New Sheoth Brothel - Further Dementia

The pool was a couple of feet deep, and large enough for three or four people. A small waterfall fed it with water that was just cool enough to be refreshing. Dyssa stepped in and walked across to where the depth was just right for her. When she sat on the bottom, and leaned back against the edge, her breasts floated comfortably. The Mazken pool attendant knelt behind her, and began to massage her neck and shoulders. Dyssa closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.

"Would you like me to do the same for you, your Grace?" asked Afri.

Not having Dyssa's buoyancy needs, Clark just sat on the edge of the pool and dangled his legs in the water. Afri knelt behind him and went to work.

Her practised fingers quickly eased the fatigue from his back muscles. Soon Clark found his head nestling between the two soft pillows of Afri's chest, and her hands were busy on his. A little later, his head was in her lap, and she was massaging his stomach. Then she eased his head down to the ground between her thighs and reached forward for her prize, while presenting him his own.

"Gods, Afri! You're insatiable!"

Afri lifted her head a moment to reply. "Of course, your Grace, all Mazken are. And we are tireless in our devotion." She chuckled as she resumed her ministrations.

She tried to delay receiving her reward as long as she could, using all the tricks she knew. It was clear to her that Clark would not be able to do this more than once before he needed some serious rest.

Eventually, it was over, and she rolled off him, contented.

"Shall I carry you up to the bed, or will you sleep here, your Grace?" she asked. Clark looked across the pool and couldn't see Dyssa there. He assumed that the bed would be occupied.

"Then I shall make you comfortable here," she told him. That meant that she would be his pillow and she'd be there ready for more when he woke in a few hours.

But Clark wasn't ready to sleep right away. He needed to talk to her first.

"The Seducers in other realms use their charms to lure their victims to their deaths," he said. "Why do you think Sheogorath's Dark Seducers are different? He despises 'order' but he employs you to guard the realm and keep the peace. What makes you the perfect creatures for that?"

"It is the Madgod's will. It is not for us to question."

"Then let me explain what I understand, and you can examine how it fits the facts you know. The Madgod's power comes from the madness of his people, and madness comes from trying to reconcile the incompatible. Sheogorath's realm runs by Sheogorath's rules, and they must be obeyed; but they are also inconsistent, and thus cannot be followed without breaking them."

"You are intended to both tempt the people to transgression, and to deny the fulfillment of that temptation. The Aureals, too, in a slightly different way. You are at the same time desirable, and forbidden."

"But you said I was no longer forbidden," Afri protested.

"Quite, and the Madgod wouldn't want you to become any less desirable, so that poses a problem in reshaping your duties. But I think it's possible. Anyone who has enjoyed your services will want more, won't they?"

"I would hope so, your Grace."

"Then you'll need to set limits, that are generous enough not to disappoint them, but are short of their ultimate hopes. Leave them wanting, but not dissatisfied. Do you think you can do that?"

"I am uncertain. It is not fully clear what you are asking me to do."

"Just a few minutes ago, you were trying to slow me down, to prolong our pleasure. Denying me and encouraging me at the same time. That's the kind of contradiction that you need to bring to your work all the time. You need to tease, and withold before giving. You've shown me you can do that, when you want to. Now apply that principle all the time."

"Are all the Mazken to do this?" Afri asked.

"Only the ones who work here for Dyssa," he replied. "The others should continue their guard duties as before. And remember that the men need to pay the brothel for everything. No free samples! And before I forget, Dyssa will decide who goes with whom. She'll need your advice if they ask for anything unusual, but the decision is hers."

"No, your Grace, I meant the five of us here. Are we all needed for this work?"

"Hmmm... perhaps someone of your rank is more than than it requires, and five might well be too many. You have a good point."

Afri hadn't considered that she might be the first to go. She looked quite alarmed until he continued. "But we won't know what kind of numbers this place will see, until the word gets out about the changes we've made. Let's continue with the present setup for a while, and review it in a month or so."

Clark leaned back against Afri and fell asleep, leaving her to ponder how to make sure there was enough business for a Bosmer and at least five Mazken.

In the morning, Clark walked back up the tunnel to the main pit chamber to see Dyssa. One of the Mazken was rubbing her back, where it always seemed to ache. "No, carry on doing that," he told her. "I only want to talk with Dyssa at the moment."

"Still regretting the weight of those?" he asked. "I'm sure another spell could reverse things, and shrink them back to regular size."

"Well yes, they're a problem," Dyssa admitted. "But won't I still need something special to offer if I'm to make the brothel a success? The Mazken are all bigger than I am in every other respect, too. Who'd want a little Bosmer when they can have them?"

"All the men who'd be intimidated by a woman who's bigger than they are. And all the men who prefer the one that doesn't remind them of a guard."

"I just don't want to make another bad decision," she told him. "Please, help me choose."

"When the Madgod needs to make an important deliberation, he consults with Dyus and Haskill. I'm not sure if your breasts are important enough to justify getting their opinion, but I'll just have to ask them that question first."

Haskill was intrigued to discover that the Madgod had taken an interest in the brothel. "If he thinks it has significance, then maybe we should concern ourselves with the details. I have learned not to dismiss his intuitions."

Dyus concurred. "While it may seem an inconsequential matter, my calculations show a continuing influence into the future. All choices alter what follows, and Dyssa's is no exception."

"We should go and take a look at the problem," Haskill decided. "And take some time to discuss it with Dyssa herself."

"A good course of action," Dyus agreed.