Part III King XXXI

Chapter XXXI: Vlostock in Africa

This novel contains graphic scenes of sex, some involving minors, rape and forced sex. It is purely a fantasy, not a depiction of real people or events. It is intended as a satire of politics and our modern culture, both funny and stimulating.

This begins Part III, the final section. We have to wrap this sucker up sometime. Every good narrative should have three good acts, and we've reached that point in our story though we have, as Obama says, "a long way to go." And much greater things to follow.

By hauteone

The letter from Patrice was not very encouraging.

"Dear Brad:" she started. "We've not had much luck locating my family's ancestral village. Indeed, no evidence that Valdignya ever existed has been found, mostly just rumors. We went in the desert and found several piles of stones that could have been the remnants of a village at one time. But the area around the volcano is today pretty much devoid of life, even animal life. This is such a dirty, dusty remote place that I feel like we are looking at a moonscape.

"Still, thanks for paying to send me and members of my family to visit Africa. I can't tell you what an adventure it has been. We visited living villages further south and east where we ran into people who might actually have been related to us. That part of the region is wetter, greener and teaming with life. We were 10 feet away from wild lions last week. Mom freaked.

If the Quin ever was in this area, however, it's not affecting the local climate for the better currently.

"Carmel sends her love and says she misses you deeply. You know what she means. I miss you, too. Deeper than she does."

Patrice."

Creech was disappointed as I was.

"Doesn't look like we're going to find evidence of the Quin in central Africa after all," she said.

"I just wanted Patrice and Carmel to explore the area around the volcano to see what they could find and determine if what we see in satellite photos is accurate. If there was a piece of the Quin buried nearby, the local landscape should show evidence."

"Wouldn't the rainfall patterns in the area make a difference?" Donna spoke up.

"They have changed since the time of Craddock and Dnan," I said. "Geologists have told us that there were rivers running freely through the region as recently as 60 years or so ago. That would coincide with time Vlostock and Rashan were in the area."

"And disappeared?" Creech added.

"Yes, and disappeared without a trace," Mom added.

"Yet Efram was helped?" Donna said.

"Yes, he recovered his physical and mental faculties," Mom said.

"And lived to return to you?" she said.

"In a way," Mom answered.

Patrice's letter prompted me to call a meeting and invite as many residents of the mansion and the studio as possible. I wanted them to know what we were up against. My sisters, Creech, Dez, Donna, all of the girls in the harem and several from the studio and local strip clubs had shown up as had the newly arrived and still-recuperating Lisa Ann. We had all gathered in the downstairs library at the house.

It was an appropriate night for a ghost story. The much publicized storm that caused so much commotion still was raging outside and there were flashed of lightning and the crash of thunder to set the mood. Halloween was still two weeks away but the girls had already put up Halloween decorations, turned down the lights and lit candles. A fire crackled in the fireplace. At least 60 sets of wide eyes were focused on Mom and I sitting on the main couch in the room. Everyone else was scattered around the room in other chairs and foot stools or sitting on the plush carpet.

"In what way," Loyola asked.

"Mom, you're getting ahead in the story," Tisha said. "Why not start from the beginning?"

"I will, but I really miss Patrice and Carmel," she said. "You know I've seen and witnessed too much death and destruction. I sure hope them girls in Africa are safe and I feel so sorry for Lisa Ann here."

"Patrice and Carmel are okay and Lisa Ann is recovering and will soon be her old self," I said.

"Except I won't be turning tricks the way I was in Jersey," Lisa Ann smiled. "Go on. I am interested in hearing the story of my family."

This, with some editing, amplifications and background provided by me, is the story Mom told that night:

Vlostock, Rashan, Candy and Saana had reached the volcano which their guides said was where tradition said the ancient village of Valdignya was located. They observed from a large butte it had taken a day to climb and now looked down on the dry landscape in the valley below.

"This area once was full of wildlife and jungle?" Candy said. "That's difficult to believe."

"This area is very dry now but once the Quin, buried somewhere deep in the mountain beyond, drew rain here and life was abundant," Rashan said.

Vlostock was inpatient to scramble down the cliff face on the opposite side of the butte, cross the valley floor and explore the sides of the volcano.

"Some of our guides have said they spotted dust clouds in the far distance yesterday and waiting here is not putting any distance between us and our friends," he said.

"Free French radio reported yesterday that the rains in Mali have abated which means they've probably been able to cross the rivers between there and here," Saana said.

"That means they could be less than two days by land away," Rashan said. "They have an enormous group to move but it doesn't give us much time to explore the mountain."

"If the Quin was still buried here, would the effects on local wildlife be evident?" Candy said.

"That's just it, something could be masking its effects on the local climate," Rashan said. "In the time of Dnan, there was concern that the luxuriousness of the local life was drawing more attention to this area than necessary. There were allegedly attempts to hide the power of the Quin and perhaps someone succeeded in doing so."

"We'll never find out waiting here," Vlostock said as he tied off a rope and tossed the other end over the edge of the cliff face.

Salgalcano and his Sicilian friend Giuseppe chocked on the dust kicked up by the German transport trucks ahead of them. Their armored vehicle was eighth from last in a line of about 20 vehicles moving across the desert and proceeded only the trucks carrying Italians in the convoy.

"Stupid fucking Krauts," Giuseppe said. "We set up this journey for them and now suddenly they are in the lead and we cough from their exhaust and dust clouds. Why don't you stand up to these bastards and tell them that we alone know the way to the mountain."

"The colonel seems to believe he has some intelligence directing his troops where to go," Salgancano said, holding a handkerchief up to his molten face. "Let's let them have their way until it no longer proves useful."

"And when will that be?"

"When we reach the Jutobi River," Salgalcano said. "Until then, we bide our time.

His handkerchief was black from the dust and exhaust. Suddenly the lead truck directly ahead squealed to a sudden stop. Not able to see clearly through the dust, the driver of the lead Italian truck nearly smashed into the back of the German troop carrier ahead, but then was bumped violently from the rear by the truck directly behind.

"Fucking, cocksuckers," Giuseppe screamed.

Suddenly from the roiling clouds of dust, the German commander emerged smiling and walked toward Giuseppe's and Salgalcano's truck.

"Good news, my friends," the German colonel announced.

"Yes, we managed to survive that sudden stop with our bodies still whole," Giuseppe said.

"What?" said the colonel. "Oh, you Americans are so amusing and easily amused. No, the news concerns a radio transmission we just received. It appears the assistance I requested should arrive shortly. The Furher has placed a high value on this mission, it seems."

Salgalcano was as upset as his companion, but had learned to be more diplomatic with the sometimes volatile Germans.

"Great, colonel, what assistance are we receiving?" he said.

Suddenly two black shadows swept over them like avenging demons and blocked temporarily the sun. A loud roar took away their breath. Giuseppe was the first to react.

"Jesus fucking Christ," he shouted in fear. "That goddamned Rashan has found us again."

In Chicago, Efram prepared to board a train for Oregon. Miri slept in his massive arms. Two armed Rashan body guards accompanied him. Mortuse had made sure that Vlostock's severely disabled brother and niece would be well-protected on the journey. Events in the Chicago area had recently taken a turn for the worse and Mortuse was dispersing his family to the far corners of the country so that one massive blow could not entirely cripple his entire wing of the family.

It was a bad time to be in the prostitution business. Many men were mobilized for the war effort, the military was taking a dim view of organized prostitution rings, except for those operating near military bases, and the threats from Mortuse's enemies had grown more severe than ever. With no word from Vlostock and Rashan in Africa, Mortuse felt he had no choice to get his Chicago family into hiding and return to his base in California. He'd ordered the Sausage Factory to be closed.

Mortuse kissed his son goodbye on the cheek.

"Take care of Miri," he told Efram. "Rjani and Loci here are friends of Rashan. They will make sure you and your blessed bundle arrive safely."

Mortuse wiped tears from his eyes and stepped away from the train. He turned quickly on his heels and walked toward a waiting limo outside Union Station. As he approached the limo, a short, limping man stepped toward him, hand outstretched.

"Mr. Salgalcano sends his best," the limping man said.

Four shots rang out and Mortuse fell in a heap on the pavement. Two of his body guards rushed over from the limo to shoot Mortuse's attacker. He turned to return the fire. Mortuse's two armed guards were hit in the head and chest. They staggered briefly and fell feet from where Mortuse lay bleeding. The limping man fell to a knee then hobbled to his feet and scooted away as fast as he could across the busy street.

The low buzz alerted Rashan that time was up. The day-long search along the slope of the volcano had come to a sudden end.

"Take cover quickly," he cried.

Vlostock was lower on the slope with five guides. He grabbed them and they slid down the mountainside so they were hidden by rocks. Saana, Candy and the other guides were higher on the slope and ducked behind some nearby boulders.

The pitch of the buzz shifted to higher octaves as the two Messerschmitt b 109's increased their speed and dropped in elevation. Rashan exposed in the open was spotted from the air. The pilots unleashed canon fire in Rashan's general direction.

The trajectories of the projectiles split and left Rashan standing unharmed between them. Geysers of sand and rock erupted on either side of him.

"Hurry, we must make it to that cave we discovered yesterday before they have a chance to turn around for another pass," he called to the others.

"That Quin power is something else," Saana called to him. "Those bullets seemed to just part around you."

"That wasn't the Quin," Rashan said. "That was just pure dumb mudder fucking luck."

The Messerschmitt pilots turned their planes around on the opposite side of the mountain and came back for another look. Rashan and the rest of the Vlostock party were gone by the time they returned to where they thought they'd spotted a lone figure earlier. They circled for a time, then, low on fuel, they returned to the airport to the west they were using as a base.

From the entrance to a cave, Vlostock watched the planes leave the area.

"They will be back now that they've confirmed we're here," he said. "And their fellow Nazis will not be far behind."

"Yes, unfortunately, they saw me, though I believe the rest of you were well hidden," Rashan said. "They will surely have seen our encampment at the base of the mountain, so we must move on."

"Not before we explore this cave," Vlostock said. "I found some interesting markings back on that far wall that I did not see when I explored here earlier and the cave goes back much further than I thought."

"This, then, will have to be our final search before we pack up and get out of this area," Rashan said.

Under the brilliant, California sun, Mortuse's casket was laid to rest. Efram had returned to attend the funeral, but Miri was left in Oregon with other family members. There was no point in exposing her to the dangers now hovering around the California home Mortuse had shared with his beloved, now deceased, wife.

In recent days, strange thoughts had been flooding into Efram's head. Long dead ghosts returned to trouble his already jumbled dreams. But for the first time in a long while, clarity started to return.

He felt stronger. The limp seemed to disappear almost overnight. His shattered jaw seemed to return to its former, classic form. Already he was moving in two dimensions, still visible in his own place and time, but fading, slowly fading.

Rashan's and Vlostock's proximity to the Quin was having a hoped for effect from the other side of the world.

The rust-colored cone projected from the volcanic rock, unobtrusive except to someone looking for it. It was obviously not natural. It was about two-feet long and appeared to be anchored to the cave wall. Vlostock tried to pick it up but it was too heavy to move.

"We are seeing only part of it," Rashan said. "The rest is hidden from us in another dimension and time."

"The place where Belial disappeared to?" Candy asked.

"Yes, possibly, the pit of hell itself," Rashan agreed.

"I thought this thing was supposed to be moveable," Vlostock said. "I don't think we'll pry it out of the rock."

"Something has been done to change it and mask its effects," Rashan said. "Now that we are closer to it, I can feel its life force blowing through me like a hurricane. Perhaps the Germans efforts to kill me were, indeed, blocked by the Quin."

"I watched those bullets coming toward you and figured you were dead," Saana said. "They turned away from you as if directed by an outside force."

"Perhaps you are right."

"Well, how do we get this thing out of here?" Vlostock said.

"We must hope it likes and recognizes us as the descendants of Craddock who guarded it in prehistory," Rashan said.

"Recognizes us?" said a startled Candy.

"It is not a consciousness," said Rashan, "but it has the ability to be focused and manipulated by those who know how."

"Before we do anything else, let us focus our attention on Efram," Vlostock said. "Even if we die here, perhaps we can save him."

Outside the cave, it had begun to rain in torrents. Two days later when Salgalcano and his Nazi benefactors arrived at the butte overlooking the valley, they found the area ablaze with a new burst of floral color and green grasses. Even the side of the volcano had sprouted new greenery.

When Efram finally disappeared completely, it was like a gentle, warm light going out. There was no one around to morn or see his passing. The rest of the family had been scattered around the globe.

Technically, he was now the head of the family with Vlostock and Rashan out of the country and Mortuse gone. But he would have to manage things from another dimension. Another time.

Mom asked Efram once what it was like where he was. He said he wandered in a vast wilderness of swirling mist and light seeking portals into times and places where he could effect the outcome of "unfortunate" events.

Somewhere in the mist, he could sense the presence of Belial and beyond, the dimensions into which the great race of sentient reptiles had disappeared. With Belial's help, they were planning to return.

For them, time was no obstacle.

"Where have you put it?" Salgalcano insisted. "Our patience wears thin."

Saana was strapped to a rock as a line of German soldiers walked up one by one and abused every hole in her body capable of accepting a dick. She screamed and cried out in torment as Rashan, Vlostock and Candy looked on helplessly.

"It will end soon, Saana," Candy said. "Just be patient. The clock is ticking."

Caught as they were attempting to flee, Vlostock's party was now paying the price for not being faster.

"This whore is in her element, awash in dirty penises," Salgalcano said. "This isn't torturing her. She's enjoying this."

"I cannot understand American women," the German colonel said. "No pure Aryan woman would accept such painful abuse."

"Maybe you Aryan's aren't the master race after all," Vlostock said. His hands were tied behind him and he had a machine gun pointed at his head, but he was so angry at the treatment Saana was receiving, he felt he could break his bonds with a quick snap of his wrists.

"I tell you, Colonel, this slut was taking dick like candy when she worked as a whore back in Chicago," Salgalcano said. "She managed the Krilenko whore house there."

"And the negro one?" the colonel asked.

Salgalcano looked at Candy.

"Also a whore, a prized one," he said. "She might be more likely to break under the onslaught. I realize your men are reluctant to have sex with a woman of inferior race. Still, her tiny body won't be able to take the abuse this white whore has."

"I can take any tiny cock your men can dish out," Candy said.

Saana's mouth was stuffed with cock, but she managed to mumble something about Candy not sacrificing herself. One of the German soldiers released s stream of viscous fluid into Saana's mouth and she choked. Coughing desperately, she maintained a defiant, angry look on her ball butter blasted face.

"Kill the white one and bring the negro girl over here and strap her to the wall," ordered the colonel. "I'll let you Italian mongrels have access to all her dirty holes."

Candy struggled as she was brought to one of the walls of the cavern and suspended by chains.

"Candy, Rashan says it is only a matter of time," Vlostock said. He looked over at his father's chief of security. Also bound to a wall, Rashan's head hung to the side as drool and blood dripped in long streams from his mouth.

Giuseppe had made sure Rashan was neutralized as soon as he had a chance. He wasn't about to let him come up with another of his many tricks to save the day at the last minute. He'd pistol whipped Rashan nearly to death.

"Only a matter of time," Candy said as one of Salgalcano's Italian thugs ripped her blouse from her body and grasped her now exposed breasts.

"Only a matter of time."

Her last earthly sensation was the powerful iron clank of the shot fired by a German corporal into Saana's writhing, naked body.

"If we can only survive long enough," Rashan had said when he realized the Germans had come upon them before they could make good their escape. He'd insisted that they take extra time and care in arranging the Quin.

"We won't get a second chance to do this right," he'd told them all, even the guides whose bodies now littered the floor of the cavern. The Nazis had deemed them expendable.

"Only a matter of time," Vlostock thought to himself. He looked over at the motionless body of Rashan. Did the Indian mystic know what he was talking about?

"Candy, Saana, be brave," he shouted. "I will try to help you."

Then, he felt the presence of Efram.

His last sensation were the screams coming from the corner where Candy was being pawed by a phalanx of swarthy Italians.