Shameless Exposure (19 page)

 
Eighteen

“Come along, come along now, I have nae got all day.” Angus waved his arm in frustration, urging his human cargo aboard. Robert and Linda squeezed into the last two seats. Angus was running late, and the night was already drawing in on the shortest day. Angus pulled out the tarpaulins. “You’ll be needing these today.”

The boat battled the swell, throwing buckets of water over the shrieking passengers. On other days, Angus would have announced it was too rough. But Regina had emphasised the importance of the solstice moon ceremony. Hundreds of devotees had made the journey to Mura for this most auspicious date. Angus had been running continuous services for the past three days. One final trip, then back across to Sporran to put his feet up with a wee dram.

The twenty minute journey took half an hour. Two ghostly figures loomed up as they approached Mura. The Wimples had a checklist and, with the aid of primitive sign language, communicated the need to passengers to give their name on disembarking. Robert, last off the boat, was met with two Wimple heads shaking in unison. He argued that he needed to speak to Regina. They made an X with their arms. He said his wife was in the congregation and he had some news for her. They formed the letters N and O with their mouths, and, for added emphasis, mimed a slitting motion across their throats.

He tried to push past but Angus said, “There’s nae need for that,” and directed him back into the boat. Linda looked at Robert and shrugged her shoulders.

“Wait for me at the hotel. I’ll try to talk to your wife.”

Angus was not in the mood for conversation on the return trip to Sporran, or perhaps he just couldn’t hear Robert above the sound of the waves. He helped Angus secure the boat next to the dock and trudged with him along the track to the hotel at Blackwaterside.

“Angus, I need to get onto Mura. My wife’s in danger. I thought Regina might have changed when she found religion, but she’s as devious as ever. She’s splitting us apart.”

“Impossible. They will nae let ye on.”

“Is there somewhere else you could land me? Round the other side of the island?”

“No.”

“We could let them get started with the ceremony and then you could slip me over under cover of darkness.”

“That wee boat’s not safe in the dark. It would be madness in this weather.”

“I could pay you extra.” Robert reached for his wallet.

“The trouble with people today is they think they can buy anything they want.”

“This is not about money, it’s about love. Regina’s got into Caroline’s head with some nonsense about being her mother. Now I’ve had a text from Caroline saying she’s going through a ceremony to become a priestess.” Angus didn’t comment. “At least let me buy you a drink.”

“Now you’re talking sense.”

♥ ♥ ♥

The great hall was decorated so heavily with holly, ivy and mistletoe that it resembled a medieval forest. At the end of the clearing, a log fire burned brightly, compensating for the lack of moonlight on a cloudy night. The circular dais in the middle of the hall, overhung with foliage pinned to the wooden ceiling, was ringed with flickering flames like a gas ring on simmer. Synthesized jungle music was turned up loud. Many of the acolytes packed into the hall had started dancing spontaneously, filled with the thrill of anticipation and the joy of celebration.

A huge cheer erupted when Regina made her entrance, mounted the dais, and ritually disrobed. She gave the audience permission to do likewise. Regina nodded to a Wimple, who turned the gas up a little. The flames around the platform danced six inches high. Regina said it was a night for celebration, not sermons, but gave a twenty minute lecture nonetheless on the importance of respecting the vagina spirit. On this one night of the month, everyone must come, or the spirits would be angry. In fact, because it was the solstice as well, they would be absolutely livid.

Regina described the progress made over the past thirteen months and the need to maintain momentum for the push into the States. The work had become too much for one body. The spirit wanted her to appoint a High Priestess, and tonight the spirit would choose who it should be. Two candidates had put themselves forward for initiation. Only one would pass the test. The oak doors opened on cue, revealing Joni and Caroline in their yellow robes and a Wimple by their sides. Linda pushed forward.

“Caroline. I need to speak to you. Robert…”

“Who are you? Can’t you see I’m busy?”

Linda tried to walk along beside Caroline, who towered above her in extravagant footwear.

“It’s important. Robert’s found out that…” Her words were cut off by a sharp shove from Caroline’s Wimple, and Linda fell back into the crowd of proselytes.

The contenders entered the ring. The Wimples undressed their charges, apart from the eight inch platform shoes which Regina had told them were necessary so that everyone in the packed hall could see them clearly. Regina called the contenders forward and they teetered into the centre of the ring, Joni with the confidence of an experienced model. She gave some last minute instructions and tossed a coin. Joni called tails and won the toss.

“I’ll go first. I want to get it over with,” said Joni, shouting into Caroline’s ear to be heard above the music. “I bet I’ll win. The man hasn’t come for twenty seven days. He won’t last five minutes. One look at me in these killer shoes and he’ll be spurting all over the canvas.”

“They say he’s no ordinary man,” said Caroline. “Greta says he’s developed tantric powers and that he’s incredibly strong. Have you seen him?”

“No,” said Joni. “But I have heard him, grunting and bellowing when he does his exercises in the dungeon. I just hope he keeps his mouth shut tonight. Then I can pretend he’s someone else and pass the test.”

“You’d better not pretend he’s Robert. I heard about you seducing him.”

“That proves you’re not ready to be High Priestess,” said Joni. “You don’t understand, do you? This isn’t about owning people, it’s about owning yourself.”

“We may as well try and enjoy this. I don’t believe there’s a man on the planet that could resist both our charms. May the best girl win.” She gave Joni a goodwill hug. “I’m glad you’re going first. He should be warmed up nicely for me.”

“You seem confident.”

“Something’s changed,” said Caroline. “Even in a couple of days I’ve learnt something about myself from Regina. I used to be full of conflict and doubt but now I feel this power rushing through me and carrying me off into the future.”

“Well here comes the future,” said Joni. “Oh my God… I’ve changed my mind, you can go first.”

The Wimples had opened the huge oak doors at the back of the hall to admit a giant. The naked audience parted wide like the Red Sea to allow Ness free passage to the dais. He walked steadily, eyes fixed on the two initiates. Their eyes flicked over him, taking in the massive muscular limbs, the narrow torso, the shaven everything, the violent dark blue tattoos, the biggest set of male equipment they had ever seen, like a stone age phallus etched on a chalk hillside had been miraculously brought to life.

There were no polite introductions. A heavy solemnity descended on the proceedings. Regina smiled and left the dais. She walked round the thick stone column which hid the gas tanks and opened the tap another turn. Flames leapt to three feet or more, appearing to consume the actors on the stage in a devilish fire.

Ness looked to the women to indicate who was first. They pointed at each other. He walked up to Caroline and stood very close. Even with her platforms he was more than a head taller. He stared down into her eyes as if he wanted to see into her soul. He took her hand and examined it carefully. She saw the word
hate
tattooed on his massive knuckle. He let go of her hand and took a step back as if weighing her up. She breathed heavily.

He turned to Joni. When Ness stood in front of Joni, she disappeared entirely from the view of half the audience. He repeated his examination, but didn’t let go of Joni’s hand. Her legs began to tremble, and not just because it was hard to stand for long in those shoes. She didn’t need to stand for much longer. He pushed her to her knees and thrust his third leg and his huge swinging bollocks towards her face. Caroline shrank to the edge of the dais, as close to the flames as she dared, and hugged her knees to her chest.

♥ ♥ ♥

“Aye, another double if ye don’t mind.”

Robert fulfilled the order and finished telling Angus the true story of Regina’s past as the cruel Madame, Melody Bigger.

“So you’re saying it’s all bogus? Well I could have told ye that. But it’s good for business. There’s not a lot else going on up here.”

“It’s worse than bogus,” said Robert. “It’s fraudulent, it’s criminal. And she has tricked my wife into making her think she is her mother. Regina is mad. I must get over there before Caroline’s lost forever.”

“You’re too late now. They’ll be starting the solstice moon ceremony. All hell breaks loose – well it did in June. And Miss Heart said she’s doing a pagan initiation tonight to admit one lucky soul to the priesthood. You could call it a sacrifice, but she uses a man – a very big man. Let’s put it this way, I din nae think the woman will ever be the same again.”

“Who are the victims?”

“One of them lanky models, the blond one.”

“Joni?”

“And there’s another candidate, a new girl. Attractive woman. Long red curly hair.”

“That’s Caroline.”

“Aye, I think so.”

“Give me the keys.” Robert waved his hand towards Angus. “The keys to start your boat.”

“The keys are in the boat. But you’ll not make it as sure as my name’s Angus. Even if you made it over the Sound, how would ye get ashore? I can just see ye leaping from the boat straight into the icy water.”

“I’ve got to try.”

“Oh bugger it; I can nae let ye drown. I’ll come with ye.” Angus and Robert drained their glasses, shouted thanks to the barman, and ran off back to the dark dock.

♥ ♥ ♥

Linda winced as she watched Joni try to accommodate Ness’s massive member in her button mouth. However widely she opened her jaw, Joni could only admit the tip. She did her best to lubricate it with her tongue. The audience was so absorbed in the spectacle that Linda was able to pick up her robe and slip out of the hall without attracting attention. She worked her way through the practice rooms and to the dark, deserted tower. She ran nimbly up the stone stairs.

Once in Regina’s room, she made sure the curtain was pulled tight and risked turning on a lamp. She worked her way through Regina’s desk drawers. Paperwork was neat and minimalist. Judging by the black sacks of white confetti by the desk, extensive use had been made of the paper shredder. The largest drawer contained a number of small boxes of neatly sorted paper clips, drawing pins, flash drives, and rubber bands. One box was full of paper tags from individual herbal teabags. She took some of them out and put them in a row on the desk. The sentiments were familiar. Where had she seen them before?

She opened up the laptop on the desk. She tried Robert’s suggestions for the password and struck gold with her third attempt,
melbig
. The screen defaulted to the Dunlaggin experience promo. She watched the first minute before remembering her purpose. She pressed pause with the mouse. How strange. It had stopped at the image of an otter. She pressed play, let it run for a few seconds, then pause again: a raven. The third time a vixen came up. She watched another full minute without pausing but could see no more animals, spirit or otherwise.

She found the documents file on the hard drive. A folder labelled
Donations
had records of every tax dodger who had subscribed to the avoidance scheme. She zipped the files and emailed them to herself in London, her foot tapping impatiently as the large files oozed through the slow connection. When at last the
sent
message appeared, she turned off the lamp and crept out the room, shrieking when she bumped into a ghost, two ghosts.

The Wimples seized her and she struggled. They kicked her and she fell down the first flight of stairs. She thought she was dead, but she knew she wasn’t when the Wimples bumped her down the remaining flights into the dungeon, ripped off her robe, and pushed her through the steel door into Ness’s empty cell. Wimple One fixed a strip of packaging tape across Linda’s mouth, and completed the package with wrists and ankles. Wimple Two went back into the undercroft to write a note, and returned to the cell. She held the note up in front of Linda’s face.
Ness will see to you later
.

The Wimples floated off back to the great hall where Joni was still struggling to make a significant impact on Ness, though his prick was now fully extended and pointing upwards. He decided to move things on. He picked Joni up like she was a balsa wood model and lowered her onto his prick. Her vagina, as tight a buttonhole as her mouth, clamped shut. She slid off him. The massive stick nudged her other hole and she squealed. He laid her on the floor, placed his arms either side of her, placed his penis at the entrance to her vagina, and began something that resembled a hundred press-ups.