Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 20:23:51 EST
From: Tommyhawk1@aol.com
Subject: Secret of the Turtle Men, Chapter 16

		   SECRET OF THE TURTLE MEN, CHAPTER 16
			    "The Secret Trade"
			   By Tommyhawk1@AOL.COM

     Pavel spent quite some time resting with Jethro and Pelen in the main
chamber.  From time to time, Djinni would enter their room, like gigantic
wasps in searching flight, select some of the occupants by some unobvious
manner, and take them away.  As they were always in groups of three, the
purpose was easy to guess.
     Pavel saw what Jethro meant about the human prisoners here.  No
protest or evasions arose over this treatment, either at being chosen or
having their games interrupted.  Jethro was right, these men had all given
up.  He didn't blame them; their plight seemed hopeless.
     He was surprised by a small group of men, who seemed to be neither
Arabic nor Connobaran, they were eating what appeared to be proper food.
     "How did they get that food?" He asked one of his "subjects."
     "Oh, Sultan, we would give you food if we had anything to trade for
it." the man replied.  "We are without anything but the clothes on our
bodies, but if you wish it, we will go and attempt to barter them for some
of their food."
     "No, no, of course not." Pavel said.
     "You are generous, Oh, Sultan." the man replied.
     Jethro chuckled.  "A man could get used to such treatment, eh, Pavel?"
     Pavel laid a hand on the arm of the Arab man, who would have replied
angrily.  "I only wished to know how they obtained it." he said gently.
     "They have traded for it, and traded abominably." the man replied.
"They gave their bodies to those who bring trade items to the Djinni."
     "There are men who travel from here to outside of this valley?" Jethro
leaned forward.
     "I suspected as much." Pavel said.  He gestured about them.  "Where
else would they get all these things?"
     "The Djinni do see to our comfort somewhat." the Arab man said.  "If
we ask for a thing from the Sultan who owns us, sometimes they will agree
and provide it, especially if they are pleased with us.  But...."
     "I recognize one of those men!  He's from my valley!" Pavel burst out
angrily.
     Some are of your people." the Arab man agreed.  "But there are also
some who are of my people as well, and some who are strangers to me.  There
are many who would trade their bodies to obtain proper food, and every man
must have clothing to wear to cover his nakedness, and there are other
things a man needs to live.  There is no other way to obtain it, than
through these bandits."
     "These bandits, what do they do, get flown in by the Djinni?" Pavel
queried.
     "I know not." the Arab man said.  "My sovereign, do not think of
dealing with these men.  They are dishonorable creatures who would slit
your throat, and I am without even a knife to help defend you."
     "When will they be coming by again?" Pavel asked.  "These...these
bandit scum who trade with our enemies?"  A few words like an offended
Sultan seemed to be called for, and the Arab men with him seemed to take
heart from the fire he put into these words.
     "They will come as they do, every day, but they don't always come to
these quarters." Jassem interposed gently.  "Sometimes they stay the night
and then they will barter with us.  All we have to barter with them is sex,
which they will take when the night-wind lets in the pink mist.  To trade
my body for the sake of a few oranges...no, I will not do that.  The food
they give us is not that bad; I will get used to it."
     "But how would you barter with them?" Pelen asked Pavel.  "You gave
that Angel all your jewels."
     "Yes, but those jewels were only a minuscule fraction of the treasury
of Medina Jadeed.  Those jewels I gave away were only some, uh, traveling
money." Pavel said.  "And the bandits would only collect if they could
deliver us safely back to Medina Jadeed, and from there, I could bring help
to rescue all of you."
     "We are not worthy of such effort from you." the Arab man protested.
     These men wouldn't accept the simple philosophy he had grown up with
in Facilitata, to help others as they need it, in exchange for help when he
needed it, so Pavel said, "You are my people.  The duties of a king run
both ways.  If my people are not safe, I am not safe."
     "A leader must also not raise false hopes.  You forget the Djinni's
numbers." Jethro pointed out.  "How many men would have to die just to
rescue this handful of men?"
     "It is the reason help never comes." Jassem agreed.  "Attempts were
made at first, when we learned of the Djinni many years ago.  They would
drop rocks on our heads and we could not even reach them with our arrows in
return.  Many brave men died in those battles and none were rescued.  It
would be futile."
     "You forget I have one other weapon." Pavel said.  "The Ifriti.  If we
three can get out of here, maybe we can stop this traffic in human slaves
once and for all."
     "Would the Ifriti help us?" the Arab man asked, eyes wide.
     "The Ifriti need human help." Pavel said.  "They bargained with me to
trade service for service, flight over the mountains in exchange for care
for their eggs.  They could make the deal with the...with my people as
easily as with the lands to the east.  They treated me well as they could
while I was with them, and I was given the choice to stay or leave.  I
think they can be trusted to keep their word.  But their numbers are few
and their valley is small."
     "Still, a Djinni with a rock in his hands isn't in a good position to
fight, is he?" Jethro said, and grinned.
     "Let us think of how best to plan for the raid while we wait for the
villains to show themselves once more."  And so they conspired and planned
and strategized for the rest of the day.
     Pavel's part in it ended when an Arab man mentioned Mahmoud as "your
husband" to Pavel.  Soon after this, Pavel noticed that Pelen was fighting
back tears and gestured him apart.
     "Pelen, what is wrong?" he asked.
     "You are married already." Pelen said, still not sobbing, though a
lonely tear slipped down one lovely cheek.  "I did not know this.  You did
not tell me."
     "Uh, yeah, I guess I am." Pavel said.  "But Pelen...."
     "Then you cannot marry me.  I know these men take more than one mate,
but we of the Turtle Men do not." Pelen bit his lips.
     Pavel thought hard and fast.  "Pelen, let me ask you, do the Turtle
Men recognize a marriage brought about by force?"
     "No, of course not." Pelen said.
     "I was forced to marry Mahmoud." Pavel said and he told the entire
story.  "So you tell me whether or not I am married under Turtle law."
     "You...you must get a divorce." Pelen said.  "It would be easily
granted, I think."
     "If I had, Mahmoud would have lost his kingdom, and then when I left,
bloodshed would have followed.  So instead of divorcing him, I have left
Medina Jadeed with Mahmoud as my vizier, and didn't plan to return at all.
Now, I only go back to get help for all of us.  Pelen," Pavel put his hand
on Pelen's cheek and gently wiped away that errant tear with his index
finger's edge, "tell me what I have to do."
     "You need not do anything." Pelen said.  "You cannot marry me, that is
all."
     "I understand." Pavel said.  "But I'm still your friend, right?"
     "Yes." Pelen agreed.  "Always."
     "Then take my hand in friendship once more at least." Pavel reached
out and took Pelen's hand.
     Pelen took it, then rushed forward and embraced Pavel hard and the
tears now fell fast on Pavel's shoulder, and Pavel stood there and held him
while he cried himself out and was silent, and held him still for a long
time after, until Pelen himself pulled away and, dry-eyed and composed once
more, went back to rejoin their comrades.  Pavel looked after the lithe
body as it walked away from him.  Such a beautiful man!  And the gentle
heart attached to it....  Never able to marry Pelen.  No doubt about it; he
was disappointed!
     The "bandits" arrived later that same day.  Their leader reminded
Pavel of Mahmoud at their first meeting, save that this man was of
Caucasian ancestry, with light brown hair and a complexion somewhat
sunburned but fair.  He strode in with the self-assured arrogance of a
leader of the world.  His chest was bared by the buttonless open-fronted
white shirt he wore jauntily, merely tucked into a broad red sash from
which his sword also hung, glittering with silver fire, his face was clean
and handsome, his eyebrows were much darker brown and very heavy, his eyes
sunken somewhat, he grinned like a conqueror, and several men of this
chamber kowtowed to him eagerly.
     "Ho, subjects of the Djinni Queens, we come to stay the night, and we
bring gifts!  Come and present yourselves, so that I may take my choice.  I
have a large basket filled with the finest goods from Medina Jadeed's
markets, oranges, pears, bread baked in the oven, and a fully-cooked leg of
roasted lamb.  Come, join with me and you shall eat like a king for days
afterward."
     Then he frowned.  "Why do none of the Arabs come forward this night?
I bring the foods from your own people!"
     "You may take your pleasure with those that would consort with dogs!"
one of the Arab men said in a voice filled with fire.
     Pavel smiled.  No doubt about it, he had revived the fighting spirit
of this proud warrior people.  None of them went to the bandit leader,
though several were licking their lips and biting back the temptation
furiously.  Having sampled their regular fare, Pavel understood.
     "Is this the reception I get from you, Ismael?" the bandit leader said
in mock offense to the man.  "You were not so proud the last time I came
this way, you offered your body along with three others.  Are you angry
that I chose another that day?"  When Ismael didn't respond, he looked at
the cluster of dark-skinned proud men closely.  "You all stand there as
if...."  And then his eyes, questing about, found Pavel, obviously
recognized him at once.  "Well, what is this?  The new Sultan of Medina
Jadeed? The fair-skinned concubine who confounded the powerful Mahmoud and
turned him into a simple house-husband?  You are the Sultan Al-Fajr?"
     "I am." Pavel said.
     The man's response was to laugh uproariously, and the five men with
him laughed as well. "So, how the mighty have fallen!  From the harem of
Mahmoud to his throne, and now back into a harem once more."  The man
laughed some more, and then of a sudden grew thoughtful.  "Tell me, O most
powerful and great Sultan, before whom the stars bow and whom the winds
obey, the Lord of the world upon which you tread, would you be interested
in this basket of food in exchange for having my commoner cock stuck up
your royal ass for one night?"
     "I would deal with you, if your word is good." Pavel agreed.
     "Then here is the basket." the man said.  "Examine the goods, but be
quick about it, for the pink mist will soon enter and bathe all of us, and
you will not be so haughty then."
     "Not for the basket." Pavel said.  "For my escape, myself and my
friends." Pavel indicated Jethro and Pelen.  "Take us back to Medina Jadeed
and I will reach deep into the treasury there to repay you."
     The man stared, then laughed.  "So the mighty lord of earth and sky
must humble himself to deal with me.  I'm surprised you don't stamp your
foot and make the ground itself deliver you there."
     "My offer grows smaller the longer you laugh." Pavel said, trying to
be the Sultan he wasn't and never would be.  A stern countenance, a proud
lift of the chin, act like a king even if he wasn't!
     "Then let us bargain openly." the man said.  "The Djinni will not part
with their human captives for anything but more captives.  Whom of your
people should I drag here to redeem you?"
     "None of them." Pavel said sternly.  "Bring anyone here against his
will and I will punish you severely when I do escape."
     The man wasn't the least frightened by this.  "Well, I have other
resources." he said.  "The Queens are sensible creatures.  They'll sell
their own children for meat if I offered the right price."
     "Efram?" one of the men asked the bandit leader.
     "Huh?  Oh, certainly, go ahead and take your choices now."  He
gestured and his men spread out with their own smaller offerings to the men
who waited eagerly, more than willing after their long captivity to embrace
a scoundrel in exchange for food, or clean new clothing, which was what
they were being offered.
     The man came closer and Pavel admitted that had this body been
attached to a decent human being, he would be more than glad to embrace
him.  His chest was broad and strong, his body gave off a faint scent of
soap and clean water, and Pavel was painfully reminded of how long it had
been since he had properly bathed.  Days ago, back in the Angel city, and
he had been sweating a great deal since then.  The man's hips were narrow
and tight, thrust inside a black pair of pants that clung to those strong
thighs tenaciously, enhancing rather than obscuring his masculinity with a
proud bulge at his groin.  The high boots were black-stained leather, that
Pavel had never seen before save in the books from off the old ships.
"Where are you from?" He asked the man.  "Not Facilitata, nor Connobar, nor
the Turtle Valley, nor the Arab plains.  Who are you?"
     "There are more valleys of men here than the four you named." the man
said.  "I come from a small mountain valley north of here, and near
Connobar.  The life is rough, but we are stronger for that.  You should
come see it with me one day."
     "No, take me to Medina Jadeed." he said.  "Myself and my three
friends."
     "Why not all your subjects, O Sultan?" Efram mocked him.
     "I intend to come back for them." Pavel explained.  "With numbers
enough to rescue all of them."
     "Well, I know how to get you and your friends free of the Djinni.  But
what are you offering me in exchange?"
     "Treasure.  Jewels, as many as it takes."
     "How about my own weight in jewels?" the man asked semi-seriously.
     The treasury was large, but not that large.  "Shall we say the weight
of your sword instead?" Pavel countered.
     The man looked at Pavel and realized Pavel was serious.  "Agreed.  On
one condition."
     "What is that?" Pavel said.
     "I get you tonight." Efram said.  "I always wanted to fuck Mahmoud,
standing up there on his balcony so damned proud.  Wielding all of that
power.  Made me want to fuck a genuine Sultan.  Now's my chance."
     Pavel looked at that cruel face.  "And if I refuse?"
     "You will today, but there are other days." Efram said.  "I'll be back
here in two weeks' time and see if you have changed your mind.  You won't
get a better deal from any of the others."
     Two weeks.  At least twice more being stuck with one of the "blanks."
"Very well, on one condition of my own." Pavel said.
     "And what is that?"  Efram smiled at the moan of dismay from the Arab
men who had silently listened.
     Pavel pointed.  "Your basket, of course."
     Efram smiled and handed it to him.  "A small price to pay for a chance
to finally get me a piece of royal ass.  I'm going to look at you sitting
on that throne one day and know that butt has been fucked by me.  And I'm
going to laugh every time I think about it."  And he grinned meanly.
     Bearing the basket, which was pleasingly heavy, Pavel turned to the
Arab men.  "My sovereign, do not do this." one of them begged.  "It is
beneath you.  Please, choose one of us to take your place!"
     "You cannot.  And this has to be done." Pavel said.  He handed the man
the basket.  "Share this equally among my people.  As I said, duty between
a king and his subjects runs both ways.  Eat, and dream of your freedom
once more, for it shall be."
     "My Master." the man said with tears in his eyes.  "You truly deserve
my very life, and it is yours to command."
     Pavel said to Jethro and Pelen, "You'd better get some of that for
yourselves.  It's a long walk back to Medina Jadeed."  He then turned back
to the bandit.  "Do you know of a place here where we can be alone?" he
asked Efram.
     "You haven't been here long, have you?  We have our own quarters
waiting just beyond the pit of larvae.  Come with me, you luckiest of
Sultans." Efram said.  Pavel followed him into the room with the "blanks"
and Djinni lifted him up and beyond the pit and they were taken to an area
beyond, it held a niche, one of several, that inside had a bend in it
forming a small hallway, and beyond it a room and in that room, a solitary
bed.  Pavel stopped when he saw it, then walked to it resolutely.  "How do
you want me?" He said.
     "Resisting me." Efram said.  "I want you to fight back as I take off
your clothes.  I want to take you against your will.  You can pretend to
struggle, can't you?  I don't want a real fight, mind you, just enough to
make it interesting."
     "Yes." Pavel said.  "Yes, I can do that."
     "Good." Efram grabbed Pavel from behind and thrust him onto the bed.
Pavel's chest hit the bed, wresting an "oomph" out of him and Efram's hands
roughly pulled at his waistband.
     He must play the part, and play it well.  "No, please!" he begged, and
squirmed as if to get away.
     "Yeah, that's the way." Efram breathed, panting heavily and not from
exertion; Pavel could feel the thick cock in his pants, that now pressed
against his legs as Efram fell on top of him and pinned him in place.
     "No, let me go!" Pavel said firmly.  "Let me go!"  His arms were
grabbed and held behind him, partly by one hand and partly by the weight of
Efram's body, it strained Pavel's shoulders.  Damn, this guy wasn't being
gentle at all!  He was heaving like a beast, and Pavel lay still as Efram
pulled at his pants and then he felt the dry cock crawling over his
buttocks, the skin catching and scraping as it moved along.  "No!" He said
again, this time in genuine fear.  How rough would this man be?
     The cock pushed into him and Pavel groaned, first muffling it, then
giving it voice; he didn't have to pretend this pain, it was quite real,
though not as excruciating as he let it sound.
     "Ah, yeah!" Efram grunted.  He didn't pause, once his cock was inside
Pavel's ass, he began to fuck Pavel roughly, and waves of pain followed
each thrust of that cock into him.
     "No, no!" Pavel sobbed out.  He didn't have to be an actor here, this
hurt and he only had to exaggerate rather than pretend!  But he had to
endure it, just this once.  Lives depended upon it!
     So he groaned and gasped out as Efram rutted on top of him.  "Guh, uh,
uh, uh!" he grunted as this bandit leader plunge-fucked him, hard, damned
hard!  "Guh, oh, gah!"
     "Yeah, nice piece of ass!" Efram snarled at him.  "Lord of the people,
they bow and scrape in front of you, and your bodyguards there to make sure
we all kneel down, yeah, well, now you're just a piece of fucked butt,
aren't you?"
     "Oh, please!" Pavel groveled.  "Please let me up.  Please, it hurts!
Oh, ohhh!"  God, would this never be over?
     As if in response, his head, which he had lifted up, was grabbed by
his hair and he was shoved face down into the bedding, Efram's hand pushed
his face deep into the mattress.
     And now, curse it for the body-stealer that it was, the pink mist
entered this room.  Pavel felt it not as a faint familiar odor in his
nostrils, but as the tingle in his skin that crawled all over him.  Oh, no!
Not now!  Let it be over, first!
     His body awakened as the mist touched him.  His cock swelled though
pressed hard into the mattress, Efram atop him began to fuck him harder
than ever, he was now being pounded bodily into this bed, his butt no
longer ached him, but was more like an open strip of ravaged land that
anyone could plow.  And still he was fucked, on and on.
     Pavel groaned, now in lust.  He couldn't help it, even this violent
fuck was enough to drive his body into the realm of desire, he began to
give little hunches back against this rough molester, and Efram chuckled.
"Now you're getting into it, aren't you, Your Majesty?" he sneered.  "Like
this man's cock fucking your tight little ass, don't you?"
     "Uhh!" Pavel grunted.  Efram released his head and he said, "No!  Let
me go, damn you!  I'll have your head for this!  I'll cut it off and stick
it on a pole for everyone to spit on!"
     "Yeah!  Yeah!" Efram groaned.  THIS excited him.  Now he rutted
against Pavel with rampant lust, and Pavel's own body, fired by the mist
and ground nearly flat by the raunchy beast atop him, rendered him the
ultimate betrayal, orgasm crept like a spider up his spine and burrowed
into his brain.  His body suddenly lit up with raw life, he groaned, his
ass clenched on his ravager, and he squirted his juice into the mattress
beneath him, and Efram pounded his raw ass harshly once more, and with a
roar of sheer animal lechery, he burst his load into Pavel's butt with a
fiery burn that ignited his ass and made it sting with its salty coating of
jizz.
     Pavel, his own climax over, fell sobbing into the cushions, turned it
into sobs as if he were crying.  Give this bastard his jollies, and maybe
he just would stick that head on a pole before he was done!  For now, he
needed this scoundrel, this evil man, and he would use him as you would a
tiger in a cage, with all caution and care.
     Efram fell heavily onto him, lay there like a board loaded with
stones, his breath heaving onto Pavel's shoulder and blasting his ear with
hot steam and noise, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh!
     "Yeah, you were great." Efram said after a time.  "Got into it, didn't
you?"  And a rich chuckle pelted Pavel's ear.
     "The mist can make a man do anything." Pavel settled for saying.
     "Well, blame it if you want to." Efram pulled off of Pavel and stood
up, taking off his clothes.  "Now get some sleep.  I'll want you again well
before morning."
     Removing his clothes slowly, painfully (his ass burned anew with every
movement), Pavel finished and scooted over.  Efram crawled in with him and
put the covers over them both.  Pavel felt Efram's cock pressing against
his naked butt as Efram snuggled up to him, put a proprietary hand and arm
over him and whispered into his ear.  "Yeah, a nice warm body you have, O
mighty Sultan Al-Fajr, Lord of the Sky and Earth.  I definitely want you
again before sunrise.  So don't be surprised when my cock shoves itself
into you.  Better yet, be surprised and angry."
     "I won't be.  Rather, I will be." Pavel agreed, moaned inside himself.
Again?  Not again!
     If only he <I>were</I> the Lord of the Sky and Earth!  He could make
morning come more quickly!

			     END OF CHAPTER 16