The two girls waited patiently on the settee against the wall in the front hall of the estate while people buzzed about like busy little bees in their attempt to get the last of the preparations finished for their trip. Mariko and Courtney had both had a very long morning, trying to be patient with Allison's indecision about what their traveling outfits should be. She had finally settled on a secretarial look for her companions after ruling out, one after another: The girl's B&D Academy uniforms with handcuffs and ballgags (Too obvious), Flight attendant's uniforms with bondage mittens and adhesive tape (too boring), A cape raincoat and shoes - nude otherwise, with single sleeves and pump gags (too crass...). With each new request, Joan and Ma'am would scramble about collecting the outfits and restraints that Allison had requested and then, with the help of the stooges, they would get Mariko and Courtney completely dressed and bound only to have Allison enter, inspect our heroines and shake her head, "Nope... It still doesn't work for me... Try this..." and Ma'am & Joan would hurry off in search of more paraphernalia. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Allison announced, "I guess this will have to do!" Mariko squirmed in her bonds for a moment. Allison had dressed her in a bright blue, silk, double breasted suit with a short, tight skirt, matching high heel pumps and a white silk blouse that was barely visible under her jacket. They had meticulously bound her with thin white cord at the wrists, elbows, knees and ankles. They had also wound some cord around her body with three passes above her breasts and the same number below. This pined her arms securely to her back. She was a little afraid that these ropes would wrinkle her suit but no one else seemed terribly concerned. After they had pressed a knotted cloth into her mouth and tied it at the back of her neck any protests had become academic. Mariko glanced over at Courtney. Her blonde friend had been outfitted in a slinky white knit dress, with a hem line that was considerably shorter then Mariko's, a red patent leather belt and matching ankle-strap pumps. The perfect outfit for the office tease. She had been tied up in the same secure way that Mariko had been except her rope was red, to match her accessories, even her gag was red cloth. Mariko had little doubt that given some privacy so they could squirm around, they would have been out of these ropes in a few moments but unfortunately the guards at the Academy was constantly popping in and out as they brought various suitcases, trunks and other items into the foyer and piled them around the two seated girls. "This is Soooo humiliating," Thought Mariko as the pile around them grew steadily. "I wonder if they consider *US* baggage too?!" Her question was answered when one of the stooges appeared and began writing out labels with Allison's name and address, which she stuck to each of the suitcases. When she finished and started to walk away, she suddenly smiled and turned back. When she turned to leave again, Mariko and Courtney both wore a shipping label plastered across their foreheads. Ma'am and Joan, (Who was wearing the chauffeurette uniform) both passed by and chuckled at the two girl's predicament but did nothing to rectify the situation. Mariko and Courtney generally didn't worry about such petty inconveniences anymore. When their captors were ready they would be relieved of the stupid labels. Allison arrived shortly to survey the scene, she seemed a little surprised by the volume of luggage that she would be dragging across country with her entourage, but obviously everything was absolutely necessary. "What the heck is this!" She laughed when she noticed the shipping labels that clearly clashed with our heroine's outfits. Ma'am stuck her head in the door, "Myong's idea of a little joke... So they won't get lost..." "Oh, come on, We wouldn't dream of letting them out of our sight, so how could they get lost?" Allison replied as she pealed the sticker off Mariko's face and then removed Courtney's also. "Thanks for the small favors." thought Mariko. Ma'am appeared around the corner with capes for the girls, Joan and the stooges were loading the limo as Allison and Ma'am stood the bound girls up and wrapped the capes around their shoulders and wound woolen scarfs around the girls necks to help hide the gags they wore. When the car was fully loaded, Ma'am came up to the two girls who were still balancing on their high heels. (so far, so good...) She removed the cord binding their ankles and knees to replaced it with two feet of clear nylon fishing wire. From a distance of six feet or more the line was all but invisible. Ma'am then put her coat on, and drove the reluctant travelers on their way to the first leg of their journey. Joan drove the limo while Allison and Ma'am rode in the back with the two bound girls. They had traveled for about an hour when they pulled into a small but busy airport. As they rode on the circular road that surrounded the runway, Mariko was amazed by the number of small planes that were parked all about. She had only flown once before, and that was when she came east for her job at B&D Cosmetics. She had traveled on a huge passenger plane but, as she looked about, she was wondering how a big plane like that would even be able to land here, not to mention how Allison was going to explain two tied and gagged girls to the crew and other passengers. She only had to wait a moment before she got her answer. The limo suddenly turned out on the tarmac and sped to a tiny jet plane parked at the end of the runway. There were several men inspecting the aircraft as they pulled up and Mariko decided that she would try to scream and run to them when they got out of the car. She figured that the knotted cloth in her mouth would only stifle her a little and the men would surely hear her cries. As the car pulled to a stop a few hundred feet away from the plane, Ma'am produced the roll of the fishing line that still hobbled the two girl's ankles and proceeded to cut a long piece of it and fashion it into two slip knots, with one on either end and with about six feet in between. She put one around Mariko's neck and the other around Courtney's. Both girls knew exactly what to expect from this leash arrangement, if they so much as took a misplaced step the loop would tighten and cut off their air. "Okay, so much for the running part!" thought Mariko, "I can still shout!" Allison glanced about briefly then turned to Ma'am, "Are you ready?" Allison questioned. "All set." "Get them right into the plane... No fooling around." With that, Allison opened the door to the limo and Mariko's best laid plans were dashed before her ears. The plane was revving it's engines and the roar was almost deafening, there was no possible way for anyone to hear her muffled shouts. "*Sigh* Oh well, I wonder what the in-flight movie will be?" thought the disappointed Mariko. Ma'am made short work of dragging the two girls out of the car and discreetly up to the plane where Allison helped bundle them in. Once they were inside, Allison removed their scarfs and capes and buckled them into their seats. Mariko took a moment and glanced about at the luxurious interior of the airplane. There was seating for eight passengers although there were only the four girls, Mariko noticed Joan drive away from the tarmac and off down the road. At that moment, one of the pilots climbed aboard and made his way towards the cabin. Mariko felt another glimmer of hope as he passed by and paused to smile at his reluctant passengers. Her hopes were shattered once again when the handsome pilot simply remarked, "Hey Allison, this one's almost got her gag worked loose." "Oh dear!" replied Allison with a mock concern and she came forward and re-tightened Courtney's gag, and then Mariko's also, although it didn't really need it. "Wonderful!" thought Mariko sarcastically. "We'll be taking off in a few minutes, so please take your seats and put your seat belts on. Okay?" "Sure, I'd be happy to." replied Allison as she returned to her seat. A few minutes later the travelers were airborne and winging their way west. The trip was long, bumpy and boring for the girls. Allison and Ma'am sat a few seats away chatting merrily away, impervious to the glares of the two hapless, silent girls. Mariko amused herself for a while watching the land pass beneath them and then she glanced over at her "partner in misery" who was sound asleep. Mariko decided to try to join her. Mariko was jolted awake as the wheels of the plane touched the ground with a squeal and the engines roared as the tiny jet rolled to a stop. She shook her head to awaken herself. (She was a notoriously slow riser!) The knot of cloth in her mouth had become soaked and a little sour during her long nap but she had a feeling that she would be putting up with it a little while longer. Allison and Ma'am had already removed their seat belts by the time the plane rolled to a stop on the edge of the tarmac. This airport was completely unfamiliar to Mariko but somehow she got the feeling that she had returned home to California. While she sat and daydreamed a bit about her childhood a small van approached the plane and parked nearby. Allison and Ma'am set about releasing the girls from their seat belts and then they pulled them to their feet. After having been bound in the same position for over five hours, Mariko and Courtney were understandably unsteady on their feet so Allison and Ma'am helped support them as they staggered around the compartment. When they were reasonably steady on their feet, Allison put the capes back on their shoulders and Ma'am replaced the fishing line leashes on the girls and then pulled them to the exit of the plane. When they reached the ground Mariko glanced about and noticed that they had parked the plane about 100 yards away from the terminal, but unfortunately, there was no people around. Ma'am hustled the captives over to the van and into the side door. Both girls had a difficult time climbing into the van with their ankles hobbled but Ma'am was more then willing to oblige with a well placed hand on their derrieres. Once inside, the captives were pushed onto their stomachs and their feet were rebound and then their security was all but insured by a stringent hog-tie. Allison then climbed into the passenger seat and the doors were closed from the outside. Impulsively, Mariko glanced back to where Ma'am had just finished her hog-tie when she spied the leather blindfold that was approaching her face, Mariko always tried to hate blindfolds more then anything, but she never could. This was when she felt the most vulnerable, when she had no idea what was going on around her. But the suspense was so deliciously awful. It was just so erotic. She could hardly wait! (Any small pleasures!) Moments after the soft foam backing of the leather strap pressed over her eyes, Mariko heard the drivers door open and felt the van sag under the weight of the driver. (Mariko was amazed by the fact that all her other senses became so much more aware when she was blindfolded) She heard the driver exchange a polite kiss of greeting with Allison and then he started the van. (She could tell it was a he by the extent of the van's sag and by the tell-tale aroma of his after shave... Look out Sherlock Holmes!) She suddenly realized where she had last smelled that scent, and when the driver finally spoke she joyfully realized that her deductions were correct... She was finally reunited with Richard. Mariko and Courtney both spent an uncomfortable hour riding in the back of the van. During the entire trip Richard, Allison and Ma'am chatted merrily about many things and basically ignored the two packages in the back. Mariko didn't mind, all she wanted to do was listen to the sound of Richard's voice, his laugh, his breathing. She had never felt this way about anyone before, she was simply happy to be near him, even under these circumstances. The van turned off the smooth highway and onto a gravel road, Mariko discerned this by the sound of the pebbles bouncing off the bottom of the truck. She also began to smell the ocean, with its cool salty aroma. The van finally rolled to a stop and Mariko could hear and feel the doors open as her captors began to disembark. When Ma'am opened the side door of the van Mariko was shocked by the icy wind that blew into the van from the ocean, Ma'am cut the cord that bound her ankles and Allison dragged her out to stand beside the van. Her cape was of little protection against the wind as it blew in and caused the cape to billow out away from her body. Mariko was shivering uncontrollably when she felt Courtney's body bump into her and then felt Allison's fingers tighten on her shoulders and begin to steer her towards some unknown location. The party proceeded up a short flight of wooden steps and then across a wooden deck and entered a warm, cozy house. Mariko could hear the wind howling outside, but none of it was able to break in to disturb the calm atmosphere inside. The girls went up another flight of stairs and Mariko heard a door close behind them. At that point Allison unbuckled that blindfold strap and Mariko was able to see her surroundings for the first time. The room was decorated in a very rustic fashion, with two large, soft beds with rough wood posts and antique dressers and chairs. Allison and Ma'am set about putting some of their things away and Mariko shuffled over to a nearby window. Her breath disappeared when she glanced out the window, the house was perched on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a windswept ocean. Rain had begun to fall and the sun was almost set. Courtney had joined her at the window and Mariko heard her gasp as she took in the breathtaking view. This place was just like a dream. They were both startled back to reality by Allison's abrupt hand clap. She motioned Mariko to be seated on the bed as Ma'am set about untying Courtney. When Ma'am was finished she ordered Courtney to strip so she could take a shower and Courtney gladly cooperated. They locked a pair of simple, steel handcuffs on her ankles and Courtney hopped into the adjoining bath and soon Mariko heard the water running. Within a few moments Mariko was looking forward anxiously to her turn in the shower. After her shower was completed, Mariko hopped out into the bedroom to rejoin the group. Courtney sat on the edge of one of the chairs in the corner, they had dressed her up in a gray plaid, wool skirt and a matching sweater over a white blouse with an upturned collar, Mariko's outfit was laid out on the bed, and for once she was excited as she donned the garter and stockings, silky pink camisole, the furry white sweater and the snug white wool skirt. The chill in the air was a delicious contrast to the warmth of her clothing and when she looked into the mirror she couldn't help but be pleased. Her long black hair spilled down to the center of her back and was a perfect contrast to the white of her outfit. She barely noticed when Allison slipped the handcuffs onto her wrists. Allison applied her make-up while Ma'am was in the shower and as Ma'am was drying her hair Allison reached into a bag on the table and took out a pair of ball gags. She approached the two seated girls who gave some halfhearted pleas for mercy, but, as usual, they fell on deaf ears. The only excitement left for the girls was Allison's startled shriek moments after she stepped into the shower. "What's the matter!?" Ma'am shouted as she rushed into the bathroom. Mariko and Courtney both waited anxiously for Ma'am's return. When she reappeared, she was chuckling. "Ran out of hot water!" she said as she motioned over her shoulder to the bathroom. All three girls shared a hearty laugh at Allison's expense. It served her right! Their entrance was grand to say the least, Richard knelt at the fireplace stoking a roaring fire that filled the living room with warmth. Rain splashed against the widows and the cold wind howled outside as the guests of honor took their places around the fire. Richard rolled onto his side and watched the four attractive women take seats on the overstuffed couch that faced the fire. "Your home is so much more then you described Richard," began Allison "We're so pleased you offered to put us up while we're in town for the party, this is so much more cozy then a impersonal old hotel." "My pleasure Allison," replied Richard as he stood up and headed for the bar. "I wish you could visit more often. What will everyone have?" "We don't get the opportunity for parties like this very often back east. It seems California has a patent on them." piped in Ma'am. "Nonsense, You yourself have thrown a few memorable bashes that I've had the pleasure to attend..." Said Richard, as he prepared a round of drinks for everyone, Scotch on the rocks for himself, a vodka martini for Allison, a gin and tonic for Ma'am and a glass of white wine for Mariko and Courtney. Mariko thought back briefly to the party Allison had recently hosted. Richard sure knew what he was talking about. The girls realized right away that their drinks were provided just to be polite because no one lifted a finger to remove their gags and it was useless to try to get at the wine with their mouth's wedged open by rubber balls. The drinks flowed and the talk rambled for several hours. Richard had earlier sat beside Mariko on the couch where she snuggled up next to him and was nodding off into a cozy, contented sleep when she was startled awake when he carefully lifted her lip with his finger. "Oh yes, I see now, there it is..." Richard commented as he peered into her mouth. "Ingenious! But is it effective? "Certainly!" replied Allison, "And totally undetectable." "Yeah, I guess it'd work pretty well, too bad I won't be around to see it." Said Richard as Mariko returned to the present. "Yes, that is too bad but there will be other times." countered Allison. While they were chatting, Richard was absently rubbing Mariko's arm, and as the conversation wandered, so did his hands. Mariko didn't protest... this was exactly where she wanted to be, where she felt most content, In the arm's of her strong secret lover. The vulnerability caused by her bondage only caused her to feel more secure under his protection. "Well, I'm bushed!" Announced Allison. "I think it's time to hit the hay." "Yeah, me too..." said Ma'am on cue as she shoved Courtney out the door. "We do have a busy day tomorrow." Mariko desperately looked up at Richard, the look in her eyes told all to everyone in the room. Richard's eyes never faltered either, never moving from hers. Allison's voice seemed very far away to Mariko but nonetheless she heard it clearly. "You know Richard, it almost slipped my mind, Mariko here asked if she could thank you for your heroics back home, I guess that you two would prefer to discuss this alone." she said as she discreetly followed the other two girls to their bedroom. Richard's passionate gaze turned a bit more quizzical as he looked at the beautiful girl who lay in his arms. Mariko quivered as she nodded to the unasked question, it was the only thing she wanted in the whole world right now. Richard's indecision melted as he scooped her up in his arms as easily as if she were a child and carried her up the stairs to his loft and placed her gently on the bed. He sat down next to her and cradled her head in his arms. "Are you sure this is what YOU want?" he whispered gently. Tears welled in her eyes as she as she pressed her cheek into his chest, her eyes said volumes as she slowly looked up... "PLEASE!" His hands were soft and gentle as he stroked and massaged her naked skin. She had never experienced a lover like Richard before, so tender, so caring, so demanding, so loving, such a tease! Mariko was in ecstasy every moment with this man. His experienced hands sought out places on Mariko's body that she had never known before, or known the joy they could bring. Her head swum and her breath was short, when his hand finally found the strap that held her voice in check, Mariko realized that words would have no meaning. There was nothing that could express what she was feeling... Her most burning desire was to kiss her love, this man, who was at once, her lover, her captor, her rescuer, her master, her slave, her joy. When the gag fell away, their passion soared as their lips met, and they seemed not to part as their love continued for the rest of the night. She had finally escaped... Mariko snuggled under the blankets savoring their warmth for a few moments. She slowly reached out her foot and was a little frightened to find that he was not there, but then she heard some rustling about in the bedroom and she slowly poked her head out from under the covers. "Good morning sleepy head!" said Richard with a smile. "Pleasant dreams?" "Yepht!" Slurred Mariko... She cursed herself for her foolishness, Why, OH WHY, had she asked him to put the ball back on last night? Richard came and sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked Mariko's disheveled hair and warmly smiled. It was a smile that made Mariko's heart soar like a bird. Suddenly, he turned more serious. "I don't want to tell you this, but, I have to go now, and I won't be able to be with you for a little while longer." He reluctantly began. "But only for a little while, I promise..." Richard leaned forward and pulled her close. and whispered in her ear, "I promise, I'll be back for you." He then kissed her gently on the cheek and hurried to the door where he paused to look back at Mariko who could see him through a veil of tears. "I love you..." he said as he reluctantly opened the door. Mariko was alone for a long time, she thought long and hard about what she had experienced over the last couple of months but she couldn't sort out her feelings. Things never seemed to work out the way she planed them, they probably never would either. Perhaps it would be best to just go with the flow for once... There was a soft knock on the door then Ma'am slowly poked her head inside. "Morning," she said softly as Mariko sat up to great her. Ma'am approached and unbuckled Mariko's gag. "It seems you made quite a conquest..." She said. "What do you mean?" "Oh, I don't know," Smiled Ma'am "But I do know that a lot of people have tried to get to Richard, so far no one has..." she said with a smile, "That is, until now." Mariko sat back, and let Ma'am tug at her disheveled clothing. (they had forgotten the key to the handcuffs the night before, so they had to make do.) After a few aborted attempts, she pulled Mariko out of the bed as it made more sense to go look for the key. Mariko stumbled along towards Allison's room barely noticing that she was still almost completely nude. "Conquest??" she thought, "How can a girl, who's helplessly bound conquer anyone, let alone a strong man like Richard." (She really did know, as we all probably do, but she still refused to admit it!) The four girls had a wonderful time that day, playing around Richard's magnificent cliff-top home. They all enjoyed a pleasant brunch on the open patio after dressing up Courtney in a lacy sun dress with a wide brimmed hat and Mariko in a traditional silk kimono that even made Courtney jealous. Apart from having their hands tied, Mariko and Courtney were free to chat and move about freely. Allison and Ma'am took great delight in feeding their guests, and the day proceeded pleasantly. It was about 2 P.M. when Allison decided that it was time to start getting ready for the party. Mariko and Courtney balked a little but they had to admit they were curious about what was in store for them. After a bath, they were lightly toweled off, and then they were led into the den that they had been in the night before. Allison was there, holding two aluminum rods about two feet long with a leather wrist cuff on either end and two cords that ran up over a pair of beams in the ceiling on opposite sides of the room. When they were secured, both girls faced each other standing on their tip toes with their arms stretched high over their heads. Allison and Ma'am slowly dragged a huge steamer trunk into the room and opened it in such a way that neither girl could see what it contained, but that was surly only a matter of time. Allison dug around in the trunk for a moment and handed Ma'am a pair of silk stockings that were destined to adorn Mariko's legs, supported by a pair of lacy garters. The next piece of apparel were her shoes, a pair of white, antique granny shoes that were made of hard leather and laced up the front, making them impossible to kick off. Mariko, by now, was used to five inch heels, in fact, they were more comfortable then balancing on tip toes. Now that Courtney and Mariko were wearing shoes, their captors strapped their ankles together to eliminate any thoughts of kicking. Ma'am was first back to the trunk and when she emerged, she was carrying a collection of silk and canvas pieces connected together with what looked like hundreds of laces. Ma'am wrapped the corset around Mariko's waist and began to close the catches. "This is a little silly, don't you think? Or are you trying to tell me I'm fat?" Mariko began, she barely weigh 100 pounds soaking wet. "No, of course not. These can serve more then one purpose you know..." "Yea? like what?" asked Mariko. "Posture control of course, as if you didn't know." replied Ma'am. "Uulp! I didn't... " "No matter, You will." replied Ma'am pleasantly while she whistled a little tune as she began to lace the corset up. The corset ran from the center of Mariko's shoulder blades, cut down under her armpits and looped down to form a pair of breast cups that pressed Mariko's breasts up and to the center. The corset ran to Mariko's upper hips and was so heavily boned that she was confident that it would be almost impossible to bend at the waist. Ma'am started lacing at the center and worked her way upward where she tied the string into a bow at Mariko's shoulder blades. Then she repeated the procedure on the lower portion, tying the bow just below her rump. She was able to draw the center string on the lower portion a little tighter then on the top portion so this caused some slack to appear on the upper part so Ma'am simply started the upper side again, drawing out all the slack. This, not surprisingly, produced more slack in the bottom section, so, of course, Ma'am had to readjust the bottom of the corset again as well. It seemed to Mariko that this could go on until she was cut in half but thankfully, just before the last breath was squeezed from her breast Ma'am tied off the laces and declared herself finished. As Mariko was futile ly attempting to catch her breath, both Allison and Ma'am approached menacingly. Ma'am grabbed Mariko's hair and roughly pulled her head back and when Mariko yelped in protest Allison was ready with a plastic mouth piece that popped in place against the roof of her mouth in seconds and fit so snugly that it seemed to be made for her. (Mariko's mind flashed back to her trip to the dentist. Undoubtedly it WAS made for her!) When she closed her mouth she found that the bottom of the plug fit the lower part of her mouth just as well. There was even a place for her tongue to fit comfortably. Ma'am reached her finger into the corner of Mariko's mouth and drew her lip back. Allison then pushed a piece of thin wire into the small metal loops that had been cemented to her teeth by Dr. Farmington. When she twisted the ends of the wire together with a small pair of pliers Mariko could feel her jaws being pulled shut around the plug. Ma'am snipped the wire and put a little piece of wax over the sharp point left on the end of the wire. Mariko used all her strength to try to break the grip of the little wire bands firmly cemented to her teeth but it was impossible. This gag was one of the most insidious she had ever experienced. From all outside appearances, she appeared perfectly comfortable and normal but in actuality, with the plug firmly implanted, she couldn't make more then a "NNNnnnggg" sound. "What a deal!" thought the gagged girl. Within moments, Courtney was "NNNnnnggg-ing" on her own and Ma'am and Allison were busy pinning her hair into a tight bun on top of her head. The two women attended Mariko with identical results and went to the trunk once again and withdrew two huge wigs, tall curled Victorian style powdered wigs. Ma'am used about 30 bobby pins to hold it on Mariko's head. "Why don't you just staple it on!" suggested Mariko sarcastically after Ma'am had jabbed her with the pins. All that came out was "NNNnnnggg!" though, and Ma'am just ignored her. What followed was one of the most elaborate costumes Mariko had ever seen before. Allison pulled a stunning dress out of the trunk, blue satin, lace and bows everywhere, petticoats, petticoats and more petticoats. Even a bustle! Allison and Ma'am took her down off the bar to push her arms into the puffy shoulders of the dress and then into matching shoulder length gloves. The front of the off the shoulder gown plunged down to expose more cleavage that Mariko would have ever believed she was capable of having. The two women pulled her hands behind her back and tightly strapped them there with a blue strap that was almost invisible next to the gloves she wore. The girls wound some hairy hemp rope loosely around her wrists, giving the appearance that Mariko was tokenly tied, while it hid the fact that she was, in fact, quite securely bound. "This is getting really weird!" Mariko thought to herself. Ma'am took a small bottle of a clear liquid and withdrew a tiny applicator brush which she held up to Mariko's face. She dabbed the liquid beneath Mariko's nose and then spread it around evenly to her upper lip. She touched the liquid with her finger and Mariko discovered that it was becoming very sticky. Allison twirled a red chiffon scarf in her hands as she came up to the confused girl. She carefully pressed the center of the wispy scarf onto Mariko's upper lip and the scarf clung to the glue and hung down like and enormous red mustache while Allison moved behind her and then tied the loose ends snugly behind the back of her neck. Mariko was then relegated to the role of a spectator as the girls turned their attention to Courtney. This brief respite gave Mariko a chance to dissect her predicament. "What a ploy! They want people to think I'm pretending to be tied up and gagged when I really *AM* tied up and gagged!" She deduced. "This is really too much..." She thought as she pulled at the strap on her wrists, there wasn't an inch of give. Ma'am and Allison made short work of Courtney and before long Mariko was studying her friend's condition. She had been dressed identically to Mariko except her dress was the most vivid red she had ever seen. To anyone's unconcerned glance it looked as if she was wearing a movie pretend gag and someone had looped rope around her wrists as a joke. But unfortunately for our heroines, it was all to real. The two bound girls waited patiently for their chaperons return and Allison and Ma'am didn't keep them waiting for long. The doors flung open and in marched Allison in full costume. She was the pirate queen. The short black jacket with brass buttons and the tassels on the shoulders, the striped jersey, the tight white pants and black boots. She even had an eye patch. Ma'am followed closely behind as a mate with a sword and a bandanna on her head and some more hairy hemp rope that she set about tying around the captives waists for leashes. "Shiver me timbers! Ye land lubbers! Are ye ready to shove off? Allison drawled. And as soon as the limo arrived, they did. The intrepid band of sailors reached their destination without incident. As they approached the entrance to the sprawling mansion, Mariko was somewhat taken aback by the number of cars parked on the grounds of the huge house. "This could be a fun one, every one has to come as their favorite kink." Allison said. "But there are all sorts of people here tonight, a lot who aren't into our scene so we should stay low key until we get into the flow of the party." Allison said to Ma'am. As if planning a strategy. Ma'am nodded in return. "No problem." Mariko put aside any hopes for escape. Even the most observant guest would have thought that she and Courtney were simply going along with the game. ( "Surely they can really talk around those scarfs if they really WANTED to!" ) When they rang the bell they were greeted by Allison's old friend Charlotte. She was wearing a tiger skin and red high heels and mask. "Why Allison! I'm so glad you could make it. Come in dear." Allison tugged on the rope that connected her booty together at the waist and pulled them in behind her as they entered the strangest party Mariko had ever heard of. There were well over a hundred people of every shape, size, color and persuasion. There were gorilla suits, business suits, there were bare breasts, there was a suit of armor. A woman dressed in black leather passed by, followed by a man in white silk. In the corner there were two men dressed like women talking to a woman dressed like a football player. Allison made the rounds of the party, exchanging pleasantries with everyone she came across. Ma'am had wandered away to the bar and was chatting with a woman wearing a toga and carrying a trident. There were people necking in the corner. There was even a midget. Suddenly, a woman who seemed to be wearing nothing but shaving cream ran by hotly pursued by a man in a trench coat. This was amazing. Several men approached Courtney and Mariko and attempted to strike up a conversation. Allison put an abrupt end to this by pulling them closer with the rope. Courtney and Mariko weren't very upset at this. Those guys just weren't their type. Over the top of the crowd Mariko could make out a pair of long, pointed, green bits of satin moving towards them zigzag fashion through the mass of people. When the last person blocking the girls view stepped aside, both Mariko and Courtney were flabbergasted to be face to face with their old friend, Kelly McVee, Sweetcakes to her friends. "Allo! An' what do we got 'ear!" She shouted as she threw her arms around the two bound girls. "Me ol' Pals... I thought it was you." Mariko and Courtney nodded their greetings and took in their school chum's outfit. The two satin points they had seen were ears, two bunny ears that came out of the top of her head. She was decked out in a Playboy bunny's costume, a tight, tight, TIGHT, one piece costume that just barely held her breasts in check and had just enough cloth running between her legs to only be considered obscene. Around her neck was a stiff white collar with a green bow tie and on her wrists were matching white cuffs complete with cufflinks. She even had a puffy white cotton tail. During this commotion Allison turned to greet the little bunny. "Why hello there Sweetcakes! It's so good to see you." "Gud evenin' Mistress." replied Sweetcakes formally as she turned her eyes to the floor. Within seconds, Allison's attention was focused elsewhere to someone she knew and she forgot about Sweetcakes. Sweetcakes face re-lit as Allison turned away. "Ear' now!" Sweetcakes shouted as she spun around to face a burly man who had just pinched her little cotton tail. "You keep them 'ands to ya'self!! There's only one pair 'o' hands that can pinch me bum, an' they ain't yours!" she said as she poked the man's chest with her finger. Sweetcakes backed the man right down, then turned back to our friends. "So, an' what brings ya at this neck o' the woods?" Sweetcakes inquired. "NNNnnnggg!" said Mariko. "NNNnnnggg! NNNnnnggg!" added Courtney. Sweetcakes looked a little perplexed at their response. She leaned in and whispered to the two girls. "Are ya really gagged?" Both Mariko and Courtney nodded. "Noooo!" she said in amazement, "An' done up for real too?" Courtney pulled at her wrists for emphasis. "That Bitch!" Sweetcakes snarled. "This party was supposed to be fun for..." Sweetcakes was cut off in mid sentence as two tiny, red light bulbs that were sewn onto her bow tie began to blink slowly and rhythmically, and Sweetcakes eyes crossed in her head. After a long moment the blinking stopped and her eyesight seemed to return to normal. "As I was sayin'... This is supposed to be fun for everyone, Ya'know?" She stopped and glanced at the puzzled look on Mariko's and Courtney's face. "Sir Reggie wen' an put one of them vibratin' eggs in me before 'e stuffed me in this suit. Now 'e controls the bloody thing by remote con..CC..CCC." The rhythmic blinking returned for a moment and again Sweetcakes shuddered. When the lights stopped, she smiled to the two girls. "What we gotta put up with! Just for a little fun! I gotta go, before he turns the bloody thing up a notch. See ya!" Sweetcakes said as she hurried off in search of Sir Reginald. Presently Ma'am wandered back into the picture and Allison handed her the the rope that leashed the two girls together. "I want to wander a bit, keep an eye on these two while I'm gone..." Ma'am reluctantly accepted the leashes as Allison headed off to another group of chatting people. Ma'am sighed as she pulled on the leash, "That'll probably be the last we see of her tonight." Ma'am said under her breath to her two charges, "She just want's the grand entrance, then it's every woman for herself... Oh well, we might as well make the best of it." She said as she pulled the two leashed girls towards the buffet. As was reasonable to expect, the girls remained on their diets as they followed Ma'am around. As the three girls wandered about the party, Mariko kept getting a strange feeling of deja vu, she couldn't quite pin down what was so familiar, but there was something. As they would approach a corner she would get this strange feeling but when they turned it, the feeling would be gone. Perhaps it was a smell, (There were certainly many sweaty people there) or perhaps a sound. Curious. It was not very easy going for Mariko and Courtney as they tried to worm their way through the crowd behind Ma'am. The huge full skirts and high heels served only to knock them off balance, and with the stiff corsets and no hands to balance them they seemed to take turns stumbling into each other or worse, someone else. Invariably, whenever they would teeter, there would be several pairs of male hands to steady them, usually copping a feel as an unoffered reward. As the night wore on the girls began to not even notice these affronts to their dignity. Certainly, there was nothing they could do about it. The recognition hit like a ton of bricks. The thing that was driving Mariko crazy was not a smell but rather a sound, Mariko could hear a laugh through the din of the party that was so distinctive that she was certain of it's origin and it took only seconds from her realization for the verification to be at hand. The crowd parted and through this opening stepped Ivan Rasovitz. The same Ivan Rasovitz who had sent Mariko to spy on B&D Cosmetics, the same guy who had gotten her into this damn mess in the first place. He was dressed like a Greek God. "That figures!" thought Mariko. He had his arm around a gaudy woman with bleached blonde hair and a T-shirt on that said "I sleep with the boss!" "Hi Diane... I heard you were here. How's the ass!" Ivan said cheerfully as he approached. For a moment Mariko was infuriated that he could, after all she had been through for him, forget her name. But, to her surprise, he was not talking to her, but to Ma'am. "Hello Ivan, long time, no see..." Ma'am replied coolly. "Still hanging out at the toxic waste center... looking for hand-outs?" "Naw, I've moved up to bigger and better things. Now I'm so important, they deliver." He replied. "IIiiivannn! You're always so rude!!!" the floozy interrupted in an high squeaky voice, punctuated with a snap from some chewing gum. "You never introduce me to any of your friends... My name's Ima... Ima Lay." she said as she offered her hand to Ma'am. "And I'm not surprised." replied Ma'am dryly as she shook her hand. "So, Diane, I see your still hanging around with Allison, You two can't seem to get enough of each other Eh? and she's still up to the same old tricks." Ivan said indicating the bound girls. "Yeah, when I find a good thing I always stick with it. Loyalty pays off in the end. But what would you know about that?" replied Ma'am. "Well, if you had stuck with the best, who knows where you'd be now? I'm not usually this magnanimous, you know, but there is still a place for you at Rasovitz Industries. Go ahead, call me a softy..." "Maybe you are soft, and maybe I just got smart. There's no way I'm gonna be stupid enough to let you take advantage of me again." said Ma'am angrily. "Hey!" Ima said abruptly, interrupting Ma'am. "Are you tryin' to make fun of my name!?!" Ma'am simply ignored her. "You don't know what your missing." said Ivan. "Besides you have to take advantage of the situations as they arise. Take my little pal Myako here..." he said as put his arm around Mariko's waist and pulled her to him. "I knew that Allison would love her cute little oriental ass, and hire her on the spot. That way, I got to replace you and get some more formulas, and if she gets caught it's no loss. To me, that's just smart business." Ma'am looked at Mariko with surprise. "What?!" thought Mariko angrily. "Yeah, She didn't get me as much as some of the others." Ivan mused, "She was loyal, just a little dumb. I knew she wasn't gonna be of any use to me any other way. Except she does have cute tits..." He said with a leer and a pinch of Mariko's nipple. "That bastard!" fumed Mariko "This is what I've been protecting?." "Besides, she probably still hasn't told Allison that she was working for me!" Ivan said with a smirk. Mariko couldn't take this any more, She pulled away from Ivan and faced him angrily. All the revelers in the vicinity turned and watched the confrontation. "Nnnnmeggnn! Nnnummnmh!! NMGNNNGNH!!!! MMNE NNGHGGBNF!!!!" Shouted Mariko. (Narrator's note: These were all cuss words, as if you couldn't guess!) "Are you trying to tell me something?" said Ivan with a condescending wink. With that remark, Mariko hauled off and kicked Ivan as hard as she could in the shin. She only wished that her skirts hadn't prevented her from kicking him higher up. Everyone watching broke into laughter as Ivan hopped back holding his shin and Mariko jumped towards him for a second shot, She was certain she could get higher *THIS* time! Ma'am and Courtney acted swiftly as they blocked Mariko's advance and began pushing her back away from the battle. Ivan rolled back and tried to cover his head with his hands. "NDHHNNGG! MMMNNGG, MLMNHGG!!!!!!" shouted the infuriated Japanese girl over their backs at Ivan as they pushed her away. Ivan smiled and blew Mariko a kiss as she was being dragged away. The last thing Mariko heard was Ima saying, "Mummy kiss an' make all better. Mummm mumm mumm..." "What the heck is going on around here?" demanded Allison when she found the girls in an empty bedroom attempting to cool off. "Awh, it wasn't nothing," drawled Ma'am, "We just had a little fight." "What? With who?" "Good ol' Ivan Rasovitz, in his usual creepy fashion, made a comment about how he felt about Mariko here, so she kicked him." "Where?" asked Allison. "In the living room." "NOooo!... *WHERE*?" "Oh, In the shins." replied Ma'am. "Too bad," Allison said, turning to Mariko. "I guess next time we should dress you in pants." Mariko nodded emphatically. "It look's like you've got things under control, why don't you stay here with Mariko so she can cool off. I'll take Courtney back to the party with me..." "Okay," said Ma'am. "Is it all right if I take her gag off?" "Sure, it'd be pretty boring otherwise." Allison said as she picked up the rope leash and pulled Courtney out of the room behind her. Ma'am removed the scarf that covered Mariko's mouth, then took a small pair of cutters out of her pocket and carefully snipped the two thin wires that held Mariko's mouth shut and removed the plug. Mariko sat for a moment opening and stretching her jaw muscles. "I see you know Ivan too." said Ma'am. "Yes I used to work for him, the bastard!" replied Mariko. "Spying?" asked Ma'am "How did you know????" asked the surprised Mariko, "I never let on..." Ma'am let out a small laugh, and walked over to the mirror, "That's how I met Allison, I was working for Ivan about four years ago and he told me that he suspected that he had someone stealing his formulas and selling them to B&D Cosmetics. He wanted me to get a job with B&D, so I could help him track down the crook by sending back the stolen formulas. He had done so much for me, giving me a job right out of college, promoting me, teaching me, that I had to do it for him. In fact, I did it for almost a year before Allison caught me." "Wow! I barely made it about six months. But, if that is true why didn't he come and help you?...Or me? and why did he act that way tonight?" "You still don't get it???" asked Ma'am. "Remember, he never asked for any specific formulas, We just sent them ALL to him! Allison wasn't copying any of Ivan's work... He had us stealing Allison's line so *HE* could copy it!" It all came together for Mariko now, she had been protecting a crook with her silence. She shook her head in disgust at her own naivete. "There's still one thing I don't understand," began Mariko slowly, "Why did Allison go through all this trouble, kidnaping me, and making me go through all the crap I've been through at the school. Why didn't she just call the police and have me arrested." "Well, several reasons, she knew you were tricked into stealing the stuff from her, and although the stealing really pissed her off, she didn't think it was worth sending you to jail, just because you're naive. But she did want to be sure you were punished... and as we're all well aware, she's kinky enough to really *ENJOY* punishing you." "Oh, so it was a favor, not to send me to jail for a year or two but instead she can keep me like this forever?" blurted Mariko angrily. "No way, she would never had done that!" responded Ma'am "All she was waiting for was for you to admit what you had done and say you were sorry. That's all, then she would have let you go with only a promise not to give her any trouble in the future, like going to the police, otherwise she would have to go to the police and press charges for the spying." "And I was too stubborn to give in and tell... and she knew all along." "Right! She wasn't about to let you even think you got better of her. She won't ever let someone beat her." "But what about Courtney, what did she do to deserve this?" asked Mariko. "I really don't know, But she had to have done something. Allison doesn't always tell us everything, in fact, I didn't even know we both worked for Ivan until we saw him down stairs." "Wait a minute! That's right!" Mariko shouted. "You did the same thing I did! Why aren't you wearing this stupid outfit?" "Hold it right there! I did wear things like that! In fact, you have it easy compared to the way it was in the old days! Joan and I didn't have cuffs like yours, with a lock and key, ours SCREWED together, we wore them for days at a time! Even our pajamas had only one sleeve, if you know what I mean. So don't try to tell me we got off easy!" "How long did you go through that?" Mariko asked "And how did you get to where you are now?" "We've been Allison's slaves for about three years now..." noting Mariko's surprise at 'slaves', Ma'am continued. "Yes, we're her slaves too, Joan and I, we get more freedom then you do but we're still absolutely under her control and I myself wouldn't have it any other way." "What?!" gasped Mariko. "Oh come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about it, It's a special thing, giving yourself to someone totally, total trust, without reservation, and no restrictions. And have that person return your gift by paying total attention to you, to care for you, protect you, and love you. One thing I realized right away was that Allison and her friends had something that I had never come across before, total honesty, what you see is what you get... You know when she's mad, you know when she's pleased, she doesn't pull any punches. It's hard to express, but I can't see my life without her now." "You mean you love her?" asked Mariko incredulously. "I don't love all the things she's done to me. But that's her... Open, honest, well meaning in a way. I guess that's what I love. She's just a little kinky, you just have to put up with that." "I don't know if I can do that, Put up with it, I mean." said Mariko. "You may not have to much longer. I think Allison made her point, or Ivan did it for her. She may be satisfied now and let you go." "Does that mean I might be able to get a job like yours?" "Oh, I doubt that..." smiled Ma'am as she stroked Mariko's cheek. "Some have it and some don't. I think you were born for your lot, Sorry... Anyway, don't you feel better now?" "Just different I suppose, more then better, I'm really not mad anymore. To be honest, I don't think I have been for a while." "Same thing happened to me, it's really not so bad. You'd realize that sooner or later... Want to go back to the party now? I'm going to gag you again if you do." said Ma'am as she twirled a ball gag around her finger. "Sure, why not..." said Mariko with a shrug. As Ma'am buckled the strap tightly behind her neck Mariko noticed that it didn't seem too terribly uncomfortable at all." The two girls descended the stairs and they immediately noticed that the party had thinned out considerably. It seemed to Mariko that the majority of the people who remained were those who's costumes leaned towards bondage. At the bottom of the stairs they passed Sir Reginald who was conferring with two other men while they fumbled with some small object. Mariko over heard Sir Reginald, "Blasted gadgets!!" he said as he concentrated on what they were doing so much that he didn't even notice Ma'am and Mariko pass by. Presently, they found Allison and Courtney chatting with Charlotte. After a few moments and some warm thank you's and good-byes Allison and Ma'am prodded the exhausted Mariko and Courtney towards the exit. As they crossed the living room they could see a pair of green satin ears poking up from the back of a plush easy chair. Mariko was surprised as they passed in front of the chair where they could see Sweetcakes, she was covered with perspiration. Her hands were secured behind her by the white cuffs, cleverly connected by the trick cufflinks, and silenced with the wad of fluff that had been her cotton tail. Her face was flushed red and she was panting frantically through her nose. The two tiny bulbs on her bow tie were now brightly lit. Seems she was an example of the pitfall of faulty technology. She opened her eyes for the briefest of moments and met eyes with Mariko. She smiled weakly at her friend, shrugged as if to say "What's the use...", and then orgasmed again. On the flight back to New York, Mariko spent a long time in thought. Her life had been changed so radically in the last few days that it would take her a long time to sort herself out. If she would ever be able to understand all that had happened. She ultimately figured that all she would need was time. When they finally pulled up in front of the estate, Mariko spied her old friends, the Three Stooges, waiting for them. Allison and Ma'am both got out of the car without saying a word and went into the house leaving the oriental guards to conduct Mariko and Courtney down to their rooms. They seated Mariko on one of the chairs next to the table and handcuffed her ankles together. She already wore a pair on her wrists connected to a ring on the back of her belt. She still chewed on the red rubber ball they had locked on her that morning in L.A. She looked around the room that she had become so accustom to over her stay with Allison, the small platform bed, the simple table and chairs, and the un-private bathroom, with no door opposite the locked exit. "I wonder if I'd miss this place?" she thought. There was a rattling as the door was unbolted from the outside. It was Allison. She walked in slowly and came up to stand in front of the cuffed girl. "Here," she said, placing a key ring with three keys on the table beside Mariko. "Now that you understand. The choice is all your's..." There was no trick, her freedom was at hand. Allison turned and walked out past the door leaving it ajar. Mariko sat for many moments and stared at the keys. Many thoughts raced through her head as she contemplated her future. She tried to remember the past, of Ivan, of Richard, of freedom, of bondage, This was the crossroads of her life. But the die was cast and Mariko knew it. She leaned forward and pushed the keys to the edge of the table. She reached down and by pushing her tongue out under the ball she was able to scoop up the keys and pin them against the ball with her tongue. She slowly stood up and shuffled over to the door to her room with tiny mincing steps. When she reached the threshold of the door she awkwardly knelt down, facing the door. The adrenalin raced through her body and her head pounded with excitement. Minutes seemed like hours as she squirmed on the floor. Finally, the door creaked as it opened and Mariko looked up directly into Allison's curious face for a long moment. There was no more time, What should be done, would be done... Mariko leaned forward and let the keys slip from her mouth. The sound of the keys hitting the floor at Allison's feet was almost deafening, and Mariko strained forward and pressed her nose and cheek against Allison's boot. Her freedom willingly gone forever. There was a long pause before Mariko was able to open her eyes, and when she did they were filled with tears, tears of joy. She had found the strength to do as she wanted. She looked up at Allison who loomed over her for a moment then knelt down beside Mariko and warmly hugged her. "Welcome to my family..." Allison said as she kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so glad you decided to stay." she said as she stood and helped Mariko back to her chair. Allison then smiled and turned to the door. "I'll send the girls down to take care of you... You'll be dressing for dinner tonight!" "Oh my! What have I gone and done????" thought Mariko happily. Suddenly, the door was unbolted and a blonde head poked inside. It was Courtney. She still wore the dress she had on for their trip and she carried a big paper bag in her arms. She was without the handcuffs. She was without the gag. To Mariko she just didn't seem like Courtney anymore without them. She set the bag on the table and leaned down to Mariko. "I'm outta here!" she said with a smile. "Allison told me that you were staying and what you did, I guess you can never figure anybody huh? I certainly never figured you as a spy." She smiled. "Ya know... I'll bet you could never guess why Allison was so pissed off at me?... Well?" Mariko figured it was pointless to guess because she was still gagged so she simply shrugged her shoulders. "Remember those trips I took to Atlantic City?" Mariko nodded. "Well, see, I had this little problem... See, I figured that I'd just borrow some money for a little while, and I did it so good, I even set up a little tiny advertising company, so I could cash the checks... I was gonna pay it back with my winnings, only I didn't win... " Courtney said as she blushed "Then I borrowed some more and lost and before long I had borrowed quite a bit. BUT I WAS GONNA PAY IT BACK!! Really!! It wasn't embezzlement like Allison said, Gee, I hate that word..., it was borrowing!" Courtney said emphatically, but still blushing. "Anyway, Allison and I worked this deal, she said I could leave as long as I promised to pay her back. She even gave me a job! Seventy five grand a year! At that rate, if I pay her back fifty grand a year, I should be all square in about five years... That's not so long!..." Mariko wondered if Courtney had given much thought about the interest... "Anyway Mari, I can't wait to get outta here. Look!" she said as she waved her arms above her head. "I've forgotten what this was like! It's fabulous!" With that, Courtney bent over and hugged Mariko and kissed her on the cheek. "I know your going to be happy staying here, it's just not for me, You know?" she said as she turned to leave. As she passed by the table and picked up her bag the load slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor. Out of the bag skittered a gleaming rubber ball with a leather strap running through the center. Courtney scrambled to snatch up the ball and then turned to face her friend with a face as fiery red as the ball she plunged back into the bag. "It's only a souvenir! Really! Allison said I could!!" Courtney said weakly. Mariko nodded, and smiled. "Anyway, I'll see ya Mari!" Courtney said as she closed and bolted the door behind her. Somehow, Mariko was sure that that she would be seeing Courtney again... Soon.