Between Tradition and Modernity 9

»Marguerite! Lilly!«

Ajala’s voice echoed through the valley basin, the Princess sounding more like an owner calling her dogs than as if she was angry. However, from their hideout behind a thick bush, at least Marguerite could see what was happening at the pavilion.

»They have tied her between two of the columns! Arms and legs spread – and naked! Amal is standing behind her!«

»I know you can hear me!«, Ajala yelled, »And soon, you will hear your friend Lavinia, too! After all, she needs some punishment for attacking Laya!«

Marguerite saw Amal raise his arm, and a second later, there was a smack, loud enough to be heard at their hideout, followed by an oppressed whimper. Then, the man waited for a few seconds before he spanked the exposed girl’s buttocks again. This time, the whimper was louder, indicating that Lavinia could barely oppress her cry.

»The pauses between the beatings allows the pain to stray before the next one follows«, Marguerite informed Lilly who shivered, not only from the thought, but from the memory that Marguerite knew about such things because her father had a plantation where the slaves were punished on a regular basis.

»I think she will continue until we give up!«

As if to confirm that thought, the third slap was followed by a scream. Though Amal only used his bare open hand, it had taken him just three spanks to make Lavinia yell. Lilly stared at Marguerite, tears in her eyes:

»We have nowhere to run, and once the sun rises, they will find us anyway! I can’t let Lavinia suffer anymore! What if she decides to use the cane, or a whip?«

So, on the fourth slap, Lilly rose from behind the bush and slowly approached the pavilion. After a few steps, she felt that Marguerite was beside her, taking her hand.

Once she spotted the returning fugitives, Ajala stopped Amal who had already risen his hand to spank Lavinia again. She waited until the two girls had reached the circle of light; then, she ordered them in a calm, yet strict voice:

»Remove the cloths from your hips! Then put your hands on your head and come here where we can see you better!«

The last part reminded Lilly of Red Riding Hood, but they both obeyed and stepped inside the pavilion. Lavinia turned her head, her cheeks covered with tears whilst her buttocks had slightly reddened. Laya grinned maliciously at Lilly, and Jeevan just grinned, leaning on one of the columns.

»Laya told me that it was you who attacked her first, Lilly! Is that true?«

Lilly took a deep breath before she answered:

»Yes, Ajala Sahib!«

Ajala told her to step in the middle of the pavilion. Then, she ordered:

»Bend forward and grab your ankles!«

Lilly obeyed, knowing how this position exposed her butt. Ajala now stepped in front of her, so Lilly could only see her petite feet in the golden sandals.

»Since you used a knife in your attack on Laya, you will understand that you have to be punished, too! However, since you are so brave, I am sure you will endure it without being bound! So, here’s the deal: if you hold still during your punishment, I will spare Lavinia the remaining 16 slaps by Amal. But if you rise up, or let your ankles go, she will get her 16 – plus 20 with the cane from Jeevan!«

If looks could have killed, Ajala’s feet would have burned instantly, but Lilly managed to just hiss that she had understood. The Princess said something to Laya, and Lilly gritted her teeth: after all, the maid wasn’t as strong as Amal, so, she would be able to endure the spanking.

Lilly gasped when she felt a hand on her butt, and it took her a moment to realize that Laya hadn’t beaten her. Instead, she was creaming her buttocks and cleft with some ointment. Then, Lilly protested and was about to rise up when Laya pushed her hands between her legs. She pressed her thighs together.

»The main thing about punishing you is that you never do it again, Lilly!«, Laya explained. »Your clumsy attack, I might forgive, but the main question is where you got the knife from? Where on Earth could a naked girl hide a knife?«

Lilly felt a shiver run down (or, in her position, rather up) her spine when she understood what Laya had in mind. The Indian added:

»You better relax now, and let me do my search! Otherwise, I would have to start at your rear before turning to your front!«

Lilly whimpered, but she relaxed her thighs, and then, she clenched her teeth as Laya thoroughly lubed her labia before pushing two fingers inside her. At least, the humiliation didn’t last long before she also inspected her rear. Lilly wasn’t hurt physically, but she collapsed on the sand when Laya withdrew to wash her hands. Marguerite caressed her shoulder, but Ajala had something in mind for the blonde, too.

»Lavinia’s punishment isn’t over yet! Lilly spared her to be beaten by Amal, but she has to understand that she must not attack my maid! Since I am sure that you see it the same way, you will give her the remaining slaps! If not, Amal will have to do it!«

Barely able to do more than a whisper, Lilly translated the words. Marguerite’s eyes widened. However, she could see the alternatives: not only would Lavinia suffer harder, Lilly’s humiliation would have been for nothing. So, she nodded and stepped behind Lavinia.

»Pardon, s’il te plait!«

Lavinia managed to nod slightly, and Ajala now ordered Jeevan to position himself 20 steps in front of Lavinia. Since it allowed him a good view on the redhead’s exposed front, he didn’t complain.

»Your slaps only count if Jeevan can hear the smack!«

Marguerite now tried her best to reduce the impact, but she had to produce a clearly audible sound, and in addition, Lavinia’s buttocks were already slightly sore. So, the redhead couldn’t oppress her whimpers when Marguerite did her terrible duty. Laya now produced a jug and approached the blonde who was fighting not to cry.

»This cooling ointment works wonders on sore skin! You might apply it on your friend – or let Jeevan do it, just as you prefer!«

Once Lilly had translated the words, Marguerite opened her palms and Laya poured some oily liquid into them. With this, Marguerite carefully creamed Lavinia’s buttocks, and though she panted from the new humiliation, it was clear that the ointment indeed reduced the tingling pain in Lavinia’s buttocks. Once Marguerite was finished, she was allowed to wash her hands. Then, she and Lilly were ordered to kneel side by side. Amal brought a wicker box that seemed not too heavy, and he opened the lid so the girls couldn’t see the content as Laya now rummaged through it, hanging several silk scarves over the lid. Lilly noticed that they were white, red and blue.

She got distracted, however, when, on an order from Ajala, Amal grabbed her arm, leading her to a chair Jeevan placed some five yards in front of Lavinia. Lilly had to sit down, and Laya approached with the blue scarves.

»You will stay with the Mistress – and blue is her favourite colour!«

Lilly didn’t like the implication of that, but she could not do anything as now, Amal and Jeevan took two of the scarves and tied her wrists to the chair’s armrests. Then, her legs were bent over the armrests, and the men used the scarves’ dangling ends to tie her knees, forcing her to keep the humiliating position with her thighs splayed. Laya stepped behind her, Grabbing Lilly’s scalp and forcing her to arch her head back, until she stared at the sky and opened her mouth in protest.

Something light was draped over her face, and Lilly thought it would be another scarf, but then, she could smell the scent of sweat, perfume and-

»No!«

Lilly tried to shake off the knickers, but Laya placed her free hand on her face, keeping the lacy underwear where it was. The girl panted, and Laya purred:

»Come on, I thought you’d like a reminder of Marguerite!«

With her neck painfully resting on the top of the backrest, and with Laya being able to increase this pain whenever Lilly tried to close her mouth, the Indian didn’t have to work fast. Gleefully slow, bit by bit, she worked the worn knickers into Lilly’s mouth. When the girl retched, she whispered into her victim’s ear:

»You better try to produce some saliva! It will make the packing a little smaller!«

With more and more of the smelly silk filling her mouth, Lilly had no option but to drool. The knickers were made of fine, flimsy silk, but these were Victorian drawers that reached to the middle of the thigh, meaning a lot of fine, flimsy silk, and Laya seemed determined to get the entire mass into her oral cavity.

»Oouuhmmph! Gghhmmmm! Hhrrrmmmm!«

Her cheeks ballooned, her tongue was trapped at the back of her throat, and still, more cloth was crammed inside her mouth. Even Laya was panting when she finally started winding a long silk bandage over the packing. She started between her lips, forcing the massive gag in the little more she could accomplish; then, as the bandage was some 60 feet long, she wound more layers above the gag until she finally knotted off the ends. Lilly panted heavily through her nose, trying to cope with the choking gag, but Laya wasn’t finished. She took another blue scarf and tied it over Lilly’s nose and mouth. Above, she tied a narrow belt she pulled extremely tight to keep everything firmly in place. Reaching around the backrest, she put Lilly’s nipples between her fingers and pinched them. The girl reared up in her chair, but her mewing was severely muffled now.

Laya now slung another long blue scarf around her waist and knotted it off. In the dangling ends, she tied a few more knots before she threaded the ends between her victim’s splayed legs and led them up her back, so she could grab them. A few times, she pulled and then let the scarf go, giving Lilly an unwanted massage.

Bound and gagged, still trying to cope with Marguerite’s panties filling every bit of her mouth, Lilly now had to watch as Lavinia got blindfolded with a red scarf, whilst another one with a thick knot in the centre was used to gag her.

»She will be gagged more severely when she will be made ready for transport – but now, we might enjoy the lovely sounds she soon will make!«

As they watched Lavinia writhe in her bonds, she added:

»By the way, we used red silk on her, because she is – experienced! Just like you, my little slut!«

She pulled on the crotch scarf, and Lilly moaned. She then couldn’t see what they did to Marguerite who was behind Lavinia, but after a while, the two men carried her in front of the redhead and made her kneel. Lilly noticed that she was rather lightly restrained. A white scarf with knots in it was tied through her crotch, and now, her ankles were tied to the dangling ends. Marguerite’s arms were free, but she was blindfolded with a white scarf, and Amal held her wrists.

Now, Jeevan produced the metal belt Lilly had been forced to wear earlier, the one with the wrist shackles on its sides. To her surprise, he buckled it around Lavinia’s waist. Then, Amal forced Marguerite to lean forward, and her hands were shackled, so her face was quite close to Lavinia’s crotch. She weakly protested and tried to lean back, and Lavina also moaned and writhed.

Now, a small table with a bowl on it was placed beside Lavinia, and like the Mistress of ceremonies, Ajala now poured some liquid in it.

»A secret mixture made of thornapple and other things! You have to use it carefully, but it has some nice effects!«, Laya explained, emphasizing her last words with another tug on Lilly’s crotch rope.

Ajala now took a red and a white scarf and knotted them together, so they formed an »X«, with a big knot in the centre. When she then soaked the scarves in the bowl, Lilly understood: red silk for Lavinia, and white for Marguerite – maybe, because the latter was a virgin. And the liquid contained thornapple, a drug that could cause hallucinations and easily kill if used in a larger dose.

»Nnngggg! Mmhhmmmphh!«

Lilly shook her head and squirmed, but she had to watch helplessly as now, Amal took the dripping scarves and forced the knot into Marguerite’s mouth, knotting the ends at her nape. Jeevan took one of the dangling red ends and tied them off to the front of Lavinia’s belt. Then, he reached between her legs from behind and took the remaining end.

»Uuhhmmmph! Nnnnggg! Mmhrrrmmmm!«

»Ghhhuuhhmmm! Mmmhhummmmm!«, Marguerite added, whilst Lilly was too horrified – and fascinated – to utter a sound. She watched as Jeevan pulled the scarf’s end tight repeatedly before knotting it off. Now, not only were Marguerite’s lips pressed against Lavinia’s labia, the scarf was inside her – and so, whatever effect the drug had, Lavinia would suffer from it, too.

»The potion will need some time until it works – That’s where the men come to work!«

Indeed, Amal and Jeevan now each held a red scarf in one hand. They positioned themselves at Lavinia’s sides, and then, they brushed over her armpits with the dangling scarf’s end. Lavinia mewed and stiffened, and the two men let the scarves slowly wander down her sides. The ticklish girl writhed and squirmed helplessly, wheezing and squealing through her gag, and Marguerite had no chance but to follow the spasms of her pelvis with her face and upper body.

Laya knelt beside Lilly’s chair and whilst she kept playfully tightening and easing the crotch scarf, her other hand cupped Lilly’s left breast.

»Now, look and enjoy!«

***

About halfway between the camp and where he had met Sayana and the other thug, both Javoo and Bodhi suddenly approached some bushes beside the path. Blacksmith told them to stop, but Javoo grinned.

»We have to follow nature! If you want us to do so in front of the – Lady-«

Blacksmith grunted something, and the two men disappeared behind the bushes. He took the opportunity to have a sip from his canteen. Then, he aided Sayana who, not used to riding, wanted to dismount her horse. All the time, he tried to have an eye on the bushes, ready for any surprise attack that the two might try.

»They won’t attack us! At least the younger one is too scared!«

Sayana smiled enigmatically. Blacksmith still didn’t believe the stories about her witchcraft – but she had managed to free herself, and the younger Indian had indeed told his comrade some stories about black magic, as far as he had overheard. Well, it wasn’t too bad if they feared her, too.

»Come on, we haven’t got all day!«, he shouted at the bushes when the two men hadn’t returned after a few minutes. Then, his revolver ready, he approached.

»Fuck!«

Javoo and Bodhi had gone, and when he looked down the hill, he could see them both running. He raised his revolver, but decided against firing, as they already were out of reach. He headed back for the horses and mounted his, but before he started the chase, he thought twice.

Without his rifle, he would have to get close, and the area was rocky. If her was chasing the men down, he would risk that his horse broke a leg, and in addition, they were heading towards the opposite direction, back to Bombay, and they had no arms, at least not within reach. He cursed.

»Damn, perhaps, we are better off without these cowards! At least, you are free, and we have two more horses!«

He took his binoculars and looked after the two men, but none of them seemed eager to stop, and so, he helped Sayana into the saddle and they continued the way back to the camp.

»Let’s see if Daisy can cook!«, he joked as they had reached their destination. He could see their horse, neighing at the sight of the two fellow animals, and from behind the rock, he saw the smoke of a small campfire, though he couldn’t smell any food, though it was time for dinner.

»At least, you could have prepared a nice meal whilst I had to-«

The words died on his lips as he cornered the rock and stared at Daisy and Nesrin, kneeling side by side and staring at him. Both were stark naked, and some black bands covered the lower halves of their faces. He could see that their ties forced their arms behind their backs, so they had to thrust out their boobs.

»By Jove, what-«

He wanted to approach the girls when he heard a metallic sound, and a man stepped from the dark behind the two, aiming at him with his own rifle. Blacksmith stopped and reflexively guarded Sayana who had also arrived with his body.

»So, it is just you? The girls promised me several armed men!«

Blacksmith stared at the man. He had an Indian accent, though his English was fluent, and he looked small, but wiry. Now, he told Blacksmith to slowly remove his arms, and he reluctantly obeyed. Then, he ordered them to sit down.

»Daisy, are you all right?«

Given the fact the girl was naked, bound and gagged, the question was a bit silly. Daisy nodded slightly, but he could see her strained expression. The straps she was tied with matched the colour of her skin, but he guessed that she was tied identically to Nesrin. She sported a tight strap around her waist, and from it, a horizontal strap  disappeared in the thatch of pubic hair she had to present him, as her legs were tied in a way that didn’t allow her to close her thighs.

»They are all right – but I tied them with wet leather, and they are sitting beside the fire! So, the longer we talk, the more inconvenient it becomes!«

Blacksmith oppressed his urge to attack the man. For a moment, he thought of bluffing that the others would arrive soon, but then, his curiosity took over.

»What do you want? And who are you?«

Now, the man showed the glimpse of a smile.

»Let me answer your second question first! Since you Englishmen seem to have problems pronouncing my birth name, you may call me by my nickname, Tiny Tim!«

»Well, that fits!«, Blacksmith scoffed. Then, however, he thought twice as he recognized the knife on the man’s belt.

»Are you – are you a Gurkha?«

The Gurkha were Nepalese serving in the British Indian Army for decades now, and they were known for their large knifes and their extraordinary bravery in battle. Another thing was that the Gurkhas had always been loyal to the British Crown.

»Ayo Gorkhali!«, Tiny Tim replied, and Blacksmith turned to Sayana to explain her what this was all about. Tiny Tim interrupted him, and he told him that Sayana only understood French.

»Now, you are making me curious, Englishman! According to your weaponry, you are a British Officer, but you are dressed like an Indian peasant, and you are accompanied by an Indian girl who can’t speak Hindi, and two black girls of whom one can’t even speak English!«

Nesrin had never told him about her Persian background, and since she was fluent in English, he had never tried to speak to her in what he had considered her mother tongue. A bit confused, he tried to bring the topic back to more important things:

»At least, I am not assaulting innocent girls!«

Tiny Tim made a gesture that seemed to indicate that Blacksmith had a point there. Then, he said with a slightly drawling voice:

»I am not the only one around here who attacks innocent girls! Three, altogether, and each has a skin as white as snow!«

This caused some high-pitched humming from Daisy and Nesrin. The strange man had tied them up, but hadn’t introduced himself to them, let alone explaining his backstory. All he had done was waiting in silence, occasionally leaving, most likely to look out for Blacksmith and the others.

Of course, both Daisy and Nesrin had tried to free themselves when the man had left, but to no avail. This man had known what he was doing, and he had done it well. He had soaked the coiled leather rope in a bucket, waiting in silence until the leather was wet. Whenever one of them had simply tried to ease her position, he had raised his revolver, and when he had cut the ropes, he had also been alert and so, they had waited for him to tie them up.

Starting with Daisy, he had tied her wrists after he had forced her forearms parallel behind her back. With her hands palm to palm, Daisy’s shoulders and arms were under severe strain, and she panted and ached as he tied her wrists, cinching the bonds before he also tied her elbows, adding to her pain, discomfort and immobility.

He had even tied her thumbs, and with a fourth rope, he had tied her palms and fingers together, so Daisy could only weakly touch the back of her head. He then crossed her ankles and tied them together; this was less painful than her arm ties, but it prevented her from closing her thighs.

»Bastard!«, she had hissed as he had tied Nesrin the same way, and the Persian had whimpered in the progress. Instead of an answer, the man had then ripped a cloth and reached for Nesrin’s panties. She had tried to fight it, but he had forced the worn garment deep into her mouth, securing it with one of the rags he had tied tightly between her lips.

He then had balled up Daisy’s panties and, since they were smaller, had added a discarded sock to gag the girl, also cleave-gagging her. He had then soaked two broader leather bands and tied these above their gagged mouths, so tight they moulded to their facial contours.

In enforced silence, and aching in their tight bondage, the two had then watched him cut two more pieces of the leather strap, both considerably long. Again, he had started with Daisy, tying the rope around her waist, very tight. Then, he had pulled the ends between her legs, and with an almost casual gesture, he had splayed her labia to nest the ropes there. Daisy had whimpered when he had pulled on the crotch rope, but worse had come when he had slung the ends around her elbows and once again pulled. Now, she had to arch her back, thrusting out her boobs, and the pressure in her shoulders and arms became unbearable, as was the line of fire between her legs. The man had tied the ends off; then, he had repeated the same to Nesrin who had squealed and made things worse by writhing and squirming, unable to accept that sitting still meant the difference between very painful and sheer agony.

Things had become even worse when the leather had dried, and both girls were on the ends of their powers. Nesrin was shaking slightly, only the sheer fear of even more pain keeping her from collapsing, and Daisy was at a point where she would have agreed if Tiny Tim had demanded that Blacksmith had to castrate himself, in exchange for her being released. However, as the Gurkha now mentioned that he knew something about Lilly, Marguerite and Lavinia, she looked up.

»These three girls are not far from here, behind an iron door one cannot open from the outside!«

»We already know that!«, Blacksmith barked, and the Gurkha smiled.

»I know, I saw you there! And I have to admit that I also don’t have a key to that door! However, I have been inside – and the three girls are inside a secluded valley basin. They are alive and, well, they might have seen better days!«

He pointed at Daisy and Nesrin, indicating that the kidnapped girls were in a comparable predicament. Blacksmith took a deep breath.

»Tiny Tim, you are a Gurkha, and I am a British Officer! We are fighting on the same side! So, why have you come and assaulted my friends instead of just talking to me?«

Tiny Tim raised an eyebrow when Blacksmith referred to the girls as his friends, and he wanted to answer when his eyes fell on Sayana. Unable to follow the conversation, she had tried to sense if this man was a severe threat, and she could see indistinct signs of danger. And when Daisy, shifting her position, had ached, she had stared at Tiny Tim, her eyes glooming, and had uttered words in her native tongue.

Before he had turned 15 and joined the British forces, Tiny Tim, by then known as Prashant, had grown up in a small village in the Himalaya, and his early education had been by the local priest who had told him stories about the famous Yeti, other demons and all kinds of supernatural creatures. In the 20 years since, he had learned a lot about the Western culture and civilisation, but these childhood stories had left a deep impact.

In other words, being confronted by a witch was something that could happen; it was a real threat, like the attack of a tiger. And each attack could be confronted by the right defence.

So, when he saw Sayana’s eyes gloom reddish, and heard her utter strange throaty words, he didn’t panic, like Bodhi had done hours earlier. Instead, he quickly grabbed some ash and sand from the ground and threw it at Sayana’s face. She coughed when she inhaled some of the dust, and she wiped her eyes. Blacksmith had tried to attack Tiny Tim, but now, the small man crouched behind Nesrin, and the blade of his Kukri was at her throat. Nesrin whimpered, and Blacksmith, who had already grabbed the barrel of the rifle, let it go and withdrew a bit. Beside him, Sayana, now looking normal again, had wiped the sand from her eyes and stared at Tiny Tim with disbelief. In French, she begged him not to hurt Nesrin, and it seemed that he guessed from her tone what she wanted, for he withdrew the blade a little and said calmly:

»Lieutenant, if you control your private demon, do it!«

Blacksmith, still a little perplexed by the events, turned towards Sayana. In French, he said:

»If you can strike him dead without hurting Nesrin, I will never say anything against you pretending to be a real witch!«

Sayana wasn’t in a state where she was capable of irony. She seemed to have to remember her French, and her accent was strong when she answered:

»This man – he means danger!«

»I can see that! Right now, he means imminent danger for Nesrin!«

The girl moaned when she heard her name, and Tiny Tim tightened the grip on her scalp, still using her as a human shield, but looking at the conversation he couldn’t understand.

Sayana shook her head, as if she wanted to shoo a strange thought. Then, in her normal fluent French, she said:

»I can’t say for sure whether he is the danger, or if there is danger and him, but he is maybe a friend in your battle against the danger!«

This caused Blacksmith to chuckle.

»Well, the last ›allies‹ you told me weren’t all bad ran away on the first opportunity! Now, this man’s a Gurkha, so I doubt he will run away, but somehow, I doubt his friendliness!«

Sayana just shrugged, and Blacksmith looked at Tiny Tim and said:

»He thinks you are my private demon, and he wants me to keep you under control!«

He could see that Tiny Tim got a little impatient, and so, Blacksmith loosened the scarf still tied around Sayana’s neck and tied it over her eyes. Tiny Tim nodded, but he then ordered:

»Tie her hands behind her back! And before, let her take off her clothes!«

Blacksmith’s »Why?« found a muffled echo in Daisy’s and Nesrin’s mews. Tiny Tim removed the blade from Nesrin’s throat a bit and showed a smile.

»There is nothing more precious than a new experience! All my life, I thought that demons are ugly, and now, I meet one that is beautiful! And now, I am curious where the similarities to human beings end!«

Blacksmith now thought that the Gurkha had lost his marbles. When Sayana wanted to know what he had said, he translated Tiny Tim’s words, and now, it was on her to giggle. When she answered, Blacksmith’s jaw dropped.

»What does she say?«, Tiny Tim asked, and Blacksmith, more and more convinced that he had by some mistake swallowed a strong drug, answered:

»She- She says that you my be appalled by her scales, and her hairy chest!«

Tiny Tim stared at him and Sayana who still sported her blindfold. Then, he uttered something that sounded like a cough, but then turned into a neighing laugh that reminded Blacksmith of a donkey in heat.

»The last time an Englishman made me laugh was when my commanding Officer slipped and sat in dog’s poo! It cost me 20 lashes, but it was worth it!«

If Tiny Tim had now turned into a Leprechaun, it wouldn’t have surprised Blacksmith very much. Instead, the Gurkha cut the girls’ crotch straps and their ankle ties, allowing them to crawl over to Blacksmith who, after looking at the still chuckling Tiny Tim, took his knife and started to free Daisy from the leather band covering her mouth.

Sayana, also surprised by the sudden volley of laughter, took off her blindfold. Her eyes met those of Tiny Tim, and when she saw his smile, and that he had allowed Johnny to free Daisy and Nesrin, she made a clawing gesture towards the Gurkha.

»Boo!«

Tiny Tim grabbed some dust and blew it towards her from his palm. Then, he once again laughed and looked at her.

»Scales and hairy chest, eh?«

Sayana didn’t understand his words, but the change of mood, and, remembering European customs from the plantation, she dropped a curtsey. Then, she began working on Nesrin’s bonds. Blacksmith had meanwhile removed the gag from Daisy’s mouth, realizing it was Nesrin’s panties. She interrupted his contemplation over the strange underwear.

»Kiss me – and free – my arms! My shoulders – are killing me!«

Blacksmith followed both orders, realizing the tightness of her bonds. Daisy ached when she could lower her arms, and Blacksmith gently massaged her shoulders. Tiny Tim helped Sayana to free Nesrin, and when the Persian could use her arms again, Sayana led both girls outside to the brook. Blacksmith glanced at the Gurkha:

»Don’t think your madness will save you from my revenge!«

»I will not dodge from any fight with you, Lieutenant – but only after we have done why I am here! We will need each other to free the three English girls, and it won’t be easy! Maybe, in the end, none of us will be left to fight the other. It’s a situation that can drive a man crazy – so, maybe, a madman is the best support you can get!«

***