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From: "Bill Morgan" <morg1058@chartervt.net>
Subject: {ASSM} NEW from Morgan:CYNTHIA MARTIN 3 of 6 M/F Rom
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 14:10:03 -0400
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<1st attachment, "Cindy 3.txt" begin>

The following is a work of fiction regarding sexual
relationships.  If you feel that it is illegal, immoral, or
otherwise improper for you to read this, then *Don't Read It.*

*  *  *

*Cynthia Martin*

*Copyright (c) By Morgan, 1991, 2001*

Please note the original copyright date.  This story was
basically written ten years ago.  As a result, you will likely
find obsolete references.  I'm afraid you'll just have to live
with it; it's too tedious trying to keep up with the latest and
greatest.

This book is part of the Ali Clifford saga and is a sequel to --
and much longer than -- _Call Girls._  If you haven't read it, I
urge you to do so.  Without having read it, the actions in the
first few pages will not make any sense.

Incidentally, you will find occasional entries, _word_.  The
reason for this is that MS Word's Auto Format function puts a
word preceded and followed by an underscore in italics; that's my
intent.  Similarly, *word* results in the word appearing in bold
face.  If you use Word's Auto Format, it will take care of
things; if you don't, you at least know why it's there.

More of my works are posted on my site <www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Morgan/www> 
If you like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at
<morg105829@aol.com.>  My books are now also being posted on
<www.storiesonline.net> although at this writing there are fewer
of them than on my site.

*  *  *

*Chapter 18*

It was a Monday in mid-October when Jan's phone rang.  Cindy
answered it and found it was Jennifer Chapman trying to reach
her.  Jen was both excited and upset.  Without any preliminaries,
she said, "Cindy, you have a Chinese girl working for you who has
an extraordinary language capability, don't you?"

"She's Kathy Chang.  She's astounding!  I don't think even _she_
can keep track of the number of languages she speaks.  But why do
you ask?"

"Honey, I need to borrow her.  I'll fix it with your father, but
it's terribly important.  Have you heard of Connie and Chip
Cartwright?"  Cindy said the names were familiar, but she
couldn't place them.  Jen said, "Connie is my stepsister.  She's
married to Chip Cartwright who may be the wealthiest young man in
the world.  It seems Chip has a younger brother, Bill, who was
only eighteen when he was sent to Vietnam.  He was captured late
in 1974 and was never heard from again.  There are a whole mass
of medals waiting for him, starting with the Medal of Honor.

"Chip never gave up looking for him.  He finally found him and
got him out of Vietnam.  The Army has just released him from the
hospital, but now Chip is in worse shape than when his brother
was a prisoner.  Bill says nothing.  Not a word.  Not to anyone.
The psychiatrists at the Army hospital had microphones in his
room.  They kept the tape recorders running twenty-four hours a
day.  The only thing they ever heard sounds like some Asian
language.  The problem is that not even the experts at the
Foreign Language School at Monterey could identify it. 
Everything has been tried including high-speed re-taping,
computer analysis... everything!"

Jen was crying now as she said, "Cindy, it's very important. 
Chip is the nicest guy in the world as well as my brother-in-law.
 I know it's one hell of a long shot, but could you please ask
Kathy to go out to Los Angeles?  There is no price Chip
Cartwright will not pay.  None!  He'll pay Kathy absolutely
anything she asks.  He knows it's less than one chance in a
million, but he wants to take it.  Could you persuade Kathy to go
out?"

Cindy said she would call Kathy immediately and did.  She reached
her and quickly explained the situation.  All Kathy did was ask
when the next plane to Los Angeles left O'Hare.  She would be on
it.  She was leaving immediately.

When Kathy got the call and heard what Cindy had to say, her
heart leaped into her throat. _Bill.  Bill Cartwright.  His name
was Bill, too,_ she thought. _No, it's impossible.  But maybe I
can help someone._  She was wearing her uniform, but now because
of the cold weather, was also wearing a leather jacket.  She
raced out to the airport and just had time to call Cindy and give
her the flight information.  Cindy said she would be met at Los
Angeles International Airport.

As she cleared security in Los Angeles, Kathy saw a tall
silver-blonde who was dressed the same way she was.  The girl
came running up and said, "Kathy?  Kathy Chang?"

Kathy extended her hand but the girl took her in her arms and
kissed her warmly.  She said, "I'm Connie Cartwright, Chip's
wife.  We can't thank you enough for coming out.  Can I have your
baggage checks?"

Shaking her head Kathy said wearily, "This is it, I'm afraid. 
Cindy said it was important so I didn't take the time to go back
to my apartment to pack.  Could we stop somewhere so I could buy
a toothbrush?  I have some money..."

Connie looked at the girl closely and whistled softly.  "My God,
you're beautiful!"  Then she frowned and said, "Forget your
money.  If Jen and Cindy didn't make it clear, this is the most
important thing in the world to my husband.  We never had a
chance even to talk, but would $5,000 a day for your time be
adequate?  I understand you have a language capability that
surpasses human understanding.  Maybe that's not enough? 
$10,000?"

"No money!  I wouldn't hear of it.  I'll let you buy me a
toothbrush and toothpaste, though.  And could you also call Mr.
Martin's office and ask if I could take my week's vacation this
week?  I'm just leaving the bank in a lurch."

Connie was using Bill Clifford's limousine and driver.  She
picked up the telephone, made a quick phone call, and then told
Fred, the driver, they were going to the hotel.

Kathy was utterly exhausted.  She had been working eighteen-hour
days for weeks.  Although they had more analysts in the unit and
she now had a car of her own, the business was growing far faster
than the three lending officers could handle it.  As the
limousine sped towards Los Angeles, Kathy fell asleep and was
awakened by the sound of the car door being opened.  Then she
heard Connie being greeted by name by the doorman at the Beverly
Wilshire Hotel where Ali and Bill Clifford lived and which they
now owned.  She was taken up to a suite by Connie, who rang the
bell.  The door was opened by a young woman about her own age,
who looked very familiar.

Connie hugged the woman and Kathy heard her say, "Hi, Mom! 
You're looking great, as usual."  Kathy saw a woman who looked
very much like Janice and Cindy.  She was deeply tanned, with
golden hair and brilliant blue eyes.  The girl wore no makeup and
needed none.  She, too, was wearing skin-tight Levi's and a
chambray shirt.

The girl looked at her, then took her in her arms, hugged her,
and kissed her softly.  "Welcome, Katherine Chang."  She held
Kathy at arm's length and said, "Don't the stores sell any other
clothes for women these days?  Do you realize we're all wearing
the same thing?  I'm Ali Clifford, by the way.  Come on in and
meet my husband, Bill.  Chip Cartwright will be here any minute.
We're going to get acquainted, have a couple of drinks and then
eat.  You can start work tomorrow."

They were seated after Kathy was introduced to a tall man of
about thirty-five who was prematurely gray at the temples.  Like
Ali, he was deeply tanned.  He made martinis for the other three
and asked her what she would like.  Kathy had never had a
martini, so she decided to try one.  When she had a sip, she
found it was very strong, but she liked it nonetheless.  A few
minutes later, another very big, tall man arrived.  She didn't
know why but he reminded her of someone.  He made himself a drink
and they all sat down.

Ali said, "Kathy, I apologize to you.  There is one problem in
this group that you'll soon recognize.  We're all hopeless when
it comes to teasing people.  While you were coming in from the
airport, Bill was talking to Dave Chapman.  Among us we own 96
percent of the stock of Chicago Trust Company.  I'm the mother of
Connie, Jennifer, and Janice.  As far as Don Martin is concerned,
there will be no talk of vacation.  This is a short leave of
absence at the request of the Board of Directors -- Jen is
chairman, of course.  Your pay will be $5,000 a day."

Kathy was just shaking her head slowly from side to side. _This
is impossible!  She's Connie, Jennifer, and Janice's *mother?* 
It's impossible,_ she thought.  She said, "But you can't be! 
You're not as old as I am and I'm only twenty-five!  No woman can
give birth at the age of five!"

Ali laughed, jumped up from her seat and pounced on Kathy, giving
her a kiss full on the mouth.  She said, "Katherine Chang, I love
you!  I may adopt you, too."  She grinned and said, "Kathy, I'm
thirty-seven years old.  The girls are not my natural
daughters... I wish they were, though.  Jennifer is Bill's
daughter by his first wife.  The love of my life is past fifty. 
I try to make sure he gets his rest and plenty of exercise."

Bill interjected, "The problem is, Kathy, she wants the exercise
when I want the rest.  The only exercise she really likes is on
her back with her legs spread.  The woman is insatiable!"

Ali stuck out her tongue and said, "It hasn't killed you... yet!
Clifford, you really don't look half bad, either."

Kathy was utterly aghast.  "But that means you're William H.
Clifford?  But you're... you're..."

"You have a couple of bucks, Dad," Connie interjected.  "I'm
pretty sure that's what she's trying to say.  And I guess that's
true, too."  She looked at Ali and said, "Are you really sure
Kathy is good with languages?  She seems to have some problem
with English."  Connie shrugged and added, "Oh, well, I guess I
read somewhere that it's a very complex language.  Maybe she does
better with easier ones."

Everyone laughed at Kathy's expense.  Kathy just giggled until
Bill came over and gave her a check.  It was made out to her for
$35,000.  Her eyes widened and she gasped when she saw the
amount.  Carefully, she tore it into small pieces and put them in
an ashtray.  Bill just shrugged, took out his checkbook and wrote
another check.  This one was for $70,000.

When he gave it to her, she looked at it and then looked up at
him.  Tears were in her eyes and she said, "Please stop, Mr.
Clifford.  Maybe I'm tired, but I can't really take this.  Why
are you doing this to me?"

Bill took a chair and pulled it close to the girl.  He took her
hand and looked into her startling green eyes.  He said softly,
"Kathy, I'm sorry.  You were warned about our teasing, though. 
You see, the problem with us is we kid with money.  Ali, along
with everything else, is probably the world's finest money
manager.  Try as we might, our money just grows like a weed. 
Please help us out and take some?  I'm very serious.  Please?"

Kathy reached out her arms and Bill folded her in his.  As he
held her he could hear the girl crying.  He just held her close,
then lifted her from her chair and sat her across his lap.  The
girl slowly stopped crying and grew still.  She had fallen
asleep.

He lifted her up in his arms and carried her into the second
bedroom.  Ali followed him in and pulled down the bedspread and
then the covers.  Bill put her on the bed and went back to the
sitting room.  Ali undressed the girl, pulled the covers up to
her chin, and kissed her goodnight.

When Kathy awakened the next morning, she didn't know where she
was.  She was naked in bed and it was the most luxurious bed she
had ever slept in.  It reminded her of Cindy's bed in the "slave
quarters."  Getting out of bed she went to the bathroom and found
everything she needed laid out for her.  After taking a shower,
and washing her hair she returned to her room.  There was a note
on the dresser saying clothes were in the drawer.  When she
looked she found more chambray shirts and stone-washed jeans that
fit her perfectly.  After dressing, she went out to the sitting
room where she found Ali and Bill, wearing white terry robes,
eating breakfast.

She said, "When do I meet the patient?  I'm sorry I missed
breakfast.  But why didn't you just awaken me?  What happened
last night, anyway?"

Bill grinned and said it must have been the martini.  Ali glared
at her and said, "You're eating breakfast, young lady!  Why the
hell do you think we bought the damned hotel?  First, I can't
cook to save my life.  Second, they cook when I want to eat.  Now
order!"

She passed her the room service menu and Kathy ordered a huge
breakfast, realizing she hadn't eaten since breakfast the day
before.  She had slept through the meal service on the flight out
from Chicago, too.

After eating, Connie came by and drove her to a private hospital
where they found Chip in the lobby looking very nervous.  They
went up to a private suite of rooms and were met by a nurse on
duty who merely shook her head.  Going into the next room, Kathy
was surprised to see that it looked more like a hotel than a
hospital room.  Even the bed was a normal one, not the mechanical
marvel normally found in a hospital room.  The room was dimly
lighted but she could see a man in the bed.  She knew why she was
there so she tiptoed to the bed and saw that he was asleep.

When she got a good look at him, she almost fainted.  She quickly
sat down on the edge of the bed to keep from collapsing on the
floor.  Then, ignoring the others, Kathy stripped off all her
clothes and slipped into the bed beside him.  She found he was
wearing pajamas, so she carefully eased them off his body.  When
she got to his groin, she was shocked.  His penis and his
testicles had withdrawn up into his body.  Only the tip of his
penis showed.  Then she remembered how they loved to torture his
genitals with wires and flame while she held him and was forced
to watch.  She winced as she remembered his screams of agony. 
Bending down, she took the tip of his penis in her lips and
sucked.  Dimly, she was aware of the others withdrawing from the
room.

With her mouth encircling the tip of his organ, she gently sucked
on it.  She heard him moan and then start to speak.  Moving up in
the bed beside him, she just lay with her body partially on his.
She could feel the hair on his chest chafe her nipple and it was
exactly the way she remembered it.  His free arm came around and
held her as she fell asleep on top of him.

Later, she awakened and could feel his eyes on her.  He whispered
to her in the obscure Laotian dialect they had discovered they
both knew but which no Vietnamese spoke or understood.  She
looked at him and pulled herself up so she was lying on top of
him.

He looked in her eyes and she could see the pain that was in
them.  He said, "When are they coming, Little Flower?  How much
time do we have this time?"

"Bill, we have forever, my darling.  They're gone for good. 
You're home.  You're safe.  Darling, you're in the United States
and I'm here with you."

Then she carefully lowered her lips to his.  The kiss was the one
for which she had been waiting for almost fifteen years.  Never
did they allow her to kiss him.  For that matter, they regularly
put a red-hot blade between his lips to be sure he couldn't kiss
her anyway.  She could feel the remnants of the scar tissue still
on his lips and started to cry.  "My darling, they've hurt you so
badly!  But you're all right now."

Then her eyes glowed as she said, "Bill, you haven't looked at me
yet.  I was a child when you took me before.  Now I'm a woman. 
Do you like me now?"  She was still speaking Laotian.

He went to lift her from him and saw his eyes widen.  Then he
eased her back down on top of him; he seemed to enjoy the feeling
of her lying on his body.  She lifted herself up again and
whispered, "Bill, my name is Katherine now, or Kathy.  Do you
like my new name?"

He whispered, "Darling, you're a dream come true."

She moved down on his body to his tortured sex organs.  She took
his penis in her lips and began to kiss and suck it and used her
fingers gently to manipulate his balls that were retracted up
into his pelvis.  She heard him cry out in Vietnamese, "Don't! 
Not again!  Please don't!" and then he began to cry.

She moved up on his body and kissed him softly again saying,
"Bill, it's over, darling.  It's over!  They aren't coming.  I
adore you, Bill.  I always have."

He murmured softly and looked at her.  She heard strange sounds
in his throat and then heard him whisper in English, "You're
beautiful, my darling."

She hugged him close and cried on his shoulder.  She whispered,
"My darling, you'll be all right!  You will, darling, you will! 
May I play with your cock again?  Do you remember what it was
like?  I was only ten years old and so tiny for such a huge
organ.  Darling, you were the only man who has ever taken me. 
Ever!  And you took my virginity at the age of twelve!  But I'm a
big girl now.  Do you like my body?  My breasts are far bigger
than I thought they ever could be.  When I took you, dear, I
didn't have any.  Do you remember?"

Bill had been running his hand over her hair and smiled gently. 
He whispered, "You were just a small child...  Kathy?  Is that
your name, now?  Kathy?"

"Yes, darling, it's Kathy.  May I work on you again?  Could you
make me happy again?"

He looked at her and nodded.  He even smiled and said, "You were
always persistent.  I love you, Kathy.  You kept me alive all
these years.  And now you've found me.  When do you have to
leave?  When will they take you away?"

"My darling, I'll leave when you tell me to leave.  I'm your
woman, Bill.  I exist for you to use in any way you wish, for
anything you wish.  Anything, Bill.  May I try again?"

He grinned and the grin was becoming real, now.  She went down on
him and massaged his penis with her mouth, sucking as hard as she
could.  She was prying his testicles down from his groin with her
long slender fingers and could feel them start to loosen. 
Whichever muscles were holding them in his pelvis started to lose
their grip.  She could feel his prick start to emerge.  As gently
as she could, she dug his testicles out; it was not gentle
enough.  Bill screamed in agony and she stopped.

Then she saw his hand moving, indicating for her to continue. 
She looked up at him and he grinned in spite of the pain he was
suffering.  "Darling, you always caused me pain, but God, it was
worth it!  Please don't stop."

She continued to work and could feel sweat pouring off his body.
It reminded her of Vietnam, too.  Suddenly, the adhesions or
whatever it was, let go.  Bill screamed in agony and fainted, but
his cock and balls were back in their normal position.  She went
back up on his body and held him close.

After a while she could feel him stir and she kissed him again. 
She whispered, "Are you ready for your Eurasian cunt, my darling?
 You haven't even felt it.  I'm hurt.  I thought you liked my
tiny cunt.  It's still hairless because you liked it so much that
way.  I have never forgotten."

His hand moved on her body and she could feel his finger gently
enter her.  It was utterly exquisite.  She could feel herself
come to life under his hands.  Then she went down on him again. 
This time she took his now-liberated cock in her mouth and
tenderly kissed it.  She could feel it swell under her touch and
again Bill screamed in agony.  It was his first erection in
years.

She didn't stop.  She continued to move her mouth up and down on
his organ and then up, sucking as hard as she could.  He was
getting bigger and bigger and she took him deeper and deeper into
her throat.  Then she could feel it start to vibrate and he
screamed his release.  Kathy sucked and swallowed his cum as fast
as she could.  When his pulsations stopped, she licked it off
carefully, and moved up to kiss him on the lips.  "Darling, that
was one of the things they would never let us do.  I was so
small, my darling, I'm not sure I could have done it if they had
let me."  She grinned at him and said, "I sure would have tried,
though."

He laughed softly and kissed her.  Then he said, "That's for
sure!  I never knew a braver person than you, Kathy.  And you
were just a child!"

She pouted and said, "I was a young woman!"  She grinned and
added, "A _very_ young woman!"

Then she slid down his body and was delighted to find he had
regained his erection.  She closed her eyes.  This was what she
had waited fifteen years for!  Raising her pelvis, she took his
now-raging cock and placed it at her entrance.  Lowering herself,
she could feel it start to penetrate her still-very-small vagina.
 Kathy moved her body in a series of rotary motions and could
feel Bill's magnificent weapon enter her.

She looked down and could see his eyes were closed, although his
hands were groping.  "Would you like a tit to suck on, my
darling?  I could never give you one before.  I didn't have one
to give."  She leaned over and managed to bring her tit to his
lips.  He took it in his mouth and started to gently bite it. 
She just moaned with pleasure.  Then she kissed him on the lips.

It was better than she ever dreamed.  She could feel electricity
flow between them, causing her cunt to flood as she felt him
penetrate even deeper into her.  "Oh, Bill, you're so good, my
darling."

She concentrated on the cock inside her and was amazed to find
she had it all the way in to its root.  She squeezed the
iron-hard rod with her internal muscles and leaned forward to
kiss him again.  As she did, he cupped her breasts and pinched
her nipples between his fingertips.  Now she screamed as her
nipples were so sensitive to his touch and suddenly felt her hips
jerk with her first orgasm.

She moved up and down on him as he smiled with his eyes closed
just savoring the sensation.  She took herself to one peak after
another, cuming each time, while she felt the pressure build in
Bill's glorious cock.  She tried to remember what Dan had done to
her and finally reached the level she had been searching for. 
Cuming continuously, she was only semiconscious, moving on
instinct.  Finally, he could take it no longer and released what
seemed like quarts of hot semen into her raging cunt.  She
screamed and collapsed on top of him, unconscious.

Bill carefully pulled the covers up over the girl and gently
stroked her satin-smooth skin as she lay on top of him.  Kathy
finally stirred and opened her eyes.  Bill was so glad she had
those improbable emerald-green eyes.  The Vietnamese used to make
fun of the gangly young girl with the green eyes.  She had
changed so much, but those lovely eyes were just the same.

He smiled at her warmly as she asked, "Darling, was it good for
you?"

"No, it wasn't," he replied with his face impassive.  He saw the
hurt look come instantly to her eyes and he hugged her tight. 
"Since I just died and went to Heaven, it's no better than I
expected."  Then he grinned as she beamed at him and said, "I
have two questions, though.  First, where are your wings?  Do you
keep them in those glorious tits?  Second, I never heard of a
green-eyed Oriental angel before."

She just grinned and held him tight.  Finally she pushed away
from him and asked, "Darling, how are you feeling now?  Are you
up to meeting a couple of people?"

He kissed the tip of her lovely nose and said, "Honey, I can take
on an army right now.  What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to take a shower with me first.  Darling, all I
remembered were the foul smells because they wouldn't let you
wash or go to the bathroom.  You were just chained to the wall
whenever they sent me in to you.  Do you remember?"

He got out of bed, moving easily.  He was still thin, but
recovering.  They went into the shower and delighted in playing
with each other's body.  Kathy kissed each of the scars she could
find on his body.  There were many, reflecting fourteen years of
torture.  For his part, Bill delighted in just running his hands
over her soap-slick beauty.  When he put a finger up her rectum,
she yelped and then melted.  She kissed him and said, "Darling,
it's still virginal for you.  You can take at least some of my
virginity."

He kissed her nose and said, "I will have taken it all.  I love
you, Kathy."  She just grinned and kissed him.

They returned to his room and she got dressed.  Bill looked
baffled for a moment, so she gave him back his pajamas with a
grin saying, "Bill, you need a keeper."  Then she tilted her head
and grinned impishly, "Can I apply for the job?"

He looked skeptical and asked, "Do you have any qualifications
besides a hot cunt?"

"I have a talented mouth, and I bet I have a great ass.  You'll
love to ream it, Bill.  Is that enough?"

She went to him and kissed him warmly and then with increasing
passion.  He held her tight and just stroked her silken hair.  It
was enough.  Much more than enough.  Bill loved this girl with
all his heart.  Kathy went to the closet and found a beautiful
new cashmere bathrobe and a pair of slippers.  She held the robe
for him and then knelt on the floor to put the slippers on for
him.

She looked up at him and asked, "Does my master approve of his
Eurasian slave girl?  Does she please him?"

He lifted her up and melted her with a kiss.  She went to the
door with his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist.
When the door opened, she laughed.  Connie and Chip were pacing
the floor like two people waiting for the birth of a child. 
Kathy said, "Bill, do you remember this guy?"

"Chip!  Oh, God, it's you!  Chip!"  Chip had spun around when the
door opened and was looking hopeful.  When Bill recognized him,
he gathered him in his arms in a bear hug.  Bill could hear his
brother crying and he pushed away.  "Chip, what's wrong?  What
did I do?"

Chip Cartwright couldn't speak, he was so happy.  He just
clutched his brother with tears streaming down his cheeks while
his younger brother was just baffled.  Then Bill said, "Can we
get something to eat around here?  I'm starving to death!"

Before that morning, Bill had slowly regained some weight. 
Although he had been awake, he was in the equivalent of a coma. 
He didn't recognize anyone nor done anything.  Most of his
nutrients had been administered intravenously because it was so
hard to get him to eat.  Connie ran for the nurse and told her
the great news.

Chip had finally regained control.  He said, "Bill, I want you to
meet your new sister-in-law, Connie.  Even though she doesn't
look it, she's carrying your first niece or nephew inside her. 
Do you approve?"

Bill looked at Connie who was a vision.  She had silver blonde
hair and emerald eyes exactly like Kathy's.  He spread his arms
and she ran to him.  Then he could feel her tears on his cheek,
and could feel her mash her body to his.  "Hey, what's wrong?" he
protested with a grin.  "Why does everyone look at me and start
to cry?  Do I look that bad?  Should I change my brand of soap?"

Connie moved away and beamed.  "Darling kid brother, Bill, I'll
tell you something about women.  We always cry when we're happy.
Of course, we cry when we're sad, too.  That's principally to
keep you jerks off balance!" she said with a grin.  She squealed
when he reached out and started to tickle her.  In no time she
was huddled on the floor in a ball with Chip just laughing.

Connie said, "Chip, make your brother go back to bed.  He's safer
that way."  She got up, brushed herself off and stuck out her
tongue.  Bill took her in his arms and kissed her softly on the
lips and then on the tip of her nose.  She wiggled it like a
rabbit, and he kissed it again.

"You're cute, Connie Cartwright.  But brother Charles always did
have exquisite taste."

Kathy had been hanging back, quietly rejoicing in their
happiness.  Bill took her by her hand and pulled her close so he
could put his arm around her.  He asked, "Where, in Heaven's
name, did you find Kathy?  She's the girl who saved my life in
Vietnam.  She's the girl whose memory kept me alive for fifteen
years."  He turned and kissed her passionately, then looked back
at the others who were looking on in utter astonishment.  "I took
her virginity in a prison when she was only twelve years old. 
Her love has kept me alive.  I just adore this girl."

Just then the nurse had a table wheeled in with food for all of
them.  Following Connie's suggestion, they served hamburgers. 
She was delighted when she saw Bill's eyes light up.  He ate his
in no time and Kathy gave him hers, so Connie ordered three more.
 Bill ate two of the next three as well.  After they had eaten,
he pushed back from the table and said, "Where am I, anyway?  And
when can I get out?"  It was explained that he was in a special
convalescent hospital and he could leave at any time.  "Is right
now soon enough?" he asked.

Chip picked up a phone, and in no time an orderly brought in
underwear, pants and a shirt.  The pants were very big on him,
but Bill just grinned.  Chip noticed his brother almost never let
go of Kathy, and she seemed happy just being held close.  He
still couldn't get over what had happened.  A phone call from the
front desk announced that their car had arrived.  They walked out
to the front door.  In spite of all the time in bed, Bill found
he could move all right, and his movement seemed to get easier
with each step he took.

When they got in the car, he insisted on having Kathy sit on his
lap.  She just grinned and sat on him with her arms around his
neck.  When they reached the hotel, they went right up to the
Clifford's suite.  Kathy was in Heaven.  She was in Bill's arms
again, and he was in one piece.  He still had his arm around her
when he was greeted by the Cliffords.

She sat on the sofa with his arm around her as he told the others
how they had met: "There was no one as brave as Kathy.  I
remember once they were doing something to my testicles.  I was
screaming like a baby.  I think the Vietnamese had the idea I
would lose face in front of a young girl by screaming.  She never
looked at what they were doing.  She just focused her eyes on
mine and poured out her love.  She was saying she knew it was
agony, she understood, and she loved me."  He looked at Kathy and
asked, "Do you remember?"

She nodded with tears in her eyes and said, "Yes, my darling. 
That's exactly what I was trying to communicate."

She smiled at the others and explained that the language Bill was
speaking was an obscure Laotian dialect.  "Bill was working with
the tribesmen who spoke it.  That's how he knew it.  I have no
idea how I knew it, but I did.  It was the way I could talk to
him to try to give him strength while the guards were there
torturing him.  I guess they originally wanted to learn the
location of the tribal village.  Later, they just wanted to break
Bill.  They never could," she finished simply.

She saw there were tears in the eyes of all of the others.  Ali
brightened, and Bill looked at her carefully.  Finally, he said,
"You aren't Ali McGrath, are you?"  She smiled and nodded.  "But
you can't be!" he protested.  "I loved your movies and once I saw
you in Vietnam entertaining the troops.  That was years ago, but
you look younger now than you did then."

"It was me, Bill.  Did you like the show?" she asked.

Tears came to his eyes and he said, "I wouldn't have made it
without you, Ali.  When Kathy wasn't there -- and she was only
there when they were torturing me -- I thought of you.  I
thought, 'That girl cares about us and what we're doing.  With
her caring, damn it, I will make it!'  And I did.  Thank you,
Ali, for everything you did."

Tears were streaming down her face now as Ali said, "Thank you,
Bill.  You have just made a great deal of personal suffering
worthwhile.  I appreciate it very much."  She went to her
husband, sat in his lap and snuggled.  Kathy thought she was an
extraordinarily beautiful woman.  She still couldn't believe Ali
was thirty-seven, but obviously she really was.

Chip said, "Bill, I know it's only been hours, but what do you
want to do now?"

Bill smiled and shook his head.  "I don't have the first clue.  I
don't have a dime, and I have a wife to support.  Or I will have
as soon as I can get Kathy to the altar."

Kathy spun her head around in amazement.  "What did you just say,
William Cartwright?  Did you say something about marriage?  To
_me?"_

He squeezed her tightly and said, "You always did have sharp
ears, darling.  That's exactly right."

"No way!" Kathy exclaimed.  "Bill, I'll be your mistress, your
whore, your concubine... anything you want me to be.  But I won't
be your wife.  You need a beautiful girl, who is educated, smart,
from a good family...  You need a Caucasian girl, Bill.  There
are millions.  When you find her, then we'll decide.  I have some
friends..."

"My wife!" he insisted.

Connie hadn't said much, but now she entered the conversation:
"Bill, you haven't seen this girl in years.  But let's take the
list she just recited: Beautiful?  It's self evident.  She's
utterly stunning.  Educated?  University of Chicago and an MBA
from University of Chicago.  Smart?  Phi Beta Kappa and number
one in her class at the B school.  Good family?  How is the
Clifford family?  She's going to be adopted and then she'll
really be sorry.  Caucasian?  What in hell for?  Genetically, the
best thing to do is breed out, not breed in.  What would she give
your children?  Not a lot besides brains, beauty, courage... and
love!  There's more, though.  Sensitivity, compassion, warmth,
love, humanity...  Bill, I could go on, but is there any need to?
 I think you're the luckiest man in the world, Bill Cartwright,
to find the girl you lost halfway around the world.  What do you
think?"

"I think my beautiful sister-in-law just said it all.  In fact,
Connie, you said it so well, it almost made me feel sorry for
tickling you earlier."  Bill grinned and said, "Notice, I said
'almost'.  It gives me a good chance to fondle a pregnant woman.
Incidentally, they're sure making pregnancies different these
days.  I can remember in the old days when women used to bulge."

Connie glared at him although her eyes were dancing.  "Okay,
buster, I gave all the reasons why you should marry her.  Can you
give me one reason why she would want to marry you?  You're old,
beat to hell, and not good for much.  Why in hell would she
consider you?"

"Because I adore him and always have," Kathy interjected with
tears starting to stream down her cheeks.  "Because I watched him
bleed for me.  Because I've seen him suffer agony.  Because I've
seen him tempered in fire.  Because he's the strongest, kindest,
sweetest man in the whole world.  Because I can't possibly live
without him.  Because I will have him on any terms he'll accept
me.  Because there is absolutely nothing I won't do for this
man!" Kathy said, and then repeated softly, "Because I adore him
and always have."

There was not a dry eye in the room when she finished.  Bill
turned her face to his and kissed her softly, then passionately.
It was like nothing that had ever happened to either of them
before.  Suddenly Kathy's loins were on fire and her nipples had
hardened.

He whispered, "Will you marry me, Kathy?  Please?  You said
there's nothing you wouldn't do for me.  Please marry me and be
the mother of my children."

She looked at him with adoration in her eyes.  She said softly in
their Laotian dialect, "Are you sure, Bill?  Are you absolutely
sure?  I can be the mother of your children without marrying you.
 Darling, I'm frightened.  What will people say?  It will be
awful for you."

He replied in the same dialect.  He hadn't forgotten it.  He
said, "Awful?  How awful can it be, my darling?  Is it as awful
as having my balls squeezed with red-hot pincers?  Is it as awful
as being made to put my lips on a red-hot knife blade so I
couldn't kiss you?  That awful, my darling?  Or worse?  Having
you watch me live in my own filth?  Having you wipe the shit off
me before you could find my skin to touch?  How awful, darling?"

She had no answer. _What can I say?  He loves me!  Oh, God, thank
you!  Bill loves me!_  she exulted.

It was as if he could read her mind.  He whispered, still in
Laotian, "Thank you, my darling.  You have just made me the
happiest man in the world.  Now shall we tell the others?"  She
kissed him and nodded, then buried her head in his shoulder.  He
said to the others, "It took some doing but Katherine Chang has
agreed to become Katherine Cartwright.  Could we get some
champagne?  I guess I have some back pay coming, if someone can
loan me a few bucks until I get it."

Bill Clifford scrambled for the phone.  While he was ordering,
Chip said, "Bill, I've got bad news for you.  You're already
rich...  Stinking rich, I guess."  He smiled warmly at his
younger brother and said, "Bill, Mom and Dad were killed a year
or so after you disappeared.  They never recovered from your
loss, so I guess they didn't mind dying very much.  Anyway, I was
the executor of the estate.  I guess my net worth now is around
half a billion dollars.  Since I couldn't be bothered running two
investment pools, I kept it simple.  Whatever I bought for me, I
bought for you.  Actually, though, you have more money than I do.
 I have a wife to support; you haven't spent a thing.  You have
well over $500 million.  It will buy a couple of bottles of
champagne.  Even the good stuff!"

"Oh boy," Kathy murmured, "a rich husband!  Just what I've always
wanted."  Then she kissed him softly again and said, "Darling, I
have some time off from work.  What would you like to do now?"

Before he could answer Ali said, "Spend two weeks on Maui with
you, Kathy.  Soak up the sun on the nude beach, swim, eat, make
love.  How does it sound?  I think Bill needs some rebuilding,
don't you?  I booked a suite down the hall for you.  I thought
you might like some privacy.  By the way, Kathy, I have a couple
of forms for you to sign, if you would."  She went to a drawer,
pulled out a couple of forms which the girl signed where Ali
indicated.

The champagne appeared along with a tub of caviar to celebrate
the engagement.  Before long, Kathy could see Bill start to
wobble.  She looked at Ali who made a quick phone call.  A minute
later the manager on duty appeared to show them to their suite. 
Minutes later, they were together in bed.

Kathy did what Cindy had mentioned to her.  She lay on Bill's
right side, rested her head on his shoulder, put his arm around
her and put his hand on her boob.  She put her hand on top and
turned out the light.  After snuggling as close to him as she
could get, they were almost instantly asleep.*Chapter 19*

Kathy woke up when she felt a pressure on her breast.  She looked
up and found herself looking into Bill Cartwright's blue eyes. 
"Good morning, my darling," she whispered.  "Are you ready to
make love to me yet this morning?"

Bill kissed her passionately and then rolled over between her
legs.  She positioned his cock and soon she could feel him moving
inside her wetness.  It was better than it ever had been.  Soon
she had her first orgasm, and then more with increasing
frequency.  Finally she could feel the iron-hard shaft start to
vibrate and then she felt his hot cum flood her insides.

The sensation was almost more than she could take, but she
retained consciousness as Bill collapsed on top of her.  Gently,
she ran her fingertips over his back.  As she did, she could feel
marks from the tortures he had undergone.  He pushed himself up a
little to see her better and whispered, "Darling, I'm out of
shape!"  Then he smiled and rolled off her body, placing her head
gently back on his shoulder.  He looked into her incredible green
eyes and shook his head.  "That was the most marvelous night I
have ever spent.  All night long I could feel the most exquisite
body next to mine.  If I moved my hand on your breast you did the
same thing every time."

"What did I do?" she asked with worry in her eyes.

"You snuggled even closer and made the most wonderful happy
sounds.  It must have lasted at least twenty minutes each time. 
I guess I woke up frightened. _They_ were coming back.  Darling,
you were wonderful!  And I can have this for the rest of my
life?"  She kissed him softly and watched his eyes close again.

It was only six o'clock, but it was already eight in Chicago. 
Kathy eased out of bed.  After washing, she slipped on a hotel
robe and went out to the sitting room to call Cindy and reached
her as she was about to leave the Stewart's.

She started to explain what had happened, when Cindy interrupted.
 "Kathy, I know all about it.  Connie and Ali called Jan last
night.  I can't tell you how happy we all are for you and for
Bill.  How is he and how are you?  Did you have a good night
together?"

"Oh, Cindy, I couldn't imagine a better one!  Last night I did
what you suggested: I slept with my head on his shoulder and it
was wonderful.  Bill loved it too."  She grinned ruefully and
said, "But guess what?  I'm another Chatty Cathy doll.  Bill said
I kept him awake for at least twenty minutes at a time making
happy noises.  But he loved it... at least the first night. 
Cynthia Martin, what are we going to do?"

"Buy them ear plugs?" Cindy replied.  "Kathy, everything is under
control here.  The owners of the bank adore you.  What you did
with Bill and for him is utterly beyond belief.  I didn't know
just how bad it was until last night.  You did something in two
hours the doctors didn't think could happen in less than ten
years!  Honey, Ali says you're going to Hawaii.  Have a wonderful
time."  They talked about loans Kathy had in progress and then
she hung up.

As soon as she did, the phone rang.  It was Ali.  She said, "I
have you and Bill booked on a two o'clock flight to Maui.  All
the arrangements are made.  He's still sleeping, isn't he?" 
Kathy was baffled.  She said he was but asked Ali how she could
possibly know.  With a small chuckle Ali said, "Honey, there are
a couple of advantages to owning the damned hotel.  When I ask
for something, it happens.  I asked them to let me know as soon
as you used your phone.  Knowing Bill's condition, I knew it had
to be you.  Look, I made an appointment for you this morning. 
Can you eat and be ready to go in thirty minutes?  Your breakfast
should be there right about now."  As soon as she said it, there
was a knock on the door.  Kathy said she would be ready, hung up
and opened the door for the room service waiter.

A short time later, Ali Clifford came by the suite.  What
followed took Kathy by surprise.  Ali asked her to strip and then
used a tape measure to take all kinds of measurements.  She was
on her knees and looked up at the nude Eurasian girl.  She said,
"Bill is a very lucky guy.  Kathy, you are gorgeous!"  Standing
up, she asked Kathy to dress again while she made a quick phone
call during which she referred to the notes she had taken on the
measurements.  Kathy followed her down to her car and they went
to a movie studio.

Kathy was surprised when she was taken to a hair stylist who was
introduced to her as Henry Hall.  Then she remembered something
that Cindy had said: He was the one who had been flown out to
Chicago.  Henry looked at her hair and just shook his head.  "At
last, Ali, you found one!  A true brunette with the most
beautiful hair around."  Ali spoke to him quietly for a moment. 
He smiled and began to work.  A short time later, he whipped off
the sheet and spun her chair around so she could see herself in
the mirror.  Kathy gasped.  Her hair looked the same, but
different.  She thought she had never looked so good and said so.
 He just smiled.  While he was working, she had also been given a
manicure and a pedicure.

As they drove back towards the hotel, she asked Ali about it. 
The woman just smiled and said, "A girl should look her very best
on her wedding day."  Then she told Kathy about the small church
where Jan and Pete had been married, and the priest there, Father
Collins.  She said, "You're going to get married anyway, so how
about this Saturday?  You can have the wedding in the middle of
your honeymoon."

Kathy agreed, but was not happy about it.  She had begun to think
of a church wedding with her friends around her, particularly
Cindy and April.  Ali knew what she was thinking and said, "It's
just a start, honey.  Marriage is for always.  I'm sure they'll
love you just the same."

When they reached the hotel, they found Bill waiting for them. 
He had one small bag and Fred was waiting to take them to the
airport.  Suddenly, Kathy's eyes widened.  She said, "My God!  I
just remembered.  I have nothing to wear!  I'm wearing everything
I brought out with me."

Ali said, "Some of my people got a couple of things together for
you.  They're already at the airport and Bill has the claim
checks.  Now move it!  You'll miss your plane."

They were driven to the airport and found they had first-class
sleeper seats to Maui.  When they arrived, they were met by
another limousine and driven to their hotel.  Their suite was
spectacular with a view of the ocean.  When her luggage was
delivered to the room, Kathy's eyes popped as she found a full
collection of resort wear, none of which she had ever seen
before, but all of which fit perfectly.

They checked with Father Collins at the church and found
arrangements for their wedding were all set for noon on Saturday.
 When he asked about Janice and Pete, Kathy told them they were
more deeply in love than any two people she had ever met.  He
smiled warmly and asked to be remembered to them.

The next days on Maui were glorious.  She found she could tan
after all. _It must be the European part of Eurasian,_ she
thought.  Taking a tip from Jan, she gloried in spreading sun
protection on Bill's body when they lay on the nude beach.  She
took up golf and found she liked it; she and Bill were both good
at it.  They played tennis, they ate, but mostly they made love.
By Saturday morning, she had a glorious tan that Bill adored.

She was looking at her new dresses trying to decide which one to
wear for her wedding, when there was a knock on the door.  She
opened it and squealed with delight when she found April and
Cindy standing there, with Cindy holding a white gown on a
hangar.  Then she saw Chip standing behind the girls grinning. 
Chip took Bill away for a short bachelor's party while the girls
came into the room.

Cindy said, "You didn't for one minute think you were going to
get married without us, did you?  We couldn't decide who is going
to be the bridesmaid and who is the maid of honor, so it's up to
you."

There was another knock on the door.  This time it was Ali, along
with Janice Stewart, Jennifer Chapman, Connie Cartwright, and a
smaller girl Kathy had never seen before.  She was introduced as
Billy's wife, Joan.  The girl looked like a pixie.  Kathy was
dumbfounded and just stood there, gaping.

Ali took charge saying, "Honey, I could see you were disappointed
because your friends weren't going to be with you for your
wedding, so we brought a couple of people out with us."

"And how, exactly, did you do that?" Kathy asked suspiciously?

"How else would Mom do it?" Jan replied airily.  "She chartered a
plane in Chicago that made a stop in Los Angeles.  You wouldn't
believe how hard it can be to get a few seats on short notice. 
So she just gets her own plane."

Then she shook her head and smiled wryly.  "I'm surprised at you,
Katherine Chang.  You're a banker and yet you sign blank forms! 
For shame."  Kathy just looked blank.  She didn't know what Jan
was talking about.  "Young lady, you signed blank adoption
papers.  But don't worry about it.  I did, too, so now we're
sisters.  You're now the legally adopted daughter of William H.
Clifford and Allison M. Clifford.  I thought I ought to tell you,
though.  You'll be going down the aisle on Dad's arm.  I hope you
don't mind."  Jan took Kathy in her arms and kissed her warmly. 
"Welcome to the family, darling.  Your new family couldn't be
happier!"

Kathy was stunned.  Before she could even move, Connie gathered
her in her arms and kissed her.  She was beaming with happiness.
"Now I have a sister who is also my sister-in-law!  Bill is a
very lucky guy, sis."

Kathy was in a daze as the girls stripped off her clothes and
then slipped the gown over her head.  She was seated in a chair
while her sisters fixed her hair.  Finally, she stood up and saw
herself in a mirror.  She couldn't believe her eyes.  The white
wedding gown was magnificent.  As she stood at the mirror, Ali
put a triple strand of priceless pearls around her neck, then
kissed her.  "My darling, they are also pearls from the Orient. 
They're exquisite, but I'm sure they look much better on you than
they ever did in the oyster.  It's just a small token from your
father and me."

Kathy laughed when the girls tried to decide whether extreme
measures were called for.  She looked at them, not understanding
what they were talking about.  Then she realized they were
discussing whether or not she should wear lipstick.  She settled
the issue by carefully putting some on.

When she walked down the aisle, Kathy couldn't believe her
senses.  She was on the arm of her new father, Bill Clifford,
realizing she didn't even know who her real father was.

He whispered in her ear, "My daughter, you can't believe how
proud you're making me today!  I can't believe that I could
possibly have a daughter as beautiful as you are."

At the altar, Cindy lifted her veil and she looked into Bill's
eyes as Chip stood in the background.

In no time she heard the words she never dreamed of hearing: "Do
you, Katherine, take this man, William, to be your lawful wedded
husband?"

She replied as fervently as she could, "Oh, Father, I do!"

Moments later, she heard, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

Bill took her and she melted in his arms.  She was so happy, her
tears were flowing and she needed his arm on her elbow to guide
her down the aisle.

At the reception, everyone she knew was there.  Don and Mary
Martin kissed her.  They looked marvelous, having only recently
returned from their own honeymoon.  There was April, and her new
brothers and sisters.  Finally, Dan Burke was standing in front
of her asking softly, "May I kiss the bride?"  She nodded shyly,
and he kissed her solidly on the lips.  He whispered, "Kathy, it
couldn't happen to a nicer girl.  I can't tell you how happy
Cindy and I are for you.  Now will you introduce me to your
husband?"

Bill and Dan shook hands.  It was the first good look Dan had had
at Bill Cartwright.  Bill looked at him and simultaneously each
recognized the other.  Dan grabbed Bill in a bear hug and
shouted, "It's you!  My God!  You saved my life!"

All of the people -- only the closest friends and family were
there -- turned as they heard Dan's cry.  He put his arm around
Bill and said, "It's a very small world.  This is the man who
saved my life and the lives of all my men.  We were about to be
wiped out when this guy appears with a bunch of Laotian
irregulars and started to wipe up the floor with the North
Vietnamese.  We couldn't call for help because all of our radios
were out.

"Bill set up a landing zone and covered us while the choppers he
called in pulled us out.  He wouldn't come out with us.  I saw
him take a couple of hits, but I saw him kill a bunch of the
enemy.  It was the last time I saw him until today.  I never even
knew his name.  It was just 'Bill in Special Forces' until now."

He looked at Bill and said, "There's a medal waiting for you at
the Presidio when you get back, Bill.  It's the Medal of Honor."
By now tears were streaming down Dan's face as he said, "'Greater
love hath no man than he who lays down his life for a friend.'
That's exactly what Bill Cartwright did that day so many years
ago.  He gave his life for me and my men.  I didn't know who he
was at the time, but on the way out to Maui, I learned some of
the ways he was tortured for so many long years.

"Bill, if there is anything I can ever do for you or your family
-- absolutely anything at all -- I'll do it.  I can't tell you
how wonderful I feel right now.  I heard about a small girl who
helped you.  That small girl is one of the finest human beings I
have ever met.  Since you're the guy to whom I owe my life, I
couldn't be happier or prouder for you both."

He raised his champagne glass and said, "Please join me in a
toast to the bride and groom.  I know it's the best man's
prerogative to offer it, but I'm taking his place.  Katherine and
William Cartwright: Never have there been two people so deserving
of every happiness.  Never have I seen two people so deeply in
love.  Never have there been two people who have suffered more on
their way to the altar.  Kathy and Bill, thank you, and may God
bless your marriage with every happiness and many children.  If
your children have the tiniest fraction of the courage and
bravery of both of their parents, they will be credits to you, to
the family and to our country!  May God bless you both!"  He
raised his glass as did everyone else in the room.

The next day, Kathy and Bill were lying on what they had come to
think of as their spot on the nude beach.  They were just
recovering from their best lovemaking yet, when a shadow fell
over them.  They were lying in each other's arms with their eyes
closed.  Kathy opened her eyes and saw Ali and Bill Clifford
standing in the sun.  She gasped as she saw Ali's nude body.  It
was utterly exquisite and she said so.  Her father, who she first
thought to be thirty-seven, looked to be Bill's age when she saw
his semi-erect genitals.

Ali saw where she was looking and casually cupped his massive
balls in her hand and said, "He is kind of nice, isn't he?  I
guess it keeps us young.  And yes, Kathy, a man can have a tanned
cock.  Do you like your father's?"

To her amazement, Ali dropped to her knees and took it in her
mouth.  In moments she had it in a raging erection.  Kathy could
see he was close to cuming when she dropped on her back, lifted
her pelvis, and smoothly took him inside her glistening cunt. 
Soon, Ali reached a massive orgasm and Kathy could see Bill
cuming into her mother's gaping cunt.  After resting on the sand
for a few minutes, Bill withdrew and Ali began to lick off the
love juices from his cock.

She started to get up when Bill said, "Not so fast, young lady!"
She just grinned and lay back with her legs spread wide.  Bill
knelt between her thighs and licked the juices from his wife's
lovely cunt.  When he was finished, she pulled him up to her and
they kissed lovingly, exchanging the fluids they had absorbed. 
Finally, he got up and helped Ali to her feet.

"In case you're wondering, that's just to show you that you
didn't invent anything new.  If you look up and down the beach,
you'll see there's a lot of it going around.  We love watching
Don and Mary Martin.  They are newlyweds and so deeply in love,
we could put them on stage making love and I don't think they'd
know the difference."  With that, Ali and Bill walked off down
the beach hand in hand.

"Darling," Kathy whispered to Bill, "will we ever be like that,
do you suppose?  Could you believe what you just saw?  They are
so in love and so attuned to each other!  I thought it was
beautiful."

Bill just smiled at her and kissed her softly, assuring her he
would sure try.

* * *

When their plane landed at O'Hare, they were met by Cindy and Dan
and driven into Chicago.  Kathy had only mentioned briefly the
fact that she worked at Chicago Trust.  She never told Bill that
she lived in a very small one-room apartment.  Although Dan and
Cindy knew where she lived, they were driving a different route.
As he drove the car he rented for the occasion, Dan asked Bill
what he planned to do.

Bill just shook his head and said, "I don't have the first clue,
Dan.  First, though, thank you for being at the Presidio last
week.  I was surprised but very pleased to see you there,
particularly as a part of the ceremony."

Bill had received the Medal of Honor, as well as the Silver Star,
the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart at a ceremony in San
Francisco.  Although he had been an eighteen-year-old staff
sergeant when he was captured, he wore the uniform of a master
sergeant when he received his award.  At his insistence, Kathy
was by his side when the awards were made.  Dan had been present,
too, representing the marines whose lives he had saved in the
action for which the Medal of Honor was being awarded.  Bill was
now a master sergeant, U.S. Army (retired), being retired on a
disability pension.  He joked that if he stayed in a couple of
more years, he would qualify for a twenty-year pension; all his
time in prison counted as active service.  He also joked that all
he had to show for his time in captivity were a couple of medals
and big-time tax problems.

With respect to his future, all he knew was it centered on Kathy.
 He told Dan that since it was clear she liked what she was
doing, she was going back to work while he figured somethingout.

Dan asked, "Bill, I know you don't need the money.  (We would
like to have you as a depositor, though.)  But would you consider
working with us?  Working in Cindy's group with your wife?"  He
smiled warmly and said, "I see a little of you dying whenever
she's out of your sight.  Would you like to work with her?  I
talked to Don Martin, the president, and he said he'll agree to
any arrangement you wish."

"It's a deal, Dan," Bill replied.  "Right now I feel like I'm
freeloading on my wife.  Let's do it!"

Dan had driven into the garage of an apartment building close to
both the lakefront and the bank.  As they passed the parked cars,
Kathy saw a red one that looked exactly like hers.  They parked
in a space and took the elevator up to the lobby and another to
the top floor.  Kathy didn't know what was happening, but she
knew Cindy had an apartment around here somewhere that she had
sold and was redecorating for the new owner.  Cindy opened the
door to an apartment and walked in.  Kathy and Bill followed and
Dan brought up the rear.  The apartment was large and airy with a
large balcony overlooking the lake.  The view of the lakefront
was spectacular.  The unit was the most beautifully furnished
apartment Kathy had ever seen, and she said so to Cindy.  Cindy
showed the couple around and Kathy made appreciative noises.

Bill said, "Honey, this is exactly the sort of place we ought to
have.  Chip wasn't lying about my money.  I guess we can afford
it, too.  Would you like to look for one like it?"

"Oh, darling," Kathy exclaimed, "Could we?  Cindy, you have
another career as a decorator.  I don't know who the owner of
this place is but he or she is going to love it!  Could... Would
you do ours when we get one?  Your taste is just perfect!"  While
she was talking, she was opening cupboards in the kitchen and
found the apartment was completely equipped.

Cindy reached out her hands to each of them.  Looking puzzled,
Kathy and Bill held out their hands and Cindy dropped gold keys
in each of them.  "I'm glad you like it.  Since you like it so
much, this one is yours.  It's a wedding present from your new
sisters, Jen Chapman and Jan Stewart.  You two own it; the papers
will be delivered tomorrow.  I did the decorating because I
needed some practice before I do the other apartment for real. 
There's a fee, though.  You have to give me a list of the things
I forgot.  Now don't forget.  You owe it to me as my decorator's
fee."

_"Ours?"_ Kathy exclaimed.  "Bill's and mine?  All ours?"

"It sure is, honey.  And that was your car in the garage.  You
have two spaces down there.  The other one is empty."  She looked
at Dan and said, "Come on, Burke.  These two are newlyweds. 
Kathy is desperately trying to get us the hell out of here so she
can christen her brand-new bed."

Kathy blushed prettily, but Cindy and Dan left quickly.*Chapter
20*

Shortly after Labor Day, Emily Amelia Hardwick made up her mind
to go down to her bank.  Emily always thought of Chicago Trust
Company as her bank.  After all, her great-grandfather was one of
the original investors when it was founded, and the Hardwicks had
been banking there ever since.  Emily made up her mind to see
Donald Martin and find out what was going on.

Over the last few weeks Emily had noticed that she received
particularly good treatment from small merchants whenever she
gave them her check on Chicago Trust.  Many were immigrants, she
knew.  Yet they spoke of "their bank"  and "the twins who
aren't." _Clearly,_ she thought, _something very strange is going
on._  She asked Charles to bring the car around and she set off
to see Donald Martin.  Donald had been her banker for years. 
Emily had almost started a revolution when she heard he might be
fired.  She liked Donald Martin, even if his daughter, Cynthia,
was a snippy little pill.

Emily Hardwick was sixty-eight years old and the last of the
Hardwicks.  As a spinster, she realized that when she died her
family would cease to exist.  This inevitability didn't bother
her.  What did bother her was the money.  Normally, when money
was made, it was dissipated by the pyramid-shaped structure of
generations, with each generation far more numerous than the one
before.  Even the largest fortunes could rarely survive the
combined onslaughts of inheritance taxes and proliferating
progeny.

Not the Hardwicks.  Its family tree had been diamond-shaped.  It
began with the fur trade in the early eighteenth century and
became most numerous around the middle of the nineteenth century.
 Since then it had been contracting.  She had grown up in the
family mansion on Chicago's Near North Side, but a few years
earlier had sold the property on which now stood a huge office
building.  People in Chicago had wanted her to make the family
home a museum but she would not hear of it.  It had served the
family and she didn't want strangers traipsing through it.  Now
she was amused by the extent to which the land sale had added to
the family fortune, now greater than $200 million.

The reason the money bothered her was she had no one to leave it
to.  Her lawyers advised her to establish a charitable foundation
and name it as her beneficiary.  She considered the idea but
didn't like it.  She knew of too many foundations devoted to
"good works" which translated into supporting all of the trendy
and with-it causes.  Moreover, too often these were causes and
organizations whose purposes were antithetical to the source of
the money supporting them.  She knew of one famous foundation in
which a senior family member resigned because of policy
disagreements with the foundation's Board of Directors.

Emily was different from most of her social friends.  Unlike
them, she had investigated her family's background in depth. 
This provided her with an awareness of the risks that had been
taken to amass and build the family fortune.  She realized that,
had any of a wide range of events unfolded differently, on a
number of occasions over the years the family would have been
financially wiped out.  Her research surfaced the names of dozens
of people associated with her ancestors who had taken different
tacks and had been financially destroyed.  This went back to
financial panics in the nineteenth century.  It was nothing new.

Emily Amelia was gray-haired and gray-eyed.  Her eyes were her
most striking feature: they were as sharp and piercing as an
eagle's.  Her carriage was erect and her body appeared spare. 
She was a person who knew who she was.  Arriving at the bank, she
asked a guard where Mr. Donald Martin could be found.  Upon being
told, she took the elevator to the executive floor and marched up
to the receptionist.

Jean Robbins saw Miss Hardwick marching up to her desk. _Oh, oh,_
she thought, _Here's trouble!  Miss Hardwick hasn't been here in
months._  She smiled and said, "Good morning, Miss Hardwick.  May
I help you?"

"I'm here to see Donald Martin.  Is he in the bank this morning?"
she asked politely.  Emily was always polite to everyone.

Jean buzzed Mary Thomas. _Oops!_  she thought, _It's Mary Martin,
now._  "Mary," she said, "It's Miss Hardwick to see Mr. Martin!"

Mary knew Don had no visitors so she ran out to the reception
area.  Her hand was outstretched in greeting as she approached
Emily Amelia.  "Good morning, Miss Hardwick!  It's so good to see
you again.  It's been such a long time!"

Emily looked at Mary and her eyes widened.  She said, "Why Mary
Thomas, what has happened to you?  You're beautiful!  I haven't
seen you look so good in... my heavens, it must be twenty years
now."  She took Mary's hands in hers and looked at the woman and
saw the love in her eyes.  She asked softly, "Who is the lucky
man?  I can see the love shining in your eyes."

Mary didn't even blush.  She said, "Thank you so much.  I'm very
glad it shows.  It's Don.  I'm Mary Martin now."

Emily beamed and then frowned.  "Mary Thomas, why was I not
informed?  You two are my most favorite people in this bank.  I
must send you something nice.  Now, shall we see Donald?"

Emily was pleased by Donald Martin's appearance as well.  He and
Mary both looked so much younger and so vibrant.  She
congratulated him and then immediately went to the business at
hand.  Emily Amelia didn't beat around the bush.  She demanded to
know what was happening between the bank and the small merchants.
 Why was she now being greeted so warmly?

Don smiled and told her very briefly about the bank's new lending
program.  He didn't mention that Cindy was in charge.  After he
completed his explanation, Emily said nothing.  She just asked if
an officer in that unit was in the bank.

Don looked at Mary who left the office.  She was back a moment
later to say that Miss Jefferson was in her office.  Emily nodded
firmly, asked directions to Miss Jefferson's office and then
marched out.  Mary asked if she should call April and warn her. 
Don smiled and shook his head saying, "Darling, six hours
wouldn't be enough time to warn her about Emily Amelia Hardwick,
and two minutes would only alarm her.  Let's just keep our
fingers crossed."

April was working at her desk when her secretary buzzed and said
there was a Miss Hardwick to see her.  She didn't have an
appointment, but Mr. Martin had suggested she talk to April.  She
was ushered in and April came around her desk to greet her.  In
spite of her protests she had been promoted to vice president and
her office had been enlarged.  She shook hands firmly with Miss
Hardwick and offered her a seat on the new sofa that was part of
her new vice-presidential office.

Emily studied the young woman sitting attentively in front of
her.  She was surprised.  First, the girl was a Negro; then she
remembered they were now called blacks.  Donald had said that she
was a vice president. _A black female vice president!_ she
thought. _My, how things are changing._  But that wasn't all. 
The girl was sitting upright in her chair with her hands folded
in her lap. _It has been years since I last saw that!  I wonder
who raised her?  Clearly, her mother trained her to be a lady. 
And even though she's only wearing blue jeans and a work shirt,
she sits in that chair like a queen._

She asked the girl about the small merchants and was told quickly
and lucidly about the lending program and on whom it was focused
and how it worked.  Emily nodded her head quickly.  Then she
asked, "Are you in charge of the program, Miss Jefferson?  You
appear... rather young."

The girl smiled brilliantly and said, "Oh, no, Miss Hardwick. 
The program is run by our division head, Miss Martin.  She's a
very experienced banker."

Emily asked, "Do you mean that ninny, Cynthia Martin?  If that's
true, then why are you dressed the way you are?  If she saw you,
she would fire you on the spot.  That girl doesn't care two hoots
for people.  She just plays to images and impressions.  Well?"
she demanded.

April replied, "I didn't know Cindy... Miss Martin... before I
joined the bank.  She says she was awful and should have been
drowned at birth.  I can't say.  I can only say she hired me,
trained me, taught me everything I know, and promoted me.  As for
the uniform," she said with a warm smile, "it's the uniform for
our division, by the way -- it's all she ever wears.  When she's
wearing clothes at all, which isn't often."  Suddenly, Emily saw
the girl's naturally warm brown eyes grow cold.  She said, "I
would give my life for Cindy Martin.  I adore the girl.  I
worship the ground she walks on.  Am I making my feelingsclear?"

Emily made a mental note to see Cynthia Martin again.  Clearly
she inspired enormous loyalty, and the old Cynthia could never
have done that.  Then she asked, "Tell me about yourself, Miss
Jefferson.  Do you live with your parents?"

"I live with my mother and my son, Miss Hardwick.  Why do you
ask?"  The coldness was out of her eyes now.

Emily mentally nodded, realizing what a beautiful young woman
this was.  She had an idea which she put into action immediately.
 She said, "Miss Jefferson, I would like you to have lunch with
me.  I'm sure you have no idea who I am or why there might be any
circumstance by which you would care to dine with me.  That's
neither here nor there.  If I could presume to use your office
for a moment, would you please call Mr. Martin?  Then, when he
tells you to join me, please see if your mother and your son
could join us for lunch, too."  She gave April the address and
the girl left the office to use another phone.  Emily called her
apartment and told the cook there would be four for lunch at
twelve.

April called Don Martin's office and Mary answered.  The woman
said, "Congratulations, April!  I'm glad to hear you're still
alive.  What did you think of Emily Amelia Hardwick?"  April
exhaled loudly and asked who she was.  Mary filled her in
quickly, ending with the admonition that she was the bank's
single most important customer.  "April, the rule in the bank is,
'What Emily wants, Emily gets.'  I'm sure there is a reason for
the question, though.  What is it?"

April told her about the luncheon invitation and Mary whistled
softly.  She said to do it if it was humanly possible, adding
that Don Martin was the only person from the bank to dine with
her in living memory.  After hanging up she called the apartment
and quickly told her mother about the invitation.  Her mother
said she would get Ronnie dressed and would meet them at twelve.

She went back to her office and made quick excuses to Emily, then
took a hanger from behind her door and went to the ladies' room.
When she returned a few minutes later, she was the picture of a
female banker on a warm September day.  She was wearing a simple,
beautifully-tailored dress that set off her face and showed off
her beautiful figure.  Emily looked at her and thought to
herself, _Better and better!_

When they returned to her apartment, Emily asked that dry sherry
be served.  She chatted with the young woman and was increasingly
impressed.  The girl was very well informed, very smart, very
beautiful and very ladylike.  Emily found herself liking her more
every minute.

The butler announced Mrs. Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Jackson,
Junior.  Emily rose to greet Mary Jefferson and again was
impressed. _Clearly, this is the woman who trained April,_ she
thought.  The little boy was handsome.  Although April had said
he was not yet two, he was already walking.  Moreover, it
appeared that training pants had already taken the place of
diapers.  Mrs. Jefferson whispered to Ronnie to say hello.

Ronnie toddled over to where she was sitting and put out his
hand.  Emily took his tiny hand and carefully shook it.  The
little boy stood there in front of her, studying her face
carefully.  Emily could feel the sinking feeling in her stomach
again.  Normally she terrified small children.  This little boy
just stood studying her face carefully.  Then he pointed to her
and turned to his mother saying, "Lady!"  Then he turned back and
smiled the warmest smile she had ever seen on a child's face.  He
said, "Nice lady!"  He came closer and held out his arms.

Emily picked him up and found him wrapping his little arms around
her neck and giving her a big kiss.  When she put him down again,
he backed up a little and said softly, "Nice lady."  He wanted to
sit down and she lifted him onto her lap, where he gently
fingered the beads she was wearing.  Then he just leaned back
against her arm to listen to the grownups.

Emily looked at the other women.  They might have been nervous
about Ronnie's behavior but they didn't show it if they were. 
Emily asked about Mr. Jefferson.  Mary said, "He died defending
our country, Miss Hardwick.  He left me with April who has been a
wonderful daughter to me.  I still miss him terribly, though,"
she finished simply.  April explained the circumstances
surrounding her pregnancy and Ronnie's birth.  She spared herself
nothing as she told of the contest and serving punch from her
tits.  As she did, Emily noticed, she didn't lower her head nor
turn away from her gaze.

Emily knew about her own reputation.  She knew that she was
famous for her piercing gray eyes that could see through steel. 
In fact, she cultivated both the look and the reaction.  She was
increasingly impressed with this family.  When luncheon was
announced, they went into the dining room and were seated.  In
spite of his diminutive size, little Ronnie sat in a booster seat
at the table.  He waited for the others and ate as neatly as a
small child possibly could.  Emily watched for a few moments,
then picked him up and sat him on her lap.  She helped him with
the rest of his meal.

When they were nearly finished, she turned to Mary who was
sitting at her right and asked, "Mary Jefferson, I am very
impressed.  'Manners' is a term that's nearly extinct. 
Nonetheless, you display an elegance and a breeding I haven't
seen in fifty years.  What did you do?"

Mary Jefferson sat up even straighter in her chair, or tried to.
Her backbone was already ramrod straight.  She said, "Miss
Hardwick, I began working when I was eight years old.  My mother
served a family in Virginia... a very old family.  They were
members of the First Families of Virginia -- the FFV -- on both
sides.  We were never told how to behave.  I just watched.  I saw
what ladies and gentlemen did and how they behaved.  I've tried
to raise my daughter the same way.  I tried to get her to
understand what the term, lady, really means."  She looked at
Emily straight in the eye.  Emily realized Mary's brown eyes were
every bit as piercing as her gray ones were.  "I believe I have
succeeded.  I'm very proud of April, and I think my husband, Tom,
is very proud of her, too."  Suddenly, Mary's face started to
crumble.  She murmured her excuses and fled from the table. 
Emily gave Ronnie back to April and went after her.

She found Mary in the living room trying desperately to muffle
her tears with a dainty little handkerchief.  Emily went to the
powder room, grabbed a hand towel and returned to the living
room.  Pulling up a chair, she sat down next to the woman and
said softly, "Mary, that tiny thing is useless at a time like
this."  She gave her the towel and drew her into her arms.  It
was as if a dam had broken.  Mary's body was wracked with sobs
while Emily comforted her.  Finally, she regained control and
looked up at her with tear-reddened eyes.  Then Emily realized
how truly beautiful this woman was.

Mary said softly, "I'm terribly sorry.  I apologize.  I'll leave
at once!  My behavior is inexcusable."  She tried to smile as she
added, "Ronnie makes his grandmother so proud of his behavior,
and then she comes apart like... like... I don't know what."

"Like a widow who is missing her husband at a very important
moment for the family.  It hits you like a knife blade, doesn't
it?  It cuts into you utterly without warning," Emily said very
softly.

Mary looked up in surprise.  "But... but how did you know?  It is
'Miss', isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, and my virginity is still intact.  His name was
Mike... Mike Casey.  I met him during the war.  He was a Navy
pilot and I loved him so very much.  He... He asked me to marry
him.  He had his whole leave ahead of him.  He had just completed
advanced pilot training and was going out to the Pacific to join
his carrier.  But I wanted a big church wedding and a white gown
and the full array, so I said we should wait.  He was killed in
action."  Suddenly, Emily's face crumpled and she began to cry. 
She began to sob and tears began to pour from her eyes.  Now it
was Mary's turn.  She held the older woman close.  April came
running from the dining room.  Still holding Emily, she told
April to get the butler.

The man came in and carried Miss Emily to her bedroom and laid
her on her bed, still weeping uncontrollably.  Mary shooed April
away and undressed the woman, slipping her under the covers nude.
 She was amazed at the beauty of the elderly woman's figure.  She
stripped off her own clothes and got into bed with her.  She took
her in her arms and just held her close.  Finally, sheer
exhaustion caught up with her and Emily fell asleep in Mary's
arms.

It was nearly six o'clock when she awakened.  Emily was shocked.
She was undressed in bed and in the arms of another woman.  She
looked at Mary Jefferson and remembered.  Then she took her
fingers and gently stroked the lovely body beside her.  Mary's
eyes opened quickly.  She smiled at Emily and suddenly looked
startled.  She jumped out of bed like she had been stuck with a
pin and started to look around for her clothes.

Emily said softly, "Mary Jefferson, get your lovely black ass
back in this bed this second.  You'll catch your death!"

Mary got back in the bed but remained as far from Emily as she
could.  Emily grinned and moved close to her to hold her in her
arms again.  She whispered, "That does it!  Mary Jefferson, I
have a proposition to make to you.  You have a small apartment. 
I have a very large one.  It's too large, really.  I want you,
April and Ronnie to come and live with me."  She pretended to
glare and said, "And if you call me Miss Hardwick one more time,
I'll kill you!  The name is Emily."

With that she slipped out of bed and went to a jewelry box. 
Opening it, she took out a tray revealing a cavity below.  She
scooped up the contents, brought them back to the bed and turned
on a light.  Then she gathered up armfuls of pillows and with a
grin threw them at Mary's head.

Her eyes were full of love as she said, "Mary, I haven't done
this in nearly fifty years.  I was in college.  I would get a
letter and my roommate would climb into bed with me while I read
it to her.  May I?  Please?"  Mary looked and again was startled
by Emily's figure.  Remarkably, it was almost girlish, with skin
that was still as smooth as satin.  She climbed into bed and Mary
came close.

She carefully unfolded the first letter and began to read.  There
were a series of letters from a young man going to war.  He
described daily activities and told her what it was like to serve
aboard an aircraft carrier -- in Mike's case, the _Enterprise._ 
In each letter he recalled caressing Emily's full breasts and
telling her that he couldn't wait to take her to his marriage
bed.  Each letter had an intimate detail of their very short time
together.

She came to the last one.  Mike told her that a major battle was
in prospect.  "The brass say it's one we have to win."  They were
gathering near a small island he was sure she had never heard of
if he told her its name nor would she ever hear of it again. 
"Darling," he said, "If anything happens to me, I'll wait for
you, dear Emily.  I'll wait for you forever.  You are the love of
my life."  It was signed, "With all my love, forever.  Mike."

"He was wrong about one thing, Mary," Emily said softly with her
voice breaking.  "The island was Midway.  I was named as the next
of kin in his will."  She took out three small boxes.  "This is
what the Navy gave me.  The boxes contained the Navy Cross, the
Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.  She looked at Mary and said,
"Please help me, Mary.  Will you?"

"Help you?  By living with you?" Mary asked, puzzled.  "How can
that help you?"

The woman looked at Mary and shook her head.  There was great
warmth in her eyes as she shook her head saying, "That's not it
at all, Mary.  The truth is, it's the money.  There is only one
thing left for me to do, and that's to make arrangements for an
heir."

As she sat there resting against the pillows, Mary realized what
a beautiful young girl Emily Hardwick must have been.  There
would have been no problem now, but for events in 1942 off Midway
Island in the Pacific.  Emily would have had many children by the
love of her life, Mike Casey, but it was not to be.

Emily continued: "I have been advised to create a foundation but
I don't want to.  I've searched for years for an individual.  I
even ran advertisements.  I've talked with young women of every
conceivable kind and description.  All were bright,
well-educated, and wanted me to create a foundation so they could
direct it and do good works."  She grinned -- an improbable
event, making her look very cute in spite of her age -- and said,
"It translates into supporting all the trendy causes.

"I want someone to enjoy the money and use it with judgment.  I
want someone who will add something to the world.  Mary, I think
you're the person I've been searching for.  Please tell me about
Tom.  That's what triggered the water works for you."

Mary told her about a career soldier who loved his country.  He
had been killed in the early days in Vietnam saving a trapped
patrol.  "All I have are some letters and some medals.  Tom won
the Distinguished Service Cross along with the Silver Star, the
Bronze Star and the Purple Heart."  She smiled warmly at Emily
and said, "I think the DSC and the Navy Cross are equal in rank."
 She looked at Emily and said, "What would you like me to do?"

Emily gave her a brief outline.  The next day the Jeffersons
moved in to Emily's apartment.  April was skeptical about Ronnie
but she found that Ronnie loved Emily.  He finally settled on
calling her Aunt Em.  When April returned from work, she usually
found Ronnie and Aunt Em playing on the floor.  She soon decided
that the woman loved her son dearly.

Emily found Mary Jefferson to be a perfect companion.  She
insisted that Emily get exercise so the two women joined a health
club.  In no time, Emily was feeling better than she had in
years.  The real fun came with the charitable and artistic
organizations.  Emily was a board member of all of the most
prestigious arts organizations in Chicago and was avidly courted
by many others striving to move up in rank.  Mary began to
accompany her to all of the meetings, concerts, recitals, and
openings.  Emily was utterly delighted.  She found that Mary had
even less tolerance for nonsense than she did.  The two women
quickly developed a shorthand.  One would raise a thumb, the
other would nod, and they would both get up and walk out.

What passed as modern art was the worst of all.  They joked that
they had never seen even half of an exhibition and more commonly
only about one-quarter.  One day they went to a gallery opening.
Mary took one look at pictures of homosexual men coupling and she
turned around and walked out.  On the sidewalk the two women
encountered a man sketching.  He looked at Emily and his charcoal
started to fly over his pad.  They were walking down the street
towards where their car was waiting.  when he came running after
them with his sketch in his hand.  He said, "Ladies, I have
something for you.  It's a gift.  Please at least look at it."

Mary looked at him, prepared to tell him to leave them alone as
their chauffeur-bodyguard ran towards them.  Mary glanced at the
sketch and then looked at it more closely.  She then looked at
the man who was tall and thin with sandy hair and warm brown
eyes.  The sketch, done in just a few strokes, caught the look of
eagles in Emily's eyes.  Mary showed it to Emily and asked the
young man, "Do you do anything besides sketches?"

He grinned and said, "I try.  Unfortunately, people aren't too
interested in what I do.  If... If you could give me a dollar or
so for the sketch, I would appreciate it.  It's not necessary,
though."

"Where do you live, young man?" Mary asked.  He told her and she
gave him her address.  Then she gave him twenty dollars and said,
"Please bring your tools over to the apartment.  I would like to
commission a portrait."  He thanked them profusely and said he
would be there in about an hour.

The two women returned to the apartment.  Almost exactly one hour
from the time they separated, the receptionist in the lobby
announced two visitors for Mrs. Jefferson.  They came up and the
butler showed them into the library where Emily and Mary were
playing gin rummy.  It was the artist along with a female
companion.  Mary looked at the girl closely and rang for the
butler.  She ordered club sandwiches to be served to the guests
immediately.

The butler was embarrassed to tell her that the cook was off for
the afternoon.  Mary excused herself and left the two young
people talking with Emily.  She went to the kitchen and returned
in a few minutes with two crocks of French onion soup.  She set
places for the guests at the card table and held the girl by her
shoulder.  When the girl smelled the aroma of the soup, she
almost fainted.

She returned with refills and then with two massive ham and
cheese omelettes with soufleed potatoes, a salad and a loaf of
french bread.  She noticed that the food just evaporated.

When they were finished, the girl stood up.  Emily and Mary could
see tears rolling from her cheeks.  She said, "Thank you so much.
 We have not been introduced.  I'm Kerry Casey, Jim's model. 
He's Jim Vance, who I think is the finest artist in the world." 
She smiled wryly and added, "Unfortunately, I may be the only
person alive who holds that opinion.  We were starving to death
when we arrived here today.  I like to think that Jim is
perceptive.  Clearly, he's not the only one."  She held out her
hand to Mary and asked, "To whom do I owe my life?"

Mary introduced herself and Emily.  At the mention of the name,
Hardwick, Kerry's eyes widened.  "Are you Emily Amelia Hardwick?"
she asked softly.

Emily nodded and looked at the girl strangely.  "Are you Jack
Casey's girl?" she asked.  The girl said she was.  Emily
continued, "Mary, Jack would have been Mike's nephew if he had
lived.  Just think: I would have had this lovely girl as a
grandniece."  The girl was about five feet six with dark hair and
lovely blue eyes.  She was wearing blue jeans and a loose shirt.

While they were talking, Jim had been studying Emily.  He moved
her chair slightly and began to sketch.  Kerry went around behind
him and the two spoke quietly.  He continued working for four
hours until six o'clock.  As he began to put away his materials,
Emily stretched and came around to look at the canvas.  Her eyes
widened and she gasped.  Although it was not nearly finished, the
outline of the painting was very clear.  She was sitting in the
chair with shelves of books behind her, the way they appeared in
the library.  There were things in the painting, though, that
were not present in the room.  On a bookshelf Jim had sketched in
a small shadow box.  In it were a naval officer's cap device,
gold Navy pilot's wings, the Navy Cross, the Air Medal and the
Purple Heart.

But sitting next to her on the table in his picture was a book of
matches.  There was nothing on the table she had been sitting
beside.  She looked at it closely and gasped, then ran from the
room.  Mary was amazed.  Jim had caught the piercing look in her
eyes, but so much more.

Mary whispered, "Jim, it's perfect!  She is a lady, isn't she?" 
Jim just nodded and Kerry held his hand tightly.

Emily reappeared in the library with a matchbook in her hand,
still visibly shaken.  She said softly, "Maybe you should use the
real one."  She put it in his hand and then broke down in tears,
going to Mary who seated her on the sofa and comforted her. 
Finally she regained control and said softly, "Jim Vance, how
could you possibly know?  That matchbook in your picture shows
the logo the Pump Room used in 1942.  You showed this match book.
 Open it, please, and look at it."  He did as she added, "Mike
was educated as an engineer.  I used to tease him about his very
neat printing."  Inside the cover of the matchbook was neatly
printed, "LTJG Michael P. Casey, USNR, Scout Bomber Squadron 8,
FPO, San Francisco, California."  She said, "He used this
matchbook to write his address for me the last day we were
together."

Suddenly the anguish disappeared and she looked at Mary with
excitement in her eyes.  She looked like she had shed fifty years
of age as she said, "Dear Mary, Mike is so close to me now!  I
can feel him and hear him.  I'll be with him soon, I just know
it!"  Her eyes sparkled as she asked, "Can I lose my virginity in
Heaven, do you suppose?  Oh, God, I love him so!"  Mary just held
the older woman tightly and then suggested she take a nap before
dinner.  Emily left the room, leaving Mary alone with the young
people.

Mary said, "Do you two drink?  I believe we're finished for
today, aren't we?"  They said they did, and she relayed the order
to the butler who served them drinks along with a platter of
canapes.  Jim looked at Mary and saw tears flowing down her
cheeks.  She said, "We haven't talked about a fee, Jim.  How much
do you charge for a portrait?"

Before he could answer, Kerry said, "It's five hundred dollars,
Mrs. Jefferson.  If it's possible, we would like an advance
payment of one hundred dollars with the balance when the
commission is accepted."  Mary nodded and went to the desk
drawer.  One of the first things Emily had done was to make Mary
a signatory on her bank account.  She carefully wrote out a check
and gave it to Jim.  It was for $1,000.

He looked at it and choked.  Finally he was able to say, "Mrs.
Jefferson, there has been a mistake.  This check is for one
thousand dollars!"

Mary replied, "You're right, Jim, there has been a mistake.  The
mistake was Kerry's.  The fee will be five thousand with 20
percent in advance.  Jim Vance, that portrait is priceless. 
Frankly, I'm sure Emily is going to be angry at me for cheating
you so badly."

She smiled at the two young people and asked, "Could you stay for
dinner?  I have a feeling you don't have much to eat and we have
a very great deal.  It would be a favor to us if you would."  She
smiled and went back to the desk.  Opening a drawer she took a
small sheaf of bills and gave them to Kerry.  "I think this is
about a thousand or so.  Consider it a gift to Mike Casey's
grandniece.  We would appreciate it very much if you would bring
some of your other paintings with you.  We don't dress for
dinner."

The two left the apartment in a daze.  A few minutes after they
left, April returned home and Mary told her what had happened. 
April played with Ronnie for a while and then went to her room to
shower and change.  At seven-thirty Jim and Kerry returned.  Jim
was now wearing a jacket and tie while Kerry was wearing a lovely
dress that was quite loose on her.  Clearly, she was now much
thinner than normal.  They were each carrying a stack of
canvasses.

April and Ronnie came out and were introduced to them.  After Jim
looked at the Jeffersons and Ronnie, he asked them to sit in the
living room.  He posed them with April sitting on a chair with
Ronnie on her lap and Mary standing behind.  He worked with his
charcoal and sketch pad for a few minutes.  While he was
sketching, Emily came up behind him to watch.  Her eyes widened
as she saw what he was doing.  He finished and smiled.

The butler brought more drinks and they started to look at his
oils.  The first was a figure study of Kerry, but it was so much
more.  April looked at it and said softly, "I didn't think a man
could love a woman that much!"  She looked more carefully at the
painting and then at Kerry.  "You're incredibly passionate, but
you're still a virgin, aren't you?  Once I saw it in the
portrait, I can see it in you.  It's true, isn't it?"

Kerry just nodded.  She said, "I guess we would have been eating
more regularly if Jim wasn't so good.  He sees people.  Would you
like to see his sketch of you?"

April instantly agreed and Jim shyly opened up his sketch pad. 
She saw the charcoal and gasped, "My God, Jim!  What did you do?"
 In just a few strokes he caught Ronnie's intelligence, warmth,
and friendliness; he caught Mary's sadness, intelligence and
determination and the fact she was a lady.  April looked
beautiful, elegant, sexy, intelligent, and hurt.  April murmured,
"Dorian Gray!  You see it all, don't you?"

Jim just shrugged.  Most of the other pictures were of Kerry.  As
a group, they displayed enormous love and appreciation for the
woman whose body was utterly exquisite.  She appeared completely
at home with her nudity.  At dinner Emily asked, "Why aren't you
two married?  I have seldom seen two people who are more in
love."

"My father forbids it," Kerry said quietly.  "He's convinced Jim
can't possibly support me.  Jim won't let me support him, so we
starve together.  He won't let us marry, so we just live
together.  I adore the man and it's agonizing for him to sleep
with me without touching me.  I think it's even worse for me. 
Can you see that in the pictures?  My wanting?"  April kissed the
girl and hugged her close, feeling the tears of frustration
flowing down her cheeks.

* * *

Before they had moved in with Emily Amelia, Cindy had been
dropping in at the Jefferson apartment with increasing frequency.
 The visits stopped when they moved in with Emily until April
assured her she would be welcome.  One day she had to see April
about a loan and called at the Hardwick apartment.  When she
asked for April, the butler showed her in.  Only then did Cindy
realize she was still wearing her Levi's and work shirt. _Uh,
oh!_  she thought, _I guess it's too late to change clothes now._
 He showed her into the living room where the family was
gathered.

As she stood at the archway into the living room, Ronnie saw her
and gave a little yelp.  He ran over to her with his arms
outstretched crying, "It's Aunt Cindy!"  He gave her his usually
beaming smile as she scooped him up in her arms and gave him a
very warm hug and kiss.  She had come to adore this incredibly
handsome little boy.

As she carried him in her arms into the living room, she began to
tickle him.  It was something Ronnie loved.  He began to laugh
uncontrollably as she gently set him on the carpet while
continuing to tease him.  She was on her knees as he got up on
his sturdy legs and came back into her arms.  It was only then
that she realized Emily Amelia was sitting in a wing chair
watching her with her very stern eyes.

Standing Ronnie on his feet, she jumped up and squared her
shoulders.  "I'm terribly sorry!  You must be Miss Hardwick.  I'm
Cynthia Martin and I want to apologize for my disgraceful
behavior just now."

Emily Amelia just looked at her with her hawk-like gaze, the one
that could see through steel.  Cindy stood there with her hands
at her sides feeling that this woman was looking right through
her.  Finally, Emily just nodded.  Turning to April who was also
wearing her Levi's she said, "April, would you mind standing
beside Miss Martin?"

April went to Cindy and stood with an arm around her waist.  The
two girls just looked at Emily who finally murmured, "Of course!
'The twins who aren't'!"  Then with a small smile she said in her
normal voice, "It's so clear, now.  You're the same height, the
same weight -- except for the color of your skin, eyes and hair
-- you _are_ twins."

In just the few days the Jefferson family had been with Emily,
April had come to love her.  She knew Emily had a remarkable
sense of humor so she said, "I beg your pardon!?  Her twin? 
Emily, this girl is flat as a board while I have real tits! 
Pretending to frown she added, "I'm... I'm... insulted!"

Improbably, Emily grinned and asked Mary to tell the butler she
wanted privacy for a few minutes.  Mary Jefferson rose and took
Ronnie out of the room with her.  Then turning back to Cindy she
said, "Would you mind taking off your clothes?"

Although she looked puzzled, Cindy slipped off her jeans and her
shirt.  Gracefully stepping out of her bikinis she was now bare.
While she did, April did, too.  Again the black girl put her arm
around Cindy's waist.  This time she smiled warmly at Emily and
said, "That was a terrible lie about Cindy, wasn't it?"  Both
girls' breasts were full and very firm although April's were very
slightly larger.

"Would you come closer, please?" Emily asked Cindy.  When she did
the woman lightly ran her fingers over the scars across her
breasts and belly.  Turning around in response to another
request, Emily let out a low gasp as she saw Cindy's badly
scarred buttocks.  The woman whispered, "Does it still hurt,
Cindy?  It must have been agonizing!"  She motioned and the girls
dressed again and took seats.  Mary looked in, saw the girls were
again dressed, and asked the butler to take their drink orders.

"They don't hurt at all, Miss Hardwick.  But it's very thoughtful
of you to ask, though."

"How did it happen?" Emily persisted.

"I was disobedient, arrogant and stupid.  I did it to myself,"
Cindy replied softly.  Emily raised her eyebrows in disbelief,
but Cindy insisted.  Then April, over Cindy's strenuous
objections, told what had happened.  Going backward in time,
Emily wanted to know about the slavery in the first place.

Cindy, sitting up straight in her chair but with tears streaming
down her cheeks, told her about the Illinois Technologies loan,
its sale, and the aftermath.  Then she said, "I understand, Miss
Hardwick, that the first time you met April you indicated I was a
nasty little bitch who cared nothing for people.  Of course, you
were absolutely right.  I really should have been drowned at
birth.  But, Miss Hardwick, I am trying.  Really, I am.  The
scars you were looking at remind me of what I was and could
easily become again if I'm not very careful.  I know you consider
my father a friend.  I would appreciate it very much if you would
keep an eye on me so that I don't forget who I am and how I got
to be the bitch I was.  Miss Hardwick, I have come to love April,
Ronnie and her mother very much.  Please try to believe me when I
say it is sincere."

For the first time, Emily smiled at Cindy with love in her eyes.
She said, "Miss Martin, I do believe you.  I believe you have
changed dramatically for the better.  You see, there is one
person whose judgment of people I have come to trust completely:
Ronnie.  He never misses in his judgments and he loves you.  You
can't know how happy I am now, because your father and your new
mother are people I have come to love very much.  I hope you'll
allow me to love you as well.  Finally, I want to thank you for
what you have done for April."

When Emily held her arms out, Cindy went into them, hugged the
woman and kissed her warmly.

* * *

Jim Vance completed the portrait of Emily in only a few days of
intensive effort.  When it was finished, they had a small party
in the evening to celebrate.  The next night, Emily said she was
tired and was going to retire early.  At nine o'clock, Mary heard
her call out and went to her.  The woman was in bed lying with
her head on her pillow.  She looked very young and very
beautiful.  April, sensing something was happening, picked up
Ronnie and went into the room, too.

Emily said softly, "Goodbye, dear Mary.  Please kiss me.  I'm
going to Mike now.  He came for me and is now waiting.  May I
kiss you all?  Please?"  Ronnie went to her and kissed her
warmly, followed by April.  "Take care of your mother and Ronnie,
darling.  They are both wonderful people.  I only regret I won't
see what a wonderful young man he'll grow to be."

Finally, Mary went to her and could see Emily's eyes glistening,
"Darling Mary, it's happening.  I even became a Catholic for
Mike.  Now he has come for me..."  Her eyes closed and her face
formed a beatific smile.

April went to call an ambulance while little Ronnie said softly
to his grandmother, "Pretty lady, Grandmom.  She's so happynow!"

Tears were streaming down Mary's face as she agreed that she
was.*Chapter 21*

The funeral for Emily Amelia Hardwick was held in the Cathedral
the week following Kathy and Bill's return from their honeymoon.
They had heard about Emily very briefly from April when she came
out for their wedding.  At the wake Mary was the next of kin
receiving condolences.  While they were there, April introduced
them to a young couple, Jim Vance and Kerry Casey.

Jim looked at Bill and recoiled.  Then he looked at Kathy and
said, "My God!  May... Please may I do your portrait?  Never in
my life have I seen such..."

"...suffering, darling," Kerry finished.  "Jim is an artist.  He
completed the portrait of Emily over there a week ago.  Would you
sit for him?  Please?"  The Cartwrights went to the casket to pay
their respects.  Then they saw the portrait and looked at it,
stunned.  Jim was still at their elbow when Bill turned and
asked, "How much do you...  Forget it.  You have a commission. 
Do we give you a deposit?  Kath, you're the banker.  Give the
nice man a check.  A big one."

Kathy took out a checkbook and wrote a check for ten thousand
dollars and gave it to Kerry.  She looked at it and almost fell
over.  Then she handed it back saying, "You don't understand. 
Jim wants to do you as a study.  Never have we seen two people
who have undergone greater torture to achieve their happiness
than you two.  It's his gift.  Please accept it."

Kathy was puzzled and looked it.  She insisted that they accept
the check which Kerry did, reluctantly.  Then Kathy asked, "How
do you know?  It's not true for me, of course, but it's true of
him.  But how do you know?"

Jim put his arm around Kerry's waist and she turned her face up
to his for a kiss.  Then the two young people began to speak
alternately yet as if with a single voice.  It was almost like
two people sharing a single brain.  They said, "No, Kathy, you
weren't tortured.  Much!  As a very young girl -- about ten years
old?  -- you held Bill while he was being tortured.  They made
him put his lips against a red-hot knife blade to prevent him
from kissing you.

"He doesn't know that they did it to you, also.  He doesn't know
that you volunteered to be whipped unmercifully to try to spare
him some agony.  He doesn't know you saved some of your food and
tried to smuggle it to him while you were starving.  You went
through the jungles of Southeast Asia by yourself when he was
moved to Hanoi and you couldn't follow.  You swam to Hong Kong...
about ten miles, wasn't it?  You almost starved to death rather
than sell your body."  The two young people were looking at Kathy
who was aghast.  No one knew what they had just said, but it was
all true.

Then they looked at Bill and said, "And you, Bill: Chained to a
wall for fourteen years.  Tortured daily.  Red-hot pincers frying
your testicles.  Constant whippings.  For what?  First, to find
out where your Laotian friends were.  That was good for thirty
days or so.  Then it was to confess that America was using germ
warfare and waging genocide.  Everyone signed that garbage, but
you would not.  Then it was just to defeat the American.  They
could not.  They tried everything.  And it didn't end until just
a few weeks ago, did it?"

Bill was pale under his tan.  He said, "But how could you
possibly?..."  Then he turned to Kathy and said, "Honey, whatever
you made the check for, double it.  This is a painting I really
want to see!"  They made arrangements to meet later and then
parted.

After the funeral, Emily's will was read.  Aside from $250,000
bequests each to James Vance and Kerry Casey, and bequests to her
staff, the entire estate was left to Mary Jefferson, who was now
the wealthiest woman in Chicago.

When Bill and Kathy met Jim and Kerry in their apartment, Jim
looked at them and asked, "Could we do two portraits?  Sort of
two for the price of one?  I would like to do one with the two of
you nude.  Would you mind?"

Kathy was startled and looked at Bill.  He said softly, "Honey,
we've spent most of our time together naked.  I don't mind.  Do
you?"

She smiled warmly and started to strip off her clothes.  Jim
posed them with Kathy seated in a chair with Bill standing behind
her.  Kathy's body blocked his genitals from the picture.  He put
his hand on her shoulder and she gripped it while Jim started to
sketch.

Because of the work with Jim, the Cartwrights now took an
interest in art.  One Wednesday they were near city hall and saw
a group of ten men, apparently artists, arranging an exhibit, so
they walked across the street to take a look.  When they got
close, Bill's stomach started to turn over.  They were urinating
on one flag, burning a hole in another, and desecrating a third
with a Viet Cong flag.  This was more than Bill could take.  He
went up to them and asked what was going on.

The apparent leader asked, "What's it to you?"  Looking at Bill
he said with a sneer, "You must have been one of those Americans
who were terrorizing the poor Vietnamese.  You murderer!" he
screamed, swinging at Bill with a piece of heavy lumber.

Bill sidestepped and the man missed.  Suddenly, several of the
men came at Bill from as many directions.  One was about to hit
him over the head from the rear when Kathy kicked him as hard as
she could in the balls.  Bill turned just as the leader hit her
behind the ear with the club he had first tried to use against
Bill.

As Kathy collapsed to the ground, he went berserk.  Dimly he
heard police whistles, but he took the man who had hit his wife
with a karate knife to his midsection.  When the man folded, Bill
killed him with a chop to the side of the neck.  He waded into
the others like a man possessed.  When the police finally arrived
in force, all of the men were on the ground and three of them
were dead.  Bill cradled Kathy's head in his lap, while he
checked her pulse and found she was still alive.

A policeman had observed the entire event from close range. 
Because of the numbers involved he had radioed for help that
finally arrived.  Kathy was taken to the hospital while Bill was
taken to headquarters.  The assailants were taken to the prison
ward in an ambulance, while a few were headed to the morgue.  At
the station he called Jennifer and found her at home.  She said
she would get a lawyer down to the station right away.

But because of the policeman's statement, Bill was treated as a
hero by the police.  While he was giving a statement to the
police, a lawyer appeared and introduced himself.  Bill went
before the magistrate who heard testimony from the police officer
that the leader, now dead, had swung at Bill's head with a club.
When Kathy saved him from being struck down from behind, the
leader had hit her.  He described how Bill became a berserker and
put all of the attackers on the ground in one way or another.

Bill was released and immediately went to the hospital where he
found Kathy in bed with her head bandaged.  She smiled warmly
when he arrived and said, "That's the last time I try to be a
hero for you, Bill Cartwright!  All I got out of it was a
headache.  I'll let you be the hero in the family.  Now can you
get me some clothes so I can get out of this dump?"  The
attending physician said there was no danger and signed a
release, so they went home together.

Later, a grand jury indicted the seven survivors on counts of
aggravated assault, flag desecration and a host of other counts
the district attorney was able to come up with.  While awaiting
the criminal trial, though, Bill received a civil summons.  He
was being sued in Federal court by the seven survivors and the
estates of the three dead men for damages!  Joining in the suit
was a well-financed left-wing organization always identified with
court cases for radical causes.  He told Kathy who then called
her new mother.

When she reached Ali Clifford on the phone, she told her about
the recent events.  Ali asked her to wait a moment.  A few
minutes later, she was back on the phone.  She said, "Our
litigation partner, Sandy Benson, will be out there at once. 
She's probably the best trial lawyer in the state of California.
She wants to represent Bill.  Please allow her to.  I think this
is going to be fun!"

When Sandy arrived at their apartment, Kathy and Bill liked her
at once.  She was a beautiful tall girl with a sparkling
personality.  Bill reviewed the events and showed her the legal
papers that had been served.  He looked at Sandy and realized
there were tears in her eyes.

She said, "Bill and Kathy, before I go any further, there's
something you need to know about me.  My husband, Jack, insists I
tell you.  As usual, he's right.  I used to be one of those
people yelling, 'Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh!  The Viet Cong is going to
win,' and similar bullshit.  While I was doing that in the cozy
confines of a college campus, those bastards were torturing you
daily.  I was wrong.  I know it.  But Bill, it doesn't make up
for what I did, or for the torture you suffered.  You should tell
me to get on the plane or a broomstick or something, but get the
hell out of your life."  She sat there with her head up straight
but with tears running down her cheeks, waiting.

Kathy spoke before Bill could reply.  She said, "Bill, there are
a few things you should know about Sandy.  First, she's the
finest trial lawyer in the State of California.  That's not a
shabby recommendation.  Second, my mother filed for divorce
against my father.  You know how desperately they're in love? 
Jennifer told me how she tried to break up their marriage and
almost succeeded.  Ali refused to come between a father and his
daughter.  She was prepared to destroy her life for the man she
loved.

"Sandy Benson handled Mom's case and deliberately lost it.  She
resigned the next day from the firm.  She was going to resign
from the bar and go to prison because she protected my mother
from her own actions.  Bill, she was going to go to jail.  You
were, weren't you Sandy?"  The girl just nodded her head.

Bill said, "Sandy, what can I say?  I never heard of any one-girl
demonstrations.  If you were involved, I'm sure you had a lot of
company.  I would like you to represent me if you're willing."

The girl's face lighted up.  "Willing?  Oh God, Bill, thank you!
This is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Bill asked, "Sandy, what are your fees?  How big a retainer would
you like to start?"

Sandy shook her head sadly, "I'm sorry, Bill.  I wasn't clear. 
There will be no fee.  This is a very small effort on my part to
try to make amends.  I'm also covering my own expenses.  Now
let's go to work."

They fought about it, but Sandy was adamant.  She refused to
accept a penny for the work.  Then she explained what she was
going to do: As a first step, she was filing a counter-suit
alleging infringement of Bill's civil rights.  The organization
financing the action against Bill was included as a defendant in
her complaint.

The case was quickly scheduled for trial.  The plaintiffs'
attorney, a notorious defender of far-left causes, tried to
establish for the jury that his clients had been assaulted by
Bill and Kathy.  It was clear to Sandy that the jury was
skeptical.  Sandy introduced the testimony of the police
officer-witness that the leader, now dead, had swung a club at
Bill's head.  It was only after Kathy had been knocked out that
Bill went berserk.  Plaintiffs introduced testimony that Bill had
been in Army Special Forces and was therefore a highly-trained
killer.  The attorney argued that it was all Bill's fault.

Sandy called Kathy as a witness.  She told how she had tried to
keep Bill from being clubbed from behind and then was struck
down.  Then Sandy changed her line of questioning.  She asked,
"Kathy, when and where did you first meet Bill Cartwright?"

Kathy told how she had been forced by the Viet Cong and later by
the North Vietnamese to participate in Bill's torture.  She told
how they learned to communicate in an obscure Laotian dialect
while he was being tortured almost every day.  Tears were rolling
down Kathy's cheeks as she told how it had gone on for three
years with her watching.  Bill was living in his filth but would
not give in.  In response to another question, Kathy finally said
she was only ten years old when she first saw Bill Cartwright.

Then Sandy said, "With the Court's permission, I would like my
client to take off his shirt.  I would like the witness to show
the jury some of the things that happened to him."

Bill was taken completely by surprise.  He took off his jacket
and tie, then took off his shirt and went to stand by the witness
box.  Kathy pointed out a mark on his chest where he was pinched
with red hot pincers.  She showed the traces of scars on his lips
where they used a red-hot blade to sear his lips to prevent them
from kissing.  Sandy said, "They did that to you, too, didn't
they?"  Kathy admitted they did, but only once.

She described in detail some of the ways he had been tortured in
her presence.  Once, the court had to recess suddenly.  A juror
had become violently ill listening to her story and seeing Bill's
scars.  Finally, Kathy said that most of the scars didn't show
with Bill dressed because they concentrated on his genitals.  She
described how he screamed in agony but never broke.

"What were they after, Kathy?" Sandy asked quietly.

"For a short time, it was to find out where his Laotian friends
were.  After that, it was to get him to admit to American war
crimes.  Bill refused.  He would do nothing against his country
or its flag."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she told of making her
way overland, swimming to Hong Kong, and finally reaching the
United States.  When Sandy asked her why she had come to the
States, she replied with tears streaming down her cheeks, "Any
nation that could inspire Bill Cartwright to endure years of
agony in its name had to be a wonderful place.  I had to come to
America.  It's very simple, really."

"So Bill Cartwright fought and suffered for the flag he saw being
desecrated that afternoon?  He saw it trampled, urinated on, and
defiled with the flag of the Viet Cong he had come to detest.  Is
that right?"  Kathy agreed that it was.  "Then these men attacked
you, is that correct?"  Again, Kathy agreed.

Finally, Sandy asked, "What happened at the Presidio in San
Francisco a few weeks ago when you were there, Kathy?"

Kathy sat up straight in her chair and said, "I saw the
government of the United States recognize my husband, Bill, for
what he had done.  I saw the President of the United States award
him the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor our country
can give.  Everything I have and all I ever hope to have, I owe
to him.  I think the nation still owes him a great debt of
gratitude."

Plaintiffs' counsel immediately objected and the objection was
sustained.  Sandy smiled and agreed that the reference to the
nation's debt to Bill should be stricken.  She had no further
questions.

The opposing counsel didn't ask any questions.  In summation,
Sandy restated what had been elicited in testimony: Bill had
served his country and defended its flag.  He suffered agonies
for fourteen years because he wouldn't say anything against it,
even to save his own life.  Then he was attacked by a group of
thugs who were defacing that very flag.  The case went to the
jury.

Bill asked her how it looked and she whispered, "It's a big win
for you, Bill.  I know it.  The only question is how big it'll
be."

It took the jury only ten minutes to reach a verdict.  The judge
addressed the foreman of the jury and said, "Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury, have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor," the foreman replied.

"What is your verdict?"

"On plaintiffs suit, we find unanimously for the defendant.  On
the countersuit, we find for William Cartwright.  We adjudge
damages as $100,000 real and $10 million as exemplary punitive
damages, your honor.  Further, we assign the damages jointly and
severally to all of the plaintiffs.  Finally, we humbly wish to
thank William Cartwright for all he has done for his country,
Your Honor.  There are no words to describe our admiration and
respect for this man and what he has endured for this country."

The judge thanked the jury and dismissed it.  He immediately
endorsed the verdict and the damage award.

Sandy took Bill in her arms and kissed him solidly.  "Bill, thank
you.  This has been my very best day in court.  Ever!  It
couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  Ali will be so pleased!  You're
one of her most favorite sons-in-law."  Bill tried to get her to
take a fee but she refused.  She looked at her watch and said, "I
have to dash.  There's a plane at O'Hare I can just make."  She
grinned and said, "My real sacrifice wasn't giving up a fee...
Ali sees to it that I'm very well paid.  The real sacrifice has
been being away from my husband, Jack, for so long.  My cunt has
been aching for days!"  She winked and ran out of the courtroom
for a cab.

That night Kathy prepared a gourmet meal for Bill and they spent
the rest of the night making love in their bed.  He found he
could not get enough of Kathy's beautiful body.

* * *

In a couple of weeks, both portraits were finished.  When Jim and
Kerry came to present them, Kathy and Bill just held hands and
looked at them.  Finally, Bill said, "Jim, I can't look like
that.  I just can't.  That's not the guy I see in the mirror
shaving."

Kathy said quietly, "It's the guy who makes love to me every day,
though.  It's the girl who is the problem.  No human can look
like that.  It's just not me."

Bill said, "To paraphrase a good friend of mine, it sure looks
like a girl I make love to every day, though.  Isn't that you?"

They looked in each other's eyes and, moving almost in a trance,
embraced tightly.  They turned to the young couple agreeing it
was the finest set of portraits they had ever seen.  The nude
version was hung in their bedroom while the clothed one went to a
place of honor in the entrance hall.*Chapter 22*

Jan came racing down the stairs reacting to the smell of smoke
and the banshee scream of a smoke detector.  Running into the
kitchen, she found Cindy crumpled on the floor while eggs were
turning to carbon in the skillet.  She turned off the range and
put the smoking pan in the sink.  Ignoring the scream of the
detector, she knelt beside the unconscious girl, now very pale in
spite of her tan.  By this time Pete had come down, too.  He
opened windows and turned the exhaust fan to its highest setting
to draw off the smoke.  While Jan called the doctor, he carried
the girl up to her room and put her to bed.

The doctor arrived only minutes later.  By this time Cindy was
reviving and trying to get up.  Pete wouldn't hear of it.  He
said, "Young lady, you were sprawled on the floor, trying to burn
the damned house down.  Are you still trying to get us into the
new house next door?"  She just smiled weakly.

After examining her the doctor looked at her and demanded, "How
much sleep have you been getting, young lady?"

Cindy looked guilty, but tried to hide it.  She replied weakly,
"Lots and lots, Doctor.  Honest."

"What's a lot?  Two hours?  Three?  I'll bet you ten dollars you
haven't averaged as much as three hours for the last three weeks,
have you?"  Cindy just looked guilty and her eyes closed. 
Exhaustion had taken her again.

The doctor left the room with Pete and Jan and went down to the
kitchen.  He said, "The good news is there's absolutely nothing
clinically wrong with that young lady.  She's in perfect physical
condition, _considering!_  No one can operate on _no_ sleep, and
that's what that girl has been doing.  What's going on?"  Janice
just shook her head but said she would find out.

Pete left for the office.  At eight o'clock, a car drove up
followed a few minutes later by another.  Jan welcomed first
April and then Kathy.  Alerted by what had happened to Cindy, she
looked at the girls closely.  Both looked worn out; both were
going on nerves and determination, and each carried in arm-loads
of files.  Janice ordered them both to bed in spare bedrooms. 
She found it very significant that neither girl had the strength
left even to argue, and both were asleep almost instantly.

Jan called Dan Burke at the bank.  When he came on the line she
said, "Burke, what's going on?  I've heard of men killing their
wives with overwork, but usually they marry them first. 
Furthermore, Cindy is my slave.  You're only borrowing her.  It's
pretty damned clear she's working two jobs for you and about one
and a half for me.  Since that takes twenty-eight hours, it's a
little hard to do it all in just twenty-four!"  Then she told him
what had happened, as well as the condition of Kathy and April. 
He promised to check and call her back.  Jan stayed home that day
to keep an eye on the three girls.

He was as good as his word.  At noon, Dan called and said, "Jan,
you were right.  Good heavens, how could we be so dumb!  Those
three girls have processed two-thirds of the total loans the bank
has made in the last three months.  They're doing the work of
about thirty people!  How are they now?"

"They're all sleeping like babies, why?" she asked.

"Because Don is coming out there this afternoon.  He'll be there
with Mary about five.  Bill Cartwright will be driving out with
them to drive Kathy home and Mary Jefferson will send her
chauffeur to drive April back along with someone to bring back
her car.  There will be a staff meeting at your house at five. 
Finally, I've told our personnel people to get them more help
_immediately._  I think they got the message this time."

At four-thirty the girls started to drift down the stairs.  Since
it was Jan's house, they came down wearing their usual attire at
the Stewart's: nothing.  Jan looked at the three fondly.  In
spite of the sleep still in their eyes and their woebegone
expressions, they were beautiful girls.  Jan gave them coffee and
shooed them upstairs to get dressed because they were meeting
with the president of the bank in twenty minutes.  The girls just
nodded and disappeared.  She heard the showers running and a few
minutes later they reappeared with their hair still wet, all
wearing their Levi's and work shirts.

Don and Mary Martin arrived with Bill Cartwright.  They gathered
in the kitchen with Don sitting at the head of the table.  The
three sat like schoolgirls who had just been sent to the
principal's office.  All of them sat quietly, just looking down
at the table top.  Bill looked at his young wife and his heart
turned over.  She was so cute but looked so apprehensive.

Don looked around the table and said, "I guess it's time to
review the results of the first three months' operation of our
Special Lending Division.  It's a pretty simple review, really. 
There is a question the bank examiners raised, though, that I'll
take up at the end."  When she heard her father mention "bank
examiners," Cindy's heart leaped to her throat.  He continued by
listing the number of loans made and their total dollar value. 
Then he said, "Now, loan performance: loans classified as
non-performing, none; loans delinquent, none; loan payments late,
none; loans paid in advance of contract, 45 percent.  This brings
me to the examiners: they questioned why we're reserving anything
at all against this portfolio in view of the payment record.  We
gave them some double-talk.

"Then the senior examiner said it's obviously the result of our
bank's focus on rich individuals exclusively.  He asked why we
don't participate in the community lending pool with the other
banks.  Our participation is supposed to be $1 million.  I told
him we would pass.  Our exposure -- the term doesn't really fit
in this case -- is now north of $50 million and rising fast."

Then Don smiled and turned to Mary and said, "Mary, you have been
around the bank for twenty years.  What do you think?"

"It's unheard of, darling!"  Then Mary grimaced and punched him
lightly on the arm.  She said, "Donald Martin, my time in the
bank is our secret."  She grinned and said, "Yesterday there was
a new receptionist filling in for Jean.  She asked me when I
started at the bank.  She said she had been at the bank for six
months herself and thought she knew all the new people.  Then she
told me about a new singles bar for people in their twenties
that's supposed to have some really neat-looking men!"  She
looked at Don and said thoughtfully, "I wonder how much I could
get for you on a trade-in?"

Don was now looking very young.  He grinned ruefully and shook
his head saying, "That's what I get for marrying a girl who is
forty going on eighteen!"  Mary stuck out her tongue and then
kissed him softly.  Cindy clapped her hands in glee.

Then he looked at her and said, "That's the problem, Cin.  Your
mother is now looking younger than you do.  You three girls are
killing yourselves.  If it hadn't been for Jan's call this
morning, no one would have realized how much work you people are
doing."  He winked at Jan and said, "This morning the Board of
Directors approved the payment of bonuses to your group.  Each of
you will receive a cash bonus of 100 percent of salary, payable
immediately."

Cindy looked puzzled and asked, "Dad, how can I get a bonus when
I don't get a salary?"

He looked at her quizzically and replied, "Cindy, aren't you the
girl who was first in her class at Chicago's business school? 
What's 100 percent of nothing?"

"Nothing," she answered.

"Then what's your bonus?"

Cindy just grinned and shook her head sadly.  Then she looked at
Jan and said, "I want to apologize for this morning.  I guess the
doctor's bill will just add to my indenture like the rest of the
stuff, won't it?"  Jan just smiled.  Then Cindy started to rise
from the table to start dinner.

Jan said, "Slave Cindy, what are you doing?"

The girl was startled.  She said, "I'm preparing dinner, Jan. 
It's my job.  I really can't afford any more time added.  I want
so desperately to be married and be a mother!"

Jan's heart turned over as she heard the girl's words.  Clearly,
this slave thing had already gone much too far.  But since it was
early November already, it would soon be over.  She told her to
remain seated.

Then Jan glared at the girls and said, "Slaves, your assignment
this evening is to try to act like guests.  I want to see if you
know how.  As for dinner, I think I can cope with a little help
from Mary."  Then she turned to Don and asked, "What are we going
to do now, Don?  How does the story come out?"

He replied, "Good question.  Our personnel people have an
incentive to hire some new officers for Cindy's unit... three to
start.  The incentive is they get to keep their jobs.  Cindy,
there will be candidates for you to interview in the office at
nine o'clock tomorrow.  Be there!  This meeting is adjourned." 
Then he looked at the girl and asked, "Could you get a jacket and
take a walk with your dad?"

Cindy Martin slipped on a jacket while he put on his coat, and
then they went out the back door.  Without even thinking, she
went to the left towards the new house under construction next
door.  Work had begun in late September and it was now framed
out.  She and Dan went through it every weekend and Cindy adored
it.  It was a rambling house with six bedrooms, what was shaping
up to be a formal living room along with a huge family room with
a fieldstone fireplace.  Her father held her hand as they walked.
 Finally he said, "Cindy, are you happy?"

She turned to him, startled.  "Dad, I almost couldn't be happier.
 Things are really working out.  I've changed.  I think I'm a
much nicer person now... at least I like myself a lot more.  I'm
loved by a man I adore.  Our sex life together couldn't be
better.  The only thing I want is for Dan to get some
recognition.  He's the best banker alive with the possible
exception of you.  The only other thing is it's getting harder
and harder on me for us to be apart.  I so want to marry him,
live with him, and bear his children."

She stopped and looked up at her father.  "Dad, can you believe
it?  Hearing from your liberated daughter that all she really
wants is to be pregnant?  God, now I finally know what a cunt is
for.  I know what a uterus is for.  I know what breasts are for.
They combine with a man you love to create and nurture children.
I want it so badly!"  She looked down at the ground and said
softly, "I guess it sounds pretty dumb, doesn't it?"

Don took his daughter in his arms and held her tight.  He
whispered, "No, honey, it doesn't."  He kissed her softly and
said, "I am regretting the whole slavery idea, though."

She smiled warmly and shook her head.  "I'm not," she said
firmly.  "Just think, Dad, where I would be if this hadn't
happened.  First, I would still be an insufferable bitch dating a
fairy, for Christ's sake.  Dan wouldn't be speaking to me.  I
would be hanging out with those Lakefront airheads.  I would be
looking down my nose at my dumb father who doesn't understand
what's new in banking."

She smiled and continued, "On the other hand I wouldn't have an
ass that's covered with scars and I wouldn't have a circumcised
clitoris.  Circumcision with a whip is not the way to go."

She hugged him tight and said, "What I do have is a father who
loves me, at least in part for who I am and what I am, rather
than in spite of it.  I have a man who is my idea of perfection:
smart, big, strong, funny.  A man who makes my cunt gush with
fluids just talking about him.  I have a wonderful new mother and
a group of new friends any one of whom is worth more than that
whole pack of idiots I used to hang out with.  Dad, a couple of
scars is a very cheap price to pay."

She grinned and added, "I'm also an excellent housekeeper, cook,
and mother.  I find I love babies."  Then she looked at her
father and said, "Dad, am I strange?  I don't want Dan to be in
the labor room when I deliver.  Giving birth is really a woman's
work.  I would like Mary or April with me to hold my hand, but I
want Dan pacing the floor outside, not in the labor room feeling
guilty.  Is that dumb?"

Her father kissed her softly and they started back towards the
house.  He said softly, "No, pumpkin, it doesn't sound at all
dumb to me.  Can I tell you a secret?  Mary came into my office a
few days ago in tears.  She had just been told she couldn't have
a baby.  Can you imagine?  She's over forty, but she wanted
desperately to have my child.  She says it's what our lovemaking
is all about.  Do you really like her, Cindy?"

"No Dad, I don't," she replied and saw his face fall.  She
squeezed his hand hard and said, "I adore her.  Dad, I can't tell
you what it's like to have a mother with a sex life as active as
my own.  Would you believe it?  Do you know what she asked me? 
She and I compared notes on anal intercourse.  She's always
thinking of new ways to take you.  She talked about making her
breasts bigger so you could put your cock between them.  I talked
her out of that one.  She has enrolled in a school for strippers,
though.  She's planning on putting on a show for you alone.  She
was so funny!  The instructor rates her as the top student in her
class; she can get her work professionally.  What do you think
about that?"  Don just smiled and shook his head.

That night the three girls were guests for the first time at the
Stewart's.  When Don and Cindy returned to the house they found
Janice and Mary nude and serving the others in the living room. 
Mary was as unselfconscious in her nudity as Jan and looked
exquisite.  When Janice presented Cindy her martini, she was on
her knees with the tray resting on her beautiful breasts.  Cindy
casually placed the frosted glass between Jan's tits and saw the
girl involuntarily shudder.  Jan winked and said, "I think milady
will find it sufficiently chilled."

At eight-thirty the next morning, Cindy parked her car in the
bank's basement garage.  She noticed she had an assigned parking
space with the senior officers and was amused to think of a slave
as a senior officer.  She went up to her office floor and saw her
corner office for the first time.  April and Kathy were with her
as she looked at it.  All she said was, "Wow!  Just like a real
banker.  Maybe someday..."  The secretary brought coffee and the
girls chatted.  They all looked better after having spent most of
the previous day sleeping.

At nine o'clock they went to the conference room.  Cindy chuckled
to herself thinking of the three of them -- all senior officers
-- in blue jeans.  As they walked down the hall she asked Kathy
where Bill was.  The girl grinned and shook her head.  She said,
"Do you know what that bum said?  He said he survived fourteen
years with the Vietnamese, but he's wearing out after just a
couple of months of me!  He said he prefers me worn out.  When
I'm exhausted I'm not as tough on him!  Then this morning, the
bum takes me and then rolls over and goes back to sleep!"  The
girl licked her lips as she said it.

"What was that lip-licking bit, Mrs. Cartwright?" Cindy asked
with her eyes dancing.

"That was thinking about the meaning of the phrase, 'taking me,'
Miss Martin.  Of course, being single, you couldn't possibly
understand!"  She daintily stuck out her tongue and rubbed her
groin.

When they arrived at the conference room they met a tall young
woman who had her hand out in greeting.  She said, "Miss Martin?
How do you do?  My name is Kelly McBride.  I'm the personnel
officer temporarily assigned to your division."

Cindy thought the girl looked very harried as they entered the
conference room.  The three girls from the division sat on one
side of the table while, one after the other, candidates appeared
for interviews.  Kelly was sitting in the corner behind the
applicant's sight line.

Cindy found a monotonous sameness to all the candidates.  All
were well educated.  All had MBAs and most had majored in
banking.  Yet all were airheads with no apparent knowledge of
people coupled with near-religious belief in numbers produced by
analysis.  The girls took turns questioning candidates.  When
specific loan applications were discussed, without a single
exception they focused on the wrong points and came to the wrong
conclusions.  Cindy had been watching Kelly.  It was apparent the
girl had the correct answers in mind.  She saw the girl cringe as
she heard the candidates give answers to the questions and shake
her head in dismay.  Cindy was amused to see the girl draw a line
across her pad, usually after the second or third answer.

At twelve o'clock, she looked at her watch and said, "Let's take
a break.  April, isn't there a senior officer's dining room in
this dump?  How about if we eat there?  Then the bank can pay and
you know where I stand on money.  Can our girl make reservations?
 Kelly will be joining us."

The girl was shocked.  She was used to being treated on a par
with the janitors by the banking officers.  April left to check
on reservations, first calling Dan Burke to be sure he wouldn't
show up in the dining room.  They went up to the officer's dining
room and were being shown to their table.  When Cindy appeared,
every officer in the room rose to his feet and began to applaud.
The applause continued until they were all seated.  Cindy, who
had blushed beet red, asked, "What was that all about?"

Kelly said, "Miss Martin, it was a tribute to the officer who has
done more for this institution than almost anyone else.  They are
impressed."

Cindy looked at the girl and said, "The name is Cindy, unless you
prefer Slave.  I answer to that, too.  When you say Miss Martin,
I look around to see who you're talking to."  She looked at the
girl thoughtfully and asked, "Why don't you apply for the job,
Kelly?  Aren't you interested?  And by the way, why are you our
_temporary_ personnel officer?"  Kelly was a beautiful girl with
wavy auburn hair and brilliant green eyes.  She was very tall at
five feet ten.

The girl looked at Cindy and shook her head sadly.  She said,
"Miss Martin... Cindy... as for the job, I don't have
qualification number one!  I'm sorry.  As for being temporary,
it's a battle that I lost.  Like all the Irish, though, I never
know when I'm beaten so I keep fighting anyway.  As a result,
I'll be leaving the bank on Friday."

"Why?" Cindy asked.

The girl's green eyes flashed and she replied, "I thought that
was standard procedure when one has been fired."  She smiled
ruefully and added, "To show you how dumb I am, the head of the
department asked for my resignation.  I refused.  I told him he
would have to fire me, so he did.  I guess it's a first for the
bank."

Cindy excused herself and went to a phone.  She called her
father's office and found him in.  "What kind of idiots do we
have in Personnel these days, Dad?" she demanded.  Then she
quickly filled him in on what had happened.

Don Martin just sighed and said, "Why can't I have an airhead
daughter like all of my friends?  Why does she keep finding more
problems for hard-pressed top management to handle?  Cindy, why
can't you just spend your time roaming through the dress shops
like normal girls?"  Then she heard his quiet chuckle and he
continued, "Okay, pumpkin, there will be a new personnel director
this afternoon.  Happy?  Does your Miss McBride want the job?"

"I'm not going to give her the chance, Dad.  I'm hiring her for
my division, if it's all right with you.  Maybe she has a couple
of friends."  Cindy paused and sighed, "I guess we really do need
some help.  I'm sorry we're costing you so much money, though. 
I'll try to make it up to you, Daddy.  Honest."

"Damn it, girl, don't you ever hear what I say?  You and your
unit are absolutely minting money for us.  If you _tripled_ your
damned spending you would be spending one-half of what everyone
else does.  Are you starting to get the picture?  Or should I get
Jim Vance to paint one for you?"  She said she understood and
returned to the table.

The girls were waiting for her and a waitress was at the table. 
April had just said they were not drinking when Cindy said, "Oh
yes we are!  I'll have a Bloody Mary.  We're celebrating, girls.
You too, McBride.  I trust you imbibe on occasion?  This is an
occasion."  The girls looked surprised but all joined Cindy in
Bloody Marys.  When the drinks came, Cindy lifted her glass and
said, "Kelly, to your last days in Personnel!"

The girl looked puzzled but drank to it.  Then Cindy asked her
about her plans.  The girl sat up straight and said, "I have a
couple of things.  There's an opening for a waitress here in the
dining room I'm going to apply for.  Then I have a job lined up
as a cocktail waitress that tips well, and I'll go back to
another job I work at from time to time."

Cindy noticed the sparkle in her eyes faded as she mentioned the
third job.  She asked, "Why so many jobs?"

Again Kelly's eyes flashed.  "You probably don't know about them,
Cindy, but there are things called education loans.  I have a
pile.  I guess I made a blunder and now I have to live with it. 
I'll make out," she said as her voice cracked.  She excused
herself and ran from the table.

April went after her to the ladies' room following a signal from
Cindy.  As they both expected, she found the girl standing in a
corner crying her eyes out.  She took the girl in her arms and
held her closely, murmuring in her ear.  As Kelly regained
control, she looked into April's eyes.  All she saw was enormous
warmth and compassion.  April said, "Kelly, there are a couple of
things you should know.  I'm telling you because Cindy never
would.  First, she has been working free!  You complain about low
pay?  How would you like no pay?  That's what she gets.  I think
you got some idea this morning of what we do and the way we work.
 Do you think she could do that if she had no feeling for people?
 She's the warmest, loveliest person alive.  She's also a lot of
fun.  I think I know what's coming, and I'm not going to spoil it
for her.  But I just want to warn you about one thing.  You know
Dan Burke, don't you?"

Kelly said, "You mean the executive vice president?  No, I don't
know him.  Are you kidding?  He wouldn't even know I'm alive!"

April shook her head sadly and said, "Don't bet on it.  Dan is
Cindy's lover.  She thinks he's a credit analyst which is all he
was just six months ago.  Dan knows almost everyone in the bank,
_particularly_ the little people.  Ask the elevator starter, a
cleaning woman, an operations clerk.  Pick anyone.  Ask about Dan
Burke.  If they have ever had a serious personal problem, they
know him.  He takes care of people and they all love him.  All I
ask is one thing: don't even _hint_ that he's a top executive." 
April's eyes were blazing now as she said, "If you haven't gotten
the message yet, we love that girl.  There is absolutely
_nothing_ we will not do for her.  But we don't want her to learn
about Dan.  Understand?"

Kelly saw the look in April's eyes and knew she meant it. 
Carefully, April cleaned up the girl's face noticing that, like
the rest of them, she wore no makeup.  They returned to the table
where the waitress was waiting to take the rest of their order. 
Cindy ordered a salad with the wry comment that they couldn't
screw that up too badly.  Kathy commented that just because Cindy
was a gourmet chef was no reason to knock the poor peasants who
had to make do with normal food.

Kelly was much more cheerful now.  She asked, "Food?  You mean
corned beef and cabbage with boiled potatoes, don't you?  What's
a salad?  What's 'gourmet' mean?"

The girls laughed and Cindy looked at Kelly and said, "Just
before you turned on the waterworks, you were telling us about
your plans.  Why do you want to leave the bank?"

Kelly looked at her intently and saw a gleam of amusement in the
girl's eyes.  She had also seen that the girls were always
kidding one another.  Still, she had no idea what Cindy was
driving at.  She replied with a wry smile, "I thought that was
the expected behavior when one has been fired?  Of course, I
never went to business school, so I can't be sure."

"Where did you go to school?" Cindy asked softly.

"I graduated from Notre Dame.  Unfortunately, I majored in
English and philosophy.  There isn't much call for that."  Cindy
asked how she did academically and Kelly replied, "Summa cum
laude and Phi Beta Kappa in my junior year.  I guess I didokay."

The waitress had taken the drinks away but Cindy had ordered a
bottle of white wine.  She shook hands with each of her
colleagues noticing their nods.  Turning back to Kelly, she
raised her glass and said, "To Chicago Trust's newest assistant
vice president, Kelly McBride!  Congratulations."

Kelly sat in her chair, thunderstruck. _Assistant vice president?
 Me!?_  she thought.  She said, "Is this a joke, Cindy?  Frankly,
I'm not in shape for any jokes today."

Cindy reached across the table and took Kelly's hand.  She said
warmly, "It's not a joke, Kelly.  I guess there are a couple of
things you should know about me.  First, my father runs the bank.
 Second, I'm enslaved to the owner of the bank.  When I left the
table earlier, I called Dad and told him what I was doing.  You
saw the hostess bring a slip of paper to the table a few minutes
ago?  Maybe you should see what it says."

She passed the note across the table, and Kelly looked at it. 
Her eyes widened as she read, _Kelly McBride has been unanimously
elected an assistant vice president with an approval authority of
$500,000.  Are there any others?_  She slowly shook her head. 
"What does this mean," she asked.  What is this authority?"

Cindy said, "That's the size of loan you can make on your own
authority without checking with anyone else."  She smiled and
said, "By the way, Kelly, what's the total of your education
loans?  How much do you owe?"  The girl replied that it was
nearly fifty thousand dollars.  Cindy said, "Fine.  This
afternoon, pay them all off.  Chicago Trust will refinance them
for you at 3 percent interest.  Our Oriental genius here will
tell you what the payments will be and we'll set up a payroll
deduction, if that's all right.  If you owed an even fifty
thousand, I think the payments would be a little less than three
hundred a month over twenty years.  Is that all right with you?"

The girl's jaw dropped.  All she could do was nod vigorously. 
They left the dining room and returned to Cindy's office.  She
grinned at the girls and sat in her chair for the first time.  It
was a high-backed executive swivel upholstered in leather.  Cindy
spun around in it with her legs out straight like a little girl.
Kathy and April grinned while Kelly was surprised again.

"Having fun, boss?" April asked sardonically.

"Sure am!" Cindy replied cheerfully, bringing the spin to a stop.
 The girls took seats with Kelly sitting in front of the desk. 
Cindy asked her, "How many more people are we scheduled to see?"

"I have ten more, Cindy, but forget it.  I already called the
office and canceled the interviews.  They're just like the ones
you crossed off this morning."  She shook her head and said, "You
need help in this division desperately.  I know it and so does
everyone else in the bank with half a brain.  Of course, that
excludes my former colleagues in Personnel...  Excuse me: Human
Resources.  Regardless of the name, they're just as dumb."

Kelly was warming to her subject now.  She continued, "Cindy,
have you ever heard of a zero-pass filter?  It's a filter nothing
can get through.  That's what we have here.  Personnel won't let
you see anyone you would seriously consider hiring, and you
wouldn't touch one of the people that clear their filter with a
ten-foot pole.  The result is what you have: You're killing
yourself with work, and can't get a drink of water in spite of
being afloat in a freshwater lake.  There are lots of great
people coming into Personnel all the time.  They just get turned
away with monotonous regularity."

"Before we get in deeper, Kelly, how much do you make?  We'll be
taking over your salary now."

"It's not a big number.  I make $15,500 a year," she replied.

"That's impossible!" April exclaimed.  "I was hired as a relief
receptionist at eighteen.  You can't make less than that."

"I sure can... and do," Kelly replied with chagrin.  I remember
when you were hired."  She grinned and said, "I know the job
well.  I applied for it but was turned down because I was
over-qualified.  Over-qualified, hell!  I needed the extra
money."

"Two questions, Kelly," Cindy said.  "First, do we have anyone in
this circus competent to run Personnel.  Second, are there some
candidates in Personnel's reject pile we should be talking with?"
 Kelly gave her the name of an experienced woman and answered the
second question in the affirmative.  She left the office to see
if she could get a few of them in that afternoon.  When she
returned, she said three people would be coming in with the first
expected in an hour.  Cindy called her father, gave him the name
Kelly recommended and told him what she was doing.  She mentioned
salary to him quietly with her back to her desk so Kelly couldn't
overhear.

She hung up and spun around again.  Then she shook her head sadly
and said, "Kelly, we may be getting ahead of ourselves, though. 
You haven't taken your physical yet."  The girl looked puzzled
and Cindy looked at April, while Kathy got up and closed the
office door.

April said, "Kelly, there are some tough parts to this job.  You
see, Cindy is Janice Stewart's slave.  Since she's our boss, that
makes us junior slaves.  Since we use the Stewart's home as our
office -- Cindy never saw this one until this morning -- we have
to perform every once in a while as assistant slaves.  It's sort
of fun, except for the uniform.  You see, Cindy's uniform is
nudity.  I don't know how long it's going to last, but you have
to be prepared.  Are you willing to be bare-assed?"

Kelly started to take off her clothes.  When she was naked, she
put one leg in front of the other and struck a model's pose,
holding her head up straight.  She was utterly magnificent.  Her
body was as good as any of the other girls and she still had a
beautiful all-over tan.  There were no suit marks showing
anywhere.

Cindy asked her about it and the light in her eyes died.  She
replied, "My boss insists."  She dressed again quickly and
appeared to be ready to leave the office.  She said, "I said I
applied for a job as a waitress here.  It's true.  As a cocktail
waitress, I'll be working topless.  That's okay, because as my
third job I'm a stripper.  The manager doesn't like the girls to
show suit marks.  I've been doing it for years."

Tears came to her eyes and she almost choked as she said, "Thank
you so much for your confidence in me, but I'm sure you can see
why I don't belong in a bank like this one.  I _will_ give my
resignation to you, Cindy Martin."

"Where in hell do you think you're going?" Cindy demanded.  "You
know how desperate we are.  Young lady, come back here and sit
down!"

She then told Kelly about April's background and then about
Kathy's.  When she told her about Kathy finding Bill again, tears
were streaming down Kelly's face.  Finally she said, "I spend
most of my time nude, Kelly.  I certainly don't mind your being a
stripper."  She looked at the girl and said softly, "It's not the
nudity, it's the leering, isn't it?"

The girl looked startled, but then smiled, "You're right, of
course, Cindy.  I like my body and like to show it off,
particularly to..."  She stopped and started again.  "I don't
like the leering and the innuendos, though.  As for being a
junior slave, I would love it!  Now, when do I start?"

Cindy shook hands and said, "You already did.  You have been
making $60,000 a year since this morning.  I'm sorry."

The girl was astonished.  "Cindy, that's almost quadrupling my
salary.  Are you crazy?"

"No.  And the reason I apologized is you're still the lowest-paid
assistant vice president in the bank," Cindy said.  Then April
pointed out that she just missed a divisional bonus of 100
percent of salary but assured her there would be more
opportunities.

That afternoon two more women were hired.  Cindy called the Mazda
dealer and ordered three more red Mazdas.  Then she took Kelly to
meet Mary Martin and to give her some tips on stripping for her
father.  Cindy noticed that Mary took very careful
notes.*Chapter 23*

Susan Bradford went to the reception desk in the lobby of the
posh apartment house and asked to see Mrs. Jefferson.  She
thought that it must be the most deluxe building in Chicago if
they could afford a receptionist in addition to a doorman.  The
woman smiled, pointed out the penthouse elevator, and told her to
go right up.  She took the elevator to the penthouse and was
greeted by the butler who showed her into a room that appeared to
be the library.  Walking through the apartment, she was impressed
with both the excellent taste and the money evident in the
furnishings.  Then her heart sank as she saw that there were
three women already seated and obviously waiting to be
interviewed.  She checked her watch and found it was after four
o'clock; she had to be at work by six.

While she waited, four more women were ushered in and took seats.
 Reflecting on the ad she had answered several weeks earlier, she
was hoping against hope.  She needed the job desperately. 
Waiting on tables paid the rent but that was all.  She was
already behind in repaying her student loans, and she just had to
earn more money.  With a lot of luck, the schedule might permit
her to work both jobs.  Periodically, she saw a very attractive
black woman come to the door, call a name and then disappear into
another room.

While she was waiting and wondering if it would be appropriate to
take out a book, a little boy entered the room.  He was the most
handsome little boy she had ever seen.  His skin was the color of
chocolate milk, but his hair was wavy rather than kinky.  He
walked from one woman to the next.  At each woman he would stop,
look into her face, smile and then move on to the next one.  Some
of the women smiled at him, one just looked at him impassively,
while a couple ignored him.  Finally, his tour of the room
brought him to Susan.  He repeated his procedure.  He looked up
at her and appeared to study her eyes.  Susan always felt her
appearance was very plain.  When she was feeling down, she
considered herself ugly.  She had wavy brown hair and brown eyes.
 Often, she had considered tinting her hair blonde but had always
rejected the idea.  The boy continued to study her and then he
smiled.  Susan smiled back.

His behavior changed.  She realized he had a drawstring cloth bag
clutched in his left hand.  Instead of moving to the next woman,
his smile changed to a beam of sunshine.  It was the brightest
smile she had ever seen -- the little boy was joyous!  Then he
said, "Pretty lady!"  Susan beamed back at him.  He held up his
bag and asked, "Pretty lady play with me?"  He sat down on the
floor in front of her chair and emptied the blocks in the bag out
on the carpet.

Susan went down on her knees on the floor and watched as he
played with his blocks.  Although Susan didn't think he was even
two years old, he told her the colors and the alphabet letters on
each block.  After stacking them he started testing Susan, asking
her for blocks by letter.  It was obvious to her that he really
knew them because he caught her instantly when she tried to trick
him.  He grinned infectiously when she did.  Getting to his feet,
he came to her with his arms outstretched.  She was kneeling on
the floor with her weight back on her heels.  In that position he
was almost as tall as she was.

He wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her a big kiss,
saying, "Nice lady!"  Susan was thrilled.  She held him tight and
kissed his baby-soft cheek.  He beamed at her again and murmured,
"Ronnie likes pretty lady."

Meanwhile, it was growing late.  Susan was dismayed to see that
some of the women who had arrived later than her had already been
interviewed. _Oh, well,_ she thought, _They're undoubtedly better
qualified than I am anyway.  I guess I was made to be a mother._
Then she thought wryly, _All I need is a man to be the father._

The only other woman waiting had been called.  Susan was now
alone with the little boy named Ronnie.  Remarkably, when he grew
tired of playing with his blocks he carefully put them all back
in his bag and held out his arms to her again.  She took him in
her arms and sat back in the leather-covered armchair.  The boy
snuggled in her shoulder and just went right to sleep.  She was
still holding him when the woman she had been seeing came for
her.  Carefully, she lifted Ronnie from Susan's arms.

As soon as he was moved, his eyes opened and he reached for
Susan.  He wrapped his arms around her neck and gave her a big
kiss on the cheek.  Then he said, "Goodbye, pretty lady.  Thank
you for playing with me."

The woman stood him on his feet and he took his bag and toddled
off while the woman watched him fondly.  When he left the room,
the woman put out her hand to Susan who rose from the chair and
took it in a firm grip.  The woman led her into another room off
the library obviously used as her office.  It was almost like the
library, but it contained a desk.  She said, "Welcome, Susan
Bradford.  I am Mary Jefferson.  You applied for a job as my
secretary.  You're white.  Do you have a problem working for a
black woman?"

Susan was startled by the woman's directness.  She said she did
not.  Then the woman said, "Susan, you minored in art at Smith
College.  I want your opinion of this painting."  She indicated
the portrait of Emily and said, "That's Emily Amelia Hardwick. 
What do you think of it?"

Rising to her feet, Susan looked at the portrait and gasped.  She
said softly, "It can't be!  It just can't."  Mary asked her what
she was seeing.  Susan replied, "I see a lady.  I see a woman who
appears elderly but at the same time very young -- about twenty.
She's a virgin."  Then tears came to her eyes as she saw the
medals in the background.  She went close to it and studied its
details carefully.  Then she returned to the chair in front of
the desk.  Holding her head up straight she said, "Emily had
dinner at the Pump Room in Chicago, probably during the second
World War.  She ate with a naval officer, a pilot.  He never came
back.  He was awarded the Navy Cross, the Air Medal and the
Purple Heart, probably posthumously.  She was madly in love with
him but they never slept together.  When that portrait was done,
she was still a virgin.  Yet she was waiting for him, and felt he
was very close."  She looked at Mary whose face had been utterly
impassive and said, "That's what I see, Mrs. Jefferson.  I have
never seen such a fabulous portrait in my life.  Whoever did it
defines the term, artist.  He or she found the person under the
skin.  I'm sorry if I sound like a fool, but that's what I see in
this portrait."

Mary nodded and said quietly, "Emily went to Mike.  She asked me
if he could take her virginity in Heaven.  She was beaming when
Mike came to take her."  Tears were flowing from her eyes when
she finished.  "He was killed at the Battle of Midway, Susan,
defending our country.  His name was Mike Casey and he swore he
would wait for Emily forever.  She went to him less than a month
ago."  Mary smiled and said, "There is another one, Susan.  What
do you see in it?"  She took the girl to her family portrait.

Susan looked and gasped, then she looked at Mary.  She said, "You
lost your husband in the service of our country, too, didn't you?
 I see a woman standing...  No!  I see a lady standing.  A lady
with honor, dignity, strength and integrity.  I see a woman who
deeply grieves, even today, the loss of her husband.  It's been
years, too.  Then I see the most beautiful young woman I've seen
in years.  She has been badly hurt.  She did things -- degrading
things -- that she regrets.  She's a lady, too, in the model of
her mother.  Finally, I see the most beautiful little boy I have
ever laid eyes on.  He has a smile that lights up a room.  Mrs.
Jefferson, you're very fortunate.  Will your daughter marry
Ronnie's father?"

Mary whistled softly and shook her head.  "I don't know about
you, Susan Bradford.  You see too much.  The answers to your
questions are, first, I don't know if April will marry Ron.  She
will if he changes enough.  As for me, I do still miss Tom
terribly.  At times my loins ache because he's not between my
thighs."  Mary looked at Susan and asked, "Does that sound
terrible, Susan?"

The girl shook her head and said, "The difference between you and
Emily is you had Tom in your bed.  You gave birth to a daughter
who would make anyone proud.  She, in turn, gave birth to the
most wonderful little boy I have ever seen.  I know she has to
love him, and you do, too."

"Come back and sit down, Susan.  I have some dictation for you. 
Do you take dictation?" Mary asked.

The girl's head was up straight as she said, "I lied, Mrs.
Jefferson.  I fake it with a form of speed writing I used in
college during lectures.  I'm not a trained secretary.  I
apologize for wasting so much of your time.  I enjoyed talking
with you and hope to be able to see the portraits again
somewhere, someday."  She rose to leave.

"Sit down, Susan!" Mary said sharply.  The girl was startled, but
she sat down.  "Why were you leaving?"  Mary asked with her
kindness now audible in her voice.

"Because I'm a fake and a fraud, Mrs. Jefferson," she replied
with tears starting to stream down her face.  "You need a good
secretary.  I am not one.  I already apologized.  Do you want me
to get down on my knees?  I must go now or I'll be late for work.
 I need the job to pay the rent."

"You have a job," Mary said, checking her watch.  It was almost
five-thirty.  She said, "You're now my secretary.  Come on,
Susan, we're late.  Move it."  The girl was baffled, but followed
the woman out of the room to another equipped as a gym.  To her
surprise, Mary stripped off her clothes and stood there nude. 
Susan was astonished to see the woman's figure was essentially
perfect.  Mary waited impatiently for her to strip.  Blushing
beet red, Susan did.

When she was naked, Mary walked around her looking at her body
carefully.  Finally, she shook her head and said, "Bradford, you
have all the raw material, but it sure needs a lot of work! 
Let's go."

While they were side by side using weight machines, Mary said,
"Two things, Susan: First, the name is Mary.  My daughter's name
is April and you were playing with Ronald, junior, or Ronnie.  He
hired you, you should know.  You had the job before we ever shook
hands.  That little boy has an uncanny instinct for people.  He
never misses.  You saw him today: He smiled at all the women
which means no one failed.  He beamed at you, though.  Ronnie
fell in love with you right off the bat.  I have never seen a
girl your age as good with him as you are except possibly his
mother.  And notice, I said possibly.  I'm not even certain of
that.

"Second, I have taken the liberty of telling the restaurant you
won't be working there any longer.  Our working hours can be a
bit strange sometimes.  Finally, get that flabby ass of yours in
gear.  I can't stand a flabby ass on a girl."  She grinned and
added, "Maybe it's a black prejudice.  We tend towards round firm
buns, at least when we're young."  She looked at the girl
straining with the weights and said, "Bradford, you have not even
begun to work out.  My daughter handles five times the weight you
have and she hardly breaks a sweat.  My secretary is going to be
in shape, damn it!"

By the time they finished in the exercise room, Susan was reeling
with fatigue and her body was slick with her sweat.  Mary took
her in her arms and kissed her saying, "There's a long way to go,
but I think you'll make it.  There's no sense in buying you a
wardrobe yet because your sizes will change a lot and change
fast.  I think you'll be pleased with the results, though."  The
women shared a shower and got dressed again.  Going back to the
office, Mary showed her a computer that caused her eyes to pop. 
It was the most powerful personal computer she had ever seen.

Mary said, "One last thing: I would like you to do a letter.  Why
don't you start up the computer and do it right on it."  The girl
started up the machine and found it used the word processing
software with which she was most familiar.  Because of the speed
of the computer, however, it ran far faster than any she had ever
seen before.  Mary said, "The letter is to Mr. Donald Martin,
President, Chicago Trust Company."  She continued with her
dictation telling him that Susan was hired, provided her social
security number and finished by saying she was earning $60,000
per year to start.

When Susan heard the number, she just stopped and looked up at
Mary aghast.  "But that's impossible," she protested.  "That's
more than three times what I'm worth!"

Mary corrected her.  She said, "That's incorrect, Susan.  It is
correct to say it's three times the market.  It most assuredly is
not three times what you're worth.  I'm paying only a fraction of
what you're worth, and a small fraction, at that."  The laser
printer hummed and the letter was finished.  Susan thought it
looked good and Mary did, too.

As they were finishing up, the beautiful girl from the picture
came into the office with Ronnie in her arms.  Ronnie saw Susan
and said, "Pretty lady play with me, Mommy.  Pretty lady is nice
lady."

The girl extended her hand and Susan took it in a firm grip.  She
said, "I'm April Jefferson.  I gather you have met the love of my
life, Ronald Jackson, Jr.  As he just made very clear, he likes
you, and that means you like him.  Thank you for playing with
him."

Susan looked at April and said, "The portrait is very accurate. 
That artist is fabulous.  Through the portrait, I saw things
about you that I now see in your flesh.  But they are things I
would never see without having seen the portrait first.  April
Jefferson, you're the most beautiful young lady it has ever been
my pleasure to meet.  And I want to stress the word, lady."

That night Susan was invited for dinner.  It was served by the
butler in a formal dining room.  She was impressed at the way the
Jeffersons took it in stride.  Clearly, they both were ladies
with impeccable taste and manners.  As she was getting her coat
on, April quietly gave her a small roll of bills and said,
"You'll need some money to get going on.  The chauffeur will be
out front with the car to take you home.  If it fits your
schedule, he'll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight.  I hope
that's not too early."  Susan just shook her head and went home
in a daze.

 For Susan the next weeks went by in a rush.  She found she spent
most of her time exercising and swimming.  Mary would exercise
with her for a while and then drive Susan harder and harder. 
There was also a tanning room that Mary insisted she use.  The
woman joked that hers was permanent, but since Susan wasn't so
lucky she needed to work on hers.

After three weeks, Susan was again increasing the exercise
machine's weight loading again when Mary asked, "What are you
doing that for?  Take a look at yourself in the mirror."  There
was a full-length mirror used for checking on exercise technique.
 She looked at her image and gasped.  Looking back at her was a
girl she had never seen before.  Her shoulders appeared broader,
her breasts were a bit larger but much firmer, and her figure was
perfection.  She now had an all-over tan and there were golden
streaks showing in her hair.  Susan smiled at the image in the
mirror.  

Finally, Mary took her shopping and purchased a wardrobe for her.
 Susan had never had such beautiful clothes in her life.  She had
also given up her apartment and was now living with the
Jeffersons.  She had an exquisite room and bath to herself, and
found she loved the small family with whom she was now living. 
Wherever Mary went, Susan accompanied her.  They attended
concerts, gallery openings, plays, and the openings of new
restaurants.  Wherever Mary went she was courted because, as
Susan quickly learned, her employer was the richest woman in
Chicago.

One morning, Mary asked Susan to sit in on a meeting she had
reluctantly scheduled.  It was with Horace Washington, director
of SHOVE, ostensibly a civil-rights organization organized to
empower the poor of Chicago.  When Washington was shown in, Mary
rose to greet him.  As he entered the room, Susan could see
instantly that Mary didn't like this black man.  He was under six
feet in height, quite heavy and was wearing a lot of jewelry
including a very ostentatious diamond ring.  He sat in an
armchair in front of Mary's desk and almost overflowed it.

After cool initial pleasantries were exchanged, Washington came
right to the point.  He said, "Mrs. Jefferson, I want you to
contribute $50 million to SHOVE.  It will make up for the
injustices black people suffered at the hands of the Hardwicks
for so many years.  We were delighted to hear that a black female
will be handling the money now."  He smiled conspiratorially and
said, "Soon, of course, we will want it all signed over to us. 
We have big plans for you, too, of course.  We can get you on the
lecture circuit to talk about the abuse you suffered at the hands
of that honky bitch.  We will also consider it reparations for
that Oreo-cookie daughter of yours."  His eyes were cold as he
continued, "Imagine!  A black girl working in that disgraceful
bank, Chicago Trust Company.  She's tokenism at its worst! 
Pretending to be an officer!"

Mary's eyes were cold as ice.  She turned to Susan and said, "You
investigated SHOVE, Susan.  What did you find?"

Susan replied, "SHOVE has received over $20 million in Federal
money alone over the last four years.  There are records of less
than $2 million going to the poor, and almost all of that in the
form of loans carrying interest rates of 20 percent or higher. 
There is no record of the other $18 million, but it's gone.  The
total income, including donations, is unknown.  There's a
consortium of Chicago banks that assembled a loan fund
administered by SHOVE.  The total amount of the fund's lending
and its recipients are also unknown."

"She's a honky!  What can she possibly know about bloods?"  He
rose to his feet and said, "Enough of this bullshit, sister!  We
want the money and we want it now.  We can cause a lot of trouble
and will if we don't get it right now!"  Turning to Susan he
said, "Who in hell is this bitch, anyway?  Why don't you have a
black girl in this job?"

"Because Miss Bradford is the best-qualified person.  She's also
my friend, confidante, and a member of my family.  Mr.
Washington, you are a disgrace!  You have been stealing our
people blind and I will not give you one dime.  Good day, sir!"

The remaining shreds of Washington's facade collapsed.  He
screamed, "You can't do that to me!  I'm a civil-rights leader. 
No one talks to me like that.  Now for the last time, give me the
money!"

As he was about to move towards Mary, a hand came down on his
shoulder and gripped it like a steel vise.  He couldn't move. 
Washington heard a low-pitched voice behind him say, "It is time
to leave, Mr. Washington.  You are no longer welcome here.  I
will see you to your car."  Horace tried to turn and saw a black
giant standing behind him.  He was marched to the elevator and
then out to the street.  The giant opened the door of his
limousine and shoved him in, slamming the door behind.  Without a
backward look, he returned to the apartment.

When John Smith returned to the office, Mary Jefferson smiled a
greeting.  He said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jefferson.  That will never
happen again."  Then he murmured softly, "Trash!"  He turned to
Susan and said, "On behalf of my people, Miss Bradford, I want to
apologize.  That man is a disgrace to his race."

John Smith was a former All-Pro defensive end with the Green Bay
Packers.  He was six feet seven, weighed 265 and had been hired
on the recommendation of a halfway house where he was recovering
from cocaine addiction when Emily's butler retired.  His coke
habit had cost him all the money he had made in pro football. 
Susan had seen him exercise in the weight room.  He loaded all
the weight the machines had and moved it effortlessly.  Mary had
patiently trained him until now he was the finest butler in
Chicago.  He also worshiped the entire family, now including
Susan.

Mary called April at the bank.  She was amused when she heard the
call being transferred to the mobile phone in April's car.  When
the girl answered, Mary told her about Washington's visit and his
capacity to cause trouble for the bank.  She ended the call by
saying, "He hates Chicago Trust Company.  I'm not sure why, but
he certainly does."  April immediately relayed the warning
directly to Dan Burke.

Ron Jackson was scheduled to come to dinner that evening.  April
thought of him with a smile.  A few weeks earlier she had
received a letter from him and immediately noticed two things. 
First, his handwriting had improved dramatically.  It used to
look like an uncoordinated fourth grader's.  The second was the
politeness of his note to her.  He enclosed a copy of his college
grades.  Although it was the middle of the football season, he
was taking four courses and had A's in all of them.  She was
pleasantly surprised to see they were all good courses. _Maybe,_
she thought, _just maybe we may make it again._

April was now acting as agent for twelve members of the Bears
defensive unit.  Already past the midpoint of the season, the
team had only lost two games, and was in first place in the
division with the best record in the NFC.  Jim Clancy gave her
the credit.  He claimed the defense was working harder and
playing better, both individually and as a team, than it had in
memory.  He said the players were really focused on football now
because she handled their personal problems and finances.  When
she invited Ron to dinner, he had asked if he could bring a guest
with him.  He told her it was an offensive player who was looking
for a new agent.

Promptly at six, two guests were announced.  Smith showed them to
the living room where April, Mary, and Susan were waiting.  That
evening Ronnie was dressed up in anticipation of seeing his
father.  But Susan noticed that Ronnie was reserved with him. 
Remembering Mary's comment about his unerring instinct for
people, it seemed he was withholding judgment.  Susan was
surprised at the identity of Ron's companion.  It was Mike
Cassidy, the Bear's quarterback.  As they were shown into the
living room, both men were awed by John Smith looming ahead of
them.

Cassidy looked up at him and said, "Wow!  Did you ever play pro
ball?"

"Green Bay for nine years," John said softly.

Cassidy grinned and put out his hand saying, "You had to be a
defensive end!  I know the look.  You guys look at a quarterback
like he's your next meal!"  He looked at Smith intently and said,
"John Smith, isn't it?"  Smith nodded.  "I remember you.  You
retired just about the time I came to the Bears.  Frankly, I'm
glad you did."  He looked puzzled and said, "But how..."

"Two things, Mr. Cassidy: cocaine and a thief for an agent."  He
smiled and said, "I think Miss Jefferson can do a lot for you. 
Now, may I take drink orders?"  He did and withdrew.  Immediately
after, April, Ron and Ronnie disappeared in the direction of
Ronnie's room, leaving Cassidy alone with Mary and Susan.

Mike Cassidy looked at Susan but didn't know what to make of her.
 She was wearing a plain green wool dress shaped to her figure. 
He thought he could see her nipples but couldn't be sure.  Her
only jewelry was a gold circle pin.  During college and after, he
had bedded more women than he could count, usually thinking of
them as trophies for his wall.  He decided that Susan would make
an interesting plaything for a day or two, so he turned on his
charm.

However, he realized he was at a disadvantage.  First, because he
was wearing a suit and tie, he was uncomfortable.  Second, he was
in an apartment such as he had never dreamed existed.  He was
often invited to appear at functions of all kinds, many given by
wealthy people in Chicago and so was accustomed to very expensive
decorator-modern furnishings.  This apartment was completely
different.  Trying to figure out what was different about it, he
was looking around the room.

Susan looked at Mary who smiled warmly and nodded.  She said,
"Mike, I think it would be easier if you just let me show you
around.  Would you care to see our apartment?"

Startled, he looked up at the girl who was now on her feet
waiting for him.  Then he realized what it was.  Susan had the
same quiet elegance the apartment had.  He rose and they left the
living room.  He realized she had a perfect figure and a
beautiful face.  What was so different was that she was treating
him like... like... a guest!  She wasn't making a play for him at
all.  This had never happened to him before.  She ushered him in
to Mary's office and stopped at the painting of Emily.

Mike glanced at it, then looked again.  Usually, one picture was
like any other to him.  In general, art was a giant con job as
far as he was concerned.  This painting was very different.  He
looked at it closely and then murmured, "She's beautiful!  And
she's a virgin, isn't she?"  Then he noticed the medals and
pieced the story together.

"You're remarkably perceptive, Mike," Susan said softly.  He
loved the soft, musical quality of her voice.  It was a pleasure
just to listen to her.  Then he was jolted by her next comment:
"Maybe I've been too harsh on you.  I thought your only feelings
were in your groin and in your passing arm."

"What are you saying?" he asked, genuinely shocked.

She grinned wryly and said, "Mike, if you get me in your bed you
would have no idea where I would number among your conquests. 
First, you couldn't possibly remember all the girls you've slept
with, and second, I don't think you can count that high."

Cassidy was utterly stunned. _She's right of course, but how
could she know?_

As if she was reading his mind, she said, "Women know, Mike.  At
least some of us know."

She showed him the picture of the Jefferson's and he whistled
softly.  He said, "Ron can't forgive himself for what he did to
April.  She still feels it, doesn't she?"

"How would you feel playing milk cow to a bunch of animals?  Of
course she feels it.  The worst of it is, she blames herself. 
April knows she could have refused, but she didn't.  He made her
degrade herself."

"The poor kid," he murmured.

Cassidy found he loved the apartment.  For the first time he was
getting a glimmer of the idea that there was money and money. 
This was established money: Money that did not need to make its
existence prominent to make its presence felt.  He studied the
girl but couldn't figure her out.

Her eyes were dancing with glee as she said, "There's one more
picture I want to show you."  He followed her back to the living
room and she showed him a painting over the fireplace.  There
were two women: one was Kerry Casey and the other was Susan
herself.  Both girls were nude.

He looked at it and shook his head, murmuring, "Two virgins. 
That other girl is wanting so much, she hurts.  She wants him
terribly.  Who is he?  The artist?"  Susan nodded.  She and Kerry
were posed with their shoulders touching in a semi-reclined pose
The girls were holding hands; Susan could remember Kerry gripping
her fingers tightly and later apologizing for it.  She said
posing for Jim was becoming harder for her.  She could feel his
love but could get no relief herself.  When his pressures
mounted, she would take him in her mouth but there was no relief
for her.  Susan's body was perfect.  Jim even caught the tight
curls in her pubic hair and its golden highlights, as well.  Her
breasts were full and perfectly shaped with tiny pink nipples.

"If it will save you a lot of wondering, Mike, it's a good
likeness of my body.  Do you like it?"

He looked at her and saw glee in her eyes.  To his surprise, she
pulled his head down to hers and kissed him softly.  Then she
said, "Thank you, Mike.  I've dreamed of doing that for years."

"You _what?"_ he asked, amazed.  "What are you saying?"

"When you were playing for Illinois, Mike, I was in high school
in Bloomington.  We went to all your games.  Once I got within a
few feet of you when you were walking off the field after a loss.
 You looked so sad!  I wanted to take you in my arms and make it
better."  She smiled and said, "If I remember, I had braces on my
teeth and all the curves of a straight stick.  You would have
just walked over me."  Cassidy, utterly baffled by Susan's
behavior, said nothing.

John announced dinner.  Mike was sitting at Mary's right with
Susan beside him while April was at the other end of the table
with Ron on her right and Ronnie sitting next to him.  Susan
smiled as she saw John subtly indicating which of the many items
of tableware to use with each course.

Mike looked at the women and was amazed.  The dinner was more
formal than any he had ever eaten, yet the women maintained the
conversation and appeared to enjoy themselves.  Even little
Ronnie sitting across from him was eating carefully sitting on
the chair in his booster seat.  Mike thought the boy looked very
handsome in a blue suit with a white shirt and an Eton collar.

He heard Susan ask him with a giggle in her voice, "Are you all
right, Mike?  You look very uncomfortable.  I'm sorry if you are.
 The food is really very good."  He continued just to watch.  He
was amazed to hear the women's discussion ranging across the
widest variety of topics, from local politics, to national
events, to international affairs.  The conversation swung to art,
to music, and finally to football.

At that point, Ron said, "April, I want to do something for
Ronnie.  I would like to increase his support to $500 a month." 
He looked down at his plate, and Mike realized he hadn't been
eating.  Ron continued, "There is no way I can make up for what I
have done to you.  I know some of my teammates wrote you letters
to apologize for their behavior.  They did, didn't they?"

April nodded and smiled, remembering.  Most of the men were not
even adequate writers, let alone good ones, yet they wanted to
tell a woman who behaved like a queen that they had behaved like
animals and were ashamed.  She said, "Most did, Ron.  Some of
them are my clients now, too.  It's funny.  Charley Hodgins is a
man-mountain and a client, but he can't bring himself to look me
in the eye.  He says he's still too embarrassed.  They're awfully
nice, Ron."  Then she looked at him and asked, "Can you afford
it?  It will be out of your allowance."

"I'll make out," he said softly.  Then he looked at her and tears
were running down his face.  He said, "I didn't give you anything
when you were starving to death and I was rich.  Now, your mother
is the richest woman in Chicago and $500 is like five cents.  I
give it to you when you don't need it.  Please accept it, April.
I need you to, even though you don't need the money."

He tried to smile as he continued, "There's something else I want
to say, though.  You and your mother and Miss Bradford are so at
home in this setting while I don't even know which fork to use. 
Even my baby son makes his father look like a fool, completely by
accident of course."

Suddenly, Ron broke down completely.  He was sobbing and April
went to him and held him close.  He said, "Oh, God, April! 
Please forgive me!  I'm begging, now.  There is no reason why you
should and every reason why you should tell me to go to hell. 
What I did to you was utterly inhuman!"

She held him close and patted his back.  Finally he looked up and
she said warmly, "Ron, there's nothing to forgive.  I did it to
myself.  You just asked.  But why don't you ask your son?"

Ron was startled but turned to Ronnie who had been watching his
father closely.  Ronnie had his arms out and Ron took him in his
and held him tight.  He heard Ronnie say, "Don't cry, Daddy. 
Ronnie loves his Daddy."  Ron held the boy away and saw the baby
beaming at him.

Ron saw his boy's glorious smile and smiled back.  "Daddy loves
you, too, Ronnie.  God, I love you so much!"  He hugged the
little boy who had his arms tight around his father's neck.  Then
Ron sat him on his lap and put his arm around him.  The baby
promptly went to sleep against his father's shoulder.

Mary smiled at Ron for the first time since she had first met
him.  She said, "I guess that's over.  Ronnie just made up his
mind.  He loves you, Daddy.  If you're good enough for him, I
guess you're good enough for me, too."

He looked at April and saw a light in her eyes he thought had
disappeared forever.  He said, "Alleluia!  April, will you
continue to go out with me once in a while?  Did you get my
grades?"  She nodded and smiled.  "Honey, I promise I'm going to
make myself worthy of you.  Then I'm going to ask you to marry me
and... and...  April, will you... are you willing to have... more
children?"

Susan saw an intense warmth appear on April's face.  She said
simply, "Ron, Ronnie is as good a baby as there is.  There's no
sense stopping when you're on a winning streak.  Besides, you
never tried a Brandy Alexander and neither did I.  I guess I'm
looking forward to it."

The conversation shifted and April told Ron she had a new
contract for him with a lot of incentive clauses.  Then Mike
interjected, "What makes you think you can represent me, April? 
You're smart, but I have a quarterback contract.  It's a lot
bigger and more complex."

April looked at Mike, smiled politely and said, "I have no
interest in representing you at all, Mike.  You're not my type. 
Why don't you just stay where you are?"

"But... But I can't.  I told the bandit who represents me to get
lost.  I... I... I thought you were going to be my agent.  I told
everyone you were."

"That's a shame," April said blandly.  "I guess I'm not everyone,
because you certainly didn't tell me."  She turned her attention
back to Ron, ignoring him.

"What can I do?" he asked, turning to Mary Jefferson.  "Why did
she turn me down?"

"Did you hear what you said?  You started by saying she's not
competent to represent you," Mary replied.  "Of course, being her
mother I'm not completely impartial, but I think she's the best
agent in the business.  On the other hand, she's killing herself
at her regular job so she certainly doesn't need the extra
aggravation."

Mary looked pensive for a moment and then, looking across Mike,
said, "Susan, what about you?  Could you help Mike out of his
jam?"

"I already have a job that I love, thanks to you, Mary.  Why on
earth would I want to work with this egotist sitting beside me. 
I'm not a women's libber, but about twenty minutes with this guy
would make me one."  She smiled at the older woman and said,
"There is one thing, though.  I would love to have Jim paint
Mike's portrait.  It would be the definitive male chauvinist
pig."

"But... But... Sue, you don't know a damn thing about being an
agent!" Mike exclaimed.

"Absolutely nothing," she replied blithely.  "That's another
reason I have less than no interest in the job."

"Damn it, Susan, you have to take it!  You owe it to me and you
owe it to the Bears.  I need top-flight representation!"

"I don't owe you one damned thing, Michael Cassidy!" she exploded
with fire in her eyes.  "I owe the Bears even less.  As far as
needing top-flight representation, go get it.  You already said
I'm incompetent."

"Why do you have to throw my words back at me like that?  You
know I didn't mean it," he said plaintively.

"You damn well better not be as casual throwing a football as you
are throwing out words, Mr. Cassidy.  I was educated in an
environment where people are presumed intelligent and are
responsible for what they say.  If they don't mean it, they don't
say it.  Clearly, your education went off the track somewhere. 
Incidentally, where do you stand with respect to your degree?  Do
you have one?  If so, in what?"

He mumbled that he was missing a few courses.  It turned out that
"a few"  was two and a half years worth.  His degree, if he ever
got it, would have been in outdoor activities.  Susan hooted with
glee while Mike reddened with embarrassment.  Finally she said,
"Okay, Cassidy, with Mary's permission I'll represent you as your
agent.  My fee is 20 percent off the top."

"My God!" he protested.  "Do you know how much that is?  Do you
know how much I make?"

"It's about $300,000 a year if you have a decent year.  On the
other hand, that's all I'll charge you.  Right now April tells me
you're paying your agent about 60 percent when all the pieces are
added up.  There are four conditions: First, you get an allowance
of $5,000 a month.  Second, you complete your degree -- a good
one -- within the next three years.  Third, I don't pay bills for
your whores.  Their charges are out of your allowance.  Finally,
if you don't get a degree within three years, my fee doubles
retroactively back to today.  Clear?"  Mike was stunned but
slowly nodded.  Susan put out her hand and said, "Fine!  Now I'm
your agent."  Mike was startled at the firmness of her grip as
they shook hands.

After dinner Ron asked Mary if he could take April out dancing. 
She smiled and suggested he ask April; he did and she quickly
agreed on the condition that Susan and Mike come and chaperon. 
John Smith drove them in the Jefferson limousine while the men
left Mike's sports car in the garage.  They went to a good hotel
that had a combo playing for dancing.

Ron immediately took April out on the dance floor leaving Susan
alone with Mike.  She was still glaring at him, or pretending to.
 Mike was baffled.  He had never met a girl like Susan in his
life and didn't know what to make of her.  He realized most of
the girls he dated were airheads while Susan was probably much
smarter than he was.  The other girls fell all over themselves to
get in his bed; she ignored him.  Finally he asked, "Susan, how
did you know so much about me and my agent?  It isn't common
knowledge."

"Jim Clancy told April," she replied without comment.  "By the
way, how are your auctions coming?  Any good action?"

Mike turned beet red.  He stammered, "What do you know about my
auctions?"

"I hear you get together all the girls that are interested in
bedding you.  First, they take off all their clothes.  I guess a
bunch wash out right there after you see them naked.  Then you
have an auction with the ones who are left.  The one who will
accept the most extreme arrangement wins.  The last one I heard
about had the girl accepting thirty lashes with a whip
administered by the jealous second place girl before she could
come to your bed.  How did that work out, anyway?  Could she
still perform in bed for you after thirty lashes?"  Susan said it
in a completely dispassionate tone of voice.  Her question seemed
to be borne of pure scientific curiosity.

"How could you possibly know that?" he asked bemused.  "The fact
is I spent the night treating her cuts.  The poor kid could only
scream in pain.  They were all over her body so there was no
position she could be in without putting her weight on some of
the cuts."  He looked at Susan and she could see his eyes were
wet.  He said, "You're a very strange person, Susan Bradford. 
You seem to hate me, but I don't think you really do."

Susan smiled and changed the subject.  What she said next amazed
him: "When did you develop that hitch in your passing motion?"

_"The what?"_ he exclaimed.

"Let's dance and I'll show you," she said.  He took her out to
the dance floor.  When she was standing, she quickly demonstrated
what he was doing.  People were looking at them strangely as Mike
moved his arm in his usual passing motion and realized she was
right.  There was a hitch in it.  He took her in his arms on the
dance floor and found she moved like a feather on the floor.  She
also refused to dance close to him.  There was a distinct
separation between them and he asked her about it.

"I'm not giving you a cheap thrill tonight by letting you crush
my tits against your chest.  You'll live."*Chapter 24*

On Saturday morning, the girls got a phone call.  It was an
unusually warm Indian summer day in November and the Bears were
playing at home the next day.  The pre-game practice wrapped up
at noon so Ron and Mike asked if the girls cared to prepare a
picnic.

They went out to a park near the lake front.  The men had a
football with them and were throwing it around.  While sitting on
a blanket they ate the picnic lunch the girls prepared.  Mike was
amazed at the change in Susan's appearance.  Today, she looked
totally different from the way she did on their first meeting. 
The night before she had been poised and elegant; today she
looked like a hoyden.  She was wearing skin-tight Levi's, a Smith
College sweatshirt, and had her hair tied back in a pony tail. 
Mike remembered the magnificent female body he had seen in the
painting.  He could see the painter certainly got her legs right.
 He hoped the rest of her was as accurately depicted.

When they finished eating, Susan challenged the men to a two-man
touch football game.  To even it, it would be two hands for the
men but only one for the girls.  Mike and Ron slapped hands and
agreed at once.  As a further concession, they gave the ball to
the girls and agreed the men couldn't rush the passer at top
speed.  Susan whispered to April and she nodded eagerly.  They
had marked out the four corners of a fifty-yard field and put it
in play on the twenty yard line.

Mike was up close to the ball while Ron was playing his normal
safety position a little off the line.  When Susan centered the
ball to April, Ron was poised on her right.  April started to run
left and Mike moved to head her off.  Before he had taken two
steps, Susan cut him down with a block on his ankles.  He went
down on his face.  Meanwhile, Ron had slowed figuring Mike would
catch her.  He chased her, but April was running like a scared
deer and easily outran him to score a touchdown.  Susan sat up
and wiped dirt off her face, laughing.  Mike sat up and
sheepishly wiped himself off.  "What did you do, young lady?" he
asked with a sheepish grin on his face.

Susan's eyes were dancing as she said, "It's called a cross-body
block, isn't it?"  She rubbed her side ruefully and added, "It
hurts."  Mike just grinned and shook his head, then extended his
hands to help her up.

On his first possession, Susan gave him fits.  On the first play,
she tagged him for a loss; on the second, she batted the pass
away; and on third down he overthrew Ron because he had to throw
so high to clear her upthrust arms.  She daintily stuck out her
tongue as he punted the ball.  Although he did no kicking for the
Bears, Mike was an excellent punter.  He boomed the ball far past
the end of the field and was told to go and retrieve it for his
troubles.

Getting the ball back, April centered it to Susan who sidestepped
Mike's rush.  She lofted a perfect pass that April took on her
fingertips running at full speed and ran in for another
touchdown.  By this time other people walking in the park on the
brilliant late fall day were stopping to watch.  Several thought
they recognized Mike Cassidy, but no one was sure if it was
really him.  When they finally quit, the women were ahead by
three touchdowns.

Susan hobbled over to their blanket.  In spite of the time of
year, she and April had been playing barefoot.  April took four
beers from their cooler and passed them out.  Mike collapsed on
his back and Susan used his stomach for a head rest.  He looked
at her and just shook his head.  "Where in hell did you learn to
throw a football?  You're really good.  God, I wish I had your
timing.  For that matter, I would give my left arm for a receiver
like April.  How long have you girls been practicing, anyway?"

"This is the first time I've ever thrown a football with April,"
Susan replied with a grin.  "On the other hand, I've seen her
nude body often enough to know that she's nothing but satin skin
over highly-conditioned muscles.  There's not an ounce of fat on
her.  I figured she might be fast, and she sure is, isn't she?"

Mike raised his voice and said, "Ron, you have to marry April. 
Can you imagine trying to cover her if some other team finds out
how good she is and drafts her?  Isn't there some league rule
that husbands and wives have to play on the same team?"  Looking
down at Susan, he said softly, "I'll have to marry you, too.  I'm
not worrying about another team.  I'm worrying about the Bears. 
Susan, you're a better quarterback than I am.  You're more agile,
you're faster and you throw the ball better.  How did youlearn?"

While he was talking he had put his hand on her sweatshirt and
cupped her breast in his hand.  It was a very firm handful and
she was not wearing a bra.  She ignored it except for making a
small happy noise deep in her body.  "Aren't you going to say
anything?" he asked softly.

"About your hand on my tit?  No, not unless you complain about my
head on your stomach.  Besides, it feels good."  She looked up at
him and said, "If a girl isn't going to sleep with a guy, she had
better learn to run fast.  I do.  As for passing, I picked it up
by studying my favorite quarterback."

"Who is that?" Mike asked.

"Michael Cassidy," she replied impassively.  "He used to play at
Illinois and is playing in the pros now.  He used to be pretty
good."

_"Used to be?_  Come on, young lady.  Let's see if you can catch
the ball."  Mike picked up the football and trotted back on the
field with Susan following.  Mike was utterly astonished at what
followed.  She ran pass patterns perfectly, whether a hook, a
post, a fly, or a sideline.  She caught one sideline pass on her
fingertips with only the toes of both feet still in bounds.

Then she said, "Now let's see if you can run with that big beer
gut.  But be careful.  The quarterback has his image to protect:
never getting his uniform dirty."  By this time Susan's clothes
were covered with dirt, leaves, twigs, and a little mud where she
slid on a wet spot.  She looked absolutely beautiful.  Again, he
was astonished at her performance.  She took a pro drop, looked
straight down the field and put the ball in his hands wherever he
was.  She never appeared to look at him.  Even when he ran fly
patterns at full speed Susan put the ball lightly on his
fingertips.  Once he took her pass in one hand because she threw
such a soft pass that was so easy to catch.  On one pass that
dropped incomplete, he was supposed to take five steps and took
seven.  The ball was right where he should have been.

Finally, with Mike gasping for breath, they quit.  Mike had his
hands on his knees and was breathing hard.  He gasped, "You win.
Susan, you are great."

"Terrific!  If I won, you have to carry me back to the blanket."
He picked her up and found she felt wonderful in his arms.  She
wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek on his
shoulder.  When they got to the blanket, April looked up and
said, "What's this?  Who is that urchin you found, Mike?"

He grinned and replied, "I'm not sure, but she's the best damned
passer in Chicago, bar none!  Did you see what she was throwing?
And catching?  Ron, we should do so well."

Ron's head was on April's lap.  He opened one eye and said,
"She's fine with me.  I'm defense.  We're always in favor of good
quarterbacks.  Of course, it's not my job she's taking."

After showering at the apartment the men took them out for pizza.
 At dinner Mike was moving his shoulder.  He said, "Susan, thank
you.  You helped me a lot today.  You really did.  I watched you
and saw me when I was good.  It reminded me of changes I have to
make.  Are you coming to the game tomorrow?"  She said they were
planning to.  Susan didn't say that they were guests of the owner
and would be watching from his box.

That night at the door of the Jefferson's apartment, Mike took
Susan in his arms and kissed her.  It was like no kiss either had
ever had.  There was sweetness and warmth, but at the same time
there was electricity flowing between them and bells.  When he
slowly released her, she slapped his face hard, glared at him and
exclaimed, "I am _not_ in your damned meat market, Cassidy!"  She
slammed the door in his face and then leaned back against the
door to try to recover from his kiss.  Meanwhile, Mike was
whistling brightly as he walked to the elevator, rubbing the
bright red mark her hand had left on his face.

The next day at the game, Susan was introduced to Cindy and Dan
Burke who were also the owner's guests.  Dan sat in the back row
talking quietly with Mike McCaskey while the girls watched the
game.  Chicago was playing the Vikings; in their first meeting
Chicago had won 9-0 on three field goals.  The Bear's record was
now 10-2; through the first half of the season, the team won with
its defense.  If an opponent scored two touchdowns, the Bears
were in trouble.  The offense had been a no-show through the
season to that point.

The Vikings received the opening kickoff and sustained a drive
the length of the field.  Dan shook his head; there was nothing
the Bears could do.  The play pattern consisted of running plays
interspersed with short play-action passes.  The Bears defense
was playing furiously, but the Viking quarterback was six for six
in the drive.  Before the Bears got their hands on the ball, they
were trailing 7-0.  It looked like it was going to be a very long
afternoon.

On the first play from scrimmage at the Bear's 8 yard line -- the
Bear's had been called for holding on the kickoff return -- Mike
Cassidy faked into the line, rolled to his right on a bootleg and
completed a pass to his fleet wide receiver flying down the left
sideline.  The pass covered more than 60 yards in the air.  The
receiver, Sammy Johnson, took it on his fingers without breaking
stride and crossed the goal line untouched.  It was the longest
play from scrimmage the Bears had run in more than five years. 
Susan was on her feet screaming as soon as Mike unleashed the
pass.  She was jumping up and down as Johnson just ran away from
the covering cornerback.  The safety had taken the play fake and
had come up to assist against the expected run so the corner had
no support.

Mike had his best game at quarterback in three years.  He threw
for only 280 yards, but completed twelve of the fourteen passes
he threw.  By the time the game was winding down Susan was hoarse
from screaming.  April looked at her, shook her head, and said,
"Susan, you're not behaving in a very dignified fashion."  She
turned to Cindy and asked, "Slave Cindy, what do you think?"

Cindy had been screaming, too.  She had come to like Susan very
much in just the very short time they had known each other.  Her
eyes were dancing as she said, "I guess it's what I would do if
Burke were out on the field.  Of course, April, it is rather
unprofessional for an agent to behave that way, too, isn't it? 
I'm sure you bruised your left hand.  Every time Ron makes a
play, you slam your right fist into your left hand and make
atrocious noises!"  April just grinned and Susan shook her head.
The game ended with the Bears winning their biggest victory of
the season, 42 7.  There was an immediate impromptu party in the
owner's box to celebrate.  After a few minutes, April and Susan
excused themselves to go to the locker-room door.

Ron came out looking for April.  As soon as she saw him she went
to him and then into his arms.  When he kissed her this time, her
arms were around his neck.  For the first time there were bells
and electricity flowing between them.  April could feel her knees
weaken as she held on for support.  When they separated, Ron
looked at her with his eyes glistening.  He said, "Is that what I
can look forward to if I have a good game, darling?"

April had recovered by now and stepped back, saying, "That was an
agent congratulating her principal on a very good game.  Ron, you
played beautifully!"

He grinned and said, "It's all your fault, you know?  Yours and
Susan's.  Yesterday afternoon was the best practice Mike and I've
had in years."  His eyes became serious as he added, "Honey, I'm
really serious.  I'm not kidding at all.  Mike said his throwing
with Susan and watching her throw fixed him up.  He wants to keep
it up, if it's possible."  They had walked away from the crowd
milling around the locker room entrance.

By now almost all the players had come out of the dressing room.
Now there was just Cassidy's meat market: a host of young women
ranging in age from about eighteen to their early-thirties. 
Although it was cold, some of the women started to shed their
coats to better show off their charms.  Several surreptitiously
pinched their nipples to make them show through their tight
sweaters.  Meanwhile, Susan was standing off to the side by
herself.  She was wearing blue jeans and a sweat shirt under a
warm duffle coat.  Despite the fact that it was very cold and
snowflakes were starting to appear -- a cold front had moved
through the previous night -- the girls in their tight sweaters
and micro-minis were anticipating Mike's appearance and the start
of the weekly meat market.  This was the first phase of the
competition.  Susan counted more than fifty women crowded around
jockeying for position close to the door.

Susan moved farther away from the crowd and pulled up the hood of
her coat.  Finally, Mike appeared amid a chorus of squeals and
cries from the women crowded around.  The more aggressive ones
tried to grab him but Mike kept them away.  Then he held up his
hands, the first stage in his market.  Mike surprised them all by
saying, "Sorry, girls!  The party's over.  I'm out of business
and so is the competition.  I hope it's permanent."

Meanwhile he was looking around and finally saw Susan in spite of
her face being almost completely hidden by the hood of her coat.
Mike pushed through the crowd and finally reached her.  Putting
his arm around her, he said, "I have to meet my agent, my passing
coach, and my girl friend.  Here she is, Susan Bradford."

With that he took her in his arms and kissed her slowly and
lovingly.  He felt an instant response from her lips which were
so beautifully soft and warm.  He was trying to probe her mouth
with his tongue when Susan backed off and smacked him across the
face with her hand.  Mike ignored it in spite of the perfect
outline her hand left in red on his left cheek.  He put his arm
around her and said, "I'm making progress!  If she was really
mad, I would be unconscious.  Girls, this is Susan Bradford, the
love of my life.  Now all I have to do is shape myself up and
then persuade her to marry me."

One of the girls yelled, "What does she have, anyway?  She's not
your type!"

Mike still had his arm around Susan and she was not resisting. 
He whispered to her, "Susan, please take off your hood.  Let them
see you.  Please?"  She glared at him but pulled down the hood
and shook out her hair.  He said, "She really is.  She is my
type.  I only hope that I'm hers, but only time will tell. 
Unfortunately, I have a lot of work to do before I'll know."

The women looked at Susan and didn't know what to make of her. 
It was apparent she was wearing no makeup at all, yet she was
beautiful.  One yelled, "Does she have a figure?  All I see is a
shapeless coat."

Mike said, "Yes, she does, and it's perfect.  I've never seen it,
but I did see a picture she posed for.  She's exquisite.  But
that's not it.  I want her to be the mother of my children.  I
hope to become good enough for her to accept me as her husband. 
Now why don't you all just go home and celebrate the Bear's
victory?"

Mike looked around as the crowd started to break up as the women
left alone or in small groups.  One girl hadn't moved.  She had
been on the edge of the crowd but was now standing all alone. 
Even from where he was standing Mike could see she looked forlorn
as tears starting to flow down her cheeks.  He went to her and
brought her back to where Susan was waiting.

He said, "Susan Bradford, this is Kristin."  Turning to the girl,
he said, "Kristin, I'm sorry.  I don't even know your last name.
Sue, Kristin was the girl who won the competition and was
whipped.  Could she join us for a while?"  Susan nodded and the
trio walked to a nearby bar.  Mike was immediately recognized and
they were given a booth in the back.  When they sat down with
Kristin sitting across from them, Susan looked at the girl and
saw tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Kristin?" she asked kindly.  "Why the tears?"

The girl held her head up and said, "It's all for nothing.  Now
Jack won't have me."

"Who's Jack?"

"He's my boyfriend.  He said he wouldn't take me unless Mike
Cassidy fucked me first.  He was pretty proud of what happened a
few weeks ago.  But he was pissed that I didn't get fucked.  He
said that my blood and the pain I suffered would have made the
fucking even better.  He showed me off to all his friends."

Susan was appalled at what she thought she was hearing.  She
asked, "What do you mean, showed you off?  What did he do?"

"He had me strip to the waist and show them the whip cuts across
my back and breasts," she replied softly.  "He was real nice,
though.  He didn't ask me to strip for them and show the cuts in
my cunt and on my ass.  That was just for him."

"Is that why you did it, Kristin?  Because Jack wanted you to?"
Susan asked.

"Of course.  He's my boyfriend and I love him, in spite of what
Charley says," the girl replied.

"Who's Charley?" Mike asked.

"He's just a guy," she said.  "He wouldn't let me do what Jack
asked and now Jack is really mad."

Susan began to feel sick as the girl talked about her sadistic
boyfriend.  She was almost afraid of what the answer would be. 
"What did Jack want?"

The girl lifted her head and shook it to throw back her heavy
blonde hair.  She said, "He wanted me to put dirt in the cuts to
make the scars permanent.  Jack really liked the ones across my
breasts."  Tears came to her eyes as she said, "Now he's going to
whip me again and do it himself.  He says no one will know that
they aren't the Cassidy scars."

Just then a slightly-built young man came up to the table.  He
was about five feet ten, appeared to weigh about 155, and was
obviously very angry.  As he approached the table, Kristin saw
him and turned pale.  "Oh, God!  It's Charley."  Mike got up from
the table as the young man reached them.

"You stay away from Kristin!  She's a good girl."  With that he
launched a telegraphed roundhouse right at Mike's jaw.

Susan saw it coming and was amazed at Mike's reaction.  She knew
he could destroy the much smaller man and could easily block the
punch.  Instead, he moved his head with the punch and dropped to
the floor.  In an instant Charley was grabbed from behind by
others in the lounge.

Mike saw a police officer coming over.  From the floor he yelled,
"Leave that man alone!  He's a friend."  The men who had grabbed
Charley were astonished, but let him go.  Mike rubbed his jaw and
put out his hand.  "My name is Mike Cassidy, Charley.  We haven't
really met, but will you join us?"

The young man was shaking like a leaf as he sat down in the
booth.  It was so obvious that he had used every ounce of courage
he possessed to attack the much bigger man.  Mike said, "Charley,
thank you for taking care of Kristin.  You love her a great deal,
don't you?"  The man just nodded.  Looking at Kristin, Mike said,
"Look, will you do me a big favor?  Would you please have dinner
with Charley tonight?"  The girl was looking down at the table,
astonished at what had happened.

Cassidy said, "Kristin, look at me!"  The girl looked up at him,
startled.  "Kristin, have you ever taken a good look at Charley?
You told Susan and me about Jack.  Frankly, he sounds like a
sadistic creep.  I suspect he's bigger than Charley, isn't he?" 
The girl nodded.  "Can you see Jack doing what Charley just did?
I have him by about six inches and sixty pounds.  I suspect I'm
in better condition, too.  You know what he did, don't you?  He
was trying to protect you regardless of the cost to himself. 
Kristin, I don't know what you call it, but I see a man who loves
you very much.  Will you give him a chance?"

Kristin was looking at Charley and saw him blushing as Mike made
his speech.  When he finished she asked, "Charley, is that true?
Do you love me?"

He looked at her and swallowed hard.  Then he said, "Of course
it's true, Kristin.  I always have and always will."

"But why didn't you ever say anything?" she asked.

"Because I'm not good enough for you," he replied humbly.

"And Jack Schmidt is?" she asked softly.

"Of course not, but you love him," he said.  "It doesn't make
sense to me, Kristin, but the most important thing in my life is
for you to be happy."

Mike took out his wallet and emptied it.  He had almost five
hundred dollars which he pressed into Charley's hand.  "Why don't
you two go somewhere and have fun.  And good luck to you both." 
The two left the place hand-in-hand and with stars in theireyes.

Turning to Susan, Mike said, "I hope you have a couple of bucks.
I just gave Charley every cent I have.  I forgot to keep out
enough to pay for our beers!"

Susan hadn't said anything.  Mike realized her eyes were
glistening as she said, "Michael Cassidy, there might be some
hope for you yet.  That was the nicest thing I have ever heard of
you doing in your life.  Honey, I'm so proud!"  She turned and
kissed him softly.  Mike returned the kiss with one loaded with
his love.

When they moved apart, he grinned and said, "I'm making progress.
 You didn't even clobber me this time."  There was great warmth
in his eyes as he added, "Susan, I was being very honest today. 
You could have decked me out there if you really wanted to.  I
also meant it when I called you my passing coach.  That's true,
too.  Could you do me a great favor?  Could you come out to
Anaheim next week when we play the Rams?  Please?"

She smiled and said she would think about it.*Chapter 25*

Jack Casey was ill at ease sitting in front of Mary Jefferson. 
_It is not that she's black,_ he thought, _It's her eyes!  They
look right through you.  It's as if she can see through steel._ 
He had heard of Mary Jefferson, but had never met her.  She was
Emily Amelia Hardwick's heir and the richest woman in Chicago. 
She had asked to see him, but he still didn't know why.  As the
president of Northern National Bank, the biggest bank in the
city, he couldn't afford to take chances.  It might be a chance
to take some business away from Chicago Trust which had been the
Hardwick bank for generations.

Finally Mary came to the point.  She said, "I'm carrying out an
expressed wish of Emily Amelia Hardwick, Mr. Casey.  First, I
should tell you some history.  Have you heard of Michael Casey?"
Jack slowly shook his head. _It was such a familiar name,
though,_ he thought.  She said, "Mike Casey would be your uncle
if he were still alive.  Emily finally joined Mike after nearly
fifty years apart.  He's the reason she never married and the
Hardwick family died.  In her very last days she met your
daughter, Kerry, and came to love her deeply.  Mr. Casey, I
invited you over today to ask you to give your permission for
your daughter to marry Jim Vance.  Will you give it?"

"I have no daughter," Casey replied stiffly.

Mary just shook her head sadly and said, "You are so wrong, Mr.
Casey.  Your daughter is one of the most wonderful young women it
has ever been my pleasure to meet.  She is a real lady."

Casey exploded, "Lady?  Posing nude?  Living with a man when they
aren't married? _That's a lady?"_

"Mr. Casey, Kerry lives with Jack and sleeps with him. 
Nevertheless, she's still a virgin."  She turned to Susan who was
sitting off to one side and said, "Susan, you know Kerry Casey. 
What do you think of her?"

"Mary, you said it all.  She's a lady in the finest sense of the
word.  She's a virgin still.  Mr. Casey, for reasons that
completely escape me, she loves you, respects you and will not go
against your wishes.  There's absolutely no legal reason why she
can't marry Jim Vance today, but she will not marry him nor have
they ever had sex together.  It's killing that poor girl.  We
have been very fortunate in our acquaintances.  Many of our
friends are deeply in love.  Yet no couple represents the union
of two people the way Jim and Kerry do.  It's truly remarkable."

Casey had folded his arms.  It was apparent he was not listening
and nothing could move him from his position.  Mary said, "Thank
you for coming to see me today, Mr. Casey.  There's one more
thing I would like you to do.  Would you please accompany Susan
and me to an art exhibit that just opened?  It's one Susan is
sponsoring and has done all the work on.  It's our first effort
and we would appreciate your opinion.  The exhibit is entitled,
_Couples and Women._  It should only take a few minutes of your
time and I would be obliged if you would accompany us.

With ill grace, Casey agreed.  They all rode in Mary's limousine,
with Casey's following.  Mary had been amused at Susan's
arrangements for Jim Vance's first show.  She wanted the show to
be at a museum rather than a commercial gallery.  Mary had
listened to her on the phone and it was all she could do to keep
her giggling from being overheard.  When arrangements were
complete at the second-ranking art museum in Chicago, she had
said, "Susan Bradford, for shame!  You were lying like a rug!"

While she was saying it, Susan could see the barely-suppressed
laughter in Mary's eyes.  In her haughtiest manner, she replied,
"I _beg_ your pardon?  I merely said that Mrs. Jefferson would
consider it a personal favor if a museum accepted the show. 
She's considering her annual contribution to the arts this week."
 Susan grinned and said, "What's wrong with that?"  Mary just
giggled.

The big car pulled up to a stop at the main entrance of the
museum.  Mary was impressed with the size of the turnout.  When
the three walked in, the first portrait they saw was that of
Emily Amelia Hardwick.  Casey stopped short and looked at it. 
His eyes widened as he saw the medals and the expression on her
face.  "My God!  She's a virgin!  And... it's Uncle Mike, isn't
it?"

Mary said softly, "She's with Mike Casey now, Jack, in Heaven. 
She was so happy.  She asked me if I thought she could lose her
virginity there.  Mike came for her."  She saw that Jack Casey's
eyes were moist.

They looked at portraits of the Cliffords and their families. 
When they came to the clothed portrait of Kathy and Bill
Cartwright, Casey murmured, "My God!  The suffering they have
undergone!  And yet they look so happy now.  Why?"

Mary explained about the fourteen-year separation and Casey just
shook his head.  When he saw the portrait of Ali and Bill
Clifford, he shook his head in disbelief.  "It's impossible!" he
said.  "Two people can't possibly love each other as much as they
appear to."

Finally they came to the nudes.  There were six showing Kerry. 
Jack just looked at them in amazement.  He whispered, "She _is_ a
virgin!  The poor kid.  The wanting!  I can feel it."  Then he
came to a semi-reclining nude portrait of Ali Clifford.  Her
slender fingers were on her slit, and her eyes were focused to
the left of the artist.  He asked, "What happened here?"

Mary laughed and said, "Bill was standing where she's looking. 
It was a long sitting, I understand, with frequent breaks for
their lovemaking."

Finally, they came to the picture of Kerry and Susan, reclining
back-to-back, and next to it, a figure study of Susan.  He looked
at them and then looked at the girl.  He shook his head and said,
"But... But you're a lady.  And a virgin, aren't you?  Why did
you pose?"

"It's a Christmas present, Mr. Casey.  My boyfriend has had more
slaps in the face than kisses.  I don't want him to get too
discouraged.  The picture is what I think of as incentive.  If he
behaves, he gets the real thing," Susan said with a broad smile.
"Do you like it?  I think it's much too flattering."  Casey
disagreed.  He thought, if anything, she was even more beautiful
than she appeared on canvas.  She gave him a brilliant smile.

As they walked toward the exit, Mary said, "You remember the
portrait of the couple and the woman alone, nude?  Do you know
who they are?"  He shook his head.  "They are Bill and Allison
Clifford.  You may have heard of William H. Clifford?  I believe
his net worth is pushing $10 billion."  Casey's jaw dropped.  She
continued, "I think you passed over the portrait of Dave and Judy
Chapman.  Incidentally, Judy is planning on posing nude and
giving the painting to Dave for Christmas.  You have heard of the
Chapmans, I trust?"

Casey was in a state of shock.  He said, "You're telling me that
Jim Vance did all of those portraits?  You're also telling me
that they include portraits of some of the richest people in the
United States.  Is... Is he making a living?"

"Do you remember the portrait of the two young people you
commented on as having suffered so much?"  Casey did.  "They are
Bill and Kathy Cartwright.  The painting you saw is one of a
pair.  The other is the same pose with the two young people nude.
 It hangs in their bedroom.  I happen to know Bill Cartwright has
a personal net worth of about $500 million.  They paid $50,000
for the pair.  I think it took Jim almost a month to do them
both."

Casey's jaw dropped.  "Do you mean to say he can make $50,000 in
only _one month?"_

"Sometimes he does better than that," Mary replied.  She stopped
and turned to him and asked, "Have you changed your mind about
Jim Vance?"  Casey just shook his head in bewilderment.  He was
utterly stunned.  Mary smiled and said, "In that case, will you
please come for dinner this evening?  Cocktails at six?"  She
looked at him with her piercing eyes and added, "Kerry and Jim
will also be invited."  Jack Casey was still in a state of
near-shock and could only nod his head.  He went out to his
waiting car.

Promptly at six, Casey was announced by John Smith.  When Mary
greeted him he appeared recovered but was still shaken.  A few
minutes later, Smith announced Miss Casey and Mr. Vance.  Jack
rose to his feet as his daughter entered the room.  Suddenly,
something snapped and he rushed to take her in his arms.  It had
been almost four years since he had last seen her.  As he hugged
her, Kerry could feel wetness from his tears on her cheek.  He
whispered, "Kerry, I'm so sorry!  God, I've been such a pigheaded
fool.  Can you forgive me?"

Kerry pushed away and Jack saw she was crying but trying to smile
at the same time.  "There's nothing to forgive, Daddy.  You
didn't think Jim could make it and you were almost right."

They sat down and talked.  As they talked, Jack Casey realized
how truly beautiful his daughter was.  And she was a lady.  He
remembered some of the portraits which showed her very thin.  In
one, her ribs showed.  She just shrugged when he mentioned it and
said, "Waitressing doesn't pay very much... I had lost too much
weight on top to be able to work topless... and artists'
materials are expensive, Dad."

Then Casey remembered something else.  He said softly, "Kerry, I
just realized something.  You never failed to remember my
birthday, Fathers Day, and Christmas."  The tears began again and
his voice cracked as he said, "You and Jim had nothing yet you
always sent me something.  It was always a very thoughtful gift,
too.  And I gave you nothing, ever!"

Jim Vance hadn't said anything.  Finally he said, "Mr. Casey,
I've never had the opportunity to meet you before now.  Now that
we've met, I would like your permission to marry your daughter,
Kerry."

Jack looked at Jim and saw a very good looking young man.  In
spite of all he had done to the young people, there was no
apparent bitterness.  He got to his feet and went towards Jim who
rose from his chair to meet him.  Jim didn't know what to expect.
 What he received was a surprise.  Jack took him in his arms and
said, "I now know how much my daughter loves you, Jim, and I can
see in your paintings how much you love her.  I've been such a
blind fool!  Jim Vance, there's no one I would rather have as a
son-in-law than you."  The two men shook hands, and Jim beamed
with pleasure.

Kerry jumped to her feet and kissed Jim passionately, saying,
"Darling, at last!"

Then Jack Casey surprised everyone by saying, "Jim, could I
commission a series of paintings?"

Jim looked puzzled but said, "Of course, Dad!"  He looked
embarrassed and said, "I hope you don't mind if I call you Dad?"

Casey beamed again and said he loved it.  Then he said, "The
paintings I want are a series showing Kerry monthly through her
first pregnancy.  They will be the definitive work showing mother
love.  I want her nude, of course.  I want to see her belly
swelling with my grandchild.  Will you accept the commission?"

Kerry smiled and said, "Dad, we're getting married on Saturday. 
Jim can do the first painting next week.  I have a feeling I'm
very fertile and I've been dreaming for years of carrying his
children."  Then she grinned and said, "But Dad, you didn't ask
how much Jim is going to charge."

Casey replied, "You're right.  I didn't.  I assume you'll send a
bill, and I'll send you a check."

After congratulations were exchanged all around and champagne was
served to celebrate, Kerry said she was very serious about
getting married on Saturday.  There would be only Jack, himself,
and a handful of very close friends.  She said, "Dad, I'm asking
Mary Jefferson to be my matron of honor.  She literally saved our
lives, built Jim's career, and has now arranged for the wedding
to take place.  I can't tell you what I think of this woman.  I
owe her my life and our happiness."

Jack Casey studied his daughter and liked what he saw.  She was a
real lady.  From the pictures he had seen it was apparent she was
a wanting virgin.  Finally he asked, "Kerry, I was totally wrong
about Jim Vance, and you were completely right.  You're an adult.
 Why didn't you just marry him?  I haven't given you ten cents in
years, so it wasn't money.  What was it?"

"You're my father," she said simply.  "You said I couldn't marry
him, so I didn't.  Dad, thank you for giving your permission. 
Perhaps it's just as well we waited," she added shyly.  "I think
my wanting is going to make me love him even more.  Although
honestly, I don't think that's possible."  Jack swallowed hard
and looked down at the table top.  There was nothing he could
say.

Then Mary said, "Mr. Casey, I believe one of the Ten Commandments
says 'Honor thy father and thy mother.'  That's what Kerry has
been doing."

Jack just shook his head and his tears were now very visible.  He
said, "How could I be so wrong about my only child?  She's a far
better person than I deserve.  It makes me feel so humble."

Later, at dinner Kerry said diffidently, "Dad, there's something
else you should know.  We bank at Chicago Trust, not Northern
National."

"It's a fine bank," Jack replied, "But why?"

"Because it's Mrs. Jefferson's bank.  She arranged it.  Also, the
owners of the bank are all clients of Jim's.  They have been very
good to us."

"Well, when you're introduced by the richest woman in Chicago,
it's no wonder they're good to you," he commented.

Mary Jefferson started to chuckle and slowly shake her head. 
"Kerry didn't explain it quite right, Mr. Casey.  I'm not Mary
Jefferson at Chicago Trust, I'm April's mother.  Nothing is too
good for April Jefferson or her relatives and friends.  I don't
think most of the people there think I have ten cents!"

Kerry grinned and said, "Dad, it's really true."

For the first time, Jack Casey paid attention to April who was
sitting at the end of the table.  He had only met her for the
first time that evening and had been preoccupied with Kerry and
Jim.  Now he looked at her and realized for the first time what a
beautiful young woman she was.  He asked, "I gather you work at
Chicago Trust, Miss Jefferson.  What do you do?"

"Please call me April," she said with a warm smile.  "I'm a
lending officer," she said with no further explanation.

"April, if you will excuse me for saying so, with a black female
lending officer, I'm surprised Chicago Trust isn't in the
community lending consortium with the rest of us."  He grinned
and said, "What's wrong?  Can't you come up with the million
bucks?"

Susan entered the conversation.  She said, "Mr. Casey, could we
consider this entire evening to be off the record and completely
confidential?"  He instantly agreed and asked her to please call
him Jack.  She continued: "First, that's the SHOVE consortium
you're referring to, isn't it?"  He said it was.  "Jack, do you
know what they do with the money?  I don't know what they do with
yours but I do know there is about $18 million in Federal
taxpayers' money that's unaccounted for.  Let's face it: SHOVE is
a get-rich scheme... a very successful one, in fact... for Horace
Washington.  Frankly, it's a copout for you and the other banks.
The only bank that's really working with the little people is
Chicago Trust.  I think their portfolio is above $50 million
right now and rising fast.  That's what April does, Jack.  She
makes real loans in large numbers to small people all around
Chicago.  That's why they all love her."

"'The twins who aren't,'"  he murmured almost to himself.  Then
he looked at April with new respect and said, "It's not a rumor?
There really is such a group...  One of them is you!  Who is the
other?"

Just then John Smith came into the dining room carrying a
struggling Cindy Martin in his arms.  She was pleading, "Put me
down, you big ape!  I'm not a little kid!"  He gently and
effortlessly set her in a chair and she kissed him softly on the
cheek.  He winked and kissed her back.

April was just shaking her head.  As usual, Cindy was only
wearing her Levi's and work shirt.  She greeted everyone very
warmly and then noticed Jack Casey.  She blushed and sat up
straight in her chair.  She turned to Mary and said, "Mrs.
Jefferson, I want to apologize for my outrageous behavior just
now.  I didn't realize you had company.  I'm very sorry and will
leave at once to spare you any further embarrassment."

"You will stay in that chair, Cindy Martin!" Mary exclaimed with
a gleam of humor in her eye.  "And quit showing off, too.  You
know my name is Mary, and you know you're like another daughter
to me.  This is Jack Casey, Kerry's father.  He has just given
permission for Kerry and Jim to wed."

Cindy went around the table and shook hands with Jack who looked
at her closely.  He murmured, "Of course!"  Then speaking
normally he said, "Cindy, you're the other twin, aren't you?" 
Cindy looked apprehensive until Susan reassured her that
everything was completely off the record and in confidence.  Then
she smiled and nodded.  Jack's brow knitted and he mused,
"Martin?  You aren't related to Don Martin, are you?"

"Slightly, Jack.  He's my father," she replied with a grin.

At this point April entered the conversation again.  "Jack, I
think you're about to make another big mistake," she said.  "When
Cindy Martin was elected a senior vice president, she outranked
her father.  She has the biggest personal lending authority in
the bank and she's my boss and my division head."  She smiled
warmly at Cindy and added, "And I love her like a sister. 
Except, if she were my sister, we would fight more."  Turning
back to Jack she said, "You saw what happened when Cindy came in?
 Or, more accurately, was carried in by John Smith?  Do you know
why?  I'm not supposed to know, but I do.  I guess it's okay for
my mother to know, now, too."

Tears came to the corners of her eyes.  She said, "John Smith's
mother was very ill.  She died a short time ago.  When she was
very ill, he called Cindy at the bank.  She's never there, of
course, so he just left a message.  First, she returned the call
as soon as she got it.  Let's face it, Jack, the name John Smith
is pretty common.  She called him without knowing a thing about
him.  She met him and he told her about his mother.  He said he
needed money for her medical bills and needed it fast.  Do you
know what she did?  She made a loan to him on the spot!  She was
a little embarrassed, he told me later.  She gave him her
personal check for $5,000 and asked if he could pay her back when
she got the official check from the bank the next day."

She looked at him and said, "Do you know why he loves her? 
Because she lent him money on a business basis.  It was not
charity!  He knew damned well mother would give him the money if
he asked her.  He didn't want her to.  He wanted to take care of
his mother himself.  Would you like to ask him about Cindy
Martin?"

Jack was fascinated and nodded.  April called John in and said,
"John, I want your honest opinion of Cindy Martin.  What do you
think of her?  Just remember, she's a white girl and you're
certainly a black man."

John Smith looked at her as if she had a screw loose.  He spoke
to her in a way no one had ever heard him speak before: "April
Jefferson, I want you to apologize to Miss Martin this instant! 
I'm black.  So what?  Miss Martin defines understanding, brains,
and compassion.  She knows what it means when a man wants to help
his mother.  Do you know what she did? _Do you?"_

His voice was raised and was booming around the room.  He was a
giant who normally spoke very softly.  "She took me in her arms
and comforted me.  She said she would pray for my mother.  Then
she just asked me how much I needed.  No terms.  No cosigners. 
No nothing!  She knows me and knows my drug record.  April
Jefferson, I know what she's done for you!  How many people would
do for you what she did?  I can think of three others...  No! 
four.  There's her father, there's Mrs. Stewart, there's Mrs.
Chapman, and there's Mr. Burke.  And they are all connected with
that one bank."  He glared at April, and said, "I'm waiting to
hear you apologize.  Of all the nerve!"

April rose from her chair, stood up on tiptoe and kissed his
cheek.  She said, "I'm terribly sorry, John.  But I wanted Mr.
Casey to hear your honest opinion of Cindy.  You sure gave it to
him.  As far as I'm concerned, John, like you, I worship the
ground she walks on.  I apologize."  He glared at her then slowly
smiled and shook his head, returning to the kitchen.  Turning to
Jack Casey she said, "Does that answer your question?"

He shook his head and said, "It certainly does!  But it creates a
problem for me.  What I just learned is while the rest of us
posture, you two young ladies are out there lending real money to
real people."  His eyes became serious as he continued, "It is
very interesting, too.  Yesterday I learned of a big move SHOVE
is sponsoring to save the steel mill on the lake.  Do you know
anything about it?"

"I heard about it," April said quietly.  "It's the reason Cindy
came over tonight.  We wanted to talk about it."

"If I swear not to do anything without your approval, may I sit
in?" Casey asked.

They agreed.  April reported on their preliminary investigation.
She and Kathy along with Kelly had looked over the mill.  It was
a total ruin.  It turned out that Kelly knew a great deal about
steel and steelmaking.  Her reaction was to tear it down and
start over.  Then they walked around to the north end of the
giant facility.  The blast furnaces and open hearths were on the
south end of the site.  There they found some men and the biggest
pile of steel scrap they had ever seen.  It turned out there were
a number of men and they had an idea.

"What's the idea?" Cindy asked.  Casey was impressed by the
professionalism of the two young women.  Clearly, Chicago Trust
didn't believe in charity under the guise of lending.  Moreover,
the bank had no interest in government loans or guarantees.  As
far as they were concerned, a loan was good or it wasn't,
regardless of who was taking the risk.

April looked at Cindy with her face blank.  She said, "Boss, how
big a risk are you interested in taking?  Could you see $500
million?"

Cindy let out a low whistle and her eyes widened for an instant.
"I'm listening," she replied quietly.

Swallowing hard, April said, "Boss, we want to finance the start
up of an electric furnace and mill.  We will literally dynamite
the whole front end of the plant, replace the iron- and
steel-making capacity with an electric furnace running scrap and
process it in the back-end mills.  They're still usable.  The
problem is the cost of steel at the rollers right now is
ridiculously high.  Do you know the United States is in steel
balance?  It is.  Our scrap equals or exceeds the amount of new
steel we use.  In other words, we don't need our basic capacity
at all.  We could run the mill for at least five years with the
scrap already sitting on the damned site!"

"Who would run it?" Cindy asked.  April had answers and they went
into the details of the financing.  Finally Cindy shook her head
and said, "The problem is, April, it can't be all debt.  We need
$50 million in equity, minimum."

"Kathy and Bill will put it up if you'll go for it, Cin," April
said quietly.  "They were thinking about seventy-five, though."

"I'll match whatever they put up, to $50 million," Mary said
quietly from the end of the table.  "Cindy, it's your decision,
young lady.  If you say it can work, you can have my check right
now."

Cindy leaned back in her chair and wiped her forehead with the
back of her hand.  "Has everyone lost _his fucking mind?"_ she
demanded.  You're telling me that our closest friends are willing
to put up $100 million on the opinion of a stupid 26-year-old
slave who only learned what banking is all about less than six
months ago?  Is everyone crazy?"

"Northern National will take a 40 percent participation with
Chicago Trust, if you would accept it.  I'm prepared to go higher
or lower.  It's your decision, Miss Martin.  If Chicago Trust
would like company, we will go with you," Jack Casey said
quietly.

Cindy was shaken.  She said she would talk it over with Dan.  She
reminded April that Dan had said he could spring loose to help
out if she ever needed any special credit analysis.  "This sure
fits that bill," she said.

The conversation changed direction and Cindy found herself
sitting next to Kerry.  She found she was very fond of the lovely
girl.  While the talk around the table continued, Kerry said
softly, "Miss Martin, I need your help."

Cindy was startled.  She didn't know the girl well, but knew a
lot about her.  "Of, course, Kerry.  If I can, I will," she
replied.  Then with a glare she added, "And it's Cindy, or Cin,
or Slave, or Dan's cunt, or... but you get the idea?  It's not
Miss Martin!"

Kerry grinned and nodded.  She said, "Cindy, Jim has a special
commission.  He has been asked to do a portrait of you, April,
and Kathy together wearing your uniforms.  Will you model for us?
 In addition to that, though, every time Jim sees you, he tells
me he wants to paint you.  You're the loveliest and most
interesting girl he has ever seen."

Cindy was thinking and finally said, "Kerry, would you consider
some sort of deal?  I would love to give Dan Burke a portrait of
me for Christmas.  But I couldn't pay Jim enough to buy a tube of
paint.  Could we do something on the installment plan or
something?"

Kerry shook her head sadly and asked, "Cindy, how much do you
think I paid Jim to do all those studies of me?"  Cindy just
slowly shook her head.  "You have heard of paying models, haven't
you?  It's done every day," she said with a grin, "Or at least
people say it is.  Cindy, Jim wants to paint you.  I'll make a
deal with you.  He'll pay standard model fees and throw in a
portrait for you.  Agreed?"  Her face fell and she almost
whispered, "I forgot.  Jim wants to do you nude.  Will you pose
that way?  The fee is one hundred dollars an hour."

Cindy just grinned and stuck out her hand.  "That's a great deal!
 I forgot to tell you that I wanted my portrait to be nude,
anyway."

Just then Mike Cassidy and Ron Jackson appeared looking elated. 
Kerry grinned and whispered, "Cindy, watch what happens now! 
It's a riot!"

Susan jumped up and ran to Mike's arms.  He put his arms around
her and kissed her soundly.  Cindy could see the electricity flow
between them and could see Susan's knees buckle as her arms
around Mike's neck supported her weight.  Gently she took her
lips away from his and regained the strength in her knees.  Then
she slapped him hard across the face.  There was a bright red
outline of her entire hand on his cheek.  Meanwhile, Kerry had
her hand across her mouth to muffle her giggles.

Mike's eyes had widened at the slap.  He rubbed his cheek and
said, "Honey, that's not fair!  That's a lot harder than usual. 
Why did you hit me so hard?"

"It's all your fault, Michael Cassidy.  You know the rules.  If
you have been very good, you get a kiss goodnight.  This is not
goodnight.  At least, I hope it isn't."

"But why so hard?" he persisted.

"For causing my knees to turn to water," she answered softly,
"And for making me all wet inside.  It serves you right.  We're
not even engaged, let alone married.  That's the way you'll kiss
me when we're married."

Cindy just shook her head.  She found she was starting to love
Kerry, and Susan was a delight.  The girl's relationship with
Mike Cassidy was something else.

Mike turned to Mary and said, "Mrs. Jefferson, do you think that
was fair?  Or do you think Susan exceeded the rules?"

Mary's eyes were twinkling.  She loved Susan like a daughter and
was coming to love Mike, as well.  In fact, Mary Jefferson was
already taking steps to adopt Susan as her daughter.  Purely to
cause trouble and to see what he would do, she said, "Mike, I
think it was unnecessarily harsh.  She should not have hit you so
hard."

Mike nodded, gratified.  Then he grabbed Susan around the waist,
put her over his knee, gave her one hard spank on her bottom and
then let her go.  She stood up and tears were starting to flow
down her cheeks as she slowly rubbed her injured ass.  Her eyes
were very big as she said, "You hurt me, Mike."

He took her in his arms and just held her.  He whispered, "I'm
sorry, Susan.  I never want to hurt you.  Was it that bad?"  He
had his arms around her and was gently stroking her beautiful
hair.

Susan just rested her cheek against his chest, then slowly pushed
away.  He looked down and saw an impish grin on her face.  He
grinned back and kissed her nose.  She wiggled it and he kissed
it again.  She told him he was forgiven and they went off to find
April and Ron.

To be continued...

* * *

Comments and constructive criticism are sincerely welcome.  Let
me hear from you.  morg105829@aol.com 

*Cynthia Martin* Copyright (c) 1991, 2001 by Morgan. 
<morg105829@aol.com>

All rights reserved.  No part may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any electronic means, including photocopying,
recording or by any information and retrieval system, without the
written permission of the author.
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