Angela reached forward and stroked the waterproof wrappings of Magenta. "How many are there?"
Peter grinned. "This is the only one – at the moment. That's what I was doing when the plane crashed. Taking it to Switzerland to get a friend to give me a back way into this system." He indicated the computer screen.
Angela pulled a face. "This is the only one?"
Peter nodded again. "That's right. I'm good. I made it fool proof. The only way we can get a copy, is to let it -" he grinned – "the term I used was to let them was mate with the master computer. It will then make a copy which I can then transfer off from the main system."
"You mean like a baby?"
"More or less, I'd intended to make a copy and put Magenta back before anyone knew it was gone. Trouble is, since I've been in hospital, someone seems to have closed off the back doors I left open."
Angela glanced at the second screen. Roderick Banyon's message still hovered in the top left hand corner.
"And what about your girl friend?" she said flatly. "What about Emily? Are you going to trade Magenta for her?"
Peter felt a gut wrenching pain. It was the question he couldn't bring himself to face. Magenta was too big to trade for… he stopped the train of thought, snatching it back. "Even if I traded Magenta I'd undoubtedly lose her anyway. There has to be some other way. The people who are interested in this machine are totally unscrupulous."
"Johnson and Fielding?"
Peter shook his head. "A lot of people are interested in who has access to this knowledge. Organised crime, Dictatorships -" he stopped. "Look, I've told you enough, probably too much. Emily is the bait in a trap to draw me out into the open. If they know I'm alive, if they know where I am, none of us are safe."
Angela pushed herself to her feet. "I'll make us some coffee. Is there anything else you want?"
Peter grinned, leaning forward to plant a kiss on the curve of her shoulder. "Oh yes," he murmured. "I want a lot more."
Angela wriggled away from him. "Shower first. I've got to ring in to let the hospital know I won't be in this week. I won't be long."
Watched by a different guard and Kai, Emily showered in the bathroom at the end of the landing. The events of the previous night weren't mentioned as Kai dried and oiled her body. Emily's backside still glowed from the attentions of her late night visitor. She was relieved when Kai undid the harness that had held the anal dildo in place. After tending to Emily's nipple and quim rings Kai removed the fine covering of stubble that had grown over the lips of her sex and rubbed a soothing lotion into the delicate flesh. Emily surrendered totally to the other woman's attentions. What other choice did she have?
When Kai was finished she looked appraisingly at Emily. "I'll take you to Leonora now. She wants to see you before today's auction."
Emily tensed. Kai grinned, running a finger gently over the girl's throat. "Relax, you haven't broken any of the rules today, have you? You'll be fine."
She snapped a leash through Emily's collar and led her through the maze of corridors. On the next floor Kai directed her towards a room which Emily instantly recognised as the clinical room she had been taken into on her arrival at Deuvar. When they reached the door she hesitated; Leonora and another guard were inside, preparing a trolley beside the clinician's couch.
The tiny hard-faced Eurasian women looked up at the sound of their approach. Her eyes had no warmth in them. "Good," she said to Kai. "Bring her over here."
Emily swallowed hard and climbed onto the couch, shivering as the guard fixed her arms above her head.
Leonora glanced down at her. "I'm going to check you're in the same condition as when you arrived – our clients appreciate our honesty. And then -" she glanced at the trolley. "I'm going to give you a contraceptive injection, it will be renewed three monthly whilst you are with us." She paused. "Normally we wait until our girls are sold off, so that their new owners can make the decision. Some of the overseas clients prefer their women to be fertile. Fertility confirms their status; any children born from liaisons at Deuvar are taken and raised in their own homes -"
Emily felt her colour draining as Leonora continued. "Some men prefer women who they can suckle from -"
Emily flinched as the guard lifted her legs into the stirrups for the examination. Leonora's touch was cold and perfunctory. When she had done she pulled off her rubber gloves and smiled narrowly. "Good, everything is still in order. You will remain here until we are ready for you. Kai will help you dress. Remember, we demand obedience. You already know the punishment for disobeying the rules. I would have preferred to have trained you for longer before you were auctioned off, but the powers that be have decided otherwise. Whoever buys you will have exclusive rights to your body for twenty four hours only. After that your training with us will resume whilst you earn you keep."
Emily considered the words with a growing sense of apprehension as Leonora left.
As soon as she had gone, Emily strained experimentally against the ties that held her wrists. Remembering the night she had been brought to Deuvar, she was certain that the medical room hadn't been far from the outside – and freedom. Her body was well oiled; if she could just slip the leather straps down over her wrists. She strained a little harder, wriggling on the leather couch.
Kai sighed theatrically. "Take my advice. Don't even think about it. There's no escape. Deuvar stands in its own grounds; we're miles from anywhere. The security guards have trained dogs. Even if you make it outside you won't get past the first fence."
Emily bit her lip and tried to relax as Kai unfolded a dress from a box. It was a simple shift made of thin white cotton, so finely woven that it was nearly transparent.
"Here," said Kai, leaning over her. "We've got work to do." Emily felt the tension in her stomach return as Kai cupped one of her breasts.
Kai let another deep sigh. "For God's sake, don't make it worst for yourself. I'm going to make you look lovely." As she spoke she smeared something cold over Emily's nipples; glancing down she could see it was staining her nipples scarlet. The little peaks hardened as the skilful fingers worked the oily dye into them. Next she rubbed gel into Emily's short crew cut, spiking it. Moving lower she snapped a short length of chain between the cuffs Emily wore around her ankles, effectively hobbling her. Finally she unlocked the wrist restraints and helped Emily into the shapeless transparent shift. In one corner of the room the guards watched impassively. Emily glanced right and left wondering whether she had the courage to try and escape.
As if reading her thoughts Kai shook her head. "Don't," she said quietly. "I've told you already. You wouldn't stand a chance -"
Emily caught sight of herself in the full length mirror set in one wall. She truly looked like a slave – broken – as good as naked in spite of the dress. Her oily sleek skin stuck to the thin fabric, revealing every curve and plain. The transparent dress was like a delicate gift wrapping. She shuddered as Kai moved around behind her and slipped a blindfold over her eyes.
"There," the Oriental girl whispered. "All done."
Behind her, Emily could hear the door opening. Kai locked her wrists together above her buttocks, so that her shoulders were pulled back and her breasts jutted forward, brushing their swollen scarlet tips against the sheer cotton. Emily felt someone approaching and then hands snapping leashes into the rings either side of her collar.
"Good," said Kai softly, "I think we're ready."
Emily walked slowly, the ankle restraints slowing her progress. Her mind flickered with wild terrifying possibilities about events that might follow. She tried to stay calm. After all, she had seen Deuvar, seen the faces of the guests and the girls when she had worked in the dining room. Surely nothing that Leonora could arrange for her could be any more humiliating than clearing tables, naked except for the harsh leather harness.