Takashi telephoned his best friend Toma who was also a cadet at the police academy. He told him to drop over for some special fun. Then He hopped aboard the train and headed up to Asakusa.

He exited amid a flurry of tourists and locals and walked passed the world famous temple, A few of the revered Sumo Wrestlers who lived and trained in this area were roaming through the stalls of the market area with their fans following along and snapping photos. These huge bellied heroes wore traditional Japanese garb and had retainers who carried paper umbrellas to shield them from sun, rain, or wind.

Takashi had no time to enjoy the market tonight. He had a date, and then had to embark on the most important project of his young life; breaking into Mr. Fundoshi's mansion. He stopped for a few minutes at a shrine, knelt, and burned a few sticks of incense. Somewhere nearby a huge bell was struck, making a thunderous sound.

Takashi hurried along the narrow streets, passing the coffee shop where he spent far too much of his time. A few blocks on, he saw Oi waiting for him. He smiled when he saw that she was dressed as instructed. She wore a pair of pink shorts, so high and tight that the lips of cunt could be seen as the material folded itself up into her sixteen year old pussy. The shorts rode so low in front that had she any cunt hair, it would have spilled over, but since she was shaved, all that could be seen was smooth lower belly and crotch. In the rear, about three inches of ass crack were visible above the waistband of the shorts. Her paper-thin tee shirt was cut off just below her nipples, so that it formed nothing more than a bib or collar. The entire underside of her naked tit globes was totally on display. The white material of the tee shirt was of such thin material that her brown nipples were clearly seen. To add to her discomfort and humiliation, poor Oi wore red shoes with a six inch heel. She looked just as Takashi wanted her to look...a total fuck slut!

"Hey, Cunt, you look pretty hot. I see lots of boys and men are staring at you.” She bowed to him and then kept her eyes looking down to the pavement. "How many men fucked you today?”

Was that the sniffle of tears he heard? He grabbed her chin and lifted her face up. Here eyes were beautiful, but her make-up was streaked from her crying. "I asked you a question, Bitch. How many men fucked you today?”

"Five!” She answered, her full cocksucker lips pouting at his inspection of her face.

"Only five? What the fuck is wrong with you? How are you going to make a decent living as a whore? You could do better sucking off the boys in your school. There you could suck at least fifteen or twenty a day and get fucked a dozen times. But here you are on the street, a professional, and you only do five?” He lifted her tee shirt and took a big brown nipple between his fingers and pinched. She made a pained face.

"It's not always easy to find the right men.”

"What do you mean, the right men, Bitch?” He took both nipples now and twisted, not even noticing the young men gathering to watch.

"Owwwww! Young men who look nice and wouldn't hurt me!”

"You are such a fucking loser, Oi.” Still holding her by one tit, he lowered the other hand and roughly cupped her cunt. "You don't pick and choose only the men you want. You take the dicks of all men who are kind enough to pork you! Any man who wants your cunt or ass or mouth, gets it. This is something you have got to understand. You should have been fucked at least ten times today.”

"Please, Sir, then I wouldn't have time for anything else.”

He tore open her pink shorts, revealing her bare cunt to the crowd of men. The women walked by averting their eyes. "You stupid whore. You don't need time for anything else. All you have to do is suck and fuck all day and night. We're going to help you get those numbers up. I know lots of gang members and drug dealers. I know that we can get you fucked fifteen times a day. Now, those five you fucked today. Did you get photos of them for me?”

She handed him her cell phone. "They're all young and good looking. Don't you think old fat guys deserve to fuck too? Don't they need a place to shove their dicks? Did you suck the cocks of the five guys you did today?” Oi nodded. Taksahi slapped her. "I want an answer.”

"Yes, Sir.” She said crying.

"Yes, Sir...what?”

"Yes, Sir, I sucked their cocks.” The guys standing around whistled and chuckled. Oi felt so worthless she could hardly stand. Her legs turned to water.

"And did you lick their balls?”

"Yes, I licked their balls.”

"Which one of these five had the biggest balls?” His fingers dug into her pussy as he scanned the photos on her cell phone.

"The third one, Sir. His balls were the biggest.”

"Which one's balls had the strongest flavor?”

She sobbed and her entire body shook. He slapped her tit with the cell phone. "The fourth one. The fourth one had really strong tasting balls.”

"Did you lick their asses?” She was overwhelmed with shame. She shook her pretty head. "You didn't lick their asses?” I told you, you always ask your customers if you can please lick and suck on their assholes. You will be punished for that, Oi! I don't like it when you don't follow my orders. Let's get your useless ass up to my apartment.”

Takashi turned his wiry strong young frame and went up into his apartment, two steps at a time. He stopped and looked at the sixteen year old girl meekly following.

"I think it would be better if you crawled, don't you?” She dropped to the pavement and crawled up the steps on hands and knees. Her ass rode high, her back arched, and her tits wobbled. The crowd of men watching roared their approval.

Takashi stripped and had Oi lick his body clean of the sweat of the day. While she was sucking on his loose low hanging balls, he couldn't help but get flashes of his own cock and balls sucking. He felt suddenly sick to his stomach. To think how he had humiliated himself before the American Agent. Well, it had proven one thing, he couldn't pass for a homo! And Richard Dickerson was right; he was a lousy cocksucker. Ryo would have thrown him out on his ass. He stood very still, feeling how Oi's worked her lips and tongue over his hardening dick and his low swinging nuts. This bitch was good. She was a natural. After being licked in his armpits, ass crack, under his balls and on his feet, Takashi told the bitch to fetch him a beer and went to take a shower. He sauntered out totally naked ten minutes later, a white towel trailing from one hand. His red tipped prick was hard as a rock. Oi knelt face looking down at the carpet, hands raised to him with an ice cold beer. He took the beer, put one bare foot on her tits and pushed her over onto the carpet.

"I don't know why I am so good to you. You are such a fucking loser. And yet, I waste so much time caring for you, it's ridiculous. I'm going to be gone for a few days at least on a mission. A special police mission. I have asked one of my police cadet friends over to meet you. He will take care of you and see you are well fucked while I am gone. He's not as good a fucker as I am, of course, but he will do. You see how I think of you?

"Thank you, Sir...” she tried to say, but it came out muffled because he had wedged one big toe into her mouth and was fucking it in and out. The doorbell rang. Oi, who had stripped naked while Takashi was in the shower, looked around frantically for something to wear.

Takashi laughed. "What's the matter, Cunt? Are you shy suddenly? You can meet my friend just as you are. I'm certainly not going to get dressed. He buzzed his friend up. Toma stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the naked sixteen year old girl. standing trembling with her hands at her side. His youthful eyes hungrily ate up her tits and her bald pussy.

"This is my surprise, Toma. We are going to share her tonight,” Takashi said, his naked dick bobbing and wagging over his full fucksack.

"Holy Fuck, Takashi, she's a hot young cunt.”

"Don't be taken in by her. She's a fucking whore. I have to go away for about a week, and I need to you keep her well fucked for me.”

"No problem, Man!” Toma was shorter than Takashi and had a shaggy trendy hairdo. It made him look very young. His body was hard and muscular, although it looked smooth and perhaps a bit soft. It's a common trait among the Japanese. "Can I get rough with her?”

"You better believe it. No matter what she says, she loves it hard and dirty. The words that come out of her mouth are just shit. If she begs you to go easy, you just slap the fuck out of her. I also want you to make sure she gets fucked every day by other dudes as well. She has to learn how to be a money earner. Take her down to the docks and let the workers down there gang fuck her.”

Toma had peeled off his shirt and trousers. He had kicked off his stylish shoes and peeled off his socks. He stood now in his brand name underpants and rubbed his rising dick lump. Oi blushed with shame but stood very still. Her big nipples hardened, the nubs sticking out like pencil erasers.

"Are you going to fuck her with your underpants on?” Takashi joked, and Toma peeled down his briefs to reveal a nice thick hunk of fucker.

They fucked her for the next three hours. First Takashi and Toma both fucked her mouth, shoving their drooling shafts down her throat. Then Toma titty fucked her while Takashi slammed his meat into her cunt. Then, while Taksahi cunt fucked her, Toma rammed his rampant dick into her tight young asshole. They ass and cunt fucked her that way for some time. Every now and then, they traded holes, and once in a while they left cunt or ass to fuck her face. They pulled out in time to shoot their loads all over her cute sixteen year old face. While they rested and had a beer, they made Oi fuck herself with a beer bottle. Then they made her shove one bottle up her cunt and another up her ass at the same time. Takashi wasn't happy with her lack of enthusiasm, so he used his bare foot to pound the bottles into her holes. She was a fucking mess, her face coated with cock slop, her holes stretched by beer bottles. They ordered her to get to her feet and dance for them with the bottles still lodged in her. This got them aroused again. Takashi sugges that they try to get both their dicks into her whore pussy at the same time. That proved extra enjoyable for the boys as they felt their fresh young prick meat rub together . It proved such fun in fact, that they decided to attempt to stuff both their dicks into her asshole at the same time. Oi, as you can well imagine was not too taken with these creative endeavors. Both boys shot up her ass. They made her squat and shit out the cum and then lick it up. Then Takashi worked the toes of one foot deep into her cunt, and Toma worked his foot up into her ass. The fucked her this way while they lay about chatting and listening to music. Oi was so fucked out, she couldn't even cry any more. Takashi pulled his toes out of her stretched sloppy wet pussy and had her lick them. The Toma did the same, taking his toes from her asshole for her to lick and suck.

They took her into the bathroom where they pissed on her. Her back was raw from being pushed across the rug as they fucked her, and now the hot piss stung her terribly. For the boys, it was the perfect fuck date. This is how they most enjoyed sex. As for the girl...well...it's ever been thus, hasn't it? The girl was an object to be used and abused.

But Takashi needed to get some rest before his midnight adventure, so he sent Oi home with Toma, making his friend promise once again, he would see her well fucked, not only with cock, but with any objects he had lying around his house. Then Takashi crashed on his sleeping mat.

The process of getting Richard Dickerson to meet Mr. Black was a work of art in a way. It took twenty white Toyotas. Richard only rode in four of them, but all twenty intersected with and escorted and then broke away from the cars in which he rode, thus creating a constantly changing cluster that could not in any way be monitored or followed. While Richard headed across central Tokyo, four exact copies of the car in which he rode sped through the Shinjuku night life district of Tokyo. Then, Richard's car did a reversal and headed back the way it had come, two other white cars meeting it and moving along with it. Richard was moved to another car and the crazy nocturnal automotive dance continued. Richard saw none of this as he was blindfolded. The men who accompanied him were very polite to him, and when he demanded of his children, he was assured in broken English that they were well and unharmed.

Finally Richard was driven into a vast underground parking structure. He was taken from the car and placed in an elevator. He was taken from the elevator and put into another one. He could no longer tell if he was going up or down. He had tried in vain to keep track of where their journey had led then, and he now found himself at the mercy of his captors. One of his "captors” removed the blindfold, and Richard, after clearning his head, made not of a brushed steel interior with only one set of buttons on the panal. Up and Down. He realized they were going up!

The door slid open, and Richard faced the nighttime glitter of the city of Tokyo. It took him a few seconds to realize he was looking at it through walls of glass. The lights in the room were dim. The floor was marble with throw rugs. It was the size of a small warehouse, broken up with clusters of sofas and comfortable chairs. Priceless works of art hung on the white walls that were not glass windows. Here and there the vertical slash of red drapery cut through the mellow darkness. And a figure dressed in a red silk kimono floated toward Richard out of the night.

"I am so sorry for that horrible foolishness with the cars. But I am always having to do silly things to protect myself.” Mr. Black said as he faced Richard Dickerson. He bowed quite respectfully to him. What would you prefer, tea, sake, or hard liquor? "

"I would prefer my children. I am not used to an enemy who makes war with children.”

Mr. Black smiled, and Richard couldn't help but notice how handsome the half-Asian was.

"You Americans, right to the point, huh? You are in Japan now, and we have a certain formality we follow in business negotiations. Besides, you are incorrect. The world has always made war with children. It has always been our most potent weapon. But not tonight. Tonight, Sir, your children are not a weapon, they are leverage. But please, one thing at a time. They are totally unharmed and you will see them shortly. And I hope before too long, you can take them safely home. But we must chat first. Upon this, I insist. Please have a seat and something to drink. I know you enjoy good scotch. This is very very good scotch.” A boy came out of the darkness with a silver tray upon which sat a crystal tumbler of scotch and ice.

Richard didn't want to accept, but he really needed the courage that a scotch would give him. He was shocked to see that the boy wore nothing but a very tiny cloth pouch over his genitals. The boy looked to be no more than sixteen. He was as beautiful as something out of one of the great paintings hanging on the wall. An angel! A devil?

"I assume there is nothing in this scotch which I will regret ingesting? Richard asked.

Mr. Black laughed...and it was musical. He also patted the naked ass of the serving boy. "Oh dear, no...nothing so cheap as that. I assure you, I am far more creative. I myself will have a vodka martini on the rocks, with a special Italian olive that I truly love. It does nothing more than mist the vodka.” The same boy brought a second tray with the martini on it. Mr. Black lingered for a moment to fondle the boy's ass once more and then to slide his hand over the boy's cloth covered genitals. Why would he do this in front of Richard? Of course! To make the American Agent uncomfortable. To make him feel off balance, out of sync. To make him worry even more about his sons. The man was working. He was weaving an atmosphere that would leave the American vulnerable if he was not very careful.

Richard forced himself to smile and raised his tumbler in a salute. "To one of the most famous perverts in the world,” her said.

Mr. Black tilted his head. " One of the most famous? Oh dear, I must be losing my grip.” With every move he made the kimono shimmered and danced in waves, and the dragon embroidered on it twisted and growled. Richard got a brief glimpse of the man's smooth chest and his naked thigh. Just enough for him to know Mr. Black was nude under the garment. Richard knew he had to not only play this man's game, but beat him at it. He sat across from Mr. Black and complimented on the scotch.

"It cost more than most men make in a year.” Mr. Black said.

"Is that the sort of thing you live for?” Richard asked. The more he could learn about his enemy, the better his chances of getting out alive and taking his boys with him.

"That's what I want to talk to you about...what I do live for. And what you live for. Ricahrd, and I hope I can call you Richard, I know what my perversion is. I realize that in order for any adult to even fantasize about a child in a sexual way means that the adult must shut a door in his head. He must stop seeing the child as a human being and begin to see the child only as an object. It's the same with any kind of non-consensual sex. If the perpetrator sees the human, he cannot commit the act. He must see his victim only as an object. Then anything is possible. This is true if the pervert is actually doing something or only fantasizing it. During the time he fantasizes... he stops seeing a fellow human being, child or adult, as a real person. He sees them only as an object meant to fulfill his sexual gratification.”

Mr. Black rose and walked over to the window, his red Kimono moving like a living thing. "In that respect the Nazis were the same in their behavior toward the Jews, or any mass murderer toward his victims. It is not something to be proud of...this Ability if you will, of being able to see other humans in their suffering as merely objects. It is a horror one learns not only to live with...but to indulge in. I suppose various things lead to it's development and growth. How does one control it? Do I say,”Yes, I know I carry this perversion around inside of me, but like a priest who has made his vows, I will not let myself indulge in these sinful things. In other words, DO I DENY MY VERY NATURE? You have seen how well that works with the Catholic church. The inner nature always wins somehow. Passion always trumps Reason. "

He turned back toward Richard. "So I accept what I am. I didn't ask to be this way. I have no idea where it will lead. But I accept myself. My clients are in a more tenuous position. They deny their true natures and pretend that since they only buy what I offer, I am the villain and they are some kind of victims.”

Richard stood. Somewhere in the shadows a bodyguard or four changed their positions every so slightly "If that is supposed to make me sympathize with you in any way, it doesn't. And I am getting anxious to see my sons. What is it you want from me?”

"Two things!” Mr. Black stepped into the light now, and his eyes glistened. "First I want leverage. Leverage to get you and some other agents off my back. I have support from some very high up people in your country, but your hunting of me is annoying me no end. With leverage, I can threaten and I can hold my position in the game. And the second thing I want is more personal and I suppose self-indulgent. I want to have some fun with you.”

"Fun?” Richard had to hold every impulse in his body in harsh rein to refrain from attacking this monster right there and then. "You think this is fun?”

Mr. Black seemed truly confused. "Yes of course I think it's fun. Why else would I do it? One way or another, Richard, I am going to stop you from hunting me. And I am going to enjoy the methods I use to do that. But I do not want to torture you by keeping you from your boys, so here they are.”

Across the dark space a door opened and a long shaft of light poured into the space, cutting it in two. From the other room Richard's ten and eleven year old sons walked. They walked barefoot because they were totally naked. Behind then walked Kinto, dressed in only a red posing pouch. When the two boys saw Richard, they ran for him screaming and crying. He knelt down and threw his arms around them and kissed and hugged them. Mr. Black passively watched, sipping his drink.

"Oh my God, are you okay? Bri? Pete? Are you okay? Why are they naked? WHY HAVE YOU KEPT THEM NAKED?”

"The better to appreciate the beauty of youth.”

"If you hurt them...!”

"Richard, you really are going to have to accept that I am a man of my word. I told you, they were not harmed. And they will not be harmed by us, if you do what I say. You must learn to trust my word, as you will have to rely on it!”

"I want to take them out of here. If you want to hold me hostage or something instead of them, fine!” When Richard said this, his naked boys hugged him harder.

"No, no, no, that is not the kind of leverage I want. I don't want you as a hostage. I want you to earn your sons' freedom. I want you to conquer a set of challenges I have in mind. TESTS if you like. If you pass these tests, you and your sons both go free.”

"And if I refuse your TESTS?” His boys would not stop crying. He felt himself weakening.

"Alas, then things get ugly. Then I have to find a way to make you accept. It will take more time and some pain, but in the end you will accept my Tests.”

"All right, what are these tests?”

Mr Black smiled at the boys. "Good. That's a good start. Let's take the TESTS one at a time, shall we? Get over one, and on to the next. That way, we don't have to carry the burden of all of them around with us. You pass these TESTS, and you and your sons walk out of here, and I guarantee your safety. So the first TEST! Yes? "

Richard Dickerson stood there like a statue, holding his two naked sons close to him and waited. "Well?”

"For your first test. I want to watch you FUCK YOUR TWO SONS UP THE ASS!”

Bike Boy had always been a bi eccentric. He was also a huge fan of manga and anime, so it was no wonder that he chose a rather odd "super hero” costume to do his nighttime chores. He wore nothing but a black leather jock strap, which of course bulged nicely at the crotch and allowed his beautiful naked ass, his best quality to be fully displayed. He added black sneakers, a black leather cape, beautifully crafted, black gloves, and a black half mask to cover his face. It was in this regalia that he was climbing along the room of Mr. Fundoshi's mansion when he saw Takashi arrive.

Bike Boy loved to peer in through the upstairs windows of the FACILITY and watch the constant torture and abuse of the boys. He masturbated along with the six Masturbation Boys. Of course Bike Boy could cum whenever he wanted to. He was a regular monkey about climbing up and down the walls of the mansion. Nothing seemed to compromise his agility. Crouching behind one of the rooftop chimneys, his teenage prick hard in it's leather pouch, he watched Takashi park his car a block away and make his way on foot to the mansion.

Takashi was also dressed in black...although much more of it than Bike Boy. Takashi wore black skinny jeans, black and white high top tennis shoes, a black turtleneck sweater, and a very soft calf skin black leather jacket. On his right buttocks rested a holster carrying a Glock automatic.

Takashi had left his care far enough away so as not to attract attention, but near enough to assist if he had to make a fast getaway. He had scanned the walls of the compound for motion detectors and alarms. He found both, but the police had a mechanism to disable them for a small area for a small amount of time. The wall was no Challenge for the young cadet. Soon, he was perched atop of it, the alarms momentarily silenced, and then he was over and down inside the compound.

He heard the sound like horses galloping in the distance and then heavy panting before he saw the two great mastiffs running toward him, jaws drooling spittle, eyes blazing. Twenty paces to the mansion itself. He couldn't' go back. He would never make it up the wall before the dogs tore his legs off. He hurtled forward, determined to outrun the savage canines. He also had another trick up his sleeve.

Just as the first dog was about to flatten him and take a chunk of flesh out of his neck, Takashi reached inside his jacket and produced a small slab of Kobe Beer. He hurled it into the beast's face. The animal stopped in its tracks and tore into the piece of raw meat. Another small piece of meat stopped the second animal. Takashi had one piece left, but there appeared to be only two guard dogs. In seconds he was climbing the vine trellis up the side of the house. He reached the roof before the two guards who circled the house all night appeared.

And up on the roof, was where Takashi encountered a strange bat like boy who blocked his way.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?” Bike Boy whispered, so as not to get the attention of the patrolling guards. \ "Apparently we both had the same idea. A little nocturnal visit to Mr. Fundoshi's home.” Takashi thought the boy was a cat burglar, but he was stunned to see the pale naked body reflected in the silver of the nearly full moon. "Great gimp!” he said.

"Well thank you. I hope you like my body. I work out a lot. I'd kill you quickly, but I fear Mr. Fundoshi may want to have words with you. Your Glock is useless because if you use it, the noise will bring twenty five security guards. Care to try some hand to hand with me?”

Takashi lashed out with the edge of one hand, hoping to catch the naked kid on the shoulder, but when the hand reached him, the boy was gone. He had leaped straight up into the air, and when he came down, leather cape flying, he landed one foot on Takashi's shoulder. The other foot snapped a kick to the cadet's head.

Takashi spun around, and when he stopped, everything around him kept spinning. He shook his aching head, but his sight was still blurred. Bike Boy kicked out and caught the policeman in the gut. Takashi got lucky and landed a fist on Bike Boy's smooth pale pec, sending him staggering back. All of this took place in complete silence up on the roof of a mansion just outside Tokyo. Takashi charged, Bike Boy side stepped him and twisted. Takashi could feel the boy's smooth ass cheeks brush along his arm. He reached out and grabbed the black leather jock strap and spun his teenage opponent in a circle using the leather garment. Bike Boy cursed, and the leather snapped. The pouch landed on the room and Bike Boy's fucker and nuts slapped his thigh as he regained his balance. His dick and sack hung down, casting a shadow along the roof. Takashi knew that if he could only land one good kick into the kid's scrotum, he would disable the boy.

Easier said than done. Takashi's right leg shot out horizontally, the heel aimed at Bike Boy's fuck junk. But Bike Boy's own foot somehow smashed into Takashi's leg right at the knee, sending the cadet to the roof howling in pain. Almost at once, searchlights filled the dark night. Bile Boy leaped and landed with his knee on Takashi's chest, taking the wind out of him. Then the teen straddled the chest and rested his fuckmeat and nuts on Takashi's neck. He raised the flat palm of one hand and brought it down smacking Takashi on the forehead. Takashi was out like a light.

Back at the Penthouse, Richard Dickerson lost his composure and attacked Mr. Black. It was not a good night for the Agents. Never spilling the drink in one hand, with the other, Mr. Black caught the charging, hysterical American and neatly flipped him over onto his back on one of the sofas. Mr. Black was a master of Hong Gar Kung Fu. Richard lay there dazed, still seeing red, not from any injury but from Mr. Black's obscene suggestion.

"Look at it this way, Richard,” Mr. Black went calmly on. "Either you fuck your sons for me, or I have them fucked by my entire staff. I am sure you would be a lot more gentle and caring than fifteen horny thugs. I sometimes think my men are more animals than human. There is usually not much left of the poor victim after they finish. I don't want to see that happen to your two beautiful boys before either of the even reach their twelfth birthday.” Richard's two naked sons ran to him at the couch and threw themselves on him, clinging to him around the neck.

"Part of my interest in this particular TEST is to see if you can teach your pre-teen sons the beauty of fucking. Perhaps you can create in them, a healthy respect for their father's penis. Perhaps you can teach them the difference between brutal fucking and lovemaking. A Father fucking his children out of love! It brings a tear to my eye. I'll let you sleep on it. You may share the small bedroom with your sons. Tomorrow we'll hear your decision...your dick or ours? " Guards appeared out of the darkness of the room and lifted Richard to his feet. His children still clung to his arms, looking to their dad for some kind of salvation.

"Oh, one more thing. You'll have to take off your clothes. I want you naked like your sons. It gives me security knowing my guests are naked and vulnerable. You may remove your own clothing, or we will do it for you.”

With a defeated posture, Richard stood there, trying to calculate his next move. He had not counted on any of this. He kicked off his shoes and began to undress. For some reason it made Pete start to cry.

"Easy, Pete. Everything's going to be okay.” He said, ruffling the boy's hair as he undressed.

Mr. Black nodded his head. "That's right Pete, everything's going to be okay. I'm sure your father will make the sensible decision.”

Richard Dickerson slipped off his boxer shorts and stood naked with his sons.

"My, my, my, that is some hunk of fucker you have there. Your sons are in for the time of their lives. I do hope they can take it!”