The Lusted Argonian Maid, Part III

ct III: in the mistress's room; in Saint-Delyn plaza; in the Black Shalk Cornerclub.

Scene I (Crantius Colto; The Mistress)

(Crantius Colto comes in; The Mistress is combing her hair)

Crantius Colto (grinning): My lady, your husband has prayed me to excuse him for this evening. He will be in Ebonheart where a friend of mine is waiting for him. An urgent matter, he said.

The Mistress: Let's hope that my husband will be ever so eager to our financial well-being and to save the dowry I brought to him! We'll see together to my physical well-being.

Crantius Colto (his grin widens): Yes, we'll free him from his other conjugal duties, my lady (he kisses her hand). I hope to find you as immodest as ever.

The Mistress: Do not fear, good-willed assistant of my husband, Dibella will help me as always... And Mara will not look... as always...

Crantius Colto (suddenly short of breath, with a raucous voice): Then, is my lady right when she makes a Divine wait by dressing her hair so? Gods are impatient, you know that.

The Mistress: Dibella is a woman. She knows the virtue of patience, believe you me. The frenzy of our desire will only be more powerful, dear friend.

Crantius Colto (pretending he's disappointed): Alas, my lady, I know your husband to be quick in whatever he makes, in business or at home... We would risk not to have enough time to accomplish his duties. So, if I may be so bold as to suggest something that will please you, I hope...

The Mistress: Your imagination in these matters always delights me. Suggest, suggest.

Crantius Colto: Well... I have watched with increasing interest your slave, Lifts-Her-Tail. I think that you remember how much she has helped us in past times (the Mistress nods). Five years ago, she was only twelve but her figure was already stunning. Now that she has grown into a woman, or an Argonian if you prefer, her beauty is bewitching. And your husband has allowed me to do whatever I want with her. Would it not be fun, my lady, to share this {[sic|favour|favor|description=British spelling}} that your husband does to me?

The Mistress: My dear, either you have lost your sense, or you are telling me poorly that you don't love me any more.

Crantius Colto: Goodness no, my lady (his voice becomes sensual)! Please, do imagine us, three instead of two, imagine the pleasure... My lady, I have already seen you peeping at this slave with a strange light in your eyes... Vile concupiscence? No, I call that desire, pure and unadorned. You dream of her, you long to hold her tight and to press your burning lips against hers, which are frosty, to warm her cold-blooded body with yours, which is full of life and love. But you are still hesitating, my lady? Modesty reaching you at last? Dibella is not good for you any more, you turn back to Dibella? Then I'm nothing to you, I draw back and you will never hear of me again for I would disturb you by staying here. Or... Is it a ruse to keep her for you alone? Hadn't we promised to share all things? Was I not honoring this promise myself in suggesting to have Lifts-Her-Tail together rather than keep her egoistically for me?

The Mistress (short of breath): No, dear stallion of my nightly rides, no, don't leave! I confess, I have lusted for this slave, and punished her to have inspired me such a desire! Go and bring her, so that we share her!

(Exeunt omnes)

Scene II (The Priest; a Twin Lamps member)

The Abolitionist: Your plan is most risky, father... To attack a guarded manor mid-Vivec? And how should we do that? Please be so kind as to explain me how not to be butchered, the whole lot of us.

The Priest (his hands shaking): I have no idea, truth be told... Have you not some skilled illusionists among you, mages who could hide you from the Ordinators?

The Abolitionist: We have some. But our last raid was a total disaster, thanks to suggestions like yours. One of them is between life and death, another has been left half-mad from a nasty jinx and the third and last one is trying to heal them. I am afraid that I can not acquiesce to your request, father. Can't you pray your gods so that they would   you?

The Priest (spitting his words): Only Dibella and her lust live in this house, and the mistress of this frightening place "prays" to her in her own way too much: my words to the gods would be useless.

The Abolitionist: Then it looks to me that your chances of success are thin...

The Priest: "Yours"? You would fail us when we placed all our trust in you? What is your freeing-every-slave oath worth? Have you no more feelings that the masters who trade and offer...

The Abolitionist: Father, all is not as simple as you seem to believe it. Berel Sala tolerates us because he has other things to do than to listen to one or two angry Telvannis and the Camonna Tong keeps its foul mouth shut inside Vivec. Yet, if we take a wrong step, if we raid in Vivec, he will go after us even if we hide among the Corprus stalkers in Red Mountain!

The Priest: Buy this poor Lifts-Her-Tail and free her, then! Eight and One, wouldn't you make that at least?

The Abolitionist: Neither that nor lending you money to do such a thing. This is simply not our way... But we wish you to succeed and...

The Priest: Blast you and your wishes! You will not come, that is enough. Don't you dare to mock me when you are the coward who will not help! I shouldn't have come. It would have spared me cruel disappointment on the nature of humans' soul!

(Exeunt omnes)

Scene III (Lifts-Her-Tail; a Thief)

The Thief: We don't let slaves join the Guild. We have a strict policy on that: we do not wish to be turned in during a robbery because a spy give us away.

Lifts-Her-Tail: Tomorrow, I won't be a slave anymore. My masters have loosened their watch on me lately and the Twin Lamps will come for me this night.

The Thief: It won't work either. We refuse to have any business with this... organization. We are at war, do you understand? The Camonna Tong is pressing hard on us. It's hard enough to keep up with them without giving them a legal means to fight us.

Lifts-Her-Tail: Think twice, thief, my friend (the Thief makes a gesture to lower her voice). Tonight, Crantius Colto is sleeping in the house where I live, and he won't be in the guestroom, if you catch my meaning. It would be easy for me to go through his goods while you're... searching his home. Is this piece of information not interesting enough to allow me to join your Guild?

The Thief: Crantius Colto? The foreign quarter's administrator?

Lifts-Her-Tail: Himself. The most wealthy Crantius Colto. Him, whose chests have no more locks 'cause they burst open 'cause there is too much gold stuffed in them! Him, that even the Ordinators dare not cross! And who will not be able to warn them tomorrow of the little robbery of yours if all go according to my plans?

The Thief: Which are?

Lifts-Her-Tail: His fortuitous kidnapping by the Twin Lamps who will have mistaken him for my master. After all, the one who lies in my mistress' bed must be my owner, mustn't he?

The Thief (grinning): And you think, dear partner, that you'll be able to bring us some of his most precious jewels that he always keeps close on him.

Lifts-Her-Tail: What I think, dear partner, is that when he sees me, cleaning his room with my broom, I could rip his family jewels off of without him noticing it.

The Thief: Let's drink to this deal, then, and to your providential  ! And to your hiring into the Guild! Just what we needed to fund and refound the Bal Molagmer!

Lifts-Her-Tail: Amen to that! Cheers, partner!

(The curtain drops)