Slave Trade - Liquid Gold
Slave Trade
Liquid Gold
copyright 2013 comidacomida
The slaves of the stables took another hour to unwind. Dorias and Choel spent the time talking amongst themselves as they shared the joint responsibility of cleaning the cooking cauldron and serving bowls. Maern curbed the fire in the pit so it would continue burning through the night but without risk of spreading. Sidney remained off to the side, his thoughts keeping him company as he watched Tharis return to hanging woven rope nets between the rafters.
"What are those for?" he asked the bull during one of the slave's trips past him.
"Storage." Tharis responded, and went to where a good sized pile of rope lay in what had been chosen as Olnyr's stall. The bull shoulder a thick tangle of the hemp line and strolled his way back past Sidney and toward the section of netting. Without another word, Tharis spread the newest stretch adjacent to the already hung ropes.
"Slave Master." Olnyr's deep voice caused Sidney to jump in surprise.
"Y-yes, Baron?" the fox inquired.
The bison scowled, "Olnyr."
"Sorry." Sidney wilted slightly, "You were Baron when I first met you."
"I'm not Baron now... Slave Master." the slave stated flatly, though he managed to force the frown off his face, "I--" "Would you rather be called Baron?" Sidney spoke over him, cocking his head to the side. The fox had no idea where the inclination to interrupt the massive bison came from, but he realized it was completely within his right. As it turned out, his words caused Olnyr to stop completely, muzzle moving as if speaking, but without any words coming out.
"Our Master told me my name is Olnyr." the bison finally managed.
Sidney nodded at that, "And my name is Sidney, but you call me Slave Master."
"You are my Slave Master." Olnyr responded without even a moment's pause as he stared at the fox, "That is your title."
"And if your title were Baron?" Sidney imagined Lord Hector smiling at the technicality, and he silently prayed to whatever got listened to slaves that he was making a wise decision and not overstepping his bounds.
"I am a slave." the bison scowled, "I have no title."
The Slave Master's smile grew, "The people at Lord Levid's estate started calling me Bane..." he cocked his head to the side with what he knew to be feigned, endearing vulpine confusion, "Isn't that a title?" When the bison shrugged in response, Sidney continued, "Then I guess that it's alright if I call you Baron."
The bison's expression remained unchanged, "Lord Levid will not like that."
Sidney did his best impression of Lord Hector, "No... I suppose he would not." and the fox was heartened when he saw that his Hector-esque smile was infectious enough to generate the faintest upturn of a smirk on Baron's muzzle.
"Yes, Slave Master." the bison offered a faint incline of his head.
"I will let the rest of the stable know to call you Baron then." Sidney announced with greater confidence.
"Call me anything you want." Baron stated, "Just teach me to fight like your stallion."
Sidney felt almost giddy for a moment at how well his exchange with the bison had gone; he began to gain confidence in his Master's opinion of him. Was it possible that he DID have the makings of a fine Slave Master in him after all? His musings were cut short when he felt the looming form of Tharis behind him. "Goodnight, Baron." Sidney noted to the bison as he turned around the face the bull.
"Here." Tharis stated the moment he had Sidney's attention, and the fox was left staring at the thin golden cord placed into his paw.
"I..." the fox paused, then glanced back at Baron, who was already piling up his hay for the night. He returned his gaze to to the large bull in front of him, golden cord trailing from the ring in his nose down to Sidney's paw, "I... guess I'm ready to go then."
"Slave Master." Tharis nodded his head faintly, and stepped back, providing Sidney room to get past him and into the stable's walk-way between stalls. Sidney kept tight hold of the golden lead but it was hardly needed; the bull remained right behind him, providing plenty of slack to the cord.
The slave master led his charge out of the stables, peering back through the open door just once to make certain that everyone had settled down for the night. He was just in time to see Maern's head rise up above the divider height.
The stallion glanced out after him, ears up, eyes glinting ice blue in the moonlight, "Good-nite, Sid-ney."
"Goodnight, Maern." the fox whispered in a soft voice, feeling a faint chill run up his spine at the parting. He began to close the stable door, putting his shoulder against the heavy wood to secure it, but the door swung closed before he could do more than touch the frame; Tharis' heavy hand pushed it shut. Sidney glanced up at the bull, who gazed down at him with an indifferent expression. "Thank you." the fox noted.
The bull simply nodded, and the gesture caught the Slave Master by surprise; it was the first time a slave had ever acknowledged his appreciation without pointing out that it wasn't necessary.
Sidney started out across the courtyard at a moderate pace; he measured the fall of his feet to time with his rapid breathing, inhale-left-foot-exhale-right-foot... but, at the same time, each step was short. Behind him, Tharis had no trouble keeping up with a long, distance-eating stride, the golden-lead remaining slack through the entire duration. The fox had made it almost half-way before the pad-pad-pad-pad-thunk-pad-pad-pad-pad-thunk of his light footfall accentuated by each one of Tharis' steps started to become unbearable. In the end, however, it was Tharis' voice that broke the tedium, "Lord Hector lied." The comment brought Sidney to a complete halt.
"Lord Hector doesn't lie." Sidney about-faced, looking up challengingly at the bull. Somewhere in the back of his mind the fox appreciated the humor of a wiry little fox not even six foot tall staring down an enormous slave that was his height and half again, and likely almost three times his weight but, the second after the words left his muzzle, the only thing Sidney felt was very insecure about his objection.
"He did." Tharis responded calmly, "About the Sardassi."
"What about the Sardassi?" Sidney took a step back.
Tharis took a step forward, keeping the golden chain slack, "Gladiators can mate if their Masters let them."
"Why wouldn't Lord Hector let you? Why would he have to lie about something like that?" Sidney questioned, finding his hackles up slightly. He wasn't sure exactly what Tharis was trying to say, or why he was suggesting that Lord Hector had a need to lie... especially to a slave. The fox felt a twinge of emotional pain; why would Lord Hector need to lie to HIM?
"He would let me." Tharis says, "But I don't."
"You don't... what?" Sidney asked, ears facing the bull, but eyes forward toward the work shed door. "You don't mate? You don't want to?"
"Both." the large slave stated.
"Probably because you've been in the Sardassi too much." Sidney countered, sliding the key into the lock of the work shed the moment he arrived. The fox went to step through the door, but the golden lead jumped from his grasp unexpectedly; Tharis had not moved to follow.
"I was sold to the Grinders." the bull stated in a tone so matter-of-fact that it chilled the fox instantly.
"Why would anyone sell YOU to the Grinders?" Sidney asked, standing next to the door, "I thought you were a Champion?"
Tharis slowly walked in past him, giving his arm a flick to the side, causing the golden chain to arc over his forearm, and swing up again, spiraling its way around his limb until he caught the end in his hand. "I don't breed."
"Oh..." Sidney noted neutrally, not exactly sure what to make out of the old bull's statement, "So..." he paused, standing in the middle of the room without anything to add.
Tharis closed the door, "The Master uses the Sardassi."
"So... you didn't..." the fox's ears reddened slightly, "...not even before the Sardassi?"
"Not with females." the old bull snorted; the words practically knocked Sidney over, and he had to physically fight to draw breath. Tharis remained where he was for several seconds but, without any further conversation forthcoming, the bull strode over to where the Sardassi stood, passive and seemingly innocent.
"...with males?" Sidney asked.
"Yes." Tharis answered, "When one was..." he flicked an ear, "...willing." the bull's eyes bore into Sidney, making the fox highly uncomfortable... but very, VERY intrigued.
"Anyone?" the Slave Master pressed, slowly circling around Tharis, moving over toward the sole storage closet, "or someone?"
"A pit boy." the bull answered, "Young thing... raccoon..." Tharis let out a sigh, leaning back against the Sardassi as he raised his right arm, letting the metal restraints overhead clasp around his wrist, "He fetched water." the bull's eyes had a far off look to them.
"What happened?" Sidney asked, focused on the slave as the fingers of his paws searched for the cabinet handle by touch.
"The Master found out... sold us both to the Grinders" Tharis snorted.
"Didn't Lord Hector buy you from them?" Sidney asked, glancing to the cabinet so he could locate the bottle of bluish liquid and a leather chamois.
"Lord Hector saved me..." the bull shook his head as he reached down and undid the simple clasp that held his loin cloth up, "..he was too late for Gaffin."
Sidney swallowed as Tharis' simple clothing dropped down to the ground, revealing his broad, thick sheath and enormous, heavy sac. The fox tried to think of a response to the bull's words, but he could only come up with one: "I'm sorry."
Tharis nodded, "Me too." at that, the slave put his other arm in place, eliciting another *clank* from the device as the second shackle closed. From there, the bull's abdominal muscles rippled powerfully as he pulled his legs off the ground, using the device's restraints to hold him up until he had his ankles in place, at which point, they too were restrained.
The fox steppepd a little closer, setting the leather and the bottle on the small table beside the device as he checked the clasps holding the bull's limbs in place. As before, the Sardassi's manacles were sized perfectly for its occupant, securely restraining both wrists and ankles. Though Sidney could detect a faint hum from the artifact there was no glow and no crackling energy... not yet, he realized, because the ring was still missing.
The Slave Master glanced around, ears up as he searched for the key to making it all work. "There." Tharis noted, motioning with his muzzle in the direction of the table. Sidney inwardly berated himself; the key was right next to where he'd set the chamois. The fox picked up the heavy hunk of metal, and shuddered at the tingling that flowed through him; the eerie glow from the ring was further unsettling, but he pushed the thought from his mind and looked back to the bull, who was staring right back at him.
The first time Sidney had been instructed to use the Sardassi on Tharis, the bull had focused on a spot on the wall for the majority of the procedure, but that was no longer the case. The slave's intense gaze remained in Sidney as the fox inspected the restraints. The Slave Master was mindful to check each manacle, and then secure the neck clasp in place as well. He winced each time his fingers contacted with the metal, feeling the buzzing spark of energy held barely in check; despite the Sardassi being off, Sidney had no doubt that it still held an enormous amount of power.
Tharis' nose pressed against the side of the fox's neck and he took in a deep breath, "You smell good." Tharis' voice rumbled from deep in his chest, muzzle lowered downward over the neck restraint as he continued to watch Sidney, "Slave Master." he added. The fox didn't realize that the bull's member had already presented itself until it slid through his thigh fur while he was stepping down from securing the metal across the slave's throat. Sidney couldn't fault him; his own flesh pressed out of his sheath, restrained by his loincloth.
The Slave Master broke contact, backpedaling away from the Sardassi as he took in the full view of the bull strapped down and restrained. Sidney licked the inside of his muzzle, forcing the saliva to the back of this throat before he started drooling. Tharis' body was covered in coarse fur, but he was still well-built and firm enough to look as if he were carved from granite.
Despite the bull's progressing years, he was still an amazing specimen, and it made Sidney hurt in reluctant desire all the more. From the faint streaks of grey in Tharis' fur and the experienced, regal way in which the bull held his head, the fox found that he couldn't completely lament his Master's orders that bade him see to the harvesting of the slave's seed. Eyes still on the captive bull, Sidney reached over and took the bottle of blue fluid off the work table, and popped the top.
The Slave Master held one paw out, accepting a generous amount of the blue fluid into his palm, inhaling through his teeth at the numbing cold of the syrupy goo. Setting the bottle back on the table, he slowly rubbed his paws together, working his body heat into the fluid until it was so warm it tingled... and only then did he press his paws to the bull's firm shaft.
Tharis did not bother hiding the deep, rich moan that escaped him, and his hips pressed out from the stone slab of the Sardassi, moving more of his length into Sidney's paws. "In the Master's name..." Tharis murmured breathlessly, "Thank you, Lord Hector..." and the fox stepped back in surprise as the bull began immediately leaking from the end of his shaft.
Sidney was more than a little flustered at the change in the bull's attitude; the slave in front of him was nothing like the stoic-faced, indifferent old man that he had first met scarcely a week before. The fox used both paws to finish spreading the cleaning fluid up and down Tharis' thick flesh, having a difficult time making sure that he was using the blue syrup and not just the bull's thick precum. Each movement of his paw brought a quick inhale or a blast of breath from the slave.
Sidne, unable to accept the pain of his loin cloth's restraint of his erect flesh any longer, loosened his own wrapping with a goo-covered-paw, ignoring the streak of blue he left on the rope. Once the knot was loose, the fox gave his hips a shake and let the cloth drop to the ground before stepping out of it. He let out a contented breath, and reached for the the chamois, emptying the last of the bottle of cleaner onto it. He worked the cloth around in his paws until the fluid warmed up, and then slowly pressed it against the broad length of Tharis' throbbing flesh.
"Hhhrrr..." the bull let out a powerful breath, hunching his head forward and pulling at the restraints of the Sardassi so he could get an extra inch of his flesh into Sidney's grasp. Small flecks of energy sparked off of the metal bands and, for a moment, the fox watched as the strange lines of energy ran up and down Tharis' body. The effect created a faint glow in the half light of the work shed, and was echoed by the ring, which sat otherwise impassive on the work bench barely an arm's length away.
Sidney slowly stepped back, his fur puffing out in surprise and alarm at the strange effect. Tharis's eyes were hooded drunkenly by his eyes and a mixture of giddy joy and insistent pain skewed the expression on his muzzle as he smiled ever-so-faintly, "I..." he gasped, "...haven't felt this way in... a long time..."
The fox paused at that, the words eliciting a strong sense of pride within the ex-body slave, but the feeling was also mixed with uncertainty, "I'm..." the fox wasn't exactly sure the best way to phrase what he was going to say, so he chose straight-forward, "I'm going to put the ring on you now."
"Yes, Slave Master." the bull acknowledged with a faint nod, leaning his head back as much as he could considering the restraint and the stone slab. As he obediently calmed, the manacles returned to their previously mundane, non-sparking metal form.
Sidney set the used cloth on the table and picked up the ring instead. He silently mused how different the situation was compared to the prior time he found himself before the Sardassi-captured bull; it had taken every trick the fox could think of to get Tharis aroused during their first session, and now, for their second time together he had to make sure that the bull was calmed down enough to take hold of his bobbing shaft so he could hold it still and slide the ring in place.
The ring was surprisingly easy to glide down into place, and it hugged the base of Tharis' shaft firmly. Sidney let out a sigh of relief, not so much because he worried that it wouldn't work, but more because he knew that the most hands-on portion of his work was at an end. The fox moved around to the side of the Sardassi and was just reaching for the buttons on the side when the bull spoke up, "The bottle."
"Oh!" Sidney acknowledged the reminder, "Right!" and he opened the panel near the base of the device and pulled one of the round-bottom flasks from where it was stored. The fox ran his thumb around the gold-flaked lip of the flask and looked up to where Tharis was restrained; the bull was still staring at him. The Slave Master slowly drew his eyes away from the bull's focused gaze and looked to the thick, throbbing member less than a foot from his face.
Even though the strong scent of the blue fluid was most prominent, Tharis' powerful male musk prevailed, and Sidney's next breath mixed the two, eliciting a cough from him. Sidney quickly turned away as he hiccuped the scent out of his lungs, then quickly affixed the mouth of the container to the tip of the bull's shaft... and found that it didn't fit. Pausing, Sidney changed his grip on the flask again and tried a second time, with no better luck than the first time. It was readily apparent that Tharis was far too excited and his flesh far too erect.
He was just about to pull the flask away when Tharis spoke, "Harder." the bull's voice was as much an order as it was a suggestion as it was a plea, wavering faintly as he fought to remain still amidst the faint humming of the Sardassi and the glowing ring's insistent. Sidney knew well enough that the machine didn't need to be on for its effects to manifest, and he wondered at how different an experience it was from working with the bull the first time.
Gripping the neck of the flask with one paw and the bull's flesh with the other, Sidney guided Tharis' member to the mouth of the bottle and began to wriggle it in. At first, there appeared to be no effect other than starting a shake in the slave's hips but, miraculously, the fox watched as centimeter after centimeter of Tharis' shaft slid home. The Slave Master let out a deep breath when the gold-flecked lip of the flask finally kissed the ring at the base of bull's throbbing flesh. Tharis had squirmed for most of the procedure, and the glowing lines of energy had started to manifest across his body once more.
"What..." Sidney paused a moment when one of Tharis' closed eyes cracked open a fraction of an inch, glowing faintly like the odd runes beneath his fur, "... what are those?" he asked, running a paw along the glowing line that followed the muscle of the bull's quadriceps.
"My..." Tharis spoke with a deep blast of air from his lungs as the ring around his member glowed in matching time with his heart beat... and it was speeding up, "...trophy..."
"...trophy?" Sidney asked, cocking his head to the side as he rested his paw more firmly against the bull's thigh. From his vantage the fox could see the weight hanging down within Tharis' sack; based on the quivering of his hips, the slave was willing, able, and seemingly eager to surrender it, "For what?'
"Surviving the Sardassi..." Tharis murmured, closing his eyes again as the muscles across his chest flexed, and he began to pull against the restraints of the device. Sidney was forced to step back as the metal bands began to shed sparks.
"Surviving it?" the fox questioned, "I survived it... but I--"
"Not on the--" Tharis grunted as the glyphs beneath his fur became even more distinct, "--highest..." and he grunted again, flinching as the metal restraints burst into life, blazing blue as they flared, becoming pure energy.
"I!" Sidney objected, "It isn't even on!!!" he ran to the control panel.
"It... isn't..." Tharis confirmed, his words huffed out of him with each breath, "But I... am..." the last word came out as a growl, jolts of electricity creeping down the bull's limbs as the glyphs on his body exploded with power. The hum of the Sardassi increased into a high pitched whine, as if the device were taking cues from him rather than the other way around.
Seconds later, the slave lurched his head forward, the metal restraint against his neck showering his body with sparks as it burst its physical form; even as an electric noose, however, it still could barely hold the enormous bull in check. Tharis let out a pure, bestial cry, spittle dropping from his parted lips as he hunched forward, the inside of the flask covering his member turning cloudy in a split second as his seed coated its insides.
The bull's hips lurched once, then twice, then a third time, his flesh completely concealed by the copious amounts of thick fluid. Sidney almost thought that his eyes were deceived when he swore he saw the neck of the glass flask actually stretch and contort to accomodate each pulse from Tharis' ejaculations. The fox stood transfixed, staring disbelievingly as the bull succeeded in filling the flask completely... and the container seemed to unbelievably bulge even more.
Tharis, after nearly twenty seconds, went slack, and, as suddenly as it had started, the Sardassi's glow ceased. The strange lines of glyphs beneath the bull's fur faded quickly thereafter, and, with a drawn-out groan of satisfaction, Tharis slowly relaxed his body back against the stone slab, head lolling slightly within the restraints of the once-again-metal band. Sidney took a tentative step closer, "What..." he paused, peeling his eyes from the grossly-overfilled flask and focusing instead of the bull's serene expression and closed eyes, "...what happened?"
"mmm..." the bull murmured as a deep rolling rumble from his chest, "...you." his voice held the surety of a younger bull, and a faint touch of levity.
Sidney felt his ears redden at the comment, but he quickly put on his professional air as he stepped closer, eyes returning to the flask, clearing his throat before speaking, "Stay still." he directed, and rested a thumb and finger against the ring before gripping the bottle with his other paw. Hoping he wasn't going to have a hard time separating the glass from the bull, he began with a gentle pull... and felt no resistance.
Slowly leading the container down the ample length of the bull's member, Sidney rotated it slightly so he could pull the flask free without upending the contents all over the place. The fox was surprised when the glass bottle came off easily and without event; it seemed to have taken to its new, overfull size, and the contents came right up to a black line on the neck. "Wow..." he murmured.
"wow..." Tharis echoed. The comment brought Sidney's eyes back to the older bull's face. The slave's eyes were still heavy-lidded, but a prominent glow still emerged from them as Tharis gazed down at him. Sidney felt his ears redden again. Placing a stopper firmly into the bloated flask, the fox set it off to the side, and turned back around to face the still-secured bull, who had never stopped staring at him.
"I..." Sidney announced, pausing as he reflected astoundingly on the over-full bottle, "I never activated it."
Tharis chuckled softly at the admission, "No need..." he replied, "It works anyway."
The fox flicked an ear in surprise, "Even without turning it on?"
"No need..." the bull noted, voice coming out with a heavy breath, "Turning ME on was enough." he chuckled, the emotions in his gaze evident. The comment brought another round of blushing from Sidney. The lewd sentiment on the slave's face faded slowly, replaced by the faintest hint of something else... something Sidney had a harder time identifying. The bull let out a deep breath, the features of his face seeming a little bit more regal-- a little more refined in the way they were illuminated by the faint glow of his eyes, "you are a very beautiful little fox, Slave Master."
Sidney froze in place, completely unfamiliar with the correct way to respond to such a disclosure... such a compliment. He felt an answer start in the way his stomach burbled a little, and the way his tail curled around his legs, and how his ears burned even more fiercely. He was just about to let his unspoken answer finally manifest out of his muzzle in the form of words, but Tharis spoke up first, "You're welcome." the old bull chuckled softly, his tail giving a faint flick from where it lay against the stone slab of the Sardassi.
"I..." the fox flushed more thoroughly at that, feeling a sense that was beyond embarrassment yet still somehow filled with pride. He managed to power through it only by focusing on the task at hand, "I don't know how to release someone from the Sardassi if it hadn't been on first." he admitted.
"The bottom button." Tharis explained calmly.
"Oh!" Sidney's ears went up when it was explained to him, "I wondered why there was an off button when Lord Hector taught me to turn it off by saying something instead." and the fox leaned over and reached for the side of the device.. "Slave Master..." the bull called for his attention before his finger hit the lowest button on the panel.
"What?" Sidney looked up, jumping when he was addressed, "Did I forget something?" he inquired, glancing around the room for a step he'd forgotten.
"No." Tharis acknowledged, "You finished."
"Oh..." Sidney smiled sheepishly, "Good."
"Unless..." the bull noted, his eyes glowing a little brighter as the faint, muted glow of indistinct symbols shone from beneath the slave's thick fur, "...you want to continue..." Tharis' glowing eyes stared straight at him, and Sidney realized that the bull's flesh hadn't even begun to grow soft.
The only thing Sidney could manage to say was, "I..." and then fell silent, still staring at the glistening shaft, erect and ready.
"You were a sex slave...?" the bull questioned, seemingly unconcerned about the fact that he was still strapped to the Sardassi, and seemingly quite content to weather the still-glowing ring's affects on his body.
Sidney paused, "Yes." he glanced to his loin cloth where it lay beside Tharis' on the floor, the size difference was one more reminder at the dangerous game of being too close to Tharis.
"Always as a slave?" Tharis questioned, "Never because you wanted it?" the bull's gaze was steady, studying the fox, but not coldly. Sidney nodded in response, not bothering to acknowledge it in words. "Change that." the bull spoke, "I felt you."
Tharis said far more with the three words than what was spoken, and Sidney knew it. When Sidney had touched him the first time on the Sardassi they each received an empathic impression from the other, and the fox realized that Tharis knew just how much the fox liked what he saw. That peek into one another's minds had been fleeting, but the effect was a lasting one, and Sidney realized as well that there was no point in lying. Taking a step forward, the fox reached out and encircled Tharis' shaft with both paws, and pressed his muzzle to the tip of the bull's eager flesh.
The bull let out a grateful sigh, laying his head back against the stone slab as he closed his eyes. Sidney tasted the slick seed still clinging to Tharis' member, but also the newer fluid that was leaking freely from it. Using his muzzle as well as his paws, the fox began to work the slave more completely, shivering as he felt the familiar tingle of the Sardassi as its latent power began to flow through the both of them.
It didn't take long before Sidney had his hips pressed against Tharis' groin, rubbing his own flesh against the much-larger bull's, this big slave's testcles massaging his own... and most of his rump. The Slave Master's entire abdominal fur was coated in a mixture of drying semen and fresh precum, slick with the other male's excitement, and his own. Tharis, despite his confinement, still found surprising ways to fidget, half-thrust, and flex his muscles to contribute far more than the fox had expected; the effort as much as the actions drove the Slave Master wild.
The final thing for Sidney was when Tharis tilted his head back, wheezing and groaning as he exploded for a second time that night. The pulsing of the other male's member against his whole lower body drove Sidney over the edge. The fox squirmed in the bull's lap feeling Tharis' flesh as it unloaded all over him; the first jet caught him in the jaw, and the second and third covered his chest; Sidney's own ejaculate mixing into it, though it was lost amidst the difference in volume as surely as a thimble of water in a bucket.
The fox fell away from Tharis, tumbling onto the ground as the connection to the Sardassi was severed... but he still found himself tingling all over, and still felt the electricity in the room. He let out a deep breath, reveling in the strange euphoria but, at the same time, realizing that he was just as soaked as if he had been bathing. Gazing around the room, he realized that most of the floor fared no better; he would have a LOT of cleaning to do before he could call it a night.
The Slave Master realized that the night was far from over and, sighing, pressed the bottom button on the Sardassi's panel, and Tharis dropped to the ground, a big pile of content bull."....perfect." the large save reflected fondly and Sidney suddenly made up his mind that all the cleaning would be worth it.