The luxury of Sir Samuel's carriage overwhelmed Jacob as he was carried through the streets of the city, it exceeded that of his own king. White fur covered seats, thick rugs of the best quality covered the floor, the door handles and Sir Samuel's insignia cast from solid silver. Sir Samuel's vanity would be no help to him in the time ahead, he would not be able to defend against Jacob's invisible attack on him. The carriage stopped at the door of a mansion at least three times the size of the house Jacob was in the process of buying, a footman waiting for his arrival placed a step in position and opened the carriage door for Jacob, standing back and bowing to him. Climbing the marble steps and entering the polished door of the mansion he was greeting by Sir Samuel's butler, Taking Jacob's cloak he passed it to another footman and motioned Jacob on to a set of double doors yet another footman was holding open for him. Sir Samuel stood to greet Jacob and led him to armchairs near the open fire where a servant stood waiting to pour whatever drink he decided upon. Once they were sat, drinks poured, the servants left the room and the two were alone to speak. The topics ranged on a wide number of subjects, Sir Samuel anxious to learn more of this widely travelled rich merchant. However in most cases he soon enough pushed towards the seamier side of life in the places Jacob had been to. Asking about Jacob's personal life in a roundabout way Jacob embellished the tales of travel, inventing stories of adventures leaving Sir Samuel even more certain that Jacob was a man with the same appetites as himself.
Finally bringing up the name of Tancred he asked Jacob "And your apprentice, is he ..."
Sir Samuel had finally managed to find a way of asking was if Tancred was Jacob's bedmate, and that gave Jacob reason to spin a tale of two boys, playmates and close friends who had grown up together, both rising through the ranks of a merchant house until they owned it together. How one of those boys, Tancred's supposed father, had married the other boy's sister, whilst Jacob had took no woman as wife. The happy result of the union of those two people being the boy Tancred. How on a trading voyage some years back the sailing ship had been lost and Tancred's father, along with all the crew had perished. He spoke of his great love for his sister and how he looked on Tancred now as his own son. In concluding the tale he left Sir Samuel believing that he had enjoyed the bedchamber with other boys in the past by saying "There are boys -- and then there are boys!" turning and casting admiring glances at some of the oil paintings of naked or barely dressed youths that hung around the room.
Jacob found it difficult to swallow some of the food laid before him as he and Sir Samuel took a little supper together. His disgust pretending to this man turned the food to ashes in his mouth. When Sir Samuel rung the bell to call for the carriage Jacob commented on the number of servants employed. Sir Samuel, not being one to lose any chance to make his own stature known to people, confirmed the information his spy network had unearthed. That Sir Samuel lived alone, and the servants all lived in a separate wing of the mansion. His wife had died some years earlier and his two sons were engaged in diplomatic positions in other lands. This information was false though, Jacob already knew that he had stripped his wife of the dowry that had come with her and then soon had her thrown in a slave cage and transported away to be sold. His sons were estranged due to him repeatedly raping them as children, and fled as soon as they were old enough to make their own way in the world, neither of them with the means to bring down a rich and powerful man of the city.
Standing in it's own extensive grounds the private club they arrived at was an unremarkable building from the outside. Patrols of guards were stationed at the gates of those grounds, these were people who took their privacy very seriously indeed. Once inside the club they were shown into a circular room, the walls curtained off, a number of tables were set on one side of the room with seating for about 10 or 12 people. Most of these seats were already taken leaving two for Jacob and Sir Samuel, them being last to arrive. One set of curtains were open with a small group of musicians quietly playing. For some time the various guests of the party chatted among themselves, and Jacob was drawn into conversations on many topics. Games of chance were played out by the patrons, with large amounts of gold won and lost on the throw of a dice or the turn of a card. Jacob contrived to lose a substantial amount, laughing at the loss as if it were no consequence. Trays of refreshments and drinks were brought to them, and the servers were all beautiful children, naked save for small coverings over their loins. The men being served sometimes pulling a child towards him and caressing under the loin cloths. Each time a man did this the child was heard to thank the man for his caress. One man positioned a small girl between his opened legs while she opened his clothing and took him in her mouth, another had a boy bend over the table in front of him and pushed his fingers deep into the boys secret opening, once again they both thanked the men when when they lost interest in the child.
The curtains around the room opened and Jacob saw alcoves in various points with children engage in every description of carnality. Male with male, male with female, two female. Even children with adults violating them in every opening. At times applause broke out from the men upon seeing a particularly impressive act. During all of this the musicians played as if this was a normal soiree of rich patrons. As they reached what was the finale of these grotesque shows the lamps in all the alcoves were dimmed and a table was brought to the centre of the room. A boy of about 12 years of age was led out to the table and laid face up with his head hanging off the end closest to the audience. He was then secured to the table with silken ties around his neck chest and stomach. The music died away save for a single drum beating softly. One alcove had remained curtained during the previous activity. Two small naked girls went to the alcove, and taking one curtain each drew them back. Sat on a small stool was the biggest man Jacob had ever seen. Shaved from head to toe his naked body glistened in the light of the lamps, corded muscles standing out proud from his giant biceps, and an organ that would have shamed a pony hung between his legs.
One guest leaned towards Jacob and quietly said "He is known as the Mountain, he's the head of the Palace guard. A position that is only given for a year at a time, to win the post you have to beat all other contenders in the city arena. For the last six years no man has dared to stand against him in combat"
He then went on "The Mountain runs the city walls every day of the year carrying bags of rock on his back"
Jacob knew the circumference of the city walls was in excess of 15 leagues, with many steep uphill parts, and so showed suitable amazement at the feat. The mountain stood and walked into the body of the room to the foot of the table where the boy was bound. The two small girls carrying a silver bowl knelt at his feet, dipping their hands into the bowl they oiled and massaged his organ until it stood hard and proud away from his body. Then each girl took a leg of the boy with one hand raising and moving them apart revealing his secret opening. With their other hand they guided the Mountain's organ toward that tiny opening and gently moved it on the boy so the oil loosened him. Pushing forward the Mountain inched inside the boy. He stood still with about a third of himself in the boy, and lifting the table from the floor walked carefully towards the group of men. More of the children moved back to the floor of the room carrying sliver trays and waited as the Mountain then proceeding to thrust ever deeper into the boy until the full length of his giant organ was out of sight. Tears were streaming from the child's eyes and running into his hair, a low moan of agony could be heard coming from him.The Mountain stood still as the children then placed tiny delicate cakes all over the boys chest and stomach. Once done the Mountain picked up the table and carried it to each of the men sat in rapt appreciation of the spectacle, and offered the delicacies to the men. Upon Jacob being offered he leant forward and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, paused as if taking a little time to choose, and picked a tiny cake from the boy. His touch on the boy had ensured that from now no pain would be felt as that massive organ penetrated him, and that no internal damage would be done to the boy. Throughout all of this the single drum continued it's regular soft beat, and now as the Mountain started moving in and out of the boy the tempo of the drum increased in co-ordination with him. A loud moaning was coming from the boy, again caused by Jacob's touch, for he was now not feeling anything happening to him. It seemed endless to Jacob, hiding his true emotions, until they saw the Mountain reach his orgasm and he stopped, his muscles taut, spending himself in the now unconscious boy. When he withdrew that spent organ none present could possibly know that the blood they saw covering it was just the Mountain's seed and the oil, turned the colour of blood by Jacob. No damage had been carried out on him, and he would awaken from his stupor with no memory of the wickedness done.
Leaning over to Sir Samuel he asked "What happens to the boy now?"
Sir Samuel laughed as he replied "He's not been given food for a day or two, if he can control himself once fed and not have his soil running down his legs he'll go to the slave block. If not then the prison dogs always need more food. He's no good for this again. A boy can climb on a mountain many times, But our Mountain can only climb on a boy once"
Once the terrible floorshow, boy, table and the spilled cakes had been cleared from the room by the serving children they all knelt on the polished floor as one of them moved to the watching men carrying a small basket. Each man threw into the basket a bag of coin, collecting the tributes bestowed by them to the Mountain. Some of the men then picked one or more of the children to accompany him to a bedchamber for the rest of the night, while others made moves to leave for home and take up the pretence of being good husbands and fathers.
Asked by Sir Samuel to choose a partner Jacob spoke quietly to Sir Samuel "I'm a little embarassed to admit this to you, but knowing you to be a man of discretion I must tell you that the days of my member standing and looking for the sunrise each morning have passed me now. He seems to want only to look at the ground and find if it has rained during the night. Taking one of these boys would only serve to keep these old bones of mine warm through a cold winter's night"
Sir Samuel, suffering that same malaise, since Jacob's touch the last time on their previous meeting, understood that loss all too well.
Morning found Jacob arisen from his bed early, even the sight of Tancred and Jamil wrapped in a loving embrace had not enough to prevent a disturbed night's rest. Busying himself to prepare food to break the boy's fast his thoughts turned to his next actions in the matter of Sir Samuel. When Tancred and Jamil awoke, as boys the world over, the noise from those two youthful bodies was as great as a marching band, crashing and running around taking care of their morning needs with the boundless energy of youth. Jacob gave no indication of seeing the quick glances, the tiny touches or the way they sat with no gap between them, as they filled themselves with enough food to satisfy a regiment.
When they finally sat back Jacob said to them "I fear I will not be good company for you two rascals today, I have much to ponder on and work at. I also have a call to make, you don't need to accompany me and be bored by talk of business during this holiday. Will you be content to amuse yourselves if I am at these tasks for a good part of the day?"
Tancred quickly assured Jacob they had lots to play with, and would spend time playing new games on the upper floors of the house. Both boys managing at the same time not to giggle as Jamil's face went a deep shade of red. Once the boys had left the kitchen Jacob found a small box of herbs on Sarah's shelves, going out into the grounds he emptied away the contents. He placed the box on the earth at the base of a bush with the lid open, going back in the house he made his way to the library, and wrote out the names of the men he had spent the last evening with. Taking his cloak and cane he shouted up to the boys he was going into the city and would be some time, then left the house.
Even though the trading house was closed for the duration of the festival he felt the revulsion that burned within him would not ease unless he started moves against the men on his list. Making his way to the home of the man masquerading as head of the trading house he spent some time setting out what information he wanted unearthing. He also bade him make contact with their King's intelligencers in the lands where Sir Samuel's two sons lived, and have them report back on both their lives as well. His final request was to find the movements and routes of the slave ships during the winter months, ocean storms during that season being too violent for passage to the slave lands, and those three ships did not stand berthed in the docks here. Jacob made his way to the street market and spent some time walking the rows of stalls The little undoings of wrongs he saw during that walk further restoring him. A cheating yardstick knocked to the ground and broken underfoot. A heavy finger on a butcher's scale countered by him placing a tray of cooked chicken under the stall, and his forgetfulness leaving it to be found that night by the scavenging beggars. A struggling widow given more than she paid for by a short changing grocer. The best, freshest bread served by the baker that scraped mould off loaves sold to the poorest. As he left the market he hailed a carriage to carry him home. Upon arriving he called for the boys to ready themselves to go with to eat their evening meal at a restaurant and then visit a theatre together. Closing his mind to all thoughts of his business to come that night he indulged Tancred and Jamil with their choices of food and entertainment.
The bell on the city clock struck midnight, Jacob hearing it in the distance. He picked up his glass and drank the last of the sweet red wine. Tancred and Jamil were long abed, each to their own beds he had noted. Dressed in dark clothing he slipped out of the house, going to where he had earlier left the little box he crouched down, closed the lid and stood with it in his hand. There was no sign of the stooped elderly man he had become known to be as he left the grounds of the house and ran swiftly through the darkened streets, his senses allowing him to pick a route that would keep him clear of any patrols of the night watch. When he arrived at the door of Sir Samuel's mansion the locks on the door fell open to his touch, he entering and stood silently in the entrance hall, his senses detecting no movement or wakful body in the house. Without need of a lamp he climbed the staircase to the sleeping Sir Samuel's chamber. Whispering an incantation that deepened the pedarist's sleep he stepped close to the bed, and taking the small box opened it and shook out the contents on the pillow close by Sir Samuel's head. Jacob watched dispassionately as the tiny red poisonous ants made their way into Sir Samuel's hair, climbing up the strands and moving across his scalp until they found his ear, one by one they disappeared into him. When the last ant had gone from sight he put the box back in his pocket and left the room. He walked each room of the mansion and discovered it's secrets. The last place he looked was the extensive wine cellar, spending some minutes staring at the tiled floor. Leaving the house he reversed his journey and returned home to his boys and retired to his bed.
Sir Samuel rang for his carriage to carry him to the city goal, rubbing his stomach he felt glad that the festival had come to an end and normal life would resume today. The excess of rich food and too much wine were lying heavy on him this morning. A few days light eating would soon see him back to rights though. By the end of the workday he felt no better though, even sending back his midday food hadn't helped. His stomach felt more queasy now than the start of the day, if he was no better after a good night's rest he would send for his doctor and have him make up a purging medicine. Sir Samuel walked the silent rooms, he had retired to his bedchamber but all his efforts to rest had come to nought. Rising three times to crough over the privy and void his turbulent bowels, if he had cared to inspect his deposits traces of blood could have been seen in the soil. But a high born gentleman such as he saw himself would never have considered stooping to study shit. No matter which way he turned the constant itching inside him carried on. As the dawn broke he took to his bathing pool where finally he found some relief. Once dressed and being carried in his carriage to the city goal the torment started again. All the morning he barked at the clerks, well used to his vicious temper word quickly passed among them to stay as far as possible from his offices. By midday he had reached the end of his endurance and sent word for his doctor to attend him at his home, calling for his carriage he left his office, not knowing that he was leaving the goal for the very last time. No matter what the baffled doctor poured into him that day it gave no respite from the itching and now the feelings of scratching coming from him, it had spread from his stomach, and now his legs and arms were twitching out of control. Late that second night he finally found a way to ease the constant torment, one that would never would have been considered by the eminent doctor. His eyes bleary and his hands shaking he poured more of the spirits into his glass, more spilled on the table than filled the glass. Getting but just a single mouthful from his efforts he hurled the crystal goblet at the wall, picking up the bottle he raised it to his lips and poured the burning spirit straight in.
Slowly coming around from his drunken stupor he lay weeping on the cold floor in a pool of his own vomit. He knew not what time of day it was. Even the hardest heart would have been moved to hear his harrowing moans as he felt the itching and nibbling in him, he could feel the moving and pulsing in his flesh, his scalp moving in strange ways. He was burning with fever and every pore of his body was oozing a foul smelling sweat, he had to cool himself. Throwing back the door of his mansion he crawled out in to the cool air of the night. His screams could be heard through the windows of the servants wing, but having heard such screams many times in the past as he destroyed some poor child's body, the shutters remained closed tight. Those servants knew better than to run and investigate, and none saw the torment of this Knight of the city as he staggered away, desperate to feel the cold wind blowing off the ocean on to the land. Stood on the cliff top, his vomit encrusted clothing strewn around and naked as the day he came into the world he took his hands from his eyes to find them covered in blood. He needed the cold waters of the ocean to cool him down. In desperation he stepped forward to the cliff edge and threw himself to the waters below.
It was late in the day before the old beachcomber found the broken body of Sir Samuel Alver lying half submerged in the rock pool. The crabs, trapped by the retreating tide, eating their way into him, and the red ants Jacob had commanded eating a path out of him.