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Posted - June 14 2007 : 11:12:36 AM
This is a Mature Rated Fic, and contains some scenes of sex and violence. YOU ATTEST BY READING THIS STORY THAT YOU ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE. Minors whose parents may object should get permission before reading further. Reading this work attests that you voluntarily did so, knowing that it contains some material that may shock the shy or very conservative reader. (However, it is no more daring than many modern bestselling novels.)
As with all "Lost World" Fics, I do not own rights to the basic theme by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or to the New Line Cinema characters, etc.
Some relationships and situations may not be precisely as depicted on the TV series on which the Fic is based. In particular, there are now three couples in the Treehouse, which differs from the situation at the end of the Third Season of TLW. There is no reason why those persons couldn't have fallen in love, as one couple had already done on the show before it ended. The setting is beyond the Third Season and ignores the possible Fourth Season plot possibilities, as that season never materialized.
"Xingu!"
by
Explorer
Breakfast had ended in the Treehouse, and the occupants had drifted off to their particular projects for the day. Finn and Veronica were working in the garden when Finn broached the idea of a girls' day off, to explore the jungle. In particular, she wanted to visit some ancient ruins some ten miles away.
"Want to go, V?", the slender blonde asked her best friend.
"Can't, Finn. Ned and I are making some trade goods for our next trip to the bazaar, what you so charmingly call the Zanga Mall." She smiled to take any sting out of her words. "Sounds like fun, though. Ask Marguerite. Aren't George and John going to be busy with elevator maintainance, anyway? Did George say that you could go?"
"Yes, 'Mommy', I have permission from George. He thought it would be fun for us. Truth be told, I think the guys want some time to themselves. If I don't watch it, I tend to smother George, and he's a very independent guy. We're together a lot, and I need to remember to give him some space, too."
"Ask Marguerite," repeated the Layton lass. "She may be bored. Tell her that you may find emeralds. That'll get her to go!" And Veronica laughed heartily at her assessment of their mutual friend, the only brunette woman in their Treehouse.
"Sounds good," admitted Finn. "I just wanted to give you first crack at it. What if we DO find emeralds?"
"Then Marguerite needs them far more than I do. I have all the jewels that I need. Go ask her. You don't want to get too late a start if you girls do go there. It's quite a ways. You may be gone for two or three days. Are you sure that George can stand not being with you for that long?"
"Yeah," Finn grinned. "I taught him to use his hands for something besides creating miracles in the lab."
Veronica snorted. "Gad, Finn! Sometimes, your sense of humor is as bad as that of the boys. Go on; ask her. I bet she'd like that trip. Use a good compass and make notes as you go."
Finn found Marguerite and told her about the ruins.
"They do seem culturally interesting, and I've heard the legend that they find emeralds in the stream near there. I could use a break. Let me ask John if he has anything pressing for me. If not, I'll join you."
And that is how Marguerite and Finn came to find themselves in as much danger as they had ever faced, battling weather, headhunters, and savage animals.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 12 2007 : 01:56:33 AM
Later, they lay quietly in one another's arms, whispering tender compliments and expressing their love and their hopes for the future.
Finn turned on her side and leaned on an elbow. "Genius, do you really think that we have a chance of getting out of here?"
Challenger thought briefly, then told her that he was truly convinced that they would escape the Plateau, although he couldn't say when.
"We know for a fact that there are trails down off of this mesa. The Xingu and others have found them. But if we build a new, larger balloon, I believe that we can catch the right breezes and lift off on our own. We need not find those trails. By my calculations, the odds are with us. We shall probably get clear of the Plateau, then drift downriver until we wish to land and reprovision. I believe that we will do this. If a trail is found first, fine. But I will talk to the other men tomorrow and we will design and build this new balloon. "
"Even if we must for some reason remain here, and I doubt that we must, I want to have a child with you. Our son or daughter will undoubtedly be brilliant. We are remarkable people, and we will have remarkable offspring. I just hope that we can reach my own country, where we and our family can have all of the advantages of a modern life, and an opportunity to shine. What will you do, if you can. beyond assisting me in the lab and being a superb mother?" He was genuinely curious, and he knew that Finn would want more than being a housewife who helped her husband's career.
Finn played with her hair, thinking. She decided to tell him her new ambition, decided upon in the last few weeks, after talks with Ned Malone, the journalist.
"George, I want to to go hunting in Africa and in India and in America. But I also want to film wildlife, and I want to write about our trips to other places and what we find there. Ned thinks that there's a good chance that people will buy books about our adventures, here and to come. I can write pretty well now, and Ned is helping me to do better. He says that I have real potential." She was proud of this, for she had sometimes felt inferior to her companions. An orphan refugee, she was a clever survivor, but had lacked polish and the knowledge to flourish in a civilized society. Now, she knew that she had a marketable talent.
"I daresay that you do have potential," he acknowledged. "I recall that wonderful note that you passed to me in Xochilenque. With a little training as a writer, you should be quite competent. Yes, we should be able to do that. I will do scientific research, and you can write and take photos and make motion pictures. If we do have children, they can come with us when they are old enough. They will have adventures that their peers will envy! By Jove, Finn, you have fine ideas!" And he hugged her to him.
She glowed in the light of his praise, and told him how much she appreciated his confidence in her.
"Well, Darling, you are a woman worthy of me. You should be able to excel, particularly in such endeavors. That shoud be right up your alley!"
They soon turned off the light and cuddled together as they prepared to sleep. Finn snuggled next to Challenger and kissed him goodnight. He responded by caressing her legs and they rubbed noses. "Good night, Genius," she murmured. "See you in the morning."
"All right," he agreed. "seeing you is the best thing that any man ever woke up to. I love you, Finn."
And they slept, each content that they would have one another for years to come. And when Finn thought about it, she felt a confidence that she would indeed bear children for this gifted genius, this mind that overshadowed so many of his fellow scientists, and an icon among men and among explorers. And he's all mine, she reflected. She smiled and slept.
The End
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 11 2007 : 08:10:59 AM
He pulled her to him, holding her face in both of his large hands. He leaned over and kissed her brow, then her lips.
"Nicole, Darling, I still feel fairly certain that we shall in time find a means of leaving this place. I pray that it will be so. I want to see London again, and I know how fervently you wish to see a large, lively city. By the time you were six years old, New Amazonia was a shattered remnant of what you would otherwise have known."
"But the truth is, I cannot guarantee that we can ever leave, and it may be a year or more before we do. If we conceive soon, the child will be born in the cooler months here, which will be a boon, healthwise. I have come to believe what Veronica says about the excellence of the Zanga midwives, and I know that Xma'Klee will come, himself, if you need help. In a pinch, I rather fancy that I could perform a Caesarian operation to save you or the child. Let us hope that that will not be needed. It is always a risk, and I could not easily bear the thought of losing you, or our child. But if you truly want to have our first birth here, let us begin trying when your present supply of pills is exhausted. I will make up another batch for the other ladies, of course. I don't think they are quite ready to find themselves in a family way. I know that both Ned and John give the girls plenty of opportunity to become pregnant, if that pill fails to work!" He chuckled. "The last thing we need is for all three of you ladies to be with child at once. Anyway, what is your answer? Shall I try for fatherhood soon?"
Finn held him tightly, and said, "I'm ready as soon as the pills are gone, Genius. By then, I'll be adjusted to the idea. We've talked about this several times, and I guess we may as well see if I can grow babies. If I can't, we aren't married yet, so you can always dump me and marry one of those Haguean blondes." She snickered. The reference was to a tribe on the Plateau that was originally of Dutch origin. They had saved these people from the madness of one of Roxton's former associates, one Pierson Rice, who had thought to dominate them and force a marriage with the daughter of their queen. But Finn was not too concerned that George would leave her for one of those girls, or for anyone else. She knew that he had dallied sexually with the queen of the Amazons, but had not kept up that liason.
"Don't even joke about that, Nicole," Challenger warned. "Even if you cannot for some reason conceive, you will remain my woman. We can adopt a child in London if we must, but I seriously doubt that we cannot produce our own offspring. You practically ooze fertility."
"I do? Is that good?"
"Yes, Darling, for the purpose outlined. Otherwse, your innate sensuality helps to take my mind off of the lab, and I need that. You are one of the most intensely sexual women whom I have known. Yet, you are the most comforting to be with. You arouse me, but you also sooth me, and the ministrations for which the other girls tease you are a constant joy to me. I want to thank you for the attention that you constantly give. It is deeply appreciated. Even when I can easily do for myself things that you undertake to do for me, I relish the attention. I wish that I could find some way to repay you for that."
"George, you have repaid me, many times over. Just hearing me out when I have problems or am stressed is more than enough payment for whatever I can do for you. I sort of worship you, yes,and I get teased for it, but I'm pleased to do it." She giggled. "But if I'm so sexual a woman, it poses a problem for us tonight."
"Why?," wondered the scientist. "My arm is still painful enough that I had better not lean over you and have you in the manner taught to the Polynesians by western missionaries, but we have alternatives. That's assuming that you aren't too tired and want to just go to bed to sleep."
"I'm not that tired, and I'm horny as heck. I think it's the aftermath of recovering from the scare that the Xingu gave me. You'd better service me tonight, you big stud! But we have to decide whether I should let you undress me, or if you should sit back and watch me strip for you. What suits your fancy, Lover?" She nuzzled his chest and ran her hands down his back.
"Oh. So, this is the problem which we must solve? Finn, I am a genius scientist. That will prove no problem at all. Why don't you undress as I watch, then let me take your final garment? You like it when I do that, and I enjoy watching you divest yourself of your attire for my pleasure. That will serve both purposes, will it not?" He ruffled her hair, took her by the hand and led her back into the room, closing the outer door.
She leaned against him as they walked to the bed by flashlight and turned on the light. They took off their guns and put one on each side of the bed, on their nightstands, as usual. She collected both binoculars and put them in their cases in a nearby chair, and sat on the bed for him to tug off her boots.
Then he sat on the bed, taking off his own boots as she removed her top and shorts. She tossed them in the chair, and flexed one leg as she reached behind her with both hands to unclip her bra, the way that he said she looked so feminine and graceful doing it.
Clad now just in brief black panties with lace floral trim, Finn stood by him as he undressed, then sniffed his shirt. "Laundry day is tomorrow. This goes in it," she declared. She hung up his pants and put the other clothes in the laundry bag on the floor of their closet. Then, she came to stand before him, hands on her head.
"Want to look at my face as you take these off,or have me turn so that it's a surprise and a little scary for me when you take them?"
She looked mischievously into her man's eyes, and loved the warmth and humor that she saw there.
"Just stand there while I warm you a bit with my hands, then you can watch as I disrobe you." He ran his hands over her butt, knowing that she loved his touch there, and squiggled his fingertips over her back and along her waist. She broke out in goosebumps as her skin reacted to his caresses. He leaned forward and nuzzled one breast, tugging lightly at the other nipple with skilled fingers.
Finn groaned and ground her loins under his touch. She shivered. He ran a finger under the elastic waistband of the panties. "Take those off, Genius, and do me. I am so hot for you that I think I'll scream if you aren't plugged into me in a minute or so." She lowered her hands and began playing with his hair and ears, standing very close.
Challenger slipped the panties free, helping Finn to step out of them. He tossed them next to his .45 on the nightstand. Then, he nuzzled her tummy, his hands tickling her rear and her back.
Finn groaned and mewed. She knew what she must look like, face flushed, eyes now closed in passion, obviously in heat. A moment later, she lay beside Challenger, their hands busy with one another.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 11 2007 : 02:25:45 AM
"Oh, look, George! There's a meteor! A big one!" As they watched, the meteor split, the three divisions burning out within a second or two, yet leaving an indelible impression that would linger with them for the rest of their lives. The sight in the dark jungle sky was stunning. This must be how their primeval ancestors had seen such things, and trembled, wondering at the meaning, if any.
"Lover, do you think these things or comets have any special meaning? Do they prophesy things?"
"I should hope not!", he responded. "I should hate to think that Moctezuma II was right in his assumption that Cortes was a god coming to fulfill the Aztec prophecy of doom. But perhaps this one has been an omen for us." He paused, struggling to phrase what he would say next.
"Nicole, you have just a week and one more month of birth control pills. Do you want to finish that cycle, then go off of the pill and try to conceive?"
She was stunned. "Genius, I thought that you wanted to wait until we were in Britain. I'll try to get pregnant whenever you tell me to, but I thought that with the difficulty of raising kids here..." Her voice trailed off and she looked intently at him in the darkness, trying to read his barely visible face.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 11 2007 : 12:39:55 AM
Finn and George Challenger went to their room and looked out at the dark night, the lights off. They used binoculars to scan the heavens, something that Finn had recently taken to doing. She had awakened Challenger's interest in this, something that he had not done in years. It was an activity that they sometimes did together now before going to bed.
"This just floors me," Finn admitted. "Genius, we are so infitesimally small, compared to the universe. But what we have together looms so large in me that I almost faint when I think of how much you mean to me."
"Darling, you might as well be describing how I feel about you," the great scientist admitted. "You have filled my heart for the past year and a bit, and I had never thought to interact so completely with anyone. But you brought out the latent desire in me to share my life with someone with whom I would have this level of rapport. I had just never found that person before. I suppose that I was subconciously looking, and when I got to know you well, it hit me like a load of bricks dropped from a great height that I was in love like I had never been."
" You, too? That's what I felt like, like I told you once. Like I woke up all rosy one morning and I realized that I was in love. It was, like, totally different from the love that I have for Johnny, Marguerite, and V. They mean the world to me, but this...it was so different, so fulfilling, so natural and compelling. George, I do love you, more than I can say. You must be tired of hearing it, but I am so full of joy over being yours, that I can't help but say so."
"It's mutual," he assured her. "If ever anything has challenged my interest in science as my supreme obsession, it is you." He smiled, and she knew that he was teasing, yet he meant basically what he said.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 10 2007 : 02:08:55 AM
The Malones were tired and soon slept. The Roxtons and the Challengers were still alert, and talked with their partners for awhile before they retired.
Let us visit the Roxtons first...
"John, thank you for making that window. I feel much more secure. We are fortunate that nothing large came in through the curtains before, except for one big, ghastly snake. I still shudder to think what would have happened to us, had Finn not gone down to the kitchen and surprised that Xingu savage before he could cut all of our throats." She snuggled next to Roxton and propped herself up on an elbow. She talked to him with their faces inches apart.
"Too bloody right, " he acknowledged. "Good thing that George threw him out the window with no more damage than that nasty cut that he got in the process. But I think it was you, Madam, who kept us from harm that night. Ask me why." He smiled suggestively at her, and Marguerite's heart raced. She pretended only mild interest.
"Very well. Why? I'm sure that I haven't a clue. I was sound asleep until I heard all of the yelling."
"Because you bring me luck, Marguerite. I'm flirting, but I believe it, too." He looked seriously at her, then rolled over, sat up, and took her face in his hands. She sat up, too, both nude, she upright now, sitting with her legs crossed as she looked into his eyes.
Marguerite saw his eyes flicker to where her hands hid her most intimate place, and she moved them to her outer thighs, that his view of her be unimpaired. She had come to enjoy basking in his gaze, taking pleasure and reassurance from his admiration of her body, knowing that he also saw her heart and her mind with equal appreciation. His enjoyment of her was full and total, and she blessed Fate that she had met this remarkable man who had given her a whole new world. She still felt unworthy of him, but embraced the future that he promised her. He had taught her what love truly meant, and it had struck her with such impact that Marguerite Krux was for a time terrified to admit, even to herself, that she had fallen for Lord John Roxton like a locomotive dropping from the sky. Not that trains could fly, but with that sort of plunge...
He leaned over and kissed each of her eyes, then her brow between them, finally her lips, teasing them with his own and with his tongue so skillfully that she closed her eyes and concentrated on the sensation with all of her might. This was Paradise, she thought, or as close to it as she would know in this life.
His hands caressed her breasts, playing knowingly with the nipples until they grew as hard as the diamonds that had once been her primary passion. She gasped, and held him as his mouth moved to her neck, below her ear, and she moaned an incoherent sound that nonetheless said all that need be said between a man and a woman when he is arousing her. It was just as well she thought, for what he was doing left her all but speechless. He KNOWS what he is doing to me, she reflected, and reddened as she realized that her reactions let him read her like a large-type book. Oh, my goodness, if he puts a finger in me down there now, he will know at once that I am so eager for him to enter me that I am as wet as a tree caught in a Monsoon downpour!
She noticed that she was unconciously shifting her hips, her arousal evident. Roxton lifted her, and she slid onto his lap and impaled herself on his erect member as her pulse raced like a greyhound in pursuit of a hare. I am a slut in heat, and John knows that. I cannot hide my feelings for him, let alone hide what he does to light fires all over my body. I have known a number of men, but this one...and he LOVES ME! She shuddered and moved up and down on his shaft, hearing him, too, moan in delight as she applied herself to his need. It felt very satisfying to know that she could pleasure him so much. She knew that he had known many women, and wanted to be the best that he would experience, or even dream of taking. Some of this desire arose from her own vanity, but there was a strong element of wanting to please him as no other woman had, or would. This was born not out of vanity, but out of love.
Her heart swelled as he carefully lifted her off of his lap and laid her down on her back and entered her again.
His hands played with all of her that he could reach, probing her internally as he nibbled her neck and murmured things that thrilled her into her ear.
Marguerite swung up her legs and held him by the waist. "I've got you now, and I'm not letting go," she warned. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, dearest John!"
He laughed softly. "If you keep a grasp on me like that, Darling, you will be in no danger of losing me. Not that I will let you lose me. I want you with me until the end of time, Marguerite. My only regret is that we took so long to admit that we were right for one another."
"Are we?", she teased, "Show me, John, show me how right we are for one another. Not that I'm really in any doubt whatever..."
And so he showed her how right they were for each other, until she exploded in the most intense orgasm that she had ever experienced.
After, she lay still in his arms, telling him how much he meant to her. It was fairly easy to say, for he meant the world to her. He played with her hair, looking directly into her eyes, telling her that she was the perfect woman, and she grew warm inside and smiled as he held her.
In time, they slept, entwined in one anothers' arms and hearts. She thought just before sleep claimed her that she was the luckiest woman in the world, and never mind what Finn said. If this wasn't the romance of the centuries, the love of all time, Marguerite was satisfied with whatever it was that she and Roxton had!
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 08 2007 : 8:02:27 PM
During dinner, the group discussed their recent weeks, with emphasis on the Xingu episode.
After a time, Veronica said, "We had a really narrow escape. I shudder every time I think of how close we girls came to being led off of this Plateau to serve some heinous master who is only a savage by our standards. They are not known for kindness, either. You guys look better with your heads in place, too. Thank goodness for guns and luck!"
"You can say that again!", exclaimed Marguerite. So, Veronica did, as everyone groaned. But Finn grinned across at her virtual sister. Such droll humor was something that Veronica had acquired from the wry, often irreverent, Finn.
As they ate, an idea occurred to Veronica. "Why don't we make some rum punch and dance after dinner? Don't look so enthusiastic, Ned. I mean, why don't we dance as couples?"
Everyone laughed as Ned put on a disappointed face. He was getting used to being teased for his enthusiasm for watching the dances performed by the girls for the men. These were led by Marguerite, whose skills in Middle Eastern dance were supreme.. The men enjoyed these demonstrations enormously, especially if one of their women writhed directly in front of her man. In truth, the girls found this ego enhancing, loving how their erotic moves held their partners spellbound. But tonight was too late for that, and everyone was somewhat tired from the day's picnic and other exertions.
All agreed, and Roxton tried not to show the way that his heart raced at the thought of Marguerite waltzing in his arms.
Coffee and cake consumed, they moved a little of the furniture to give more room, and Ned set up the Victrola phonograph while Challenger and Marguerite selected some music.
Finn took Challenger aside. "Genius, can you hold me okay if we dance? Is the arm good enough for that?" She looked into his eyes with concern, and his heart was full with the knowledge of her compassion and her love.
"I shall manage, Darling. I can't put much weight on it yet, but if I hold you lightly with that arm, we will get by. No waltzing, but if we just do what you call 'slow dancing', I foresee no problem. And it will be wonderful to feel you in my arms again." He smiled and she glowed in the radiance of his gaze. She reached up and kissed him and they walked hand-in-hand back to the table.
The music began, and the couples danced, changing partners for variety on occasion. But each felt a special bond with his or her own mate. Finn saw how Roxton and Marguerite were looking at each other at one point and nudged Challenger to be sure that he noticed. He smiled and nodded.
In time, the dancing concluded, and they finished off the punch and some cookies, cleaned the kitchen, and went up to their rooms.
Before they ascended the stairs, Roxton pointedly closed the barred window gate that he and Ned had made since a Xingu intruder had entered that window.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 07 2007 : 10:44:36 AM
The others returned to the Treehouse as Ned and Veronica were further enjoying one another's company to the fullest.
Veronica heard the elevator first. "Gad, Ned, pull out!, she shrieked. "They're home!"
"Already?!" grumbled a startled Ned. But he rolled off of his mate and both scrambled for their clothes as the elevator ascended.
Veronica had her loincloth on and got Ned to fasten her top from behind as the elevator door opened. They heard Marguerite call, "Don't shoot! It's us! Come out, wherever you are!" She seemed happy...
Veronica brushed her hair hastily as Ned hopped around, donning his trousers.
Veronica went down to greet the others and Ned stuffed his shirt into his waistband. He saw Veronica's sky blue panties on a chair, and hid them under a pillow as he made up the bed before anyone saw it. He pulled on his boots as words reached him from below.
By the time that he staggered downstairs, cursing his luck about the return of his friends, Veronica and Marguerite were heating water for tea. Veronica realized that Marguerite had guessed what she was doing when they had started up to the Treehouse, but she refrained from teasing her.
Finn gave Veronica a speculative look, with the hint of a smile on her lips, but she also declined comment. She was slicing fruit and buttering a slice of bread for her man.
Roxton and Challenger sat at the dining table, where they waylaid Ned to tell him about their trip.
"I trust that we have heard no more from those perishing headhunters?" asked their leader. He stroked his beard, which Finn had trimmed the day before.
"No, George, it's been quiet here. We heard a drum message from Jacoba to the effect that patrols have found no more Xingu, or any more Zanga survivors." Ned had decided to be nonchalant, brassing out any chance that the others might guess what he had been doing. Challenger would just be mildly embarrassed that they had interrupted their host couple, but Roxton might give him a knowing look, and a smirk. So would Finn.
Finn came out and sat with the men, settling her chair beside Challenger's. They held hands as the couples caught each other up on what their day had been like. Veronica called that dinner would be ready in a half hour, and she and Marguerite soon joined the others.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 05 2007 : 04:54:49 AM
In the Treehouse, Veronica and Ned Malone had finished cleaning up after lunch, and retired to their bedroom. We will draw the curtain on what they did there, but they enjoyed one another's company to the maximum degree that two humans who are very attracted to one another can manage to do.
After, she lay naked in Ned's arms and they talked of many things, including those that were discussed by their friends.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 05 2007 : 04:45:08 AM
"What happens to them as time goes by?", asked Roxton. "Are they adopted into the Xingu tribe? Did Veronica say?"
Finn nodded. "She said that the Zanga girls can't become Xingu, but if they become pregnant, and the man who owns them agrees, they can be elevated from slave status to become concubines. But not full wives. The kids they bear are full-fledged Xingu, though, and are raised that way."
"So, they bear children that may have to fight their mothers' people..." mused Marguerite.
"Yeah," agreed Finn. "If they'd taken us, our kids would be half white. I wonder whether they'd be fully accepted, or maybe considered special?"
"Any child of yours would be special, Marguerite," said Roxton, taking her hand.
She glowed. "John, that was lovely of you to say. Thankfully, I will have some voice in whose child I bear."
"Really? Whose?" teased Roxton, and she tossed a lettuce leaf at him half heartedly. They looked at one another and laughed. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
Finn reached for the turkey. "Anyone want more to eat? We stil have some turkey and some ham."
"I just wish that I could perfect that formula for Dijon mustard," grumbled Challenger. "I am close, but the mustard seeds here are a little different. Oh, well, what we make is still good."
"Guard your pickle carefully, Marguerite," warned Finn. "If you take your eye off of it for a moment, one or the other of these guys will swipe it." But she offered her pickle to Challenger. He asked with a lift of his eyebrows whether she wanted it. She shook her head and extended it further. He took it and crunched happily down on it.
"A good dill pickle stimulates the mind. I shall probably think of comething colossal this afternoon."
The others groaned, and Marguerite asked Roxton if he'd like her pickle. "It's about time that you thought of something 'colossal', John. Maybe if you eat this and George is right, you could devine the way home."
He smiled tenderly. "Darling, home is wherever I have you. But, yes, I will eat that pickle and if I think of the way to Avebury, I'll let everyone know."
Challenger glanced up at the sky. "It will be soon be getting on toward evening. We should think of returning to the Treehouse. We have been exceedingly fortunate in having that available to us."
"I'm sewing Veronica some new clothes this week, by way of letting her know how much we value her hospitality," noted Marguerite.
"Good," said Roxton. "But we also help her in other very tangible ways. Had we not been here with our guns, she'd probably be a slave in the Xingu village now. They'd have hardly overlooked the chance to capture her, and they'd have found the Treehouse."
"I'm glad that it's a two-way street," his fiancee commented. Then, she smothered a laugh. "I can't believe that she and Finn made me learn to cook. But I'm rather glad that I can, after a fashion. I'm proud to be able to, to impress Roxton here."
And so the talk went, with the two couples packing up and going, returning to the Treehouse, happy in one anothers' company, their step spry and their faces animated and happy.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 05 2007 : 03:59:21 AM
Back on the Plateau, the Challengers and the Roxtons talked of the missing girls. The village from which they came had been visited by other Zanga after they saw the vultures and pterodactyls wheeling above it, and warriors had been sent to investigate. They reported the results and a tally was made of the known inhabitants. The men whose heads were taken had been determined by seing which faces were identifiable on the remaining bodies. And the woman and two small children who had fled were located and told the tale of the attack.
Jacoba was livid in his rage, and swore that if the path off of the Plateau could be found, he would send many warriors to avenge this atrocity. He ordered that the woman and the children, who were not hers, be found homes within the main kraal, his royal village. An unmarried man looked with favor on the woman and told Jacoba that she might dwell with him. He kept one child, and another couple adopted the other. Jacoba promised that he would send added food from the communal larders to these homes, thus helping those who had offered to succour their bereaved kinspersons to do so.
Veronica Layton-Malone had been at the main village when this happened, and she later told her near sister, Finn, what she had seen.
Now, Finn recounted this to the others as they picnicked on a grassy knoll above a wide pool in the nearby river. A cool breeze stirred the tepid air and the foursome sighed in pleasure as the heat abated and the grass stirred with the passage of the mild wind. The day was now actually quite pleasant, only some 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Ferns and flowers made their refuge delightful.
"At least, those poor fallen Zanga got buried and the survivors will have homes," said Challenger. "It pleases me to think that the destruction wasn't total."
"What about the missing girls?", Marguerite wanted to know. "Is there nothing that we can do for them?"
Finn shook her head. "No, Veronica said that without knowing how to get off of the plateau, we will have to give them up for lost, and just hope that they don't suffer too much. I asked V. what their chances are. She said that the Xingu wouldn't have taken them if they weren't pretty. They will probably have to do a lot of the housework in huts where they live, and the wives of the guys who own the Zanga girls may be mean to them. But they won't usually hurt them, because that would make their husbands mad."
Marguerite shuddered. "It terifies me to think how close we came to joining them. I wonder if white women would be treated any differently?"
Finn shrugged. "I doubt it, except that we'd have been displayed to others more often, being different. I don't like to think of anyone but George feeling me up the way that we would have been handled. I guess that you and I could have taught their women to dance, and not just the slaves. If we were hot stuff, the warriors would prize us even more than the Zanga girls. Maybe we'd escape, but I doubt it. They probably lock up those girls at night, and the way home would be a secret. We'd just be lost down there, off of the Plateau." She shivered, and Challenger looked at her with concern, and put his right arm around her. His left arm was still stiff, and he favored it. He would have a scar, but not as bad as if the native medicine that he'd finally used hadn't been so effective. Marguerite could remove his stitches soon.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 02 2007 : 8:13:55 PM
The week went well, and Challenger continued to heal. Finally, the Roxtons and the Challengers went on a picnic. For some reason, the Malones insisted on staying in the Treehouse, saying that they had some things to catch up on doing...
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Many miles away, the remaining Xingu warriors drifted in to their village. They came in twos and threes, and some were wounded, several carrying companions on litters.
Seven carried human heads to finish shrinking, the process having been begun on the trail, that their trophies not be spoiled in the tropical climate. One group led three naked Zanga girls on leashes, their hands tied behind them. One girl had been gagged, for she had screamed obscentities at them, wailing at the loss of her husband, whose head was among those taken. The others were too frightened to speak without permission.
These trophies and captives had all been taken in one last attack, on an outlying Zanga village not far from the trail which the Xingu used to leave the Plateau. With the exception of one woman and two children who had fled into the jungle, all of the inhabitants had been slain, or were now on their way to serve the Xingu as slaves. Some thirty of the Xingu had made this successful attack, and they were the largest group to return to their people.
They were led by a senior warrior named C'shish. He now made his report to their chief, who was dismayed to see what had become of the men whom he had dispatched to the Plateau. They had suffered the worst defeat in their history, and many women and children in their villages mourned the loss of a loved one.
C'shish now made his report.
"Great One, we have returned, those of us who can. We left this place 386 strong, and we are now but 74. All others have perished. The Zanga ambushed us, and they have white friends who are bewitched. Some Zanga now have firesticks, and these whites did, also, of course. And they live in a place up in a huge tree, where they have another strange firestick that rattles when it speaks, like shaking a gourd with stones in it. We fought well, but our losses were many. " He looked crestfallen, for pride was involved, as well as his personal feelings for his companions. He had know most since childhood.
The chief scowled. "What is this that I hear of your having chased two devil women? They are said to have brought this misfortune on you."
S'shish hung his head. "Great One, it is so. One was dark-haired, and the other with yellow hair, like golden grass in the light of afternoon. They were lovely. One of our scouts saw them, and we thought it would be easy to take them, though we were warned that they had firesticks. We came upon them in the night, when they should have been sleeping, and would have been simple captures. But they caused a great blast that killed several men and wounded others. You have seen their injuries. They escaped and fled from us, as no ordinary women might. They killed some of us with their firesticks, and two others came and helped them. One of those was also a woman with golden hair, probably this Veronica of whom captives taken in previous raids have spoken. She fought like an Amazon, and a big dark-haired man was with her. He is a great warrior and they had friends in the treehouse with more firesticks, including the one that rattles when it speaks. It killed many warriors."
"I am told," said the chief, "that the first yellow-haired girl called insults to you, in Portugeuse. She was Brazilian, not of the Plateau?"
"I think so," replied C'shish. "And the other whites also seemed not to be from the Plateau. They dressed strangely, and they had weapons not seen in that place."
An idea occurred to him. "Bring the captives. They will tell us who we have seen."
The three girls were led forward, and made to kneel, almost shoulder-to-shoulder. The insolent girl's gag was removed and they were given water. Their hands remained tied, and a warrior held each captive's leash.
"Tell us of the strange whites," C'shish commanded, as the chief leaned forward on his carved wooden throne, intent on hearing of these strange people who might be witches.
"We know them well," said the bravest girl, who was nonetheless shaking in fear as she spoke. She had no wish to be punished. "We go to our main village to trade and to visit relatives, and we have seen them there. They are guests of Veronica, who was raised by us and by the white Amazon women. The dark -haired woman is called Ma'Greet. She is some sort of sorceress among her kind, and she speaks many languages, and knows some medicine. All have tended to Zanga who were ill or injured, and they have great powers of medicine that amaze even the great shaman, Xma"klee. The fair girl is the woman of their white shaman, who is called George Challenger. He has a ginger beard. They once went against the Tecamaya, who thought that he was a man called Pedro de Alvarado, who looked like him. Perhaps he is the returned ghost of that man. I do not know. But he says that he is not Spanish, but from a place called Angle Land."
" All of these whites are from there, except for one yellow-haired man named Malone, who is from some similar tribe. The yellow -haired girl is from the Plateau, but a white Brazilian. She speaks both Portugeuse and the language of these from Angle Land. She is the woman of their shaman. She is known as Woman Who Kills, for she has slain many warriors in fair battle. She slew one with her bare hands when they went against the Tecamaya! Our men and our youngest queen, Sa'eera, who went with them, speak of her with awe."
"Is this so?" demanded the chief of another kneeling Zanga girl. Under his gaze, she knelt more upright, moving her shoulders back and her breasts out. She looked down, though, in full submission. She was terrified, and she wished to please this man.
"Great One, it is so. This one is also called Woman Who Heals, for she is the white shaman's woman. She aids him with their powerful medicine. She helped to save a warrior who was mauled by a jaguar. It was thought that he would surely die, but the white shaman and his woman saved his life, and he walks again." (See, "Spirit Jaguar", at: www.americanbty12.proboards62.com in Fiction.)
"She has other names among her kind. Sometimes they call her Nicole, and sometimes, Finn. The white shaman calls her Darling. I do not know which is her real name. Maybe she has many. Their ways are strange. Mostly, they call her Finn. Sometimes, the big black-haired white man calls his woman 'Darling', too, though. I think it is an affectionate name for their loved ones, those with whom they couple.
"Great Chief, I must warn you: this Nicole or Finn is from the Plateau, but she is from the future. I have heard others speak of her, and she is a close friend of our king's youngest wife, this Sa'eera of whom we have spoken. The white shaman makes a strange formula that has turned Sa'eera's brown hair like the color of the two white girls with yellow hair. King Jacoba likes women with this color of hair. Sa'eera was already his favorite, but he loves her even more, now. And the dark -haired woman has trained Jacoba's wives and a few others of our kind to dance for men in a way that excites both the men and their women, who are thrilled to so please their men. I have tried to move this way, but it is hard to learn. I am not as good at it as is Sa'eera, whom I saw dance when she showed my friend, when the queen visited our village. She moves very well. I see why men like this dance. The man whom I was to marry next month told me that I must learn this dance better, for it pleased him." She sobbed. "Now, he will be pleased no more. His head is among those that your warriors have taken." She bowed over, sobbing.
The chief turned to the third girl who was looking at the other, now crying, herself. She will be unable to speak well now, he thought, and turned back to the first girl.
"Why do you lie, saying that this Finn comes from the future?"
"Lord," she stammered, "this is what we were told, that she came here suddenly from a cave that travels in time, that the white shaman made. He has great powers. We fear him. But he is kind to us, and he loves this yellow-haired girl a great deal. One can see this when they visit our people. With her own kind, she is not fierce, but very female and loving."
"What made these big noises and flashes that killed our men?"
"Mighty One, I know not what weapons these people have beyond their firesticks. They have smaller firesticks in holsters on their belts, and these kill, too. Veronica uses a bow, though, with much skill."
One among the wounded warriors nodded. "I saw the yellow-haired girl slay one of us with a hand-held firestick. She pulled back on his head by his hair as he sought to bind her friend and she stuck this small firestick under his chin and she blew off part of his head. It was a sobering thing to see. And she slew another man with a knife. She is not an ordinary woman. She uses weapons as a man might!" He shuddered. "We were told that these white women were witches, and we should have believed that. They ran well for women, and they do not submit, even when they know that they might be slain for not surrendering. They are fierce, yet lovely." He hung his head in shame, for he was among those who were defeated by these women.
The chief looked thoughtful. He had heard similar stories from all who had returned. It was a sobering thing to regard. Perhaps these whites were wizards...They had certainly cost the Xingu many warriors.
"I have decided, " he spoke. "We will mourn our fallen, and the shamans will attend the wounded. The heads belong to those who took them, as is their right. Display them with pride, for they are our only trophies from a raid that has cost us more men than at any other time that we have gone against the Zanga."
"The Zanga girls will be given to those whom the returning warriors say fought the bravest, for they deserve reward. But these girls will also serve one week a month in the huts of the men who actually took them, if they are not also the men to whom they are given. This will reward all who deserve to have them." This was important, for the Zanga girls were not typical Amazonian Indians, more nearly resembling Polynesians. They were lighter in color and with different features than most Indians. Their orgin was unknown, but they seemed to have reached the Plateau from some place far off. Zanga girls were often beauties, as these were, or they would have been killed with their kin. They were famous for their looks, and considered great prizes as slaves. The Xingu women in whose huts the Zanga girls served were often jealous of them, and made them do most of the housework, as well as sharing them with their men.
"We have lost many warriors," the chief continued. "We will not go against other tribes for some time. We must wait until our boys have become warriors, and we must breed new boys before we dare risk more losses. We will fight for now only when we must. The Zanga girls will be bred by the men who own them, that they produce more men to attack their kind. They will thus atone in part for our losses to the Zanga. I trust that this duty will not be troubling to the men whom they serve?" He smiled.
The Zanga girls shuddered. They dreaded the thought that their forced mating might produce men who would someday kill their own people. Yet, they would strive to please their new masters, for they feared them.
Still, the strident girl wanted to make her will known. "I will conceive only daughters!" she screamed. "I will lie with my master, for I fear not to, but I will not lend my body to let you make more men to kill my kind!"
The chief looked at her with astonishment, for captive women did not express themselves to him in this way. He would surely have her publicly whipped, for she needed to learn her role here more fully. But now... he threw back his head and laughed, and his tribe laughed with him.
"Slave girl, if you can manage this, we will indeed know that the white shaman or this famed Xma'Klee has placed a spell on you. We will see. I suggest that you cease running your mouth and learn servitude. Otherwise, your arrogant mouth will cause you much pain here. Now, we will go to our homes and prepare the evening meal. We will mourn our dead tomorrow, and I will visit the men who have taken heads and congratulate them. I will award the girls tonight, as you men who fought tell me that they should be distributed. Let us eat first and think. The girls will be given to their new owners by midnight. Until then, confine them in the spare hut in the center of the village, Our women will bathe and otherwise prepare tham that they look their best when they are awarded to their owners. I have spoken. Let us make medicine to protect us from the vengeance of the Zanga shaman and his white colleague. We will bind up our wounds, and we will arise in years to come as even more formidable a force than we have been until now. Then, we will again make war. And we will avenge this disaster! I have spoken. Go. C'shish, I will see you further in my hut, now."
And so, the Xingu went about their business, but many among them mourned, and some feared the supernatural, for this raid might have provoked further troubles...Perhaps it was best that they had not captured the white women, for they probably were truly witches. The Xingu needed no more harm done to them, for now.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 02 2007 : 09:43:20 AM
Challenger soon woke, feeling much improved. He took another dose of his "analgesic medicine", basically asprin, and one of his antibiotic pills, then they inspected his arm again.
"Wow, Genius, that looks a lot better," said a delighted Finn and kissed him. "You healed yourself, or will. I can't wait to tell Xma'Klee."
Challenger chuckled. "I don't know that I would do that, Finn. A physician hardly likes to be told that he wasn't essential. And Xma'Klee does fancy himself to be quite the thing in witch doctors.
I feel sure that your kiss earlier was of much use, although I wouldn't go so far as to say that we demonstrated this via the scientific method. For one thing, we should have to show repeatable results. The kissing, I shouldn't mind, but being repeatedly cut to see if the kisses worked is not a pleasurable thing to contemplate."
She sat on his lap, hugging his neck. "George, I could just give you a few 'preventive kisses'. If you don't get cut again, we'll know that it worked." She was beaming, happy to see her man sitting up and making a joke.
The Roxtons and the Malones laughed, and Veronica told him about the pie. She knew how he felt about blackberry pies, and sure enough, his eyes lit up. "By Jove, that was nice of you, Veronica! I can hardly wait until dinner is past to taste it."
So, they finished getting dinner together and talked of their day. Roxton finally got to tell of his hunt and how excited Marguerite had been to find the nuts, as well as some herbs that they needed, plus the two prime rodents that they had shot. The dark, rich meat was a needed addition to their larder, and they looked forward to eating them over the next few days. Some of the meat could be kept in the refrigerator for a few more days. Tonight's repast was jungle fowl, similar to the same colorful Asiatic bird that had been bred to create the domestic chicken. Not native to South America, they were nonetheless on the Plateau, along with several species of pheasant. Challenger had quipped of them, "I can't explain them. I just eat them!"
That night passed better for the Challengers and the Roxtons than had the previous one, although George still favored his arm and nothing too acrobatic happened in their bed. Finn teased him about the wry showgirl's adage of a gentleman being a man who leaned on his elbows. He smiled. "Sorry to be so ungentlemanly tonight, Nicole, but you'll have to take a rain check. The arm is miles better than it was, but I dare not risk further damage as it seeks to heal."
"I'll do the work. Just lie back and let me get on top. After I manage what I need to, we can just cuddle." And so, she satisfied both of them. But each felt even better later, just lying in one another's arms, rejoicing that the wound was now clearly beginning to heal. This time, he slept on the outside, Finn to his rear when they were on their sides. But they went to sleep on their backs, so that he could put his arm around her and she could lay her head on his shoulder and tell him how good it felt.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - August 01 2007 : 11:17:58 AM
The guns cleaned- and they cleaned almost all of those kept outside the locked arms room - Finn and Roxton washed their hands and helped clean up the Treehouse, while the Malones worked in the garden. Marguerite did some sewing, including new lingerie and a dress for Veronica. She used Veronica's mother's sewing machine for most of the work, resorting to handsewing for only the refined lace trim. Her work was exquisite, as ever.
Then, lunch came and they ate at the main table, talking quietly, so as not to disturb Challenger. He finally woke as they were cleaning up and wanted to work in the lab.
They sat with him as he ate, then the Roxtons went hunting while Finn helped Challenger on a couple of projects. He soon tired, though, and she talked him into lying down on the couch near the windows in the main room, while Finn read. In time, she set aside her book and curled up next to him as he slept.
Veronica found them that way, asleep and intertwined, cuddled together. Challenger's fever seemed slightly less. Veronica smiled at the couple and the sweetness of their union. Finn had to be beside him even as he slept... They were so close... She tossed a sheet over them and led Ned up to their room.
"George and Finn are asleep and John and Marguerite are away, and I am all alone with you, Mr. Malone. What are you going to do about it? I'll do what you wish, but I am a shy young girl, and you will just have to explain to me about your wicked ways." She grinned, fluttered her eyelashes, and stood against him, rubbing noses.
He smiled back. "Who said that I have wicked ways, Princess?"
"You'd better have wicked ways, Buster. When was the last time that we had the place to ourselves, especially during the afternoon?"
"Um. You have a point, Sweetheart. I always said that you were smart for a blonde. Want a backrub for a start?"
"Sure. Let me get these clothes off, and your hands can work their magic on my weary muscles. We really need to get Challenger to invent some gardening machinery." She looked more serious. "Do you think that he'll be all right, Ned? I'd hate for him to lose an arm or worse, just because he's too proud and too stubborn to send for Xma'Klee."
"He'll be okay, Baby. If he takes a turn for the worse, Finn will be up here letting us know. He has the best nurse available, at least from an attitude standpoint. She loves him, and isn't going to let anything happen to him. Hand me your loincloth and lie down so I can take your boots." She had already tossed her top on a chair near the bed.
"Here." Veronica passed him the loincloth and clowned in sky blue panties and her boots, a hand on her hip, striking a glamour pose. "How do I look, Ned? Is this shade of blue good on me?"
"Veronica, you look really great, and I'm not saying that just to get you in the mood for fooling around or because I want you to bake a pie later. I mean it: there is just something about that shade of blue that is so innocent and pretty, like your blue party dress. You look so young and fresh it in those. I almost hate to take them off of you. But I will. I just wish that we had the place to ourselves for a whole day or so, and I'd insist that you wear just those and sandals the whole time when you were dressed...sort of. You are so beautiful..."
She looked fondly at him and held his face in both of her hands. "Oh, Ned, you really mean that, don't you?"
"Well, sure, I never make up compliments. With you, I just tell the truth."
She felt the heat of her blush as she responded to his sincere remarks, and lay down and raised her legs so that he could take her boots. "You just earned that pie, Ned. I'm just so sorry that we don't have apples here. I'll use blackberries. George likes those, too. Maybe if I bake blackberry pie, it will help him to feel better. His poor arm must hurt so much." She raised her hips. "Here, take these off, too. I like for you to do it. I don't mind undressing for you while you sit back and watch sometimes, but usually, I want you to take the last bits off of me. I feel more like I'm giving myself up to you or something. It feels a lot better than I'd realized it could. I like belonging to you, Ned. I'm just sorry that I was too stupid to see sooner that we could be so good together. I love you, Neddy." And she glowed as he slipped the panties off, grabbing him by the neck and kissing him before she rolled on her stomach and let him massage the kinks from her tired muscles.
"I love you, too, Baby. And you weren't stupid. We both just needed to sort out some things before we realized that we were meant for one another. But that day when you were led past where I was hiding in Xochilenque, on that leash, by those Tecamayan creeps, I suddenly knew that the time had come to make up my mind to get my ring on your finger, if I could. And I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer, so it's a good thing that you said 'yes' when I had a chance to ask." (See, "The Crystal Skull" on the old Orth board: www.americanbty12.proboards62.com in Fiction.)
"Oooh, Neddy! So masterful!", she teased. "But I knew when you and Finn walked in to where they were holding me and I saw your face, that I was going to walk out of that room as your woman. I felt so scared and so thrilled and so like everything was finally coming together for us, and it was the most natural thing in the world for you to take my hand and lead me away, yours. My heart was beating a thousand times faster than usual, and it wasn't all because I was scared out of my mind that the Tecamaya were about to catch us again!"
He knelt beside her and kissed her. "If only you knew how lovely you looked in that wonderful little loincloth, tied that way, in that gilded cage, looking so happy when Finn and I stepped in and she shot that guard...Baby, you were like a dream to me. I was almost transfixed by that vision. I could barely move and do what had to be done. I just wanted to stand there and stare."
"I must have looked pretty good, " she conceded, "considering how long you waited to offer me your shirt until we could find my clothes again! We were several blocks away before you managed to think of that." She pouted.
"I was kind of busy, and I admit that I was gawking. I saw Finn smirking out of the corner of my eye. Veronica, I'm still gawking. Just roll over and face me and lie like that while I get my eyes really full of you, then we'd better do whatever we're going to do before George wakes up and Finn feels the need to run up here and tell us whether his fever has risen or dropped by one degree, either way."
Veronica laughed. "She is pretty solicitous of him. Okay, Ned. Look all you want. I love looking at you looking at me, especially that way. I feel like I was Finn on that pedestal that he has for her in their room. Like I was a goddess, or something. It's nice. And I know you mean it. That feels so good!"
"In a minute, something is going to feel even better, " he promised, reaching for her.
When the Roxtons returned three hours later and found the Malones baking a pie in the kitchen, they wondered what was so special about a pie, as nice as it was to have one...But Ned and Veronica seemed happier than they had been in weeks, and they kept touching one another, blushing and smiling. Finally, Marguerite led Roxton out as he was telling the story of how they had shot two fat agouti and found some nuts on the way home. She sat him down at the table, kissed him, and said that she would bring coffee out, but to let Ned and Veronica have the kitchen to themselves.
"You can tell them your hunting stories later, John. They have enough to concentrate on just now."
"Baking a pie is all that complicated?!", he protested.
"No, Darling. But they are. Baking that pie is the least of what's going on in there, and we need to be out here. Where you can practice looking at me like Ned is looking at her."
"Oh," said Roxton, a light coming on in his mind.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 30 2007 : 09:59:28 AM
When breakfast was finished, the Roxtons and the Malones cleared the dishes while Finn went to the lab for some wound dressings and set water to boil in the kitchen.
Then, Challenger shrugged off his shirt, grumping that everyone was making too much of a simple cut from some intrusive savage's knife.
"The man was a fool. He should have shagged his cretinous hide back to his miserable village, wherever that may be. Instead, he came here and threatened my woman, the love of my life, and the best lab assistant whom I have ever had. I could not allow Finn to be at any risk, and I dealt with him. I just got sliced a bit in the process, that's all."
Finn leaned over and kissed him. "You were so brave, Genius! I thought that I was done for until you arrived in the nick of time. You guys should have seen George! He went right after that Indian jerk, unarmed. He just barely dodged the force of that cut, or he would probably have lost the use of that arm. I saw how hard the Xingu struck at him. Come on, George, lets' get that bandage off and look at that cut in daylight."
They moved to the table by the veranda and opened the bamboo curtain to admit bright sunlight. Then, Finn and Roxton unwrapped the bandage and examined the wound.
Finn felt Challenger's brow and winced. "George, you're pretty feverish. And that cut doesn't look good at all." She examined it and she and Roxton exchanged looks. The slightly jagged-edged cut was reddish and inflamed, and there was pus forming in it.
"What?" demanded Veronica. "Let me see." She was not pleased by what she saw.
"George, we'd better signal for Xma'Klee to come. That looks red and angry and there is some pus there that has to go."
"Pshaw!," snorted Challenger. "I am damned if I need some jungle witch doctor, however much he may be above most of his kind, to treat me. We have other options. John, go get a bottle of wine, something not the best that we have remaining. Galen, an ancient Roman physician, said that he used it to treat wounds on gladiators. Said that he never lost a patient whose wounds were survivable, provided that he washed out the injury with good red wine and packed the area with a wine-drenched bandage."
"Why not just use brandy, George? If it's the alcohol that matters, I have a small bottle of that which we can use. Saves getting into a bottle of wine that we can share at mealtime."
Challenger shook his head. "No, John. That would surely fight infection, but I have been looking at bacteria cultures in the lab and treating them with wine and with grape juice. Of course, our fine Bordeaux and Burgundy wines are more concentrated than grape juice, and the grapes here seem to be the American Concord variety, not those of France. How they got to this Plateau, the Deity alone knows. But the juice does fight bacteria, if not as well as the wine. That kills the ability of the bacteria to reproduce, and my lab mice have recovered from injuries that should kill them after I treat their cuts with the wine. It has an antibacterial effect. I will describe it as antibiotic. Serves to kill off a sore throat before it can get really well established, too, I've found. We'll go into the kitchen and thoroughly rinse this wound with wine and pour some on the new bandage. By tomorrow, I should be much improved. Marguerite's splendid stitches look good, and will help me to heal.
If it is not better by then, I will make a poultice of those leaves that Xma'Klee said will heal, and we'll try that. But I will not summon him in person until I know that I cannot deal with this on my own."
"Why, certainly, George; handle this yourself. Have you ever heard the saying about pride going before a fall?" Marguerite was clearly worried. "Of course, if your wine remedy doesn't work, we can just have Finnykins kiss it and make it all better!"
"Marguerite..." warned Veronica, who knew how Challenger would probably react to her sarcasm, especially if she suggested involving Finn in any way that he thought demeaning or likely to endanger her.
"It's okay, V.," said Finn. "I will kiss him and if he gets better, it's scientific proof that I am a great healer." She fluffed Challenger's hair and kissed him. "There. That should take care of it. I don't have to kiss the actual cut. My kisses are very powerful: their influence ranges through his whole body." She grinned. "But we'll do the wine thing, too. Just in case." She looked pointedly at Marguerite, as if to say, Don't make jokes about my man and his ideas when he hurts.
"I'm sorry, George, Nicole. But really, dare we risk not doing everything possible? George, you are beginning to look quite rough around the edges. Do you feel feverish?" Marguerite's cool hand explored his head and she announced that he did have fever.
And by the time that the wound had been cleaned as he specified, with Finn ensuring that the job was done to perfection, Challenger did feel faint. He decided to lie on a couch and talk to Roxton and Finn as they cleaned their guns on the veranda. Finn excused herself and went upstairs and came back down in her usual black shorts and cropped top outfit, but in sandals rather than her boots. She had her beloved Smith & Wesson .38 and some cleaning solvent and oil.
She and Roxton set up on the table where they had sat to see the injury, and as they cleaned guns, they chatted with Challenger. Roxton pretended to be casual, but listened carefully for any sign that their leader was growing worse.
Marguerite brought her .38 to Roxton to clean,then made lemonade and brought some out to the table. She made sure that Challenger drank a glass, telling him that he needed to drink lots of fluids, and rest. "The juice has Vitamin C in it, too, and that seems to help fight colds. Maybe it helps to heal a wound, too." She sat by him and held his hand at times, talking quietly until he slept.
Roxton smiled. "Good job, Marguerite. I always thought that you were too exciting to put a man to sleep, but I'm glad that you did, on this occasion. Best thing for him."
She smiled back. "Maybe I'm getting boring in my advanced age."
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 29 2007 : 6:15:51 PM
Finn's face lit up as she registered something. "No, V., not to dance in. I just modeled it for him a couple of times. It did get his attention. Hey: may I borrow the Victrola as soon as George's arm is well? Ned or Johnny can bring it up to my room while George is busy in the lab. I want to surprise him. Show me later what moves you used on Ned. It sure seems to appeal to men. George is going to get a surprise that he will remember, if I know him at all. Please? I won't play it very loud." She had a pleading look on her face that melted Veronica's pique.
"Sure, Finn. Just don't give George a heart attack. I've seen you dance, and I'm not going to be able to give you much help with that. You're already damned good. But I'll show you what I can and you can try to copy it, if you want. Ned can watch. It will make his day." She laughed, and even the grumpy Malone smiled.
"By the way, the Layton lass continued, "why are you in that cocktail dress? Did I miss something that calls for it?"
Finn repeated her explanation, and Veronica shook her head, smiling. "Well, we do odd things for our men. Just stay away from the stove this morning. If you get grease on that dress, Marguerite will kill us. She worked really hard to make it."
"Sure, I'm cool with that. I just came to get George some more eggs as soon as some are ready, once you have what you need. Is the coffee ready?"
And she waited for the eggs and coffee, Veronica giving her the first eggs that she cooked, for Challenger's plate.
She went out to the table, and Veronica noticed Ned's expression. She said, "Giving Finn those eggs got her out of the kitchen, didn't it? Come here, Studly. I want a major kiss from you before I cook the next batch of food." And she drew Ned to her and got a liplock on him and they began making out so intensely that Ned's heart galloped. He loved this new, more relaxed Veronica, no longer shy about sex. Whatever they had done last night, she was still excited by the attention that she had received and wanted more of it.
The grease in the pan had begun to smoke as Marguerite walked in and loudly cleared her throat. The Malones sprang apart. Veronica made a point of paying attention to the stove. Malone had a silly grin on his face and Marguerite hid a smile as she filled Roxton's cup and her's and went out to the table again. She was very happy for Ned and Veronica. Love makes the whole world smile, and the Treehouse was a small world that rejoiced in the Malones' happiness this day.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 29 2007 : 5:47:18 PM
Tapir ham and bacon were served with the eggs, and whole wheat toast was there, made from wheat in a nearby field, planted long ago by the Layton expedition. Challenger's electric toaster was praised, and the injured scientist smiled at the accolades from his friends.
Marmalade or jam was made form local fruits, for Veronica had perfected a procedure for this from her mother's cookbooks. In all, breakfast was one of the better meals of the day, where the surrogate family gathered and shared their thoughts and plans. It was a bonding experience that they loved.
In time, the Malones came downstairs, dressed as usual. They were holding hands, and when they saw everyone else looking at them, they blushed, for they were certain that all had guessed the reason for their tardy appearance.
"Hi, V., Ned," said Finn, trying to keep a straight face. She failed, and laughed. "Everything 'satsfactory' with you guys?"
"Just let it be," snapped Ned. "We are not usually the last ones here. We were just really tired from all that happened yesterday."
Roxton just managed to avoid laughing. He looked down at his food, hoping that Ned hadn't seen him almost share in Finn's laugh.
Marguerite slapped him on the hand, trying to suppress a smile of her own. They looked at one another and grinned.
Challenger smiled, and suggested that they get a cup of coffee and make a new pot. "There are ample eggs and meat and fruit left, and we are happy to see you. Please ignore the smiles of my adolescent companions." But he, too, was smiling. Then, he struck his arm lightly on Finn's chair as he reached over to put an arm on her shoulder, and Veronica noticed him wince.
She was at once concerned. "George, how is that arm? Does it hurt?"
"I'll live," replied the genius scientist. "For a time I may wish that I hadn't, if this doesn't get better. I shall have to have a dose of my analgesic medicine this morning, I daresay. But eat, and let us all catch up on our plans. And I hope that you and Ned slept well...eventually?" He was now unable to avoid a grin of his own.
Finn nudged his ribs with her elbow, but she was still smiling, too.
Veronica blushed scarlet, and took Ned's arm and led him into the kitchen, where she had him make more coffee as she began to prepare their breakfasts.
"Hyprocrites, all of them," grumbled Ned. "We have done nothing that they don't. Why are they laughing at us?"
"We're not laughing," said Finn, walking into the kitchen. She kissed Ned's cheek, then hugged Veronica. "We were a little worried about you two. We're just teasing, because you two are usually the most responsible couple here, and we know about Ned's wanting to see you dance, V. We're guessing that that got your night off to a romantic start?"
"You could say that," the blonde beauty answered. "Neddy does like to see me in that silly loincloth. By the way, Finnykins, I recall making one of those for you. Have you worn it for George yet?" She raised her eyebrows as if to ask, why are you grinning at me if you do the same thing?
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 29 2007 : 12:57:46 AM
"Morning, George, " said Roxton, making coffee. "I hope that you and your lady will trust Marguerite and me to make breakfast? The Malones seem to be late risers today." He looked at Finn in some surprise, but did no more than raise an appreciative eyebrow when Challenger's attention was on the stove. Finn grinned at him, blushing.
Marguerite was more direct. "Are all of your usual black outfits dirty, Nicole? That's quite a fashion statement for this early in the day. Are we celebrating something?" Her eyebrows were arched too, but not altogether in amusement, let alone admiration.
"Leave the girl alone, Marguerite," Challenger commanded. "Finn went through her dresses looking for something other than the usual, to help her feel better after what she and you have been through. In fact, is it my fault that she wore this. My arm hurts like the devil, and she may take my mind off of it. Have you murdered the eggs yet? I should like three, scrambled. Actually, if you have cooked enough for you and John, Finn will prepare mine while one of us makes toast. It looks as if John has about got the coffee issue in hand." He smiled wanly, and Marguerite realized that he was in some pain, probably more than he was acknowlodging.
"Sit down at the table, Genius," said Finn. "We'll get everything out to you. Johnny, why don't you join him? Marguerite and I can do everything in here by ourselves, and you men saved our necks yesterday. The least that we can do is to make your breakfasts."
"Sounds like a splendid offer, Finn. George, pour a cup and lets' go sit. How is that arm faring?" He looked at Challenger with some concern, having seen the wound as it was cleaned and stitched the night before.
The men adjourned to the table and Marguerite addressed Finn. "Sweetie, you want to be careful about offering our services to the men. They'll come to depend on that. It's the way of their kind. Not that I don't feel increasingly fulfilled by waiting on that man Roxton. He sort of brings that out in a girl. Now, give, Nicole: why the sexy dress at this hour? What am I missing?"
"It's mostly your fault, Marguerite." Finn was determined to play this game if the other woman was.
"How exectly is it my fault that you have shown up for breakfast in a dress more suited for a cocktail party? One that makes it obvious that you haven't got a bra on and that your frontal equipment twitches nicely when you walk? When I have I ever come down to the table at this hour, dressed like that?"
So, Finn explained about the need for a dark color because she was so fond of the indigo panties that Marguerite had made for her and didn't want them to show through a more discreet dress. "In the end, George picked this one, and I agreed to wear it to humor him. His arm hurts more than he lets on, Marguerite. After we eat, you need to help me get that bandage off and we'll see what the cut looks like." Finn was clearly worried, and Marguerite saw that she should shut up about the dress.
"Of course, Darling. I'll use my ever tactful and charming social skills to get him to agree. Does he have fever?"
"Some. Not bad yet, but enough to tell. And he's crankier than usual. He's been polite, but I can see his expressions. I think he hurts." She looked anxious, and Marguerite was sorry that she had been catty.
"Well, let's get him fed, then we'll see what needs doing. You'd better cook, unless you're afraid of getting grease spattered on that dress. I didn't sew it to have you cook in it. Look: why don't I cook while you stand back just enough to be out of range of any spattering, and you can coach me. I don't want to dry out the eggs like I did last time."
Finn thanked her and agreed to coach."First, turn down the heat. Let eggs cook slower. They're better and not as dry and tough. And take them up a little sooner, as long as they're cooked through. Marguerite, I am sorry about the dress. But you should have seen his face when I held it up. I didn't want to say no to him."
Marguerite squeezed her shoulder. "Love does that to us, Finn. Makes fools of us as we strive to cater to those whose approval we want. I know how you feel about George. I should have guessed. Only a man would think of wearing an outfit like this under these conditions. At least, he has moved beyond the day when he chided you for wearing dresses that he thought were undergarments." She muffled a laugh. "I quite like them, myself. But we all know that I'm a fallen woman, so my opinion didn't carry too much weight with him. I suppose that time has mellowed him, and his love for you. Plus, most men cannot resist seeing a woman in such things when they can. You do look quite pretty, Darling. How much butter should I use?"
And so it went, and breakfast was soon served. Marguerite had even cooked the eggs right, and glowed when told so by everyone else. She outright blushed when Roxton hugged her and congratulated her. Finn heard no more about her dress.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 28 2007 : 4:40:34 PM
Finn walked over to a pitcher on a table near the window and brought Challenger a glass of water. She did this partly because he had said that he was thirsty, and partly to let him see her saunter as she went to and from the pitcher. She put a subtle little swing and sway into her gait, knowing how good she looked in those dark blue panties, pretending that she didn't notice the way that his admiring eyes followed her.
Actually, Finn needed to give very little concious thought to her pace, for she was naturally one of those women whose walk made men stare and sigh with pleasure. She had used this to her and Marguerite's benefit when Avery Burton had held them in his slave quarters, and it had let her bargain for better treatment for them. Burton had hated Marguerite in particular. She was the sole rival to have beaten him in the past, and only Finn's distracting his lusts had prevented him taking out his anger on the other woman more than he had. (See, "Spirit Jaguar" at:
www.americanbty12.proboards62.com , in Fiction.)
She went now to the closet, looking for dresses that would let her wear the dark panties without them showing through. She found a white sun dress that she knew that she looked so good in that she half considered changing panties, just to wear it for him.
In the end, she held up several dark dresses and they selected a short navy blue slip dress that was rather sexy for day wear, but which he said that he wanted to have her in that day.
"I can't wear a bra with this," she warned. "Did you want me in one? I could always take the bra off for you later, the way that you like to see me do it. Where I reach back with both hands, and sort of bend one leg? And V. and Marguerite may make smart alec jabs if they see me in this when we aren't having a party, at night. Sure that this is it?"
"Yes, Darling. I agree with what you have said, but only we here in the Treehouse will see you, and I think that you are so lovely in it that it is our choice, if you are to wear those new knickers. And I want to see you in them later, after we find some time to ourselves up here later today. You have no idea of how delectable you look in them, and just sandals. Most women would kill to achieve that look. And you are my woman. I am greatly blessed in having you for my mate."
She grinned. "I like that 'mate' stuff, George. Makes me feel like you're Tarzan, talking about Jane as your 'mate' in those books that V.'s parents and Ned brought."
She walked over and let him see her close up as she moved in a seductive little dance before donning the dress. She knew how to achieve a subtle wiggle that ignited a man's lust as surely as if she had touched a match to spilled gasoline.
"Don't dance like that if you want me able to go down to breakfast without pulling you into this bed first," he warned. " Do that again later, and I guarantee that you will find yourself ravished, for I cannot control my desire if you do this when we have more time."
She laughed softly, and ran a hand over his hair. "Okay, George. I'll take a rain check on being ravished. It'll give me something to look forward to this afternoon. I'm sure not working in the garden today. After what I've been through, I think V. will let me off the hook about that." She pulled on the dress, feeling good about the way that he noticed every detail of the procedure. She made sure to squirm a little and adjust the dress once it was on, and this also didn't escape his admiration of her.
She even moved her shoulders back, knowing that her nipples would show a little through the tight fabric. Ohmigosh, V. and Marguerite are so going to razz me for wearing this, she thought, and decided to let Challenger reply to them. It would please her to hear him defend her, and they would understand if they knew that the dress was his choice. Later, she would take the other women aside and apologize for being so daring in her choice of costume that early, and on a day when no party was planned. They knew how much she strived to please her man, whom she saw as an icon, not just her fiance. They would make a few barbed remarks, but would understand. Anyway, by this afternoon, she hoped to spend a few hours up here again, the dress off. She could wear her black shorts outfit after, when they went back downstairs. In the meantime, if seeing her in this dress was what her man wanted, it was what he would get.
Finn brought over his clothes and watched as he dressed, the couple talking about things they needed to accomplish in the lab and elsewhere. He told her that he wanted his eggs scrambled that morning, and she nodded.
At last, they went downstairs. They heard the Roxtons in the kitchen, that couple having arrived there just a few minutes prior. Finn noticed that George was favoring his wounded arm, and determined to make him remove the dressing so that she and Roxton could check the injury after they had eaten. Infection was always a grave risk in this part of the world, and she wanted to be sure that he was healing.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 28 2007 : 3:31:22 PM
In the Challengers' room, the couple woke to a mixed reaction. Finn nudged George, who sat up abruptly, wincing as he put some of his weight on the injured arm.
Finn noticed, and held a hand to his brow, checking his temperature. "How do you feel, Genius?"
"I'm all right, Darling. A bit parched. I think I will go down to breakfast soon. Are you especially desirous of being ravished first?" He smiled at her, trailing a hand down her bare back.
She slid into his arms, and they kissed.
"I'm not all that horny, if that's what you mean," she commented frankly. There were almost no secrets between these two, the sole exceptions being confidences that Finn had promised Marguerite to keep between the two women.
"Then, let us just cuddle and kiss for a few moments, then go down to breakfast. I marvel that Veronica has not had Ned pound on our door by now." He consulted his pocket watch, kept by the Colt .45 revolver on his nightstand by their bed.
"What time is it, Genius?""
"A bit past eight. We have been left alone for longer than usual."
"V. was pretty exhausted by all of that running and fighting yesterday," Finn noted. "I'm still half bushed, myself. I'll feel better after I eat and move around some. And I think Ned had her up late after you killed that Indian bastard. He wanted her to dance for him, and that tends to lead to other things when they're alone." She snickered. "I bet they're still asleep."
Challenger chuckled. "I daresay that you may be right, Darling. Well, let us rise and dress and see what fare awaits us in the kitchen. If Marguerite is there, will you cook my own breakfast? It will taste better than if she does, but try to be diplomatic with her. Her kitchen confidence is still a trifle shaky, and I wouldn't want to discourage her."
She took his hand and leaned in and kissed his lips. "Sure, Genius. She won't think anything of it,if I insist on taking care of you. She's used to it, and only teases me about being your personal slave just a few times a week now. I think she's jealous that two people can care as much about one another as we do. I try not to say much about us having the Love of the Ages anymore. She thinks it's a reflection on her and Johnny if I say that I love you more than she does him."
"You may not love me more; you just love me as much as a mortal woman can love her man. And you express that love more actively than she does, although I'm certain that she cares very much for John, also." He played with her hair, looking into her blue eyes, seeing the depth of eternal love there, and transmitting the same with his own eyes.
"Yeah, but Johnny is just the ultimate man. You're a god, George. So, I get to worship you more than she does him!" She flashed her urchin grin, and the warmth of her gaze touched Challenger from his heart to his toes.
How fortunate I am to have acquired this girl and what she means to me, he reflected. I must be the luckiest man alive, certainly in this century.
"Don't blaspheme, Finn. I can claim no imortality, although our love may well be immortal. Perhaps we shall resume it in Heaven after we each pass on to our Lord's house there." He smiled and caressed her shoulder to take any sting from his words. But George Challenger knew that there was a greater god than Science, and he was shocked that she would compare him to the Deity. He knew that she meant more of a god in the ancient Greek context, but was still uncomfortable with the comparison. He was already uneasy about how their adultery was seen in Heaven, for he did not yet know that hs wife in Britain had already died of influenza, in the winter of 1921. He dreaded the confrontation that must occur when he returned to England and announced that he wanted a divorce, to enable him to marry Finn.
"Okay, Big Guy. I'll get dressed, Stay there, while I show you some things that I'm thinking of wearing today. I don't want to just wear my usual black outfit. And I want to stay around here, too. I'm too tired to get out much. That chase left me and Marguerite both pretty washed out. I still can't believe that it ended just yesterday, and that we're both still alive. Marguerite was more scared than if she'd thought that we might run out of coffee!" She laughed at this thought, and he joined her, marveling at her recovery. From hunted woman and grim killer of the day before, she was now his loving charmer, and making jokes about her terrifying experience. Besides, that did sound like a prime dread on Marguerite's part...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - July 28 2007 : 04:26:06 AM
Next door, Marguerite Krux stirred and kissed Lord John Roxton. She cuddled closer and nibbled at his ear and neck. But they only hugged and talked and ran their hands over one another in morning greeting.
"Mind if I take the morning off from sex for the moment?", she asked. "I want us to go on a picnic and bring a blanket and you can ravish me after you devour lunch. I need to walk around here and work out some kinks before we do anything heavy duty. I still ache from running for my life for two days."
Roxton smiled. "I've never noticed that walking around worked out any kinks for you. You've always been as kinky in bed as I'd ever want. At least as much..."
"Very funny, Lord Roxton. Anyway, just feel me up enough to make me know how appreciated I am and I will promise you wild revels later. If you are lucky, I will then rise and make your breakfast. If you are even luckier, Veronica is already in the kitchen, and SHE will make your breakfast. And mine. It'll taste better. But surely you will acknowledge me as having managed to achieve Journeyman rating as kitchen slave?"
Roxton laughed. "You haven't poisoned me. Yet. And, yes, you have managed to rise above the raw Apprentice level. I've kept down whatever you have put in front of me, so far. Sometimes, I think that there is real hope for you. I may be able to dismiss the cook on our return to Avebury. Or, let her work part-time hours."
"John! Don't you dare fire the cook! I'll labor in that kitchen in this tropical hellhole, but I expect to be treated like a lady when we reach England!"
He held a breast in his hand and manipulated the nipple while nuzzling the side of her neck. "Is that what you want to be treated like, Marguerite? Wouldn't you rather be treated like this?" He chuckled as she growled in pleasure.
"Well, maybe a fallen lady," she conceded. "And, on that note, John, I have so totally fallen for you that I will sometimes give the help the afternoon off and cook for you. Personally. I have never made that offer to another man."
"And I suppose that many a man has sighed in relief that you haven't," he countered, and laughed as she struck him with a pillow, both howling in laughter.
"I think that I had better run down the hall for a moment," she noted.
Rising, she pulled on a short dressing gown and let herself out the door. She ran quickly to the ladies' room without particularly registering any noises. But as she sauntered back to her room, she passed the door of the Malones' room and heard noises from within that made it abundantly clear that Ned and Veronica had yet to reach the kitchen.
Marguerite listened briefly, and she grinned wickedly. I can think of ways to tease Veronica until she blushes scarlet over this, she thought. That doesn't work with Finn, who just grins and looks triumphant and satisfied and asks if I need any advice. As if that snippet of a girl could teach ME anything. But her pal V. is much easier to embarrass...
She walked back to the bed and tossed Roxton his clothes. "Up with you, John," she demanded. "Judging from the moans and groans and feminine sighs that I just heard coming from Veronica's and Ned's room, I think that we must make our own morning repast."
He sat up, and she looked with pleasure at his exposed body. She had twitted him for his midnight run in the altogether as Finn had screamed for help, and had taken him his trousers before he had helped to search the Treehouse for intruders. Now, she smiled with pleasure as she beheld his prowess, his arousal half evident, even though he wasn't anticipating any action until later in the day.
"What about George and Finn?", he wanted to know. "Aren't they in the kitchen yet?"
"No, it's quiet down there. No lights, and their door is still shut."
Roxton dressed, a concerned look now on his face. "I'm worried about that knife slash that George got," he admitted. "It looked pretty ugly. I'm glad that you sewed it up so well, but infection is always a danger in this climate."
"Well, if they don't show by the time that I have eggs and ham cooked, you can rouse them and be sure that he's okay, as Ned says. How the Americans managed to get 'all right' from that term boggles the mind."
"It has to do with some Presidential candidate there coming from some place called Old Kinderhook. He abbreviated that as 'O.K.', and said that O.K. was all right, and it sort of got corrupted to mean that okay was all right. I asked Ned. He said that few know that any longer. It was back in the 1880's, I think. "
"Well, aren't you the wizard today?," she razzed. "Come on, finish dressing and escort me to my fate as kitchen slattern. I'll do my best not to poison you, if you'll praise my coffee."
"Very well: you can be kitchen slattern, and Finn can be the serving wench when she gets down there. I will happily sit at the head of the table and the pair of you can wait on me. Being a lord has its compensations."
"Oh, funny man! Anyway, Finn is already serving wench to her own lord. George is such a lucky fellow, and he genuinely tries to be worthy of her adoration. It really hurt him that he couldn't go to her rescue. As awful as that event was last night, I am glad for his sake that he got to redeem himself in her eyes and his own, by killing that impudent savage who made his way into our humble abode. He needed that, and she did, too, on a lesser level. She liked being saved by him, and he loved saving her."
"What am I then, chopped meat? Did I not save you, Madam? I did that rather well, I thought."
She smiled. "You did at that, John, and later today, when we are alone, I will show you just how I treat my hero. You will enjoy the experience, I fancy."
He tucked in the shirt that she handed him and pulled her to him. They kissed and held hands as they made their way down to the kitchen, going quietly so as to not disturb the Challengers. As they went down the hall, Roxton's eyebrows arched as Veronica giggled, then squealed. He heard the skirl of Arabic music from the Malones' room and looked inquiringly at his woman.
She shrugged. "You men tend to like those dances, Ned being one of the most enthusiastic. Apparently, Veronica is entertaining him so that he will entertain her as well as he was a little while ago. I promise you, she was enjoying that! I doubt that they will be down for breakfast anytime soon."
He leaned over and kissed her neck. "I daresay that they are having rather a lot of fun. Just think of the strain it would be on Ned's heart if she could dance half as well as you do."
"Why, thank you John. That was very sweet of you. But your heart seems able to stand the strain of watching me. You even seem to enjoy it, a good deal, I might add." She flushed a little, remembering how he had looked at her the last time that she had moved for his eyes on the dance floor. It had made her feel intensely female, and very desired.
"Yes," he admitted. "But then, I have a great heart that will withstand much excitement. Right now, I am excited about breakfast, and that you are making it for me. Want help? If you don't let it get around that I helped, lest it ruin my masculine reputation, I will assist you in getting things ready before I disturb George and Finn."
Marguerite hugged him and they went hand-in-hand downstairs, to where the kitchen and their uncooked breakfasts awaited.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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