CHAPTER ONE

Through a dream, Evelyn felt like a drumbeat came from somewhere. Opening her eyes, she realized that the drums were not a dream at all, the sounds bursting into the bedroom were becoming more distinct every minute. Solemn march! Evelyn jumped off the bed and ran to the window. In the gap of the thick foliage of a tree growing near the house she saw on the parade-ground, which began right behind the lawn, soldiers built in a square. Something happened! But what exactly? To get a better look, Evelyn leaned forward ...

- - Miss Sahib Evelyn, what are you doing? After all, you are not dressed! And if anyone sees you?

Evelyn flinched and turned away from the window. Because of the drumbeat, she did not hear Miana, her native-born nanny, enter the room.

- - Miana, what happened there? Why did we gather all the soldiers?

- - Do not look, Miss Sahib, for you there is nothing interesting. They will punish the guilty hoarse, that's all.

- - What's his fault? And what will they do with it now? Are they shot?

- - No no. Sergeant Farig will probably order him to be punished with whips. Misconduct is not so serious.

- - But what did he do? Tell me, Miana.

- - Enough of that, miss sahib. This is not a woman's business. Your mother will be angry if she finds out that you are bothering the military. By the way, it's time for me to carry tea. And you dress as soon as possible!

With these words, the dark-skinned nanny who had grown fat over the years, stepping heavily on the floorboards, left the small but tastefully furnished room.

Evelyn waited until Miana’s steps subsided at the end of the corridor. Going to the wardrobe, she took the handle. At this moment, the drums roar again. Evelyn grabbed a robe, threw it over her nightgown, picked up her sandals and quietly opened the door. In the hallway no one. Silently breaking through it, Evelyn descended the stairs and stepped out into the fresh morning air. She stopped and looked around. And there is no one here. Crouching, she ran to a thick scrub, which immediately stretched behind a gate in a low fence, built of yellow stone slabs. Carefully opening the branches, Evelyn saw the parade ground ...

The Seventh of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the Ulan regiment was built in full force. The eyes of all the ranks were turned to the center of the square, where the uncouth wooden pole stood. Here stood a Sikh sergeant, distinguished by a powerful physique and thick black beard. Drumming intensified. There was a jerky crew and two orderlies knocked out a tall man, his proud posture indicating his thali affiliation. Evelyn saw him for the first time. The stranger was clearly six feet tall, he was bare to the waist, his chest cast bronze in the morning sun.

The guards led the thalc close to the wooden pole, stretched his arms forward and threw a rope over his wrists. A minute later he was firmly tied to a pole, and immediately a new team was distributed. The drums beat in full force. A black-bearded sergeant, similar to the Indian Hercules, picked up something from the ground. It was the famous “nine tail” whip, it was made up of long and heavy pests of leather, cut in a special way. looking at the Sikh sergeant, it was possible to vouch that he knows this business ...

"Nine-tails" soared high into the air and with a whistle cut it. The first blow struck the victim. Evelyn stared at the thali, but he was still straight, just closed his eyes ... Before each blow, an ominous whistle warned that now the knots as hard as steel would begin to tear off the skin and cry into the meat.And the back of the thali man was preparing for a meeting with a terrible scourge, he shuddered a fraction of a second before he came in contact with the instrument of torture.

- - Twenty-six! ... Twenty-seven!

On the face of the punished did not affect any pain or suffering. Maybe he owned a secret of yoga, knew how to divert from himself any sensations, including pain?

- - Thirty-three! ... Thirty-four!

The entire back of a person tied to a pole has already been a bloody mess, with narrow, torn strips of skin hanging from the sides. Without stopping, Evelyn looked at what was happening. Her heart beat fast. The man at the pillar was inflexible, cruel torture did not achieve the desired executioner results ...

- - Forty five! ... Forty six!

Evelyn felt a wave of terrible excitement roll over her. She suddenly wanted the pain from the blows of the “nine tails” to become even more painful.

- - Hurry up, - she whispered. - - Stronger! ... Hit him! Stronger!

Now Evelyn caught every movement of the scourge. Having clung to the shrub, she felt the excitement that engulfed her give way to a sharp, hitherto unknown pleasure ...

And suddenly the thaler swayed. The bloodied torso was tilted, legs gave way ... After a second, a pillar lay something shapeless ... But it was not lifeless — it was visible from a distance, how the convulsed body kept cracking every now and then

Evelyn closed her eyes. Her nauseated, her legs and arms were numb. Between the legs for some reason it became wet. From this feeling, it vomited even more. Then a strange fear came over. Having gathered all her strength, Evelyn looked at the bleeding body for the last time and rushed to the house.

* * *

The sun was about to set. The wall clock struck five times. The birds in the garden had become furious in flocks, announcing with their chirping about the imminent coolness. There was a distant sound of a forge, intended for the soldiers of Her Majesty, and spoke of the end of the next day of their service. Mrs. Elizabeth Bellingham, the wife of the regimental commander, was in a hurry to leave the garden, she minced in small steps on a white sandy road. In order not to dirty the long dark blue skirt, she gently lifted her edge and held it an inch from the ground.

- - Evelyn, have you forgotten tonight? It's time to dress up!

“She's in the bathroom, ma'am sahib,” the omnipresent Miana replied.

When Evelyn's words reached her mother, she was already holding a towel. Before her on the wooden table stood a small round mirror. Evelyn examined her face carefully. The mirror reflected large blue eyes and a small, slightly upturned nose. Once in childhood she had freckles, now there is not one left. She opened her mouth and bared her teeth. Everything is good. Although not quite - - one had a piece of it broken off last year. But it is unnoticeable. Evelyn tightly compressed lips, they seemed pale to her. To redden, you have to bite them a little. So good...

Throwing her long blond hair behind her back, she took the mirror in her hand and held it to her breasts, from the bottom, first to one, then to the other. She looked critically from above and was pleased: almost perfect hemispheres of almost milky color were reflected in the mirror. And in the center of each - - as if the berries of wild strawberry ... Moving the mirror down, Evelyn lowered it to the level of the abdomen, and with a hand turned a round hollow of the navel. She moved her hand even lower, to a fluffy knoll completely covered with curly golden hair. Here she hesitated, took a quick glance at the door to make sure it was closed. She stretched one leg forward and laid it on a chair next to the table. Carefully placed the mirror between her legs ... Spread her hand over the densely overgrown folds of large lips. When they opened, other, very small lips appeared ... Evelyn bent down and eagerly looked into the narrow pink channel ... Once again, looking embarrassedly at the door, she pushed a little index finger into the pink entrance. Immediately frightened, he took it out and began gently massaging the smooth and moist flesh.At first, the movements of the finger were circular, then they became longitudinal, sharper, the finger with its pad pressed down on the glowing, trembling ...