The Fall of Charlotte Richards

A Devils Paw Story

© 2013 Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Chapter Eight

An hour later Martha Morton found herself sitting in a rather plain cabin dominated not by furniture, but paintings of a quality she would be delighted to display in her private mansion. As to why she was here, she had been approached by one of the ships security women, a rather delicate looking Nipponese shorthair feline who had handed her a sealed envelope. She was expected to appear in the ship owners presence in ten minutes.

“But what of my niece?” she had asked, abruptly very much worried about the minks safety. In answer another mink had stepped forward, she was dressed elegantly in the ships Officers uniform.

“I am Yafit” she answered in a delicate voice. “I am Night Watch, I will be caring for your niece until you have finished here.” She bowed slightly, a habit that had become common due to four crew members being from Nippon, or their parents. Yafit then stepped out of the room to care for the mink who was waiting outside, one of the ships security watching over her.

“Elegantly played” the collie admitted as she turned her attention back to the slightly younger mouse across from her. “I will of course vanish? Thrown overboard to drown while my innocent young niece becomes a plaything for this ship?”

Penny stood, now looking down at the sitting hound. “That is a possibility, Yafit is lonely since Violet broke up with her.” She walked around the desk, to sit upon its edge. “It is not though what I intend. What is going on, why are you both so frightened?”

Martha looked first to the mouse in front of her, then to the bound vixen sitting quite comfortable on the floor beside a seated Nipponese feline, the calico marked woman lightly holding a gold plaited chain leash that went to a heave collar on the vixens neck. The vixen she noted was not gagged yet seemed at ease with her situation, perhaps even enjoying it.

“Charlotte will become like that one?” the collie asked after returning her attention to the ships owner. “A toy for one of your crew, nothing but a plaything to be used then discarded when she is no longer attractive, or a prettier woman comes around?”

Calico giggled, only a few notes still enough that those present knew she found the hounds words funny.

“Or you” Penny agreed, “If that is what you want. Miss Morton, I am not going to ask about your personal life, I honestly do not care. What I will tell you is that Calico, the feline holding the hounds leash, is my wife. That vixen has submitted to her because she is in love with her, I only allow them to do this while the black pennant is flying and then only when Linda hasn’t any work.” She turned to her wife, “Calico, will you please allow your pet to speak?”

Calico nodded yes, then reached down to unlatch the vixens chain. “Tell her” she said softly.

Linda nodded, looking Martha directly in the eyes. “I had been looking for one to rule me since I was eleven” she explained. “When I met Calico I fell in love with her. Granted, it was when her teeth were biting into my neck, she would have killed me had not Penny ordered her to stop. It was though enough that I knew, and knowing I was lost.” She smiled then, “I will die for her if I have to, I will travel to England and live with these two the rest of my life, even if that life is in a kennel treated as a mindless dog. I love her, I am not a prisoner.”

“You have been impressed” Martha noted. “I have seen it before but never feline superior.” She turned then to Penny, looking the mouse over carefully. “How do you think you know that I am worried? I have much looked forward to this cruise after all as it is allowing me to expose my niece to reality, not the Churches version of it. She has vexed me greatly with her ‘sex is to create pups, then never to be experienced again’ attitude. Unless I can break that she will run her future husband away within months, maybe sooner and he will take her fortune with him. I have failed my sister and her husband, they trusted me to raise their daughter in a worldly manner, instead I allowed the Church and a child loving priest to ruin her. I managed to keep her from that bears bed but not from his ideology. Now I intend to rectify that mistake, my sister broke her marriage bed, I intend that Charlotte do the same, not lie there light a Church bound putty doll.”

“Thus the Anne Bonny play, you are aware that she will be used fully, she will not be intact for a future husband?” Linda asked.

Turning to the vixen Martha smiled, “There is no way to determine if a mink has been used other that childbirth and her own word Linda, I thought you might know that. Charlotte will not lie when asked if she is pure as no male will touch her will they, and other women never count correct?”

“Which Church” the vixen asked.

“Roman Catholic” the hound answered.

“No, women have no value to that church” the vixen agreed, “Other than for children. I myself am Southern Baptist, at least we agree that women have some rights.”

“And you Calico?” Martha asked gently.

“Buddhist and Shinto” the Asian feline answered easily. “My nation such normal.”

Almost afraid to ask the hound turned to her rodent hostess with the question on her lips only to be stopped by the mouses raised hand. “I am a witch” Penny explained. “I bow my head to Diana.”

“I am sorely outnumbered” Martha admitted. “Such an eclectic mix you have.”

“We have several Jews, a follower of Odin” Penny agreed, “Two of the Amerindian Great Spirit, watch those they tend to speak to Coyote now and then, great tricksters and one follower of Danu with is odd, as the woman I am speaking of is Scottish not Irish. Then what can I say, I am English not Greek.”

“It must make Sundays interesting” the hound admitted. “Still that is not why I am here, you asked why I was fearful and as you have been more than honest with me I will answer. One of my brothers private investigators is aboard, with a very pretty afghan on his arm. They were not aboard the Flyer, I am most certain of that.”

“Calico, please have Rose come here and bring her passenger book if she will” Penny instructed. As the feline left, departing without her pet Penny thought for a few minutes. “Normally it is a male I am speaking to about intervention” she abruptly announced, not looking at anyone. “Women alone are prey for whomever desires them, that two would be in danger aboard this ship is not acceptable. Martha, is this man a Pinkerton agent?”

Martha stood, walking closer to the mouse. “No Penny, he is a private agent working alone. I know for a fact that my brother uses him when he wishes something very illegal done, or as witness that his orders have been fully carried out. I am to dispose of my niece in such a manner that she will never return to Washington, the slave pens of Habana were very heavily stressed.”

“Slave pens that you yourself might vanish within” the English mouse noted. She turned to face the woman now only feet away from her, “Before you try, I am not interested in hounds” Penny warned, “Or human males, please sit agin if you will.” She waited until the hound was again seated. “Linda?”

Linda looked at the sitting hound, unable to use her hands as her arms were bound tightly behind her it was difficult for the vixen to stand, still she managed it with surprising ease. Walking over to the seated hound she studied the still naked collie. “Eight thousand, ten on a very good day” she announced, turning to face her rodent friend. “The mink? Minks are not liked in Cuba, she would at best bring six thousand and that only because of her innocence and youth.”

Linda turned her attention back on the collie, “I am a slave dealer” she explained. “It is my profession when I am not restrained by Calico. What I say is the truth, you would end up in the docks whore houses, your vocal cords cut so that you cannot beg for help. Your niece up in the mountains, most likely a servant to a plantation owner. With her cultured voice she might retain it, but that depends upon what her owner will want her for. Certainly neither of you would ever see America again.”

Ice water ran through the collies veins at those words, she turned to Penny only to see the mouse nod yes. “As long as she keeps Calico’s love I allow it, once Calico finds he no longer amusing I will personally bind an anchor to her feet and push her off the stern myself. It is my wife she has fallen in love with after all.”

“Then this is a slave ship?” Martha asked, her heart falling to a dark pit in her stomach.”

Linda laughed then. “This is a pleasure ship for the very rich to play on, we even have our own dungeon for them to use. No Miss Morton this is not a slave ship, there are no holds filled with bound sentient’s awaiting delivery to some forgotten island. I am not a slave, I simply lost myself to a woman who likes binding and being bound.”

“That is all true Miss Morton” Penny agreed, “Though I do not like binding my Calico it is something she needs. As to your charge of a slave ship, I will assign one of my family to guide you through all the nooks and crannies of our home, then you will be certain that this is no slave ship. Now again I ask, what are your plans with your niece and how may we aid you?”