Redesign
#3 of The Curse
The third story in the 'curse' series. Hope you enjoy, and thank you to all my watchers, old and new. Comments are always appreciated.
Warning: The following contains homosexual relations between two consenting adult males, along with an orgy scene between females and a male. There is slight transformation, cock vore, violence not in yiff, intoxication/altered state of mind, as well as demons. If any or all of this offends you, or if it is illegal for you to read of such acts in your place of residence, I suggest you turn back now. Do not say I didn't warn you. Story tagged appropriately.
Redesign
by Declan Xavier
The truck stop was a haven of light and warmth from the storm that raged outside. Fat, cold raindrops splattered the glass walls, leaving trails on their way down like tiny slugs. Even though the building was open 24 hours a day, there was only one customer inside. Mir sat at a small table in the corner of the fast-food section of the station, picking through the remains of a hamburger that he had mauled earlier. The last of the fries in the bottom of the paper bucket were caked with salt, but he would have considered eating them if he had any soda left. Now, they would just leave him thirsty, and he was out of money.
Well, not entirely out of money. He jingled the change in his pocket, looking at a small pair of payphones on the other side of the truck stop. They were, perhaps, the last two payphones in a world of mobiles, and he wasn't even sure they were still working. Still, Mir didn't have a lot of options at this point. He dumped the scraps of his meal into a nearby bin and made for the phones. He kept his head low, his eyes darting between the employees of the convenience store and the employees at the fast food restaurant, neither of which seemed to be paying him any mind.
He slid two quarters into the slot, ears jumping a bit each time one plunked into the coin box inside. He dug through his pockets and retrieved a scrap of yellow paper that was nestled among the remaining pennies he had left to his name. It was information that he knew he would need, information that he had the forethought to get from Saul's mobile phone before he had gotten rid of his friend's possessions.
Mir carefully dialed each number, not having the luxury of being able to dial incorrectly. The sound of ringing soon replaced the dial tone, and repeated until the click of a voice mail service kicked in. A familiar voice boomed out of the receiver.
"Hi, you've reached Tobias. Sorry I missed your call, but leave me your name, number, and a short message, and I'll get back to you."
The lion clamped his paw over the bottom half of the speaker end of the receiver, pressing his body against the phone box.
"Declan," he said quietly, putting his chin to his chest. His tone was flat and lifeless. "Declan, it's Mir. I know you're there. Pick up. Don't make me summon you again."
"My, my, we are impatient," came a voice from behind him. Mir turned slowly to see the creature he had been calling. Part of him never wanted to see Declan again, but he was desperate.
Declan, riding in Toby's body, now stood in the truck stop. Where Mir was scraping the bottom of the barrel to get by, Declan looked like he had done all right for himself. When Mir had met Toby, he was a slightly short German Shepherd whose muscles were hidden by a small strata of fat. Soon after Declan was introduced into the equation, Mir noticed that whenever he had come in contact with semen, he seemed to get more masculine. Now, the canine looked like he could enter any local strong-male competition and make a good showing. Declan sported an impressive pair of pecs and a picture-perfect stomach, all visible through a pale blue shirt that Mir thought just might be painted on. Muscular upper thighs were barely contained in a pair of exercise shorts that ended just above the knee. His tail wagged slowly above a butt that Mir could have bounced his last quarter off of, and the tight shorts left almost nothing to the imagination when it came to what the German Shepherd was graced with below his waist.
Mir hung up the phone, noting that he no longer had to look down to talk to Declan. It might have been a trick, but Mir was convinced that the German Shepherd had gained several inches in height. He had to mentally scold himself, keeping his eyes locked on the possessed canine's rather than let them drift down his marvelous new body.
"You look good," Mir said, using the first words he could find to break the silence.
"And you look terrible. Not enjoying the fruits of your wish?" Declan asked. Toby's voice had been completely overridden by the demon's. Toby had a gravelly bass that didn't seem to fit a fur his size. Declan's voice was softer and a higher pitched alto. Whenever he spoke, his words poured out like silk, and there was a tone in his voice that edged toward seduction.
Mir shook his head. "No," he said plainly. "That's what I called to talk to you about."
"Oh? Well, this hardly seems the time or place for such discussions. Shall we move to a more appropriate atmosphere?"
Before Mir could reply one way or the other, Declan lifted one hand and snapped his fingers .The harsh white light of the truck stop slowly faded. The walls melted from their hospital white to a darker color, and the tile floor beneath them became a carpet, worn down from heavy traffic and age. The smell of bleach was soon replaced by perfume, cologne, and a faint hint of mold.
"Where are we?" Mir asked, looking around. It looked like a lounge or the foyer of some cheap hotel. Wood paneling reached from the 20-year-old carpet to the tiled ceiling. Furniture that was two decades out of date sat in a corner next to the smallest functioning television in existence.
"We are in a place where we can talk without the threat of interruption," Declan said, motioning for Mir to follow him.
The pair traveled through a small corridor, eventually coming to another type of common room. This one, however, was full of people. Mir backed off a bit, not wanting to be recognized. In the three weeks since he had met Declan, he had become a 'person of interest' in a number of disappearances around the city. The police had talked to him from time to time, but they had nothing they could use to arrest him. Before they got the chance, Mir fled, taking with him what little cash he could.
Declan continued through unfazed, and Mir followed shortly. As his eyes adjusted to the even dimmer lighting, Mir noticed what was actually going on in the room. About half a dozen females of various species were grouped around a male who was lying on a table, and all of the participants were naked. The male appeared to be unconscious or drugged, but that didn't stop the naked females from rubbing their bodies against him, a few of them working what had to be his genitals, though it was hard for Mir to see through the mass of hands and flesh. He couldn't even make out what species the male was. Mir stopped, and Declan, noticing quickly, stopped and rejoined the lion.
"What's going on here?" Mir asked, already feeling the atmosphere work its effect on him as his pants became a little tighter.
"That male in the middle bragged that he could satisfy even the most discerning of females. I made him the wager that I could find five females whom he could never satisfy, and he took my bet. The succubi have been working on him for hours now."
Mir didn't even realize that the females were demons, but that didn't stop his eyes from admiring their naked forms or his body from preparing itself for some action. Declan continued talking, seemingly unaware of Mir's growing anxiety.
"He stopped ejaculating properly about an hour ago. He is severely dehydrated and physically exhausted. His body has been begging him to stop for a while yet, but the succubi's powers keep him in this state. If he does not get any fluids soon, he will most probably die."
Declan pointed a finger at the group, and Mir's eyes were drawn to the male's face. A female tigress was pushing her full, heaving breasts together, offering them to the male. As her nipple brushed his muzzle, his lips latched on almost instinctively. The succubus threw her head back, shrieking in pleasure as the male milked her out of desperation.
"Fool," Declan said, breaking the hold the sight had on Mir and causing the lion to turn to him. "He is only prolonging his agony by doing that. Demon milk is extremely potent, and has transformative properties to the mortal body. He will be a changed male by morning. But come, step into my office," Declan grabbed Mir's shoulder and physically pulled him into another room.
They stepped into a literal office, complete with desk, computer, and filing cabinets. Whatever Mir was expecting, this was mostly certainly not it. The room fit the rest of the building's décor, wood paneling and all.
"What is this place?"
Declan took a seat at the desk, offering another chair to Mir. "It's a brothel, or was. The owner was someone who wanted to run his business without the authorities hassling him. He made a deal with me, and here we are. I bring clients here, on occasion. Now, if we're going to discuss the deal you made, I prefer spirited discussions."
Declan raised his hand with two fingers extended and his thumb up in the air. It was the same familiar gun gesture that Mir had seen before, but before he could react, Declan dropped his thumb and said. "Bang."
White hot pain exploded in Mir's chest, quickly radiating out to include his lungs, stomach, and throat. As the heat crawled up his neck, Mir found himself fighting for breath. Stumbling out of the chair, the lion groped weakly around the floor, trying to make for the door before the pain consumed his vision. He felt like he was drowning, and he clutched at his chest. Claws dug into his shirt as he tried to alleavate even the slightest pressure there. He reached up and found the door knob to the office just as his vision went white.
Struggling for air, Mir finally managed to draw breath into his lungs with a mighty pull through his nostrils. He took another and a third, expelling them quickly to draw in more. The fear of death eased as his vision returned to normal and the heat died away, a warmth settling over his heart. He slowly climbed onto shaking knees, turning to face the demon.
There was a twisting pain in his heart as, for the first time in nearly a month, he felt regret. The sorrow tunneled its way to the base of brain, and he could feel tears slide down his cheeks, staining his golden fur darker as they went. Mir cried for consuming Saul, cried for his other victims, cried for condemning Toby to being possessed, and most of all cried for himself. He cried until all that would come was dry heaves. The lion was driven to his knees by renewed guilt.
As the tears left him, so too did the sorrow. That, however, was quickly replaced by rage. A spark of fire started up in his heart, and he turned his eyes once more to Declan. It was all the demon's fault! His life had been ruined, his friends killed, and it was all because of that smirking demon. Clenching his hands into fists, the lion let out a mighty roar and lunged across the room. Declan lifted his arms, but not in defense.
In mid-air, the lion could do nothing as the chair he had been sitting on moments before launched from the ground and connected firmly with his midsection. He let out a 'woof' of expelled air as he was forcefully carried into the ceiling, cracking some tiles as he connected. Mir felt as though the back of the chair was going to cut him in half, but the pressure eased up and he fell. On his way down, his chest collided with the edge of the desk, and he rolled to the ground in pain.
"Are we quite finished?" Declan asked with a tone like a parent scolding a child who was throwing a tantrum. The lion growled again, but before he could roll onto his stomach, his muzzle was clamped shut under one of the Shepherd's massive hands.
"If we cannot have a civil discussion, I will take what is mine and leave."
Mir nodded, trying to breathe through his nose even though his ribs ached. Declan took his hand from Mir's mouth and resumed his seat. Mir was slower to get up, but managed to climb back into the chair that was used to assault him.
"Now, you wanted to discuss your arrangement?"
Mir nodded. "Yes, I want my soul back."
Declan sat back, kicking his feet onto the desk. "All right, what are you offering?"
"Take back the power and give me back my soul."
Declan laughed, that familiar laughter that threatened to bring the roof down upon them, that same laugh that made Mir want to punch him right on the nose. "No."
The refusal was flat, firm, and decisive, and pushed Mir to the edge. He slammed his fists on the desk and climbed to his feet before he was aware of himself. Declan raised a hand, and Mir immediately backed off, but only a little bit.
"What do you mean, 'no'? That's not fair."
Declan snickered. "I am a demon, what makes you think I am interested in being 'fair'? The one with the commodity sets the price. You offer me something I have in my natural form, and something I could give to Toby's body if I wanted to. I do not want that mutation you wrought upon yourself. That is not worth a soul to me."
Mir could see the cold logic in that statement, and sat down. "Well then, what do you want?"
The demon scoffed, crossing his massive biceps over his chest. "I know you have a brain, Mir. You have survived this long. Think for a minute and ask yourself that question."
He didn't have much experience with demons, or with Declan, but in the short time that he had known them both, he could only come up with one answer. It was a long shot, but so far, long shots had paid off for Mir. "Souls," he said, a statement, rather than a question.
Declan smiled and sat back in a normal fashion. "You are correct. There is only one currency in Hell, and that is mortal souls. So, now that you have the answer, what are you going to do with it?"
"I'll offer you someone's soul."
Declan rubbed his hands together. "Interesting. First of all, do you -have- any other souls?"
Mir shook his head. "No...but I could get them."
"Really? How many, and when?"
"When do you want them, and how many do you want?"
"Well, that depends," Declan said, rocking back onto the back two legs of the chair. "What more do you want from our exchange? Do you want a life back, or do you simply want to feel emotions again? Do you want to keep the G.I.G.A Syndrome I gave you, or do you want to be normal?"
"I want my life back, and I don't want this syndrome any more."
"I can do the second, as for the first, that would be a no. No demon, no matter how powerful, can undo the past. I can give you -a- life back, but not the life you led before."
Mir nodded. For three weeks, he had been on the run, sleeping where he could, eating whatever he could find, trying to make the last of his dollar stretch as far as it would. He couldn't go anywhere public for fear of getting noticed and dragged off by the cops. He managed to get by on luck a couple of times.
"I also want protection."
"Oh?" Declan asked. "What kind of protection? I mean, you are a pretty big guy already."
"I mean that while I'm getting you the souls, I want to make sure I can do so without having to look over my shoulder all the time."
Declan seemed to consider this for a moment, then nodded. "Fine then, I will grant you the luck of the devil while you act as my collector. I want three souls from you: one in return for your own, one in return for a new life, and one for the protection I will offer you for the duration. Does that seem fair enough?" The demon held up fingers as he counted off the souls, using that same condescending tone he had the first time they had met.
Mir nodded, trying to keep his tail still. "Yeah, that seems fair."
Declan nodded. "You have one month. Thirty days from now, I will come for you. If you have three souls, I will take them and give you everything I have promised. If you fail me, though, I will drag you to Hell right then and there."
Mir stood up. "You won't need to trouble yourself with that part. I'll get your souls."
Declan smiled. "I am sure you will. You can leave through the front door, and you will be back at the truck stop where you were. Mind the succubi on your way out."
The lion walked out of the office and into the room where the sextet of hot creatures were still going at it. They had changed positions, with the male now on all fours, nursing from a new female. The remaining succubi were all teasing and rubbing up and down the male's nude form. Already the transformations had begun, as the male was sporting a small pair of bat-like wings and nubs on his forehead.
Mir forced himself to not become enthralled by the scene, instead making for the lobby door. Outside, he swore he could see snow swirling around in the darkness, but he kept going. The glass doors flew open, but rather than finding himself in the cold night air, Mir found himself pushing open the male's room door of the truck stop. Confused and still a little unsure on his feet, Mir walked up to the convenience store attendant.
"Can I use your phone to call a cab?"
The attendant nodded, turning the phone around and ducking under the desk for a phone book She returned soon, but hesitated before handing the book over.
"Haven't I seen you before?" she asked, causing Mir to start.
"No," he lied quickly. "I'm not from around here."
"I'm sure I've seen you somewhere."
"Case of mistaken identity. Happens to me all the time."
Mir flipped through the book while the attendant went into the back room, still musing about where she might have seen Mir before. He punched in the number of the first cab company he could find, gave them the address of the truck stop, and told them he would be paying with cash. He had no idea where that last part came from, but he had said it before he could even think about it. The lie had just slipped out.
Hanging up the phone, Mir decided that it was probably better to wait in the rain rather than hang around inside the store and give the attendant the chance to recognize him from the news. He never really liked to be wet, part of his feline DNA, but it was better than getting arrested. He closed the book and stepped outside.
To his surprise, the rain had come to a stop. He smiled, appreciating his good fortune after three weeks of utter misery and scrapping by. He put his back against the cold, wet glass of truck stop window and waited for the cab. While he waited, he kept thinking about his most recent encounter with Declan. It all seemed too easy, despite the pain in his ribs from where he was hit. The demon was too willing to let him go, too willing to allow him to do this. Had he gotten in over his head again?
He didn't have much time to think as a pair of headlights swept the area. Mir caught sight of the logo for the cab company he had called. Perhaps there had been a taxi in the area, or something. Either way, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. His thoughts turned to how he was going to pay for the ride, his hands rooting around in his pockets. He had hoped that maybe Declan had slipped him some money, but didn't find anything. A crunch under his shoe made him stop, and his eyes widened as he realized what he had stepped on.
Underneath the toe of his left shoe was a billfold, bulging with twenties and hundreds. There had to be nearly two-thousand dollars in the wad of cash, and there was no identification. He looked around, and saw a couple of semis in the parking lot, their engines cold, their drivers asleep. He pocketed the money quickly and jumped into the cab, disappearing into the night.
An hour later, and dressed in some new clothes, Mir stepped out of the cab. He tossed the driver his fare, ignoring the sour look he received in return. The driver had done his job and brought him to a nearby gay bar, even though he was obviously uncomfortable with it. As soon as sole hit the sidewalk and the door was closed, the driver sped off without a second thought. Mir shook his head. Some people were so intolerant.
Even from outside, Mir could hear the thumping bass of the music and some of the louder patrons. It wasn't the classiest establishment he had ever been to, but considering he was a new fur in a new town, he would make due with what he had on hand. He wasn't here to make long-term friends, after all, and he sure wasn't going to become a regular.
He moved two steps before he heard something off to his right. He checked to make sure that no one else was around, then went to investigate the noise. In the gap between the bar and its neighbor, a space not even big enough to be considered a proper alley, Mir caught sight of a dark shape stumbling around. It took him a while for his eyes to adjust and see that it was a panther, obviously a bit intoxicated, leaning with his entire weight against the wall of the bar.
"You okay?" Mir asked, getting the panther's attention. He spun around and caught sight of the big lion. Smiling, the panther started towards him, but soon tripped over his own feet and started to fall.
Jumping forward into the darkness of the alley, Mir caught the feline, grunted as the panther went limp in his arms. His muscles strained to lift the intoxicated cat to his feet. The panther, meanwhile, took the opportunity to spin Mir around and press his lips to the lion's. Mir's eyes widen as he was kissed, but allowed himself to be spun and pushed against the brick wall. He returned the kiss until the panther let go.
"Hi," the panther slurred. "It's always nice to see another customer. You've got protection?"
Mir blinked, "N-no," he stammered. "And I don't even know you."
The panther scowled, but the anger passed in an instant. "All right, I guess it'll just be a blow-job then. I don't ride bare-back, and don't expect me to swallow. I'm John, by the way, and I'm horny."
Mir laughed a little. "Nice to meet you, John...I...er..." the lion looked down at the panther's hands and noticed a ring. "You're mated?"
"So what? She's not here now, is she?" he asked the rhetorical question, but then glanced around the lion's shoulder, probably checking to see that she indeed wasn't behind Mir.
Mir was about to point out how drunk John was, but then a wicked smile crossed his face. He had to collect souls, after all, and the sooner he collected them, the better off he would be. Hell, he might even pick up a few extra, just to make sure that Declan couldn't weasel out of the deal.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," the lion purred, causing the panther to smile in a way that he probably thought was seductive, but just ended up looking goofy.
Mir unbuttoned the fly to his new pants, digging around his groin for a moment to rearrange the fabric of his underwear that was blocking his sheath and balls from the outside world. The panther, meanwhile, decided that if he was going to show off for the lion, he was going to show everything. In the time it took Mir to expose himself, John had gotten completely naked.
The attractiveness of the panther was lost to the darkness of the alley. Only three things were visible to Mir: the cat's bright green eyes, the tip of his tongue, which had lolled out a little, and the pink tip of his erection which was hanging free from his sheath.
The panther wasted no time in falling to his knees before the lion, more stable since his center of gravity was closer to the ground. Even then, he swayed back and forth a little like a charmed snake. He reached up and caressed Mir's balls with his paws, groping and squeezing, sometimes a bit painfully. Still, overall, he got the reaction he desired, as Mir's erection slowly slid free into the cool night air. The lion let out a shuddering breath as the pleasure sparks from his groin shot into his brain. With those shocks, however, came the now all-too-familiar hunger that had nothing to do with food.
John ran his rough tongue along the underside of Mir's erection as it came free, coating the shaft with a healthy dose of spit. He continued to lick up the length like an ice cream cone, his paws continuing to toy with the golden orbs beneath. Mir grunted a bit as his entire hardness was exposed, pointing straight out from his body. John bent it down until it was level with his nose, giving the head a few more heavy licks.
The panther's hot breath made Mir shiver as it came in contact with the sensitive tip of his shaft. John took the tip into his mouth and proceeded immediately down a couple of inches. About halfway, the lips stopped and the tongue-bathing began. Either through skill or sloppiness, Mir felt John's tongue all over his shaft, twisting and contorting in ways that he had never thought possible. Even though Mir's shaft filled John's mouth, he managed to work his tongue over the top.
A spurt of pre shot from the tip of Mir's cock and landed against the back of John's throat. Despite his warning against not swallowing, the panther took the fluid greedily, continuing to slurp along the shaft and tease those glorious testicles. Mir clenched his teeth, wanting to make the sensations last longer. Still, if he came, it would probably piss off the panther, and then he would lose his prey.
"S-stop," Mir panted, claws scratching the bricks behind him.
"There already?" the panther asked as soon as Mir's cock was free. His hand stopped teasing the testicles, but slowly ran up and down the slick, hard shaft. When Mir nodded, the panther picked up his pace. It would be rude not to finish off a customer, after all. The lion's cock surged in his hand before sending hot ropes of seed splattering against the far wall. Jet after jet of hot seed fired off from the lion, making lewd wet noises as it hit the bricks across the alley. John's eyes widened at the sheer amount of semen that the lion expelled, letting out a low whistle when he was finished.
"Wow, you were really pent up, weren't you?" John asked with a smile. He started to climb to his knees, but he felt the lion's heavy paw on his shoulder. Looking up, the panther saw the lion smile down.
"Give it one last good-bye kiss?" the lion asked. The panther gave that same goofy smile and then nodded. He puckered his lips and closed his eyes, nearing the tip of the erection that he had just blown. He felt something strong clamp down on his lips, and looked up angrily at the lion. Mir held up both his hands and shook his head.
Eyes wide, John's gaze slowly moved down Mir's form until it got to his crotch. The panther's eyes crossed at he looked down the tip of his nose to see that the head of Mir's cock had his lips held tight. He tried to pull back, but he couldn't even manage to make the shaft budge a bit. The smell of the male's musk was so close to his nose, and the panther fought off his arousal. It wasn't much of a fight though, as the alcohol already had a pretty calming effect on him, and the musk only helped to ease his fear.
John's eyes slid closed again, and his struggling ceased. Mir's cock took the opportunity and sucked his lips in hard, the slit expanding and catching the panther's nose. It was like holding a rag of chloroform up to the panther's snout, and he soon went limp. Mir had to slide down the wall into a sitting position to prevent the panther's weight from taking him over in a tumble. The lion sat, knees up and legs spread, the panther's head resting in his lap.
He tried to quiet his roars of pleasure as he felt his cock consume the panther's head. The lion had the capacity of thought to undone his pants the rest of the way, sliding the fabric down his knees. His shaft was going to bulge in order to accept the panther's form, and it would certainly tear the fabric. It wouldn't do to be walking around half naked through a strange city.
Mir's erection flared as he encountered John's shoulders, spitting a near fountain of precum to aid the panther's slide into the hot, musky tunnel that was squeezing him from all sides. The deep rushing noise of the blood pulsing through the erection that was eating him was a comforting rhythm that lulled the feline further to sleep. Eventually, he felt his slide resume as the slit worked around his shoulders, having gotten past the most difficult part of the prey.
Mir wrapped his arms around his cock as it absorbed the panther's form, thick veins protruding from the top of the large pink pillar of flesh. He touched it gingerly, though, as even that slight touch felt like it was going to send him over the edge. His cock looked like one of those snakes in a nature documentary, having just eaten something that was grossly larger than itself.
A glint of metal caught the lion's eye, and he reached down to grab hold of the panther's hand. The ring was still on his finger, and Mir felt a pang of guilt taint the experience. He swallowed the lump in his throat as his cock swallowed the panther to his wrists, arms pinned to his sides. Not sure what the metal would do to his testicles but not willing to find out the hard way, Mir wrenched the ring off the panther's finger before it disappeared into the slit.
Ooze coated the panther's hips and tail as he continued to get pulled down Mir's shaft, his head no longer being squeezed so tightly. His neck and shoulders had just passed the threshold into Mir's holding chamber, and the panther sniffed at the new tinge of musk that filled the chamber. He felt his torso come along as his legs were consumed by the hungry cock.
Mir gave a last roar of pleasure as the panther disappeared into his cock. The shaft gave one last burp of precum, which slid down and coated the bulging flesh that contained John. As the rest of his prey slid into his testicles, Mir's cock resumed a normal size and shape, but went from pink to red because of the increased blood flow. His testicles, sitting between his ankles like a furry garbage bag, began to gurgle and churn, melting the panther down into a load of seed.
Mir put his elbow against his mouth as he roared again and again, the feeling of the refilling so intense that it threatened to expel the panther half-done. His testicles shrank down to a more manageable size, but definitely larger than what they were. The gurgling died down as the last of John was converted to cum. The pleasure faded slowly, Mir's vision returned to normal.
He ran a hand through his mane, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. He looked down at his renewed package, licking his lips at the sight. It was a thrill he would never get tired of, and during the time between the gnawing emptiness and the pain of having a pair of overfull testicles, a pleasant sense of fulfillment was his reward. It threatened to drive the lion to sleep, but he knew that he couldn't afford to be caught here. John's clothing was still in the alleyway, and Mir had left plenty of genetic evidence against the wall.
Besides, Mir thought as he buttoned up his pants and climbed to his feet, grunting at the discomfort of the the tightness against his groin, he still had two more to collect.