Carol Simony, CEO of the Choplet-LaSalle Corporation and the richest woman in the USA, strode out of the Manila office building and across the sidewalk inside a wedge formed by her bodyguards; she ignored the cries of protest from the pedestrians who were jostled out of the way by her phalanx of thugs. So sure was she that her limo would be waiting that she was at the curb before she noticed it wasn't there.

She turned to the sweating young man who dogged her steps. "Donald, you putz! Where the hell is my limo?"

Donald pointed at a large vehicle a half-block away. "There it is, Ms. Simony. It must have gotten stuck in traffic."

"Not good enough, Donald. You said it would be waiting for me right here. If I can't count on you for a simple thing like this you're no use to me."

He protested, "I'm sorry, Ms. Simony, but this isn't my fault, it's just a slight traffic delay."

"Don't whine, Donald. I expect results, not excuses. You really are worthless. You can take a bus back to the hotel, I don't want to be seen with you."

The limo stopped and she got inside. The bodyguard in the front seat exchanged glances with the driver, but neither man was surprised at Carol's actions. Carol wasn't very lovable. The only people who really liked her were the C-L stockholders, because it was her management that had made the company so very profitable.

Carol tried to relax as the limo fought its way through the city traffic. She had been in Manila to close the negotiations for another merger, and it had been a tense time, even for an experienced predator such as she. C-L wasn't the only player, and she had had to outmaneuver, backstab, and betray men from three continents before she could close the deal.

The limo picked up speed once it was outside the city. It continued along the highway until it reached a private airfield, where Carol boarded the executive jet that would take her almost 700 miles to Davao City, on the island of Mindanao. This was where she would start her vacation.

Sailing was Carol's only non-business activity. She begrudged the time away from her work, but she had found that sailing was absolutely necessary if she hoped to survive the stress of corporate warfare. Several weeks at sea, sailing alone, would refresh her and leave her ready for the next battle.

Being at sea was only part of the process; being far away from other people was the most important factor. Not that she would be out of touch; a satellite phone kept her in contact with her staff. 'Sometimes in closer contact than they like,' she thought, 'noon here may be the middle of the night there. Too bad for them, but at C-L I'm the one who matters.'

Carol spent the night in the best hotel in Davao, and early the next morning she was at the marina where her boat, the 'C-L II', waited. This boat was her favorite for single-handed sailing; its ketch rig divided the sail area into easily handled segments. The boat was just over fifty feet long on the waterline. It had cost her over three million dollars (actually, C-L paid the bill), and it was equipped with every convenience, both for operating the boat and for living aboard.

She met with the C-L employee who had accompanied the boat on its trip by freighter from San Francisco. (The freight charges were billed to the C-L 'employee recreation' account.)

"Everything ready to go?" she snapped.

"Yes, Ms. Simony. You can sail any time you wish."

"So you say." Carol never took anything for granted, and she conducted a meticulous inspection of the boat and its contents. She was impressed; even her exacting standards were met. Not that she would say so, of course.

"It'll do. Get ashore and be ready to cast off the mooring lines. I'm out of here." She started the auxiliary diesel engine and ordered the lines cast off. She motored out of the harbor, and once she was clear of the land she hoisted the sails. She plotted the course that would clear Cape San Augustine, and then lost herself in the simple pleasure of steering the boat and adjusting the sails. For the first time in months she felt some serenity.

Once the boat passed the cape Carol plotted a new course to the east, heading into the center of Micronesia. Even though this was her vacation she spent most of her time working; she planned her next business coup while the autopilot guided the boat. She had her eye on another large electronics firm. She had discovered that there was a large overlap in operations that would allow massive cost-cutting.

Carol was an experienced sailor, and she monitored the boat and its surroundings continually. Ten days into her journey she noticed that a tropical depression had appeared on her satellite weather display. It was coming her way, but she wasn't worried. "I can handle anything the sea can throw at me." she boasted.

Three days later she wasn't so sure. The tropical depression had developed into a full-fledged storm, and the boat was running downwind under bare poles. The wind was Force Seven, and the mast-tall waves towered over the boat. Carol no longer knew where she was exactly; a few hours ago the wind had destroyed her masthead antennas, and the heavy rain and breaking seas blocked her GPS and satellite communications. She was really worried now. There were numerous atolls to leeward of her, and she had very little ability to maneuver.

Disaster struck just before dawn. Carol had been awake for almost two days,and she finally had to go below for some sleep. She had been asleep for just over an hour when the boat struck a reef. She had no warning; she woke with the impact, and before she was out of her bunk the surging waves pounded the boat's hull onto the coral and water flooded inside. She scrambled on deck, and was shocked to discover that both the dinghy and the inflatable life raft had washed away. All she could do was wait helplessly while the waves drove the boat across the reef and into the lagoon, where she knew it would sink.

Carol didn't know when the boat finally slipped off the reef and into the lagoon. One minute she was struggling just to keep from being washed off the boat; the next minute she was in the water. She was wearing a life jacket, but the wind was so strong and the water was so rough that she could barely breathe. She tried to fight her way to the island that she had seen when the boat first hit the reef, but the sea was winning the contest. She had stopped fighting by the time strong brown arms lifted her out of the water and into a canoe.

* * *

It was dawn of the next day before Carol awoke. She found herself in a wooden hut, supine on a mat and looking up at a corrugated-steel roof. Rain was still pounding on the roof, but the wind had dropped; the mat that covered the door opening was hardly moving. Her muscles were a bit sore, but she didn't have any pain. She sat up and examined her body. She was surprised but grateful to find that she was uninjured. She was also naked. She thought back and realized that she had been naked when she went into the water. Not too surprising, since she rarely wore clothes when she was at sea in the tropics.

The door mat was pushed aside and a young woman entered the hut. She was very pretty, with tan skin, dark brown eyes, and long black hair. She was wearing a blue and red printed cloth wrapped around her hips and, incongruously, a hooded transparent plastic raincoat, which didn't conceal her slim, shapely figure and high, firm breasts.

Carol looked at the native woman and then at her own tanned body. She smugly thought, 'I must be more than twenty years older than she is, but I could match her in looks.' She ran her hands through her short brown hair. 'Except for the hair, maybe.'

"Hello, welcome to Tontolona Island. My name is Nila. What is your name?" Nila put down the package she was carrying and removed her raincoat.

"My name is Carol Simony. Do you have a satellite phone here? Or a radio? I've got to let my people know that I'm OK." Carol didn't have any family or friends who would worry about her, but she knew that Wall Street would pound down the price of C-L stock if she were reported missing.

Nila shrugged. "You must ask chief." She smiled and opened the package. "Sarong, for you."

She handed Carol a cloth similar to the one she was wearing, except that it was teal and blue. Carol wrapped it around her hips, but as soon as she released it the sarong fell to the floor. Nila giggled and rewrapped it, showing Carol the proper way to tuck it so it would stay in place.

Nila took a covered bowl from the package and knelt on the mat. She uncovered the bowl and gestured to indicate Carol should join her. "Here is some food." She dipped her fingers in the paste-like substance in the bowl and licked it off.

Carol didn't really care to share like this, but she was very hungry so she knelt and forced herself to scoop up some of the paste and put it in her mouth. It had a faint bitter taste, but she managed to swallow it. After a few more bites she again questioned Nila. "I've got to let people know where I am and I've got to get back to civilization. How do I get off this island?"

"You will see Chief Tonongo soon. You ask him." Nila ate the last of the paste. She rose gracefully to her feet and reached out her hand. "Come, I will take you to him."

Carol stood and waited while Nila put on her raincoat. "Keeps my hair dry." she explained. Nila pushed aside the mat and left the hut. Carol hesitated only a moment before she followed. She had never been shy about displaying her body.

It was still raining gently, but it was warm and it didn't bother Carol. Nila led her to a large hut several hundred yards farther inland. Fifty or so people were standing in a semicircle facing the door of the hut. Both men and women were wearing sarongs around their hips. The more matronly women wore bras just for the support, but everyone else was bare to the waist. Some of the women covered their hair to keep it dry.

Carol elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, ignoring the murmurs of protest. A few minutes later the door of the hut opened and a large, imposing man appeared on the porch and seated himself in a throne-like wicker chair. He was wearing one of the ubiquitous sarongs, but he also had a cloak wrapped around his shoulders. This cloak had been woven from bark fiber many generations ago, and it served as the chief's symbol of office. After the chief was seated a younger man emerged from the hut and stood next to him.

The crowd said something in the local dialect and everyone made a quick, shallow bow, more like a nod. The chief replied in the same dialect and nodded in return. The younger man said in English, "All those who desire Chief Tonongo to intercede with the spirits attend upon him. This audience is now open." He looked at Carol and added, "I am Manulu. Who are you?"

"My name is Carol Simony, and I must contact my office at once. Do you have a satellite phone, or a radio?"

Manulu translated this into the local dialect and the chief replied in the same tongue. Manulu said, "The chief expresses his joy that you survived the shipwreck. It was a difficult rescue, but our men are very skilled in the ways of a canoe on the sea. It is always a satisfaction when we save someone from certain death."

"Yeah, but you don't seem to understand. I am the chief executive officer of the Choplet-LaSalle Corporation, a very important company. I must get back to civilization at once."

After the translation delay Manulu replied, "The chief will hold a private audience with you later. Please wait."

Carol didn't like this at all, but her protest was ignored and the chief replied to a question from another person. This went on for some time, and by the time everyone had spoken Carol was fuming with impatience. In her world her wishes were attended to immediately.

There was an altar next to the chief's hut. It was made of stone and sheltered by a thatched roof; three men had just finished applying new palm fronds to replace the ones carried away by the storm. Chief Tonongo went inside the hut and returned a moment later holding a wooden chest. It was made of some dark wood and it was exquisitely carved. When it appeared everyone bowed while the chief carried it to the altar and reverently placed it on top.

Carol asked, "What is that? It's gorgeous." She approached the altar and reached out towards the chest.

Nila gasped, "Don't touch it! That is spirit chest. Only chief may touch it."

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt it." Carol stroked the carved wood.

There were cries of shock and one of the men in the crowd grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Carol had studied martial arts- she had a lot of enemies- and she reacted instinctively. She twisted, pulled, and the man flew over her back and landed with a thump. Another man seized her from behind, but an elbow in the ribs knocked him back. But now the crowd was into it, and before long Carol was face down on the ground with several people sitting on her. Manulu arrived with some jute rope, and he tied Carol's hands behind her back. She was pulled to her knees and he wrapped more rope over her arms, in bands above and below her breasts.

The crowd was angry, and Carol might have been knocked around except that Chief Tonongo ordered them back. He glared at Carol and made a brief statement in the local dialect. Manulu translated. "Chief Tonongo says that your spirit is not in harmony with the nature spirits. You are to be incarcerated until you have obtained this harmony."

"You yokels wouldn't dare! Don't you know who I am? I'll buy this island and have all of you tossed into the sea!"

Manulu spoke for himself. "Buy us with what? All you have is a borrowed sarong. We don't know or care who you are. You are guilty of sacrilege and assault. In the old days you would have been drowned in the lagoon." He signaled to two burly men and they hoisted Carol to her feet and hustled her off to the jail.

The jail was a patch of dirt about ten feet square covered by a thatched roof. Pieces of tattered canvas were hung randomly on three sides to give some shelter from the wind. Carol wondered how this was supposed to hold her until Manulu wrapped a chain around her waist and fastened it with a padlock. The chain was bolted to one of the 6x6 roof support posts, and she had about six feet of slack between her waist and the post.

Manulu pointed to a heap of sand next to the jail. "That's your latrine."

Carol was outraged. "You can't do this! You can't chain me up like an animal just on the word of some witch doctor!"

"Chief Tonongo is not only our hereditary ruler. He is also the elected magistrate. If he finds you guilty of a crime he can impose a sentence of up to a year's imprisonment if he wants to. Did you have anything planned for the next year? You could be staying right here."

Carol didn't really believe this was happening to her. People just didn't dare to treat her like this. "You can't do this! Untie my hands at once!"

Manulu cut the rope loose from Carol's arms and wrists. She rubbed her wrists, and her face reflected her opinion that it had taken these savages too long to come to their senses. Then the two men held her while Manulu and another man picked up wooden planks. When Carol saw the semi-circular cutouts in the plank edges she knew what they were for and struggled desperately. She twisted so violently that her sarong came loose and fell to the ground.

Each plank was about three feet long, one foot wide, and an inch thick. One plank had two pairs of short boards attached to it at a right angle, one pair at each end, and while Manulu held this plank against the back of Carol's neck his helper slipped the other plank between the short boards. Carol didn't like this at all, so they did have a little trouble forcing her hands into the cutouts, but eventually the planks were pushed together and the locking pins inserted. Now Carol was securely yoked.

The yoke was made of hard and heavy wood, and Carol felt the weight. She could twist the yoke a little, but this rubbed her neck and pinched her wrists while not gaining her anything. She screamed with frustration.

She screamed again when the men sat her down and Manulu put her ankles into stocks. The stocks were similar to the yoke, except there were only two cutouts, and Carol's ankles were held about two feet apart. She was accustomed to nudity, but this much exposure made her blush. The men gave her casual glances, but naked women were not that unusual on the island. Carol had no special features, except that her pubic hair was brown instead of black.

Manulu picked up Carol's sarong and the men left the jail. Carol cried, "Wait! You didn't tell me how long I have to stay here."

"Like Chief Tonongo said, until your spirit is in harmony."

"How long will that take?"

Manulu shrugged. "Who knows? It could take a day, a month, or a year. The spirits will tell the chief when everything is in harmony, and you will be released then."

Carol just couldn't believe this. She was rich and powerful. How could she be the helpless and humiliated captive of an ignorant, superstitious old man? It defied the proper order of things. And he could keep her like this for a year? She screamed again.

Carol sat alone in the jail for several hours. The yoke was heavy and uncomfortable. It seemed to her that her body had disappeared. She could see her hands and a part of her shins, but the rest of her body was hidden from her view by the yoke and the stocks. She wondered if this was supposed to help her get in harmony with the spirits.

Sometime after noon Nila arrived at the jail. She was carrying a bottle of water and a bowl.

"Hello, Carol. I suppose you are thirsty." She held the bottle to Carol's mouth.

Carol drank the water. The yoke on her neck made her totally dependent on someone else for all her basic needs, and this frightened her. "Nila, take this yoke off. You can do it." The wooden locking pins were just tied in place with thin rope.

"I am sorry, but you must wear yoke all day. I will feed you now." Nila used her fingers to scoop up the paste in her bowl and feed it to Carol. Carol grimaced, but she ate all the paste. Licking Nila's fingers gave her a strange feeling.

She had another concern. "Uh, Nila, I have to pee. Can you let me loose?"

"Yes, I can help you." Nila removed the stocks from Carol's ankles and Carol groaned with pleasure as she brought her knees together.

Nila helped Carol stand up and led her to the sand heap. Carol protested, "I don't want to pee out here in front of everybody. Don't you have indoor plumbing on this island?"

"Yes, but you may not enter a building unless your spirit is in harmony."

Carol gave in to the inevitable and squatted on the sand heap. Nila held on to the yoke to steady her. When Carol finished Nila helped her stand and led her back under the jail roof.

"Sit down, Carol. I have to put the stocks back on your ankles."

"No. I don't want that."

"Please cooperate. If you do not I will have to call Manulu and he will be very angry with you. He will force the stocks on you and he will leave them there always. You will not like that."

Carol considered that to be an understatement. She sat down and let Nila lock the stocks back on her ankles. She would get her revenge later.

Nila kissed Carol's forehead. "I must go now. I will be back later. Please meditate and try to align your spirit with the nature spirits."

Carol spent the rest of the day sitting in the jail. She didn't have anything else to do except watch the rain, so she tried to align her spirit, but since she didn't even know if she had one there was no way to measure her progress. Every couple of hours Nila visited her and gave her some water and helped her pee if she needed to. Carol looked forward to these visits more and more as the day dragged on.

Just after sundown Nila returned to the jail carrying a bowl. She used her fingers to feed Carol more of the paste. Carol wondered what the paste was made of and how it was prepared, but then she decided she didn't really want to know.

When the bowl was empty Nila said, "Lean back on the yoke, Carol, and I will remove it."

This was an order that Carol was quick to obey. Nila untied and removed the locking pins and removed the front board by sliding it away from Carol's neck. She moved it aside and helped Carol sit up. The back board of the yoke fell over with a thump and Nila moved it out of the way.

Carol stretched her arms and rubbed her neck. Then she considered the sequence of the recent events. "Why didn't you take off the yoke before I ate? I could have fed myself."

Nila giggled, "I like to feed you."

Carol stretched some more. "Wow, it feels good to get that yoke off."

"You can have it off all night." Nila picked up some rope. "Now I have to tie your hands."

"What! I don't want to have my hands tied."

"You would rather wear yoke?"

"No, of course not!"

"Well then..."

Carol gave up. "OK." She clasped her hands and held them out.

"Not like that."

"Oh, not behind my back! That hurts so much after a while."

Nila kissed Carol on the lips. "I know, and I do not want to be cruel. Lie down and put your hands against chain on your waist."

Carol lay prone and held her hands at her waist. Nila tied them to the chain, one towards each side of Carol's waist. The loops of rope weren't tight, but Carol couldn't free her hands and she couldn't reach any knots.

Nila kissed Carol again. "There! That does not hurt too much, does it?"

"No, it's not that bad. Are you going to take the stocks off?"

"Yes. They will be in the way." Nila swiftly removed the stocks.

Carol was going to ask, In the way of what?, but she never got a chance. Nila leaned down and silenced her with a violent kiss, thrusting her tongue into Carol's mouth. Carol squeaked with surprise, then she hesitantly returned the kiss. The kissing continued as Nila's hands roamed over Carol's body, and then dwelt between her legs.

Carol gasped, "You can't do this! Not out here in the open."

"It is almost dark now, so nobody will mind. Besides, you are my prisoner, so I will do as I wish." Nila's hand was inside Carol's dripping sex, and was expertly massaging the helpless captive's clit.

"I... —oh!—Stop it! Stop! Oooh... Nooo! Ahh...mmuphh"

Carol's scream was silenced by her jailor's lips and tongue. The captive bucked under the weight of Nila's body, writhing in orgasm. Finally, flushed, panting, and glistening with sweat, Carol lay passively on the ground, looking up at Nila's smiling face.

Nila stroked Carol's nipples. "You liked that. Now it is your turn to pleasure me."

"How can I do that with my hands tied?"

Nila shifted her body until her crotch was in Carol's face. "Your tongue is not tied. Use it well and I will leave stocks off tonight."

The last time Carol had given oral sex to another woman was back when she lived in the dorm at college. She tried to remember what her roommate had liked, and tentatively licked Nila's labia. Then the taste and smell of a woman in heat brought back a flood of memories and her tongue became more aggressive, probing and stroking. Her teeth found Nila's erect clit and gently nipped. Nila moaned, and then screamed as Carol's tongue thrust deep.

* * *

The sun shining from a blue sky woke Carol the next morning just after dawn. She thought back on the events of the previous night and asked herself why this had been her first sexual encounter with another person of either sex in over a decade. 'Because I can't trust anyone I know', she thought, 'they all want something from me, or they want to hurt me.' She struggled against the ropes holding her wrists. 'Nila doesn't need trust; she has me in her power. This makes my decisions redundant.' She felt a wave of lust.

Nila arrived at the jail a short time later. "Good morning, Carol. I will feed you now."

"Good morning Nila. Are you going to let me go now?"

Nila kissed Carol, and the kiss was enthusiastically returned. "I cannot free you. Only the spirits can do that." Carol sat up, and Nila sat beside her and fed her from a bowl of paste. Today the meal also included chunks of fried meat, and Nila fed these to Carol one at a time, the food accompanied by teasing and kisses.

Nila untied Carol's hands after the meal, and Carol had hopes for an easier time than she had yesterday. These hopes were dashed when Manulu arrived. "Time for your work day to start, Carol. Nila, help me put the yoke on her."

Carol was dismayed. "Oh, no! Not the yoke, it's so uncomfortable."

"You are being punished, Carol, and this is part of it. The people would resent it if the chief let you get off easy."

Carol thought about resisting, but then she decided not to bother. The sop to her pride produced by her resistance wouldn't be worth the struggle that would follow, which she knew she would lose. She remembered the threat to leave the yoke on continuously, and she didn't think Manulu had been bluffing. She cooperated, and Nila and Manulu fastened her in the yoke.

Manulu tied a rope through a hole in the front of the yoke and gave it to Nila. He unlocked the chain around Carol's waist. "Carol's job today will be to help you with the coconut harvesting, Nila."

Nila gave a tug on the leash and a very unhappy Carol followed her down the road. This was not fun at all; the yoke weighed almost thirty pounds, and it pressed uncomfortably on her trapezoid muscles. They met other people on the road, and humiliation was added to Carol's burden. She found that going topless was one thing; full nudity in front of strangers was much more difficult. Finally she decided to just pretend she was fully clothed. The yoke kept her from seeing her body anyway.

Carol and Nila reached the coconut plantation. It was on the windward side of the island, and consisted of several large groves of regularly spaced trees. Carol looked up at a cluster of coconuts. "I don't think I can climb one of those trees, even without the yoke."

Nila laughed. "That is not our job. All we have to do is pick up coconuts that have already been cut down."

"OK, take off the yoke and I'll get started."

"Oh, no. Picking up coconuts is a skilled job that requires much training. You are not ready for that yet." Nila tried not to smile when she said this. She led Carol to a four-wheeled wagon. The wagon was made of weathered boards and moved on spoked wooden wheels. It reminded Carol of a minature version of a prairie schooner, without the canvas cover.

Nila backed Carol up to the wagon's U-shaped handle and tied it just above her bottom. Nila wrapped many turns of rope about Carol's hips to spread the load. "I am sorry that I have to use this rope, Carol. If you are to be with us much longer I will make a proper harness."

"You're so caring, Nila. No one has ever offered to make me a harness before."

The morning was torture for Carol. Most of the time she was just standing in place while Nila tossed coconuts into the wagon. There was just enough to do that Carol couldn't lose herself in thought, but not nearly enough activity to distract her and make the time pass quickly. She was really bothered by insects, because the yoke prevented her from shooing them away.

When the wagon was full Carol had to haul it and several hundred pounds of coconuts to the processing shed. None of the roads were paved, and many were deep in sand. It was hard, sweaty work, and by the time the mid-day break arrived Carol was exhausted. Nila unhitched her from the wagon and massaged the marks left by the rope that had been tied around her hips. They walked back to the jail; the yoke dug into Carol's shoulders with every step.

Manulu was waiting at the jail and he locked the chain around Carol's waist. He removed the yoke and tied her hands to the waist chain. Nila massaged Carol's shoulders and she sighed with pleasure.

Nila fed Carol and let her squat over the sand, and then they rested together in the shade of the jail roof. Nila and Carol kissed a few times, but neither woman wanted to have sex in public at noon.

Manulu's arrival signaled the end of the break. Carol was yoked up and led back to the wagon in the coconut grove. Her afternoon was worse than her morning, because it was hotter now, and she was still tired from the morning's work.

It was late afternoon and Carol was trudging along ahead of a wagonload of coconuts when she reached an unusually sandy part of the road. She stopped and declared, "I've had it. I can't take another step."

"Keep going, Carol. We will be through for the day in another hour." Nila moved to the back of the wagon. "I will push to help you."

"No. I quit. If you want this wagon moved do it without me."

"Please cooperate, Carol. You will never be in harmony with the spirits if you act in opposition like this."

"Piss on the spirits. I won't haul this fucking wagon another step and you can't make me."

Nila was shocked and angered by Carol's foul language and bad attitude. She left the grove and found a clump of a bamboo-like plant. She broke off a piece about three feet long and as big around as her thumb. She waved her switch in front of Carol's face. "I have been tasked to supervise you, Carol. I do not wish to cause you pain, but I must do my duty. Please move the wagon. I will push to help you."

Carol shook her head, and Nila hit her across the left hip. A red line appeared and Carol shrieked. "You bitch! You can't hit me like that!"

"I will demonstrate that your statement is not true." Nila untied the rope that fastened Carol's hips to the wagon. She yanked the leash and pulled Carol over to a palm tree and tied the leash so the yoke was touching the tree. Carol could twist a bit, but this did her little good when Nila started to switch her.

Carol was outraged. She was one of the richest and most powerful people in the world and she was being beaten by this arrogant girl. After a few blows she noticed something else: this hurt like hell. She screamed, "Stop! Stop at once!"

Nila ignored Carol's angry cries and continued to stripe her thighs and bottom. Finally Carol begged, "Please stop! I'm sorry! I'll pull the wagon, please stop!"

Nila did stop. She untied Carol from the tree and moved her over to the wagon and tied her hips to the handle. "Ready? Pull!" Carol pulled and Nila pushed and the wagon rolled out of the sand and down the road. "See, Carol? If we cooperate the spirits aid us in our tasks." Carol had another opinion, but she was smart enough to keep it to herself.

When the women got back to the jail the sun was just above the horizon. Manulu was already there, and he locked the chain around Carol's waist and tied her hands to it. He looked at the welts on her bottom and thighs, but he didn't say anything.

Nila fetched the usual bowl of paste, but she also brought a large bottle of water and a sponge. She had Carol stand outside the jail and sponged off her dirty, sweaty body. Nila took down one of the pieces of canvas and spread it on the jail floor. "Lie here, Carol, and I will rub some lotion on your welts."

Carol was still angry, but she decided she had nothing to lose, so she got face-down on the cloth. She was determined to show her displeasure over the beating by avoiding any repetition of last night's sexual activities, but Nila's sensual stroking of her bottom aroused her, and she didn't resist when Nila rolled her over and applied a busy tongue to her slit. Carol discovered that it hurt to lay on her bruised bottom, but somehow it increased her lust. Before it was completely dark she had several crashing orgasms.

* * *

Except for the beating this day turned out to be the prototype for the next four days. Carol became very irked with her part in the island's coconut industry. She didn't like being a draft animal and protested to Nila, but all she got in reply was assurance that she was becoming more in harmony with the spirits. When she hinted that she didn't really care about the spirits Nila picked up the switch. Carol shut up. She never again balked at pulling the wagon, either. (Carol was a quick learner).

At noon of the fifth day Nila led Carol back to the jail after another morning of tedious labor. Nila let Carol squat over the latrine sand, and led her back under the jail roof and helped her sit.

Nila announced, "Manulu will not be here today, so I cannot remove the yoke." This was a blow to Carol; the yoke was digging into her shoulders, and worse, it meant that Nila couldn't massage them.

Nila held a bottle of water to Carol's lips. Carol drank her fill, and then obediently ate some paste that Nila scooped up with her fingers. As a special treat Nila fed her a tropical fruit. Carol didn't know its name, but it looked and tasted like a cross between a mango and a peach. When the meal was over Nila wiped Carol's face with a damp bandana.

Carol said, "I'm surprised at the number of people here who speak English. How did you learn it?

"We went to mission school. Chief Tonongo wants everyone to learn English."

Carol perked up. If there was a mission school there was probably a missionary, and he might have a radio she could use to summon help. She was becoming desperate to leave the island; the nightly interludes with Nila were very enjoyable, but the days pulling the wagon while carrying around the yoke were not. Besides, her life was with C-L.

"Who runs this mission?"

"Pastor Brigham. He has lived on island a long time."

"Where is the mission school?"

"Next to church."

Duh. Carol patiently asked, "Where's the church?"

"About a mile down that road." Nila pointed inland.

Carol moaned and flexed her shoulders. "Please, could you take off the yoke for a few minutes? I've got a terrible cramp in my arm."

Nila hesitated. Manulu had told her not to release Carol from the yoke unless there was a man in attendance or unless Carol was chained to the post. Carol moaned more piteously and kind-hearted Nila fell for it. She removed the locking pins and separated the boards that imprisoned Carol's neck and wrists.

"Oh, thank you. That's much better." Carol casually picked up the bandanna. "What's that?" She pointed over Nila's shoulder, and when Nila turned she jumped up, grabbed her from behind, and jammed the bandanna into her mouth. Nila struggled, but Carol applied an armlock and increased the pressure until Nila was on her knees with her face against the ground.

"I don't want to hurt you, Nila, so do as I say." Carol picked up one of the pieces of rope that were scattered around and looped it around Nila's captive wrist. "Now put your other hand behind you."

When Nila put her other hand behind her back Carol wrapped rope around it too. She pushed Nila face down on the ground and knelt astride her hips. The loop of rope around her wrists was joined by others until Nila was a helpless captive.

Carol tied Nina's elbows together and brought the loose ends of the rope under Nila's armpits and tied them together at the back of her neck. More rope was used to tie Nila's ankles and then join them to the elbow binding in a tight hogtie.

"Oops, can't have that!" Nila had almost managed to spit out the bandanna. Carol shoved it back in and wrapped rope around Nila's head to hold it in place.

Carol unwrapped the sarong from the immobilized Nila and wrapped it around her own hips. She nonchalantly sauntered down the road until she was away from the village, and then she walked fast until she reached the church.

A white-haired old man was sitting in a pew, reading a bible. Carol waited patiently until he looked up at her. "Pastor Brigham?" Carol asked.

"Yep. Can I help you?" He ran an appreciative glance over Carol's body.

"Do you have a radio?"

"Sure do. Would you like to see it?"

"Oh, yes." Carol followed the old man into a small office. On a table was a large metal box, painted black. Carol looked at the nameplate. It read: Mfg by RCA Corp; Property of-US Navy; Date of Mfg-1944.

"Navy gave that to me during the war. It hasn't worked since about 1950."

"Do you have another radio? A satellite phone? Anything?"

"No, I don't, but..." Pastor Brigham stopped when Manulu appeared at the door of the small room. "Hello, Manulu. What brings you here?"

He pointed at Carol. "I'm looking for her." He asked Carol, "Will you avoid a struggle?"

Carol could see two other men in the church. She nodded glumly and followed Manulu out of the office. Once in the church the other men seized her arms and forced her outside. Manulu used thin rope to tie her hands back-to-back, and tied more rope around her elbows. He couldn't make them meet, but he could cause a lot of pain, and Carol groaned.

Manulu tied a slip knot in another piece of rope and tightened it around Carol's neck. As the final indignity he took off her sarong. He jerked the leash and led Carol back to the jail.

Nila was still at the jail. She was no longer gagged and hogtied, but her arms were still tied behind her back and a rope around her neck tethered her to a roof support. She gave Carol a reproachful glance and then looked away.

Manulu fastened Carol's tether to another post and left the jail, leaving the two men on guard. He returned over an hour later, accompanied by Chief Tonongo and what looked like half of the people in the village.

The chief spoke to Carol and Manulu translated. "You have acted out of harmony with the spirits. Your punishment is twenty lashes."

Manulu untied the tether from the post and the two guards forced Carol over to what looked like an oversized sawhorse, with a horizontal pole at waist height. Carol struggled, but she was bent over the pole anyway and Manulu tied the neck rope around her ankles to keep her there. A matronly woman dressed in a muumuu stepped behind her. She was carrying a leather strap.

The woman applied the strap across Carol's bottom and she yelped. It stung, but the pain wasn't all that bad, especially compared to Nila's switch. Carol yelped after each blow, more for show than because she was really hurt. When the beating was over Manulu refastened her tether to the roof support. Her bottom was red and tender, but there weren't any raised welts.

The chief spoke again, this time to Nila. Manulu translated, "You have disobeyed the orders given you. Your punishment is ten lashes."

When the chief had spoken Nila gasped and burst into tears. Carol wondered why she was so upset. Nila had to know that the strap was no bullwhip, yet she was behaving as though she were to be burnt at the stake. Then Carol noticed the young women in the crowd. They all had looks of fear and anticipation, and Carol understood; to be publicly beaten was a vast humiliation, and Nila was mourning her impending loss of status.

Carol felt two emotions that were rare for her: guilt and affection. She forced herself to speak before her ingrained reflexes made her suppress them. "It was my fault. Give me the ten lashes, not Nila."

Chief Tonongo looked at her, surprise plain on his face. Then he nodded, and Carol was bound over the pole and given ten more lashes with the strap. She didn't bother to yelp this time.

The guards untied her arms and put her back into the yoke. The chain was locked around her waist and her legs were imprisoned in the stocks. She sat leaning against a support post, squirming on her sore bottom, and wondering how she could possibly get comfortable.

Manulu untied Nila and returned the liberated sarong. She put it on and turned to go back to the village. Then she stopped and gave Carol a smile of gratitude. Carol was cheered by the memory of that smile as the night slowly passed and her discomfort changed to pain.

At dawn Manulu and Nila arrived at the jail. He removed the stocks from Carol's ankles and released her arms and neck from the yoke. Nila helped her stand up and Carol groaned as she worked the stiffness out of her muscles.

"What do you have for me today, Manulu? More coconut collecting?" Carol was very tired. The yoke had kept her from lying down, so she had spent the night sitting in a hunched-over position; her back hurt. Nila hadn't visited her, and this neglect made her grouchy.

"I have news that will please you, Carol. The spirits have spoken to Chief Tonongo and told him they have chosen this morning as the time for you to leave the island." Manulu unchained her waist and gave her a muumuu. "The inter-island freighter is here, and it will take you to Palelu. There is a satellite phone on Palelu, and also airline service to Guam, where you can get a flight back to the United States."

Outwardly Carol accepted the glad news quietly, but inside she was rejoicing. She pulled the muumuu over her head and walked with the others to the beach; skipping would have been undignified. While Manulu was launching a canoe Carol hugged Nila and they kissed. "Goodbye, Nila. Whenever you want to visit the United States write to me and I'll arrange it."

Carol got into the canoe and Manulu paddled her out to the small, rusty freighter anchored in the lagoon. She stepped onto the accommodation ladder. "Goodbye, Manulu. Give my regards to Chief Tonongo, that SOB."

* * *

It was after midnight when Manulu entered the chief's hut. "Captain Chen radioed, Uncle. Carol has just gone ashore at Palelu."

"Good." Chief Tonongo took out his satellite phone and dialed the number of his stockbroker in New York. He checked the time. "The stock exchange is still open."

"Merrill Lynch, Bart Andrews speaking."

"Hello, Bart. Tonongo here."

"Hi, Chief. What can I do for you today?"

"I want you to close out my short position in Choplet-LaSalle stock."

"Are you sure, Chief? Without Carol Simony C-L is having a very rough time and the stock keeps going down. It could be a long way from the bottom."

"Oh, I think it'll recover. In fact, I want to buy an additional 50,000 shares of C-L."

"Whatever you say, Chief. I can't argue with success."

"The spirits have been generous. Goodbye, Bart." He hung up.

"How much money will we make, Uncle?"

"Enough to complete the hospital and also build the new school."

"That will make Nila a bit happier. She hasn't been entirely comfortable with what we did to Carol."

"We might have been a bit harsh, but you must agree that Carol asked for it. I hope she learned something from her island adventure."

The End

Story copyright© 2002 by Zack. All rights reserved.
I welcome your comments. E-mail me at zack_writer@hotmail.com or zack_writer@yahoo.com