Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:23:02 +0000 (UTC) From: Christian Debus Subject: "Master of River's Bend" Chapter 5 Gay Male / Interracial Master of River's Bend Plantation By Jean-Christophe Part Five "Unloading Luke's Luggage" Written by Jean-Christophe: January, 2015 A repository for my stories can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jean-Christophe_Stories "The characters and ideas contained in this story are products of the writer's imagination and bear no resemblance to actual persons or events. Please respect the integrity of the story and don't do any rewrites, make alterations or add another's artwork or pictures" Please consider donating: Nifty needs financial support to continue bringing these stories to their readers. If you'd like to help financially, please donate to http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Chapter 5: At his first sighting of River's Bend's imposing, colonial mansion, Luke gasps in astonishment. He'd caught glimpses of it through the trees as he'd traveled up from the river but as the carriage sweeps around the last bend and the house comes into full view, he is left momentarily speechless by its simple beauty and understated elegance. The house reminds Luke of an ancient Grecian temple with its gleaming white fa‡ade and its high Corinthian columns supporting the upper story and the roof. On the ground level a deep, shady verandah runs across the front and down two sides which is duplicated on the upper level by a correspondingly wide balcony. Double French windows open out onto both the verandah and the balcony and Luke can see silken brocade curtains gently billowing in the slight, summer breeze. The house sits amid six acres of landscaped grounds and a white painted post and rail fence marks out the perimeter of the gardens. It also serves as a delineation line between Massa Charles's private domain and the rest of the plantation. No slave can enter here unless summoned by Massa Charles. Punishment for doing so is mandatory and painful and involves a trip to the whipping post erected just behind the stables and adjacent to the slave cabins. Today, there are two slaves working in the gardens. They are busily employed hoeing the colorful flower beds and as the cart trundles through the two stone pillars marking the entry into the house grounds, both slaves turn and wave to Ptolemy who returns their greeting. Luke studies both slaves and notes that they are as alike as two peas in a pod. Obviously, these are the twin brothers, Horus and Osiris of whom Ptolemy had spoken of earlier. Both brothers are naked and this no longer bothers Luke; how quickly he is adjusting to conditions at River's Bend. In fact, Luke would be disappointed had it been otherwise as their lack of clothing allows him to gaze lustfully upon them and study their impressive physiques. And he's not disappointed. Both slaves are superb and he can understand Massa Charles's pride and pleasure in owning such beautiful specimens of young, white manhood. Each is the mirror image of the other. Like Ptolemy's, their deeply tanned bodies are smooth and hairless and he now knows that he too will soon lose his body hair. At the thought of this, a little shiver of anticipation ripples through him as he wonders who'll shave him. The day is hot and both Horus and Osiris are perspiring profusely. From his vantage point in the cart, Luke can see the sweat glistening on their sun burnished torsos and even as he watches, one of them - as yet he doesn't know one from the other - in an effort to cool down, straightens up and empties a wooden bucket of cold water over his head. Luke salivates at the sight of the water cascading down over the slave's broad chest and curvaceous ass to form a pool at his feet. Then doglike - much like a retriever hound emerging from a lake or a river - the slave vigorously shakes his body sending tiny, silver droplets of water spraying in all directions. Obviously refreshed, he resumes his work while the sun dries his body and the lustrous, black curls crowning his head. Ptolemy has noticed Luke's interest and comments. "Beautiful aren't they Luke? You can understand Massa's pride in owning them. But then Massa has exquisite taste in all things whether it is a slave or an 'objet d'art' which I suppose is what those two are really. Massa sees them as worthy adornments to his household." "Ptolemy, they seem very happy. They could be excused for being resentful because they'd been wrongfully enslaved." "Yes, they are happy now Luke. But that wasn't always the situation. When Massa first bought them they were resentful at losing their freedom. They were moody and uncooperative and gave Massa a few problems." "What happened, Ptolemy? What made them change?" "Why Massa, Luke. Massa trained them hard and painfully until they accepted their new status as his slaves. After Massa broke their spirits, they settled down and became docile and content as you can see." "You say Massa Charles trained them 'hard and painfully'. What did that involve?" "Luke it depended on the seriousness of their offence and Massa's mood. I recall Massa caned them many times. And I also remember he used the strap and the paddle to good effect." "What about the whip, Ptolemy? Were they ever whipped?" "No Luke, never! Massa wouldn't have risked scarring their backs with a whip. They are far too valuable. But there are other punishments just as effective as the whip. An ass paddling is something a slave fears almost as much as a whipping." "So Massa Charles doesn't whip his slaves as punishment?" "No, I never said that Luke. I said he wouldn't whip a valuable house slave and disfigure it. But field slaves are a different matter. If they offend Massa or his overseers then they are whipped without a second thought." "Ptolemy, you mentioned 'ass paddling'. What does that mean?" "Luke, it means a lot of pain for the slave being ass paddled. The slave is taken to the barn and strung up by his heels with his head just above the floor. Then his ass is struck with a thick, perforated, leather paddle and afterwards his ass is painted with pimentade to help it heal. In many ways the pimentade is worse than the paddling." "What is pimentade, Ptolemy?" "It's an astringent mixture of citrus juice, cayenne pepper, salt and ground chili peppers and it's guaranteed to add to the slave's suffering as well as cure him and leave his ass free of scars." "It sounds very cruel!" "Luke, it is. But I suppose you can say that about all punishments. None are pleasant for either the slave or its master but they are necessary to keep us in line." "Ptolemy, will Massa Charles punish me?" "If you anger or disappoint Massa, then of course he'll punish you, Luke. All slaves are punished at some stage." "Are you ever punished, Ptolemy?" "Yes Luke, Massa often has to punish me. And I fear I will be punished by Massa very shortly." "Why is that Ptolemy? What have you done to earn punishment? "Luke you heard Boss Edward admonish me and order me to tell Massa that he'd caught me wasting Massa's time, didn't you" "Yes I did," Luke answers incredulously, "and you'll be punished for that?" "Indeed I will Luke. I must tell Massa that I angered one of his overseers which is a punishable offence and Massa will have no other choice but to punish me. Massa's relationship with his overseers is built on mutual trust and to be seen to break that trust undermines the authority of his overseers. Even though I am close to Massa I can't expect any leniency from him. If Massa spared me it would appear to the overseers that he's taking my side rather than supporting them. Luke, I accept that Massa has to punish me." "But the overseer already punished you. He whipped you on the ass. Isn't that punishment enough?" "No Luke, two, light cuts of the whip across the ass isn't really punishment. That's merely a sign that an overseer was displeased with me for wasting Massa's time. And he put those stripes there so that Massa will notice them and ask me why my ass was whipped." "How will Massa Charles punish you, Ptolemy?" "Luke, I don't know. That is for Massa to decide." Luke lapses into silence as he considers Ptolemy's ready acceptance of his impending punishment. Expectantly, he looks around for the cart carrying his luggage but it is nowhere in sight. By rights, as an invited guest, it should be waiting at the front steps ready for a house slave to carry it indoors and up to his room. He looks for Nestor but, like the luggage, he too is nowhere in view. Then, to Luke's surprise, Ptolemy directs Kip past the front door and around to the rear entrance of the house. As they round the corner into the rear service yard, Luke sees the cart waiting with its load. The two slaves who'd hauled the cart up from the river stand submissively to one side with their feet apart, hands clasped behind their backs and their heads bowed. Nestor, by comparison, lounges in the shade of a building quaffing water. Luke is annoyed by Nestor's casual attitude; as Luke's slave he should be unloading the luggage rather than resting. As Ptolemy orders Kip to a halt, he tells Luke. "I'm sorry Luke, but we must enter through the back door. Massa doesn't allow slaves to use the front entrance unless it's part of their duties. At all other times, the house slaves must use the back entrance. And one other thing Luke. You will need to carry your own luggage indoors." "Indeed I won't, Ptolemy." Luke protests. "Why would I unload and carry my luggage indoors when I have my slave, Nestor to do that for me. That's why I brought him with me." "Luke, Luke," Ptolemy sighs in exasperation, "remember what I said earlier about Massa not allowing any Black to be a slave on River's Bend. I told you then that Massa will treat Nestor like a free man and an honored guest while he is here. It follows then that Nestor won't be waiting on you. You must carry your own bags up to the room that Massa has allocated for your use while you are here. But I will help you carry them upstairs and show you to your room." At Ptolemy's words, Luke's white arrogance resurfaces. He is mortified at the prospect of carrying his own baggage indoors. At home such a situation would never occur and the full implications of his decision to serve as a temporary slave hits home. From now on he must care for himself and even worse he will soon be a slave - albeit a voluntary one. Not for the first time since making his decision, Luke has second thoughts about becoming a slave. As he wrestles with his doubt, a voice within tells him that he has craved this for the past three years and now that his erotic fantasies are about to be realized he mustn't give way to indecision. Then, with a deep sigh of resignation, Luke sullenly begins to unload his luggage from the cart; albeit with bad grace. As Luke struggles to unload his heavy trunks from the cart, he looks around pleadingly for someone to assist him. However, no help is forthcoming. Ptolemy has disappeared indoors and the two, white slaves stand mute with their heads bowed. Infuriatingly, Nestor smirks as his erstwhile master struggles under the unaccustomed burden of fending for himself. Clearly Nestor is enjoying himself and his glee at Luke's discomfort is barely concealed. Obviously, Nestor knows that he's not to assist Luke who is unaware that Massa Charles had told Nestor of the true circumstances of River's Bend plantation back at the pier. Consequently, the slave knew of the situation even before his master. With difficulty, Luke does manage to unload both his trunks and the less heavy valises and as he stands beside them he wonders what to do next. Suddenly, Ptolemy reappears and dismisses both the cart slaves and Kip and instructs them to return the stables and resume their normal duties. He then turns to Nestor and for the first time he speaks to him. "Suh, if you'll come with me please, I'll show you to the morning room where you can wait for my Massa's return. I'm sure Massa won't keep you waiting too long. You'll be most comfortable there and I'll have Hapi, the cook serve you coffee and freshly baked biscuits. You must be hungry after your long journey, suh?" "I am hungry, boy! Coffee and hot biscuits sound just right to me." Nestor's reply is arrogant. "Lead on!" Briefly, Luke is left on his own as Ptolemy escorts Nestor into the house. However, Ptolemy's mention of coffee and biscuits is a welcome one and he looks forward to them after he has his luggage safely stored in his room. Ptolemy soon returns; he's obviously in a hurry to get Luke settled and he wastes no time in helping Luke carry his luggage indoors. On first entering the house, Luke finds himself in a narrow passageway at the end of which is a steep flight of wooden steps leading to the upper story. Luke is surprised by the utilitarian sparseness of the house's interior which is at variance with its grandiose exterior. The passage consists of plain, polished floorboards and, like the steps, they are uncovered. In a few minutes, Luke will learn that this is the house slaves' domain where Massa Charles seldom ventures and that his part of the house - reached through a discreet doorway concealed from his view - is much more eloquent and palatial. The delicious smell of cooking permeates this area and Luke can hear the banging and clattering of cooking utensils indicating that the kitchen is close by. The steepness and narrowness of the stairs make it difficult for Luke and Ptolemy as they struggle under the weight of the heavy trunk they are carrying. Luke curses his mother's extravagance in buying so many unnecessary clothes for his visit to River's Bend but finally they reach the upper landing where Ptolemy opens a door into a very different world. As Luke steps through the open door, he is confronted by a wide passageway covered with a deep plush carpet of rich burgundy which contrasts elegantly with the specially imported French, cream and gold embossed wall-paper. The intricately carved furniture is handmade from rich, red mahogany and the walls are adorned with gilt framed mirrors which, at night, would reflect the candlelight from the overhead, crystal chandeliers and their matching wall candelabra. Momentarily, Luke is rendered speechless; he has never seen such luxurious surroundings or rich furnishings even among the richest of his parents' family members or friends. But Ptolemy is in a hurry; he still has to prepare for Massa's lunch and he hasn't time to delay. He leads Luke to a door which opens into the bedroom that Massa has allocated for Luke's use during his stay. The room, like the passageway, overwhelms Luke with its richness. Luke's first reaction on entering the room is that it is huge when compared to his room at his parents' home. And it is far more luxurious - and yet understated - than he's been used to. The room is finished in tones of duck-egg blue and white and it is dominated by the biggest bed that Luke has ever seen or could have imagined. Excitedly, Luke crosses the floor to the open French windows and steps out through the silken curtains onto the broad balcony. The room is at the front of the house and looks out over the gardens where he sees the slave brothers - their naked bodies glistening in the bright sunlight - still at their labors. He looks down the sweeping driveway over the fields and the gangs of toiling slaves to the far distant river. Although screened from his view, Luke nevertheless catches glimpses of the river gleaming like molten metal through the thick bank of trees growing on its verge. The scene is magical! Suddenly, the stillness is shattered by the loud hoot of a ship's horn and a thick, black plume of sooty smoke rises above the river and stains the cloudless, blue sky. It signals that the cotton barges are loaded and ready for departure. Ptolemy becomes agitated by the riverboat's imminent departure and he tells Luke. "Quickly Luke! We must hurry. Massa will be returning shortly. We must fetch the rest of your luggage indoors and I need to be in position for Massa's arrival." As Luke follows Ptolemy from the room, he decides that the room more than meets all his expectations and that his stay at River's Bend will be most comfortable. And he decides it is in keeping with his status as the potential new heir to River's Bend Plantation. Then, fleetingly, he wonders - where will Nestor sleep? To be continued . . . . . .