It’s Steve back again.
So, it all turned out rather differently than how Daphne thought when she started. And now she’s got this seriously strange thing going on at home. And if I think it’s strange, then you can be sure it is.
I called Daphne the night after the marathon to see how she had got on. I knew she was running and all and I knew she’d had some troubles with her trainer. Her house slave answered the phone but when I asked to speak to Daphne she said. "Hold on, I’ll see if she can come to the phone." I had a vision of her stretched out exhausted, I guess, but, instead she sounded really up.
"Steve," she beamed. "Hi! Thanks for calling. It was great. I finished. It was wonderful and Katya was wonderful and -- oh - everything’s terrific."
I got to hear of how terrific a bit later when I met Katya. She’s quite a forceful, young lady.
Mind you, I’m not sure that they have all got the whole picture. Take Katya and Branca’s prepping for example. I mean it’s not like you can just uninstall it, you can’t take that conditioning away. It’s laying there in each of them. Sure Katya seemed to break free of it but there will be something remaining. And Branca? Well, of course the conditioning doesn’t function if it isn’t used, so as long as she’s not reminded of her control phrase she’s as free as any of us. I guess Daphne is a consensual slave in more ways than one. If she ever gave the word Freddie’s team would have those two back in the centre for a top-up from Connie faster than you could say "Do Your Best".
Freddie of course, doesn’t like unexpected outcomes. I was speaking to him when I was in London recently. He wanted to re-prep Katya and Branca and tell Daphne that it was to do with quality assurance of his services, but I said, "Look Freddie: If Daphne asks, that’s one thing but you are in business and in business you have to accept the unexpected. You have been paid over the odds and you have a satisfied client. In fact your client’s client is satisfied. What more do you want!" Freddie had looked sceptical but I guess he’s agreed with me so far. Anyway, I think Freddie would be well advised to leave Katya alone. It wouldn’t surprise me if she turned out to be "well connected" and the very last thing Freddie needs to be chased all over the country by a bunch of Speznatz on Katya’s account! He’s had enough trouble with Russians lately. And as Larry pointed out, customers are usually right. But I’m also thinking that this new project Larry is working on for Freddie means that he’s probably interested in how the whole long term consensual slave thing shapes up.
I’m not worried about any of that though. I’m just glad things turned out right for Daphne.
Anyway, instead of spending his money in prep costs, Freddie threw a dinner party in London last week, and I met up with Katya and Daphne. Daphne looked stunning; glowing almost. She had on this strapless evening dress and the most astonishing eagle tattooed on her back right across her right shoulder blade. Katya obviously loved the way it looked, I caught her stroking the eagle’s neck a couple of times. And Daphne dotes on her. She hardly took her eyes off her all evening.
So Daphne, the bashful, shy girl had gone. She’d set out to look for someone to help her through a marathon. While what she’s found with Katya mightn’t be what she planned for, that’s what she’s got. I guess you have to be careful with the wording when you wish. Or maybe not. It looks like things have turned out all right for all of them.
<<<<The End>>>
We thought some of you might want to follow some of the other adventures of our characters or find out a bit more about the background to The Greenwich Tales, so here’s where to look.
We have got together a set of references for you and grouped them into Literary, Location, Educational, Practical and Whimsical.
Please note neither Freddie nor Phil have any connection with the firms and web sites mentioned. (Except Freddie’s Yahoo Group, of course)
Enjoy!
You can read about the adventures of Larry, Harry, Rick and Steve in Freddie’s tale "Market Forces". You can find this Freddie’s Yahoo Group, together with some of his other work:
The format for The Greenwich Tales was based (very) loosely on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It’s available on line at: www.librarius.com/cantales.htm or for those who like their books on paper in paperback as a Penguin Classic.
There are references in The Greenwich Tales to one of our favourite films: The Ipcress File, a Len Deighton thriller set in 1960’s London, starring Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman and Sue Lloyd. It’s available as a DVD from: www.amazon.com. It’s a great book too.
We thought Larry’s lunch date with Daphne might have taken place at somewhere very like The Southwark Rose Hotel - www.southwarkrosehotel.co.uk. (But not the same place, of course.) No waitresses were accosted in the production of this story.
The Green Stuff Restaurant was a complete invention of Freddie’s but we are sure you could find something like it without too much trouble! And the location is a lot like the Dorchester or the Grosvenor House Hotel.
There really is a pub near Island Gardens DLR Station, where Katya catches sight of Harry. Phil knows this for a fact because he has run past it in three London Marathons. He didn’t remember the name but it is The Lord Nelson (any sufficient amount of Googling is indistinguishable from real knowledge.)
Our tale reaches its climax on the course of the London Marathon and we have described the route used in the London Marathon 2007.
Have you been inspired by Daphne’s example to run a marathon?
Well, you should be. It is quite simply wonderful and everyone should take part at least once! (So says Phil as he’s the one who knows when it comes to this stuff! What Freddie says is hey, if you can write a Booker prize winner without going to Canada why can’t he write about marathon running?) But running marathons takes time and planning -- as well as quite a bit of hard work. Here are some books and sites which will help you on your way:
and a few helpful websites: -
www.burnthefat.com : this requires a small subscription but it’s excellent: very down to earth, no gimmicks and full of good advice. If you need to loose weight, definitely go here.
www.jeffgalloway.com : a great exponent of the run/walk method in marathon running. He also provides on-line coaching)
www.waddleon.com : the site of John "The Penguin" Bingham. Phil used one of his programmes - "The Penguin Get You Round Plan" - to train for his first marathon!
www.runnersworld.co.uk : the sister site for the magazine, although you have to subscribe to the magazine to have the full benefit.
www.london-marathon.co.uk : tells you what you need to know about the London Marathon and much more, including a map of the route at : -
http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/images/course_map.pdf
The BBC have a virtual tour of the London Marathon route. (We’re not sure how long this will be up after the Marathon finishes this year) Click the "Red Start" to see the route as Katya and Daphne did:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/sport/marathon/marathon_virtual_tour_feature.shtml
You will find plenty of advice on practicalities in the books and at the websites we have mentioned. However, if you have set your heart of running, do not be afraid to join a running club and a gym to help with your training. There will be plenty of other people just like you starting out and the camaraderie and fellowship you will have is invaluable.
Thinking about clothes to wear, get some proper running kit, just like Daphne did. It’s so much more comfortable that just wearing an old cotton T shirt and any old pair of shorts. Going to a specialist running shop is best: the people who will look after you will know what they are talking about. You should be able to find one near you from the adverts inside Runners World, and THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL when it comes to buying running shoes.
Meanwhile, here are some interesting websites:
www.viga.co.uk : athletic clothing
www.ronhill.co.uk : athletic clothing
www.profeet.co.uk : a Rolls Royce of a place to buy running shoes, in Phil’s opinion
If you are into gadgets, you will not go far wrong by investing in a heart rate monitor and perhaps a GPS to tell you how far you have gone.
Check out;
www.polar.fi : the market leader for heart rate monitors and their UK distributor (www.heartratemonitor.co.uk) with a really good FAQ on the whole subject.
www.garmin.com : makers of a GPS which records distance run -- when it can see the satellites -- which is most of the time unless you live in the jungle, or perhaps right in the centre of the city. Follow the links to Garmin Forerunner 205 and Garmin Forerunner 305. A recent test of the Garmin 305 showed it performed accurately even when used under cover in a pine forest!
We spent a while thinking about which chastity belt and slave collar Daphne might have bought for Branca. (I spend a lot of time thinking about things like that, says Freddie.) Neither Freddie or Phil has any personal experience as a basis for advice, but these are the ones that appealed to us:
www.tollyboy.com : chastity belts. Daphne chose the FGA/200 with drop down waistband for Branca.
www.axsmar.com : slave collars etc. We thought Daphne would have bought Branca the Talena collar in titanium! Does Katya buy one for Daphne? You decide!
Reading about slaves and slavers in erotic fiction is one thing but the reality is very different. 2007 is the bicentenary of Britain's abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade but some of the practices by today’s real slave traders are every bit as horrific as anything that was done then. If you wish to support the work of the Anti-Slavery Society, visit them at www.antislavery.org
© 2007 Freddie Clegg & Phil Lane
All characters fictitious.
Download PDF copies of other Freddie Clegg stories at :