Taking the lead like a dancing bear I led her to the stairs and up to the play room. I handed the lead to the master, taking a grandstand seat. He...led her, her face a mask of surprise, to the books standing her up one foot on each pile of two thick book`s between the chairs. A wooden stave perhaps 2”in diameter that I had not so far noticed was fetched from where it lay and threaded through her legs and the chair backs. One wrist was cuffed to the pole in front of her and the second. "Not the way a real manbehaves." Bollocks!" Mitch hardly ever swore, but that was now, what; the thirdtime today? "That is not 'girlie' behaviour," she continued, "and itdefinitely isn't blokey behaviour, but it is 'proper' behaviour. It'swhat any normal civilised person should do, and what they should bebrought up to do. But unfortunately, in today's narrow-minded society itdoesn't happen. If every generation is going to bring up their children,train their children... no - programme their. The fact that I couldn't keep focused to a story longer than a couple ofpages, that I had no idea about characters, that I even didn't knowwhere to begin didn't matter the least when it was time to look goodbefore Corrine. Anyway, I'd read some novels, I could write. How hardcould it be?"Great," she said, "When can you have it done?" I beg your pardon?" I asked, dumbfounded, "I mean, short stories areone thing, but I've never written a novel before. I honestly don't havethe slightest idea how. I think she gets better and better, but I don't care any more. I really truly don't give a shit about it all. It still hurts but I'm not afraid any longer when I'm tied up against that fucking wall waiting for those bitches to start flogging me. And I don't jerk under the lash these days. You must have seen that? Pain is my destiny, Alexia and I accept it. It hurts just as badly as ever, but I live with it now. I can hardly remember what being without pain was like and I'll never know such a.