The Love Slaves

The black slowly dissolved to white and with dawning joy I realized I was alive! But how and why? I had died and shouldn’t even be feeling let alone this joy. What happened? Where was I? Did the Toooil get me back, or was it Arthur's people? Had THEY saved me as Arthur said they could?

I was in no pain, only a slight throbbing between my breasts where the box had been and the numbness of needles in the flesh of my arms, just below my wrists. Something warm, smooth and fleshy encircled my wrists, the warmth of flesh of fingers between mine, something warm resting on my palms.

I was laying on a soft and cool surface, something over me from neck and down but leaving my arms free. The covering was obviously an sheet, which meant I was laying on a bed, after all the tables I'd been on so long it felt good, so good I didn't want to move, just enjoying the softness, I decided just to lay there and enjoy being alive.

I moved my limbs, surprised by the strength flooding me, discovering everything worked perfectly, no damage or even the heaviness of recovery, not moving my arms for fear of jerking the needles and causing myself unnecessary pain, but I knew they'd work as well.

Whatever was in my arms was feeding me some sort of energy, an energy that was slowly strengthening me, the same energy, I guessed, that brought me back from the brink of death. I had no idea how long it had been since I though I had died, but some inner-sense told me it was more than a few days, the same sense, I supposed, that had allowed me the ability to tell day from night during my capture.

I felt the flesh between my fingers and on my palms move, and realized that someone was there with me, gripping my hands lightly, reassuring me that I wasn't alone, which is probably what encouraged me to come out, the thought that someone was there with me, someone cared for me and was going to stay with me as long as it took for me to get back to speed.

"Arthur" I opened my mouth and rasped out, I hadn't realized how dry my throat was. The voice that answered was full of relief and joy "Lisa? Are you awake? How are you feeling?"

"I can't see" I answered softly, sounding so calm to my own ears "Why not?"

"It is all right my love, there are bandages over your eyes, it all. The device is gone, the chemicals and alien come are all drained from your body, the growing fetus' were removed and you are as you were when you were human. You are no longer pregnant to them and you are human and your own person again."

Did that means HIS come is also removed? But instead of voicing my thoughts I said "Yes, thanks to you."

"Sleep, Lisa, sleep. You still have some healing to do. Let your body heal and recharge itself." As I felt the blackness come again I panicked "ARTHUR!"

"Yes?"
"Stay with me!" I pleaded and his voice gently assured me "Of course my precious one, I will not leave your side."

* * * *

When I next awoke I was aware of talking. First was Arthur’s voice and the second was one I would soon grow to know and love as a big brother. "How is she Doc?"

"Her healing is slow, but surely. She should be able to get up and move around in a few days, but until then, it's only bed rest and nothing else. I am more worried about you, Alllantor. You should rest and recharge yourself for you haven't since we all rescued you both. If you keep this up, I’ll have to file an complaint and make you."

"I do not care what happens to me, Doc. All that matters right now is getting Lisa well for humans are so frail. Besides, I have managed to catch some sleep while she was in surgery and recovering. I am fine."

"Alllantor, I am your Doctor, I can tell when you're lying or just being too stubborn. You are feeding her your energy and not giving yourself time to recover. If you keep this up, she'll drain you dry. Humans are a strong and resilient breed, I know this from experience. If you keep linking your life-force to hers, you won't have enough left for your own healing."


So THAT was the strange energy! Arthur was giving his blood to me to make me stronger! Arthur was killing himself so I could live! No, I couldn't let this go on, I'd be fine now, but Arthur had to sleep and recover. The thought of him, shaky and weak because of me was horrifying! I had to stop this "Arthur" I whispered.

He spoke as he came to my side "She is awake."
"Arthur, I heard the Doctor" I said "You can't keep doing this."

"I can" he said softly "And I will until I am sure you will be fine." I was angry, we were finally together and he wanted to kill himself! "You can't and won't. You either do as the Doctor says, or as soon as I well enough I will leave you."

"No. I would rather know you are elsewhere and well then have the risk of you weakening and dying on me."

"ARTHUR!" I exclaimed in frustration, then had a sudden idea, one their conversation before had helped. I sat up and swung my legs around to the edge of the bed, ignoring his protests. "Stop it! Do not! You are too weak!"

When I ignored him he turned to the Doctor "Stop her! Make her lay back!" I knew the Doctor understood what I was trying for he went along with it, I heard him say gently "You and I can't stop her, only her own will. But if she gets up she'll get dizzy and black out. Then are you going to feed her again?"

"Please Lisa" he begged "Do not try to rise!" I ignored him still and tried to slide off the bed and put my feet on the floor, but he blocked my way "No, lay back!"

"Get out of my way" I said from between gritted teeth "Get away, I want to stand."
"But you can not!" he protested this "You are too weak!"

"If you can feed me your energy when YOU'RE to weak, then I can most certainly stand up. Get out of my way, Arthur."

"No, Lisa! I will do whatever you wish, just get back into bed until Doc says you can get out!!" I hesitated, pretending to think. Finally I said thoughtfully "Will you sleep and recharge until the Doctor says you can get up? If you do that, then I'll stay in bed until I'm allowed to get up. Promise?"

"No."
"Then get out of my way" I said in a hard voice. "All right then! I agree!"
"Promise me, Arthur, swear you will. I won't be lied to!”
"I will! I am not lying!"
"PROMISE!" I hissed.

"I promise! Just get back into bed!!" Satisfied I let the Doctor help me back into bed, laid down properly. Then I reached for him "Arthur?" But I couldn't find him and the thought of him hating me made me panic, crying out in fear "ARTHUR!"
The fear in my voice must have stirred him, for I felt his warm hand touch mine, grip it reassuringly, his voice gentle if a little bit hurt as he realized what I had done it for "I am here."

Even if he understood, I had to explain my actions, to stop that hurt. "I'm worried about you. How do you think I would feel if you died just after we had finally got together? If you had of died because of me, for me? I love you Arthur and I don't want to loose you. If it means hurting myself for you, I would, but don't you see, Arthur? Put yourself in my place, you told me you love me, you were prepared to weaken yourself and almost die to help me live, don't you see that hurting myself to make you realize what you're doing to yourself is a small price to pay for helping you? You saved me, Arthur and I love you, more than you can ever know."


There was a long silent pause. “Tell me you understand, Please understand!"

I felt his hand gently stroke my cheek with feather-like touches "I do, now. I WILL sleep, for you. But YOU must also promise me something. With me linking my life to yours we have become connected. As you heal you will notice changes in yourself, small at first, like higher senses. But as you grow stronger they will get bigger and more noticeable. Usually one of my kind link with another fully, their lives become intertwined, they become one with each other. You are human, but IF I were to link with you fully you would change greatly. You would in a sense become an hybrid, part human and part Valori, an physic. Linking is like your marriage, only deeper and more religious, more...permanent. There is no divorce with linking."

"If you are asking me to marry you, Arthur, I would say yes, no regrets, no hesitation. When do we do it?"

"When I am recharged and you are healed. What about your...what do you call them? Family? Would they not be worried where you are? Should you not see them and tell them you are well and happy?" I hesitated so long he had thought I had fallen asleep. "Lisa? Are you awake?"

"Yes, I'm thinking. Do I have to answer now? Can I think about it for a while? I mean my sister and I haven't been close for at least two years, but could I leave her not knowing where I am and if I was alive? Never knowing if I was happy or someone’s captive? And as for my mother and Julius we were all ways close, especially after father."

"You do not have to answer now. But I must know before your head has fully healed." The doctor spoke to us "Excuse me, sir, but she needs to sleep now, as do you."

"Sleep with me, Arthur?" I asked softly and he sounded startled as he asked me "What?"

"Lay next to me in the bed. I would sleep better knowing you were with me. I can't see anything." He hesitated then said softly "All right. I have something to do first, then I shall." I nodded, his footsteps faded and I heard a door open and close. After a long pause I called "Doctor?"


"Call me Doc, Lisa. What is it?"
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing you an sedative to help you sleep and ease your pain."

"Oh." I heard footsteps coming towards me, light as a dancers, and he spoke softly "Lay back and still while I do this. You'll feel but a moment's pressure." I felt something cold and hard press against my inner-wrist, a moment’s almost unbearable pressure, and the liquid entered me.

Seconds later, the needle still in me, I felt myself slowly edging for darkness. My two last real sensations before the darkness took me was the thing being pulled out and Arthur laid down beside me, his warm lips on my cheek.

* * * *

When I next awoke it took me a few minutes to remember where I was, then I reached out desperately to find Arthur. There he was beside me still, and when I gently laid a hand on his chest the rise and fall of regular breathing told me was still sleeping deeply.

So I relaxed, feeling safe and truly happy for the first time in many years. I lay silently beside him, content to just listen to him sleeping. I suddenly heard the gentle swish of the door opening and by the light steps I knew it was our Doctor. He was murmuring to himself, preoccupied with something, probably something medical I wouldn't understand.

"Hello?" I called softly, as not to awaken Arthur. He sounded startled when he spoke "Oh, you're awake. I didn't expect it so soon."


"Is that good or bad?" I asked and sensed rather than saw his smile. "That really depends. Is it your first change, are you growing immune to my drugs, or is it just I made it too weak. But now you're awake I can check you over. Will you lay still for me?"

I nodded and he came over to the bed. I felt the sheet pulled back and knew I was naked underneath. I froze up, terrified of what could happen while I was helpless to stop it, but I assured myself that he was a Doctor, he was supposed to see me naked, so he could check for any problems or damage that wasn't healing properly.

“Besides,” I reasoned, “If he does hurts me, I can easily wake Arthur and he'll protect me.”
"Don't tense" the Doctor said gently "Or I can't check properly."

I forced myself to relax and he told me to tell him what hurt and where. What followed was prodding, short bursts of occasional pain and telling him where and when. "That's it" he said a few minutes later and the prods and pain eased, the sheet replaced over me. "Thanks. When do I get to see again? I mean, when are the bandages removed?"

"When your head has healed."
"How long is that roughly?"

"Roughly?" he asked and I nodded. "A week or so. Don't worry for your love won't leave you. For a start he needs a good long sleep to recover. Secondly he has orders not to be disturbed except in emergency cases."

"Orders? What do you mean? That he's some sort of leader?"

"More than that. He's our King. That's why the Toooilans grabbed him, because he's of royal blood as well warrior stock. You did right to name him Arthur and when you two link fully, you'll be our Queen."

* * * *

Arthur stirred next to me hours later. "Are you awake Arthur?" I asked softly, tentatively and he said "Yes" softly, sleepily.

"How are you feeling?" I queried and he moaned "A lot better. You?"
"Still weak but surprisingly normal. I can't sleep."
"I can help. Give my one of your wrists." I knew what he wanted to do "No, you need your energy."

"I promise only to give you a little, enough to help you sleep, then I will sleep as well."

"Well...If you promise it's only a little" I said reluctantly and his voice smiled “I have already, have I not?" I nodded and gave him my left wrist “tell me what you’re doing, I can’t see it.”

“All right. Do you remember my wrists and hands?” And when I nodded he continued softly “Describe what you remember.”

I thought for a minute then said softly “You have smooth hands with fingers a little longer than normal, but otherwise human, wrists like humans too” I suddenly remembered something “You have a pale lump on the center of the inner wrist on both, just over the clearest vein; that look a little like warts.” He laughed slightly “That’s it. When you awoke did you feel something in your wrists and around your hands?”

“Yes” I said softly “warm and smooth and tightly wound. I thought it was a needle connected to a drip that I had wrapped my hands in accidentally while I was asleep. Why?”

“Give me your other hand.” I did and he lead it to his and said softly “feel.” Confused I obeyed and slowly made my way down his hand, fingers first and knowing I had his left by the thumb position, as he said “Move down to the wrists, the-what did you call it-warts.”

So I did. Everything was fine until I reached them. I gasped loudly in shock and horror and shrank away from him, from IT, pulling free of his hands and arms. I felt him gently take my shoulders in his hands but I fought him, crying out “Leave me alone!! Let me go!!”


“What is it, Lisa? Did I frighten you? What’s wrong?” He asked me in concern but I could only gasp out “Let me go! Let me go!!”

“Lisa, please tell me what’s wrong!” He cried but I yelled at him “Let me go, leave me alone!!”

“Lisa!” he pleaded, voice a mix of fear, concern and confusion. “Let me....” I finally broke down and started to sob, trying to struggle free still but only weakly, too upset to really try any longer. I let it all out, my horror and fear, relief and love, hate and disbelief, lust and confusion, sorrow and hope.

When I finally managed to calm down a little I found myself in Arthur’s arms, holding me gently and protectively to him, my head to his chest so I could hear his heart beating and smell the strange shirt he wore, the familiar sent of his sweat and the strange wattle-like sent of the clean soft material of his top.

He was making soothing noises, rocking me gently like a mother would a child awaking from a nightmare. When I was calmer he drew back, looking into my face silently and then moving the bandages so he could wipe up my tears with one hand gently, then gently tugging them back down before I had a chance to open my eyes and look at him. He spoke gently, only three words “I am sorry.”

“No, I should be sorry. I didn’t mean to burst into tears like that on you.”

“You have been through hell, my love. I would not believe if you did not cry-I would think you were holding back your emotions from me. You were an innocent teenager when they took you and forced you into a woman. That should have been between you and the man you loved, not for the cold purpose of science.”


I managed to nod in agreement and was surprised when any left over tears didn’t soak the bandages. “That’s how I felt about it” I sniffed. “You were right to wish that.”
“How did you know I felt like that?”

“Do not mistake the fact I’m male with being experienced. I too was saving myself for the one I would love and mate. Only I was lucky, my first turned out to be the one I loved and wanted to mate.” I jerked in surprise and shock, did that mean....”you mean when they put you with me in that room you were a virgin?”

“Yes my love.” No wonder he had been so hard, so desperate when we first started, why he had taken so long to stop coming, it had been his first time!! He had been like an inexperienced teenager with and older woman! But boys on their first dates with experienced women tended to develop a crush on her. Did that mean Arthur didn’t love me, only my body and the pleasure he had experienced for the first time? A wave of fear went through me.

He seemed to sense my thoughts, for he said softly “no, Lisa, it is not a crush. I know the difference.”
“How?”

“I have had a crush before and this is different, more intense, more urgent and vital. If it had been a crush I would have recovered from it when they locked me away from you, I would not feel this way towards you.” I hesitated then said thoughtfully “someone told me a while ago that when your first thought when you go to bed and the first when you wake up is of a certain someone then it’s love. Is that how you feel?”

“Yes my love.”
“Who did you have the crush on?”
“Her name in your language is Shanna, at least that is what Doc calls her.”
“Who?”

“Shanna is Doc’s wife. They are just like you and I, only you and Doc are similar and Shanna and I.”
“What do you mean?”

“You have not noticed how different Doc and I are? His knowledge of Earth and your people, the way he speaks?”

“Yes, but I thought that’s because he’s a Doctor” I then continued thoughtfully “No, wait-a-minute that’s not right. What are you saying?”

“That Doc was once a human captured by the Toooilan and used as a sex-slave to produce warrior-babies.” I paused, stunned, and Arthur went on softly “that is how I knew we could remove the box successfully and you could become and part Valori, it worked on him.”

“How did he escape? Did you find and rescue him?” I asked curiously, glad to find another human, even an ex-one, here that had gone through what I had, the same emotions and abuse as I did. Next time he came in I’d have to have a good talk with him. “When my people attacked the ship to rescue Shanna he was left alone for a few minutes. He freed himself from the tubes and went to find Shanna. Luckily her room was nearby and he freed her and they made their way to an escape pod and launched. We picked it up and found both inside, naked. Shanna and Doc had feel in love-like us, and so while they were inside and before the rescue....”

“They made love” I guessed and he answered with “Yes. It had been to consummate their love as well as to keep Doc alive long enough for rescue, even then he had been close to death and when we had found them and Shanna was hysterical with tears. Some desperate surgery barely saved him in time, Shanna linked their life forces, but his change was nearly completed by the time he finally awoke. And we discovered another problem.”

“What?” I asked, hooked by my powerful curiosity on the tale. “Amnesia.”
“What?” I realized “he couldn’t remember anything. Did that mean he couldn’t remember his and Shanna’s love?”


“No, he remembered that. In fact he remembered everything since his capture and all his Doctor training and experience, but NOTHING else, his name, family, place and date of birth, where he practiced and who with-all gone, whipped by the Toooilan to make him a better slave.”

I felt a wave of pity and horror, imagine not knowing who you are and where you’re from, or if you had family waiting, worrying and afraid for you. I remembered, I knew-I had all ways known, even when it was buried beneath the lust, need and pleasure, I had still known.

“What about now?” I said Arthur.

“He still does not remember, but he is happy here with us and the woman he loves, and their five years old son. We taught him our Doctrine methods and combined with what he already knows he is one of our best Doctors, loved and readily accepted as one of us although he is not one fully.” I was quiet for a bit then asked softly “Arthur, why didn’t you tell me you were a king?”

“There and then it did not matter, we were man and woman, not teenage Earthling and twenty-two year old Valori king.”
“You’re twenty-two?” I asked and then added dully “You mean we were slave and prisoner.”
“We were NOT slave and prisoner, Lisa, at least not to me we were not. We were lovers.”

“Really?” Although I couldn’t see him I tipped my head back so I was roughly looking at where his voice came from “You thought of us as a man and woman making love?” I sensed rather then saw his nod “yes my love.” I smiled and cuddled up to him, feeling a wave of warmth and appreciation towards him, and had the sudden urge to show him I loved him, but not sexual wise. So I said softly “let me feel it again.”

“What?”
“Your wrist. Let me feel it again.”

“No, I do want to scare you again. I was going to fast before, expecting you to readily accept my differences all at once.” I yearned to be able to look him deep in his moon-gray eyes, but had to settle for putting conviction in my words. “Please. It was a shock at first, but if you don’t then it will only shock me again later.”


“I....” he hesitated then finally said reluctantly “all right.” He let me take his hand again and slowly feel down from the fingers, the palm, then down to the wrist. Yes, it was still there, I hadn’t imagined it. Out of the wrist where the lump was, the top, was a tube of flesh. It was at least eighty five center meters long, about two center meters thick, an moving, smooth warm thing, snake-like and instead of a head it had a sharp needle-like point.

“These were in my arms when I first awoke, weren’t they, I remember them. The other part was wrapped around my hands too weren’t they?”

“Yes. When we link they have to be in you and as close to your veins as possible to work. They react to emotions. That time we were holding hands I was having a hard time keeping them sheathed. It was a struggle to keep them in for I had the overwhelming urge to link us. I shall only use one, which means only a little will come from me. Do you still wish to go through with it, or shall I sheath them?”

“No, do it.”

“All right, if you are sure.” I nodded and felt his right hand take my left and hold it firmly, reassuringly. I couldn’t suppress the shiver as the tube wrapped itself around our joined hands, binding them together, and then around my wrist and down.

As the sharp point touched my flesh I felt Arthur’s mouth on mine, muffling my cry as it pushed in and moved deep into my flesh until it found the right vein. As it did I felt a rush of numbness chase the pain away and Arthur drew his head back and said softly “Here is comes” and gasp once as if HE was in pain.

A rush of energy entered me and I grew a little stronger. Soon it stopped and I felt it draw out, something press to my wrist and Arthur lay down properly beside me, his arms around me. I soon feel asleep, safe and warm, in his arms.

When I awoke he was gone. “Arthur? Arthur!” I started to panic but then a warm and gentle hand laid on my wrist and a now familiar, welcome and trusted voice said softly to me “It’s all right, Lisa. There was a problem at the school and he was needed. But he asked me to stay with you in case you awoke before he returned.”


“Oh, Doc, thank you. Will you sit and talk to me?”

“All right.” I felt the bed move slightly as he sat beside me and while one gentle hand held my right the other tugged at the bandages around my head “hold still and close your eyes, I want to check this.” I nodded slightly and closed my eyes beneath the cloth, feeling suddenly light headed and realized they were off. I had so gotten use to them that it felt strange without them. I heard him cluck disapprovingly and say in a chiding voice “you’ve been crying, haven’t you.”

“Yes, why?”

“Your tears have messed up a very precisely balanced antiseptic. But otherwise your head is healing quite nicely, better than I had hoped.” I was glad with this knowledge and asked impatiently “When will you take them off properly?”

“Next week” he answered softly and I laughed “Great! I finally get to see around and what you look like. I bet you’re really handsome.”

“How’d you guess?” he laughed, sharing the joke and I answered him with a grin, which felt so good after so long I liked him even more “You’re voice is warm and friendly, you’ve a great sense of humor, your smart and quick-witted. Your hands are soft and well manicured.” I calmed and said seriously “Arthur told me about how you came to be with them. Tell me about Shanna and your son.”

“I’ll make you a deal, Lisa. If you sit still and let me clean and reapply the antiseptic cream and bandages I’ll tell you all you want to know and I can remember, okay?” I smiled again, agreeing with him and released his hand, letting him stand up.


Suddenly as he busily worked I realized with the senses of an ex-sex slave that he was close to my mouth and not the slightest bit aware of it. I could almost taste it, smell his clean antiseptic smell and feel his hands on me. I remembered the feel of his hands when he had examined me, imagining what it would be like, how he would feel inside me, making love to me. I could almost feel his hands roving my body as he thrust into me, mouth to mine and in my minds eye I had him pounding in me, wanting him, imagining just what it would be like to be taken by an human-even just part-as an human, not by an alien in lust.

“NO!” I screamed mentally at myself “He’s your doctor, for Christ’s sake! You have Arthur and he has Shanna! Stay with the man you love, don’t be stupid!!!”

“Lisa, are you all right?” he asked and I realized that not only was I breathing hard, but I was clutching the mattress, my fingers going white with the strain. And I also realized his tone of voice showed he knew what I was thinking. “I...I’m fine” I said softly, struggling to loosen my fingers and control my breathing. I felt sure if he hadn’t of interrupted my thoughts then I would have grabbed him there and then and thrown him to the bed and wouldn’t of let him up until I was used and he was exhausted.

My breath caught in fear, what was going on? I thought that was over now the box was gone!

“It’s all right, Lisa, it’s normal.” I felt Doc’s comforting touch on my shoulder, but wisely not touching me in any other way “all it is is the box left some imprint on your mind. It’ll fade soon and you’ll only be aroused the normal ways. However from now on your future love-making will be intense.”

“You went through this?” I asked.

“Of course” his voice smiled gently “only I didn’t have as much control as you do. I tried to grab Shanna and had to be sedated heavily by one of the Valori doctors. It was just after my surgery and it wouldn’t have done my body any good, it was struggling to heal as it was. Our love-making is so intense now and I still have a scar from the box.”

“Really? I wish I could see it.”


“No, you don’t” his voice was quick and matter-of-fact and I realised what he was saying without really saying it. So I nodded in agreement, although I DID wish to see it, but not for the reason he said. So instead I changed the subject “tell me about the...Toooilan.”

“Well their world is made up of entire males, so they have to kidnap females of other races to conceive their children, usually carefully chosen virgin women from earth and keep them, their biology is more compatible with theirs.”

“Why did they choose me?”

Two possible reasons. You are-or were a virgin and you just happened to be there out in the open as they were leaving the earth.” I couldn’t believe what he was saying. “Are you saying my capture was just a FLUKE, I was an after thought!” I asked incredulously.

“I’m sorry to say it was, Lisa. I know what you’re thinking, I thought that too. But look at it this way-if they hadn’t, would you have ever met and feel in love with Arthur?” He had a point, something good had come out of it. Not only had I found the love of my life-the only man I could ever love-but I was no longer a naive teenager, I had grown up quickly in that long capture.

Also, I reasoned, I was among people who loved me readily and willingly, a race who cared deeply for each other and protected each other instead of trying to kill each other for the pettiest of reasons. I changed the subject again “haven’t you ever gone to Earth and the police-or an PI, told them you had amnesia and asked them to find your past. I mean you were a doctor, something like that makes it easier.”

“No, and I don’t want to know. That was my past and it doesn’t matter anymore-only the here and now and the future, my new life. Even if I knew who my family was, who I was, I wouldn’t return.”


“I understand, Doc,” I said softly “I really do. Why return to a life you don’t remember when you found happiness here? It makes perfect sense.”

“Does it? I’m glad you think so because I want you to know why you should go home and explain so to your mother, she would never see you again, after wards and she should know why. I won’t simply because I don’t know where I come from, who I am, I am NOT going to go back to a planet looking for a family who is-for all I know-dead.”

“As I said, I know and understand. But I need to think about it, I mean you don’t have to face your family and tell them either you’re marrying an alien king and you’ll never see them again or that you are moving away somewhere with someone and they can’t contact you, ever, that they can’t come to the wedding. Can you imagine that? ‘mum, sis, I’m marrying an alien lord I named Arthur and we’re going to live on his planet with his people in another galaxy where you’ll never see me again. And you can’t come to the wedding, sorry.’ Yeah, they’d either say I was crazy and bundle me off to some loony bin or accuse me of making it up so I didn’t have to acknowledge the fact I was kidnapped and raped. The shrinks would have a field day with me.”

“I see your point. But you have a week to decide.”

“Why a week?” I asked curiously and he touched my shoulder again “Your bandages are removed them, Arthur will want an answer.”

“Oh.”