THE STORY SO FAR

Clementine Anderson and her friend Estella (often shortened to Stella) Wainwright visit Paris to celebrate Clementine's good  fortune in winning a lottery prize. Whilst there, they meet two handsome men, Jules and James, who take them to a sleazy club where they witness two beautiful girls engaging in acts of extreme sado-masochism. Next day the two friends seek out this kinky couple and Clementine falls in love with one of them, the glamorous Viola, challenging Viola’s lover and dominatrix,  the tough and merciless Rashumba, to a fight, with Viola as the prize.

Against all the odds and after a titanic battle which leaves her marked for life, Clementine wins and takes her beloved Viola  home with her. But her rival has no intention of taking defeat lying down. With the connivance of James, one of the two young men, she arranges for Clementine to be enticed to the remote country of Abhlovia where James uses his influence to have her imprisoned. Naked and shivering in the autumnal cold, Clementine is put in an open air cage with a collection of hardened and irredeemably brutal women.

After four years of torment, naked in all weathers, worked until she drops,  whipped countless times until she bleeds and forced to participate in many savage fights with fellow detainees, Clementine - battered, brutalised and every bit as hard as the other women, has fought her way to be the prisoners‘ leader.

Each year, on the anniversary of her imprisonment, she is visited by Rashumba who mercilessly flogs, taunts and humiliates her. A few months into year five Clementine is plunged into even deeper despair when Rashumba turns up with Viola, with whom she now appears to be reconciled.

Rashumba prepares to flog her hated rival in front of Viola.

Now read on!


PART TWO - RECALLED TO LIFE

CLEMENTINE IN HELL

CHAPTER TWELVE

(In Which Jules and Estella are back in England and Estella receives a plain package)


"You still miss her don't you, Viola? Even now, after all this time?"

Estella and Jules had flown back from the States, where they had been  living since just after their marriage. The couple had brought their two sweet little children with them to start a new life in Estella's native town. Little Estella was getting on for three and already as lovely as her mother.  Little Jules was six months old and adorable, smiling delightedly whenever he caught anyone's eye. Estella was clearly rapturously happy with her married life and had taken to motherhood like the proverbial duck to water. It must be said, alas, that Viola was finding it a strain coping with all these guests!  Estella could see how sad she still was, more than four years after Clemmy's sudden death. It made her feel guilty about her own contentment to see how poor old Viola still suffered.

Estella's question had been prompted by the sight of Clementine's picture, in pride of place on the sideboard and with a bowl of fresh flowers in front of it. This was clearly a kind of shrine to the departed lover. She saw that Viola kept looking at it and how sad her eyes were whenever she did.

"Yes. Every waking moment I miss her  and I still blame myself for letting her go to that place. I was afraid of what James might have in mind. I had no idea a silly car smash would finish her off." She sobbed again.

"Well, you must come and see us at Christmas. We've rented a lovely place near Dorking You'll love it." Estella’s own voice trembled a little. Clementine had been her best friend, after all.

Viola knew she would hate it. ‘Can't they see all I want is my Clementine back again,’ she thought as she waved goodbye to her visitors and went back indoors to think of Clementine and the unfairness of it all. There was Estella, married to Jules, with two children and a third on the way if she wasn't mistaken. And she, Viola,  was destined to die an old maid, denied the lifelong companionship of the loveliest and most exciting person she had ever known.

Three days after visiting Viola, Estella spotted an advertisement in a combat sports magazine. Since seeing that magnificent bloodbath four years ago, Estella  was still hooked on fighting, especially girl fighting, (the dirtier and more violent the better!). Hooked on watching, that is, not on participating! Taking part in these brutal duels would ruin her sweet looks and be far too painful! Clementine had been attractive, but in a solid and durable way that would withstand a few knocks and in any case she had been a dyke - as much male as female in her psyche.

"Battling Vixens!" the advertisement read . "The best of uninhibited bare fist women's boxing. These street fighting females bleed, they punch, they fall and they triumph. Watch babes who know no fear as they take it and dish it out! See and hear ferocious blows as they fight toe to toe! Listen to the sound of knuckle on tortured flesh and knuckle on crunching bone and wince!"

"OOH!!" she muttered." Probably grossly over hyped, but it sure sounds right up my street! I wonder if there's anything here I haven't seen already?"

She wrote to the P.O. Box Number, enclosing a money order, and three days later the DVDs arrived in the promised discreet plain wrapping.

At the time of their arrival, Jules was out taking the kids to see an aunt and she had the TV to herself. She loaded the first DVD and prepared for what she hoped would be a lovely blood fest! She turned up the volume so that every blow would fill the room with its sound of painful bruising contact. What a great way to spend a winter afternoon, she thought happily! She rubbed her hands in anticipation of seeing some lovely bimbos make mincemeat of each other.

The first fight was between two “ladies” with Slavonic sounding names, Alexia and Olga. Apparently they had met a few times before and this was a revenge match, or so Alexia hoped! The venue seemed to be a rocky desert somewhere, maybe New Mexico; not that she'd ever been there, but it reminded her of the backdrop to more than one Western she had seen in her time, although she was aware that there were no large towering cactuses  to be seen.

Olga was certainly no beauty, in fact Estella had never before seen such total unredeemed ugliness in a woman! But her opponent was really sweet, with a dark almost Gypsy like beauty. But  Alexia was definitely  not a weakling - far from it. Both women were strong, fit and well-built and both looked formidably hard and weathered - as if they put in many hours gruelling and back-breaking work  in the open air. It was not only the bodies that were hard. Both fighters’ faces, even that of the lovely Alexia, seemed to have had all signs of feminine softness erased from them. These were true Amazons, thought the delighted Estella, who also noted the roughness of the combatants’ hands. It was more than light housework that had done that to them! And they were deeply bronzed with the kind of skin tone that speaks of months exposed to the elements -  wind, hail and  rain as well as warm sun.

She watched intently as Alexia was worn down, reduced to a bleeding mess and knocked senseless - apparently for the third time. An excited and appreciative Stella saw that neither fighter backed away from the other or showed any fear of getting hurt, both taking ferocious punishment without so much as a murmur. Victory  was a brutal matter of deciding who could suffer the greater amount of damage without being knocked out. Olga clearly had the harder head and the tougher body. Alexia's punches seemed as powerful as Olga's but they did little damage and the victor was only slightly marked at the end of a long fight. Alexia was dragged feet first out of the ring, but not before the triumphant Olga had stood victoriously with her foot on the loser's stomach with her arms raised in triumph.

It was a real Beauty versus the Beast match, with the Beast being triumphant, somewhat to Stella's disappointment.

She replayed the bout. This time she noticed that not only were both fighters quite nude but they had absolutely no tan lines. In addition, it was unpleasantly obvious that no beautician or cosmetician had been near either girl in months, if not years. Stella nearly gagged as she saw Olga's furry black  pits when she raised her arms in a victory salute. She guessed, correctly, that neither girl smelled too good! These  female gladiators were clearly dedicated nudists - and extremely good fighters, with technical skill in abundance and bags of courage!  Alexia must have known she was beaten but she never ceased to face up to her opponent, trading blows right up to the bloody and spectacular final knockout. This was great stuff!

By now,  Stella knew a thing or two about female combat, especially the sleazier and more brutal side of it, but these two were quite new to her. They were way ahead of most of the motley and often rather sad collection of women who did the rounds of the female combat world. She had lost count of the amateurish and plainly faked shit she had seen over the last four years! And she had never seen a fight to come near that  between Clementine and Rashumba - until now. Because this was definitely in that league although still nowhere near as bloody or protracted as that duel in the wood. That famous epic still sent shivers up and down her spine when she thought about it.

She watched the second fight. Svetlana and Tatiana. Another two large and totally  nude girls fighting bare fisted in the desert. This was even better,  by far! For a start they were both handsome enough in rugged way, unlike the misbegotten Olga. This couple used their feet to devastating effect as well as their fists. Some of the kicks were spectacular and Estella would not have wanted to be the girl on the receiving end as knees were used, coming up many times into groin and stomach. There were  more shades of that great match - the one between poor Clementine, not long before she was killed, and  Rashumba whom she had never seen again. Exciting quantities of blood were shed and countless bruises caused by this pair, after early blows to the nose and a lucky/unlucky cut to Tatiana's right eye. They were obviously two more very gutsy fighters who held nothing back and were not afraid of  pain.

Amazing - fantastic! thought Estella as Tatiana was finally sent crashing to the ground, spraying sweat and blood on the onlookers as she did so. Then she saw someone in the crowd. She replayed that bit and froze the screen. James and Rashumba! So those two had got together again and were in America - maybe! Well, well! Rashumba looked very prosperous, That outfit must have cost the earth!  She looked very out of place with her expensive and fashionable City clothes  at such a gathering in the wilds, but Stella knew the black girl was a skilled fighter herself and supposed she still took an interest even if she no longer  participated.

She loaded the next DVD and the phone rang. It was her stupid mother with some problem.  Could Estella come at once, please?

She rushed around to see what was wrong with the old girl. Nothing of course! There never was anything! Had she really come back from Seattle  just  to be subject once more to these so-called crises which only existed in the silly old woman's mind?

When she finally made it back home, Jules had returned. He looked a little strange and concerned. He pushed her into a seat, giving his wife no more than a perfunctory kiss - highly unusual for the still amorous Frenchman, as head over heels in love with Estella as when they had first started their uninhibited affair!

"That DVD you bought, darling."

"Yes, Jules, darling. Fights between women. And good ones. No faking! Plenty of skill and loads of blood! You know I love to see girl fights! It reminds me of poor Clementine you know.."

This was a pretty feeble excuse! Estella had become hooked on the sight of two members of her own supposedly gentler sex knocking the shit out of each other before Clemmy had been killed. It had been watching her best friend's performance that had given her the taste for it. By this time, she had an enormous collection of tapes and would always be willing to travel miles to see a good match whether held under legitimate auspices or otherwise. (Mostly otherwise!). But she had never seen a struggle as exciting as that first one in the wood and she still cursed herself for missing so much of it!

"Never mind that. Have you watched them yet?"

"Only one and then Mummy called - about nothing as usual - and I went around to calm her down. She'll be the death of me one of these days!  It was a pretty good video, especially the second contest - and a funny thing -  your former friend James was in the crowd  with Rashumba. It looks like the desert - Nevada or somewhere.  No sand but very rocky and barren."

"So you didn't see the second DVD.  Well,  take a look!  I did and I'm still getting over the surprise!"

He operated the remote control. The first fight on the second disc came on screen.

"Clementine v Olga" said the voice over.

Estella might have been electrocuted, so suddenly did she jerk to attention.

The fighters appeared and the fight started. It was Clemmy alright. She still had the scar over the eye and the broken nose, both courtesy of Rashumba, plus a good few more scars on  her once prefect features. Despite her battered appearance she was lovely to look at. But this was not the old Clemmy. This Clemmy was a venomous warrior who neither showed nor expected mercy. It was a hard and desperate woman who was demolishing her opponent, not only without pity, but with great enjoyment at the pain she was inflicting.

"But!" Estella was dumbstruck.

"She's obviously still alive, Stella. Or was when this film was shot a few months ago."

"How do you know it's that recent?"  She looked at the fight, fascinated. Clemmy was better than ever! She was taking Olga apart and Olga was damned good, as she had seen earlier!

"Take your eyes off Clemmy and look at the crowd, THERE! He froze the picture. Look at that outfit on Rashumba! The latest Paris fashion and I should know." Jules was a representative for one of the leading fashion companies.

"What do we do, darling?" asked Stella. She was dumbstruck at first but a horrible apprehensive feeling was taking over, combined with a wild hope that she might not, after all, have seen the last of her old friend.

"We take this tape to the police and try to get an exhumation order."

"But she was burned to a cinder..." her voice trailed away. Of course! It couldn't possibly be Clemmy's charred bones in that grave!

In a moment Stella was on the phone to Viola. That sad girl, in mourning for four years, just had to be the first one to hear this astounding news!

"Vi, darling! You're to come over here at once! Something amazing!  We're a hundred per cent sure Clemmy's not dead. I've just seen a video and she was on it. It couldn't possibly be anyone else! And she was certainly very much alive and kicking in the Summer!  She was a bit battered looking but otherwise in excellent health and fighting fit, kicking some unfortunate woman‘s butt to Kingdom Come!"

Then she had second thoughts.

" No, darling Viola! Stay where you are! We'll come and join you. I don't want you driving in your state, my love! You might be too excited and not watch the road properly. Jules is a good driver and always calm and controlled, despite being a Frog! So he'll bring me over. I'll bring the DVD with me and you can see for yourself!  Then Jules says we have to go to the Police with it!

"I wonder why I'm not as surprised as I should be!" said Viola at the other end. "But you're right to come here, since what purports to be Clemmy is buried in her family plot. I'll get on to the Police and tell them to expect us later today. I want to see the disc first, though."

Viola sat through it and agreed that it could be none other than Clementine. They took the DVD to the local Police. Photos of Clementine that Viola had brought with her were compared to the woman fighter on the video and all averred they were indeed one and the same person. All three were impressed when they saw how very seriously the matter was taken by the authorities. Viola was amazed at how quickly the exhumation was agreed. The Inspector said that it would take time to have the remains properly analysed and DNA from Clemmy or a close relative would be essential.

While Viola was searching for something (apparently even a hair would do) the phone rang again. It was for Viola.

"Hampshire Constabulary, Miss. Forget the DNA. Those weren't human bones at all. A very poor bit of deception our forensic boys tell me. It's only that the remains came over under diplomatic cover with a local medical certificate that stopped an investigation in the first place. One more thing, Miss."

"Yes." Viola had recovered her poise by now.

"Don't do anything more for now. It’s in your friend’s best interests to leave it to us. You'll be getting a visitor later. Will you be in all day?

"Yes, Inspector. And thank you for being so quick to let me know."

"That's quite alright, Miss. I hope we'll have the two of you back together soon. But the word from on high is that this is no time to rush our fences.”

Viola put down the phone.

"I think a man from Special Branch is coming. Something pretty bad happened to Clemmy and YOUR BLOODY COUSIN IS RESPONSIBLE!" she screamed at Jules and then sat down, fighting hard to control her feelings.

"I haven't heard a thing from him since I told him I blamed him for not looking after Clemmy properly. Sorry, Viola. I always knew he had a shady side, but I never thought he was a kidnapper. Please believe me!" Jules was contrition personified.

The visitor arrived in a couple of hours and introduced himself as Detective Chief Superintendent Smithers. He had a companion, a Mr Fox from the Foreign Office. Mr Fox was not Stella's idea of the typical Whitehall bureaucrat! He was tall and well-built with a military type moustache and the same upright bearing as Clementine. This guy had spent time in the Army, very likely a Guards regiment. It stuck out a mile!

Fox spoke first, after glancing at the Superintendent who gave a slight nod.

"I'm so sorry to tell you this, but we think your friend is in very serious trouble and extreme danger. We can't just send a note to the locals and expect them to produce Miss Anderson, although a local approach to the Abhlovians might be better than going to Moscow, who don't want to know where this little satrapy is concerned. They wrote it off years ago. 

I agree that this DVD is pretty conclusive. It convinces me and the autopsy on the alleged remains is quite clear. If you want, I can send a cable to our Consul in Abhlovia City right away and he can approach the President tonight. But if there is high level involvement in this, they might decide to remove the evidence. I mean - to be blunt - kill your friend. If it's just a lower level crime, which I think very likely, then we should get her home without too much trouble. We’ll have to make our own decision, of course, but what do you think?”

Viola’s voice and manner were calm, almost unnaturally so, in view of what she must be feeling.

"I am not the next of kin, naturally, and I have no idea what relatives, if any she has living. I do know that she was an only child and her parents are both dead - also that no relation was at her funeral. I really am the closest other person to her, apart from Madame  Duclos here." She pointed at Estella and went on speaking.

"I agree we should be careful how we move. Clemmy has spent four years in whatever place they have imprisoned her and she has obviously survived, so a few more months won't hurt her too much, not after all this time, and we don't want to get her killed by rushing it. Who knows? She may have disappeared voluntarily, though I would stake my life on it that she didn't. We were in love Superintendent. You might find that disgusting and hard to believe but I assure you we were - and are. She would never walk out on me and certainly not without a word. That would be cruel and Clemmy is the kindest of people."

Viola paused to collect herself. She might be look and sound calm but she was going through increasing inner turbulence as her distress continued to escalate.

"If those fights were filmed in Abhlovia, then that's where Clemmy still is. I guess she's being held in some kind of prison. Would that be possible?"

"Very possible. One of their more colourful customs is now and again to order certain women criminals to be stripped of all clothing for all or part of their sentence and we know that such unfortunate ladies are treated very badly, apart from being exposed to the elements all year round. What your friend can have done to merit this I can't imagine, but I'll get our local guys to look into it - in fact that's already in hand." said Mr Fox. “This is a VERY odd case because it is unprecedented for a European or American to be held like that. But someone might be able to hush this kind of thing up if they had money and influence. I know they make their prisons harsh and aren't too worried about sending people there. I think the day to day running of penal establishments is not a concern of the government, as long as people come out determined never to go back and work hard and profitably when they are in. If your friend is in one, it may be most difficult to trace her. The courts don't disgorge their records easily, even for Western diplomats!  But these videos. That's our best lead, by far."

"Yes" said the Police Superintendent. " We'll certainly be tracing them back through the distribution chain!"

"It seems to me, we need to know a lot more about how she got where she is!" said Viola. "And I intend to start finding out. I’ll go mad sitting around here doing nothing. I'm off to Paris and Jules can come with me. We both know where to find James and Rashumba if they happen to be visiting, and they'd neither of them stay away for more than a few months at a time. I think maybe if I let Rashumba think I'd like to come back to her, she might lead me to Clemmy."

The superintendent promised again to investigate the company who had sold the DVDs and Mr Fox undertook to get the Consulate on the job in Abhlovia, promising that two of his best agents would be on their way within hours. It was as well for Viola's peace of mind that she did not know that as she bade the two visitors farewell, her Clementine was being led out for her weekly Friday flogging and that Rashumba had at last persuaded the prison authorities to use a new and heavier whip on her. The meeting broke up and Viola and Jules prepared to fly off to Paris. Fox left Viola a number to contact him at any time. They left the videos behind, saying that as they would be going to the producers later they would soon have access to original material.

When the visitors had left, the three of them went over the conference.

"Fox is a spook. Stands out a mile. And I bet he's pretty high up . And a bloody handsome one, too! And he's holding something back. He knows much more than he wants to let on." Viola was speaking very coolly now. The others were impressed at how she had taken control of the meeting. They had been afraid she might be hysterical, but her self possession was remarkable. ". . And a Chief Superintendent from Special Branch coming to see me! I think this could be a pretty big story for some aspiring newshound! And I know just the fellow! We'll have company on our trip to Paris, Jules."

"Spooks?" asked Jules. "Who are they"

"The Secret Intelligence Service is their official title. My philandering father managed to use his old school tie to inveigle his slippery way into that outfit and was there a few years - until he got kicked out for chasing one secretary and pinching one pretty bottom too many. I can't imagine he was ever any use to them! They deal with foreign dirty work and there's usually at least one attached to an embassy, running the local agents. If they're sending two guys to a one horse place like Abhlovia, I'd have thought that's quite a prodigal use of manpower in these cash-strapped times! I think we have given the authorities just the excuse they've been looking for to open this can of worms. Perhaps friend James has been getting over-confident and making people suspicious."

"I suppose your father couldn't help - even if he is ‘retired‘?” asked Stella.

"Forget it, Stella. He wouldn't lift a finger to help his despised dyke daughter."

"I think your father ought  to be proud of you!" a heated Estella replied. "At the time I hoped Clemmy would prefer James. I didn't like her sexually leaning all the more towards women. But I see things a lot differently now. He is rotten to the core but you're a fine person. I hope you two do get to be reunited and live happily ever after. I really do!  You won't take any risks, will you Viola?  These could be dangerous people we are up against."

"I'm sure they are - very dangerous - and I'll take whatever risks I have to, Stella. I'm not afraid. Did you notice anything about Clementine. Look again at her fight." She reached for the remote control and soon the missing girl was there in front of them, beautiful and deadly as she traded punches with the powerful Olga.

"She's filled out and she's all muscle these days. I don't like that in a woman as a rule, but I have to admit it looks damned good on her!  She always was athletic, but she's a lot more powerfully built now. Look at those arms!"

Viola nodded. She could feel herself becoming sexually aroused . Oh to wake up next to that body every morning!  She imagined herself enfolded by Clemmy's arms now that they were more powerful and muscular than ever. She pictured herself resting her head on one of those strong shoulders and almost passed out! But there was serious business on hand and she must be calm, strong and, above all, brave, before the two of them could be together again.

"I saw that. What else?"

Estella looked more closely, concentrating on Clemmy's body and not what she was doing with her fists (which was a lot).

"Her hair's an awful mess. She hasn't had it done for ages. Maybe years. I'll admit she was never very fashion conscious but I can't imagine even her ever letting herself go like that. It looks filthy to me and her face had a wild look to it - wild, hard and full of pain. The more I look the more I see the pain.  Poor Clemmy! She has suffered, Viola. Suffered terribly."

Viola nodded again.

"There's one thing more, Estella. And it's the worst of all. She's moving about a lot. She may be bigger, but she still moves like a cat on those wonderful legs. But let's get a shot where you can see her back full-on. THERE!"

She had frozen the DVD and they all looked at Clementine's back view.

"Looks pretty leathery" said Estella. "Not the soft smooth ivory skin I remember, but she has been in the open for ages. As I say, all these women are nudists!"

"Her back has been flogged, Estella. Believe me - I know. She's healed up in that shot, but she's been badly flogged and a lot of times. They've torn into her right down to the bone times without number in the last four years. She couldn't have developed a hide like that any other way! You can see the ridges and furrows and scars if you look carefully. That's a badly shot film, unlike the other fights. But if you look hard you'll see just what a mess my darling girl is in. I'll kill whoever did that to her. I'll fucking kill them!"

"My guess is that this fight wasn't meant to be for sale." said Jules. "As Viola said, it's much poorer quality. It's been added by person or persons unknown. Maybe it was such a good fight, somebody filmed it and slipped it in to the recording somehow. I guess this guy had seen Clemmy in action before and knew she was the best. But James and his friend might not have wanted this getting to the outside world!  Unless they're confident that no one who knows her will get to see it."

"They must have thought it a million to one chance that anyone who knew Clementine would buy one of these recordings. But I agree that it’s unlikely that either of them would take the risk. Jules and I know James and Rashumba. They're far from being fools, both of them."

"Do you think we ought to be rushing ahead  like this?" asked Jules, doubtfully. "Ought we not to leave it to the authorities?

Viola was adamant.

"I couldn't just sit here, twiddling my thumbs, Jules. And Fox gave me his number. If we find anything out, we'll let him know first."





CHAPTER THIRTEEN

IN WHICH THE SCENE MOVES BACK TO PARIS - WHERE  THE TALE OF CLEMENTINE’S MISFORTUNES BEGAN.





"Nice to be back home, Jules?" 

Viola and Jules were settling in to the Paris apartment. Viola had last been here more than four years earlier when she spent her  glorious first night with the battered and victorious Clementine. It was dusty and airless, but otherwise exactly as it had been when the happy couple left.

"Yes. But my family have moved to Normandy. So I won't have anything to do or anyone to see. I'm at your disposal utterly, my dear Viola - but only for ten days, then I have to go back to work."

"Good. Get around your old haunts and ask after James. If he's been back here - and he has - he'll have left plenty of tracks. In the morning, I'm going to my country place. I want to see the clearing. I will draw strength from being where Clementine  was so badly hurt, just to win my love."

"You're a strange one, Viola!  You mean if Clemmy had lost you'd not have loved her?"

"She won, Jules. I knew, when I saw them fighting, what was motivating them both. Rashumba was only fighting because she loved domination and possession and Clemmy was going through all that because of her passionate love of me. I think I knew we were meant for each other when our eyes first met the day they came round to tend our wounds. It was Stella who rubbed my back, but I could see Clemmy loved me and I loved her. I shouldn't have let them fight. But I did, alas!"

"Rashumba would still have pursued Clemmy, you know" said Jules. "And the fight may have proved to be Clemmy's salvation. Estella only became an addict after seeing her friend up against Rashumba and it's that addiction that brought that video into our hands. It’s almost as if the whole thing is part of a plan, isn't it?"

"Pretty horrible plan - a plan that puts my darling through all that!"

"Maybe. But Clemmy was proud, Viola. Maybe pride always leads to a fall."

"No, Jules! This is a case of the innocent suffering and I am going to be an angel of mercy and avenging angel rolled into one!"

"Let's get some rest, Viola. We've a busy time ahead!"

*******************************

Viola let herself into the house. There were the two sets of clothes, folded neatly just as Clementine and Rashumba had left them before going out to do bloody battle for her love. She collected both sets and took them out to her car, taking care to keep them separate. Then she retraced the familiar walk to the wood, not knowing that Rashumba had been this way a year earlier to revisit the scene of her many victories and one defeat. The clearing was smaller than before. The wood was encroaching. In a few years it would be quite overgrown and no one would suspect that stirring, bruising dramas where Amazon had fought bloodily with Amazon had been played out in this peaceful spot. Unless she had it cleared, of course. She thought about it for a while. Yes! She would hire a gardener and get the undergrowth cleared. It was right and proper that the ground on which her Clementine had fought so bravely should be preserved exactly as it had been on that terrible, yet wonderful day.

She stood on the very spot where those two had stood facing up, Clemmy dancing in and out of range and Rashumba solidly blocking Clemmy's blows  and dealing out her own more painful but less frequent ones, gradually being worn down and finally being knocked out - not that she, Viola had seen that. She was sorry now that she had not stayed to see Clemmy finish that cow off.

She stood in silence and recalled the sounds of that contest, the blows the two were receiving to head and body and the grunts and gasps of pain from both strong young women. She sighed and went back to her house and locked up.

 As she drove back to Paris and her apartment, she saw a car coming towards her. Instinctively she pulled her hat down over her face and hurriedly slipped on a pair of dark glasses she had thought it wise to bring with her. It was  as well she had. Rashumba was driving that car! What the hell was she up to?  Making a nostalgia trip, just like her, she decided. She noted that her former mistress looked upset.

Back at the Paris apartment, Jules had some sightings to report.

"James is not around but Rashumba comes back on her own a lot. On a recent visit I understand she looked as if someone had attacked her pretty violently, but she claimed she had been in a minor traffic accident. It was mentioned by one wag that she looked just as she had after she lost you to Clementine a few years ago! I think she‘s just got back here again."

“I saw her near my country cottage earlier today. I went to the wood where all this began - when Clemmy managed to beat her and where her misfortunes stem from. I should have known Rashumba would never take a defeat like that lying down. I expected her to challenge Clementine to a return, of course and I'd have gone back to her - reluctantly - if Clemmy had lost that one.  Clemmy would have made me.  But she couldn't take the risk, the coward. So she arranged with James to have her abducted. I bet she's only keeping her affair with James going because of her hatred of Clemmy. He can use his influence to keep her locked up and that's his hold over her."

"He's taking a risk, Viola. I've been asking around and he only works for others - and very shady types they are. He has a boss here who wouldn't like to think of him using his contacts to persecute Clementine. They take a dim view of that sort of private enterprise.  I think we should let his boss know and maybe James will be forced to let her go."

"Never, Jules! They'd take out James OK, and good riddance to the bastard,  but Clemmy would go the same way. If she got out of there she might have enough to blow away the whole organisation. We mustn't let anyone know unless we trust them utterly. And our Mr Fox is the only guy I know in that category. I think he knows more than he said, as I told you all earlier. He looked at the DVD as if it were no surprise at all. I'm afraid all we are doing here is waiting and watching, . If you want to get back to Estella and the two kids, plus a third on the way by the look of it, I'll understand."

"Stella would never forgive me, Viola. As long as I can be any help, I'm at your side!"

 Jules had done the rounds of his former haunts and confirmed that James and his African lady friend were frequent visitors. James had always been fond of going to Abhlovia, but the last four years had seen Rashumba accompanying him more and more often, though the winters there played havoc with her chest.

"She goes there to gloat over Clemmy, Jules. And whip her too I shouldn’t be surprised. That always turns her on - the whip. Her whole rotten, sick, contemptible life is a long love affair with the whip and its frequent use on others!  Having Clemmy stripped and helpless as she flogs her and makes the blood run down her back - that is her idea of revenge, and she'll never tire of it. Why does James have an interest in that prison in the first place, I wonder. I suppose they help produce something valuable?"

"Some very fine marble is quarried there. And there are mines, mainly copper."

"So Clemmy's either down a mine or labouring in a quarry! With that all over suntan, it must be the quarry. Golly, Jules! I'll never look at a marble slab again without wondering if Clemmy hacked it out of the living rock with her bare hands. Talking of hands, hers were a lot rougher. Yes. She's been working hard all this time. Hard Labour! That's a sentence isn't it, in some countries? I bet it figures in the Abhlovian criminal code! Poor old thing! But she could handle that, and you can see it's done wonders for her body. It's the pain in that face that moves me to tears, not the scars on her back."

Jules spoke. "When we took Clementine and Estella to that club - correction, when James took us all, Clementine was pretty fascinated to see you whipped. She really lapped it up. It was only after she went round to check on you next day that she started feeling shame. Estella was the one to make us leave the club. She was very angry and things were pretty rocky between us for a while after that.  She hated it from the start. Maybe Clemmy's being punished for her initial wish to see you flogged!"

"She confessed that to me on our first night together and she was in tears, but I didn‘t mind. I was hoping she might whip me and we were hoping to experiment on each other in time and we were looking forward to it - the giving and the receiving.  I forgave her as soon as she told me. And if I forgave, then no one else has the right to punish her!"

The doorbell rang and Viola went to let in the visitor. It was a large young man with an unruly mop of reddish hair. Viola introduced him to Jules. "This is Jeremy Forsythe, Jules. I have told him about Clemmy and hinted at top level Security sniffing at the affair and he's going to investigate. He's the best, Jules!  Tell us what you have found out, Jerry!"

"I ran to earth a guy who came out of Abhlovia. He knows of no English girl in prison as such, BUT, there was definitely a tall striking blonde on a labour detail. She tried to escape a few years ago and almost made it out of the country. She was seen by a few villagers being bundled into a police van. The significant thing  was that she was stark naked. That's all so far, but the prison system is semi privatised and there is outside influence on its operation. They give the inmates hell and work them hard and that's all the government cares about.  This contact did meet a woman who had served a term and she mentioned one set of prisoners who get it tougher than average. They are kept unclothed in the open air and get ferociously whipped for the slightest infringement. The girl was reluctant to say any more, though. Scared they might send her back, I suppose."

"It all figures, Jules. We know Clemmy is kept nude a lot and we know she has been flogged. That's where she is. If we can convince our Consulate that she's there and produce proof, perhaps they'll get her out, maybe by doing a deal of some kind."

"We need a witness -someone who has seen her there and will be willing to say as much. Maybe an ex member of staff. People must resign and retire from jobs like that from time to time." said Viola.

"I wonder if all the girls involved in the fights are prisoners" mused Jeremy. "I got hold of all the tapes and they look as though they are. All over tans and signs of having been very roughly used. So tracing the source of the tapes might not help us too much. But I will see what that turns up."

Then the telephone rang. It was Estella in England. She sounded harassed, with the two children raising Cain in the background. But her voice was trembling with excitement.

"I've just got hold of a new tape. It came from Paris. Most of the action looks to be in France itself, but there's another fight with Clementine in the same desert location. And it's much better quality. It looks like they've decided to take the risk of marketing her stuff. The fight was utterly, but completely awesome, Viola. Clemmy was up against a girl every bit as good as she is - in fact I would say better. They were both wearing gloves - the sort the Romans and Greeks wore. You could see both fighters were a bit wary of getting hurt at first, but then they started mixing it and exchanging some ferocious blows. There was blood everywhere Vi. Those two really went to work on each other and they didn't seem to be feeling a thing, although it hurt me just to watch! And Clemmy won! Actually I was surprised it ended when it did, because it was supposed to go on for fifteen rounds and ended after twelve. The other girl didn't come out of her corner, although I think she was probably slightly ahead at that point.

“But the thing that concerns me is that the other girl, who's called Amanda, is NOT a nudist. She had tan lines - Her body including her tits was tanned but her tan was fading. And she obviously sported a tiny little thong during the summer. I bet it looked sexy on her, 'cause she's a beauty with a great bum! And her skin didn't have the same weathered look to it either AND her back has no whip marks, just a few old rope burns from past fights. I think she may be French, Viola. I think the guys James works for may have started using trained women from outside Abhlovia to put up against Clemmy and her mates. If we could only trace that girl, she might be very useful to us. I'm coming over with the kids. If you can't put us up I'll book into an hotel."

"Come here, Stella" said a weary Viola. Not those two kids again! She loved Estella, especially after that girl had treated her sore back so gently a few years ago, but she loved peace and quiet even more!

After three days of trying to fit six people into an apartment designed comfortably to accommodate two, the party moved out to Viola's country cottage, which had three bedrooms and a nice large garden of about fifteen acres. Jeremy had sat through the new tape and Amanda’s image was pretty well engraved on his memory. He had seen the tape a dozen times but still could not get over it.

"How can two nice looking girls DO that to each other?" he kept asking. "I mean, they're both good looking young women - or were before they got themselves beaten up and had their noses broken. I just don't get it! And they won't make an awful lot of money doing that. There just can't be that much demand."

"I know most people agree with you, Jeremy." Estella replied. "But you'd be surprised how many of us there are who love it. And the fighters love it too, or they wouldn't do it. I've talked to several over the last few years and they all fight willingly and put their heart and soul into it. They train hard and live just to be ready for those minutes in the ring.  And they aren't all lesbians either. Not by any means. Clemmy isn't totally that way. I should know - we shared several boys when we were younger! And as for money - Clementine isn't making ANY. All the profits are going to friend James and his shady bosses."

"Do you have any contacts over here, Estella - in this female fight scene, I mean?" asked Jeremy.

"I've been over in America for the past three years. But I'll get in touch with a contact there and see if he knows any French female fight clubs. He's bound to know someone who can put us on to something. It might mean a wait of a day or two, so keep on digging, Jerry!"

Jeremy left them after this conversation and Estella added to Viola's phone bill, being in deep conversation with numerous buddies for the next couple of days. Finally they got the call they had been waiting for.

"There's a club just off the Avenue Clichy. I understand they have some pretty good women on their books." said a breathless Stella. "It's a start! Shall we check it out?"

Estella couldn't wait to see the inside of this gym and maybe watch a couple of girls sparring, so poor Jules was left to mind the children as the rest of them drove into Paris. They found the club easily enough and found a man who looked to be in charge, one Marcel Lefèvre,  and Estella, who was lapping up the whole ambience, had her wish granted.

A private bout was taking place between two small but compact girls who were really going at it . She sighed a little to see that they were wearing gloves and breast protectors, but noted approvingly that the referee did not stop the fight just because of a bit of blood coming out of one girl's sweet little nose. After three rounds one girl, not the one with the nosebleed, was put down and just failed to get up in time. Stella applauded and Viola smiled at the winner who was quite the prettiest girl she had seen for a long while. A pretty and lethal redhead, she reflected.

The bout over, Marcel was able to attend to his visitors.

"Oui! I know Amanda! She is the best girl here. She does all styles of fighting, some of which are very dangerous and I don't allow in my club. She is hard as nails, that one and brave as they come. If she were a man she would be famous, but as a girl, she is unknown.  And she did go to Abhlovia a few weeks ago, but not as part of my outfit. Some shady guys offered her a handsome sum and she went.

"It was a hard and exceptionally brutal match and she said she had to cry off part of the way through because she needed to be ready to fight again soon after. But she is always talking of her opponent - these women, they fight like tigers, but they respect each other - and Amanda was very taken with Clementine, who is a prisoner - a most mysterious prisoner! I know chère Amanda would love to finish what they started the other week - and Clementine also - she said the same before they took her back to prison. But it seems they will not let Amanda back into the country. It is very sad!"

"We'd like to talk to her, please. Is she here today?"

Marcel regretted that Amanda was out of town, recuperating from a recent encounter in which she had won but been badly hurt in the process and ordered to take a long rest. He would tell her about the two visitors.  Estella and Viola went to the apartment, telling Jules that they would be in town for a couple of days.

They were getting ready to go to bed at half past eleven when the doorbell rang. Viola went to the door and there was a tall and rather battered looking young woman of about her own age. Her  nose had once been straight and handsome, but had been broken several times and still seemed to be healing after a recent injury. A plaster adorned her brow.  Dark haired and with near black eyes the late night caller had the proud bearing of an athlete.

"Amanda?" asked Viola, who recognised Clementine's late opponent as soon as she saw her..

"Yes! I came as soon as Marcel sent me your message. They tell me I am still not fit, but what do they know - these doctors! It's my body they are talking about and I know it better than anyone! May I please come in?"

Stella hurried off to make fresh coffee and the three settled down around the fire. It was a cold night and there was a wind howling around the building. In the apartment it was cosy  and all three thought of a fourth person, out of doors and naked, most likely exposed to just such a wind as this. They shivered at the thought.

"I wanted to fight Clementine again and I applied for a visa next month when I shall once more be fit. But I was turned down. I had cleared my engagement book so we can fight to the finish, she and I, and see who is the better. She is a wonderful fighter, Viola. If only she could join our fighting club - we could do battle against each other several times a year, the two of us and be such wonderful friends out of the ring."

"You both put up a fantastic show, Amanda" said Stella. "I watch a lot of girl contests and you two really struck sparks off each other. There was chemistry there, and I'm surprised you seem to like her! It looked like you wanted to kill her - and she you!"

"That is only during the fight, Estella! And I never want to kill anyone - just beat them  and knock them out! Like I would have knocked Clemmy out - maybe!"

"Never! You'd never beat her!" Viola and Estella both blurted this out at once. Amanda laughed.

"Well - I would be glad to set your minds at rest. Bring her on, girls and I will show you! But we must be serious - we three. Your friend, she is in the very deep shit and we can't do a thing about it!"

"Would you be willing to swear to having fought with a prisoner in Abhlovia and identify the said prisoner as our friend?"

"But of course." Amanda's voice was earnest, but there was a look of unease in her face.  “I love that girl! I do anything to help. We get her out of there. Then I K.O. her! She out cold when I 'it 'er and she stay down a long time! I got a punch like the sledgehammer! We use those gloves again. My doctor 'e tells me not to be so damned silly, but 'e can go to 'Ell!"

"You mean you'll wear those gloves again, Amanda." asked a breathless Estella. Her eyes positively glittered. To think she might be present and smell the sweat on the two fighters bodies as the said bodies were pounded by those dreadful metal studded gloves! What Bliss! Viola, too, was excited. She had seen Rashumba fight and had loved seeing her opponents bite the dust.

"Oh, Yes. When I chatted to Clemmy after our bout, we both agreed. We would wear the same gloves next time we met and we will both fight to a finish. One of us will be on the floor and for a long time! I think I will win, but I don't care. As long as we settle it - she and I.  My club - they will not like it. We 'ave to find somewhere private to fight."

"I know just the place" said Viola. " I have a cottage in the country and in the grounds is a clearing in a wood. You two can fight there, on two conditions. First that we get Clemmy out and second that we are allowed to watch!"

"Of course you can watch. I wonder how Clemmy will like not having the audience, though. I think she likes a crowd to cheer her on."

"She'll have me to cheer her on." said Viola.

"And me!" added Estella.

 "And who will cheer me?" asked Amanda "I bring some friends along too. But first let us see this wood. And I 'ave almost never fought without rules. Clemmy she tell me she has always fought without them and without rounds  seconds and intervals. She would have the advantage."

Amanda accepted an offer to stay the night with Viola. She had no nightwear and refused the loan of some of Viola's, saying she always slept naked. She stripped off and lay down on the sofa in front of the fire.

"I will be fine 'ere, my two new friends. Sweet dreams!"

Viola and Estella went off to bed, but not without a backward glance at the recumbent Amanda who had already fallen asleep. They could see how much fighting experience this twenty one year old had had. It was not only her face that was marked, but her entire body bore a myriad of scars, both big and small.

They were to learn later that Amanda had been a wild one from her earliest years and the expression "born fighter" applied to her with a vengeance. Three times she had been expelled from school for her aggressive behaviour and once she had been sentenced to a year’s hard labour for brawling in the street and leaving her opponent in hospital for a week. They had put her, nineteen years old at the time, in with some of the most depraved and desperate women criminals in all France. If she had not been a hard case before, she was afterwards, even though she only served six months before being released after new evidence cleared her of starting the affray.

But of late she had calmed down and was as nearly a respectable member of society as she would ever be - which was near enough to stay out of prison, and no nearer!

*********************************

Jules, little Estella, little Jules, Amanda, Estella and Viola stood in the clearing. The undergrowth had already been cleared, on Viola's instructions. It was the first time Estella had been here since that incredible day, when Clementine had risen so magnificently to the occasion and won Viola as her prize. But what a terrible price she had paid - and was still paying, even as they stood there!

Little Jules, in Estella’s arms, looked around and gurgled. Little Estella asked if there were fairies here! Amanda looked around and seemed satisfied.

"I like this place! It has a good feel to it. I can see why it was chosen to be the arena for so many battles between women. It is the Glade of the Amazons! And I shall be privileged to fight 'ere, win or lose! But please, mes amis, do not leave me lying on the ground if I lose like the last one to taste defeat in this place! Take me back to the 'ouse and afterwards we all 'ave a great party to welcome Clementine back again! And now - the difficult bit! ‘Ow do we get her out?"

"I think I must make contact with Rashumba." said Viola. "But how? She seems to have vanished off the face of the earth since I saw her the other day!"

The party left the wood and started back to the house. It was Amanda who spotted the black girl in the distance and she nudged Viola and pointed.

"There she is, Viola! Mon Dieu! But she looks the nasty bitch! I can quite believe she would stop at nothing to get back at an enemy. I pity poor Clementine even more now I have seen what she is up against. But she has us to reckon with now! Where shall I go -she mustn't get close enough to see too much of me."

Viola pointed to a side gate out of the property.

"Hang around for while. I'll come and get you when the coast's clear!" and Amanda sped away just in time before Rashumba got near enough to recognise her.

Rashumba was due to fly to Spain for a few weeks and then return to Abhlovia to give Clementine a flogging big enough and painful enough to last her all through the remainder of her fifth winter. Before going she was drawn back for the third time in a year to this country retreat. And there were Viola, Jules, Estella and two sweet children. She assumed the other woman, who had slipped away, to be a neighbour and thought no more of her.

"Remember, everyone!" hissed Viola. "She has no idea we suspect Clementine to be alive. For Heaven's sake don't say anything to make her suspicious!  Hello, Rashumba. What a surprise! I suppose you do know you are trespassing! But we won't make a fuss. Do you want to come in for a drink?"

Rashumba refused politely. She congratulated Jules and Estella on their marriage and two adorable children, making a fuss of each.

Before going, Rashumba drew Viola aside.

"I hope you've got over Clementine's tragic death by now. I never liked her, especially after she knocked me out, but of course I never wished her to die. I am in Paris for a day or two. Would you like to have dinner - just the two of us, for old time's sake?"

"It hit me pretty hard, Rashumba. I loved her from the first, you know. I was dreading she would lose against you. I would have stayed with you, but my heart would always have been hers. But it was years ago and I must get on with my life. So I have brought Estella and Jules and family to see where I used to live. Though Jules has been here before, of course. How is James? Do you still see him?"

"Yes. We have lived together since shortly after you left with Clementine. We spend a lot of time in Abhlovia. I like it fine in the summer but winter can be bad for my chest. I'll be going back for a few days in early January and then it's off to somewhere mild for a few months! Why don't you join me in January? James would be thrilled to see an old friend like you again. I promise you we won't entertain him by having me whip you - or you me! I‘ve quite grown out of that by this time."

"It's an interesting idea, Rashumba. Do you want Jules and Estella to come as well.? James would like to see them again, I am sure!"

"I think those two fell out." said Rashumba shortly. "It would be best if you came alone and the two of us could have some time together. There are many things I could show you!"

What the black girl was thinking was that she would find a way of showing Viola what was happening to Clementine. It would truly destroy her rival if she saw Viola and her together. Somehow she would have to arrange it! And then she would think of something nasty for Viola before she could get back to England and safety!

After Rashumba had left, promising to contact Viola on her return to Paris, Viola went up to her room, saying she did not want to be disturbed for a while. Jules was happy playing with the children in the garden, and Amanda and Estella walked in the grounds together. Soon they were in the clearing again.

"I do hope we get Clemmy out of that hole! Of course, it depends why she is in. If she really did do something bad, then I suppose the law must take its course. But in that case, why fake her death? No. She is innocent.  I'll swear she is!"

Amanda nodded.

"I did not see a criminal in that ring - just a brave and wonderful woman who had become a savage merely to survive. And she would not say exactly why she was imprisoned, only that she was there for public nudity. For that she get twelve years? I can't believe it!  And she told me to leave and never go back to Abhlovia. I think she feared for me. They did not want me to speak to her after we had fought, but I always congratulate my opponents after a fight, especially when they are as brave as Clementine!  I could see they were angry, though."

Estella gasped. This was the first time she had learned of the severity of Clementine's sentence. Amanda had more to say.

"And her back, Estella. I hugged her afterwards and I had taken off my gloves. It was like leather and so rough.  She has been whipped many, many times. That lovely girl will be like an old woman if she doesn’t get out soon."

Estella reassured Amanda "She's been over four years in that place, Amanda, and looks pretty good to me. In fact she looks better in health that I can ever remember. She's tough enough to take a month or two more. It's not her body that is threatened but her mind. If she ever gave up hoping, that might kill her."

Then Estella found she had to know the answer to a question that had been forming in her mind. She swallowed hard and asked.

"Amanda. Don't think me rude - but are you gay?"

Amanda laughed loudly.

"But of course not! I have three very loving boy-friends and I cannot make up my mind about any of them. Last time it was Albert who fucked me. But he doesn't like me fighting - he wants me to be a sweet little girl that he can take home to mother. Georges likes me to fight and almost came to Abhlovia with me. And Marcel you have met. He likes me to fight, but not the kind of thing I did with Clementine and will be doing again in this spot. I shall choose Albert in the end - maybe. But first I break a lot more noses, crack a lot more ribs and black a lot more eyes before I retire, starting with Clementine!"

"You mean, you'll not fight again until your rematch?"

"That is correct. I save myself for her. I train hard every day and when she wants to meet me, I shall be the iron woman!  Bring her here, Estella. Please bring her to this spot and I will be ready! See over there? That is where Clementine will lie bleeding and senseless when I knock her out after a titanic struggle which leave us both exhausted, but me triumphant. I sink to ground next to her and when, after many minutes, she come round, I 'elp her to her feet and bring her back to the house."

"Or maybe you hit the ground and she brings you back!"!

"Ha! Fat chance of that!" and the two girls laughed together, both of them knowing that the outcome was anything but a certainty. What was certain, though, was that the fight would be a great one and that after it, the winner would not leave the loser to make her own way back. It had been very remiss of Clementine not to at least make sure Rashumba was still breathing after knocking her out and before leaving her, and although the last four years had been a grotesquely disproportionate punishment, she was to some extent the authoress of her own misfortunes. She, Stella, had been right just over four years ago to fear for Clementine's arrogance and its consequences for  her.

"What was it like fighting with those gloves, Amanda. I've never seen a fight with them before! I thought you were both a bit nervous to start with."

Amanda agreed. "It was only when Clemmy decided the fight was too tame and decided to open up on me and I responded. After a while it stopped 'urting and we enjoyed the battle very much. It broke my 'eart to 'ave to stop."

Estella was thrilled to hear all this. To think she was talking to such a brave and wonderful fighter and that she would see her in action soon and against her best friend! Life was pretty great sometimes! Then she recalled that Clementine had first to be rescued. That could take months - years maybe!  She adopted her most wheedling tone!

"Amanda. it won't be for a while that Clemmy comes back and she may want a month or two with Viola to make up for their years apart. I mean - you could squeeze one fight in before you meet her again. I should SO like to see you in action!"

"I tell you what, Estella my sweet! I ask the guys who got me to go to Abhlovia. Per'aps zey arrange a fight 'ere in Paris, now that I cannot go back. They may have - 'ow you say - facilities in Paris. And we may learn something from them. And now, we go and see if Viola is better after 'er meeting with the so nasty Rashumba!"

Viola was back downstairs when they got back. Estella excitedly told her that Amanda might be fighting again and for the same people who had sent her to Abhlovia to fight Clemmy. Viola frowned. She wondered about Amanda, but Estella seemed very taken with her and she WAS the witness they needed. As long as she wasn't after Clemmy for herself!

"OK, if you want to arrange another fight, Amanda. It is how you make your living! Are you staying with us overnight, Amanda. If you really want to help us it would be useful to have you around. I'm sorry to sound a bit brusque, but I see enemies under every stone these days, especially after bumping into Rashumba earlier on."

"I understand Viola! And if it helps clear the air, I am not a lesbian. I am very attached to men - three of them, who fuck me regularly. I fear they resent each other, though and it tries my patience the way they are all so possessive! So I want Clementine to be my very good friend, but not my lover, wonderful girl though she certainly is. After I take 'er apart and then knock 'er out, what is left of 'er is all yours, Viola!"

"She'll be the winner. You don't stand a chance," growled Viola angrily, but Amanda put a surprisingly gentle hand on her arm and grinned.

"Please, dear Viola. Forgive me. I may win and Clemmy may win. Neither she nor I know the answer and we both have to find out. Either way it can't 'appen until she is free and I will 'elp you in any way I can. And not just because I want to finish the fight - I like that girl a lot and she does not belong in that awful place. And - yes, I do love her - but not the way you do, Viola."

The two embraced and the little storm was over. When Viola spoke to Mr Fox's secretary, she was told to leave a message. It made Viola jump when, at three in the morning, her front door knocker was loudly rapped in a smart and very peremptory fashion. Cursing, she went downstairs, armed with a poker just in case. If any man tried anything with her, she was ready - and she had Amanda to protect her!

Opening the front door a little and leaving it on the chain she was amazed to see a casually dressed Mr Fox. She was surprised and still annoyed to be roused at such an hour. She spoke sharply to her unexpected visitor.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Half past three - or three thirty hours as we used to say in the Army!"

"I KNEW you were ex-military! Sort of leaves its mark! Come into the front room and try not to wake the children. Jules and Estella won't like it if the precious little darlings don't get a proper night's sleep!" There was an edge of sarcasm in her voice as she said this. But now that her brain had cleared she was very glad to see Mr Fox, no matter what the hour.

The two settled down in front of the dying fire. Fox soon got it going again, and they relaxed in front of the blaze.

"I got a cable from Abhlovia City last thing at night and got the first plane to Paris, just as soon as I got your message. For a while now we have been getting information that a fair haired prisoner is being held at their worst prison and in the most atrocious conditions. As we speak that poor girl and about twenty others are stuck outside huddled together trying to keep warm. In the morning they'll be taken to work at a quarry. The informant was too scared to come out into the open and we daren't risk blowing his or her cover. But it was enough for my bosses to have given me the go-ahead to get your friend out, even before we heard from you the other day. We know she was never properly tried before any of their legitimate courts. People do get imprisoned by secret tribunals and this must be what happened to Clementine. As you say, it can only be James who has the clout to pull off a stunt like that - his black friend can't move a step without his say-so. My secretary said something about a witness who would be prepared to come forward."

"'Ello Viola. What a din your friend made! I am the witness she was talking of, Monsieur."

And Amanda, looking quite magnificent in her birthday suit, came into the room. She had not armed herself with a poker, and Viola and Fox could see why. She had all the protection she needed in her two very serviceable looking fists!

"For goodness sake put some clothes on, Amanda!" said Viola. "What if the children see you like that?"

"What if they do? I am a good looking woman with nothing to be ashamed of! What do you say, M'sieur?"

She giggled as she said this, and adroitly slipped into a reclining posture in front of the fire, her back to the blaze and resting on one arm as she crossed her feet and smoothed back her hair with her free hand. She looked from one to the other smilingly and her body smell pleasantly pervaded the room with its animal muskiness.  She was  one of these women who always smell delightful. The reddish light from the fire made her body glow. She stretched herself and smiled sexily at Mr Fox. Then she had an idea.

"I get Estella. She can help. 'Ang on, I'll be back."

"Extraordinary woman!" gasped Fox. He seemed scarcely able to believe his luck! Estella could see that Amanda was his kind of woman and no mistake! Every delicious inch of her. If he liked strength in the opposite sex then this incredible young Amazon had it in abundance.

"She fought Clemmy a few weeks ago. She's our witness, and she wants to see Clementine brought out as much as we do. They didn't get to finish their fight and want to decide once and for all who is the better woman!"

Amanda, still stark naked, came back dragging a bemused dressing-gowned Stella behind her. She recognised Fox and smiled.

"Any news, Sir?"

"Just that we are convinced your friend is in the hard labour women's prison about a hundred miles away from Abhlovia City. We still don't know whom to approach. My guess is that we'll need to make contact the Interior Minister directly. But I'm not too sure about his honesty right now. If he's implicated he'll have Miss Anderson killed without hesitation. I don't trust the work our men have been doing and I won't move until my very own boys get back to me. That could take weeks, although I hope it will be days."

"Don't be in too great a hurry, Mr Fox. We want her alive." Viola sobbed inwardly to think that every extra day brought more pain for her dearest, but she knew better than to take stupid risks and she trusted Fox, despite the way his eyes kept wandering appreciatively over Amanda's athletic body. She was pretty impressed herself  and kept repeating like a mantra that she must be true to Clemmy. If she had known about Alexia she might have made a play for Amanda, but that young lady had eyes only for George Fox! Amanda spoke, her sultry dark eyes fixed on Fox as she did so.

"So I try to get these people to arrange a fight for me and Estella comes along to watch. We keep our eyes open like a pair of 'awks. I tink it take a week to arrange. And Viola is seeing Rashumba for dinner tomorrow. I guess that brings us all, as you say, up to speed - yes?  Does Monsieur wish to come and see me fight? I am good - you'll get a real eyeful - just like you are now!"

Fox went red and Viola snorted with amusement. Serve him right for looking at the girl in such an unsubtle way! Although Amanda was asking for it, coming down like that and laying out her wares so shamelessly!

"If your fighting is as impressive as your body, you must be unbeatable" replied Fox imperturbably. He had certainly recovered quickly from his embarrassment! "It might be as well if I were there. I have to get back to London in a couple of days. But if you give me twenty four hours' notice, I'll be present - either that or one of my assistants."

"No, Monsieur! You must be there in person! You can be my latest male admirer! We prepare the ground tomorrow. While Viola is dining with Rashumba in Paris, we dine out in another restaurant. Then we see a few of the sights for a day or two. I want to show my latest conquest the great city I live in!"

"As you wish, my dear! But we let Rashumba fly off to Spain first. That is the day after tomorrow and I will definitely not risk being seen with any of you until then.  And now, I must leave before it gets light and get back to my hotel."

He got up to leave. Before Viola could do her duty as hostess and show him to the front door, Amanda further astonished the already astounded Viola and Estella. She rose, took his arm and ushered him out. She was tall and well made for a woman, but she only came up to his shoulders and was slight and slim by comparison. Viola had to admit that they would make a very handsome couple.  It seemed to take the pair a long time to say goodbye and Amanda appeared to have an awful lot to say. She giggled a lot, too and Viola  and Stella wondered what on Earth was going on! Finally the door closed softly and Amanda went up to bed without coming back to the front room. As Fox had observed - an extraordinary girl.

The nature of the proceedings between the two became apparent next morning at breakfast when Amanda and Fox appeared at the table! At least the slut was dressed by now, thought a shocked Stella and Viola. If Fox had turned red the night before it was nothing to his colour when the two women gazed stonily at him over the breakfast table!  Amanda rapped her fist on the table and spoke in a very icy voice.

"We are going to 'elp Clementine get out of that prison, George and I. I am going to fight at that club and maybe get 'urt - I am still not a hundred per cent fit. I think a little understanding is in order! And the sweet little children will wonder what is wrong if you two keep giving these funny looks. Yesterday I 'ad three boy friends. Now I only 'ave the one!"

"Don't tell me you've dumped Albert and Co!" said Viola. "You certainly do work fast. I am impressed! And I thought George had to be back in Paris before dawn."

"I made 'im the sort of offer no red-blooded man would dream of refusing!" giggled Amanda.

"I don't want you to think the night was entirely wasted from your point of view." Fox said. "We spent the whole time talking about the matter in hand" Amanda nodded at this "I now have a good idea of all the people involved in this outfit - the one Mandy's fighting with. It ties in with what we've found out about the other videos. There’s a link to the criminal syndicate who have such a grip on Abhlovia. I should warn you" he turned to Estella. "You must be careful to appear no more than a friend of Amanda. I suggest you two have a good long talk about each other when I'm away today. Try to be two people who really know each other.  If they think they've got spies nosing around it might not be too healthy."

So Fox and Viola went off to Paris where Viola was to meet Rashumba and Fox spend the day with contacts in the French security service. Jules looked after the children and Estella went upstairs to sit with Amanda. This young lady slipped out of her clothes and paraded herself around the room.

"Now, Estella. I shall be fighting nude - I think. Study this body and remember every little scar and mark. What do you think of it?"

"You've had a hard time of it, Amanda. But you are very beautiful. You have a deep cut on your right thigh" (Stella had her eyes shut) "There is a black mole just over your right breast - I wonder how many times that's been thumped, but it looks great - and a cut on your leg along the shin bone. And about a dozen scratches on your ribcage area. You must have had plenty of rope burns in the past and a few of them look pretty permanent to me. How did I do?"

"Very well, Estella! Open your eyes now! You think I am nice to look at, even with all my battle scars?"

"Oh, Yes. And all your boy friends certainly think so!"

"I only have one boy friend now, Estella. I know I am a slut, but I am a slut in love this morning - so try to be 'appy for me!"

"He's been your boy friend  a long time, Amanda. A guy like that wouldn't just jump into bed with the first naked woman who threw herself at him! How long have you known about Clementine?" Estella was beginning to put two and two together with a vengeance this morning!

"We got word a month or two ago that there might be an English girl held in prison and tortured horribly all the time. It was only when you came to the police that we knew exactly who she was. I knew her name was Clementine, but we hadn't tied her in with anyone in particular, although we would have done soon enough even if you had not come to us. You were maybe two days ahead of us - no more!  And when I 'eard you were looking for me I told George Fox that he 'ad better come over and get us all working together. Then I came round to see you. For your friend's sake we must not keep on getting in each others' way."

 "How long have you been a spy, Amanda?"

The French Amazon laughed again. "Not long, my sweet Estella. I am a fighter first and a spy a long way second! It was when the authorities here saw some of those tapes and James, whom they have long been watching, at one of the events that they began to wonder. Then there was this persistent rumour that a tall naked blonde had been caught trying to escape. Then a man defected from their consulate here in Paris and had all sorts of wild stories, most of which were rubbish. Alas, his story of an English girl being systematically tortured to please a jealous rival was not false but was disbelieved all the same. Then your people heard about this underground female fight syndicate, which was apparently making use of Abhlovian prisoners, and I was asked if I could try to get an invite to a tournament in Abhlovia. I hoped I would fight your friend but wasn't certain of it until ten minutes beforehand. I was told off by old George for talking to her. He said I was a fool and could have got myself in trouble - but that poor girl, she needed some comfort after all those years."

"So Mr George Fox seduced you in order to get someone into one of these fights?"

"He recruited me. 'E did not seduce me, but he and I are very much in love now. I insisted on him staying behind and screwing the arse off me last night! It's been weeks and weeks since we slept together and I couldn't take it any more! Believe me, we are to be married as soon as this affair is over and your friend is free."

"And will you fight Clemmy again!"

"You bet, sweetheart! My assignment will only be complete when I am standing over her unconscious body with my foot on her stomach!"

Estella laughed at this. "Well, you'd better knock her out lying on her back.  If she sinks to her knees and slumps forwards you'll need to turn her over!"

"I give her a few good hard punches to make her groggy, then I have time to get the final blow right and she leave the ground and fly through the air and land on her back. Then I put my pretty but deadly foot on her stomach. Then she comes round and we come back arm in arm together to the cottage."

"I think Clementine might have her own game plan, which involves much the same only in reverse!"

Amanda became serious again.

"We 'ave to get her out first, Estella. Let's just keep our minds on that. It will be 'ard and dangerous - and I think our Viola will be the one who has to take the biggest risks. We must pray for 'er, Estella, that she will 'ave the strength and the courage"

"She will, Amanda. Never fear!  It's Rashumba who needs to worry. I saw the look in Viola's face when she saw how Clementine had been treated. She meant what she said about killing the people responsible!"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

(IN WHICH VIOLA KISSES RASHUMBA)


"Thanks for the dinner, Rashumba. It was lovely to talk over old times. And I'll think about coming to see you in Abhlovia. Now that the pain of losing Clementine has gone away to some extent I think I would like to see where she spent her last days."

"It's been my pleasure, darling Viola! Quite like old times - minus the flagellation! How about a goodnight kiss?"

Viola obliged. It was horrible. She expected to see Clemmy when she opened her eyes and instead it was her former lover and Mistress. But she had a new Mistress now and she was a kind Mistress who had been sent to Hell by this demon. But she played her part well and smiled as if to show pleasure.

"I'll come to the airport to see you off tomorrow, if you like"

Rashumba would very much like. She smiled gleefully as she went home. Viola was on the phone to George Fox.

"I've just had a romantic evening with Rashumba. I think I'll be in Abhlovia in February for a week. She goes back to Spain then for three months. She's got a look in her eye that I remember of old. I'm sure she wants to show me to Clemmy and make the poor girl think I've gone back to my former Mistress and that all her suffering has been for nothing. Do you think I should go?"

"As I explained this morning, Viola, thanks to Amanda we know for sure that Clemmy is there, but that's not a lot of help right now. I've been told to go easy on the Abhlovians. We MUST have something one hundred percent certain to show them. You'd be taking a very serious risk if you went and we couldn't guarantee you might not end up joining Clementine - or worse."

"I don't care, Mr Fox. I got her into this mess and I'll get her out of it. But I'd value your advice all the way!"

"You'll have that. We’ll do everything humanly possible to protect you if you do go to Abhlovia."

"Thanks. Well - after tomorrow you can be seen with Amanda. That should be nice for you!"

"Indeed. She's been wanting to show me the sights for a long time. And once again, I'm sorry for that silly subterfuge last night!"

"That's O.K." laughed Viola. "I should have guessed that Amanda wouldn't strip off and throw herself at a perfect stranger, even one as delicious as you! And when can Estella get to see Amanda in action?"

"Three days time. They've fixed her up with a top class lady from the States. I was talking to Estella and she was thrilled. Says Amanda will be really stretched, but she thinks she can win. I hope so, Viola. Fighting is Amanda's life and I know she loves it, but I'd hate to see her beaten. And some of the injuries she had got - they weren't pretty."

"I know! I had to look after Rashumba after some of her fights. And then Clemmy after that titanic battle. Mind you, Clemmy wouldn't let me do much to treat her injuries after her fight. She was so proud, that even though she must have been in desperate pain for many days after she never let it show. She's so brave and so good. We must get her back from that awful place - we really must!"

"And we will, my dear Viola. We will."

"What do we do about Jeremy, George?" It seems he had been running around digging up stuff you could have told us all the time. Do I tell him to clear off, or do you want him to stay involved?"

"I'll try to get him a pass to visit Abhlovia as part of a team of reporters covering their independence anniversary. He'll need to be careful, but he might be useful. He'll be very firmly told not to step out of line and get in our way. As you say, we've all been working at cross purposes and that's got to stop!"

****************************

"That girl looks mean!" said Estella to George. "I've never seen her this close - only on film. I hope Amanda will be O.K. You think she's fully fit?"

"She was fit enough in bed last night!!" murmured Fox. "That is one hell of a woman. Am I ever glad I was given this assignment!"

"Is she your first love? I would think not!"

"No, Estella. I was married for seven years and my wife was killed. We had no children. She had her career and she wanted to wait and she waited too long! Amanda won't make that mistake. I won't let her!  We're starting a family as soon as we get married!"

"And her fighting career?"

"She won't be pregnant all the time! But I hope her fight with Clementine will be her last, even so."

"And you want her to win?"

"She will win, Estella. And  - yes I do very much want her to win. She would have beaten Clemmy the last time but  had to cut it short - acting on my orders. We couldn't have Clementine losing face, you see. We know enough about the set up at that prison to know your friend is top dog among the women and she needs to stay that way until we get her out. It would be a disaster for her to lose that status. So Amanda retired from the fight. But she could have won and she will finish it at the first opportunity. Amanda is a proud woman, just like Clementine and she will not rest until the victory she passed up on is hers. So the price of liberty for Clementine will be defeat at one of her rescuers' hands. Do you mind?"

"No. I am happy that Clementine beat Rashumba and that she has kept herself on the top of the heap in the prison, but getting her out is the main thing and Amanda deserves a reward for helping! I hope Clementine does surprise you and Amanda but all I want is to have her back. That's all that matters!"

George perked up. His fiancée, nude except for the studded leather gloves,  was coming into the ring. The handful of spectators applauded.

It was Amanda who landed the first blow and her opponent staggered back. Her face was red on one side and she looked dazed. Amanda was not to be fooled into letting herself be open to a riposte and she kept her distance, only jabbing out at the other woman and causing more bruises on her face. The first round ended after very little action. Stella whispered to Fox.

"She's shamming. Amanda hardly hurt her at all and she knows it. It's tactics, isn't it? I prefer a good old slugfest myself, but I see Amanda wants to win and not get knocked our early on by a lucky punch. I bet she starts upping the pressure in Round Four or thereabouts!"

Estella was right. The next two rounds saw Amanda keeping her distance and letting the other girl get frustrated. Then in Round Four she darted out a quick efficient straight right and broke Anna's nose. It was so quick and surgical that Estella gasped. Amanda was every bit as good as she claimed to be!

Anna grunted and replied, getting a left into Amanda's ribs, and Amanda laughed out loud to show just how little that blow had worried her. She kept dancing about the ring and waited. Seconds away from the end of the round she repeated the lightning right hand blow and knocked her opponent out. The bell for the end of the round sounded only seconds after Anna had failed to beat the count of ten. She got to her feet and looked to be mightily relieved now that the ordeal was over.

"You were incredible, Amanda. I thought that girl was supposed to be good, but you destroyed her and made it look so easy. It wasn't very entertaining, mind you - I like plenty of slugging it out. But you won and that's what counts!"

It was an hour after the fight and Amanda, George and Stella were in Viola's apartment. Viola was back at the cottage.

Estella looked into her wine. Then she looked at Amanda, her eyes full of a new respect. She's seen the video of her fight with Clementine but nothing could make up for being there and being close enough to smell both fighters and even feel the spray of sweat and blood as the blows landed.

"Will you beat Clementine as easily as you did that one?"

Amanda laughed her charming laugh. "No. That girl tonight was rubbish. She was built up by some schmuck promoter to be something she can never hope to be and I took her out. But Clemmy is good. I think I will beat her, but it will not be easy. We will have no rounds when we fight in that wood, Estella. That will give Clemmy an advantage because she has the stamina to keep on and on while I am used to the one minute break.  I still feel confident. But  - no hard feelings either way - eh!"

"I'll drink to that" smiled Estella. She really loved this pugnacious and strong,  but at the same time totally feminine, girl and George was one very lucky man!

Next day Amanda came round to the apartment and she had a smile that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. She put her arms around Estella and hugged her, almost cracking her ribs.

"The good news, Estella. Good for you but not so good for me, perhaps. That fight of mine yesterday. They say it is rubbish and won't sell. Not enough action and not enough blood. They find another woman for me to fight next week. Then I will take the long rest until Clementine is rescued."

"Do you know the new fighter they've found for you, Amanda? Is she good?"

"I 'ave 'eard of 'er. She  beat a few girls who have given me the 'ard time. Should be good fight! You come?"

"I hope you don't lose! Why are you doing this, if you still aren't totally fit and don't need the money?"

"George thinks it is a good idea. He'll have the place under surveillance - together with the French police. But it will give him the chance to be there. He learned a lot from last night, or so he says. He does not always tell me everything, Estella - for my own good. I think he is afraid for me - not in the ring, but if they know I am working for him. I am not scared and if they torture me I tell them nothing!"

"You may say that, Amanda, but how do you know you wouldn't crack? Pain can be a terrible thing."

"Pain! I have suffered incredible pain in my fights, Estella - and I keep coming back for more. No one frightens me!"

With Rashumba gone, Viola went back to England and Jules went back to work, taking the two children with him. Estella stayed on in Paris living at the apartment with Amanda who seemed to be having accommodation problems and was glad of a place to rest her head. George Fox was also back in London, but coming back for Amanda's postponed contest in eleven days' time. Estella found herself more and more drawn to the French girl, whose self-assured bombast she found at once amusing and rather inspiring. The eleven days passed very quickly. The days were spent with Estella watching Amanda training hard, the sweat pouring off her in the draughty, unheated gym and the evenings mostly chatting in the apartment.

Then came the fight, and it was everything Estella could have asked for. Right from the opening bell the other girl, called Bridget, came storming across the ring and launched a combination of punches that temporarily rocked Amanda back on her heels, causing that canny young lady to back off. For the first two rounds, the smack and thud of blows was mostly sounding out from Amanda's head and body and Bridget was unmarked, her face a venomous picture of concentrated fury as she gave Amanda a few more bruises each time she opened up on her. Estella knew enough to see that Amanda was parrying most of the more heavy blows and taking a lot less punishment than might appear. But she was on the defensive and obviously knew she was in a fair bit of trouble.

Then in round three Amanda stopped retreating and came out of her corner and started trading blow for blow with Bridget, who was maybe an inch taller than she and rather more impressive physically. Amanda had told Estella that she preferred to kick box, but this was a straight boxing match with no feet allowed. If Amanda was worried by this, she gave no sign of it. At the end of the third round she had given Bridget a few bruises of her own, but her eye had a small cut over it and her second used the interval to dab at it. Estella guessed that Bridget would be working at it in the rounds that followed. Her own face was totally uncut - so far.

In the next round Amanda continued to stand her ground and took some worryingly direct and very hard blows, some of them to the body and Estella knew they must have hurt, Amanda's face showed none of the pain she must be feeling and she continued to hit back, exchanging one terrifying punch for another.

And it went on like that for the rest of the fight, with Amanda gradually wearing Bridget down. That girl's capacity for absorbing punishment was amazing and Bridget was tiring by the end of the eleventh round. If the organisers wanted blood, they were getting it by now, thought a thrilled Estella as Bridget's nose and mouth bled profusely and Amanda's cut widened and deepened. But the French bruiser must have a pretty tough skin thought Stella, because that little cut stayed reassuringly small throughout the fight, despite the constant attention Bridget was giving it,  and there was just a trickle of blood down one side of her face.

And then in Round Fourteen, Bridget made her one and only mistake of the match, dropping her guard for one vital split second. And that was it. Estella realised as Bridget sank to her knees and then slumped forward that Amanda was a fighter who missed nothing and pounced on any and every mistake. She had outthought and outfought Bridget all through the contest. With a sigh she realised that Clementine was not going to fare too well if and when she met this French fighting machine.

After receiving George's congratulatory kiss and thanking Bridget for a great fight , Amanda hugged Estella.

"I hope I gave you the good show, Estella?"

"It was great, Amanda. You mustn't retire, darling, when you get married. You have years of great performances ahead of you !"

"I know what you mean, but there will others coming after me. It is soon time for me to move on and be the good wife and mother - but it has all been such great fun, especially tonight. It was one of my hardest ever fights. She was almost as tough as Clementine - that one!  And now, Estella,  I feel like a long, long rest!"

But Amanda was not to get a rest.

**********************************

"Amanda?"

"George, darling! 'Ow lovely to 'ear from you! You are in Paris?"

The voice at the other end of the phone was tinged with regret.

"Sorry. But I have a job for you! You'll be getting a call from Jeremy in an hour or two. He'll fill you in. He's doing a piece on the female fight scene and people who exploit women etc, etc. I want you to take him along to your club - not Marcel's, the shady one. He'll pass himself off as being all in favour of what they're doing. I won't say any more now. Jeremy will fill you in."

**************************

A week later, Amanda and Jeremy were in Abhlovia. He had certainly a way with him, thought Amanda as she settled herself in to her hotel. He and the manager of her sleazy underground female fight club had got on famously from the time she had taken him along with her. He had sat through a fight between two indifferently talented, if beautiful, girls and applauded as one was knocked out by a punch which lacked any kind of skill or artistry, but was merely lucky.

"She's a strong girl, that one" said Jeremy as the loser was carried out, still limp even after three minutes. "Pretty and strong. But not talented. I suppose the good-looking ones usually aren't and the talented fighters are rarely beauties!"

"True enough, my friend!" answered Alphonse sadly. "But in our mutual friend Amanda we have both talent as a fighter and great beauty as a woman, despite her many scars! I will show you what I mean!"

And Jeremy was shown a recording of Amanda fighting Clementine, using those fiendish gloves and getting her nose broken in the first round, but fighting on in spite of the pain. He had seen this before, of course, but pretended to be watching it for the first time.

"I see it ended early! What a disappointment! Those two should fight again to get a real decision!"

"I, too, would like that and so would Amanda. But we have had trouble with getting her a visa. Sad."

"I'm sure I could arrange for a rematch to get a lot of publicity for you." said Jeremy. "Maybe you should try again."

Alphonse had agreed. He had contacted his connection, who had contacted James's boss, who had instructed James to let Amanda have her visa. James had tried to play for time and said that the prison had banned its inmates from taking part in any more fights until the spring, when the weather would allow outdoor events to be resumed. But he promised to arrange an event with some of the country's best female fighters.

And so here they both were! The next day Amanda was due to fight a woman called Alexandra. She had heard of this woman before. The contact, a certain Amelia, who had first drawn attention to the presence of an English girl in the country's worst woman's prison had been Alexandra's lover.

It had been Amelia over whom Ira and Alexandra had been fighting. When Ira and she had reappeared after a year she had managed to get Alexandra to talk of her lost year, despite the grim warnings Rashumba had given to the two never to talk of their time labouring with Clementine.

Amanda was about to go to bed when there was a knock at her door and when she answered a tall black lady and two rather intimidating goons pushed their way into the room.

"I've got a few words of advice for you!" said Rashumba. "You carry out your engagement tomorrow and then you get out of this country and you NEVER come back! And I have arranged some special rules for the fight. AS long as you abide by them you go home in one piece - although very badly bruised! Fail to abide by them and we have ways of arranging very nasty and very fatal accidents in this country! Don't become a statistic, Mademoiselle! And now, get some rest. You're going to need every second!"

"What 'ave I done wrong?" asked Amanda. "I only came to fight professionally. Is that against your laws?"

"No. It's quite legal. But after you fought your last opponent here, you spoke to her. Bad move! And you allowed her to win. Another bad move! Let's just say that I am having you punished for being nice to a bitch I detest. And if you are thinking of talking about this to anyone, either here or back in Paris - forget it. I can have you iced in Paris as easily as here. After you get home, just forget about this country and be grateful I am going easy on you! In a week or two you‘ll be up and about, but I could make your hospitalisation very permanent indeed!"

Amanda resisted the temptation to tell the woman to go to hell. It was not part of her mission to end up breaking rocks side by side with Clementine, although that would have its compensations! She told Rashumba she would do as she was told and her unwelcome visitors left. As she got into bed, she thought of Clementine, no doubt outside in the bitter cold. She wished she could be with her, sharing  hardship with a fellow warrior whom she respected more and more.

*********************************************

"You can't fight under these conditions!" said a horrified Jeremy. "Tell them to get lost!"

"Be quiet, Jeremy! I will do as they say. And I will win. I will be sore and very tired after, but I shall win! Now, just be a good boy and be my second. I don't trust anyone else to do it for me!"

The conditions Jeremy was talking of were indeed challenging. Amanda was to fight three other girls at once. Each of the three was to fight one three minute round at a time and there were to be thirty-second intervals between rounds. The fighters were all to be nude except for the studded gloves which Amanda had worn to fight Clemmy.

"I am lucky that cow is allowing me any intervals at all. That was 'er big mistake! Just watch me Jeremy! I will show you just 'ow great a fighter I am!"

"What 'cow' are you talking about?” asked Jeremy.

"Don't look to closely at 'er. She is watching us! She 'ope to see me beaten up today. It is not good to offend that one. Keep out of 'er way, Jeremy! I have upset 'er and now I pay for it! Don't be joining me in getting punished. I can 'andle this. I 'ope!"

Amanda pointed quickly to Rashumba who was in a front row seat.


CHAPTER FIFTEEN

(In Which a Battered Amanda Rides the Wooden Pony)


"I suppose you know what you're getting yourself into, Amanda" said Jeremy. "And you'll have to tell me what to do. I'm a bit new to this."

"You are totally new to this! But it is in at the deep end for you! Just give me some water to swill my mouth with and  the bucket to spit blood into at the end of each round. Clean up any cuts - and there will be lots! These gloves are lethal mon ami! You can't do much else. And wish me luck, because I fucking need it!"

Jeremy sighed. This little scheme was not working out the way he had planned. But Amanda amazed him by her coolness, only seconds away from a fight against impossible odds. The bell went and Round One began.

Amanda stepped into the centre and Alexandra climbed through the ropes. Ira and Svetlana gave their comrade a cheer of encouragement as Alexandra aimed the first shot of the match. Amanda easily avoided it and raised a lump on the other girl's face as she hit her very hard above the eye. Before Alexandra had recovered, Amanda had hit her again in the same spot, following this up with a high kick that sent her opponent sprawling on her back. Jeremy wondered if his concern for his fellow spy was entirely justified. Amanda was doing just fine so far! But there were two other women for her to reckon with. If Alexandra could survive this first round, she would have plenty of time to recover. He saw that the French fighter must eliminate at least one of her three opponents early on if she were not to be in for a terrible beating. As it was, all the blood drawn thus far was Alexandra's. He saw that Rashumba in her front row seat did not look happy!

The round ended with Amanda not even grazed and Alexandra's cut oozing blood. In the half minute interval both Ira and Svetlana did their best to clean her up and then the bell went and Ira took her turn to brave the fury of Amanda's fists and feet. The watching Jeremy gave Ira full marks for courage. After seeing Alexandra badly hurt, she could have no illusions about the French girl's awesome abilities.

"You're doing magnificently, Amanda!" he had whispered in the brief interval.

"Not as well as I'd 'oped. She should be out cold after what I did to her. She's got a very 'ard 'ead, worse luck. Just splash plenty of cold water over me, Jeremy. It's going to be a 'ot and very thirsty Amanda after a few rounds of this!"

Jeremy noticed that Amanda was still slightly breathless even as the second round started, and she was up against a fresh opponent. After five or six rounds the poor girl would be exhausted, and each session against fresh opposition would be harder for her. He saw what she meant about a hot Amanda!

He breathed with relief as Ira was sent back to her corner bleeding as badly as Alexandra. Jeremy thought of Estella and how she would be kept glued to her set when she finally got to see the film of this bout! A far as he was concerned, he hadn't changed his views at all, although he increasingly admired Amanda's skill and bravery.

"So far, so good!" he said encouragingly.

"Maybe, but I tried to put 'er out for the count - twice. They were good blows, my friend, and she is still on her feet! Another tough bitch! Just my fucking luck to 'ave two top class girls up against me!  I don't talk too much any more, Jeremy. I need all my breath for these three. When you take me to dinner later on, you 'ave one very battered girl to escort. They will all look at you and think you are a wife-beater!"

She tried to regain her breath for the remaining too few seconds of rest and then it was up against Svetlana. The third girl was a much easier opponent than her two companions and she was lucky to survive Amanda's ferocious onslaught, going down twice, the second time being seconds before the bell. She was saved by the bell and had to be half-carried back to her corner. In seven minutes she would be right as rain but Amanda was already red-faced and sweating from every pore For the first time in the fight she had  been marked. Rashumba looked a little happier!

"'Ow you like being this close to a sweating and naked female fighter, Jeremy?" she asked as she waited for Alexandra to get into the ring.

"I've mixed feelings! But whatever happens in the next rounds, Amanda, I'll always be proud to know you!"

She grinned and got to her feet. Time to face Alexandra again. This time she went straight for the other girl and waded into her, landing a dozen blows in the first minute. Alexandra backed away, but had managed to return a bit of Amanda's fire and it was no longer only she who was bleeding, although Amanda's cut was only a scratch, which would heal quickly enough if Alexandra couldn't keep at it. Alexandra tried to keep the cut open and aimed a straight left right at it. Amanda was ready for this, though, and Alexandra was soon on her back again, neatly floored by a deadly uppercut. This time she did not get up so quickly and looked dazed as she tried to keep out of trouble. Amanda knocked her down again and then the bell went. When Amanda returned to her corner, her chest was heaving and she was gasping for breath.

"Water, Jeremy! Lovely cold water. Mon Dieu, but that Alexandra is tough! What a country for hard women this is! But I get 'er in the end."

When Ira came into the arena she made straight for Amanda and her first shot was a spinning kick which missed its target but still hit a shoulder and made Amanda stagger slightly. This was enough for Ira to land a terrific punch on Amanda's nose which made Jeremy's eyes water just looking at it! If Amanda was flustered by this, Jeremy could see no sign of it as she calmly countered with a kick to Ira's stomach. Before the winded Ira could recover, Amanda put her down with a sideways swipe which made Jeremy wince once again. He wondered it had not taken Ira's head off! Ira obliged by going down and staying down until the count reached nine, when she staggered dazedly to her feet. Amanda was hitting at an open target by now and Ira hit the canvas again. This time the bell did not save her. Rashumba looked ferocious.

"One down - two to go! You really are something, aren't you?"

"Just keep on with the water, mon ami! It is not over, yet!  It 'as 'ardly begun!"

Svetlana aped Ira in coming for Amanda with all guns blazing and Jeremy felt his heart miss about a hundred beats as Amanda went down under a blizzard of punches.  Svetlana was obviously a fist person and Amanda had become too well acquainted with both this lady's gloved weapons.

With blood coming from her nose, her mouth and a cut over one eye, Amanda stayed down until the count of nine and she rose very shakily to her feet. Svetlana moved in for the kill, drawing back her right fist and exposing her jaw, which Amanda broke with a kick which cracked out around the auditorium like a telephone pole snapping in a gale.

"Did you have to hit her that hard?" asked a horrified Jeremy, as he tended to Amanda's multiplicity of facial injuries and saw the hapless Svetlana being carried away, presumably to hospital.

"I lost my temper!"

"And how! I still can't believe a human being can move that fast. And I though you were dazed! Just playing possum, I suppose! You're no fool, are you! I'll do a great article about this match! You'll be famous!  And once the bleeding stops, you won't look that bad! Not what I'd call seriously battered!"

"I still 'ave to survive against Alexandra! I am very tired by this time and she is fresh. It is I who will be trying to stay alive for the next three or four rounds. You'll see me well and truly thumped, Jeremy, before I KO that bitch! But I will win - you can be sure of that!"

Jeremy could see the force of this. Alexandra had been given time to recover her breath and Amanda was still panting as they met for the next round. Amanda tried not to get to close quarters but Alexandra, sensing that she had the other woman on the run, crowded her and at one point forced her into a corner where she pounded her mercilessly causing her to slump to the ground, her arms raised to protect her face as Alexandra beat through her guard and used those fearsome studded gloves to batter her at will. Alexandra, clearly not one to hit an opponent when she was down, stepped back from the stricken Amanda, whose bloody and bruised face was now unrecognisable.  Jeremy was sure that she would never get up in time, if at all. But she did. Alexandra was waiting for her to get up and put her straight down again. This time it was Amanda's turn to be saved by the bell. Jeremy saw that Rashumba was looking happy again!

Jeremy helped her back to her corner. She sat gasping for breath as he splashed cold water over her. Jeremy handed  her the bucket and she rinsed out her mouth, spitting blood into the proffered receptacle.

"Give up, Amanda! You've done wonders, but three against one is just too much!"

She was too breathless to reply, but merely shook her head with weary firmness. Then the bell and another punishing round,  in which Alexandra punched her all around the ring and sent her down again just before the bell. The partisan crowd were going wild by this time, sensing that at least one of the local girls was finally taking the foreigner apart. Again Jeremy had to half-carry her back to her corner, and again the exhausted but determined girl shook her head and got to her feet at the bell to join battle again. Jeremy looked at Rashumba and was frightened at the look of unholy joy on her face.

In the third round alone with her sole remaining opponent Amanda was once more subjected to a terrifying assault and seemed to Jeremy to be wilting and defenceless, but, to his astonishment,  he saw that she was staying on her feet this time, even though the blows that were landing on her sounded as painfully loud and solid as ever. He guessed that Alexandra was tiring and that Amanda was calling on reserves of will-power and courage that most people could only dream about possessing. He had seen Alexandra's abdomen convulsing during the break and realised that the advantage of freshness had been lost. It was, from now onwards, to be a battle of stamina between the two, and Amanda was gradually establishing her superiority in this department. There was definite dejection in Alexandra as she went back to her corner, having vainly thrown every blow in her repertoire at a tough French girl who refused to go down again.

It took Amanda four more rounds before she felled Alexandra and in that time the ring had become slippery with mostly her blood. She was cheered by a crowd which, although disappointed at the final result, had certainly got their fill of action. If Jeremy had not been so taken up with the excitement of it all and the need to minister to Amanda in the rest breaks, he might have been sick. Rashumba left, happy enough to have seen Amanda get badly hurt even if she had won in the end. After Amanda's weary arms had been raised in victory, Jeremy picked her up and carried her out to the dressing room, from which she had emerged so long ago. He compared the memory of the unmarked and confident Amanda of an hour ago to the wreck he was helping back there. But she was a triumphant wreck!

Amanda gasped her thanks as he lowered her into a chair. She sat there for five minutes before moving. She held her head back and finally got her nose to stop bleeding. Gradually her breathing subsided and she got up and went over to the mirror. She looked at herself for a few seconds and then smiled.

"Not too bad, considering, Jeremy! I was dodging most of the worst of it, you know! I took a bit of stick when I was letting 'er tire 'erself out on me during those last seven rounds. But I never doubted I would win in the end. They were three very good fighters. But I! I am better than good! I am magnifique, Jeremy. Am I not the greatest?"

"You're pretty good, Amanda! But I still say I hate to see women fight. And shouldn't they have stopped that long before the end? I mean to say - one of you could have been killed!  But you've  convinced me of one thing ! Courage is always inspiring and you have it in spades!  Do you think Clementine could have done what you did?"

This reference to the still imprisoned girl, for whose sake they were both here, sobered up the still euphoric victor a little.

"She might 'ave taken two others, Jeremy - Ira and Alexandra she could have managed. But three? I doubt it! Even I, the magnificent Amanda, was pushed to deal with all three! As for them stopping it, this was not a fight under normal rules, Jeremy. It was a fight to a knockout finish, and remember where we are! if I 'ad tried to back out when it got too tough, I might be joining Clementine right now!"

"No false modesty about you, is there!"

"I am just a realist, Jeremy!  I am so wonderful a fighter, and why should I pretend otherwise? BUT! We must not for a second forget why we are 'ere, Jeremy! I must see my opponents and congratulate them and then you take me to dinner!"

With these words the still naked Amanda ran out of the room,  went into the other dressing room. Jeremy followed. Ira and Alexandra were there, but Svetlana had been taken to hospital soon after Amanda had so spectacularly broken her jaw. The word was that she would be in hospital for a week, but was in good spirits, considering. Ira could speak fairly good English, but Alexandra only had a few words. Neither girl spoke French.

Amanda embraced both her surviving opponents and thanked them for an excellent fight. She and Ira chatted in English and Jeremy tried out his very rusty Russian on Alexandra, who spoke that language reasonably, in common with most of her fellow countrymen and women.

"You both put up a good show. Your country seems to breed Amazons! I was 'ere not so long ago for a tournament and fought a girl out in the wilds somewhere. It was a team of fighters recruited from a prison. She was a tough opponent too. I remember that girl so well. Tall and blonde and with such courage! I should like to fight 'er again!"

Ira went a little pale. She seemed to hesitate. And then she answered Amanda and the Frenchwoman thought she could see anger in her face.

"That's Clementine. And she's not Abhlovian. I think she's English and she's bad news. Keep your mouth shut about her!"

"Why?" asked Amanda innocently.

"She is not a real criminal. You won't be in the country for much longer, so I'll tell you a bit about her. But keep it under your hat, for mercy's sake. We, Alexandra and I,  were framed a year or two ago and sent to the same prison as Clementine. The only reason they have that girl there is to torture her, and torture her they do. She gets to suffer more pain in a week than I hope to feel in the rest of my life.  She did no wrong - or at least, very little wrong, but she is there for a twelve year stretch of hard labour. And I mean hard! Alexandra and I were worked until we dropped in our year there, but that Clementine - she got twice as much work and, three, four, ten  times the punishments that the rest of them got. I am surprised she is still alive! But she was a tough one - and she needed to be!! We were sent there to fight her and humiliate her, but she beat us. Like you, she took on one of us after the other and knocked us senseless! And that black bitch got us into that place. And last night she got us into the ring against you! We have a lot to hate her for! A year of hell, several beatings from Clementine, whippings from the guards and, tonight, a beating at your hands!"

"Poor Clementine!" said Amanda. But why is she 'bad news'?"

"Because they  want her kept where she is, and will go to any lengths to eliminate anyone who tries to help her. But I did get to respect her. There was something noble about her, Amanda. Even the animals she's penned up with admire her. Not long before we were released they all discovered that Alexandra and I had betrayed her in an escape attempt and they half-killed us!  But she will stay there and be tormented until she dies. I feel shame, though, having made things worse for her when a prisoner and at doing nothing to help her. Forget what I have told you. Nobody can help her. In the last resort, they would kill her sooner than see her go free."

"Rashumba set this fight up, of course." said Amanda out loud. Ira didn't miss anything.

"You know her name?"

Amanda nodded. "If we could guarantee that you were both safe. Would you be willing to testify against her and tell the authorities everything you know about her activities?"

Ira rubbed her jaw, where Amanda had caused such soreness.

"I certainly would. I'll see what Alexandra has to say."

Jeremy had been talking to Alexandra until Amanda, satisfied that she had got everything out of Ira that she wanted, pulled him by the sleeve.

"Time to go, darling Jeremy! I put my clothes on and we go to dinner!"

Amanda quickly told Jeremy everything she had learned. He had not had much luck with Alexandra who had spoken only of the fight that she had just lost. He told Amanda that she had made an enemy for life!

"And Ira couldn't 'ave been different. I'm sorry to 'ear she took it like that. She fought very clean, Jeremy. What a shame she can't take defeat better than she does! But I 'ope we 'ear nothing further from those two. I think we better pass up on dinner, Jeremy. Go back to your 'otel and carry on with your assignment. I see you in Paris next week, I 'ope."

He was about to protest but Amanda gave him a look which silenced his protest before it had been made. He kissed her cheek quickly and made off in the direction of his hotel and she for hers. It was only seconds after he had left her that the two people tailing her, whom she had spotted right away, caught up with her.

"You will come with us, Madam!"

"Why? Who are you?"

"Police. You are under arrest."

*************************************************

They didn't keep her waiting long, which was as well, in view of the unsanitary nature of the cell, with its filthy blocked toilet and grime-encrusted sink. She found herself in front of the same judge that Clementine had faced a few years ago. The charge was read out. Amanda had taken part in an illegal prize-fight and compounded her offence by being totally undressed in public.

"The penalty for this is twenty lashes and three months hard labour. But we realise that you may have been unaware that standards in our country are higher than in yours. If you agree, we will put you on a plane home this time tomorrow, on condition that you agree to accept a summary punishment to be decided by this court."

Amanda thought. She was not going to be any help hanging around here. She'd found out a few useful things while collecting her multiple abrasions and bruises. The sooner she was out of here, the better. She wondered what this summary punishment would be and guessed that it had been devised by Rashumba and would be supremely unpleasant but just about bearable. She thought about asking what exactly the punishment would be, but decided not to. Better for her not to know until it was too late to back out!

"I accept." She was tired after her fight and would ideally have liked to go to bed after her dinner with Jeremy - maybe in the same bed as Jeremy! But rest was not to be hers just yet awhile.

The two arresting officers took her downstairs to what she imagined to be a cellar. She looked around and saw that a long two inch thick wooden plank ran  out from a bracket in the wall. She also saw that the upended bevelled edge of the plank was stained brown. Dried blood, she thought. Other women had been down here and suffered what she was about to go through! They ordered her to undress completely and she obeyed, shivering in the unheated room. One of the men pointed at the plank and directed her to stand astride it. The other went to the wall and operated some device that raised it so that the edge was pressing into her labia. Instinctively, she went on tiptoe to avoid the discomfort. Something clicked and Amanda realised that the plank had been firmly fixed in place to be just the right height to make it necessary that she remain on tiptoe or have her cunt crushed between the weight of her body and the unforgiving wood.

"Raise your arms over your head, please!"

She did as she was told and her hands were secured to metal cuffs on a chain suspended from the ceiling. She knew she could never get her hands free, no matter how long she struggled.

Looking down, she saw two rings on the floor. Her ankles were manacled and the manacles attached to the rings. There would be no escape from her predicament until her captors decided.

"You will be here for eighteen hours. Then you may leave. We advise you to go straight to the airport after we release you. We apologise for the lack of heating in this room But you will soon warm up! Most of our visitors are here for three hours at a time and are screaming for mercy long before we let them go, but you are having six times that! Have a nice day! "

Alone in the room she tried to work out the best way of surviving the coming time of trial. She began to shiver in the cold. But the pain in her calf muscles soon began to tell her that cold was the least of her worries. She realised that it would be impossible, even for one as fit and strong as she,  to stay on tiptoe for all of eighteen hours. After two hours her leg muscles were screaming out for relief and she was starting to sweat, despite the chill. Her extreme post fight tiredness was not going away.  All she wanted was to sleep - to sleep for ever, she was so horribly weary.

She tried pulling herself up by her arms in order to relieve the strain on her calves, but the metal cut into her and it pained her wrists to keep her arms bent for long. Even so, she put up with this as long as she could. In the end it was too much and she transferred the load back to her legs. It must have been six hours that she kept this up and then neither arms nor legs could take any more.

Surrendering at last to the incredible pain in her tortured muscles she lowered herself as gently as she could onto the sliver of wood. The edge of the wooden bar bit into her and she almost screamed. She forced herself to stay in that agonising position for what she hoped was half an hour and then stood on tiptoe again and managed to stay that way for a couple of hours. But all the time she was getting weaker. There was a slight humming noise that she detected, despite being in great and increasing agony and she guessed that all this was being filmed. No doubt the film would fetch a fair price, indeed she would quite like to see it herself! She recollected the name of this particular torture. It was called "Riding the Wooden Pony."

It was after twelve hours that she finally passed out. When they took her down after eighteen hours she was unconscious and the wood where her genitalia had been resting was covered with fresh blood. They took her to the airport and she could scarcely hobble onto the plane. On sinking into her seat she slept all the way home. George Fox was waiting for her at Charles de Gaulle airport. He went pale as he saw her struggling to walk towards him. He had expected her face to show signs of wear and tear, and was well used to Amanda's black eyes and swollen noses by this time, but the way she was walking - like an old woman - shocked him. Jeremy had told him about her disappearance and he guessed she had been picked up by the authorities, but he was still unprepared for the state she was in.  She collapsed into his arms and was still out when he got her back to the apartment. Only five hours later was she able to talk to him about her adventure.

The first thing Amanda did on recovering consciousness was to call her doctor to visit her. That gentleman examined her and looked utterly shocked at the state of her. Not only were her face and body appallingly bruised and her wrists terribly raw, but her private parts were painfully damaged as well. He asked her how she had come by such injuries but she shook her head. Her long-time physician knew Amanda well enough by this time not to press her further. He sighed gravely and assured her that she would be fine in a few days.

"But, Mamselle Amanda! try to find another way to earn a living!" he said.

"In what other job would I get to beat up other women and have my nose broken twice a year?" she asked.  "Tell me and will consider it!"

He sighed again and left, shaking his head and smiling to himself. He had been Amanda's doctor all the girl's life and knew she would never change.

"I'm afraid it's the end of my love life for a few days my darling!" she said to Fox when the doctor had left.  And she explained what had been done to her.

"Could you point out where they took you, darling?" asked George.

"Yes. It was a block away from the hotel. And I'd swear it was not a proper court and that was no proper judge. I ought to 'ave told them they weren't fooling me, but all I wanted was to get out of that country."

"Quite right. You've done enough."

"Not much. I 'ave found out next to nothing and been beaten up and then tortured. And for all that, we know very little we didn't before. But the fight was good. I took a hell of a thrashing but I won and that was great!"

"Yes. I was on the phone to Jeremy. You have a devoted admirer in that young man! He is relieved to know you are safe. Like a good boy he did as you told him and asked no awkward questions about you when you disappeared. But he was very worried, poor boy! Let's have a look at the damage!"

Amanda obediently disrobed and spread her legs for her lover to examine her. What he could do that her doctor had not already done, she couldn't imagine.

"Nasty! I've seen this sort of thing done before! But it could be worse. Like me to kiss it better?"

"Yes, please!"

He was very gentle as he kissed her sore labia and softly inserted his tongue. She moaned, partly from pleasure and partly from pain, because even the gentlest pressure in that area was agony after what she had been through. After ten minutes the pain began to outweigh the pleasure and she asked him to stop. He left and came back in half an hour with some ointment, which he assured her was far better than the preparation the doctor had prescribed. He rubbed it very gently on the lacerated tissue and she began to feel better in seconds.

"You are a very special man, my darling Georges! And now, I go to sleep and you get back to work. I 'ope I 'ave not totally wasted my time this last few days, but I fear I 'ave done little to bring poor Clementine out of 'er misery!"

“You have given us a lead in Miss Ira. I’ll have her contacted discreetly, although I fear she may be put back with Clementine.”

******

Rashumba and James were still in bed as this tender scene between George and Amanda was taking place. He was feeling her undamaged cunt, massaging her clitoris with a deft finger and she was moaning pleasurably, although her mind was chiefly on Viola's coming visit. She was also laughing to herself about that French girl yesterday trying vainly to be free from her horrible and increasing pain as she rode the wooden pony. That would teach the bitch to befriend the detested Clementine and ask questions about her. Alexandra would be rewarded for passing on that conversation with Ira. And as for Ira, she would be going back to prison - just as soon as a charge could be trumped up against her!

James looked at the bedside clock and saw it was time to be getting up. Reluctantly he pushed back the bedclothes and left Rashumba to carry on resting for a while. Returning from the bathroom he dressed and chatted to the African girl as he did so.

"I'm a bit uneasy about what we did to Amanda, darling. I just hope she doesn't go talking to too many people about what happened to her."

"Tell your French friends to tell her she won't get paid if she says a word to anyone! Get on to them now! But she won't. That’s a tough one. Made of iron and I could like her if she hadn’t befriended Clementine. She's been through worse than that in her time. She'll put it down to experience - that's all."

James hoped she was right. He had seen her fight Clementine and talk to her afterwards, and she hadn't looked particularly stupid to him - or particularly easy to intimidate. He would have allowed her to have a normal fight and then leave the country without molestation, but Rashumba had wanted to punish her for being nice to Clementine - and Rashumba always got what she wanted!

But James was worried. He guessed, rightly, that Amanda would not take her treatment lying down. He would certainly tell the fight organisers to pay her off handsomely and combine that with a warning to keep quiet if she knew what was good for her. But he knew that Amanda was no pushover and would ignore the warnings. Sure enough, later in the day he learned that she had thrown her fee back in the club's face and told them she would never fight for them again. She had further dared them to carry out their threats, making it quite plain that she had reported every detail of her day of torture to the French authorities. One day his infatuation with Rashumba was going to get him into the deepest of deep shit!

In actual fact, Amanda had not reported her maltreatment to anyone apart from George Fox (who had urged her to be quiet about it), Estella, and Viola. A week after her return, and feeling very much better, Amanda further responded to George's instructions and met again with Alphonse, apologising for her threats and agreeing to continue doing fights for his club as soon as she felt sufficiently recovered from her severe drubbing in Abhlovia. She even agreed to a return match against the three women, although she stipulated that she would not wear those damaging gloves again and that the usual one minute interval between rounds must be re-instated.

When Rashumba learned that Amanda was proposing to defy her and return at some point she was at first angry and later pleased. She resolved that Amanda would join Clementine in the cage and be whipped beside her. Whipped long, whipped hard and whipped often!

*************************************************
 Rashumba was due to fly off to the Caribbean at the end of February and would have gone earlier if it were not for Viola’s visit. She hoped to have that business wrapped up in under a week, with Clementine seeing her lover reconciled to her tormentor. Then Viola would get the Amanda treatment and be sent back home.

James could not be involved in her punishing Viola. He was becoming increasingly jumpy and if Rashumba had had any sense, instead of being so consumed with her passion for vengeance, she would have been cautious herself. Happily, Rashumba had managed to bribe the same fake judge and bogus police as had apprehended Amanda the other week. These people would arrest Viola on a trumped up charge and introduce her genitalia to the same crushing torment as Amanda’s.

Amanda had returned to her career and had been told she had done all she could. But this adventurous young lady had other ideas! After trying to convince her not to risk her life again, George Fox agreed that she should risk Rashumba’s wrath and return to Abhlovia if invited. Happily for her, though, the invitation never came.


CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(In which Viola visits Abhlovia and is entertained by her former Mistress. She meets Clementine.)



"Why have we driven out here, darling" Viola asked Rashumba innocently. Inside her  heart was working overtime. Could this be it?

She had been here for a week now and Rashumba and James had treated her magnificently. Had she not known of his betrayal of Clementine, Viola would have been happy to meet James again. He had great appeal and was still great to look at. She understood very well how Clemmy  had succumbed to his charms. But James was busy today and Viola and Rashumba were alone, and driving out into the wilds.

Each day she had managed to keep in touch with Fox’s two men who had been ensconced in the Consulate for weeks now.

"I thought you might like to see the country, especially the more rugged districts. You wouldn't care to live in these parts would you.?"

Viola shook her head. There was little vegetation growing in this rocky waste and what there was permanently bent and windswept. This high upland plateau looked about as friendly as the surface of the moon! It was a wilderness she had seen before, though, and Viola knew this was the area where those fights had taken place.

"You'll see later, why we've come here!" said Rashumba. Her face was lit up by one of her most cruel smiles. Viola prayed that the woman was about to lead her to Clemmy!

They left the car and climbed up a small hillock, which gave them a view of a fortress like building and precious little else of any interest. The ground was rocky and Viola had to take care not to trip. Not the place to be wearing anything but good stout shoes. Her city shoes were not the thing to be wearing at all! She made it to the top and Rashumba pointed. A few miles away was a moderately high hill, maybe eight hundred feet high, the beginning of a range which ran away from them due north.

Viola noticed a rough road leading from the fort in the direction of the hill and also spotted a truck in the distance and then looked again at the fort. It would make a good prison for housing no more than at the most a couple of hundred prisoners. In a small country like this that would account for a fair proportion of the country's female prison population. All the long term prisoners might be there.

She fought hard to conceal her excitement. As the truck rumbled slowly towards them she saw that there were people in the back, clutching the sides for support as the vehicle bucked around on the rough surface. Behind it some people were following on foot and having to run quite hard to keep up. She saw motorcycles and as the procession came nearer  it was obvious that these outriders were uniformed women. This MUST be a work party returning after a day's hard labour. Yes!

What Viola had suspected from a distance was confirmed as they got nearer and nearer. The women on foot were all totally naked! She wondered if they had any kind of footwear. It didn't look like it, in which case they must be getting their bare feet cut to ribbons if the stones they were running over were anything like those she had traversed to get to this viewpoint!  And she could see that one of the toiling running women was a blonde. She took her first quick look at Clemmy in over four years, pretended to have a speck in her eye and bent down as if to get it out. Rashumba must NOT know she had recognised her supposedly dead lover or that she had been looking for her.

When she straightened up the party was passing into the building.

"What was that, Rashumba? And why should you bring me here to see it?"

"That is a prison, Viola and James has influence there. That particular batch of villains quarry marble and are taken to and from the quarry workings daily. The women in the truck are ordinary prisoners and reasonably well treated. Those on foot are the lowest and most violent criminals and we show them no mercy. James  markets the finished marble products on behalf of the government who get a share of the profits, He's got the prison staff under his control, having persuaded the Interior Minister to give him a free hand. He makes sure the women get a rough time and the Government think he does a good job, so  he's let alone to run the place. He vets all appointments and only the strictest and most brutal of women are given jobs there. You know how I like using a whip on people, Viola?"

She nodded. She remembered all too well How could she possibly forget!

"And you liked being at the receiving end, provided it wasn't too severe!" said Viola.

"I did once, but I am solely a doer these days, Viola. I administer pain to others, and I get to torment a certain prisoner at that prison from time to time, a really hard case who keeps defying the authorities. I'm afraid they don't let me use the kind of monster whip I used on you. It takes a couple of hundred lashes from that feeble bit of leather to produce the effect ten did in our little act in Montmartre .  Some of those hardened felons have pretty thick hides and my favourite victim needs a good, hard hundred just to make her bleed a bit!  But I've made the bitch's blood flow down her stinking body - many times! And lately, these last few months, we’ve been using a special whip on her. She jerks and twitches under the lash a real treat! I just wondered if you'd care to see me in action again before you go home?"

"Not today, thanks. I'm too tired, Rashumba. I've been up since six and I'm quite bushed. But give me a call in the morning and we can arrange something. I would like to see you at work, as long as it isn't me you're flogging. I'm out of practice these days - all soft and tender."

This was readily agreed. Rashumba  kissed Viola goodnight before dropping her off at the hotel and then went to tell James of her plans for the next day. He was happy to let Rashumba take the soon to be departed Viola to give Clementine the agony of seeing her with her former lover and seemingly back with her again. He agreed enthusiastically that this would definitely add to the prisoner's torment at a time when they were finding it hard to keep up the escalation of Clementine's misery.

Viola rang the Consulate and delivered the agreed coded message. One of Fox's men was waiting for her at breakfast. He gave her something and whispered instructions to her. Then he left. If anyone asked her what she was doing talking to him, she had her answer ready. She was a friend of the Consul and had been invited to a farewell dinner before leaving for home in a few days.

She had spent most of the night thinking of Clementine. The poor girl had almost certainly  been running behind that truck all those miles to the quarry twice a day with all those other women for four years. And this was on top of being made to work hard all day in between. On the way back to the city, Rashumba had explained just how backbreaking the work was and how severe the punishments were for failures to fulfil norms. Apparently there was one prisoner who had made two escape attempts and was being punished by being given one hundred lashes every Friday, a punishment she would suffer right through the rest of her sentence. Rashumba proposed to do  the honours herself tomorrow, it being Friday. Viola had feigned interest and she would be picked up  about four o'clock. She knew this could be a dangerous day for her, but kept calm. After all, there was her trump card if things got nasty!

Rashumba came round earlier than expected and suggested a little tour round before going to the prison, They ended up at the quarry and an armed guard only let them approach when she recognised Rashumba. They were waved through with an outwardly friendly smile, although the guard, like all her colleagues, had grown to loathe Rashumba by now.

"Come on, darling  We can watch them working for a few minutes. They will finish in an hour and go back to prison for their disgusting meal. And when I say disgusting, I mean it! I wouldn't feed that filthy muck to a pig!  The nude prisoners are the hard cases. All big girls as you can see. Some of them are slicing up the marble and a couple are carrying the stuff to a truck. They all have a target to achieve day on day and woe betide a girl who falls short. We make them howl for mercy - which they DON'T get! That blonde over there is a fine specimen, don't you think?  She's the one who tried to escape and gets the weekly whipping. She's pretty hard to handle and gets lots of other punishments as well, but they say she's kept clear of trouble the last week or two."

"Yes. Reminds me of Clementine, funnily enough. But that girl is bigger and stronger. She really does have some muscles, doesn't she!"

"There is a resemblance, I agree. They've got her wielding the pick axe today. The chips fly off a lot, of course and sometimes they cut her and sometimes she gets a speck in her eye and loses time getting it out. We don't allow her  to wear goggles any more because she had been so naughty so often. She'll still be whipped if she doesn't do her quota, even if she thinks she has a good excuse for taking time out!  These are all very bad women, you know, Viola. They deserve to be treated harshly."

"Has she committed a serious crime? How long did she get?"

"Twelve years for an offence against public decency. She's been here a year or two already. I forget her name."

Viola said no more. That was Clemmy alright! But Rashumba had no reason to think Viola knew her friend was alive. She couldn't wait to get inside that prison, although she would be relieved to get out again!

The couple followed behind the returning work party and Viola had a chance to see just what a gruelling run it must be for these tired thirsty women. Each and every one of them must be made of iron - that was all Viola could think. And her Clemmy was one of them. She felt so proud! There she was, running like the athlete she still was! She would have her own feet cut open after a few yards of this rough surface but her Clemmy could do mile after mile. It was good to have a Mistress who was so tough. After what she had endured, she would be hard as nails and her Slave would feel it! She felt her loins stirring ominously and fought to keep control.

In a few minutes no doubt she would get to see Clementine being whipped. Pity for the poor girl was giving way to desire! She desperately wanted to see Clemmy show her bravery under the lash. In a few weeks they would be back in England and Clemmy's Hell would be over, but Viola, as an ex sub wanted to see for herself just how her darling coped with all the pain.

Rashumba led Viola to a second-storey room inside the main block and took her to a window. There was  a view over a large yard, on one side of which was a big iron cage, open to the elements. The naked prisoners were all inside and were eating and drinking ravenously. The feeding was animal-like in its ferocity and Clemmy was tearing the food apart and ramming it down her throat just like the others. Poor things, thought Viola. They must all be dying of thirst and hunger. Who could blame them for their poor table manners?

Then she saw Clemmy ordered out. She walked across to the prison wall to be flogged. Rashumba took three whips down from a rack and showed them to Viola. One was small but the others were much longer, heavier and wicked looking.

"These are the two we use on that bitch" said Rashumba. She handed them to two tall bare breasted guards who then left and were soon walking the short distance to where the unsecured Clementine was waiting, her hands against the wall and her back willingly offered up for her weekly flogging. Viola could hardly contain her excitement. Her feelings were the most extraordinary whirl of mutually conflicting emotions. On the one hand, the sado-masochist in her gloried in the prospect of seeing what was about to happen. On the other, she felt pity for this wretched girl, now well into her fifth year of this never ending, hopeless agony. She saw that all the other women were crowding along the side of the cage, expectantly watching the two guards walk over to the prisoner and start their work without standing on ceremony.

"I'll open the window, darling! Then you can hear Clementine being flogged! Yes - it is indeed she! I'll explain later! For now, just watch, listen and enjoy!"

Viola was ashamed that part of her was enjoying watching. She felt the old excitement and sexual high as soon as she heard the opening SWOOOSH as the first guard brought the whip down on Clementine's waiting back. "CRACK" echoed the lash as it landed on her. It seemed to echo around the walled enclosure. A red line appeared on that beloved, strong back. The guard gave her four more, timing her strokes to let Clemmy savour the pain and get every last ounce of torment from each lash.

"She's good - that guard." muttered Viola, trying to keep her hands away from her hot and moist crotch. This was damned good!

"Guess who taught her all she knew, darling!"

Vila watched in silence as thirty were delivered and Clementine's back became a uniform red. She doesn't seem to be bleeding, though, thought Viola. She must have a hide like an elephant! That whip was not the fearful implement Rashumba had been wont to use on her, but it was a wicked thing nonetheless and far heavier than that used on the other prisoners. It ought to be slicing into her, yet was hardly scratching her.

"Clementine must be well used to this, darling! She's taking it without moving a muscle! Very impressive!"

"Yes. She used to jerk about like a mad thing. But she's got used to it and so has that cursed thick hide. I shall have to think of fresh ways of getting to her! It's all on account of you, Viola! I arranged her capture. See how I love you so much that I devote my life to making her suffer!"

"The woman's mad!" thought Viola.

"It must have been hard to get her here. Maybe, you might explain some day. But let's finish watching!"

They did as Viola asked. Finally the hundred had been delivered. From where Viola was standing Clemmy's back did not look that bad after her weekly punishment. It was red enough, but there had been little blood - maybe a few beads -until the seventieth lash and then it had started to flow. Either the guards had been lenient or her hide was exceptionally tough. The guards did not look at all tender-hearted, so it must be the latter. Viola was forced to admit she had enjoyed the spectacle and it brought back memories of her kinky double act of four years ago!

Then Viola saw Clemmy tied to the wall, after taking her whipping so meekly and without the need to secure her. A guard muttered something to her and left her. It was bitterly cold out there and Viola could see Clemmy was shivering slightly.  If it had been her, the cold would kill her, thought Viola! The women in the cage were all huddling close for warmth. It was a desolate scene and all Viola wanted now was to get her friend out as soon as possible! There was no romance about this place. It was squalid and evil and no decent person belonged within a mile if it.

Rashumba started to undress. When she had totally disrobed she came over to Viola and stood with her legs apart.

"Care to kneel once more  - for old time's sake?"

"Whatever! You know me! Always game for a bit of nice pussy gobbling, especially yours, darling!"

And so Viola, did what she had dreaded, and licked and sucked at Rashumba's juicy cunt once more. After the first contact she had to admit that it tasted as good tonight as ever and she had to be told to break it off before she wanted to. She got unsteadily to her feet. That had been positively atomic, but Clemmy tasted even better!

"Come on, darling! Let's go over to the prisoner and you'll see me give her a REAL whipping!"

"Aren't you getting dressed? It's bloody cold out there!"

"I always strip to give my beatings  - you know that."

"I see. Well, you really ought to take off the shoes as well. You must remember how much I love those feet. I'll give you a quick toe job before we leave!"

"Later" But Rashumba took off her shoes all the same and the couple walked over to the wall, Rashumba picking up a fresh whip on the way out and swishing it repeatedly. Clementine did not look  round. She had been ordered not to on pain of getting another hundred.  Viola noticed that the women in the cage had stopped drifting away chattering about their leader’s latest flogging and come back where they could get a good view. They all knew that Rashumba came over to talk to Clemmy for one reason and one reason only, and these days she never gave the girl less than four hundred! The sadistic bitches, much as they liked their chief, were agog with excitement!

Clemmy's cry of anguish pierced Viola like a sword of ice. She wondered if she could keep control of herself. She mustn't fail now!

"My word, it IS Clementine, Rashumba my darling. And I thought she was dead. They sent her remains back for burial, all certified by a State medical examiner. What's going on, darling Rashy?"

"We can fix these things, Vi. James had some other bones sent back in the diplomatic bag! How does it feel to see her again?"

"Surprised, darling. I suppose you’re doing this to her for winning that fight and taking me from you. You must love me so incredibly much to go to such trouble. I'm really deeply moved! " she spoke to Clementine now. "How long are you here for Clementine?"

"Twelve years - plus a month or two more for this and that while I've been here."

"Twelve years. Golly! You MUST have been a bad girl. And bad girls have to be punished. What did you do - you can tell me!"

Clementine in her agony detected something in Viola's voice. A tenderness that gave her hope again.

"Climbed a National Monument in the nude. A sacred mountain, so they say.  I was guilty but it was up in the mountains and  I thought nobody saw. I'd never have exposed myself if I'd thought anyone would see, or if I had known it would offend so badly. And when James told me it was a sacred place I came straight back down.  I was framed but you don't seem to care for me any more. I see Rashumba has got you back. Well done you black bitch."

"Racist cow. I'll make you pay for that."

Viola said. "It was very politically incorrect of you."

"Sorry madam. You are a bitch. I shouldn’t have mentioned the other thing!

"I would have though twelve years was a lot," said Viola," but I suppose the real reason was old Rashy here wants you where she can give you hell for beating her that day. Right, Rashy?"

"Right." Then she spoke softly so Clemmy wouldn't hear. "If the Interior Minister knew about it, he'd NOT be pleased, but he's lazy and lets James run the show." Then she spoke in her normal voice. "You should come back in the Spring, darling when I get back from Spain. Clementine will still be here and you can watch me whip her to blow away the winter cobwebs. I mean really whip her, not tickle her hide like today."

"That would be nice. I know how good you are, darling. But wouldn't she need to have committed an offence first. I mean you can hardly arrange for her conveniently step out of line just so you can stage an exhibition for me?"

"Pretty well every punishment she gets here is totally undeserved. Even her being here is undeserved. Only the weekly beatings they give her for trying to get away are in any way legitimate and even they are excessive! Don't try telling the guards I said that Clemmy! They know perfectly well and they don't give a shit!  And now I'm going to whip the skin off your back and let Viola see me cut into that hide and bare your ribs yet again. Stand back Vi. You'll love watching this."

But Viola astounded both Rashumba and Clemmy and rushed to put herself between the two. She stood facing the crazed woman and her back pressed against Clemmy, who knew in that moment that Viola was NOT lost to her! A sob of pure joy shook the prisoner's dreadfully scarred and much abused body.

"Get out of my way, bitch. Let me get at her!"  Rashumba was already half aware that something had gone wrong.

"No. If you hurt her again it’ll be over my dead body! I forgot to tell you, Rashumba. I am attached to the British Embassy and have diplomatic immunity. You can see my accreditation if you doubt me! When I tell them what I've learned tonight, there'll be one hell of a diplomatic row. And you'll most likely be joining Clemmy in that stinking cage this very night!"

"You won't get away from here to make a report you little fool!"

"Yes, I will. This is a set-up, Rashumba. A sting! And you've been caught out at last! Listen! I've been wired and been in communication with our consulate and your Ministry of the Interior. They've  heard every word you've said to me and now they're coming to arrest you!"

Rashumba, Viola and Clementine listened. There was a throbbing sound and it was getting closer. Soon a light shone down out of the sky and a wind blew up the dust in the yard. The helicopter landed and disgorged its passengers. Several police officers and one of Fox's men came up and Rashumba was bundled off into the cage. Clemmy was taken down and ran to embrace Viola. Both girls were sobbing uncontrollably and Viola held her long lost friend tightly and Clementine made no complaint this time about being hurt.

"Is she free now?" asked Viola as she continued to hug Clementine as tightly as she could.

"Well." said the senior police officer. "She did confess to being nude in a public place. And that IS an offence, although hardly one punishable by such a long sentence and she's been here well over four years already. A fine and possibly a caning would be all she ought to have got, although we don't as a rule chastise  female petty offenders, especially your fellow countrywomen."

 He pointed to the cage with its new inmate, already looking cold and frightened as the others crowded round and inspected her.

"These women are serious offenders. At least I think they are but we'll be going through their cases again in view of Miss Anderson's false imprisonment. But I have no authority to let her to go until a formal hearing in the morning. I fear you will both have to wait a little longer to be finally reunited!"

Fox's man went over with Clemmy and was chatting very animatedly to her.  On the way back to the city he was sympathetic to poor Viola.

"Sorry about that. I was pretty sure we'd get her out of there tonight, but some people don't like gay sex in this country. You should both have kept your steamy little mitts off each other! But don't fret. They'll let her go after a formal hearing in the morning,"

Viola prayed that he was right!

****************

Viola didn't sleep at all. She had been SO sure that Clemmy was going to be at her side that night and her disappointment was as cruel as any she had known in the last few years. The Consulate phoned next morning and asked Viola to come and see them. She was shown into the Consul's office and there was Mr Fox and two others, one of whom was his man on the spot. The other must be the Consul himself.

The consul was a tall, thin and stooping man with snow white hair and a head like a Roman Senator. He smiled at Viola.

"So this is out new member of staff!. Welcome young lady. I congratulate you on what you have done. Thanks to you we have got the government here to move against some of their nastier and more corrupt officials and your friend's plight should soon be over."

"I hope so, Sir. I saw her yesterday and I could see how these four and a half years have changed her. She looks so wild, and who can be surprised. It would have killed most people!  Do you know they have kept her outdoors, naked and quite unprotected from the weather for almost the whole time? It's so cold already and I want her back home at once. I'd hoped she might be allowed out yesterday. Will it be long now?"

"Not too long, my dear. But there are enquiries to be completed. And meanwhile she remains where she is and her regime of hard labour continues. There is one piece of good news. The authorities have agreed that a member of my staff may monitor her treatment for the next few days. I am sending you to do this. I have a list of rules that the prison have sent me relating to the conditions of her detention. It sounds quite a severe regime to me but I hope she will be coming out of there in the next few weeks. I have arranged for a car to take you to the prison. Accommodation has been provided overnight, but after three days you will have to commute from the city. I'm sorry I can't give you better news and I assure you I'm moving heaven and earth to get this speeded up. They're bound to release her soon my dear. Not soon enough for you, I know,"

Two hours later  she was standing in the chilly yard, wrapped up in furs and still feeling the chill wind bite into her. Clementine was still in the cage and Viola saw Rashumba still alive after the first of what Viola hoped would be many nights in her new home. Soon the prisoners were ordered out to begin the day's work. The guards agreed to Viola walking across to the daily procession with Clementine.

"I'm afraid it might be a while longer, sweetheart! In the meantime I am deputed to see fair play and that they don't overwork you or punish you unjustly. I saw you coming back from the quarry yesterday. Have you been doing that twice a day for over four years?"

"I sure have, poppet! Are you running beside me today?"

"No fear. I'm riding in the truck! See you later!"  

Maybe Viola shouldn't have gone with Clemmy and her presence was a distraction. Be that as it may, she failed to complete her allotted quota that day and was whipped. Viola stood and made sure the stipulated thirty lashes with a light crop were not exceeded. She decided not to accompany her the next day and Clemmy managed to complete her norm.

"Sorry about coming and putting you off your stride." Viola said as Clemmy was being taken back to the cage.

"Don't be sorry. At least all I got was the regulation thirty with a small whip and not the hundreds they'd have given me last week! You've been a great help my sweet."

For three days Viola watched over Clementine like a hawk and then she was told that a judge was coming out to the prison. The proceedings were held in the yard as it was not finally determined that Clementine was allowed inside or to be clothed. She stood before the judge who sat behind an improvised table, flanked by two lay assessors and a bevy of guards. Viola, the judge, his assessors and the guards were swathed in winter furs. Clementine was nude. The other women had the day off as there were insufficient escorts available and they all strained to hear what was going on, huddled together in that familiar way for warmth against the bitter wind. If Clementine was feeling cold, thought an admiring Viola, she showed no sign of it.

James wasn't there, but the judge read out a statement from him saying that he and Clementine had trekked into the hills and Clemmy had been nude for well over a week. She had climbed several well known peaks unclothed. He admitted to not having warned her of the possible legal consequences. Viola wondered, maliciously, what kind of rough treatment had drawn  that admission out of the treacherous bastard! She hoped they'd pulled out his finger nails!

Clemmy agreed that the statement  was basically correct and apologised for offending against the customs of the country. She was obviously agitated and wondering if the prospect of freedom might be about to be withdrawn after it had seemed so near the other day. Then the judge, a  stern man, read out the judgment and sentence.

"We find the accused guilty, on her own admission. The penalty is three months hard labour and three hundred lashes, half now and the rest on the day of her release.”

Viola felt she would die! Hope deferred  was making her heart very, very sick indeed! She couldn't look at poor Clemmy. But, then she cheered up - three months was not too bad. At least the end was in sight. Twelve weeks would pass soon enough and Clemmy could easily take the lashes. AND she, Viola, was going to see one hundred and fifty of them laid on! She cheered up, looked over at her rigidly upright friend, and  saw that Clemmy had taken it pretty philosophically.

Viola was about to make an intervention on behalf of the Consulate and try to get this sentence reduced or set aside. But the judge had not yet finished.

"I realise that the prisoner has been here for more than four years, been worked hard and flogged unjustly many times. I have therefore decided to suspend the three months and remit most of the flogging. She will be expelled from the country after receiving six lashes."

Viola breathed a gargantuan sight of relief and pure joy! After she had seen her friend whipped she could take her straight home!

Clementine was taken to the wall and tied up for the last ever time. A guard came up with the whip, ready to chastise her. Viola moved to the front to get a good view.

"I'll make this pretty light, Clementine." said the guard, the one who had always liked her. "You'll hardly feel a thing after all you've been through."

When the six had been delivered the guard released Clementine and shook her by the hand, wishing her good luck in the future. Clementine asked to say goodbye to Alexia and that young person was brought out of the cage. After she had kissed her for the last time she introduced her to Viola.

"Thanks for being  good to Clemmy." said Viola. " I wish I could say I was sorry to be taking her from you, but I can't lie!"

Alexia's English was not good but she seemed to understand.

"She good girl. I cry all day when she go. Clemmy - she good brave girl and we miss her. Rashumba not last long here. We fix her."

"No, Alexia!" said Clementine. " Keep her alive. I hate Rashumba, but I say keep her alive. That way she will suffer for longer. Give her plenty of pain."

"You right. I keep her alive. We all love you, Clemmy. We pay that bitch back pretty good!"

Alexia grinned and Viola saw why Clemmy had found her charm irresistible!

Clemmy wiped a tear away as the guard took Alexia back to the cage. Then she turned to Viola.

"Sorry I stink to high heaven, darling. I think I am going to spend a week under the first hot shower for four years."

"You smell pretty good to me, darling! It's so good to be together again! I have some clothes for you. Put them on quickly, dearest. Recognise them?"

They were the ones she had removed before fighting Rashumba. Clementine started putting on the first clothes she had worn since coming into the prison. The shorts fitted pretty well, although she found she was thicker in the leg than she had been, but the sweater looked very small on her. She had widened amazingly in the shoulders and her arms scarcely got into the sleeves.

"This four years have done wonders for your body, Clemmy!" said Viola. "Now lift me up,  carry me to the gate and let that evil cow see you take me away from her once again!"

Clementine happily did as she was told. By the time she had deposited Viola in the Embassy car and taken the wheel to drive the two of them to the airport, she had forgotten all about the last four terrible years and found that her hatred for Rashumba had totally evaporated over the last few days. All she had in her heart for that former rival was pity. She mentioned this to Viola.

"Well I don't pity her." replied that lady. "I hope she rots in there."

On the plane and well on the way home, the couple stopped kissing long enough to go over a few things that had been puzzling them both. First Viola had a question.

"Rashumba had some marks on her face, Clemmy when a friend of mine saw her in Paris a few moths ago. I wonder what happened.?"

"I gave her them. That's what I meant when I spoke to her when she brought you to see me and gloat. I fought her again, at her command. I think she wanted revenge for that fight in the clearing. As if she hadn't already had pretty ample revenge!"

Viola hooted with laughter." She thought she could beat you the way you are now, when she couldn't the first time! She really is stupid. I mean, Clemmy - you were a big girl then, but now you're awesome. Years of hard work lifting slabs of marble and whatever else you've had to do have transformed you! Wait till you see yourself in a full length mirror and compare that vision of female physique with your old photos! I should think you must have almost killed her!"

"I did! She was out cold for twenty minutes, Viola, darling!  And there's something I want to ask you. How did you know I was in that hell-hole?"

"Thank your Estella, darling and some person or persons unknown who added a film of one of your bouts to the tape which they then sold in the West. It ended up being advertised in a magazine Stella reads and she bought it. After seeing you fight Rashumba the first time she became addicted to violence, as long as she wasn't getting hurt herself, delicate little thing that she is!  She married Jules, by the way, and they have two lovely children, a boy and a girl. The girl's two and can talk nineteen to the dozen already! The boy's six months and just smiles and gurgles."

"They're a lucky pair." said Clementine. "Having kids, I mean. You and I will just have to make do with each other for the rest of our lives."

"That's all I want, Clemmy my love."

"Me too!"

**********************************************
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Back in the Clearing

(In Which Clementine pays her debt to Amanda)

"I wonder if you two would prefer to wait. Unless you intend wearing something to fight in. You'd at least need some footwear in that snow."

There was concern in Viola's voice as she looked out at the wintry prospect. The day before it had taken her less than a minute to make the distance from her heated car to the heated cottage. By the time she had gratefully shut the door behind her she had been perished. Clementine and Amanda had only just arrived and been hurriedly ushered in through the front door before too much precious warmth escaped. Before coming in they had both stood outside for a good five minutes, their arms round each others shoulders, looking at the path which led to the wood, whose trees were bare of leaves and covered with snow.

Viola had been amazed to see that Clementine wore so little in such extreme cold, but of course she had spent five winters naked in worse weather than this. Her lover had a sweater on, it was true, but it was too short to cover her midriff and the sleeves came down to just above her elbow. Despite the bitter weather, she wore a pair of tiny shorts that left her legs bare from the ankles to the tops of her thighs. Viola was relieved to see that she at least had shoes on for a change.

Amanda was more far sensibly dressed, looking like a Cossack with her fur had and long fur coat. She looked a very grand and imperious young woman and she and Clementine made probably the most striking pair of females she had ever seen together. They were both tall, one fair and the other dark and they both looked like women who needed to command. Two women who like to have their own way,  but one was destined to  beat  the other. Viola wondered what defeat would do to the loser.  Both girls appeared fit and ready to do battle, but not outside in this weather - not today, surely?

"How about it, Amanda? If you want to wait until later in the year, I understand." said Clementine in answer to Viola's question. "You can take your clothes off in the clearing if you like. Walking there in the nude can be dispensed with in view of the weather. But I'll be fine. It's not that cold, you know. Maybe a couple of degrees of frost. I've put up with far worse than this, stuck outside all day and all night."

"We have both waited too long for this meeting, my good friend. If you are willing to go out there, then so am I. And if you can walk there naked then so, also,  can the incredible Amanda! Get those clothes off and let's go and finish this!  What are we waiting for?"

To Viola's horror, if not to her surprise, both girls were standing nude before her in seconds, having torn off their clothes with a fury that said volumes for their mutual desire to  fight. Clemmy had had less to remove than the well wrapped up Amanda, but the French girl had still stripped herself a split second before her rival. They had been itching for this ever since their first bloody meeting had ended so indecisively.

"You'd best stay here, darling." said Clementine. "It's not the weather to be standing around watching two maniacs fighting. Tell Estella and George they are to stay here as well when they arrive. This is going to be a very private fight indeed and nobody's business but ours. Come on Amanda. Lets get along to the clearing.!"

"'Aven't you forgotten something, ma cherie? Our nice warm gloves?"

Clementine blushed with shame that she had forgotten in her haste to get this final struggle between the two of them over that they were to wear the metal studded leather gloves again. Viola went out to their car and retrieved them from the boot. She paled in sheer horror when she felt them and imagined what kind of damage they were capable of doing. The she comforted herself with the thought that the pair had already fought one long fight with them and seemed to have healed over pretty well.

Getting back in the cottage, her face pinched with the cold, Viola helped the girls put the gloves on. She kissed Clementine and patted Amanda's shoulder.

"Good luck, you two. May the better girl win, whoever she is! And if you DO win, Amanda like you never tire of telling us you are positively bound to, try to leave something of Clementine left over for me!"

Amanda looked at Clementine and her splendidly conditioned body and then confidently down at her own. "She will be right as rain in a week or two - sooner, with your loving tender care, Viola. And now, au revoir!"

Viola watched as they went out and started walking towards the wood, two tall and strong girls, both with battle scarred bodies and both naked in the bitter cold, their feet leaving perfect imprints on the snow as they crunched through it to their lone duel behind the trees. She wondered who would walk back and who would be carried. She feared for Clementine up against Amanda. Clemmy looked fantastic, of course, with her muscular body which four years of torment had not broken but wonderfully  strengthened, but Amanda was a big girl too. And Amanda was a pro who trained every day and had ten times Clemmy's experience. The two were chatting in a friendly way as they walked. Viola gratefully reflected that,  whatever the outcome, there would be no hard feelings after this fight. Indeed she was fearful that something was developing between those two that threatened her restored idyll with Clemmy.

"Is this what you 'ad to suffer for five winters, Clementine? You must be tough as nails! I wonder if I could do it. I think I could! I wonder, also, if Rashumba will survive this one, let alone the fifteen she 'as coming! Can't we walk more quickly? My feet are going numb! And another thing. If you win, you must pick me up and carry me back to the cottage. I would die in this weather if I lay on the ground for long.  If you wish, I will do the same for you in the event that I win. Frankly, I am not quite one hundred percent certain I can beat you in these conditions. But never would I back away from this fight, Clemmy - never!"

"Yes, Amanda. The winner gets the loser back as quickly as possible. And I agree, that this weather favours me and you might have won if it had been warmer. I think we are almost there! Let's run the last bit and get those poor feet of yours back to life. Mine are fine."

"Lucky old you" replied Amanda sarcastically.” We will continue to walk. It is more dignified, oui?"

"Indeed it is, Amanda."

Finally they got to the clearing. Amanda started jumping up and down, no doubt trying to make her feet regain some feeling. Judging by the pained look on her face, she was succeeding and the result was agony! Clementine also did a few warming up exercises. As she did so, her heart thumped madly and stabs of fear sliced through her stomach. When Amanda was finally ready, Clemmy was not surprised to hear her say in her matter of fact and arrogant way.

"And now, Clementine comes the time for me to collect from you the victory I gave away. Last time I was told to let you win because we couldn't have you losing face in front of the other women. You said at the time that I had the edge and you were right. I would have won. In the next round I would certainly have KO'd you, Clemmy - believe me! You are good, but an amateur. And I am better - much better - and I am a pro. And now you are going to find out just how good I am. It will be painful, Clemmy, not only for your body, which will recover in time,  but your pride which after today will never be the same again!"

Clementine said nothing, but she knew enough of Amanda to recognise that this young woman chose her words carefully and that her very high estimation of her fighting prowess was soundly based on fact. And the other girl was right about the pride! It would be hard to look others in the face again for a long time. But if she were to be defeated, this was the one girl in the world at whose hands she could just about take it.

She swallowed and extended her gloved fists, trying not to show Amanda how terrified she was. Amanda did likewise and the two touched gloves, the metal studs clacking ominously ( soon they would be crashing into each other's bodies) They stepped back. Amanda bowed slightly and Clemmy did the same. Then they approached the centre of the clearing, where Amanda had trampled the grass and tried to kick away some of its snowy covering. They raised  their arms and took up a fighting posture.

Clemmy aimed her first punch at Amanda's face and struck it a glancing blow, but the wily French girl had moved nimbly out of harm's way and replied with a kick, her icy cold toes hitting Clementine hard below the heart. The clearing resounded to the shattering impact of Amanda's opening shot and Clementine dropped on one knee, almost paralysed with the pain. She stayed there for eight seconds and Amanda, ever a sportswoman, waited for her to get up. Clementine was ashamed at this weakness. She'd always thought her belly was hard as rock! But Amanda knew just where to aim and even the hardest and best trained fighter has no defence against the blow she had just landed.

"Careless, my good friend. Very careless. Try not to leave yourself  open like that again or we are soon on our way back to the cottage!"

Clemmy was determined not to answer any of Amanda's jibes. She resolved that if she were struck in the same spot again she would fight through the pain and not go down another time. She had a chance to put this resolution into effect seconds later and astonished the other woman by ignoring the debilitating agony and aiming straight at Amanda's right eye, where she saw a small scar that looked to be only recently healed. This blow was rewarded by a trickle of blood which cheered Clementine up no end, until Amanda replied by landing a perfect left hook plumb on her eye, opening up her own accursed cut yet again. She saw the red spots dripping down onto the snow covered ground. But she had caught Amanda out - the ultra vigilant Amanda had been taken unawares and Clemmy took heart from this.

Five minutes into the fight, both antagonists had landed few blows. Clementine had hardly used her feet at all and the only injuries so far were Clemmy's big cut, Amanda's small cut and Clemmy's bruised rib cage, struck twice at the base of her sternum, its boniest and most unprotected part. Once again Clementine was unable to tolerate this wary stalking  - this tentative phoney war of a fight. She wheeled round and drove her foot into Amanda’s body, thumping her resoundingly in the stomach. If Clemmy had a rock hard belly, then so did Amanda! In the split second that she savoured the sound of her kick echoing in the winter air, her face exploded as Amanda with a punch that came from nowhere, crushed her nose and put her on her back. Amanda started counting - in the absence of a referee. Clemmy managed to get up at the count of nine. She saw bemusedly that her front  was covered with blood from her nose and the cut over her eye.

By rights she should have been knocked out soon afterwards, but she was not giving up that easily. She was the Clementine who had beaten Rashumba and Olga and survived four years and four months of a regime that would have killed most people. She would win this fight if it was the last thing she did.

Once again Amanda was too cocksure of herself and once again she paid for it. The straight right that Clemmy aimed at her jaw hit its target spot on and it was a miracle that Amanda got to her feet, dazed herself this time, as Clementine reached "Nine".

Both girls took a bit of a breather then, circling around each other and trying to gather their wits after their near disasters.

At the ten minute stage, Clemmy began to feel she was getting on top. She waded into Amanda again and the air was heavy with the sound of solid blows. Aiming at   Amanda's eye she kept up the pressure on that cut and saw it deepen and lengthen until the trickle of blood became a flood which covered her face with crimson. Then she tried to work on the other side and cut her there. She saw, as she worked away, how the body opposite her was reddening, not only with the cold but also the impact of all the kicks and punches she was landing on it.

For a time Clemmy got up close and tried a few kidney punches, but gratefully broke away when Amanda showed her how good she was at in-fighting. It had been good to feel the warmth of her opponent's body, though, and she guessed Amanda felt the same. They backed away a little and started swapping blows. Clemmy winced as she was struck on the breast and replied in kind. Amanda must have been hurt but she didn't show it. At times like this she cursed being a woman as Amanda gave both tits a battering until the two seemed  mutually to agree to leave these parts alone. Amanda continued to bleed from her two cuts and Clemmy was landing plenty of hits. She felt herself to be on top!

****************************

Estella, Jules and George Fox arrived. They got out of the car and Estella shivered.

"They might have chosen a warmer day for it. We'll be frozen even if those two aren't. Poor Amanda! Clemmy will have a real advantage today. Hey! Look!"

Estella pointed at the two sets of prints leading from the cottage door to the wood. They all went to inspect.

"Only two of them, Darling" said Jules. "Clemmy's large ones and Amanda's smaller ones. And both barefoot in this! I hope they are warming themselves up by now! I think we'd best find out from Viola what's going on."

And so they all waited for Viola to open the door.

"They are doing it without onlookers" she said. "And who would want to stand around out there on a day like this? Come on in. They left about twenty minutes ago. I should think they have been fighting for maybe fifteen by now. I hope it won't be too much longer. I'll heat up some soup for you all."

******************************

It was unfortunate that Clementine. in her frenzied attack,  scarcely felt what was happening to her until it was too late. But Amanda knew what she was doing. She landed one swift, clean, clinically precise blow - a punch here, a kick there - after another and wasted no effort on wild swings of the kind Clementine was aiming not very effectually. Every expertly timed blow gradually ate the strength from her adversary's wonderful body. She knew her face was bleeding a bit, but it was nothing to what she was doing to the other girl's and if Clementine wanted to wear herself out on her, landing only one good shot in ten and wasting her energy,  then let the silly girl!

They had been fighting for twenty minutes when Clementine wondered why her legs would not keep her moving about as they usually did. She remembered Rashumba four and a half years ago on that glorious summer day of triumph. This time it was Amanda who was dancing around and she who was rooted  to the spot. Amanda was a year younger, of course, but that should not make so much difference. Clemmy was used to extreme cold and Amanda had admitted that the icy weather was not to her liking. But her advantage had been frittered away. Maybe Amanda was right -maybe she was the better of the two.

Kick after kick and punch after punch, all well aimed and painfully hard, slammed into her and, bit by bit,  she felt herself going, but she wouldn't go down without a struggle and she wearily forced her aching body  to carry on, amazing Amanda once again at the way she willed those magnificent and powerful but now  rubbery legs to keep her moving about and out of danger. But it was all ultimately in vain and finally, blood streaming from her face and helpless to keep fighting, she found herself standing before the still strong Amanda with her hands at her sides, unable to raise them to defend herself.

"Give up, Clementine? Please say you do!  We walk back together, you and I. You did far better than I thought possible and you are so brave. But it is over for you. Don't make me hurt you any more."

"Go to Hell!" she replied and managed to aim one last pathetic lunge at the victor's face. Through her almost closed eyes, she never saw the lightning upper cut that  knocked her senseless, lifting her off  her feet and depositing her on her back, in the exact manner and on the exact spot that Amanda had predicted.

Amanda put her foot on Clementine's stomach and did a victory pose, but there were tears in her eyes as she looked down at the wreck that she had just made of that wonderful physique. Then she knelt beside the senseless Clemmy and kissed her on her bruised and bleeding mouth. After this, she picked her up and began to carry her burden back to the cottage and the warmth both girls needed so badly. Amanda was feeling horribly tired and her own body was crying out in pain, but she walked firmly and strongly towards the cottage. She looked and saw that Viola was staring  out of the window.

*********************************

Forty minutes after the fighters had disappeared into the wood, the newly arrived Jules, Estella and George Fox were getting some hot spicy soup inside them. Viola was standing anxiously at the window. Then in a strange small voice she whispered to the others.

"It's over. Amanda won. She is carrying Clemmy back. She looks pretty all in herself and Clementine is quite limp" Viola wiped away a tear. " So she finally got beaten. In a way, I'm glad. She needed humbling. I know she suffered on account of her pride for four years and was degraded for all that time, but that pride was never affected. Now she knows the world has in it at least one better fighter than she."

The others came to the window and saw Amanda, obviously exhausted and her face a bloody mess where Clementine had pulverised her, carrying the loser, who was in an far worse state herself. It was clear that her defeat had been total and the victor ruthless in her demolition. Viola correctly guessed that her Clementine had been little more than a human punch bag for much of the fight.

"Shall one of us go and help her" asked Estella. Viola stood with her back to the door to block the way.

"No, Estella. Amanda can manage perfectly well!"

Viola was right and thirty seconds later there was a knock at the door. Amanda staggered in and handed the still unconscious Clementine to Viola who took her upstairs and to bed. Amanda followed.

Clemmy came round after she had been on the bed for less that a minute. She grinned at Amanda.

"Congratulations, my dear. I was silly enough to think I might win at first. For ten minutes, it was my fight" she told Viola. "But then Amanda started coming stronger all the time. She is the most magnificent fighter I have ever met. It was a privilege to do battle with her."

"Did you knock her out the way you said you would, putting her on her back and did you rest your foot on her stomach, Amanda?"

"Yes. It was the first warm thing my poor frozen foot had stood on for a very long time! And now, Viola I must ask you to let me be alone with the so brave Clementine for a little longer. Be a dear and run us a nice hot bath. It's what we both need and we will enjoy it together and very, very alone!"

"That would be the perfect ending to a perfect fight!" said Clementine, who was becoming more alert by the second as she recovered from the effects of her first ever knockout. She was finding it an interesting experience as things gradually got themselves back into focus. "Just what we need to take the aches out of our poor battered bodies!"

Amanda added. " And my feet are like blocks of ice. 'Ow I did not 'ave them froze off I never know!"

Downstairs, Viola, who had left the two fighters alone after running a bath, was sitting next to George Fox. She put an arm round his broad shoulder.

"You know, Foxy, old sport? If I were not a dyke, you would be just my kind of guy. Really you would.  Actually, if those two don't come down soon, we may both be at a loose end! I think there's something going on between them."

Fox frowned a little. He hoped not! He was extremely fond of Amanda and her funny ways. But Viola was a charming girl, who had been to a good school, moved in the same circles as he and who turned out, as they chatted,  to have many acquaintances in common with him. He vaguely remembered her father, who had spoken of Viola dismissively as the black sheep of the family for letting the side down and running off with some black dyke.

Up in the bathroom, Clementine and Amanda were taking it in turn to apply  cloths, soaked in cold water, to each others' eyes, trying to reduce the swellings.  Neither girl was a pretty sight, but they seemed, as they looked at each other,  very much to like what they saw.

"Four lovely black eyes" said Amanda as she dabbed at Clementine's bruised face. "When we face each other in that wood next time we use our fists only and not those gloves! There's a limit to what our faces can take!"

"Next time! You must be joking!" moaned Clementine. "I hate to admit it, but I know when I've met my match!"

"I am very serious indeed, my sweet friend and opponent! You are not trained as well as I am. When you fought Rashumba it was your first fight and you were lucky to beat her. Only the spur of love for the so sweet and adorable Viola got you through. In the prison you had a further incentive. You needed to be at the top of the heap or go under. When you fought me just now, there was nothing to give you such a boost.   But even had there been, I would still have won! Because I am a well trained and disciplined fighter."

"And I'm not, I suppose. Might I remind you I ran our team at the prison and we did well."

"I know, but you were not up against the best, darling Clemmy. But come again to our club  and train there and in three months you will be a very much better fighter. You make silly mistakes, Clemmy my sweet, and a good trainer will teach you to avoid them. And you must learn to concentrate. I - I miss nothing and I know how to strike when my opponent drops her guard, even for a millionth of a second. That took time to achieve, and you could achieve it also. We start to train you when you are better in a week or two. Don't look at me like that, my darling. I take not "no" for the answer! You are depressed now at losing for the first time ever, and you are still a little concussed. But in the morning you will feel different. We meet again in three months and you will see what a difference those months 'ave made. I will still win of course - I 'ope!"

Clemmy put her arms around Amanda, who responded in kind. The two stayed in that embrace for a long time and Clemmy shivered.

"The water's getting cold. But I don't want to get out just yet. Do you?"

"No. Not yet. Not ever! Let a bit out and run some more 'ot water. This is so good - this time together! Too good to cut short!"

Clementine did as she was told and the two started examining each other's well made but less than pristine bodies.

"You've been in the wars yourself, Amanda" Clementine stroked Amanda's leg, which that lady had stuck up in the air to let it be examined and fondled. A long white scar ran along her thigh.

"How did you get that?" asked Clemmy, kissing it.

"Oh. It was a brawl and the other girl used a broken bottle on me. If it had cut the artery it could have been goodbye Amanda! I smashed her face in for that. I really thumped that bitch, my dear!  It is not a clean thing to use knives and guns my dear Clemmy. We know that, you and I. We use our fists and out feet. They are all the weapons we need. But that cow could have killed me. I was right to smash her face in, but they sent me to prison all the same. Yes, my love, I too have been behind bars, but not for as long as you. It was a pretty bad time, though. I was nineteen and not at all the tough girl I am now."

"I was a year younger, Amanda. And I know what you mean. It is shattering to find yourself with the dregs of humanity and know you have to fight them and win or go under. How long were you in prison?"

"Six months. I was sentenced to twelve, but they let me go when someone came to the police and gave my side of the affair. I got out on appeal. And you - I know how your back got all those 'orrible marks. And I think I know 'ow you can get them removed - or at least partly. There is a dermatologist I know who can work wonders."

"Why don't you go to him, Amanda?"

"He cost money. I am not rich like you. And anyway my scars are not too bad and I quite like them. I use them to - 'ow you say - intimidate. But yours are terrible, my sweet. I 'ope the cow who gave you them rot in that prison. And now you show me your legs, Clemmy! I think I saw some marks on them."

Clemmy put up her left leg and Amanda ran her fingers along the two inch long scar along the shin. She asked how Clemmy came by it.

"I dropped some rock when it slipped through my fingers in the wet. I was lucky I didn't break it. As it was it was badly bruised. Running to and from the quarry was sheer hell for weeks after."

Amanda leaned forward and kissed the scar. She looked as if she would like to cover all of that long and imposing leg with kisses, but stopped. They contented themselves with sitting together and resting their bruised heads on each other's shoulders feeling their hearts beating in unison. Then Amanda broke the intimate silence.

"Clementine. For the first time in my life, I wish I was a dyke like you. If I were, you would be my type of woman!  When we kissed after our first match it was the only time I had done that with a woman. It was so nice."

The pair kissed again. Tongue rubbed against tongue and both girls tightened their grip on one another. By the time they faces finally drew apart, the water was getting cold again.

"I think we're just about well enough to join the others" laughed Clementine, flattered at Amanda's compliments and aroused by her incredible kisses.

They dried each other off, taking care to be gentle with their sore bodies.

"Where are our clothes, I wonder?" asked Amanda. "That coat cost me the earth."

"Who cares? We join the others as we are. It will compensate them for not seeing us fight."

Viola looked up as they came into the parlour.

"Oh! For Heaven's sake, you two. Put something on! You both look like the walking wounded. Fancy two women doing that to each other!"

"Balls - Viola!" said Clementine. "You're just angry because you didn't get to watch! And we are so sore that it would hurt to have anything touch us. Except for Amanda's gentle hands. Dear Amanda!"

"Dear Clemmy. I love the way you stroke my so sore body."

After kissing in a noisy, but very tender way, the two separated and sat with their respective partners, Amanda on George's knee and Clemmy on Viola's. Viola pushed Clemmy off.

"You're way too heavy to sit on me. I'll sit on you. And don't say it hurts. I don't care."

After a few short minutes Viola saw that Clementine was fast asleep. She looked at the others and said.

"I think she needs to go to bed, and I will join her, despite the early hour. I'm sure the rest of you can amuse yourselves without us!"

Jules and Estella said they had to be getting along, as the baby-sitter was costing them the earth, and Amanda was left with George Fox.

"Georges, I am staying in Paris. I want to see Clemmy made into a pro like me and we can fight again and again until she get as good as me. Do you mind terribly?"

"No. I am carrying on my attachment to the Embassy here. I only heard this morning when you were driving over with Clementine."

"Wonderful! You and I will be married. You can take Viola as your mistress and I can 'ave Clementine as my lover. C'est parfait!  We will all be so 'appy, the four of us!"

(And they were to be happy. They were an incredibly happy partnership and for a year or so the foursome was to develop exactly as Amanda had predicted. Except that Amanda became more and more coy about naming the marriage date.)

Amanda had been right about Clementine seeing things differently next morning. After recuperating she turned up at Amanda's club and agreed to put herself under Marcel's expert instruction. It hurt her to have to unlearn all her hard won knowledge and be built up from scratch but she proved a good pupil and was entered for a professional match after only two months. She knocked out her opponent in the second round and some of the lingering shame after her thrashing was removed.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

(In which Clementine becomes a Slave and all live happily ever after - Up to a Point!)

In the next three years the increasingly intimate couple were to meet seven more times in that wood and seven more times Clementine would lie senseless at Amanda's feet after what were always marathon contests, the latest and most bruising of which lasted forty five minutes.

By this time George had been posted back to London and Viola had joined  him there three months later. The way Viola's affair with Fox had deepened and Amanda had taken over Clementine had been slow and almost imperceptible at first but remorseless all the same. By the time the situation had resolved itself  all concerned saw that it had been inevitable from the time Amanda and Clementine had first faced each other in Abhlovia and Viola had met Fox in England. Amanda's  break with Fox came when he finally  tired of her reluctance to name the day for their wedding.

A year after her rescue  Clementine had said a sad farewell to Viola who promised they would still see each other often (which they did, their bond not having been broken but merely transformed into ordinary friendship). Clemmy bought Viola's cottage and Paris apartment and put the rest of her money into the sports club which soon diversified to  become a fashionable upmarket establishment. But the ladies combat side was never ignored.

Clementine and Amanda both fought professionally many times, always victoriously. But they never  appeared publicly against each other. Their private matches were all very, very personal and after each of them their relationship grew and deepened, but constant heavy defeats meant that Amanda came to dominate Clementine and exercise a control  that others noticed with disapproval but which Clemmy grew, first to accept, and then increasingly to enjoy.

"I am your slave these days, Amanda" she said over a romantic dinner on the night before their eighth fight.

"I know, darling! And you love it, don't you?"

"I'm beginning love it! I wonder if I could live any other way."

***************************

Their eighth fight was in high summer and on a glorious cloudless day. They had agreed, in view of the intense heat, to break off for refreshment every five minutes or so. Clementine had managed to keep herself under control and out of trouble for much of the time and after thirty minutes she dared to hope that this might be her first victory. Amanda seemed not to be her usual confident self today.

Maybe it was fear of what a win would do to unbalance their relationship, or perhaps once again she had expended her effort too early on, but  Clementine somehow lost the opening that she sensed herself to have. Soon Amanda started to demolish her in that coolly professional way that was a delight for onlookers to watch but sheer hell for her victims. Clemmy felt herself being softened up again and knew Amanda was going to flatten her once more. Five minutes later it was all over. But it had taken Amanda forty five minutes this time, including drinks breaks.

Amanda went down on her knees, her feet tucked under her posterior and raised the semi conscious Clementine's head, cradling it and resting it on her thighs. She stroked that long fair hair as the beaten girl opened her eyes and looked dazedly up into Amanda's lovely face. Clemmy smiled and pushed her head into Amanda's body trying to get it between those sweaty and succulent thighs.

"Mmm!! You smell so good! And you're so sweaty! It's bloody pouring off you!"

"And off you too, Clemmy! Though I am the one that does all the work! You just stand there and let me 'it you!"

Amanda laughed as she said this and ran her hands through Clemmy's golden hair. She leant back and opened her legs, letting Clementine have her sweet reward for being beaten.  For over an hour the two lay together in the clearing  Amanda part of the time tenderly cleansing the cuts she had just inflicted and part letting Clementine make love to her. She still preferred men, but Clementine had always been very special and she no longer felt any regrets about George, now married to Viola and a proud father.

Amanda looked solemnly down at the girl she had helped rescue and over whom she had come to assert an almost total dominance which was very much to the liking of them both.

"Clemmy, my darling. I think this must stop. It is true that you are getting better and better, but so am I. I am always the one step ahead of you and always you fall victim to my superior technique. It is getting to be so bloody boring always winning and you can't find it so much fun losing. Let's not fight ever again, my angel!"

Clemmy smiled back at her opponent and lover.

"You always say that and I always say I know when I'm beaten. We both of us know we'll fight again! I'm not one to give up,  but I acknowledge you will most likely always beat me, Mistress Amanda. And even if I do win one day, you will always be my mistress."

"I will indeed, my beloved Slave Clementine. And now it is time to get inside my cottage! You are better now and the life it is coming back to that so strong body. Carry me back to the cottage my powerful,  but too slow to beat me, Slave."

"I thought I owned the cottage now, Amanda. I seem to remember signing the cheque!"

"But it is I who own you, Clemmy. And if I own you, I own the cottage. And don't complain - you love to be owned by the superlative and incomparable Amanda! Carry me home at once!"

Clemmy did as she was told. It might be her money which was keeping the two of them, but Amanda always gave the orders and Clemmy liked obeying this woman whose imperiousness got more ludicrous and extreme with the years but never failed to delight her with its outrageousness. On the way, Amanda took her arms from around Clemmy's neck, stretching them out and leaning backwards, trying to make herself as hard to carry as she could and laughing as Clemmy began to sweat with the heat and her arm muscles stood out like ropes as they took the strain.

"Oh, You are so strong! Do you see the trees, Clemmy? Along this path? They need some thinning out. Get an axe and start on them as soon as you have got me home. I may come and watch later after I 'ave 'ad a sleep. I need a rest. It is the very tiring work knocking the shit out of you."

Amanda picked herself up from the ground where Clemmy, tiring for once of her lover's arrogance, had unceremoniously dropped her.

"OK, Clemmy. We BOTH chop a few trees down after we eat. I am just as strong as you in any case!"

"Balls! You get your sleep and I'll do it!"

Back at the cottage, the phone rang. Clemmy was away for a long time and finally came back into the parlour and sat by Amanda.

"It was Alexia, darling!  My lover during my imprisonment and the one who kept me sane all those years. She's finally been released. Her brutal husband, whom she put into a coma after he had beaten her, has miraculously recovered. And when he heard his young wife was in prison he forgave her and she is now free. It seems the injury must have done him good because she says he is now a kind and gentle man. They are in Paris for a long weekend. I have invited her to come here for the afternoon. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind! Of course not. Go and get the place ready to receive visitors, Clemmy. It is a tip as usual. I, with much reluctance, put up with your untidy ways but I won't have visitors seeing this mess!"

"You know you're as terrible a slob as me!" laughed Clemmy. "But, as ever, you're right. We can't entertain my former lover with the place looking like this!"

Three hours later the couple heard the sound of a car coming up the drive.

"She is here, Mistress!" said Clemmy.

"Open the door to your guest then, Slave! Don't you think we should dress to receive them!"

With horror Amanda had realised they were still stripped after their fight earlier on and the tree felling which had taken up that part of the afternoon not devoted to tidying the house.

"No. Alexia asked me not too. I am not totally stupid, Amanda!"

At first Alexia seemed unsure how to greet her erstwhile leader and lover, but the atmosphere gradually became relaxed, especially with Amanda being so charming and putting her at her ease.

"You fought Clementine not long before she was released. I remember that well. You had to give up before the end of the fight and you and Clemmy sat and watched me win against Olga. I was so proud that day. She had always beaten me before"

"Amanda only gave up because she had been told to, Alexia. She was employed by our Government to help get me free.  And we have had eight matches since, not far from here. She always knocks me out cold. We had our latest today and you might see I am just a bit damaged!"

"I can't believe it, Clemmy! I got so used to you being unbeatable! But Amanda doesn't look as if she got it all her own way, although, I have to admit   you DO look a hell of a lot worse that she does. You must be an absolutely brilliant fighter, Amanda, to beat Clementine!"

"I am, cherie! I am!"

Clementine tried to ignore her lover/mistress's cocksure complacency. She really was so unspeakably full of herself after her invariably victorious fights with her battered blonde partner/slave that it threatened to get beyond a joke.

"How are conditions at the prison, Alexia, and how is Rashumba?" She sounded almost like her old authoritative self. She thought she saw Amanda frown at this so she sat submissively on the carpet at her Mistress's feet and Amanda cheered up.

"It got better there after you were rescued, Clemmy. But as soon as the world turned its eyes away, things soon reverted to normal. For a while many of us were given clothes and moved inside . Then, after three months we were all naked again and in the bloody cage, getting whipped as usual. Rashumba, Olga and a few others were never given clothes or let out of the cage. We would see them huddled together at night and being run to and from the quarry.

 After being put back in the cage again, I was the head prisoner, after miraculously beating off Olga and easily thrashing Rashumba. I don't know who is in charge now - Olga I guess. Rashumba gets a terrible time, Clemmy. She treated the guards like shit for all the years you were there and they have not forgotten. They work her until she drops and they whip her long and hard for the least little thing, just like it was with you - only worse, if you can believe it!  And the other women make her life a non-stop misery which was not a thing you had to worry about. They still remember you, Clementine and how that cow made your life such hell on earth. She won't last much longer, poor woman. If you saw her now, even you would pity her."

 "Would you feel sorry for 'er, Clemmy my love?" asked Amanda softly, her arms possessively around Clementine's shoulders and her hand resting on her breast.

"Yes. I would, darling. She doesn't belong there for the next twelve years. If I wrote to the Abhlovians asking for clemency for her, do you think they might take any notice?"

(Clemmy wrote to the Embassy when she was free to do so, saying that she forgave Rashumba for all the wrongs she had done her and asking for her sentence to be reduced and her conditions to be improved. She never had a reply but Viola wrote a few months later to say that the Foreign Office had learned that Rashumba had been moved to another and far less harsh prison. Five years later the African woman, her hair prematurely white and her body stooping and frail was freed on parole. What happened to her after that, neither Clemmy nor Viola was ever to learn.)

Alexia stayed for over two hours and then said she must go. Clementine kissed her good bye and watched her till she was out of sight. Then she went back inside, nervous about Amanda’s reaction. She was beginning to realise that her Mistress got very angry indeed if Clemmy reminded her that she had not always been hers. She wondered what little treat might be in store for her. Amanda seemed to be upstairs and she heard her moving about, apparently looking for something. Then she came downstairs. She was carrying a stick, a chain and some handcuffs.

"So you kiss your ex-lover goodbye, eh! I teach you! Bend over that chair! NO. Correction! Bend down and touch the toes. Do not move until I tell you. I am going to cane that bottom and then take you outside and chain you up. And I let you in again one day - maybe. But you better get used to fresh air again and plenty of it!"

Clementine obeyed. Soon the cane was swishing through the air and her buttocks were on fire as Amanda coldly slashed away at them. Amanda might be tired after a morning thrashing her in the wood and an afternoon felling trees, but she gave Clemmy a caning to remember for many weeks after. Then she was told to stand up. Amanda came round and stood with her face an inch away from hers.

"What have you to say now!"

"I am sorry. But we were lovers, Amanda and long before I met you. But I am yours now. You know that!"

"Maybe. But outside you come and I wish it was winter not a warm summer evening!"

Amanda tethered Clementine, in such a way that she could not stand upright, to a ring well fixed in the concrete floor of the front yard. Then she left her. It got dark and after several hours the light went out. Amanda had gone to bed. Clemmy wondered how long this was to go on for. Maybe it was time for her to assert herself!  She pulled on the chain, but even her strength could not tear the ring out of its place. She had wondered at the time why Amanda had got her to put this there. Now she knew that this uncomfortable position was to be hers whenever she stepped out of line. That and the caning, whose after effects still made her careful not to bring her rump into contact with the ground. She was used to discomfort, though, and managed to get some sleep. It was light when she woke and the house was still silent. Finally Amanda came out. She had a bowl in her hand which she put in front of Clementine. It contained porridge and looked awful. Amanda went in and came back with a bowl of water.

"How long is this to go on for, Mistress?"

Amanda ignored her and went back inside Clementine decided that she must eat, even if she were to have to do so like a dog. By the time she had finished she had stuff all over her face and the water had partly been spilt.

At nine Amanda came out and got the car out of the garage. She drove away and Clemmy knew she would not see her again until evening. She wondered what reason she would give for her partner's absence. Clemmy had no fights arranged for weeks and was afraid Amanda might keep her here until then. At ten the postman came. He looked at the tethered Clemmy and laughed.

"The games you girls play! What it is to be young!"

Another caller was the gardener and he asked Clementine if she wanted help.

"No, thank you. Please get on with your work. I am here until Amanda decides to release me."

It was three days before Amanda said a word to the chained Clementine. Each morning she would place two bowls in front of her and each evening she would replace them with two more. The weather was still extremely hot and the sun was strong. By the time the evening came Clementine felt only marginally less thirsty that she had in the prison that last summer when they had pegged her out and left her without food and water for two days at a time. She consoled herself with the thought that at least she could move about this time, if only to a limited extent.

Then on the morning of her fourth day, Amanda spoke.

"Are you truly sorry Clemmy to have kissed that Alexia without asking my permission?"

"Yes. I would never want to hurt you. But I would still do it again. I owe her so much, darling."

Amanda snorted.

"I would never look at another human being, let alone kiss one! You are still a very selfish girl, My Slave and it will not do. And now, to the practical details! You need a shower. I don't mind you lying in your own shit, in fact it pleases me a lot,  but the smell is getting 'orrible! I will get out the 'osepipe!"

Thirty seconds later she was spluttering under a powerful douche of cold water. Amanda kept it up until her victim was ready to pass out before she turned off the flow. She had felt she might drown, especially when Amanda had turned the hose onto her face and kept it there for long enough to wash away the accumulation of food that had been smeared over it in the last few days.

That night it all became too much for Clementine. If only she could move her arms it might be almost bearable, but her hands were still cuffed behind her back and she was utterly helpless. This was as bad as prison. She gave way to the despair of being rejected like this by her dearest friend and cried, despite herself.  Amanda must have heard her sobs because the outside light soon went on and she came storming out, holding the cane and swishing it with great menace as she approached..

'Ow can I sleep when you make that so ridiculous noise? I teach you to wake me, you fucking nuisance!  Stick that butt up in the air as far as it will go. It is about to be thrashed as it 'as never been thrashed before. I slice it into ribbons and make the mincemeat of it. DO AS I SAY!! AT ONCE!"

Clemmy obeyed, keeping her head low and her bottom as high as her cramped position would permit, trying to pull her hands way from the target area. Then her still bruised rump was blistered again. She stopped counting after sixty strokes and concentrated all her mental energies on not moaning with pain as the frenzied assault continued. She knew that the slightest whimper would be punished. Finally Amanda stopped.

Clementine cursed herself for ever telling Amanda of Rashumba's technique of timing strokes to allow the pain to be maximised. Amanda was no Rashumba but she was pretty good, all the same. Clementine had stopped her sniffling and sobbing and taken the caning in silence. Amanda was dripping with sweat by the time she had finished and again Clemmy felt the drops falling onto her back. Amanda gave her a stern warning not to cry again if she knew what was good for her, punctuating her words with her final vicious strokes and adding four more for luck.

"Now sleep well, Slave.  CRACK! - Let me 'ear no more crying! CRACK!  I have the right to a decent night's sleep CRACK! in my own 'ouse!"  CRACK, CRACK., CRACK,  CRACK. Goodnight!"

And Clementine was alone again. She had thought it wise not to mention that the cottage was hers, as well as the apartment and the majority holding in the sports club. As Amanda had said before, she owned Clemmy and with her, all that was hers. And she knew Amanda had not ceased to love her. This spiteful punishment would be over one day soon. She slept soundly until she heard Amanda place her breakfast bowls in front of her.

"Will it be long, now, Mistress?"

"A year."

"Are you SERIOUS?" Clementine was horrified. A whole year like this? She could take a week or two - even maybe as long as  a month, but this was terrible!

"Yes - unless."

"Unless what?"

"You agree to fight against me in public. A professional boxing bout which I 'ave arranged for November. It will be according to the proper rules and dress codes. If you win I will never treat you this badly again. If you lose, I keep you chained out 'ere for a whole year! Or."

"Or what?"

"We split up. I go away and you never see me again. You 'ave the cottage and the apartment back and keep the club. I just leave your life and never come back - ever"

"Please never leave me,  Amanda! I would not survive without you. Keep me chained here like this for twenty years if you like, feeding me like a dog and caning me when I cry,  but please never leave me!"

"Good. I do not wish to leave you my darling. I keep you chained up 'ere till the fifth of October,  and I keep that sweet arse of yours nice and red the whole time. I want you to get it well and truly into your head just how very nasty it is to be out here! And then I send you for training for six weeks.  Maybe the thought of what it means to lose against me again will give you the spur that you need to beat me. Because I am very, very serious. You beat me, just once in your stupid life,  or you stay out 'ere, naked for a year!  And don't think I won't be trying my 'ardest to win, Clemmy. I never ease up against anyone - not even you!"

And Amanda got out the car and drove away. Clementine tried to work out how much longer she was due to be out here. She had no doubt at all that Amanda would not shorten her stay by as much as a second and she would be kept here naked no matter what the weather. When her Mistress said a thing she always meant it and never went back on her word. She had fought Amanda on the tenth of August, been brought out here later that day and it was now the fourteenth. That meant sixteen days in August, thirty in September and five in October ahead of her out here. Fifty one more days to come and fifty four altogether. And the weather might be getting chilly from early September onwards, especially at night. And her arse to be on fire the whole time!  

This last aspect of her predicament was the least of her worries. After what she had been through, a sore bottom was trivial in the extreme. But to be kept out of her own house for all that time - that made her very angry with Amanda - until she came to ask herself which she preferred, this punishment, or life without her. She knew life without her adored Mistress was unthinkable and prepared herself to get through her ordeal with as good a grace as she could.

Amanda was not back for a week and during that time the gardener fed Clemmy and cleaned her up with frequent applications of the hose. Apart from Amanda, he and the postman were the only people Clementine was to see in the coming long weeks. When Amanda returned, her first action was to cane Clemmy again, showing the poor girl that her arm was as strong and her action as wristy as ever.  As the weeks went by the Mistress got that cane to move faster and faster through the intervening space between her raised arm and Clemmy's bottom, making it whistle hideously as it came down upon those quivering cheeks. Clementine soon came to work out the best way to position her rear end for it to receive its frequent punishments and Amanda complimented her more than once on her agility and suppleness in presenting her rump so satisfactorily under such trying conditions. She more than made good her promise to keep her handsome, but welted, rear permanently red and sore for as long as she was chained out there.

 The postman and gardener both thought the whole thing a huge joke. When they were lucky enough to see Amanda giving the stick to her errant slave they laughed and cheered. Both heartily agreed it was a good thing to see a French girl keeping her English Slave in her place! By the end of nearly eight weeks out in the open she was to be very much of the opinion that the previously unbeatable Amanda must finally be overcome, no matter what!

The  worsening of the weather came on the first day in September when there was rain all day. Next day there was a violent hailstorm. Clementine felt the stinging stones peppering her back and looked up and saw Amanda looking out from an upstairs window. Her Mistress saw Clemmy looking up at her and drew the curtain. Clemmy was sure Amanda did not look happy. Perhaps she was lonely in bed without her! But the Slave knew that the Mistress would not relent even to satisfy her own longing for Clemmy's body.

In the prison there had been numerous downpours over the years including some ferocious hailstorms. The women had all huddled together in these circumstances, and it was understood that there would be a system whereby all took it in turns to bear the brunt of it themselves and give protection to the others. As leader, Clementine had always taken it on herself to be on the outside, never accepting shelter, and had become well used to the weather venting its fury on her unprotected hide. But she had hoped to have said goodbye to such discomfort after her rescue!

As she had feared, the nights became frosty in the second week of September. Several times she saw Amanda looking down at her during the night. She was clearly missing Clemmy badly and the chained girl was moved to pity on more than one occasion by the sight of the sadness in that watching face.

Finally it was all over and Clementine was sent to a training camp for six weeks intensive preparation - without Amanda. But the trainee was kept far too busy to miss her Mistress. Each night she went to bed utterly exhausted, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow of the hard bed and being bawled into getting up before dawn every day. Her days all started with a ten mile run, naked and barefoot. They fed her well but she was always ravenous, her table manners reverting to the atrocious level of her prison days. They gave her ten sparring partners, all men, all with different styles and none of them afraid to hit a woman - hard. Not only did she go to bed tired, but she went to bed bruised as well. But when the time came to leave, they all congratulated her and assured her that it would take a miracle for Amanda to beat her this time!

As she made her way home, she reflected that all this pain and discomfort had been paid for with her money. But it had been well worth it!  By the night of the fight she was fitter than she could ever remember being. She told herself, as she prepared to face Amanda for the ninth time, that if she couldn't beat her Mistress now, she'd richly deserve her year on a short chain.

 ********************

At the end of ten three minute rounds of boxing, the correctly attired Amanda and Clemmy were both still on their feet, fresh as at the start  and ready for ten more, which Clementine felt it might well take for a decision to be reached. She hoped the crowd were not getting bored.  Amanda had shorts that allowed some of the scar on her thigh to show. And a top which covered her body apart from her arms. Clemmy had a top that left her back largely bare and exposed a nine inch wide band of her solid midriff. For a change she wore shorts that covered as much as a quarter of her thighs. Thanks to the efforts of the expensive dermatologist, the back was no longer the ghastly sight it had been when her imprisonment had ended. Both girls wore black boots. Clemmy had red gloves and Amanda black. They each wore white tops and by the end of the third round both tops had been lightly spattered with blood. After ten rounds the white had almost totally been obliterated as water had spread the bloodstains on both fighters' tops. And more blood was being shed all the time, despite the valiant efforts of the seconds to stop the flow.

There had been no knockdowns as yet. Clemmy feared that she was just falling short of outscoring her opponent. But she had been a whole lot sharper this time and had paced herself through the contest. Amanda  was being as relentless and pitiless as ever and Clemmy knew that she had been forced to fight every inch of the way to stay on her feet and remain in contention. Every good blow she had managed to land had been a triumph for her against the other girl's wily tactics.

It had been a good, hard fought, clean and scientific bout with both girls getting black eyes and bloody noses and the crowd applauding them as they  went back to their corners.

Marcel was acting as Clementine's second and another trainer from the club was looking after Amanda.

"We can't keep this going all  night, Clemmy! It may be that you 'ave to make do with the points decision only this time!"

"As long as I win, Marcel! If I don't you won't be seeing me for a very long time, unless you like to come out to the cottage, of course!"

Marcel grinned. He knew of the conditions Amanda had imposed.

Clemmy was right in thinking that both were good for ten more rounds and at the end of the twentieth, both girls were determined to continue. But Marcel had been right. This match could not be allowed to go on for ever, even if the two were capable - which they both felt that they were!  There was a consultation. Clemmy knew that Amanda never broke promises, whether nice ones or nasty ones. She looked at the judges as they conferred and she felt sick with fear. A year chained within the curtilage of her own property was not an inviting prospect!  Finally the referee motioned both girls to the centre of the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen. I'm sure you'll agree these two wonderful young ladies gave us a great show tonight. (applause). It has not been easy to decide on a winner and the judges are not unanimous, but by a majority decision, victory goes to the girl in the red corner  - Clementine. But it was very close - nearly a draw. So give both girls a great round of applause, but especially our very brave winner, Clementine!  Rumour has it that these two Amazons have fought each other privately in the past and this is the first time Clementine has won. This is a very special day for Clementine!"

They  embraced in the ring, to the cheers of the audience. Amanda whispered. "I wonder who was the idiot who thought I won! You were great this time! So very sorry for that so cruel chaining you up, my angel. It broke my 'eart, I can tell you. It was 'orrible without your so sweet body next to me at nights. But I just could think of no other way you would be inspired to beat me. Please forgive me, Mistress Clementine. Tonight I am the one who gets to be chained up and caned, yes?"

"No, we go to bed and we make the wildest love even we have ever known.  And we stop all this slave/mistress nonsense, except as a game."

"It's a nice game, though." Amanda said later in the changing room as they stood under the shower, arms and legs delightfully entwined. "You know you love to play it! And we have much fun playing it together. And you failed to knock me out. I think you should be punished a little for that!"

Clemmy knew Amanda was right. And the truth was that it was more than a game to her. It was something she had come to need - an emotional crutch. There was  a sense of security in Amanda's domination for which she was very grateful.

So she regretted what she had just said. The game between them must indeed go on and be played by ever harder and harsher rules. What remained of the old, proud Clementine hated being punished by Amanda but the new humble and devoted Slave Clementine loved it and became gloriously, rapturously alive, the more her adored Mistress punished her. That few weeks chained up like a dog must not be her last. The thought of being out there in the bitter cold of winter drove her  crazy with the wildest, most frightening excitement! She knew that she longed for such a fate!  Delicious pangs of fear mixed with joy sliced through her guts as she envisaged the winter cold biting into her exposed and tender flesh, with no hope of release or mercy from her strict and flinty hearted Mistress.  She gasped for breath and prayed for that season to arrive early this year and to last many weeks.

And her bottom already hungered for the touch, both long and hard, of Amanda's whippy rattan cane. She whispered to her Mistress, her head nestling between Amanda's breasts.

"Promise me something, Amanda!"

"But of course. If I can, I will do anything for you."

"Be a strict Mistress to me, darling Amanda. The strictest in all the world! Correct all my faults without mercy. Never be afraid to collar and chain me in the yard. Let the cane give many burning fiery kisses to my cheeks in the years we have ahead."

"Anything you say, my darling Clementine - my adorable and obedient Slave! But I could not survive without you in my bed for a whole year. If you had lost to me just now, I would have come out every now and again in the coming twelve months and joined you! But I promise you some time out there in the winter - quite alone - as soon as we get the first fall of snow!"

Clemmy sighed rapturously. Then Amanda kissed her, shoving her tongue deep into her mouth. When the two faces drew apart she breathed in her most sultry voice.

"Ma Chere Clemmy. Maybe one day somebody will take pity on you, as you did with Viola, and offer to rescue you from your strict Mistress. Would you like that?"

"The bitch would have to fight us both, Amanda. Both of us at once. And I would still stay with you, even if she won!"

"Darling Clemmy - I give you twenty strokes of my so swishy cane tonight and we make love after!"

"Darling Amanda! Make it forty and you'll get love out of me that you've never even dreamt of before!"


THE END

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