Exit to Eden by Anne Rice Page B

rare offenses," the trainer said. "More common, as you see from this little display here, is pride. Obstinance, the impulsive rebellion, with which we must be concerned here today. Five disobedient slaves who have thoroughly disgraced themselves before their true service has even begun."
    As he stopped once more, staring from one to the other of us, I saw a large metal rack being wheeled forward. A really ugly-looking thing. It was a white platform on heavy casters with thick steel rods rising at both ends to support a long high bar from end to end. It wasn't too different from a clothing rack used to move coats on hangers around a store. Only it wasn't meant for clothing. The rods were too high and too strong, and the hooks affixed to the overhead bar too large.
    The trainer glanced at it, and moved to the first of the punished slaves on my right.
    "Jessica," he said quickly. "Disobedient, fearful, cowering, trying to scramble away from those who examined her!" he said with a dry echo of scorn. I heard the whimpering again. "Five days in the kitchen, scouring pots and pans on her knees, the plaything of the kitchen staff, should give her some appreciation of her true purpose." He snapped his fingers, and there was a flurry of movement, the loud moaning of the slave.
    In an instant I saw her, upside down, being held high, her hair streaming, as white leather cuffs were buckled around her ankles and by the lacing between them she was hung from the hook.
    That cannot happen to me, being hung upside down like that! But guess what, it's about to happen. And you don't have to do anything this time. Just stand still and wait. Across her back very quickly was written the word kitchen in a rather ornate hand.
    The next slave was already being condemned: "Eric, for obstinancy, reluctance to obey his handler's simplest commands. I should think five days in the stables grooming the horses, and being the horse of the grooms should do it," said the trainer, and then the spectacle in the corner of my eye of the powerful male slave being lifted just as easily as the woman, and hung by his shackled ankles from the rack.
    My heartbeat was registering the predicament perfectly. Yes sir, they are going to hang you upside down like that within a couple of seconds, and then what? Five days beyond the pale! Oh, no, time to call home. Circuits overloading. Faulty equipment. Fuse about to blow.
    "Eleanor, willful, independent, very proud, positively surly to the guests." And a blond already gagged with black leather was quickly carried by her ankles past me. "Five days in the laundry, a good education in washing and ironing," said the trainer as the appropriate word was quickly scribbled across her pretty back.
    My head was teeming. There was one more slave next to me. Kitchen, stables, aaahh. No, this isn't going to happen. Rewrite the script.
    I saw that woman trainer again to my left. Perfume. Click of those delicate little heels.
    "Gregory," the red-haired trainer announced, "very young, very foolish, and very reckless, a crime more of clumsiness and nervousness I think than any other…"
    The slave moaned supplicatingly, without the slightest restraint.
    "Five days service with the maids should do it, cure some of that nervousness, a good workout with mops and brooms."
    I stood alone now, watching the bronzed Gregory, his hair a close cap of black curls, quickly hung upside down from the bar.
    Obediently he kept his hands in place as did some of the others, the disobedient Eleanor writhing frantically despite or because of the repeated blows of the belt.
    "Elliott," said the trainer, as he stood beside me. I felt his hand quite suddenly under my chin. "Proud, willfull, a little too much of an individual for the tastes of his mistresses and masters, I should say."
    It was unendurable. I thought I heard the son of a bitch laugh.
    But from behind me I heard the woman's voice.
    "Richard, I want this one," she said under her breath.
    All systems on