

The Time/Transport Bubble: Birth of the Hybrid

By

James Creamwood

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Published by

James Creamwood at Smashwords

The Time/Transport Bubble: Birth of the Hybrid

Copyright © 2015 James Creamwood

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author's imagination and used fictitiously. This novel is taken from the erotic Master Red series re-written for a more general audience.

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Chapter 1

Cletus Pike was not human--not entirely. He had been a rotten maggot of a man whose very existence polluted the earth, and it would have been better for everyone, if he had been quickly exterminated like a bug smashing into a car window.

Thirty-two years of his life wasted away, crawled up inside an alcohol bottle; a bitter rejection of the human species. Cletus had been a filthy, nearly toothless boozer, with a wretched carcass racked with the DT's, and pain. His skin was colored yellow from his diseased liver, and matching his equally diseased soul. Cletus would have likely ended his pathetic existence, if he had ever sobered up enough to realize what a swollen, pus infected boil he was on the posterior of humanity.

The day started out normally enough with Cletus getting up late as usual. He didn't worry about mundane things such as brushing his teeth, changing his clothes, or taking a bath. The drunkard didn't have many teeth left and the filth helped fight the insects and keep the cold away. Cletus took his large, black trash bag and started his daily walk.

It wasn't for the sake of exercise that he did his daily tour. He searched the places where he might pick up a few empty deposit bottles. If he was lucky, he'd gather enough empties to purchase a cheap bottle of wine, or if he was extremely lucky, he might find enough for two. And thus, were the life's ambitions of the dirty, little creature known as Cletus Pike.

This was Cletus' lucky day and the pickings were better than usual. After several hours, he was able to gather enough to purchase two bottles of rotgut. He was brimming with joy as he walked back with his treasure clutched tightly to his chest. He wasn't going to take a chance on dropping and breaking his hard won gains.

As he made it back to his sanctuary under the bridge, he didn't notice the foreign presence watching his every move. Cletus' home under the roadway was damp and dark, but the homeless bum liked it like that—it keeps the thieves away, he thought.

The truth was Cletus didn't have anything worth stealing. There were just some brown cardboard, old newspapers, and filthy rags he used for a bed. The dampness was caused by the filthy, polluted river that ran under the central portion of the bridge. Each end of the steel structure had a dry area underneath unless the rains came and caused heavy flooding.

The darkness of Cletus' home was no hindrance to the eyes that intently observed him, nor was the concrete. Even from its distant vantage point, the eyes could see Cletus' with enough clarity to count the hairs on his face or even to count the chest hairs underneath his filthy, shirt and jacket. Distance, solid concrete, and steel were no obstruction to these unearthly eyes.

If events of that night had not intervened, Cletus Pike's death would have quickly gone unnoticed, and un-mourned. He had crawled out from under the bridge he called home and staggered down to the edge of the river to drain the urine from his full bladder.

Before getting his fly unzipped, he was only successful in soaking his filthy, black trousers. As he turned to go back to his home, he slipped on a rock and fell head first into the brown, filthy river water. Stoned out of his mind, Cletus barely struggled as the foul water sought entrance into his nose and mouth.

In an old oak tree, near the steel river bridge, a small luminance floated, studying the primitive biped. Since arriving on planet, the Saltoid being had been patiently waiting and searching. The alien was intently monitoring several biped life forms that appeared to be under stress. The Saltoid wanted one that was on the brink of extinction.

Its sensors indicated that success could be close at hand, the biped that had fallen into the liquid, hydrogen oxygen mixture and was in extreme distress. The galactic traveler used its sensors to monitor and verify that the creature faced certain death with no possibility of survival--The Saltoid Code demanded this. Only a subject facing certain termination could be harvested as a host.

The Saltoid watched and waited until the last possible moment before acting, and then it moved quickly to sustain the biped's life functions. The alien projected a protecting film that encased an area around the creature and prepared it for transportation. The humanoid was then moved from the wet river onto dry earth.

The near lifeless body was rotated so that it faced upward and the river water was pumped from the interior of the film casing. Small tubes from the protective barrier then extended downward and entered the creature's facial cavities. The tubes moved into the body's lungs pumping out the water and supplying life sustaining oxygen.

Before transformation could begin, sensors were used to determine how the various biological elements fit together and functioned. Tissue samples were taken for analysis and future study. Then drugs were used to render the new host unconscious and pain free--in preparation for the transformation.

The alien Saltoid used the host humans DNA and distant scans of other bipeds as a guide to the work ahead. The process then began with the creature's brain. The biped's memories, emotions, and personality were transferred, and encoded into an indestructible, quicksilver like substance. Functions of the brain that no longer served a purpose were ignored.

The essence of what Cletus had been was relocated into the alien substance. There was no deterioration of his memory, emotions or personality during the process. The new brain was greatly reduced in size, but the transferred elements lost none or their prior functionality. The organics of the old brain were removed from the brain case and discarded.

Additional brains elements were also installed. The new solid-state brain that was now Cletus, became part of a much larger 'Multi-Brain' capable of operating on many levels. The largest portion of the brain cavity was reserved as a rest and work area for the Saltoid.

Next, the eyes were replaced with incredibly realistic copies with astounding capabilities. Perception would increase to 360 degrees when hidden sensors were installed around the head area. In essence, the new alien/human hybrid would be able to see in every direction simultaneously.

Vision enhancements included telescopic as well as microscopic vision. Vision was also enhanced with x-rays, infrared, and many other useful wavelengths. Likewise, hearing was fully directional with the ability to enhance sound frequencies from long distances. Unwanted and distracting sound frequencies could be blocked at will.

Teeth were repaired or replaced and infused with an indestructible base material. The mouth were made self-cleaning. Skin, hair, and nails were also infused with a base material that made them superior to the original.

Hair and nails did not grow and required no extra care other than occasional cleaning. The nerve system in the skin was up-graded with the ability to shut down pain above a certain pain threshold. The Multi-Brain could turn on or off parts, or all the nerve system at will.

Below the skin, interior human organs and muscles were discarded and replaced by an alien substance, pliable, but much stronger, and lighter than any metal on earth. The Saltoid knew that mating was an important part of any creature's life, therefore, the alien intended to use this very strong drive to gain co-operation from its new host. The biped's reproductive organs were enlarged slightly, and the pleasure from mating activities were increased.

The Multi-Brain allowed the host to completely control its erections, and sensual stimulation could be controlled by the will. The host would have the ability to become excited instantly, satisfy as many mates as desired, and then enjoy completion only when desired. The visitor wanted and needed the full support of its new host to fulfill its mission because the Saltoid Code was very specific in this regard.

After completing the transformation, the alien moved into the empty portion of the host's brain cavity that it had reserved for itself. After settling in, the Saltoid used the host's memories to learn its language and as much information as available about every facet of its new environment. The information was woefully inadequate as expected, but information would increase, once the host became fully operational.

Next, the distant visitor began a detailed inspection of the newly acquired memories, emotions, and personality of the biped. The alien worked to gather a detailed picture of its new life partner. The Saltoid knew that a complete profile of the host must be competed and understood before the biped could be allowed to return to consciousness.

The alien learned that the biped had a background of substance abuse, violence and criminal activity. The root cause of this destructive behavior was the tragic death of its mate. This abhorrent behavior presented no problem; however, the Saltoid Code was very specific in outlining the corrections that could be made to the host's brain. Only those memories and emotions that were considered extremely detrimental could undergo correction.

These corrections must be as small as possible to gain the desired results. Only the host could approve changes greater than this. It was important that the biped retained some memories of its harmful behavior and the unpleasant consequences they reaped.

The Saltoid came from a species that valued truth, honesty, and respect, and the host's brain was slightly modified to encourage and strengthen these values. It could not allow the host to use the technology installed in its body to steal, or commit violence against others.

The Saltoid then turned its attention to the memories that it had collected from the biped and absorbed everything there. It learned that his new host was a male of the species who called themselves Homo sapiens. This particular humanoid was called Cletus Pike, and he was relatively intelligent in comparison to others of his species. He had received high marks in the places of education and was proficient in the physical activities they played there. The biped had studied to become a lawyer and had gained success in that endeavor. Soon after finishing school, he had found a female mate and had deep affections for her. They were married and living happily until tragedy struck.

One dark night Cletus came home from work and was assaulted by a group of male, home invaders. He was knocked unconscious, and when he woke up, he found that his hands were tied behind his back as he lay on the bedroom floor. He managed to struggle to his feet and saw several men holding down his wife on the bed..

He screamed and stumbled towards the bed, but a large man in a white shirt knocked him down on to the floor again. He heard one of the men say, "Bring him over here." Two of the men then picked him up off the floor, and shoved him down hard in a chair, and held him there. He tried to look away, but they forced him to watch.

After what seemed an eternity, the men finally stopped. The man in the white shirt came over and whispered in his ear, "We're done and you can have her back now." Then another man took a flowerpot and slammed Cletus in the forehead, knocking him unconscious.

The police came and did an inspection of the crime scene lasting for several hours. Weeks went by and the home invaders were never apprehended. His wife became increasing worse as time pasted. She cried when he tried to touch her, and she barely spoke the rest of the time. She would sit for hours and stare out the windows or at the walls--it broke his heart to see her like that.

In desperation, Cletus took her away on a vacation where he thought the peace and quiet might calm her jittery nerves. He loaded up the RV and they drove from their home in Nashville up to Niagara Falls. She seemed to enjoy the falls, and he saw her smile for the first time in weeks.

Next, they drove to Las Vegas and then on to the Grand Canyon. The view at the canyon was spectacular, and they stood and watched it for some time. He asked her if she would like some water, and she smiled weakly and nodded her head. Cletus went to grab a couple of bottles of cold, water out of the cooler—and he turned just in time to see her step off the canyon ledge.

He had dated other women after his wife's death, but his cold, dead heart caused him to use them for his own gratification, and degrade them whenever possible. He despised the women for being alive when his only true love was dead. He had been a social drinker, but after the home invasion, his drinking became more excessive, and his law practice started to suffer because of it.

Finally, he was not financially able to keep the doors open. His abusive behavior finally drove all of his friends away, and he cleaned out his bank account to finance his alcohol addiction. After that money ran out, he sold his house and car to keep his booze supply coming. More and more, he turned to the bottle and it eventually became his only friend.

Destitute, he left his home in Nashville, and fell in with some bums. He learned the drifter lifestyle as they taught him how to beg and steal, to survive. He used these new skills to support his addiction as he wandered around the country. This was the pattern of his life for many years, until he fell into a dirty river and lost his brain and interior body parts.

The inspection of the humans' memory clearly showed that the death of its mate was the pivotal event in its life. The alien did some adjustments and reduced the pain of these terrible memories to a more manageable level. Many people are able to recover when they hit bottom and realize their situation, but Cletus wasn't one of them, he hit bottom and clung there like a vine with all his strength.

The years of binge drinking eventually took their toll on his health and left him just a shell of a man. With his kidney's shot, Cletus was little more than a dead man walking. This would have been his closing act in a long, miserable life, if not for the chance fall that led to his salvation.

Cletus opened his eyes and quickly noticed that something was different. There was new clarity to the world that he hadn't experienced in many years. Where was the hangover and pain that usually racked his body? He took a deep breath of the fresh air and starred up at the yellow sun in the blue, cloudless sky—it was more beautiful than he ever remembered. The filthy, old man was surprised at the ease with which he was able to climb to his feet. He also noticed that he didn't experience the hunger pains, or discomfort from a full bladder that usually welcomed him on awaking.

Cletus took a long look around and then headed back to his home under the bridge. He tried briefly to recall the events of last night, but he was not surprised that he couldn't because he very seldom remembered events from one day to the next. As he stooped down to enter his home, he was surprised at how bright it was under the bridge. He could now easily observe into places he had not been able to see before.

"Human, I wish to communicate with you," said a voice.

Cletus looked around to confirm what he suspected and it all started to make sense to him now. After suffering years of hallucinations, he realized that he must be doing that now, although, this dream was more vivid than most of those he'd had. At least it wasn't that horrible nightmare he sometimes suffered, where he lay naked on a table as blood thirsty vultures picked the flesh from his bones, while he lay there too helpless to fight back. Yes, this vision was much better than that—but, it was still not as good as his usual dreams.

One of his favorite fantasies involved a harem of female slaves. He would envision a large number of beautiful women laying on a large waterbed with their arms open wide enticing him to come and lie down with them.

Cletus hadn't made love in many years; in fact, the last time was with a prostitute he met outside of Dallas, Texas. He couldn't become aroused, and the whore laughed calling him names. He became angry and slugged her, breaking her jaw. He tried getting away, but the cops were able to quickly track him down.

Cletus was sentenced to six long months in jail for that, and almost died from the alcohol withdrawal pains--or at least, it felt that way to him. He had never felt such pain in his life. His experience with the prostitute was so awful that he never tried to make love with a woman again. Now, he only had two things in his life, his alcohol, and his dreams.

"Human, would you like to live life fully again and have all the females that you could possibly desire?" offered the voice.

Cletus had learned a long time ago that it was better to ignore the things he heard in his dreams and nightmares. But, the voice in this dream sparked his interest. This was the first time that a voice had ever said anything he wanted to hear.

Cletus thought for a moment to consider his response. This seemed to be a dream, although very different from anything he had experienced before. It was hard to tell if the voice was male or female. He decided to see where this dream would take him--but, he knew there better be some hot, sexy women in there someplace.

"Yes, I would", responded Cletus.

"You have made a wise choice, human," said the voice.

"Well, now that that's settled I guess I'm ready," said Cletus.

"Ready for what?" inquired the voice.

"The beautiful women I always have in my dreams. I want to experience this before I wake up," responded Cletus as he suddenly felt a touch of anger at the way this dream was starting to proceed.

"Your assumption that you are in an altered state of reality is incorrect--This is not a dream," said the voice.

"Horse manure," snapped Cletus, "I'm hearing voices with no one around, and I'm sitting here talking to myself, and you're telling me this isn't a dream," said Cletus in disbelief. He noticed the half empty bottle of wine sitting by his bed, and picked it up to take a large drink. Almost immediately, he started gaging and spit it back out again.

"It was necessary to adjust your taste buds to react negatively to alcohol," explained the voice.

Cletus sat shocked by the foul taste in his mouth and tried to say something but, his physical reaction to the cheap rotgut robbed him of his voice. He just sat quietly for a moment, at a loss for words, but not really knowing what to say even if he could speak.

"Do you remember any of the events from last night?"

"Hell, I'm not even sure that I remember what happened five minutes ago," responded Cletus.

Suddenly, a video started playing directly in front of his face. It was like a TV screen, but with the all other elements of the TV missing. It was just a flat screen floating in the air about two feet in front of his eyes. The drunkard recognized himself crawling out from under the bridge and walking down to the river. He watched as he urinated all over himself and then fell head first into the dark, river water.

Cletus watched in awe as his body was pulled from the river and shredded into grizzly pieces of blood spurting flesh as he underwent the transformation. After watching the video, he began to realize that he maybe this wasn't a dream. He started to take the matter much more seriously and talked with the voice for a long period of time. Finally, convinced that the voice was telling the truth, Cletus was especially pleased to discover that the mysterious beings' offer was real. The alien assured him that he would have the ability to attract all the females that he could ever wish for.

The new hybrid learned that the visitor in his head was a scientist from very, far away who had come here to study the human race. Cletus would provide the transportation necessary for it to move freely, and unnoticed among his species. The telescopic and microscopic vision in combination with other sensors located within him would allow the Saltoid to closely study the human species and their environment without being detected.

The alien scientist was primarily an observer collecting knowledge, and it assured Cletus that he was not in any way a slave to it. The Saltoid/Human relationship was a partnership with benefits for both parties, Cletus would continue his life as he wished and go where he pleased. He would be instructed in, and have complete use of the new enhancements placed in his body. He would also receive training in accessing the other areas of his Mult-Brain.

Cletus' intelligence would increase and he would gain remarkable new skills. However, these skills and intelligence level must not draw attention and expose their relationship to other humans. In addition, he couldn't use the alien enhancements to steal or harm other human beings.

After the Saltoid explained everything it had to offer and the obligations expected of a host, it had a question to ask Cletus.

"You have an important decision to make. As required by the Saltoid Code, I must have your permission to operate as my host. Should you refuse, I must return you to the place and condition where I found you. The decision is entirely yours--Do you accept or decline the partnership that I am offering you?"

Chapter 2

Leeza Roberts watched the overweight, balding bartender bring her the drink she had ordered. He placed two coasters in front of her on the dark, wooden bar. He then set a cold beer on one coaster and a clear glass on the other. She paid him with a $20 bill and glanced around the bar as she waited for her change.

When he brought it, she indicated the glass and said, "I don't need that. Take it away." She then picked up the beer and pretended to take a sip. She was a small, attractive blonde wearing a brunette wig that spilled down to her shoulders and back. In her blue eyes, she wore green colored contact lens, and over those glasses with clear, non-prescription lens.

Leeza carried a medium size black leather purse with a hidden pocket containing a 9 mm sub-compact Glock pistol. She was dressed in a tight fitting white blouse, and a blue, above the knee skirt. On her feet, she wore flat bottomed, rubber souled black shoes attached to muscular, well-shaped legs. Leeza didn't like high heels because they were so unstable and restrictive in the event that an emergency should occur. The little blonde was an exercise fanatic with a strong frame concealed under a small, sexy body.

Leeza glanced around the room before taking her beer and going to the ladies room. She went into one of the empty stalls and poured the contents of her cold beer into the toilet water. There was another woman in the sink area when she came out, so Leeza fiddled around with the contents of her purse until the lady went into one of the stalls. She worked quickly to fill the empty beer bottle with water from facet, and then she returned to her still open seat at the bar.

Leeza was not here tonight for the alcohol—in fact, she detested the stuff. The foul liquid was not helpful to maintaining the strong, healthy body she had worked so hard to build. And, alcohol taken in excess would dull the senses of any poor girl making them more vulnerable to lecherous, male predators. Leeza took a drink of the water in her beer bottle and looked around surveying the customers in the smoky, dimly lit bar.

The bar was only partially filled with a mix of both men and women because it was the middle of the work week. However, she noticed there were several unaccompanied males present, and she knew from past experience they would come sniffing around before long.

Within a couple of minutes of making her observation, she noticed a blonde, well-tanned young man working his way over in her direction. He was very handsome and obviously took very good care of himself. As he approached, she positioned herself to face him with her beer in one hand and her purse in her other.

'He was a gorgeous hunk,' she thought to herself, as he walked her way holding a beer in his right hand. The man came up to her and was preparing to speak, but before he could get a word out, she said, "Could you be a dear and hold my beer for a second?"

Leeza then gave him a big smile, handed him her drink and opened her purse pretending to be searching for something. She cautiously raised her eyes just enough to take a good look at his hands. She then closed her purse and reached out to retrieve her beer saying, "You're so sweet, thank you so much." The little blonde gave him a big smile and started to turn back towards the bar.

He quickly said, "Excuse me miss, but could I buy you a drink?' Leeza turned back to face him and displayed another big smile before answering, "Oh, that's so nice of you, but I just finished a really hard day at work. I'm exhausted and I just want to sit here and relax for a little while. But, thank you so much." She then turned back and set her beer down on the bar.

Over the next half hour, she had three more males approach her, but, like the first man, they all were dead ends. Finally an older man came over and sat down in the seat next to her, pretending not to pay any attention to her. The man was about forty and starting to lose his looks. His dark, black hair was starting to thin and he was putting on a little too much weight around the middle. The older man wore blue jeans with a red, checkered flannel shirt that appeared to dirty. The shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows exposing a couple of, muscular arms, and he had on a pair of scruffy-looking, black leather boots.

After several hidden glances at his hand, Leeza finally discovered what she had been searching for. The marks on his ring finger indicated that a wedding ring had recently rested there. As she sat there, she began wondering when he was going to make his move. Finally, she heard him say, "Excuse me, can I buy you drink?"

The young blonde turned and looked into his eyes giving him her best smile, "I would like that, thank you," she said.

"My name is Tom, What's yours," he asked sticking out his hand. Leeza shook it and said, "I am glad to meet you Tom, my name is 'Cindy.'"

They engaged in some small talk until she told him that she had get up early tomorrow. But, indicated that she might have time to stop by his place for just one quick drink. Tom declined saying that he shared an apartment with a friend whose girlfriend was there now, and he didn't want to disturb them. This confirmed her suspicion that he was a low-down, cheating bastard with a wife waiting for him at home.

A half-hour later, Leeza stood pouring beer into a glass sitting on her brown, granite kitchen counter. Tom came up behind, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her on the back of the neck. He then turned her around and kissed her fully on her moist, red lips. After a few more hot kisses, she led him out to the couch in her living room where she kissed him.

She pushed him down onto the cushions and cooed, "Why don't you take your clothes off and get more comfortable. I'll be back in a just a moment."

In her bathroom, Leeza removed all of her clothes except for her white panties, and then stood in front of the gold framed, bathroom mirror with her eyes closed. She breathed deeply to relax her body and steady her nerves. After a couple of minutes, she opened her eyes and went out to the living room where she found Tom stretched out naked on the couch waiting for her.

The couch was positioned so that the top of Tom's head pointed back towards the bathroom. Leeza bent over the end of the couch giving him an 'upside down kiss' before moving around to stand in front of him. Tom smiled as he looked at her beautiful body.

Leeza took a seat beside him and leaned over to give him another kiss, "Just relax, and let me take good care of you honey," she cooed.

Tom felt his excitement increase as she massaged his body. Leeza softly kissed his naked chest because she didn't want to give the snake any more pleasure than she had to. She continued to lightly kiss him as she gathered up a mouth full of spit.

Then suddenly, she made a loud, choking sound and shot upwards towards Tom's face spewing spit on his face and hair, "I'm going to be sick," she said, as she took off for the bathroom. Tom was in a deeply relaxed state, and it took him a second to open his eyes when he heard her gaging. He managed to get his eyes open just in time to see her spew her saliva all over his chest face.

Leeza rushed to the bathroom sink, turned on the water, where she tried to flush the taste of his flesh from her mouth. Then, she followed this up by taking a big drink of mouthwash to help rinse away the pollution. The blonde stood in front of the mirror with her eyes closed and breathed deeply using rhythmic breaths just as she had learned in training.

After a couple of minutes of stress reduction exercise, she opened her eyes and looked at the reflection in the mirror. She slowly smiled and softy proclaimed--"Women 1, cheating jerks zero."

Tom was stunned when 'Cindy' had become sick and went rushing off to the bathroom. He grabbed one of the pillows to wipe the spit from his head, but it just seemed to spread the mess around rather than doing anything to clean it up. Tom felt at the saliva matted into his hair and gritted his teeth. The angry man threw the pillow down in disgust and started to get dressed, but as his anger began to build, he changed his mind. He didn't come there to leave empty handed—he decided the little witch was going to put out one way or another.

Sometimes the men Leeza brought home would be gone by the time she returned to the living room, while other would stay and try to cause problems. She was always prepared for either eventuality. She dressed in loose fitting white shorts with a similarly loose fitting white blouse.

The young blonde picked up a copper penny from a nearby red bowl, and took a deep breath before heading back out to the living room. She was not too surprised to see Tom still sitting there waiting for her; she thought he looked like the type that would try to cause difficulties. The young blonde eased her way to the open area in the living room where she would have the space she needed.

"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. Would you please leave," she asked, secretly hoping that he wouldn't.

Tom looked at her and said, "I not going anywhere like this. We still have a little business to settle."

"Please go. I told you that I'm not feeling very well," she softly implored without showing too much conviction in her voice.

As he stood up, he said, "I'm not going any place until I get what I came for you little tease."

"No, please go," she begged again.

As he started slowly towards her, he said menacingly, "I'm not going any place until I get what I want, darling."

Leeza eased her right leg back and prepared for his attack. She knew from her karate training that she would gain an advantage, if she could distract him as he began his attack. When he was within five feet of her, she flipped the copper penny she was holding in her fingers, and it shot out hitting Tom in the face. He stopped, puzzled and disoriented by the light strike of the coin against his face wondering what had just happened as Leeza began her attack.

She stepped quickly forward with her right foot and started a kick with her left leg. Tom's reflex action was to move his right arm down to block her leg. But, halfway through the diversionary left, front kick, Leeza stopped, switching to a right, front kick and snapped her foot forcefully into his groin.

Leeza then took another step closer flexing her legs and propelling herself into the air. As she came down, she threw a two knuckle, right hand punch breaking Tom's nose before following that up with a roundhouse kick to his head. The little blonde then stood there with her hands up and her right foot back in a defensive position.

Breaking Tom's nose had been much easier than the pine boards that she broke in karate class. Leeza held her defensive posture and closely watched Tom as he lay on the floor groaning in pain. When she was satisfied that he was not going to give her any more trouble, she relaxed her position.

The little blonde then walked over to the couch, reached underneath it, to pull out a large, gray survival knife similar to the one used in the Rambo movies. The little avenging angel had several other knives just like it, hidden in strategic location throughout her apartment.

Tom watched in shock as Leeza walked towards him, but there was nothing he could do except lie there in extreme pain, unable to move. The young blonde squatted down beside him and moved the large blade down near his face. He starred in horror as she brought the knife to his upper lip and used it to scrape some of the red blood leaking from his broken nose. Leeza held the bloody knife blade in front of his face and said, "Thanks for the DNA, sweetie." Then smiled and added, "Don't be angry Tom--after all, what's a little blood among friends?"

Tom watched 'Cindy' walk over towards the couch as she unscrewed the storage cap to the secret compartment in the end of the survival knife. She then removed a longish, clear bottle with cotton balls from the knife handle and unscrewed the cap. She took out the cotton balls and soaked them in the red blood on the knife. Next, she took the blood soaked cotton balls, put them back into the bottle, and then replaced the bottle back into the knife's secret compartment.

"Cindy, you miserable slut, I'm going to put your sorry butt underneath the jail house for this," fumed Tom. Leeza smiled at his use of the name that she had given him at the bar. It was apparent to her that the cheating snake still hadn't learned his lesson and needed the fear of God put in him. Tom watched as she moved the knife blade down to his groin and used the flat side of the knife to tap him there.

"If you don't start changing your attitude, butt-head, I'm going to have to cut off a certain highly prized piece of your anatomy and keep it as a souvenir," she threatened.

Leeza then stood up and looked down at the frightened man as she pointed over to a flower vase containing some artificial, yellow flowers, "There's a hidden camera in the flowers, and I have video of you trying to rape me. If you ever come near me again, I'll have you arrested. You're DNA and the video of you trying to molest me are going into a safety deposit box with a letter to the police. Now, Tom put your clothes on and get your dumb butt out of here, before I change my mind and call the police right now."

After Leeza watched Tom limp through her front door, she slammed and locked it behind him. "That makes life worth living," she philosophized.

Leeza Robert's had designed her apartment as a mantrap where she would excite men without any intention of ever giving them satisfaction. The entire layout was carefully thought out to allow her to carry out her scheme with the males she brought home with her. The couch in her front room was situated so that it seemed only natural that she would move forward towards her victim's face as she hurried to the bathroom. Likewise, the large empty space in front of her bathroom door allowed her the room to utilize her karate skills if she had to.

Leeza had even prepared in the event her karate failed her. She had several security cameras covering every area of her apartment, and hidden knives in many strategic locations. The young blonde had spent a lot of time becoming an expert in self-defense and knife fighting techniques. Her weapon of choice was surprisingly a three inch knife.

This size knife blade was legal in all fifty states, and could be carried almost any place. The blade was short, but it was long enough to reach all major internal organs, especially in the hands of an expert like her. The large survival knives she kept in her front room were primarily for intimidation purposes, but she could use them if she had too, although, she preferred the smaller knives that she had spent so much of her time training with.

Leeza was also an expert with the wooden cane. It could be carried on airplanes and other places where a knife wasn't allowed. A cane was essentially a wooden club with a hook on the end of it, in fact, a medium force strike to the skull was all it would take to kill or cause severe brain damage. Most people considered the wooden devise a sign of infirmity, but those in karate circles knew better.

Leeza always keep a cane in her car and carried it with her when she went places, especially at night. Many people would give her strange looks when they saw her with it, but they didn't know or realize the true power it possessed.

Chapter 3

Cletus sat on a park bench joyfully experimenting with his new vision enhancements. He found it amazing that objects several hundred feet would appear as if he were standing right next to them. Sensors, when combined with various wavelengths, such as x-rays would allow a distant object to be viewed beneath its exterior covering. The obtained data could then be colorized and adjusted so that the object appeared as exactly if the exterior covering didn't exist.

This ability intrigued Cletus and he was intently testing it on a test object over 200 feet away. He observed bones and knew that he had to back the sensors off a tad. As he fined tuned them, the exterior skin surface of the test subject came into focus and became crystal clear. Cletus was extremely satisfied with the results when he saw the female test subject sitting completely open to his view.

The alien/human hybrid studied the young woman's lovely body and smiled, as he focused the sensors on her body and increased the magnification. He was amazed at the clarity with which he was able to view her body. Cletus could have counted each of the individual hairs located there.

"Might I inquire as to the purpose of the close examination of the female's body," questioned the Saltoid.

"Well, if you really must know, my observations are purely for health and scientific reasons. I am inspecting the female to insure she is not infected with parasites. I also want to start a database containing the bodily hair count for a large number of females, so that an average hair count can be arrived at," sarcastically answered Cletus, irritated by the interruption of his voyeurism.

"Human, your efforts could be better spent in actually mating with the females instead of spying on them from a distance," replied the alien.

Cletus stopped his observation of the young woman, "I guess you're right. It's just that I haven't been with a woman in so long that the thought really scares me. Just look at me--I'm a filthy and ugly old man. No woman is going look at me twice. It takes good manners, clean clothes, decent looks, and a large bank account wouldn't hurt, if you want to attract women," explained Cletus.

"Those are not valid reasons, filth is easily washed away and adjustments can be made to your body to make it more acceptable to females. Skills can be quickly gained that would allow for the amassing of wealth," replied the Saltoid.

"Are you saying that you can change me into a young, handsome man and give me skills that can make me rich?" asked Cletus.

"Yes, that is correct. I can change your body to any human shape that you desire. For example, I can change you into a beautiful, female supermodel, if you wish," said the alien.

"No! I don't want anybody messing with my family jewels," sneered Cletus.

He thought for a second and then said, "When I was younger, I was respectful of everyone. I refrained from using profanity, and I was a gentleman who had great respect for woman. My moral code was very high back then. Over the years, I have deteriorated into a disgusting, filthy degenerate. Would it be possible to be returned to the person I used to be?"

"Yes it is, and with your permission, I can make those changes to your personality. I must say that I am very pleased with your decision, and would be happy to assist you. Also, if you could provide a visual depiction, such as a photograph of the body you desire, then the process could begin.

However, you might want to think about adopting a totally new identity, and starting a new life in a different location than this. I would advise you take your time and consider your options. In the meantime, I can change the appearance of your exterior body. Would an age appearance of 30 years be satisfactory?" questioned the alien scientist.

"Yes, thank you. I would appreciate all the help you can give me. Well--I guess better clean-up, and shave. I'm going to have to find a job so we can have some food to put in our mouth now," said Cletus thoughtfully contemplating his new life.

The Saltoid then informed Cletus that he couldn't shave because the razor's steel blade would not cut through his facial hair. However, the hairs could be withdrawn back into the body and absorbed. He would never have to shave again. As far as food was concerned, Cletus' new body did not require food to survive. Occasional small quantities of water were sufficient for conversion to energy in order to support the body's needs. Although, Cletus' taste buds were still functional, he could consume quantities of liquids and food materials, if desired.

The food would be transport from the throat to a compactor chamber in the upper chest where it would be squeezed into a pellet almost too small for the normal human eye to see. The tiny pellet would then be transported to the groin area, where it was inserted into the urine storage area for elimination.

"Wait a moment, if food is eliminated through the urine stream, what is the function of the anus," asked the somewhat puzzled Cletus.

"The anus is purely for cosmetic purposes and could easily pass a human inspection. Test equipment could be inserted into the anus chamber and it would appear entirely human," answered the Saltoid.

The day was quickly turning into night and Cletus' enhanced eyes automatically switched over to his infrared vision. His night vision didn't have the characteristic green color of that in equipment commonly used by the military. His enhanced eyes compensated and color corrected his vision. His nighttime vision was in effect, no different than the vision he experienced in the daytime.

The Saltoid directed Cletus to a two story brick house which its sensors had shown to be vacant. Newspapers at the front door indicated the house had been empty for several days. A sensor scan of the area revealed a spare house key was concealed behind a nearby landscaping block. The home was equipped with a security system which the Saltoid quickly deactivated.

The first place Cletus went was into the laundry room, where he took off his filthy garments, and placed them into the washing machine. As his clothes were washing, he relaxed and took a long, hot soapy bath. Afterwards, he looked into a bathroom mirror, and saw a sight, he hadn't seen in many years. In the reflective surface staring back at him was a much younger vision of himself--the alien had fulfilled its promise.

Cletus cleaned the bathroom carefully to remove any traces that he had ever been there. As he waited for his clothes to finish washing, the alien scientist used the sensors mounted around Cletus' head to investigate the house and its contents. It would occasionally ask Cletus questions about and item and inquire as to its purpose. The furnishing in the house were very luxurious, and Cletus knew that the people who lived here were financially well off. In the master bedroom closet, he removed an expensive man's suit and held it up for a look.

"No!" said the alien.

"I know, I'm just looking," responded Cletus, as he reluctantly put the clothes back.

The Saltoid scientist was very interested in the television and asked Cletus to turn the set on so that it could monitor broadcasts and collect information. Before long the alien was using its sensors to change the channels to those it was most interest in. Then the scientist locked onto the broadcast signals and started receiving the information directly without the need for the TV.

Cletus wandered through the domicile looking around until he found some black shoe polish. His old, grubby boots were in desperate need of polishing, and he busied himself with them while waiting for his clothes to dry. Again, he was very careful to clean up after himself.

Cletus surveyed his image in the full length, bedroom mirror, after he had dressed himself, and was astounded by the transformation. The clothes were a little threadbare, but his image was no longer that of a filthy derelict. Suddenly, sensors picked up a vehicle in the distance headed in the direction of the residence.

Cletus new vision enhancements allowed him to move quickly through the dark house and exit through the rear door of the residence. Once outside, the alien used a sensor to reactivate the alarm system. The hybrid was then surprised by his physical abilities, when he traversed the large backyard to the distant woods in an amazingly short period of time. The alien had performed a complete perimeter scan to determine that it was safe prior to allowing the superhuman move into the woods.

The next day Cletus Pike glanced around as he walked down the busy avenue in the mid-size Michigan town. It was starting to get dark, as he carried his fifth load of deposit cans down the cement sidewalk of the busy street. He could have gathered more, but, he took time to go the Kalamazoo Public Library to scan books. Cletus had been gathering deposit cans every day for the last couple of weeks to build the small nest egg he needed to restart his life. He was able to save all of his money since he didn't have to spend money on food and drink, or anything else for that matter. The cities' free water fountains provided him with all the liquid he needed to power his new hybrid body.

At night, he would scan for deserted locations where he could hold up and spend the night. His ability to use his scanning enhancements had greatly improved over the last several days, and the Saltoid now left it completely up to him as to where they would stay the night.

After collecting the money for the deposit cans, Cletus walked back down Westnedge hill towards the center of town. There was a small wooded area in the central part of the city called Bronson Park. Cletus found a park bench and sat down to practice using his enhancements. There was a tall bank building near the park with an ATM machine, and just for fun, he scanned the devise and counted the currency inside--"Thirteen hundred and eighty dollars," he mumbled.

"Excellent--you are becoming very proficient with your scanning enhancements," congratulated the alien residing in Cletus Pike's cranial cavity, "Now, I would like you to try something a little more challenging. There is a female heading towards the bank's ATM and I would like you to observe her purse. Use your sensors to scan the folded documents inside, and then utilizing your scans of these folded documents there, practice making them appear as if they were lying unfolded in front of your eyes--and, I do not require a hair count of the female's body,"

"That's too bad, I was getting pretty good at it," smiled the new hybrid.

Cletus did as the alien scientist requested and did a full scan of the female including her purse. He had no problem reading the unfolded documents such as her driver's license, credit cards, and other such data.

However, the folded documents were a jumble of information that had to be tediously deciphered. The first page of a folded document was the always the easiest. He would then have to take the information on the back of the first sheet and reverse the information contained there. This process had to be carefully repeated for each additional folded page.

Finally, Cletus breathed a sigh of relief when he had finished the first couple of pages. With each page after that, it started to get quicker and much easier. After another two hours of practice scanning various purses and wallets, his proficiency had reached the point where he could decipher any folded document in seconds with ease.

It was now starting to get dark and time to find a place to spend the night. Cletus and the alien didn't require sleep, but he did need a couple of hours of inactivity to assimilate the scanned books from the library. Also, it was much safer inside than outside where police might question why he was wandering around the streets so late at night.

Cletus walked towards a residential area looking for place where he would be safe for an overnight stay. Near the corner of Elm St. and North, he found an abandoned house with condemnation order posted on the front door. There was still some furniture including beds inside the empty, two story structure.

A scan of the premises indicated that a basement window on the rear of the house was unlocked. The hybrid entered the basement using his enhanced night vision and moved easily through the dark house. He made his way upstairs and found one of the empty beds in a back bedroom. He scanned the area and decided that his best escape route was through the window with a fifteen foot leap to the ground below, if necessary.

After lying down, Cletus asked the alien, "There's a few things I don't understand. For example, you said the contents of my brain had been downloaded into an indestructible data storage area. I was wondering what happened to my original brain?"

"Your organic brain and internal organs were discarded," replied the Saltoid

"You discarded my brain and insides?" questioned Cletus.

"Yes, that is correct. But, your alcohol addiction had rendered them almost useless anyway," answered the alien.

"Okay, if you are inside my brain case, how big is my new solid state brain, and where is it located in my head?" asked Cletus.

"Your new brain is about one quarter of inch square in size, and is linked to seven other similarly sized brains which comprise the totality of your new Multi-Brain. When you have completed you training, you will have the capacity to multi-task many separate brain functions all at the same time. In addition, there is a golf ball sized data storage area, which is far more than you will ever need.

The Multi-Brain will give you greater intelligence than any other human on your planet. As to the location, your new brain and storage area is located in a spot behind the bridge of your nose. The short connection path between your brain and your eye enhancements will allow for quicker responses during times of emergencies. I utilize the remainder of the cranial cavity for my own uses," answered the alien scientist.

"Are you male or female?" asked Cletus.

"I am neither, yet both. I am a combination of both mental and light energy with the capacity to reproduce if needed or desired," responded the alien.

Cletus shook his head as if to indicate he understood, although he didn't understand at all. He then decided he had asked enough questions for the time being and settled back into rest mode. His Multi-Brain began the process of analyzing and absorbing the book scans from this morning's trip to the library. He had the capacity to process about a dozen book scans during one of his rest periods.

The books he was processing dealt primarily with engineering and computer science. The book scans gave him advanced new skills that would allow him to develop computer programs, construct new inventions, or improve existing products. This would give him the ability to make large sums of money without being tied down to a single employer.

The deposit can money was slowly adding up, and soon Cletus would be able to afford new clothes and shoes. He would need the new outfit to be taken seriously when he visited potential customers for his services. The hybrid still had to decide on a new body so that his new clothes would fit after he made the change.

Just before daylight, Cletus exited the condemned house through the rear, but he left the door unlocked just in case he wanted to use the house again the following night. The library would not be open until 9:00 am, so he went back downtown to kill a little time. He practiced his scanning skills and walked around looking into the store front windows. One of the stores caught his interest more than the others--it was a music store. He stared at all the shiny new guitars in the front window and felt his heart beat a little faster.

When Cletus was younger, he had a fascination with music and loved to play around with a guitar. He had always dreamed of being a country music singer, although he didn't have the talent it took to play music or sing professionally. Cletus liked the songs from the Golden Age of Country Music--it was the real thing, not that soft rock that masqueraded as country music today.

The alien informed him that his new Multi-Brain could give him the skills to make his dream come true, if that's what he really wanted. One of his Multi-Brain components could be dedicated specifically for that purpose. It would allow him to play the guitar and sing at a professional level. However, the Saltoid warned Cletus that if he pursued that path, it would be a mistake to become too well known. The national expose would greatly increase the danger that their relationship might be exposed.

The alien suggested that instead, Cletus sing the older country music in one geographic area at his own nightclub. This would give him a place to attract females, and he could have a separate area to take the women for dates. The idea sounded too good to be true and really intrigued Cletus with the possibilities.

Chapter 4

Sam Dawson sat on a couch in front of his big screen TV watching music videos, as he waited for his girlfriend to come over. He was just your typical working man, who enjoyed sexy women, beer and country music. Sam was short and only stood about 5 foot 10 inches tall in his bare feet, but he had a set of perfect white teeth and a very engaging smile.

The young nineteen year old drove a truck for a living, and luckily he was able to drive locally. Sam didn't have to be gone from home for extended periods of time like so many other less fortunate truck drivers. His dad was a longtime friend of his boss which is what helped him get the job. A nineteen year old kid usually was not usually considered mature enough to handle the responsibilities of the job he held. Sam drove a delivery truck for a national building supply chain, which primarily delivered building materials to building sites in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Sam glanced at his black plastic, digital watch and wondered why his cute, little amber-haired honey was running late. He felt his excitement build as he thought about her gorgeous, tanned body.

Across town, Debbie Connors was driving a little faster than she than she knew she should, but she didn't like to keep her boyfriend Sam waiting. She kept an eye out for the police as she raced her little, blue Ford through a couple of stop signs on her way to his house. Her automobile air conditioner didn't work, so she was forced to drive through the hot, humid weather with her windows down. The wind felt so good blowing through her amber-hair as she rushed down the hot, black asphalt road.

Debbie was very beautiful and could have been a model, but she had never thought of herself in that way. A small yellow t-shirt encased her upper body showing off a perfectly rounded pair of shapely, tanned breasts. White short-shorts with a thick white belt finished out her skimpy outfit. Beautiful tanned legs stretched from her tight little short-shorts down to her pink tennis shoes pressing too hard on the gas pedal. Debbie had stopped off to pick up some cold beer and a pizza which had helped to make her later than she already was.

When Sam heard Debbie's noisy little Ford pull into the driveway of his small three bedroom house, he jumped up and watched her through his front window. After parking her car, she went around to the passenger side to grab the beer and pizza she had brought. Sam smiled as he watched her walk up the sidewalk towards the front door; he always loved watching her sexy little walk. The young truck driven sighed and wondered just how long he would be able to keep her. He knew that Debbie was just too gorgeous to stay with a guy like him for very long.

Sam hurried to open the front door, and then push the silver-gray aluminum screen door for her. The little blonde gave him a big smile as she squeezed by, "I'm sorry I'm late, but you know how it is," she said as she headed for the kitchen.

"Not a problem, baby," responded Sam.

A few minutes later, the couple sat watching country music videos, drinking cold beer, and munching on pizza. After they had finished eating, Sam sat on the couch with his left arm around Debbie, and a half-empty beer in his right hand. The truck driver looked her into her beautiful hazel eyes and whispered, "I've got something for you."

"I'll just bet you do," she responded giggling and dropped her eyes.

Sam kissed her soft red, ruby lips again, and then he took her small, tanned hand pulling her up from the couch and towards his bedroom.

Debbie's father was a minister and he had an attitude towards males that came around his only daughter. He had hounded her from the time she could walk about how evil boys were, and she had heard it so many times, she felt like it was overflowing out her ears. But, it seemed the more her father warned her about them, the more attractive they became to her.

Debbie was intelligent and did well in high school where she was very popular with both boys and girls. The little blonde was too shy to do anything with the boys back then even though she ached to try. The years passed by and she finally graduated.

After high school, she went to the local community college. While there the young virgin developed a crush on her handsome English teacher. He was so big and strong--and he made her body tremble with passion whenever he came around. She would pretend that she was having problems with her studies, so that she could stay after school and get help with her studies. Debbie was usually there with him alone because not many of the other students wanted to stay after school to study.

Debbie always gave him her biggest smile when she was around him, and would open a button on her shirt to expose some of her firm young breasts. When she would go over to his desk to ask him a question, she would bend over to give him a view of her bosom. And, when he came over to her desk, she would arch her shoulders back so he could get another good view of her firm, young figure.

The young blonde noticed that he started to brush up against her and put his hands on her arms and shoulders. Over the next couple of days, his touching increased, and soon her teacher was putting his hands on her knees. This started her heart fluttering wildly whenever he touched her there.

One day her English instructor came over to her desk and stopped to examine her work. He told Debbie was doing an excellent job and then gave her a small kiss on the neck. When she didn't object, he kissed her again, and when she looked up, he kissed her on the lips. The little blonde then kissed him back passionately and felt a shiver of pleasure race from her lips that started a fire in her little tummy.

As the teacher knelled beside her, he said, "Debbie do you promise not to tell anyone about this. We could both get in a lot of trouble." The little virgin nodded yes and watched him bend down and kiss her.

The English teacher considered himself to be a connoisseur of young, virgins. He had taken advantage of many a sweet young thing during his time as an instructor at the school. He had two video cameras concealed to record the events in his classroom because he loved to re-live the events with his young victims. At his home was a shelf lined with numerous videos of his lascivious conquests.

The predator knew that little minxes had so much more to offer than a single, quick adventure. He learned long ago that if he could bring them satisfaction, they would be his, and come back again begging for more. They could then be used a number of times before easing them out the door to make room for newer conquests.

The English Teacher had to do this carefully so as not to make them angry, and he also had to insure that his victims didn't end up with a child. He knew from experience that he needed to go very slowly when he gave his little virgins their first amorous adventure. It was important that they receive much more pleasure than discomfort. If he was gentle and gave them pleasure, then they would gladly be his little love slaves.

The English teacher looked around to make sure the camera angles were correct before continuing. A moment later, he heard her gasp as he sampled her sweet body. But, shortly after that, there was a loud crash as the classroom door was kicked opened. The teacher and Debbie were so shocked by what was happening they froze like deer caught in the headlights of an automobile.

The people in the doorway observed the English teacher in a compromising position with his young, female student, and were satisfied that their suspicions had been correct. One of the police officers was operating a video camera and he made sure to capture the whole scene in explicit detail. The young blonde cried as she watched her English teacher quickly being taken away in handcuffs and placed into the back of a police car.

The officials then gathered evidence and sent Debbie to the hospital for an examination. Afterwards, a female police officer was brought in to question her about what had happened, but she remembered her promise and refused to answer any of the questions. This caused the police to become very angry with her, but she stubbornly refused to say anything to hurt her teacher.

Chapter 5

Little Misaki Kimura stood looking out at the green rolling hills from a house on a hilltop located near Columbia, Tennessee. The Japanese girl stood barely 5 foot tall and only weighed 102 pounds. She was dressed in a bluish green knee length skirt with a matching jacket, and a white blouse.

Misaki had medium sized breasts, but her small frame made them look bigger than they actually were. She had shoulder length jet back hair, and wore light pink lipstick that contrasted with her pale, yellowish complexion.

Misaki was an exchange student at a university in Nashville and lived with a Japanese family called Yamamoto. The father of the family was a man named Ricu. He was an engineer employed at a nearby automobile production plant, and his wife Miki was a college professor at the local community college.

They had a son called Kazuki who was about the same age as Misaki. He drove her to Nashville, where he was an engineering student at the same school. Kazuki's parents were very strict and demanded very high grades from him--only A's were acceptable.

One day Misaki accompanied Miki when she went grocery shopping, and on the way back home they saw Kazuki walking with a girl on the sidewalk--he was holding her hand. Misaki's mother immediately pulled the automobile to the curb and jumped out yelling for him to get into the vehicle. They then sat without saying a word as Miki drove them back home. Misaki could tell the older woman was very angry, but she didn't understand why.

When they returned home, Miki told her son to go to his room and wait there. She then turned to Misaki with tears in her eyes, "Misaki, can I talk to you on a matter of up most importance? " begged the older woman.

"Yes of course," answered Misaki.

"My son is endangering his future. His grades are falling and his life may be ruined because he only seems to be interest in girls. When boys reach a certain age, they begin to develop strong urges, and if those urges are not satisfied, then they become distracted. And when the males became distracted, their school studies suffer which can ruin their futures. My son is filled with tension, and if this tension isn't released his entire future could be affected. I need you to help with this problem," pleaded Miki.

Misaki was stunned at the words she heard the woman saying, "I am sorry, but I can't help you, I am still pure and I must stay that way until I am married. My family would disown me if they found out. I am really sorry for your plight, but I cannot give up my virtue to your son," refused Misaki.

"But, you don't have to give up your virtue. I can instruct you how to relive his tension without him touching you in that way. I know that your family is not wealthy and I am. My son is my life, and I would do anything to save his future. Therefore, I am willing to pay for your education, if you will help me," offered Miki.

It was an amazingly generous offer for a poor girl like her. If her family did not have to send money for her education, their lives would be so much better. Misaki took a moment to consider the proposal, and then answered hesitantly, "If my purity is not endangered, and my parents will never know, I will accept your proposal.

"Oh, thank you Misaki. I will forever be grateful to you," smiled the delighted mother.

"Come and I will show you what to do," beckoned Miki.

Once the mother showed the young Asian what she must do, she started to have second thoughts and wondered what had she gotten herself into. But, it was too late now--she had obligated herself.

At Misaki's college there was a special clique of the most beautiful and popular girls who all had handsome boyfriends. Misaki felt envy as she observed these girls and dreamed of becoming one of them. She had an idea that if she started hanging around with some of the members of the group it might lead to something. Misaki was a very beautiful and it wasn't long before she was asked to join as a provisional member.

The young Japanese girl was told that become a full member she would have to meet a certain requirement of a special nature. Misaki learned that the girls in the clique maintained their virtue by using other means as a lure to keep their boyfriends satisfied. In this manner, they were not in any danger of getting pregnant.

The handsome boyfriends were like an auxiliary to the girl's group and only dated girls within the clique. The females then showed their appreciation by satisfying their needs. Every month the girls were expected to take a new boyfriend from within the group of boys. In this manner the boys would have all the girls, and likewise the girls would have all the boys.

Misaki's new girlfriends assigned her a boyfriend by the name of Craig. He was the leader of the boys group, and it was his responsibly to ensure new female members satisfied the requirement for full membership in the clique. She was told that if she wanted stay in the clique, she would have to date him, and then give them a full, detailed report of the event. Misaki's new girlfriends described how they performed this duty on their current boyfriends, and offered her encouragement without realizing that she already had some experience in that area.

Misaki was introduced to Craig and she was immediately attracted to his blonde hair and good looks. She could never let her Japanese father know that she had a white boyfriend or he would have killed her. He had made it crystal clear t that she was expected to remain virtuous and marry a Japanese man of his choosing when the time came. Misaki wasn't interested in Japanese men and found white men much more attractive. But, she knew that the day would eventually come when she would have to submit to her father's wishes.

Craig invited Misaki to his apartment, and she realized that her time was up—she would have to satisfy the requirement for membership or be forced to leave the clique. As the young Japanese girl thought about her date with Craig, she could feel a tingling in her body. Now, she was glad that Kazuki's mother had instructed her in the proper technique necessary to satisfy a partner in the manner she was now required to use.

Without them realizing it, Craig and Misaki were ending thousands of years of honored history tradition within the Kimura family--for the first time in recorded history a barbarian was going to touch the body of a Kimura female.

Craig and his friends changed girlfriends within the clique every month, and he realized it was all just one big game. In a few weeks, one of his friends would be telling him about his experience with the little Asian, and then a month after that there would be another one.

Misaki could hardly wait to recount her salacious details to her friends because it meant that she would now become a member of the prestigious clique. The Japanese girl didn't realize that the blonde-haired youth would also be telling his friends in explicit detail about his date with the sexy, little pale skinned girl.

A short time later, Misaki looked at the new, yellow butterfly pin attached to her green sweater with glowed with pride. The gold colored pin was only given to girls who had become full members of the clique. Many of the girls at her school wished they could have one of the beautiful pins, but membership was restricted to only the prettiest girls who were willing to meet the special requirement. There were over two hundred girls at the school, but only about a dozen members in the prestigious clique.

Misaki enjoyed her relationships with the other girls in the club, and for the first time in America, she didn't feel so lonely. She was the member of a family that cared much more for her than the Japanese family she was living with.

A couple of months after starting her tension relaxation sessions with Kazuki, she was lying in bed reading a class textbook when he came inside her room without knocking. He was wearing a green silk robe with an oriental design as he walked over and looked down at her small frame lying on the bed.

"Go sit on the edge of the bed," he ordered. Misaki was surprised and couldn't believe that he was capable of such an arrogant attitude; she just lay there in shock without saying a word staring at him.

"If you don't wish to comply, go pack your clothes and leave here. You must earn your keep if you intend to stay here," he said, with unconcealed irritation in his voice.

Miki was not home and Misaki considered leaving, but she realized she had no place to go. She had done what he wanted many times before, and she certainly did not have a problem with doing it. She just did not like the idea of being bossed around. Therefore, she slowly got up and and did as he ordered.

"Next time you will perform with greater vigor. Do you understand?" snapped Kazuki angrily. Misaki could see the intense anger in his eyes and slowly nodded her head. She thought about telling Miki, but, realized that the young man could do no wrong in his mother's eyes, and, she might end up losing the money for her schooling.

Back at school, Misaki finally confessed to her girlfriends what Kazuki was doing, and they angrily suggested that she go to the police and have him arrested. But, she resisted their suggestion saying that she would lose the money for her education and be forced to return home in disgrace.

Misaki's fellow clique members finally agreed that she was doing the right thing; after all he was not doing anything to her that other hadn't already done. They were curious about what he made her do, and she explained in detail her experiences in this regard.

Chapter 6

The fashionably dressed young brunette looked across the street at the large neon sign outside the nightclub, it read, "Master Red's Golden Guitar Saloon–The Home of Classic Country Music." It was a new place that had only recently opened in downtown Nashville. The exterior of the building stood out because it was much more decorative than most of its competitors. It was constructed with an exquisite brick and white marble exterior, and had a large picture window in front.

Brenda's heart beat a little faster when she looked through the glass and saw a large poster of an extremely, handsome young man. He was wearing white western style clothing with matching white cowboy boots, and he held a guitar in his powerful muscular hands. The white vest he wore was very flimsy, and didn't cover much of his chest area, or his flat rippled stomach. The handsome figure had the powerful, muscular arms and chest of a body builder.

The young man in the poster had light blondish-red hair and an exquisite, beautiful golden tan. She read the headline on the poster, 'Master Red--now preforming Friday and Saturday Nights.' She thought the name sounded a little strange, but it wasn't unusual for performers to choose weird names.

Brenda walked through the beautiful, double glass doors of the entrance and surveyed the interior of the dimly lit nightclub. Stretched out before her was a very, large open area filled with tables and chairs, and several big screen TV's hung suspended from the ceiling in different locations throughout the room.

The inside was even more beautiful than the outside. Who ever built this place had spared no expense. Brenda looked to the right and saw a long bar running parallel to the wall, and at the far end of the room was a large stage. In front of it, and to the left was a dance area.

At the far end of the bar, and to the right of the stage were more tables. On the walls were nicely framed pictures of various men and women that Brenda recognized immediately after having grown up on classic country music. The pictures were of famous old country music legends.

Brenda McCoy was a native born resident of Nashville. As she neared graduation from high school, she began searching for a way to go to college because she couldn't afford the high cost by herself. She learned that if she did a tour of duty in the military, she would get G.I. benefits from the government that would allow her to finish her education.

After finishing high school, she immediately went down and joined the U.S. Army. They trained her to be a secretary and sent her to Germany where she worked in a military base located outside Frankfurt. While there, she had an affair with a married officer.

Brenda had her first experience in the backseat of of her boyfriend's old, beat-up Chevy. The young girl hadn't enjoyed it nearly as much as he had, and the whole thing had left her largely sore and frustrated. The affair with the officer had been much more satisfying to her, but he was a married man who had no intentions of leaving his wife and losing his military career over a low ranking peon.

After three years in the army, she was discharged back to the U.S where she found a secretarial job and went to school part time. Brenda's job at a music publishing company allowed her to meet many of the famous country music stars she had grown up listening to. After several months, her relationship with her boss turned into an affair, and he was married of course, but she didn't care.

Many times older men will string pretty young females along, promising to divorce their wives and marry them. Unfortunately, her boss meant what he said, and he did divorce his wife and take her as his new spouse. He was a man who had a large amorous appetite, which she struggled to satisfy. Brenda was going to school full time now, and suspected that her husband was having an affair with the pretty, new secretary he hired to replace her. Apparently, two women were still not enough to satisfy him because he began to pressure her to attend a swapping club with him.

Brenda finally gave in and accompanied him to a large, three story house in east Nashville. Apparently, it was a very popular place because there were many cars parked up and down both sides of the street. The man and woman who meet them at the door explained that couples had to be separated because it freed them to be more adventurous.

The woman took her husband in one direction inside the large house, and the man led her off in another direction. Brenda didn't see her husband again until much later, when it was time for them to go home. Brenda accompanied her husband to these swapping parties a few more times, before finally deciding that this lifestyle was just not for her. She then went back to concentrating on her studies.

A couple of months later, her husband and his secretary were killed in an automobile accident while he was out driving around cheating on her. A drunk driver crossed the white line and hit then head on. As is the case in many of these sad events, the drunk driver walked away with hardly a scratch. Brenda learned from a TV broadcast that the drunk had previously received 8 DWI's and was out of jail awaiting trial on some new charges. Fortunately, her husband had completed a new will that left her fairly well off. The brunette was able to go back to school full time, and after a few more months of hard struggle, she finally received her degree in business management with a minor in accounting.

Brenda set out to get a job, but quickly learned that getting one was going to be much more difficult than she had imagined. She went to many job interviews, but for some reason, she was never offered anything. Brenda was very disheartened at her lack of success and scanned the latest newspaper want ads without much hope. As her eyes scanned the page, she saw an ad for a management job in the downtown Nashville area.

The ad did not specify what type of business it was, but she called and was given an appointment. Brenda didn't expect much, but she knew she had to keep trying despite the seeming hopelessness of ever finding a decent job. She dressed in a conservative, gray business suit, crossed her fingers, and headed out for the interview.

When Brenda saw that it was at a nightclub, her heart sank because she thought that this would even further reduce her small chances of getting the job. She then took a deep breath, expecting the worst, and pressed ahead. The nightclub was almost empty, but it was only 1:12 in the afternoon and the real action wouldn't start for hours. When she saw a middle-aged man behind the bar washing glasses, she went over to talk with him.

"Excuse me. My name is Brenda McCoy and I have an appointment for a job interview," she said nervously.

"The boss's office is all the way down by the stage and to the right," he said, pointing her in the direction she needed to go.

Brenda thanked him and slowly made her way down to the stage where she saw a door that had a sign that read, 'Manager.' She knocked on the door and heard a strong, masculine voice telling her to come in. When she saw a man sitting at a large, polished wooden desk, she was surprised to that it was the young man from the poster outside and her heart started beating faster. He climbed to his feet as she came in, and went over to greet her.

"I ha-have an appointment for a job interview," she stammered nervously, "My name is Brenda McCoy.

When she reached out her hand to shake his, he took it and held it firmly in his strong grip, "Brenda, it's always a pleasure to meet such a lovely lady, I am Master Red," he said as he lifted her hand to his lips and softly kissed it. His 6 foot 3 inch frame towered over her, and when he looked down directly into her eyes, she felt as if he could see into the deepest recesses of her soul.

"Would you please have a seat, and tell me about yourself," he said, releasing her hand and returning to his seat behind the desk. Brenda sat down and nervously told him her life story while omitting some of her less proud moments. She told him that although she didn't have much practical experience, she would be very grateful for an opportunity to prove herself.

Master Red stared deep into her eyes and said that he was not worried about her lack of experience. He was looking for a special person who could not only manage the bar, but also handle some tasks of a more personal nature. Master said he needed someone who was opened minded because there were numerous female fans who wanted to get together with him after his shows.

The big singer explained that he was a healthy, unattached male and that he wished to avail himself of their offers. Therefore, he needed someone to interview the females and weed out the unacceptable ones. For example, He needed to know if they were of legal age, and if they in a committed relationship which might cause him problems.

Master Red explained that he had a large appetite and liked to date at least three females at the same time. The selected girls would have to be open-minded, and not object to the other women or feel jealous.

Brenda sat stunned at what he was telling her. She didn't believe this gorgeous hunk would have much trouble attracting three females for what he had in mind, but she had difficulty believing he could have that much stamina. Master Red finished by asking her if she was the special person he was looking for.

"Yes," she said quickly, relieved that she might finally be getting a job.

"Excellent, you're hired then," smiled the big singer.

Brenda was pleasantly surprised by the generous salary and benefit package Master Red offered her, it was more than she had ever expected. She was floating on a cloud when she walked out of the nightclub, and couldn't help herself, as she turned to take one last look at the beautiful man on the poster in the window.

Brenda began to wonder if her education had really prepared her for the job she had just gotten. The part where she interviewed the young groupies did not sound too difficult, but then she remembered she had to ask them if they were willing to share the singer with several other women--perhaps, it was not going to be as easy as she thought.

Master Red sat at his desk smiling at the way the interview had turned out. Of course, He knew everything about the young brunette before she ever walked through the doors of his nightclub. His abilities had greatly increased since the time his name was Cletus Pike and had sat on a park bench in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The alien/human hybrid could enter any computer system at will, find or change the information he wanted, and then leave completely undetected. When Brenda had called about a job interview, he asked her a couple of questions, and that was all he needed to go into various computer systems and learn everything about her life.

Master Red scanned school records, police records, health records, just to name a few. He knew about her time in the military, he knew when she got married, and the events behind the death of her late husband. He knew what books she taken out of the public as well as the university libraries. He was even aware of when it was that time of month from the health records in her doctor's office. Master Red knew that he going to hire her before she walked into his nightclub—that is, if she didn't have a problem preforming his personal tasks.

Brenda sat at a table near the stage outside Master Red's office. He was on stage singing Hank Nash's 'Circle of Desire,' and she was very impressed with what she heard. The young brunette was surprised at the way he could do these incredible imitations of the old country music legends.

During his break, the singer came over and sat down beside her to go over her instructions again. Brenda held the clipboard with the questions that she was supposed to ask prospective candidates. He had instructed her to find at least three girls who were agreeable and bring them back to the table where she was sitting now.

"When I start my last set, I will give you a nod, then I want you take the girls upstairs, and prepare them just the way I instructed you earlier," explained Master Red.

After he went back on stage, Brenda studied the audience for prospective candidates. She looked around and searched for tables that only had young and attractive women. Some of the girls she approached were in relationships, but she finally had the girls she was seeking. Brenda breathed a sigh of relief as she took them over to her table and waited for the singer. After Master Red gave her a nod, she escorted the girls upstairs to prepare them for their meeting with the handsome cowboy. He had taken Brenda up there earlier and given her a tour so that she would know where to go and what to do.

After taking the girls upstairs, she had them get undressed and climb into a large hot tub. When the girls were nice and clean, she gave them a white silk robe to wear and took them into the luxuriously furnished bath area. She then gave each girl an exquisite, lavender velvet handbag, and inside each bag were toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, and an expensive bottle of French perfume.

The nightclub manager explained the bags were a gift from Master Red, and they could keep them. Next, she told them to brush their teeth, and use the mouthwash because Master Red liked his women to be clean and sweet smelling.

Brenda then took them into the main area where there was an enormous waterbed. The outside frame of the waterbed was colored a dark blue, and had white silk sheets spread across the large circumference. She lined the girls up and had them sit on the edge of the bed. She then lowered the illumination level just as she had been instructed and then waited for Master Red--they did not have to wait long.

The singer came into the room wearing a red silk robe and walked to the waterbed where he looked down at the girls sitting there. He thanked them for coming and said he hoped that they would enjoy themselves. The big man then turned to his manager and said she could leave now.

Brenda had wanted to ask if she could stay, but she was too afraid. The young brunette reluctantly turned and walked from the dimly lit room out into the dark hallway where she hesitated for a moment. She really wanted to watch, so instead of leaving, she decided to hide in the hallway.

Master knew Brenda was hiding in the darkness watching him with the girls. He also knew from his sensors that she was very interested in what she was observing. When he finished with the girls, he smiled as he watched her now retreat down the dark hallway to the elevator and return downstairs to the nightclub.

*****

Brenda lay on her large queen-size bed—and the large empty space only reminded her of how lonely she was. She missed her husband, even if he had been a low down cheating liar. It seemed that every man in her life had always let her down. When they were with her, they received the satisfaction, and all she got was the frustration. Men had only brought her pleasure a couple of times. The young nightclub manager thought about the three girls with Master Red last night and sighed. Life was so unfair. The girls had had obviously enjoyed themselves, and she was peeved at herself for not asking Master Red if she could join in.

Tomorrow was Monday and Brenda would have to start managing the nightclub by herself--and the thought petrified her. She really liked her job so far and didn't want to lose it. She had a college degree in business management, but absolutely no practical experience--What was she going to do? She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was almost 3:00 am in the morning and her nerves would not let her sleep.

The next morning Brenda arrived for work feeling exhausted when she went to meet with Master Red. She suppressed a yawn and knocked on his office door before going inside. The handsome singer got up and welcomed her just like he did she first time. He complimented her outfit and then kissed her gently on the hand. After she sat down, he said, "I really want to thank you for the job you did last Saturday night. I couldn't be happier with the way you handled things with the girls."

Brenda had not expected to receive such a beautiful compliment, and it made her feel happier than she had in a long time. The brunette realized that she had never met a nicer more thoughtful man in her life. She only hoped that she wouldn't let him down.

The young woman looked into Master Red's beautiful blue eyes and said, "Thank you. I just hope you didn't make a mistake hiring me."

"Having second thoughts, huh?" replied the singer, "Look, I know it can be very stressful starting a new job, so I have hired a business consultant to help you get your feet on the ground. His name is John Waters and he has over thirty years' experience managing nightclubs. He's retired now, and only does consulting work. I hope you don't mind the help."

"No, no I don't mind at all," smiled Brenda, feeling like a ton of bricks had been lifted off her shoulders.

The week went quickly as Brenda worked hard to learn everything she could about the nightclub business, but she enjoyed the challenge. Saturday was here again, and tonight she would have to find Master Red some more girls. She envied the women as she thought about what she had witnessed last Saturday night, and desperately wished she could feel that type of fulfillment herself.

Master Red was on stage singing an old Hank Barn's song, while Brenda had her clipboard and was out in the audience doing interviews. She had found two girls and was dreading finding a third, when an idea suddenly occurred to her. She pretended to do some more interviews before bringing the two girls back to her table. When Master Red took his break, he came over to talk to Brenda, and she introduced him to the women.

"I was only able to find two girls this time, so I was wondering if it would be possible for me to fill in for the third?" she lied.

Master Red smiled and kissed her on the lips, "I would love that," he said.

His sensors monitored her body and he knew that she was lying. The instrumentation the Saltoid had installed in his new body was much better than any earthly lie detector, and could easily spot any deception. They hybrid was not too surprised by her actions. His nightclub manager's stimulated condition last Saturday night indicated that she might take this course of action.

*****

Master Red enjoyed his Saturday night trysts, but he was also starting to feel somewhat unfulfilled. This emptiness suggested to him that there must be a better way to arrange his sessions, and he decided to discuss the matter with the Saltoid scientist hidden away somewhere in his brain case. The alien listened to his problem and then suggested that he might be living an unbalanced life.

"The universe demands balance and only when you achieve it will you enjoy real satisfaction and fulfillment. When you use the females as your love slaves, you know in your heart that you are abusing them. If you wish to use them as your love slaves, you must also be their slave as well," explained the space traveler.

Master Red contemplated the alien's words searching for their meaning. He asked himself how he could be master and slave at the same time—even with his new Multi-Brain, it seemed an impossible situation. He decided that in order to solve his problem, he needed to obtain a better understanding of female psychology. His current knowledge was largely limited to the seduction and erotic fulfillment of the female.

Master Red went to several Nashville libraries and scanned every book on female psychology he could find. He had used this same process to become an authority in many other fields. For example, he had become an expert in both engineering and computers. This had allowed him to design and built a rechargeable automobile battery that significantly increased the range of electric vehicles. He sold the battery to automobile manufactures for over 50 million dollars, with the understanding that they would take full credit for the invention--and never mention his name.

Master made this agreement with all the companies that he sold products to because he didn't want the unneeded attention that was sure to come his way. He had invented several other products, and product improvements that he offered to various companies both here and abroad. In addition to his inventions, he had written several software programs that had brought in additional sums of money. His net worth was now in excess of $80 million dollars, give or take a million. He could have increased his wealth many times above this, but extreme wealth had a tendency to make people famous while drawing a lot of public scrutiny, and this was the last thing in the world the hybrid wanted.

Master Red's money allowed him to pursue his real passion—his nightclub. He had plenty of cash to create the best venue in Nashville, and he spared no expense in creating his own little dream world. He paid his employees better than his competitors and was not really concerned if the nightclub was making a profit. Making money was not the primary purpose of the club. Although, it was currently losing money, business was steadily improving every week. In fact, the nightclub was projected to be making a profit within the next three months.

Master Red digested the books on female psychology and studied the various statistics. He was appalled at the staggering rate of abuse that women suffered. The alien/human hybrid came to the conclusion that human females were delicate creatures that endured much suffering at the hands of heartless males.

These males generally wanted just one thing from them. He surmised that most women did not truly trust males, and they had a coating of frost around their hearts to protect themselves. The more they had been hurt, the thicker the coating of ice. The hybrid felt that if he could take a damaged female, treat her nicely, and give her true sensual fulfillment, then she would blossom into the woman that she was meant to be.

Master Red's office at the nightclub was very large, and filled with expensive painting and other furnishings. When Brenda arrived for work the following Monday, she noticed that things had changed. On the wooden desk was a name plaque that read—'Manager--Brenda McCoy.'

Master Red greeted her as usual, and kissed her on the lips, "You're looking as beautiful as ever," he said smiling.

"Thank you, "she replied.

"Do you like your new office?" he asked.

"It's mine?" she gasped.

"Of course, you're the manager now. Why don't you take a seat over here and try it out?" answered the singer.

Brenda went over and sat down while Master Red sat down where she normally sat. The nightclub manager took a deep breath and looked around at her magnificent office. He then told her that he wanted to make some changes to the way to the Saturday night routine was being done. The big singer had shocked her many times before, but this time he really shocked her.

Chapter 7

Detective Morris Griggs lay on a bed in a Michigan motel room cleaning his black service revolver. He opened the cylinder and looked down the barrel to insure that it was well oiled and clean. The black prostitute lying there with him complained, "Do you have to do that right now?"

"Yeah, I do," he replied, "Why not?"

"Now, continue with what you were doing," he added.

Jasmine returned to her task as Morris closed his eyes to concentrate on the delightful pleasure she was bringing him. He had to admit that she was an expert at what she did. The policeman glanced down and enjoyed the way his white body contrasted with her ebony features. The black girl had extremely dark skin, but surprisingly she also had white facial features with light blue eyes. He knew she was over 18 even though she looked much younger than her actual age. The beautiful, little slut was a favorite of his department and most of the detectives were her regular customers.

After she finished, the policeman gave her a gram of cocaine which she quickly put to use. Jasmine was a beautiful little thing, but Morris knew that would not last. Prostitution was a hard life, especially when combined with a drug addiction. In a few short years her looks would be gone, and she would be reduced to offering her services to bums for beer and cigarettes. It was a shame because she had such a sparkling personality and her smile could light up any room.

Morris never had to pay money for women. He regularly received two grams of cocaine per week from his Captain. In fact, all of the detectives in his department received the same. It was a practice that had started many years ago when their current commander had taken over the job. The detectives were thrilled with this arrangement and there was very little turnover in the department. Men were men, and this helped fill one of their most basic needs.

Captain Brosnan called Detective Griggs into his office and handed him a small brown envelope which contained his weekly cocaine ration. The old policeman knew that the cocaine he handed out served a valuable service. If his men were walking around thinking about females all the time, it was obvious that their job performance would suffer. They would waste too much of their time thinking about women and how to get them, rather than doing their jobs.

The cocaine allowance gave the Captain complete control over his detectives because none of them wanted to displease him and risk losing their weekly allotment. Captain Brosnan used hidden department funds to maintain a couple of motel rooms where his Detectives could safely take the women for their use.

However, unknown to his men, he had also installed hidden video cameras in the rooms. The surveillance served two purposes. If one of his Detectives were to turn on him, he had material to help blackmail the man, and put him back in line. Brosnan also enjoyed having his own little porn collection.

"I need you to run out to the river and check on what might be human remains. Here's the location," said the Captain, pointing at a spot on the map he had laid out on his desk.

"Yes sir, I'll take care of it, and thank you," replied Morris.

After Detective Greggs left, he asked for his next appointment to come in. Captain Brosnan was a tall, middle-aged, man who had a lot of experience commanding men. He stared down at the paperwork in front of him as Officer Billy Potts stood nervously in front of his desk. The young officer was a recent graduate from the police academy, and had only been with the department for about four months

"Officer Potts, I've been looking at your arrest reports and I'm not very happy with what I see. Last month you barely made your quota, and this month you're running behind. I need you to put your nose to the grindstone and get me some more arrests. Do you understand me young man?" snapped the old Captain.

"Ye-yes sir," stammered the nervous junior officer.

Captain Brosnan watched the new officer leave his office and grimaced. There was something strange about the officer he didn't like or trust, but he intended to find out what it was. He didn't like having people around his department that he didn't feel comfortable with.

*****

Detective Morris Griggs looked at the human skeleton on the ground and the decomposing body parts next to it. His team took pictures, tissue samples, and gathered whatever evidence they could find. It appeared that the internal organs had been removed from the bones and then placed into a pile. It just didn't make sense; perhaps it was some type of weird religious ceremony. The detective scratched his head and went back to his office to look on his computer for similar cases that fit this profile.

After spending all afternoon searching, he wasn't able to find anything remotely close to what he saw at the river. Usually a killer would repeat the same pattern that they had used previously, but maybe this was the first victim of a new serial killer. Without more evidence, he would have to wait until the DNA analysis came back. Then, perhaps that would give them the necessary clues to identity of their victim.

Across town, Officer Potts sat out of sight in his car watching the prostitute take her 'John' up a room on the second floor of the motel. The man was wearing a hat with a long overcoat and the girl was wearing a skimpy, little red outfit. He used his binoculars to carefully note the room number they went into, he didn't want to make a mistake about something like that. Potts had been watching the prostitute on and off for the last couple of days in preparation for a bust.

His Captain had made it clear that he needed to make more arrests, so he decided that now was the time to take her down. The young officer decided to wait five minutes, and then get the motel clerk to open the door to B-26. The dual arrests of the prostitute and her customer would put him back on track to reaching his monthly quota.

Officer Billy Potts was a tall, muscular, blonde haired, blue eyed male. He was very handsome and girls were attracted to him, but the problem was that he was not attracted to them—because he was gay. He knew from a very young age that he was not like the other boys, and the shame caused him to consider suicide on several occasions.

After he became older, the thoughts of suicide went away. Sometimes he would go to gay bars, but it always petrified him that he might be exposed. There was no doubt in his mind that he would lose his job if it became known that he was homosexual. His captain made his views very clear when it came to that type of immoral conduct.

The motel desk clerk slid a card into the magnetic lock and it made a soft clicking sound. Officer Potts drew his service revolver and quickly pushed open the door. When he got inside, he saw the young girl sitting there with the man, but her back was blocking his view of the 'John's' face.

"Freeze, don't move, you're under arrest," he shouted, as he barged into the room.

The prostitute turned to look at him, and then smiled. The young officer knew immediately that something was wrong, working girls never smiled at the police when they were caught in the act like this.

"Potts, what the hell are you doing breaking in on me and my wife," yelled an all too familiar voice.

Billy almost messed his pants, when he recognized Captain Brosnan's loud voice and saw his angry face.

The old cop pointed at the motel desk clerk, "You! Get the hell out of here and close that damn door behind you."

Officer Potts stood there for a moment paralyzed with fear not sure what to do next. After a few seconds, he lowered his revolver, placing it back in its holster, and started to ease towards the exit.

"Hold on there, Potts. Get your butt into the bathroom and wait there until I call you," ordered the Captain.

Billy quickly did as he was told, and sat on the toilet nervously considering his bleak future. 'How could I have been so stupid?' he thought. The rookie cop was sure his career was over or at the very least hanging by a thread.

The Captain then considered his options. If the girl took care of the young officer, he would be a partner in crime so to speak, and then he couldn't say anything without implicating himself. The Captain also knew that the video being collected by the hidden camera in the motel room could be used to blackmail the young man, if necessary.

A few minutes later, Captain Brosnan called Officer Potts from the bathroom so the prostitute could use it.

"Do you want to do her, too?" asked the Captain.

"What?" he inquired not seeming to understand the man's meaning.

"It's not a difficult question," angrily snapped the Captain, "I said do you want to let the girl give you a little loving and keep your job? Make up your mind, I don't have all day."

"I guess," answered Billy, as he finally understood what the Captain meant.

"Well, get over there then," ordered the commanding officer, as he turned on the TV and sat down to watch it.

Officer Potts nervously did as he was instructed. When the little female came back from the bathroom, Brosnan instructed her what to do. As she went to work, Billy closed his eyes and managed to give a very mediocre performance. Soon she was done, and he quickly climbed to his feet.

Afterwards, the Captain informed Billy that he was going to give him credit for this month's quota, but that next month he had better see some improvement. The young officer promised he would do better as he dressed and quickly left. The old Captain gave the prostitute a gram of coke, and promised her an extra one next week, when he saw her for his regular weekly visit.

*****

Detective Morris Griggs sat in his office staring out the window daydreaming. He wondered what his ex-wife was doing these days, and thought about the first time he met her on a blind date in college. They hit it off immediately and more dates soon followed. She was a beautiful brunette with brown eyes, and a trim attractive figure. Her name was Sally and she was a little taller than he was. She had these magnificent large breasts and a very sexy little giggle that always made him smile. After they were married, things went good for a few years until she found out about his cocaine allowance and what he did with it.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when one of his men came in with large vanilla envelope. The DNA results finally came back, and with a little detective work, an identification was made--the victim was a man named Cletus Pike. They found a picture of him in the Michigan DMV database where he had gotten a driver's license shortly before his death. This gave them a lead which took them to an area motel.

A search of the security cameras video at the place had captured pictures of the deceased man's comings and goings shortly before he went missing. The last known pictures of Mr. Pike showed him entering the motel with some packages on the day he disappeared. An inquiry turned up two witnesses who had observed a muscular, light haired man leaving Mr. Pike's room on that same day. These witnesses were shown the security camera video from the motel and quickly pointed out the man they saw.

The police lab was able to use face recognition software to identify the suspect from his Tennessee Driver's License picture. The man in question was identified as Master Red of Nashville, Tennessee. Court records showed that the suspect had changed his name for showbiz purposes.

Chapter 8

John Waters filled in for Brenda as she spent the next several weeks on the special project that Master Red had assigned her. Things were finally falling into place. He had even brought in an interior decorator to help her redo the upstairs.

When Brenda had finished redecorating, she took the singer on a tour of the second floor. The entrance doorway had been modified from a rectangle to an arched doorway and printed across the top of the in large, gold colored letters was 'The Temple of Feminine Treasures.' In smaller letters below the larger ones was written 'Princesses of the Golden Ring.'

There were two large, white marble pedestals located on each side of the entranceway. Sitting on top of each of the pedestals was a large, three foot high, white marble statue of Aphrodite the Greek Goddess of Love. Inside the great room, the old carpet was replaced with a new solid white one. The walls were painted light pink and covered with erotic pictures depicting various erotic themes. The blue waterbed had been repainted red with a four inch wide golden band placed around the circumference. Likewise, the walnut wooden stand was missing, and in its place stood a beautiful, white marble stand with golden edging.

*****

Debbie Connors found herself sitting in Master Red's Golden Guitar Saloon peeling at the label of her beer as she tried to calm her temper. She had taken a seat in the back by the entrance door, but when she saw the handsome stud from the poster come on stage, she immediately moved as close as she could get. He was singing Curly Delton's, "Drinking a Beer River,' and she was completely mesmerized by him.

The amber-haired beauty had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend Sam earlier that night and went storming angrily out of his house. She had decided to go have a beer and that's when she saw the poster out front of the nightclub. The little blonde knew she had to go in and see if the big singer was really that handsome in person. As she sat there sipping her beer, a brunette woman came over and asked her if she could sit down. Debbie didn't really want company, but shrugged her shoulders and said she didn't mind.

"Hi my name is Brenda, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" she inquired.

"I'm sorry, but I really want to see the show now. Could we do it later?" answered Debbie.

How would you like to meet the singer personally?" inquired Brenda.

"You could do that?" responded the amber-haired beauty.

"Yes, I can. I am the manager of this nightclub and if you can answer some questions for me, I might be able to introduce you to him," explained the nightclub manager.

This offer induced Debbie to answer Brenda's questions, and afterwards, she took the little blonde over to sit at her table. When Master Red took his break, he came down from the stage and kissed Brenda on the lips.

"You get more beautiful every day, sweetness. Now, how about introducing me to this beautiful specimen of womanhood sitting next to you?" smiled the big singer, as he turned to gaze deep into Debbie's eyes.

"Master, I would like to introduce you to Debbie Connors," replied Brenda.

He took the young blonde's hand and kissed it saying, "I am very pleased to meet you, Debbie."

The three all sat and talked for a few minutes until it was time for him to return to the stage. Then Brenda engaged the young blonde in a little more chit chat before getting to the heart of what she really wanted to say.

"I'm staring a private fan club for Master Red and members will have an extremely intimate relationship with him. They would have to be very, very open minded. Does that sound like something that you might be interested in?" inquired Brenda.

"Do you really mean that?" giggled Debbie.

Brenda then explained in detail what membership would require, and the shocked little blonde blushed and said she would very much like to join his fan club. When Master started his last set, he nodded and Brenda took Debbie upstairs.

The girls cleaned themselves and entered the Temple where Brenda gave Debbie the Princess of The Golden Ring's oath. Then Debbie did the same for her. They both swore an oath of loyalty and secrecy among other things. It was agreed that all Princesses were sisters and would treat each other with loyalty and respect. Members also had to agree to share Master Red without jealousy.

Princesses would address Master Red as Master, not to signify a master slave relationship, but as a sign of respect. Outside the Temple they would act as if they were his love slaves, but inside, he would carry out their commands. When the girls finished taking their oath, they sat on the edge of the waterbed and patiently waited for the singer to arrive.

After Master Red ended his last set, he dressed in his red robe and went to meet the girls. He approached the arched entranceway and stepped between the two the pedestals holding the marble statues. He took a red drumstick and struck a small, golden gong three times.

"May I enter The Temple of Feminine Treasures," he called out.

"Yes, you may," came the reply after a moment.

He entered into the large room and was met by the girls dressed in their white robes. Brenda moved to a position in front of him and began reading him his oath. He swore that he would always address the girls as Princess, and show them proper respect. In the Temple he was their love slave and would follow their orders completely. Outside the Temple, when he meet them, he would kiss them on the lips and compliant them whenever possible. The addition of the kissing clause had been Debbie's idea, but Brenda had wholeheartedly approved. Master Red swore to the oath and smiled in readiness for what he knew was coming next.

Chapter 9

Leeza Roberts stood looking at herself in her bedroom mirror. The reflection showed a blonde, blue-eyed, woman standing naked and staring back at her. She often looked at her body to analyze the affects her exercise workouts were having. More or less satisfied with what she saw, she went and turned back the covers on her queen size bed.

Lying between the sheets, she could see her certificates and awards on the light green wall in front of her. There were two black belt certificates. One was her third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and the other was a second degree black belt in GoJu Shorei Weapons Karate. There were also several journalism awards helping to fill the wall.

Leeza hadn't been with man since her first year of college. It was during this time she had met a nice young fellow named Kurt Wagoner. He was a student at her school and appeared to be a well-breed, and handsome young man who was fun to be around. He had dark, curly hair, beautiful brown eyes, and a warm smile that melted her heart. They started dating, but after only a couple of weeks, he had started pressuring her to give him her body. Brenda explained that she was saving that special gift for the person she married, but Kurt wasn't the type of person who took no easily. He persisted for a while before finally relenting and saying that he understood her decision.

The following weekend he took her to the Nashville Zoo. Afterwards, they rented a movie, and stopped to pick up a pizza and some beer. They then went back to her small apartment where Leeza set up the DVD, while Kurt put the pizza on plates and prepared the drinks. After eating, she was having a wonderful time cuddling with him while they watched a love story on her television.

Leeza slowly began to experience a dizzy feeling. She complained to Kurt who said she probably just had a little too much beer to drink. He suggested that she should lie down for a few minutes and get some sleep. The young blonde struggled to her feet and he walked her into her bedroom. After pulling the covers over her, he kissed her on the forehead and told her to rest for a while.

Sometime later, Leeza awoke with a start to find a man lying on top of her. She tried to push him off, but her muscles were completely paralyzed and she couldn't move a muscle. The little blonde suddenly realized that he was molesting her. She tried to scream but no sound came out of her mouth. Leeza was terrified and did not know what to do. She heard Kurt's voice saying, "Her eyes are open."

"It's okay. The man I got the pills from told me not to worry if they opened their eyes. She will just think it's a dream when she wakes up tomorrow," explained the man on top of her.

A man's hand turned Leeza's head to the side and she could see Kurt standing near her. She then realized what had happened. Kurt had put something in her beer and they were taking advantage of her.

A moment later, the man her finished and was quickly replaced by an overweight man that she hadn't realized was in the room. The fat man began, and after less than a couple of minutes, he climbed off, saying, "Man, that was some good stuff."

Leeza lay there for over an hour before her muscle control returned. She staggered into the bathroom to turn on the bath water, intending to wash the pollution from her body, but suddenly, she realized what she was doing and cut the water off. The 911 operator took her call and sent the police to her apartment.

The police officers took her to the hospital for an examination and had her make a statement. There was a camera man there, but he complained that there weren't any bruises for him to take pictures of. After she finished at the hospital, the police took her back home. They asked if the men that attacked her had a key to her apartment and she shook her head. Before leaving, they told her to lock her door and give them a call if the attackers came back.

The next day, Leeza received a phone call from the police saying that they had apprehended the three men, and asked her if she could come down and identify them. She quickly picked the three men out of a lineup and clinched her jaws in satisfaction as she watched them being led away. The little blonde went back home feeling very proud of herself.

A week later, Leeza received another call asking her to come back down to the police station. When she arrived, she had to wait for over a half hour before being sent in to see one of the detectives working on her case. After going into his office, the detective gave her the bad news, the men had been released because there was a lack of evidence--Leeza was stunned. The policeman said the men claimed that it had been consensual, and since she didn't have any physical signs of abuse, it really comes down to her word against theirs. The detective said that they would be wasting their time trying to convict the men with the slim amount of evidence they had gathered.

Leeza left the police station angry, upset, and disillusioned. She cursed swearing that she would never be a victim again, and in the years that followed, she never let another man touch her.

After moping around for several days after her molestation, Leeza began to consider her options. She at first considered buying a gun, but learned that many times attackers would take away the weapon from their victims and use it on them. She took a look at several self-defense courses, and finally decided that strength training in combination with karate would be her best options--then, maybe she would get a firearm.

After years of training, Leeza became confident enough in her skills to begin seeking out males for extracting her own kind of justice. The little blonde didn't think of herself as a man-hater, she was just thought she was getting justice for their victims.

Leeza sat in her office at the television studios sipping coffee and going through her emails. Some of her best tips had come by way of the Internet. Just a few months ago, an anonymous email had given her one of her best stories ever. Leeza was a nationally known investigative reporter, and she especially liked to break stories about famous men cheating on their wives or abusing women.

The email claimed that a local mayor was sneaking around on his wife with underage girls. The little blonde had gone undercover for several weeks to break that story. She had staked out the mayor's office and followed him to a house where a very young girl was seen getting into his automobile.

About an hour later, the girl got out and went back inside. The windows of the mayor's automobile were darkly tinted, and she couldn't see what happened inside the vehicle. The investigative reporter knew that she had to find out, or she wouldn't have a story.

Finally, an idea came to her; she filmed the automobile with both regular and infrared film. The infrared images clearly showed inappropriate conduct was taking place in the dark vehicle. Leeza followed the mayor to several of his romantic rendezvous in order to establish a pattern of moral deviance. Now, all she had to do was track down the girls and verify that they were underage.

It turned out that the girls were part of a high school prostitution ring ran by one of the teachers there. Her story helped send the mayor and the teacher to prison for multiple counts of statutory rape. The story went international and she received worldwide recognition along with a nice little raise. For a week afterwards, she had walked around on a cloud.

But, now things had been going a little slow for Leeza lately. Her last 'big' story was about a cat falling six floors out of an apartment and surviving. It was a cute little story, but it wasn't the kind of thing that she hungered for. These types of stories wouldn't build her reputation or fill the empty void she felt inside. As she neared the end of her emails, she saw something that made her spine tingle:

"Dear Leeza,

I thought you might be interested in a country music singer who is using the girls in his fan club as love slaves. He makes them call him Master and kiss him every time he comes near them. After his show, the singer takes them upstairs and molests them. He can be found in Nashville, Tennessee at a nightclub called The Golden Guitar Saloon. I hope you nail this immoral fiend.

Signed Anonymous"

Now this was more like it. This was the type of story she lived and breathed for. Leeza prayed that this story was true and better yet, she hoped that at least one of the girls was a minor.

Chapter 10

Master Red sat in his new office working on a new idea to build the proverbial better mouse trap and the results were very encouraging. The storage room next to Brenda's new office converted for his personal use and it gave him a nice base of operation on the first floor of his building. It was smaller than his old office, but still bigger than he really needed. There were three other storage rooms back behind the stage which was used to store alcohol and food items. The new office was decorated in the same lavish style as the one he had given Brenda.

The singer sat there thinking about Debbie and her initiation. The little blonde's addition to his personal fan club was a very pleasing development, and one he intended to make maximum use of. Debbie was the most beautiful woman that he had ever made love to and her perfect tanned body was a work of art as majestic as any the old masters had created.

The singer reminisce about making love to the little blonde was suddenly interrupted, when one of his sensors warned him that a familiar face had entered the premises. The singer grimaced as he did a full body scan of the unwelcome intruder. He had observed the middle-aged man at a couple of his shows, but this time he had returned during the daylight hours.

The hybrid's sensors routinely did a scan of everyone that had ever walked through the entrance door of his nightclub. The scans would search for weapons and analyze wallets and purses for information. Computer systems were then searched and a complete file was placed into storage for each of these persons.

A scan of the middle-aged man in the business suit revealed that he worked for a major recording studio in the Nashville area. Master Red knew everything about him and his purpose for coming there. The nightclub had just opened and the only person in the large room was the bartender. The stranger approached the bar and was given directions to Master's new office.

After the music company executive introduced himself, Master offered him a seat. The scan of the man had revealed he carried a recording contract with Master Red's name on it, and as a former lawyer, Master understood exactly what was in the small print hidden in the contract. If he signed the paper, the recording company would essentially take control of his life. They would tell him how to dress, what to sing, and where to go. He would be sent out on tour and they would control every facet of his life for the next five years with an option for two more at their discretion.

"We've been watching your shows, and we like what we see. Of course, it would take a lot of work and expense on our part, but we believe that we can make you into a major recording star. My company is willing to take a chance and sign you to a contract today. In fact, I have it here with me now," he said reaching in to his coat jacket.

"I appreciate your interest, Mr. Galt, "But, I'm very happy right where I am. I really don't care about traveling around doing one night stands, and in addition, I have my nightclub to think about."

"Your nightclub?" asked, the puzzled middle-aged man.

"Yes, this is my place," responded Master Red.

The recording executive had never had anyone turn down a recording contract before, and he wasn't sure how to react. People would usually kill for the chance at stardom he was offering. The music tycoon knew that this was one of the most talented singers that he had ever seen, and he really hated to let him get away, but there didn't seem to be anything he could do about it. He finally said, "Well, here's my card, and if you change your mind, I hope you'll give me a call."

Master shook hands with the disappointed man and then watched him leave. This was the third time he had been offered a recording contract in the last month, but, there was no way he could accept any of them. He didn't need the extra attention that national celebrity would bring or the money either. He had made a promise to the Saltoid, that he would only do his entertaining in the club, and not pursue wider fame that could endanger their relationship.

Master Red's enhanced hearing allowed him to overhear the growing argument between two drunks at the front of the nightclub. One was a short, thin man and the other was a taller and more muscular individual. A scan revealed that the muscular man was carrying a six inch knife in his front pants pocket. The two drunks were arguing about fishing and the argument was growing more and more heated. Master Red decided to go over and see if he could reduce the tensions that were starting to disturb his other patrons.

The hybrid then made his way over to the table and said, "Gentleman what seems to be the problem?"

The muscular man looked him in the eye and sneered, "It's none of your damn business. Now, get your butt outa here before I put a fist in your face."

"I'm afraid it is my business. I own this club and you're disturbing my other guests."

The muscular man just stared at Master giving him a sneer. After a tense moment, the little man sitting there with him jumped in, "We're just having a little discussion about fishing."

"Yeah, that's right," interjected the muscular looking drunk, "This little punk here thinks he knows more than me, but he don't know crap. The secret to fishing is knowing what bait to use and how to bait the hook, and when it comes to selecting bait and baiting the hook, I'm an expert."

"You're an expert?" questioned Master.

"That's right. I'm an expert," bragged the muscular man.

"So when it comes to baiting a hook, you are a master?"

"That's right, I'm a master," snorted the muscular man.

"Well, I guess that makes you a 'masturbator' then, "laughed Master Red.

The other customers joined in the laughter, and it took a minute for the big drunk man to realize what they were laughing about. When he did, he turned red and jumped to his feet. The big drunk snarled and then started reaching for the big knife in his pocket.

Master Red quickly picked up an empty chair and threatened, "If you take that knife out of your pocket, you're going to be sucking your food through a straw for the rest of your life. Now take your friend and get the hell out of here, and don't ever come back." As the two drunks staggered through the front entrance, the nightclub patrons broke out in applause.

*****

Over time Master Red training advanced to the point where his conversations with the alien scientist became less and less. The Saltoid would sometimes request him to travel to various locations so that a close scan could be made of an object or life form that it was interested in. One time, he had spent several days at the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C. going from museum to museum. The alien had been interested in everything they saw.

Master would move his head near an item, and the alien would use the microscopic vision enhancement to scan the object down to its sub-atomic level, then catalog the information for further study when they returned home. There were sensors every located ever forty-five degrees around Master Red's skull which could be used by the alien and its host at the same time without interfering with each other. For example, Master could use his eyes to look at one object, and the alien could look through the same eyes and examine a different object with regular vision or with the various other vision enhancements available to them.

One day the Saltoid made a surprising revelation to the Master as they were looking at a piece of asteroid in a museum in New York, "Human, I want you to know that I am very satisfied with way you have progressed in learning to use your enhancements over the last several months."

"Does that mean I am almost finished with my training," smiled Master.

"No," replied the alien scientist, "You are only nearing the completion of the first phase. In about three weeks we will began with phase two."

"Phase two? What's that?"

"I think you will find it very interesting," answered the Saltoid, "You will learn how to use a Time/Transport Bubble to travel through time and space."

"Time travel?" asked Master in disbelief, "Are you really serious?"

"I am most serious, human," replied the alien, "Consider for a moment, the possibilities. I am sure there must be some females in the distant past of this planet that you would like to investigate their romantic possibilities."

"Well, now that you put it that way, I'm sure that I can come up with a list of likely prospects," smiled the hybrid, "You said another three weeks, huh?"

"Yes, I think that is an appropriate time frame given your current level of advancement," replied the Saltoid.

The next day Brenda and Debbie came to Master with an idea, they suggested that instead of just sitting over at their table and watching the show, the Princesses be incorporated into it. They could wear sexy outfits to give the men in the audience something visually stimulating to watch. To give them an excuse to go on stage, they could bring Master a small drink of water in between his songs.

Once there, they would use a double entendre to add a new dimension to his show. The singer thought for a second and said he liked the idea, but, felt that Brenda should be excluded from the sexy outfits and stage appearances since she was the manager of the nightclub.

The next weekend, Master Red stood on stage in a red western outfit and a white cowboy hat similar to the white outfit he wore in the poster out front. Debbie was sitting at a table located to the right of the stage with a sign that proclaimed, 'Reserved for the Princesses of the Golden Ring.' She was wearing red short-shorts with a thick golden belt, and a thin white blouse. The blouse was open at the top, and tied in a knot under her large breasts, exposing her tanned mid-section.

There were five wooden steps in front of the table leading up to the stage. As Master Red finished a song, Debbie hurried up the steps to bring him a shot glass filled with water. As she neared him on stage, she pretended to trip and spilt the drink on her blouse.

"Oh Master, I'm all wet," cried Debbie.

"Here, let me help you," offered the singer, as he took a towel and patted Debbie's mid-section. He was careful not to touch her bosom because the police would quickly shut down his show, if there was any obvious contact of that kind. The little blonde moaned with pleasure as he patted her stomach.

"There, how's that. Are you dry now?"

"Oh no Master, I'm wetter than ever," cooed Debbie, and the audience broke into laughter.

Master put his arm around Debbie's thin waist and pulled her close. He then leaned down and gave her a big kiss on her red, moist lips and said, "Thank you, Princess."

Brenda smiled and listened with satisfaction to the audience's reaction to Debbie's little stunt. Master Red had seen a couple of oriental girls sitting in the audience by themselves, and he suggested to Brenda that perhaps she might interview them for tonight's upstairs activities. The bar manager retrieved her clipboard and went over to talk with them. That's when she discovered that the girls didn't speak any English.

When Master came down for his break, she told him what had happened, and he told her it was okay, he would go talk to them himself. Brenda wondered why he was wasting on a couple of girls that couldn't speak English, but after a few minutes, she was surprised when he brought them back over to her table. Brenda sat quietly with the girls and occasionally returned their smiles as she wondered how the singer had managed to communicate with them.

The two Asian girls wore matching light green blouses buttoned up to their necks and with sleeves that ended at their wrists. Their matching dark green skirts dropped down several inches below their knees. An x-ray scan revealed that the twins were wearing matching white panties with a little red rose embroidered on the front. The oriental sisters smiled and appeared to be having a good time watching Master Red as they giggled and snapped several pictures of him.

At his next break, the singer came down to talk with them again. The twins wanted to know if they could take a picture with him, and he took their camera and handed it to Brenda. He then stood with his arms around the girls as Brenda took several pictures.

Master Red learned the girls were twin sisters from Korea here on vacation. One of the sisters was named Chin-Sun and the other Chon-Cha. They were here with a tour group to see country music stars before heading to Washington D.C. After a few minutes of small talk, he told them about his private fan club, and explained the initiation required for membership.

The hybrid then sat quietly using his enhanced hearing to listen in as they whispered in each other's ears between giggles. After a moment, they hid their mouths behind their hands embarrassed and nodded their heads yes. Master Red smile and gave Brenda a wink before going back on stage to sing.

Two hours later, Chin-Sun was trembling in fright as Master Red stood over her and looked down at her. Both sisters had flawless, white porcelain skin. It was surreal; the sisters looked like living, life-size porcelain dolls.

The sisters had not planned to become romantically involved with the singer, but the opportunity to have an intimate rendezvous with a country music star was too irresistible to pass up. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that they both knew would never come again.

The Korean sisters were like peas in a pod, identical in every way, even down to their little eek sounds. Brenda led the initiation ceremony for the twins, but Master Red had to translate her commands. Chin-Sun went first and later when it came time for her to accept the ceremonial necklace ring, she took it gladly. Chin-Sun looked at the shiny, gold ring necklace and smiled at her sister. Chon-Cha then eagerly began her initiation in order to earn to her ring.

After the induction ceremony, the singer returned her smile and said well done in Korean. He then gave each of the sisters an autographed copy of his CD. He always gave a copy to any girl that joined his personal fan club. He had CD's in a rack for sale at the bar, but he had created them primarily for the fans who underwent the special initiation into his his highly confidential club.

The Princesses of the Golden Ring agreed to two levels of membership. The First level membership was reserved for the residents of the Nashville area who were invited to join by the ruling body. Brenda and Debbie were at present the only First Level members. Their necklace rings were solid gold except for the thin, band of baked red enamel that ran around the exterior circumference of the ring.

Second level membership was awarded to the girls who came in from out of town for a one night initiation. The necklace rings they received were constructed of heavy gold plate with baked, blue enamel. The Korean sisters fitted into the latter category and were given the blue enameled ring necklaces.

Master Red was sad that the Orientals had to return back to Korea so quickly. If they had been residents of Nashville, they could have become First Level members of his fan club, and then he could have enjoyed their company every Saturday night in his up stairs club area. The singer was really impressed with the Asian girls and decided that he definitely wanted to find an oriental living locally to join his fan club.

Chapter 11

Debbie Connors lay in the dark bedroom listening to her new roommate in a nearby bed. This wasn't the first time she had pretended to be a sleep while listening to the young Arab woman's soft cries and wondered why she was so sad. A few days earlier, Debbie had started college and needed a place to live that was closer to school. She had scanned the newspaper and found a roommate wanted ad. When she answered it, she was met a young, dark haired, dark skinned Arab girl named Amira.

The girl invited Debbie inside and took her on a tour of the small one bedroom apartment. The front room was wallpapered with blue floral designs. There was also a floral design couch with end tables and matching lamps. Against one of the walls was a computer desk. Debbie thought it was strange that there was no TV, but she had one that she could bring when she moved in. The blue walled bedroom had two twin sized beds and dressers. There wasn't a lot of storage space, but the young blonde thought it would fit her needs. Amira explained that they would share all costs equally, if she was interested in moving in.

Debbie accepted the offer even the Arab girl seemed painfully shy. It wasn't until after she moved in, that she realized the young girl was blind. At first, she was concerned that this might be a big imposition on her. But, soon realized the young woman didn't want or need any help from her.

Debbie was amazed at the way Amira could maneuver through the apartment. She could even cook and operate the computer without any help from her. When Amira moved the mouse pointer on the computer screen, speech technology would read aloud the contents of the webpages. She had CD's that contained course material for her studies, and there were even earphones that allowed her to study without disturbing others.

Debbie soon noticed that Amira didn't have any close friends, and not a single person ever came to visit her. She seldom went out and seemed to be totally dedicated to her studies to the exclusion of everything else. Debbie couldn't help but feel sorry for her, not because she was blind, but because she must be so lonely.

Finally, after listening to the Arab girl crying, she decided she had to act. Amira's keen hearing immediately picked up the sounds of Debbie climbing from her bed, and she stopped what she was doing to concentrate on the noises she was hearing. Amira heard the soft footsteps of the white girl coming in her direction and was puzzled by her action.

Then suddenly she was surprised when Debbie quickly pulled the sheets back and climbed into bed with her. Amira was so stunned, she didn't know how to react when the white girl put her arm around her, and kissed her on the cheek.

"It's all right, just go ahead and cry if you like," said Debbie as she started to hold Amira close and caress her.

"What?" asked the shocked girl.

"Hush! Let yourself relax," whispered the little blonde.

Amira wanted to complain and jump out of bed, but Debbie's caressing hands felt so nice on her body. No one had ever touched her like that before. She moaned as she felt Debbie kiss and massage her.

A few minutes later the little Arab contentedly snuggled up to Debbie said, "I didn't know that you were one of those girls who likes other girls, and I definitely didn't know I was one."

"I'm not, I was just helping out a fellow sister in pain. What makes you think you're one of those type girls just because you like getting kissed like that?" asked Debbie.

"But, isn't what they do?" questioned Amira.

"Not necessarily, sometimes girls have to make do when there's not a man around. Think for a minute, which excites you more, a man or another girl?" inquired Debbie.

"A man--even though I've never kissed one," responded Amira.

"You've never been touched by a man?" asked Debbie in surprise, and Amira nodded her head.

"Girl, you're much too pretty not to know love. I guess you're in more desperate need than I thought. If you knew what you were missing, you'd throw yourself on the first guy you met and beg him to kiss you," smiled Debbie.

"Men don't want blind girls, and I just don't think I could take it, if a man used me once just for his pleasure and then threw me away," explained Amira.

"I know just the man for you' and he won't treat you that way. I'll talk to him and see if I can't arrange something," she answered. Debbie started to get up and return to her own bed, but Amira quickly grabbed her arm.

"Please stay. Don't leave me alone," she desperately begged.

"Of course I'll stay," promised Debbie as she put her arms around Amira, pulled her close for a kiss.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself," she asked.

The little blonde listened in horror and cried with Amira as she told how her father and brothers had blinded her when she was only fourteen years old. She had secretly dressed in western style clothing like the other girls in her school and went for a walk with a boy from her classroom.

She was seen by her two brothers, Ahmad and Caleb. They took her home still dressed in the western clothing and told her father what they had seen. Her father Hassan became enraged and called her a slut that had betrayed the families honor. He then dragged her into the kitchen and ordered her two brothers to hold her down on the table. She struggled and screamed as they held her there, but she was helpless to break free. Her father came back with a small, brown bottle and used a medicine dropper to place drops of acid in her eyes. Amira screams became louder when she felt the acid eating into her eyeballs.

In the apartment across the hall, a security guard and his wife were sitting down eating supper when they heard the bloodcurdling screams. He grabbed a baseball bat and followed the sounds across the hallway. He quickly kicked in the front door and saw a man and two boys holding down a young girl. He ordered the three to get away from her and his wife took the poor girl to the sink to rinse out her eyes.

The older man stood there becoming more enraged by the minute, until finally he grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen counter and ran at the intruder. The security guard was alert to Hassan's attack and quickly cracked him across the head with the baseball bat. The old Arab froze in position for a moment, before collapsing like a brick--he was dead before he hit the floor.

The police came and arrested Amira's brothers before taking her to the emergency room. She was then placed into foster care, and a few weeks later sent to a school for the blind. When she turned 18, she started college. Debbie held the crying young woman as years of pain, suffering, and loneliness flowed out of her frail, young body.

*****

"If there was a beautiful young woman, but she was blind, would that stop you from making love to her," asked Debbie as she sat with Brenda in Master Red's office.

"No, not if that's what she really wanted," he answered.

Master Red and Brenda listened as Debbie told them about the tragic events in the life of her college roommate, and they were both emotionally moved by the sad story of the young Arab. Master Red and Brenda both agreed that they should try to help Amira if they could.

Debbie was given permission to reveal information about the fan club, and if Amira was still interested, then she would be brought in for an interview and a psychological evaluation. If that went well, then she would undergo initiation and be considered for Level One membership in the Princesses of the Golden Ring.

After the girls left, Master Red went upstairs and stood at the third floor window of his six story building and stared out at the Nashville skyline. He thought about the young blind girl, and how he might be able to help her. The first floor of the large brick building contained his nightclub. The second floor was split between the area for the Princesses of the Golden Ring, three recently finished apartments, and a large common area.

Master Red had his apartment and work areas on the third floor. The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors were completely vacant with no plans to make use of the additional space. The second floor was accessible from two directions--the first was a new doorway installed in the hallway between the elevator and the Temple of Feminine Treasures, and the second entrance was a back stairway which led outside the building.

The following Saturday night, Amira sat nervously at the Princesses of the Golden Ring's table and held Debbie's hand for strength and comfort. The young blonde leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I have to go on stage and help Master, but I'll be right back. Okay?" Amira nodded as Debbie released her hand. The brown-skinned girl then listened as her new friend went to perform her 'spilt water' comedy routine with Master Red. The blind girl couldn't see what was happening, but she could hear the response of the audience when they laughed.

The singer kissed Debbie after her routine and watched as she did her sexy little walk back down the steps to the Princesses' table. He started his next song while using part of his Multi-Brain to observe three members of the audience that had drawn his attention. Two of these were of extreme interest to him.

The first was a Detective Morris Griggs from Michigan sitting with a young black girl, and the second was an investigative woman reporter wearing a wig, and glasses. Accompanying the reporter was a man with a video camera concealed inside a brown, leather briefcase. The third man was sitting in the back wearing a fake beard, tinted glasses, and a cowboy hat.

A scan of Detective Griggs office computer back in Michigan explained his purpose for being in Tennessee. Likewise, Leeza Roberts' computer revealed an email that explained her presence at the Golden Guitar Saloon. However he could not determine why Nashville native Sam Dawson was there. It seemed that Sam was very interested in the ladies sitting at the Princess of the Golden Ring's table. The woman reporter was interested in both him and the Princesses, and the Detective seemed to be primarily interested in him.

Detective Griggs watched the singer on stage and wondered if he was the killer he was searching for. The big man certainly didn't look like one, but he knew from long years of experience that looks didn't necessarily mean anything. Soon, he would look Master Red dead in the eyes and take his full measure. But, first he had to do some more research--perhaps there were more dead bodies floating around down here in Tennessee someplace.

Sam Dawson peered through his tinted glasses and seethed with anger as he watched his old girlfriend kiss the handsome singer and call him Master. He had disguised himself and spied on the two before, and had even thought about challenging the singer to a fight. But, the small truck driver knew the singer was so big and muscular that any physical confrontation would be suicide on his part.

Leeza Roberts had tried to get into the Friday night show, but quickly learned the nightclub was filled up and no new customers were being allowed inside. Tonight she had come extra early to insure she would get a seat. The reporter had looked at the poster of the handsome country singer and could understand why some girls would allow themselves to be exploited by him.

When Leeza had entered the nightclub, she looked around for a good location to set up and observation point. When she saw the table marked, 'Reserved for Princesses of the Golden Ring,' she knew she had found what she was looking for. Leeza and her cameraman took a seat at a nearby table where they could observe both the stage and the place where the girls would sit. This would put the young reporter at the center of the action, and provide her with an excellent opportunity to observe what was happening.

Leeza ordered a beer and went to the bathroom to fill it with water. When she came back, she saw three 'Princesses' enter and take a seat at the reserved table just before the show began. The reporter was surprised to see that one of the girls appeared to be blind.

The dark-skinned girl looked like she could be underage, as did the light-haired girl that was assisting her. Leeza felt chills run through her body, if the blind girl was underage, then she could have another story that might attract international attention--it could be the biggest story of her career.

Leeza watched with great interest as the singer came over to talk with the Princesses when he went on break. The reporter realized that her information had been right, when she saw the big singer make the girls call him Master and kiss him. When the light-haired girl was forced to go on stage in a tiny, little outfit that left her almost naked, she grimaced and couldn't help but shake her head in disgust. The reporter became filled with determination to make the singer pay for whatever he was doing to the poor girls he was taking advantage of.

When the entertainment began winding down, the older woman led the two younger girls away, and she cautiously followed trying not to be seen. Leeza hid in the shadows and kept close watch as the three Princesses got into an elevator that went upstairs. Everything the anonymous email claimed appeared to be true. Now she knew she had to find a way to infiltrate the fan club and find out what was really going on upstairs.

Debbie quickly hugged the young Arab and congratulated her for successfully completing her initiation. The young blonde was delighted to see the big smile of joy on her young friend's beautiful, brown face, and was so happy that she had helped bring some happiness to the sad and lonely women. After the ceremony had ended, Master Red asked the Princesses to come with him--he said he had a big surprise for them.

"But, Master you've already given us your big surprise," laughed Brenda as she reached out and gave his arm a soft squeeze. Debbie joined the laughter and Amira asked what they were laughing about. Debbie explained the joke and she laughed too. Master Red then led the Princesses down the hallway to the entrance of the newly finished apartments he had constructed. He took the girls for a quick tour and then asked them when they wanted to move in.

Chapter 12

Leeza Roberts looked intently through the lens of the telescope pointed at the second story window of the Golden Guitar Saloon. She observed the light-haired girl and the blind girl unpacking several large boxes in one of the rooms. They appeared to be moving into the upstairs area. The reporter was still impatiently waiting for an identification of the two girls and praying that at least one of the girls was a minor. If the blind girl was under eighteen, then that would be the edge that she needed to really push her story over the top.

Leeza's team had all of the entrances of the nightclub covered with hidden surveillance cameras, and a mouse couldn't come or go without them knowing about it. The reporter's lives were much easier now than they had been back in the old days. Before the cameras, they had to stay on the job 24 hours a day, slaving away until the job was done. But, now the team could eat and sleep when they wanted, and check the surveillance video at their leisure.

The reporter knew that surveillance activities alone where not going to provide her with the real nitty gritty details that she needed, therefore she considered her limited options. She could try to seduce the singer directly. However, this was much more dangerous since she would lose many of the advantages she enjoyed, when working out of her apartment at home. Another possible option was to try to make friends with the singer's little love slaves.

Detective Morris Griggs stood with Detective Jevons Parker watching the people doing surveillance of the Golden Guitar Saloon. Parker had been assigned to help Morris with his murder investigation by the local law enforcement authorities. He was a tall, muscular black man with over fifteen years' experience in stake-outs and criminal investigations. The men discussed the issue for a moment before deciding to approach one of the people and determine what they were up to.

The policeman then moved quietly across the black asphalt roof top towards the young blonde lady intently looking through a telescope. When Leeza heard a noise behind her, she quickly turned to see two men in dark suits approaching her. She eased her hand close to the hidden pocket with the 9 mm Glock in her purse and waited for them to make their move.

The men pulled out badges and held them up as they came closer, "Miss, we would like to ask you a few questions. I am Detective Griggs and this is Detective Parker"

"Yes of course," she replied feeling greatly relieved when she found out who they were.

Leeza then told them who she was, and explained why her team was here doing surveillance of the Golden Guitar Saloon. She was surprised to learn that the Detectives were also investigating the singer for his possible involvement in a murder in Michigan. She realized then that this story could be even bigger than she could have hoped for.

The Detectives made her an offer, if she would provide them with all the evidence she uncovered, then she would get the exclusive and be allowed to video the arrest. Both parties were very satisfied with the agreement when they separated. The Detectives were happy because they were not going to be tied down doing surveillance work, and Leeza was happy knowing that she was guaranteed the exclusive. The reporter remembered what the detectives said and decided that it was much too dangerous to get really close to the singer. Leeza would have to concentrate on the girls and hope they would provide her with the break she needed..

Detective Griggs took Detective Parker back to his motel room where Jasmine was lying in the bed staring at the ceiling. The little, black prostitute's eyes were glazed over and she was obliviously very high. Jasmine hadn't even realized it when the two men entered the room. Morris went to the bed and pulled the covers off the stoned girl.

Detective Parker looked at the delectable young black girl laying there, and asked, "Are you sure she's really 18?"

Morris went over to the nightstand and picked up Jasmine's small, rhinestone purse. He dug through it for her driver's license and showed it to Parker. She looked younger, but if her ID said she was 18--then so much the better.

"I think I'll go outside and listen to the car radio for a while. Take your time," smiled Morris.

Jevons was unsure what to do; he had seen other law enforcement men get into serious trouble in situations like this. He had just met Detective Griggs and he didn't know if he could trust him or not. The black man looked at the luscious girl laying there stoned out of her head. She obviously wasn't going to say anything. He then carefully checked the room to see if there were any hidden cameras. Satisfied that the room was clean, he double locked the door and stood at the end of the bed wondering what he should do.

As Jevons walked over to the girl, he took a deep breath hoping that he was making the right decision—after all, he didn't want to ruin his career. When he touched Jasmine, she let out a groan, and he quickly checked her face. The young slut was staring up at him with wide unfocused eyes. Satisfied that the she was still high as a kite, he exhaled a strong breath.

A few minutes later, Jevons took one final look at the young girl. He knew that he would probably never get a chance to get that close to something so nice again. Jasmine still lay there looking up with uncomprehending eyes, not realizing what had just happened.

Detective Griggs returned to the motel room glad that his new partner was satisfied. It was always a good idea to keep the people you worked with happy, and the best part of all was that it hadn't really cost him anything to give the young prostitute's talents away. Morris enjoyed the sight of the young girl lying there and smiled. She looked like such a little angel lying there stoned out of her head.

Griggs hurried into the bathroom and started the bath water running because he had to get Jasmine in the hot soapy water as quick as possible. The detective wanted sure she was nice and clean after her visit with Detective Parker. His Captain and the rest of the department would skin him alive if he let anything happen to her. Jasmine was by far the prettiest and most valuable girl the police department had.

Over the last couple of years, it had become standard practice in his department to send a girl along with a detective on assignment. This served two purposes, it gave the detective something to relieve their boredom with, and it also helped to gain better cooperation of other police departments. The Captain didn't mind if Morris loaned little Jasmine's skills out, but he expected it to be returned to him in good condition. An unexpected surprise in nine months was definitely something he didn't want to explain to his commanding officer.

*****

Leeza Roberts stood in front of her bathroom mirror examining her body. She had looked at men's magazines before and knew that she looked as good as any of the girls in there. In fact, the young blonde didn't have any doubts that her body would stand up against any that she had observed there. Leeza would sometimes dream about being a centerfold, but it wasn't for the normal reasons. She wanted to taunt men with her beauty and show them what they could never possess.

For her it would be just another way to punish men. But, the truth is, if she had posed; she wouldn't have caused that much frustration. Thousands of men would have used her picture to for their own pleasure. If that had happened, the little blonde would have been horrified to learn that she had brought so much pleasure to so many men.

Leeza frequently felt the yearning of her body as it demanded a man in her life--it was a tough struggle for her. It seemed that her greedy little frame would never stop demanding that it be allowed to feast on male flesh. Her mind had been able to overrule her loins for years, but it was getting more difficult all the time.

Leeza thought about the big cowboy at the Golden Guitar Saloon and hated herself for thinking about him in a romantic way since he was probably a murder and immoral pervert to boot. She tried to think about something without much success, but finally, the temptation became too great and her thoughts returned to the handsome singer.

*****

Brenda summoned Amira and informed her that Master Red wanted her in his apartment on the third floor. When Debbie heard, she decided to accompany her friend since neither had ever been there before, and she was very curious about where the big singer lived. The young blonde then led the blind girl down to the elevator and they went up to the third floor. A few minutes later, they knocked on his door and they smiled when the singer opened his door.

"Master, I hope you don't mind that I came," asked Debbie.

"Of course not, Princess, in fact I had a strong feeling that you would."

"The reason I called Amira here today is that I think I can help her regain some of her sight," Master informed the girls.

Amira and Debbie were shocked at his words, each believing that they had misunderstood what he had said.

Finally Amira asked, "Is that really possible?" as a tear dripped down her cheek.

"Let's go find out," answered Master Red.

He took Amira's hand and led her into one of his work labs. The walls were white and a large overhead lamp illuminated the room. In the center was a padded table like the ones used in doctor's offices. He placed Amira on the table, and Debbie stood close by anxiously watching, as he placed some eye drops in the blind girl's eyes. She then saw Master Red take some silver colored tweezers and pick up a small shiny object.

Master explained that the device was a titanium computer chip that could withstand the moisture in Amira's eyes without having its circuitry affected. He said that he was going to install it on the side of her eyeball. Debbie watched closely as he installed the chip and then took another chip and repeated the process on the other eyeball.

"We'll have to wait a few minutes for the effects of the eye drops to wear off," explained Master.

Debbie moved to the table, took Amira's hand, and caressed it gently as they waited. She then watched Master Red get a box for the counter and remove a pair of glasses. He brought them over to the table and placed them on Amira.

"These are special glasses with built in cameras," he explained, "The dual cameras should allow her to have stereophonic vision,"

"Oh my God--I can see--I can see," cried Amira, with tears streaming down her cheeks, "Debbie come here and let me see you, Oh my God, it's you, it's really you!" The blonde and Amira hugged each other crying, and it was several minutes before the tears slowed. Then Debbie turned to the singer with wet cheeks and tightly hugged him, "Thank you, Master."

The singer hugged her back, and said, "It's my pleasure, Princess."

Amira struggled to sit up and almost fell off the table when she suddenly felt dizzy. Master quickly caught the young girl and helped her down from the table, "Take it easy, Princess. It's going to take time to fully adjust to your new eyesight. "

She cried and hugged him again, "I never thought I would ever see again. Thank you, Master, thank you," she sobbed.

After the Princesses left, Master Red sat down and relaxed. He smiled feeling a deep sense of satisfaction that he had never experienced before. It was such a great feeling having helped Amira see again.

Several days before, Master Red had done some research on blindness to find out if it were possible to do something to help her, and that's when he discovered that several companies were working on glasses to help the blind. However, all of the advancements were only in the development stage and were years away from a viable product.

After having broken into the computers of several companies to see what they had, he used the research they had done as a basis for helping him to create the glasses, he created for Amira. They wouldn't give her full 20/20 sight, but now she would be able to recognize faces and walk around without assistance.

Master Red could have given her back full vision, but he was pushing the envelope of current technology as it was. Anything more advanced could cause major problems by drawing unneeded attention to himself and his association with the alien life form. He was thankful that the Saltoid had permitted him to do that much to help Amira. Perhaps in the future he would be allowed to do even more.

*****

Misaki sat in the passenger seat of an automobile with one of her close girlfriends, and both wore a little yellow butterfly pin on their blouses. Her friend Katie was a light skinned red head with big breasts, and a pleasing personality. A friend had told the redhead about this amazingly handsome singer at the Golden Guitar Saloon after having gone there one night. She added that sometimes he would take girls in the back of the club and make love to them. The idea intrigued Katie and she talked Misaki into going with her to check it out.

After finally finding a parking space in the crowded downtown area, they started the long walk to the nightclub. Katie's friend had warned her to get there early if she wanted to get into the club. After a ten minute walk, they finally arrived in front of the establishment.

The place was nearly half full when they went inside even though the stage show wouldn't start for over an hour yet. Misaki and Katie were lucky to find a table up close near the stage and quickly took a seat. The two girls ordered beers and sat back to kill time as they waited for the show to start. They engaged in small talk and the time passed relatively quickly. Finally, they saw the band members moving onto the dark stage and taking their places behind their instruments.

A few minutes later, the stage lights came on and the music started playing. From the back of the stage out stepped a large, muscular man in a white cowboy outfit. He walked to the mike and announced, "Hello, I'm Master Red," and band started playing a rousing country song. The girls cheered with the crowd and both agreed he was like Elvis only better.

Half-way through the show, a woman came over and asked them if they would mind answering some questions. They both agreed and the conversation took then down a strange and unexpected pathway. An invitation was extended to sit with the lady where they get a chance to meet Master Red. A few minutes later, Misaki and Katie were thrilled when the singer came down for a break and they were introduced to him. Both quickly decided they would like to take the special initiation and become members of his personal fan club.

Leeza Roberts sat and watched the Princesses of the Golden Ring, and was surprised that the blind girl no longer appeared to have problems with her vision--somehow she seemed to have regained her sight. The reporter looked closely and saw there were two new girls sitting at the table that she couldn't recognize. Leeza took a deep breath and decided that it was finally time to make her move and stood up to walk over to the Princesses' table.

The reporter knew it was her best chance for gathering any useful information about the activities that were taking place upstairs. But, before she could put her plan into effect, two security guards came and stood on each side of her and her camera man. The two uniformed men just stood there and watched them without saying a word.

When Master Red finished his song, he came down to their table, "Miss Roberts, I understand that you and your associate have a camera concealed in the briefcase," accused the singer.

Leeza was shocked that her cover had been blown so quickly. She sighed and slowly nodded her head as the big cowboy stared intently into her eyes.

"You realize that having a camera in the briefcase is totally inappropriate?" he asked.

Again she nodded and wilted under his intense stare. Master Red reached over, picked up the briefcase, and removed the camera from the interior. He then took the electronic device, placed in on the table, and aimed it carefully at the stage.

"Now that should be much better," he smiled, "Miss Roberts, I have three high quality video cameras that record my Saturday show for playback on weekday nights when I'm not here. If you need some additional footage for your report, please feel free to ask. In fact, if there is anything I can do for you, just let me know."

"How about an interview," she quickly asked, as he was turning to leave.

"Of course, Miss Roberts, why don't we say Monday at 10:00 am?"

Leeza returned his smile and he walked back over to the Princesses' table where he sat down with them. She was flabbergasted that he knew who she was. It appeared that her wig, glasses, and heavy makeup had failed to protect her identity this time. Well, at least she had an interview. The muscular singer had acted as if he didn't have a thing in the world to hide, but, if there was something, she was determined to find out what it was.

An hour later, little Katie watched as Master Red approached her, and she panicked, "I'm sorry. I can't do this. Please don't make me," cried the frightened young girl.

Master Red immediately backed away, and Katie's terror subsided somewhat when she realized that no one was going to force her to do anything. Brenda was standing by watching and quickly came over to help the young redhead. She hugged Katie and wiped her tears away as she soothed and comforted her.

Brenda asked Misaki if she wanted to leave with her friend, but she declined saying no, she would rather stay if she could. Then Katie said she would wait for her friend in the car, before Debbie escorted her back downstairs. Leeza saw the tearful young redhead coming back and wondered what had happened. She quickly approached the redhead hoping to get some information about the upstairs, and asked if she was okay. Katie nodded her head, and then quickly pushed past the reporter as she left the bar.

When the initiation had ended, Brenda went to get a small tray and brought it to Master Red. It contained two rings, a red enamel gold ring, and another blue enameled, heavy gold plated one. She pointed at the red Level One ring, and the singer, Debbie, and Amira all nodded in agreement. Brenda then offered the gold ring to Misaki.

A half hour later, Katie looked out the automobile windshield and saw Misaki headed back to the car. She unlocked the passenger side door and opened it as the little Asian came along side. The redhead saw a smile on Misaki's face as she played with the golden ring around her neck and grimaced. She felt envious of her friend's accomplishment and a felt a bitter gnawing disgust at her own cowardice. It didn't make any sense, she had dated many boys, but why now was she so fearful of being with the handsome cowboy?

Chapter 13

Leeza Roberts checked her diamond, encrusted gold watch and saw that she was ahead of schedule. She did not want to be late for her appointment with Master Red. The investigative reporter had decided to abandon her disguise since it no longer seemed to serve any purpose now that her cover had been blown. She had squeezed her sexy little body into a tight fitting little red dress that was one small for her, and added some matching red, high heel shoes that were selected especially to show off her magnificent legs. Leeza's natural blonde hair framed a beautiful pair of blue eyes and bright red, ruby lips. In other words, she had transformed herself into a tantalizing little sex trap.

If the country singer was an immoral fiend, then perhaps she could pry more information out of him if he were distracted by her feminine assets. She had baited the trap and now she hoped to catch a pervert. Leeza took a deep breath and pushed the door of the Golden Guitar Saloon open scan the dimly lit interior. There was a larger crowd present than she had expected for a Monday night. On the stage at the far end of the room was a large, movie projection screen displaying a life-size image of Master Red performing one of his songs. She remembered him saying something about videoing his Saturday show for playback on weekdays.

The reporter then saw the older woman from the Princesses table approaching her, and caught a glimpse of disapproval in the woman's eyes as she glanced at the sexy red outfit. Leeza suddenly felt very embarrassed by her state of near nakedness.

The woman offered her hand and said, "Hello, I'm Brenda McCoy. I manage the Golden Guitar Saloon for Master Red, and I'm also the President of his personal fan club. Would you please follow me?"

Brenda led the way and the reporter followed her down to her office across from the stage. When Leeza entered the room, she saw a long table sitting along one of the walls, and seated at the table were the other members of the fan club. She was directed to a seat in a chair that sitting in front and facing towards the table. She did so and squirmed uncomfortably in her revealing, red outfit feeling like a cheap prostitute.

Brenda spoke first, "We understand that you came here to do an interview with Master Red. Well, Miss Roberts we know who you are, and what you do for a living. We know that you only came here in an attempt to hurt Master. Therefore, the Princesses of the Golden Ring have forbidden him from doing an interview at the present time. We would have to know you much better before anything of that nature could be arraigned."

"You forbid him?" questioned Leeza. She was confused, how could these little love toys be forbidding him from doing anything.

"Yes in this matter we have complete authority."

A second later, there was a knock at the door and Brenda got up to see who it was. It was Master Red, he complimented Brenda when he entered and kissed her on the lips. He then walked over to the long table and did the same for all the other girls of his fan club.

The big singer then turned to Leeza, kissing her hand, "Miss Roberts it's a pleasure to see you again."

Brenda invited Master to take a seat. He looked around without seeing an empty chair, therefore, he walked over to Brenda's desk and rolled her brown, leather chair over beside Leeza.

"Before we began," he said, "There is a mater I wish to discuss with the membership. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment to show a new product to some interested parties, and I need Amira's help to demonstrate it. I request your permission to allow her to come with me." The little Arab quickly jumped up and went around to sit on his lap.

"Do I get a big surprise for helping?" she giggled.

"If your sister Princesses don't mind," answered Master.

No one objected and Amira happily returned to her seat. It suddenly dawned on Leeza that the little Arab had begged for the singer's amorous attentions and the others had agreed.

"Now if there are no more issues, let's get back to the business at hand," said Brenda, "Master, we know that you have a PHD in Psychiatry, and we want you to look into this woman's soul and tell what you see."

Master Red nodded and turned to Leeza. He took both of her hands in his and gazed deep into her eyes for a moment before speaking, "Miss Roberts is basically a decent person, but she has been hurt badly in her past. I think she has been molested by one or more men. Now, she has a deep distrust of males, and uses her body to frustrate them whenever she can, in a desperate attempt to get revenge against them. Her past experiences have left a thick impenetrable layer of ice around her heart that she uses to protect herself," finished Master.

"Oh, the poor thing," sympathized Debbie.

Leeza struggled to keep her anger from showing, how dare that little love toy have pity for her. But, she was struck by how accurate Master's psychological assessment of her had been. The young reporter wasn't aware that the hybrid had read the police report of her rape while gathering information about her, when she had first showed up at his club.

"Will she hurt us if she can?" asked Brenda.

"Yes, most assuredly," answered Master Red.

"Can she be saved?" inquired Brenda.

"Yes, I believe that it's possible," he replied.

"But, should we take the chance to save her," questioned Brenda.

"I don't think we have much choice," answered Master, "She's in terrible pain and desperately needs our help."

"Thank you, Master," said Brenda, "We'll take into consideration what you have said. You may leave now.

Master Red then stood up, but first gave each Princess a kiss before departing. Leeza was then asked to wait outside while they discussed the matter. After a long fifteen minutes of nervous pacing, she was asked to come back inside to receive their judgment. Brenda informed her that the fan club had decided by a small margin to take a chance on her. They explained that the only way that she could hope to learn what happened upstairs was to become a Princess of the Golden Ring, but first, she would have to become an apprentice.

The club demanded that she verbally agree that she would keep an open mind, even if in the back of her mind she totally rejected the idea. The reporter would be required to get to know all the Princesses and Master Red over the next several weeks. Leeza would have to spend her time in the club everyday but Sundays. Each day at noon, she would have lunch with Master and then spend a several hours getting to know him.

The Princesses felt that in two or three weeks she would be in love with Master just like they were and would be incapable of doing anything that would hurt him. Inside Leeza couldn't help but sneer at their foolishness. As an apprentice Princess, Master would kiss her and address her as Princess. And likewise, she would address him as Master--not as a sign of servitude, but of respect.

"When we feel that you are ready, you will be taken upstairs for the initiation. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but you must stay for the full initiation. At that time you will learn all of our secrets, and you can use them to hurt us if you please." They asked if she agreed to their proposition.

"Yes, I do," she quickly answered.

Brenda then asked her if she had any questions.

"Yes, are you his love slaves? Leeza asked, bluntly.

"In our hearts we are, but to truly find out the answer to your question, you must go upstairs," replied Brenda.

"But what about when he makes you kiss him?"

The Princesses all laughed, "Master doesn't make us kiss him. It is we who demand the kisses," explained Debbie, with a big smile.

"What about the necklace rings that you all are wearing?" inquired Leeza.

She watched as Debbie lifted up the gold ring around her neck and placed it inside her lips to run her tongue around the interior surface. The Princesses all laughed for some reason she couldn't understand. It seemed to be some type of private joke among the members of the club.

"When you learn about the rings, you will have discovered one of our biggest secrets," explained Brenda, "But, that's enough information for now. I have some homework for you. We want you to answer this question, what is the greatest gift a man can give a woman? Here's a hint, it's a gift so valuable that a woman would gladly become a man's slave. I think that's enough for now. We want here tomorrow at 12:00 pm. You may leave now," commanded Brenda.

*****

Monday morning Master Red took Amira and went to the hotel room he had reserved for his business meeting. He had rented the place because he didn't want his participation in the meeting to be known. Shortly after arriving at the tall downtown structure, he welcomed representatives from three companies that manufactured products for the blind. He let them examine Amira's eyes and then had her demonstrate the eyeglasses he had constructed for her.

What they saw amazed them and they quickly realized the benefit it could offer to blind people as well as the potential profits it could bring in. After that, they couldn't wait to get their hands on the device, and were almost ready to engage in a fist fight to see who would negotiate a contract with him.

Master Red explained that he was not seeking any monetary gain from the glasses, and they would all receive the specifications to produce the glasses, if they meet his terms. They had to agree to charge less than ten percent above production costs to their visually impaired customers. He then produced a contract which all three representatives signed after the lawyers that they had brought with them gave their approval. The meeting took less than three hours and everyone was greatly satisfied with the outcome.

"Did I do a good job?" asked Amira after they were finally left alone in the hotel room.

"You were absolutely perfect, my little Princess, and now I'll give you your reward. How about some soap and some good loving?" he teased her.

"Soap and loving, soap and loving," she giggled as he carried her to the shower.

Afterwards, they both dried off and the singer carried the little Arab to the bed and tossed her in, "Master turn off all the lights and come and find me," she begged.

The big singer happily did as she requested. His vision enhancements could have allowed him to see in the dark room, but he turned them off and squeezed his eyes tightly closed so that he was completely blind. As he made his way back towards the bed, he heard her making little popping, echoing sounds with her lips to help guide him.

Master grunted when he hit his shin on the end of the bed and felt a sharp, stinging pain, spread out through his leg. He quickly shut off the nerves to that portion of his leg and continued to slowly work his way towards the sound of the little minx's lips.

Amira giggled when she felt him touch her on the right side of her nose. She quickly flopped back on the bed and laughed, "I've had my soap, now where's my loving?"

"Just give me a moment, my excited little Princess."

A few minutes later, the little, blind Arab exhaled a joyful sigh before falling breathlessly back on the bed sated and satisfied.

*****

Leeza Roberts sat in Brenda McCoy's office as she laid out some ground rules for her stay there. The fan club president warned the reporter that she was not allowed to touch Master Red in an intimate way. She added that the Princesses trusted him, but had severe reservations about her, "We need for you to gain our trust before we can allow you into the Temple of Feminine Treasures."

"What is this Temple?" inquired Leeza.

"You might say it's the club house for the fan club where we keep all our dirty little secrets," responded Brenda with a smile, "While you are here, we ask that you not reveal anything that you learn. After the initiation ceremony, you will then be free to do as you see fit. Let's go and I will show you the way to Master's apartment."

Brenda took Leeza up to her third floor and rang the singer's doorbell. After a moment, he answered and kissed both girls inviting them into his private sanctuary. They chit chatted, briefly then Brenda went over the ground rules one final time, before excusing herself to go back downstairs. Master took the reporter on a tour of his living area and she was very impressed with the expensive furnishing she saw there. They were even more luxurious than the furnishing in the offices downstairs. There was even a couple of famous painting he confirmed were the original masterpieces.

On the wall of his living room were several college diplomas from prestigious learning institutions. There were degrees in computer science, engineering, and psychology--but, what impressed her most was the Mensa certificate. Mensa was an organization that only offered membership to the smartest people on the planet. In fact, only individuals in the top two percent of the world's population were considered intelligent enough to be given membership.

Afterwards, Master took Leeza out on his balcony and showed her the spectacular view of the downtown Nashville area, where they could see the famous 'Batman Building' standing out against the cloud filled horizon. He offered her a seat and went back inside his apartment to answer the door when there was another knock. A minute later, he came back outside smiling as he pushed a cart containing a couple of scrumptious ribeye steaks with all the trimmings. They then ate as they made small talk. After finishing the meal, he took her on another tour of other areas on the third floor that she hadn't seen yet. He showed her his labs, and then took her over to see his large, well-furnished exercise room.

The alien/human hybrid did not need to exercise, and the room was purely for show to help explain his muscular body. Adjoining the exercise room was a nicely furnished area with a large hot tub. Soon their time together ended and Leeza regretfully went back downstairs. She had enjoyed their time together much more than she expected.

Chapter 14

Detective Morris Griggs was disappointed after watching the surveillance videos that the reporter and her news team had provided him. He had hoped there would be something on them that he could use, but there was absolutely nothing there. The lawman was well aware that sometimes it took a long time for a stakeout to payoff. The detective hadn't seen the blonde reporter since he caught her on the roof with the telescope and wondered where she had gone. When he had asked, her team said she was busy elsewhere without really telling him anything.

Detective Parker was starting to pester him about getting another shot at Jasmine. He finally gave in and told Parker he could have her the next day, just to stay on his good side. The following day Morris took Jevons into his motel room, and the other detective was disappointed when he saw the little prostitute was fully alert this time. The black man would have preferred that she wouldn't be able to recognize him.

"Take care of my friend, Baby. I'm going for a walk," ordered Morris as he opened the motel door and left.

Morris was sitting in his car listening to the radio when he saw the other detective leaving the motel room. He became concerned that something had gone wrong because Parker hadn't stayed in there for very long. After the black man was out of sight, he hurried back to find out what had happened.

"Jasmine is everything okay?" inquired Morris.

"Yes, I did like you wanted and then he took off," replied Jasmine.

"Was he angry about anything?" questioned Griggs.

"No, I don't think so. He was polite and thanked me before leaving," she answered.

Morris took a black bag from his pocket containing a small mirror, straw, and razor blade. He poured some white powder from a small bottle on the mirror and then used the razor to chop the powder as Jasmine watched him in joyful anticipation.

The detective formed a long white line and handed her the straw. The little prostitute snorted half the line in one nostril and the other half in the other. Morris turned on the TV and sat down to wait for the powder to perform its magic. He knew from past experience that Jasmine would soon be stoned out of her head.

A few minutes later, Morris pulled the black girl over to the side of the bed, with her head tilted back over the edge of the mattress. Jasmine's eyes were open, but she was clearly lost in her own in little dream world. The detective enjoyed having Jasmine at his mercy. He knew that it unlikely to happen again, so he better make the most of it.

*****

Sam Dawson stood and watched the construction workers unloaded the sheet-rock from his truck. He was searching his brain for some way to get back at Debbie for dumping him, and decided to call his best friend Ted for advice. The truck driver had kept Ted updated about their relationship, in fact, he had even showed him the video he secretly recorded of him and Debbie together.

Sam had given up hoping that she would come back to him. He had watched her with the country singer and the other girls, and he could tell she was having the time of her life. There was no doubt that the big country singer would kill him in a fair fight, so he decided the only way he could get revenge was against Debbie. But, Sam was just not sure how to do it; therefore, he asked Ted if he had any ideas.

"Yeah, I got one for you. Do you still have that video you showed me on your computer?" inquired Ted.

"Yeah, it's still there. Why?" asked Sam.

"Well if you really want to fry her butt, put the video on the internet so that the whole world can see what a little slut she is," laughed Ted.

"Damn, that's a brilliant idea. Tonight when I get home from work, the little dingbat is going viral. Tomorrow Debbie's going to be on a million computers worldwide. The video will still be there when she's a hundred years old," laughed Sam, "Thanks old buddy, I owe you one."

*****

Over the last several months, Master Red had gained much greater control over his enhancements thanks to the training the Saltoid had provided him. One of these new skills allowed him to monitor cell phone conversations. For example, Master Red listened in to Leeza Roberts and her news team every conversation. He heard Leeza tell her team to keep providing Detective Griggs with security video, but tell him they couldn't find anything of a suspicious nature going on. The hybrid was glad that Leeza was keeping her word not to divulge any information she learned while at the nightclub.

When Master overheard the disturbing conversation between Sam Dawson and his friend Ted, he felt his anger build as he listened to the truck driver's evil plan. The alien/human hybrid sat back in his chair for a moment and considered his options, soon a smile came to his face as he reached for a piece of blank paper.

Meanwhile, Leeza sat patiently in Brenda's office as she discussed the next liquor delivery with her lead bartender. When they had finished their discussion, Brenda surprised Leeza by asking if she would like to see the notorious second floor.

The nightclub manager then escorted the young reporter upstairs and into the hallway. Leeza was not disappointed when she saw the grand entrance to the Temple of Feminine Treasures. The blonde walked over and rubbed her hand on one of the large, white marble statues. The entrance was certainly very impressive and she asked if she could go inside.

After Brenda explained that the Temple was only for Princesses or those about to undergo initiation, Leeza sighed and reluctantly followed Brenda back down the hallway. When they had returned about half-way to the elevator, Brenda stopped at a door and motioned Leeza to follow her inside.

"Master Red built these apartments for use by the Princesses," explained the older lady.

She then took Leeza on a tour of the living quarters and the common area. The reporter noticed that only one of the three apartments appeared to be occupied.

"I don't see anyone here. Where are the Princesses?" she asked.

"They are at school," answered Brenda.

"School?" questioned Leeza.

"Yes, all the Princesses are enrolled in a local university, and Master Red pays all their expenses. Oh, that reminds me, he has invited us to dinner tonight and then afterwards we are going to take Misaki shopping. Master always buys each new Princess five outfits and one a month thereafter. Are you free to join us tonight?" asked Brenda.

"Yes, I would love to," responded Leeza, "It seems that Master is a very generous man."

"Yes, in more ways than one," smiled Brenda, "Do you have an answer to my question? Remember, what is the greatest gift a man can give a woman? A gift that is so valuable that a woman would gladly be a man's love slave." Leeza quickly lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"I would like for you to move into one of these apartments starting tomorrow. Would you like to pick one out now?" asked Brenda. Leeza glanced around for a second at the luxurious furnishings and nodded her head in agreement.

Master Red picked up the Princesses in front of the Golden Guitar Saloon later that night driving a stretch limousine. Leeza was impressed when they pulled up in front of one of the best restaurants in town. Last time she was in Nashville, she had tried to get inside, but was turned away even though she was a nationally known TV personality. After a delicious meal Master took the girls shopping. He stood by and watched as Misaki picked out her outfits with the help of the other Princesses. Leeza even made a suggestion or two herself.

*****

It was 3:00 am and Master Red was putting the finishing touches on a special project, when he took a break and used his sensors to scan the six story building. On the second floor, Debbie and Amira lay entwined in each other's arms on one of the beds in their apartment. Leeza Roberts and Misaki were both asleep in the other apartments. Everything was nice and quiet except for the incursion of five furry intruders in a storage area on the first floor.

Master Red took his newly developed robot rat down to the lower level for a test run. He then guided the fur-covered, artificial device slowly towards the five pests eating his nightclub's food supplies. The five watched warily as the strange intruder slowly approached them. When the robot was within eight feet, it stopped, and then suddenly in the blink of an eye, the robot fired its laser beams in quick succession, killing the cluster of rats almost instantly. Master sealed the dead carcasses into a sealed plastic bag and deposited them into a trash can. He then started back upstairs with the robot following close behind.

The next morning Leeza sat in the common area with Amira and listened as she told her life story. The reporter struggled to keep from crying as she listened to the blind girl's tragic and horrible tale. Amira told of her years of loneliness and depression, and how she considered committing suicide on several occasions.

The blind Arab told Leeza how Debbie and Master had literally dragged her back from the edge of death and made life a joy again. Amira showed Leeza the glasses that Master Red had invented for her, and broke down crying when she tried to explain the gratitude and love she felt for him.

Leeza had this paradigm in her mind of what the country singer was, but Master Red did not appear to fit that description. A real pervert wouldn't care about the girls he abused. He would only care about his own pleasure. A pervert wouldn't pay for the college educations of the girls he abused. He wouldn't care if a poor little blind girl could see, in fact, her blindness would only make it easier for him to exploit her. Leeza's paradigm was starting to show severe cracks.

*****

Katie had sat and listened with the other members of the clique as Misaki explained how she wanted to leave the group and concentrate on her studies. The redhead thought she knew the real reason Misaki had returned her yellow butterfly pin and felt envious as she thought of the big cowboy. The following day when Katie saw Misaki in the cafeteria, she smiled as she went over and sat down beside her.

"I realize now that I made a big mistake upstairs at the nightclub, and I've regretted it every day since then. I really wanted to join his fan club and get one of those beautiful ring necklaces. Do you think there is any possibility that the Princesses would give me another chance?" asked the redhead.

"I don't really know. All I can do is ask them if they will let you return for another try," answered Misaki.

The Japanese girl sat and finished her meal after Katie left. She was very happy with the direction her life had taken since her induction into the Princesses of the Golden Ring. Master Red had brought her in for an interview, and he had made her feel comfortable enough, that she had candidly revealed everything to him.

Misaki explained about her agreement with Miki, and the way her son had taken advantage of it by abusing her. She even told him about her membership in the clique at school. Master had listened quietly, and then surprised her when he offered to pay for her education, and even give her a place to live. She gladly accepted his offer without a moments hesitation.

The following day Misaki pretended she was sick and waited until Miki and Kazuki left the house. Then she wrote a note saying that she had received an emergency call from home informing her that father was sick, and that she had to return to Japan immediately. She nervously smiled as she packed her bags and waited for Debbie to pick her up.

An hour later, Misaki sat in her new apartment feeling truly safe for the first time in a long time. She had come to realize that the so-called beautiful people in the clique were not that beautiful after all. The girls were under the thumb of the boys who use them and then traded them to other boys on a monthly basis. Also, Kazuki had become much more belligerent, and she had feared that it was only a matter of time before he forced her to give up her virtue. But, after her initiation into Master Red's fan club, that was no longer a worry.

Misaki was happy that the singer had been the one to make love to her, although her father would kill her if he ever found out. But, she knew she couldn't help herself, the singer was so handsome and attractive. She was drawn to him like a moth to the flame. It had felt so natural and right when she had allowed him to take her virtue.

A few days later, Misaki hung around after her last class of the day to talk with her teacher about a homework assignment. As she walked down the hallway to leave the building, she felt someone grab her arm and turn her around--it was Kazuki.

She felt pain as he slapped her across the face, "You lying little slut," he angrily sneered, as he grabbed her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom

Brenda had instructed Leeza to drive her vehicle to the college and pick up the girls. The women usually rode with Debbie in her automobile, but Brenda wanted Leeza to interact with them so they would form a close bond. The plan was for Amira and Misaki to ride with Leeza and Debbie was to follow in her little blue Ford. They were waiting outside for Misaki, but when she didn't appear, they went to look for her. Debbie led the way because she was the only one that knew where Misaki's last class was located.

When the little blonde opened the building's door, she saw Misaki and with a strange man at the end of the long hallway. Then Debbie saw the man strike the young Japanese girl and drag her into one of the rooms. The blonde quickly told everyone what she saw and they all went dashing down the hallway.

When they went into the classroom, they saw the man holding Misaki on the floor as she struggled to get away. The man was startled when they came in, and jumped up into a threatening stance as they came near. He watched them enter with an evil sneer on his face.

Misaki watched as a blonde lady approached and flipped a small object that struck the Japanese man softly in the chest. He looked down at his breast in surprise wondering what had struck him. As he began to raise his head, he caught the flash of a leg, just before his groin exploded in searing pain. This was quickly followed by a two knuckle punch to his solar plexus and a left backhand knuckle punch to his right temple. The other girls were stunned what that had seen just seen Leeza do.

"It's Kazuki," shouted Misaki, as she climbed to her feet.

Everyone starred at the fallen man with hatred because they had all heard the story of how he had molested her. Leeza walked over to Kazuki and knelt down by his head. He wanted to pull away from her, but he was still in too much pain to do much of anything. He watched in fear as she pulled out a knife and held it close to his nose.

"You've been a naughty little boy and had to pay the price. If you ever come around Misaki again, I'm going to have to cut something off," she said waving the knife near his groin in a threaten manner.

She jabbed the tip of the knife into his thigh breaking the skin, and the frightened Kazuki quickly nodded his head indicating his agreement.

When Leeza stood up, Misaki came running over to give her a hug and thank her for what she had just done.

"Group hug," announced Debbie and she and Amira quickly joined in. Leeza struggled to keep the tears from her eyes; these were strong intelligent women and not the empty headed bimbos that she first supposed. The ladies took Kazuki's pants when they departed and left the half-naked man lying on the wooden classroom floor.

The next day, Leeza sat with Master Red on the balcony of his apartment finishing their daily lunch when Brenda came walking out to meet them. The brunette asked Master to go get undressed and get into the hot tub. After he had left, Brenda thanked Leeza for helping Misaki, and said the girls wanted to know if she would teach them some self-defense moves. Leeza smiled agreeing to give them a lesson each night when they came home from school.

Brenda then gave her a card and said that she wanted Leeza to go on stage with Master Red next Saturday night. There was only one line in the comedy routine for her to remember, and Brenda said she could wear her disguise if she didn't want to be recognized.

"Now, I want you to go join Master Red in the hot tub. Remember, you can let him to kiss you, if you wish, but no intimate contact," explained Brenda, before she left. Leeza stood for a moment considering her options and decided that this might be a good chance to reveal the real Master Red. A naked woman in a hot tub should certainly bring out the animal in him. She slowly undressed while developing her plan. If he was a pervert, she knew she could take care of herself—in the hair clip she was wearing there was a hidden, razor sharp knife blade.

As Leeza walked towards the hot tub, she expected Master Red to ogle her body, but he just looked down at the bubbling water and seemed to ignore her presence. She quickly climbed into the hot tub and took a seat at the far end away from him. Leeza scrunched down so the water covered her body and waited for him to make his move.

After about ten minutes of chit-chat, she finally came to the conclusion that he was not going to do anything. This caused the young reporter some irritation and she decided to sit up to expose herself. The little blonde became even more frustrated when the big male looked her in the eyes and did not once take a peek at her body.

Leeza decided to go sit beside him and felt a sliver of anger when the singer looked down at the water as she walked towards him. The young blonde knew she had a body and face as good as any of the models in the men's magazines, and she was puzzled as to why he seemed to be completely ignoring her obvious feminine charms.

The attractive, young reporter decided to step up the pressure by placing her hand on his thigh, and it brought and immediate reply from the singer.

Master Red turned and looked into her blue eyes, "Leeza if you don't remove your hand, I'm afraid that you will have to leave here and never return."

The young reporter reluctantly removed her hand. She took a deep breath and sat quietly for a minute before deciding to try a different tact.

"Brenda said you could kiss me," smiled Leeza.

"Is that what you would like?" questioned Master.

She hesitated for a second and then said, "Yes."

Master Red kissed her on the lips for a moment before Brenda returned and announced that their time was up.

Chapter 15

Leeza shook her head in disgust as she looked at the small outfit that she was supposed to wear for the show that night. She turned to Debbie and Amira and asked, "Master Red makes you wear these tiny little outfits?"

"No," laughed Debbie, "We chose our own clothing. Our job is act sexy and make Master look good. You have to remember that this is show business and that kind of thing sells."

Amira had begged for her chance to be part of the show and Debbie offered to let her do the wet comedy bit. She taught Amira what to do, and the blind girl went on stage and did the act perfectly. Leeza sat at the Princesses' table feeling nervous and half-naked in her skimpy red and white outfit.

The reporter was glad she had her disguise on and took few deep breaths to help steady her nerves as she waited to go on stage. She was surprised at how nervous she was, after all, she was a professional journalist who was regularly watched by millions of viewers.

Master Red was just finishing up Johnny Haggard's 'You've Never Been on My Bed, Girl,' which was Leeza's cue to come up on stage. She took a small tray with a shot glass filled with water and carried it up on stage to the singer. He kissed her and took the drink.

"But Master I have been on your bed," cooed Leeza, "Don't you remember me? I was the one in the pink lingerie," and the audience laughed, not realizing how much truth there was in the joke.-

As Leeza headed back down the steps, Master said, "I think I need to buy some name tags."

The audience laughed again and Master Red began his next song. Leeza returned to the Princesses' table and all the girls offered her congratulations for a job well done. The young blonde relaxed in her chair feeling more at home and not nearly as undressed as before. She saw Brenda bring a redhead over to the table and realized that she had seen the woman before. It was the crying girl that she had tried to question a couple of weeks before.

When Brenda saw the singer nod, she gathered the girls to go upstairs. But, before leaving, she turned to Leeza and told her that she was very happy with her progress, and that if she continued to make good progress she would be allowed to go upstairs next week.

Detective Morris Griggs had been sitting in the Golden Guitar when Leeza Roberts arrived. Fortunately, he had been seated over in a corner where she hadn't seen him when she passed by. After she went in the back and changed into her disguise, he didn't recognize her at first when she came back out into the bar area. When he did, he couldn't help but wonder what she was up to. After, her little stint upon stage with the singer, it all started to make perfect sense to him.

Griggs could understand why she wouldn't want people to recognize her, but the one thing couldn't understand was why the Princesses of the Golden Ring allowed the reporter anywhere near them, when they had to know who she was.

Morris had waited patiently for over two weeks and during that time Miss Roberts had provided him with absolutely nothing of any value. The video tapes were essentially useless. While in the club tonight, he had watched the big singer kiss her more than once, and he knew there must be some kind of relationship going on between them that he didn't understand. Morris was sure that the little reporter was holding something back from him.

The detective's biggest problem was that his time was quickly running out and he had zilch to show for it. His cocaine supply was getting low, and the only thing he had accomplished was making love to Jasmine so much that he could hardly walk. Captain Brosnan was not happy with his last report and insisted that he return back home as soon as possible.

Morris saw Leeza sitting by herself at the Princesses' table when the other girls left and decided to make one last attempt to get some information from her. As he made his way through the crowd and saw the shocked expression on her face, he couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at her reaction. The big detective bent over and put his knuckles on the table as looked her directly in the eyes.

"Miss Roberts, it looks like you're on pretty good terms with these people now. I know you must have found out something. What have you got for me?"

"Well, Detective Griggs, to tell you the truth, they don't really trust me enough to have told me anything yet. But, I think if I keep at it, something is likely to happen during the next few days," she replied, somewhat unconvincing smile.

"You know, Miss Roberts. You must think I'm some kind of idiot. Don't you think I know you've making out with that cowboy," sneered Griggs, "And, I'm tired of the way you've been wasting my time here."

Leeza looked into his eyes as she reached into the handbag in her lap and pulled out a 3 inch knife. She then used the handbag to hide the knife as stood up and walked around the table to face the big detective. Master Red was on stage singing as his sensors monitored the conversation and he was ready to spring into action, if need be. Leeza stared Detective Griggs in the eyes and said, "There is one thing I will tell you."

"Yeah, what's that?" growled Griggs.

"Why don't you grow a pair, and quite whining like a little baby?" she sneered, as she put her right leg back in a defensive position.

Morris glanced at her stance and immediately recognized it, for what it was. He knew from her file that she was as expert in self-defense and that she probably had a weapon in the hand hidden by the purse. Morris realized he was out of his jurisdiction and had a number of factors working against him. For example, she was famous journalist while he was a nobody, and it didn't help that he was almost twice her size. It was a no win situation for him. Griggs turned slowly and walked away, but he wasn't entirely out of options. Tomorrow, he was going to come back and question the singer.

Master Red finished his show and came down to talk to Leeza before going upstairs, "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, "But, there's something I need to tell you. There's a detective here from Michigan who's investigating you for a murder that happened there."

"Yes, I know all about Detective Griggs."

"You didn't really murder anyone did you?" she asked, looking up and into his big blue eyes.

Master smiled and kissed her, "No, I didn't kill anyone. But now, it's time for you to get some rest."

Leeza gave him a big hug, feeling reassured that he was telling her the truth. It had been a long day and she yawned as she made her way upstairs. The young reporter was glad tomorrow was Sunday because she would be able to sleep in.

*****

A few minutes later, Katie watched nervously as the big cowboy worked his way around to her. When Misaki saw the little redhead trembling, she came over and held her hand as she lay down beside her.

"Take a deep breath and relax, Master isn't going to hurt you. I promise you're going to love this," comforted the Japanese girl.

Katie closed her eyes determined not chicken out this time. The young redhead took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and waited for it to be over with. Master Red glanced at the sweet, little redheaded waiting for him and smiled. She was as pretty as a picture lying there as he went to her.

*****

Detective Griggs packed his bag in preparation for his flight back home later that day. There was still time to drop by the Golden Guitar Saloon and ask the cowboy some questions. The odds were slim, but he still held out hope that he could shake something out of the singer.

Master Red's sensors picked up Detective Griggs when he came through the front door of his nightclub, and sat patiently waiting for the man to knock on his office door. The hybrid knew that the Michigan Detective had a flight later that afternoon and would be out of his hair by the end of the day. Master surmised that Griggs was desperately trying one last Hail Mary Pass before leaving town.

The Michigan detective looked around the singer's office as he slowly took a seat in front of his desk. He eyes widened when he saw the expensive furnishing.

"What can I do for you, officer?" asked Master Red.

"I would like to ask you some questions about your visit to Michigan last year," stated the detective, as he closely watched the singer's face.

"Of course, officer, I'll help in any way I can," offered Master.

"Have you ever seen this man?" asked Griggs, as he handed a picture to the singer.

Master looked intently at the picture for a moment, "This picture isn't very good, but yes, I remember him. He found my wallet and called me to find out if there was a reward. I told him he could keep all the money inside if he returned the wallet and its contents. I meet him at his room in a motel where he returned my wallet. I thanked him and that was the last time I saw him. What does all of this have to do with me?" asked Master.

"The man in the picture died shortly after meeting with you," explained Griggs, "How much money was in the wallet?"

"About $250.00, but that's a very small amount for me. I would have paid much more to get back the papers inside the wallet. It's too bad, he seemed like a nice man," added Master.

"Did you see any suspicious characters hanging around the motel?" questioned Griggs.

"No, not that I remember, but I wasn't really paying much attention, and it's been a long time," explained Master Red.

"Yes, I guess it has been," responded Detective Griggs.

He was disappointed that he had not observed any of the tale-tale signs the singer was lying. The big guy was either a very cool customer or else he was telling the truth. It they were only in Michigan, he could have taken him in to the station and tried to sweat a confession out of him. But, his time was up and he had no choice but to go home.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Red. If I have any more questions, I'll get back to you."

"Anytime," answered the singer, but he didn't think he would ever see the detective again.

Later that day, Master Red sat with the Princesses in Brenda's office. They said they wanted to discuss some issues of great importance with him, and everyone was there including Princess Katie.

"We think that we have enough Level 1 members, and would like to freeze the membership unless someone really special comes along. Also, if it is all right with you, we would like to have Friday nights set aside as special night for Level 1 members only. It's starting to get crowded on Saturday nights. This would leave more open spots for new girls," informed Brenda.

"I see no problem; in fact, I think it's a darn good idea," smiled Master Red.

"We would like you to get some fantasy outfits for Friday nights. You already have a cowboy outfit, but we would like various others such as policeman, fireman, and doctor," suggested Brenda as the other girls giggled.

Master Red smiled, "No problem."

That afternoon, Leeza sat with Master Red in the hot tub as she relaxed and laid her head against his muscular shoulder. She hated to think that one day this dream world would all come to an end and she would have to return home. The reporter thought about how her world had been turned upside down since coming here. Leeza knew now that the story she had come to Nashville for, didn't really exist.

"Why do you need so many women," she asked.

"Well, because I have a very large appetite and no one woman could ever satisfy me. If I were to commit myself to one person, I wouldn't be able to keep that commitment, and it would ruin the woman's life as well as mine. It would be a no win situation for both of us," said Master Red.

Later that afternoon, Leeza smiled and hugged Master close, while squishing herself deliberately against his hard, muscular chest. She could hear the incessant voice in her head as her body kept saying, 'Feed me, feed me, feed me.' She tried to think of something else in order stop her yearnings.

"Tell me about the worst day of your life," he asked.

"Well--" she began, "There was this one winter I locked myself outside my car and almost froze to death."

"No, I mean the really worst day of your life--tell me about the day you were molested," he asked again.

She looked down at the swirling water for a moment then and then said, "Wouldn't you rather kiss me?"

"No," he replied, "You've kept the tragic events of that day bottled up for so long that they are eating at you insides. You need to cleanse yourself of these poisons. I tell you what, I'll make a deal with you. You tell me the bad things about what happened and I'll tell you the good," Master offered.

Leeza didn't understand what he meant by the good, but she told him about her day and events leading up to the attack. She was in tears by the time she recounted the events that had taken place. Master Red held her close and comforted her as he listened to her story. Finally, she finished and he hugged her close and kissed her on the forehead.

"What made you the maddest?" he asked.

"The goons that molested me got away with it. They just walked away free and clear," cried the angry blonde.

"Remember when I told you that if you told me the bad, I would tell you the good? Well, the three men that attacked you used their date rape drug on other girls. One of these was the daughter of a state senator.

All three were convicted for this crime and sent to prison two years ago. The overweight man died from a heart attack shortly after arriving there and, the other two men have another eighteen years before they are eligible for parole," said Master, "And from what I've been able to find out, the two are learning more about male on male bonding than they ever wanted to know."

The thought of her abusers being molested in prison brought a smile to her face. Leeza felt a large weight lifted off her shoulders, a load that she did not even realize was there. It had hurt recounting the events of that day, but she felt better than she had felt in a long time. The young blonde turned and hugged him, squishing her firm warm body against his hard chest, and wishing she could do more.

The following day was the fourth of July and Master Red took the girls shopping for Katie to pick out her outfits. Afterwards, they went to the beach and the girls went swimming. Master Red and Leeza lay on a blanket watching the Princesses splash each other as they engaged in a playful water fight.

The singer went and purchased two coffees in white Styrofoam cups. He watched Leeza sip the coffee and sit the white cup on her stomach. The young blonde was wearing a tiny two piece, red and white, diagonally striped bikini. Master looked at the blonde's sexy body and was glad that her initiation was scheduled for that coming Saturday. Leeza looked so beautiful laying there and he wished that the time would pass quickly.

Chapter 16

Sam Dawson sat on the couch in his front room. He was unshaven and his clothes were dirty because he hadn't cleaned himself in several days. The young truck driver was still in shock from the events that transpired following his upload of Debbie's video. There was a black revolver lying on the brown coffee table in front of him as he sat considering the way his life had taken such a tragic turn.

After up loading the video, he had gone to bed, and then about 2:00 am his phone rang. It was his friend Ted and he was not happy. He called Sam a pervert and warned him to never come around him again. Sam tried to find out what the problem was and Ted told him to go online and check out the video he had uploaded.

The truck driver turned on his computer and tried to see the screen with through his still blurry eyes. He soon found what he was looking for, and stood with his mouth open in shock as he watched the video. Debbie's body had been replaced with a male body that had his face. His friend Ted's face was on his body, and he watched in horror as the video image showed him doing something very immoral and unsavory.

Sam tried to remove his video but it was too late--it had already gone viral. There were many other copies of the video on other sites that he couldn't do anything about. He now understood now why his friend was so upset and angry at him.

Sam soon became a joke all over town and everybody thought he was gay. He lost his job when his employer was made aware of the video. The ex-truck driver didn't understand how the video could have been altered, but he was sure that Debbie must have had something to do with it. She had destroyed his life, and now he was going to destroy hers. He would put a bullet in her and then kill himself. It was Saturday night and he knew exactly where she would be. Sam picked up the loaded revolver and headed downtown to the Golden Guitar Saloon.

Leeza Roberts sat at the Princesses of the Golden Ring table sipping her water filled beer bottle and feeling very happy. It had taken almost a month, but she was starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. Brenda had told her that she could go upstairs tonight and there she would finally learn the secrets of the second floor.

Master Red was performing on stage when Debbie went up and kneeled down in front of him in her sexy little outfit. Master looked down at the small blonde and sang his love song just for her. When she moved a little closer, he lowered the neck of his guitar towards her face. She stuck out her little, pink tongue and gave the guitar neck a big lick.

As the crowd laughed and applauded, Master Red noticed that Sam Dawson had climbed to his feet and starting to move towards the stage. Sam had come in about an hour ago, and had sat quietly in the back loading himself up with liquid courage. Now, it seemed he was ready to make his move.

Master had scanned the young man when he came through the front door and knew that he had a revolver in his pocket. He saw that Sam's hand was gripping the gun as he eyed Debbie while making his way towards her. Master moved so that he was standing between Sam and Debbie. He saw Sam draw the pistol out of his pocket as he neared the base of the stage.

Master Red quickly dropped his guitar and jumped off the raised platform as the angry young man raised and fired his revolver. The hybrid felt a pain near his bellybutton, and shut down the nerves to that part of his body. He covered the wound with his left hand and used his right hand to take the revolver away from Sam as he pushed him down to the floor. His inner-core had trapped the bullet just under the layer of his skin. He willed his alien core to force the bullet back out into his hand and heal the exterior skin area.

People scrambled to get away from the loud noise as Master slipped the flattened bullet and gun into his pocket before pulling Sam to his feet. He held then held the young man with his left hand and grabbed his groin with his right.

"If I ever see you around Debbie again, I'll make sure you're never interested in women again," he threatened as he squeezed Sam's groin, "Now get your dumb ass outta here before I squeeze you into mush."

The fire in Sam's groin hurt with every step as he staggered towards the front entrance of the nightclub and finally managed to depart. Master Red watched him exit the building as did Debbie. The young blonde was shaking and had tears in her eyes when the singer climbed back on the stage.

"It's okay, sweetness; you go back to the table and try to relax. Everything is okay now," he said, to comfort her. He watched her go down the steps where she was met by the other girls and escorted to back to their table. Master then picked up his guitar and inspected it for damage. There was a small scratch on the neck and it was a little out of tune, but otherwise seemed fine. He tuned it and continued playing the song that he had been singing before the disturbance had occurred.

The audience slowly returned to their seats and business returned to normal. Most people did not realize that a shot had been fired, and those closer to the action thought the noise had come from a firecracker.

Leeza's initiation was scheduled for tonight, and the Princesses decided that since she was so well know, no one but club members would be allowed upstairs tonight—with the exception of Master Red. All the Princesses loved Leeza and decided that she would be allowed special Level 1 membership even though she wasn't a permanent resident of Nashville.

When Master Red nodded, the Princesses escorted Leeza upstairs, where she was cleaned and prepared for her initiations. Afterwards, she swore the oath and was told of the symbolism of the golden rings. The first element represented the circumference of Master's masculinity. The second element represented the femininity of the Princesses. And, the third element of the rings represented the golden band around the waterbed where all of the elements came together. Leeza learned that in the Temple, the Princesses were the real masters.

"When Master enters the Temple he is our love slave. He pays for our education, buys us clothes, and takes us to the most expensive restaurants in town. He treats with respect and kisses us every day. All we have to do is make him look good outside of the Temple, now I ask you, Leeza who has the best part of this deal?" laughed Brenda.

"Now, can you tell me what's the greatest gift a man can give a woman? A gift that is so valuable, a woman would willingly be a man's slave," whispered Brenda.

"Erotic pleasure," smiled Leeza.

Brenda returned her smile and kissed her on the cheek. She stayed with Leeza as Master Red while he came to her.

All of the other Princesses came over and offered encouragement as Brenda and Misaki held her hands.

Master Red smiled as he looked down at the mass of feminine bodies stretched out in front of him and smiled--it was definitely a beautiful sight. He noticed that all the feminine eyes were on him as he stood there in front of Leeza.

The young blonde squirmed a little nervously when he touched her. This wasn't the first time that she had tasted love, three men had molested her back in college, but they had used a date rape drug that numbed her body and took away all of her sensations. She hadn't felt a thing from that experience. But now, for the first time she was going to feel what it was really like.

A few minutes later, the initiation was completed and Leeza was delighted when she was awarded her own solid gold necklace ring. The little blonde was very surprised by her own audacity. She never in her wildest dream thought that she would willingly join a fan club that had such an outrageous initiation ceremony, but here she was eagerly taking part.

The following day, the Princesses met in Brenda's office to say goodbye to Leeza. Everyone had tears in their eyes as they hugged and kissed her goodbye. The reporter looked around the room and wondered where Master was, she didn't want to leave without telling him goodbye.

"Could I use you phone to call a taxi to take me to the airport?" she asked Brenda.

"You won't need a taxi. Debbie and Amira are going to make sure you get there on time."

Leeza smiled when she saw Master Red waiting for her outside of Brenda's office. The singer returned her smile as he walked over and put his arms around her, "We're going to miss you around here. Especially me, but just remember that I will always love you," he said kissing her on the lips.

It was almost enough to make her change her mind about leaving. For a brief instant flirted with the idea abandoning her career, but she knew she had to go live her own life if she wanted to be truly happy. Master Red walked over to a nearby table and picked up a small laptop size package which he handed to her.

"This is for you, but don't open it until you get home," he said.

Later that day, after arriving back home,Leeza unlocked the door to her apartment and took her luggage inside. She went and sat down in her favorite chair to relax after her airplane flight. It felt so good to be back in the comfort of her home, and yet she couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret. The young blonde knew that she would miss her new sisters and the feeling Master's warm kisses. Leeza took a deep breath and felt her body tingle as she thought about the handsome singer.

Master Red had taught her so much and showed her how to live again. She now realized how unsatisfactory her life had been before her trip to Nashville. Her molesters had not only taken her body, they had stolen her dreams of having a family, and years from her life. After her traumatic attack, she had rejected the idea of ever getting married and having children.

Master Red and the Princesses of the Golden Ring had freed her from her self-made prison and she owed them a great debt. She was no longer filled with hatred nor had a burning desire to find men and exact revenge from them. The little blonde felt a weight lifted from her shoulders, and smiled knowing that she was finally closing the door on that horrible part of her life.

Leeza's trip to Nashville had been a resounding success on a personal level, but career-wise, it was a failure. She knew she had thrown away a great story, but it was a story she could never tell in good conscious. Leeza had sworn an oath to her sisters and now that oath meant more to her than anything in the world.

Suddenly, the young reporter remembered the present that Master Red had given her, and hurried to retrieve it from her luggage. What she found inside sent a thrill through her body--maybe her trip to Nashville had been more successful than she thought.

*****

Captain Brosnan was sitting on his couch drinking a beer with his wife when the news program came on TV. He recognized the cute blonde doing the report and always felt regret that she wasn't one of his little coke whores each time he saw her. He would have loved to teach her a thing or two about putting her mouth to the microphone and using her lips.

She started the news program by saying that they had uncovered deplorable story involving a corrupt Michigan law enforcement agency. Captain Brosnan knew that most of these reports usually involved the Detroit area. It seemed that those guys in Detroit were always screwing up. He had gone to many law enforcement conferences, and knew most of the policemen from that area. The old lawman suppressed a laugh as he wondered which one of them was about to take it up the rear.

As Captain Brosnan took another sip of cold beer, his jaw suddenly dropped as did his beer--when he recognized the detectives from his department on TV. He watched in horror as the blonde reporter went on to show video of him and members of his department paying prostitutes with packets of cocaine. She even showed documents tracking drug dealer kickbacks to his account in the Cayman Islands.

Leeza Roberts sat back in her chair and relaxed after the cameras were turned off. She felt a great sense of satisfaction at a job well done as her producer came over to congratulate her. He was no Master Red, but he came closer than anyone else she knew. Jack had asked her out several times in the past, but she had always turned him down as she did ever man that asked her out since college.

However, tonight was going to be different; she gave him a big smile and asked if he would like to go out for a coffee. He seemed like a real nice guy, and if she were wrong about him--well, she could always kick his butt and threaten to cut off a certain part of his anatomy.

Chapter 17

The Saltoid scientist had been busy working on some enhancements that would give it, and its host new abilities. The alien wanted to investigate other time periods in history, and it finally felt that its host had reached the level of readiness necessary to operate the Time/Transport Bubble. But, the alien was worried that its host was having too much fun with the young female fans at his nightclub to be interested in time travel, and the device couldn't travel anyplace without his cooperation, since it was installed inside his body.

The Saltoid knew that it might take a powerful inducement to get the human to leave the perfect little dream world it had created in Nashville. After all, the singer had such a strong incentive to stay. There was a bevy of young beauties anxious to provide him with what ever he desired in order to join his exclusive fan club. It would take something special to get him to give up all that. The alien wondered just how much inducement it would take to gain Master's full cooperation, but it had a good idea of what the answer was.

"Remember when I told you about the Time/Travel Bubble and asked, if would you like to meet some of the most famous women in history," said the Saltoid.

"Yes, why?" asked Master.

"The new enhancements that would allow teleportation and travel in time have been added to your body, just as promised" explained the scientist.

"Just a second, did you say it was added to my body?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking. Technically, your body was discarded when you underwent the transformation. The only biological components still remaining are your exterior skin covering, teeth, and nervous system. And, even these structures have been infused with a durable molyedobian compound that is almost indestructible," said the Saltoid.

"But, I feel so human," replied Master.

"Yes, that is the wonder of modern technology, and when I say modern technology, I am not referring to the Twenty First Century technology of your backward little planet Earth," said the alien scientist.

"Okay, smart ass, that's enough of your wise cracks about us Homo sapiens," sneered Master, "Just tell me about this time machine of yours."

"Very well, human," answered the Saltoid, "First of all, the correct name is not time machine, but The Time/Transport Bubble. It does much more than just simply travel in back and forth in time. It also has the capacity to move around your planet in current time at faster than light speed. For example, you could travel from your location here in North America to China in under a second. The TTB automatically travels slightly out of sync with current time, thereby making it invisible to both visual and electronic detection. Switch on your ultraviolet vision and examine the inside of your left forearm," instructed the alien.

Master did as requested and saw several illuminated buttons stretching from his elbow down to his wrist. The buttons disappeared when he switched back to normal vision, "So, if I push one of these buttons, I'll go flying around in time and space like some comic book superhero?" he asked.

"No, first you must press the correct sequence to energize the bubble," instructed the Saltoid, "Then the coordinates must be selected for a destination, follow by a date--if time travel is desired. Would you like to test the device by traveling back a few million years and seeing some dinosaurs?

"When you use the word 'test' and dinosaur in the same sentence in the same breath, it kind of worries me," grimaced Master, "I don't want to get stuck sixty million years in the past fighting off flesh eating monsters as big as a house, and besides, you promised me some women."

"There is no danger of us getting stranded," comforted the alien scientist, "But, if you would prefer, we could travel to a time period that had a human population."

"That sounds great, but the whole thing still makes me nervous. Do you think that just because I show up in the past that these famous females are going to come running for me to kiss them?" asked Master.

"They won't have to come running. You'll just pop out of space, make love to them, and be gone before they know what has happened. I have come up with several practical solutions that will make the process relatively easy. For example, your appearance can be altered to appear as a female's mate. The real mate could be placed in suspended animation, and then transferred into temporary storage in a time-stream. Then the female is yours to use as you wish.

Also, I have developed several gases that can offer very beneficial effects. For example, one of the gases induces a strong erotic desire in females. There is also a gas that induces a foggy, half asleep state. Another gas paralyzes and places the subject into suspended animation. Other gases can be developed as needed," suggested the Alien.

"Doesn't that violate the Saltoid Code? I mean--isn't that taking unfair advantage of them or something?" asked Master.

"No, a distortion of reality for the purposes of seduction is within the guidelines of appropriate use," clarified the space traveler, "In fact, I think that the old Earth saying 'All is fair in love and war' is very appropriate in this situation.

"If we are able to do all the things you say, then how about getting a little revenge against some of the most evil scoundrels in history?" inquired the singer.

"Yes, that might be acceptable as long as they were not permanently injured, and there were no major changes to the time line," answered the Saltoid, greatly relieved that the human had accepted its offer to travel in time.

*****

Pharaoh Ptolemy X11 sat in his throne room pondering his sad fortunes; the old man that had ruled Egypt for so many years knew his time on earth was coming to an end. His family dynasty was in danger for the first time, in over two hundred years of Egyptian rule, and he knew he had to train a member of his family to rule the country before he left to travel to the afterlife. But, who should he choose?--his daughter or his son?

The Ptolemy family had a long and magnificent history since coming to the famed desert paradise. The Pharaoh's great forefather had served as a General with the great Emperor, Alexander the Great, and together they had fought and drove out the Persians in 322 B.C. Egypt had then become a part of the mighty Greek Empire. Alexander decided to build a city built there, that would celebrate his victory, and be a shining jewel by the sea, which he would bear his name.

When Alexander died after a night of drinking, his generals divided up his enormous empire between among themselves. General Ptolemy had always had a fondness for exotic Egypt, and decided to stake his claim there, and the left over parts of the Greek Empire were split among the other generals. Ptolemy carried his friend's body back to Alexandria, and there he built a tomb on a hilltop overlooking the blue waters of the bay. It seemed only right that Alexander be buried in the city that bore his name.

Egypt had been conquered many times before, and each time it was always meet with great resistance from the native population. Ptolemy had decided to try something that had never been done before; he made himself Pharaoh and embraced Egyptian traditions, religion, and customs. He assumed the dress and traditions of the Pharaohs that had ruled Egypt in the centuries before him.

Ptolemy was a very enlighten man considering his military background. He brought in plants and new farming techniques that raised the quality of Egyptian agricultural products. The better crops of wheat, cotton, and grapes grew the nation's wealth and substantially increased its foreign trade. A succession of Ptolemaic leaders had then made Egypt into a powerful nation, but now, that succession was in danger of ending unless he could provide a suitable successor.

Ptolemy XII's considered his two options. He could turn Egypt over to his young son, Ptolemy XIII, or he could marry his daughter Cleopatra and take her as his queen. He knew his son at present was too immature to assume the great responsibilities of leadership--on the other hand, his daughter Cleopatra was strong and intelligent--but damn it all, she was a woman.

After carefully considering the matter, the most practical solution seemed to be marrying Cleopatra. He could show her how to govern, and when his son came of age, she could train him how to be Pharaoh. Having made his decision, he informed his sixteen year old daughter of her impending marriage, and the teenager was overjoyed with the news. She was prepared to do whatever was required of her to become queen.

Shortly before the marriage, Ptolemy suffered a debilitating stroke that left half his body nearly useless and prevented him from consummating the marriage. Cleopatra was a beautiful creature, and the Pharaoh had always planned to take her for his wife when she was of age, but he had waited too long and sickness had robbed him of his ability to enjoy his matrimonial rights. Now, he would never taste her sweet untouched body; that honor would have to go to her brother when he gained the throne.

For the next two years, Cleopatra dedicated herself to learning everything she could about governing the land of Egypt. She sat by her father's side and closely watched him, and studied his every move. When he went to construction sites and other areas around the country, she always tagged along by his side to learn everything she could about ruling.

Today Queen Cleopatra sat in the throne room with her father to welcome some distant travelers who wished to set up trade between Egypt and Southern Europe. They came with slaves carrying many gifts to persuade her father to favor their request. The large room was a rectangular area measured approximately 25 by 60 feet and there were eight large decorated columns supporting the ceiling. Located by the columns were 4 foot high metal stands topped with pans that contained fires to light the large room, and along the ornate marble walls were several statues of various types.

There was a large black granite bust of Alexander the Great sitting on a white marble stand, and next to it, was a large white marble statue of the Goddess Isis holding a canopic jar. Statues of the Gods Ra, Hermes, and Anubis could also be seen around the interior. The statue of the Sun God Ra was much larger than all the other less important gods and goddesses.

At the front of the throne room, was a raised platform with two ornate throne chairs. The thrones were extremely beautiful, craved works of art. They were inlaid with gold and precious stones and clearly demonstrated the importance of the two people who sat there. Pharaoh Ptolemy XII sat in one chair and Queen Cleopatra sat to his right in the other one.

Standing on each side of the throne chairs were two Nubian slaves wearing only short skirts and sandals. The black eunuchs held long poles with attached feathers that they used to cool the royal couple. Directly behind the Pharaoh and Cleopatra and to the sides were a dozen or more soldiers armed with long spears.

Ptolemy wore a white cloth wrapped around his body that formed a skirt, and on his head was a blue and gold striped cloth held in place by a gold head band decorated with a golden cobra. The areas around the Pharaoh's eyes were painted black giving them a cat like appearance, and he wore a fake beard on his chin that signified his position and power. On his feet were brown leather sandals, and in his hands, he held a crook and flail that crossed in front of his chest.

Cleopatra sat next to her father in her own large ornate throne chair, and the black kohl on her face framed two beautiful, liquid brown eyes. Her reddish brown hair was cut short, and put up in a bun, that was covered by woven gold wire with pearls. Across her forehead, was a gold band that had a carved bird's head protruding from the front.

The young queen wore an extravagant blue wrap that ran from the top of her perky breasts down to her ankles, and on her feet were brown leather sandals. She also wore several pieces of exquisite gold jewelry around her neck and on her arms.

To the left of Ptolemy were several men sitting on cushions; these included a scribe, his doctor, a priest and two political advisors. Sitting to the left of Queen Cleopatra were her two Nubian hand maidens. These dark ebony young virgins were named Iras and Charmin.

There were dozens of people inhabiting the lower throne area, some stood along the walls, but most sat on cushions. Many were waiting and hoping that they would get an audience with the Pharaoh. There was a center aisle area that was kept open and free of people that allowed quick access into and out of the main throne area.

A royal attendant would call out a name and that person or group would then be allowed to approach the base of the throne area to make their request, and when they finished, another name would be called to come forward. The attendant had called the group from Southern Europe and they were now making their way down the center aisle towards the thrones.

Two men led a group of ten slaves carrying gifts for the Pharaoh. When they reached the base of the raised throne area, they knelled down and put their heads to the white marble floor. When given permission they raised their bodies, but remained on their knees to make their request.

Queen Cleopatra listened as the leader of the group stated their wants and presented her father with all the gifts they had brought. There were gold, wine, wood carvings, and ostrich eggs just to name a few of the lavish items.

Her father nodded to his servants and they would come, collect the gifts, and then take them away. The young girl first realized there was a problem when she heard her father struggle to approve the group's request in a weak and shaky voice. Cleopatra immediately recessed the proceeding and ordered her father's doctor to accompany them back to the Pharaoh's private quarters. There they helped him as he struggled to get into his bed. The Queen knew that state business had to continue regardless of the medical emergency and reluctantly returned to the throne room.

For the first time, she sat and alone and handled the affairs of state without her father sitting beside her. She was a little self-conscious at first, but quickly began to develop her confidence, and before the afternoon was finished, the young Queen was handling the affairs of state just as well as her father ever had.

Young Ptolemy XIII heard the news and went to his father's bed where he saw the old man lying unconscious and not responding to requests of his doctor. He then left there and went to the throne room where he hid in the shadows and watched his sister as she conducted the business of state. He looked at the empty throne chair where his father normally sat and smiled because the time was finally arriving when he would soon sit there and rule Egypt. Then he would marry his sister and make her pay for the rude way she had treated him.

Three days later, Ptolemy XII stopped breathing and passed into the afterlife. Little Queen Cleopatra mourned for her beloved father, and she also mourned for the sad future she faced. When the mourning period passed, she would be required to marry her younger brother, and he would become Pharaoh, then she would become nothing more than a vessel for his lust--it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Young Ptolemy XIII was such an immature little jerk with a twisted sense of humor. After he married her, she knew he would probably run through the palace telling everyone what had happed on the wedding night, and then likely denounce her as a whore.

Cleopatra looked over at the empty spot where her father's throne chair had previously sat before she ordered it removed and placed into storage. The young queen didn't want to be reminded of her impending marriage to her foul little sibling.

Today, there was a criminal matter on the agenda; a man had stolen grain from the royal coffers. It was a serious crime that required serious punishment to dissuade others who might consider doing the same thing in mind. One of her palace eunuchs had recently died, and now would be an excellent time for the young ruler to find a replacement for him. After careful consideration, she decided to have the grain thief castrated and added to the palace staff as his replacement.

The Queen watched her guards as they drag the accused criminal down the middle aisle to the base of her throne area. The prisoner was an average size man wearing an un-dyed linen skirt and his skin was very dark from long hours of working out in the hot Egyptian sun. The prisoner's hands had been tied behind his back and he stared down at the floor afraid to look up as he stood before the judgment of the queen. The guards holding him all looked her way and she gave them a nod to proceed. One of the guards then stripped away the prisoner's skirt, as two more guards held his arms, and a third stood behind him with his arm around the prisoner's neck.

Cleopatra stood up and moved to the front of the platform to oversee the punishment as a female Nubian slave knelled beside the prisoner, and help a small block of wood and knife at the ready while waiting for the queen's command. Afterwards, the severed flesh was to be taken and offered to the Sun God Ra as a sacrifice. Cleopatra looked at the man waiting to be punished and couldn't help but wish it was her brother there instead.

When Cleopatra nodded approval, the Nubian holding the block of wood was about to carry out her unpleasant task when suddenly a thunderous noise filled the throne room, and a cloud of bright red smoke rose up from behind the prisoner and his guards. The Egyptians quickly moved back in fright as the blood colored cloud expanded outwards.

As the smoke began dissipating, the people in the throne room saw a strange figure began to appear. The man wore a short skirt that glowed like liquid gold and shimmered in the flickering flames for the light. He stood a foot taller than anyone in the room, and his hair was the color of fire. The Egyptians silently cowered in fear as they watched the strange figure standing among them like something from another world. The people in the room were paralyzed with fear and unable to say or do anything as they gazed at the strange vision that left them dumbfounded.

Master Red had hovered in his Time/Transport Bubble nearby watching the prisoner awaiting punishment before deciding it was time to act. He felt sorry for the poor man that had only been trying to get a little food to keep his family from family. He had maneuvered his bubble behind the prisoner and released an M-80 firecracker in combination with a smoke grenade.

When the cloud thickened, he brought his bubble into sync with current time, de-energized it, and then waited for the smoke to clear. It would appear to the Egyptians as if he had suddenly materialized out of the cloud of bright red smoke.

Master looked at the assembled Egyptians staring back at him in shock, and he smiled, satisfied that he had achieved the effect he wanted. The time traveler had ordered the liquid metal skirt from a site on the internet especially for this trip back into time. It was designed for a woman, but he needed something flashy for this occasion. Men in this historical era wore skirts anyway, so he decided to go with it.

The Egyptians would immediately recognize that the gold skirt was not something that had not come from their world. Putting the gold skirt, dyed red hair, and large muscular body all together in one package with a little smoke gave him just the appearance he wanted. Now, all he had to do was add a little more flash and bluster, and they would believe anything he told them.

There were a couple of matching gold colored pouches attached to Master's skirt that allowed him to carry some useful items for his ruse. He opened one of them and took out a charcoal lighter, squeezed the trigger, and a four inch flame jumped into being. Master held the flame above his head and walked around in a small circle looking at the frightened people. He turned off the flame after a moment and replaced it back in his pouch, and then he took out a flashlight and a little hand buzzer.

Master turned on the light and projected a light beam upon the ceiling.

"I am the God Shed," he announced, in a loud voice, "and I have been sent by the Great God Ra to find the reincarnation of the Goddess Isis. He has given me a piece of the sun to help me find the one I seek. Do not move, as I do my search and the light will not hurt you, if you obey. Heed my words or the Demon God Shezmu shall collect your heads for his wine press," threatened the imitation God.

Master slowly lowered the beam of light and moved it across the frightened crowd in the throne room. When he had scanned the people in the lower area of the large chamber, the hybrid turned his attention to the ones located near the throne. He moved the light beam over the people on the raised platform before swinging it towards the queen. He aimed the light directly on her chest and held it there for a moment as he ran his eyes over her sexy young body.

The frighten queen looked at the light on her bosom and watched it as it slowly moved down her body. She wanted to run away, but she clamped her jaws tightly closed and forced herself to stand where she was. The queen knew that any display of cowardice would be worse than death and cost her kingdom. She pressed her hands and arms tight against her body to hide her trembling. When the light reached her naval, the light stopped and there was a strange clicking noise.

Master Red used his sensors to monitor Cleopatra's vital signs as he climbed up on the platform and walked towards her. Her body readings indicated that she was terrified, and he knew he needed to calm her down before she passed out.

"Cleopatra, do not fear me, I have been sent to help you by the Great God Ra. He has sent me to tell you that you have been recognized as the reincarnation of the Goddess Isis on earth," comforted the red haired man.

Master gave the young girl a big smile as he slowly walked over and stopped in front of her. The little Queen was very short in comparison, and didn't even reach up to his nipples. Her nose was a little hawkish, but she could definitely be described as beautiful.

The time traveler could understand why the Romans were so attracted to the young queen. Her family was of Greek extraction, but there was some darkness to her skin, which clearly indicated that a Nubian sometime in the past had slipped some of his genes into one of her ancestors.

Cleopatra looked up at the giant smiling down at her and relaxed somewhat. He had said he was not going to hurt her, therefore, she cautiously returned his smile. She was still not sure if he was real or imaginary, so she slowly stuck out her finger and touched it against his bare stomach. When he didn't object, she slide her fingers across the gold material of his skirt, and there was no doubt in her mind that he was a God.

"We must talk privately, send you servants away. You may keep your two hand maidens," instructed Master. He had decided to add the beautiful young Nubians into the mix at the last minute. The black women would make tasty little appetizers later on.

Cleopatra realized that now was an excellent opportunity to increase her status among her subjects. She walked to the front of the platform and announced in a loud commanding voice, "Everyone must leave here now. We Gods have important matters to discuss among ourselves."

Most of the people in the throne room were delighted at the chance to depart the strange beings presence. The threat to have the Demon God Shezmu come after them was a very serious matter. Shezmu was the God of execution, slaughter, and blood, and it was known that he put the heads of wrongdoers into a wine press and squeezed the blood out. Then, the blood would be given to the God Unas for his consumption. It was obvious that a person who had the blood removed from his head would have a terrible time in the after-life.

Master went over and sat down in Cleopatra's chair and watched the people as they filed out of the throne room. When Cleopatra looked around at the God Shed, she saw him sitting there, and wasn't sure what to do, but after a moment's hesitation, she picked up a pillow and sat down at his feet. When she looked up, a quiver of pleasure shot through her body as she gazed up at him.

Master Red did a scan of the throne room and discovered that there was still one person hiding in the shadows. He used his telescopic vision in combinations with light of various wave lengths to gather information about the hidden figure. The data was then sent to his Multi-Brain for processing.

The time traveler was then able to see the intruder as if he were standing six foot in front of him in normal sunlight. It was the queen's younger brother Ptolemy XIII spying on them. Master reached out his hand and pulled Cleopatra up to sit on his lap.

"Now that Ra has recognized you as a Goddess on earth, I have been sent to teach you the arts of love," said the red haired man.

"But my father promised me to my brother," explained Cleopatra.

"Well, your brother is going to have to settle for 'sloppy seconds,'" smiled Master.

"I don't understand. What is the meaning of 'sloppy seconds?'" asked Cleopatra.

"That's special God talk. It simply means that I will enjoy you first, before your brother is ever allowed to touch you. I'm going to tell you a little secret, Ra is not very happy with your little brother. In fact, the Sun God is thinking about sending a goat for him to marry, instead of you," explained Master, as he watched the reaction of her sibling hidden in the shadows. Ptolemy XIII's facial expression clearly showed his distress at the idea.

Cleopatra considered Shed's words and if Ra wanted her to submit to him, then she would comply. She climbed down from Master's lap and said, "I honor the God's and submit to your will."

Master Red looked at Queen Cleopatra offering herself to him and smiled. He reached out his hand and rubbed her light brown cheek before running his eyes up and down her beautiful form. She looked so delicious standing there waiting for him, that he was tempted to take her right then and there, but he had other plans for her.

"Now, is not the time or place," said the red headed God, "The stars must be correctly aligned, and you must be placed on the altar of Ra. There you will offer yourself to me, and I shall accept. Prepare yourself and I will take you there now."

Master called Cleopatra and her two hand maidens close to him. The girls then watched the God touched the inside of his left forearm several times and they became encased in a large clear bubble. The throne room started to disappear as circular bands of light moved horizontally up and down the exterior of the rounded device.

The time traveling hybrid looked at the countdown clock on his arm as the girls watched him and wondered why he was looking so intently at his bare arm. When the countdown reached zero, the bands of light disappeared and the bubble appeared inside his third floor apartment of his Nashville building. He touched his arm again and the bubble de-energized leaving them standing in his third floor apartment.

Master had to keep a close eye on the girls because they were trying to touch all the strange new objects in his residence that they could get their hands on. The girls were quickly ushered to the elevator, and he took them down to the Temple of Feminine Treasurers which had now been redecorated and renamed the Temple of Ra. His fan club was on hiatus, and this area was not currently being used.

Cleopatra saw the two large white marble statues at the doorway, and her groin trembled at the thought of what was going to happen once she went inside. Soon Shed would place her on the altar of Ra in order to instruct her in the arts of love, and the young virgin was frightened and aroused all at the same time.

Master Red took the girls into the shower room and had them remove their clothes. They were amazed when he told them the big white box would clean their clothes. They were equally amazed when he explained the toilets and the running water to them. Inside the shower room, he gave them soap and helped the girls clean themselves.

Cleopatra wanted her handmaidens to wash her, but Master insisted that she clean herself. After the shower, Master demonstrated for them, how to bush their teeth and use mouthwash. The girls were extremely messy, but they finally got the job done.

Next, Master took them to the hot tub, and after they were seated, he stripped off his clothes to join them. The women's eyes locked on him as he climbed into the hot water to join them. After he was satisfied they were squeaky clean, he ordered them out of the water, and gave them robes when they had wiped the moisture from their bodies.

Master dried his large muscular body too and clothed himself in a bright red silk robe. All three of the girls were so short that the robes dragged on the floor as he led them down the hallway to the Temple.

Cleopatra and her hand maidens were amazed at the size of the large round bed; this palace was truly the home of a God. The young queen looked on the wall behind the bed and saw a large, impressive picture of Ra that stretched all the way from the floor to the ceiling. When she walked over and placed her hand on the bed, she jumped back in surprise when it moved under her touch.

Cleopatra was shocked and amazed when Shed told her the bed was filled with water. She slapped the bed and giggled while she watched the ripples spread across the surface. 'Yes--,'she thought, 'I will gladly give up myself to the god Shed on this splendid round watery altar, belonging to the great Sun God Ra.

The three little Egyptians didn't know it, but they were undergoing a ritual that he had used to sample the delights of many young girls. Master looked down at the beautiful young body of the Queen of the Nile, as she lay waiting for him. Her perfectly formed light brown body presented a beautiful display that caused a pleasurable excitement in his large frame. It was the body that would soon drive two famous Romans Emperors to their destruction and forever change world history.

Master Red kissed Cleopatra's sweet red lips and caressed her cheek with his hand. In a few years, Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony would have their turns with the little queen, but not today. Today, she was his, and her innocence would belong to him. The time traveler realized that this was a historic moment and it should be recorded for posterity. He checked his equipment and started his data recorder. In order to capture the real nitty gritty, he adjusted the depth of his X-ray sensor so that the upper levels of the little queen's body disappeared.

A little fine tuning, and he had his video adjusted to just to where he wanted it. He positioned himself and had a spectacular view as she was changed from a girl into a woman. When Master finished, he looked at Cleopatra and she seemed exhausted, but gave him a soft smile. Master Red was very happy; the seduction of the Queen of the Nile was a big success. Now, instead of the young queen being forced to submit to her much less endowed brother, she had received a lesson in love from a majestic male specimen worthy of such a famous queen.

Master cleaned off himself off and went to stand in front of the first of Cleopatra's Nubian handmaidens.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"I am called Isis," she replied, nervously.

"The God Ra requires you to submit to me. Are you prepared to do so?" he inquired.

The little black girl smiled as he turned all of his attention to her. When he finished with her, he went to the third girl, who seemed rather sad and dejected.

"Hi beautiful, what's your name?" smiled Master, trying to cheer her up.

"My name is Charmion," responded the unsmiling girl.

"Tell me Charmion, are you prepared to submit yourself to me as required by the Sun God Ra?" questioned the red haired God.

The little back girl looked at him, and her face slowly dissolved into extreme sadness, as she started crying and shaking her head. It took the time traveler several minutes to calm her down to a more relaxed state of mind. She finally revealed that she was fearful that she would punished, when it was discovered that she no longer had her virtue . Handmaidens to the Queen were required to be pure unless first getting permission from the queen to be otherwise.

Charmion told him how one of the palace guards had molested her, and threatened to kill her if she told anybody. Cleopatra was very vexed to learn that one of her trusted guards had dared to violate one of her handmaidens in such a dastardly manner. The young queen demanded the name the guard so that she could punish him when she returned home.

Master knew he should do something to soothe the sad young Nubian and cheer her up. They thought he was a God, so why not restore the black girl's virtue to its untouched condition. All he had to do was invent some type of bogus ceremony.

"Do not fear Charmion, I Shed shall make you pure again," announced the God.

Master positioned himself by the sexy Nubian and looked down at her small vulnerable body lying before him. He decided to have some fun and involve the other two girls in the phony ceremony. He asked them to hold on to Charmion's hands so that her essence would not fly away during the ceremony.

Cleopatra and Iras did as instructed while Master placed his hand on Charmion's soft dark belly. He then began making small circles with his hand as he rubbed across her soft tender flesh.

"Abra-kadab-ra --- abra-kadab-ra --- abra-kadab-ra---kadah," incanted Shed.

Master paused for a moment and then repeated the process two more times. He then placed both of hands on top of her stomach and gave it a quick push down into the waterbed.

"Congratulations my child, your purity has been restored. And now, you shall surrender it to me as required by the God Ra?

Charmion smiled at him and gratefully nodded her head. Master took his position and prepared for the enjoyable task at hand. He adjusted his x-ray vision and watched closely as he instructed her in the arts of love. When he saw there was no blood as expected, he knew he would have to supply some.

Before his time travel experiments, Master had discussed adding a weapon to his arsenal of enhancements with the Saltoid. The alien had considered the matter and decided to include a dual purpose sapphire laser to Master's right forefinger next to his gas port.

The laser would utilize both a red and white sapphire component that allowed both visible and invisible laser beams to be projected. Ruby was actually a red sapphire of the corundum family and the ruby laser element would project a red beam in the visible light spectrum. The ruby laser's red visible beam of light could be used to intimidate an enemy.

On the other hand, the white sapphire element would project an invisible beam. Master's infrared vision would allow him to secretly track the clear beam and target an object. For example, if an enemy held a sword, the time traveler could use the invisible laser beam to cut off the metal blade, and cause it to fall off mysteriously, leaving the enemy holding nothing but the handle.

Master Red set his laser on very low power and then adjusted his x-ray vision to find a suitable vein before making a tiny incision with his laser. When the red blood began to flow, he showed it to the three Egyptians. He then continued his enjoyable task and savored the Nubian's sweet little black body.

When the time traveler finished his amorous activities, he lay down between the girls.

"Will I have a child now?" asked Cleopatra.

"No, not tonight, but don't worry, you'll have four children someday," answered Master.

"Yo—you can tell my future?" stuttered the young queen.

"Yes," responded the imitation God.

"Can you please tell me if I will ever truly be a real queen, or will I be just a vessel for my brother's passions," asked the anxious young ruler.

"It will take time, and you will have to fight against your family, but eventually you will be a true queen in your own right," answered Master.

"Will my brother be the father of the children that you say I will have?" asked Cleopatra.

"No, the fathers will be Romans," responded Master.

"Romans? I would never give myself to a Roman pig," snapped the angry young woman.

"The world can't stay the same forever, my sexy little love bug. In four years you'll be in desperate need of help to save your life and hold on to your throne. The only answer to your problem will be the leader of the Roman Empire. When he comes to Egypt, you will use your feminine wiles to get his help, and the result will be a male child," forecast the God Shed.

"That doesn't sound like a very appetizing future. Will I live a long life?" asked the disheartened queen.

"You will live a relatively long life, and if you can learn to stay away from snakes, you might even live longer," smiled Master.

The time traveler stopped and decided that he had better change the subject, "I understand that Egyptian woman have an unusual method of birth control."

"Yes," responded Charmion, "I have heard it said that some women use crocodile dung mixed with honey in their special place."

Master laughed, "I can see how that would work. If a woman filled herself with crocodile poop, I don't even think a god would want to touch her."

When the time traveler had finished his instructions in the arts of love, he decided it was time to give take the girls back home to Egypt. As he prepared to energize his T/TB, he glanced at Cleopatra's famous features in admiration. In four years, the then 22 year old woman would use her body to put the super squeeze on 52 year old Julius Caesar's inflamed passions, and it would change world history.

Master Red then energized his Time/Transport Bubble and carried Cleopatra and her two handmaidens back to the land of the Pyramids. The first thing the young queen did when they got back was to arrest the palace guard who had molested Charmion. She decided that it would be a suitable punishment if he were turned into a eunuch, and placed into service within the palace.

The guard was bound and brought before the raised throne area as Cleopatra stood up and came forward to oversee his punishment. When she nodded, and her handmaiden Iras prepared to use the wooden block and knife to carry out the punishment. When Master Red saw Cleopatra give her approval, he heard the prisoner scream out in pain just before his bubble jumped into the time-stream.

Chapter 18

The date was May 29, 1431, and young 19 year old Jeanne d' Arc paced back and forth in her prison cell as she waited to die. Occasionally, her hand would unconsciously rub her groin. Tomorrow, she would be burned at the stake without ever knowing the love of a man--it was not a situation that she particularly relished.

Jeanne had become trapped into her virtue at a young age, before she realized what she was giving up. But, now it was much too late for regrets. Tomorrow she would shrivel to ash, and there would be no man left behind to remember the sweet pleasures that she could have brought him.

Over the last three years, it had become increasingly harder for Jeanne to remain chaste as her virtue had proven valuable in helping her gain widespread fame around the world. The young woman had become a well-known as the 'Virgin Warrior,' who had led the French to victory against the English invaders. In later years, she would become known as the famous 'Joan of Arc.'

On one of Jeanne's thighs was a scar she had received from a crossbow bolt during a military action, and there was also another war wound near her neck. But, these imperfections didn't distract much from her exquisite beauty. The famous French maiden had short dark-brown hair and very pale white skin. Her white skin was the result of spending many months in a dark prison cell closed off from the bright light of the sun.

Jeanne had been sent there by the English and condemned to death supposedly because of her religious visions; however, the real reason was because she had embarrassed the British with her amazing military successes against them. Many experts in the future would conclude that her visions were hallucinations caused by neurological or psychiatric reasons, but they would be wrong in this assumption. Jeanne had tended her family's cattle as a young girl and had contracted Bovine Tuberculosis.

At 12 years old, her dementia began triggering strange hallucinations, and her superstitious parents believed that she must be receiving these visions from God. The young child quickly accepted their diagnosis and began attending church as often as she could. Jeanne became a very devout Christian who believed that God was preparing her for a special mission to carry out his will.

The citizens of Domremy where Jeanne grew up thought she was possessed by the devil at first, but over the years, her persistent devotion to the church finally won them over. They even collected money and sent her to see the French authorities where she could present her case.

The French leadership refused to see her at first, but she returned and her persistence finally paid off. The young girl was brought in for an interview and given a test to check her innocence. It was at this point that the young girl discovered how important it was to preserve her virtue to achieve her goals.

When Jeanne was brought before the French authorities, she informed them that she had been sent by God to lead the French to victory over the English. She was so persuasive and confident in her presentation that they decided to consider her argument. She was given a room in which to rest, and told to wait there while they discussed the matter further.

The French war machine was on the verge of collapse and they desperately needed something to save them from losing the war. They finally agreed to dress Jeanne in white armor, and present her to the troops as a virgin savior sent by God to lead them to victory. This strategy worked wonders and what had been a regular war was suddenly turned into a Holy War.

Jeanne didn't fight in any of the battles; she was given a banner and used as an inspirational mascot in the rear lines, and while there, the little virgin inspired the troops to win surprise victories against the English. This caused her to gain fame among her enemies, and they began targeting her for death.

Even though she was located in the rear, she was wounded twice by enemy assassins sent to kill her. One time an arrow hit her in the chest near her neck, and another time, a crossbow bolt hit her in the thigh. Each time she quickly recovered and returned to the battlefield to inspire the French troops to a glorious and unexpected victory.

The young virgin also grew infamous for her volatile temper. There were many occasions when she had browbeat high ranking knights for swearing or other indecent behavior that she didn't approve of. If they missed Mass, she turned into a little holy terror and gave them hell and damnation. The young warrior would use a sword to chase off the prostitutes that followed the army around the countryside and sometimes she would slap the girls as they ran away.

One day the battle turned against the French, and she was captured after falling from her horse while trying to rally the troops. She was then placed in prison and put on trial for her life. There was a very long list of over seventy criminal charges brought against her, but after a year, these had been reduced down to only twelve. The most damning charges they could come up with, was that she dressed in men's clothes, and claimed to communicate directly with God.

As Master Red watched the young virgin pace back and forth in her cell, he realized that he would have to come up with a different plan than what he had originally intended. He had done a physiological profile of the young girl which indicated that his current plan would only be partially successful.

The time traveler had intended to appear out of a cloud of white smoke and tell her he was an angel sent by God to take her virtue. There was no doubt that she would have done as instructed and followed the will of the All Mighty, but she probably would have done so in a cold and unappetizing manner.

Master realized that he needed to travel back and do a more complete study of her life before developing a new plan of action. What he discovered when he did was very interesting. She had been placed on a pedestal by men at a very young age because of her religious visions and over time Jeanne came to see all men as weak beings that didn't deserve her respect. She had felt herself tingle during their presence, but there was no way she could have allowed her body to be used by such weak creatures.

Master traveled through her life and watched Jeanne as she became ever more belligerent towards the males around her. She was trapped into her virtue and there was no male, strong enough to take it from her. Now that the time traveler had a better understanding of her, he knew what he needed to do.

When it came down to it, Jeanne was just like any other teenage girl. Females her age usually went through a phase where they needed a bad boy to excite them and her profile indicated she was in this stage right now. The young virgin needed a strong male to bring out the little slut that was located deep inside, but first, he had to separate her mind from her body to accomplish that.

Master thought it over and decided to bring in the biggest male stud of them all to knock the little virgin out of her comfort zone. He wanted to stun her brain and allow her body to take control of her actions. If he could do that, then her virtue would fall into his lap and it would be a delight task to take it.

Master returned to his apartment on the third floor of his nightclub to rethink his plans. He decided to call his personal decorator and order some changes made to the Temple of Feminine Treasurers. The white walls and large crucifix would have to be replaced with something more appropriate for this mission.

The decorator suggested that instead of repainting place all the time, why not mount lights at the base of the walls. The wall color could be easily changed just by changing the light bulbs. By making this simple change, the interior wall could easily be changed to whatever color was required. The decorator also had some ideas about how to create the effect that Master wanted in the Temple. He always kept a good supply of Halloween items on hand in one of his storage areas.

The changes were finished the next day and Master returned to see Jeanne. However, what he saw when he returned surprised him. A half dozen prison guards were in the cell violating the famous virgin. Apparently, they had decided to take her virtue before she was burned at the stake the following day. Once again, Master had to change his plans. The loss of her innocence was no big deal because he could come back the previous night and take it before the guards did. He then set his TTB device and backtracked a day before returning to visit her again.

Jeanne d' Arc was kneeling in prayer when she heard a strange noise coming from behind her. When she turned, she saw a large cloud of red smoke filling one of the corners or her prison cell. The young girl immediately jumped up and moved as far from the blood colored cloud as she could get. As the smoke started to clear, she saw a large figure starting to emerge. It was a giant of a man colored red from his head to his feet.

Jeanne watched in terror as he placed a brown tube like object in his mouth and caused fire to appear from his other hand. He held the fire to the brown object, inhaled, and breathed a cloud of smoke out of his mouth. 'What manner of man could eat and breathe fire' she wondered, and then suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh my God, it's the Devil," she gasped, as she watched in fear and trembled when the terrible figure slowly approached her. The frightened girl dropped to her knees, closed her eyes, and put her hands together in prayer.

Master Red extinguished the cigar and put it back into his pocket as he watched the young virgin knelled down with her eyes closed. He decided to let her have a second to adjust because he didn't want her falling over from a heart attack. After a moment, she opened her eyes again to see if her prayers had worked, and when she saw he was still there, she quickly squeezed her eyes closed again.

"Jeanne, don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you," soothed Master, as he tried to comfort the distressed young girl.

Jeanne slowly opened her eyes and looked at the red giant. His eyes unnerved her because his eyeballs were red with vertical orange slits--they looked like some sort of weird cat's eyes.

"Who a-are you?" asked the frightened girl, afraid that she already knew the terrible answer to that question.

"I am Lucifer, God of the Underworld, but you probably know me better as the Devil, Satan, or Muhammad the Prophet," answered the fearsome creature.

Jeanne felt weak and decided to sit down on the floor as she wondered what she had done wrong to warrant such a visit from this evil being. It must have been something very bad, but her feverish mind couldn't imagine what it might be.

"Have you c-come for me?" asked the frightened girl, desperately hoping he would say no.

"Yes, I'm here for your virtue," answered the big red man.

"My virtue?, but that's promised to my Lord," responded Jeanne.

"Yes I know, but he lost it to me in a card game. I bet a goat and God bet your innocence. I had three jacks and he only had a pair of eights. Now, I'm here to collect," informed the Devil.

Master knew the little princess thought her virtue was a French National Treasure similar to the Pyramids in Egypt, and he wanted to let a little air out of her cloud, and bring her back down to earth.

"I can't believe that God would value my virtue at the same level as a goat," complained the young virgin.

"Well, to be honest, it was a very nice goat and your virtue isn't as fresh as it once was. Most of the girls your age have already given it up. You're almost 20 years old now, and your innocence is becoming worth less every day. In a couple of years, you will be a dried up old maid and it won't be worth anything," lied Master.

"You're the Devil and how do I know you're not lying just to take advantage of me?" asked Jeanne.

Master took off his backpack, pulled out a gray metal box, and opened it up. Inside was a beautiful white Bible with exquisite gold lettering.

"God sent you a message in his Holy Book. You must take it out of the box to read the message. If I were to touch the Holy Book, it would burn my hands, therefore you must do it yourself,"

Jeanne nodded her head as if to indicate, of course, she knew that the Devil couldn't touch God's Holy Words.

"Open it and read the inside cover," instructed Master.

Jeanne did as she was instructed and then read the exquisite gold writing:

'My sweet Jeanne,

I want to thank you for your devotion to me. Soon you will make a sacrifice that will inspire many people through the ages. This sacrifice will not go unrewarded. It was my wish that you die a virgin, but now I know that isn't possible. I want you to surrender yourself to my brother the Devil, as if you were surrendering to me. You must obey his every wish or he is authorized to carry you directly to hell for eternal damnation. If you do as I say, then you will receive a place by my side here in Heaven.

Signed

God'

Master Red watched the young virgin read the message--he loved religious girls--the more religious, the better. The only thing that would make a virgin submit faster than a large glass of whiskey, and that was a directive straight from God himself.

Jeanne closed the Holy Book and placed it back into the gray box. Master then took the box and returned it to his backpack. The little virgin relaxed a little now that she understood what was expected of her. The Devil was not here to hurt her, and once she had submitted to his carnal desires, then she was assured of a place at her master's side. She looked the big red man up and down and wondered if he was red all over his body.

Jeanne trembled inside when he approached her and held out his large hand. She slowly reached out, and when she did, he pulled her close to his body. He reached around lifting her up, and pressing her tightly against his body. She felt his stiff body press against her as he starred deep into her eyes.

"I'm going to take your innocence and make you into my little whore," smiled the big red man.

The young virgin's mind understood his words to be a threat, but her body accepted his words as a promise, and she quivered in anticipation. Satan led his female snack to the center of the room, and punched in the coordinates for Nashville. He then energized his Time/Transport Bubble and they jumped into the time stream.

Jeanne watched the colored bands radiating up and down the clear bubble and felt herself becoming dizzy. She closed her eyes for a second, but quickly opened them again because she didn't want to miss anything. In a few seconds, the lights stopped flashing and the bubble disappeared. She then found herself standing in a strange room filled with many unrecognizable objects.

Master led the young virgin down to the Temple of Feminine Treasurers and helped her clean up in the bath area, before putting her in the hot tub. Her eyes grew much larger when she saw his big red climb into the hot tub to join her.

The alien hybrid used his sensors to scan the young French girl's vital signs. The hot water was loosening up her muscles and she was beginning to relax somewhat. Jeanne had an elevated heartbeat, but that was only to be expected given the unusual circumstances she found herself in. He let her relax for a few more minutes, and then took her into the Temple area.

Jeanne shook her body and felt the waterbed underneath her respond. She hadn't believed it when the Devil told her that he slept on a bed of water. Now, she felt the waves underneath her and marveled at what miraculous things the Devil could do.

Her breathing increased when she saw the big red man come and stand before her. God had directed her to submit to the Devil's carnal desires, and then she would gain a place by his side in heaven. It sounded so strange and unbelievable, that she could go to heaven by pleasing the most evil creature in existence.

Jeanne wondered if God had a desire for women too. The Devil had said that the two were brothers and he definitely did. The Bible said that God created man in his image and that had to mean he had all the same body parts. But, if that was true, who did he sleep with? She had never heard any mention of a Mrs. God. And, what about the Devil, was there a Mrs. Devil too? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but Jeanne realized that now was not the time as she watched the big red man climb come to her.

"Can I please say a prayer first?" asked the young virgin, as she put her hands together in from of her naked breasts.

Master got off of the waterbed, "Of course my dear, but first come here and kneel before me."

"That's it, now show me your pretty little tongue, darling," ordered the Devil.

Jeanne stuck out her tongue and then felt the Devil's hand suddenly pull her head forward. The surprised young girl tilted her eyes up and listened to the Devil as he instructed her what to do. Master realize that all women should be required to do their prayers this way. Perhaps he would place the world's religious leaders in time-stream storage, then take their place and issue edicts to that effect. It was an idea worth considering.

"Okay, Darling. You can start your prayers now," instructed Master, "But, don't stop until I tell you to."

Jeanne found it difficult to concentrate on her prayers. Her mind attempted to block out what she was doing, but failed because she was beginning to embrace the experience. She wondered if her prayers would be answered, if they were being made, while she was so intimately involved with the Devil.

Master switched on his x-ray vision, and recorded video of the event to add to his growing collection. She didn't hesitate and took to her task without missing a beat. The little virgin obviously had a lot of talent that had been untapped up to that point. Master realized that Jeanne was wasted in religion; she ought to be working in a cathouse where she could really put her natural born talents to use.

Jeanne had been directed by God to give herself to Satan and she had to obey. Even if she wanted to resist, she knew it would do no good. The big red man could easily hold her down with one finger and then pin her body to the bed, as if she were a butterfly in one of those collector's cases. The young virgin knew she was lost, but she was also saved. She would lose her virtue, but gain a place by God's side—and it was a trade she gladly accepted.

A gasp escaped Jeanne's lips when the Devil grabbed her ankles and pulled her forward towards him. When he opened his mouth, she gasped when she saw two long canine teeth sticking down. A long thin, forked snake tongue then flickered out and licked her soft white cheek. The big red man rubbed her back with his left hand and used his right to squeeze and mangle her soft body as shivers of pleasure shot through her.

Master Red checked his recording equipment to make sure it was functioning correctly. He definitely wanted to relive this experience again at a later date. And of course, there was always the need to save a record for posterity.

When he finished with her, he wrapped her in his strong arms as she snuggled close to his chest and sighed in sated contentment.

"Did you enjoy that?' asked Master.

"Oh God yes," smiled Jeanne, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to mention God in front of you."

"It's okay. After all he is my brother," responded Master.

Jeanne thought for a moment and then worked up her nerve to ask a question, "Does God have all the body parts that you have, too?"

Master thought about her question and decided it wouldn't hurt to humor her a little bit, "Yes, we're brothers, but I am much better endowed than he is."

"So when I get to heaven, God will make love me?" asked the hopeful girl.

"No, God doesn't believe in things like that. I'm afraid this is the last time you will ever have an experience of this kind," said Master.

"But, what about all the men there?" asked the disappointed girl.

"God does a little chopping as soon as they get there, so they don't cause him any problems," answered Master.

"Oh my Goodness," said Jeanne, "What is heaven really like?"

"Well," explained Master, "They pray a lot and sing hymns all day. There's no alcohol, parties, or love making. I guess it's alright if you like things dull and slow."

"But, what about Hell, don't you burn and torture people here?" inquired Jeanne.

"No, my brother and I have an agreement. I pretend to be really evil, so as to scare people into going to heaven, otherwise everybody would want to come here. There too many people here already, and if I didn't scare some of them into heaven, it would be a real mess. People are allowed to have fun and enjoy themselves here. If they knew what heaven was really like, you wouldn't be able to drive them there with clubs. Most don't realize that hell is the real heaven. Well, it's starting to get late. I should be getting you back to your cell," explained Master.

"Oh, please just a little bit longer," pleaded the young girl.

"I guess we could wait a few more minutes," smiled Master, as he kissed her on the cheek.

An hour later, Master gave Jeanne a whiff of paralyzer gas and put her into time-stream storage. He had no intention of returning his brave little warrior princess to her jail cell to be barbecued like a hotdog on a stick. She had been betrayed by her enemies as well as her friends, and it was time the poor thing got a break.

When Jeanne was captured, the King that she had helped put on the throne abandoned her. It was common practice back then to pay a ransom to get back captives, but King Charles VII refused to do that in her case. The King and the people of France did nothing to keep her from frying at the stake. Yet, later after they allowed the young girl to die, they put her on a pedestal and made her a Saint.

The English controlled clergy holding her trial promised that if she gave up dressing like a man, she would not be executed. After she had agreed, they conspired to conceal her clothes so she was forced to wear men's clothing or go naked. When she dressed again as a man, they declared her a relapsed heretic and sentenced the brave young warrior to death.

Master Red had to search dozens of hospital wards before he found what he was looking for. The young woman was in a coma from a brain tumor, and she would be dead in a few days. Her hair color wasn't quite right, but hair dye would remedy that problem. Her facial features were very similar to Jeanne. All she needed now was men's clothing and a little dirt smeared on her face and hair to make a suitable replacement for Jeanne.

Master looked down at the young girl lying on the bed. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that she was the young warrior. Now, all he had to do was download the copy of Jeanne's memories into her brain, that he had made prior to his appearance in her cell, while impersonating the Devil. He would have liked to disable her nerve system, but the body would need its lubrication and reflexes for the upcoming molestations.

It would be better to wait until shortly before she was taken out for execution, then her motor controls would take over and the brain's mental functions would cease. The body would then react just as history said Joan of Arc did at her execution.

That night Master hovered in his bubble and watched the prison guards laugh and joke as they attacked the girl in Jeanne's prison cell. They wouldn't be happy if they knew the truth about the sexy female they were currently violating.

The pretty young girl with the brain tumor had been a hard working prostitute with a large clientèle and one of her customers had given her a case of latent syphilis. She didn't have any sores or visible signs, but her body was a steamy little caldron of vicious bacteria. Her violated body would soon extract its revenge, and the guards' offending flesh would become diseased appendages.

The young girl who had once been called Jeanne d' Arc, now stood on a street corner trying to remember who she was, without any success. Her reflection in a store window showed that she was wearing a Nun's religious habit. She looked down the street and saw a Nunnery, and down from that was a house with a red light indicating prostitution. Both locations utilized the Nun's dress, but for different reasons.

There was a voice in her head that told her she should pick one of the two locations and start a new life. The strange masculine voice surprised her for a moment, until she remembered that she had been hearing voices most of her life. With no other idea of what she should do, she decided to follow the directions of the voice in her head.

She looked at the Nunnery and seemed to remember that she was a good girl that prayed a lot in order to go to heaven. But, somehow heaven didn't seem to hold the same appeal that it once did.

She looked at the cathouse and felt a quiver of pleasure spread throughout her body for some unexplained reason. The young girl took a deep breath sensing it was time to make a decision, and the young woman knew that whichever location she chose, she would end up on her knees. In one location she would kneel to pray, in the other she would kneel for another purpose. She looked back and forth between the two buildings, and then started slowly walking down the sidewalk towards her new future.

*****

The End

*****

The Following is a Bonus Sample from another fine James Creamwood novel. The complete book can be downloaded for at many fine E-book sellers.

Cleopatra: Evil Temptress of the Nile

By

James Creamwood

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Published by

James Creamwood at Smashwords

Cleopatra: Evil Temptress of the Nile

Copyright © 2014 James Creamwood

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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PREFACE

Cleopatra is considered one of the most beautiful women in the history of the world. This is probably true because no other woman down through time has left us with such convincing proofs of her beauty and charms. The young Queen's father Pharaoh Ptolemy Auletes took her innocence in an incestuous marriage and then passed her into another incestuous relationship with her younger brother.

The vivacious young lady used her lovely body to turn aside the tide of Rome's destiny, and, therefore, that of the world. Julius Caesar led his famous legions as they trampled and conquered the known world from Canopus to the Thames, before finally succumbing to her feminine charms.

Then Marc Antony threw a fleet, an empire, and his own honor to the winds to follow her to his destruction. The Egyptian temptress was disarmed at last and made to stand before Octavius. There she found her nearly-naked body measured by the cold eye of her captor, not for its abilities to bring sensual pleasure, but only as a captive for his triumphal procession through the streets of Rome.

After testing various poisons on dozens of poor souls, she selects the nearly painless death from an asp bite to spare her the humiliation and indignity of being paraded as a captive through the streets of Rome.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTERS

1. THE CONQUEST OF THE VALLEY OF THE NILE

2. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE INCEST & OTHER INDISCRETIONS OF THE PTOLEMIES.

3. THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA

4. THE IMMORAL FATHER OF CLEOPATRA

5. CLEOPATRA'S INCESTUOUS ACCESSION TO THE THRONE

6. CLEOPATRA MEETS CAESAR

7. THE ALEXANDRINE WAR

8. CLEOPATRA BECOMES QUEEN AGAIN

9. THE BATTLE OF PHILIPPI

10. CLEOPATRA MEETS ANTONY AGAIN

11. THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM

12. THE DEATH OF CLEOPATRA

CHAPTER 1

THE CONQUEST OF THE VALLEY OF THE NILE.

Cleopatra is a story about incest, murder, adultery, and a variety of other assorted crimes. This is a real story about the consequences of passionate and adulterous loves that ends in tragedy. In this strange and romantic history, we see this passion portrayed with all its influences and effects; its uncontrollable impulses, its intoxicating joys, its reckless and mad choices, and the dreadful remorse and ultimate despair and ruin in which it always and inevitably ends.

Since the earliest periods of human history, Egypt has always been considered one of the most remarkable countries in the world. It's a long and narrow valley of green and fruitfulness, completely insulated from the rest of the habitable world. In fact, it is more completely insulated, than any island could be, inasmuch as deserts are generally more impassable than seas.

The very existence of Egypt is a most extraordinary phenomenon. It has been occupied by man from the most remote times of antiquity. The oldest records of the human race which were made over three thousand years ago, tell of Egypt as being ancient even when those writing were first made.

These ancient records and even fables don't attempt to tell the story of the origin of her population. In this amazing land stand the oldest, highest, proudest, as well as the most permanent, and stable of all the works which mankind has ever built.

The most important area of the Nile is the northern portion of the country, where the valley widens and opens toward the sea, forming a triangular plain of about one hundred miles in length on each of the sides. Over this area, the waters of the river flow in a great number of separate creeks and channels. The whole area forms a vast meadow, intersected everywhere with slow-flowing streams of water, and showing on its surface the most enchanting pictures of fertility, abundance, and beauty. This lush region is called the Nile Delta.

This delta is so level, and rises so little above the level of the Mediterranean, that the land seems almost a continuation of the same surface as the sea. Only, instead of blue waters topped with white-crested waves, we have broad tracts of waving grain, and gentle swells of land crowned with hamlets and villages.

The nautical visitor has no distant view of all this luscious beauty. The land lies so low that it continues beneath the horizon until the ship is close up to the shore. The first landmarks, in fact, which the seaman sees, are the tops of trees growing apparently out of the water, or the summit of an obelisk, or the capital of a pillar, marking the site of some ancient and dilapidated city.

The most easterly of the channels by which the waters of the river find their way through the Delta to the sea, is called the Pelusiac branch. It almost forms the boundary of the fertile region of the Delta on the eastern side. There was an ancient city named Pelusium located near the mouth of the waterway.

This was, of course, the first Egyptian city reached by those who arrived by land from the eastward side, traveling along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Because of its placement along the eastern frontier of the country, it became a point of great importance, and is often mentioned in the historic records of ancient times.

The westernmost mouth of the Nile, on the other hand, was called the Canopic mouth. The distance along the coast from the Canopic mouth to Pelusium was about a hundred miles. The outline of the coast was formerly, as it still continues to be, very irregular with shallow waters.

The Mediterranean kept up an eternal war along this irregular and uncertain boundary. The waters of the Nile and the surges of the sea are so nearly equal, that even now, after a lapse of over two thousand years, neither side has been able to have gained any perceptible advantage over the other.

The river brings the sands down, and the sea drives them incessantly back, keeping the whole line of the shore in such an unstable condition as to make it extremely dangerous and difficult for man to access.

It will be obvious, from this description of the valley of the Nile, that it formed a country which in ancient times was isolated and secluded from all the rest of the world. It was totally surrounded by deserts, on most sides, and on the coast by shoals, sand-bars, and other dangers of navigation which seemed to forbid approach by sea.

Thus, it remained for many eons, under the rule of its own native ancient Pharaohs. Its population was peaceful and hard working. Its scholars were famed throughout the world for their learning, science, and philosophy.

It was during these ages, before other nations intruded upon their peaceful seclusion, that the Pyramids were built, and those vast temples built whose ruined columns are now the wonder of mankind. During these remote ages, too, Egypt was, as now, the land of perpetual fertility and abundance.

There would always be grain growing in Egypt, despite the fact that other areas might be suffering with famine. The neighboring nations and tribes in Arabia, Palestine, and Syria, finally found their way to this abundant land. They crossed the deserts on the eastern side, driven there by their need, and thereby opened a trade route.

After extending their empire westward to the Mediterranean, the Persian monarchs used this same route to Pelusium, and thus overran and conquered the country. The conquest lasted for about two hundred and fifty years before the time of Cleopatra until a Greek by the name of Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great arrived there. He drove out the Persian's and took possession of Egypt in 322 B.C. The Greek then annexed this great prize, along with other Persian provinces, to the other vast areas he held domination over.

After Alexander's death, his empire was divided up among his generals with Egypt being claimed by his good friend Auletes Ptolemy (367 BC – 283 BC.)

Auletes then made it his kingdom, and left it, at his death, to his heirs. A long line of sovereigns succeeded him, known in history as the dynasty of the Ptolemies--Greek princes, reigning over an Egyptian realm. Cleopatra VII (69 BC – 30 BC) was the daughter of the eleventh ruler in this line.

The Ptolemies selected Alexandria as their capital. It wasn't until Alexander's conquest that Egypt finally gained a sea-port. There were several landing-places along the coastline, but no proper harbor. In fact, Egypt had so little commercial contacts with the rest of the world, that she scarcely needed a port.

Alexander's ambitions for the area included greater trade with the rest of the world, and he sent his engineers out to survey the shoreline. They found a point not far from the Canopic mouth of the Nile, where the water was deep and where there was an anchorage area protected by an island. Alexander liked the spot so much that he founded a city there, which he named after himself. He had the harbor greatly improved by the addition of artificial excavations and embankments.

A towering light-house was raised, which formed a landmark by day, and shined a blazing light by night to guide the galleys of the Mediterranean into shore. A canal was dug to connect the seaport with the Nile, and warehouses were built to hold the stores of trade goods.

These improvements quickly turned Alexandria into a great commercial capital. The city served as the center of government for the Ptolemies for several centuries. It was so well situated for its purposes that it still continues, after the lapse of twenty-one centuries of change to be one of the principal points of the commerce in the East.

CHAPTER 2

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE INCEST & OTHER INDISCRETIONS OF THE PTOLEMIES.

The founder of the Ptolemies dynasty, General Auletes Ptolemy was a Macedonian officer in Alexander the Great's army. The circumstances of his birth, and the events which led to his entering into the service of Alexander, were somewhat strange. His mother, Arsinoë (323 BC – 283 BC), was a favorite concubine of Philip (382–336 BC), the King of Macedon, and the father of Alexander.

After a period of time, Philip gave Arsinoë in marriage to a man in his court named Lagus. It wasn't long after the marriage that Ptolemy was born. The king treated the child with the same consideration and favor that he had shown towards the child's mother.

Although, the boy was known as the son of Lagus, his position at the royal court of Macedon was more than this. He received the same attention, as if he were the officially recognized son of the king. As he grew older, he was promoted to increasingly more powerful positions that required greater responsibility.

Over a period of time, Ptolemy and Alexander became very close friends. There was a province of the Persian Empire called Caria, situated in the southwestern part of Asia Minor. The governor of this province had offered to give his daughter to Philip as the wife for one of his sons, a man named Aridaeus, the half-brother of Alexander.

Alexander's mother, who was not the mother of Aridaeus, was jealous of this proposed marriage. She thought that it was part of a plot to give Aridaeus greater public recognition, and eventually make him the heir to Philip's throne. She wanted to insure that this great inheritance would go to her own son.

Accordingly, she proposed to Alexander that they send a secret messenger to the Persian governor. They wanted to persuade him, that it would be much better, both for him and for his daughter, that she chose Alexander instead of Aridaeus for her husband. If the messenger was successful, he was then to induce the Persian to ask Philip to make the suggested change.

Alexander happily embraced the plan, and various people agreed to help him carry it through including Ptolemy. A messenger was selected and sent on the mission. The Governor of Caria was very pleased with the suggested change and readily approved of it.

In fact, the whole plan seemed to be going along very well, when, by some means or another, King Philip found out about it. He then went immediately to find Alexander while in a highly excited and agitated state of mind. When he found him, he made it clear that he had never intended to make Aridaeus the heir to his throne because the the woman's mother wasn't from noble stock.

Philip reproached Alexander in the harshest terms for being of so stupid as to want to marry the daughter of a Persian governor; who he said was just the mere slave of a barbarian king.

Alexander's plan was thus doomed to failure, and it so angered his father that the officers who had helped him with it, were banished from the kingdom. Therefore, Ptolemy was forced to leave his country and wander around in exile for several years, until King Philip died enabling Alexander to recall him.

Alexander succeeded his father as King of Macedon, and immediately made Ptolemy one of his principal generals. Ptolemy distinguished himself in subsequent campaigns for the celebrated conqueror, and thereby rose to a very high position in the Macedonian army.

In the Persian campaign, Ptolemy commanded one of the three major divisions of the army, and he repeatedly demonstrated his loyalty, and competent in the service of his king. He was often entrusted with the management of very importance affairs requiring him to travel to distant locations on highly dangerous missions.

Ptolemy was very successful in all his undertakings for Alexander. He conquered armies, reduced fortresses, negotiated treaties, and displayed the highest degree of military competence and skill. He once saved Alexander's life by discovering a dangerous conspiracy against him.

It is said that Alexander had the opportunity to repay this favor, through a divine vision given him for the express purpose of enabling him to express his gratitude. Ptolemy had been wounded by a poisonous arrow and was in terrible condition.

When all the remedies and antidotes tried by the physicians failed, and it appeared that the patient was going to die. It is said that an effective cure was revealed to Alexander in one of his dreams, and Ptolemy was saved.

When Alexander's conquests were completed, there was great rejoicings in Susa, the capital of ancient Elan, located in what is now Western Iran. Ptolemy was honored with a golden crown, and married with great pomp and ceremony, to Artacama, the daughter of one of the most distinguished Persian generals.

One night Alexander died suddenly, after a night of heavy drinking and whoring in Babylon. The king had no heir old enough to succeed him, and his immense empire was divided among his generals.

General Ptolemy obtained Egypt as his rightful share of these spoils. He then immediately returned to Alexandria, taking with him a great army, and a large number of Greek attendants and followers. He commenced a reign there which resulted in great prosperity and splendor, for the next forty years.

After Ptolemy's return, the native Egyptians were quickly subdued and placed into bondage. All the higher ranks in the army and all top political positions were taken over by Greeks loyal to him. Alexandria, the Greek dominated city that he choose as his capitol quickly became one of the most important commercial centers in that a part of the world.

Greek and Roman travelers found that there was a language now spoken in Egypt which they could finally understand. Philosophers and scholars could satisfy the great curiosity they had so long felt, in respect to the institutions, monuments, and wonderful physical characteristics of the country.

The organization of a Greek government and the establishment of the great commercial relations of the city of Alexandria with other areas of the world helped to bring Egypt out from its isolation. This opened it up to study and closer observation by the rest of mankind.

If fact, it was a primary goal of Ptolemy's to accomplish these very ends. He invited Greek scholars, philosophers, poets, and artists, in great numbers, to come to Alexandria, and to make his capital their home. He collected an immense library, which subsequently, was called the Alexandrian Library, and became one of the most celebrated collections of books and manuscripts that was ever put together.

Pharaoh Ptolemy was engaged in waging almost constant wars with the surrounding countries during almost the total period of his reign. He engaged in these wars for two reasons. First, Ptolemy wanted to defend against the aggressions and encroachments of other powers, and secondly he wanted to extend the boundaries of his empire.

After many years of hard struggle, Pharaoh Ptolemy finally succeeded in establishing his kingdom on a firm footing. But by then, he was over eighty years of age and drawing towards the end of his life. He decided to abdicate his throne in favor of his youngest son, whose name was also Ptolemy.

Ptolemy the father, and founder of the dynasty, is commonly known in history by the name of Ptolemy Soter. His son Ptolemy II Philadelphus (309–246 BC) is referred to as Ptolemy Philadelphia. The youngest Ptolemy was the son of the favorite and most beloved wife of the Pharaoh.

The decision of Soter to abdicate the throne arose from his wish to ensure this favorite son was securely in possession of the throne before he died. This was to prevent his older brothers from disputing the line of succession favored by the Pharaoh.

The coronation of Philadelphus was one of the most magnificent and imposing royal ceremonies that had ever taken place in Egypt. Two years later, Ptolemy the father died, and the son gave him a magnificent burial that was almost equal to the pomp of his own coronation.

The former Pharaoh's body was placed in the splendid mausoleum, which had been built to store the remains of Alexander. The splendor of his reign and exploits were so great that the highest respects and divine honors were paid to his memory. Such was the origin of the great dynasty of the Ptolemies.

Some of the early monarchs of this line followed in the footsteps of the founder to some degree, but his example was soon lost, and was succeeded by the most extreme degeneracy and debasement imaginable. The successive sovereigns soon began to reign solely for the gratification of their own sexual propensities and pleasures.

The Ptolemies ended up as some of the most abominable and terrible tyrants in world history that absolute and irresponsible power has ever produced. There was one vice in particular that they seem to have adopted from the Asian nations of the Persian Empire that resulted in the most awful of consequences--this vice was incest.

The law of God, states not only in the Scriptures, but in the natural instincts of the human soul, forbids intermarriages among those connected by close family relationship. The Persian sovereigns considered themselves above all laws, and practiced every type of incestuous relationships without guilt or shame. The Ptolemies adopted their example of this shameful practice.

One of the most striking examples of this type of incestuous conduct is shown in the history of the great-grandfather of Cleopatra VII. His name was Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (182 BC – June, 26, 116 BC.) It's necessary to give some information about his history and that of his family, in order to explain the circumstances under which Cleopatra VII found herself when she was born into this highly dysfunctional and incestuous family.

His nickname Physcon meaning Potbelly or Bladder, was originally given him in contempt and derision because of his small stature and height. His gluttonous lifestyle made him so immensely fat that he looked more like a monster than a man. The term Physcon was a Greek word that was used to denote the disgraceful and ridiculous figure that he presented to the world.

The circumstances of Ptolemy Physcon's accession to the throne offers not only a striking illustration of his character, but a very faithful, although terrible picture of the manners and morals of his times.

Phycon had been engaged in a very long and cruel war with his brother Ptolemy 6 Philomentor (186 BC – 145 BC), who had been the king before him. In this war, the little tyrant had perpetrated all manners of atrocities, which at length resulted in his brother's death. Ptolemy 6 was survived by his wife, who was also Phycon's sister, and a young son.

This son was the lawful and legitimate heir to the crown. Physcon himself, being a brother, had no claim whatsoever against that of his brother's son. The name of this Queen was Cleopatra II (185 BC – 116 BC.) This was, in fact, a very common name among the princesses of the Ptolemaic line.

Cleopatra II, in addition to her son, had a daughter, who was at this time a young and beautiful girl. Her name was also Cleopatra. She was, of course, the niece, as her mother was the sister, of Physcon.

After her husband's death, Queen Cleopatra II wanted to make her son the Pharaoh of Egypt, and to govern herself, as regent, until he became of age. However, Phycon's friends sent for him to come to Alexandria to assert his claims to the throne.

He came, and a new civil war was on the verge of starting between the brother and sister, but after some negations the dispute was settled by a treaty. This agreement stipulated that Physcon would marry Cleopatra II and become Pharaoh; but that he should make the son of Cleopatra by her former husband his heir.

The treaty was put into effect with the two getting married and Phycon assuming the throne. But the treacherous monster, decided to murder the boy instead of keeping his word. In fact, he was so open and brazen with his violence and cruelty that he committed the crime himself during the full light of day.

The young boy fled crying to the mother's arms for protection, but that didn't deter Physcon, he stabbed and killed him where he was. This created the bloody spectacle of a newly-married husband murdering the son of his wife in her very arms!

It's easy to see why this destroyed any hopes of an affection ever existing between the newlyweds. In fact, there hadn't been any love lost between them from the very beginning. The marriage had been solely a political arrangement forced on them. Physcon hated his wife, murdered her son, and then, as if to complete his display of brutal lawlessness and mercurial passions--he ended up taking her daughter's virtue as well.

The beautiful virgin, known in history as Cleopatra III (161 BC – 101 BC) looked upon this heartless monster with absolute horror and disgust. Physcon was as ugly and deformed in body as he was in his mind. But, he had her totally within his power and he took advantage of his opportunity.

He went to her bedroom soon after killing her brother and used threats of violence to force her to submit to his will. After raping her, he married her and had both mother and daughter in his bed at the same time. He later repudiated his marriage to the mother and threw her out.

Physcon showed the same qualities of brutal tyranny and cruelty in the treatment of his subjects as he did with his own family. After a time, his atrocities became so absolutely intolerable that a revolt broke out, and he was forced to flee the country.

In fact, he barely escaped with his life, while the mob was outside surrounding the royal palace and trying to start a fire to burn it down. After escaping by the skin of his teeth, Physcon fled to the island of Cyprus, taking with him, his son by Cleopatra II whom he had divorced. They hadn't been married for long, but it was long enough to impregnate her with his foul seed.

The name of this boy was Memphitis. Cleopatra II was very closely attached to him, and Physcon kidnapped him away from her for just that very reason. The tyrant wanted to keep the boy as a hostage to insure his mother's good behavior. He assumed that, after he left, she might possibly attempt to regain possession of the throne.

Physcon's expectations in this regard were soon realized. The people of Alexandria rallied around Cleopatra, and called upon her to take the crown. She did so, despite feeling, some misgivings in respect to the danger that such a step might bring to her absent son. But, she reassured herself that his own father couldn't possibly do any harm to him.

After some little time had elapsed, Cleopatra became more secure in her position as the sole supreme power in Alexandria. Her birth-day approached, and arrangements were made for celebrating it in a lavish manner suitable for a person in her high position.

When the day finally arrived, the whole city joined in the festivities and rejoicing. Entertainments were held in the palace, and in addition games, spectacles, and plays of every sort were exhibited and performed in all areas of the city.

Cleopatra II was enjoying her birthday entertainment, when it was announced that a large box had arrived for her. The box was brought in front of the throne chair and presented to her. It had all the appearance of containing some magnificent gift that had been sent by some friend to honor her birthday.

The Queen was excited and curious to know what was inside the mysterious box. She ordered it to be opened; and the guests all gathered around, each eager to obtain the first glimpse of the contents. The lid was removed, and the cloth that was covering the interior was pulled away.

To the shock and horror of all those gathered around to witness the spectacle, there was the head and hands of Cleopatra's beautiful young son lying among the pieces of cut up human flesh. The head had been left intact so that the mother could recognize the pale and lifeless features of her son.

Physcon had sent the box to Alexandria with orders that it should be held until the evening of the celebrations, and then presented publicly to Cleopatra II in the midst of the birthday festivities. The awful cries of anguish that filled the royal palace at the sight of the dreadful spectacle, showed just how successful the cruel tyrant had been in accomplishing his vulgar mission.

This tragic event helps give a better understanding of the nature of the domestic influences that reigned in the family from which Cleopatra VII was born. In fact, as a matter of simple justice to her, we should know what these influences were, and what types of examples were set for her during her in her early development.

The privileges and advantages that the young enjoy in their early years, as well as, the evil influences under which they suffer, must be taken into account when we are passing judgment upon the decisions and crimes that they are accused of committing.

While it is true that the monster Physcon lived, two or three generations before the great Cleopatra; it is also true that the character of the intermediate generations, continued in much the same way. In fact, the cruelty, corruption, and vice which reigned supreme in every branch of the royal family seems to have increased rather than diminished over the years.

One example of this was the niece of Physcon, who, at the time of her rape and compulsory marriage to him, had clearly shown an aversion to the monster. But, by the time of her husband's death, she had become just as great a selfish and cruel monster as him.

Cleopatra III had two sons with Physcon named Lathyros and Alexander. When he died, he left the kingdom of Egypt to her in his will, and authorized her to choose whichever of these two sons she thought would be the strongest and best fit to rule the country. The oldest was entitled to this position, by his priority of birth, but she preferred the youngest because she could more easily control him and retain her power.

However, the most powerful citizens in Alexandria refused to accept this plan, and insisted that Cleopatra serve as co-regent with her oldest son, Lathyros or as he became known in history, Ptolemy IX Soter II (142 BC – 81 BC.)

The Queen was forced by them to recall Lathyros from the banishment into which she had sent him, and to put him upon the throne beside her. Cleopatra yielded to this necessity, but she forced her son to repudiate his current wife, and instead take another woman who she thought she could more easily bend to her will.

The mother and the son ruled together for a time, Lathyros acting in name only as king, as she remained determined that she would continue to be the real ruler. The palace was the scene of loud and perpetual quarrels as he struggled to resist what he considered her intolerable interference with his ability to govern the country.

At last Cleopatra grew tired of the situation and decided to seize a number of Lathyros' eunuch servants who were employed in various offices around the palace. After having them mutilated in a very horrible way, she displayed them to the people of the city claiming that it was Lathyros that had caused the terrible injuries. Cleopatra then called upon the citizens to rise up and punish him for his crimes.

By resorting to this tactic and several others, she caused such hard feeling against Lathyros, that they forced him from the country. The result of these actions by the Queen was a long series of cruel and bloody wars between the mother and the son. Each side then perpetrated almost every imaginable type of atrocity against the other that was imaginable.

Alexander the youngest of her sons, known in history as Ptolemy X Alexander I (birth unknown - died 88 BC), was so afraid of his vicious mother, that he didn't dare to stay in Alexandria with her, but went into a sort of self-banishment of his own freewill. However, this didn't last and he finally returned to Egypt. His mother immediately suspected that he was intending on trying to make a grab for power, and decided to have him killed.

Alexander was well acquainted with what his mother was capable of and soon realized what his mother was up too. This of course caused him a great deal of anxiety and fear and he decided the best way to end to the situation was by killing her before she killed him. He was able to accomplish this and then fled the country.

His brother Lathyros then returned and reigned for the rest of his days in a tolerable degree of peace and quiet. After a period of time, Lathyros died and left the kingdom to his son Ptolemy XII Auletes (117 BC – 51 BC), who was the great Cleopatra's father.

We shouldn't soften the picture that this celebrated family presented to history, by thinking that the mother of Auletes was an exception to the general character of the princesses who appeared from time to time in this line. This woman also energetically displayed the same cruel and merciless traits throughout her terrible time on earth.

It is clear from historical records that Auletes' mother was of the same vile type that was representative of all the rest of the Ptolemy women. She was ambitious, selfish, and displayed reckless cruelty, and utter disregard of every virtuous principle in regards to her domestic relationships.

She had two daughters, for example, who learned well from her examples and were worthy successors of such an evil mother. A story in the lives of these sisters illustrates very forcibly the kind of sisterly affection which prevailed in the family of the Ptolemies. The story goes as follows:

There were two princes in Syria, a country lying to the northeast of the Mediterranean Sea, not too distant from Egypt. The two brothers were involved in terrible civil war, and displaying very deadly hostility towards each other.

One brother had attempted to poison the other, and this had caused a war to break out between them, thereby making all of Syria suffer from the damages inflicted by their armies. One of the sisters, of whom we have been speaking, married one of these two princes. Her name was Tryphena know as Cleopatra V Tryphaena (Born c. 95 BC, died c. 69/68 BC or c. 57 BC.)

After a period of time, but while the war was still raging between the two brothers, Cleopatra, the other sister--the same Cleopatra, in fact, that had been divorced from Lathyros at the instance of his mother--married the other prince.

This caused a big problem among the sisters as Tryphena became exceedingly upset with her sister Cleopatra for marrying her husband's mortal foe. The hostility and hatred between the sisters boiled over and was combined with that which the brothers had displayed towards each other.

From this time forward, Tryphena took a new and highly-excited interest in the war, mainly stemming from her desire to revenge herself against her sister. She intently watched the progress of the war, and even took a part in encouraging her husband to actively prosecute the war.

The army of this woman's husband seemed to be winning the war. The husband of the other Cleopatra found himself being driven from one part of the country to another. Finally, in order to provide security of his wife, he left her in Antioch, which was a large and strongly-fortified city. He assumed that she would be safe there while he was engaged in fighting the war in another area of the country where his presence was badly needed.

After learning that her sister was in Antioch, Tryphena urged her husband to attack the city so she could get her revenge. Her husband agreed and advanced with a strong detachment of his army. He besieged and took the city, and Cleopatra would have fallen into his hands as a captive if she hadn't fled to a nearby temple for refuge.

In those days, a temple was considered a safe an inviolable place of sanctuary. The soldiers therefore respected this tradition and didn't enter. When Tryphena leaned this, she was furious and demanded that her husband go get the fugitive despite this, and place her into her hands so that she could kill her.

Her husband refused to carry out her atrocious proposal, "It would be a wholly useless act of cruelty," he argued, "To destroy her life. She can't do us any possible harm now, but if we murder her under these circumstances we will only exasperate her husband and her friends. This will fill them with anger and renewed strength for the remainder of the war. Also, she's taken refuge in a temple; and if we violate that sanctuary, we will incur the great displeasure of the Gods, if we commit such an act of sacrilege. Consider this too, she is your sister, and if you kill her in that sacred place you would be committing an unnatural and totally inexcusable crime."

He then demanded that Tryphena refrain from saying anymore on that subject because wasn't going to consent to having Cleopatra injured while she was in the safety of the sanctuary. Her husband's refusal to comply with her request only inflamed Tryphena's insane resentment and anger that much more.

The strength of his argument in defense of her sister aroused Tryphena's jealousy. She believed, or pretended to believe, that her husband was in love with her sister and that was why he was so interested in defending her. The object of her hatred turned from simply being an enemy and became a rival.

Tryphena decided that despite all roadblocks, her sister had to be destroyed. She then ordered a group of soldiers to break into the temple and take her prisoner. When they arrived Cleopatra fled in terror to the altar, and clung to it with such force that the soldiers cut her hands off. Then, angered by her resistance and the sight of blood, they stabbed her again and again on the floor of the temple, where she fallen.

Cleopatra's appalling shrieks which had filled the temple in the first moments of her terror and her attempt to escape grew quieter as her life ebbed away. The judgment of Heaven must have been called down upon the head of the unnatural sister whose implacable hate had destroyed her sister.

This bloody example of the character of the Ptolemy family is only one of many, extending, as it did, through the reigns of thirteen sovereigns and over a period of nearly three hundred years. Despite this, the Ptolemaic rule has always been considered one of the most liberal, enlightened, and prosperous of all the governments of ancient times.

CHAPTER 3

THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.

It shouldn't be assumed that the scenes of vicious indulgence, and reckless cruelty and crime, which occurred with such dreadful frequency, and carried to such an enormous excess in the palaces of the Egyptian kings, prevailed to the same extent throughout the rest of the country during the period of their reign.

The internal administration of government was generally in the hands of men well qualified, on the whole, for the trusts committed to their charge, and who were in a good degree faithful to the performance of their duties. Thus, the ordinary affairs of government, and the general routine of domestic and social life, went on, notwithstanding the shameless conduct of the members of the royal family.

During every one of the three hundred years over which the history of the Ptolemies extends, the whole length and breadth of the land of Egypt existed, with comparatively few interruptions. It was one wide-spread scene of people busily tending their fields and taking care of their families. Generation after generation worked and tilled these boundless fields which the waters of the Nile had fertilized.

The lands were plowed; the seed was sown; the canals, which spread out from the river in every direction, were opened or closed, as needed to regulate the irrigation. The inhabitants were very busy, and consequently, lived much more virtuous lives than the royal family.

The sky of Egypt was seldom if ever darkened by clouds and storms, and the outdoor scene presented the same unchanging green vegetation and beauty, day after day, and month after month, until the ripened grain was gathered into the store-houses, and the land was cleared for another harvest.

It can be said that the people were virtuous because they were busy; for there isn't any principle more fully established than that vice in the social state is the symptom of idleness. It always exists in those classes of every great population who have too much wealth and never have to engage in useful employment.

This class of men, too wealthy to be induced to perform daily toil generally turns to other avenues of enjoyment. This can cause them to become corrupt and depraved, and that degradation has become in all languages a term almost synonymous with vice and depravity.

However, there are many exceptions to this general rule. Many businessmen have turn out to be very wicked; and there have been frequent instances of nobles and kings who were socially responsible individuals.

Still, as a general law, it is unquestionably true that vice is the brother of idleness; and the sphere of vice, therefore, is at both the top and bottom of society. These are the regions in which idleness is most likely found. The best way to remedy a vice filled life is through full employment. Therefore, in order to make a community lawful and virtuous, it is essential that all levels of society, from the highest to the lowest, should have something to keep themselves busy.

In accordance with this principle, we observe that, while the most extreme and abominable crimes, incest, and other forms of wickedness occupied the palaces of the Ptolemies, and the nobles of their courts, this was not true in the rest of the government. The working ministers of state, and the men who ran the actual governmental functions performed their duties with wisdom and fidelity.

In fact, throughout all the ordinary citizens of Egypt, there prevailed a very deep work ethic that helped create prosperity and happiness. This prosperity prevailed not only in the rural districts of the Delta and along the valley of the Nile, but also among the merchants, and navigators, and artisans of Alexandria.

Alexandria became a very great and busy commercial seaport very soon after it was founded. Many things helped to make this happen. In the first place, it was the storage depot for the export for all surplus grain, and other agricultural produce which was produced in such abundance along the Nile valley.

This produce was brought down in boats to the upper point of the Delta, where the branches of the river divided, and from there to the Canopic branch to the city. The city was not, in fact, situated directly upon this branch, but upon a narrow tongue of land, at a little distance from it, near the sea.

It was not easy to enter the channel directly because of the sand-bars and banks situated at its mouth, caused by the eternal conflict between the waters of the river and the surges of the sea. Alexander's engineers had discovered that the water was deep at the place where the city was built, and, by establishing the port there, and then cutting a canal across to the Nile, they were able to bring the river and the sea together into a safe place for navigation by the merchant ships.

The produce of the valley was thus brought down the river and through the canal to the city. Here immense warehouses and granaries were built for its storage so that it could be safely preserved until the ships that came into the port were ready to carry it away.

These ships came from Syria, Greece, Rome, and from all the coasts of Asia Minor. They brought the agricultural productions of their own countries, as well as various other items of manufacture. They sold these to the merchants of Alexandria, and in return, purchased the products of Egypt.

The port of Alexandria was thus a constant moving picture of life and business activities. Merchant ships were continually coming and going, or lying at anchor in the sheltered waters near the shoreline. Seamen were hoisting sails, raising anchors, or rowing their spacious galleys through the water, and singing, as they pulled to the motion of the oars.

There were the same ceaseless activities happening within the city. Here groups of men were busy unloading the canal boats which had arrived from the river. There porters were transporting bales of merchandise or sacks of grain from a warehouse to a pier, or from one landing to another.

These commercial activities were sometimes interrupted by the occasional parading of the Pharaoh's guards, or the arrival and departure of warships which would drop off or take away groups of armed men. Sometimes there would be a brief period, when trade was wholly suspended because of a revolt or by a civil war waged by rival brothers against each other, or instigated by the conflicting claims of a mother and son.

However, these interruptions were comparatively few, and in ordinary cases, didn't last for very long. It was in the best interest of all branches of the royal line that the commercial and agricultural operations of the realm were not interrupted for any great length of time.

The rulers were well aware that their prosperity depended on these revenues. No matter how much two rival princes may have hated one another, they were both under every possible inducement to spare the private property and the lives of the peaceful population. This population, in fact, was engaged in the profitable labors that the combatants were so interested in obtaining for themselves.

Understanding the valve of this trade, the Egyptian sovereigns, especially Alexander and the earlier Ptolemies, made every effort in their power to promote the commercial greatness of Alexandria. While it is true that they built palaces, it is also true that they built great warehouses.

One of the most expensive and celebrated of all the edifices they built was the light-house which has been already alluded to. This light-house was a lofty tower, built of white marble. It was situated upon the island of Pharos, opposite to the city, and at some distance from it.

There was a sort of isthmus of shoals and sand-bars connecting the island with the shore. A pier or causeway was built over these shallows, which finally became a broad and inhabited neck like area. The principal inhabited area of the ancient city, however, was on the main land.

The curvature of the earth requires that a light-house on a coast should have a considerable height, otherwise its summit wouldn't be visible above the horizon, unless the ship was very near. The architects would usually take advantage of some hill or cliff, or rocky eminence near the shore to attain the necessary height

Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to do this at Pharos, because the island, like the main land, was low and level. The required elevation could only be attained by the construction of a masonry base, and the blocks of marble necessary for the work had to be brought in from a great distance.

The Alexandrian light-house was built in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, the second monarch in the line. He spared no expense or effort in its construction. The structure, when completed, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The lighthouse was undoubtedly indebted for its fame in some degree to its prominent location, rising, as it did, at the entrance of one of the greatest commercial seaports of its time. It stood there like a pillar of cloud in the daytime, and lit the sky up with fire at night, to attract the welcome gaze of every wandering mariner. These ships came within its horizon, and rejoiced with gratitude at the guidance it offered them.

The light at the top of the tower was produced by a fire, made from select combustibles that would emit the brightest flame possible. This fire burned slowly during the day, and then at night it was kindled up anew, and was continually replenished throughout the night with fresh supplies of fuel.

In more modern times, a much more convenient and economical mode is adopted to produce the required illumination. A great blazing lamp would burn brilliantly in the center of the lantern of the tower, and all that part of the radiation from the flame which would naturally have beamed upward, or downward, or laterally, or back toward the land, was turned by a curious system of reflectors and polyzonal lenses.

This ingenious system could be exactly adjusted, so as to be thrown forward in a broad, thin, but brilliant sheet of light over the surface of the sea. Before these inventions were perfected, the largest portion of the light emitted by the lighthouses was streamed away wastefully in landward directions, or was lost among the stars.

The question might be asked whether the fame and glory from this amazing structure was justly due to the architect through whose scientific skill the work was actually accomplished, or to the Pharaoh whose power and resources made the project possible. The architect of the lighthouse was a Greek by the name of Sostratus. The Pharaoh was, as has already been stated, the second Ptolemy, commonly called Ptolemy Philadelphus .

Ptolemy ordered that when the tower was completed, a marble tablet should be built into the wall, at a suitable place near the summit. The tablet was to have a conspicuous inscription carved with the Pharaoh's name as the builder of the lighthouse.

Sostratus thought he was being robbed of the credit, and decided that his own name should be carved as the true builder of the lighthouse. He made the tablet and set it in its position just as the Pharaoh had ordered. He then cut his own name into the rock in Greek characters as the author of the work.

Sostratus did this secretly, and then covered the face of the tablet with an artificial composition, made with lime, to imitate the natural surface of the stone. On this outer surface he cut a new inscription, in which he inserted the name of the Pharaoh. Over time the lime moldered away, the Pharaoh's inscription disappeared, and his own replaced it for as long as the building endured.

The lighthouse at Pharos was said to have been four hundred feet high. It was famous throughout the world for many centuries, however now nothing remains of it but a heap of useless and undecipherable ruins.

In addition to the light that beamed from the top of this lofty tower, there was another center of radiance and illumination in ancient Alexandria. In some respects, it was still more famous and renowned than the lighthouse. It was the immense library and museum established and maintained by the Ptolemies.

The Museum was established first, and was not as its name might now imply, a collection of curiosities. But, an institution of learning, consisting of a body of educated men, who devoted their time to philosophical and scientific pursuits. The institution was richly endowed, and magnificent buildings were erected for its use.

The Pharaoh who established it began immediately to assemble a collection of books for the use of the members of the institution. This was a costly venture because every book that was added to the collection had to be carefully transcribed with a pen on parchment or papyrus with time consuming labor and care.

This work required a great numbers of scribes who were constantly employed doing this work at the Museum. The Pharaohs who were most interested in forming this library would confiscate the books that were possessed by individual scholars, or that were held in the various cities under their dominion.

The scribes at the Museum would make beautiful copies of them and retain the originals for the great Alexandrian Library. The copies were then given to the men or the cities from where the originals had been taken. In this same manner, they would borrow, as they called it, from all the travelers who visited Egypt. They would take any valuable books in their possession, and give them back copies instead.

Over time, the library's collection increased to four hundred thousand volumes. They reached a point where there wasn't any more room in the buildings of the Museum for further additions. There was, however, in another part of the city, a great temple called the Serapion. This temple was a very magnificent building, or, rather, group of buildings, dedicated to the god Serapis. The origin and history of this temple were very remarkable and the legend goes something like this:

It seems that one of the ancient and long-venerated gods of the Egyptians was a deity named Serapis. He was among the divinities, that the Egyptian worshiped ages before Alexandria was built or the Ptolemies came to power. There was also, by a curious coincidence, a statue of the same name at a great commercial town named Sinope.

This was built upon the extremity of a cliff which projected from Asia Minor out into the Euxine Sea. Sinope was, in some sense, the Alexandria of the north, being the center and seat of a great portion of the commerce of that area of the world.

The Serapis of Sinope was considered as the protecting deity of seamen, and the navigators who came and went from the city made sacrifices to him. They offered bread and wine believing that they were dependent on some mysterious and inscrutable power which he exercised for their safety in storms.

They carried tales of his imaginary help during storms to all the places that they visited; and thus the fame of the god became extended far and wide. This happened first along the coasts of the Euxine Sea, and subsequently to distant provinces and kingdoms. The Serapis of Sinope began to be considered everywhere as the main deity that protected seamen.

When the first of the Ptolemies was forming a plan to promote and advertise Alexandria, he claims to have had a divine dream telling him to obtain the statue of Serapis from Sinope, and set it up in Alexandria. This he believed would offer great advantages to the city if he were able to carry it out. In the first place, a temple to the god Serapis would have a big impact on the minds of the rural population, who would undoubtedly suppose that the deity honored by it was their own ancient god.

Then the whole maritime and nautical industry of the world, would turn to Alexandria as the great center of religious attraction, if the idol could be carried and placed in a new and magnificent temple built expressly for it there. Alexandria could never be the chief naval port of the world, unless it contained the sanctuary and shrine of the god that was thought to protect seamen during their dangerous voyages.

Ptolemy decided to send the King of Sinope a proposal for the purchase of the idol. However, the king turned down the offer and refused to give up the god. The negotiations continued for the next two years, but without much progress.

It was after this time, that a famine came to Sinope that was so severe the king was forced to give up his deity to the Egyptians in exchange for a supply of grain to feed his starving population before they revolted against him. Ptolemy sent the grain and received the statue in exchange. He then built the temple, which, when finished, surpassed in grandeur almost every sacred structure in the world.

It was in this temple that the successive additions to the Alexandrian library were stored, when the Museum became full. When completed, there were four hundred thousand rolls or volumes in the Museum, and another three hundred thousand in the Serapion. The Museum was called the parent library, and the latter, being, as it were, the offspring of the first, was called the daughter.

Ptolemy Philadelphus, was very interested in collecting all the volumes he could for his library, and wished to make it a complete collection of all the books in the world. He hired scholars to read and study, and travelers to make extensive tours, for the purpose of learning what books existed in all the surrounding countries.

When he learned of the existence of books he didn't possess, he spared no expense in attempting to procure either the originals, or the most perfect and authentic copies of them that could be made. He even sent people to Athens to obtain the works of the most celebrated Greek historians. He would then have the most beautiful copies made of them before sending the copies back to Athens with a very large sum of money hoping to exchange the copies and cash for the originals.

During the course of his inquiries, Ptolemy discovered that the Jews had certain sacred writings in their temple at Jerusalem. These writings comprised a minute and extremely interesting history of their nation from the earliest periods, and there were also many other books of sacred prophecy and poetry. In fact, these books were the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament, which were totally unknown to any other nations except for the Jews, and even among the Jews they were only known to priests and scholars.

These sacred documents were hidden some place safe in Jerusalem. The Jews would have likely considered it profane to exhibit them to the view of the pagan nations. But the fact was, even if the educated men of other countries got hold of them, they would not have been able to read them. The Jews secluded themselves so completely away from the rest of mankind, that their language was scarcely ever heard beyond the confines of Judea and Galilee.

Ptolemy naturally thought that a copy of these sacred books would be a great acquisition to his library. They constituted, in fact, the whole literature of a nation which was, in some respects, the most extraordinary that ever existed on the planet.

Ptolemy conceived the idea of not only adding copies of these to his library in the original Hebrew, but of making a translation of them into Greek. This way they could be easily read by the Greek and Roman scholars who were drawn there in great numbers. He knew the first thing he had to do to put his plan in effect was to obtain the consent of the Jewish authorities. He knew that they would probably be very resistant to giving up any copy of their sacred writings to him.

There was one thing which led Ptolemy to believe that the Jews might consider his offer. During the past, wars had been fought, and a considerable number of Jewish prisoners had been captured by the Egyptians. They had been brought to Egypt as captives, where they had been sold as slaves to the inhabitants of the country.

They were employed as servile laborers in tilling the fields, or in turning enormous wheels to pump up water from the Nile. The owners of these hapless prisoners believed that like other slave-holders, that they had a right of property to these slaves. This was in some respects true, since they had bought them from the government at the end of the war.

Although they obviously derived no valid proprietary right or claim against the men personally, it certainly would seem that it gave them a just claim against the government for whom they had purchased the slaves, in case of their subsequent release from captivity.

Ptolemy paid a very liberal sum for ransom to those who held the captives. The ancient historians say that the number of slaves liberated on this occasion was a hundred and twenty thousand, and the sum paid for them, as compensation to the owners, was six hundred talents, equal to six hundred thousand dollars. It's curious to note that, large as the total was that was paid for the liberation of these slaves, the amount paid for each individual was equal to only about five dollars per slave.

And yet, it should be remembered that this was only a preliminary expense to pave the way for the acquisition of a single series of books, to add to the variety of Ptolemy's immense literary collection.

After the captives had been returned, Ptolemy sent an ambassador to Jerusalem with a very respectful letter to the high priest along with several very magnificent presents. The ambassador was received with the highest honors.

Ptolemy's request that he should be allowed to take a copy of the sacred books for his library was very readily agreed to. The High Priest ordered that copies be made of all the sacred writings. These copies were executed with great care, and were splendidly illuminated with letters of gold.

The Jewish government also, at Ptolemy's request, designated a group of Hebrew scholars, six from each tribe--men educated in both the Greek and Hebrew languages--to travel to Alexandria. At the Museum, they were to make a careful translation of the Hebrew books into Greek.

Since there were twelve tribes, and six translators chosen from each, there were a total of seventy-two translators in all. They made their translation, and it was called the Septuagini, from the Latin septuaginta duo, which means seventy-two.

The Greek and Roman scholars who studied these Hebrew Scriptures didn't have any feelings of reverence for them, but still felt strongly that they were very entertaining and curious works of history. Copies were made of the Septuagint translation, and these were taken to other countries; where over a period of time, copies of the copies were made, until finally the work became extensively circulated throughout the whole educated world.

When Christianity finally became extended over the Roman Empire, the priests and monks then took a much stronger interest this early translation of the sacred Scriptures than the ancient scholars had.

They made new copies for abbeys, monasteries, and colleges; and when, at length, the art of printing was discovered, this work was one of the first on which the magic power of typography was tried. The original manuscript made by the scribes of the seventy-two, and all the early transcripts which were made from it, have long since been lost or destroyed.

But now, instead of them, we have hundreds of thousands of copies in compact printed volumes, scattered among the public and private libraries of Christendom. In fact, now, after a lapse of over two thousand years, a copy of Ptolemy's Septuagint can be purchased from any large bookseller in any country of the civilized world.

Although Ptolemy's Septuagint originally cost him more than several million dollars to obtain, it may now be purchased without difficulty for a few dollars.

Besides the building of the Pharos, the Museum, and the Temple of Serapis, the early Ptolemies planned and executed a great many other projects having the same ends in mind. All of these splendid projects were designed with one purpose, namely, to concentrate the world's attention on Alexandria and make it the greatest center of knowledge in all mankind.

The Pharaohs raised immense revenues for these and other purposes by taxing heavily the whole agricultural produce of the Nile valley. The yearly inundations by the river and the boundless fertility which they produced were responsible for filling the royal treasuries. Thus the Abyssinian rains at the sources of the Nile built the Pharos at its mouth, and made possible the Alexandrian Library.

The taxes collected by the Ptolemies from the people of Egypt to support their magnificent structures and lifestyle were so burdensome that the greatest part of the agricultural population barely had enough to eat.

In admiring the glory and greatness of Egypt, it must remember that there was a gloomy counterpart to its splendor in the very wide-spread destitution and poverty to which the mass of the people suffered. They lived in groups of dirty huts along the banks of the river, in order that the capital could be splendidly adorned with lavish temples and palaces.

These poor people spent their lives slaving in darkness and ignorance, not knowing that their tax money was used to purchase seven hundred thousand volumes of expensive manuscripts for the Museum for the education and enlightenment of foreign philosophers and scholars. The policy of the Ptolemies was, perhaps, on the whole, the best, for the general advancement and ultimate welfare of mankind, but, we must not totally forget the enormous cost which they incurred in attaining them.

If the people of the United States were willing to surrender most of the comforts and conveniences which they currently enjoy--if they would give up their houses, their furniture, their carpets, their books, and the education of their children, and then--withhold only enough to sustain them and their families through the year, in a life like that of a beast of burden, living in some miserable and dirty hovel—we could likewise build a magnificent capital that would infinitely exceed the ancient city of the Ptolemies in splendor and fame. That would be an awful price for us to pay for this type of grandeur, but this example gives an idea of what the ancient Egyptians had to pay for theirs.

Most of the Ptolemies spent the revenues they collected by this taxation in a very liberal and enlightened manner. The building of the Pharos, the removal of the statue of Serapis, and the endowment of the Museum and the library were great ideas, and they were carried out in the most thoughtful and complete manner possible.

All the other plans which they devised and executed for the aggrandizement and promotion of the city were conceived and executed in the same spirit of scientific and enlightened progress. Streets were built, splendid palaces were raised; docks, piers and breakwaters were constructed, and fortresses and towers were armed and garrisoned.

The Egyptian Pharaohs used every means possible to attract people from the rest of the world to their capitol. The highest inducements were offered to attract merchants, mechanics, and artisans in hopes that they would make the city their permanent homes. Poets, painters, sculptors, and scholars of every nation were made welcome, and every help was given so that they could pursue their chosen craft or profession.

These plans were all highly successful, and Alexandria quickly rose to great prominence and importance. By the time Cleopatra was born to preside over this scene of magnificence and splendor, the city had only one other rival in the world--that rival was Rome.

CHAPTER 4

THE IMMORAL FATHER OF CLEOPATRA.

When the time of Cleopatra was approaching, Rome was the only other city that could be considered as a rival to Alexandria. But, in one respect, Rome was vastly superior to the Egyptian metropolis, and that was in the magnitude and extent of the military power which it wielded over vast and wide ranging territories. Alexandria on the other hand, only ruled over Egypt, and a few of the neighboring coasts and islands.

The Roman Empire had extended itself over almost the whole civilized world in the course of the three centuries during which she had been acquiring her power and greatness. Egypt had been too remote to be directly reached, but that changed and the affairs of Egypt began to draw Roman interest at about the time of Cleopatra's birth.

This interest by the Roman's impacted the whole course of the Queen's subsequent history. In fact, it was the advancement of the Roman empire to the limits of Egypt, and the events which arose between the leading Roman generals and the Egyptian Queen, which have made the story of this particular so much more interesting than that of any other of the ten Cleopatras who succeeded her in that same royal line.

Pharaoh Ptolemy Auletes, Cleopatra's father was perhaps the most indulgent, degenerate, and corrupt of all the Pharaohs in the dynasty. It is said that he spent all of his time involved in the pursuit of vice and debauchery to the exclusion of everything else, including the molestation of his oldest daughter. The only talent that he seemed to possess was his skill in playing the flute.

The Pharaoh would organize musical contests, in which the musical performers of Alexandria played for prizes and crowns, but he would enter himself in the contests as a competitor. The people of Alexandria, as well as the world in general, considered such pursuits to be wholly unworthy of a Pharaoh. The majority of the citizens of Alexandria felt disgust at the monarch's vices and crimes and felt contempt and hatred for him.

There was also some doubt in respect to his right to the crown because his birth, on the mother's side, was humble and of less than noble rank. However, instead of attempting to secure his position by a vigorous and prosperous administration of the government, he wholly abandoned all concerns in this to indulge himself in other ways.

To guard against the danger of being deposed, he conceived the plan of getting himself recognized in Rome as an ally of the Roman Empire. He felt that if he did this, the Roman's would feel obligated to defend his throne in the event anyone challenged his claim.

The Roman government was a sort of republic at that time, and the two most powerful men in the state were Pompey and Caesar. Caesar was on the rise in Rome at the time that Ptolemy made his application for an alliance. Pompey was busy in Asia Minor, where he was engaged in a war with Mithradates, a very powerful king, who was at that time rebelling against Roman power.

Caesar was very deeply in debt, and desperately needed money, not only for relief from existing debts, but as a means of subsequent spending, to enable him to accomplish certain great political plans which he was considering.

After several negotiations and delays, it was agreed that Caesar would exert his influence to secure an alliance between the Roman people and Ptolemy. There was a condition that Ptolemy would pay him the sum of six thousand talents, or equal to about six millions dollars. Caesar promised that a portion of this money would be given to Pompey under the table in the form of a kickback.

The title of ally was conferred, and Ptolemy began to raise the money which he had promised by increasing the taxes on his subjects. However, the technique which he had adopted to better secure his possession of the throne, proved to be the means of overthrowing him.

The strong discontent and anger his people felt had been suppressed and concealed before, but now it broke out into open violence and rebellion. They disliked the idea that they were being forced to take on an additional burden much heavier than any which they had endured before, for such an outrageous purpose. It was more than they were willing to stand for.

To be forced to see their country sold on any terms to the Roman's was hard enough to bear, but to be forced to raise the money themselves, and pay the price of the transfer, was absolutely intolerable. Alexandria broke out into open revolt.

Ptolemy was not a decisive man in face of such an angry demonstration, or for that matter, to display either calmness or courage in any emergency whatever. His first thought was to escape from Alexandria and save his life. His second was to go to Rome, and ask the Romans to come to his aid.

Ptolemy left his five children behind him in his hasty flight from the country. The oldest was the Princess Berenice, known to history as Berenice IV Epiphaneia (77 BC – 55 BC), who had already reached maturity. The second was the great Cleopatra, the main subject of this book. Cleopatra was about eleven years old at this time. There were also two sons, but they were still very young. One of them also had the name Ptolemy.

The Alexandrians decided to put Berenice on the throne in her father's place, as soon as they realized he had fled the country. They thought that the sons were too young to reign in such an emergency, as it was considered probable that Auletes, the father, would attempt to come back and try to regain his crown.

Berenice very happily accepted the high position that was offered to her. She then took her seat on the throne in her father's palace, and began her reign. After a period of time, she decided that her position would be strengthened if she were to marry a royal prince from some neighboring country.

She sent ambassadors to make proposals to a prince in Syria named Antiochus. The ambassadors returned, bringing word that Antiochus was dead, but that he had a brother named Seleucus, upon whom the line of succession would fall. Queen Berenice then sent them back Syria to make the same offers to him.

He accepted Berenice's proposal and came to Egypt where they were married. After a while, Berenice found that, for some reason or other, he didn't satisfy her in the bedroom as well as her father had, and ordered him strangled.

After this, she looked around for another husband and entered into some secret negotiations that proved to be successful. Berenice married a prince, or a pretended prince, from some country of Asia Minor, whose name was Archelaus. She was more pleased with this second husband's efforts to satisfy her than she had with her first, and finally began to feel somewhat more settled and established on her throne. Berenice now thought that she was prepared to fight her father off in the event he ever tried to return to Egypt.

It was in the midst of these chaotic events, and influences that Cleopatra spent her formative years. The young princess was exposed to all manners of licentious wickedness, and witnessed many unnatural and cruel scenes that warped her young mind. She grew up in the royal palaces a spirited and beautiful, but indulged and neglected young girl.

In the meantime, Cleopatra's father Auletes was making his way to Rome. But, his reputation had preceded him, and he was the object of universal scorn. The Egyptian Pharaoh was despised because of his previous sexual vices and degrading incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter. But, even more hateful to them, was his cowardly flight from his own country, in order to beg for help to regain his throne there.

Auletes stopped on his way to Rome at the island of Rhodes. It so happened that Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (95 BC – April 46 BC, the great Roman philosopher and general, was there at this time. Cato was a man known for his stern unbending virtue, and honor. He was a very famous and influential man at that time in history.

Ptolemy sent a messenger to inform Cato of his arrival, thinking that the Roman general would hurry to pay his respects to so great a Pharaoh of Egypt as he, even if he was suffering from a temporary reversal of fortunes. Cato sent his reply saying that so far as he was aware, he had no particular business with Ptolemy. "However, you can tell the Pharaoh," he added, "That, if he has any business with me, he can come and see me, if he chooses."

Ptolemy suppressed his anger at the snub and swallowed his pride. He considered it very essential to the success of his plans that he should see Cato, and try to secure his co-operation, if possible. He therefore made preparations for making, instead of receiving, the visit.

Auletes made plans to go there with the greatest royal style and pomp that he could muster given his circumstances. He therefore arrived at Cato's lodgings on the following day, magnificently dressed, and accompanied by many of his slaves and attendants. When he arrived, Cato was dressed a plain and simple robe, and his house was sparsely furnished in a style corresponding with the severity of his character. He made no attempt to rise when the Pharaoh entered the room, but simply pointed with his finger, and asked the visitor to take a seat.

Ptolemy began to state his case, in hopes that Cato would use his influence with the Roman people to help him. He asked the great man to induce the Romans to intercede on his behalf. Cato, however, far from showing any interest in supporting his visitor's cause, scolded him in the harshest manner for having abandoned his throne to go and make himself a victim of the insatiable greed of the Roman leaders.

"You can't accomplish anything in Rome," he warned, "Except by offering bribes; and even then all the resources of Egypt won't be enough to satisfy the Roman greediness for money."

Cato finished by recommending that Auletes go back to Alexandria, and rely on his own efforts and intelligence to extricate himself from the difficulties which he faced. Ptolemy was greatly taken aback by this rebuke, but after consultation with his advisers, it was decided they had gone too far to turn back now. The entire party then re- boarded their galleys, and continued their trip to Rome.

When Ptolemy and his party arrived in the capitol, they found that Caesar was away in Gaul.

Pompey, who had returned victorious against Mithradates, was now the leader with the greatest influence and power in the Roman capitol. However, this change of circumstances was not particularly unfavorable for Ptolemy because he was on friendly terms with both men.

He had assisted Pompey in his wars with Mithradates by sending him a squadron of horse cavalry. This was part of his policy to cultivate friendly relations with the Romans by every means at his disposal. In addition, it didn't hurt his case that Pompey had received a portion of the money which Ptolemy had paid to Caesar as the price for the Roman alliance.

The Roman was also supposed to receive and additional share, if Ptolemy should ever need help to recover his throne. Therefore, Pompey had a good reason to support the royal fugitive's cause, and quickly welcomed him into his palace when he arrived. He provided the Egyptian Pharaoh with lavish food and entertainment, and took steps to bring his case before the Roman Senate where he urged them to adopt immediate and vigorous measures to effect the Egyptian's restoration to his throne.

Pompey argued that Ptolemy was an ally whom they were honor bound to protect against his rebellious subjects. There was some opposition at first against supporting the cause of such a despicable man, but this was soon put down, in part by Pompey's influence, and in part silenced by the promises and bribes that Ptolemy offered. The Senate finished their debate by deciding to restore the Pharaoh to his throne, and then began to make plans as to the best way to achieve their goal.

The Roman's had two provinces, Cilicia and Syria that were closest to Egypt. They were situated on the eastern and northeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of Judea. The Roman forces stationed in these provinces would, of course, be the most suitable for furnishing the necessary troops for the incursion into Egypt.

The province of Cilicia was under the command of the consul Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, (died c. 48 BC.) Lentulus was in Rome at this time after having returned there for some temporary business. He had left the management of his province and the troops stationed there under the command of Lieutenant General Aulus Gabinius, (died 47 BC.) It was decided that Lentulus use his Syrian forces under the command of the general to reinstate Ptolemy to his throne.

While these plans and arrangements had not yet been finalized, a situation occurred that threatened, for a time, to undermine the whole effort. It seems that when Cleopatra's father first left Egypt, he had circulated a rumor that he had been killed in the revolt. The objective of this falsehood was to conceal his escape from the country and fool whoever took control of the government. This could have given him a strategic advantage when he came back into the country at a later date.

However, Queen Berenice soon discovered the truth, and learned that her father had gone off in the direction of Rome. She immediately inferred that he was going to appeal to the Romans for help, and decided that, if that were the case, the Romans should have the opportunity to hear her side of the story as well as his, before making a final decision as to who to help.

The Queen quickly made preparations for sending an impressive group of ambassadors to Rome consisting of more than a hundred people. Berenice's objective in sending such a large number was not only to display her respect for the Roman people, but to send a message as to the magnitude of the question that was being decided. She also wanted to guard against any efforts by Ptolemy to intercept the ambassadors, or to buy off the members with bribes.

However, this large gathering proved to be insufficient to accomplish its goal. The entire Roman world was suffering from a condition of disorder and violence at this time. There were many reckless military leaders who were willing to commit any conceivable crime if they could make a profit from it.

Ptolemy connived with some of these men to waylay and destroy a large proportion of the group that Queen Berenice had sent before they could reach Rome. Some of these were assassinated; others poisoned, and some were offered bribes. The small remnant that did manage to reach Rome, were so intimidated by the dangers they faced, that they were afraid to try and carry out their mission. After the success of this strategy, Ptolemy began to congratulate himself for having completely defeated his daughter's efforts to gain Roman support.

However, it soon became apparent that his mean-spirited treachery was having exactly the contrary effect to what he had expected. The news of his vile deeds soon spread to the people of Rome and it caused them to react with universal indignation.

The people who had been originally opposed to Ptolemy's case seized the opportunity to renew their opposition; and they were so greatly bolstered by the general outcry from the city against Ptolemy's crimes, that Pompey found it almost impossible to continue to plead his cause.

The group opposed to Ptolemy found, or pretended to find a passage in certain sacred books, called the Sibylline Oracles. This was kept in the custody of the priests, and was supposed to contain prophetic announcements as to the will of Heaven in respect to the conduct of public affairs. The passage read as follows:

"If a Pharaoh of Egypt should apply to you for aid, treat him in a friendly manner, but do not furnish him with troops; for if you do, you will incur great danger."

This development created a new difficulty for Ptolemy and his friends. At first, they attempted to evade the issue by denying it existed. They claimed that there was no such passage to be found, and it was all an invention of their enemies. When this argument failed, they attempted to give the sacred passage some other interpretation than what it obviously meant.

Finally they argued that, although it prohibited their furnishing Ptolemy himself with troops, it didn't forbid them from sending an armed force into Egypt under their own commander. Then, when the rebellion was suppressed, and Berenice was overthrown, they could invite Ptolemy to return to Egypt and regain his crown in a peaceful manner. This, they argued, would not be "furnishing him with troops," and, of course would not be disobeying the oracle.

These attempts by Ptolemy's friends to evade the dictates of the oracle only made the debates between them and their opponents more violent than ever. Pompey made every effort in his power to continue his support of Ptolemy's cause. However, after a lengthy delay, Lentulus, decided that it wouldn't be safe for him to continue the mission.

Finally, Lieutenant General Gabinius, the military commander in Syria decided to proceed with the plan after receiving certain promises from Ptolemy in the event he succeeded in overthrowing his daughter. The General then organized his troops and began the march into Egypt. The route he choose lay along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and through the desert, to Pelusium, which has already been mentioned as the frontier town on that side of Egypt.

From Pelusium, he was to march through the heart of the Delta to Alexandria, and if successful he was to overthrow the government of Queen Berenice and her husband Archelaus. He would then send for Ptolemy and reinstate him on the throne.

During the attempt of this dangerous enterprise, General Gabinius relied strongly on the help of a very remarkable young man, who was then his second in command. Afterwards, this man would play a very important part in the subsequent history of Cleopatra.

The man's name was Mark Antony (January 14, 83 BC – August 1, 30 BC). Antony was born in Rome from a very distinguished family, but his father died when he was young leaving him to grow up as a very wild and immoral young man. He wasted the inheritance that his father left him on prostitutes and heavy bouts of drinking. After squandering his inheritance, he continued his sinful lifestyle and soon incurred enormous debts that caused him inextricable difficulties.

Young Antony's creditors continually harassed him at every opportunity demanding that he pay them the money he owed. When he made no effort to do this, they went to court and brought lawsuits trying to force him to pay, but he was completely broke. During this time, he was also incessantly pursued by the many enemies that he had made in the city due to his violence temper and criminal activities. Finally, he gave up the fight and absconded to Greece.

When General Aulus Gabinius met Anthony on his way to Syria, he invited him to join his army rather than to remain where he was living a life of destitute idleness. Antony was a proud man and refused to do this unless Gabinius would make him an officer in his army.

Gabinius saw some qualities in the young Antony, which in those days made for a successful soldier, and agreed to his request. After giving the matter some thought, the General decided to give the young man command of one of his cavalry units. Later Antony distinguished himself in the Syrian campaigns that followed, and was now eager to engage in the invasion of Egypt. In fact, it was mainly through Antony's zeal and enthusiasm that Gabinius decided to accept Ptolemy's offer.

They realized that the most dangerous and difficult part of the whole campaign was getting across the desert to Pelusium. In fact, the greatest protection that Egypt had enjoyed was her isolation. The trackless and desolate sands of the desert were totally destitute of water, and generally void of any type foods. It could only be traversed with great difficulty and danger even by the native caravans who were very familiar with the area.

There were many instances in ancient times where large numbers of troops attempting to march through the deserts to attack Egypt were totally destroyed by famine, thirst, or overwhelmed by colossal sandstorms. Even if an army were able to make such a difficult crossing, it could leave them exhausted at the enemies' borders, and at the mercy of fresh, well-rested troops.

These great difficulties and dangers didn't intimidate Mark Antony in the least. In fact, the anticipation of the glory he would receive from surmounting them was one of the main inducements that led him to embark on the highly dangerous enterprise. The dangers from the desert constituted only one of the charms which made the expedition so attractive to him.

Therefore, the brave young Antony placed himself at the head of his troop of cavalry, and set off across the sands in advance of Gabinius, to take Pelusium. His orders were to open a way for the main body of the army into the Egyptian heartland. Ptolemy accompanied Antony and Gabinius followed behind them with the rest of the army.

Mark Antony possessed certain qualities of character that made him a great favorite among his men. He was cool, collected, shrewd, and there was a certain frank and manly quality about the way he conducted himself.

Antony was about twenty-eight years old at this time, and he had a tall muscular body with an expressive and intellectual face. They young leader had a high forehead, angular nose, and eyes that sparkled with the enjoyment of life. He was accustomed to dressing in a very plain and careless manner.

Antony assumed an air of friendship with his soldiers. He would join them in their sports, joke with them, and accept their jokes good-naturedly in return. He would always eat his meals, standing with them around their crude tables out in the open field.

This type of familiarly wouldn't have worked for many commanders, but in Mark Antony's case, his frank and open manners only seemed to make his military genius and intellectual power that more obvious and admired.

Antony led his troop of horsemen across the desert in a very safe and speedy manner, and finally they all arrived in Pelusium. They caught the city by surprise before it could make any preparations to resist their advance. The town quickly surrendered and the whole garrison of soldiers was taken as prisoners of war with little bloodshed. Afterwards, Ptolemy demanded that all these prisoners be immediately put to death.

The Pharaoh claimed they were rebels, and as such, should to be executed for their crime. However, Antony absolutely refused to allow any such barbarous action to take place. Ptolemy didn't like this, but there was little he could do since he hadn't been restored to the throne yet.

The Egyptian despot would have to postpone gratifying the vengeance which had been building up within him since being driven from his homeland. He realized that he could afford to be patient, since it appeared that his complete and final triumph over his daughter was close at hand.

Queen Berenice was thrown into a state of fear and shock when she heard that Ptolemy was at Pelusium, and that he was accompanied by an overwhelming force of Roman soldiers. The Queen's husband Archelaus, had been a close personal friend of Antony during prior years. In fact, Antony still considered him one even though they were both required by their duty to fight one another for possession of the Egyptian crown.

Queen Berenice quickly raised an army, and Archelaus took it out to meet the enemy. In the meantime, General Gabinius arrived with the main body of the Roman troops, and started his march, in conjunction with Antony, towards the capitol city of Alexandria. They had to detour southward, in order to avoid the inlets and lagoons which penetrate for some distance into the land, on the northern coast of Egypt.

Their march led them through the heart of the Delta where they fought many bloody battles, but managed to come out the victors in every one of them. The Egyptian soldiers could be described as discontented and mutinous, perhaps, in part, because they considered the government they were fighting for as having usurped the throne from the legitimate ruler.

Finally, they fought a great final battle, which settled the whole matter once and for all. The government was completely overthrown, and the way was cleared for the march of the Roman armies into Alexandria. Archelaus was killed on the field of battle, and Queen Berenice was taken prisoner.

If judged by today's standards, Mark Antony was certainly, a depraved and cruel man as was Ptolemy, but his depravity was of a very different type than that of Cleopatra's father The difference in these two men was very clearly demonstrated by what happened after the great battle was over.

When the dust finally settled, Ptolemy as might be expected was clearly delighted by the fact that his daughter Berenice was now his prisoner. Meanwhile Antony was learning that his friend had been killed in battle, and while one man rejoiced, the other one mourned his dead friend.

Antony went searching for his dead friend's body on the battlefield, and when he found it, he gave Archelaus a magnificent burial. At the funeral, Antony seemed to suffer a great deal of grief from the death of his former comrade.

Ptolemy, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with joy and delighted at having his daughter as his captive. His long-wished-for hour of revenge had come at last. The first thing he did was drag her into a bedroom to abuse her one last time before giving the order to have her beheaded.

CHAPTER 5

CLEOPATRA'S INCESTUOUS ACCESSION TO THE THRONE.

At the same time the vicious quarrel between Cleopatra's father and her sister Berenice was making its way towards its dreadful conclusion, the young princess was residing at the royal palace in Alexandria. She was a beautiful girl of about fifteen at that time.

Fortunately for her, she had too young to have taken any active part in her sister's rebellious activities against her father. Cleopatra had two brothers who were still even younger than her, and they were both named Ptolemy after their father. Together all three of Ptolemy's younger children remained in the royal palaces, frightened spectators to the revolution that was taking place around them. Luckily for them, they didn't suffer any injures from the violent events that took place that day.

There was an intense excitement spreading through the city of Alexandria when the Roman army entered to reinstate Cleopatra's father back upon the throne. There were a large number of the cities inhabitants who were pleased with having the former Pharaoh return. In fact, it appears that throughout history when a legitimate hereditary sovereign is deposed by a rebellious population, no matter how atrocious the crimes, the passage of a few years is ordinarily enough to create a general readiness to accept the restoration of the former leader.

In this particular instance, there wasn't much difference between the rule of Queen Berenice and her father. Therefore, the majority of the population, especially, those who hadn't been involved in Berenice's reign--were ready to welcome Ptolemy back to the capital. Those unfortunate people who had helped the former Queen were all quickly rounded up, tried, and executed on Ptolemy's orders.

All the foreign influence and power that had been exercised in Egypt so far had been Greek. The arrival of the Romans introduced a new element which added to the endless variety of excitements which animated the capital.

Ptolemy celebrated his restoration to the throne with games, spectacles, and festivities of every kind. The primary focus of interest in all these public gatherings was the Roman generals who had made the day's events possible, and of these Marc Antony was the most interesting of them all. His eccentric manners, his frank and honest air, his Roman simplicity of dress and demeanor, made him especially noticeable.

His action to save the lives of the captured troops at Pelusium, and the way he had given such a magnificent funeral to honor one of his slain enemies had impressed the general population. They sensed a certain nobleness and magnanimity in his character, which, despite of his faults, made him an object of general admiration.

However, the very semblance of virtue that such a man assumes in the eyes of the world is sometimes really a fault. For example, it's written that Antony had a desire to give a present to a certain person, in repayment for a favor which he had done him. So, he ordered his treasurer to send a certain sum of money to this friend.

The sum he wanted to send was considerably greater than what was really required under the circumstances. Antony was acting, as he often did, under the influence of a blind and uncalled-for generosity. The treasurer was more prudent than his master and wanted to lessen this amount, but he didn't dare directly propose such a reduction to Antony. So he decided to count out the money, and lay it in a pile on a table where Antony was sure to pass by. He thought that when Antony saw how big the pile of money was, he would see that it was too large a sum.

Later, when Antony did pass by and asked what the money was for, the treasurer replied that it was the money he had ordered to be sent to the person in question. Antony was quick to understand what the treasurer was up to, and immediately answered, "Oh! Is that all? I thought the pile would be bigger than that. I guess we better send him twice that amount."

To double an extravagant amount merely for the purpose of thwarting the honest attempt of a faithful servant to look out for his interests, would have to be considered a fault. But unfortunately, it's the type of fault that people in general persist in admiring.

Whether Antony attracted Cleopatra's attention during this visit isn't mentioned in the historical records, but he did take notice her. He admired her blossoming beauty, her spirit, her wit, and her sexy young body. The princess was only fifteen years of age, while Antony was nearly thirty, and she was probably too young to have taken any serious notice of him. A short time after this, Antony returned to Rome, and didn't see Cleopatra again for several years.

When the two Roman generals left Alexandria to return home, they left a large number of soldiers there under Ptolemy's command, in order to help him maintain his possession of the throne. Antony received great deal of fame from his march across the desert, and the subsequent invasion of Egypt that helped restore Ptolemy to power.

Antony and Gabinius both received large sums of money paid to them in gratitude by the Pharaoh. It is said that the amount that Ptolemy agreed to pay as the price of his restoration was two thousand talents—or equal to over a hundred million dollars in today's money. This enormous sum just goes to show how large a military operation this campaign required.

Pharaoh Ptolemy raised a large portion of this money by confiscating the properties belonging to those who had supported Berenice's government, after he had ordered them executed. It seems that Ptolemy was in such desperate need of money to meet his financial obligations that he condemned a number of innocent people to die in order to confiscate their property too.

After his spectacular success in Egypt, Antony quickly found himself going from a disgraced and homeless fugitive to becoming one of the wealthiest and most famous people in Rome. His fame and newfound wealth help him became one of the most powerful people in city. It was about this time that a great civil war broke out between Caesar and Pompey, and Antony decided to throw his support to Caesar.

In the meantime, while the civil war was raging between these two powerful Romans, Ptolemy had managed to hang onto his throne for almost three years. But this was largely due to the Roman soldiers that Antony and Gabinius had left behind to keep the citizens from throwing him out of the country again.

When Ptolemy found himself getting close to the end of his life, he began to wonder who he should select to take his place. Cleopatra was the oldest child, and a princess with great promise, both in respect to mental and physical endowments as well as her great personal charm.

Both of the young princesses' brothers were several years younger than her. The claim of a younger son to the throne was considered to be stronger than that of a daughter; but the great ambitions and rising influence of Cleopatra appeared to make it doubtful whether it would be safe to pass her by.

The Pharaoh settled the question in the way it was usually settled in the Ptolemy family. He ordered that Cleopatra should marry him, and that the two should occupy the throne jointly. After he died, she would then marry the oldest of her younger brothers and likewise share her body and her throne with him.

Thus, the young Cleopatra was married to her father and she became another link in the long chain of incestuous relationships that mark the reign of the Ptolemy family. Given the depravity of her father, it is likely that her virtue had been taken sometime prior to the wedding night. Cleopatra's marriage to her father was only a temporary situation because as soon as he died, they young Queen would be married to her brother and begin another incestuous relationship with him.

After the elder Ptolemy was married to his daughter, he executed a will that gave the guardianship of his children to the Roman Senate. The Senate gladly accepted the appointment because it gave them a legal justification for maintaining some influence over Egyptian affairs. Pompey was appointed as their agent to perform the duties of the trust.

However, Pompey was too caught up in the civil war waged between him, and Caesar, to take any active steps towards carrying out the duties to which he had been appointed. But, it seemed that none were necessary, since all parties appeared disposed to carry out the Pharaoh's wishes after his death.

Cleopatra was married to her brother as had been ordered by their father. She was only about eighteen at that time, and her brother a few years younger, but they were both old enough to consummate their incestuous marriage. Given the boy younger age, the older Cleopatra likely took his virtue using the skills her father had taught her.

Both were still considered too young to govern and therefore, could only hold their royal titles. The real day to day operations of the country was conducted by the two ministers whom their father had designated for these positions. These ministers were Pothinus (early 1st century BC to 48 or 47 BC), a eunuch, who acted as a sort of Secretary of State, and Achillas (died 47 BC) the Commander-in-Chief of the armies.

Although Cleopatra became nominally the Queen, her real accession to the throne had not happened as yet. There were still many difficulties and dangers that she had to face before she really became a sovereign in her own right. The young Queen didn't make any immediate attempt to take power, but seems to have acquiesced to the arrangements that her father had made.

Pothinus the eunuch had served for a long time as an officer in the government of Ptolemy, the father. He was a proud, ambitious, man determined to rule, and was willing to use very unscrupulous means to accomplish his goals. He was accustomed to regarding Cleopatra as just a mere child and didn't have much respect for her. He was determined that now she was Queen, he would block any real power from passing into her hands.

During the first couple of years after her father's death, the jealousy and ill will that the eunuch felt toward her increased quickly as he saw her developing much greater strength of character, which helped her gain influence over all those around her. The young Queen's beauty and a certain indescribable charm that pervaded her demeanor, combined to give her a great personal power that was increasing with each passing day.

These qualities only increased the jealousy and envy that Pothinus felt. Cleopatra was quickly becoming a formidable rival. He tried to thwart and circumvent her every chance he got. The eunuch adopted a snide and overbearing manner towards her, in order to keep her in what he considered her proper place as his ward. He was still the acting guardian for both Cleopatra and her husband, and was the person who ruled the country in their names.

Cleopatra had a great deal of spirit, and resented the way he was treating her. Pothinus took extra efforts to keep the Queen's young husband, Ptolemy, on his side. He was younger, and his character was much weaker and less developed than that of his sister.

Pothinus realized that he could probably maintain much better control over Ptolemy for a longer time than he could Cleopatra, perhaps even long enough for him to seize control of the kingdom. He plotted to make the young Ptolemy jealous of his wife's rising influence, and to try and get him to join in an effort to stop and counteract it.

These attempts by the eunuch to turn her husband against her only aroused Cleopatra's resentment that much more. She wasn't the type of person to be easily coerced. The palace became filled with dissensions among the rivals that quickly reached the boiling point. Pothinus and Ptolemy plotted against the Queen to insure that the army would be on their side when the time was right. An open rupture finally occurred, resulting in Cleopatra being expelled from Egypt.

The young Queen traveled to Syria since it was the closest place of refuge, and besides, it was the country from which her father had been restored to the throne, when he had been expelled from Egypt, in a similar manner several years before. While it was true, that her father had gone to Rome first; the people that had aided his negotiations had been sent from Syria. Cleopatra hoped to obtain the same assistance by going there too.

After arriving, Cleopatra wasn't disappointed. She was able to quickly gather an army, and commenced her march back towards Egypt by following the same route that Antony and Gabinius had used to reinstate her father. Pothinus received news of her plans and raised his own army to go out and meet her before she returned to Alexandria.

The eunuch took General Achillas to command the troops, and the young Ptolemy as the nominal sovereign; while he, as the young phararoh's guardian and Prime Minister, exercised the real power behind the throne. Pothinus' troops advanced to Pelusium where they met the forces of Cleopatra's army coming in from the east. The two armies set up camp not very far from each other, and began to prepare for battle.

However, this battle failed to materialize because it was prevented by the occurrence of a certain great and unforeseen happening that suddenly burst upon the scene of Egyptian history. This event turned the present state of affairs on its head. The civil war between the great Roman generals Caesar and Pompey, as has already been mentioned, broke out soon after the death of Cleopatra's father, and thus prevented Pompey from fulfilling his office as executor of the will.

This war had been raging ever since that time with a terrible, and bloody fury. Its distant thundering had even been heard in Egypt, but it was thought to be too far away to cause any special notice. The immense armies of these two mighty conquerors had moved slowly fighting across Italy into Greece, and from Greece, through Macedon, into Thessaly.

They fought their dreadful struggles with each other as they advanced, and trampled down and destroyed everything in their path. After a time, they fought a great final battle at Pharsalia that resulted in the total defeat of Pompey. He had then fled the battle to the seashore, where there were a few ships waiting with a small number of his followers.

Pompey and his followers set sail out into the Mediterranean, not knowing where to go next. They were overwhelmed with despair and grief at having lost the deciding battle of the war. Caesar was close on their trial and was following him in eager pursuit. He had a small fleet of galleys with him, which carried about two or three thousand men. This force was suitable for the pursuit of a fugitive, but totally insufficient for most other purposes.

Pompey thought of Ptolemy and remembered how he had helped the Pharaoh regain his throne. This gave him an idea of where he might be able to find safe sanctuary, and he ordered his small group of ships to set sail for Pelusium, where they anchored off the shore. Pompey then sent a messenger to Ptolemy asking for his protection. Pothinus, the man really in charge of everything in Egypt answered Pompey saying that he was granted protection, and that a boat would be sent out to bring him in to shore.

Pompey felt some misgivings in respect to this offered hospitality, but he finally decided to accept it and got into the boat that had sent for him. But, when he reached shore, the Egyptians, on Pothinus's orders, stabbed and beheaded him as soon as they got their hands on him.

Pothinus and his advisors had decided that this would be the safest course of action. They reasoned if they gave safe haven to Pompey then Caesar would become their enemy. If they refused Pompey then he would be offended. They didn't know which of the two it would be safer to displease because they weren't sure how the war would ultimately end. "But by killing Pompey," they said, "We will be sure to please Caesar and Pompey himself won't be in any position to offer any complaints."

In the meantime, Caesar didn't know where in Egypt Pompey had fled to, so he pressed on directly to Alexandria. By doing so, he exposed himself to great danger because the forces under his command were not sufficient to protect him in case that he became involved in problems with the authorities there.

Once Caesar arrived on the Egyptian coast, it wasn't easy for him to leave again, because at that season of the year there was a periodical wind which blew steadily toward that part of the coast. This made it very easy for a fleet of ships to go to Alexandria, but also made it almost practically impossible for them to return to sea.

Caesar was not accustomed to shrinking from danger in any of his undertakings, although he still he acted with a reasonable amount of caution. However, in this instance his pursuit of Pompey overruled all considerations for his personal safety. When he finally arrived in Alexandria, he found that Pompey was not there.

Caesar anchored his vessels at the port, landed his troops, and made his way into the city. These two events, the assassination of one of the great Roman generals on the eastern extremity of the coast, and the arrival of the other, at the same moment in Alexandria, on the western side, suddenly burst upon Egypt together like simultaneous claps of thunder.

The news shocked the whole country and immediately captured everyone's attention. This also created a great deal of excitement in the camps of both Cleopatra and Ptolemy located near Pelusium. Instead of thinking about fighting, both parties were speculating as to which side or to the other would benefit from the unexpected turn of events.

All thoughts turned back towards Alexandria, and Pothinus immediately made plans to return to the city, taking Ptolemy with him. Achillas either accompanied them on this return, or followed soon afterwards. They carried the decapitated head of Pompey with them, which they had cut off after killing him, and they also carried a seal which they took from his finger.

When they arrived back in Alexandria, they sent the head, wrapped in a cloth along with the seal, as presents to Caesar. Accustomed as they were to the brutal acts and heartless cruelties of the Ptolemies, they thought that Caesar would be pleased at the severed head of his greatest rival and enemy.

But they were wrong, he was shocked and displeased with what they had done, and he ordered the head to be buried with the proper respect and ceremony due a general of the Roman Empire. However, he did accept and kept the seal which had a lion holding a sword in his paw engraved upon it.

Ptolemy left his army in Pelusium under the command of his officers with instructions to watch Cleopatra, while he and his top advisers returned to Alexandria. Cleopatra herself would have been glad to return to Alexandria and present her case to Caesar, if she had the power to do so. But, she was trapped beyond the confines of her country, with a powerful army of her enemies ready to intercept her if she made any attempt to return to the city. Therefore, she remained at Pelusium, uncertain as what to do next.

In the meantime, Caesar soon found himself in a somewhat embarrassing situation in Alexandria. For many years, he had been accustomed to exercising absolute and complete power wherever he happened to be. Now that his great rival Pompey was dead, he considered himself the lord and master of the world.

However, in Alexandria he didn't have the sufficient military forces to maintain and enforce his position, so he decided to bide his time. He set himself up in the palaces of Alexandria as if he were the Pharaoh himself. When he moved through the streets of the city at the head of his guards, he would display the customary emblems of supreme authority that were used in Rome.

Caesar had previously collected the six thousand talents which Ptolemy Auletes promised him for procuring a treaty of alliance with Rome, and now he called upon Pothinus to pay the balance that was owed him.

Caesar also said that the provisions in the will that Auletes left made Rome the executor, and therefore it fell upon him as the Roman consul to assume that trust. He said that it was now up to him to settle the dispute between Ptolemy and Cleopatra. Caesar asked the young Pharaoh to prepare and present before him a statement of his claims, and the grounds by which he maintained his right to the throne over that of Cleopatra.

The eunuch Pothinus was reluctant to acknowledge that Caesar was his superior, although his own accomplishments were much humbler than the other man. The eunuch was obstinate and resisted the Roman's demands using methods which were conceived by a weaker and obviously less intelligent mind.

Pothinus fomented quarrels in the streets between the Alexandrian population and Caesar's soldiers. He thought that since the number of troops under Caesar's command in the city, was so small, he could harass the Romans with impunity, although he didn't have the courage to openly attack them himself.

The eunuch pretended to be a friend to the Romans, or at least not their enemy, and yet he still acted in an overbearing and insolent manner toward them. He had agreed to supply them with food, and he did this by procuring damaged provisions of very low quality; and when the soldiers complained, he replied that those who lived off the sweat of other people didn't have any right to complain.

He replaced the gold and silver plates of the royal household used in the palace with wooden and earthen vessels, and said in explanation, that he had been compelled to sell them to help pay the money owed to Caesar. The eunuch also busied himself around the city endeavoring to create opposition against Caesar's proposal to decide the question at issue between Cleopatra and Ptolemy.

Young Ptolemy likewise joined in this opposition to the Romans. He claimed that he was the leader of Egypt, and wasn't subject to any foreign power whatever. Thus, without the courage to attempt any open and effective system of hostility, he contented himself with creating as many problems as he could with the limited power that he had available.

Caesar's demands may have been excessive, but at least they were bold, courageous, and aboveboard. The eunuch may have been right in resisting them, but the way he did it could only be described as sneaky and contemptible.

Caesar soon found his situation beginning to deteriorate and become dangerous. He had a very small force at his command, and was shut up in the midst of a very great and powerful city, in which both the Egyptian garrison and the population were growing more and more hostile towards him every day.

Caesar couldn't leave the area and he probably wouldn't have done so even if he could. Therefore, he remained in the city, displaying the same air of confidence and superiority which always characterized his demeanor. He quietly dispatched a messenger to Syria, the nearest country under Roman control, with orders that several legions which were posted there should come to Alexandria with utmost speed.

CHAPTER 6

CLEOPATRA MEETS CAESAR.

In the meantime, while these events were taking place in Alexandria, Cleopatra remained in her camp anxious and uneasy about what was going on in the capitol. But, for now it was all that she could do. The young Queen wished that she could go to Alexandria because she knew very well that Caesar held the power that controlled the course of affairs in Egypt and her destiny.

Cleopatra desperately wanted to go to Caesar and present her case before him. But, as things now stood, Ptolemy and Pothinus were in direct communication with him, and for all she knew they were gaining his favor at her expense while she was trapped so far away from home. Her case was going unheard, and perhaps even her very existence had been forgotten.

Cleopatra knew she had to do something quickly but was perplexed at how best to accomplish her purpose. She couldn't just march there at the head of her troops, because the army that faced her was strongly entrenched at Pelusium, and therefore effectively barring the way. She couldn't attempt to travel across the country with a few of her attendants because every town and village was occupied with army troops under the command of Pothinus. There was little chance that she could make across that way if she tried.

The young Queen didn't command a fleet, and therefore travel by sea was out of the question. Besides, even if she could manage to reach the gates of Alexandria, how could she pass safely through the streets of the city to the palace where Caesar made his residence? The entire city, except for Caesar's quarters, was totally in the hands of Pothinus and his soldiers. The difficulties in accomplishing her goal seemed almost insurmountable.

However, she knew that she would have to make the attempt despite the dangers. She sent a message to Caesar, asking permission to appear before him so that she could plead her own case. Caesar replied to her request by urging her to come by all means. She then left in a single boat with the smallest number of attendants possible, and made her way along the coast towards Alexandria.

The man on whom she principally relied during this dangerous excursion was a domestic servant named Apollodorus. However, she was also accompanied by several other attendants in addition to him. When the small party reached Alexandria, they waited until night, and then advanced to the foot of the walls of the citadel.

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