Jericho was clever for a pimp. He kept his money in several accounts in other states and did not splurge it on flashy clothes and cars. He always invested it, either in good capitalist stocks and bonds, or by ploughing it back into his 'Business' as clothes for the girls, new furnishings for the flats, bribes for the Vice Squad or the drugs that eventually were needed with every girl to keep her under his control. And that eventually killed them.
Jericho recognised that one day his career would have to end. One day he would no longer be strong enough to survive on the street, to keep rivals off his turf and earn the respect of the hard men who run the underworld economy. But by then he would be respectable and he hoped long gone from here. Jericho was born poor, black and despised. He aimed to become rich, black and respectable.
But for now he was rubbing his hands for warmth and checking out the pretty homeless girls as they begged for loose change in the bus terminal. He decided to approach a teenage blonde who looked as if she had had no luck and was just about fed up with the cold. He reached under his shirt to touch the thing that gave him an edge over the other pimps when it came to recruiting girls.
Jericho's grandfather had been an immigrant from the Carribean and had a terrible reputation among the Black community as a bocor, a magician. He had left Jericho a talisman, a wooden amulet that he wore around his neck and a little chant to say when using it. "Dat will give you luck with dey girls, Jericho." the old man had said. "With dat you can talk any girl into spreadin' her legs for yo'." And Jericho found it was true. With the amulet and the chant pretty naive girls would believe all his lies and blandishments. It didn't take him long to realise the financial possibilities of his secret. Eventually he had to use the drugs to keep the girls on his leash but the 'magic' seemed to dazzle their minds. He was never sure if he really believed in the hocus-pocus but he always used it.
This time however Jericho stopped just before he began the chant. He was aware somehow that he was being watched. About twenty yards away a man was watching Jericho, an expression of amusement on his face. He was bald and portly and wore an old-fashioned fur-collared coat. He leant on a silver-headed cane and looked very out of place in this low-life area of New York. Jericho didn't know what to make of him. He wasn't (after a moment's initial fear) any kind of cop. He wasn't a john looking to pick up a girl. The look on his face was almost one of...recognition.
The bald man walked slowly over. As he approached Jericho found himself pinned to the spot by his intense, strange green eyes.
Suddenly, he found his voice again: "Hey, man what are you looking at?" Even to himself it sounded strained and frightened.
"Tell me friend," the stranger said, his English stained with a strange accent, "do you hunt those?" He gestured with his stick towards the runaways. Jericho couldn't make sense of the question for a moment. When he understood it, he opened his mouth to deny everything. But the stranger's eyes somehow forced him to speak the truth, and the whole truth too:
"Yeah, I hunt them. Trap and train them too. What's it to you?"
The stranger smiled: "Good. They should be trapped and trained. I am in that line of business myself and I have a proposition for you."
"What...What kind of propositon?"
"I can show you better hunting. Are you interested?"
***********
Thergo looked at his guest across the table. The restaurant seemed to make him nervous. It was quiet and expensive and recommended by a man Thergo had met in the first class compartment of the flying machine that had carried him across the ocean to this great city. It was not what Thergo was used to. In fact many things in this world failed to come up to his standards. But creating a place where he could bring some civilised living to this barbarian world would, he hoped, start with this meeting.
Jericho took a deep drink from his glass and looked around. The restaurant was the sort of place he hadn't imagined affording for years and he felt very out of place in his street clothes. The WASP head-waiter had nearly refused them entry but became positively effusive after the stranger had a whispered word with him. The food was rich and the wine magnificent. Emboldened by the drink, Jericho decided to find out what was going on.
"So, what is this business proposition, Mister...?"
"Thergo, I am known as Thergo. And you are Jericho Drumm, yes?"
Jericho nodded, determined not to let the stranger overawe him.
"I am a stranger in your city, my dear Mister Drumm, a...refugee you might say and I intend to set up business. I need someone who knows the city and its ways. I think you might be the one I'm looking for."
"And your business is...?"
"I have many interests but the one we have in common is women. Slaves to be more exact. Pleasure slaves."
Delicately he took a sip of wine. Jericho felt the blood drain from his face.
"Uh, I uh never heard it described in quite that way before. Like, uh, no-one talks about slaves. Except maybe the leather freaks, bondage types. And with them it's just make-believe. Mind games."
"But you and I know that it is no fantasy. No game. In this city it is quite possible for a man to own women, body and soul. Well, isn't it?" Numb, Jericho nodded. "Well, I can show you how to create better slaves, slaves who will be obedient and pleasing without the disgusting potions that you must use to keep your stable under control. And I can show you how to sell them into better and more lucrative markets. I can give you your dream of freedom and wealth, Jericho Drumm."
"And why me? A high class lawyer would be better to show you the ropes around town, 'specially if you're after the big money clients."
"Don't you know Jericho? You and I share something else. We share a gift and your gift called out to mine. Show me, Jericho. Show me the focus you were around your neck."
Jericho's hands went protectively to his collar and for a moment he considered refusing. But under the piercing glare of the green eyes he undid the leather thongs that held it in place and laid the small wooden object with its strange carvings on the table between them.
"Ah lovely work! Primitive but very powerful. A great talent made this. Not your own work."
"My grandfather. He gave it to me."
"Ah. He is dead now? A pity. I would like to have met him. Would you like to know how to make such things as these? To make even greater enchantments? I can give you that knowledge. In return for your service."
Fear lanced through Jericho as he remembered his mother's sermons. Was the figure in front of him....
Thergo laughed. "Oh no, Jericho Drumm. I am not your devil-Lord, the one they call Satan. I have no interest in your soul. I only want your service in this world. And the rewards can be sweet."
For a moment Jericho reeled as the portly man plucked the very thoughts from his mind. And then his street nature reasserted itself. His courage returned and he sneered: "Words!"
Thergo smiled. "Yes indeed. You are right to insist on seeing a sample of my wares." He looked around the restaurant. "Which of these women would you most like to own?" For a moment the pimp could hardly believe his ears. A warning look from Thergo made him suddenly decide to take the question seriously.
He looked around, scanning the faces of the diners. Something made him stop on a blonde woman dining alone. She wore a severe business suit and was reading a file occasionally pausing to make a note between bites of her meal. But she was tall and beautiful and her figure promissed to be lush underneath the formal wear.
"That one."
Thergo smiled and nodded. "An excellent choice. Now watch." He leant back in his chair and half-closed his eyes. A faint murmer came from his lips and Jericho seemed to hear a kind of humming in the air. Then he made a sudden flicking gesture towards the woman and Jericho seemed to see a spark of light leap from his fingers.
As it struck the woman, she suddenly froze and then turned and looked up towards them with a look of alarm on her face. Her whole body shivered and she swayed in her seat. And then with a frown of puzzlement she stood and walked over to stand by their table her eyes fixed on Thergo.
He spent a few more moments murmuring and making slight gestures and then relaxed and opened his eyes fully to look at her.
"Good evening, my dear. And what is your name?"
The woman still seemed bewildered. When she spoke it was with an educated New England accent: "My name? My name is Amanda, Amanda Brande. I'm sorry I don't seem to..."
"Brande. How appropriate!" Thergo seemed amused at a private joke. "My name is Thergo, but you will address me as Master. Do you understand?"
Jericho's eyes almost came out of his head at that. The woman looked puzzled for a moment but then said calmly: "Yes, Master. I understand."
"And this is my friend Mister Drumm. But you will call him Sir. Say good evening to Amanda, Jericho."
"Uh, goood evening, Amanada." He smiled nervously and toyed with his wine glass.
"Good evening, sir." She seemed less puzzled now and even smiled in reply to Jericho.
"Now Amanda, my friend here was saying how much he admired your beauty and how he would like to see more of it. So just strip for us will you?"
Jericho nearly choked on the mouthful of wine he was swallowing. Amanda's brow wrinkled:
"Here, Master?"
Thergo nodded.
"Yes, of course, Master."
She removed her jacket letting it drop to the floor and began to unbutton her blouse. Jericho looked nervously around the restaurant. Although their table was in full sight of everyone, the diners and waiters did not even look up as the woman stripped. Her blouse and skirt went, revealing lacy black underwear which fluttered to the floor in its turn, revealing large firm and creamy breasts, tipped with rosy pink nipples and a generous bush the same colour as her ash blonde hair. Soon she stood naked before them, waiting with a smile for Thergo's next instruction.
"How lovely. You do have excellent taste, Jericho. Now my dear, clasp your hands together behind your neck, that's right, and stand with your legs apart a little, that's good, elbows back chest out. Lovely. Now Mr Drumm is going to come and inspect you. Don't move, and answer any questions he may have politely." He turned to Jericho and smiled. "There we are, my dear fellow. Take a closer look."
Jericho took one more incredulous look around at the people going on with their meals. Then he stood. He could feel his cock throbbing and coming to half-mast. He wiped his mouth on the serviette and stepped up to the waiting blonde. His hands reached up and caressed her breasts. She sighed and he felt her nipples harden against his palms.
"You have nice tits. Amanda."
"Thank you, sir."
"Do you...like having your tits played with in public?"
"I...I..."
Thergo interrupted: "Of course you do, Amanda. You are happy to serve men with your body, aren't you?"
"Yes, yes of course, Master. I am happy to serve."
Jericho let his hands roam down her body.
"You have a lovely ass, Amanda."
"Thank you, sir."
"And what is this?"
"It's my va...va...vagina, sir."
"Your va...va...vagina? No it's your cunt. What is it?"
"My cunt, sir."
"And what am I doing with your cunt, Amanda?"
"You, you are frigging it sir! You are sticking two fingers in and, and rubbing my clitoris with your, your thumb, sir!"
Noiselessly and paying no attention to the bizzarre spectacle before him a waiter came up and cleared the remnants of the meal from their table. Thergo ordered another bottle of the wine.
"Do you like having my fingers up your cunt, Amanda?"
"I love it, it makes me hot and juicy, sir. I love to serve, sir!"
Jericho released the woman and turned to Thergo. "How complete is the control?" Thergo smiled.
"Amanda, come and bend over the table."
"Yes, Master." Smiling, she lay her stomach on the newly cleared surface presenting her backside to Jericho. "Stay there and do not move or make any noise until I give you permission. You are going to be disciplined." The blonde made no protest but waited.
"Here, Jericho, try this." From nowhere Thergo produced a slim cane and handed it to Jericho. Jericho took a tentative swing at the woman's backside. The cane whipped through the air and a red mark appeared across the flesh. But not a sound came from the woman. Emboldened, Jericho began methodically and fiercly to lay a dozen hard strokes across her ass and back. But though her flesh quivered and a dozen red marks appeared across her back not a sound came from her. He halted, breathing hard, aware that his cock was straining against the fabric of his trousers.
Thergo spoke: "Get up, Amanda, and kneel in front of Mr Drumm." As she rose Jericho saw that tears had streamed down her face, causing her masscara to run.
"Thank Mr Drumm for disciplining you."
"Th..Thank you, sir. For discipling me."
"Now show him how grateful you are!"
Amanda reached up and unbuckled the belt of Jericho's trousers. She pulled them down and his throbbing black cock sprung up in her face. Without further command, she grasped it by the root and brought the tip to her mouth. Lovingly she began to lick and suck on it, running her tongue along the whole length of it at first and then taking it deep in her mouth. As she did so Thergo looked up at Jericho.
"Well?"
His mind almost to distraction by the flickering tongue, Jericho grinned tightly:
"You bastard! Ok, what's the deal?"
"You become my apprentice in the magic arts. And also my adviser as I establish myself in your city and make contacts. I teach you magic. You teach me this world."
Jericho thought for only a moment. A chance like this would never come again. He stuck out his hand.
"Deal!" As Thergo took it, he felt a little electric shock and he found himself looking down on his own body from above. He saw the rippling lines of magical force as they flowed from Thergo and through him and the woman and the whole room. And for a moment he thought he understood all the secrets of magic. And then he was back in his own body as he pushed the blonde to the floor and thrust deep inside her hot, wet cunt.
She babbled in his ear: "Thank you, oh thank you sir. I..oh my cunt is...so...Fuck me, Fuck me,Fuck, Fuck FUUUUUCK!"
As Jericho came and Amanda shrieked her climax, Thergo mildly sipped his wine and the other diners went on with their meal, oblivious.
**********
Afterwards Thergo looked down at Amanda, kneeling nude at Jericho's feet.
"And what shall we do with her?"
Jericho looked at the woman. She was lovely. But there were plenty more beautiful women to tame. And he and Thergo had a long way to travel.
"What would happen if we just left her here?"
"The spell is a temporary one. We could remove her memory of us and leave her."
Jericho grinned. "Let's!"
Thergo returned the cruel smile. He picked up her clothes from where they lay scattered and handed them to Jericho.
"Amanda, you will forget all that has happened since you came into this place. In a short while you will be able to act on your own again but you will remember nothing of me or my friend." He took their bill from a hovering waiter. "Oh and Amanda, pay for this."
The two men left the restaurant together, arm in arm. Jericho dumped her clothes in a nearby trashcan and the two men left together laughing at how the woman and the restaurant would react when the spell wore off.