Dinner was a lavish affair, with food being brought to
the table in courses. The chatter was subdued however, until the whole of our
combined group retired to the library for drinks, and the usual evening mate
selection.
Lana announced to the group, as a whole, that she had
received a return message from the Counsel as to our staying. The answer had
been a bold one on the Counsels part in that we were ordered to continue our
tour immediately, or return to our own tower. But they also have provided a
conveyance for our use, and some congratulations for our success in breaking
the ice in Tower Two.
The last sight I thought I'd ever see of Art was when the
elevator doors closed on him and the five women standing in their living room,
then the bottom dropped out of my world as we plunged to the entry of Tower
Two.
My stomach hit bottom when we stopped and exited the
elevator. Toni and Lavern were standing on either side of me helping to keep me
upright, when Lana spoke in a low voice.
"I appears we are expected to return to our tower,
or continue our tour. Usually I would make the decision for the group, but I
think we need to talk about this before any decision is made."
"Toni, what do you have to say?"
Tony's reply was, "I think we got lucky to not have
been discovered by the Council spy and I doubt our luck can hold."
Lana, "I agree, Lavern?"
Lavern, "I feel as Toni does, if we go on, there is
every chance we will never finish the tour before we are discovered."
Lana, "Cindy?"
Cindy, "We were lucky up there."
Lana, "Debbie?"
Debbie, "Let's go back to our tower."
Lana, "Tina?"
Tina, "Stop the tour, it's too dangerous."
Lana, "Geof?"
I waved my agreement, as I battled to hold my dinner
down.
Lana, "I agree."
We left by the small door of Tower Two and boarded the
buss like affair in which we rode back to the base of tower one, where we
quietly entered the identical small door of Tower One.
*** *** *** *** ***
We were quiet as church mice as we walked the short distance
to the dungeon entry gate, down the slopped floor and followed the tunnel to
it's very end. There we found Flow, hard at work, loosening the grate over the
entry into the storm drain below. We lent our hands to the project, and soon
the grate was swinging on it's ancient, rusty hinges.
We all said good-by to the wonderful old hag, and my six
concubines were waiting in the drain while I helped Flow close the grate from
below. She and I had just gotten the rusty old thing in place when she caught
my hand through the gate and looked dead into my eyes, while my head exploded
with the presence of Voice.
"You be good to my girls now. I've given you some of
the best that I have. Lead them well for my time on earth is almost over and
you are our hope for the future."
The hag had tears in her eyes when she let loose my hand
and turned to go.
I hung onto the grate for some time until the others
called me softly to them, "Our way is out, come, we need your help. Flow
will survive, have no fear of that. But if we are to succeed, we must leave
now. I allowed them to pull me with them as we picked our way down the storm
drain, finally arriving at it's end, and began the two mile low dash to the
forest beyond the clearing.
Lana guided us to a small cave hidden in the brush where
we could at last talk freely. In the cavern were many supplies and tools, not
to mention horses and tack. Their escape had indeed been well planned, over
much time and effort.
As soon as we arrived in the cavern, Lana and the other
five women all stripped of their fine clothing, and finished stringing the
chains of their bondage. As each of them finished, they gathered their leashes
together and secured them into one bundle with a single rope, which Lana
finally handed to me.
There were tears in their eyes as they all bowed and Lana
spoke, "We have placed ourselves at your disposal, from now on it is you
who will make all of our decisions and control our lives, we hope you will
treat us as well as we treated you."
Then there was silence in the cavern.
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Chapter 62 | Chapter 64
Index | Title Page
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