Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 01:55:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Christian Debus <servus4u@ymail.com>
Subject: "Changed Circumstances" Chapter 56 (Gay Male / Authoritarian)

Changed Circumstances
Chapter 56
"Evil Machinations"

This is a story of erotic fiction meant for adult readers over the age of
eighteen years

Written by Jean-Christophe (Chris): September  2013
Read all my stories at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jean-Christophe_Stories

"The characters and ideas in this story belong in the writer's imagination
and bear no resemblance to any actual persons or events. Please respect the
integrity of the story and don't do any rewrites, make alterations of post
other artists' pictures."


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Chapter 56

Rafe is fast becoming a thorn in my side. His continuing presence serves as
a catalyst for his malcontent friends to work against me to regain his
freedom. And it would seem that my victory at the meeting with Miles
Fortescue and Francois Fournier was a pyrrhic one; whilst I might have won
the battle that day, they'd regrouped with their supporters and are now
waging war. And it is a war I can't afford to lose as so much depends on me
being victorious.  Retention of the former Barrois fortune is paramount to
my own interests and to the future interests of my son, Etienne. Whilst it
would be an exaggeration to say that I am panicky, I am nevertheless
concerned.

Damn these do-gooders! Why can't they leave things as they are?  A properly
constituted court had adjudged Lucien Barrois as slave-born and returned
him to a state of servitude.  And for nearly two years, Lucien, as the
slave Rafe, has served me well as my property.

Despite the notoriety of his case, I'd thought the community had moved on
and forgotten Lucien Barrois. But I am wrong in thinking this. A group of
his erstwhile friends, no doubt suffering from a belated guilt complex,
have taken it upon themselves to raise the capital to buy Rafe from me and
to grant him his freedom.

Rafe, the slave is powerless to cause me any trouble; but his friends are
not. And a freed Rafe could present me with any number of problems if he
decides to probe deeply into the circumstances of his dispossession and
enslavement.

Whilst I'd not personally instigated the claims against Lucien Barrois -
those had been made by my grandmother - I was the sole beneficiary of his
downfall. I have long wondered if my grandmother's claims about Lucien's
slave birth are valid or, more ominously, are they the machinations of her
insatiable need for revenge against her family.

She'd made the claims and presented them to the courts - which had accepted
them - and I'd become the inheritor of all that had once belonged to my
distant cousin, Lucien who now serves me as the slave Rafe.

I'd broached the subject of the truth behind Rafe's birth with my
grandmother on several occasions but had never received an answer other
than a blank stare or an enigmatic smile. I had always intended to seek out
the truth from her but I'd been kept busy establishing authority over the
former Barrois possessions and had simply not followed through on those
intentions.

Too late!

My grandmother has suffered a stroke which has left her paralysed and
speechless and I have decided to just leave her in peace and not to stir up
unpleasant memories. My grandmother is at death's door - her medical team
had told me yesterday that she has just days to live - and I am too
distraught to deal with that matter now. I have decided it's a question
best left unanswered and to allow grand maman to take her secret - if such
it is - to the grave with her.

This leaves me in an invidious position. After my grandmother's death, and
if by some means Rafe's supporters disprove her claims about his slave
birth, I am left as the one who must answer. Public opinion is at the best
of times very fickle - I well remember the day of Lucien's enslavement at
how people had gloated over his downfall - and it would see me as the
guilty party.

I would then have to face a plethora of criminal charges all of which carry
a mandatory sentence of lifelong slavery for me and my son, Etienne. Such a
prospect is appalling. The tables would be turned and Lucien would be the
master while Etienne and I would become his slaves.

I can't allow that to happen.

After my meeting with Miles and Francois, I spoke with Simon Barrow, my
lawyer who has become indispensable to me. He has proved his worth to me
and the Maratier enterprises many times over the past two years and I have
promoted him within my organizations to such a level that he is now my
right-hand man. True, I know that Simon is fiscally inventive in his
management of my companies' affairs and that he skims some of the profits
into his own expense accounts but I overlook that as one of the "perks of
his job". As long as the embezzlements remain relatively small and he
serves my interests, I will tolerate his dishonesty.

I'd told Simon about the meeting with Miles Fortescue and Francois Fournier
and my concerns of what could happen if Rafe ever regains his freedom. He'd
agreed with me and supported my idea the Rafe should be sold to an overseas
dealer. However, he took it one step further and said I would also need to
sell Norge along with Rafe. As he pointed out Rafe and Norge are lovers and
if I were to sell Rafe but retain Norge he could, out of revenge, conspire
with Rafe's friends to bring me undone. I'd not thought of this but I saw
the wisdom of his advice and so I have decided to sell Rafe and Norge
together.

However, my decision is tinged with regret. Since Rafe's return from La
Forˆt eighteen months ago, he and Norge have served admirably as my
personal ponies. They are widely recognized as an outstanding pair and much
admired whenever I have them out in public.  Therefore, they are a personal
source of pride and I will truly miss them and I know they'll be hard to
replace. As I thought about their replacements, I was reconciled to a long
search until I found another pair worthy to replace Norge and Rafe.

But as so often happens with these problems, the solutions are close at
hand but go unnoticed. One day, as I visited my grandmother, I saw two,
magnificent, young slaves toiling in her garden. The day was hot and both
slaves were sweating profusely which gave their muscular torsos an oily
sheen. This served to highlight the erotic rippling of their powerful
muscles as they worked. I stopped Norge and Rafe in the shade of a large
tree to watch these two slaves at their labours. And I liked what I saw.

Both slaves were identical in build and appearance. Each of them had heads
of closely cropped, thick hair and their skins had been tanned to an
all-over, deep bronze. As they worked side by side pulling heavy mowers
over the verdant sweep of the lawns which surround my grandmother's home, I
looked on entranced by them. Their large, pendulous balls swung freely
between their muscular thighs and their identical, thick cocks were semi-
aroused and "wagged" from side to side with each step they took. Leaning
forward into their leather harness with the weight of the mowers pulling
back on them, their bodies were fully extended and every muscle group was
stressed to its maximum. The delightful curves of their muscular asses were
equal to those of my two ponies, Norge and Rafe. Suddenly and unexpectedly,
I had found my replacements for Norge and Rafe.

I racked my brains trying to identify these two, magnificent slaves. I knew
that I'd not bought any new slaves to serve in my grandmother's household
since I'd replaced Ben with a new steward and I couldn't place these two.

Later, I made a point of asking the steward about the two slaves and he
reminded me that they were a "special order" that I'd bought through Lionel
Schuster as grand maman's litter- bearers. Sympathetically, the steward
reminded me that since the onset of her illness, my grandmother was unable
to use her litter and he'd allocated the two slaves to work in the gardens
and to pull the mowers to keep them in prime condition. I praised him for
his initiative and told him that, possibly, I now had other uses for them.

I asked if the slaves were named and he told me that they are called
Nathaniel and Micah. I liked both names; if they were to become my personal
ponies I could abbreviate both names to the simple one syllable ones of
"Nate" and "Mike" which is similar to Norge and Rafe.

I recalled that the slaves are identical twins and they were obtained for
me as a "special order" by Lionel Schuster. I'd spoken to the slave-dealer
the same day as he'd appraised Rafe and I remember I'd done so partly to
humour him because of his bad temper over Miles Fortescue's interference
with Rafe, but also because I wanted a perfectly matched pair of strong,
young male slaves to carry the elaborate litter I'd commissioned for my
grandmother's use. Sadly the litter hasn't been used much and I supposed it
stands in a corner of the stables gathering dust. But I was pleased to see
the litter-bearers are worked hard to maintain their fitness for, as I
recalled, they'd cost me a small fortune.

When I broached the possibility of buying identical twin brothers, Lionel
had told them they are a rarity which seldom, if ever, came on the
market. Obviously, he'd decided to exploit my disappointment for he'd then
went on to tell me that he could place a special order for a pair of slaves
but that they would be very expensive. I'd told him the expense was totally
irrelevant; I wanted only the best slaves for my grandmother's litter.

I'd asked where he'd find such a pair and he told me he'd place an order
with a "facilitator" who'd search for them and buy them on his behalf. His
use of the term "facilitator" had intrigued me and I asked for more
details.

Slyly, he tapped one side of his nose with a finger and told me there were
some questions I shouldn't ask or matters with which I shouldn't concern
myself. However, I'd assumed from his comments that his methods might not
be entirely legal and I'd left the matter there after promising him a
handsome commission if and when he found me a pair of slaves that met my
stringent requirements.

It took several months for Lionel Schuster to fill my "special order" and
I'd grown tired of waiting. I was in the process of looking among La
Forˆt's slave herd for two suitable candidates when I received word from
the slaver that he'd managed to find my litter- bearers.

Excitedly, I hurried to inspect them and found them to be everything I
wanted. Being identical twins meant that they were perfectly matched with
strong bodies and agreeable faces. They were aged nineteen and the day I
inspected them they were still traumatized by their abductions. Tearfully,
they told me they weren't slaves and that they'd been kidnapped off the
streets of a distant city, branded and brought here. They begged me to free
them to return home to their parents. This angered Lionel Schuster and he
applied a cruel, leather strap to their asses and until they fell tearfully
silent.

Truthfully, I had no interest in how they'd become slaves. That was
irrelevant and my needs were paramount to their loss of freedom. I bought
them immediately and as I'd promised, I paid a sizeable bonus to Lionel
Schuster.

This had established and uneasy relationship between Lionel and me. I know
that he doesn't like me because of my wealth and background but the feeling
is mutual and I despise him as merely a peddler of human flesh. Still ours
is a symbiotic relationship and I do occasionally buy and sell slaves
through his establishment.

After rediscovering Nathaniel and Micah, I'd sent them to La Forˆt for
conditioning and training. I'd asked Claymore Jackson to personally
undertake their training as he'd impressed me with his conditioning of
Rafe. He'd taken a raw, somewhat soft, new slave and turned him into the
magnificent pony who was the equal of Norge.

Of course, I'd not told Claymore my reasons for training these two new
ponies or that ultimately they are to replace Norge and Rafe. Nor will I
tell him about my plans to sell them. I will inform him of this once it is
a "fait accompli". The least he knew the better.

Since my meeting with Miles and Francois, I have viewed everyone with
suspicion. I worry that people are secretly scheming on Rafe's behalf and
plotting my downfall. I know Claymore Jackson had been close to Lucien as a
boy, a teenager and a young man and had great affection for him. What I
don't know is how much affection he retains for Rafe, the slave. Could
Claymore Jackson be persuaded to throw in his lot with the "Save Rafe"
group?  That is something I can't rule out entirely. It now seems many
people are rediscovering their residual affection for Rafe.

My suspicions and fear increase daily and I have to take great care that I
don't become paranoid. For I need to stay focused and keep all my wits
about me to out-manoeuvre those who are working against my interests by
trying to free Rafe.

My last report from Claymore told me that the training of my replacement
ponies is progressing well. Claymore said he had put both Nate and Mike to
work on the water- wheels and treadmills to build up their cardio-vascular
systems and to strengthen their legs and soon they would be placed in to
harness and broken in.

With that news, I decided there is no longer any need to hold onto Rafe and
Norge. Today I am driving them to Lionel Schuster's slave-market to discuss
with him the best means of ridding myself of the troublesome Rafe and his
lover, Norge.

                                                 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Rather than stress Norge and Rafe - I need them to present well should
Lionel Schuster choose to inspect them - I keep both ponies to a modest
trot. Even so, they are sweating profusely in the day's heat. I watch the
perspiration beading on their powerful shoulders before coalescing with one
another to form little rivulets which trickle willy-nilly over their
muscular backs and I watch as it is channelled down through the canyons of
their asses.  Their sweat gives their undulating ass-cheeks an oily sheen
which highlights the delightful curves of their muscular buttocks. I never
tire of watching the stressed power and beauty of these two slaves running
before me.

Almost lovingly, I flick my whip against their yielding flesh and add yet
another red stripe to their asses. As they lunge forward I am rewarded with
a glimpse of their sweat sodden balls swinging freely between their strong
thighs and their winking assholes.

I have no doubt that I will miss them when they are sold but
self-preservation overrides any affection I have for them. I suppose the
number of times I have left to drive them depends on my upcoming
discussions with Lionel Schuster. I'm not sure how long it will take him to
arrange their sales to an overseas operator but I'm hoping it will be a
matter of days rather than weeks. I will need to take Lionel into my
confidence and to impress upon him the urgency for Rafe's sale.

Apart from the normal sales commission payable to him, I will promise him a
sizeable bonus for an expedited sale. I'm sure his avariciousness will make
him most co-operative and amenable to my arguments.

As we turn into the street leading to Schuster's Slave Emporium, both
slaves baulk slightly and it is necessary for me to apply my whip harder to
keep them moving forward. They have guessed my destination and I suppose
there is some apprehension on their parts. Both slaves have been here
before; Norge three years ago when Lucien Barrois had bought him and Rafe
when I'd brought him here for his initial valuation.

I suppose the slave-market terrifies a slave and any visit to it must
unsettle him. The thought that he can be sold without warning is always at
the back of a slave's mind and I wonder if Norge and Rafe have guessed that
something is amiss. I have taken great care not to alert Rafe to my
plans. But who knows - perhaps one of my house slaves has overheard my
plans concerning Rafe's future as I discussed them with Simon Burrow - and
warned Rafe. House slaves are notorious gossips who are forever slyly
listening to their owners' private conversations.

On several occasions, I have caught one of my house slaves listening to my
private conversations and I had him caned as a warning to my other
slaves. However, it is doubtful if this was successful as I'm sure they
still eavesdrop on me.

As we approach "Schuster's Slave Emporium", I pull back on the reins and
slow both ponies to a walk. This gives me the chance to take in the recent
changes that Lionel Schuster has made to his establishment.

Our society is heavily reliant on slavery and slaves are now a major
contributing factor to our new prosperity. The demand for slaves to power
our industries and farms is insatiable and slaves toil in our factories,
our mines and our quarries. Their muscle is used on building sites and to
provide the locomotion for our transport. They serve us in our homes and in
fact, there isn't one area that is totally slave-free. Slaves have become a
welcome part of our lives and the demand for them continues unabated. This
has resulted in an ever expanding market for the courts' newly enslaved
wrongdoers and the enterprising slave- traders have taken advantage of
this.

In Lionel Schuster's case, he has added new showrooms where his stock can
be better presented to the prospective buyers. I haven't visited these
showrooms but I have heard others speak of the large auditorium with its
central catwalk where naked slaves are paraded before the buyers who sit
comfortably in deep armchairs on carpeted floors and are served
refreshments by the in-house slaves.

Lionel Schuster's dealership is unrecognizable; his new showrooms dominate
the street. My first reaction to the outside appearance is that they are
ostentatious -the fa‡ade is all gilt, glass and potted plants that
reflect the man's poor taste and crassness.  Gone also is the rather
nondescript wooden sign with "Lionel Schuster, Slave merchant" written upon
it in black letters against a white background. It has been replaced with
more "upmarket" signage in gilt scrolling which now declares - "The House
of Schuster, Supplier of Fine Slaves" under which is written in smaller
letters - "We deal in only the Primest Livestock - Satisfaction Assured."

As I drive through the gateway into the courtyard, I am back on familiar
ground for nothing had changed here. The showrooms are simply a superficial
face lift hiding the sordidness of the slave-holding pens. Here, nothing
has changed; the conditions the slaves endure are as they always have
been. The squalor and the degradation remain while the appalling smells of
unwashed bodies and human ordure still linger to assail the nostrils and to
catch in the throat.

As I halt my carriage an elderly slave hurries forward to take the reins
from me and to tether Norge and Rafe to a hitching ring set in the stone
wall. He asks if he can water my ponies and I agree but tell him to be
sparing with the water - after all an overfull belly can considerably slow
a pony. I also instruct him to help them piss; I am always concerned that
an overfull bladder can be unnecessarily stressful for both my ponies as
they run.

The slave conducts me to Lionel Schuster's office suite which adjoins his
new showrooms. As I enter his office, Lionel Shuster walks from behind his
desk to welcome me. His welcome is effusive but I detect his underlying
dislike of me which probably matches my disdain for him. Nevertheless, we
shake hands and he asks.

"Good morning, Mr Maratier! How can I help you? Are you in the market for
new slaves for your household or you plantation? If so I have some
excellent new slaves fresh from the Law Courts that would probably suit
your needs."

"Good morning, Mr Schuster." I return his greeting. "Actually, I've come to
sell slaves and not to buy."

"I see! Well I have to be honest with you Mr Maratier. It's not a good time
to sell a slave.  Already, there's a glut of prime livestock overflowing
our holding-pens. Over the last few sales, slaves have been selling very
cheaply. How many slaves do you wish to sell and more importantly, is it
necessary that you sell at this stage?"

"I have two slaves I want to sell and yes, it's imperative that I sell them
as soon as possible."

"It almost sounds like a fire-sale. Mr Maratier! Can I ask why it's so
urgent that you sell your two slaves?"

"Indeed you may, Mr Schuster! And I need to take you into my
confidence. Can I trust you to be discreet with what I'm about to tell
you?"

"Mr Maratier! I am the very soul of discretion. Whatever, you tell me will
remain within these four walls. Please tell me more so that I know how I
can help?"

"I have two slaves who have become an embarrassment to me and I need to be
shot of them immediately. I have come to you to see if you can expedite
their sales."

"You have intrigued me. Mr Maratier. Tell me more about the two slaves and
why you need to sell them so quickly?"

"Actually, you know the two slaves I'm referring to. They are my two
personal ponies, Norge and Rafe."

"I know them well! And of course, Rafe is the former Lucien Barrois who
bought Norge from me about three years ago. If my memory serves me
correctly they are a magnificent pair of slaves. Why on earth do you want
to sell them? I know because of them you are the envy of many slave-owners
who'd pay a small fortune to possess them. If you put the two of them side
by side on the auction-block you could just about set your own price for
them even in today's depressed market."

"I do understand that and I regret that I must part with them. But
circumstances dictate the need to sell them quickly and I might add - as
quietly as possible!"

"Now you really have piqued my curiosity, Mr Maratier! May I ask what those
circumstances are? "

"Can I talk frankly with you Mr Schuster?  The situation I find myself in
is a difficult one and obviously I need to take you into my confidence. But
before I tell you, I need your word that you won't repeat a word of this
conversation to another person."

"You have my word, Mr Maratier!  Rest assured that I always conduct my
business dealings in the strictest confidence. But please - continue. Tell
me what is troubling you and let's see if I can't come up with a solution
to your problem."

"Well...... I'm not sure if you are aware there's a group of Rafe's former
friends who are trying to raise the money to but his freedom?"

"I have heard the rumour, Mr Maratier. However I treated it as hearsay.
Are you saying there is truth to the rumour?"

"Yes there is and the group's spokesmen have already approached me and made
a serious offer to buy Rafe from me."

"You refused, I hope, Mr Maratier?"

"Most certainly I did and I sent them away thinking that would be an end to
the matter. But it isn't and I have heard more rumours that my refusal has
angered them and made them more determined than ever to help Rafe regain
his freedom."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that, Mr Maratier. After all the courts
sentenced Lucien Barrois - or Rafe as he is now known - to lifelong
slavery. And Rafe is your slave and whether or not you choose to free him
is a matter for you alone to decide. The group can raise all the money they
can but unless you agree to sell Rafe to them then their efforts on his
behalf will fail."

"I do understand that but what concerns me is that their activities could
make Rafe a "cause c‚lŠbre" and raise doubts in the minds of his
former friends who could then agitate for a judicial review of his trial
and sentence."

"But Lucien Barrois's trial was all above board from what I recall. There
was compelling evidence to back up your claims to the Barrois estate. The
only problem would be if new evidence came to light refuting the claim that
Lucien Barrois was the progeny of a slave woman. Is there a possibility of
that happening?"

Lionel Schuster senses that all isn't as it seems and that perhaps Guy
Maratier isn't being as forthcoming as he should. Yes, he'd heard those
rumours about Rafe's former friends working to set him free but he'd
thought they'd be doomed to failure. The evidence presented to the court by
the Maratier's had been strong and along with almost everyone else he'd
believed it. But now, Guy Maratier has sown a seed of doubt in his
mind. Not that he has any sympathy for Rafe. Quite the opposite is true!
He'd enjoyed watching as Lucien Barrois was stripped of his wealth and
freedom and condemned to slavery. His hatred of the former "aristocratic"
Lucien was such that he relished his fall from grace and his very public
humiliation at the hands of Guy Maratier.

Several times over the years, he'd caught sight of the naked Rafe running
in harness pulling his Master's carriage through the city's streets. How he
enjoyed looking at the superbly fit, nude bodies of Rafe and his running
companion, Norge. He'd grown hard as he glimpsed the erotic play of their
muscles at work under the golden-tan of their sweat-glistening hides.  And
he'd especially liked the haphazard pattern of whip marks on their asses
and backs.

At such times, Lionel was well pleased. It was payback for all the insults
and slights that he's suffered at the hands of the arrogant Lucien
Barrois. And with that in mind, he would hate to see Rafe set free.

However, he has no great liking for Guy Maratier - he too is an arrogant
prick - and after all he and Lucien Barrois had been cast in the same
family mould. With his new wealth, Guy had become as insufferable as his
distant cousin. But Guy was untouchable and so he had to swallow his pride
to do business with him much as he'd done with Lucien Barrois.

But his rat-cunning instinct tells him there is something to be gained from
this exchange with Guy Maratier and he is determined to exploit it to his
advantage.

"No, there's no chance of that happening whatsoever" Guy answers
indignantly. "But that wouldn't prevent his supporters from fabricating
evidence to use to bolster their arguments and to sway public opinion. What
concerns me if that happens; I could find myself in a protracted series of
court cases. I want to avoid that at all costs."

"I see your problem, Mr Maratier. But how can I help? Will selling your two
slaves really help your situation? If they are sold to another owner
wouldn't you lose control of the situation? It's possible that their new
owner would be tempted to sell them to Rafe's friends and where would that
leave you?"

"Yes, I agree and that's why I need them to disappear!"

"What do you mean by disappear?"

"I want Rafe gone from my life and I want him secretly sent to a place
where he poses no threat to me or serves as a catalyst to his malcontent
friends."

"Well you could sell Rafe and Norge to the quarries where they'd have a
working life expectancy of two to three years."

"Even that is too long and Rafe would still be visible to his friends
spurring them to greater action."

"Well then send him to the mines. He'd be out of sight there - working
permanently below ground and never seeing daylight again. That would remove
him from public sight."

"This had occurred to me but it's not really a solution. Certainly, he'd be
out of sight but probably not out of the public's consciousness. His
supporters would be aware of his presence in the mines and would double
their efforts to procure his freedom. No, I need a more permanent
resolution to my problem with Rafe."

Lionel Schuster senses where this conversation is leading. Obviously, Guy
Maratier is worried by the prospect of Rafe regaining his freedom. Despite
his assurance of a few minutes ago that Lucien Barrois is the progeny of a
slave woman, Guy's demeanour suggests that he has some doubts. Otherwise,
why is he so anxious to be rid of Rafe?  The furtive look in Guy's eyes and
his less than subtle hinting that he wants Lionel's help in making Rafe
disappear suggests that Guy Maratier is a worried man.

Of course, Lionel has no personal interest in the "politics" of the
situation. He has no sympathy for either Rafe or Guy. But he has a keen
nose for business and his instincts tell him there is money to be made out
of this.

Lionel knows it would very easy to make Rafe disappear. Given his nefarious
contacts within the slave trade all things are possible. For a sizeable
fee, he could organize for Rafe and Norge to be secretly taken out of the
country and sold in some foreign slave-market where the circumstances of
Rafe's enslavement would be of no interest.

Why, this happens all the time. It wouldn't be the first time that Lionel
Schuster has assisted someone in getting rid of an unwanted family member
or a business rival. Of course, such activities are illegal but handled
correctly there is no risk involved and over the years, they have proved
very profitable. The "clients" have always been willing to pay a premium
service fee to be rid of someone who they see as a threat to their
wellbeing. And it would seem this is now the situation with Guy Maratier.

Lionel has the solution to Guy's problem and he could shorten their
discussion by telling him of the options open to him. But Lionel isn't in
any hurry to tell them to Guy. He is enjoying Guy's discomfiture, his
furtiveness, the perspiration beading on his brow, the nervous twitching at
the corners of his mouth and the evasive hinting for a solution to his
"problem with Rafe" all add to Lionel Schuster's intense satisfaction.  No,
he'll not make it easy for this arrogant man who'd normally not bid him the
time of the day. Lionel decides he'll let Guy squirm for a bit longer.

"Mr Maratier, if both the quarries and the mines are out of the question,
then I don't know how I can help you. What would you have me do?"

"I'd like your help in getting my two slaves out of the country to some
place where they'd be sold and with no chance of ever returning home."

"I can do that. The exporting of slaves isn't illegal but it is very time
consuming. As the owner of the two slaves to be exported you'd need to
apply for permission to do so. But it's not a quick process. The slaves
have to be medically examined and quarantined before they can leave the
country; that's part of our international obligation with the import and
export of slaves.  And that is what takes the time, I'm afraid. And then
there are the export duties to be paid at this end and the import fees
payable at the country of destination and these do add up to a considerable
sum."

"Money isn't the issue here. It's the time factor.  How long does all that
take?"

"If you're lucky, it could take from four to five weeks. But sometimes it
can take two months before you're given an export permit."

"That long!" Guy's exclaims in dismay. "I was hoping for something quicker
than that."

"I'm sorry, Mr Maratier!" Lionel is taking malicious pleasure in this
exchange. "But the bureaucracy works very slowly on these matters and I'm
afraid there's no way you can expedite the process."

"Can we bypass the system, Mr Schuster?"

"I'm not sure that I'm following you, Mr Maratier! What are you
suggesting?"

"I'm asking if there I any way that I can hurry along the process of simply
making Rafe disappear. As I said money isn't a problem."

Lionel is enjoying being obtuse and ignores Guy Maratier's less that subtle
hint that he assists him in making Rafe disappear. He decides he'll prolong
the discussion for a while longer before offering his suggestions.

"Offering a bribe to an official to get a favourable decision isn't
something I'd be a party to Mr Maratier. Bribing a Government official is a
serious offence and carries a stiff penalty if you are caught. I'd strongly
recommend against it."

"I wasn't suggesting that! I was wondering if there's some way we can
circumvent the system and simply spirit Rafe and Norge away without and
questions being asked."

"Again, what you ask is illegal!"

Guy Maratier is becoming impatient with the slave dealer's evasiveness but
in his own interests he holds back from any form of confrontation.  He'd
never been fond of the man - in fact he can barely tolerate the odious
slaver and it would be very easy to cross swords with him - but he needs
the services of Lionel Schuster and so he must be civil at the very
least. He desperately needs Lionel Schuster's help in ridding himself of
Rafe.

"Mr Schuster, I remember when you procured a special order for me over two
years ago it was on the condition that I asked no questions. I was thinking
that we could come to a similar arrangement with Rafe and Norge."

Lionel Schuster is taken by surprise and racks his brain to recall the
special order that Guy is referring to.  Guy said it happened over two
years ago; a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then and there
have been many special orders in the intervening years. Try as he might he
can't recall that particular special order but he's aware that Guy is
calling his bluff by mentioning it. Guy has reminded him that he's not
averse to breaking the law when it's in his interests to do so. However, he
needs to refresh his memory and asks.

"I'm sorry Mr Maratier! I can't recall to what you're referring. Please
refresh my memory."

"Well I asked you about the availability of identical twin brothers to act
as bearers for my grandmother's new litter. You told me twins very seldom
came on the market and that it's doubtful I would find what I was looking
for. But to cut to the chase you also said you could place a special order
for such a pair."

"Ahh yes, I do recall those two! From memory they were flawlessly matched
and quite expensive."

"They were more than expensive. They cost me a small fortune but worth
every cent. For a short time, they served my grandmother well as her
litter-bearers and gave her much pleasure."

"However, I'm sure I would have warned you of their cost before I placed
the order for them, Mr Maratier."

"Yes you did! But I told you the expense wasn't an issue. You may recall, I
also promised you a sizeable bonus if you found me the right pair."

"Indeed you did. Mr Maratier!"

Lionel Schuster now remembers at the time he'd deliberately overstated the
difficulty of finding identical twin brothers and had over inflated the
costs involved in obtaining them.  Mind you, they weren't that easy to come
by; he'd found it necessary to bribe scouts to travel widely looking for
likely candidates and then when they were found to pay a high fee to
facilitate their disappearance. Once found, they were spirited away and
kept hidden as their new brands healed; fresh brands would certainly raise
suspicions as the two new slaves loudly protested their loss of freedom. As
their brands healed the two slaves' time was well spent. Counterfeit
documentation was prepared showing they'd been born into slavery and they
were trained in the rudiments of slave conduct and introduced to slave
discipline. And all this had added considerably to their overall cost.

Nevertheless, Lionel had certainly overstated those costs and had made a
large profit on the deal. And this was before Guy Maratier had given him
the promised bonus for his troubles.  Yes, he had to admit that Guy had
been most generous. How then to turn this present situation to his
financial advantage?

"Could I add that money in obtaining those two slaves was of no consequence
to me and similarly it won't be in facilitating the secret disappearances
of Rafe and Norge? I will spare no expense in achieving this and indeed I
will pay a most generous bonus to the facilitator who spirits them away out
of my sight and out of the public's mind. Whoever that is will find me most
generous in showing my gratitude."

Hearing these words, which appeal to his greed, Lionel Schuster's avarice
gets the better of him. No longer does he feel the need to bandy words with
Guy Maratier. The time for that is over. With the promise of an unlimited
expense account and a fat bonus payable once the two slaves have
disappeared overcomes his need for "payback."

"Mr Maratier, an idea comes to mind as to how we can solve your problem
with Rafe.  Ideally, what we could do is to bribe a trader to take your two
slaves out of the country without going through the red tape I mentioned
earlier."

"And how do we do that?"

"It can be done very simply! We could find a slave-trader who has the
necessary permits for a shipment of slaves he is exporting to some place or
another and bribe him - no questions asked - to substitute your two for two
of his slaves once they have been cleared by the Customs Authority."

"Will it work, Mr Schuster? It all sounds too easy!"

"I don't see why not! But it won't come cheaply. It will be expensive."

"Hang the expense, Mr Schuster! I don't care what it costs. Just rid me of
Rafe and Norge and you can name your own price."

Within the secret confines of his rat-cunning nature, Lionel Schuster
determines it will indeed cost Guy Maratier dearly. But then the man is
obscenely rich and can well afford the costs - and much more - involved in
spiriting his two troublesome slaves out of the country.

"Then let me see what I can do for you. Mr Maratier. But I suggest you
don't mention this to anyone else. You haven't done so have you?"

"No!" Guy's answer is evasive and hides the fact that he has already
discussed this matter with Simon Barrow. Still he trusts Simon - more than
he does the Lionel Schuster - and feels he doesn't have to explain this to
the slaver.

"That's good! And let's keep it that way. And it's imperative that the two
slaves know nothing of this. We don't want to spook them into running away
do we? Inevitably, they would be recaptured but during court questioning
under duress as to why they tried to escape they could reveal our little
scheme. Secrecy is of the utmost importance, Mr Maratier!"

"Indeed it is Mr Schuster. How lucky I am to have you to fall back on to
solve my problem. I am eternally grateful to you."


To be continued.....