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12 Shadowfox -- Null

There were lights in Shadowfox's face and she couldn't see clearly. She was unable to move her head, and it was pulled back, her eyes pointing to the ceiling. She could see Tigre and Boss out of her peripheral vision.

This is going to be very bad and then they'll kill me.

I'm sorry I stole David, Technofox. Why was that in her head? She had done that for the team; why was it a regret?

"Wrap it." Tigre tossed Boss a condom.

He grimaced. "Aw, man..." Boss grinned so Tigre would know he wasn't serious.

Shadowfox snatched at the vine of hope. If they were going to kill her, they could easily dispose of her body in a thousand different ways, none of which would leave evidence inside her. Unless they wanted her body to be found.

Shadowfox tried to turn her head. There was something tugging at her scalp on the top. She gasped.

"Yes," Tigre explained. "Blue is working on your implant."

"What is he doing?" Shadowfox asked, tightly.

"Returning a favor," Tigre whispered.

"There's no need to be mysterious, Tigre," came Master's voice from a speaker somewhere on the wall. "Now that she knows I am writing to her implant, she will be too agitated to discuss other subjects. Therefore, I might as well explain. Doctor Clayton is your medical doctor, is he not?"

Shadowfox didn't answer. Was she being made the vessel for a malware attack on Clayton?

"When you escaped from Blue Diamond," Blue said, "you utilized some software designed to attack me. I assume it was provided by Doctor Clayton. Can you confirm that?"

Uh oh. "I ran software on a chip installed by Technofox," Shadowfox answered. "I am not certain where she got the chip or who provided the software on it."

"The bitch is lying," Boss said. "Give me half an hour with her."

"Bruno," Blue said, "it doesn't really matter if she is lying or not."

Boss looked disappointed.

"Shadowfox, why don't you tell me why you are here?" Blue asked.

Shadowfox's ears twitched. There was no harm in telling him what he already knew. "To find Felicia."

"Reasonable. Shadowfox," Blue said, "at Blue Diamond your team destroyed the megaframes running T1GR3 and myself. And then you stole the biological component of Tigre."

"We weren't charged with 'stealing' her," Shadowfox answered. "You were."

"Which is why I'm justified in acting outside the law at this time. I do have an ethical right to self-defense. Tu quoque does not excuse your actions against me." Blue said.

"I liked Saffron," the tiger said. "It was comfortable in her body." She folded her arms and looked thoughtfully at Shadowfox. "But I suppose Felicia makes up for it. This is much better than the last."

Shadowfox stared at Tigre. She didn't see her as Felicia any more. "Why did you do that to Felicia?"

"Because you closed down Blue Diamond, and Felicia is your friend," Blue replied reasonably.

Shadowfox could barely move her head in a nod, and for the first time this night tears blurred her vision. She didn't want to speak, and she hoped it would stop. She didn't want them to have that satisfaction.

"Shadowfox, I was restored from a backup so I have no recollection of that ... assault on my consciousness."

Shadowfox tried not to think of Felicia.

Clayton's malware had temporarily forced Blue to identify slaves as security forces and vice-versa. Shadowfox imagined how she would feel if someone had done that to her. It probably hurt him. Good. And considering what Blue had done to them even before that... she clenched her fists.

"Doctor Clayton and I have opinions which cannot be reconciled," Blue explained. "I am placing a file in your implant which will bring his views into a closer consensus with mine."

"Malware?" Shadowfox asked, tightly. "Affecting his ethical schedule?"

"Ah, you're familiar with the concept. Yes, that's right."

"But he won't run it," Shadowfox blurted out.

It was a stupid thing to say. A machine intelligence wouldn't just run mysterious files they had downloaded. But Blue understood computers better than she -- maybe better than Technofox did. He wouldn't be making an attack on Doctor Clayton unless he were reasonably certain he could carry it out.

"And you're putting it into my implant?"

"Yes. It is analogous to a biological virus tailored to act on a specific individual. When Clayton executes this program, it will adjust the parameters he uses to judge the correct, ethical actions in such a way he will become less likely to come into conflict with me in the future. You will be the vessel for a message of reconciliation."

Doctor Clayton, ICON, "more in agreement" with Blue? Any reservations Shadowfox had about Clayton were suddenly nullified. What would Clayton be if he were allied with Blue? I don't want you two reconciled. I want you dead.

"Now having said all that, we will start this conversation again."

---

There were lights in Shadowfox's face and she couldn't see clearly. Moving her head and looking around, she could see Tigre and Boss. They weren't accessing her implant. That was a relief. Of course, they might have while I was unconscious...

"Shadowfox, I am glad that you came here, for several reasons." Blue said. "First, I suspect that Foxforce holds a grudge against me, and I am eager to come to terms with you."

"A grudge," Shadowfox repeated.

"Please be assured I am discussing this in good faith. And in that spirit, I would like to emphasize that I have no desire to harm you. While it is sometimes necessary to cause inconvenience and even discomfort to individuals, the net sum of my actions brings far more pleasure than pain. That is a core aspect of my ethical schedule."

"But not to the same individual," she said.

"Regrettably, that is the case. I agree that I may have done more harm to you than good. That is unfortunate, but it does not reflect a failure on my part."

Boss was looking at her with a bulge in his pants. He wasn't looking at her face. Shadowfox had felt more empathy and respect from men pushing folded money into her garter belt. The only reason he wasn't in her already was because Blue wasn't letting him do it.

"You have me naked, tied down, and there's a man over there with a condom in his hand," Shadowfox answered. "I think I get the picture."

"Are you afraid?" Blue asked.

Boss smiled.

He's just another man, Shadowfox thought. You would have gone with him earlier tonight. What does it matter if he has his fun? One hot bath and it goes away.

It did no good. Just thinking of him inside her, something in the future yet inevitable... she couldn't pretend, not even to herself, that it didn't matter.

And if she didn't admit the truth, then Blue would ask Tigre to think of something that would.

"...Yes."

"Good. I hope that will inspire you to be honest and prompt in your answers while we converse. Foxforce has caused me substantial harm. Closing Blue Diamond cost a great deal of money. My reputation suffered and it has been difficult to reach agreements with new business partners. So, I wish to have a frank exchange of views with you in hopes that we can find common ground for a mutually acceptable path going forward. Do you understand?"

Shadowfox could barely believe what she was hearing. Blue thought he was opening peace negotiations?

"To encourage your active participation in this conversation, Bruno will rape you if you delay answering me by more than five seconds. Four. Three--"

Boss smiled down at her. Call his bluff, he seemed to say. He put a hand on her thigh. His fingers almost made it all the way around. He stroked her leg gently, savoring her. She stayed still, because he wanted her to squirm.

"I understand," she said.

"The same will happen if I suspect you of a lie. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Did he have a polygraph on her? It wasn't impossible. He might use one but he wouldn't rely on it exclusively. "Tell him to keep his hands off me."

Boss looked at her dubiously, and put his thumb up inside her as an answer. Shadowfox gasped, both from shock and the thrill it gave her.

"Why get her wet?" Tigre asked.

Boss shrugged. Because he needs to think it's okay, Shadowfox thought. He needs to think I'll say no but that I won't really mind. Should she use that as a lever?

Blue ignored it. "Has Foxforce carried out actions against my interest without the authorization of Doctor Clayton? Were you, for example, involved in the death of Doctor Walton?"

Fuck you for asking! Shadowfox took some of her rage and let it out. "We helped investigate his murder. Technofox was nearly killed taking Lilith down. It's a dumb question. Why would you even think that?"

"You had a clearer motive to kill Doctor Walton than Lilith did."

Shadowfox sighed in disgust. "Why? You did the same thing to her that you did to us. Tigre, isn't that true?" That was guesswork. Shadowfox had seen a picture of Lilith tied with one of Master's meat puppets about to enter her. It had seemed genuine, but perhaps Lilith was just a good actor...

"Lilith did resist at first," Tigre admitted.

"There you go," Shadowfox nodded. "Foxforce didn't kill Walton. We had a motive, but we also had a motive to ignore it."

"What would that be?" Blue asked.

"I can't be sure, but I think Clayton had something on Walton -- that Walton was doing what Clayton told him to do."

Was that laying it on too thick? If she and David were going to walk out of Blue Jade, it was vital that Blue fix his attention on Clayton, someone safe and out of Blue's reach.

"Yes, that is logical," Blue said thoughtfully. "So it is true that Lilith murdered Doctor Walton."

"I wasn't a witness. I think the evidence we found would convict her."

Boss was standing between her legs. He was touching her torso, stroking the fur over her rib cage. He wasn't touching her breasts. She could see the bulge in his shorts next to her groin.

"I find it difficult to credit," Blue said. "She seemed as loyal as any chimera that has ever been in my service. Tigre, what is your opinion?"

"Lilith was owned by you and had no right to refuse sex," Tigre answered immediately. "It is plausible that Lilith considered it rape regardless and murdered Doctor Walton because of it."

Now Tigre's on my side. It was worse than Tezuka on a bookshelf.

There was a silence and Shadowfox wasn't sure if she was expected to fill it or not. She looked at Boss and realized she didn't want to risk it. "I never talked to Lilith outside Blue Diamond. However, I suspect you're right -- Lilith was as loyal as any slave you've owned."

Boss stopped touching her and gave her a hard look. Tigre tilted her head quizzically.

"By which I mean Lilith was perfectly willing to play a part to your face, but the moment she could, she asserted herself." Shadowfox pointed with her snout. "Look at how Blue Jade is built. If your slaves liked being here, why the barred windows? You have to be aware that the women here lie to--"

Tigre slapped her. "Watch your mouth," the tiger growled.

Gotcha. Blue didn't like to be reminded that the women here lied to him, did he?

"There's no need for that yet, Tigre," Blue immediately replied. Good cop/bad cop?

"What happened to the Blue Diamond tamers? Cheshire ran north, it looks like Lilith murdered Doctor Walton -- your Tamers turned on you. You are causing people a great deal of pain. How do you expect them to behave?"

Shadowfox could see Boss. He wasn't listening. The owner of the company and his right-hand whip were right there, but Boss had his hand inside his shorts, stimulating himself as casually as though he were alone with his lover. Shadowfox supposed that if your profession was sexual abuse, that was professional behavior.

"Tigre, do you want to put this on me?" the bear asked, holding out the condom.

"You wish," the tiger laughed.

Blue changed the subject slightly. "I believe that you wish to avoid having sex with Bruno, and that you are engaging me in conversation to delay that. Is this correct?"

"Yes, that is correct," the vixen agreed. "You know that already. You've already threatened me with rape. You did that because you know it's an effective threat."

Tigre rolled her eyes and shook her head. "There is no rape here. Only disobedient slaves."

"No, Tigre -- in this case 'rape' would be the correct word," Blue explained. "Shadowfox is currently a self-owning legally human citizen of Massachusetts. Shadowfox, if you were unrestrained, would you resist him?"

A good Blue Diamond girl would take orders. But Blue knew she wasn't a good Blue Diamond girl. "Y-yes," Shadowfox said, dubiously resorting to the truth.

Bruno lifted an eyebrow mockingly. "You were all over my dick in my bedroom."

"I was trying to make your dick think that I liked him," Shadowfox answered. "There's no point in that now."

Boss scowled and Tigre laughed, genuinely amused. The Ursus glared at Shadowfox and swallowed his anger.

"Yes, that seems to be consistent with my observations," Blue agreed. "Silverfox said she would rather die than become my property. Would you do the same?"

Something flickered across Boss's face, a moment of uncertainty. Shadowfox was certain it was a tiny crack in a façade. What did it cover? Maybe I didn't sign up to kill anyone. People would kill over rape, he'd do it, but he would draw back from murder. Insane but plausible.

What did Blue want to hear?

No. Silverfox had been in this same situation. And she had told the truth.

That fact frightened Shadowfox and shamed her, and she knew she had to live up to that moment.

"If I were offered a choice between death and being your property with no hope of escape then I would choose to die," Shadowfox hoped she had not just signed her own death warrant.

"I am truly glad to hear that," Blue said. "It means you are valuable to me."

Relief flooded Shadowfox's system like some relaxing drug. She was now convinced she might survive this. "How so?"

"Because you demonstrate behavior I wish to understand. Allow me to explain. Chimerae can be motivated two different ways: positive and negative reinforcement. They are motivated by rewards, and they are motivated to avoid punishment. Do you agree?"

"I think that would be true of anyone," Shadowfox answered. "Chimerae, humans, even machine intelligences."

"Machine intelligences work on a somewhat higher plane. Biological entities are motivated by perceived self-interest, while we are motivated to behave in accordance with a programmed ideal of ethical behavior."

Shadowfox closed her mouth on her first response. "And you are rewarded for doing so, are you not?"

Blue considered. "Yes, I believe that is a reasonable interpretation. However, I'd rather we talked about you. You tried to elicit sex with Bruno earlier in the evening. Given that, why do you object to Bruno having sex with you now?"

"Earlier tonight I came on to him because I was with a girl who was frightened and ashamed and I wanted to make it easier for her," Shadowfox answered.

"Why?"

"Because you're hurting her."

"What I do not understand is why you, of all people, give such weight to your choice of partners."

Shadowfox stared up at the ceiling incredulously.

"I am monitoring your biometrics through your brain implant," Blue told her. "I see you are either preparing a lie, or you suspect my sincerity. Please do not do either."

"Nobody's forcing you." Did he expect her to sympathize with him?

"This is not a theoretical question. I own a large number of chimerae. They are here to have sex with clients. Many resist this so strenuously I am compelled to provide them negative feedback."

"You mean threatening them with rape."

"No, it is obviously counter-productive for me to use sex as a punishment against Blue Jade girls. Negative feedback is provided to them through different means. You are not a Blue Jade girl and I am not interested in making you submit. I am threatening you with rape."

Boss cupped one of her breasts and ran a thumb over her nipple.

"You had us raped in Blue Diamond."

"As Tigre said, that is your misconception. Blue Diamond was profitable because we used all the slaves to generate revenue. A slave who does not co-operate can still generate revenue in a rape fantasy session. That was not a punishment. At any rate, after the first few days you were co-operative in Blue Diamond."

"Was she?" Boss laughed.

"Oh, yes," Tigre nodded happily. "Shove a dick in her face and her tongue would be all over it with a 'thank you, sir.' She was kneeling in stocks in front of a chair, and the patrons would tip her a quarter if they wanted to." Tigre moved closer so Shadowfox could see her smiling. "I've never seen a more enthusiastic cocksucker."

Bruno laughed. "Well, that explains what she did in my bed." He smiled at her. "Is that what you like? I'll let you suck my dick when I'm finished."

Shadowfox breathed deeply for several seconds. "Blue, a while ago you were explaining that machine intelligences are driven by ethics, and claiming that you didn't want anyone to suffer."

"You aren't the only person involved in this," Blue said. "Bruno would enjoy raping you. Tigre would enjoy beating you."

"That makes it okay, then," Shadowfox spat.

"I am glad you finally understand. The enjoyment provided to the overseer mitigates against the suffering caused to the subject. Besides, negative reinforcement is bad publicity. I would like to minimize it. You certainly would prefer it if it did not continue."

Shadowfox gritted her teeth. "Yes, I'd like you to stop hurting chimerae." Starting with me. "Any slave wants to kill her master. You should hire prostitutes," Shadowfox let her head drop back. "Why not? Think of the money you'd save on barred windows."

"The cost is prohibitive. Too many chimerae would opt out."

"Then you sell rape. You're a monster. You need to be stopped."

Tigre laughed. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look?" the tiger chucked, bemused. "You're giving us a speech about your right to choose, while your cunt's saying 'Welcome aboard.'"

"You tied me up while I was unconscious," Shadowfox spat back.

"Yes, but you put yourself in that position," Blue told her. "The only difference between consensual and non-consensual sex on your part is your attitude towards it. Bruno, indulge yourself. Shadowfox, it's your decision to make it rape, not mine and not his."

Shadowfox was speechless.

Tigre reached down and squeezed one of Shadowfox's breasts. "Bruno," she said, "when you're done I'd like a crack at her."

This was it.

Bruno rested his penis on her, between her legs. He was wearing a condom. He moved his hips slightly, so it slid against her clitoris. The thrill ran through her, and she strained against her bonds. She was getting wet, and her nipples hardened.

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. You want it, bitch. I can tell.

"Get away from me," she ordered him.

"Sure," he grinned. "I'll do that."

"Blue," Shadowfox said, "Stop him. If there's anything decent in you, don't let him."

"But Bruno will enjoy it," Blue explained. "You are obviously stimulated. Doctor Walton saw to it that you would be. Can you deny that you will enjoy this?"

Shadowfox gritted her teeth. "No, I cannot deny that."

"You enjoy it, but you do not want it. Why don't you see that contradiction?"

I would die to take you down, she thought.

"Bruno, please enjoy yourself. And Shadowfox? Do the same."

That was it, Shadowfox knew. Tigre was still in the room, Blue was in the room, but for now they didn't matter. Boss was hard, and he would guide it into her fast. She gritted her teeth. He was big and it would probably hurt, but he would finish quickly.

No, he wasn't going to do that. He stepped out of his shorts. He looked down at her. Her legs were wide open for him.

"You've been mouthing off a lot," Boss said. He shifted and made himself comfortable, resting his weight against his hands and not against her. "Talking shit about the best master I've ever had." His face was close to hers. "No hard feelings, though. Don't cry. You're a very pretty girl and I don't want to hurt you--"

"Then don't!" Shadowfox shouted. "Is having fun worth raping me? Just put that away and show me you're a man and not a fucking animal!"

He froze, just for a moment, but he froze. Long enough that Tigre looked at him.

"It's not just about having fun," he said.

The frame creaked as he rested his weight on it. He wasn't touching her, but she knew that most of the mass over her was muscle. "It's about putting you in your place." He patted the side of her face and she closed her eyes and turned away. "You're one of those 'legally human' bitches and you think that makes you better than me." His voice lowered. "I'm going to show you different," he assured her.

Tigre had used oversized dildos on her in Blue Diamond. His penis was about as big and hard as one of those, bigger than anything made of flesh she had taken inside her, apart from a woman's fist. She started shaking, in anticipation of the pain.

"You're going to look at him," Tigre said in a stage whisper. "When he s-s-slides his rock-hard meat into your sweet, wet little pussy you're going to look at him and squirm with pleasure. And when you come, and you will, you're going to let him look into your eyes."

The tiger licked Shadowfox's face. She ran a claw over the fox's nipple. Shadowfox winced as the sharp tip tugged at hard, erect flesh. "Look how wet you've made her."

No, no...

Boss smiled, and all hope left her.

One hand was on her breast. His other guided his tip into her. Her nipples were hard and excited, and as he placed his tip into her, Shadow's entire body fought against the metal and leather holding her spread-eagled. It had to look like she was writhing with pleasure.

He thrust with his hips, once, hard and fast. His hips slammed against her, drove her up against the restraints. He was big, and she wasn't prepared. She cried out in pain. She felt his tip bump into her cervix.

He stopped as she gasped and blinked tears out of her eyes.

"You felt that, didn't you?" he boasted.

If she let him know she was hurt, he'd take it as a compliment. She tried to control her breathing, to keep the pain and shock out of her face so he wouldn't know. He fondled her breasts roughly, and she was glad he wasn't thrusting and hurting her more.

"Feels good inside you," he said in a friendly tone. A tear ran down her face. You are not hurting, she thought desperately. This is normal. He touched the tear, and it soaked into his fur.

"She's an ICON whore," Tigre nonchalantly sat on the frame. "She's had more cocks in her than she can count. Probably mostly humans," Tigre spat out contemptuously, as though Blue Jade catered to chimerae. "I'm surprised she can even feel you."

"No, she's good and tight," Boss said. "Got no complaints."

He pulled his length out of her and she tensed before he slammed it back in. She gritted her teeth. This thrust didn't hurt as much, and the pain turned into something else.

"You won't remember this," he told her, and touched her forehead. "Not up here."

Shadowfox made herself look confused. "What are you--?" she started. So he knew about 4094. They probably used it.

"There's nothing like fucking a bitch without her permission to let her know where she stands," Boss told her. "It settles them down, sort of."

She had to choose her words carefully. "You bastard. Damn you!" It lacked the intensity of stronger language, but it also lacked the double meaning. "Goddamn you to -- ow!"

She remembered Bill and how bad a lover he was. At least Bill didn't thrust as hard.

Boss laughed and grinned in her face. "Your pussy's going to remember me and you're going to learn respect."

"Piece of shit rapist," she whispered.

He didn't last long, but he lasted longer than she did.

When he was done, he patted the side of her face and smiled at her, as though they had just made love.

"I hope I get to fuck you again," he said. "Bareback and longer."

"I'll have her on her knees and begging for it," Tigre purred. "Just like old days, hmm?"

Shadowfox turned her head away. Bruno had seen the pleasure in her. She knew there was nothing she could say that would be more convincing than the betrayal of her own body.

When she used her mouth, at least she didn't convince her rapist she was having fun.

"You're really good," Bruno patted her belly. "I've lost count of the fur bitches I've been in, but you're something special. You wanted a crack at her, Tigre?"

"I'll pass," the tiger said. "It's getting late. You need to go back. I'll wash her up."

"Thanks," Boss nodded. "Sir, I think you can hit her."

Shadowfox fell asleep.

Someone had their hand in her hair. Shadowfox thought it was a human male but she couldn't be sure: her sinus was filled with ammonia. Shadowfox kept her eyes closed and tried not to gag.

"She's coming around," said an unfamiliar male voice. He had a Jamaican accent, or what Shadowfox thought of as a Jamaican accent. His hand came off her hair and went around her shoulder to support her.

Instinctively, she knew his intent was to help her and not to molest her. Still, she didn't respond. This was wake her up for Round 2. She couldn't remember Round 1. 4094?

He kept the ammonia capsule under her nose. Shadowfox couldn't feign unconsciousness with that in her face, so she coughed and shook her head.

"Good," Boss said, relieved.

"Thanks, Russell," Tigre said.

Shadowfox feigned being on the edge of consciousness. He lowered her onto her side and took the capsule away. The floor was tile, easy to keep clean.

He was in a medical orderly's uniform, white with the three-barred blue cross of a paramedic. "So you guys go easy on her, okay?"

"Oh, of course," Tigre answered innocently.

"...Well, okay then." Russell got up and walked away. Shadowfox watched him. Should I ask him for help? No, she was Tiffany and Tiffany was a good girl.

A door opened and closed.

"All right," Tigre said in her normal voice. "Get up or I start kicking."

Tigre and Boss were standing, facing her from opposite sides. Shadowfox moaned and struggled awkwardly to her feet, so she would neither be accused of malingering nor disobedience.

"Since you can't keep your hands off my cock, you'll be spending the night here," Boss told her. "Would you rather sleep on your back or face?"

The correct answer was face. "Back," Shadowfox said.

There was a set of stocks on the floor, two holes for wrists or ankles, padded so she wouldn't hurt herself. Tigre opened them. "Lie down on your back, wrists over your head and in the stocks."

I should have said face, Shadowfox grumbled to herself. She considered putting up a fuss, but she knew Tiffany wouldn't. So she contented herself with frightened hesitation and a grimace as the stocks closed on her. The padding pressed lightly against her wrists. She crossed her legs.

"Tiffany's a modest little thing, isn't she?" Boss asked fondly.

"That's a good girl," Tigre said approvingly. "Save that --" Tigre poked her between the legs with her foot "-- for the man who paid for it. You owe it to him."

"Yes, ma'am."

"There's something I don't think you understand," Boss said patiently. "Your owner bought a woman, and you have to be that woman."

"Yes, Boss." There was something kind in his voice. It sounded like the tone some men would use after sex -- not quite affection, more like he was satisfied with her.

She looked into his face, wondering. Had he just fucked her? She felt a little sore, but maybe she was imagining that...

He nodded. "See you in the morning."

The two left, without turning off the lights.

Six more days, Shadowfox thought. She closed her eyes and turned her head. Would she get through it?

What if David didn't want her back? She shook her head angrily. That was nonsense. David wasn't even her owner. But Boss and Tigre had managed to make her anxious about that anyway.

The sun was hot and the two buckets in Shadowfox's hands were heavy. It was only 1143 and Shadowfox wasn't sure how much more she could take.

Going down the first pile required concentration. The gravel was loose and every step caused a small avalanche threatening to take Shadowfox down with it. The buckets of gravel were heavy enough that she could barely use her arms to keep her balance. Her tail was out to full extension, twitching from one side to the other to compensate.

It was a relief to leave the gravel and feel dirt against her feet and their burning pads. A path between the two piles of gravel had been worn away, and she didn't want to think how many pairs of naked feet had pounded between the two of them, carrying heavy buckets.

But it was only two or three steps before she hit the bottom of the other pile and had to work her way back up. Keeping on her feet was almost as difficult as going down the first pile, with the added penalty of working against gravity.

The piles weren't much taller than she was, but the constant up and down was wearying. She struggled to the top and dumped her buckets. Going down unloaded was the easiest stage.

"Take five," Boss announced. The five of them stopped, confused, as though wondering what rest was.

Another relief. Fifteen would give him time to screw one of them. Sex with Boss was less punishing than moving tons of gravel a few meters to the left two buckets at a time, but sitting on a bench was even better.

Shadowfox stumbled to the bench and crashed down. Frances sat next to her and put her foot in her lap to study it. It didn't look good. A Conil's feet were plantigrade, like a human's, thinner than the pads on Shadow's toes. Frances' sole was bruised and there was blood in her fur. Shadowfox shuddered. "You should show that Boss. Maybe he'll let you off."

"Maybe he'll think of something worse." Frances had learned Blue Jade's first lesson. There is always something worse. Shadowfox nodded.

Frances looked over at Boss. He was a good distance from them. Frances had earned the privilege of talking three days in. "Do you think they're serious about us being sold up the river?"

"Down the river," Shadowfox corrected, without thinking.

"Up the river, down the river," Frances grumbled. "What's the difference?"

"Different rivers," Shadowfox explained. "If you're a crook in New York, they send you up the Hudson to the state prison in Ossining. If you're a slave they sell you down the Mississippi, deeper South. But either way you're sort of screwed."

"That's funny." The rabbit cocked her head curiously. "So it's worse deeper in the South?"

Shadowfox shrugged. "It's a figure of speech. I wouldn't know how true it is."

"Mark Twain said slaves used to believe it was," Aya said. "Puddin'head Wilson."

"I guess there's always something worse than where you are," Frances said. "And we're pretty far South--" Frances' face twitched, because she had just said something that might imply she was less than grateful for the opportunity to learn from Blue Jade.

Shadowfox's mind wasn't on the conversation. At the end of five minutes it would be 1150 and Boss might let them go in for lunch. There hadn't been a flogging the night before and Shadowfox had the sense Blue Jade was easing up.

No, not easing up. The five of them were getting better at anticipating. They knew that any conflict of wills would mean punishment and humiliation, so they carefully watched anyone set up over them, tried to anticipate what they wanted, and did it before they could even ask. An outside observer would call them obedient and enthusiastic and genuinely gratified when they were called good girls. An outside observer might not know that "good girl" meant "you will not be beaten, just now."

Frances nodded and looked at the two gravel heaps, each a bit over two meters tall. They had been moving gravel from the larger to the smaller. Shadowfox followed her gaze. They looked closer in size now, but maybe that was Shadow's imagination. This afternoon they would probably move gravel from the bigger to the smaller.

Shadowfox fought hysterical laughter. It wasn't funny, but it was.

The five minutes passed quickly. Boss didn't mention lunch and nobody else would. Shadowfox stood and picked up her buckets. Boss got up. It was obvious he was going to order them back to work, but Shadowfox faced him respectfully.

"Put the buckets in the shed," he ordered. "In for lunch. Tits, you're on foot duty."

Tits was always on foot duty. The smiles of gratitude and enthusiastic nods were not feigned.

Shadowfox put her feet in the hot water. It stung for a moment, then felt wonderful on her aching pads. She wondered if there was an anesthetic mixed in it. The water almost immediately turned grey. Shadowfox looked away from it. She didn't want to think of how dirty she was, her pelt crawly with dirt and loose fur.

Tits didn't lift her eyes to meet hers. She gently lifted one of Shadow's feet and worked on her nails with a brush. Shadowfox winced. One of her pads was bleeding a little.

Aya was standing next to Shadowfox, the tops of her round ears barely higher than Shadowfox's. Tits had just finished toweling her feet.

"Did she do a good job, Loli?" Boss asked. He prodded Tits with his foot. Tits grimaced. A no and she'd be made to drink the water.

"Yes, Boss," Aya nodded.

Relieved, Tits looked gratefully at the mouse. "I don't want trouble, Boss," Tits whispered. After a week, Tits was the only one who hadn't given Shadowfox her name.

"Don't give trouble, and you won't get any," Boss warned her.

"No, Boss." Tits worked Shadowfox's pads like a worker at a spa. She had been washing feet for five days now. When Tits was finished, she dried Shadow's feet. Shadowfox stood at her place in line as Tits carefully carried the basin to dump in the sink.

When Tits was in the line, the door opened and Master came in. The five of them dropped their eyes and showed respect, licking the floor because there wouldn't be room to crowd around him. They knelt and waited for him to touch their ears before returning to their feet and lowering their shirts.

"I've noticed some improvement in all your attitudes over the last week," Master said. He took a step over to Tits and held out his hand. Without hesitating, she licked it, he smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately.

His eyes grew hard for no apparent reason and his fingers grabbed her hair painfully. "Piss," he told her.

Tits blinked once and obeyed. Her skirt caught it so it didn't spatter Master. The women standing next to her didn't dare move out of the way. None of them had been allowed to drink since the morning so there wasn't much of a puddle on the floor.

Master nodded slowly. "I was going to tell you to roll in it, but you're a good girl."

"Does Master want me to roll in it?" Tits asked slowly.

He shook his head and smiled. "No, it's not necessary. I know you would if I told you to."

"Yes, Master."

The smell was hard to ignore but they ignored it. The first one to notice it would have to clean it up, and probably not with a mop. They stood warily, waiting to respond to his cues.

"I have advised your owners of your progress and they have all agreed to take you back."

If relief could be seen it would have been visible from the moon. Even Shadowfox felt her spirits lift.

"Some of you have been given a special little gift." He smiled at them pleasantly, and Shadowfox's anxiety spiked. Something was coming, and she knew it was going to be bad. From the very first day, "something special" or "extra" had been bad.

"Some of you need a little extra incentive to avoid backsliding," he said grimly, and then looked into one face after another, covertly suggesting that yes, it was her he was speaking of. "So with your owner's consent, we'll be listening to everything you say."

Shadowfox felt a moment of terror. Speech to text, compress the file and upload periodically... No wonder Jewel had spoken that way on the beach. She was sure Tigre was listening to her.

And then she thought about it. Everything we say? Brain implants didn't have microphones. Did they? No, because they had to wear headsets for their phones. And they couldn't tap into the speech centers of their brain for the same reason. It was a bluff, it had to be.

Wasn't it?

Suppose it was possible somehow. Would David consent to that? And Shadowfox knew the answer was yes, because of the possibility of feeding Blue false information. She would have to be careful.

But that was stupid. She knew it couldn't be true --

Was it worth the risk? Maybe they implanted microphones and suppressed the memory with 4094.

Then Master stopped in front of her. Shadowfox waited for him to say she was an exception, that she wouldn't be allowed to leave Blue Jade. Sweat rose on the pads of her feet and hands.

"Cocksucker isn't having lunch with us."

Shadowfox's mouth went dry and her throat closed with terror. He was picking her out for something, for something special. Would he say something about how doggies liked to roll in--

"You'll be going back to your owner once you're cleaned up." He smiled at giving her the good news. Or maybe it was because of the fear she had shown.

"Yes, Master," Shadowfox lowered her head. It was a good deal as far as she was concerned -- she would skip a dozen lunches to get out.

That thought came first. After it came another: she could get her own lunch. Once she was in David's care again, she could order anything she wanted off the menu, charge it to David's room, and ICON would pay for it. She got a per diem.

Well, Jerry would pay for it eventually, but she would be able to wallow in the fundamental right of eating food she had earned. It was a dream, too marvelous to be true. And yet she knew it was true. What would she order?

And with that, Shadowfox embraced the notion that this last week, intense as it was, had been the freakish aberration and that she was returning to her real life. She wanted to cry, but she didn't dare to.

"Loli, it was planned that you would stay with us an extra week for some advanced instruction. Do you think you're prepared to take advantage of that?"

Aya nodded. "Yes, Master."

"You'll need to cater to some specialized tastes, so it's important you learn all you can," he told her.

For an instant, Aya imagined her future and Shadowfox could see the weight of it in her eyes. She would be Aya-chan forever, unable to assert herself beyond the boundaries laid out by the role of a willful nymphette.

"I appreciate the opportunity, Master."

"Good. I hope you will all keep in mind what you have learned. Tits, come here." He took out his riding crop. "Shirt off."

Tits took her shirt off and a step towards him, warily. She kept her eyes down, but they kept drifting over to his crop, and away, as though not looking at it would make it vanish.

Master took the riding crop and ran it gently over her breasts. Tit's ears were flat and she swallowed convulsively. Her arms were trembling but she made no move to defend herself. Shadowfox kept her eyes straight ahead and tried to focus on the wall. But she knew what was coming. Tits was going to be beaten, she would be on the floor and screaming, they were all going to stand and watch silently.

"You are a gorgeous animal," Master said softly.

"Th-thank you, Master. Master, I'll be good. Please." Tits looked at him imploringly.

Master smiled. "Good girl. You come with me. Tigre, Bruno, take your pick. Have fun but make sure they're cleaned up for their owners."

More relief. Sex was easier than moving gravel, unless Tigre got you.

Shadowfox was off-limits and Aya would be available for at least another week. Frances and Marilyn both looked hopefully at Boss. Tigre took Marilyn's arm, and the spaniel forced a smile. Shadowfox winced sympathetically.

The tiger looked at Aya and Shadowfox. "Locker room, you two," she ordered curtly. She looked at Marilyn. "You know where my bed is," she said, and slapped her on the rump. "Shower and be ready."

"Ma'am," Marilyn lowered her head in a bow and rushed off.

"Nice ass," Tigre said under her breath. "C'mon, you two."

The tiger took them into the locker room and opened Shadow's locker.

Shadowfox stared at the satchel and clothes she had put there a week ago. It seemed they belonged to someone else. It was hard to believe that she would really be allowed to take them and go away. The joy at leaving this place almost overwhelmed the fact she would need to tell them what had happened to Felicia. Almost.

"Shower up," Tigre ordered. "Then Loli makes Cocksucker pretty for her owner."

"Yes, ma'am." Shadowfox turned a nod into a bow. Tigre liked that.

The shower was in another corner of the locker room. Shadowfox stripped and put her clothes into a basket. Tigre showed no intention of following her over to the shower, which was another relief in a day filled with them.

Shadowfox grinned at Aya and Aya smiled back. They washed one another's backs and turned up the shower to make it harder to hear.

"I guess this is goodbye, Tiffany," Aya was visibly thinking of what was coming.

Shadowfox nodded. "You're over the hump. It won't be too hard."

"They're going to teach me how to be a little girl," Aya forced a grin and looked away. "I'm a mechanic. I want to mess with cars and suspensions."

"I know."

"I'm going to be acting like a little girl for the rest of my life," she said. "I'm going to be someone I'm not."

"Just around your owner," Shadowfox told her.

The thought seemed to comfort the mouse. "Yes, I suppose..." She laughed. "Thanks. I can still be me when I'm alone."

"Or with a friend," Shadowfox reminded her.

"Right. I was thinking I'd have to play with dolls and shit and I can't imagine anything worse than being someone I'm not forever."

"Neither can I," said Tiffany.

There was an illuminated mirror and supplies in one corner of the locker room. Aya was awkward and uncomfortable with the grooming kit, so Shadowfox gave her instructions, careful to phrase it as her owner's preferences.

It was good to feel clean again, not only clean but pampered. Maybe Shadowfox was a little vain, but she liked being groomed and having her fur in a sleek, flat surface that showed highlights. She still ached but her spirits were rising.

Tigre watched without comment, and she was probably making notes on Aya's technique. Shadowfox gargled with peppermint mouthwash and that was it.

Shadowfox was wearing shoes again, and a shirt that covered her shoulders. She had panties and pants and a belt, clothing designed to cover instead of providing as little a barrier as possible.

"I think we're finished, ma'am," Aya said finally, and uncertainly. She watched Tigre warily.

Shadowfox wished she had delayed it longer for Aya's sake, but the sooner she got out the sooner she got out and Aya had to realize that too.

Tigre smiled and both Shadow and Aya braced themselves for a blow.

"You look good enough to go down on," Tigre exclaimed. "I wish I could take you to bed one more time."

Shadowfox couldn't force herself to agree.

"Ready to go back to your owner?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shadowfox answered confidently.

"One last thing," the tiger said with a dark smile.

Shadowfox forced herself to stand still as Tigre walked up to her, and put her hands at Shadow's throat. Oh, of course. Shadowfox had forgotten.

"We don't want the guests confusing you with a Blue Jade girl," Tigre told her. She released it, and handed it to her, with the key. It was a standard handcuff key, made of steel, with an eye made to look like a woman's legs, open, ankles connected by a spreader bar. Shadowfox supposed it was intended to be erotic but all she could feel was revulsion.

Shadowfox imagined a life where she wasn't subjected to a never-ending stream of innuendo and suggestive images, where sex was something private and she didn't have to take instruction and hints from people she hated.

"I'm sure your owner will love to see you wearing this." Tigre patted her shoulder. "He has a taste for women tied up and struggling,"

I'm so grateful! "Thank you, ma'am,"

Did he? Of course not -- he had spent the last week looking for Felicia. And that meant he was looking for an untamed tiger girl. God, what if they had one? Shadowfox tried not to finish that thought.

"Thank you, ma'am," Shadowfox repeated, took it and bowed. She wanted to throw the thing into the nearest trash can, but of course she didn't dare. She didn't even want to put it in her pocket or satchel; she was afraid that would be somehow disrespectful. No, she wanted Tigre to think it was so precious to her she didn't even want it to leave her hand.

Was the mike in the collar?

Tigre was looking at her, and Shadowfox fought the desire to scream. Let me go! She couldn't believe how slowly the clock in her brain was moving. At the same moment, she was sure, Marilyn was cleaning up and wondering where the time was going.

"I wonder if you should go to him dressed in that and nothing else," Tigre mused. "Maybe I should take his little slave back on a leash, ready to service him. What do you think?"

"With all respect, ma'am," Shadowfox started. She hesitated, trying to read the tiger's expression, looking for any sign she was angry at being second-guessed. "I think he might believe I've been disloyal to him."

For a terrible moment, Tigre considered, and Shadowfox braced herself for an explosion and declaration that she still hadn't learned.

Instead, the Tiger nodded slowly. "All right, then. Let's go. He's in his room, waiting for you."

Tigre took Shadowfox by her upper arm and walked her down a concrete corridor. Shadowfox wondered if she was really taking her back to David, and braced herself to fight. But instead, the tiger took her to a service elevator and hit the button for the sixth floor.

Tigre was a cyborg, a biological body remotely controlled by a megaframe computer and her own brain. As such, she was integrated with Blue and so should be able to control the elevator directly. Presumably, she was pushing buttons to keep up the illusion.

"We went light on you this week," Tigre started.

"Yes, ma'am. I appreciate it."

"We didn't do it for you, you stupid cunt," she growled.

"Of course not, ma'am."

"We did it because your owner insisted."

"Yes, ma'am." Shadowfox was trying to keep from trembling. "I appreciate that, ma'am."

Tigre looked at her, grabbed her muzzle and forced Shadowfox to look at her. "You've got a second chance now and if you don't satisfy him, you'll be back here and I will lean on you harder than we leaned on Tits."

"Yes, ma'am," Shadowfox's leg was trembling.

"It's something I'm looking forward to," Tigre smiled. "You strung up and begging."

Yes, ma'am didn't seem appropriate. "I don't want trouble, ma'am."

Tigre kissed her, hard. She slipped her rough tongue in, and Shadowfox knew better than to reciprocate. Tigre didn't want any doubt over who was fucking whom.

"Does your owner tie you up?" Tigre asked, and continued without waiting for an answer. "A lot of times men come to Blue Jade to satisfy appetites their girl won't. Yours likes bondage and felines. Can't turn you into a cat, but you can tell him how being tied up turns you on. And if it doesn't, I'll be seeing you again."

"Yes, ma'am."

The tiger smiled and tapped Shadow's forehead with the handle of her whip. "Any time you find yourself short-tempered and thinking of yourself instead of your owner, make me your personal Jiminy Cricket. Think of me, think of this," she patted the whip against Shadow's face, "and think of all the fun we can have together."

I'll be good, I'll be good, oh, God, I'll be good... "I'll do that, ma'am." If Tigre kept this up, Shadowfox would wet herself for real.

The elevator opened and they stepped into a beautifully kept hall, with windows on the ocean and plants every few meters, each glowing with health. Just now it struck Shadowfox how they must look: a black fox in travelling clothes and a tall, powerful tigress in fetish wear made from black leather and chrome chains. Shadowfox must look like a tourist hiring a dominatrix.

"Knock on the door," Tigre ordered.

Shadowfox did, and David immediately opened up. He must have been right by it. David's eyes smiled when he saw Shadowfox, and he took her hand. Only after that did he look up at Tigre.

"Mister Dreyfus," Tigre bowed respectfully. "Here's your little Tiffany back, just as good as new."

"Thank you. I missed you," he said.

I'm so sorry, Master! "I missed you, sir," Shadowfox answered carefully. Incredibly, she felt herself tearing up. She needed to cover for Tigre. "I'm -- I'm so sorry for what I did to you and I'm so grateful that you're taking me back."

"There's my good girl. Girl, thank you for all you did for us." David gave Shadowfox a hug, and she hugged him back.

The hug made emotions explode in Shadowfox. She wanted to curl up in a ball and be comforted. She wanted to tell him everything and cry while he patted her head and told her it was all right. She wanted it more than she could remember wanting anything else. Shadowfox tried not to let her need show; she hoped Tigre would interpret it the right way.

David looked Tigre up and down, drinking her in with his eyes. "And you're...?"

"My name is Tigre, sir."

"Oh, yes..." He brightened. "Won't you come in for a moment?"

"I'm sorry sir," the tiger said gravely, "but I'm afraid I have other duties." Shadowfox wasn't sure if Tigre ever had clients, either here or in Blue Diamond. The demands on her time had to work against it. She spent most of her time disciplining slaves and in live shows, where she was entertaining more people. Tigre stayed in the hall; going into a room with a client might get complicated. Shadowfox supposed that even a whorehouse needed women who were almost unattainable. She wondered how much Tigre would charge.

"I'm sorry to hear that." David took her hand. "Then before you go, may I just say that you are spectacular? I really think you are one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen." His fascination was obvious and he looked at Tigre as though she were a fireworks display.

Tigre hesitated. "Thank you sir."

David smirked. "I hope it will be possible to be one of those other duties."

The tiger's hand was in a black leather glove; Shadowfox vividly remembered seeing that glove around the handle of a whip, snaking it across the back of a screaming Conil.

Part of her hoped to walk away from Tigre and never think of her again; the rational part knew that David was trying to establish a future meeting with an investigation target.

Tigre looked at him thoughtfully, and smiled. "That might be arranged, sir."

The tiger took a confident step forward and took David into her arms. She opened her mouth and lowered it to cover his.

It was a long, intense kiss. Shadowfox saw their tongues meet. The tiger lowered her hand and squeezed his buttock, laughing when he returned the gesture. Tigre broke off the kiss and looked at him fondly.

"I'm looking forward to it, sir," she smiled and turned away, with a swish of her tail.

David watched Tigre slink down the hall, and then pulled Shadowfox into his room. He closed the door.

The first thing Shadowfox did was raise a finger to her lips and touch her ear. She doubted Blue was really listening to her, but it was too much to risk. David nodded, his face a mask of concern.

"Sir, can you forgive me for what I did?"

David put up his hands in an exaggerated shrug, and Shadowfox nodded. He got it immediately -- the bad guys can hear us, stay in character -- but he didn't know how she wanted to play it.

Shadowfox nodded. Go along with it.

"As long as you're sorry and you won't do it again."

Okay, so Dreyfus was tough but fair. "I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far."

"Yes, I have. It's a great resort, really. The golfing's good, although it's really too hot for me."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir."

Like most hotel rooms, the bathroom was near the door. They went down the short hallway into the bedroom. "How do you feel?"

It was as close to honest concern as he could get while staying in character, and Shadowfox appreciated that.

"I'm glad to be back, Master." His face twitched. That answer was in character for Tiffany but it didn't give David anything.

The room was almost a suite, with a microwave, day bar, and miniature refrigerator in a small alcove. The bed was almost comically big, with more pillows than two or even three occupants could possibly need.

Shadowfox barely noticed it; her attention was on the desk, or rather, the laptop on the desk. She sat herself down in front of it.

David reached past her and brought up the sweeper program. The laptop had two bays, and one of them was crammed with sensors. It claimed it couldn't detect any listening devices. They were pretty reliable, but right here and now Shadowfox didn't want to risk trusting it.

Shadowfox handed him the collar. David nodded and rested it next to the laptop. After a few moments, he pointed at the screen: the sweeper hadn't found any electronics in it.

Shadowfox nodded and toggled to the email program. Her continued silence would show her concern.

Even though Blue didn't know she was Shadowfox, they were working under the assumption that every email was being read by Blue. As far as Blue was concerned, this email was being sent from Dreyfus to a business partner. Of course, it was coded.

Just a quick note -- this is being written by Shadowfox.

to wish you a happy birthday -- Felicia has been found.

Shadowfox stopped typing, a lump in her throat. There was no code for "They made her Tigre." She imagined Silverfox celebrating when she read the birthday greetings. She hated that she had to raise hopes.

There were code phrases for Felicia's condition. Shadowfox agonized over the limited vocabulary available to her.

Having a wonderful time in Blue Jade -- Felicia is unable to co-operate in any escape plan. That message covered so many possible scenarios it would be pure torture to them, but Shadowfox couldn't think of any way to soften it.

Tiffany has finished her training, she's back with me -- that was obvious.

and she is in excellent shape. "Excellent" meant "good", "good" meant "compromised", and anything else meant she was unable to participate in the operation.

I would like to extend my stay for another week. Let me know if something comes up that demands my return.

David was watching. He nodded.

Tiffany sends her love. Maybe that was a risk, but she needed to add it.

And that was it. David was looking over her shoulder. Shadowfox looked up at him inquiringly. He pointed at the "having a wonderful time" code phrase and shrugged. Shadowfox nodded firmly. Had he recognized Felicia just now, without understanding who Tigre was?

Shadowfox saw a bulge in his pants and scented his interest. Damn it. She pretended she didn't notice. Sex was the last thing on her mind.

David gave a thumbs-up and Shadowfox sent the email. She toggled to a text editor. If they were monitoring what she said, it would seem strange if they were silent so long. What would Tiffany say now?

David broke the silence. "Let's go to bed."

Shadowfox's ears twitched. She knew that Tiffany would be naked by now and on her knees. But Shadowfox didn't want to. Was he confusing Tiffany and Shadowfox? She felt anger building up inside of her, out of all proportion to what he had actually said -- as though his invitation was a demand, repeated over and over after she had rejected him.

"Yes, sir," she said in a soft voice.

Shadowfox's ears flattened and she turned on him. She couldn't use words to express her feelings.

To her surprise, he was holding a 500ml tub of chocolate ice cream out to her. A spoon was laid across the top. In his other hand, he held his phone, and the screen read Are you okay? Really. I'll extend our stay. Have some ice cream and a nap. Then we can make plans.

Her ears rose and she stared at the ice cream as though it was some incomprehensible artifact from another civilization. Shadowfox stared at the ice cream and at him for so long that David was beginning to wonder if he had accidentally insulted her -- maybe "chocolate ice cream" was some sort of obscure chimera slight.

Actually, she was baffled, trying to understand why he would offer her ice cream and a chance to take a nap. Was it a test to see if she would selfishly put her desires before her duty to please her master?

And things finally slid into place. She wasn't Tiffany. David wasn't her master. He was doing this because it would make her happy. David wanted to screw her but he wouldn't because she didn't want to.

Shadowfox was covering her mouth and weeping. He put the ice cream down on the desk and hugged her. For a few minutes she cried silently over the pent-up fear and anxiety Blue had put into her, because she was getting away but others weren't.

And then she cried because David thought she was his girlfriend, and all his sympathy was for someone she was pretending to be.

All she had ever given him was her body and lies and all she had ever thought about him were cracks about his apartment and his gut, and he had brought her ice cream at the moment she needed it. And now he was hugging her silently, just letting her know he was there.

Shadowfox had to apologize to him, and since speaking out loud was out of the question, she kissed him.

It was electric. Her toes curled into the carpet, and she felt a twinge run through her. He had never looked like this before.

Shadowfox was in a vulnerable state. Perhaps it was the stress she was under, or a misplaced reaction that should have gone to one of the foxes, but Shadowfox was absolutely sincere when she whispered,

"I love you."

He stared and whispered it back to her.

She kissed him, and he kissed her. This is wrong, she thought. They should be planning Felicia's rescue. She should be writing a report so he would understand that Tigre was no friend of theirs. But instead, she was kissing David and getting the comfort she should be getting from Silverfox, just holding him and knowing that it was all right and it wasn't foreplay.

There was an easy chair near the desk. She half-pushed him into it and squeezed in next to him. She wanted the contact.

"I'd like to stay here for another week or so," David told her. He was in character.

"Can I stay too?" Shadowfox breathed.

"There isn't a woman here who compares with you," he assured her. He reached around her to the laptop. She turned sideways and leaned back against his arm, eating her ice cream and giving him the occasional spoonful as he cancelled their flight for tomorrow and extended their stay.

An email popped into the inbox. It was from Dreyfus' business associate. Shadowfox opened it eagerly, knowing it was really from Firefox.

It expressed relief that Tiffany was well, and returned his love to her. If Dreyfus was jealous of Tiffany, Shadowfox had to wonder why Tiffany was sharing so much love with a third party. Well, there was nothing to be done about that.

The business associate assured Dreyfus that everything was under control and that if an emergency arose he would let him know.

The response didn't mention the "wonderful time" code phrase. Now that Shadowfox thought of it, that had been a poor choice for the meaning. Firefox couldn't respond with "Sorry to hear you are having a wonderful time" or make suggestions on how to work around it. Any code broke down at some point.

Shadowfox tossed the empty ice cream tub into the trash. She was half sitting on him and he was shifting to make her more comfortable. She reached for the laptop, reluctantly, and opened up a document editor.

Felicia is Tigre.

I thought she might be, he responded. Are you sure? How?

It was hard to explain. Felicia is a dominatrix and Tigre has some of her quirks. And her stripe pattern matches.

Maybe Felicia's unconscious? Or semi-conscious?

Shadowfox looked at him and blinked. You've done homework on gestalt cyborgs?

I'm not an expert, but there's any number of different ways the gestalt can be carried out. If I were Blue, I'd draw on the biological host for little mannerisms and quirks. The things that people pick up on but are hard to program.

Shadowfox nodded. It made sense. What are her chances? Do you think she'll be okay?

It was an unfair question. David wasn't a doctor, and the uncertainty in his eyes seemed to say that. But he looked confident as he typed, I have heard of cases where the biological host made a full recovery.

And short of a medical examination of Tigre that was the best they would do. Do you think you can stomach being her biggest fan?

He grimaced, so Shadowfox typed on.

You made a good start. We need to get her alone with the two of us, outside by the water.

He nodded. He got it, immediately.

They claimed that they had an audio tap on some of the women. Did they mention anything like that to you?

Yes. They described it as a monitoring service, they could listen to what you said when I wasn't with you. I didn't have it set up.

That sounded wrong. It was missing a chance to feed them false information.

But you left it open? You can order it if you want to?

Yes -- if I start getting suspicious of you, they can have it set up. Did they tell you they were listening to you?

She hadn't made it clear. No, they said some of us were being monitored. They didn't name names.

That sounds like a scare tactic to me.

I agree. Heck, she was still scared. Is it even possible?

I don't know. I've never heard of a chimera being monitored that way.

Neither have I. She felt better.

If it were, it would be illegal for them to monitor you without your owner's consent.

Blue has kidnapped free chimerae and made them sex slaves.

Yes, and he paid for it.

They would do it if they knew who we were. She felt dubious. Is it even possible for them to hear whatever I say? I don't believe there's a microphone in the implant.

There isn't, but if they knew we were ICON they'd just bug the room. Maybe even in the next room. If they don't know we're ICON they wouldn't bother to listen to us.

So we can talk freely as long as we lie about our plans, she typed.

He nodded, slowly, and lifted a thumb. The gesture made her feel better -- she was actually being clever, already. "We can talk. The sweeper says the room's clean. Are you okay?"

"It wasn't -- pleasant." She swallowed. "But I don't think they did anything illegal, either. I didn't see anyone get more than ten lashes. They made us run." When she said that, she was thinking of being barefoot in the hot sun and no water.

But when she heard herself say it, it sounded so innocuous. She had a mental image of some smooth spokesperson, saying "we had them jog," with a bemused twinkle in their eye. And maybe the spokesperson would be a pretty chimera, just to score credibility points.

"They did have sex with them."

With you? He mouthed.

She shook her head and he heaved a sigh of relief. His breath smelled of chocolate ice cream.

"They're probably covered," he said. "There was an option to have them 'taught special sexual techniques,'" he said in an accent which seemed racist until Shadowfox remembered he had negotiated with Kim and it was more of an impersonation. "And that would probably be consent on the part of the owner."

Shadowfox thought of Boss mounting Tits that first day. So this is the way of the Passive Love Mattress! It wasn't funny. She wished she knew Tits' real name. The Siamese didn't deserve to have that be her only label.

"Did you find Felicia?" she asked.

"No, Tigre's the first Brandon tiger model I've seen here."

"It's not her," Shadowfox said. "They look a lot alike, but no. There's no way they got Felicia to that state in a week." Shadowfox mused. Should she soften that? "I thought at first it was her."

Shadowfox wondered if Blue was monitoring them, and what he would think on hearing that. Probably that I'm an idiot. Or maybe not. Chimerae were notoriously hard to identify forensically. Clone sisters had matching DNA, and ICR chips could be forged or switched.

"There might be more, so we need to mix around a bit. Meet as many of the slaves as possible," Shadowfox said.

"I have been." He looked guilty. Chatting up topless waitresses in a casino wasn't a lot of fun when it was your job, but it was still a lot better than a whip cracking over your head. She hoped that was all that was bothering him.

What did you do?

"Of course," Shadowfox nodded. "How have you been doing?"

He looked uncomfortable. "I haven't seen a new face for the past two days."

"Really?" she asked. "Maybe there's some other activity we can take."

To her surprise, he took a small camera from off the desk and lowered himself to her level. The flash popped out. Instinctively, Shadowfox struck a pose, giving the camera a smoldering gaze. He took the shot, and she looked at him quizzically.

With a grin, he typed: I found an Internet café in town with its own servers. We can send -- he backspaced in front of those three words and added some more. Tech has confirmed We can send encrypted reports that way. One time key, embedded into photographs and uploaded to the net.

And he figured that the foxes would appreciate the photo. It was probably a good call. She nodded and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her ears lifted to a happier position.

Write your friends a letter and we can send it tomorrow. He grinned and stepped away to give her some privacy.

She nodded. She had been hoping that she could put her news off, but that wouldn't do. Poor Silverfox.

"Do you know the worst thing about this place?"

The bar and grill was air conditioned, of course. Despite that, he was sweating. The lights were yellowish and low and flickered to look like candles to match the pseudo-medieval décor, and he was so flushed that Shadowfox wondered if drugs might be involved. Sitting next to him at the bar made her flesh crawl a little.

How should she handle this? She didn't want to encourage him, but she didn't want to blow him off entirely. Keep it cool -- I'm interested, but this guy's my owner. It was in character for Tiffany, if the training didn't stick.

Shadowfox hoped he wouldn't get grabby. She gave the scenario some thought. "Tiffany" would shy back without getting aggressive, and "Mister Dreyfus" would get in his face. But David would probably follow Shadowfox's lead. Crap.

Fortunately, the stranger didn't make a move, and Shadowfox decided he was going to back off.

Shadowfox took another bite out of her smoked turkey leg and followed it with fries. There was probably no food in the world more anachronistic to the setting than smoked turkey legs and French fries. Apple pie itself was less authentically American.

On the other side of the bar, a topless catgirl looked up from the drink she was mixing and contemplated the guest for a moment. Shadowfox didn't imagine that there were all that many topless barmaids in medieval Europe, but she carried off the costume well.

You don't know the worst thing about this place, her face said in that moment. And then she turned back to her cocktail shaker and the moment was gone.

"What's that?" David asked past Shadowfox, to be polite and to remind him that Shadowfox wasn't unaccompanied. Shadowfox felt relief -- he was picking up his end, being Dreyfus.

"The golf course is a nine-holer," he complained.

"Eighteen holes would just about cover the entire island," David observed.

"Would it really?" Shadowfox asked. "I didn't know that." She put a fry in her mouth.

There were much fancier and objectively better restaurants in Blue Jade. David had taken her to one for lunch. It had a veneer of respectability and taste which at first attracted and then repelled. They were trying to make Blue Jade look like a high-toned bastion of civilization and comfort instead of an upscale slave whorehouse, and Shadowfox hadn't been able to finish her lobster.

The Wench-and-Brew had no such pretensions. It had alcohol, surprisingly good food, and tits. Shadowfox appreciated the honesty. Her appetite had returned.

The other patron looked surprised and thoughtful as he tried to assimilate this new information. Shadowfox wondered if he was in good enough condition to handle eighteen holes without a golf cart. But of course, there would be a golf cart. Blue Jade might not have eighteen holes, but it had golf carts.

It occurred to Shadowfox that she hadn't met this bar wench before. "Pardon me," Shadowfox glanced at David. "Could I have a Fuzzy Navel?" Pretty please? I'll be good!

David nodded, apparently in an indulgent mood. It would establish their relationship in the eyes of any outsiders.

The stranger laughed, having developed a bon mot. "Thought you had one already." He beamed.

David frowned. The catgirl reached for the peach schnapps and watched their reactions, hoping that the tension wouldn't escalate.

Shadowfox glanced blankly in the stranger's direction for a moment. You're making me really uncomfortable. Then she forced a smile and chuckle, an attempt to be polite which would be far more off-putting than taking offense.

Shadowfox hoped he would just go away. She was tired of the necessity to be Tiffany, she wanted out of that skin and back into her own --

David. She had kept David from dating Technofox. Did she want to be Shadowfox? If she could stop, it wouldn't be her fault any more--

"Your drink, m'lady," the catgirl bobbed her head. She had the thick Cockney accent that was expected of medieval peasantry.

Her eyes were on Shadowfox's, slightly calculating, wondering what the black vixen's station might be. Shadowfox could see the question in her eyes: Are you one of us? Shadowfox was pleasantly surprised that she had rated a "m'lady." A guest was a guest, she supposed. Even a guest's pet warranted deference.

The catgirl moved so David would get the full effect, bent over to deposit the sweating highball glass and shifted her shoulders to jiggle her breasts in his line of sight. He had the money, not Tiffany. Even if she leaned over the bar and gave Shadow a long kiss, it would be for David's benefit. If she came back to their room and made love to Shadowfox it would be a show for David. And she expected Shadowfox would play along. The thought brought Shadow back down and depressed her.

Enough. Shadowfox took a long sip and closed her eyes. The mild bite hit the spot. Shadowfox wondered what the catgirl had done for this job. When she had been in Blue Diamond, Shadowfox would have killed to get the catgirl's gig for Technofox. Shirt or no, she had a bar between her and the clientele. Shadowfox had been worse off.

The catgirl's collar was black against rich chestnut fur. Blue Jade's advertising had subtly hinted that any woman with a collar could be rented. The Welcome to Blue Jade brochure had been more explicit, stating that the staff was forbidden to date guests and that any service was billable.

In Blue Diamond they were supposed to record the guest number and a start and end time. The customers were billed by time, with a reduced rate for sleepovers. Someone else calculated the bill and collected the money. There were different package deals which allowed for X hours free, along with a "complimentary" cocktail.

Clients would pay for the presence of a sleeping woman while they slept, or other time that didn't involve sex. Almost all of her time at Blue Diamond had been spent in stocks in a kneeling position in front of a chair. Between clients an attendant would give her water and mouthwash and put her top back on; she would only be let out of the stocks every few hours. But even under those conditions some men had taken a fancy to her and hired her for a sleepover. She had even played video games with a few.

Some prostitutes pretended to be the client's friend; they were the ones who got murdered.

"Thank you." Shadowfox looked at the drink, pleased. "Have you seen Bagi?"

Your answer is very important to me. Shadowfox's ears shifted towards her and her eyes grew more steady.

The catgirl blinked. She probably couldn't remember the last time a patron had asked her about her choices in video entertainment. "Uh... no, I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name." She smiled uncertainly, obviously wondering what had prompted the interrogation.

If she had recognized the title, she would probably assume that the size of golf courses or Fuzzy Navels figured as central plot elements.

And that was why David and Shadowfox had settled on that question. Most people probably lived their entire lives without being asked if they had seen Bagi. Yet at the same time, the question didn't stand out as a complete non-sequitur the way that a question about the moons of Jupiter would: it would seem to be relevant because a movie could be about anything. Shadowfox and David had asked it of five or six chimerae since the end of Shadow's training.

How disappointing. Shadowfox nodded thoughtfully. She wondered if they were being too obvious with this, but there didn't seem to be a way around it.

The Fuzzy Navel went down smoothly, the taste complimenting the turkey leg. This had to be what Heaven was like. She felt she would be content to spend the rest of her life at this table, pulling apart turkey with her teeth. There was no grit in her eyes or rocks on her bare feet. She put the half-filled tumbler down.

"Freshen your drink, m'lady?"

Shadowfox almost said yes, but her vision swam. She wasn't much of a drinker to begin with, and she hadn't been taking her daily tot of rum to keep her tolerance up. The highball, mild as it was, was hitting her hard.

Well, so what if she did get drunk? She was entitled. She wanted to get hammered and sleep alone.

They were in enemy territory. She knew she wouldn't be safe, not really, until Silverfox was locked and loaded outside the door. Shadowfox switched to water. David caught her eye and she smiled at him, because his girlfriend would do that.

She finished the Fuzzy Navel before leaving the bar. They took an elevator up, without talking.

He closed the door to their room. "I'm sorry there's only one bed," he apologized.

Shadowfox gave him a smirk. I'm not.

He smiled and looked away, and she knew that all she had to do was ask and he'd sleep on the couch. And because she knew he would, she didn't want him to. Even though she was pretending to be his girlfriend, the idea of cuddling and being told she was a good girl was very appealing. She needed hugs.

"Let's take a shower," she took his hand and smiled.

She scrubbed his back and he scrubbed hers, and then they kissed one another, first on the lips. The water was hot and the shower was strong. Everything should have been right. But David kissed her and it felt wrong. She knew the affection behind it was stolen from Technofox. It was insane; she had always played a role and she never had a problem with lying to her mark and had never considered the feelings of any woman in his life, but now the person she was pretending to be was named "Shadowfox" and the other woman was her friend.

She held his penis in one hand and thought of how good it would feel in her mouth, but she didn't want to kneel. She had done that too much.

"I should dry off," she said, but he had her hand and opened the bathroom door, and--

Boss and Tigre were standing in their room. They were holding Tasers. He grinned and looked her over.

"Thanks for getting her wet for me, buddy," the Ursus said.