The Pledge Mistress
Copyright 2006 by EC
EC's Erotic Art & Fiction - http://www.ecgraphicarts.com/

(warnings: erotic discipline, sex between adults, medical fetish, public nudity, 
sexual hazing)

Chapter 37 – Pledge Erin

The Friday following her harrowing adventure with Heather, Lisa returned to her 
job and faced Dr. Burnside’s questions about what had happened to her the day 
before.  As always, Lisa had to strip while in the professor’s office, hang up her 
clothes, lock the wardrobe, and hand over the key.  Before sitting down the 
student had to present her backside to satisfy Burnside’s curiosity concerning how 
badly she was marked up.  However, the professor was surprisingly sympathetic 
and Lisa found that talking about her experience with her mentor helped her 
tremendously.

Lisa noted an interesting detail about the older woman’s reaction to what had 
happened with Heather.  The professor seemed irritated with herself, because she 
had liked Heather and had a very positive impression of her from the few times 
they interacted.  Burnside considered herself a good judge of character, but for 
once she had been wrong about someone.  Lisa pointed out:

“She didn’t start out that way, Dr. Burnside.  To be honest, at the beginning of the 
summer I didn’t see much difference between her and Tracy.  I mean, they 
worked together just fine when we first started pledging.  I think what happened 
was that the sorority presidency went to Heather’s head, and she began to get 
stressed out and desperate about it.  What was ironic was that if she hadn’t done 
anything and just relaxed and not fought with anyone, she would have been 
elected, because President Alexandra wanted her.  But, the more she obsessed 
about the presidency, the more she started doing stuff that made everyone think 
she shouldn’t ought to get it.  I think over the summer she changed, and that's why 
people started opposing her.”

With that Lisa returned to her normal duties of grading papers and finishing up 
her own research projects.  She was quite happy to be returning to her routine 
after all the trauma of the preceding two days.  

Later in the afternoon Burnside asked Lisa to retrieve some files from the bottom 
drawer of a filing cabinet.  Lisa deliberately turned her back to the professor and 
completely bent over as she pulled out the papers, lewdly exposing herself and 
momentarily unsettling her mentor’s normally calm demeanor.  Lisa never tired of 
shamelessly flirting with Dr. Burnside and causing her to get flustered.

----------

The Saturday morning after Brittany’s rescue, Tracy and Shannon paid a visit to 
her sorority to pick up her things.  Shannon was very nervous, because it was 
clear that Tracy wanted to continue the brawl from two days before.  She was 
wearing a sweatsuit and a pair of steel-toed Army jump-boots, which would do 
real damage to anyone on the receiving end of a kick.  Tracy commented:

“I wish I would’ve had these boots on two days ago.  That would’ve taught those 
bitches never to fuck with us.”

Shannon followed Tracy to the rival sorority, carrying the letter authorizing Tracy 
to pick up Brittany’s things.  She desperately hoped the rival women might be 
reasonable and simply hand over Brittany’s items without a fight.

Tracy pounded on the door, only to have it opened by a very nervous hung-over 
freshman.  Tracy realized the girl must have been another pledge, because she had 
a black eye and her hair was tangled with adhesive from duct-tape.  Tracy and 
Shannon realized the pledge was alone in the house.  Obviously the fight the 
Pledge Mistress was expecting wasn’t going to happen, because there was no way 
this girl was going to cause her any trouble.  What happened instead was 
something neither of the Four-Beta’s could have expected.  The young woman 
asked:

“Is Brittany gonna join your sorority?”

“She might.  Depends on her grades.”

“But, she’s like, uh…gonna stay with you?”

“Yeah, she's gonna stay with us.  That’s why we need to pick up her stuff.”

Suddenly the girl became much more nervous.  She took a deep breath and 
blurted out:

“If I…like…uh…you know…bring her stuff out…I mean, like…could I go too?”

“Go too?  You mean...”

“Yeah, like…you know…go with Brittany?”

“So…what you’re telling me…is that you want to go to the Four-Beta house?”

The pledge nodded.

“You’re absolutely sure about this?  You’re sure you know what you’re doing?”

The pledge nodded again.

“OK, that’s fine with me.  Get your things, and don’t forget about Brittany’s 
stuff.”

The pledge ran back into the house.  A minute later she deposited several 
pillowcases full of clothing and textbooks at the front door and ran back in.  
Thirty seconds later she came back out, loaded down with a large suitcase and 
two trash bags full of more clothing and various items.  The Four-Beta officers 
picked up the bags and departed with a frightened young woman who had not 
even introduced herself.  

The freshman hurried along the sidewalk at such a quick pace that her two 
companions had to rush to keep up with her.  Once the group went around a 
corner the pledge slowed down slightly.

"I...is Brittany at the Four-Beta house...I mean like...right now?"

"Yes, she's there.  Now, can I ask you something?"

The girl nervously nodded.

"I think that, since you're gonna be staying with us, it might be a good idea if we 
introduce ourselves.  My name's Tracy, and this is Shannon."

Tracy put down the trash bag she was carrying and extended her hand.

“I’m Erin.”

There was no further conversation, because it was obvious that the only thing on 
Erin’s mind was getting off the street.  The fact that she had a black eye partially 
explained why she was such a nervous wreck.  Tracy had plenty of questions, but 
those could be answered once Erin was safely accommodated in the Four-Beta 
house, reunited with Brittany, and had a chance to calm down.

----------

Brittany was in the sorority library when the group returned to the Four-Beta 
house.  Tracy took Erin to see Brittany immediately, because the girl appeared a 
bit unstable and already seemed to be questioning whether or not she had made 
the right decision by fleeing her sorority.  The two freshmen were elated at seeing 
each other in their new environment.  In just two days Brittany’s appearance had 
improved tremendously, which helped Erin calm down considerably.

Tracy ordered the two guests to follow her downstairs and put away their things.  
Brittany then had to return to the library and continue working on her assignment, 
while Erin was ordered to clean up and issued the same outfit Brittany had on.  
Tracy then ordered Erin to report to the kitchen to have breakfast.

Like Brittany before her, Erin peeked out the window and was shocked to see 
about 20 women relaxing or exercising around the pool, all of them totally naked.  
In the backyard’s grassy area the current group of pledges were performing drills 
to prepare for the volleyball tournaments.  The tallest girl in the group had a splint 
on her hand, but otherwise the Four-Beta pledges were in excellent shape.

After breakfast, Tracy formally presented Erin to President Alexandra and the 
sorority’s social director.  Like Brittany before her, Erin signed a letter printed on 
Four-Beta letterhead announcing her resignation from her current sorority.  
Alexandra explained to Erin her guest status and emphasized that over the next 
three weeks she needed to focus on a single goal in life, passing her summer 
university classes.

----------

Once both newcomers were accommodated with their books in the sorority 
library, Tracy took off her clothes and went into the back yard to retrieve Lisa.  
She explained that a second pledge had defected from her sorority, and then 
explained what she needed from Lisa:

“It’s very important that we get those two signed on as formal pledges in the fall, 
for a whole bunch of reasons.  First of all, they’re dead meat as far as the other 
sororities are concerned, and I’m not just talking about the one they were 
pledging.  They’re gonna be looked at as total traitors to their sorority sisters and 
everyone’s gonna be out to get ‘em.  It doesn’t matter to the other sororities that 
Brittany nearly got killed and Erin’s got a black eye.  None of that matters to 
anyone except us in the Four-Beta directorate.  If those two girls want to have any 
hope of staying enrolled at the university and not get beat up, the only way they 
can do it is by staying with us.”

 “There’s something else.  I want to see that sorority shut down.  I totally hate 
what they’re doing to their members and now there’s finally a chance it might 
stop.  The arrests of their officers might help, but I think losing two pledges will 
be a real nice humiliation and hopefully demoralize them even more.  On top of 
that, the cops are gonna need Brittany’s testimony, and now we’ve got Erin, too.  
If we can keep Brittany and Erin safe until those bitches get investigated and the 
shit they’ve pulled gets documented, they’re gonna be fucked.  And that’s what I 
want, for that sorority to be totally fucked.”

With that, Tracy gave Lisa an ironic smile and continued:

“So, Pledge Lisa, I’ve got a question for you.  Since you’ve got Shannon’s study 
group to deal with, passing your Four-Beta panel interview to deal with, your 
personal shit to deal with, Dr. Burnside to deal with, a volleyball tournament to 
deal with, and your finals to deal with, how’d you like another thing on your 
plate?  You up for another responsibility?”

“Sure, why not?  What is it?”

“I want you in charge of getting Brittany and Erin ready to pledge.  Not just with 
their academics, but also preparing them psychologically.  And physically.  Elaine 
was gonna work on Brittany’s remedial PT and studying, but, as far as I’m 
concerned, training pledges is not her job.  I’m delegating that job to you.  
Remedial PT, academics, orientation.  Work up a training schedule and we’ll go 
over it this afternoon.”

“Alright.  You got it.  Is it OK if I see the training schedule you used with us so I 
can have a go-by?”

Tracy handed Lisa a book titled “Official Four-Beta Sorority Pledge Mistress 
Trainer’s Guide”.

“Here’s your go-by.  It’s the same one I used.”

As she thumbed through three chapters titled “Pledge pre-orientation”, “Pledge 
time management”, and “Non-traditional pledges”, Lisa realized that Tracy 
already was acting like the new chapter president, confidently delegating tasks to 
people she trusted to “get things done”.   Both Tracy and Lisa knew if anyone 
could transform Brittany and Erin from disoriented, frightened guests into Four-
Beta pledges, that person would be Lisa.

----------

Lisa began her new duty by calling a meeting of her three fellow pledges and 
explaining the situations of Brittany and Erin.  Then she added:

“If you think about it, things with us are starting to wind down, because we’re 
pretty much done with pledging.  We’ve already got two of the recruits who’ll be 
coming in with the fall group, and that means we’re no longer at the bottom of the 
Totem pole around here.”

Lisa continued:

“I’ve got my first tasking as a full member of the Four-Betas.  Brittany and Erin 
are gonna be fucked if their grades keep them from pledging, so it’s our job to 
make sure they pass their classes.  I want each one of you to spend some time 
helping them get caught up, but also getting to know them.  Once they swear-in, 
you’re all gonna be part of the same freshman class, so you might as well make 
them feel welcome and make friends with them.”

Lisa them moved on to a totally different issue, her own role in the current pledge 
group:

“Once we swear in, you three are gonna be the core of the freshman class.  I’ll be 
with the sophomores and I’ve already told Elaine that I’ll support her as class 
leader.  That means, right now, I think you ought to decide among yourselves 
who’s gonna be your group leader.”

Cherine raised her hand:

“I think it ought to be Bernadette.”

Lisa turned to Kathleen:

“Are you OK with that?”

“That’s fine with me.”

“OK, then Bernadette it is.”

A few minutes later Lisa and Bernadette knelt in front of Pledge Mistress Tracy, 
to formally announce that Bernadette had been elected freshman class leader, 
pending swearing in.  Now Bernadette was officially the leader of the pledge 
group and answered directly to Tracy, leaving Lisa free to deal with Brittany and 
Erin.

----------

After she talked to her group mates, Lisa went to the library to talk to the two 
guests alone.  She entered the room completely naked and was about to talk to 
two women who still were dressed, but that detail did not bother her in the least.  
Being naked was an important part of Lisa’s identity, and the people around her 
would just have to get used to that.  In spite of her lack of covering, she exuded 
confidence and authority as she addressed the two newcomers and ordered them 
to stand.  She introduced herself to Erin and explained that she was in charge of 
the two newcomers’ affairs until they formally became pledges.  Then she handed 
a copy of the pledge manual to Brittany and ordered her to read:

“Chapter 1, section 14 - a pledge will automatically assume a position of 
submission and respect whenever addressing an officer of the Sorority.   The 
position of submission and respect will be determined at the beginning of each 
semester by the Chapter President.  However, as needed, an officer of the 
Sorority, with the concurrence of the Chapter President, may require pledges to 
assume a position of submission and respect differing from the pledge position 
normally required in the sorority house.”

“Prospects Brittany and Erin, because I am delegated to help you get ready to 
pledge, I expect you to stand at attention whenever I talk to you.  Do you 
understand me?”

“Yeah…OK…”

“No, that’s not how you say it.  It’ll be ‘yes, Pledge Lisa’. Do you understand 
me?”

“Yes, Pledge Lisa.”

“The ‘position of submission and respect’ will change once you two formally start 
pledging, but so will a bunch of other things in your lives.  For one thing, you’ll 
be answering to the Four-Beta Pledge Mistress, once she gets elected.  I don’t 
know who that’s gonna be, but it won’t be Pledge Mistress Tracy, because in a 
couple of weeks she’ll be chapter president.  But, whoever the Pledge Mistress is, 
you’re gonna have to show her total respect, just like my group is doing with 
Pledge Mistress Tracy now.  You follow me?”

“Yes, Pledge Lisa.”

“The reason that’s important is because we do things differently than your old 
sorority.  The only person a Four-Beta pledge really needs to worry about is the 
Pledge Mistress.  We have a clear chain of command and everything you’ll be 
doing will be tied to your training.  We won’t be having you do a bunch of stupid 
irrelevant shit.  For example, you won’t have a senior waking you up in the 
middle of the night to get her a candy bar.  We don’t do things that way.”

Strutting in exactly the same manner Tracy strutted, Lisa continued:

“That’s not to say you won’t have a rough fall.  You will, but it’s gonna be 
different from what you guys were doing over the summer.  Everything you do 
here will have a purpose, and you’ll always understand that purpose.  Your lives 
will focus on studying, physical fitness, self-improvement, Four-Beta training, 
and sexual knowledge, in that order.  You won’t be allowed to have any alcohol, 
but that’s not to say you won’t have fun.  Play the game by our rules, and I 
guarantee you’ll have plenty of fun along with the hard work.  You don’t have to 
make yourself sick on booze to have fun.”

Lisa then addressed an issue on the minds of both her listeners, noting that every 
so often they glanced at the bruises on her bare bottom.

“I know that you’re wondering about physical punishment.  Do we have it?  Yes 
we do, and it’s an important part of pledge discipline.  However, only the Pledge 
Mistress or Sergeant-at-Arms can administer a punishment; and the only place 
you’ll ever get punished is on your butt.  Around here’s no such thing as getting 
hit in the face, like what happened to you…” Lisa pointed at Erin’s black eye.

With that Lisa held up the Pledge Mistress manual:

“Everything that goes on in your lives is written down in this book.  If you ever 
have a question about something that I (or your Pledge Mistress in the fall) want 
you to do, you have the right to ask why, and to ask where it’s written down.  If 
you don’t like my answer, you can talk to Pledge Mistress Tracy or President 
Alexandra.  You understand that?

“Yes, Pledge Lisa.”

“If I don’t follow what’s in this manual, I can get booted from the sorority.  That 
just happened to one of our officers.  She didn’t follow the pledge manual, abused 
her authority, and is no longer with us.”

Lisa pointed at the textbooks laid out on the library table.

“That’s gonna be your purpose in life.  You’ve got to pass your classes.  We’ll 
tutor you, help you get caught up on your assignments, and you’ll pass.  I bet last 
Wednesday you didn’t think you were gonna pass the semester, did you?”

“No, Pledge Lisa, we…”

“Well, things in life change, don’t they?  You’ll bust your asses and you’ll pass, 
but then in the fall you’ll have to work on bringing your grade point average up.  
Now, what questions do you have from me?  Don’t forget, the only stupid 
question is the one you don’t ask…”

A few minutes later Brittany and Erin were seated with Kathleen, working on 
essays that should have been turned in two weeks before.  Oh well, better late 
than never.  

Meanwhile, Lisa wrote the first entry in the sorority training-log for the fall 
semester:

July 23 - 4:20 p.m.  Pledge Lisa Campbell was placed in charge of the initial 
orientation of Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin at the request of 
Four-Beta Pledge Mistress Tracy.  Following the appointment, Pledge Lisa 
formally introduced herself and discussed Four-Beta expectations of both pledge 
prospects over the next three weeks.  Topics covered included protocol between 
pledges and the trainer/Pledge Mistress, introduction to the Pledge Manual, a brief 
overview of Four-Beta training goals and philosophy, chain of command, physical 
discipline, and grievance protocol.  Purpose of introduction was to emphasize the 
structured nature of Four-Beta training and contrast it with their former sorority.  
The above topics were covered superficially, but will be further developed 
throughout orientation.

Both pledge prospects appeared willing to accept the protocol of the Four-Beta 
pledge program, which presumably is much more structured and clearly defined 
than training protocol in their former sorority.  Questions asked by the pledge 
prospects following the introduction included: sleeping arrangements for pledges, 
contact with parents, how many freshmen typically pledge in the fall and the 
dropout rate, and the nature of the Four-Beta Sorority’s relationship with the Tri-
Alpha Fraternity.

Both pledge prospects understood the urgency of their academic situation and 
accepted the need to pursue an intense study schedule over the next two weeks.  
Assisting the pledge prospects with academic mentoring will be Pledge 
Bernadette, Pledge Cherine, and Pledge Kathleen.

Remedial PT will include 10-minute exercise and stretching breaks every hour to 
counter fatigue from studying.  Neither pledge prospect is able to perform 10 
pushups non-stop, nor run more than 5 minutes before becoming seriously 
exhausted.  Both pledge prospects are over-weight by approximately 15 pounds 
each and have limited flexibility in their muscles.  Remedial PT will include 
stretching, with the goal of preparing their bodies for more intense exercising by 
the beginning of August.  

Trainer’s assessment:  Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin both 
appear to have above average intelligence and outgoing personalities.  However 
they will require counseling to counteract alcohol abuse, sleep deprivation, 
extreme stress, and possible feelings of guilt resulting from changing sororities.  
Their personal relationship appears mutually supportive and should be a positive 
factor in their adjustment to the Four-Beta Sorority.

Note:  Pledge Lisa decided that the “position of submission and respect” for the 
pledge prospects will consist of standing upright at attention, because Pledge Lisa 
has not yet sworn in as a full member of the Four-Beta sorority.  Upon swearing 
in as a member-in-full-standing, Pledge Lisa will require Pledge Prospect Brittany 
and Pledge Prospect Erin to kneel when addressing her, in accordance with 
Chapter 1, section 14 of the Four-Beta Pledge Manual. 

Trainer’s recommendation:  Pledge Lisa recommends that both pledge prospects 
be allowed to use the pool immediately as part of their remedial PT, and not have 
to wait until becoming formal pledges.

Later that night Pledge Mistress Tracy added her own comments:

July 23 - 10:30 p.m.  Pledge Lisa’s request concerning use of the pool approved 
by chapter president.  Pledge Prospect Brittany and Pledge Prospect Erin will be 
allowed to use the pool at Pledge Lisa’s discretion, provided they are under escort 
and properly undressed before entering the pool area.

----------

The pressure of life in the Four-Beta Sorority did not let up as July drew to a 
close, in spite of Tracy’s promise of “light at the end of the tunnel”.  The 
exhortation to study and perform well academically was more intense than ever, 
as was the final portion of the Four-Beta training in the evenings.  The pledges 
had to study the sorority’s rules, by-laws, and chapter history to prepare 
themselves for a written examination and the final panel interview. 

Of the four pledges, Kathleen by far surpassed the others in mastering the Four-
Beta material, because her mind was suited for that type of learning.  By the end 
of July not only did she know the sorority’s rules and history; she could actually 
recite them from memory.

Tracy continued to be stressed about the upcoming volleyball tournaments and 
worried that the sorority might not match its performance from the year before.  
As a result, the pledges spent endless hours in the back yard practicing with the 
juniors.  Unfortunately Lisa had to sit out a week of volleyball practice while she 
waited for her hand to heal and the splint to come off.  Instead, Tracy had her 
perform exercises designed to help her get ready to train, with the hope that once 
Lisa’s splint came off, she could get caught up.

----------

On top of their own studies, the four pledges took turns helping Brittany and Erin 
get caught up in their studies.  Fortunately, it turned out that Erin shared two 
classes with Bernadette, Cherine, and Kathleen, so much of what they did with 
her directly related to their own coursework.  Over the next week the two pledge 
prospects progressed with their assignments, while Alexandra sweet-talked the 
professors into accepting various papers way past their due dates.

By the beginning of August, the physical appearance of Brittany and Erin had 
changed dramatically.  Erin had to cut her hair to remove the adhesive from the 
duct tape, and both newcomers dyed their hair back to its natural color.  As 
customary for pledges of the Four-Beta sorority, they quit wearing makeup, 
jewelry, and nail polish.  After just a few days of exercise, plenty of sleep, and 
healthy food, their health had improved tremendously.  Already they were 
beginning to slim down as their bodies became more toned and the flabbiness 
from their drinking receded.  Their formally vacant expressions vanished, 
replaced by the determined look of knowing that their lives depended on whether 
or not they could salvage the semester.

The two newcomers were more fortunate than Lisa’s pledge group in on aspect; 
they had time to gradually get used to the naked lifestyle of the Four-Beta 
Sorority.  Lisa took them into the swimming pool as a reward for completing 
assignments and, of course they were required to swim naked.  The first time 
skinny-dipping was very difficult, especially for Erin, but the second outing to the 
pool was much easier.  Within a week both pledge recruits had become 
accustomed to swimming naked and were starting to enjoy it.  From skinny-
dipping Brittany and Erin progressed to exercising naked whenever they were in 
the yard.  Over time Lisa patiently expanded the amount of time her two charges 
were separated from their clothing, easing them into their upcoming life of 
continuous nudity as pledges.

----------

The arrival of Brittany and Erin forced President Alexandra to quit dwelling on 
the scandal over Heather and blaming herself for the mistreatment of Pledge Lisa.  
Instead, she would spend the month of August dealing with the final important 
fight of her presidency.  The Friday following Erin’s flight to the Four-Beta 
House, the sorority was served with an official complaint, signed by most of the 
university’s other sorority presidents, accusing the Four-Betas of “pledge 
stealing”.

The offense the other sororities were accusing the Four-Betas of committing was 
a serious violation of sorority protocol.  The various sororities had an 
understanding that under no circumstances were they to attempt to recruit each 
other’s pledges.  On the surface, the Four-Betas clearly had violated that 
agreement by taking in Brittany and Erin.  

The story, as circulated by the Four-Betas’ rivals, was that Tracy and Shannon 
had deliberately provoked the members of the rival sorority into a fight to get 
them arrested, with the premeditated purpose of stealing pledges.  Along with the 
complaint was a petition from the other sorority officers demanding that the Four-
Betas to drop all assault charges against their rivals, and another document 
demanding that Brittany and Erin be forced to leave the Four-Beta house and 
return to their original sorority. 

Alexandra showed up at the presidents’ meeting to acknowledge the grievance, 
but had no intention of complying with either demand.  She began by noting that 
Tracy and Shannon had been attacked and were merely defending themselves.  
There was no denying that fact, because the police report clearly backed the Four-
Betas’ version of the incident.  She emphasized her point by passing out copies of 
the report.  As for the fight itself, if the other women got beat up because they 
were drunk and out of shape…well, whose fault was that? 

As for Brittany and Erin, they were at the Four-Beta house not because they had 
been lured by anyone, but because they chose to go there.  They were just starting 
to regain their health, restore their grades, and put their lives back together.  The 
Four-Beta president flatly rejected any demands to give up Brittany and Erin, no 
matter what anyone else said or threatened.  She knew that in doing so she was 
about to unleash a fight between the Four-Betas and the other sororities, but so 
what?  It wouldn’t be the first time, nor the last.

The other sorority leaders were infuriated upon hearing to Alexandra’s 
unapologetic defiance concerning the Four-Beta Sorority’s vile acts of entrapment 
and pledge stealing.  However, the rival officers were smart enough to realize that 
taking their complaints to the media would not be a good idea.  Already pledging 
scandals were beginning to make the news, even before the fall semester had 
started.  Going any further with a formal complaint probably would be counter-
productive, given that already the police and the university had become very 
interested in the dangerous hazing practices and underage drinking going on at 
Brittany’s sorority.  Unfortunately, the drunken interview from the senior in 
Brittany’s old sorority, especially when contrasted with President Alexandra’s 
courteous thoughtful comments, certainly did nothing to strengthen the position of 
the Four-Betas’ rivals in the eyes of journalists covering the story.

No.  The other sororities would have to come up with something else, something 
that wouldn’t involve normal grievance procedures, but instead totally humiliate 
the residents of the Four-Beta House.  That night several of Alexandra’s 
counterparts lay awake, each restlessly pondering what could be done to 
embarrass the rogue sorority.  

One woman hit upon an idea that seemed perfect.  The “sex bitches” liked being 
naked so much…OK, let’s make them go public with that.  Put ‘em on display for 
the whole world to see.  

The university-wide sorority volleyball tournament was coming up…a few small 
changes in the rules…and we’ll give the Four-Betas plenty of exposure…a lot 
more than even they can handle…

