Little Big Man

LITTLE BIG MAN – a serial novel by Travis Creel

[Author's Note: By the way, feel free to contact me if the spirit moves you. I enjoy hearing from and engaging with readers (as long as they're not throwing brickbats!). And if you have questions, I'm happy to answer them if I can do so without giving away spoilers. And, yes - they WILL get off the damn boat - but not before a surprise or two ...]

CHAPTER NINETEEN – THE CAMPAIGN BEGINS

Previously: Round Four – to reduce the number of Tops from 16 to 12 – is held via the ancient game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Alex is relieved when first Matti, then Rhody, and even Noisy and his new friend North Dakota ("Nodak") emerge victorious, only to find himself pitted mano-a-mano against Kansas. Alex wins, and supplies one of the eight cocks Kansas hosts during his initiation.

Even before Round Four is conducted, Dmitri and his partners Yuri, Boris and Sergei are thinking ahead, making plans for Round Five. They want to try to manipulate the results so that each winds up with a personal slave that fits his particular type'. They hold a mock draft' to see whom to protect, each Russian choosing two boys; the others are potential `targets' for a mysterious project that Yuri is in charge of. While Alex is among the protected eight, Matti is not.

DMITRI: TUESDAY, 14 JUNE, MORNING – OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA

We met again to adjust our strategy after the results of Round Four. We invited the assistants to join us – this was the first voyage for Carlos and Ricky, and we wanted to keep them informed; DeJuan and Ramses had roles to play in this.

• So let me explain Round Five. It's the final competition; we end the voyage with eight Tops. There will be three tables – Red, White, and Blue.

• (Ricky) Because they're Americans.

• (Sergei) The Russian flag is also red, white, and blue.

• (Ricky) Oops. Forgot that.

• One complete table will become Bottoms. The twist is that the Tops themselves will choose which table it is. Yuri is preparing a puzzle video which is also part of the competition. But he will include subliminal inserts that evoke negative feelings about the color red and the four boys seated at the Red table.

• (Boris) Only we haven't decided who they are yet. We will do that this morning.

• (Yuri) Yesterday morning we held a mock draft of the two boys each of us most wanted as his slave. I prepared inserts for the other eight, and today we'll choose which four I use.

• (Carlos) But four Tops became Bottoms last night. Didn't some of your choices get eliminated?

• (Yuri) Sadly, yes. But nobody lost both of his picks.

• (Boris) Still, it was a blow.

• Boris lost his number one. So did Sergei, and Yuri lost his number two. But guess who still has both picks? Plus a third that he also lusts for? That would be . . . Dmitri!

• (Boris) Don't be smug, Dmitri. It's not becoming. Besides, I still have three Black boys to choose from, don't forget.

• You had five to begin with.

• (Sergei) It's not a competition, comrades. It's a game.

• (Yuri) A game is not a competition?

• (Sergei) Not among us. The game is who winds up where. The entire future of these boys is determined by this little game we are playing. That is why it is so fun. We are the House playing roulette with their lives. And the House always wins. Although some of our picks are no longer virgin, which rules them out.

• (Ricky) Got it. You need to take their virginity yourselves.

• But no matter who we loses, we'd still have a lovely virgin to take home with us. That's why we had all those state contests to begin with. To make sure every boy on this ship would be a desirable slave.

• (DeJuan) Well, someone sure fucked up in Florida. (Laughter.)

• (Yuri) All right, enough of this. I have final editing to do. I'm ready with inserts for the eight we identified yesterday. Which ones do we I use?

• Well, those eight are now seven. Maryland was Bottomed last night.

• (DeJuan) Quite thoroughly.

• So we're left with Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. I still have both my picks – North Dakota and Wisconsin – so the rest of you get to protect one more. Somebody do me a favor and protect Minnesota. Boris?

• (Boris) Did Minnesota turn Black overnight? I don't think so. Illinois.

• Sergei?

• (Sergei) It's so difficult. My Latino or my Korean? I'll protect . . . my Korean. Delaware.

• Yuri?

• (Yuri) Sorry, Dmitri. Mine is obvious. Muscle man. Rhode Island.

• So the dreaded Red tablecloth goes to Nevada, Oregon, and South Carolina. And (sigh) Minnesota.

• (Yuri) I'll get to work. All the inserts are ready. It won't take me two hours to splice them in. You guys settle the rest of it. (Leaves.)

• Now, Ramses, here's why you're here. We have to set up the other two tables to find the groups most likely to work together to vote against Red. Which is why we asked you to study the patterns of their social interactions – who associates with whom.

• (Ramses) You want to put boys with their natural allies, correct?

• As much as possible.

• (Ramses) Okay, first of all put the Dakotas together.

• Check.

• (Ramses) And Rhode Island with Wisconsin. They're definitely close.

• (DeJuan) Illinois with Delaware?

• (Ramses) Yes.

• (Boris) Which leaves Mississippi and Wyoming. My top choice, after last night, and Sergei's.

• (Ramses) Not a natural pairing but Wyoming's friends are Nevada and Oregon, and they are both Red.

• So how do we pair them up?

• (Ramses) Ordinarily, I'd say pair Rhode Island and Wisconsin with Illinois and Delaware.

• (DeJuan) Yes, they sit together a lot, they'd definitely coordinate as a group.

• (Ramses) But there's a problem. There are really five members of that cohort. Who is the fifth? Minnesota. You put all four of them together, they'll band together to protect Minnesota. Split them up and their loyalties are divided. So put Illinois and Delaware with the Dakotas.

• Let's make that the White table, DeJuan.

• (DeJuan) Yes, but that puts Wisconsin and Wyoming both in Blue. Wisconsin hates Wyoming.

• (Carlos) Everybody hates Wyoming. He's an obnoxious little prick –

• (Sergei) Whose prick is not so little. He's Yuri's top choice, we should try to protect him.

• (Ramses) Putting him with Wisconsin will help with that. Most of the boys like Wisconsin.

• Both of Yuri's boys are at the Blue table. If the voting goes wrong –

• (Ramses) They're not going to vote Blue. Trust me. Illinois and Delaware will have to sacrifice either Wisconsin or Minnesota, and they won't choose Blue just because they don't like Wyoming. They also like Rhode Island. And they're not close to anyone at Red table than Minnesota. They'll have to give him up.

• Sergei? Both of your boys are at White.

• (Sergei) Not worried. I agree with Ramses – with this configuration they're going to vote Red. But even if they vote White, I've still got Nevada. Who will do just fine.

• So, DeJuan, you got this? Blue is Mississippi, Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island. And White is North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware and Illinois.

• (DeJuan) And we get them to vote . . .

• (Everyone) Red.

FLASHFORWARD: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 - ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

DMITRI: Had I known then what I've been reading in your history, Alexei, I would have known how much it would have distressed you that Minnesota got the Red tablecloth. Not that it would have mattered to me. The distress of our subjects is a necessary part of the process of breaking a man so that he can transition to slavehood.

But life is full of twists and turns, isn't it? Things didn't work out the way either of us expected.

ALEX: TUESDAY, JUNE 14, MORNING – OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA

To my relief, Latronius didn't visit me Monday night. But he showed up the next morning with a breakfast tray.

• What, are we confined to our cabins again?

• You are.

• Just me?

• Why do you say that?

• You didn't say, "You ARE", like we all were. You said, "YOU are," like it was only me.

• I did?

• So – is everybody confined to cabins or just me?

• Why would it be just you?

I was getting nowhere with this, and decided to change topics.

• There are eight guys missing, four Bottoms and four Eunuchs. What happened to them?

• They left.

• In Equatorial Guinea. Were they sold?

• (smile)

• Are we going to be sold, too?

• Bitch, they pay me a lot of money not to answer questions like that.

• So we are.

• (shrug)

• Fuck.

• Thanks for the offer, but I'm not allowed. Besides, I'm exhausted from spending the night widening West Virginia's hole.

• Did you choose him just so you could almost say `Wisconsin'?

• (smile) You really are paranoid, aren't you, bitch?

• Shouldn't I be?

• Maybe, baby. But deep down you want my cock buried in your sweet ass.

• Is that a hint I'm supposed to display for you now?

• Nah, not today. That little hillbilly satisfied my lust for now. Didn't like it up his ass, but that boy gave me the best blow job I've had on this ship.

• How long am I confined to my cabin?

• Until the door opens. You might find some interesting TV later.

Latronius left without further incident, and I was locked away for the morning. There were no knocks on my door all morning, so I concluded that everyone must have been confined to their cabins, and Latronius was playing with me. If Matti were free to move around, he surely would have come looking for me. Rhody and Del too. But they didn't. So I must have just been paranoid. Or so I thought at the time.

DMITRI: TUESDAY, 14 JUNE, LATE MORNING – OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA

Ramses came to me with a concern.

• Didn't show up for breakfast?

• No, sir. One of the enforcers said he went to investigate and the boy said he wasn't hungry, but he was fine. Wasn't sick.

• Which enforcer?

• Latronius. Should we send one of the doctors to make sure?

• No. They get depressed sometimes when they see their friends get Bottomed. Do you know if he was friends with any of the new Bottoms? Kansas, maybe? He was in a group with him.

• I've never seen them together otherwise.

• Well, if he doesn't show up for lunch, then we'll do something, but until then just wait.

ALEX: TUESDAY, JUNE 14, LATE MORNING, AFTERNOON – OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA

The monitor beeped about eleven o'clock. WATCH CAREFULLY was all it said. There followed a very confusing video montage that lasted several minutes. Parts of it were abstract – a combination of circles and rectangles and triangles, all red, white, or blue. Each was followed by a number sequence, like 5-2-3. I figured the numbers related to the diagram that had preceded it, like there were five circles, two rectangles and three triangles, or maybe five blue things, two red things, and three white things. It went too fast. Were we supposed to memorize these? Were they going to ask us how many white circles were in the sixth diagram?

Toward the end, there were a series of stills, about one second each, showing each of the twelve Tops' full body shots, both front and rear – obviously taken from the `physicals' we took prior to our state contests. And then close-ups of what were presumably our asses – they weren't labeled, and were colored a rich crimson to disguise natural skin color. Was this another guessing game like the one last Thursday? Were we expected to recognize each other? And would the virginity of our own asses depend on our ability to identify others'? If so, what was the point of that geometric shape stuff?

To top it off, they showed about thirty seconds of the losers of last night's contests – California, Iowa, Kansas and Maryland – being rudely screwed by crew members. Following this came a message – SHOULD THESE HAVE BEEN THE ONES WHO GOT BOTTOMED? And then: OR SHOULD IT HAVE BEEN THESE? There followed a series of rapid-fire pictures of asses – not everyone's ass, it seemed to me, but only some of them repeated several times only. But it went so fast I couldn't make sense of it.

My head was spinning. Clearly this montage had some part to play in Round Five. Which was not today, but tomorrow night.

Not long afterwards, we were called to lunch. I pressed the palm pad skeptically, and was relieved to find that the door slid open. I bolted into the corridor and beelined it to Matti's room.

• Oh, thank god. Are you okay?

• I'm fine. What did you think of that freaky video?

• Fuck the video. What happened to you? I was so worried when you didn't show up at breakfast.

• Breakfast? I was locked in my cabin. Weren't you?

• No, everyone was there except you. We were all afraid they had –

• That bastard.

• What? Who? Huh?

• Latronius. I asked him if we were locked in our cabins and he said, "YOU are," like I was the only one. And then he played coy when I tried to get him to explain.

• They locked you in your cabin.

• Yes.

• Just you?

• Apparently.

• But why? Are they targeting you in particular? Are they trying to make you freak out?

• Or was this something Latronius cooked up on his own? But he didn't even touch me, said he was too worn out from fucking West Virginia all night. So if this was something he did without their knowing about it . . . it makes no sense.

• I suspect very little goes on without their knowing about it. I don't like this at all, Alex.

"Alex". Matti was truly worried if he was using my real name.

• Nothing's happened, Matti. But why didn't you come looking for me?

• We were locked in, too. But only AFTER breakfast. Maroons escorted us back to our rooms and I couldn't come over to see you. Not to change the subject – and I'm not really changing the subject – but about the video. They seemed to suggest that the wrong guys got turned last night.

• Yeah. Those asses at the end – it was like they were saying those should have been the guys. But I don't know whose asses they were, it went so fast.

• Do you think yours was one of them?

• To be honest, Matti, I don't know. But there were several of them. I was the only one missing at breakfast?

• You were the only one. But I don't know about your theory. That they wanted you to have gotten fucked last night.

• Why?

• Because I think one of those asses was mine.

When we entered the Dining Hall for lunch, all three groups were present, but separated. The small area for Tops had three tables at it – with three different colored tablecloths. DeJuan was there and told us to find our places. This time, the seating was not random – we were assigned seats; place cards were positioned by each place setting.

A table with a red tablecloth was at the front of the room, with a gap between it and the other two tables, as though an intermediate table had been removed. The next table had a white tablecloth and the one in the back was blue. That was where I found my place card.

I was not happy. Matti was at the red table, well away from me. Worse than that, I was grouped with Wyoming. Rhody was at my table, which helped, along with Mississippi, whom I liked but wasn't close to.

At the white table, I saw the Dakota twins along with Del and Noisy. Matti was grouped with guys we didn't know well – Nevada, Oregon, and South Carolina.

I thought a moment about the colors. Red, white, and blue. Just like the geometric shapes in the video. Was that important?

I thought again about that video and Matti's comment as we left his room – if Matti's ass was one of those in the final frames of the video, were the others those of his tablemates? These seat assignments were deliberate, not random like before. And the asses in the video were the same color as that red tablecloth.

Wyoming was quite pleasant during lunch, and actually apologized for taunting us in the pool the other day and saying we were turning the water lavender. He confessed that sometimes he was super-aggressive as a defense mechanism against feeling insecure. I wondered if maybe I should give him a second chance before relegating him to the category of "Guys Who Need Their Comeuppance". His dad was a rodeo clown who got gored by a bull and died. His mother a "whore" who didn't give a shit whether Wyoming – or his dad – lived or died. Nice world we live in.

After lunch, Matti, Rhody, and I played miniature golf (at which I rock) in the rec room. We asked Noisy and Del to join us but they declined. Frankly, they were a little weird about it. Noisy in particular looked at me as if he was pissed about something. He wasn't exactly rude, but not exactly friendly either.

I was on my third hole of the second round (having won the first) when we were suddenly summoned back to our rooms. For – guess what – they played the video again. The exact same video. I wasn't sure what was more important to focus on – the diagrams or the bodies. I decided on the diagrams, to see if I could memorize the number sequences and maybe associate them with the patterns. Matti would be really good at this; I should have asked him.

When the end came on – after having to watch those four poor guys getting their holes reamed – I watched the rapid-fire asses carefully. On second viewing, it was clear that it was just the same four asses repeating. I saw the ass that Matti thought was his – did the others belong to his tablemates? I'd have to spend some time looking at the other guys' asses to figure it out. I remembered that Oregon liked to sunbathe lying on his stomach. Maybe we could study his ass and look for distinguishing features to match against the video when they showed it again – which I was certain they would. If South Carolina or Nevada showed up, we could study their asses, too.

I went to Matti's room and suggested this course of action, which he bought into entirely. I then asked him about the geometric shapes and the number sequences, expecting him to have figured it out, but he hadn't.

• It doesn't look like the same thing each time. The first sequence was 5-3-2, shown after five circles, three triangles, and two rectangles. But the second sequence was 6-4-1 and there were six white things, four red things, and one blue one. And it didn't match up at all with the shapes. The next one was 4-3-3 and there were four triangles and three of the other two shapes but there were also four red objects and three white and blue ones. So who knows what was standing for what?

• I think that's why they're going to show us the video again. Until we figure it out. This last contest is going to be a mental one, and it all depends on that video. If we concentrate, we can win. We're bound to do better than Wyoming.

• I wouldn't be too sure of that. Wyoming is no dumb bunny. What disturbs me most is that they've seated us in three groups of four, and not four groups of three. If it were four groups of three, I'd feel certain the competition was going to be like last night – one guy in each group loses and gets fucked by the others in his group.

• As well as by half the ship.

• But they said that we were going to be narrowed down from twelve to eight. That means four losers. We have three groups of four. That must mean it's group against group. Which means your group and my group –

• Have to make Bottoms out of Noisy and Del and Nodak. Shit.

• Them or us, Cheesehead. Zero-sum game. I'm not going to sacrifice you to save them, and I hope you feel the same about me.

• Well, of course, Matti, don't be ridiculous. But if you're right – this is painful. That's three friends at the white table. I don't give a damn about the other guys at your table – just you. Why couldn't they switch you with Wyoming?

• Because life is a bitch. Keep your perspective. Noisy and Del are competitors now. The only way we can both stay Tops is if we beat them. We can't lose each other, Cheesehead.

I didn't point out that losing each other seemed just a matter of time. I suggested a swim, followed by drying out in the sun – and a chance for some serious ass-studying.

Oregon was indeed sunbathing lying on his stomach, so I took plenty of opportunity to study the contours of his rear end, comparing it with that of Mississippi, who was lying nearby. Oregon's cleft was a bit shorter and less deep, but he had a vestige of hair at the top of the cleft, whereas Mississippi had none. I told Matti, "turn around" and studied his shapely rump for a moment. I realized that the amount and placement of hair above the butt cleavage was a good way of distinguishing one ass from the others. Dimpling was another, of course, as were small variations in shape – how round and elongated the mounds of flesh were.

While we were there, something unpleasant happened. The Dakota twins showed up. In recent days, I had gotten friendly with Nodak; South Dakota I knew less well, but generally liked him. He was a full-blooded Sioux, with a rugged body, though not as well-defined as Rhody or Wyoming.

It was he who spoke first. Directly to me.

• (South Dakota) We want to know if it's true.

• If what's true?

• (South Dakota) That you were with the Russians.

• What?!

• (Nodak) That's what we heard. I'm not saying I believe it, but that's what we heard.

• What do you mean, with the Russians? Why would I be with the Russians?

• (South Dakota) You weren't at breakfast this morning.

• I know. I was pissed off about that. I was locked in my cabin. One of the maroons brought me my breakfast.

• (South Dakota) You weren't having breakfast with the Russians? A champagne breakfast?

• (laughing) Champagne breakfast? In my dreams!

• (South Dakota) You were just locked in your room. And one of the maroons brought you breakfast. In your room. And there was nothing special about it. And no Russians appeared, just this one maroon.

• That's right. That's exactly what happened.

• (South Dakota) Why?

• I wish the hell I knew.

• (Nodak) It doesn't make sense.

• (Matti) It doesn't to us either.

• (Nodak) You didn't get any special treatment.

• I thought just the opposite. It felt like I was being punished.

• (South Dakota) But why? Why you?

• Like I said before. I wish the hell I knew.

The conversation had developed an audience. Oregon, Mississippi and Nevada were all paying close attention. The Dakotas left, not looking entirely convinced, though Nodak gave me a friendly wave as they departed.

I needed to talk to Matti – alone – and motioned to him discreetly that we should leave. He shook his head: Not now. I realized it would look conspiratorial if he and I left suddenly after the conversation with the Dakotas, so we stayed put for a while and we talked about how we were now going east, not south – and so must be going around South Africa.

After about ten minutes, I said, "I'm dry. Let's go back for another swim."

"Rinse and repeat," said Matti and we left together and headed not to the pool but to his room.

• So should I have told them about Latronius?

• What would you have told them?

• That he lusts after my body. That maybe has an ulterior motive for taking me down.

• You want to tell them you've been visited by a maroon who thinks you're hot? Is that going to decrease their conspiracy theories? Or increase them?

• Hmm, maybe you're right. Maybe they'll think I'm getting special treatment, that he's working for the Russians.

• He IS working for the Russians.

• He's employed by the Russians, but I think he's working for himself. In any case, I think this explains why Noisy and Del were so standoffish after lunch. They must have heard about it.

There was a knock on the door. I shooed Matti into the bathroom like a lover in a screwball comedy when the woman's husband comes home, and admitted the guest: Nodak.

• Hey.

• Hey.

• Just wanted to tell you I didn't believe that about you.

• It's not true, Nodak. I'm as confused as you are. I don't know what this means and, to be honest, it scares me. Why was I singled out? I don't know. How did you hear this?

• Illinois heard it. One of the maroons told him.

• Ah. Which maroon?

• He didn't say. He just said this big hulking maroon said, "Do you know where your little friend was during breakfast?" And then he said that you were with the Russians having champagne and scrambled eggs with caviar.

• Totally, totally not true.

• Well, I believe you. I don't think South Dakota does, though.

• Del and Noisy?

• They don't know what to believe. It sounds crazy, but your story's crazy too. They're suspicious.

• Great. Listen, Nodak, when it comes to the competition, just do your best, you know. I mean the way it looks – you, me, Minnesota – we can't all make it through this next round. So, you know, every man for himself, I guess. Zero-sum game and all that.

• Zero-sum - ?

• An economics term. Minnesota taught it to me.

• What I don't get is – if it's not true, why would the maroon say that to Noisy?

• Trying to stir up trouble. Maybe it's the exact opposite of what you think. Maybe the Russians are trying to doom my ass.

• Okay, Wes. I just wanted to let you know – you're still my friend.

• Thanks, Nodak.

He left and Matti emerged from the bathroom.

• So?

• Sounds like we have some public relations work to do. Win back our friends.

• Do we? Remember, Cheesehead, they're our competition now. If we're going to save both our asses, we've got to beat the white table. Maybe we shouldn't be that close to them.

This was indeed terrible. I was either going to lose my virginity, three friends . . . or Matti. It wouldn't be pretty, whatever happened. I would choose Matti, of course, though the more I thought about it the less I liked his tablemates. I kept thinking negative thoughts about the red table. And for some reason, the opposite was happening with respect to Wyoming. I'm not sure why I had thought him so obnoxious. Okay, he had said some insulting things, but that was just his insecurity coming out in an aggressive fashion. He'd been through a lot, it was his way of dealing with it. He wasn't really so bad.

DMITRI: TUESDAY, JUNE 14, EVENING – OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA

So Yuri's subliminal messaging was starting to have an effect. He had built in some images designed to evoke warm feelings toward Wyoming as well as negative ones about the Red group – and the color red in general.

At dinner we made sure that the Red group was served first, and got bigger portions. We even gave them ice cream and then, before serving the others, said that unfortunately there had been an `accident' and the rest of the ice cream had spilled onto the floor. They didn't buy that story, of course, just as we intended. The White and Blue groups saw that the Red group was favored, and our campaign of resentment against the Reds was well under way.

ALEX: At dinner they confirmed that we would be competing group against group. One whole table was going down. They didn't tell us what the competition was, but we knew it had to do with the videos.

DMITRI: And we knew that it had nothing to do with the videos, except for the subliminal messages they contained. It was simply a matter of voting which table you wanted to turn into Bottoms. A lovely ethical dilemma for our poor Tops to ponder.

At least, that was the plan.

ALEX: After dinner, despite Matti's advice, I dragged him along to talk to Noisy and Del. It didn't go well.

• So that's what happened.

• (Noisy) You expect us to believe that?

• (Matti) It's what happened.

• (Del) So how did it feel, wearing clothes again?

• Huh? What are you talking about?

• (Del) We heard they let you wear clothes.

• That's ridiculous. I've been naked for ten straight days.

• (Del) You were taken up to one of the Russians' rooms and you had breakfast with them, some kind of lavish feast, and they let you walk around the ship with your clothes on. That's why the rest of us were locked in our cabins all morning – so we wouldn't see you with your clothes on. Why else would they lock us in our cabins?

• (Matti) And why would they let him wear clothes?

• (Noisy) I don't know. What did you agree to do for them, Wes?

• Fuck. What could I do for them that would make them reward me?

• (Matti) They have total power over us, they can make us do anything they want. There's nothing he could do to bribe them to be nice to him. For heaven's sake, they're going to sell our asses when we get off of this ship. What fucking reason do they have to choose one of us to be nice to?

• Who did you hear this from? Let me tell you. A maroon. A big hulking black maroon named Latronius.

• (Noisy) No, it was Robinson.

• What? That makes no sense. It has to be Latronius. Maybe Robinson is a friend of Latronius. Look, Latronius is this maroon who has a thing for me. He comes to my room and makes me touch his dick and he rubs his hands all over my ass and tells me how he can't wait to fuck me. He's trying to get me in trouble.

• (Noisy) And why should he do that? Who's he going to get you in trouble with?

• You, apparently.

• (Noisy) Why? What does he have to gain? I know what he has to gain by doing you favors. Your pussy. Maybe you're putting out for him already.

• Noisy, I can't believe you. You're my friend. Listen to yourself. This is crazy. I'm the victim here, same as you are. You want to inspect my asshole, see if it looks any wider than it should? I haven't been fucked and I'm not doing any favors for Latronius. He says he's going to make sure I lose Round Five so he can fuck me. I think this is his plan.

• (Del) How is this his plan? We don't have control over who gets fucked tomorrow night. The competition is obviously about this stupid video.

• Yeah, I know. That's the part that doesn't make sense. Look, guys, I don't know what to say, except I'm totally innocent. I've gotten used to being naked – I almost like it in some weird kind of way. I wouldn't sell my soul – or my ass – for a chance to wear clothes for an hour.

• (Noisy) Maybe you would if they promised you your freedom.

• (Matti) Shit, Wisconsin, let's go. They won't listen to reason.

We left, disheartened. Matters weren't made any better when Nevada appeared in the hallway.

• (Nevada) So, did you get to wear a suit or was it just a T-shirt and shorts?

• (Matti) Go fuck yourself.

Which about summed it up. We went back to my room, where they showed the video twice more before lights out.

[COMING UP NEXT: CHAPTER TWENTY - A MORNING OF SURPRISES]