“What of my wife, Osman? How will she bear this captivity? She will lose heart when I do not come.”
“She does not know whether you will come or not, my lord,” came the answer. “Although I promised her that I would send to my dear friend, your sister, the news of her predicament, I warned her that it might not be possible to gain her release. I know that you also have been warned of this eventuality.”
“I want my wife back,” Conn almost shouted, “and if I must storm the walls of your Sultan Murad’s palace to regain her, then I will!”
“Inchallah,” said Osman fatalistically.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It will be as Allah wills,” said Osman with a small smile. “How like your sister you are, my lord.”
“You call my sister by her name,” said Conn. “I would be more comfortable if you would call me by mine. It is Conn.”
Osman smiled a little smile. “Then Conn you shall be, brother of my dear friend Skye, and now I will talk to you as I so often spoke to her. Your wife has been sent to the most powerful ruler upon the face of the earth as a gift from one of his officials. Understand right now that it will not be possible to ransom her for the sultan is not some common pirate. He will not give her back to you because you ask, and if you did he would most likely order your head removed from your shoulders.”
“Then how am I supposed to retrieve her if I can’t storm the sultan’s palace, ransom her, or even ask for her back?” demanded Conn irritably.
“There I cannot help you,” said Osman, “for I do not know Istanbul, or the particular situation that you will face when you get there. It is even possible that you may not be able to gain your wife’s freedom, Conn, but unless you try you will not know, and if you turn back now, the question of whether you would have been successful or not will haunt you all your days.”
Not get Aidan back?
Of course he would get Aidan back! Or would he? Even now the doubt began to assail him, and Conn felt something that if it was not fear, was very akin to it. They were young, he and Aidan. They had a long and wonderful lifetime ahead of them. He could not imagine spending that lifetime without her. He did not want to spend that lifetime without her! He knew better than to ask Osman for any more hope than the great astrologer had offered him. Had there been no hope at all, Osman would have told him that. The one thing Skye had emphasized to Conn was Osman’s honesty.
With a deep sigh he asked, “How long do you think we will be detained in Algiers, my lord Osman?”
“It will be several weeks,” said Osman honestly. “Here in the East things move more slowly than in your land.”
“Government, no matter whose,” remarked Sir Robert Small, “always hurries forward at a snail’s pace, Osman, and ye know it.”
Osman chuckled. “Yes,” he said, “the great and those others in power seem to have a fascination with their own wonderfulness, and are mightily impressed with the wisdom of the words they speak. We rarely really hear ourselves, Robbie.”
“What am I to do for several weeks?” Conn wondered out loud.
“Algiers is a good place to wait,” said Robbie with a grin.
“Ahh, but since Khalid el Bey there have been no houses of pleasure as fantastic as his. Algiers is not what it once was, my friend. You will have to see that the crews of your ships behave themselves for the Janissaries are more swaggeringly irritating than usual right now. Since Jamil’s death there is no kapitan strong enough to keep them in check. He was a wicked man, but he had the knack of command.”
For a moment both men were silent remembering their old enemy, but then Robbie demanded, “I want a visit to your baths, Osman, and then after ye’ve fed me one of yer fine meals that only yer wife, Alima, can oversee properly, I want those twins! I’ve a great appetite for everything tonight!”
Osman chuckled again, and arising from his comfortable seat said, “Come, gentlemen, and I will even join you myself, the hour being late, and the day hot.”
Conn demurred. “I’ll just go back to the ship,” he said, but neither Robbie nor Osman would let him.
“Come on, lad,” Robbie encouraged. “Ye’ve not had a real bath until ye’ve had a bath in Osman’s house. Why, bless me, I think it’s the only reason I ever come to this benighted city at all anymore! Come along! Don’t be shy! I’ll wager yer brothers are already addicted to the pleasures of Osman’s baths.”
And they were, although it had taken Brian, Shane, and Shamus quite by surprise when they had been ushered into the household baths to find themselves greeted by several very nubile ladies who were as naked as the day that each had been born. There were some half-dozen of them ranging in color from very fair to ebony, and they came forward giggling to draw the three startled men into the room, two girls quickly attaching themselves to each man. Before the surprised brothers realized what was happening they found themselves divested of more than half of their clothing.
“Here now, lass, stop that!” Brian O’Malley was a brave man, but he’d never had all his clothing off before a woman in his entire life. Not even his wife, Maggie! He slapped away the facile little hands that had just yanked his shirt over his head.
“Monsieur!” The brothers turned to look at a beautiful black woman who had just entered the room. “You must allow my girls to complete their task of disrobing you. How else can you be bathed? Our master, the lord Osman, would be very displeased.” She moved to stand right before Brian O’Malley. “Surely you do not want us punished?”
Brian O’Malley looked down at the woman, and realized that she was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. Her skin was like polished mahogany, and she had the most elegant head he had ever seen on a woman. It was long, the hair tight curls cropped close to the scalp, the cheekbones high, the dark eyes oval, the nose amazingly classical, the lips wide and sensuous. She was very tall for a woman, at least six feet, and as slender as a reed but for her wonderful full big breasts. Brian felt his lust arising, and he wondered if he dared touch those magnificent tits.
The woman smiled at him knowingly for she had easily sensed just what was going through his head. Her eyes mocked his insecurity, and then she said, “Well, monsieur, will you allow the girls to finish or not?”
“Who are ye?” Brian croaked, his voice husky.
“I am Nigera, the lord Osman’s bath mistress.”
“Will ye bathe me?” Some of Brian’s natural boldness was coming back now.
“I will oversee all, monsieur,” she said, “and you may be certain that you will be well taken care of.”
Brian nodded, bedazzled by the woman, while his two brothers watched openmouthed. They had, neither of them, ever seen their elder at a loss for either words or direction where a woman was concerned. Still, the black wench was a prime piece of goods, and they hadn’t a doubt that Brian would eventually get her on her back.
When all three brothers had been totally divested of their garments, they were led, still somewhat embarrassed by their own nudity, into the baths themselves where they were first rinsed with warm water, and then scraped free of surface dirt before being most thoroughly bathed with sweet-smelling soft soap which the girls took up by the handful from alabaster pots, and smeared over their bodies. They grinned selfconsciously at each other as the bath attendants impersonally cupped and rubbed at their genitalia which became aroused to their personal mortification, but the women bathing them seemed to either not notice, or not care. This might be something new to the O’Malley brothers, but to them it was simply a task that they performed for all their master’s guests, male and female alike.
“God’s good cock,” chortled Shane O’Malley, “this is a nicety I wouldn’t mind at home. I don’t think I’ve ever been bathed by a woman before.”
“Ye don’t ever bathe at all,” teased Shamus O’Malley. “A wee bit more to the left, darlin’,” he instructed the plump little blond who was scrubbing his back with a large sea sponge. “Ahh, yes, darlin’, that’s exactly it.” He turned to Brian. “Do ye think,” he asked switching from French to his native Irish tongue, “do ye think, Brian, that we get to fuck them later? All this sweet flesh, and our little time at sea has made me as hot as a live coal.”
“I’d have to ask Robbie,” said Brian thoughtfully. “We wouldn’t want to do anything to offend our host for he is Skye’s good friend, and he is helping Conn.”
They were being rinsed when Osman, Robbie, and Conn, now free of their own clothing, entered the baths. Like his brothers, Conn had been somewhat taken aback by the news that he was to be bathed by a group of pretty women, but far more sophisticated than his elder siblings he had thought little about it other than it was a new experience. Nigera hurried forward to greet her master, and his guests.
“Nigera, ye toothsome wench!” said Robbie smacking her fondly upon her plump bottom.
Nigera smiled broadly at him. “Welcome, kapitan! I have heard that you were here. It is good to see you once again, and in such obvious good health.”
“I see,” said Osman to the bath mistress, “that my three other guests are well taken care of, Nigera. You had no difficulties, I trust?”
“None, my lord.”
“You have done well,” said Osman, “and I would reward you. Do you fancy any of the three?”
“The biggest one seems to lust after me,” she said. “It might prove amusing, my lord, if you would permit me.”
“He is yours,” came the reply.
Conn looked somewhat stunned by this exchange, and so Robbie explained to him as they were rinsed and scraped by two of the bath girls, the other O’Malley brothers now being massaged with a sandalwood-scented cream by three of the girls.
“Nigera has been with Osman for years. She was practically a child when he first bought her, and her sister, Africana. Osman has never had but one wife to whom he is faithful, but he is very fond of Nigera and Africana, and he spoils them. Nigera is in charge of the baths, and her sister is the housekeeper. They are normal, passionate women, and so when Osman has guests who appeal to either of them, he allows them the freedom to seduce his guests. Yer brother, Brian, has obviously taken Nigera’s fancy. I’ve fucked the wench myself several times, and she’ll give him a night that he’ll never forget, I promise ye!” Robbie chuckled. “Aye, she’s a rare one! Brian won’t soon forget his stay in Algiers.”
Soaped, scrubbed, and rinsed the three latecomers soon joined the earlier visitors to the baths on the marble massage benches. Conn found the supple hands of the bathgirl as she massaged him very relaxing, and he fell asleep. He was awakened from an hour’s nap with a cool sherbet of fresh peaches. Embarrassed he sat up with a start, but found that the others had also slept. Finished with their drinks, the men were dressed in loose-fitting white robes, and comfortable sandals. Then their host escorted them to the dining room where they sat down upon large pillows about a long, low table where a fine meal was served.
The food was placed along the length of the table for them to help themselves, and the beautiful blue-and-white Fezware plates were soon heaped high from the bounty before them. There was a whole baby lamb upon a bed of greens; a sea bass that had been braised over a charcoal fire, and was now served surrounded by lemons that had been carved into floral shapes; several chickens that had been roasted golden, and were stuffed with rice and apricots; and a steaming crock that held what looked to the O’Malley brothers like a stew made of meat, and vegetables and cereal which Osman informed them was called couscous. There were artichokes in a dish of red-wine vinegar; and saffroned rice with bits of green and red pepper in it; and pickled cucumbers; and both purple and green olives swimming in their briny oil. There was fresh flat bread, and a pat of sweet butter, and mountain water flavored with lemon and mint to drink.
When the meal had been totally consumed, the coffeemaker came, and squatted beside the edge of the table. Carefully he selected his beans one by one, and grinding them he brewed each cup of the Turkish coffee individually. Robbie and Osman showed the O’Malleys how to sweeten the bitter brew, and quickly drink it down. Upon the table the slaves had placed plates of gazelle-horn pastries, sugared almonds, pistachio nuts, and bowls of green grapes, fat little golden apricots, and sticky sweet dates.
They sat back amid the pillows now utterly sated, and totally unbelieving as Osman apologized for the scantness of his table tonight, but alas, he had not been certain when to expect them; and in this climate food could not be kept easily, and thus they needed more time for a feast which would certainly be prepared tomorrow. Then he clapped his hands, and the women who had earlier bathed them ran into the room and began to dance for them. They had not noticed the musicians enter the room, but there they were at its end madly playing upon their instruments. Slaves brought in water pipes, and again Osman and Robbie instructed the others in their use, and they sat comfortably watching the colorfully clad women whom Conn thought far more sensual in their sheer gauze garments than entirely naked.
The water pipe was enormously soothing, and then the lamps were dimmed, and Conn noticed that both Osman and Robbie were gone as were the musicians. The women were amid the cushions with the men, and Conn saw that the beautiful black woman, Nigera, was in complete command of his elder brother, Brian. Shane and Shamus were each entertaining two girls apiece. Conn struggled to arise from the cushions, but he was pushed gently back by two brown-skinned Berber girls who despite his vehement protests began to stimulate him.
Sinuously they entwined themselves about him, their little hands and their mouths playing with him. He didn’t want them, he thought foggily, but his limbs felt like jelly right now, and he couldn’t seem to make them understand. Slowly, with great care and skill, they aroused him until his great manhood stood up straight and hard upon his body. Then each took him in her turn, lowering herself upon his shaft to ride him. Yet he was not satisfied, and so each took him in her mouth again before riding him once more, and finally his lust burst, and more relaxed than he had been in weeks, he allowed the two girls to help him again to unbelieving heights for as skilled a lover as he was, they taught him things that Conn had never even considered possible. While one girl knelt, presenting her sleek flanks to him, her companion grasped Conn’s shaft, and presented it to a place he had heard men used, but he certainly never had.