man-turned-woman. He didn't deny that he had a part in this, having sent 'Denise' into France to replace a dead female agent when he could get no other. He was sickened, however, by the revelation of the relationship between Denise and the Countess Von Esselberg, also General Von Riffel's wife, whom he'd only guessed to be Denise's prime contact for her spying ac- tivities.

"Why did you leave her?" Simons asked one of many questions that had arisen since the flow of information from Denise had ended eight months before.

Denise looked back stonily at the Colonel. He'd hardly changed from the young captain who had recruited Kenneth Ger litz from the company talent show and had hastened him into Occupied France. When Ken Ger- litz had discovered only women's clothes in his suitcase, he had known that he had been de- ceived. For awhile, his life had been torture as he'd tried to con- vince everyone that he was a woman. The contact that he had made, the aristocratic wife of a German General, had discovered his secret but she had only been amused by him. Then she had seduced him and, finally, had hastened the process of feminiz- ing him. For three years, they had lived a fantasy existence in Berlin. He had been 'Denise,' the Countess' French Maid. His hair had grown and he'd only been out of fishnet stockings, short frilly skirts and frilly panties, it seemed, when he slipped on his nightdress more ruffles of course and joined his 'mistress' in bed.

The assassination plot invol- ving Hitler had changed all that. While not arrested, the Countess' assignments had become very restricted. Food had had been rather scarse and favors few. It

was when Denise had heard her mistress offering the 'special' services of her French maid to a visiting Colonel, an offer eagerly accepted, that a shocked Denise had realized that 'she' had to get out of Berlin. Now, she looked at the handsome, young American officer, looking and sounding like the man Ken Gerlitz had wanted to be.

"Food was scarce," said De- nise, feeling the tight dress hug- ging too closely at her stockinged thighs. "We decided to split so that we could make it better on our own. I got this job from one of Eva's friends and Toti kept me on when the Americans got here. I eat," she added bleakly, setting the half-empty glass in front of her.

"Your father has ordered a full-scale search for you." Simons. straightened his collar, his hand

66 SHE HAD SEDUCED HIM

AND FINALLY HAD HASTENED THE PROCESS OF FEMINIZING HIM 99

running over the newly attached Colonel's insignia. "You didn't contact the agency after the Americans got here."

The girl turned to him, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. "Would you have come to you if you'd been me?" she asked, crossing her legs despite the tightness of her dress. She could feel the tight pull of the garters on her stockings. How could she explain to the American officer that she, Denise Colbert, also known as Kenneth Jackson Gerlitz, actually liked dressing in women's clothes.

Simons looked away. "There is back pay," he said. "And you've got medals coming."

The girl laughed. It was a husky, pleasant, feminine laugh.

"Will my father pin them on my chest?" she asked bitterly. "Shall I wear a little black dress with pearls or shall I put on the best gown I have in my wardrobe?" Simons had the grace to flush again. "He'll find you,” he said quietly. "Sooner or la- ter."

"It'll be your head, too, if he does!" The black-lined eyes flashed. She took a sip of the bourbon and shuddered. "What did you come here for anyway? I don't hear you gloating over my ..........condition."

The colonel eyed her 'con- dition.' Undoubtedly she would do the job he had in mind very well. She had all the parts for it - or she seemed to. Al Berger, who had found her in this place would have to wait his turn to get at her.

"I have a problem," he ad- mitted slowly. "I need someone I can trust. Someone who can pass for a glamorous, not-too- scrupulous woman.”

"Why not a real woman," she smiled and nervously licked at her bright red lipstick. "There are plenty of those about. You don't have to........to humiliate me any more."

I don't know any woman,' said Richard Simons as carefully as he could, "who are as quali- fied as you to do this job. Be- sides, you're sticking with Von Esselberg for for three three years....... Well, it proves your loyalty to me."

She shifted, again, rustling her stockings. With the heady perfume and the sound of silk on silk, Richard Simons found it hard to think of 'her' as Kenneth Gerlitz, the name he'd held in his head for years. This was a new person to him, a creature called Denise Colbert a woman he'd helped to create from man. He felt suddenly afraid that he'd made a terrible mistake in coming to this downtrodden bar.