Oliver D. Bernuetz's Stories

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Cora Takes the Cake

The orgy was into its 54 hour, an auspicious hour for any endeavor even the most sordid.  The participants were still going strong and everyone was having a good time.  Everyone that is except the performers.  They were bone tired.   And weary of putting on spectacular feats of acrobatics for an audience that could at best be described as indifferent.  And even indifferent was a tad charitable as many of the performers had had things thrown at them or jeers and aspersions slung their way.  Worse yet several of the female performers had been propositioned by the orgy goers.  This despite their supposedly inviolable status as sacred virgin acrobats of Tri.  In fact only the hasty intersection by the Master of Ceremonies of a fabulously valuable porcelain vase from Jillaro with a Char-Un hetman's cranium saved a boy acrobat from deflowerment.  Much to the vase's detriment unfortunately.  That had been 23 hours previous and both the Master of Ceremonies and the pieces of the vase had long since been swept away.  In fact he was already 22 hours distant from both Glamour and the hetman's wrath.  Unfortunately since then the orgy had gotten progressively worse for the entertainers because the new Master of Ceremonies lacked both the experience and the compassion of the old one.  Moonson himself was nowhere in sight though at least two proxies were present.  At least the assumption was that they were proxies and no one present had the status to question them. 

As mentioned already the acrobats were tired.  And what was worse they were hungry.  They had just come off a much needed but far too short break only to discover that no one had arranged a meal for them.  Their stomachs grumbled but being very much out of their element none of them felt free to complain.  Besides which their leader had already complained to the new Master of Ceremonies about the lack of a change of clean garments and been rewarded with a blank reptilian look.  Faced with this the leader had apologized for his impudence and almost tripped over his normally nimble feet as he fled the Master of Ceremonies' presence.  This did not bode well for the immediate future, especially as the orgy was still scheduled for another 54 hours at least.  And they were contracted to be present for the entire orgy. Tired and hungry the acrobats were almost at the point of making mistakes!  This was no way to serve Moonson or Tri.  But what to do?  Who had the authority or ability to help them?  The leader watched mournfully as the human pyramid the acrobats were creating wobbled slightly.

Then through a curtain that led back into the bowels of the palace came one of Moonson's courtesans.  She was clad, well perhaps clad was a trifle grandiose for a garment so filmy and insubstantial.  She was stretching sensously and yawning and the leader had to avert his eyes.  No oath of celibacy no matter how heartfelt or strict could make him look at that.  Scratching delicately she wandered over to him.   "Hello", she said.  "Anything interesting going on?"   She looked over at the pyramid just in time to see one of the acrobats in the middle lose her grip and slip to the floor, toppling the entire structure.  This sight was greeted by more jeers and taunts. "Oh dear, they're getting hungry and tired aren't they?  The poor dears."  The leader grimaced and barely restrained himself from rushing over to help them.  The courtesan looked the leader right in the eye and said, "When did you eat and rest last?"  He murmured back, "We just rested but we haven't eaten since yesterday."  The courtesan shook her head and said, "I'll do something about that." 

She walked over to the Master of Ceremonies and pointed at the acrobats.   He shook his head and she expostulated with him.  He shook his head some more.   She reached up, grasped his chin in her hand and turned his head so that she could look him right in the eyes.  They locked gazes for a while but he was the first to break eye contact.  He laughed a short, unpleasant laugh and waved at the elaborate feast set out before the orgy the centerpiece of which was an enormous cake six feet tall.   She smiled, thanked him and returned to the leader.  "Good news, the Master of Ceremonies has agreed to let you take another break and you can even eat from the orgy feast. He's letting us have an adjoining room.  However, I have to serve you and I can only make one trip."  The leader thanked her profusely but stammered that his troupe had 19 members.  The woman silenced him and directed him to take his troupe to the assigned room which she showed him.

The leader quickly gathered his flock and assembled them in the room.   They flopped down exhaustedly on the provided pillows and lay there inertly.   The leader explained about the courtesan and the deal she had struck and they groaned.  At least they could rest a bit even if she couldn't feed them all.   After an interval the courtesan entered empty handed.  The troupe's faces fell when they saw her.  She spoke up, "Now, now don't look like that.  Close your eyes because I have a surprise.  They obliged and they heard the clatter and clink of dishes.  "Now open your eyes," she said.  They opened their eyes and saw a feast spread out before them.  Dish after dish of elaborate food were laid out before them.  They couldn't believe their eyes and just sat there dumbfounded.  "Eat, eat," the woman said. They fell upon the dishes like starving vermin and soon cleaned the dishes.  Throughout the feasting the courtesan just sat their and watched them eat with a smile on her face.

After all the food was gone they lay there replete.  "How do we thank you enough?" said the leader.  "No thanks are necessary," said the courtesan.  "I'm just doing as Moonson tells me."   "Pardon?" said the leader puzzledly, "You mean Moonson tells you to feed acrobats?" She laughed and said, "No silly. My name is Cora.":   This statement was greeted by gasps.  Even they had heard of the famous Cora, most favoured of Moonson's courtesans.  "Close your eyes," she instructed them and they gladly obliged.  "Now open them."  They opened them only to be greeted by the sight of the enormous cake.  "You see," she said smiling broadly, "Moonson always tells me, Cora my dear, you take the cake."

Last modified July 29, 2003.   

Last updated September 25, 2016

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