by Amy Cross
I smile. "Actually, I want to kill you".
"You can do that later," she replies. "Do you want to touch me first?" She reaches over and takes hold of one of my hands, before pulling it closer to her and placing my palm against her left breast. "The best way to get to know someone, Mr. Pope, is to make love to them. People are prone to put up shields, to wear masks, but in bed all the artifice falls away. We become ourselves, whether we accept this fact or not. But do you want to know something that I didn't learn for many years, Mr. Pope? Sometimes, the only way to see the truth of a person, is to see them wearing their favorite mask". With that, she reaches under the bed and pulls out two small masks. "Do you like masks?" she asks.
"I can't say I've ever given them much thought," I reply, removing my hand from her breast.
"Why did you do that?" she asks, looking a little offended.
"I'm not entirely sure it was a very polite thing to be doing," I reply.
"I liked it".
"I'm sure you did".
She smiles as she places one of the masks, a white and blue full-face piece, on my lap. "You can tell a lot about a person by seeing the mask they choose to wear," she says, putting her own mask on her face. It's a mostly white creation, with gilded gold edges and small holes for the eyes. Standing up, she walks to the door and then turns back to me; after a moment, she drops her dress to the floor and stands completely naked. "Follow me," she says. "Remove all your clothes, put on the mask, and come this way. I want you to experience something. I know this might seem strange, but I hope you'll enter into the evening and enjoy it with good spirit. You'll learn a lot, and when it's done, I'll tell you everything you want to know about the game. I'll show you the book, and I'll answer any questions you have. All you have to do is come with me".
As she walks away down the corridor, I sit alone for a moment. My first instinct is to turn and run, or to kill her, but I get the feeling she's probably got all those options covered. Sighing, I stand up, strip off my clothes and put the mask over my face. I feel pretty ridiculous, but I figure I might as well play along, at least for now. This way, I might be able to learn a little more about the game, and I might also find a more permanent way to get out of this situation. Walking out of the room, I make my way along the corridor, and as I approach the door at the end, I start to hear voices nearby. Finally, I step through the door and stand in stunned silence as I find I'm in a large, high-ceilinged ballroom in what appears to be a very prestigious and highly moneyed residence. And I'm not alone.
All around me, there are naked people wearing masks: men and woman, sipping from drinks and talking, they seem to be engaged in some kind of depraved party. I've heard of such things happening, but never on such a scale, and I never thought to find myself in attendance at such an event. Looking over to one side, I see a blonde woman on her knees, gently sucking on the penis of an older gentleman as he reclines on a sofa and sips from a glass; nearby, a woman has her face pressed against the crotch of a red-haired lady, clearly giving her not a little pleasure; over by the window, a man and a woman are engaged in sex, with another couple talking nearby as if they are in no way concerned by all the things that are happening around them. There must be more than a hundred people in this room, along with a small group of musicians at the far end, playing gently. And standing in the middle of the room, looking straight toward me, I spot Lady Red; I can't see her face, but I have no doubt that under the mask, she has a smile on her lips.
Eight
Today
Once the door has swung open, Mark leads me into a long, dark corridor. A doorman pushes the door shut behind us and takes our coats, before Mark once again takes my hand and leads me toward a distant door. As I glance around, I realize that this place is so quiet and calm; it's hard to believe we're still in the center of London. The corridor seems to slope down a little, as if we're heading underground, and finally we reach the door and Mark knocks again.
"So where are we going?" I ask, my heart pounding. I'm starting to wonder if I've got myself in a little too deep, but at the same time I know I can't run away now.
"You'll see," he replies as the door opens and we step through. To my shock, I find that this latest doorman is completely naked; the only think covering any part of his body is a mask over his face, but the rest of him is on full display. I look down at his penis for a moment, before Mark leads me across the room. It's as if we're in some kind of windowless, underground drawing room; all the furniture looks old and expensive, and there's a large mirror on one side of the wall. I can't help glancing back at the doorman, though, and wondering why he has to be naked.
"Here," Mark says, opening a wardrobe over on the far wall and pulling out a large, wooden box. Once he's set the box on a nearby table, he opens the lid and shows me a collection of a dozen or so beautiful, ornate masks. "Pick one," he says with a smile.
"A mask?" I reply, trying to work out where all of this is headed.
"You don't like masks?" he asks.
"I..." I pause for a moment. "Why do we need masks?" I ask eventually. "Isn't it better to see each other properly?"
He takes one of the masks, a purple and blue half-face, and holds it up. "Everyone wears masks, Elly," he says. "It's more honest if you can see the damn thing, rather than pretending it's not there. Besides, you can still see the eyes, and isn't that the most important part of the body?"
I stare at the mask, seeing Mark's eyes watching me from behind two small holes.
"Sure," I say, picking up a small white and gold mask, which I hold up to my face. "I've never worn one of these before," I add.
"It suits you," he says.
"Is that a compliment?" I ask.
"Get undressed," he replies with a smile as he puts his mask down for a moment.
"Undressed?" I look over at the doorman, who's still standing on the other side of the room. He's not looking directly at us, but the thought of taking my clothes off with him nearby is still kind of weird.
"Don't worry about Dieter," Mark says. "He's not interested".
"Uh-huh?" I reply.
"Dieter," Mark calls over to him, "will you come here for a moment?"
The doorman walks over to us, and to my surprise Mark immediately reaches down and takes hold of his limp penis, holding it out of the way so that I can see between the man's legs. It takes a moment before I realize that something's wrong.
"Where are his balls?" I ask.
"Removed," Mark replies, reaching down with his other hand and running a finger along a small scar directly below the crotch area. "Dieter's a eunuch, Elly. Since his testicles were removed, he has absolutely no sexual urges whatsoever".
I smile politely, though my mind is spinning. What kind of guy gets his balls cut off?
"You can go back to your position," Mark says, turning to me as Dieter goes back to the door. "Don't worry about him," he continues. "It's a definite improvement. Before the operation, Dieter was somewhat wayward and out of control. Violent, even. These days, the lack of testosterone means he's much more passive and calm. I'm not saying I'd advocate such an extreme option for most people, but it works for Dieter".
"It does, does it?" I reply, not really sure what to say in such a strange situation. "So has everyone here had their balls cut off?"
Mark shakes his head as he starts unbuttoning his shirt. "Just the staff," he says. "In a place like this, you need people who can control themselves, and not everyone has that capacity. It's a lot better to cut out the doubt, so we only employ people who've had surgical procedures that render them completely harmless".
"We?" I ask, watching as he removes the shirt.
"Yes," he replies, unbuttoning his trousers and pulling them down. Soon he's standing completely naked in front of me. "Take your clothes off, Elly. You're perfectly safe. I promise, nothing can hurt you here. You're safer in this place than you are anywhere else in London".
Glancing over at Dieter, I finally figure I'd better do what Mark says. I pu
ll the t-shirt off to go topless, and then I pull down the jeans. Once I'm naked, I put an arm across my chest and a hand over my crotch, feeling as if I still don't quite want Dieter to see everything. To his credit, though, the guy genuinely seems to be totally uninterested in what Mark and I are doing.
"Bring your mask," Mark says, picking up his own mask before leading me through a side-door. We emerge into a small shower room, and Mark immediately switches on a tap. "We have to be clean," he says. "Given some of the things we were doing earlier tonight, it's probably best to have a quick wash".
I step into the warm shower water, and for the next couple of minutes Mark and I wash ourselves completely, soaping our bodies down until we're totally clean. I can't help but watch Mark as the soap pours down his perfect, defined body. There's something incredibly hot about something as simple as watching him get clean, but somehow I feel like this isn't the moment to get too horny. Whatever Mark's got planned, I feel as if I should just wait and let him take the lead. Finally, he switches the showers off and hands me a towel.
"Do you remember what we talked about earlier?" he asks eventually.
"We talked about a lot earlier," I say.
"That's true". He pauses for a moment. "Once you've put your mask on, I'm going to take you into another room and you're probably going to feel very uncertain. As ever, you're completely free to leave, but I want you to remember that the whole aim of this experience is to push through your fears and doubts, and to explore a new way of living. Do you think you can do that, Elly?"
I stare at him. To be honest, I'm not really sure what he's talking about, and I'm starting to worry that he's got something seriously weird prepared for me. At the same time, I've come this far, so I figure I have to see what's in the next room. "Sure," I say. "I'm ready". To prove the point, I grab my mask and carefully fit it over my face, and I watch as Mark does the same.
"Don't take the mask off, Elly," he says. "Not unless I say it's okay. Do you understand?"
I nod.
"And don't be afraid". He pauses for a moment. "It's okay. I can see it in your eyes. It's perfectly natural to be scared. If you weren't scared, I'd be worried. What's important is the way you deal with that fear. Just keep reminding yourself that you're in absolutely no danger here tonight. Nothing bad can happen to you, and the only danger comes from your own mind. As you've already seen with Dieter, every precaution has been taken". He smiles. "Have you ever been to a nightclub, Elly?"
"A few," I reply.
"Think of all the people you meet in a nightclub. Sweaty, angry people, each of them conforming to their own rules. It can be a nasty, violent place, and sometimes bad things happen. On the other hand, when you're here with me, you're among people who know the rules and who stick to them without any thought of overstepping the mark".
"People?" I ask. I look over at the mirror and see myself standing naked, wearing only the mask, and suddenly I start to realize what Mark has in mind.
"Come with me," he says, taking my hand and leading me toward the next door. "If you have any questions at any point, feel free to ask me. Just remember that the aim of the evening, once you've become accustomed to the environment, will become clear. This is not a free-for-all, Elly. This is a carefully organized night". With that, he pushes the door open and we emerge onto a small balcony. I'm immediately shocked by the sound of classical music, and I look down to see that we're overlooking a large, ornate hall that's filled with at least a hundred other people. There are men and women down there, all of them naked and all of them wearing masks.
"What the hell is this?" I ask, using my hands to cover my nakedness. As I watch the crowd, I see that while some of them are talking and laughing and drinking, others are touching each other and having sex in full view of everyone else.
"Relax," Mark says. "As I told you, there's -"
"I can't do this," I say, turning back to the door.
"You're free to leave," he says, "but if you go back through into that room, you'll never be allowed to return. It's now or never, Elly. You've come so close. Don't let your fears drive you away".
I pause, almost shaking with fear at the thought of going down into the hall and mingling with so many naked people.
"You don't have to have sex with anyone down there," Mark continues. "In fact, you're supposed to save yourself for later. Just come and experience the atmosphere. The only thing you have to overcome is the fear of having people see you, but that's why you're wearing the mask. They'll see your naked body, but they won't see your face". He steps up behind me and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Is it really so terrifying?"
I take a deep breath, before finally turning to face him. "I don't want to do this," I say quietly.
"But you will do it," he says. "Won't you?"
I stare at him, realizing that if I back down now, I'll lose all of this forever. Although I don't know what Mark means to me, or what I mean to him, I'm certain that I don't want it to end just yet.
"Come with me," he says, taking my hand.
"Okay," I say quietly, allowing him to lead me over to the top of the steps. Fighting the urge to cover my nakedness, I walk slowly down the steps. Some of the people glance up at us, and I can almost feel their eyes staring at my bare breasts and my naked crotch; I imagine them thinking about me, and studying me, and fantasizing about me. When we finally reach the bottom of the steps, I turn around and see that there are naked people everywhere; they're all busy with one another, though, and barely any of them seem to have really paid much attention to our arrival.
"Welcome to the game," Mark says, whispering into my ear as he leans close. "For hundreds of years, people have gathered here to enjoy one another's bodies. It's one of London's best kept secrets, but it's a secret for a very good reason. Trust me, Elly. I think you're going to enjoy this a great deal".
Book 8
The Decision
One
1896
"These people are all here for one very simple reason," Lady Red explains as she leads me through the crowd of naked, masked revelers. "They want to have fun. They want to forget the mores of the city and enjoy their bodies. They want to abandon the chaos of civilized society and embrace the chaos of passion. Do you really begrudge them such a brief moment of pleasure, Mr. Pope? Do you really think this is all so wrong?"
Still limping a little from my leg injury, I look over at her. With a mask covering most of her face, the only visible part of her expression is her eyes, and I'm quite sure they're smiling.
"I understand that it takes a little time to understand such things," she continues. "I know your reputation, Mr. Pope. You're widely reviled as a crude and vulgar man, but I have a feeling there's more to you. I believe that while you're capable of existing within such a world, you're also capable of mixing with the higher classes. I suppose that makes you something of a social chameleon".
"Considering we'd never met until a couple of hours ago," I reply, "you seem to have formed a remarkably detailed opinion of my deepest characteristics".
"It's a skill," she says, stopping in the middle of the room. "When you look at me, what do you see?"
Staring at her from beneath my mask, I find my gaze inevitably drawn down to her large breasts, and then further down to the thick bush of dark pubic hair between her legs.
"It's quite alright," she says, "I fully understand. You're a red-blooded man, and as such you immediately think primarily of sex. It's part of your vocabulary". She reaches out and brushes a finger against the tip of my erect penis. "I'm not as young as I could be, Mr. Pope, but I believe myself to still be quite attractive. I'm sure you've already begun to imagine what it would be like to bend me over and stick that thing of yours inside me". She steps closer. "It's not an encounter I plan to initiate, at least not yet. Nevertheless, look around you. Do you think I would stop you? If you really want to have your way with me, there's nothing preventing you from sitting me on a sofa and mounting me like an animal".
Turning, I see that to my immediate left there are two masked figures making love. One is an elderly gentleman, and the other is a younger woman. With no apparent shame, they're fucking on the sofa; he is flat on his back, and she is grinding on top of him. Nearby, a disinterested-looking man is staring at them while he sips from his drink. It's as if the love-making is something perfectly normal, to be observed with a complete lack of embarrassment.
"Everyone is free here," Lady Red says, gently kissing my bare shoulder. "Masks make us free".
"I know your real name," I say, turning to her.
"Of course you do," she replies with a laugh. "My dear, if you lacked that rather vital piece of information, I should be worried about your intelligence. I'm fully aware that you've been poking around at the edges of this operation for quite some time. Don't worry, though; I've taken the opportunity to make sure I know all about you, Jonathan Pope".
"Lady Henrietta deHavilland," I continue, my mask just inches from hers. "One of the most famous women in all of London. Renowned for her spirited political and economic theories, and known as a fine orator. There are powerful people in this city who think you're something of a trouble-maker".
"And most of those powerful people are in this room right now," she replies, "with their dicks pointing at the nearest pretty lady. In fact, one of them is right over there".
Following her gaze, I'm shocked to see a masked man sitting in a nearby chair, clearly and openly masturbating while he stares straight at us. He's making no attempt to hide what he's doing.
"Sex is power," I say, turning back to her.
"What a shame," she says with a sigh. "You resort to such obvious cliches. Then again, cliches are cliches because they're true".
"If he wants you," I continue, glancing back over at the masturbating man, "why doesn't he just come over and offer himself to you? I wouldn't have thought this was the kind of night for shrinking violets".
