moments Eva could see
nothing; the contrast between the bright light outside and the
semi-darkness inside blinding. Slowly her eyes became used to the
dimness and she saw the bulk of Praxis forming in the darkness. The
spider-like Master Wang hung onto his arm. In front of them, in the
centre of the tent, a latticework contraption made of leather and
metal. By its side a bath of water and several leather buckets.
Calliope
dragged Weena up to the contraption. 'Meet the "shrinking man",'
she said mockingly. 'I think you will come to feel very close to
him.' She threw her head back and laughed.
Praxis stepped
forward, holding his hands out, reaching for Calliope.
'You are
angry, my little angel? What has caused this?'
'This girl,
this slave, Weena. She forgot her place. She thought she was
allowed to live so she could have pleasure for herself. She forgot
she is here only to give pleasure to those she serves. I found her
squirming with joy and writhing with pleasure, my lord. Now I want
her to taste the joy of constriction. I want her to couple with the
shrinking man.'
Weena tried to
pull away, but immediately fell into Praxis' outstretched arms. He
grabbed her, enclosing her forearms in his hands.
'Ah, little
Weena, you want a closer look at your new lover, I think.'
He pushed her
forward so that she was forced to stare at the framework of wet
leather and metal.
'I cannot see,
but my wayward slave, I can feel.'
He let go of
one of her arms but still held her fast by the other. He ran his
free hand across her pert breasts. He felt her hard nipples and
pinched them between his finger and thumb.
'Do you like
the feeling of tightness, my little slave?' He reached out to the
contraption. He ran his hand across the complex framework. He
smiled, pleased by what he felt under his touch.
'Look, the
shrinking man awaits you, little Weena. See how he is shaped to fit
your body. See how he has been constructed to lie close against
every limb. See how he is wet and ready to clasp his arms around
you in the most passionate embrace. Here are the leather bands that
will come across your face. And here the metal framework to hold
your head in place. Look how he is perfectly shaped to fit your
shoulders and back, your breasts and your stomach. Look how his
framework is carefully arranged to clamp around your hips and
thighs. See how his leather straps are formed in such a way as to
tighten into your delicate slit. Think of that, little Weena;
imagine the drying leather pulling into your youthful crack,
parting it, opening it, cutting into its centre. Yes, little Weena,
when the "shrinking man" dries he will clasp you tighter than any
lover. He will hold you so tight you will not remember what it is
to move your body. You will experience complete stillness. He will
have perfect control over you. Then, locked into complete
submission, you will know why you are being punished.'
Weena
struggled in his powerful grip, but it was pointless. Her eyes were
wide with fear, her face pale with anticipation of what lay ahead.
She kicked her feet out and squirmed, but Praxis only laughed.
'Wang!' he
shouted. 'Give the shrinking man a final dousing. We want him to
find every curve of his new lover. We want him to fit closely to
every part of her nubile body.'
Wang ordered
two soldiers to douse the framework with water from the buckets. He
made sure that all the leather was wet. He rubbed his hands
gleefully along every length of its complex structure to ensure no
part was missed. Water dripped from it as he stood back,
satisfied.
Eva hung back
in the shadows. She stood behind a sturdy tent pole, unsure of her
place. Seeing the terrible device had suddenly reminded her of the
precarious position inhabited by those in thrall to the Greeks. She
looked over to Calliope, who looked back and smiled. She relaxed a
little. Her naked body was still wet, her red hair hanging loosely
around her shoulders. Soldiers moved some torches and their
flickering