"The Storm" by Mark Aster (MyFrThAl@aol.com). A sudden storm strikes, and the two travelers seek shelter in a nearby house, which they barely reach as their car dies in the driveway. If our travelers were named Larry, Curlie, and Moe, we would find a mummy lurking within secluded hidden passages in the house. If one of the travelers were a kindly but bemused mystery writer, a murder would be in order. But here we have Julie Allen and her faithful stud of a traveling companion; and so we can expect a somewhat different story to evolve. To make a long story punfully short, the travelers are not only invited to come in out of the rain but also to cum in out of the rain.

The story raises an interesting question. It is my understanding that Miss Manners of syndicated newspaper fame is a regular reader of my column - though not, of course, of the stories reviewed herein. Perhaps Miss Manners could answer a question regarding social etiquette.

Imagine that the host and hostess have accompanied their visitors to the guestroom, after the hostess - a lady whose breasts and bodily curves give the clear impression of wanton nakedness even though she is fully clad and has done nothing more lascivious than give the male guest a passionate kiss while her husband and the other guest were chatting casually in the next room - imagine that this lovely hostess asks if there's anything at all that she and her husband can do for the weary guests. Then imagine that the female guest nervously but hopefully replies, "What I'd really like is for your husband to let me take his cock in my mouth and suck him until he's stiff and hard, and then for him to fuck me until I scream, and him come inside me." The question for Miss Manners is this: what should the male guest do to make his host and hostess feel at ease during the ensuing awkward silence?

The author handles this social dilemma by having the male guest say to the hostess, "I'd like you to open your gown and let me bury myself in your sweet naked body." The hostess complies, and everyone has a jolly good time - actually, several jolly good times. It's a good story. The author displays his usual ability to maintain a vivid picture of two couples happily copulating while everyone stimulates everyone else. I think the author wanted to create a surrealistic atmosphere that didn't quite make it for me; but that's like saying I ordered a chocolate sundae but the waiter brought me a great eclair by mistake.