The cymbals crashed. The lights burst on.
SCREAMS OF ECSTASY AND APPLAUSE CAME FROM THE BOYS!
The two little boys rushed up and put a golden cape on her that covered her, neck to heel. She turned and, holding the shimmering folds to her, made kissing sounds at her audience.
Good God, thought Madison, she certainly peaked that performance! He had not known she could muscle-dance, although he had often heard her speak of her training under the Hong Kong whore.
She certainly held these boys in her palm. Their attitude toward her was expressed in their adoring eyes. If he could only get her to listen to reason. This was a juggernaut of influence to be channelled!
But she certainly must be finished now, and any moment she would come over and say "Off with his head!" and he never would be able to bring Heller the fame to which he was entitled.
A tear coursed down Madison's cheek as he thought how brutal life really was. The plum was almost within his grasp and yet he sat here starving.
Then he sat up with amazement. This program had even more to it! But it couldn't have! Not after that climax!
At a wave of Teenie's hand, many staff ran out. They were pushing carts on which teetered mountains of sweet-buns and tanks of sparklewater and canisters, both of which were seasoned with hash oil. They thrust them through the ropes and the boys fell on them avidly to remedy the tight jaw muscles and dry throats Madison knew the smoked marijuana must have given them.
Another huge board was put in place and when the tumult had died down and all the boys were contentedly gulping and chewing, Teenie stood before the new display and raised her scepter for quiet.
"I am glad you liked the dance," she said, "but it was wholly education-we must always complete our education. I did it just to demonstrate muscle control. For muscle control is EVERYTHING!"
She had their rapt attention. "Now I want from you another virgin volunteer."
Several would have dashed forward but she pointed out a tall brunette boy of perhaps sixteen. The sergeants let him through the blue ropes. He walked forward: he was very handsome, striding with a lordly, springing gait. His clothing shimmered in all colors of the rainbow.
A herald suddenly appeared behind Teenie's back, whispered something to her and withdrew. "Aha!" cried Teenie as the youth approached. "We have another high nobleman amongst us: the son of Snor, heir to his father, the Lord of the Interior! Advance, milord, if you have come to pledge fealty to your queen."
The boy ran forward and knelt suddenly at her feet. He reached out and grasped the bottom of her golden cloak and pressed it ardently to his lips. "I do acknowledge that I am thy vassal, O Queen Teenie, and do but wait any bidding of your slightest whim."
Madison stiffened with excitement. Lord Snor controlled Homeview and this boy was one of two who had access to him. Oh, God, he moaned, what a prize! But Teenie and her influence seemed light-years beyond his reach. Oh, God, he must think of something to get her to cooperate and give over this notion of executing him. She didn't even know the value of that lordling who now knelt at her feet.
Teenie lightly touched him with her scepter. "Your fealty now I do accept. Rise, my vassal, and embrace your queen."
The boy rose and they engaged in a perfunctory embrace while moans of envy coursed through the room. The boy stood away and looked back at the crowd with a cockiness that said he guessed that would show them.
There was another rumbling roar and servants pushed the platform up on which the first volunteer had stood. It now had a cushioned table on it.
Teenie made another signal and Too-Too ducked through the ropes and raced away from the crowd to her. He was followed by cheers and calls of "Lucky Too-Too!"
The orchestra began to play again-less volume but a hard and sexy rock beat.
The two golden pages walked Too-Too and the son of Snor up the steps of the pedestal, mounting in the rhythm of the sexy music. They reached the top and turned around.
The music pulsed with a heavy rock beat and pulsing with it came a play of colored lights lacing forward and backward over the crowd.
Teenie settled her crown over her ponytail and walked up to the new display board. She pointed at the picture with her scepter. Single amongst the roving colored lights, a white light glowed upon it. "The artist has drawn a beautiful picture here and I know you will all agree. Attend!" She gave her scepter a jab at it. "This is the sphincter muscle! As you can see on this chart, it is located just inside the anus. It is a ringlike muscle which normally maintains constriction of this body orifice and is capable of relaxing and contracting."
She turned and fixed them with her eye. The music pounded and the lights pulsed. "Now, if this muscle were NOT under your control, it would be disaster, right?"
"Right!" they chorused back.
"IT IS THE MUSCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH!" cried Teenie.
They stared at her with awe.
"When people die," she cried, "it lets go!"
A gasp of horror rose above the beating music.
"Therefore," cried Teenie, "an active sphincter muscle is a sign of life!" She drew herself up sternly and called, "Is yours active?"
The crowd of catamites and catamite initiates responded with an emphatic "YES!"
Teenie shouted, "Then you LIVE!"
Cheers racketed around the hall above the beat of music.
"Now, so much for the technology," said Teenie. "It is in your power to control the sphincter muscle. Oh, you say, no, no, not possible. Well, young gentlemen, I must inform you that it is not only possible, you can make it go round and round!"
Cries of "No!" and "That can't be!"
"Ah, yes!" said Teenie. "You can learn to control it, and in your study time in future days in the basement study rooms, I will make available to you a probe. It is a simple matter, no more difficult than finding the control points and discovering how to wiggle your ears. Ah, I see you do not believe it. And so, my courtly gentlemen, I have arranged a demonstration!"
She walked to the platform steps and mounted it to the music beat. The spotlight had followed her and now it fell also upon the two boys who stood there.
She put her hand on the shoulder of Too-Too. "This pretty expert has been trained and is much experienced." Too-Too looked at her adoringly, eyes bright in his painted face. It was obvious that the privilege of being touched by her was almost more than he could bear.
Teenie made a gesture and the two grooms started to strip "Too-Too and the son of Snor.
Madison abruptly understood, from his experience on the Blixo, what was about to happen. "No!" he shrieked. "No, Teenie, no!"
Instantly the guard was in front of him.
The electric axe was huge in Madison's face.
"Be silent!" snarled the guard.
Madison raised his eyes in prayer. Teenie's voice came to him. "Bend over, dear Too-Too," she said. "Now, grooms, make the lordling here stand upright behind him and do not let him move. Not a muscle!"
The orchestra played devotedly.
The boys behind the rope stared as the colored lights laced across them. They let out a concerted groan of interest.
"Too-Too," came Teenie's voice, "begin!"
Madison could not see around the axe.
Madison shifted slightly. There was a hole in the blade. He could just see the face of the son of Snor. It was wreathed in ecstasy.
"Don't let him move at all!" came Teenie's voice.
The bandleader gave a signal and the volume of the music rose.
The boys behind the ropes were standing with their mouths open in amazement.
The bandleader directed for more volume and the heavy throb was making the curtains jump.