"What do you mean?"

"I mean that as you well know, you still hold

a great deal of power over what becomes of my new book.

A word from you could kill all the publicity and promotional tours that we've so carefully scheduled. And I have

a feeling that you simply can't wait to get back to

the City and give that word, eh?"

By the look on my face, Mavis could essily see that she'd guessed correctly. With a grim satisfaction, she went on:

"So I propose that we give you the clothes we promised: A pair of slacks in your size, a good shirt, shoes and underwear, and that we leave the camping supplies with you. In exchange, you, Patty, will camp out here for one week. It will be that long before another bus comes along this route anyway. That arrangement will give me time to start on promoting my book, and perhaps it will even give you time to cool off and reflect on the justice of what I did to you. Well, what do you say?"

"You mean I get clothing real, decent clothing in exchange for camping out here an extra week?"

I couldn't believe Mavis would be so gullible as to trust me to stay out here once I had clothing, but she continued:

"That's correct. I have no worry whatever about giving you clothes, since I don't think you'd want to return to the City looking like a woman. And I'm perfectly willing to accept your promise to stay out here. There is just one stipulation I make."

This is it, I thought.

"Go ahead. What is it?" I asked.

"There are several items in that camping gear that could be used as weapons," She gestured over to the neat bundles of knapsacks piled just beyond a springy sapling. And I don't want you turning any of them on us while you're still in an upset mood. So what I propose to do is restrain you until we've left."

"Restrain me?"

"That's right. Roger and David lent us some very interesting items for that purpose. I propose to gag you and lock your wrists behind you before we go. In that manner, I won't need to worry about you attacking us. The keys to your locks are atop the pile of our gear, as you can plainly see, even from here. Well, what do you say? And let me caution you that if you try to simply appropriate those items of clothing without

agreeing, we shall have no compunction about simply taking everything and returning you to Roger and David."

With that alternative, I literally had no choice in the matter. I knew that these three beauties could overpower me any time they wished -could have done so already if they wanted -and it seemed to me that my best bet was to go along with them.

"It's a deal," I said at last.

"Goodie!" Sylvia and Claire gushed with joy, scampering up to me with leather straps in their hands. "I was hoping we'd get to do this! Put your hands behind you, Sweet... Now open wide...."

I did as ordered. In seconds, I felt leather cuffs closing about my wrists and closing firmly shut with an ominous "snick!" Some kind of wide plastic tube, only a few inches long, was inserted in my mouth and secured there by a series of straps that encircled my chin, cheeks, the crown of my head, my temples, and even the nape of my neck. I bit down on the semi-soft plastic, and Claire pulled the straps even tighter, locking the whole arrangement in place.

"Can you speak, Darling?" Mavis asked. "Mmmnngghhrglh!" I replied.

"Good!" She smiled, "there's just one little item

to add! Claire, would you like to do the honors?" "A real pleasure!" The sadistic lesbian answered, "Here, Gorgeous, try these on for size!"

And she put two heavy leather pads over my eyes, buckling them permanently to the straps that encircled my head!

I couldn't see!

Desperately, I flung myself this way and that, trying to dislodge the awful blindfold. No use. Without my hands, there was simply no way for me to take the damned thing off.

"Steady Girl," Mavis cautioned, "You don't want to step out into the road where everyone will see you, dou you?"

I immediately froze, paralyzed with panic at the awful prospect of being seen this way.

"that's better, Honey," Sylvia cooed, breathing mischievously into my ear as she rubbed herself up against me, "Now let's just put a few little things on you before we go!"

I felt feminine hands all over me, pulling the tattered teddy down and off my shapely legs until I