Foot Soldiers

Below, on this blog page, is Part 5 of the science fiction story Old Time Gaming. While John remains in the Outback mining gold, Rylla makes use of the social connections of Dame Laura McKnight to help her gain access to the ear of Elizabeth MacQuarrie, the young wife of the Governor of New South Wales colony. Rylla is on a mission to accelerate cultural development in Australia with the objective of founding a university as quickly as possible.

Part 5 of Old Time Gaming. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

Eight days after asking Sophie's mother to send the invitation, Rylla met Elizabeth MacQuarrie at the dinner party. Dame Laura arranged for Rylla to speak alone to Elizabeth before dinner. As they strolled through the backyard flower garden, Elizabeth said, "I've passed your school house on several occasions."

Rylla nodded politely but could not force herself to make any more small-talk. Now that they were out of hearing range from the other guests at the dinner party, Rylla abruptly launched into her business, "I want to talk to you about education, but not the schools we now have. My dream is to bring into existence a university here in Australia."

Elizabeth laughed and thought about coming decades in the future. "That sounds like a good life's goal for a young woman. Maybe before you die there will be a new-born college here in this sleepy colony."

Rylla handed a gold nugget to Elizabeth. "I've found a way knock some of the sleep off of this colony."

Elizabeth asked, "This gold was found in Australia?"

"Yes, and not far from here."

Elizabeth asked skeptically, "You are sure this is gold? I know nothing about minerals."

"Yes, I'm sure."

Elizabeth handed back the nugget. "Why do you show me this?"

Rylla attached the nugget to the end of her dangling necklace. "I want to make a deal with your husband. Gold for his support... support for education and ultimately, the creation of an Australian university."

"You are an ambitious girl." Elizabeth shifted her eyes from the gold to Rylla's intense eyes. "I am of course, supportive of learning and education, but what exactly do you want me to do?"

Rylla replied, "You can use your influence to make my dream... our shared dream of a better future for Australia... help make this dream a reality."

Elizabeth paced along the length of the rose bed several times and then returned to touch the nugget where it hung between Rylla's two breasts. Holding the gold piece in her finger tips and with her knuckles resting against the soft skin of Rylla's breast, Elizabeth looked Rylla in the eye and said, "Very pretty."

Rylla giggled and said, "My mother's roses are magnificent."

"I'll bet." Elizabeth winked at Rylla. "Write down exactly what you are proposing. I can deliver your letter to my husband. However, I can't promise that the Governor will help you."

Rylla laughed, giddy with relief that Elizabeth was willing to help. "Thank you, my Lady. I have a lot of faith in the power of money." She handed over a letter that she had written to the Governor.

"You anticipated my offer of help? Very well. Now, I suppose we should join your mother at the dinner table." She held up the envelop and asked, "Can I speak of this?"

"I'd prefer not. Besides you, only my mother has heard about the gold and I've asked her not to tell anyone else. We don't want to trigger wild rumors about gold being found." Elizabeth tucked the envelope inside her skirt and Rylla also hid the gold in her pocket before they went to the dining room.

______________

Two days later, Rylla's school session was interrupted by the arrival of a soldier in a utilitarian horse-drawn coach. Speaking from the doorway, the Private said, "Miss McKnight? The Governor would like to meet you. Now."

After sending the school children home, Rylla was transported to Governor MacQuarrie's house by that Private, a member of the 73rd Regiment of Foot. Reaching a dip in the road that was flooded by waters from the recent rains, the Private drove the team of two horses on through the water. Rylla could not avoid being splashed, but her clothing nanites quickly and efficiently removed all the flying mud from Rylla. As they emerged from the flooded section of road, one of the coach's wheels was wobbling. The private stopped and pulled a branch out from where it had gotten stuck in the spokes of the wheel. He climbed back into the seat and commanded to horses to continue. Noting that Rylla was nervously wringing her hands, the Private said, "One of the wheel spokes is broken, but we'll make it." They continued on, at a slower pace than before. 

Arriving at the Governor's house, the Private led Rylla directly from the coach, through a side door of the mansion and to the room that was the Governor's home office. Entering the room and noting the presence of both the Governor and another officer, Captain Doones, the soldier saluted crisply and announced, "Miss McKnight!"

The Governor seemed to ignore the newly-arrived soldier and continued speaking intently to Doones. Elizabeth was there in the room, too, and she took Rylla's arm and said, "Thank you for arriving today on short notice. My husband wants to meet you." Elizabeth presented Rylla to the Governor who was still bent over a table, conferring with Captain Doones. "Here is Miss McKnight."

The Governor finally turned his attention away from the table and took Rylla's hand. "Welcome to our home." He looked at Rylla from head to toe and seemed to like what he saw. "I served with your father in India." He kissed Rylla's hand then said, "This is my engineer, Captain Doones."

The Governor asked the Private, "You were delayed?"

"Broken wheel spoke, sir. The road is still flooded with much floating debris in the waters."

"Very well. Start repairs at once. Dismissed." He waved away the Private and turned back to Rylla. "Your delay is all for the best... I've had a chance to confer with the Captain who just got back from Emu Plains."

Doones nodded to Rylla and allowed his eyes to explore her soft curves and contours, the sight of which brought a smile to his lips. He finally collected his thoughts and gestured towards the table. "Do you recognize this?"

Blue Mountains

Rylla saw that the table was covered by a large map of the coastline near Sydney and the adjacent inland hills. Not waiting for Rylla to answer, Doones traced a line across the Blue Mountains. "This is the road that is being built west of Sydney, opening up the inland frontier."

Governor MacQuarrie leaned over the map and added, "The Captain and I have been trying to guess where you discovered gold."

Doones tapped his finger on the locations of several valleys in the Blue Mountains. "There have been scattered reports of gold or silver in the mountains... even diamonds, but until now nobody has committed the manpower needed to investigate such rumors."

Governor MacQuarrie told Doones, "Frankly, finding gold would be a problem for me. How could I keep all the renegade soldiers and criminals from swarming the mining site and creating chaos? Gold fever would begin with the colony's forced laborers and quickly spread to every sheep sheerer and stable boy. A gold rush would disrupt the entire economy." He looked speculatively at Rylla. "I have two questions for you..... How many people know where the gold is? And how much gold do you think there is out there?"

Rylla dropped a gold nugget on the map, creating a loud clunk. "That is the approximate location where my partners are mining the gold." Pointing at the gold nugget, Rylla continued, "Based on my survey of that valley, I'm expecting a caravan of camels to return to Sydney in about a month with several tons of gold. That will be only the beginning." She turned away from the map and looked into the Governor's eyes. "Only a few people know about the gold, so we can keep its existence secret, if that is your wish."

Lachlan Macquarie

"Your letter said nothing about what you expect to get out of this, Miss McKnight." Governor MacQuarrie crossed his arms and glanced at his wife. "Elizabeth has hinted that you want my promise of support for education in exchange for the gold."

"Yes, that is my proposition. I hope you realize that eventually the wealth and prosperity of Australia will depend on having educated citizens. If you wisely set aside a small fraction of the gold to support education then that investment will build a nation."

"I see you have a vision of the future." MacQuarrie gave a half bow towards Rylla. "I commend your idealism, but in my case, I must deal with practicalities. First, we need to keep the existence of this gold a secret." The Governor turned to Captain Doones. "You just returned from inspecting the Western Road. How many men could be shifted from highway construction and committed to investigation of this gold discovery?"

Doones replied to the Governor's question, but his eyes were on Rylla, "The current phase of work on the Blue Mountain Highway project is coming to an end. The rains have arrived and road construction is becoming difficult. I expect most of the 73rd Regiment could be returned to Sydney in several groups over the next few weeks." Doones pulled his eyes away from Rylla and told the Governor, "However, I must remind you that we previously planned to let those men rest in town for a week and then I'm to have their services to help me build a bridge over the Nepean river."

MacQuarrie chuckled and placed a hand on Doones' shoulder. "Welcome to Australia, lad, where most plans last about three days before being changed."

Doones glanced back at Rylla and then pointed to the map. "By the end of the month, we could probably deploy a force of about fifty men to this remote valley... if they were relieved of other duties." He put his finger on the map beside the gold nugget.

Governor MacQuarrie told his wife, "I'm putting you and Doones in charge of this." He told the Captain, "I want confirmation of this gold find and I want you to establish orderly military control over the mining operations.

"Yes, sir."

"Now, someone tell me, what is all this talk about camels I'm hearing?"

Doones explained, "Some camels were recently brought in through the port, Sir."

"I don't want any caravans coming down the street in Sydney with loads of gold on the backs of camels. Nor horses, mules or anything else. I don't want to hear the world gold..." The Governor rubbed his chin. MacQuarrie's plan was that any gold arriving in Sydney would be secretly loaded aboard outbound military transports and sent directly to London to help pay the King's war debts. "Elizabeth, which sheep ranch had the best wool production during the past year?"

"The Foster ranch."

"Then from now on, any shipments of gold will be disguised as wool. Foster wool. That is all we deal in... Foster wool." He looked intently at Rylla. "Am I understood?"

Rylla nodded. "I understand. I have just one question. In the wool business, what fraction of the profits go towards education?"

The Governor put an arm around his wife. "Elizabeth, I need you to update that old report of yours listing every school in the colony. And update the plan you created for how education can best be supported and advanced by the judicious expenditure of Crown funds." He pointed at Rylla, "Sophie, I believe you are already being paid a government stipend to run your school house. And as for long-range strategy... I ask you to provide us with a written plan with a timeline for your ideas for bettering the colony's education in the future."

Rylla's model for success

Rylla boldly suggested, "1836 is a reasonable target for the founding of an Australian university... 200 years after the founding of Harvard University in the Bay Colony."

Elizabeth said, "I don't think Harvard was actually a university until the 1780s and the establishment of its medical school."

Rylla nodded. "You may be right. I also have interests in the medical field, but I suggest starting with a college of nutrition and health sciences."

The Governor held up his hands and told his wife, "I leave the details of such futuristic imaginings to the two of you. Now, who is ready to adjourn to the dining room? I'm ready for lunch." MacQuarrie stalked off to the dining room, but Elizabeth took one of Rylla's arms and Captain Doones the other. 

Elizabeth gave Rylla a quick tour of the first floor of the house which ended at the dining room where serving girls were setting out lunch and one pretty young woman stood in a corner and seemed to be staring at Rylla. She was a tall, thin girl with hypnotic blue eyes that seemed large when set in her delicate face. Rylla wondered if she was a new apprentice maid, just learning her tasks.

rum shipment

At a side table, the Governor was having a quick meeting with the Rum Bursar from the Port of Sydney. The Governor signed a taxation authorization document and then told his wife that the Bursar had agreed to stay for lunch. MacQuarrie put his pen and ink into a drawer and then introduced the Bursar to Rylla. "This is Miss Sophie McKnight. Sophie, Bursar Longfellow."

Longfellow said, "I believe I once met your father, Sophie... and also your lovely mother."

Rylla said, "If you were taken with my mother's charms, you should call on her some time. She is now a lonely widow."

The tall girl in the corner was still staring at Rylla and she asked "Match-making?" She moved to stand beside her father, the Bursar. She told Rylla, "My father is already married, although he'd probably welcome any opportunity to entertain Dame Laura."  

Bursar Longfellow guided his daughter to her seat at the table while saying, "Sophie, this is my daughter, Abigail. Marriage is on her mind and the tip of her sharp tongue because I occasionally work up the nerve to drag her out into public in an effort to find her a husband."

When everyone was settled in at the table, MacQuarrie tasted the soup, nodded approvingly and then said, "Longfellow, you are at the port every day. Did you see that herd of camels when it arrived a few weeks ago?"

"Yes, I did. The sight of those beasts created quite a stir on the dock. The lads on the dock crew told me that hoisting the camels out of the ship's hold was a stinky business."

MacQuarrie shook his head. "I dealt with camels when I was in India. Not nearly as happy with them as I am with horses." One of the servant girls put a plate down on the table and the Governor plowed into a slice of roasted lamb with gusto.

Captain Doones seemed unable to keep his eyes off of Rylla. She asked him, "Not hungry, Captain?"

His enthrallment with Rylla's fresh appearance and her glowing look of perfect health was broken by her question. "Pardon me for ogling you, Miss Sophie... I continually amazed and dazed by the great beauty of Australia." He told the Governor, "I shipped in with the owner of those camels, sir. An American named Smith," Then the Captain turned his eyes back towards Rylla.

For the hundredth time, Rylla wondered why Manny had told John to bring camels to Australia. Once again Rylla worried that she was no longer on the timeline that she had learned about while in training for her assignment in Australia. However, if MacQuarrie intended to keep secret the gold discovery then maybe John's camels would be confined to the Outback and not ever be seen again in Sydney. 

When Elizabeth completed a short but erudite commentary on the utility of camels for over-land trade, Rylla asked Captain Doones, "When do you expect the Blue Mountain Highway to actually be a highway? The part of it that I've seen seems a sorry collection of ruts, wash-outs and potholes."

Doones nodded. "So far, the workers have done little more than plot out a route and chop down trees that are in the way. Perhaps if we allowed for the building of more toll booths, money could be raised for some professional road-building crews."

The Governor looked at Bursar Longfellow and said, "We could increase the tax on rum imports and use the money to build roads."

Longfellow laughed. "Everyone imagines funding their pet project by taxing rum and tobacco, but the Governor already has access to cheap labor."

Elizabeth said, "Road tolls collected here in Parramatta this past year were promising, but there is little commercial traffic once you get beyond the Nepean."

"The traffic will grow." The Governor sipped his tea then said, "I have an endless stream of requests for access to the criminal labor pool. Ignoring my wishes and the requests of employers, most of them simply go into their old lines of work. Unfortunately, the road builders of England don't often seem to become criminals. However, now that Doones is with us, we can draw on his expertise and start thinking seriously about road construction."

After lunch, Elizabeth took Rylla and Abigail to the second floor of the mansion and showed Rylla the library which constituted the finest collection of books in Australia. Rylla looked at the many shelves full of books and said, "We should make plans to spend.... some wool money on building a public library."

Elizabeth said, "You have me thinking of Chetham's Library in Manchester. Such a wonderful place!" She put an arm around Abigail an told Rylla, "Abi is a writer."

Rylla looked away from the book collection and examined the young girl more closely. Rylla had no memory of Abigail from her previous mission to Australia. "What kind of writing do you do?"

Abigail replied, "Stories about mysterious occurrences and odd phenomena. I'm writing a novel that incorporates some of the myths of native Australians, particularly the belief that our Reality came into existence through a process other than creation."

Elizabeth suggested, "If the universe has always existed, then there is no need to speak of creation or a creator."

Abigail nodded. "My story is set partly in the past and part in the future and features a professor of applied mechanics and a student who build a time portal at their University. I love the idea that the future can have a causal impact on the past through a process that we might call... time travel."

Hearing the words "time travel", Rylla immediately suspected that Abigail was an instantiation of Manny, who had told Rylla that they would meet during Rylla's mission and... what had she said? Something about making love together on long rainy nights. Rylla held up a hand. "Slow down, Abigail, my dear.... what did you say about Reality?"

"I believe in the Eastern mythical idea of repeating cycles of existence. We can say that there are cycles of Reality, one piled upon another... endlessly."

Elizabeth hugged Abigail. "You are so much fun, Abi. Nobody else in the world has a wild imagination like yours! I want to be the first to read your novel."

Creating new Realities.

Abigail complained, "If only I had time to write it. My father prevented me from writing today and brought me here to your home just to put me on display before Captain Doones. Speaking of time travel, according to father, I'm expected to get married five years ago. Now father is probably upset because the Captain did nothing but stare at Sophie's big breasts all during lunch."

Rylla looked down at her chest. Her breasts were normal sized for Sophie, Rylla have made no attempt to enlarge them during her visit to the Governor's house. However, Sophie's body was much curvier than Abigail's. Rylla now noticed that Abigail was slim as a rail and nearly flat chested, but she still managed to project a fiery sexual magnetism. Rylla giggled and said, "I'm sorry if these fat deposits distracted your future husband!" She jiggled one of her breasts. "I should have bound my breasts down before meeting with the Governor, but I was given no warning... just hauled away from my school and brought here today by a soldier."

Elizabeth appraised Rylla's bust and said, "There's nothing wrong with your breasts. The Governor has seen breasts before. He'd like mine to be larger, but I've never been pregnant." She told Abigail, "A clever woman like you does not need big breasts to attract a husband."

Abigail said, "I'm not looking for a husband... you'd think my father would realize as much. I prefer women... they are so much better in bed."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I'll allow you your opinion, Abigail, but for me, there is nothing more stimulating than a good hard penis."

Abigail shook her head. "Allow me five minutes under your skirts and I'll change your entire belief system." She slowly ran her pink tongue around the circle of her plump lips.

Elizabeth laughed and looked at Rylla. "What about you, my dear? You also are not married... do you avoid men? Your shapely breasts don't proclaim a previous pregnancy?"

Rylla asked her own question, "Tell us, my Lady, how old were you when you got married?"

Elizabeth replied, "Twenty-nine, but I was repeatedly ravished by Lachlan when I was 26."

Rylla said, "So I still have time to test the waters... I'm only 20. In fact, I have my eye on one particular fellow. We'll see how things... turn out." Rylla turned an appreciative gaze upon Abigail and added, "But I do have a weakness for the fairer sex. Maybe some day we could have a date, Abi, if it didn't distract you from your writing."

Abigail suggested, "Let's slip into the guest bedroom right now and find out if we're sexually compatible." She took hold of Rylla's arm and said to Elizabeth, "Take us to the guest bedroom... you can watch our love making... it might give you second thoughts about the value of penises."

Elizabeth laughed loudly and said, "Control yourself, Abi. I can't trust you to make love without wild shouts of ecstasy that would attract the Governor's attention. You two will have to arrange your tryst on your own time and in another location. Let me know when your plans mature, because I'd gladly take you up on the offer to be there with you so I can watch your methods." She winked at Rylla and just then Captain Doones came into the library and offered to take Rylla home.

The Captain said, "It's looking like more rain." He bowed to Rylla and told her, "The Governor wants me to get you home before a storm rolls in."

Rylla said goodbye to Elizabeth and Abigail then Doones took her to the stables where they found the wheel of the military coach under repair. Doones looked at the Governor's fancy coach and said, "I'll go ask if we can use the Governor's coach."

Rylla said, "Please don't bother asking. I don't mind riding on horseback." Doones took her into the pasture behind the stables and let her pick out a horse. They saddled the horse and Rylla climbed up saying, "Help me adjust the stirrups." She pulled her skirt up around her waist.

Doones commented on Rylla's shapely legs, "You have the legs of a dancer!" While adjusting the stirrups, he said, "Voltaire may have been in a similar situation that led him to write, "How light your steps and how sweet thy shoe! Your movements so fresh... Nymphs wish to jump like you."

Rylla giggled. "Voltaire never wrote that."

"Something like that. I may have mangled it, but it is the thought that counts." He got up on his own horse and led the way towards the far end of Parramatta where Sophie's cottage sat beside the little school house. He set a good pace under the hot afternoon sun, as if eager to reach their destination. 

In the west end of Parramatta, Doones slowed and asked Rylla to lead the way to her house. "I don't know my way around very well, yet." When they reached Sophie's little cottage, Doones seemed intent on going inside. However, Rylla brought water up out of the well for the horses and then they chatted in the shade of a tree near the front porch. Doones said, "It is never too early to make plans for the future."

Rylla was amused by the way that the Captain tried not to look at her breasts. Hot from the ride, Rylla had undone the top few buttons of her blouse. Doones drank some of the well water and mopped his brow. "Correct me if I have any of this wrong.... You expect your partners to bring a hoard of gold back to Sydney in a few weeks. We need to make sure that the existence of the gold remains a secret. How can we accomplish that?"

Rylla suggested, "I suppose the safest course would be for me to go back to the mine and warn them not to let anyone know about the gold." In the distance, storm clouds were moving in and a rumbling peal of thunder was heard. "I can't imagine how the Governor intends to haul gold shipments through the middle of the colony without attracting attention."

Still enjoying his view of Rylla's cleavage, the Captain suggested, "Misdirection and tricks of distraction might work." There was a flash of lightening to the south and then a booming peal of thunder. "Maybe the shipments will take place quietly, during the night." The wind was becoming boisterous and more thunder could be heard in the distance. Doones looked at the sky and commented, "After years of drought, it seems that Sydney is finally going to have a serious rainy season again... right when the Governor wants me to be building bridges." He turned back to Rylla and watched as the blustery wind ruffled her pretty hair. "I could station some troops at the frontier and order that they watch for the arrival of your camel caravan. But what if they don't get positioned correctly, allowing the gold caravan to slip on through to Sydney?"

Rylla shrugged and pointed to the nearby school house. "If I had an assistant at the school, I could quickly train her how to instruct the students and then I could return to the Outback, visit the gold mine before they return to town and tell my partners about the Governor's plans for keeping the gold secret."

Doones rubbed his chin. "A school house assistant, eh? The Governor asked for a list of financial needs for schools...." Doones opened a saddle bag and pulled out a military script pad. After writing on the pad, he tore off the top page and handed it to Rylla. Hire your assistant. Do you have someone in mind?"

Rylla replied. "Actually, I do. Abigail Longfellow."

Doones nodded. "She's amazing. After lunch today, the Governor suggested that I marry her. I like her a lot, but she suspects that I'm just a stupid soldier. I met her at a party when I first arrived in Sydney, but I've never had a chance to actually talk to her... alone."

"You had a chance today at lunch, but I suspect you would actually want to do more with the girl than just talk before you ask for her hand in marriage." Rylla laughed. "I respect the Governor's opinions, but I think girls must follow their hearts in matters of love."

"I agree... and men as well. I've only known you a few hours, but you caught my eye. You are pretty, smart and pleasant to be with. I'm glad we are going to be working together."

Rylla held up the script. "Thank you for supporting me and my school. Do you expect me to repay you?"

"Assuming you are not mistaken about the size of the gold strike and speaking as a government employee, the entire colony will soon be in your debt. Not to mention the King of England. Allowing you to hire an assistant is the least we can do." Doones gestured towards the front door of her cottage. "Speaking for myself, as a man who finds your company to be quite delightful, if you invited me inside, I would not say 'no'. We can chat and get to know each-other." The thunder was growing closer and now a few rain drops were flying on the wind. "And I would not have to ride back to the fort in the rain."

Rylla said, "I'm uneasy about that, Mr. Doones. If I invite you into my home, I want to be sure that you understand I'm not inviting you into my vagina."

He laughed and suggested, "We have many ways to get better acquainted that fall short of vaginal intercourse, and some of those can be nearly as much fun. We could start by reading some poetry. Do you know the Irish poets? 'Thy traps are laid with such peculiar art...' that's Jonathan Swift." He reached out and let his fingers try to catch some strands of her wind-whipped hair.

Rylla added, "... let the rash depart." For some reason, no matter how much her hair was blown about, it still looked orderly and and beautiful.

"Ya! Hey, you are good." Doones told Rylla, "Swift was popular when I was studying at Cambridge."

The rain started pounding down upon them. Rylla tucked the script into her skirt and ran to get her horse. They quickly put all three horses in the shed and then they ran inside the Cottage. Rylla pulled off her wet blouse and used her clothing nanites to quickly improvise a bandana which she tied in a ring around her torso in order to cover her wobbling breasts. She said, "Your poetry got you inside, but now you need to behave." Feeling his eyes on her only partially covered breasts, she added, "I'm sure you've seen breasts before, Captain... don't get excited."

The narrow band of cloth around her chest now partially concealed her white breasts, but the Captain seemed to be completely dazzled by her charms. "Aye, to be sure, but none lovelier than yours." He took off his damp shirt. His eyes were still on her chest. "That's a rather flashy red fabric for an undergarment."

Realizing that she had used her nanites to form a fabric that may never have been seen previously in Australia, Rylla dissembled, "It is amazing what they do with dyes in India." Rylla gazed at his muscular upper body and felt her knees go weak. "If we are giving out compliments, you are very pretty yourself." She asked, "You graduated from Cambridge University?"

He nodded casually and picked up a towel and used it to dry her hair, standing close and looking down at her cleavage. He asked, "Can you recite Swift from memory?"

Rylla discovered that with her artificial brain and some pre-programming courtesy of Manny, she could quote old poets endlessly. She said, "I think it was Swift who issued a warning to people, to folks who might 'throw the pleasing part of life away'. I'm not in the habit of avoiding pleasure, however, I don't want to confuse our working relationship with any sexual entanglements." Every time Rylla spoke her breasts jiggled and the bandana had slipped downwards. Noticing that one of her nipples was showing, she tugged at her improvised top and pulled it upwards again.

The Captain said, "You don't need to hide your beautiful body, not from someone who appreciates it as much as I do." 

"I'm trying to not get you too excited... but I'm a failure..." She reached out and ran her finger tips over his stiff penis where it pressed outward against his pants. Trying earnestly to explain her position, Rylla said, "I think we need to build a stable business partnership, and that could be disrupted and compromised by sexual intimacy."

He laughed and used the towel on his own head. "How so? Why should I trust you to not cheat me in this gold business if you don't trust me to play nicely with your sweet genitals?" He glanced again at her chest and added as an afterthought: "And your cute breasts... and protruding nipples..."

Thunder crashed outside and wind-whipped rain slashed down on the roof, bringing an end to the heated day. Rylla sighed and could not resist the temptation to gently massaged his stiff penis through the fabric of his pants. Now she was wondering if this was Manny, disguised as a man. What had Manny said about there being more than one penis in Australia? Rylla wondered about the unlikeliness of a soldier who could quote Swift's poetry. She reluctantly pulled her hand away from the fascinating bulge in his pants and tried to cool down their sexually-charged banter. "I imagine that we each have our own preferred styles of love making, but like you, I enjoy loving women. Right now I'm sexually excited and my nipples are erect because I'm thinking about the possibility of getting Abigail to move in here with me and help at the school."

Doones nodded. "I don't blame you for entertaining such a hopeful fantasy. Abigail gets a lot of people excited. She's a special little lady. I hear she writes erotic poetry. Now I'm getting quite hot imaging that I could be here someday with the two of you... that would be fun."

"You silly boys... always wanting to have two women at the same time."

"Blame the military tradition... wanting to be prepared for all contingencies. Not putting your eggs in one basket, so to speak."

Rylla laughed and poured out some wine. "Drink, Captain. A soon as the rain slackens, you will be splashing down the muddy road back to your barracks."

Next: French Fears

The story continues: Part 6 of Old Time Gaming.