'What an amazing place,' Vanessa gazed around her. Out at sea she could see small islands of golden sand dotted with palm trees, then looking behind her she took in the immense sweep of the sand dunes that swept down to the shore. On the horizon some camels moved in convoy, laden with goods, a man sat on the leading one, his head sheltered from the sun by a fold of his cloak held above him by a stick. Looking down the coast in the distance she could see the shimmering steel on the oil refinery.

'We're ready to take the girl on board.'

'Okay,' Vanessa nodded and turned back to the RangeRover.

She saw Auda moving along the side of the luxury cruiser, dressed now in traditional flowing Arab garb. He jumped down onto the jetty and walked past them, waving a wad of bank notes in one hand.

'I'll be back in a few moments. Basil, get Miss Farquerson on board and then get these vehicles moved.'

Vanessa watched him stride past them before turning to his servant.

'Where's he going?' she asked.

'He is going to give the fishermen a gift.'

'A bribe?' Vanessa asked.

'No, a gift,' the young man corrected her, mildly but firmly. 'They are of the Marik tribe. Auda is Chief of the Safaleme tribe. The Safaleme and the Marik ware joined by alliance. Now, we are on Marik land so Auda gives them a gift. All of this coast is Marik territory.'

'I don't suppose they own the oil refinery though do they?' asked Vanessa cynically.

'No, but when the time comes Auda will return it to them.'

'What are you on about?' laughed Vanessa.

'When the King's overthrown Auda'll make the Americans who own the oil refinery lease the land from the Marik tribe. The oil refinery stood on the sit of their own fishing port but no compensation has ever been paid to them for what they lost.'

Vanessa shook her head in disbelief as she watched the figure on the beach sit down crossed legged with the fisherman under their canopy of silk.

'I wouldn't laugh if I were you, that man is pretty damn serious. He may seem like some Arab playboy to you, idling his time in London or Paris, cruising around on his big boat and frequenting the casinos of Monte Carlo. That's for a reason Miss Vanessa. He's keeping out of the way, there's a price on his head here and if he's in Monte Carlo or London you can bet it's on a fund raising mission.'

Vanessa stared at the young man as he spoke with her, then seeing Auda stand up she shook herself out of her trance.

'Hadn't you better get her on board?' she asked, gesturing with her thumb to the girl who lay gagged and bound in the back of the RangeRover.

'Sure thing and you can help me.'

'Hang on Basil, we just can't go dragging a bound girl out of the back of here in view of all those fishermen,' said Vanessa.

'Of course we can: they're Marik. None of them have seen anything today. As far as they're concerned, we haven't even been here and neither has that boat.'

'Cool craft, huh?' Vanessa glanced over her shoulder at the gleaming white hull, the ranks of smoked glass windows and the high flying cabin which its slowly revolving radar and massive aerial masts.

'Just wait till you see inside.'

Vanessa helped Basil haul Zoe from the RangeRover and they carried her to the boat and down into a cabin where they tossed her down onto a double bed.

'This room is where Auda likes to have his fun and games; you'll find plenty of things in the lockers to experiment with. We'll remove the rope from her ankles and get her skirt off first. After I've untied the rope I'll hold her legs still while you whip her skirt off.'

Vanessa did as she instructed. She looked down at the girl pinned by the muscular young man and remembered how if felt to be in such a situation.

'Learning to enjoy your time as a slave?' Vanessa ran her hand up the other girl's bare leg. 'Quiet sexy isn't she?'

'She sure is. Though I prefer blondes myself.'

'Well Basil, let me congratulate you on your good taste. Blondes are always more fun.'

'We can still have some fun with this one though before Auda sells her. Look in the lockers, you'll find some straps to secure her with.'

'Says who? I don't see why I should have to do any more to help you. It's too damn hot anyway and I want a drink!' Vanessa protested sulkily.

'Are you forgetting who you are? You're here at Auda's pleasure and it's his wish that you help me, so get your ass off the bed and do some work!'

'Alright, since you asked so nicely!' Vanessa answered sarcastically.

The first locker that Vanessa opened contained a mixture of girls' clothing, mostly swimsuits, some unopened boxes of underwear and some soft packages of folded tissue paper which she could guess by feeling them must contain lingerie. She glanced over her shoulder at Basil and grinned.

'Please my I try some on?' she asked meekly, giving the young man a cheeky grin that she hoped would make him agree to her request. She knew she'd come to El-Saram for Auda's pleasure but she had convinced herself that she'd enjoy being with him too. Now there was this other English girl they'd got hold of, Vanessa reckoned that she'd have a cushier time. If Auda wanted her bound and gagged, she didn't mind, but it would be fun as well to see how he treated this girl.

'Come on, we've not got all bloody day!' Basil complained.

'Okay Basil, no peeping,' Vanessa grinned and quickly discarded her borrowed cut-off jeans and T-shirt.

The young man sat on the bed, one hand over his eyes but his fingers widely spread so that he could watch her. Vanessa saw the gleam of his white teeth bright against his dark skin. She giggled to herself as, opening another drawer, she found it neatly stacked with boxes of unopened toiletries and along side these boxes of vibrators and sex aids.

'This guy's got everything a girl could ever want!' Vanessa laughed.

She made a circuit of the room opening every locker and pulling on every handle. She found a wardrobe hung with an array of leather straps and belts, PVC outfits and boxes of shoes and boots. One full-length door swung open to reveal a walk-in shower cubicle and another pair of doors slid aside to reveal a television and video.

'Hey come on! Are you gonna get dressed and get us some straps or what?' asked Basil.

Vanessa rummaged through the swimsuits and found a turquoise bikini with a halter neck, which she quickly pulled on. She picked up a leather strap from the wardrobe and found that at both ends it had stout chrome bulldog clips and that its length was adjustable.

'Any good?'

'Yeah, great. We'll need two like that. Chuck it on the bed.'

In a box on the wardrobe floor she saw a pile of leather wrist and anklecuffs and she eagerly picked up two anklecuffs. These were not only larger than the wrist cuffs but had thin leather straps designed to slide underneath the heels of shoes. Vanessa tossed the leather cuffs down onto the bed and now inspired she began opening up the boxes of shoes. Finding a pair of gold, high-heeled sandals she brought them across to the bed.

'So how can we tie her up?' she asked.

'Look at the edges of the bed.'

Zoe looked and found large brass rings fastened to the mahogany panels at each corner of the bed.

'Great, let's do it!' Vanessa pulled one flimsy gold shoe from the bed and slid it on Zoe's foot. She quickly laced up the sandal then proceeded to fasten anklecuffs around the girl. Their prisoner shook her head in objection, trying to say something but the gag rendered her words into a muffled groan.

'Hey, chill babe, surely you know we're just going to play some harmless games with you?' Vanessa laughed.

The anklecuffs were made of exceptionally soft leather but Vanessa knew they'd be no less effective for that. She slipped the extra, thinner strap underneath the shoe's instep, then drew it up tightly and buckled it back to the thick leather collar that was snug around Zoe's ankle.