*she stands at the top of the rise in the street.. a hot wind blows from behind her.. as always.. she only appears in deep night.. lit by street lamp, neon, headlights, flash lights, an occasional flare from a lighter, a candle beside a bed.. her thigh length platinum blond hair flies loose in the wind.. like the holy flames from her pyre when she was Jeanne so many years ago. She has kept, always, to her code.. to her loyalties.. a demon can do no less. Cast out so very long ago.. before there even were women.. through all this tide and flow of time.. steadied only by her oath.. "Only Woman Lord.. I shall hold only Woman to my breast. Since you cast Lilith out.. SHE who was FAVORED for her MIND and STRENGTH.. SHE!", her shouts bringing about her fall.. her tears of loss giving her the only solace. The long war closing to it's inevitable end, the centuries spent countering her opposite's efforts; as goddess to that filthy scrabbling group of Amazonian mindless men who she'd left heaped in piles in the fields before the ridiculous edifice they'd erected to attempt to woo her to serve their needs, their rotted toothed priests grinning as they brought the next virgin male to carve into mere meat.. the countless years hunting rapists, craven priests, ignoble armored knights, lords who abused the women under their rule, cossacks and czars who'd raped and starved their way across their domains burning women in their glee to prove their importance.

she spits to one side to clear the blood from her mouth where his slap had shaken her and brought her anger back to a keen edge.. she draws her takanas.. the memory of Camille, handmaiden to the Queen fresh in her mind..

in all of his guises he was visible to her.. the separation from the female.. the arrogance of an intellect dedicated only to subjugation.. the gleam of evil in his every word.. his very eyes the emblem of jealousy itself.. he too.. Fallen, Cast OUT.

She had offered kindness, love to his victims, moped the very floors where he had left their blood.

But NOW... *

*denied speech.. she voices her fury as only she can*

*the sound of inline hard rubber wheels driving toward him..............* Quote

Denied speech!?! Denied Speech!!?!!???!??!!! His long, loud, easy laugh filled space and resonated in the interplanetary void. Manly, strong, and clear like all about him.

What god could ever deny any woman speech?!? Why if a barbarian plucked out her tonsils another would grow back twice as large in a trice. If the lady lost her tongue for a day she'd sprout three more before the week were done. Stuff and nonsense! Balderdash! Hossenfeffers!

Oh it was true that he ducked out of the audience hall into the bedroom. That he divided and ... conquered. I mean, the blood she sees is merely the sighes he hears. It is all in your point of view. And conquest to the willing is nothing but a dance around the floor.

Heh heh and see how she comes so fast on her skates. Belching smoke like a great locomotive. All control lost for heat. tch tch. Gone is the self-control she was wont to have in her "quiet" moments of days gone by. Now just god's meds, heady stuff. Frothing at the lips. One wave short of a shipwreck. On a course for the falls. Diving deep into the great maw of the White Whale.

All sword and slash. Like a bull before my cape. No Islero is she to my Manulete. *sigh* She is consumed with a most dangerous haste. Her gorgeous hair is like to end in a sash around a gun toting waist. Or traded for beads to some PooHawk lord.

How often must we hear prattle about ego and victimization. Instead of simple thanks for our wise domination. Utter chaos would ensue if we did not separate from our other half.

So stay opposite and stay baffled.

(at which point the flashing green eyes vanish along with everything else in a whirlwind. perhaps to another plane)



Quote

The gathering took place in a neighboring galaxy this time...

Ride was glad, he was sick of all that travel.

Time to get into mood... Into costume...

He became... a shadow... a wraith... a chilling presence.

Walls dissolved and reformed many leagues away. In a cold, marble audience chamber before a great throne. This was in fact a kind of shared illusion, to give the immaterial a familiar reference point, for those still relatively new to the practice of interplanar travel.

A congress of wraiths. Arguing universal policy before an all powerful ruler.

Ride took his habitual place to the right and elevated. In easy reach of the tyrant's mind.

His was a unique place in the collection of ghouls. Any of you with goodOnOmeters would find a depressing lack of reading in this group. In this rogues gallery, Ride was kind of a Drake to an Elizabeth. He was seen as an adventurer to whom the usual rules of blind obedience did not apply. But only because he brought profit to his ruler and carnage to his ruler's enemies.

How rare it is for any other eyes to get any account of this. For this tyrant ruler that Ride served was clever enough to hide the fact of his rule. He saw the value of being in the shadows even though his power was unrivaled. His evil was clinical. Was clever. Was total.

Many of his worst enemies didn't even know he existed, this shadow lord.

I cannot give you much of a description of him other than this because of the nature of my source and the brief window that I was given to get my information.

Just know, for whatever good it may do, that he does exist. The mounties do serve him.

No matter how bleak it looks for all good people everywhere, I believe that there is hope just in having uncovered this much truth. That once again our universe will be good and fre.... arrrrghhghhaieiieiiiiiyyyyyyyyyuuuuuurrhghghghghghghghhghghbbbbbbbbbbbkkkkkk

(deep voice)

Sorry.... Wrong number...





Quote

She stands watching as he twists and turns himself inside out to create yet another disarming and distracting fiction. Smiling she recites, in her mind, the 3rd Prayer of The Rand �

�Men, propagators of totalitarian dictatorships, find it necessary to pour effort into propaganda for their own helpless, chained, gagged slaves, who have no means of protest or defense. The answer is that even the humblest woman would rise in blind rebellion were she to realize that she is being immolated, not to some incomprehensible �noble purpose�, but to plain, naked, human evil.�

He employs his vast talent for sparkly twisting folding and changing trinkets. She giggles, enjoying its pleasant cynicism and embedded ironies. But the truth is what it is. She knows his ways, the underbelly, rank and rancid that belies his pleasant smiles and compliments. �Do you take sugar with your tea?� would be an opening entre and maneuver for an introduction to the dank dungeon of his unsettled mind.

The smell of her lover�s blood, the broken tools of torture found in the rear of the townhouse� all are fresh in her nose and mind. Emblematic of the extent to which he will travel to isolate Woman from what is equally hers.

Mirth takes its place in the pantheon of human emotions she has at hand�

Let him twist in his public productions, something we all will enjoy when it unravels� let�s enjoy the Ride�

Quote

She stands watching as he twists and turns himself inside out to create yet another disarming and distracting fiction. Smiling she recites, in her mind, the 3rd Prayer of The Rand �

�Men, propagators of totalitarian dictatorships, find it necessary to pour effort into propaganda for their own helpless, chained, gagged slaves, who have no means of protest or defense. The answer is that even the humblest woman would rise in blind rebellion were she to realize that she is being immolated, not to some incomprehensible �noble purpose�, but to plain, naked, human evil.�

He employs his vast talent for sparkly twisting folding and changing trinkets. She giggles, enjoying its pleasant cynicism and embedded ironies. But the truth is what it is. She knows his ways, the underbelly, rank and rancid that belies his pleasant smiles and compliments. �Do you take sugar with your tea?� would be an opening entre and maneuver for an introduction to the dank dungeon of his unsettled mind.

The smell of her lover�s blood, the broken tools of torture found in the rear of the townhouse� all are fresh in her nose and mind. Emblematic of the extent to which he will travel to isolate Woman from what is equally hers.

Mirth takes its place in the pantheon of human emotions she has at hand�

Let him twist in his public productions, something we all will enjoy when it unravels� let�s enjoy the Ride�





And slowly it dawns like that relentless sun on the day of an exam that you aren't quite ready for...

Holy shit, she is SERIOUS.

OK time out. Time for a flirt restraining order.

You seriously need to get a grip dear. Your take on reality is just breathtaking in how off kilter it is.

In sympathy for your plight, I will become deadly serious for an undisclosed period so there will be a reduction in the confusion level.

Ride is a fictional character. So is donald duck, mickey mouse, charlie brown. The opinions of this character do not necessarily reflect those of myself, mankind, or even the canadian mounties.

Shinao was never at war with Shilla. In fact, I made up the whole alliance business. The mounties, with my regrets, have no power outside of Canada, which did not exist as any kind of entity until way after the time of the Hittites.

Ummmmmmm what else....

Oh yeah, pepe le pew is also an imaginary character. There is in fact no philosophy with various subbranches with his name attached. At least there weren't when i last attended college.

Any other issues we can dispatch in my next public release.

Quote

oh wait...

I just got the go ahead from that mysterious entity that lurks in the background...

I can reveal another big secret.

There is NO conspiracy for man to enslave woman. Never was.

Yeah things weren't equal for a lot of history. But again, not really an evil plot for evil's sake.

And in my country sister, that field is looking pretty damned level. In this modern age. But with equality and freedom comes responsibility. It requires more character and more talent when you have got to compete against the whole field. For both sexes. And you'd better not waste time with sugar-coated sob stories about some grand exploitation still ongoing, you'd better knuckle down and compete hard like the rest of us.

There are hard driving woman that I work with that would have those bullshit conspiracy theories for breakfast before going on to meet their tough schedules on time and with high quality deliveries. They don't need crutches. They don't make excuses. They just deliver baby.

So take it to an audience that buys that crap and don't poison this space.

Quote

oh wait...

I just got the go ahead from that mysterious entity that lurks in the background...

I can reveal another big secret.

There is NO conspiracy for man to enslave woman. Never was.

Yeah things weren't equal for a lot of history. But again, not really an evil plot for evil's sake.

And in my country sister, that field is looking pretty damned level. In this modern age. But with equality and freedom comes responsibility. It requires more character and more talent when you have got to compete against the whole field. For both sexes. And you'd better not waste time with sugar-coated sob stories about some grand exploitation still ongoing, you'd better knuckle down and compete hard like the rest of us.

There are hard driving woman that I work with that would have those bullshit conspiracy theories for breakfast before going on to meet their tough schedules on time and with high quality deliveries. They don't need crutches. They don't make excuses. They just deliver baby.

So take it to an audience that buys that crap and don't poison this space.





* and he bleeds * Quote

Swooping in, sitting on the shoulders, between the massive glittering wings of a dragon, comes Crooks. She sees the girl of her affections from high above, and drives the dragon forward, snarling and powerful. A blast of hot steam and fire furls out of the dragons mouth, it's eyes gleaming, an orange slit, menacing. Landing, a giant thud. The earth shakes. I climb down, wrap my arms around her, so happy she is safe. Together we climb the scales onto the broad shoulders, holding tight. The dragon lets out a roar, filling the sky with thunder. It looks directly again at Ride, and snatches him up in it's mouth. Crooks uses her telepathy, the dragon holds Ride in its mouth, caged behind its gleaming white teeth, millions of thick needles, tall, creating a cell.

Onward! The dragon lifts into the sky, off of this planet, into outer space. It creates a shield of air around its body to protect the humans on the journey. Far far into the galaxy, they come to their first destination, the planet of Strong Winds. Perfection. The dragon makes its descent, circling downward, spiraling, spiraling down. The strong winds catch the dragon, tumbling for a moment until it reaches the soil. It opens it's mouth and drops Ride onto a bush, leaves whipping in the wind.

With that, there is another roar emanating from the beast as it soars back into the sky, fighting the strong gusts whipping at it. Ride will feel at peace here. Into space they go, heading to their next destination, Fantasy Planet. The planet where any fantasy can come true!


THE END



Quote

Swooping in, sitting on the shoulders, between the massive glittering wings of a dragon, comes Crooks. She sees the girl of her affections from high above, and drives the dragon forward, snarling and powerful. A blast of hot steam and fire furls out of the dragons mouth, it's eyes gleaming, an orange slit, menacing. Landing, a giant thud. The earth shakes. I climb down, wrap my arms around her, so happy she is safe. Together we climb the scales onto the broad shoulders, holding tight. The dragon lets out a roar, filling the sky with thunder. It looks directly again at Ride, and snatches him up in it's mouth. Crooks uses her telepathy, the dragon holds Ride in its mouth, caged behind its gleaming white teeth, millions of thick needles, tall, creating a cell.

Onward! The dragon lifts into the sky, off of this planet, into outer space. It creates a shield of air around its body to protect the humans on the journey. Far far into the galaxy, they come to their first destination, the planet of Strong Winds. Perfection. The dragon makes its descent, circling downward, spiraling, spiraling down. The strong winds catch the dragon, tumbling for a moment until it reaches the soil. It opens it's mouth and drops Ride onto a bush, leaves whipping in the wind.

With that, there is another roar emanating from the beast as it soars back into the sky, fighting the strong gusts whipping at it. Ride will feel at peace here. Into space they go, heading to their next destination, Fantasy Planet. The planet where any fantasy can come true!


THE END







Consensus review from interviews of the average writer in the street -

Good plot, decent development, but a controversial ending. No room for a sequel. It resonates with today's youth but leaves the establishment out in the cold.

PETA adds - No dragons were harmed in this production.



Quote

Consensus review from interviews of the average writer in the street -

Good plot, decent development, but a controversial ending. No room for a sequel. It resonates with today's youth but leaves the establishment out in the cold.

PETA adds - No dragons were harmed in this production.



Afterword.....

*...holding firm to her lover's waist.. they rise.. she leans close into Crooks' back.. as the huge surges of air from the scaled monster's arched wings pass by them, sounding like the sheets of a bed large enough for ALL her friends and lovers to rest in, being snapped into place fresh from the line...* Quote

From the appendix section, an excerpt from Dr. Cecil B. DeVille's interview on the societal implications of the cam model / client interface -


The Doctor "Yes Mark it is quite serious you know."

Mark Mills "Really?"

The Doctor "Well over the millenia, evolution built into the male of the species a number of safeguards. Protective mechanisms. These were designed to protect him from the vagaries of the female of the species."

Mark Mills "Fascinating! Do go on."

The Doctor "Few people realize it but his natural laziness, his unwillingness to leave the cave on a Sunday morning, were adaptations that limited his contact with the more aggressive, outgoing females. The females' demands for a lot of resources, coupled with his built-in reluctance to knock himself out to acquire those resources, her demands for a tidy appearance, a clean household, again matched by contraries in the males, all put a very reasonable governor, or brake, on the male/female dynamic."

Mark Mills "Yes. Yes of course. It is quite clear. Go on."

The Doctor "So here in the modern age we have achieved a couple of things that severely skew the dynamic. One, we have made available credit that allows very quick and irrational monetary transfers from male to female. Second we have allowed the all important image of the female to be broadcast to the home of the male without absolutely requiring that the male image be sent back in return. Thus the revulsion mechanisms in the female, which by the way must be allowed the experience of the full sensory effect of a male's untidy domain to kick in, are bypassed. Nature has not had a chance to catch up. We have a very dangerous situation here."

Mark Mills "How dangerous?"

The Doctor "If you look at this chart of the GDP of the world before the advent of the internet, you will see it distributed over the traditional sectors - housing, defense, transportation, etc. A very reasonable healthy world economy. "

(the doctor puts down his nicely diced pie chart of the rational pre-cam model economy)

"But look at this. This is the GDP for the previous year. Now look at how horribly skewed the world's economy is now. Immense spending on clothes especially heels. Entertainment sector is threating to gobble up the whole pie. We now have the Fabio romance novels sector having to get treatment as a major piece of the pie. Chocolates are outstripping wheat futures. There is a great population upsurge of little dogs and cute kitties that is threatening other species. And listen to this..."

(he turns the dial on a radio transmission recorder)

"Even the pitch of our interstellar radio traffic has changed. It is now a good two octaves higher. This might have consequences for our first contact with other species."

Mark Mills "Wow. I had no idea!"

The Doctor "Few people do Mark, few people do."

Mark Mills "What can we do doctor. How can we slow things down and keep things from blowing apart?"

The Doctor "My advice is simple Mark. Don't hesitate to liberate the caveman within you. It may be vital for our very survival! Don't let yourself always be surrounded by females. Make sure to have some times when you are with the guys. Listen to great speeches by generals before they send their troops to battle. Imagine their wives telling them not to be so dramatic and to not get their trousers dirty. Let your feelings about that kind of thing rise to the surface. Ohhhhh my long suffering brothers. *sob* Treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated."



Quote

From the appendix of Dr. Cecil B. DeVille -


The Doctor - blah errruuuppp squeeeeeekkk kffffffuuuuttthhahahahahhhhhh rummmmmmbmbbmbmbmmb epppppppppeeepppeppepep guurrrrrglglgllgllleleeeee fooofffhhhh blluurrrrgggghhhhh keekekkppeppeeekkahhhhhh uuuffhhh



oh my.. what a bleak outlook... Quote

The man, alone in the woods, stirs the camp fire with a stick and grunts.

"By Kai, mother to us all, this dinner is finally done. And I am done... with this master."

So the man stands, straightens, his one closed eye opens, he pushes his arms outwards and exhales. A great wind gushes out of his lungs making trees toss leaves. His face slowly grows expessionless. He sinks down into a lotus position and stares calmly straight ahead.

Then his eyes roll up in head. A great wind rushes into his lungs. His face gains expression.

"Ah and what eez theez?" his now quick darting eyes spot the dinner. "Mon dieu eet eez horreed." He jumps up, grabs a sauce pan, and starts preparing a sauce to complement the dinner. While he does he talks out loud in ever increasing pitch and volume.

"Eet has been sooo many months, has eet not? And ah have watched ze proceedeens most carefully. Eet has been deesgraceful. She ees gone. And what does he do to lure her back? Notheen. But ah weel take so gud care of eet. Eet merely needs ze mastaire's touch"

"Ah know ze mademoiselle ees somewhaire near. Ah can almost taste her. She theennks she ees being zo clevaire ahnd quiet but I am ze huntaire ahnd she ees ze pray."

"mmmmmm What ees not to lahk? Her hair... Her eyes... Her leeps... Her fjords... You know she has more coastline than Norway. Ees true... I have paddled around that coastline."

"Ze graht meelitary mind was such a failure. He was not subtle enough. Ze romance ees lahk ze lollipop... eet ees best leeked and not beeten."

And so it begins... yet again... Quote

'Hee hahs rehturnehd' she realizes; her nose in air her hair bristling. Her tail lifts and the urge returns. She lowers her head and presses back, gracelessly against the nearest tree's rough barked surface.

"Mehrrrr ouuuuueher" she raspily disclaims in heated tones. "MEHRRRRHOUUUURRRRR".

Her claws kneed themselves deeply into the surface earth tearing at the tiniest of capillary fiber roots. "MEhhhhhrrrrOURRRRR" the prey birds above laugh quietly together at her quandary; hate and lust flame and burn bright in her fractured amber eyes.

'Ahh weal halveh heem four mahhh louver ahnd theen ahh weal halveh heem ahz mahhh deenhair.'

Antoinette le chat noir de belle. Quote

Ah eet ees ahs I have predeectayd. Ze scrunch of ze bark. Ze zaturayion of ze ayr weeth ze cat pheeromes...

Ah reemember in my... youngaire days how I would meestake ze skonk femme with ze keety and ze coogar. But now I have ze correct theen for each tahpuh.

Ahnd anothaire theen, my friends, ah have also lairned ze eenportance of ze stretcheen before ze affair d' amore.

( ahn duo toi cat ((mmmmmm)) sank zon nuit) But oo can count raht whan she ees zo near?

Quote

"The arms of Pepe are abooooout you

All the day live long...

The leeps of Pepe are upon you....

eh muuuuuuah muaaaaaaaaah muuuuuuuuah MUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

Pepe's love is STROOOOOOOOOOONNNG!

Darrrrrlink can't you hear me aaaaaasking:

You are going now to where?

Do you think she's gone and leeeeeeft me?

Oh well! C'est la guerre

laaaaaa la la la laaaaa la la la laaaaaaa la laaaaaaa la la laaaaaa la la la la laaaaaaaaaaa

Thaire are plainty of othaire feesh een ze ocean...

Eeef you lahk feeesh.

Pairsonally.... I prefer girls.

Call eet a weekness."

- Touche and Go Quote

...

Eeef you lahk feeesh.

Pairsonally.... I prefer girls.

Call eet a weekness."

- Touche and Go


'Zees ahroumah ess soo stranghh ... ahy moust fallow eet ...' She raises her short pert nose and pads her way cautiously through the underbrush 'Zehr ees sumsing fahmilahr about zees sahnt.' The aroma gains strength and she slows as she approaches a small clearing in the forest light. Movement, she see's a rising and falling motion in the clearing ... she drops to her belly and creeps closer ... between the leaves concealing all but her narrow pupils she sees a furred fluffed black and white THING waving and tempting her playful attack instincts. 'Eet is Heeee! Return�d to thees forest!" Carefully she coils her muscles beneath her, tests her claws both front and rear for the run leap and pounce that is instinctive ... she launches with her mouth wide in a fearsome hungry grin ...


Quote

Ah but Pepe's senses are honed so sharp. Even as she started to shift her weight forward Pepe's mind quickly deduced the situation He fell into his: "Ze Fairst Act of Zees Luv Operah Shall Be Ze Crafty Skonk Playeen Zo Hard to Geet" strategie oh so naturally.

With a puff of his characteristic scent he vanished deep into the forest.

All she could make out in the sudden stillness was the faint sounds of "Whan Ze Moon Heets Ze Sky Lahk ah Great Peeza Pie - That's Amore, Lorrie"

Quote

Deep, deep in the forest Pepe stopped and relaxed under a tall oak tree. He pulled out his mandolin and started to practice his Serenade;

Babe open ze weendow to yawr heart
Open eet queekly and so quahatly
Let me see what ah long to see
down zere
I promeese to obsairve zo patiently.

Do not become too restless
While I wairk zo long thaire
Oh my darleen, my pretty darleen
I have found a flower for your hair. Quote

The sudden onset of over 100 hounds baying along with the music and she is a rapid flash of mottled grey and black fur into the shadows, down the path and under the first porch she can locate; the home of Bobby Geflichtmahn a boy renowned for his self abuse in public. Bobby, however is at this late hour, suffering masturbatory overload and a resulting depression and is sitting spoolge splashed semi-clothed in his bath tub. Quote