Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2018 02:35:58 +0000 (UTC) From: Wombat Subject: 'The Old Valley Road Hotel #98' {Wombat} ( MM SciFi Anal Size Musc Biker ) [ 98 ! 100 ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Old Valley Road Hotel. By Wombat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Any constructive comments are appreciated. I'm at 'bungala_wombat@yahoo.com.au'. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Nifty Readers, If you enjoy this story or others on Nifty, please send a generous donation to Nifty.org at 'http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html' to help support and maintain this free service full of wonderful stories so it may continue to remain available to everyone. Thank you all, Wombat ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 7 - 'A Rainy Day' Part 38. ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ Part 98: Titanic Stokers ------------------------------------ Bear had written a number of songs. With his telepathic sense he discovered that Scott and Paul had discussed forming a band. His interest rekindled their interest. That attracted Hung and Abdullah. They had already indicated that if Scott and Paul formed a band, then they wanted to be in it. Gabriel was very interested too. He could sing and play the guitar. Trent could play a guitar as well. He wanted to be in too. Then Bat revealed that he could sing, play the bagpipes, harmonica and a guitar. He wanted to be counted in as well. There were two pianos in the old hotel, the old upright bar-room piano that Rory had got back more or less into tune but it still sounded well-used with a real bar piano sound. The other piano was Vera's splendid Boesendorfer grand piano in the ground floor reception room which Vera was willing to let the nascent band use. Ellis often played sonatas by Beethoven and Mozart on the grand piano, much to Vera's delight. He had recovered his piano skills. Scott brushed up his piano skills and developed an excellent musical ability. He also learnt to play the guitar. So did Paul who picked up piano skills as well. Both he and Scott acquired a wide-ranging repertoire of music. Vera enjoyed seeing the two big muscular men playing her piano. Scott and Paul treated her to piano duets as well. Scott delighted his mother and grandmother by playing classical piano works on his mother's Steinway grand piano. He remembered there was an electric digital keyboard synthesiser with twin manuals that had been sitting in the window of Crazy Dave's shop for about two years. He, Paul and Bear went around and tried it out. The keyboard turned out to be a good stage performance grade instrument complete with separate big loud speakers. It sounded great. Bear approved. Dave wanted to get rid of it. Scott made him an offer and bought it. The instrument was just what Scott needed in case he could not use one of the real pianos or maybe, they got a gig somewhere. Electric guitars and other instruments arrived from Mount Remarkable. Hung already had his drum kit. The guys started trying themselves out. Being telepathic, they made music together well. They synchronised easily and found they had a great sound. They sang the old favourites and tried out the songs that Bear had written. The question arose of the name for the band. What were they going to call themselves? Derek suggested the name 'The Lochinvar Stokers' after the stokers who all died when their ship the 'Lochinvar' went down in the nameless cyclone in the Indian Ocean in 1922. Scott thought it was a good idea but the other men had never heard of the 'Lochinvar'. They were not interested. Then Bat suggested the name 'Titanic Stokers'. Everybody had heard of the 'Titanic'. Most of the stokers died in the sinking. The band members agreed upon the name. Bear turned out to be a musical genius. He had this wonderful gift for writing great lyrics to splendid music. The band came together well. They practised often. They were happy with their sound. The publican of the Prince of Wales Hotel, John Barr, was looking for an act to liven up Saturday nights. With the approval of the other band members, Scott and Paul went around to the pub and offered the services of the band. John warned them that the Saturday night crowd could be rough but he said with a laugh that big strong fellows like Scott and Paul should be able to handle any problems. He took them on. The first Saturday night the Titanic Stokers band played there, they really made the pub rock. The band was loud and could be heard some distance away. Back-packers, tourists and locals drifted across from the Ringtail Possum Hotel and joined the crowd in the bar. Likewise, people wandered across High Street from the Lion and Unicorn Hotel. The bar was crowded. The audience loved Bear's fun happy song 'Serendipity'. The band had to repeat it three times. Bear's anthemic songs 'I'm a Retard' and 'Twelve Billion Marching Feet' were well appreciated. They had the audience stomping their feet with the music and repeats were demanded. Bear's songs 'The Wild Armies of the Night' and 'Werewolves' were powerful driving dramatic songs which really rocked the crowd. Vera had previously described them as being reminiscent of dramatic German lieder. Bear sang with a deep powerful bass voice. Paul had a powerful tenor voice that Vera described as a Heldentenor. In complete contrast was 'The Call of the Boobook Owl', a song that Gabriel sang which was the English version of a traditional Adnyamathanha song from the North Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The song had a graceful lilting melody based on the traditional tune. Gabriel's voice soared high into the counter-tenor range. His voice had an ethereal purity like the voice of an angel. The bar room became quiet except for Scott playing a quiet accompaniment on the electric keyboard. As part of the sound Scott used a drone that was a passable imitation of a didgeridoo. The band saw that many of the audience had wet faces, both men and women. Saturday night was a roaring success. The band had many songs to sing. The audience loved their performance. The gigs at the Prince of Wales Hotel continued. Other hotels too got the band to come and perform for their patrons. Madeleine Constable really liked being in Ringtail Springs. She was very happy there. She liked going to Saint Aidan's Anglican Church and she got on well with the people in the congregation. Her daughters liked living in the town too. Madeleine was working in the garden next to the police station when she mentioned to some of the Valley Road supermen that one thing lacking from Ringtail Springs was a decent coffee shop in the town. It would be nice to have a good coffee shop or cafe in the town where she could go with her new friends. To Madeleine, instant coffee was unacceptable and neither was Saunder's Cafe next to the supermarket. She considered that the cafe was sloppily run and it served very ordinary food and drinks. Matilda's Cafe in Gundagai was a bit too far away for a spur of the moment arrangement. Scott was aware of Madeleine's concerns. He was also aware that many of the gardeners and other people in Saint Aidan's Parish shared her concerns. However, Madeleine was the first to explicitly voice those concerns. Scott remembered the conversation between Mrs Willoughby-Wainthropp and Mrs Wright after Scott had rescued the little boy from beneath Mrs Willoughby-Wainthropp's Land Rover. Mrs Willoughby-Wainthropp had complained about the lack of a decent coffee shop in Ringtail Springs. Jessica knew Scott's thoughts. She informed Scott that she used to manage a cafe in Berri in South Australia until her husband was killed in a car crash. She volunteered to run the coffee shop if the project got off the ground. Trent suggested a shop in High Street but it was a little way away from the Denison Street intersection where were situated the supermarket, post office, police station, Prince of Wales Hotel and the Lion and Unicorn Hotel. The Ringtail Possum Hotel was opposite the shop on High Street. The shop had been vacant for many years. It was part of a deceased estate. Scott knew the shop. His father had mentioned that one of the councillors on the shire council had complained that the shop was shabby and falling into disrepair. The councillor had wanted Max as mayor to do something about it. Trent borrowed the keys from the real estate agent Ray Bennett who was trying to sell the shop. Ray was a friend of Trent's father. Trent, Scott, Derek and Jessica looked over the shop. They used their superhuman psychic senses to check it thoroughly. The building was basically sound but shabby with peeling paint. The shop was large. The main room was long with plenty of room for Jessica's ideas. It would need a lot of work to bring it up to a standard that Jessica found acceptable. It would not take long, however, for the supermen to do the work with their 'magic' powers. Derek made a low but fair offer through Ray. The offer was quickly accepted and Derek became the owner of the shop on behalf of the Valley Road Community. The supermen and superwomen started work. Marty and Red set to work out the front giving it a new coat of paint. Passing townspeople looked curiously at the two very muscular men stripped to the waist and wearing jeans and boots, one Aboriginal man and one red-headed man of obviously Celtic origin but well-tanned working together repainting the outside of the shop. The Valley Road Community decided to call the new cafe 'Jessica's Cafe'. Jessica was flattered. Chainsaw painted up a new sign with the cafe's name on it. He erected the sign at the front of the shop. Jessica had a lot of ideas. She wanted to base the cafe on the ones she had seen in Paris. She wanted booths for privacy and a long community table. The supermen and superwomen put fresh paint on the walls. They created booths upholstered in green polished leather with wooden partitions topped with glass along one of the long walls. Along the other long wall they created a long upholstered bench. They created chairs and square tables made of polished Australian oak. The tables could seat four but could be easily put together to seat more. Some of the tables were placed along the upholstered bench. The others were placed in no particular pattern around the cafe. Bear magicked up a very long table also made of polished Australian oak for the community table. It had eight legs and could seat thirty people. The square tables could be put against it to seat more. The superhumans acquired an excellent espresso machine to the satisfaction of Tony and Abdullah, both experienced baristas. They put in a kitchen of a high standard. They put in a display cabinet and a counter. The townspeople were curious about the new cafe appearing in High Street. Madeleine and the other gardeners of the Police Station Garden had advance notice of the cafe opening. Many people came for the opening of the cafe. Abdullah was the barista. Josephine and Pierre Boulanger created delectable pastries. Verity, Jodie, Morag, Wendy, Karen, Kate and Kylie prepared the meals. Scott, Spider, Paul, Trent, Charlie, Mark and Derek were the waiters for that day. People enjoyed the food and coffee. They gave Abdullah's coffee high praise. Likewise for the pastries and meals. Madeleine was delighted. The cafe became well patronised. Madeleine frequently came with her fellow gardeners and other parishioners. They took to sitting around one end of the long community table. They enjoyed being in the cafe. Many liked the Parisian feel of the cafe. Both Abdullah and Tony were the baristas. They trained up other members of the Valley Road Community to drive the coffee machines and make coffee to Abdullah's and Tony's exacting standards, coffee that people loved. Other members of the Valley Road Community took their turn working in the kitchen and as waiters. Paul became interested in cooking. He quickly acquired cooking skills sufficient to meet Jessica's high standards. As well, he liked cooking meals for the community in the kitchen of the old Valley Road hotel. As the days passed, people continued to come to the cafe. Not just the townspeople and local farmers but weekenders, tourists, backpackers and people passing through patronised the cafe. Some commented that the cafe would provide strong competition to Matilda's Cafe in Gundagai. Many supermen from the community on Valley Road joined the local brigade of the Rural Fire Service. They doubled the size of the brigade. The existing members very much appreciated having all the big strong men come and join them. They proved their worth when they put out a grassfire that threatened to destroy a farmer's wheat crop. Spider and Dustin one morning decided to ride their Harley-Davidsons to Batemans Bay on the coast of New South Wales. By this time Dustin had been admitted as a fully-fledged Roadknight. The 300 kilometre (200 mile) run would be a good cruise. They fanged at speed along the winding Brindabella Road through the Brindabella mountain range to Canberra. Superstick was a most useful ability. They rode through the capital without incident but the two big muscular Roadknights attracted plenty of attention. They both wore blue jeans with big black biker boots. They had on sleeveless denim jackets emblazoned on the back with the Roadknight insignia. The sleeveless jackets showed off their huge, thickly muscled arms. On their heads they wore open- face helmets with visors and sun-glasses. After Canberra they travelled on to Queanbeyan. From there they rode the Kings Highway through Bungendore and towns like Braidwood, Monga and Nelligen to Batemans Bay. In the seaside town they rode along the beach front. People stared at the two big bikers as they rode past. Spider and Dustin were looking for an old-style cafe on the beach front that still sold ice-cream sodas. Alex had recommended it. He had been there many years previously. The two men saw it. They parked their bikes out the front and walked inside. As they walked in, many people turned and stared at them. The two bikers picked up all kinds of thoughts, admiration, wonder, amazement. A few were scornful. Ahead they saw completely oblivious to the two bikers Cynthia McBride and Spider's former friend Corey Treloar. Corey was wearing his trademark white New York Yankees baseball cap and oversized sunglasses with bright yellow plastic frames. He had no shirt on. Cynthia and Corey were gazing into each other's eyes while drinking their Coca- Cola spider (Coca-Cola with a scoop of ice-cream) from the one container through two straws. Dustin: << That reminds me so much of me and Charmaine, my ex-wife, when we were that age. >> Spider: << That is so 1950s. >> << Hey! I'm not that old. I was born in 1967. >> << Nah, mate. You're just old-fashioned. >> Simon grinned as he put his arm around Dustin's shoulders. << Yeah! I grew up in Adelaide. >> They laughed. The two men breasted up to the counter and sat on two bar stools. Dustin ordered two spiders (lemonade in an aluminium milk-shake container with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream floating on the top). "A spider for Spider," commented Dustin to the girl serving them. She raised her eyebrow with a funny little smile. "Oh?" she asked. Dustin jerked his thumb in Spider's direction and said, "We call him Spider." "Oh," she laughed and looked at Spider appraisingly. "You're a bit big for Spider-Man. I can't see you swinging on a spider web." "Yeah. I got other means of getting around," replied Spider with a smile. "Like a motorbike?" "Yeah." While she was making their drinks, the girl aged in her late teens looked back and forth between Spider and Dustin trying to decide which one was better looking. They were both gorgeous. They were both stunning. They both had incredibly muscly builds. They were both beautiful blond men. She could not decide. She finished making the drinks and handed them to the two bikers. She continued talking to them. A couple came in with a small crying child. "Excuse I," muttered the girl. "I'd better go and see to this lot." The girl went. The two men continued with their drinks. They telepathically tagged Corey and Cynthia who had eyes only for each other. Corey and Cynthia still had not noticed the two big bikers enter the cafe. Spider and Dustin finished their drinks and moved towards the door. Cynthia and Corey had finished their drink. They were making loud slurping noises through their straws and giggling. The two bikers stopped at their table. "Good morning, Cynthia," said Spider. Cynthia gaped up at him fearfully. She had no trace of recognition. "Good morning, Corey," Spider continued. "Trent and I got your email telling us we are no longer your friends. I notice that you copied Cynthia in on the email." Corey realised who it was talking. "Ah... Er..." started Corey. "Sorry! No hard feelings?" "No, Corey. No hard feelings," replied Spider looking down at Corey. "It doesn't matter anymore. Trent and I have both moved on. We've both become Roadknights." "Oh... Er..." "Cynthia and Corey, this is my mate Dustin Dayling who's recently become a Roadknight too," Spider continued as he put his arm around Dustin's shoulders. He smiled and said, "I trained Dustin up as a Roadknight myself." He and Dustin smiled at one another. Spider continued, "Dustin, this is Miss Cynthia McBride and her boyfriend Mr Corey Treloar." Dustin fought down a laugh and said, "Pleased to meet you, Miss McBride, Mr Treloar." "It has worked out rather well for you two that your families have beachside residences almost next door to one another here in Batemans Bay," commented Spider. "It's no real surprise that you two got together." "Are you really Simon Webb?" asked Cynthia. "Yep," replied Spider. "You are so huge and muscly. You used to be so skinny, like all arms and legs." "Yep." "How come you got so big, Spider?" asked Corey. "I never seen such big muscles on a guy, except on Scott and his friend Derek on Christmas Eve. Scott's bloody huge too. How do you guys do it?" "Ruddy Scott and Derek!" exclaimed Cynthia. "They're really awful! Don't tell me you two are friends with Scott and Derek." "Yes, we are," replied both Spider and Dustin. "Oh!" was Cynthia's response. "Excuse me please, gentlemen," came a man's voice behind the two bikers. "I need to speak to Cynthia and Corey urgently." Simon turned around and extended his hand to the newcomer. "G'day Lockie," said Spider cheerfully. "Great to see you." "Er..." "Lockie, it's me, Spider Webb." Spider sent a mind glyph to aid recognition. "And this is my mate Dustin Dayling. Dustin, this is Lachlan McBride. He's Cynthia's older brother." Lachlan shook hands with both Spider and Dustin. He looked at Spider puzzled. "Blimey! It really is you, Spider!" he exclaimed. "But you're huge! You've got such big muscles. I hardly recognised you, you've changed so much but it's still you. Golly, I can't get over it!" Paul contacted Spider and Dustin by telepathy. He asked them to mention him to Lachlan. "Yeah, it's me alright. Oh, by the way Paul said if we're going to Batemans Bay and we happen to bump into you, to send you his regards. So, Lockie, Paul sends his regards." "Oh, thank you and tell him thanks from me. How is Mr Muscles?" "Even bigger and musclier than he was before. He's become a Roadknight too like Dustin and me. He's a fair big bigger than me too. And he's taller too." "Golly! He must be huge!" "He is." A faraway look came into Lachlan's eyes as he recalled his encounter with Paul on New Year's Eve and their conversation on New Year's Day. They had talked about having sex together. Lachlan was strongly attracted to Paul. He loved Paul's big muscles and it sounded like Spider was telling him that Paul had grown even bigger muscles. It sounded like Paul had become even bigger than the two spectacular mountains of muscle standing before him. He became lost in a wild sexual fantasy about being fucked by the huge muscleman that Paul would have become. Spider acquired a telepathic mind tag on Lachlan. "Lockie, what was so urgent?" asked Cynthia plaintively. "Oh shit! Sorry!" said Lachlan jerking out of his fantasy. "Er, yeah. Uncle Arthur and Aunt Millicent have come down from Sydney. Cyn and Corey, your presence is required right now by order of Mum and Dad. I've brought the car so I can get you back quickly." Lachlan looked at Corey and said, "You'd better get a shirt on, mate, and soon. Aunt Millicent doesn't approve of shirtless men. I can lend you a shirt. And I warn you. She's going to run you through her checklist to see if you're a suitable boy, like what school you went to, what university you're going to attend, your career goals, what does your father do, etcetera, etcetera. You're going to have to answer all her questions correctly or she'll fail you. She'll deem you unsuitable. Mind you, Cyn's not going to care." "Ruddy Aunt Millicent!" exclaimed Cynthia. "She's so awful! She's such a snob!" Spider and Dustin looked at one another and snorted with laughter. "Anyway, we'd better hop it like now," sighed Lachlan. "Sorry, fellas. Got to go. Duty calls. It's beaut to see you both. See you. Bye." Lachlan herded his sister and her boyfriend out the door. Dustin: << You can't help feeling a bit sorry for Corey. >> Spider laughed. << I don't. Not one bit! He deserves everything he's going to get. >> << You're a brutal bastard! >> They laughed and hugged one another. They went out arm-in-arm to their motorbikes. The time drew near for Paul to collect his parents from the Canberra Airport on their arrival back from New Zealand. Saint Aidan's Rectory had lain vacant but under the care of the protective deva Yang ever since Paul moved into the community in the Old Valley Road Hotel. Paul and Dustin rode around to the rectory on their motorbikes. Dustin knew from Paul of Paul's mother's exacting standards of tidiness. Inside the rectory, Paul thanked Yang for looking after the rectory and the church. He and Dustin summoned up a horde of fairies and pixies who removed what little dust there was and tidied up everywhere that was necessary. Paul's father's study was just dusted but otherwise left alone. Paul knew that his father had a place for everything and that his father ensured that everything was in its proper place. His father's collected sermons were still neatly stacked on the corner of the desk. The rectory was rendered perfectly tidy and spotless. Paul checked the phone answering machine for messages but there were none. For the first time since his parents went away, Paul thought of his brother Frank who was presumably still climbing mountains in Chile. He considered how he could acquire a telepathic tag on Frank but God assured him that Frank was fine and having an excellent adventure in Chile and Argentina. Frank would have many tales to tell. He would be home in time for the start of the university year. Paul discovered that he was now too big to drive his parents' Toyota Corolla comfortably. Instead Jessica lent him her Ford Falcon station wagon in which to pick up his parents. On the day, Paul arrived at Canberra Airport after the plane from New Zealand had landed. He had acquired telepathic tags on his parents so he was aware of their progress. He parked the car in the carpark and strode into the arrivals hall to await his parents. They had to pass through customs and immigration before they were free to meet Paul. He waited not far from the exit gate. Paul was the only telepathic superman in the vicinity. He had to act normal. He stood out. Most people stared him, at the huge, tall, handsome and massively muscled suntanned blond man with big blue eyes. He understood just how abnormally big he was after being with the other supermen on Valley Road. He was definitely beyond normalcy. He made a point of looking straight ahead above the exit gate. Being a telepath he picked up all sorts of thoughts and comments from the people around him. Everyone noted his huge arms, mighty shoulders and deep muscular chest. He wore a close-fitting white T-shirt with very short sleeves, blue jeans and desert boots. Every muscle of his upper body showed. Some people ogled him. Many admired him. Many thought he was a magnificent specimen of manhood. Some speculated that he was a Special Air Service soldier in civvies. Some thought he was an over-muscled wanker. Finally his parents appeared at the exit gate. His father was not easily visible because he was short and wearing a tan jumper and grey slacks. He was not wearing his usual clerical garb. His mother was out of sorts. She did not enjoy the flight back. She wore what she called her flying dress, a long-sleeved dress made of green crushproof material. They saw Paul. They looked at him without recognition. Paul smiled at them. That sparked recognition in his father. He told his wife that the huge muscleman was their son Paul waiting for them. Paul's mother's mouth dropped open in disbelief. Paul ambled over to his parents. He shook his father's hand and placed a peck on his mother's cheek. His mother worried about his sudden muscle growth but Paul eased her concerns with mind glyphs. Paul picked up both their suitcases and carried them with ease out to the car. His parents were surprised to see the Ford Falcon station wagon. Paul explained the reason. It was over an hour's drive back to Ringtail Springs. His mother quizzed him about his increase in size. His father participated little in the conversation. Paul managed to reassure his mother with the use of mind glyphs that he had not been doing anything dangerous or unseemly. He told his parents that he had moved out of home into the old hotel on Valley Road with Scott, Simon 'Spider' Webb, Trent Kirtland, Charlie Watson and other friends. His father worried about Paul's future and his lack of a definite plan to attempt a university education again. He worried even more when Paul had told him that the old hotel had become a community house for the Fellowship of the Way and that Paul had joined the Fellowship. The main reason for his father's concern was his perception of a connection of the Fellowship to the Catholic Church. The Fellowship had been blessed and given authorisation by Pope John Paul II. Paul made it clear that the Fellowship was open to people of all faiths and denominations. The Fellowship could not in any way be described as a Catholic organisation. The Pope had approved of the good work that the Fellowship was doing. His father accepted that but he worried that some parishioners would think that Paul had become a Catholic. Paul assured his father that he would never join the Catholic Church. There was no need for him to leave the Anglican Church. When they arrived at the rectory in Ringtail Springs, his mother marvelled at how neat, clean and tidy the place was. Paul received rare praise from his mother. The Reeves and Houston families farewelled Aunt Rosalind and Uncle Graham and began their long journey back home. The Reeves family would arrive in Ringtail Springs in a few days. Uncle Henry and Aunt Samantha travelled with them. Their daughter Alice flew back to Sydney. His family knew that he had moved out of home and that he had moved into the Old Valley Road Hotel with Derek, Paul, Spider, Trent and a whole lot of other people. Max had heard of the Fellowship of the Way but had not thought much about it. He was not concerned and neither was Veronica. Scott had recently told them that he had been given a six-month-old puppy, a young German Shepherd Dog named Khan. Veronica was not impressed but Scott's sisters were interested. When Scott went around to the family house, everything was in order as it had been left. Scott thanked Yang for protecting and preserving the house. It did not have any dust at all. It was all neat, clean and tidy. Soon after the Reeves convoy arrived back home, Scott drove up in his ute with Khan in the back. Scott got out and gave Khan permission to jump out. Scott's sisters immediately fell upon Khan cooing with delight and saying what a beautiful puppy he was. Khan eagerly lapped up all the attention. He was delighted to have new fans. The girls patted him and fondled him and stroked him. Khan loved it with his tail wagging energetically. Max went to Scott. He looked at Scott's mighty frame and said, "It's happening. It really is." He threw his arms around Scott and held him in a tight hug. Scott put his arms around his father and hugged him back. Max's eyes were wet with tears and Max buried his face in Scott's chest. "It's so great to see you, Scottie," he managed to say. "God knows what's going to happen but I'll be with you all the way." "Thanks Dad." "Long live the Empire, Your Majesty," Max said quietly. "God willing." "You know, don't you?" "Yep. I do." "The Lord God truly does move in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform." "He sure does." Veronica came over. "Goodness me, Scottie! You're huge!" she exclaimed. "I've never seen such big muscles on a man in the flesh. And you're so tall too! What have you been doing?" "Hi Mum! Great to see you. How was your holiday?" replied Scott. "You know, same old same old," put in Max with a smirk. "Oh really Max! You seemed to be going out of your way to irritate my sister Rosalind this time," protested Veronica. "Hey, Scottie! Love your puppy. He's so cute!" announced Rosalind, Scott's third sister. "He's beautiful," declared Jacqueline. "He really is. Hi, by the way. How're you doing?" Khan briefly sniffed Veronica and then leapt up on Max who hugged him and patted him. "Like your dog, Scottie," said Max grinning. "He's a beauty." "Oh, Scott! How lovely to see you! My! Haven't you grown!" declared Aunt Samantha. "You're so tall! And so big and strong with such big muscles too!" "I see you've grown into a giant, Scott," said Uncle Henry smiling. "Are you solitary?" "Hi, Uncle Henry, Auntie Sam," replied Scott. "No, I'm not solitary, definitely not now for the moment. I'm living with a whole bunch of people." "Max tells me you've been elected Deputy Prior. That must be a big responsibility." "Is this that old hotel up on Valley Road?" asked Veronica. "Yes, I'm living up there now, Mum," replied Scott. "Dad's told you I've moved out of home, hasn't he?" "Who else is there?" "Well Mum, the people you'd know are Derek, Paul ..." "Paul, the rector's son? What's he doing there?" "He's living there with us. And there's Spider and Trent ..." "Simon Webb and Trent Kirtland?" "Yes. You know Corey and Cynthia are boyfriend and girlfriend now? Corey unfriended Spider and Trent and they weren't happy about it. They moved in with the rest of us." "'Unfriend'! That's a horrible word," Veronica commented. "Corey and Cynthia boyfriend and girlfriend? Oh yuck spew chunder vomit!" exclaimed Rosalind. "Just wait until I tell all my friends." "Don't bother, Rosie," smiled Scott. "The whole town already knows about it." "Yuck!" Rosalind shuddered. "What a laugh!" commented Catherine. Susan squealed when Khan shoved his nose in her open mouth in his excitement. "He's clean, isn't he?" she asked. "Yep, of course he is," replied Scott. "That old hotel on Valley Road, it's a real dump," maintained Veronica. "It's been abandoned for years and people say it's haunted. It must be awful living there." "No it's not. Anything but," said Scott. "We've done it all up and it looks really good now. Derek and Hal held an exorcism last year and got rid of all the ghoulies and ghosties. It's really nice place now. Look, we'll get you all up there soon and show you around if you don't mind it looking lived in. You can meet all the other people there too." "Sounds like a move," remarked Max. "Am I getting forgetful in my old age or have you grown, Scottie?" asked Granny Reeves. The number of ladies from Saint Aidan's Church having coffee at Jessica's Cafe grew. All the ladies from Church Mews would go there in the morning for a coffee and a chat. Others came too. They took to sitting around the big communal table. Granny suggested that they all form a coffee club. The other ladies accepted with enthusiasm. They decided to call themselves the Saint Aidan's Ladies Coffee Club. Granny nominated Madeleine Constable as president but Madeleine refused. She did not know how long she and her husband would be able to stay in Ringtail Springs, the Police Department being what it is. The other ladies promptly elected Granny as president. Saint Aidan's Ladies Coffee Club met most mornings in Jessica's Cafe around the communal table which now was reserved for them when they met. If any husbands wanted to come too, they were granted status as honorary ladies. Myrtle McBride returned from her family's holiday in Bateman's Bay and soon joined the coffee club. She came to nearly all meetings and enjoyed the company. She decided she liked Madeleine Constable and they soon became friends. The club members decided to elect Myrtle as combined treasurer and secretary. Paul was aware of Lachlan McBride's sexual fantasies about him. Spider and Dustin had transmitted them to him when they were in Batemans Bay. They also had telepathically tagged Lachlan. Paul knew about Lachlan's vivid wet dreams in which he fucked Lachlan. Lachlan had completed his agricultural science degree and he was expected to stay on the McBride family property. However, it was early February and still high summer. There was little work to do on the property. Certainly there was nothing that the staff on the property could not themselves handle. The Australian Federal Parliament was still in recess until later in the month so George McBride remained at home. Lachlan was bored. He heard his mother's glowing descriptions of all the big, really strong and handsome young men from the old hotel on Valley Road who were working as waiters at Jessica's Cafe to which Myrtle went just about every day. He vividly recollected his mother describing Paul Hamilton-Forbes as a most splendid specimen of manhood, how he had such enormous muscles and how very good-looking he had become. She said Paul looked like a Greek god with huge muscles. Her descriptions stoked Lachlan's fantasies and fired his dreams to the point his sexual tension became unbearable. Masturbation did not work. It was often without a climax. Lachlan became short-tempered. One evening at the dinner table he snarled angrily at Cynthia. His elder sister Agnetha suggested that he might need to take a break from the family and go away by himself for a while. Myrtle smirked and said that was a good idea. George agreed and said that perhaps Lachlan needed to take some time out to go and straighten himself out. Lachlan packed a small suitcase that night. He decided that he would go around to the old Valley Road Hotel straight away the next day. The next morning Lachlan got dressed in a close-fitting white T-shirt, blue denim jeans and white runners. After breakfast and a shit, he drove off in his blue Mazda MX-5 sports car. He did not tell his family where he was going but he took his mobile phone because his mother had reminded to take it. Paul knew of Lachlan's plans. He stayed at the community and waited for Lachlan. He knew that Lachlan was desperate for him. Lachlan took a circuitous route through the countryside surrounding the town. He owned the only blue Mazda sports car in the district. People would instantly recognise it as his so Lachlan avoided the town. He fetched up at the intersection at the top of Valley Road. He drove down to the old hotel. In the car park he saw several cars under the big but recently planted trees. The trees were staked in place. Lachlan realised that his car was visible from the road in the car park. He saw that he could park his car behind the old garage where it was out of sight of the road. He parked his car behind the garage. Paul sensed Lachlan arrive. He opened the door leading out to the car park and the old garage. He saw Lachlan walking carrying his suitcase from the old garage. Lachlan was heading to the front door of the old hotel off Valley Road. Paul pinged Lachlan's mind. Something made Lachlan look over to the door leading into the building from the car park. The door was open. Paul stood in the doorway wearing just a pair of shorts. He beckoned Lachlan over. Lachlan just about ran over to Paul, he was so keen to see him. He gazed at Paul as he came towards the doorway. His mother's descriptions of Paul were if anything understated. Paul was magnificent. Paul was huge. He was much bigger than he had been at the New Year's Eve party. He was taller with considerably more muscle and his skin had an even golden suntan. His mighty shoulders supported huge thick heavily muscled arms and a thick stallion neck. His torso formed a convex V down to a slim waist and hips with mountainous abdominal muscles. His bulky legs rippled with muscles. Paul's body would have overshadowed any bodybuilder and he was wearing just a brief pair of white shorts with an obvious power bulge. Lachlan looked at Paul's face. His mother was right. Paul did look like a Greek god but he was still recognisably Paul. It was just that he appeared to have become even more handsome. He was beautiful in a very masculine way. His features appeared perfect like those of a god. His golden blond hair was cut short in a crew cut. His eyebrows were well-defined and somewhat darker than his hair. He had a strong jaw. His cheekbones were well-defined and his cheeks were somewhat hollow. His blue eyes were intense. They contrasted with his suntanned skin. Lachlan dropped his suitcase and threw his arms around Paul's waist. Paul wrapped his arms tightly around Lachlan and hugged him. The door closed seemingly by itself behind them. Lachlan did not notice. The heady, musky aroma of Paul's sweaty body filled his nostrils. Lachlan looked up at Paul and Paul promptly kissed him on the lips. Their lips locked together. The kiss quickly became passionate. Lachlan very soon had a raging erection. His cock threatened to erupt. Lachlan broke the kiss. He looked up at Paul. "I think I'm about to come," he panted. "Please fuck me. Please!" Paul broke into a wide shameless grin. "Sure," he said and scooped Lachlan up in his arms as easily as if Lachlan were a small child. Lachlan's face lay against Paul's thick sweaty bulging pectoral muscles. His head rested against Paul's mountainous biceps muscle. Paul's potent body odour overwhelmed Lachlan's nostrils. Lachlan felt giddy. Paul grinned down at Lachlan held in his arms. "We're going to do lots of miracles and magic together," he said. "We're going to do wonderful things together. I'm going to put the biggest happiest smile on your dial ever. Guaranteed." He spoke with a pleasant baritone voice that sent thrills coursing through Lachlan's body. Lachlan nodded dumbly. Paul bent down and kissed him. Suddenly their surroundings changed. Dumbfounded, Lachlan looked around him. "What happened?" he asked. "Did you do that?" "Yep," replied Paul with a wide grin. "I did some magic. In reality, I jumped through hyperspace to get here in my bedroom." "How? What ...?" "It's all pretty scientific. I'll teach you how when you want to know." "Oh right," said Lachlan doubtfully. He wondered what he had got himself into. Paul hugged him closer and kissed him on the lips. He washed away Lachlan's doubts and anxieties with a series of mind glyphs. Lachlan responded eagerly. He put his hand on the back of Paul's head and pulled him in closer. The sexual tension rose within him. His cock became fully erect. He felt his underpants become sticky with precum. He was getting close to ejaculation again. He broke the kiss. "Oh, fuck," he groaned. "I'm getting close again." "Well, let's get on with it," laughed Paul. He laid Lachlan gently down on the big double bed and removed Lachlan's shoes. Lachlan saw that the bed was unmade. The sheets were made of some silk-like blue textured material. The bedroom was big and it looked south through a verandah over some paddocks to the tall trees of the dense forest in the distance. The walls were covered by wallpaper with vertical red, white and blue stripes. Two French windows opened out onto the verandah. They had blue velvet curtains. Paul stood back from the bed and shucked off his shorts. Lachlan was overwhelmed by the muscular magnificence of Paul's now naked body. His eyes opened wide when he beheld Paul's superman-sized erect penis with a slight upward curve. "Blimey!" he exclaimed. "How big is that thing? It's one hell of a lot bigger than it was before." "Yep!" replied Paul. "Sixteen inches (41 cm) long and three inches (7.6 cm) thick." "Shi... it! How can I fit that bloody great thing up my arse?" "No worries, I promise you. Ever heard of fist fucking?" "Er, yeah! I've never done it though, or had it done to me." "Most guys' forearms are a fair bit thicker than three inches and people come out of it fine. You'd be surprised what people stick up their arses, things like beer bottles for instance. And they're fine afterwards." "What about poor Raymond at the New Year's Eve party? I don't want to end up like him like I told you before. Everybody would know what happened to me." "You won't. I didn't do it properly then. It's no wonder I hurt him then. I know how to do it properly now," said Paul sending reassuring mind glyphs to Lachlan. Lachlan visibly relaxed. "I won't get hurt, will I?" he asked. "Absolutely not," replied Paul continuing the stream of mind glyphs. "The worst that will happen to you is that you'll walk with a sexy wiggle of your bottom because you've got that lovely well-fucked feeling in your arse." Paul laughed. Lachlan raised a smile. "Would you like me to undress you?" asked Paul. "Yeah, OK!" Paul undressed Lachlan. He stood by the bed smiling as he admired Lachlan's naked muscular body. "You know, Lockie," he said, "You're one hot sexy hunk of muscle. You're glorious!" Lachlan smiled as Paul got on the bed next to him while continuing to send reassuring mind glyphs to Lachlan. Paul ran his hand over Lachlan's abdomen and said, "I like your six- pack. Very nice." "Thanks," replied Lachlan. "It's nothing compared to yours. What is it? A ten-pack! I've never seen one before. You're incredible, Paul!" "Stick around, mate, and you can get all the muscle you want. You could end up like me!" "Oh wow!" Paul continued rubbing his hand over Lachlan's belly. Lachlan purred with delight. Paul used his cryptoscopic sense to examine inside Lachlan's abdomen. Lachlan had slim hips so his descending large bowel was close to lined up with his rectum. Paul used his psychokinetic power to align the bowel with the rectum. Lachlan could now take Paul's gigantic penis without difficulty. At the same time Paul removed all the bowel contents from Lachlan's bowels. Lachlan's bowels were now completed cleaned out. There was no shit in them at all. "I feel funny in my guts," remarked Lachlan. "Must be the butterflies," laughed Paul and put his mouth over Lachlan's semi-erect penis. Lachlan gasped. His cock stiffened rapidly in Paul's mouth as Paul sucked on it. It was not long before Paul tasted Lachlan's precum in his mouth. Paul then started massaging Lachlan's anus with his tongue. Lachlan gasped. He groaned when Paul's long prehensile tongue slid into his anus and massaged his prostate. Lachlan cried out and dug his fingers into Paul's shoulders. Paul sent mind glyphs to Lachlan encouraging his anal sphincters to relax entirely. Lachlan's anus was now able to admit Paul's huge penis without any problems. Paul switched on a force field that made his body slippery all over, especially his penis. His body glistened. Lachlan gave a deep groan. He was just about out of his mind. He grabbed Paul's head and said, "Fuck me now! Ple... ease!" "Rightio," replied Paul. He parted Lachlan's muscular thighs and hooked Lachlan's ankles over his broad powerful shoulders. He placed his cock head against Lachlan's anal entrance and pushed gently. Lachlan cried out as Paul's great big thick cockhead slowly eased its way through Lachlan's relaxed anal sphincters. Paul could feel Lachlan's anal sphincters sliding over his cockhead and along his shaft. Lachlan screamed as Paul's huge thick cock intruded up into his rectum. He was not in pain but he was undergoing intense deep abdominal stimulation. His prostate was under pressure squeezed by the mighty cock pushing past it. The walls of his bowels were being stretched out smooth. There was a deep but not unpleasant ache inside his abdomen. The sensation was profound. It was overwhelming. Paul used his psychokinetic power to ensure that Lachlan's penis leaking precum was sandwiched in between their slippery sweaty bellies and able to slide up and down in the clefts between their abdominal muscles. Lachlan continued screaming as Paul's penis pushed right up inside his abdomen until it fetched up inside Lachlan's chest right next to his pounding heart. The sensations inside his belly were overpowering. Paul partially withdrew his cock and pushed it back into Lachlan's anus. He set up a steady beat as he pounded Lachlan's guts. Lachlan continued screaming with the intense internal stimulation he was receiving. Paul increased the rapidity of his thrusts. Lachlan howled and dug his fingers into the hard muscles of Paul's broad back. Paul let go. He thrust his penis into Lachlan as far as it could go and ejaculated his spunk into the core of Lachlan's body. Lachlan felt Paul tense up all over and shudder as he filled Lachlan's bowels with his semen. Feeling Paul erupt into orgasm was quite enough to tip Lachlan over into a humungous great orgasm. He saw stars as his eyes rolled up into their sockets showing only the whites. His whole body trembled and shook as it quaked in the throes of the most enormous orgasm he had ever had. He dug his fingers into Paul's hard muscular back as hard as he could. The orgasm went on and on and on, far longer than any he had experienced before. Lachlan wanted Paul. He needed Paul. He was filled with a desperate need for Paul. He reached out every extremity for Paul. Suddenly Paul was with him in the most intimate sense possible. Paul reached into his mind and switched on his telepathic sense. Lachlan's mind rushed joyfully into Paul's mind. They were connected together both physically and mentally in the closest way possible. The fuck continued punctuated by orgasm after orgasm. Lachlan was wrapped in bliss with Paul thrusting enthusiastically into him. This was sex beyond compare. This was deep love. Paul's love penetrated Lachlan to the core of his being. Lachlan came to understand that the man fucking him was much more than a man. Paul was a god to whom had been given great power. Paul showed Lachlan the way to become like himself. Lachlan wanted totally to be like Paul. He sensed the other telepathic superhumans in the old hotel. He wanted very much to be like them. And he wanted to be big and muscular but not too much. Maybe Paul's size was a bit too big. Paul offered to increase Lachlan's size and musculature. Lachlan accepted with delight. Paul used his giant penis as a conduit for all the energy being pumped into Lachlan who could feel all sorts of funny aches and sensations as his muscles swelled and grew markedly in size. Lachlan grew a little in height to 190 centimetres (6 ft 3 in). His shoulders became broader with all the extra muscle. His chest became deeper with pectorals that were now thick bulging plates of muscle. His chest increased to 60 inches (152 cm). His weight increased to 155 kilograms (342 lb). His arms were mighty. His biceps increased in size to 25 inches (64 cm). His abdomen now sported a prominent eight-pack. His muscular waist measured 33 inches (84 cm). Lachlan was keen to see the other people living in the community house that used to be the old Valley Road hotel. He had detected them with his newly acquired telepathic sense. They separated after a long and glorious fuck. Suddenly naked people appeared in Paul's bedroom as if by magic. They had jumped through hyperspace. Hal contemplated Lachlan considering any improvements he could make. He was happy with the changes that Paul had made to Lachlan's body. Lachlan now had a magnificent body. His body weight had increased by more than 60 percent with all the added muscle. Hal made a few small improvements to Lachlan's face that made him even better looking but he was still easily recognisable as Lachlan but as Lachlan a bit more of a man but still a young very good-looking man. Hal stood back. He was satisfied. Lachlan realised that Hal was the well-known artist. He had heard of Hal. He hugged Hal in gratitude. Paul put his hand on Lachlan's shoulder and suddenly they were thousands of metres (yards) up in the air above Valley Road. Looking down Lachlan could see Mount Wattabang below him. The hotel looked like a model on a model railway layout. The town of Ringtail Springs was spread out on the other side of the river. Other superhumans appeared in the air around them. Lachlan understood that they were all supermen and superwomen with an impressive array of powers. Paul backed up to Lachlan and some force held Lachlan's chest against Paul's back. Paul soared high up above the earth. The sky had turned black and looking away from the brilliance of the sun, Lachlan could see a myriad of unblinking stars. Paul explained telepathically that he had surrounded himself and Lachlan with a bubble of air so Lachlan could still breathe. Lachlan looked at the bluish orb of Planet Earth hanging in the blackness of space surrounded by the pinpoints of stars. Earth was definitely a sphere. Lachlan could see the oceans, seas and continents before him. Trent: << Let's go to the Moon. Want to see the dark side of the Moon, Lockie? >> The squadron of superhumans streaked over to the Moon at a rate that Lachlan found somewhat alarming. When they reached the Moon, they slowed down so that Lachlan could take in the hills and valleys, mountains and maria of the Moon's surface. They flew around to the 'dark' side of the Moon. The sun was still shining in all its glory but Earth was no longer visible. Lachlan looked down over the rough broken landscape. The gang then flew to Mars. They flew around the planet so that Lachlan could appreciate the view of the red sandy planet. Lachlan sensed the glory and the power of the superhumans around him. He saw the wonderful changes that had happened to the people he knew. He wanted to become a superman too. They all informed him that their powers had come from God. They had all gone before God in Heaven and pledged themselves to serve the Lord God forever. In return, God bestowed super powers upon them. Lachlan thought about it. The others all encouraged him to join them and become a superman. They were still orbiting Mars. The reddish orb of the planet turned beneath them. Lachlan: << So fucking other guys is OK with God? >> Paul: << Very much so, provided it's done with the right intention of switching on telepathy, taking the man to God so he can become a superman and serve God. And there's nothing wrong with guys fucking each other just for fun. >> Lachlan: << So you guys go fucking other guys for Jesus. >> Bat: << That's silly! That's such a trivial way of looking at it! >> Gabriel: << Becoming a superhuman in the service of God is a most wonderful thing. All jokes aside, becoming superhuman is our heritage for all us humans. The ability is latent in all of us. Telepathy is latent in us all as well. It provides an excellent tool for communicating large amounts of information quickly and learning to use all the abilities granted to us as supermen and superwomen. The quickest and best way to switch on telepathy in a human being is for that person to be fucked by a superman. Lockie, you're experienced that tremendous surge when Paul fucked you. It was easy for him to switch on your telepathic sense. There are other ways but they have problems. Drugs are too risky. They can cause a catastrophic mental breakdown that wrecks a mind permanently. Prayer and meditation nearly always take far too long. Nearly all people who embark on that course die of old age before they become superhuman. God wants all of us humans to become superhuman and serve Him as His superhuman agents and officers and that's throughout the Universe. >> Gazza: << I've been a superman for many years and I've never looked back. There's no way I would ever want to go back to being normal again. Life is far too good as a superman with all our powers. >> Spider: << Amen to that! >> Lachlan: << When you say you serve God for ever, does that really mean forever? Like for ever and ever amen? >> Marty: << It means you serve God for all eternity. If you are willing to accept that, God will make you a superman. And you have to be willing. If you have any doubts in your mind at all, God will detect that and tell you to go away and think about it. >> Thoughts churned rapidly through Lachlan's mind. He came to a quick decision. Yes, he will make the pledge of eternal service to God and become a superman. Paul took Lachlan up to Heaven before the Lord God in all His Glory and Majesty. Lachlan answered the awesome question and pledged to serve God for all eternity. God transfigured and transformed him and commissioned him into His service as a superman. Sergeant Kym Rowling of the New South Wales Police Force became a superman during the six weeks he was away from Ringtail Springs with Wolf. The two returned to the community in the old Valley Road hotel and they were welcomed back. Everyone admired Kym's transformed body. Kym's body weight went down to 120 kilograms (265 lb) and the fat had been replaced with solid hard muscle. His height had increased a little to 180 centimetres (5 ft 11 in). The result was that the new superman now looked like a very strong man at the peak of fitness. He was proud of his 22-inch (56 cm) biceps, broad powerful shoulders sloping down in a V to a slim muscle-packed waist sporting a mountainous abdominal eight-pack. Kym now had a lean face. His cheekbones were noticeable. His cheeks were somewhat hollow. His eyebrows were thicker and a bit darker. Kym had changed into a very attractive and muscular man. He could not increase his height too much because that would have been noticed by his fellow police officers. His muscularity had increased to near the maximum acceptable in the police force. Because his shape had changed so much, Kym ordered a new police uniform through another country police station. His shoulders were now too wide, his arms were too big and his waist and hips far too narrow to fit in his old uniform. Kym was every inch a superman and had learnt all about his super powers. Wolf had taught him well. On his travels, Kym had been admitted as a Roadknight at a country community house. He also acquired a big new Yamaha V-twin motorbike. Vera informed Kym of the good work she had put with Colin and how much he had improved. She remarked that Colin was a lot happier than when he first arrived. She also informed Kym that Madeleine, Colin's wife, was playing an active role in the local church and in the township community. Madeleine was very happy in Ringtail Springs. She would like to stay. Kym stayed the night at the Valley Road community and spent the night having a wonderful time fucking Wolf. The next day he returned to the Ringtail Springs police station on his motorbike in his Roadknight colours. Both Madeleine and Colin welcomed him back. They complimented him on the result of his 'get fit campaign'. They were most impressed by Kym's new body. They both said they liked Ringtail Springs very much and would like to stay. Madeleine said that she much preferred Ringtail Springs to Sydney. Even the little girls liked the town and wanted to stay. Colin was curious about Kym becoming a member of the Roadknights. Kym told him that the new police commissioner had partially lifted the ban on police officers joining motorcycle clubs that the previous, recently retired commissioner had put in place. He now allowed police officers to become members of certain approved motorcycle clubs. The Roadknights were one such approved club. Kym's private car, a white Ford Falcon, had been used by Madeleine while he was away. She had looked after it. Kym changed into casual clothes, a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and white runners. He drove his own car to the Local Area Command headquarters at Cootamundra to pick up his new police uniform. When he arrived at the headquarters, he was greeted by his fellow police officers with remarks like "Wow! Hello Muscles!" They were mightily impressed with Kym's muscular physique. While he was there, Superintendent Moran saw him and invited him into his office. He complimented Kym on the remarkable results of his 'get fit' campaign. He was impressed by Kym's obvious physical strength and power but he suggested that Kym did not get too much bigger. He praised Kym for taking the initiative and getting himself into such excellent shape in his time away. The superintendent then moved on to the subject of Colin Constable. Kym already knew about Colin's background through his telepathic communications with Vera but as far as the police department was concerned, he was not supposed to know. The superintendent gave Kym a little bit of background. He then said that there had been complaints that Colin was slack and that he was not taking people's reports seriously. Yes, the matters were all very minor or trivial but Colin had given some people in the town the impression that he could not be bothered. Superintendent Moran asked Kym if he was willing to supervise Colin and Kym agreed. How long Colin stayed in Ringtail Springs depended on him and Kym. Kym and Colin got on well together. Colin very much appreciated having a sergeant who was supportive and cared about him. Kym said nothing to Colin about the superintendent's concerns but he led Colin gently through the correct procedures. He stressed the importance of not only doing the right thing but being seen by the townspeople to be doing the right thing. The pair became visible around the town and local district. They often had coffee and cakes at Jessica's Cafe, free at Jessica's insistence. They chatted to the members of Saint Aidan's Ladies Coffee Club who complimented Kym on his remarkable transformation. When dealing with difficult miscreants and wrong-doers, Kym had an intimidating intense manner that caused them to back off quickly. He reinforced that with mind glyphs. The pair rarely had to write out tickets. Colin told Kym that he would feel safe with Kym anywhere. Many nights Kym went around the old hotel to have joyous sex with the other men, both fucking and being fucked. -------------------------------------- Continued in Part 99. --------------------------------------