared she received her beating. Mahmud relayed his Master's instructions to the boy eunuch who had awaited their                                        without return. The boy ordered her to stand feet apart and bending her legs, to grip her ankles. Terrified to otherwise, Suzanne obeyed.

     She heard a swish and a crack and immediately a line of fire seared across her bottom. She jumped upright and her hands flew behind her to rub the soreness.

     Her eyes immediately looked into those of Mahmud who stood in front of her. To her horror she realised that it was the boy who had laid the strap across her.

     "Have you never been beaten before?". Mahmud asked her in a surprised tone.

     "No I haven't" She replied indignantly. "That hurt". She had decided to keep secret the fact that she was accustomed to being beaten hoping, by doing so, that they might go easy with her for a time.

     "You will get used to it very soon" Mahmud said softly. "You will be beaten for the slightest offence and, in future, you must keep still while the strokes are given. If you move when under the strap you will be reported to the Master for disobedience and will receive a caning. Do you understand?"

     "Yes Mahmud. I am sorry. Please give me another chance. I promise to try not to move"

     "You may have another chance this time. But remember my warning for the future. That stroke will not count. Bend for the three strokes the Master ordered"

     Casting a pleading look at the boy who stood behind her holding his strap, Suzanne resumed her bent position.

     Swish. Crack. Another line of fire raged in her bottom.     

Swish. Crack.

Swish. Thwack.

     Some how she managed to hold position. Her bottom seemed to explode with the pain and she could not suppress a loud yell each time the burning leather landed.

     She stayed bent over awaiting Mahmud's permission to move, mixed emotions flooding through her. She had been thrashed by a young boy at her Master's order. Though it was only four with a strap it had hurt terribly and she dreaded to think what it would be like if it was Mahmud's strength that had been behind the strap and, even worse, if it had been a cane or a whip that had been in his hand.

     Although she had frequently been beaten by her uncle, this was somehow different. These men were strangers to her and seemed to exert a strange hold over her. Ever since she had arrived at Abdul the Slaver's house, she had not only obeyed without question, but had seemed to accept her fate as if it was natural for her to do so. As she bent there, her bottom burning from the leather, she started to accept her slavery little knowing that before long she would not wish her life to be any different.

     "Stand up slave". Mahmud's command broke her train of thought. "Keep your legs well spread". Turning to the boy "Put a number two belt on her"

     The boy eunuch went to a cupboard and returned with a bundle in his hands and stood behind her. A broad belt of leather was wrapped round her waist and fastened behind her back. From the front another length of leather was suspended. The boy proceeded to pull this backwards through her open legs, up into the crease between her bottom, and fastened it with a locking device, to the rear of the belt.

     "That will not only ensure that you stay a virgin but it will stop you playing with yourself" Mahmud explained.

     Her hands followed the leather down in front of her. She found that, although there were openings so as not to prevent the performing of natural functions, the leather completely covered her beauty lips so that she could not even get her slim fingers under it. She now knew what a chastity belt was like and did.

     She was ordered to replace the thin covering she had worn when led into her Master's presence and to follow the big black giant. Down yet another passage she was led into a large spacious hall. This was beautifully decorated with a large pool in the centre. 'there were a lot of couches and cushions scattered around the floor and the air was heavy with fragrant perfume.

     There were about thirty women in the hall and Suzanne assumed this was the hareem. They were mostly young, of differing nationalities, and all were very beautiful. Some were naked, some wore a thin robe like her own and some were dressed in transparent shirts or baggy trousers and tiny bolero jackets. All of them were staring at the new arrival with mixed expressions on their faces.

     "This is your Master's new slave", Mahmud announced to them. "Her name is Suzanne". Having introduced her he turned and left the hall.

     Suzanne stood there feeling isolated amongst these other women. It had not crossed her mind that she would not be the only occupant of the hareem and this fact was suddenly brought home to her with a jolt. Her feet seemed rooted to where she stood under the scrutiny of those searching eyes.

     Eventually one of the girls walked slowly towards her. She had a pale skin and long brown hair and was naked.

     "Hello Suzanne". Her voice and smile were friendly and Suzanne smiled back, sensing that here might be a friend.

     "My name is Caterina. Come and I will show you around".

     Caterina showed her around the hall and the various rooms that formed the women's quarters in the hareem. She explained that she was a Russian who had been captured by the Turks and given to the sheik as a present. She was a year older than Suzanne and had been in the hareem for two years and, like the others, was very happy there.

     This Suzanne found hard to believe since when she had walked behind her new friend, she had seen that Caterina's bottom was badly bruised and covered with hard red ridges. Suzanne found the spectacle exciting. When questioned Caterina explained she had been caned the previous day for disobedience.

     Suzanne expressed her horror at the state of Caterina's bottom but the girl explained that, not only had she deserved the beating, but it was a small price to pay for living in the luxury of the hareem as opposed to the poverty she had known before.

     Caterina introduced Suzanne to the other girls as they went round the hall finally stopping in front of a very beautiful olive skinned girl with dark eyes and jet black hair. This turned out to be Yasmine, the sheik's current favourite. Caterina whispered to beware of this one as she had let her position go to her head and did her best to cause trouble for the rest of the girls.

     Caterina explained that they were all slaves, the sheik's wives and children being housed in another part of the building.

     During the tour they had passed a door to a room into which Suzanne was not shown. When questioned about this Caterina explained that that was one room she did not want to know about or enter. It was the punishment room where any girl who had been displeasing was summoned into the presence of the Master to be judged and beaten. She further explained that this room was always kept locked except when in use. In hushed tones Caterina said there was another room, beneath them, where girls were taken to be tortured if their offence was very bad.

     To her surprise the next two days passed very pleasantly for Suzanne. She got to know the other girls and the young eunuchs who formed Mahmud's staff. Discipline in the hareem was strictly enforced but she did not see any girl get the strap. Caterina explained that they all knew the rules and, for their own comfort, abided by them. All the girls were very kind to her and asked many questions about her life before she was captured.

     Yasmine took little notice of the new arrival for most of the time although Suzanne caught her watching her intently on numerous occasions. Caterina said she was sizing her up to see how much of a threat Suzanne was to her position.

     Much to Suzanne's surprise she did not resent loosing her freedom. It was almost as if this was the existence that she required to be her complete self. The discipline, the ever present threat of a beating if she failed to give perfect satisfaction and , above all, the knowledge that she was in the clutches of an attractive stern Master kept her in a permanent state of semi-arousal

Chapter 3

     On the morning of her third day in the hareem one of the young eunuchs came and told her Suzanne that she had been summoned to Mahmud's room. Wondering what she had done wrong she followed the young black youth obediently, with her apprehension increasing with every step.

     It had only been a relatively short time since her capture yet the change that had come over her in that time had surprised even her.

     Suzanne had at first accepted that, For the time being, she had lost her freedom but had hoped for the chance to escape or of being rescued. But, as Caterina had said, life in the hareem was quite pleasant. Mahmud had mentioned to the others that the Master was pleased with his new acquisition and, as a consequence the eunuchs relaxed the usually strict discipline and their straps remained fixed at their waists.

     The young eunuch led Suzanne into Mahmud's room and she stopped in front of him. As she fell to her knees she stole a quick glance at his face and was relieved to see no sign of anger there.

     "You have been here long enough to get used to this life and it is now time for the Master's plans for you to begin". Mahmud's high pitched voice still sounded strange in her ears. " Today you will be taken to the house of Amina where you will commence your instruction in the dancing. You will be in charge of Yousef here. He will be responsible for guarding you and you will obey him and Amina as you would me. You understand slave?"

     "Yes Mahmud", she answered. So Amina's place was outside the palace. She might get to see something of the town as they went back and forth.

     "You will be manacled and hooded whilst going there and back". Mahmud continued, as if he could read her thoughts.

     "You will not try and escape for to do so would mean your certain death. Be warned. Amina will report your progress each day and, if this is not satisfactory, you will be beaten".

      The young eunuch, Yousef, beckoned her to follow him. He led her into another room where she was ordered to remove her clothing. Her wrists were manacled together behind her back and a long black hooded cloak placed over her. This covered her from head to foot with only a small area in front of her eyes left open to see where she was walking, but even this was covered by a thin piece of netting material.

     Yousef then placed a collar round her neck attached to a short lead. With this he led her out of the palace and through the streets of the town to the house where Amina lived. On arrival she was taken into a large airy room where she came face to face with a middle aged woman. She was very handsome and it was plain that, in her youth, she must have been very beautiful.

     "So this is the girl that Hassain wants me to train is it?". Her voice was soft and matched her looks.

     "Yes" replied the youth. "The Master rants her to have intensive training. He is anxious that she becomes a good dancer as quickly as possible"

     "So he expects me to perform miracles does he. Well lets see what she looks like"

     Yousef removed the collar and the cloak. Amina walked slowly round the naked girl studying her intently. At a sign from her the manacles were removed from Suzanne's wrists and she was ordered to walk slowly round the room.

     "She certainly moves well", she mused to herself. "But she is still very stiff. We must loosen those muscles before re start anything else".

     Thus Suzanne's training began.

     For the first six days Suzanne was made to do exercise after exercise until every muscle in her body ached beyond endurance. Amina worked her relentlessly and the slightest sign of slacking was rewarded by a sharp reminder with Yousef's strap.

     Suzanne was returned to the hareem each evening her body covered with glowing red lines showing there the encouragement had been applied. She was bathed and massaged with oils to ease away the stiffness in her muscles which also soothed away the soreness from the strap. She was kept on a strict diet and, each morning, Amina would take many measurements of all parts of her body.

    The other girls in the hareem at first plied her with many questions. Apparently, it was a rare occurrence for one of them to be taught to dance as the Master usually engaged dancers from special dealers when entertaining. Not one of them relished the ordeal of having to dance in front of a group of strangers. A slave dancer's existence was not to be envied, some of them expressed their concern that Suzanne had been selected for this role.

     Suzanne did not at first realise she would be required to dance before strangers. The thought had not entered her head but the realisation that she would soon do so sent weird feelings coursing through her body. Not even Yasmine's jibes, which were intended to be cruel and hurtful, could quench the feeling of excitement she felt at the prospect.

     Slowly her limbs and body became stronger and more supple without becoming muscular. Not only did her body change but her appreciation of herself did also. Suzanne no longer thought of herself as a French girl who had been forced into slavery. Gradually, as she came to accept her lot, she became inwardly contented and excited at the path along which fate was leading her.

      After the initial six days, the exercises were limited to a loosening-up session and the dancing lessons started in earnest. Amina arranged for some musicians to be on hand behind a large screen and she began to teach her how to move to the music. At first Suzanne's movements failed to please her until she realised the belt, which was continually worn, was inhibiting the graceful flow which she demanded. Once this was removed, matters improved considerably, and she began to praise Suzanne's efforts.

     One day, as Suzanne stood naked before her perfectly motionless except for her belly which now she was able to undulate to her satisfaction, Suzanne received the accord for which she had strived so hard.

     "Yousef, she is coming along nicely. She will make a marvellous dancer. Tomorrow we will have her dressed in a dancing costume and jewellery",

     True to her word, the next morning, she produced a costume for her to wear. This was so sheer and revealing that it hid little of her and, as she moved to the music, it floated about caressing her body in a most seductive manner.

     When Amina was satisfied that she had mastered the basic technique of moving seductively to the strange music, she began to teach Suzanne various dances that a slave girl was expected to know.

     At times a shy slave parading for the first time before her Master, at others a brazen woman interested only in exciting the sexual desires of the men who would watch her. At times an unsatisfactory slave writhing under the whip of her Master. As her repertoire increased so did the reaction of Suzanne's body to the movements and the music. She felt herself becoming more conscious of her sexuality in a way she had not experienced before.

     At first, she tried to hide this betrayal by her body but Amina soon discovered her secret and persuaded her to allow the sensations to take control. Immediately Suzanne's performance improved yet further. When she was taught the dance of the aroused slave, Suzanne let her feelings take control. During the dance, she lay on her back and pretended her Master was actually using her body for his pleasure.

     Although still a virgin, this dance seemed to affect her so strongly that Amina questioned Yousef closely on the veracity of her virginity.

     After a month of these lessons two things happened which, although she did not realise it at the time, were closely linked and were to bring changes in her that she could not have dreamed possible.

     Suzanne had arrived as usual for the lesson and as she emerged from the room in which she had changed she noticed that another screen had been erected in a corner of the room. She could vaguely make out the shape of someone behind it. Both Amina and Yousef were seated in their usual places and Suzanne wondered who the secret watcher could be.

     Amina had ordered that she was to perform the Veil Dance and to pretend that Yousef was her Master. She stood in the centre of the room, facing him, her hands raised above her head with their backs together and her left leg slightly bent.

     Suddenly, with a clash of symbols, the music began and Suzanne came to life and, letting herself become completely absorbed in the music as Amina had taught her, danced slowly around the room, occasionally flashing her eyes at Yousef in a very seductive manner.

     At the prescribed moments in the dance she discarded a veil and, as each one fell away, more of her body was revealed. At last only a thin, almost transparent, veil hung from the ornament fixed in her hair on top of her head floating, uninhibited around her body. For several minutes she danced seductively with only this inadequate garment to protect her modesty from the watchers.

     Finally, she stood in front of Yousef and, as the music rose in a final flourish, the last veil fell away. She stood perfectly still, arms raised above her head undulating of her belly. As the music came haltr she slowly sank to the ground laying flat on her stomach, arms stretched outwards at her side and her lips on the toes of Yousef's sandals.

     "Very very good". Amina's delighted voice broke the silence that had followed the dying sounds of the music. "At last you have danced as a true slave. Now collect the veils and wait for me in the other room"

     Gracefully, for this was how she had now been taught to move at all times, she rose and hurried to obey Amina's order. As she waited, she rendered who had been concealed behind the second screen. It had been of much more delicate material than the one which hid the musicians. Who could it  be that would take an interest in the lessons of a trainee  dancer she wondered.

      "That was a very good performance" Amina informed her.  "There is little more I can teach you. You must remember  that you must practice as much as possible and keep doing  the exercises to keep your body supple".

      "Thank you" Suzanne answered. "Thank you for teaching  me. Did I really dance as a slave?" She asked.

      "Yes. You have managed not only to learn the dances but  in your mind you have become a slave and that is the surest  way to bring out the best in you".

      Amina's perception did not surprise her. For some time  Suzanne had ceased, even mentally, to resist the truth of  her position and had now come to revel in the knowledge that  she was nothing more than a slave to her Master.

      Taking advantage of Amina's satisfaction, Suzanne dared  to venture a question. "Who was that behind the second  screen?"

      Immediately Amina's manner became severe again. "That  is not for you to know. It is lucky for you that Yousef is  not here to hear you ask that. It would most certainly have  earned you a thrashing. A slave is not permitted to ask  questions".

      "I am sorry", Suzanne blurted out. "Please do not tell  him".

      "I will not tell him this time but, for your comfort,  do not repeat the mistake".

      "What mistake?" Yousef's voice sounded behind them.

      "She made a slight error in the steps of the dance and  I was warning her not to repeat it in future" Amina replied.

      Suzanne heaved a sigh of relief that Amina had lied for  her. The belt and manacles were again put in place. The  black cloak descended over her head and the collar placed  round her neck. The lesson had been shortened without any  explanation being given me but Suzanne dared not ask why.  She had narrowly escaped a strapping already and did not  intend to place herself in danger again.

     Once more back in the palace, Yousef handed the lead to Mahmud and Suzanne was taken to a side room where the collar, cloak and manacles were removed. Instead of sending the slave back to the hareem, Mahmuf took a goblet from a side table and, handing it to her ordered her to drink the contents.

     As Suzanne raised it to her lips she saw that it contained a thick dark brown liquid that smelt terrible. She knew better than to disobey that black eunuch and took a mouthful of the liquid. The taste was vile and, unable to control her revulsionl she gagged and spat it out on the floor.

     Mahmud angrily snatched the goblet from her hand.

    "Clean up that mess immediately", he ordered. "It is the Master's instruction that you drink this potion every day. You have just disobeyed his order and that will earn you a beating".

     Suzanne quickly cleaned up the mess she had made and knelt, shaking with fear in front of him.

     "Please Mahmud, do not have me beaten. I am sorry and will drink the potion. I promise". Suzanne begged plaintively.

     She had not yet seen the inside of the punishment room but Caterina had, in graphic detail, described what was done to the slaves there. Even the thought of Mahmud's pliant cane being used on her tender bottom filled her with abject terror.

     Mahmud looked down at her, a stern expression clouding his black face.

     "Because you have been diligent with your dancing lessons, I will be lenient with you this time and spare you a visit to the punishment room". He said, his voice sounding more high pitched than usual.

     Suzanne breathed a sigh of relief until she saw his hand move to the strap hanging from his belt.

      "Six strokes with the strap will suffice this time, I think. Stand up and bend over. Do not move or it will be taken as further disobedience".

     For the second time in her life Suzanne was to be beaten. She shook with fear as she rose and obeyed his order. She gripped her ankles tightly bracing herself for the pain that would soon be inflicted on her bottom. She had felt the strap many times when it had only been used as a mild encouragement during her exercises and dancing lessons and it had stung madly. She remembered the four strokes she had received on her first day. Now it was to be used on her in earnest.

     Swish. Thwack.

     The first stroke blazed it's path across her stretched

 cheeks. The pain was unbelievable and the shock made her cry  out, This was a real punishment stroke whose agony coursed  through her body but, remembering the threat of the cane,  she managed to hold her position.

      Swish. Thwack.      

      Swish. Crack.

      Five more times the leather lashed across her bottom.  Somehow she managed to stay bent over. She cried out and  screamed as hot tears flooded her eyes. The pain she felt  was increased by the knowledge that the loud noise of her  thrashing would be heard by the other girls in the hareem.

      The embarrassment this caused her was added to by the  feeling of arousal that welled up in her belly. She was  horrified to think that the receipt or pain could have this  effect on her. Later she was to realise that it was not the  pain but the complete submissiveness of her position that  was the cause of her body's betrayal.

      "Stand up girl". Mahmud's command stabbed it's way  through the cloud of pain that seemed to surround her.

      It dawned on her that, somehow, she had survived the  six strokes without moving. She straightened and stood  facing him and, through tear filled eyes, saw that he was  again holding the goblet, which had been refilled. Stealing  herself against the revulsion that rose in her throat, she  obediently took it and, this timer drained the contents.

     She handed the goblet back to him and, as soon as he took it her hands flew to her burning bottom. Suzanne was amazed at how hot it felt. The beating she had just taken from Mahmud was infinitely worse than the strokes she had receive from the boy eunuch on her arrival. Her mind's eye recalled the state of Caterina's bottom on that first day. If a mere six with the strap could induce so much pain and heat she dreaded to think what a caning would be like. Also there was the dampness of her arousal. She shuddered with embarrassment at the thought that this might increase as the degree of pain rose.

     Mahmud ordered her to gut on hareem clothes and to join the other girls. Her face reddened as she entered the large room where they were, knowing they had heard the sound of her thrashing and her screams. Caterina came over and and put her arms around the punished slave in sympathy.

     As soon as Mahmud and the other eunuchs were otherwise busy, Caterina smoothed a cooling cream into the sore areas and the burning gradually eased away. Normally, a punished girl was not allowed any such comfort until twenty four after a punishment had been inflicted.

Chapter 4

     Suzanne had returned from one of her dancing lessons feeling very pleased with herself. Amina had praised her progress highly and Yousef had even added his praise and satisfaction with the slave's rapidly improving ability.

     Suzanne had bathed and was relaxing on one of the many couches in the hareem when Salema and Tanya, Yasmine's two closest friends, came and told her that the favourite wished to see her in her private room. Caterina and Ayesha were nowhere in sight and it was somewhat apprehensively that Suzanne answered the summons.

     Suzanne entered the favourite's room and stood inside the door wondering what she was wanted for.

     "Ah! The little dancer" Yasmine purred looking Suzanne up and down. " Come closer, girl".

     Slowly, conscious that the favourite's two allies had also entered behind her, Suzanne approached the couch on which Yasmine reclined. The favourite was naked beneath a long transparent robe and Suzanne could not but admire the girls beauty.

     Yasmine stretched her arms above her head making her ample but firm breasts rise thrusting her dark brown nipples hard against the filmy material.

     "Come and lay down beside me Suzanne" the favourite whispered, her breathing suddenly beginning to come faster.

     "Why'" Suzanne asked, taken aback at this unexpected request.

     "Perhaps I have misjudged you, my dear, and I think it is time that we got to know each other better. Don't you?"

     Although she suspected a trap, Suzanne could not think of a suitable response. She was completely stunned at the friendly attitude that Yasmine appeared to have adopted. She stepped forward and sat on the couch at the girls side.

     Yasmine sat up and draped her arm over Suzanne's shoulder.

     "You are really very beautiful Suzanne and it is not difficult to see that the Master was so pleased to add you to his hareem.

     "Thank you Yasmine" Suzanne replied, still vary and on guard not knowing that devious thoughts were coursing through the favourite's twisted mind.

     It was common knowledge throughout the hareem that the favourite resented her presence and this sudden unexpected show of friendship alarmed Suzanne. She could not fathom what the girl was up to.

     "You have such lovely firm breasts" the favourite continued as her hand slowly slipped down and gently closed around Suzanne's naked orb, the fingers closing around the soft nipple. "Your sex lips are most tempting she added as her other hand slipped between the edges of Suzanne's skirt and the fingers began to caress the object of her praise.

      "Please don't Yasmine" Suzanne pleaded.

     Par from being aroused, as the favourite had intended, Suzanne was rapidly becoming disgusted at the familiar way Yasmine was treating her body.

     "Don't be such a spoilsport" Yasmine whispered in Suzanne's ear.

     The next move took Suzanne completely by surprise as Yasmine pulled her down on the couch, and pressed her lips hard down on those of her captive. Suzanne struggled violently against these unwelcome attentions. Although Yasmine was the stronger, she was taken off guard by the strength of Suzanne's resistance and allowed her grip to slacken.

     Taking advantage of this, Suzanne jumped to her feet and stood glaring at her attacker.

     "If you have in mind what I think you have", Suzanne yelled angrily "you have made a big mistake. I would rather lay with a leper than have anything to do with a disgusting she camel like you"

     Suzanne turned and stormed out of the room failing to see the rage that spread over Yasmine's bright red face.

     What happened next took Suzanne, and the other slaves who, on hearing the sudden commotion, were in the process of centering on the door to the favourite's room by surprise.

     Suzanne felt a thud on her back and the next minute was flat on the floor with the favourite on top of her. Yasmine was screaming obscenities at Suzanne at the top of her voice. Suzanne struggled to dislodge Yasmine from on top of her and to avoid the flailing hands whose pointed nails seemed intent in scratching out her eyes.

     Suddenly the watching slaves shook off their surprise and began shouting encouragement at the two antagonists.

     Caterina and Ayesha, who arrived late on the scene, were just in time to see Yasmine grasp a handful of Suzanne's hair and start to try and pull it out. Fearful that their friend was about to get the worse of the encounter Suzanne's two friends rushed to her aid. Seeing this Selima and Tanya joined in the melee.

     It was at this point that Shiek Rashid, accompanied by his chief eunuch, chose to enter the hareem.

     "Stop that fighting". The Sheik's command echoed loudly around the room as Mahmud rushed forward to separate the struggling girls. Several of the other eunuchs, alerted by the Masters raised voice, rushed into the hall and went to their chief's aid.

     Within seconds the six girls were pulled apart and thrown now trembling in fear, at their masters feet.

     "Mahmud". The sheik spoke in a thundering voice. "Have these creatures prepared for punishment and find out what this was all about and why it was allowed to happen". So saying he turned and marched from the hall.

     Eunuchs grabbed the six slaves and marched them to the preparation room there they were prepared according to the master's orders. The girls, under orders to remain silent, submitted to the preparations. Despite the fear of what was to come, the two factions still managed to glare at each other.

     Mahmud attempted to question them but their replies were evasive, even Yasmine realising that it was the best course for her to take. She didn't want to get extra punishment for attempting to seduce another slave which was that she knew would happen if the full truth was made known. The other five, frightened still of the favourite's porer, also evaded giving a full account of the disturbance.

     Thus it was that after waiting for half an hour under strict guard, the six slaves were led, trembling, into the dreaded punishment room. Contrary to usual custom they were all naked and it was thus that they knelt, knees ride apart, before their Master awaiting to hear their fate.

     "It is common knowledge that there are squabbles among the slaves in any hareem" Sheik Rashid began, "but, in my hareem, I will under no circumstances tolerate fighting".

     He paused to stare fixedly at each of the naked slaves before him. That they where all beautiful and had, at times, entered his bed, carried no weight with him. They had between them disrupted the tranquillity of his palace and must suffer the consequences.

     "Mahmud has only been able to glean what information he has from the others. Since each of you are not prepared to offer any reason for the fracas you will be judged on what has been told to us"

     Again he paused. A slight pang of sympathy for his favourite Yasmine and the new girl, of whom he had received good reports passed over him only to be quickly thrust aside. Discipline must be enforced.

     "The two duty eunuchs have been whipped for not exercising proper control and their colleagues witnessed their punishment. I have no doubt they will exact full revenge on you six".

     The six kneeling slaves in question trembled visibly. What they had just heard signalled a most painful interlude for each of them.

     "My information is that the slaves Selima, Tanyar

Ayesha and Caterina were not primarily responsible. They will each therefore receive fifteen strokes with the strap. The slaves Yasmine and Suzanne being the instigators of the sorry affair, are each sentenced to twenty strokes of the cane".

     Yasmine looked up at him in horror as the severity of her sentence sank in.

     "Mercy please My Lord", she cried as she threw herself to the ground, kissing her Master's feet. "Please Mercy".

     "If you are asking for mercy for the others". Sheik Rashid did not try to hide the anger at the interruption from his tone. "You will tell me the cause of the fight. If you speak only for yourself then you will earn the contempt of us all".

     Yasmine returned to the kneeling position, her eyes lowered, in silence. She knew that if her Haste knew what she had tried on with Suzanne it would be the whip that would be used on her. Being a coward, she was terrified of the cane but could not bear to think of her soft body suffering under the lash.

     "Mahmud. Since no one is prepared to speak, you may proceed"

     At the chief eunuch's order, the six naked slaves rose and walked behind him, passed the other kneeling slaves who had been assembled to witness the punishments and took up their position behind the platform facing it and their Master.

     "Mahmud". They heard their Master's voice. "You will delegate the strappings to your subordinates. You will attend to the canings".

     Suzanne knelt with the others, her eyes fixed on the frame as one by one Selima. Tanya, Ayesha and finally Caterina, mounted the platform and bent over the frame. They were tied in place and the younger eunuchs took turns to apply their straps to the quivering buttocks. That they had witnessed one of their number being whipped clearly showed in the force with which the straps were applied.

     Not daring to look away, Suzanne watched each pair of cheeks redden and squirm as the strokes were applied. She heard the cries and screams as the pain built up and the sound of the other kneeling slaves as they counted aloud each stroke.

     Finally, Caterina's bonds were released and she returned to kneel in her placer sobbing with pain, ready to watch the rest of the beatings.

     Suzanne prayed that she would be caned first. Whilst the sight of her sister slaves squirming under the strap had no effect on her, the anticipation of her own ordeal to come was beginning to waken an arousal in her loins.

     However, her prayer was not answered. As Caterina knelt in liner Mahmud cane already in his hand, called for Yasmine. To everyone's surprise the favourite remained kneeling, transfixed to the spot in fear. It took two eunuchs to drag her pleading for mercy, onto the platform and thrust her over the frame to which they tied her wrists and ankles.

     Even when secured in position, she continued to wriggle so much that a restraining strap had to be secured over her waist pinioning her in place.

     Suzanne watched as, disgust clearly showing on his face at Yasmine's cowardly exhibition, Mahmud raised his arm high and brought the cane whistling down onto the favourites full bottom cheeks. A scream nearly deadened the report as the rattan struck. Suzanne watched fascinated as a white line appeared the full width of the slaves bottom and quickly turned a dark red.

     Yasmine screamed and begged for mercy as each of the twenty strokes were applied to her buttocks. Her cheeks became covered in bright weal's which crossed one another doubling the agony of each until no part of her flesh was spared from the cane's attention.

     At last the beating was over and Yasmine ceased to scream. She was untied and dragged back to her position in line where she collapsed, weeping mass, on the floor.

     "The slave Suzanne will position herself for her punishment".

     Suzanne shuddered as she heard the chief eunuch as he summoned her. Slowly she rose and stood looking at the empty frame  She was terrified. She was about to receive her first proper thrashing since her capture. She had no illusion about the pain she was to suffer but she resolved not to make a spectacle of herself as Yasmine had done.

     Keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the frame she slowly approached the place of her ordeal. She mounted the platform and, casting a pleading look at Mahmud, stood with her pubic mound against the wooden bar. Her legs were pulled apart and her ankles secured to the base of the frame. She bent over the frame. As her wrists were secured, she clenched her teeth and her small hands gripped the frame tight awaiting the fire that was shortly to be lit in her young soft bottom.

      Swish. Crack.

     Suzanne's head jerked up, an expression of disbelief on her face as a streak of fire seared across her taut bottom. It felt as if a hot iron had been laid against her tender flesh.

      Swish. Crack.

     Another line of fire joined the first. The silence in the room was broken only by the sound of the rattan meeting her bare flesh and the sound of the other slaves counting the stroke. Somehow she had managed to suppress the scream of pain and shock as her body jerked under the strokes.

      Swish. Thwack.

     Unable to control herself any longer, a loud 'aaaargh' escaped from her throat. Her bottom felt on fire. She was concentrating on counting the strokes to herself. That was three. Still seventeen to come.

      Swish. Crack.

     The sharp sound of the impact was followed by a scream that she was unable to control. She raised her tear filled eyes and looked across the room at her Master's face but, as she expected, could find no trace of sympathy there.

      Swish. Crack.

     That was five she told herself. It felt as if her bottom was sitting in boiling oil. This was verse than any birching from her uncle and she dreaded to think of the remaining fifteen strokes still to come.

      Swish. Thwack.

      Swish. Crack.

     Seven. Tears were cascading, uncontrolled, from her eyes. Nearly half way through the punishment. She shook her hair to one side and looked back over her shoulder at the chief eunuch. There was no sign of compassion in his face and she quickly looked away as she saw his arm raised high the rattan ready to strike.

     Swish. Thwack.      Swish. Crack.

     As her scream died away she heard the count through the mist of pain that was rapidly descending over her. Nine.

     Swish. Crack.

     Suzanne felt the hard wooden bar over which she was bent press against her pubis as her body squirmed with the pain that was building up inside her. Ten strokes had now been dealt. She was half way through her ordeal.

     Swish. Crack.

     Mahmud had changed his aim and the cane had landed full on the lower half of her bottom cheeks just above where they joined her thighs the tenderest part. The force of the stroke had lifted her up on to her toes and sent her shrill scream echoing around the room.

     Swish. Thwack.

     To her horror, the stroke had landed on top of the previous one. Her feet left the floor as her body struggled to avoid the punishing rod. This caused her sex to rub hard against the beam increasing the arousal that she fought hard to keep under control.

     Swish. Crack.      Swish. Thwack.

     As her scream died away, the slaves called out the count 'fourteen'. Suzanne told herself that there was only six more to come. She couldn't believe that her small bottom could absorb so much pain. The only part of her that did not seem racked with it were her hands that had gone numb so tightly were they gripping the frame.

     Swish. Crack.

     The mist of pain now fully engulfed her. All that existed in her consciousness were the agony that now seemed to have overflowed into the whole of her body and the little drop of juice that had seeped from her sex lips and was slowly edging it's way down the inside of her thigh. She was astounded that, in spite of the intensity of the pain, this small fact should register in her mind.

     The cane continued to blaze its way across her punished bottom. Hold on, she told herself, only four more strokes to come. Pour strokes that she would have given anything not to have to take. She raised her tear filled eyes to look across the room to where her Master sat watching her punishment. Her vision was blurred by the tears but she knew, even if she could see, there would be not the slightest compassion in his face. She hated him for the pain she was suffering.

     Swish. Thwack.

     The closest watchers saw a thin spray of moisture rise from her writhing body as the cane struck and two drops of sweat fall from her rigid nipples to mingle with her tears on the floor. Her body strained in her bonds trying to avoid the strokes, the movement causing her vulva to rub more fiercely against the frame. She was shocked to find the thrashing was arousing her so much.

     Swish. Crack.

     Part of her brain seemed to have disengaged itself from the proceedings and was faithfully registering each stroke of her suffering. It told her that she had only two more strokes to come. Only two?

     Swish. Crack.

     Now there was only one. Summoning up some hidden reserve of strength, Suzanne raised her head shook the tears from her eyes and looked defiantly into those of her Master. Only one more, she told herself, and she would have survived her beating.

     She waited, her legs trembling, for her ordeal to end. The final stroke seemed ages coming. She had failed to see her Master's signal to the eunuch. He was holding back, letting her feel the stroke in her imagination over and over again as she waited for the cane to descend.

     Swish. Thwack.

     Suzanne's tortured body writhed on the frame as her final scream echoed around the room seeming to bounce From wall to wall. That last stroke had been the hardest of all and the terrific impact broke her control completely. She collapsed over the frame, her body jerking spasmodically as if it was still being thrashed by some unseen weapon.

     Suzanne felt her bonds released and heard Mahmud order her to return to her place in line. Holding on to the frame for support she straighten up, suppressing a groan as the movement sent fresh spasms of pain through her throbbing bottom. Gingerly she turned and stepped from the platform and resumed her placer kneeling beside the other five punished slaves.

     Sheik Rashid rose from his seat and walked across the room to stand before the six weeping slaves.

     "You have been punished for your offences. I am still waiting to find out which of you was responsible for creating the disturbance. Mahmud" he ordered, turning to the chief eunuch. "Fetch the whip".

     The eunuch quickly obeyed and handed the Sheik the single thick thonged whip.

     "Fold your arms across your breasts and bow your heads to the floor".

     The six slaves obeyed. Sheik Rashid walked slowly behind the line. Six striped bottoms were raised high in the air and six backs were arched to his inspection. As he

walked passed, he allowed the end of the lash to glide over each of their backs making them flinch with fear.

     One of you is responsible. The culprit will stand and tell me the full story before I count to ten. If no one owns up all six of you will be whipped, ten lashes across the buttocks and if that fails you will each be put to torturer beginning with you Yasmine. Now, for the last timer I order the culprit to stand up".

     There was a deathly silence in the room. The watchers saw the six beaten girls remain in place, shaking with fear.

     Suzanne nearly cried out with fear as visions, not of herself strangely, of Ayesha and Caterina being put under torture. They were very good friends and this was something she would not permit. Casting a look of hatred at the still kneeling Yasminer Suzanne slowly rose to her feet.

     "Master". She haltingly began. "It was my fault. I insulted Yasmine. I am responsible"

     "What you say is, no doubt the truth. However, I believe your confession is made solely to save your friends from further punishment. You may have insulted Yasmine, as you say, and it would fit the account I have been told. It is now my belief that the slave Yasmine actually began the brawl. Stand up Yasmine".

     Slowly, unable to raise her eyes to his, Yasmine rose to her feet and stood before her Master. All could see that she was shaking with fear.

      "Yasmine. Is what Suzanne has said the truth?"     

      "Yes Master". Was the stammered reply.

     "Look at me slave". Yasmine raised her eyes to his. "Did you, as I suspect, strike the first blow?"

     Yasmine shook with fear. Her eyes were held in her Master's steely glance. There was now no way to avoid the truth. "Yes Master", she stammered.

     "You, with the others, have been punished for the disturbance. You will now receive further punishment for starting the fight. You will submit without repeating your earlier disgusting performance or the sentence will be doubled. You will apologise to Mahmud for the whipping his eunuchs received and ask him to administer ten lashes to your own bottom".

     A look of horror and disbelief passed over Yasmine's face at her Master's words. She knew that his threat of doubling the sentence was not an idle one and so, bowing to the inevitable, she went and knelt in front of the chief eunuch.

     "Mahmud" she began her voice hoarse with fear. "I am sorry I was the cause of the duty eunuchs being whipped. I ask you to punish my bottom with ten lashes of the whip"

     Mahmud spoke to one of his assistants who quickly left the room and returned some minutes later with the two eunuchs whose backs were heavily marked with the whipping they had received.

     Mahmud led the shaking Yasmine to a clear space in the room and ordered her to lay on the floor. Casting an imploring look at her Master for mercy, Yasmine obeyed the order.

     Mahmud clicked his fingers and the two eunuchs, accompanied by two of their colleagues moved forward. They each took an arm or leg and, sitting down, pulled the limb taut. Yasmine was now spread-eagled on the floor, securely held in place as if she had been chained there.

     Mahmud took the whip from the sheik and took up his position. The eunuchs tightened their grip and pulled hard on the limb they held. Yasmine's faintly olive body now resembled an 'X' on the dark floor.

     Mahmud raised the whip and brought the lash cracking down on Yasmine's already bruised buttocks. A loud screech echoed around the room as Yasmine's entire body seemed to jerk rigid, jumping clear of the surface on which she was stretched. A thicker darker weal quickly appeared showing where the lash had fallen etching it's mark over the red raised tramlines made by the cane.

     Suzanne watched as each time the lash laid it's line of fire across the favourite's writhing buttocks. As much she disliked the girl, Suzanne could not help herself from feeling sorry for the slave on whose body the whip was instilling it's painful lesson.

     Yasmine screamed and writhed her agonising path through the lashing but not once did she risk incurring her master's further displeasure by begging for mercy. The fifth and successive strokes each broke the skin causing lines of blood to seep from the surface.

     At last the whipping was over as the slave's body jerked as Mahmud laid on the final stroke. Sheik Rashid stood over the quivering girl inspecting the evidence of her punishment.

     "Let this be a lesson to you all. I will not tolerate behaviour of this nature from any of you". So saying he left the room.

     Mahmud clapped his hands the signal that the slaves could break position. As they left the punishment room in silence, Yasmine supported by her two friends the slaves were stunned at the scenes they had just witnessed. It had been a long time since so many beatings had been executed at one time and the severity with which their master had dealt with his favourite had staggered them all.

     The atmosphere in the hareem was very subdued for many weeks after the punishments. Yasmine was, on occasion heard to blame Suzanne for the thrashing she had received and to swear vengeance on her supposed rival.

     Suzanne later learned that Yasmine had never had more than twelve strokes of the cane at any one time and it was the first time her body had suffered under the lash. That the favourite would exact a terrible revenge was not doubted by any of the slaves and Suzanne was warned to keep well out of Yasmine's way in the future.

Chapter 5

     One morning, instead of being taken to Amina's house, Suzanne was taken to a part of the palace she had not visited before. To her surprise she was accompanied by both Mahmud and Yousef. She was taken to a room where she was ordered to remove her clothes. She was given another goblet of the foul liquid which she managed to drink then the belt was removed and her hands manacled behind her back.

     "You are now to begin to learn another way that a slave is required to please her Master" Mahmud informed her. "Your efforts with the dance have proved that you are quick to learn. See to it that you apply yourself to the next set of lessons just as satisfactorily".

     "I will try my best, Mahmud" Suzanne replied. For some strange inexplicable reason she had come to like this gross black eunuch who held them under his power and she would she genuinely wished to please him.

     "Follow me". The eunuch ordered and went through a door in the far wall of the room.

     Suzanne obeyed and followed him into a second room. She halted, aghast at the sight that met her eyes.

     In the centre of the room was a completely naked white man. He stood spread-eagled, his ankles tied to rings set in the floor and his arms stretched outwards above his head and tied to more rings in the ceiling. His face was completely covered by a black hood and it was plain from the condition of his body that he was quite young.

     Suzanne had occasionally seen pictures of naked men in the art books in her guardian's library but this was the first time she had seen a naked male in the flesh. Her eyes slowly travelled downwards over his muscular chest and flat stomach until they reached the top of his legs. Here, emerging from a mass of dark hair, hung a heavy flaccid penis.

     Suzanne took in this spectacle in a matter of seconds then she became aware of a fifth person in the room. This was a woman, who must have been in her fifties, who in her youth had obviously been very beautiful.

     The woman was introduced to Suzanne as Ninetha. Mahmud explained that she taught the slaves how they were expected to give pleasure to a man. She was to be the instructor and the naked male, who was also a slaver was the body on which Suzanne was to practice the techniques she would be shown.

     The woman Ninethar led her towards the slave and began to point out the various parts of the mdl$-anatomy and  where to concentrate her attention. These, she explained,  were the sensitive areas where a man could be aroused.

      Suzanne wondered what this slave had done wrong. It  was plain from the fresh whip marks on his body that he was  a very reluctant participant in the proceedings and she felt  a wave of sorrow for him. This increased when Ninetha began  to explain, in great detail, what a female slave would be  required to do to excite a male.

      Some of the things Suzanne was told she would have to  do made her feel physically sick and it was only the  constant presence of Mahmud and his strap that made her  overcome her revoltion.

      Suzanne was ordered to lay flat on the ground with her  head between the spread legs. Then, following Ninetha's  directions she began to lick and kiss the inside of his  ankles. At her touch his body went rigid. Suzanne heard the  sound of a lash against bare flesh and again he relaxed.

      Following Ninetha's directions, Suzanne began to move  her attentions slowly up the slave's legs. Ninetha watched  closely. She insisted that only the tip of the tongue should  be used and this should only touch the hairs on the slave's  limb. On reaching mid way up his thigh, She was ordered to  stop.

      Time after time, Suzanne was made to repeat this slow  process never being allowed to pass the mid thigh level and  under strict orders not to raise her eyes above this point.  Several times she heard the lash fall as the slave tensed  his body and twice, when she failed to meet Ninetha's  standard, Mahmud's strap stung her upthrust bottom. She  needed no other encouragement to increase her efforts.

      For several days this routine was repeated, sometimes  with different male slaves to work on. One day a black slave  was in position and she had great difficulty in seeing the  hairs on his limbs and consequently felt the strap several  times. Usually, however, the slave was white and the one who  had been there the first day appeared frequently. Suzanne  easily recognised him by a mole on his left thigh.

      Suzanne began to hate these sessions. The goblet of  liquid which she drank at the start did little to prevent  her distaste of what she was ordered to do.

     After several lessons, Suzanne was ordered to move her attentions above the mid thigh level. As she raised her lips and mouth higher up the stretched thighs, her eyes came level with the slaves heavy sac which hung below the mass of hair. Seeing this part of a male's body in such close proximity surprised her. It appeared to be throbbing and she did not realise why at the time. Looking back on those lessons, she realised she must have been very naive.

     When she had mastered the lessons to this point to Ninetha's satisfaction, her wrists were freed and she was shown how to use her fingers to arouse the man.

     Ninetha watched her pupil's progress carefully until she was satisfied with the slave's aptitude. She explained that, one day, Suzanne would be called upon to serve her Master and she would be required to perform perfectly. The very thought of this sent a thrill of excitement through the slave. To be this close to her Master's body made her own body tingle with expectation.

     The lessons progressed and she soon attained the degree of competence required of her. The first time she was allowed to raise her eyes, and attentions above the level of the throbbing scar she received another shock. The slave's organ which she had only seen hanging limp, had become rigid swollen and dark red and pointed up over his stomach. Her inexperienced eye viewed this fearsome weapon with awe.

     As the days passed her lessons became more demanding in technique. Ninetha watched her efforts intently. A slave was required to pleasure her Master in this way, for hours if necessary, but she must control her ministrations in such a way that the subject of her attentions did not reach a climax. This required considerable skill and understanding of the male body.

     Although she had completely accepted her position of a slave, it began to dawn on her that the lessons she was so diligently learning also gave her a sense of power over the man on whose body she applied her attentions.

     Several times during the sessions she brought one or other of the male slaves to the point where Ninetha made her stop because the slave showed signs of too deep arousal and each time a groan of frustration was heard coming from under the hood. The slave could not, of course, see her but his knowledge of hareem life would have told him that the girl on her knees in front of him would be very beautiful. She realised later that this would only add to his frustration and suffering.

Chapter 6

      Her lessons were interrupted after a couple of weeks.  She was taken to the preparation room instead of the room  where the lessons were conducted. The morning was spent  doing exercises and practising dancing. At mid-day she was  given a light meal and then told to rest. She lay on the  couch wondering why the routine had suddenly changed.

      An hour passed as she enjoyed the luxury of relaxing  on the couch. Her rest was then disturbed by the entrance  of Mahmud and two women. To her surprise she was bathed  and then ordered to lay on the massage table. One of the  women then proceeded to depilate her. This was, not unusual  and she thought nothing of it until she began to remove her  pubic hair.

       This had never been done before and, when completed  Suzanne felt strange and embarrassed knowing that her sex  lips were laid bare.

      Her consternation increased when, once the massage with  scented oils was completed, the women began to apply  cosmetics to her face. Mahmud watched this very carefully,  instructing the women, until she met with his approval. More  cosmetics were then, to her horror, applied to her sex lips.  A fragrant perfume was then applied and her hair brushed  until it shone. She was then given a goblet of a sweet  beverage which she was ordered to drink. It was very pleasant  and it seemed like a treat. A long hooded cloak was then put  over her but, unlike the ones she had worn before, this had  no opening through which she could see.

      Mahmud then led her from the preparation room. She was  guided in silence for some time until she was sure she was  in a different part of the palace. Eventually Mahmud  brought her to a halt and the cloak was removed.

      Looking around, once her eyes became accustomed to the  light again, she found myself in a large airy room. It was  completely empty save for a large divan in the centre. She  was ordered to lay, face up, on this sole piece of  furniture.

      Mahmud walked to the head of the divan and grasped her  wrists pulling her arms taut above her head. Ropes were then  tied to her wrist and pulled tight. A thick cushion was  placed under her bottom. Her legs were then pulled wide  apart and similarly secured.

      A moment of panic engulfed Suzanne as she realised how  this position thrust her painted sex prominently forward.  She was on the point of asking Mahmud why she was being tied  down, He must have guessed her intentions for she saw his  hand move' to the strap at his waist. This was enough to  persuade her to keep silent.

     She was then ordered to open her mouth wide. She obeyed and-immediately a rolled up piece of cloth was thrust between her teeth and held in place by a strip of the same material tied behind her head. Another piece of cloth was secured very tightly over her eyes. The last thing she saw was Mahmud's face smiling kindly down at her before she was plunged into darkness.

     She lay there trembling with fear for some time. There was silence in the room and she wondered why she had been left alone in this fashion. Suddenly her body jumped with shock as she felt soft fingers begin gently to stroke the inside of her thighs. Then more fingers glided softly over her breasts gently stroking her nipples until they became hard and erect. More fingers then gently stroked her sex and, to her embarrassment, she felt her lips begin to swell and harden.

     Things like this had never been done to her before and she began to experience strong sensations start to manifest themselves in her stomach. She immediately recognised these as the same she had felt when she had knelt naked in front of her Master and when she had suffered under Mahmud's strap.

     Caterina had told her these feelings were the way the female body reacted when it's physical needs were aroused.

     Suddenly, strong arms eased their way under her bottom and raised her up. She felt a thick cushion forced into the space thus made. The arms were removed and she was stretched even tighter with her stomach thrust up from the divan on which she was spread.

     The fingers resumed their attentions, only now more insistently, and Suzanne felt a warm glow start in her belly which seemed to spread into her loins. Not for the first time her body began to tell her that it needed something to satisfy the desires that were being aroused within her. She had listened to talk in the hareem and realised her body was demanding to be used for the purpose for which it was made.

     She felt something rubbed gently on her sex lips and just inside her. Immediately she felt a pleasant tingling sensation. This and the drink she had consumed seemed to take control over her and she began to cry her need into the gag in her mouth.

     Just as suddenly as they had begun, the fingers ceased their ministrations. She was left in solitude as her body needs grew and grew until she screamed. She thrust her hips upwards as her body, although it was still virgin territory, shuddered as it demanded to be satisfied.

     Through the haze that engulfed her, she felt a weight descend on the divan between her legs and other weights either side of her head. She felt something hard and warm touch her swollen sex and slowly force an entry.

     Despite the demands of her body, Suzanne suddenly realised she was about to be raped. There was no other word for it. A surge of revolt and horror passed through her as her mind rebelled against what her body was to suffer.

     The thing, which she now understood was a man's penis, moved slowly back and forth within the opening of her vagina then, with a sudden fierce thrust it penetrated deep inside her. As her hymen broke a piercing pain shot through her loins.

     Again she screamed into the gag with the intensity of the invasion. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Strangely, her body seemed to welcome this and she felt her muscles inside contract around the invader. With a deep shock her mind registered that she was no longer a virgin. The penis within her grew hotter and hotter and thrust back and forth inside her creating lovely delicious sensations to course through her body.

     The momentum increased and suddenly she felt a jet of warm liquid pour into her depths. The momentum slackened and her muscles tried to hold on to the intruder which had instilled such wonderful and exciting sensations in her body.

     Slowly the invader withdrew. She did not want that and cried into the gag for the experience not to end. It had been the most exciting moments of her young life. The whole time not a word had been spoken and she did not know who it was who had awakened her body to such wonderful delights. Was it her Master who had done this or some other, perhaps even a slave obeying orders.

     She continued to lay there and was conscious of the perspiration that covered her body and a trickle of something warm coursing down her thigh. Her body was still shuddering slightly from the experience when the blindfold was lifted from her eyes. She blinked rapidly in the bright light and, looking up saw Mahmud's face smiling down at her. He released her arms and removed the gag from her mouth. He slide a finger along the inside of her thigh and showed this to her. It was marked with a red liquid and she realised this was the blood from her body.

     He placed the finger against her lips.

     "Suck the finger" he ordered, "and taste the death of your virgin status".

     She did as she was ordered.

     Mahmud released the straps at her ankles and ordered her to stand. She obeyed his order but this time with great difficulty. Her legs were shaky and her back ached from being bent backwards over the cushion.

     "Before you ask". It seemed he could read her mind at

will. "A slave is not allowed to know who deflowers her. This is because she is a slave and is not permitted this knowledge. It is not uncommon for a girl to become too deeply attached to the man who releases her and this would not be a proper condition for a slave who is expected to give herself without reservation to any Master who might own her".

     Suzanne saw the logic, from a man's point of view, in this and refrained from asking the question that he had known was on her lips. She was a slave and his last remark had shaken her. She had not considered the possibility that her present Master might sell her as if she was merely an animal that he owned. But, in truth, that was exactly what she was.

     She was taken back to the preparation room where, again, she was bathed and the inside of her body thoroughly washed out with a douche. Mahmud explained that this was necessary since the vile liquid she had been made to drink for so many days and which he told her was to prevent pregnancy, did not always work. Since it was not permitted for a slave to conceive, save with her Master's express wish, she was always douched after being used.

     She was ordered to replace her clothing and was taken back into the main area of the hareem. Caterina immediately came and embraced her and welcomed her to full womanhood. It seemed that they all knew what had been done to her. The full realisation suddenly came when she remembered that the uncomfortable belt had not been replaced.

     Someone, whom she did not know and would never be told, had opened her body and she must now consider herself available to please any man at whose disposal it pleased her Master to place her. Secretly she revelled in the knowledge that she was now a complete woman.

     Her pleasure was short lived, however, when she observed the look of hatred on Yasmine's face. Suzanne assumed that the favourite now regarded her as a potential rival for the Master's affections and Suzanne made a mental note to keep out of her way as much as possible. Suzanne had learned from gossip in the hareem that she could be very vindictive against any girl whom she considered might threaten her exulted position.

Chapter 7

     The days following the loss of her virginity Suzanne returned to her previous routine. Under Ninetha's guidance her training progressed. She learned many different ways to excite a male body. Since her own awakening, it seemed to Suzanne that she was learning better and she was secretly delighted at the sounds of frustration that emanated from under the male slaves' hood.

     Suzanne became aware of the power that she had at her finger tips. As the male body succumbed to her ministrations so did, as she thought, her control over him increase. She made a mental note to remember this if she was ever selected to pleasure her Master in this way.

      The slave who showed the most frustration was the white one with the mole on his thigh. Suzanne enjoyed making him, and the others, squirm and buck to her touch.

     One day, unable to stand her attentions any longer he thrust his rigid throbbing organ at her and yelled. "You heartless bitch. Don't you know I am also a man that you torture so cruelly".

     His outburst earned him several hard lashes with the whip at which he yelled at her again. "I would rather feel the whip than your evil hands on my body".

     Mahmud immediately ordered the slave to be untied and taken away and severely whipped.

     Suzanne thought little of this incident and, at first, had little or no sympathy for the slave, Didn't he realise that she also was just a slave and was under strict orders? Surely he could not blame her for what she was made to do to him? What did he really expect of her.

     Several days passed and her lessons continued as before except that the white slave with the mole did not reappear. Suzanne applied herself diligently since she was anxious to achieve the standard Ninetha required. She did not enjoy having to do the things required of her to a mere slave. It would be different if the man were her Master for, if she pleased him sufficiently she might gain favour in his eyes.

     The incident with the white slave did not, however, fade as she thought it would. As she lay awake on her bed at night she still heard his outburst. The words seemed to ring back and forth in her brain. Then, one night when sleep was slow coming she remembered how frustrated she had felt when she had been spread on the divan the day she was separated from her virginity.

     These thoughts seemed to suddenly open her eyes to the terrible agony that the poor fellow must have suffered under her attentions. Little wonder that his control had snapped, a lapse that by all accounts had cost him dear. Caterina had told her that the whips used on a female slave were nothing to the ones that were used on a male slave. Suddenly she felt pity for the poor man and wondered how she could make up to him for all the suffering he had endured thanks to her.

     As she fell asleep one night an idea began to form in her mind. If he was ever used again and if she was cunning enough the idea might succeed. There were a lot of 'ifs' but if the opportunity should arise she decided to take it. Her resolve was strengthened when she remembered that he had cried out in French, her own language.

     At last the day came when Mahmud told her she was being taken for her last lesson. Ninetha was extremely pleased with her progress and had said there was nothing more she could teach the slave. When the time came for her to put all her learning into practice it would be up to her to do her best and improvise where necessary.

     It was, therefore with a great deal of relief that she entered the 'class room' for the last time. Her heart raced as she recognised the day's victim as the white slave with the mole.

     She rent to her knees in front of him and began the process of seduction just as Minetha had made her do so many times before. This timer however, she did her best to make it as pleasant for the slave as she could. For some time he tried to resist her efforts. This resistance did not go unnoticed by Mahmud. He whispered in her ear instructing her to increase her efforts.

     Suzanne complied and after a while she sensed the slave's stubbornness begin to fade. Her fingers lightly stroked his heavy sac as her tongue slid tantalisingly up and down his rigid cock. Suzanne could smell the sweet odour of his arousal which he, unsuccessfully, tried to control.

     Remembering her resolve, Suzanne watched Mahmud and Ninetha closely out of the corner of her eye. If she was to put her plan into effect, the timing must be perfect. They were so confident in her ability to control the slave's body that they were taking little notice of her actions.

     Suzanne began to get angry. The slave was not helping. She had not heard a sound from him. By this time he should have been groaning with frustration. However she had been taught to recognise the signs that foretold that a male was approaching a climax. She concentrated carefully so as to pick her moment. Soon the signs came and, instead of letting them decline as she had been taught, Suzanne redoubled her efforts,

     Turning her head so the watchers could not gee what she was doing, she took his swollen throbbing stalk into her mouth. Her lips closed over its thickness and she licked at it with her tongue as she moved her lips rapidly up and down it's thick length.

      It was unfortunate that the slave chose that moment to let his control snap.

     Three things happened in quick succession. The slave let out a loud yell, a hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her violently away from his body and a stream of fluid erupted from the swollen red tip of his organ and sprayed all over her naked breasts.

     Suzanne thought she had been careful enough to hide what she had been doing from the eyes of Mahmud and Ninetha. She did not know if they had actually seen what she was up to or if the slave's yell had given her away. Either way, her attempt to make up to the slave had worked. Although it had ended in disaster for her she had the satisfaction of knowing that he had been given some relief from his torment.

     When she recovered her balance, Suzanne looked up at Mahmud and saw that his face was contorted with anger. The face of Ninetha reflected his displeasure.

     Mahmud shouted something in Arabic and two black eunuchs rushed into the room. Following his orders her wrists were quickly manacled behind her back and she was dragged from the room.

     She was taken back to the preparation room where she was angrily ordered to clean herself from the evidence of the slaves emission.

     When she was again presentable she was led out of the room, not back to the slaves hall as usual, but to a small side room. She was roughly pushed in and the door shut and locked behind her.

     Suzanne looked round the room for perhaps the hundredth time since the door had been slammed shut and locked behind her. The room was small devoid of any furniture and with only a small barred window set high in one wall.

     She trembled with fear. She had displeased both Mahmud and Ninetha and now expected a sound beating with Mahmud's strap. Mingled with the fear was a feeling of apprehensive excitement at the fate that awaited her. The very thought of the strap searing across her bare soft bottom made her sex tingle and become wet.

     She felt a pressing need to stroke and rub herself there but this was impossible with her hands still secured behind her back. Still she had the satisfaction of knowing

that she had in some way made up to her compatriot for the whipping he had received for cursing her.

      After that seemed hours, the door was opened and two

eunuchs ordered her to follow them. She was taken to the preparation room where the manacles were removed. She was ordered to bend over, legs wide apart. She felt a tube pushed into her anus and immediately a surge of warm water entered her. The tube was removed and a wooden plug inserted in it's place.

      She was made to stand still for ten minutes. She felt very uncomfortable with the liquid inside her. She badly wanted to expel it and the pressure it caused made her bladder feel overfull.

     Eventually much to her embarrassment but infinite relief, she was told to squat astride a bucket and, as the plug was removed, relieve herself. Once they were sure she had emptied both her bowel and bladder she was ordered to bathe herself.

      Suzanne was extremely disturbed at these thorough preparations. She had never known this to happen to a slave girl before being put under Mahmud's strap.

      After the bath, They depilated her including, to her further embarrassment her golden pubic bush. Scented  oils were then rubbed all over her except her bottom. The eunuchs then applied cosmetics to her face finger and toe  nails and even her sex lips that were now clearly on display

      It was at this point that Mahmud entered the room. He inspected the naked slave carefully then handed a pot of  cream to one of the eunuchs and told him to apply it liberally to the slaves bottom and rub it well in. He then  gave Suzanne a thin transparent skirt, minute bolero and yasmak which she was ordered to put on. She was then made to  drink a goblet of some sweet liquid.

      "You are to be taken before the Master for judgement"  Mahmud informed her. "The cream on your buttocks is to  stimulate the nerve endings so you will feel the punishment  more and the draught is to ensure that you stay conscious".

      Suzanne turned white with fear. Now she understood the  reason for her elaborate preparation. She had readied  herself for a severe thrashing from Mahmud's strap and being  told that she was to be taken before her Master came as a  shock. Suddenly she felt her sex lips harden and become damp  as she anticipated the exquisite submission of her ordeal  ahead.

      Mahmud proceeded to give her strict instructions on how  she was to behave. A metal collar was placed around her neck  with a ring at each side. The two eunuchs clipped lengths of  rope to these then manacled her wrists behind her back.

      Thus it was that Suzanne was led out, following the  giant chief eunuch, until they came to a halt outside the  dreaded punishment room. Mahmud knocked loudly at the door  which swung open and he stepped inside.

      "The slave Suzanne, Master" he announced.

      "Bring her in". Her Master's stern voice sent a shiver  of excitement through Suzanne's body.

      Led by the ropes from the collar at her neck, Suzanne  entered the room. As the tiny procession passed the kneeling  slaves at the side of the room, Suzanne noticed a smile of  satisfaction on Yasmine's lips. That she was about to be  publicly flogged seemed to heighten the tingling sensation  that was already coursing through her body.

     As she was led across the room towards her Master, she passed the raised dais in the centre. Suzanne fought hard to stop herself from trembling as she saw the wooden frame that stood empty awaiting to receive in its clutches her young soft body. She also saw the beam fixed to the ceiling high above the frame. She prayed that her wrists would not soon be secured to it for, if so, it would mean that her back would be about to feel the lash.

     The possibility that the hated Yasmine would see her wish come true as the whip punished her was too much to contemplate.

     At last she was halted in front of her Master and, as Mahmud stepped to one side, Suzanne sank to her knees her forehead touching the floor at her Master's feet. The ropes and collar were removed.

     "Mahmud, Inform this slave the penalty for lying". Her Masters voices echoed round the silent room.

     "The punishment is a severe whipping, or branding on the face or the removal of the tongue." Mahmud's high pitched voice sounded as if he was uttering a death sentence.

     "Or a combination of any two or even all three. Is that understood slave?" Suzanne shivered at the harshness of her Master's voice.

     "Yes Master" she replied, desperately trying to hide the fear from showing in her own voice.

     "Understand also slave, that I can easily tell if a slave is not speaking the truth. Kneel up and look into my eyes "

     Suzanne obeyed his command. As her bottom sank onto her heels she was conscious that, with her arms secured behind her back, her full firm breasts were thrust forward. She blushed as she felt her nipples harden.

     She looked into his dark eyes seeking some sign of pity there. Did she, in fact, detect a flicker of affection or sadness before they quickly resumed their normal cruel expression? In that moment, some instinct told her that she was looking into the eyes of the man who had taken her virginity.

     "I will ask you one question" her Master continued " and you will answer loud, clearly and truthfully."

     "Yes Master." Suzanne answered as she looked pleadingly into those hard eyes.

     ""This morning, during your training, you exceeded your orders and gave satisfaction to the slave on whom you were practising. Was this an accident or deliberate act on your part?"

        "It was deliberate Master." Suzanne heard a gasp of disbelief from the other slaves at the enormity of her admission but she was too scared to attempt to lie.

     "That is what was assumed. You are guilty of a gross act of disobedience, slave, and there are those present who would advocate a severe lesson with the lash across your back as your punishment."

     He paused for a moment to let his words sink in and Suzanne immediately, in her mind's eye, had a vision of her soft body strung up and the whip cutting into her flesh. She nearly fainted with terror. She knew the man before whom she knelt had the power to have her punished in that fashion if he chose. She dreaded the thought of being whipped and of the other slaves, especially Yasmine, watching and hearing her scream. At that moment she feared and hated her Master for what was about to be done to her.

     "However", his voice broke into her thoughts, "I do not intend, this timer to gratify their wishes. Although this is a serious matter you have shown excellent progress with your lessons. A severe caning will suffice this time. Stand slave".

     Trying to hide her relief at having escaped the lash, Suzanne obeyed her Master's order. Slowly, one by one, Mahmud removed the filmy coverings from her body and Suzanne again sank, naked, to the floor her knees spread wide apart. She was very conscious that her painted sex lips were clearly open to view and hoped her Master would not detect the dampness of her arousal that had begun to manifest itself there.

     A long thin cane appeared before her downcast eyes. The instrument with which she was to be beaten.

     "Kiss the cane. It is the symbol of your Master's authority" Mahmud, standing at her side, ordered.

     Suzanne leaned forward and as previously instructed, planted a long loving kiss, as she were kissing her Master's lips, on the rattan rod. The cane disappeared from her sight and she raised her hands and the manacles were removed from her wrists.

     Suzanne stretched her arms in front of her body, the palms of her hands uppermost. She felt the coolness of the cane as it was placed across her hands.

     "Mahmud. The slave is guilty of disobedience. The sentence is twenty strokes".

     Suzanne shuddered as she heard her Master's words. Her bottom quivered as it anticipated the onslaught that it was soon to endure.

     "Kiss the cane slave". Again Mahmud gave the order she awaited. "Lovingly to show you welcome the lesson it is about to teach you".

     Slowly, Suzanne raised the rattan rod to her lips and kissed it as ordered. Before Mahmud could take it back, she raised her hands towards her Master. She knew she might risk incurring his further displeasure, but her desire to display her total submission drove her on.

     "Master. Your slave begs your forgiveness for speaking without permission. I am your slave and have greatly displeased you. For this I am truly repentant and, as proof of my sincerity, I humbly beg that you will order every stroke of my punishment to be administered without mercy so that your slave will well learn her lesson in obedience".

     Suzanne raised her eyes to her Master's as he took the cane frog her trembling palms and handed it back to Mahmud.

      "Mahmud. You have heard the slaves request. See to it  that it is granted in full and, also add on a further five  strokes for speaking without permission"

      Suzanne raised her eyes to his, disbelief at his words  clearly visible. She had begged forgiveness and he had  ordered an extra five strokes as veil as granting her  request, Suddenly he let his guard slip and a look of deep  affection shone in his eyes for an instant before they again  looked darkly at her.

      "Position yourself for punishment". Mahmud gave the  order every slave dreaded to hear.

      Suzanne bent forward and kissed her master's feet in a  final act of submission. She rose to her feet and turned to  face the dais where her thrashing would be delivered. She  was conscious of the many pairs of eyes that watched her.  Slowly she walked forward trying hard not to falter in her  step and knowing that her Master's eyes were probably  fastened on her delectable bottom as she moved.

      She mounted the platform and stood with the base of her  stomach touching the stool. A eunuch stood each side of  her. Her legs were grasped and pulled apart and secured to  the legs of the stool. Slowly she bent forward until her  stomach lay on the cool leather of the stool top. Her wrists  were then taken, her arms stretched forward and outward and  tied to rings set in the floor of the platform.

      She was aware that, in this position, her Master not  only had a good view of her bottom but could clearly see her  clitoris and anus that her bent posture exposed. One of the  eunuchs gripped the top of her thighs and pulled back whilst  the other secured a strap round her waist to the stool.

      She was now held immobile, her bottom prominently  displayed, ready for her beating to begin. Mahmud, carrying  the cane, took up his position to her left.

      "The slave, Suzanne, is guilty of disobedience and is  sentenced to twenty strokes of the cane on her bare bottom  and a further five strokes for speaking without permission".

      Mahmud's voice sounded loud in the silence that had  fallen in the room. As the sound died away, Suzanne heard a  swishing sound which ended in a loud 'Thwack' and a line of  fire seared across her waiting bottom.

      She had resolved to take her caning bravely but the  sheer force of the stroke nearly broke her control.

      "One". The sound came as a shock to her. It was her  sister slaves counting aloud the stroke. It was a rule that  the watchers must keep their eyes fixed on the bottom of the  girl being flogged and to count the strokes. Any one who failed in this would find herself taking her sister's place later to receive the same punishment.

     Swish. Thwack. "Two".

     A moan of pain rumbled in Suzanne's throat as her bottom absorbed the fire of this second stroke. She tried to wriggle to ease the pain but found she was too securely held. There was no way her bottom could avoid the punishing cane from finding it's mark.

     Swish. Crack. "Three".

     The count was nearly drowned by the agonised scream that echoed round the room as the cane lashed across her burning bottom and Suzanne gave up the fight keep silent.

     The sheik saw that Mahmud was surely carrying out her r6quest. The weal's left by the cane reached right round both of her bottom cheeks evidencing the force with which they were being applied. He watched intently as the next seven strokes rained down on his slave's tender flesh some crossing over the previous ones and each making her scream echo round the room.

     Suzanne, who had descended into her own world of pain, waited for the next stroke that did not arrive. Instead, she felt a pair of large hands held against her burning cheeks. She looked round and, through tear filled eyes saw her Master standing behind her.

     The beating had had it's usual effect on her. Her clitoris was oozing the wetness of the arousal that the cane had induced. She wanted to be taken and used as she had been when she had first been penetrated. Fiercely and lustfully. She tried to push her throbbing bottom back against his hands but she was too securely held.

     She nearly screamed with her desire as his fingers roved over her cheeks and down between her parted thighs and stroked the protruding hardness of her entrance. At the same time she was ashamed that he should discover the effect her submission to him and the pain of the thrashing was having on her body.

     "She has had ten so far?". She heard her Master ask.

     "Yes Master". Mahmud replied a little breathless from his exertions.

     Still her Master's fingers lingered on her slit from which her juices were flowing freely. She shuddered with the realisation that she had fifteen strokes still to come and the stimulation of his fingers on her sex.

     "Continue with the punishment". She heard her Master order.

     "Mercy please Master" she cried out as she sensed him move away.

     "Mahmud. The next ten lower down, just above her thighs and the last five across her thighs".

     Suzanne heard with horror her Master giving an order that she knew would increase the pain of her beating unbearably. The softness at the base of her bottom cheeks and the back of her thighs were much more tender than the area where the strokes had landed so far.

     Despite herself, the anticipation of this increased agony to come only served to increase her arousal. Not for the first time she hated her body for betraying her and the man who had ordered this to be done.

     She felt her ankles released from the frame to which they had been tied. Strong hands under her stomach lifted her up until her feet were on a cross piece half way up the legs of the frame. Here her ankles were again secured. To her horror, since her waist was still strapped down, her bottom was now thrust upwards and stretched so taut she thought her skin would split.

     In this new position she felt terribly vulnerable and even more aroused. She shuddered as a drop of her juices seeped from her and dropped to the floor between her legs.

     Swish. Crack.

     This time her scream did drown out the count as the cane cut savagely into the tenderest part of her bottom cheeks. She tried to wriggle to ease the pain but, despite the change in her position, she was still too securely held in place.

     One by one the next nine strokes blazed their way across the lower half of her throbbing cheeks, each wringing a fresh scream of pain from the slave and each one pushing her arousal to even greater heights that she feared she might orgasm.

     Finally, accompanied by even shriller screams, the last five strokes fired their path across the top of her stretched thighs. She was now totally unaware of anything except the raging fire that spread throughout her body from the centre in her buttocks and legs. The ever threatening orgasm, against which she battled heightened almost beyond her control. She managed to keep ;t at bay. How close the contest had been was clear from the stream of her come that seeped down the inside of both of her legs.

     She only realised that her punishment was over when the cane ceased its onslaught and the restraining bonds were removed. She sank, sobbing heavily, in a heap on the floor of the dais, her slim arms wrapped round the legs of the frame for comfort.

     "Stand slave." Mahmud commanded. "Go and present yourself for your Master's inspection."

     Slowly Suzanne pulled herself to her feet and, as a fresh spasm of pain shot through her with each movement, walked gingerly to stand before her Master. She kept her eyes demurely lowered not daring to look at the face of the man who had, without hesitation, ordered her to be so severely thrashed.

     The sheik himself had not been immune from the erotic spectacle that her beating had provided. His erect penis throbbed with desire. He had never, in his life, experienced anything like this before. He had seen many girls punished but never had he seen one become so sexually aroused by her beating. That he had discovered a new way to stimulate his own libido excited him.

     That the slave had been aroused during her thrashing had not escaped his notice. The wetness he had felt oozing from her sex had borne clear witness to her reaction. He thought it strange, and at the same time exciting, that a girl should react in this fashion. That the beating had caused intolerable pain he had no doubt, her screams had testified to that, but that she should become aroused as she had been was a new experience to him.

      "Turn and bend slave." He ordered.

     Suzanne obeyed and, as she bent over, stifled a groan as a fresh wave of pain coursed through her bottom and thighs as the skin was stretched.

     Her Master studied the bruised cheeks and thighs thus presented to him. Lightly he allowed his fingers to glide over the hard ridges that cries-crossed her flesh and smiled as she flinched at his touch. He felt the wetness of her secretion that had run down her thighs from her sex and, as he touched her clitoris, a low moan escaped her as she seemed to press back against his hand.

      "Turn and kneel." He ordered.

     Again Suzanne obeyed, uttering another moan as her heels sank into her sore bottom.

      "I trust you have learned your lesson well slave?"

     "Yes Master." She replied softly. "Your slave thanks her Master for her beating."

     Thankfully she had remembered the response that was required from a slave who had just been punished. It always seemed strange that a slave should express thanks for having been made to suffer the indignity and pain of a public flogging.

     "Mahmud. Take the slave away. She is to be put on display for the remainder of the day as a lesson to all who would dare to disobey my orders".

     Suzanne lowered her head and kissed her Master's shoes then, obeying Mahmud's order, she rose to her feet and followed him from the punishment room. As she retraced her steps she was aware that her Master and her sister slaves would see the cane weal's decorating her body as she passed.

     Mahmud led her back to the main hall of the hareem. She was ordered to stand facing one of the massive marble columns. Her wrists were tied to two ropes which hung from rings set above her in the stone. These were pulled tight until she stood on the tips of her toes and were then knotted in place. The coolness of the marble against her breasts and stomach was welcome but it did nothing to assuage the raging fire in her buttocks.

     "You will stay there until midnight" Mahmud informed her. "This will be a warning to the other slaves that the Master's orders must be obeyed".

     Suzanne remained against the column for some time before she heard the other slaves return to the hall. There were several who expressed their sympathy and one or two who openly said that it had been a too severe a flogging for her offence.

     "Well well. Now that is a pleasing sight". Suzanne heard Yasmine's gloating voice behind her. "Just look at those lovely bruises and ridges decorating her arse. It should have been the whip that was used on her back. Still there is bound to be a next time and the sooner the better"

     The undisguised pleasure and hatred in Yasmine's voice made Suzanne shudder. What, she asked herself, had she done to make the favourite hate her so much? It was obvious that Yasmine was one of those whom the Master had said had wanted to see her whipped for her offence. She wondered who the others could be.

     Suzanne remained at the column for what seemed hours. No one was allowed to come near her. One of the eunuchs was stationed nearby to ensure that she was not given any relief from her suffering. Her mouth was parched and she longed for a drink of cool water. Gradually the fierce pain in her bottom and thighs receded into throbbing ache as the time passed.

     The strain of her slight weight on her arms and legs added to her discomfort. She tried to doze but the draught she had drunk before her beating continued to work and kept her fully conscious and she was left with only her thoughts for company.

     Suzanne remembered the fleeting looks of affection and compassion she had seen in her Master's eyes. Surely she had not imagined them and, if not, maybe others had seen them too. Maybe Yasmine and, if so, perhaps this accounted for her spitefulness. Suzanne resolved to watch her step where the favourite was concerned.

     Night fell eventually and the hareem settled down. At last Suzanne heard the call of the guards outside that told her it was midnight. Shortly after Mahmud arrived and released her wrists from the pillar. Her legs were so numb that, as they took her light weight, they buckled and she sank to the ground at the base of the column. She lay there trying to rub the feeling and circulation back into her arms and legs.

     As Hahmud and the eunuch guard departed, Caterina and another of her friends, Ayesha, came and helped her to her feet. They had stayed awake so that they could succour her when she was released. They were Suzanne's closest friends and she loved them as if they were sisters.

     They helped her to her couch where she lay face down while they gently washed her and smoothed soothing cream into her bottom and thighs.

     "Is it very bad?" Suzanne whispered.

     You are badly bruised and the cane has drawn blood in one or two places" Caterina whispered. "This cream will soon get you better and the marks will soon fade".

     "I hope so. It hurt more than I had expected. I am afraid I screamed a lot".

     "We all thought you were very brave" Ayesha said quietly. "It was a very severe beating and you took it well. We think Yasmine did her best to make it as bad as possible for you".

     "But why?" Suzanne asked. "I have done nothing to hurt her. Why should she wish to see me beaten so badly?"

     "She thinks you are trying to take her place as favourite. It is common knowledge that the Master finds you very desirable. She is frightened that he will tire of her and put you in her place".

     "Do you think I want to take her place?" Suzanne said.

     "That is not your decision to make". Ayesha said. "If the Master wants you, you must obey his wishes".

     "That is why she must have tried to influence the Master's judgement. She probably told him lies about you to try and make things worse for you and so make you less favourable in his eyes." Caterina's words sent a shiver through her friend.

     Suzanne knew the power the favourite held in the hareem and it was well known that she would not hesitate to use it for her own purposes or protection. It was also rumoured that she had some strong hold over Mahmud.

     Caterina and Ayesha had, by now, completed applying the cream to Suzanne's bruises and they all three settled down to get as much sleep as possible during the remainder of the night.

     As she lay, face down on her bed, Suzanne found that sleep did not come easily. The soreness in her bottom and thighs had receded to a tolerable level and should not have impeded the sleep that she knew her body needed.

     It was the awakening in her that had occurred since that night when the pirates had abducted her from her refuge at the auberge that kept her sleep at bay.

     She had been captured and sold into slavery. She had been placed into the hareem of a strong and cruel Master whose orders and those of his eunuchs, she was forced to obey unquestioningly. She was kept in a state of nakedness, or clothed in the most revealing of garments, so that her body was on view at all times.

     Her virginity had been taken by some unknown person in a way that could only be described as rape. She was beaten with a strap for the most minor transgression and had been publicly severely thrashed with a cane, at her Master's order, until she had screamed uncontrollably.

     Her body had responded to all this not, as she might have expected, with revulsion but with an unexplained and strange acceptance. She seemed to thrive on being dominated and even the pain of her thrashings had not made any difference to the feelings and desires that had taken control of her body. To her surprise she had to acknowledge that the pain only added to the joy of her submissiveness.

     Although she hated and feared the Master into those power she had fallen, she found that she had no desire to escape. Having now experienced this ray of life, it seemed to her that this was what she wanted more than anything else.

     These thoughts flooded through her mind as she came to understand herself. The only thing that seemed lacking was that there was no loving man in her life. As she finally slipped into sleep, she asked herself if she could come to love any San who ruled her so ruthlessly.

      For the next few days after her beating Suzanne did nothing except lounge around in the hareem making sure that she kept well out of Yasmine's way.

     One thing that she did notice, however was that the other slaves, except Yasmine's closest hangers-on, were much more friendly towards her and also kept out of the dreaded favourite's ray. Little did Suzanne realise then, that she was to be the centre of a feud that would end in a most unpleasant way for the 'bitch' as the girls began to call Yasmine behind her back.

      Thanks to the cream that Caterina and Ayesha applied at every opportunity her bruises healed quickly. The cream was made from a very special recipe with strong healing powers. It was always used on punished slaves, not to reduce their suffering but to restore the punished area to it's normal state in case the slave displeased again soon after her ordeal. The Master did not like to see a punishment applied to an already marked body.

     After a few days of rest Suzanne was again made to practice her dancing but she was not sent back to receive any further lessons from Ninetha. For this she was thankful. Now she only wanted to please her Master in that way not some poor male slave who was unknown to her.

     Much to Suzanne's dislike, Yasmine frequently persuaded Mahmud to make her dance in front of the her and the other girls. She would sit there making cruel comments about some imaginary defect either in Suzanne's performance and, more frequently, about her body. Suzanne suffered these insults in silencer too conscious of Yasmine's power in the hareem to risk giving her cause to complain to the Master about her.

     "Go on dance little slave" she would often say. "Do you really think a man, such as the Master, would sink so low as to fancy a girl who so blatantly displays herself?"

     "You know" she would sometimes say aloud, turning to one of her cronies "a dancer has never before lasted very long here. This one will be no exception if I have any say in the matter".

     More and more Suzanne was aware of the hatred Yasmine had for her and it made her even more careful. Suzanne knew that the favourite had a strong hold over Mahmud and would not hesitate to use this to her disadvantage if given the chance.

     One day, when Yasmine thought she was alone with Mahmud, .Suzanne overheard them plotting some mischief. Yasmine kept referring to some woman as 'She' and

for a while Suzanne thought it was herself being referred to. However, when the favourite mentioned 'her black hair' Suzanne breathed a sigh of relief.

     It was some other poor creature whose downfall that was being plotted.

     Ayesh had once told her that all hareems had their share of intrigue and theirs was apparently no different. It was no secret that Yasmine was over thirty years of age and, although she was still very beautiful, she feared that the time was near when the Master's eyes may stray in search of a younger body on which to enjoy his pleasures. She would go to any lengths to safeguard her position.

     Later, Suzanne told Caterina and Ayesha what she had heard and they resolved to keep alert to try and find out what Yasmine was plotting. The favourite was, however, no novice in intrigue and they found out very little. It was, in fact, Yasmine's over confidence that was to prove, some months later, to be her own downfall.

     The favourite did her best to make life unpleasant for any who did not bow to her wishes and many a girl's bottom felt the sting of a eunuch's strap, at her instigation, for some minor slight she imagined they had done her.

     Apart from her spitefulness, life in the hareem continued in a very pleasant ray. Suzanne had long forgotten her existence before her capture and it almost seemed that she had always been destined to end up as a man's slave. She had quickly accepted her fate and, if the truth were known she would not have wished for anything different.

     Suzanne had made some very good friends and her life was generally pleasant and she revelled in the knowledge that, somewhere in the palace, there was the man who owned her body and soul. She could not have wished for anything better.

     There was, to her mind, only one thing lacking to make her happiness complete. At night as she lay awake on her bed her body felt restless. It was a feeling she had known for many years but it was only since the day her virginity had been taken that she had identified the cause. Her body was demanding to be used.

     The horrid liquid that she had been forced to drink day by day during her training period had stopped her monthly function. She was only made to drink it now at monthly intervals. It was given regularly to all the slaves to prevent them conceiving when they were called upon to serve their Master's pleasure.

     Her body had been prepared yet she had not been called upon to serve in this way. This she did not understand. As sleep eventually took over each night she nearly screamed out her needs.

    The taking of her virginity and the effect the caning had on her made her arousal even greater. She could find no relief from the intense urges that made their unsatisfied demands.

     The slaves slept naked with no covering. This was to prevent them from using other means to release the sweet agony they endured. To be caught 'playing with themselves' as Mahmud called it, would earn the culprit a very severe thrashing. Vigilant eunuchs patrolled all night to ensure no girl misbehaved in this fashion.

     When Yasmine, as happened often was summoned to the Master's bed, Suzanne envied her so much that the envy turned to hatred. Yasmine was enjoying the pleasure that was denied to her and this she could not forgive. Even on the occasions when one of the other girls was summoned, Suzanne could not help herself hating them until the dawn drove these terrible thoughts from her mind.

     When the evidence of her beating had receded, Suzanne was made to resume her dancing. Occasionally Amina would be summoned to the palace to watch her practice. Amina was a very good teacher and Suzanne learned many new dances from her. Suzanne was fortunate that the teacher had taken a special interest in her. Soon Suzanne had in Amina's judgement, reached such heights of expertise that astounded even her teacher.

Chapter 8

      Suzanne's routine was interrupted one morning, as she  reclined on a couch in the hareem, by the entry of one of the  eunuchs.

      "You are to follow me". He ordered and turning made his  way from the hall.

      Suzanne quickly rose to her feet and, desperately trying  to recall if she had done anything to cause displeasure,  followed him obediently.

      "Hope you are to get the whip" sneered Yasmine in a  whisper as Suzanne passed her. Suzanne ignored the taunt as  she always did.

      The eunuch led her to the preparation room. As the door  closed behind them Suzanne noticed Mahmud and several of the  younger eunuchs were present. She began to shake with fear  and excitement as she anticipated that she had been sent for  to prepare for another flogging. What had she done wrong? In  a panic she searched her mind for some fault she may have  committed and could find none.

      Perhaps Yasmine had accused her of some fictitious  crime and this might well mean a session with the lash.  Perhaps her Master just wanted, as was known to happen on  rare occasions, to see a slave beaten for his pleasure. She  hoped it was the latter. She could not endure the thought of  her back being lashed with the whip merely because the  favourite had told some lie about her.

      "There is to be a party in the palace this evening and  the Master wishes you dance for his guests" The chief  eunuch informed her to her intense relief.

      "You are to rest here until it is time for you to be prepared", he continued. "Tonight you will perform several dances as you will be the only one entertaining the visitors. See to it that you do not let the Master down or you will end up being sold to a brothel".

     The day passed slowly. Suzanne was given light but nourishing food in between periods of rest. Eventually the time arrived for her to be prepared. She was bathed and, except for her golden bush, depilated. Scented oils were massaged into her body.

     Despite that knowledge that the eunuchs were deprived of any sexual inclinations, Suzanne always found that, as their hands moved over her naked body, she began to feel the stirrings of arousal. This made her more aware of herself and induced a sense of mild frustration in her loins.

      Mahmud then supervised while her face, finger and toe nails were made up with cosmetics and her hair brushed until it hung in glossy waves down her back. He then gave her a goblet of the same sweet potion that she had been made to drink just before her virginity had been taken. This seemed to accentuate the arousal that the massaging had begun.

     She was then given the costume in which she was to dance. A fine pale blue yasmak to cover the lower half of her face and a matching skirt that hung from a jewelled belt from her hips. Two round cups of gold cloth covered her firm breasts with only golden cords around the neck and back to keep them in place.

     Golden slave bands on her upper arms completed the ensemble. Mahmud allowed her to see herself in a long mirror. The reflection that stared back at her bore little or no resemblance to the French girl that she had been not so long ago. Now she saw a slave looking back at her; Not just a girl dressed as a slave but a girl whose very being knew that she was nothing else. She was very pleased with the girl that she saw in the mirror.

     Mahmud led her from the preparation room to the part of the palace where the party was just starting. He showed her, through a lattice set in the wall, the assembled guests. She saw a number of fierce looking men, all expensively dressed, who Mahmud explained were neighbouring tribal chiefs. These were the men before whom she was to dance and who she must, at all costs, please.

     Mahmud pointed out the corner where the musicians were already playing quietly and gave her instructions for the dances that she was to perform. She was relieved to note that the veils dance was not included in her repertoire for the evening. She did not fancy dancing naked before all those strangers.

     She watched as the feasting progressed and the jugglers and acrobats rent through their routines. Little notice was taken of them by the quests who alternately ate, drank and talked loudly among themselves. A flash of annoyance at their ill manners flowed through Suzanne. She was expected to dance her best in front of these ignorant creatures and they would ignore her just as they were the entertainers on the floor at that moment.

     Eventually the meal was finished and Mahmud said her time had come. He led Suzanne to a door which led into the banqueting hall where he picked up a large round ring from which hung several layers of fine gossamer. He held this high above her head. The material completely hid her from sight.

     Concealed behind this curtain, Suzanne was led through the door to the centre of the floor around which the dining tables were arranged. She stood perfectly still, arms raised slightly bent above her head with the backs of her hands together. She moved her weight onto her right foot and slightly bent her left leg at the knee.

     Suddenly there was a roll on the drums which ended in a clash of cymbals and the curtain surrounding her was whisked away. After a short pause, the music started and she began to move her body seductively to the rhythm.

     Urged on by the arousing effect of the potion she had drunk and the knowledge that, for the first time she was dancing before men, including her Master, Suzanne danced as she had never danced before. She shut her mind to the presence of the watchers and imagined that she danced solely in front of her Master.

     As the dance ended, and she sank to the floor, there was a mild clapping of hands. So some of them had taken some notice of her. She remained immobile, striving to regain her breath at the same time conscious that the level of noise from the guests had reduced.

     Again the music sounded and, as she had been ordered, she moved into the dance of the submitting slave. This time she did not shut her mind to the presence of the audience but moving from in front of one to another, she danced her submission to each in turn. As the dance progressed, she noticed that they had stopped talking and were watching her intently.

     The dance ended and as the music faded she sank to the floor, flat on her belly with her head pointing to her Master. Her legs were together and her arms stretched out sideways. She dared not look up as, suddenly, the room erupted with the sound of clapping and table thumping. A sense of satisfaction flowed through her at this recognition of her performance.

     "Hassan. Where did you get such a delicious creature?"

     "By Allah, Hassan. You are fortunate to possess such a delicacy".

     "Is she for sale? I demand first option. I will pay a very good price for her"

     Suzanne lay there listening to these compliments feeling a strong sense of self satisfaction. That was until the last remark brought her back to earth and reminded her that she was nothing more than an animal who could be bought and sold at a man's wish. The compliments to her Master continued but they now meant little to her.

     Suzanne performed three more dances for her audience and at last as she finally sank to the floor, Mahmud came and conducted her from the hall and took her into a side room where he left her to await his return. Some time passed and she took the opportunity to compose herself ready to be taken back to the hareem.

     It seemed a long time before Mahmud returned. Her heart sank as he entered the room and she saw what he held in his hands.

     "The Master requires one more dance" he announced. "You are to perform the veil dance to the whip".

     "Oh no'" Suzanne blurted out. " I can't do that in front of all those men out there. Surely my Master does not want me so exposed to their gaze".

     "He has so ordered and you will obey. The slightest mistake and the whip will reach your body for real.

     Suzanne shuddered as she knew what he meant. The dance was similar to the veil dance but here, instead of merely discarding the veils willingly during the dance, the girl must do so with seeming reluctance, only doing so as the whip cracks within inches of her body. It is a very stimulating dance for the men and also could arouse the slave so much that she was liable to orgasm at any moment.

     Amina had taught her this dance during her last lessons and had explained in detail the effect it could have on the men who watched, as well as on the girl who was unfortunate enough to have to perform this dance. Suzanne shuddered with horror when she remembered that Amina had told her she had once seen a girl raped by the men for whom she had been performing.

     Reluctantly, not daring to disobey Suzanne removed the costume in which she had danced and replaced it with the veils. They had to be cunningly fixed so that as each one was discarded a little more of the dancer's body was exposed until only one remained. This was a large circular veil attached to a golden ring on the slaves head and hung so that it covered the girl's body without actually concealing any of her charms. This was the last to fall.

     Mahmud led Suzanne under the concealing ring of veils as before, on to the centre of the dance floor. He had stripped to the waist and a vicious whip hung from his jewel studded belt. He whisked away the ring and it's concealing veils and Suzanne stood motionless as before.

     The music began. Suzanne stood perfectly still looking terrified, which she genuinely was. The whip cracked over her head galvanising her into motion. She danced as if her life depended on her success. For some fifteen minutes her body oscillated to the beat of the music appearing to avoid the lash as it cracked about her. Slowly with seeming reluctance, which in fact was genuine, she allowed the veils to fall.

      As each veil was discarded she was conscious that more  of her body was exposed to the gaze of the audience. She  shuddered with fear each time the whip snaked out seeking  her soft flesh until she was astounded to feel a dampness  seeping from between her sex buds. She was becoming aroused.  As the dance progressed the wetness increased and her body  cried out to be satisfied by the penetration it craved.

      Her body had only been entered on the one occasion, but  apparently that was enough to teach it what it was designed  for. The need that was taking over her was also directing  her movements in the dance. She was now becoming completely  abandoned. She was truly a slave now longing to be taken and  used without mercy by her Master.

      A strong sensation was escalating within her and, when  left with only the one veil covering her modesty, she knew  she was near to an orgasm. This was, understandably,  forbidden to the dancer. Suzanne was frightened to discard  the final veil in case the watchers saw how much she was  aroused by the dance.

      Mahmud sensed this reluctance and the lash snaked out  to curl around her bottom. She screamed with the shock. The  impact, however, had the desired effect and, with an inward  sigh of relief, she sank to her knees before the giant  eunuch. The whip cracked again and she slowly reached up and  lifted the golden ring from her head and offered it to  Mahmud.

      He took the ring in his left hand and, with his right,  brought the lash down to crack on the floor. The stroke was  so close that Suzanne felt the wind of it's passing on her  body. She threw herself to the floor as the veil was whisked  away. Now she was stark naked. In this state, which did  nothing to quench her arousal, she danced before her Master  and his guests until, with a final flourish and clash of  cymbals, Suzanne sank to the floor at the eunuch's feet.  She was panting heavily both with the effort of the dance  and the orgasm she was fighting to hold back.

      To her horror, as the strains of the music died away,  a deathly silence engulfed the hall. She was terrified. Had  she performed badly? Had she done something to offend? Would  she be soundly whipped? These thoughts flashed through her  mind as she remained at the eunuch's feet.

      Suddenly a terrific noise erupted in the hall. Hands  clapped, tables were thumped and feet stamped on the floor.  Suzanne's hair was clasped in Mahmud's hand and she was  pulled up from the floor and dragged from the hall.

      Once back in the side room Mahmud stood looking at  her with a strange expression in his eyes.

     "I have worked in many hareems for many years" he whispered, "but I have never seen a slave dance like you did tonight".

     "I'm sorry", Suzanne blurted out thinking he was angry with her. "I did not mean to displease you or my Master. Please do not have me whipped" she begged.

     At that moment one of the other eunuchs entered the room and whispered into

Mahmud's ear. Hastily telling her to remain where she was, Mahmud hurried from the room.

     Suzanne shook with fear. She had survived a severe caning but the whipping she would receive for failing to please her Master's guests was beyond thinking about.

     She prayed that, if she was to be whipped, it would be done with only her Master watching. The idea of Yasmine seeing her back suffering under the lash was beyond her endurance.

     After a few minutes Mahmud returned and ordered Suzanne to follow him. She was taken to the preparation where all was afluster. She was quickly bathed. Cosmetics and perfume applied to all areas of her body and her hair well brushed.

       A cloak was placed around her and she was led from the room. She shook with fear. She was certain that she was to be taken for a whipping.

     But, instead of going to the punishment room, she was taken to a luxurious bedroom. Here the cloak was removed and she was led towards a large luxurious bed.

     A few feet away from the end of the bed was a strange wooden contraption. Two thick wooden horizontal bars about a metre from the floor were supported by even heavier uprights. The bars were about a metre apart. Suzanne began to shake as she saw that this strange piece of furniture was fitted with many leather straps.

     So, she thought, she had been found unsatisfactory after all and she was to be punished. The thought made her tingle with fearful anticipation and she felt her clitoris start to become damp.

     She was ordered to kneel facing the bars.

     "You are in the Master's bedroom" Mahmud informed her solemnly. "He has ordered you to serve him tonight. See that you do not displease him".

     "But Yasmine was to pleasure him tonight". Suzanne blurted out without thinking.

    "She was but the Master has changed his mind. She has been sent back to the hareem and you are to take her place".

     So saying he went from the room leaving Suzanne alone to ponder on his words. Her body still highly excited from the dancing, yearned for a man's touch. She felt a surge of excitement knowing that soon her needs would be attended to and by her Master himself.

      Her sudden elation at her good fortune was deeply overshadowed by the knowledge that Yasmine would hate her more than ever for the insult she would feel at being displaced by the one who she considered a rival.

     Suzanne did not know how long she waited there until she heard the door open and someone enter the bedroom.

     Pacing the bed as she was, head demurely lowered, she could not see who had entered. She sensed movement behind her. She was a little apprehensive. She wondered why the Master's favourite had been returned to the hareem and she put in her place.

     "So this is the little seductive dancer?" It was her Master's voice and a shudder of fear passed over her.

     "Yes Master. As you commanded". It was the voice of the Master's personal servant that replied.

     Suzanne was aware of someone laying down on the bed in front of her but still she kept her eyes lowered.

      "Look up slave".

     Suzanne raised her eyes and looked straight into those of her Master. She could detect no emotion in those deep dark eyes. He continued to look at her and she felt her body begin to respond to his presence. She felt her nipples harden and protrude and a slight moisture form in her clitoris.

      "Did you enjoy dancing for my guests, slave?

      "Yes Master, if it pleased my Master for me to do so".     

      "Do you know the effect your dancing had on them?"

      "No Master, but your slave hopes that she was found pleasing in her Master's eyes"

     His penetrating stare and the sound of his voice was arousing her further. The moisture in her sex increased as her fear of him rose in her. What terrible experience had he in store for her she wondered. Her body was again betraying her. She feared and hated him but yearned to be used and her body's need satisfied.

    "Apart from the fact that I had great difficulty in restraining them from raping you, yes I was very pleased".

     "Thank you Master. Your slave is grateful she pleased her Master"

     "You know the penalty for a grave who lies to her Master?"

     "Yes Master." Suzanne felt a shiver of fear pass through her.

     "When you were being caned the other day, it seemed to me that the beating was arousing the sex in you. Was that so?"

     "Yes Master." Suzanne tried, unsuccessfully to wrench her eyes away from his as she felt her face redden with the embarrassment of her admission.

     "Stand up" he ordered and turning to his personal servant. "Souran. You have your instructions. Proceed"

     Wondering why he had ordered this, Suzanne obeyed and as she did so she saw a cruel smile cross his lips.

     Obeying the eunuchs orders, Suzanne moved to stand against the nearer of the bars. She bent over go that the front of her shoulders rested on the other bar. She felt her ankles secured with straps as also were her wrists and upper arms.

     Suzanne realised she was to be beaten but had not been told why. Her Master had indicated that he was pleased with her performance. Suddenly she experienced a mixture of fear and excitement as it dawned on her that he was going to have her beaten solely for his pleasure. She shuddered as her body anticipated the pain that was shortly to be inflicted on it.

    "Keep your eyes on your Master's."

     She obeyed and looked into his dark secretive eyes trying to find even the slightest hint of sympathy there.

      "Six Souran."

     Suzanne heard a swish behind her and a streak of fire swept across her bottom. She, in her excitement of being in her Master's bedroom, had forgotten that the eunuch carried a cane. Her memory returned immediately with the impact of the rattan across her flesh.-

    Swish. Thwack.    

    Swish. Thwack.

     Suzanne cried out on this third stroke. The way the cane whistled as it sped through the air to her bottom and the white imprint on her pale flesh, which quickly turned a bright red, gave evidence that the eunuch was putting all his force behind the strokes. A spark of hatred glowed in Suzanne's mind as she knew the eunuch enjoyed thrashing a white woman and, no doubt Souran was making the best of this opportunity to satisfy his desires.

     "Peel her." She heard her Master's command with trepidation.

     Instead of the next stroke of the cane, Suzanne felt the eunuch's hand caress her bottom. Sliding over the ridges that were already forming, she jumped as his fingers rubbed lightly over her already hardening and vet entrance.

      "She is well aroused, Master."      

      "Continue."

     Suzanne stared fixedly into her Master's eyes that, to her horror, now showed a glint of amusement, as she heard the cane whistle through the air and felt another line of fire sear across her bottom.

     Twice more the cane lashed across her bottom. Twice more her cries echoed around the room as she looked through her tears at her Master. Suzanne was, by now, thoroughly aroused. Her nipples ached and she felt her love juice ooze from her as her body made it's needs strongly felt within her.

      "Check her again Souran." She heard her master order.

     Again, Suzanne felt the servant's hand slide between her thighs and his fingers press against her wet sex buds. She tried in vain to stop her thighs from pressing inwards against his hand.

     "It is as you surmised Master. She is wet and ready for use. Her nipples have hardened" he added as his other hand reached round and felt Suzannes aching breast.

     "So my little dancer, you may not like the pain of a beating but your body seems to react happily. Tell me, could you have taken the strokes without moving if you hadn't been secured?"

     "I would have done my best, if that was what my Master ordered" Suzanne replied conscious that the tone of her voice betrayed her arousal which the eunuch had already identified.

     "Maybe next time I will put you to the test. Release her Souran."

     As the eunuch released the straps that had secured her, Suzanne felt near panic. So there was to be a next time, she thought, and her Master's demands on her performance under discipline would test her control to the limit. What if the next time he ordered more than six strokes? Could she accept them without moving?

     Even though her bonds were removed, Suzanne remained bent over the bars.

     "You may serve me now slave." Her Master's words sent a chill of dread through her body.

     "Thank you Master." She answered, her voice slightly hoarse.

     Souran lifted the end of the sheet and Suzanne slid, head first under it. Immediately her tongue sought the inside of his lower legs. She kissed and licked the hairs that grew there. She was now to put Ninetha's teaching to the test. She was to pleasure her Master and woe betide her if her attentions were not perfect. If they were, she hoped, than her own body's needs might be satisfied.

     Slowly and carefully, she worked her ray up between his knees and along his thighs. It was dark under the sheet and she could not see, but Ninetha's teaching had been thorough and her efforts were rewarded as she sensed her Master's breathing become heavier.

     The gap between his thighs became narrower until she felt his sac with it's heavy balls touch her forehead. She eased her arms up until her fingers lightly touched the sac. It felt full and heavy and, as she teased it with her finger tips, it began to throb. She moved her face a little higher and her forehead brushed against his penis.

     Her fingers sought this manifestation of her Master's manhood and she was surprised to find that it was so thick that her fingers could not close round it. It felt strong and hot and she craved for it to force it's way into her sex tunnel. She began to lick at the thick base and as she did so she heard her Master snap his fingers.

     Due to the darkness under the sheet that covered her, and her deep concentration, she had forgotten that the eunuch was still in the room watching the proceedings. So this time she was not aware of it's approach until the cane seared across her still smarting bottom that still protruded from under the sheet.

     Suzanne cried out with the sudden and unexpected pain. Her fingers closed tightly around her Master's cock. Again her bottom received the searing kiss of the cane.

     Fearing that she was not pleasing her Master, Suzanne increased her efforts. Her mouth closed over the throbbing swollen end of his stalk and her tongue glided over the top feeling the distended slit through which his sperm might at any moment flow. He was certainly fully aroused by this time and the wonderful extension of his body throbbed hotly in her mouth and his sac seemed to swell between her fingers.

     Suddenly Suzanne felt him reach down and take hold of her hair. By this she was pulled up the bed over his strong sinewy body until her head was level with his and she looked into his eyes. She was momentarily stunned by the naked lust that shone from them.

     Suddenly the sheet was pulled off the bed and another searing stroke of the cane landed across her burning bottom. She cried out with the pain of the stroke and the intense desire that flooded through the whole of her body. She threw caution to the wind and straddled his body so that the top of his cock brushed against her yearning sex buds.

     Slowly, moving her body up and down, she sank onto the lance of his manhood. As she absorbed her Master's rod, she felt the flesh of her love tunnel stretched to tearing point with the sheer thickness of it. Her muscles surrounding it closed tightly around the source of her delight and she cried out with the joy of being possessed.

     "You will not come until I give you permission" She heard her Master order.

     "I understand my Master". She replied wondering how she could hold back the orgasm that threatened, even then, to take possession of her. She concentrated hard to obey his command for she did not rant to incur his displeasure on her first appearance in his bed.

     She felt his hands take hold of her breasts that hung down above him. His fingers squeezed her hard erect nipples sending spasms of pain through them. The grip tightened on her orbs and again the cane lashed her bottom.

     The beating, the pressure of his hands on her delicate breasts and the stimulus of his throbbing cock reaching deep into her body raised her to heights of passion that she had not thought possible even in her most erotic dreams. She understood in those moments the signals her body had been sending out ever since her first days under his ownership.

     Suzanne loved being completely dominated. She knew that her body welcomed the pain induced by being beaten for this stimulated her sexual urge to a height that nothing else could. In that moment as the pain burned in her bottom and his cock and hands endorsed his mastery over her, she knew herself to be nothing more than a complete submissive slave.

     No sooner had this astonishing fact entered her mind, than, with a harder pinch of her sensitive nipples, her Master's hands were suddenly clutching her burning bottom. She uttered a sharp cry as his grip tightened sending fresh spasms of pain through her.

     Using his hold on her cheeks he turned her to her back and he was on top of her. His hands released their grip on her bottom and, grasping her small hands, he stretched her arms out above her head making her breasts thrust up towards his manly chest.

      She felt his thick cock thrust savagely back and forth reaching such depths inside her that she nearly screamed out her happiness. Realising that her legs were unfettered she wrapped them tight round the top of his thighs.

     "Now my little slave, surrender to your master". His lips descended on hers in a savage kiss as his cock thrust even deeper and she felt his sperm erupt into her in a torrent of hot liquid.

     Suzanne could no longer control her body. Her legs released their hold and stretched towards the foot of the couch. Suddenly her body arched, raising him with it Until only her heels and head were in contact with the couch.

Lights flashed before her eyes as the most delicious orgasm rocketed through her until everything went black and consciousness deserted her.

      Slowly Suzanne surfaced through the thick black mist expecting to find herself back in her own room. Instead she felt his body, breathing heavily at her side. She lay

there, not moving, until he turned to face her.

     His hands sought her aching breasts and his touch rekindled her torch of desire. Suzanne reached for his penis, which had become flaccid from his spent desire, and, to her delight felt it begin to grow hard again.

     Throughout the night, between short periods during which they rested, her Master used his slave. She was taken and used so many times that she marvelled at his stamina. By the time that the morning light seeped it's way into the room, Suzanne felt completely exhausted. She had spent her first night with her Master' and her happiness was beyond description.

      As the morning light brightened Suzanne lay there basking in the happiness that engulfed her. It was as if she were waking from a delicious dream except the soreness in her bottom and sex tunnel convinced her otherwise. Her joy was increased by the knowledge that, before this night, Yasmine was the only slave permitted to spend the whole night with the Master.

     Suzanne turned her head to gaze at the face of her Master who still slept at her side. Even in sleep, the cruel side of his character still showed in the curl of his

lips and she knew that, under those closed lids, his eyes would reflect the same cruelty that could quickly manifest itself there.

     Her happiness was interrupted by Souran quietly entering the room. Without speaking, he motioned her to rise and follow him out of the bedroom. Reluctantly, Suzanne obeyed and found Mahmud waiting for her. As Souran re-entered the room to wake the Master she was led by Mahmud back to the preparation room.

     Here she was taken into the washing room and made to bend over, legs wide apart. As had happened the time her virginity was taken she was given a thorough douching until any residue of her Master's ejaculations had been completely expelled. She was then allowed to bathe after which a young eunuch rubbed soothing oils into her bottom which the hot bath had made smart again where the cane had left it's marks.

     She was given a much needed meal after which she was ordered to dress and was led back into the main hareem hall.

     Suzanne's return was greeted in two distinctly different ways. Caterina and Ayesha rushed to her asking question after question so fast that she had no chance to answer. They were both pleased to see her again and were madly curious to know what had transpired during the night.

     "You do not think she spent the night with him, you little fools" Yasmine's sarcastic tone echoed loudly round the hall. "Just look at her arse. She has been caned. You can see the stripes through her skirt. What did you do to displease the Master little trollop?"

     "Nothing bitch". Suzanne's response startled them all. "I spent the whole night in his arms. We pleasured each other until we were exhausted. He found me highly satisfying"

     Yasmine's face turned purple with anger. Never, since she had become the favourite, had anyone stood up against her in this fashion.

     "Is that so " She spat back. "Then why is your arse covered in cane weal's if you didn't displease him?"

     "He had Souran beat me as my tongue pleasured him. It aroused him in a way you have never done, and the cane made me more responsive to his touch. Perhaps, if next time he summons you you take a cane with you, he might find you more satisfactory. Perhaps not though, it would take more than a cane to arouse any feeling in your rotten carcass. I suggest you take the 'snake' with you"

     'Snake' was the name of the heavy whip that was used on the male slaves, one stroke of which on a soft female body would cut to the bone.

     Suzanne was well aware that the favourite was terrified of being beaten, even with one of the eunuch's straps. She had once heard Yasmine scream, loud and shrill, when one of the black eunuchs, who was new to the hareem, had dared to give her two strokes with his strap.

     "I do not need any such stimulant to make me give pleasure. I am expert enough as I am" Yasmine retorted haughtily.

     "Is that so. Then wait and see. You will find he sends for me more frequently than you. Your days are numbered, you stuffed up daughter of a camel. You will soon find yourself sold to a brothel keeper and the sooner the better"

     Suzanne was aware that the other slaves were watching and listening to this exchange with amazement.

     Yasmine was just about to let fly with her nails when Mahmud appeared in the hall. His entry probably saved Suzanne from a very unpleasant encounter. Yasmine was bigger and stronger and Suzanne knew she would get the worse of any such encounter.

     Suzanne had let her euphoria of the night get the better of her judgement and standing up to the favourite would make her an even more vicious enemy. She promised herself to keep well out of her way in future.

     True to Suzanne's prophesy Yasmine's summons to the Master began to decline in frequency. When a slave was sent for it was usually Suzanne or one of the other slaves. Suzanne became the only one to stay with him, on occasions, For the whole night and on returning to the hareem, her bottom always bore the marks of Souran's strap or cane.

     Looking back later, Suzanne realised she made a grave mistake when she proudly displayed her striped bottom as if she was wearing medals. The less Yasmine was sent for the more her hatred of Suzanne increased.

     Suzanne knew that it would not be long before the favourite took her revenge and she did her best to ensure that she was always with her friends or one or other of the eunuchs.

     The latter rarely interfered with squabbles among the girls but it was more than their lives were worth to allow any of them to be injured.

     Suzanne's prophesy, as the weeks passed, came true. Her summonses to her Master's bed became more frequent and the eunuchs became a little more respectful towards her. This was a sign that she was rapidly rising in their Master's favour. As her rise continued so did Yasmine's hold over the hareem start to decline.

     The favourite's anger and hatred toward Suzanne grew and, as Suzanne was to find out to her cost her proud displaying of the weal's on her bottom each time she spent a night with the Master, only added fuel to the favourite's anger.

     It had been evident to Suzanne, ever since she had arrived in the hareem, that the favourite had some strong hold over the chief eunuch. This was put to the test before long.

     To Suzanne's dismay, and Yasmine's delight, her Master suddenly decided to undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca. He was to take a strong guard with him and, in view of the purpose of the journey, he was to leave his women and slaves behind.

     Three days after the sheik's departure, Ayesha sought out Suzanne with some alarming news. She had seen Yasmine and Mahmud having what they thought was a secret discus8ion. Ayesha reported that, whilst she had not heard what they were saying, Mahmud had seemed over nervous and Yasmine very insistent on getting her own way.

     Ayesha was adamant that they were planning some mischief toward Suzanne and warned that those two should be watched carefully.

     However, nothing happened for a day or two and Suzanne let the matter slip from her mind. She gave no attention to the fact that Mahmud was conspicuous by his absence for the next day or so.

     On the fifth day after her Master had goner Suzanne was summoned to Mahmud's room. Fearing a beating, she hurried there and fell to her knees before the chief eunuch.

     "Slave. You are to go to Amina this morning. It seems that she wishes to teach you yet another dance with which to please the Master" Mahmud's voice seemed unnaturally high pitched to Suzanne. He was obviously in a very nervous state.

     "The Master said nothing to me about learning a new dance". Suzanne replied. She had become quite brave with the eunuch since the Master had shown her favour.

     "You will not question my orders slave. I will be obeyed. Your attitude has earned you a lashing with the whip when you return"-

     "Please Mahmud. Do not whip me. I was not disobeying you or questioning your order. It just seemed strange that the Master did not speak of it before he left.

     " Of course he did not" the eunuch replied, his anger beginning to show in his voice. "It is to be a birthday surprise for him. Anyway, you are getting too cheeky of late and a whipping will goon teach you how to behave. Now strip naked".

     Frightened that she had, maybe overstepped the mark this time and fearing to anger the eunuch further, Suzanne obeyed. With her Master away, her position was not so secure now. She stood before the black giant naked.

     He took her arms behind her and, twisting them so her hands were between her shoulder blades, snapped manacles on her wrists.' She opened her mouth to protest at this and he thrust a cloth gag deep into her mouth. This he kept in place with another cloth tied behind her head.

     These precautions had never been taken before for her visits to Amina and Suzanne became thoroughly alarmed. Mahmud then attached manacles joined by a short length of chain, to her ankles. These enabled her to walk with short steps but would prevent her from running.

     Suzanne's state of alarm reached panic level when a long black hooded cloak was thrown over her and she could no longer see. She felt a collar placed tight around her neck. She felt a tug on the collar and was led from the room.

     The sound of gates being opened and closed came to her ears through the hood and she then she heard the sound of the town around her as she was led along by her collar.

     Suddenly there was a scuffle around her. She heard Mahmud cry out in alarm and she tried to run only to trip over the chain between her ankles.

     She tried to struggle as two pairs of hands lifted her up and she was thrown, face down, over some animal. Someone mounted the animal and, holding her down, they galloped off at a fast trot.

     The noise of the town faded in the distance and Suzanne realised they were headed into the desert. At long intervals she was transferred from one animal to another and the men of her escort changed at the same time.

     Suzanne's alarm at being abducted and taken from the safety of the hareem slowly abated to be replaced by an apprehensive curiosity at what adventure lay ahead for her.

Chapter 9

     Eventually after what to Suzanne seemed hours of fast travel, she heard again the sounds of civilisation around her. Again she heard heavy doors opened and closed behind them as the abduction party entered.

     The rider, over whose animal she had travelled the last part of the journey brought his mount to a halt. Hands took hold of her and she was taken from the animal and carried into a building. She was placed on her feet and the cloak removed.

     She was in a strange hall not as opulently decorated as her Master's, but still very much in the Moorish fashion.

     The gag was removed and the manacles released from her wrists. As she tried to rub the circulation back into her arms, she looked around in horror.

     "Where am I. Where have you brought me?" she demanded. They only response she received was to be slapped across her face.

     She was grasped by the arms and dragged across the hall into a large room.

     Seated on a couch she saw a fat repulsive looking man dressed in the clothes of a chieftain. He was looking at her with a mixture of amusement and lust in his eyes. Suzanne was suddenly reminded that she was stark naked and tried to cover her breasts and pubis with her hands.

     A deep chuckle of amusement rumbled in the fat man's throat. Suddenly Suzanne recognised him. He had been one of the guests at her Master's party before whom she had danced.

     "So my little desert flower" His voice held a strong hint of menace. "You are mine at last. You thought to insult me by ignoring me as you danced. Now, not only will you pay the price of your insolence but I will have sweet revenge on your Master. Or should I say ex-Master, for you are no longer his"

     Suzanne shook at his words. She had, indeed, found his gross bulk repulsive as she had danced at the party and had tried to avoid going near him as far as possible. It seemed that this had not escaped his notice.

     "What has my Master done that you should steal one of his women? He will seek me out and take his revenge on you when he returns"

     One of the men who held her slapped her hard on the other side of her face so that both her cheeks flamed.

     "You will only speak when spoken to or given permission slave" the fat man, who Suzanne had now identified in her mind as Sheik Ali ben Paiz, shouted at her angrily.

     "From reports I have received, I understand you are very adept at satisfying a man, especially when your own backside is throbbing from the cane" Sheik Ali continued. "Well, here you will certainly have plenty of opportunities to display your prowess. Take her away and see that she is prepared"

     Suzanne was dragged from the room back into the hall and along a short passage. At the end a heavy door was guarded by two fierce looking tribesmen. At her approach, the door opened and she was pushed in to come face to face with a heavily built black man. He was naked from the waist up displaying a muscular chest and arms.

    Suzanne shook with fear as her eyes fastened in horror at what hung from the belt at his waist. Instead of a cane or coiled lash favoured by most eunuchs, this one sported a long thin riding switch.

     "So you are the slave who insulted our Master. Kneel slave when in my presence"

     Totally overwhelmed by the terrible turn of events, Suzanne hastened to obey, spreading her knees wide in the manner of a naked slave.

     "I am Suleiman. Shelf Ali ben Paiz's chief eunuch. You will always address me, and my assistants, as Master. You will obey without question any order you are given. You are forbidden to speak to any of the other slaves in the hareem. At the slightest sign of misbehaviour you will be whipped. Do you understand?"

     "Yes" Suzanne stammered.

     "Yes what?" His voice high pitched voice thundered around the courtyard. He clapped his hands and two other black eunuchs suddenly appeared as if by magic.

     "You failed to address me properly" he said with a smile at the edges of his thick lips. Turning to the new arrivals. "She is to be flogged to teach her respect. See she is prepared"

     The two assistants took hold of Suzanne's arms and hurried her across the courtyard. As she was dragged along she noticed many women looking through latticed screens as she passed.

     She was taken through a heavy door and down some stone steps, along a corridor and into a room brightly lit by many torches sit in the walls.

     Suzanne nearly fainted with fright as her eyes took in the nature of the room. That it was a torture chamber there was no doubt. The various pieces of apparatus scattered around the floor and the canes, whips and other implements of punishment hanging on the walls clearly attested to this.

     She was dragged to where a thick piece of tree trunk the bark removed, stood over a metre from the ground on two similar wooden uprights. The top bar was slightly above her waist level. One of the eunuchs raised her up and placed her over this. Her legs, which were now off the ground, were stretched wide apart and lashed to the bottom of the uprights. Her wrists were secured in the same manner to the same spot.

     Bent double as she was, Suzanne looked between her legs at the door through which she had entered. She shook with fear as she saw Suleiman enter, unclipping the switch from his belt as he did so.

     She felt him rub his hands over her stretched buttocks, chuckling sadistically to himself. Satisfied that she was ready, he stepped back and raised his arm,

     Suzanne, through her spread legs, saw the switch speed through the air almost to the point when it slashed across her bottom. A sharp crack echoed around the torture chamber on the impact, a streak of agonising fire spread the full width of her taut cheeks and a piercing scream was forced from her mouth.

     It seemed to Suzanne that her bottom had been cut in half. She had never experienced a first stroke of a beating, not even the public caning which she received from Mahmud, hurt so much. To her shame her body responded quicker to the intense pain and she felt her clitoris begin to ooze with her instant arousal.

     Swish. Crack.

     Suzanne had watched the switch descend again to add another line of agony to the first. She began to writhe on the beam over which she was secured but the movement only made her arousal stronger. She had heard her scream echo around the chamber as the fire in her bottom became unbearable.

     That was two strokes. How many was she to receive and how many could her bottom endure. She shuddered as she heard a sadistic laugh from Suleiman echo her scream.

     "This time, slave, you will have a dozen strokes. You will learn quickly that disobedience will not be tolerated here. It Seems that Mahmud was too lenient with you."

     As Suleiman uttered the last wora ne Drought the switch down and drew another scream from the slave and another bright red line appeared across the full width of her taut buttocks.

     Suzanne's body writhed in her bonds but there was no way she could escape. Her body jumped as, instead of the switch, she felt a heavy hand slide over the Fire in her rear. She screamed as a finger pressed against her sex opening.

     "By Allah. The little bitch is enjoying her thrashing" Suleiman's voice pierced the fog of pain that was rapidly closing in on her. "We are surely going to have fun with this one"

     His words had hardly died away as Suzanne greeted the next stroke with another scream. So intense was the pain she was enduring that a sheen of sweat spread over her body.

     Suzanne's eyes were now flooded with tears and she could no longer see clearly through them. She concentrated on counting the strokes and holding back the orgasm that the beating was generating in her. Eight more to come, she told herself. Surely, even with the practise she had received in her Master's hareem, she could not take twelve strokes with that biting switch. Especially the way they were being laid on her.

     Swish. Crack.     

     Swish. Thwack.

     Suzanne's body struggled violently against her bonds with each stroke and her screams became more shrill. She felt the perspiration flowing uncontrollably through her skin and her whole body felt soaking wet.

     The black eunuchs, who controlled hareems, were renowned for getting pleasure from thrashing a white woman's body. Suleimanr however, had a maniacal hatred of all whites having himself once been a slave on a plantation owned by a white man and his wife. He had once made a wrong remark to the wife about her overlarge breasts. His back still bore the scars from the whipping it had earned him.

     Three times the switch whistled it's way through the air. Suleiman had changed his aim and deliberately made each cross over the previous livid weal's. A fine spray of sweat showered off Suzanne's body with each impact as she yelled her agony to the walls of the chamber.

     Only three to go, she told herself. So far she had held her body in check and her arousal had stayed within her control.

     For a moment her eyes cleared of tears. She wished they hadn't. She saw that Suleiman had taken some steps back. Even before he raised his arm she screamed in disbelief. He was actually taking a run at her. She screwed her eyes tight shut to blot out the sight but she could not stop herself hearing his heavy footfalls as he approached.

     Swish. Thwack.

     This, her tenth stroke, broke the residue of her control. She opened her mouth wide in a silent scream. Her body went rigid in her bonds as it absorbed the agony that now fully engulfed her.

     Suleiman ran at her on the last two strokes. She was now beyond screaming as the last stroke left its line of suffering. She succumbed to the orgasm that the terrible pain had placed beyond her control.

     Suleiman and his assistants looked in wonder at the slave who lay limp over the thrashing beam. They had seen many a slave become unconscious when being beaten. They had never before encountered a slave who was so sexually aroused as to orgasm under punishment. This was a novelty to them.

     As Suleiman watched a thin trickle of her come join the three lines of blood that had seeped down the backs of her thighs he chuckled quietly to himself. This slave would provide him with a great deal of pleasure in the months to come.

     As Suzanne slowly fought her way back to consciousness through the fog of agony, she felt her bonds removed. Still she lay over the thrashing beam, her young body jerking uncontrollably as it continued to absorb the strokes that did not come. Suddenly she received a bucket of icy cold water in her face.

     This quickly completed her recovery and she slid from the beam to the stone floor below. She felt her wrists taken hold of and she was roughly dragged from the chamber, back up the steps, and into the courtyard. To one side there were two high thick wooden posts set upright about three metres apart. It was to the centre of these that Suleiman's two assistants dragged her,

     Ropes which hung from the tops of the posts, were tied around her wrists. These were then pulled tight so that her feet left the ground. Other ropes were tied to her ankles and pulled tight to the base of the posts. Suzanne hung, spread-eagled, her white body on full view and her legs stretched wide apart openly displaying her sex.

     The courtyard, which until then had been empty was soon occupied by about forty young women. They all wore transparent hareem trousers but, apart from these they were naked. Suzanne shut her eyes in horror as she observed that most of them bore the marks of thrashings on their backs and buttocks. One even had bright weal's across her stomach.

     At first, they merely stood and looked at her with undisguised curiosity. Then Suleiman approached.

     "This is the one who was to be a favourite. Look at her." he ordered. "She enjoys being beaten. She even had an orgasm while I thrashed her"

     A chorus of disbelief from the women greeted this last remark.

     Suleiman gave an order in Arabic to his two assistants.

     One came and stood in front of Suzanne and the other positioned himself to her rear. She felt a pair of hands cup her bottom cheeks causing the throbbing pain to escalate. She tried to stay still but began to wriggle as a finger rubbed against her anus and forced it's way into her.

     The eunuch in front of her reached up and began to squeeze her breast as his other hand slapped her between the thighs forcing her back onto the impaling finger. She felt her sex lips parted and he inserted two fingers into her love tunnel.

     Despite the orgasm that had been induced by the thrashing, she soon became aroused again and, much to the amusement of the three eunuchs, began to writhe her desire.

     Suleiman barked another order and the eunuchs withdrew their fingers and held them to Suzanne's mouth. She understood what was required of her and began to lick the fingers clean, tasting the flavour of herself as she did so.

     Suleiman issued another order, this time to the other women. Slowly, one by one, they approached the suspended girl. Obviously obeying orders they began to stroke her all over. No part of her body escaped their attentions. Fingers were inserted into her clitoris and anus and began to stroke inside her.

     Fearing the approach of another orgasm, Suzanne longed to beg them to stop. The thought of them not only seeing her loose control but being the instrument of it was beyond her endurance. She bit her tongue and suffered in silence. She remembered she was ordered not to speak. She did not wish to endure another lashing with that wicked switch.

     In spite of her attempts to stop it the inevitable happened and she screamed her submission to her orgasm as unconsciousness again enveloped her.

     This time, when she came too she was laying on a stone floor in a metal cage. She tried to stand up but only succeeded in banging her head on the bars of the top of the

cage. Her wrists were manacled together high up her back between her shoulder blades and her ankles chained to rings set in the floor.

     "You will stay here until you learn that, in this establishment you are the slave of every one. Even the other slaves are above you. You are nothing but the lowest animal and will be treated as one"

     Suzanne was left alone in her cage. Due to it's size she was unable to get comfortable and ended up curled in the foetus position on the hard stone floor. Her bottom throbbed terribly from the lashing and her anus and sex lips stung where they had been rubbed sore by the many fingers that had penetrated her.

     She wondered what was in store for her in this horrible place. That Sheik Faiz intended to get his revenge on her was not in doubt. What concerned Suzanne was the means that he would use to obtain his satisfaction.

Chapter 10

     Suzanne spent two weeks in the cage. She was taken out only to relieve herself, which she was forced to do over a bucket in the courtyard in full view of the eunuchs and other slaves. For one hour each day she was put through a strenuous exercise routine after which she had to rash in cold water. Her food was vile to taste but the threat of the switch ensured that her bowl was quickly emptied.

     Her consternation was increased one morning when, instead of being taken to exercise in the courtyard, she was taken down to the chamber there she had been flogged. As she entered the room, as usual with two eunuchs tightly holding her arms, she noticed that the air was very hot and filled with fumes.

     She was led to a long wide bench and made to lay on it with her face to the ceiling. Heavy leather straps were put round her ankles, legs, stomach and above her breasts. These were pulled tight holding her completely immobile. Her arms were pulled under the bench and her wrists were manacled together. A block of wood was placed under her head so that she looked along her body to her feet.

     Sheik Paiz entered the chamber accompanied by the dreaded Suleiman.

     "It all prepared?" The sheik demanded.

     Suzanne quailed at the undisguised menace in the fat man's voice.

     "Yes Master". One of the eunuchs replied.

     "It is time, my pretty one" he gloated looking at Suzanne "for you to be marked as my property". He turned to Suleiman. "Proceed"

     Suleiman clapped his hands and two heavily muscled men emerged from behind a screen in the corner. Suzanne tried to struggle when she saw what they carried between them, but she was too securely held to move.

     The reason for the high temperature in the room was nor clear to her. They carried a brazier filled with white hot coals. Behind them walked another huge man, stripped to the waist, whose body glistened` with sweat from the heat.

     One of the eunuchs knelt at her side and placed his hands on Suzanne's breasts. Slowly he began to stroke them very gently. Despite her fear, Suzanne was horrified as her body began to respond. She felt her nipples begin to grow erect and harden. The eunuch smiled at this result and started to rub the brown nipples between his fingers.

     When the Sheik was satisfied that Suzanne's nipples were fully erect, he barked another order. The eunuch at her side moved away.

     Suzanne watched with fascinated horror as the man at the brazier donned a thick leather glove and removed a white hot needle from the coals. He quickly moved to her side and, with the fingers of his ungloved hand got hold of one of her nipples and pulled it upright.

     Suzanne screamed as the hot needle was pushed through the distended nipple. The man slid the needle back and forth for a few seconds before withdrawing it. As soon as the needle was removed one of the others pushed a gold ring through the hole that had appeared and squeezed the ring ends together.

     To the accompaniment of another scream from the secured slaver the other nipple was given the same very painful treatment. The tears cleared from her eyes. Suzanne looked with horror at the two gold rings suspended from her still erect nipples. She had never seen any slave thus pierced before but she had once been told by Ayesha that this was only done to the lowest of slave girls.

     Sheik Faiz inspected the work with obvious pleasure. He gave each ring a slight tug which sent a streak of pain through the nipple in which it was fixed making Suzanne cry out. The Sheik stepped back and nodded to the man at the brazier.

     Thinking that her ordeal was over Suzanne breathed a sigh. Her relief was however, short lived. The man reached down and took hold of a handle that protruded from the coals and lifted it clear.

     Suzanne nearly fainted with fright. At the end of the metal rod was a crescent that shone white hot. She watched with dread as he approached and held the crescent above her stomach. She felt it's heat on her body. She could not move a muscle, so tight was she held. The man suddenly pressed the iron onto her flesh two inches above her pubic bush.

     Again Suzanne's scream echoed around the chamber as, with the smell of her own burnt flesh in her nostrils she passed out.

     A bucket of cold water, thrown over her head, brought Suzanne back to consciousness. A searing pain throbbed above her sex mound where the iron had been pressed deep into her flesh. As the mist in her eyes cleared, she screamed again, The man was approaching her with another white hot iron in his hand. This was in the shape of a scimitar.

     Again Suzanne's scream echoed around the chamber as the man pressed this iron into her body just below the first. With the smell of her own burnt flesh in her nostrils, Suzanne again lost consciousness.

     She surfaced from the darkness to find herself not back in the cage as she expected but in a room which was bathed in sunlight. She tried to move but found that she was stretched out, on her back, on a rough couch. Her arms and legs were secured to four posts at each corner.

     She did not know how long she had been there. Some time, she thought, since the terrible pain where she had been branded had subsided to a bearable level.

     Branded' She had been branded. She tried not to believe that this had been done to her but the pain and the lingering smell of burnt flesh proved otherwise. Her bonds were not tight allowing her limited movement. She slowly raised herself up and stared in disbelief at the epicentre of the pain.

     She looked for some time in confused fascination There clear to see just above where her pubic hair would have been, she saw a neat impression of a crescent, it's centre resting on the point of a upward pointing scimitar. She realised with horror that her body would carry this mark, the sign of Sheik Ali ben Faiz she assumed, for the rest of her life.

     Suzanne was kept locked on the couch in this room for two reeks. During this time two old women attended her seeing to her every need. She was washed, well fed and groomed. The scar of her brand, and the lash weal's on her bottom, were treated with salve to make them heal quickly.

     Despite this stranger seemingly caring treatment Suzanne was still too frightened to risk another whipping by asking the many questions that flooded through her confused mind. She had been ordered not to speak unless spoken to and the memory of the punishment for disobedience was still fresh in her mind.

     Day by day, she wondered what this was all in aid of.

Chapter  11

     The wound where she had been branded had healed leaving a distinct copy of her new Master's signature, the crescent balanced on the point of a scimitar. She had been kept in the pleasant room for the two weeks needed for the brand to settle.

     Now that they were satisfied that she could not mar the mark by scratching at it, they had returned her to the previous routine and she now spent the nights secured in the dreaded cage. The days were spent in rigorous exercises followed by sessions where she was made to practice her dancing.

     Whenever she was out of the cage, Suleiman or one of his deputies was always close by keeping a close watch on her and ever eager to sting her bottom or back with a strap if she displeased them.

     The one thing for which she was grateful was that she had not seen Sheik Paiz since the day she had been branded. The one constant thought that never left her mind was that fat man's promise for that was how Suzanne had taken it, to extract his revenge on her for her so called insolence and his revenge on Sheik Rashid.

     She had completed her exercises and dancing when, one afternoon some four weeks after the branding, instead of being returned to the cage she was taken to another part of the palace.

     Her consternation grew as she was made to wash and beautify herself under Suleiman's supervision. At last, arrayed in her dancing costume, her hair well brushed and her body decorated with cosmetics, she was led into a large room. her legs nearly gave way as she saw Sheik Faiz reclining on a large divan.

     Suleiman forced her to her knees at the side of the divan, her forehead to the floor. She heard rustling as the divan creaked above her under the weight of the Sheik.

     That what was to follow was to be another step in his humiliation of her she had no doubt. The only question that terrified her was what form this would take. She did not have to wait long to find the answer.

     Obeying a sharp command from the black eunuch, she straightened up, sitting back on her heels. The sight that met her eyes sent a shiver of horror and disgust through her young body.

     The robe that the sheik had worn had been removed and he now lay completely naked on the divan. Suzanne could not hide the feeling of revulsion that she felt from showing in her eyes.

     "You will now pleasure your Master". Suleiman's voice commanded. "With your mouth and tongue," he added as she appeared to hesitate.

     Steeling herself against the task ahead, Suzanne knelt on the end of the divan between the sheik's outspread legs. Slowly she began to lower her head towards the huge flabby thighs and the flaccid penis that hung from between the forest of hair at the base of the gross stomach.

     "Remove your veil and bare your breasts, you stupid wench." Suleiman commanded.

     Suzanne obeyed, conscious that the rings in her nipples were now on show to her enemy, for that is how she secretly thought of her captor.

     The acrid smell that wafted up from the fat carcass below her made her feel sick. It was so strong that it masked the perfume that had been daubed on her own body. She tried to hold her breath as much as possible as her face approached the object that was to receive her attentions.

     Keeping a tight rein on her reactions, she began to lick at the side of the flabby thighs as her nipple rings dangled against the ogre's knees.

     For some time there was no response from the heap of flab on which her tongue was working. She had just convinced herself that her tormentor was incapable, a thought that secretly gave her much pleasure, when her eyes saw movement in the flaccid organ in front of her face.

     Slowly, ever so slowly, it began to stir seemingly to come to life. The thickness increased as it began to grow rigid and stand up from the forest in which it had reposed.

     Fearful of the consequences if she faltered in her ministrations, she began to lick the sides of the shaft. The top of the organ had swelled now and the slit had widened. The strong obnoxious odour seemed to be increasing all the time and it took all her mental strength to continue with her task.

     She had poised her head, her mouth open ready to descend on the disgusting organ, when a dribble of yellowish fluid seeped from the distended slit at the crown.

     The knowledge that she was to take that 'thing' into her mouth made her revulsion exceed her control and she began to retch. In doing so, she inhaled deeply drawing the stench into her lungs.

     The combination of the sight of that yellow seepage and the stink was too much for her constitution and she threw up over the heap of flab.

     Several things happened at once. Sheik Paiz screamed in anger. Suleiman wrenched her head up and cuffed her so hard that she ended up on the floor some distance away from the divan. Several guards, scimitars drawn, rushed into the room fearing that their Lord was being attacked.

     Suzanne lay, quaking with fear where she had fallen. She realised she had committed an unforgivable offence. One that would constitute an even bigger insult than then she had ignored the Sheik in her dance.

     The Sheik was still screaming obscenities at her as one of the eunuchs strove to cleanse the mess she had made.

     Suleiman grabbed her by the hair, forced her to kneel in front of the Sheik. He snatched a scimitar from one of the guards and held it poised over her neck ready to sever her head from her shoulders at his Lord's slightest signal.

     "Wait." shrieked the ogre, his face suffused with anger.

     "But Master," Suleiman said "she has committed a grave insult. The only punishment for that is death."

     "No, Suleiman." The Sheik replied, quickly recovering himself from the demented anger that had overcome him. "That would be too quick and, anyhow, I still have important plans for her that have not yet been fulfilled. Her offence will be punished, have no fear, but her life must continue until my revenge on her and Rashid is complete."

     Suleiman returned the scimitar to the guard and thrust Suzanne's head to the floor.

     "Return the slave to her cage. Tomorrow she will be whipped. All the slaves and servants will be summoned to watch. Let her be an example to them all."

     Suzanne was dragged from the room and locked in her cage. She was left in solitude for the remainder of the day and all that night to contemplate the fate that awaited her the next day.

     The terror of the ordeal to come raged through her mind until, at last, tiredness overcame her and she sank into a merciful sleep.

     She was awakened next morning by one of the eunuchs. He thrust a bowl of the gruel into the cage and stood watching until she had cleaned the dish. The gruel was, as usual, horrid to taste although nourishing. She hated the stuff but did not dare to make matters worse by refusing to eat, so she forced the foul mixture down.

     She was left alone for some time then, until Suleiman arrived. The door to the cage was unlocked and, in answer to his summons, Suzanne crawled out.

     As she straightened up Suleiman locked a metal collar round her neck. To this was attached a chain with which he pulled her upright. She flexed her arms and legs to restore the circulation and then followed him as he led her to one of the ground floor rooms.

     Here she was ordered to relieve herself then bathe. A female slave was then summoned and ordered to prepare Suzanne. Although she was forbidden to speak, Suzanne tried to convey her thanks to the girl. Her own hands trembled so much that she would never have been able to prepare herself properly. The slave worked silently on her for half an hour until Suleiman returned to inspect the result.

     Suzanne stood naked in front of him while he completed his scrutiny. She could see herself in a mirror on the opposite wall. Her long blonde hair shone as it fell in waves down her back. Her face, pale with fear, was carefully made up. Her body, completely depilated, glistened in the sunlight that streamed in through the window. The Sheik's brand stood out plain against her fair skin. The rings hung from nipples that, like her sex lips, were already beginning to display signs of arousal.

     Suleiman scrutinised her in silence then, evidently satisfied, dismissed the slave girl. Instead of replacing the collar round her neck, as she expected, he clamped a metal band round each wrist. Each band had a small ring attached to its outside edge.

     Expecting to be led out naked, Suzanne was surprised when he threw a large sheet of white gossamer over her head. This fell to her ankles but did not conceal the beauty of the young body against which it whispered gently.

     Suleiman clapped his hands and two black eunuchs, naked from the waist up, entered. Each fixed a long thin chain to the rings on the bands round her wrists.

     Suleiman disappeared from the room leaving Suzanne with the two eunuchs.

     "You know you are to be whipped?" One of the two asked her quietly

     "Yes Master." Suzanne replied, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

     "You have insulted the Master," the eunuch continued, "and your punishment will be very severe. Try and keep your body relaxed. That way the whip will not hurt so much."

     "I will try, Master." Suzanne replied. "Thank you for the advice."

     "It is nothing." The eunuch replied, still speaking softly. "I am in favour of disciplining slaves when necessary, but not when some bully like Suleiman inflicts the punishment. Quiet now, he returns. Good luck, girl, try and be brave."

     At that moment, sulieman poked his head round the door and beckoned the two eunuchs to follow him.

     Suzanne walked as sedately as she could between the two huge blacks. As they crossed the courtyard, Suzanne was conscious of the other slaves and servants crowded round the sides. A deathly silence prevailed as the small procession approached and halted before a raised dais where Sheik Paiz was seated.

     Without being ordered, Suzanne fell to her knees before the man she hated most in the world.

     "This miserable girl is guilty of a very serious offence." The Sheik's voice thundered round the courtyard. "Prepare the slave for punishment."

     Sulieman stood at her side and ordered her to stand. When she obeyed, he removed the sheet exposing her naked body to full view.

     "The slave Suzanne is guilty of insulting her Lord and Master. She is to be soundly whipped. The sentence is thirty lashes."

     A hushed silence throughout the courtyard followed this announcement. Sheik Faiz was not renowned for being merciful but it had been a long time since any slave, let alone a young female one, had received such a severe sentence.

     "Suleiman." The Sheik beckoned the eunuch to him and the black bent so his master could whisper in his ear. "The slave must be soundly whipped but no stroke will break the skin. Understood? It would not suit my future plans if she were scarred."

     "Yes Master." The eunuch replied, hiding from his Lord the look of displeasure that, momentarily, clouded his face. He had enjoyed anticipating watching the blood flex down this slaves white back as the whip inflicted its cruel justice. He knew better, however, than to disobey the Lord's order. Still, he would have the satisfaction of seeing her writhe and scream as he applied each of the thirty lashes to which she had been sentenced.

     "Proceed with the punishment." Sheik ordered.

     Suzanne was turned to face the two thick upright posts in the centre of the courtyard. 'Try and be brave' she remembered the nice eunuch had encouraged her. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the chains from the hands of the unsuspecting eunuchs and, with these trailing on the ground behind her, walked slowly and as sedately as she could towards where her ordeal would take place.

     She halted between the two posts. The eunuchs, who had trotted to catch up with her, retrieved the chains and threaded the ends through rings at the top of the posts. They pulled the chains tight, raising Suzanne until her toes were just clear of the dry earth beneath her feet. A rope was tied round her ankles and secured to a ring in the ground. This would prevent her body swinging under the lash.

     As she hung there, her arms taking the full weight of her body stretching her back taut, she knew that nothing would stop what was about to happen to her. For the first time in her young life she was to be put under the lash.

     She remembered that someone, she couldn't remember who, had once told her that a girl did not know the true meaning of her slavery until her back had felt the whip. She was about to find out if this was true!

     One of the eunuchs, having secured her ankles, stood before her. She looked pleadingly into his eyes as he reached behind her, parted her long golden tresses and drew them forward, and tied them into a knot under her chin. Nothing, not even the softness of her hair, was to be allowed to come between the punishing lash and her fair flesh.

     A surge of panic, so strong that it quenched the beginnings of the arousal that always seemed to manifest itself before a beating, engulfed her as she saw Suleiman approach, the heavy long-lashed whip coiled in his hands.

     Suddenly, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Suleiman passed out of her vision to take up his position behind her. She heard the sound of the lash slither along the ground as he shook it loose. She shut her eyes tight, clenched her teeth, and waited for the agony to begin.

     "One."

     The voice of one of the eunuchs sounded in her ears. Followed by a loud hissing sound.

     Crack.

     The force of the impact of the lash across her back drove the air in a Whoosh' through her clenched teeth. A line of intense fire seethed along the path where the

leather had struck. She wanted to scream but there was no air left in her lungs with which to do so.

     "TWO"

     Again the voice. Again the hissing sound. Again the thud as the lash struck her stretched body. This time her mouth opened and a loud cry of pain echoed round the courtyard.

     She had only taken two strokes. She had been sentenced to thirty. Already her back felt as if it was on fire. How could her young soft body withstand the remainder of the punishment still to come?

     Suleiman took his time between delivering each stroke of the slave's punishment. With long practise, he was an expert with the whip. Despite the order not to scar her body, he was still able to enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the lash raise thick heavy angry weal's on the slave's fair skin each time it curled cruelly across her back and shoulders.

     Suzanne had intended to take the beating as bravely as she could, not out of any sense of bravado, but to try and deprive the watchers of the enjoyment of the whipping. After the fifth time the lash snaked across her back, this resolve evaporated. She writhed in her bonds and screamed each time the leather met her flesh.

     "Ten."

     Through the mist of pain that engulfed her, she heard the count followed by another streak of fire.

     Her bottom had endured many beatings since her guardian had taken the riding switch to her. She had experienced, and her body had responded to, depths of domination that had sent delicious feelings of pain and sexual stimulation through her young body. None of these, no matter how painful, could compare with the shroud of utter submission that had now thrown its cloak over her.

     As the lash carried out its relentless scourge of her back, she knew for the first time what it really meant to be a slave.

     "Fifteen"

     Her body writhed as the leather thong lashed another line of pain on her back. She had stopped counting in her own mind and her scream was a mixture of pain and horror as she realised she was only half way through her punishment.

     Her mind begged for the pain to increase to a level that would send her into unconsciousness, but the draught that she had been made to drink before entering the courtyard would ensure that no such blessed relief would save her from suffering the full quota of her sentence.

     "Twenty".

     As the leather continued to mete out her punishment, she was surprised to find that she had taken five strokes since she had heard the last count. Only ten more to come, her brain registered.

     She also became aware of something else. Her body was drenched in sweat that cascaded over the earth around her with each stroke. Her hair was soaking wet with the sweat and her tears that flooded from her eyes. Too, her breasts and nipples ached terribly and there was a strong feeling of arousal in her clitoris.

     "Twenty-one."

     Suzanne's body jerked under the impact. Her face turned to the sky, her mouth open in a silent scream. Then she lost control. Her head fell forward until her chin nestled on the knot of soaking wet hair. Her small hands, which until nor had held the chains in a vice-like grip, released their hold and her wrists took the full weight of her pain wracked body.

     The last nine strokes of her punishment laced across her back, each one sending her deeper into the orgasm that she could no longer control. Low deep moans, interspersed with a high pitched cat-like mewing issued from her sagging mouth filling the otherwise silent air between the 'crack' of each stroke.

     At last, the final stroke of the lash descended. Her ordeal was over but she only realised this as her ankles and wrists were released and she sank into a shuddering heap on the earth between the posts. Mercifully for her, the pain and her orgasm joined forces to allow her young body to sink into black unconsciousness.

     She surfaced to find herself back in the room where she had been taken after her branding. This time she was spread-eagled, face down, on the bed her arms and legs tied to the corner posts.

     Her back felt as if there were white hot coals pressed onto it. The first thought that entered her mind as she became fully awake was that she had, somehow, survived her ordeal. The second was that what she had heard was true. A girl did not truly understand her slavery until she had endured the whip.

     "I hope you have learned your lesson?" She heard the voice of Sheik Faiz who she now saw standing at her side.

     "Yes, Master." She shuddered as her voice croaked out the words. She knew that, this time, she truly meant them. Now she was the abject slave of any man who held a whip before her eyes.

     "Good. Next time I send for you I trust there will be no repetition of your insulting behaviour. If there is, your reward will be to be dispatched to a brothel that is unless I let Suleiman sever your head with his scimitar."

     Suzanne quaked at this last threat. She had narrowly escaped this fate once and her back had paid the price. She knew that, if she failed in her duty to this ogre again, her fate would be beyond endurance.

     "I will do my best to please you, My Master.' Suzanne stammered in reply.

     "See that you do, slave. Now you will remain here until you have recovered. Then you will be returned to your cage.' So saying he left the room.

     Suzanne felt a cold cloth laid gently on her burning back. She turned her head to see who was responsible for this welcome soothing and saw a young naked girl at her side.

     "Thank you." She whispered, risking further punishment for speaking to another slave.

     "It's alright." The girl whispered back. "They have gone and, as long as you whisper, they will not hear."

     "It my back very badly marked?" Suzanne asked. She had recovered enough nor to be concerned about her appearance.

     "It is covered with terrible weal's." The girl replied. "It was a terrible whipping you had, but you will not be permanently marked. The skin has not been cut, only badly grazed in a few places. You will soon heal."

     Silence fell on the room as the girl continued to replace the cold cloth gradually reducing the searing burning to a bearable level.

     Suzanne spent three days, as before, on the divan in the room. She was fed and exercised regularly and her strength quickly returned. Apart from the bruises, and a certain stiffness, the signs of her ordeal quickly faded but the memory of that whipping would remain in her mind for a long time to come.

Chapter  12

     On her return to the cager Suzanne's routine resumed where it had left off when she had been prepared and taken to Sheik Faiz's presence.

     The afternoon on the fourth day after her return to the cager her routine was broken.

     The door to the cage opened and Sulieman ordered her to crawl out. She did so and knelt before him, conscious of the wicked switch hanging from his belt.

     "You are to be prepared." He said. "You are to entertain the Master this evening. Follow me"

     Fearing that she was about to be ordered to please the ogre again, Suzanne began a mental build-up in her mind so that, when the time came she would be able to go through with the business without incurring his displeasure. Her back still carried the evidence of the whipping and there was no way she would let herself in for a repeat of that ordeal.

     During the next few hours she was well fed, bathed and her face and body prepared with cosmetics. As usual her sex lips, her golden fuzz removed, were painted black.

     It was early evening that she stood, naked, before Suleiman as he inspected her. She could see herself in a long mirror to one side of him and she was secretly pleased with that she saw.

     Her long blonde hair framed her heart-shaped face on which the cosmetics had been carefully applied. Her full but firm breasts hung sweetly their nipples bearing the golden rings. Her narrow waist gave way to a soft slightly rounded belly set nicely between her well formed hips below which her long shapely legs ended in small dainty feet.

     'I would be a credit to even a Sultan's hareem' she thought to herself.

     Once he was satisfied, after a few minor adjustments, that all was to his liking, Suleiman ordered her to follow him. Suzanne obeyed. Now , she thought, she was to be tested to see if she had, in fact, learned her lesson. She prayed for strength to pass the test.

     To her surprise, however, instead of taking her to the Master's bedroom, she was led to a room near the dining hall.

     Here a mask was placed over her face. She could see through the mask but it adequately hid her features from recognition. Suleiman, with the help of an older slave woman, then proceeded to attach several long gossamer veils about her body. '

     "Your Master is entertaining some guests this evening and you are to dance for them." Sulieman announced. "You are to wear the mask until your Master orders its removal. You will dance to your Master only, ignoring the others present. If you recognise anyone you must not let it be known. Understand?"

     "Yes Master." Suzanne replied, wondering what all the secrecy was about.

     "You are required to perform only one dance. The veil dance. This you will do perfectly or else you will be whipped again. Understand?"

     "Yes Master." Suzanne replied, a shudder passed through her body at the threat.

     "At the end of the dance, you will lay, on your belly, on the floor at your Master's feet. You will then follow any order he gives. Is that clear?"

     "Yes Master." Suzanne replied, the mystery deepening.

     She waited there for half an hour which, to her seemed like an eternity, until one of the servants came and told Suleiman that the audience was ready for the dancer.

     "Remember what I told you." Suleiman whispered menacingly in her ear as he led her to the door that opened in to the dining hall.

     There was a sudden silence in the hall then some musicians began to play. Receiving a light push from behind, Suzanne passed through the door and immediately began to dance.

     With the threat of the whip hanging over her, Suzanne danced as if her life depended on it. She moved seductively to the music trying to keep her eyes on the figure of her Master who reclined on a couch to one side of the hall.

     As was usual, Suzanne let her body respond to the tempo of the music, shutting all else from her mind. It was as she let the first of the veils float away from her that she suddenly recognised the man who sat to the right of her Master.

     To her horror, she saw the old merchant to whom her guardian had ranted to marry her. She felt her face blush with shame behind the mask. Of all people, he was probably the last person she had expected to see. The shock had made her, momentarily, falter in her step. She prayed that her Master had not noticed.

     As she moved around the area in front of the audience sometimes slowly and seductively and at other times as if in a frenzy, she tried to keep her eyes on her Master and ignore the man at his side. That soon, as she discarded the last veil, he would see her naked made Suzanne sick with shame.

     The dance progressed to the sound of the music and the beating of the drum which slowly became more persistent. One by one, Suzanne discarded the veils until only the last remained. Although this covered her from head to toe, she knew its transparency allowed the full detail of her naked body to be seen by the viewers.

     This last floated away and now she danced naked. She did not fail to see the lecherous look in the eyes of her Master and also in those of the merchant at his side. For some time she moved seductively around the hall until, with a final roll on the drum, the music stopped and she sank to her belly on the floor in front of her Master.

     "What do you think of my dancer?" She heard her Master enquire of his guest.

     "She is superb." She heard the reply. "You are a lucky person to have such beauty at your disposal. I envy you your citizenship and religion that permits the ownership of such creatures."

     "Do not be too much carried away by her beauty." Her Master replied softly. "It is not always a pleasure to own such creatures. They need a lot of control."

     "Yes. I had noticed the state of her back. What happened to her?" She heard the merchant reply.

     "Slave." Her master's voice made her jump. "Tell my guest what caused your back to be marked thus."

     Without daring to raise her head, Suzanne replied. "I insulted my Master. I was punished with thirty lashes of the whip across my bare back."

     "The insult must have been very serious indeed to merit such a punishment." The merchant said turning his head towards the Sheik.

     "It was." The Sheik replied. "But she is only an animal. She is of little value and it is a Master's right to do with her as he wishes. She is lucky she was let off so lightly."

     "I have seen all of the girl's body." Whined the merchant, "But her face is hidden. Surely such a lovely creature can not have a face that is so repulsive that it needs to be hidden behind a mask. Command her to remove it, All. Please."

     "I do not think you really wish to see her face." The Sheik replied.

     "Oh, but I do". The merchant continued to whine like a small child.

     "So be it." The Sheik replied. Then turning to look at the prone slave. "Slave. Stand up and remove the mask."

     Slowly, dreading what must surely follow but too scared to disobey, Suzanne rose and lowered the mask from her face.

     "Suzanne." The merchant whispered. "Suzanne Savart, by all that' holy."

     "You know this slave?" Enquired the Sheik of his guest.

     "I most certainly do." The merchant shouted, his face now red with anger. "She was to be my virgin bride. But she refused to obey her guardian and ran away. Not even his riding switch could make her see reason. Now I find her in your hareem."

     "Yes. She does tend to be disobedient on occasions." The Sheik continued. "I would consider gelling the slave to you if the price is right."

     Suzanne, standing naked before them, shuddered at this sudden change in the conversation's direction.

     "I am sure the offer is well meant." The merchant replied. "It was only her virginity that appealed to me. I expect that was taken some time ago, since she must have passed through many hands since she ran away. The price I was asked to pay for the privilege of deflowering her was well above the value of the prize."

     "There speaks a true merchant." Said the Sheik. "So you have no regrets at loosing her?"

     "None my friend. To a wealthy merchant such as II beautiful girls, and virgins to boot, are too readily available. The only regret is that I was not present when her guardian thrashed her. It was well deserved by all accounts. She even referred to me as 'an old decrepit cow. I quote her exact words as they were relayed to me by her guardian."

     "Is what my guest says true, slave?" The Sheik asked looking hard at Suzanne.

     "Yes Master." Suzanne replied softly, lowering her eyes, unable to look the ogre in the face. She had a strong suspicion of what was to come next. She was not wrong!

     "Such behaviour is not to be tolerated." The Sheik said looking at the merchant. "You say you no longer wish to own her, that is understandable. However, it is not too late to remedy her guardians neglect of your feelings." Then turning to Suzanne. "What punishment did your guardian give you, slave?"

     "I was taken to the stables and ordered to strip naked. I was bent over and tied to a table and the head groom gave me eighteen strokes of a riding switch across my bottom, Master." Suzanne could not prevent a flush colouring her face as she recounted her first experience of corporal punishment.

     Sheik Paiz beckoned Suleiman, who had been hovering nearby, and whispered instructions in his ear. The black eunuch, a smile on his lips, disappeared through a side door to carry out the instructions.

     Suzanne remained standing, naked, before her Master. That she had not been dismissed and gent away boded no good in her mind and she felt a weakness begin in her legs and she began to tremble.

     She had a premonition that she was to be beaten and she felt the usual stirrings in her loins that always, now, seemed to manifest themselves as a prelude to a beating.

     It suddenly dawned on her that her Master intended that the merchant should witness whatever was in store for her. A feeling of rebellion nearly exploded from her. The man who was, basically, the cause of all that had befallen her was to be invited to gee her beaten. This would add insult to the injury she was about to receive.

     She clenched her small hands, digging her fingernails into her palms to prevent her blurting out her anger and, thus adding to her suffering.

     After what seemed an eternity, the large double doors at the end of the hall opened. Suzanne's knees began to shake as Sulieman entered followed by four huge eunuchs carrying a heavy table. It was the sight of the long thin riding switch in the blacks hands that nearly broke her control.

     She longed to throw herself to the floor before her Master and beg for mercy. Her common sense told her that, not only would her pleas be ignored, but their satisfaction at her antics would be increased and would probably earn her a more severe thrashing.

     She stood immobile as the table was set down, end on to the watchers, and the eunuchs departed. The adrenaline began to course through her veins and she felt her nipples harden and her sex lips dampen as she anticipated the onslaught to come

     "Now, my friend." Sheik Faiz said, turning to the merchant. "I will now remedy this slave's guardian's neglect of your feelings. You will now see the slave pay for the insult she gave you. Eighteen strokes, I believe the slave said."

     "Ah, but that was some time ago." Suzanne heard the merchant say. "The debt has earned interest since then."

     "Spoken like a true member of the merchant class." The Sheik replied as he exploded into a fit of laughter. "Would fifty per cent interest be acceptable?"

     "I would have demanded a hundred per cent in normal circumstances. However I will bow to your judgement. I believe you said she had thirty lashes for insulting you, and that was with the whip."

     "As I said a true merchant. However, I suggest we compromise. The riding switch is ready to hand. I suggest she has the thirty strokes with that across her lovely buttocks. Anyway, her back is still badly bruised from the whip and I do not wish to risk another whipping in case it scars her body. I have plans for her that reply on her being in prime condition."

     "I bow to your judgement, my friend." The merchant replied. "To hear her sing her way through such a thrashing will be music to my old ears."