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'Fido's Californian Vacation: Part One'

SUNDAY

I left the airport at noon local time, but on my body-clock it was 8 pm, andI was tired, hungry, and thirsty. My Lady, of course, would not deign to meetme on the main concourse; instead She had sent me a map of the Airport carpark,indicating that She would park in a discreet spot in a deserted portion reservedfor long-stay parking. Unused to the enormous scale of American carparks, andin the direct glare of a noon Californian sun, I was soon hot and sweatingin the inappropriately thick clothing suitable for an English Spring. FortunatelyI carried only an airline bag with a few necessities; not even a change ofclothing. "Slaves and animals don't wear clothes!" my Lady had coldlyinformed me. After a long, hot trudge over the baking asphalt I recognisedmy Lady's SUV - an enormous vehicle to my English eyes - standing on the veryedge of the carpark, its back up to the scrubby boundary hedge. It had deeplytinted windows for the rear passenger seats; the tailgate window likewise -it was impossible to see into the interior. The engine was running to powerthe air-conditioning, and when I came up to the driver's window, my Lady loweredit, giving me a waft of refreshing cold air from inside.

She began as She was to continue. "Fido! Take off your clothes!" Sheinstructed me, curtly. "Put them in this trash bag!" I had been halflooking forward to, half dreading this moment, though I'd expected She wouldwait until She had taken me to Her house, but I found undressing before herthe most natural thing in the world: it was obvious that She had no more interestin my body than She would in the body of an animal. Very soon I stood nakedby her window, shifting from foot to foot on the hot surface. "Give meyour paws!" She commanded, and I raised my hands and watched as She deftlyslipped padded mitts on them, securing them at the wrist with thin, black plasticcable-straps. "Kneel!" and as I obeyed She exited lithely from Herseat, in her hand a short leash with a old leather dog collar dangling fromit. She buckled the collar around my neck, turned away, and tugged sharplyon my leash. "Heel!"; and the collar dug painfully ito my throatas She led me to the back of the SUV. My knees scorched by the hot, grittysurface, I followed Her meekly around the vehicle to the rear. There She presseda catch, and the gigantic tailgate rose smoothly open. It was quite light inside,the tinted glass let the light in but not out, and I could see a closely-barredcage, fitting across the interior. She unbolted and swung open the cage door. "In,Fido!" She ordered, unclipping my leash as She spoke, and I scrambledup and into the cage, encouraged by a painful slash from the leather leashacross my buttocks as I did so. She bolted the cage door on me, closed thetailgate, and got back into the driver's seat. Then She drove off.

The cage - about 42 inches long, and 30 inches high and wide - was hard upagainst the rear passenger seats; a thick, absorbent paper pad covered thesteel floor. I was blessedly cool until my Lady, doubtless to reserve the coldair for the front of the car where she sat, raised a tinted glass partitionbetween us. Then the temperature in the rear began to mount. It was difficultto see anything over the height of the sills and the tops of the passengerseats without pressing my back hard up against the bars of the cage and, inthe end, I lay down on the soft paper pad. Lulled by our smooth and steadyprogress, I dozed off.

I was woken by the stopping of the vehicle, and by the sound of my Lady slammingHer door as She alighted. Seconds later I heard Her crisp footsteps retreating,getting softer and softer until I could hear them no more. Drowsily I wonderedwhere we were; I could hear the muffled sounds of car engines starting andstopping, and of footsteps in the distance. Finally I got to all-fours, pressedmy back against the bars at the top of my cramped cage, and peered over thewindow sill into the world outside. Row after row of parked cars, with hereand there the forms of people coming and going to and from them, most of thethose returning pushing laden shopping trolleys full of printed plastic bags.Then I knew where I was; this was obviously the carpark of one of those mammouthAmerican Supermarkets I'd seen on films and television, and I'd been left inthe car while my Lady went shopping, without explanation or apology, exactlyas a dog would be.

It was hot and sticky in the back of the car; probably only the tiny fan whirringin the roof prevented me from heat exhaustion, before my Lady's return. ThrowingHer shopping onto the front passenger seat, She started the engine and droveoff. It was too hot for me to sleep, too uncomfortable for me to look out ofthe windows, so I lay miserably on the sticky paper pad, uneasily aware ofmy growing need to empty my bladder.

The drive went on and on, over straight smooth roads, until I became awarethat we were climbing. The air grew somewhat cooler as we drove along whatseemed an endless tree-shaded road. Finally we slowed, turned, and made ourway slowly up a gravelled drive. The car stopped while my Lady aimed a remotecontrol of some kind out of the window. Then She drove forward into an enormousgarage and stopped; bright interior lights came on as the garage door foldeddown behind us.

I saw Her get out of Her seat, and watched as She came round the car to therear. The tailgate raised, She unbolted the cage door. "Out, Fido!" andI scrambled to the ground to stand before Her. Her response was to slash mesavagely across the chest with the short whip She carried. "All-fours!That is your default position; you will not stand on your hind legs unlessordered to!" I obeyed, frightened by Her intensity; She clipped the leashto my collar, and led me around the car to where another, somewhat larger cagestood against the wall, its sliding door raised. A chain about four feet long,attached to a staple welded to a door-jamb, snaked its way acrss the floor.

She stopped, and bent down a little, extending the palm of Her hand undermy nose.

"Here, Fido!"

With a sudden flash of inspiration I understood what She wanted of me. Loweringmy head to the floor, I picked up the end of the chain in my lips, raised myhead and dropped the chain into Her waiting hand.

She clipped it to my collar, and took off the leash which She hung from ahook in the wall.

"Good boy!" She said approvingly, and my heart swelled at the firstsign of affection She'd shown me.

Then She opened an adjacent door which led into the outside world. There wasa step upwards to go through the door; a high step about two feet from theground; a nearby wooden platform was obviously designed to be used as a stepup to the threshold, but it had been moved aside.

"Lie down!....In front of the step!...On your belly!"

Wondering, I did as She ordered, wincing at the gritty concrete on the skinof my chest and stomach. To my astonishment She then placed Her foot on myback; I could feel the sand on Her shoe sole. Then She momentarily placed Herfull weight on Her foot, and I groaned at the sudden pressure on my chest.I was aware of Her raising Her other foot over my prone body and placing iton the doorstep above me. She lifted Her foot from my back and, standing inthe doorway, turned back to where I lay gasping.

"You will take that position whenever you're told to!....Now, get inyour cage!"

Stiff, I scrambled to all-fours and into the cage. She pointed a remote controllerat it, and the cage door slid smoothly downwards, trapping me inside. ThenShe closed the garage door on me, and left me alone.

The overhead lights went off, leaving only the wan light which struggled througha cob-webbed skylight high above me. My new cage was about four feet squareand high; it seemed impossibly spacious compared with the cage I'd been broughthere in. The floor was covered with another of those soft, thick, absorbentpaper pads, and a small metal trough was welded into one corner of the cage.I scraped the oily grit from my chest and belly as best I could with my clumsypaws and lay down with a groan on the pad. But my bladder was screaming forrelease, and I knew I'd have to empty it. I dared not urinate on the floorof the garage, and in the end, I made water on a corner of the pad I lay on.Then, in spite of my novel surroundings, my jetlag caught up with me and Ifell into an uneasy sleep.

I was fully woken by the noise of another door opening, the lights came on,and my Lady entered carrying a bucket. She splashed some of the contents intothe metal trough, placed the bucket out of my reach, and left the way She hadcome. Painfully I rose, still stiff from my slumber, to examine the trough.There was water in it, and, dusty as it was, with bits of chaff floating onits surface, I was so thirsty that I lapped and sucked at it noisily untilit was all gone.

I stretched my cramped limbs to ease them. My present position began to comefully home to me. I'd no idea where I was, I was naked, and I was confinedto a few square feet in a cage, collared and chained like a dog. And like acaged beast, I was totally reliant on my Mistress or some other human beingfor food and water. My mitts made me helpless; without the use of my fingersmy hands were as useless as the clumsy paws of an animal.

My short sleep made me restless; I longed to move around, to be active, andI tried to pace up and down to the limits of my cage. But my prison was muchtoo small to allow that.

The afternoon was far advanced now, as I could tell by the lengthening shadows.Listen as hard as I could, there was no sound apart from the buzz of insectsin the warm air. Was my Lady at home? Had She gone out and left me? I feltlonely and miserable; I was very hungry, and beginning to become thirsty again.

These thoughts were broken abruptly by my Lady's abrupt reappearance. Shespoke no word to me; but picked up the water bucket and re-filled my trough..I scrambled to it at once, and lapped up the warm, dusty water avidly. Shestood by and watched me until I'd finished, then: "Sit!" She raisedthe cage door, put on my leash and detached the chain. "Heel, Fido!" Shecommanded; and She led me over to the steep step before the door which ledto the open air.

"Lie down!" She commanded; then: "Good boy!" approvinglyas I stretched myself on my belly before the step.

Once again I felt Her shoe on my back; again the crushing transfer of Herweight as She mounted the step. Standing in the doorframe, She twitched myleash. "Up, Fido!" and I scrambled up the step to join her in theafternon sunlight. I found myself in a large garden, with pruned bushes, flowerbeds, and manicured turf kept green by sprinklers. We crossed the wide gravelleddrive which continued past the garage to end in a large turning loop in beforethe front door of the house. There, on the broad concrete threshold, aboutthree feet away from the wall, stood a small wooden box. My Lady commandedme to "Sit!" and, after securing my leash to a staple in the wall,She removed the four sides and top of the box to reveal a cage inside it, asmall cage, no longer then three feet, and less than two feet, high and wide.She swung open the rear door of the cage, and brought me to it. "In, Fido!" Iobeyed with some awkwardness, as the cage was much too low for me to walk innormally; in the end I found it easiest to enter on my elbows and knees, andeven then my uptilted rump scraped on the bars of the roof. Reaching the barsat the end, I heard the rear door slam shut, and heard my Lady's quick movementsas She bent down and clasped a thick leather cuff around each of my ankles,then secured them firmly to the bars. She came to the front and did likewisewith my wrists. Then, one at a time, She re-placed the wooden sides and roof,locking them in place with sliding steel bolts on the outside of the structurebefore leaving me.

I was very cramped in the hot little box; the low roof pressing on my backforced me to sit right back with my buttocks on my upturned heels; my headtoo was held low, and I was forced to rest on my elbows, with my forearms extendedin front of me. I tested the bonds which held my wrist and ankles tight againstthe bars: they were rigid; the only movement possible was that of my head,which I could raise and lower about six inches, and move for and aft abouta foot, above what seemd to be a short horizontal steel grill which protruded,from the wooden front piece, between the bars in front of me.

My Lady's footsteps approached again. I heard Her sit on one of the two rockingchairs which flanked a small table on the opposite side of the porch; thenI heard the slow squeak of the rockers and the occasioal tinkle of ice as Shedrank from Her glass. Then there came up the drive the harsh, tinny rattleof a small foreign imported car. It stopped, a door slammed, and eager feetcame running up the steps.

"Hi, big Sis!" The voice was young and blithe; obviously, from thefamiliar salutation, that of the young lady, my Lady's sister. "Did youget it? Where is it? Is it, like, in its cage?"

"Good afternoon, little sister!" came my Lady's reply. "Yes;I have it! And it's in its box right here! Now sit down and have some icedtea! You'll have plenty of time to play with it later!"

"Wow! In its box already?"

There was a flurry of movement, and a rubber-soled foot kicked the side ofthe box.

"Do sit down, child," My Lady told her teasingly. "Have a drinkand cool down......and then, as you're my much-loved little sister, it shallclean those shabby old sneakers of yours!"

"Oh, wow!" came the happy reply.

I heard her move away, then the gurgle of a liquid being poured and the tinkleof ice.

But the young lady was too impatient to rest for long; only a short time passedbefore I sensed her standing at the front of my box.

"What'll I do now, big Sis ?" she called excitedly.

"Place your foot on the grill and slide it forward. A flap will opento let your foot through so it can get to work!"

"What if it, like, won't co-operate, big Sis?"

"Just press that red button on top there; you'll soon find it co-operating!"

I heard a giggle, then the sound of her sneaker being set on the grill beyondthe wooden front. It scraped forward as she slid her foot a long, then a woodenflap opened abruptly, and her tattered old sneaker came to rest below my mouth.Light leaked in through the open flap past the bulk of her foot, and I regardedwith distaste the dusty threadbare canvas of the upper and the dirty whiteplastic of the welt Then an agonising pain shot through my back, and I loweredmy head to my task.

I licked the dust from the canvas top, then, before my tongue could dry out,I licked industriously at the slick plastic of the welt, pleased to see thedirt come off quite easily. She rotated her foot, allowing me to lick the plasticsole. The dirt and grit in the treads came off easily too, though it driedout my mouth, and before long she withdrew her foot and studied the results.

"Wow! Like; neat big Sis! Now for the other shoe!"

"Give it some water to moisten its mouth first, dear. You'll find a smalldish on top of its box," advised my Lady.

A small, shallow dish of water appeared throught the flap. I lapped it eagerlyuntil it was all gone. Then the dish was removed, to be replaced by anotherdirty sneaker for me to wash with my tongue. Finally the sneaker was withdrawn,to cries of glee from the young lady as she regarded her clean footwear. Morewater was put through the flap, and I tasted the slimy mixture of dirt andgrit in my mouth, finally swallowing it, as I feared my Lady's reaction shouldI spit it out on the floor in front of me.

Outside the two were talking.

"There!" said my Lady. "That's the cleanest those wretchedsneakers have been since you first bought them, little sister!"

"That's really cool, big Sis!" came the young lady's excited voice,and I pictured her sitting in her rocking chair, a long cool drink in her hand,while she admired her clean shoes. "It's very tame, isn't it? Are youhaving it clean your shoes now?"

"Not these shoes, dear; it would ruin them! My lacquoured business shoestomorrow before I go to the office, maybe. And now, I think that to celebratewe'll dine out. Your choice....and I'll pay!"

"Oh, wow!" came her sister's delighted reply. "Giovanni's -best pizza on the Coast! And I'll drive!"

My Lady groaned affectionately. "Poor little savage!" she laughed. "Whenwill you ever appreciate the finer things in life? Very well; Giovanni's itshall be. Now I shall bathe and change; and so shall you, my dear - even ifit is into yet another of your wretched outfits of jeans and tee-shirt!"

"You're an old stick in the mud, big Sis!" Her sister laughed. "Butwhat about the dog? Are you going to leave it in its box?"

"No; that would be cruel!" my Lady replied. "You may put itback in its cage, if you like. And remember what I told you to do when yougo through the door into the garage!....Here's the remote for the cage door!"

"Gee, thanks, big Sis! That will be really cool!"

I heard movements near me, and suddenly the wooden roof was lifted off, dazzlingme with the inrush of light. the side and front of the box were quickly removed,the cage door was opened, and I was led out, stiff from my confinement.

I could see little of the young lady; only the lower legs of her faded jeans,and her newly-cleaned sneakers. She tugged my leash, bring me to her side wheremy head brushed the material of her jeans. Then she led me the few yards tothe door into the garage where she stopped me on the threshold. "Down,boy!" she ordered. Then, when I'd scrambled to the foot of the step, "Liedown!" With dunb fatalism, I lay face down again on my belly, and waitedfor what was to follow. The young lady was not yet filled out into my Lady'sfull-bodied femininity, and nowhere near as heavy, but as she stepped downonto my back, her full weight transferred to my aching chest. She descended,led me the couple of feet to my cage, exhanged my leash for the chain, andordered me inside. She thumbed the remote, the door closed on me; then shestroked my hair through the bars. "Good boy! Good Fido!" she crooned. "Who'sa clever dog, then?" I felt her fingers scratch the back of my neck, catchingnow and then in my collar. But she soon tired of her game and left, the garagelights going out behind her.

A little later I heard her small car rattle away down the drive, and knewthey had left me. Alone in my cage I tried to get to grips with the eventsof the day. I was surprised by the ease with which my Lady had imposed Herwill upon me, at the resigned obedience I had shown to Her commands. But then,Her will had been dominant over me six thousand miles away; in Her actual physicalpresence I was helpless to even think of disobeying Her. And, strangely, Iwas enjoying the experience in an odd way. Being treated as an animal, keptin a cage and only let out on a leash, seemed to give me a queer sense of security:helpless, and unable to do anything unsupervised meant I couldn't do anythingto displease Her. And my Lady was my Mistress; She owned me; She had put Hercollar around my neck; She would not let any real harm come to Her property.I was very hungry; but She would feed me when She remembered to.

With this comforting thought, I drifted off into a doze; to be woken by thesound of the young lady's ramshackle old car coming to a halt outside. Thegarage door rose, the small car was driven in, and my lady and her sister alightedfrom it.

My Lady passed quite close to me, completely ignoring me. The young lady,however, paused for a moment by my cage.

"I'll give it some water, Sis!" she called out.

"Yes; do that," came the indifferent reply, as my Lady went throughthe door leading into the house.

Liquid splashed into my trough, and the young lady left me in darkness. Ilapped the water noisily, then lay down again and tried to get back to sleep.

MONDAY

I woke in pitch darkness to a novel and unwelcome sensation. For the firsttime since I'd arrived in California I was cold! And it was really cold; Ishivered and tried to curl myself into as tight a ball as I could. Of course!Southern California was a desert, and deserts give up their heat readily atnight, with temperatures often dipping below freezing depending on the season.My bladder was full again too, and I emptied it into the same spot as before,noting with dismay the growing area of cold dampness which was encroachingon the part of the pad where I had to lie. It was beginning to smell too, andI trembled with fear at my Lady's probable reaction. But then reason prevailed;She would appreciate that as a caged animal, obliged to relieve myself in mycage, it was impossible to avoid being smelly. Which led to another thought.My skin was grimy and sticky; how would She keep me clean? Would she even bother?But all this was entirely in Her hands; there was nothing I could do aboutit; and I fell again into an uneasy, broken slumber, amid intervals of wakefulnesscaused by my hunger and the increasing cold.

Never before have I been so happy to see the lightening sky of dawn. The risingsun meant light and warmth. It was still grey, however, when the door to thehouse opened and my Lady came in to me. She was dressed casually; in smartbrown slacks, brown brogues, a brown silk shirt, and a short, warm brown jacket.Without a word She opened the cage door, put on my leash, and led me out. Pausingat the rear of the SUV, She opened the tailgate and commanded me into the cageinside. I scrambled in, She bolted the door and closed the tailgate, then gotinto the driver's seat. She started the engine and thumbed the remote to raisethe garage door. Then She drove out, up the drive and out on to the road beyond.

We didn't seem to go far; only a few minutes later the car was stopped. Sheopened the tailgate and motioned me out, clipping to my collar a long, leatherleash as I emerged. We stood on a length of concrete, beyond which was a desertedbeach, with the grey line of the ocean in the distance. Leading me around thecar, She climbed back into the driver's seat. The car began to move very slowlyforward, onto the hard-packed sand of the beach.

At first I could keep up on all-fours, but as the pace gently increased Ifound I had to rise and walk upright. The speed increased again, and very soonI was in a fast trot, my leash, which She held in a hand resting nonchalentlyon the door-sill, tugging continually on my collar. Soon I was panting forbreath, but the car drove on. Finally She drew to a halt, and I collapsed onthe sand, sobbing with fatigue. My Lady ignored me; She merely took up a Thermosflask, and poured Herself a cup of steaming coffee. Taking out some businesspapers, She began to read them spread over the steering wheel. After aboutfive minutes She glanced casually at me where I lay on the sand, then re-startedthe engine. I rose wearily to my feet and followed the car as She turned it,then drove back the way we had come, with me trotting at its side. Only a fewminutes later I was back in my cage in the rear, and a few minutes after thatwe were stopped at the head of the drive. There She led me out to the dooropening into the garage. At the top of the steep step downwards, She pausedand stabbed Her finger wordlessly towards the floor. I knew what to do; I loweredmy self to the garage floor and lay down under the step. I felt again Her transitoryweight on my back, squeezing the breath from my lungs. She raised my cage door,attached the chain, took off the leash, and ushered me inside. She splasheda little water into my trough, and left. A little later I heard the sharp clackof the soles of Her leather shoes as She emerged from changing into Her businesssuit; the sound of the SUV door closing, and of its being driven off. No longercold, thanks to my recent violent exercise, but terribly hungry, I lay downhopelessly on the smelly paper pad.

How long I lay there, in an exhausted half-trance, I do not know; but afterwhat seemed a long time in the mounting warmth of the garage, the door to theinteriorof the house opened, and the young lady came in. She was fresh fromher bed, her hair tousled. She wore only a pair of backless slippers to protecther feet, and her sole garment appeared to be an over sized tee-shirt whichdescended to her knees. She yawned as she raised the cage door and summonedme forth. There she clipped on my long leash, and, after detaching my chain,led me out of the garage and into the house proper.

Through a short passage, and we emerged into one of those enormous Americankitchens, all polished tiles and woodwork; cooking appliances of every descriptiongleaming on tops and counters lining the walls. She led me into a far corner,and up to yet another cage; a wire-mesh one this time, about four and a halffeet long and three feet high and wide. Raising the door with the remote, Sheunclipped my leash and ushered me in, encouraging my progress with a lightslap with the leash across my haunches. Lowering the door on me, she turnedaway to rummage in a cupboard under the elaborate sink. She took from it alarge plastic dog bowl and a bucket. Placing the dish on the floor, she emptiedthe contents of the bucket into it, wrinkling her nose at the smell as shedid so. She picked up the dish, slid aside a flap in the bottom of the cagedoor, and slid it through. "There, Fido!" she said. "Good dog!" andshe left me to go and sit at the table where she poured cereal from a box intoa dish, added milk, and began to eat sleepily.

I stared down at the mess in the faded pink bowl. It looked moist and crumbly,and I could see in it, all mixed together, crusts of bread, vegetable scrapings,fruit peels and cores, bacon rinds, and all the usual leftovers and scrapsfrom preparing and eating meals. It smelled rank and sour. I lowered my headto it doubtfully, but my hunger took command instantly and beyond my powerto resist, and I gobbled it down as fast as I possibly could, finishing itall even before the young lady had finished her cereal. Then I lay down, andlet out a satisfied belch, causing my Lady's sister to turn to me with a smile.

"Nice, was it, Fido?" she asked.

After taking her used dish to the sink, she left the room. I heard the soundof her feet tripping lightly up some stairs, then the sound of a shower running.A few minutes later she returned, dressed in clean, faded jeans and an oldUCLA Tee-shirt. The usual battered sneakers covered her feet. She placed onthe table a large, scarred leather briefcase, then came over to my cage. Afterraising the door she ordered me out and clipped on my leash again.

"Come on, boy!" she said, "and let's see what big Sis got foryou at the Petstore!"

Leading me to the table she made me sit while she rummaged through the contentsof a gaily-coloured plastic shopping bag.

"Oh!" she cried. "Your own little name-disc!"

She tok it up and read from its surface.

" It says 'Fido' " she informed me. "And on the other side'This animal is the property of Ms Cardew - and our 'phone number! Aren't youa lucky dog? And look - a cute little bell for your collar! Sit still, now,Fido!"

She bent and tagged the disc and the bell to my collar, where it tinkled softlyat the briefest movement of my head. She rose, took up the case, and led meout of the kitchen and through a door which led out onto a shallow flight ofstone steps and out onto a closely-clipped lawn. Across the cool grass we went,and onto a wide tree-lined path, paved on either side, with a broad grass stripdown the middle. She walked slowly along the slabs, with me by her side onall-fours on the grass, my bell tinkling, feeling again that strange senseof content and security at being led.

The garden seemed enormous; we seemed to walk a long way, and my 'front' legswere begining to tire when we came or the trees to see before us, across another,smaller lawn, a pretty wooden summerhouse, a wide balcony with a polished woodenbalustrade along one side. Up broad wooden steps she led me, and onto the floorof the balcony. There she tied my leash to an upright, and entered the bodyof the structure. She came back with a length of coarse sacking, which shespread on the floor; and a long rope, one end of which she tied around theupright, and the other she clipped to my collar. She took off the leash andlaid it on a nearby table, at which she then seated herself. Opening the briefcase,she took from it a laptop computer, a mobile telephone,a large notebook, anda collection of CD Roms.

I lay comfortably on my stomach, my chin propped on my paws, and watched heras she booted up her computer and put in a CD. She frowned at the result, thenburst into a flurry of action, typing quickly, surely, and accurately, staringintently at the monitor, and now and then making a short note on her pad.

After a time I drowsed off in the warmth. Waking again, I was aware of anuncomfortably distended feeling in my abdomen. I rose and stretched. The tinkleof my bell attracted her attention and I went over to her, whining in distress.

"What is it, Fido?" she asked, distractedly.

I whined again, trying to get over to her my urgent need. In the end I hadto squat down, lowering my haunches in dumb show.

Realisation suddenly showed in her eyes. She rose to her feet and took upmy leash.

"Oh, you poor thing!" she exclaimed. "Come on, then!"

She took me on my leash down the steps, and around a corner of the buildingonto a patch of loose sandy soil.

"There you are, Fido!" she said.

She stood by, holding my leash as I squatted and emptied my bowels; afterwards,as if by some atavistic instinct, I scraped sand over the result back throughmy legs with my front paws.

Back on the balcony on the long tether, I lay down on the sacking again whileshe carried on with her work. After a time she rose, went into the interior,and came out again bearing a tall, frosted glass, tinkling with ice. She satwith a sigh of content and took a long, slow pull at her drink.

With a sudden impulse I rose, and slowly walked over to her. I lowered myhead, and rubbed it against the coarse cloth of her jeans, causing her to layher hand on my head and absently run her fingers through my hair. I sat andlaid my head on the side of her warm thigh; she lowered her hand to where shecould scratch the hairline at the back of my neck.

We sat there together in sleepy mutual content until she stirred.

"You're a good dog, Fido!" she said. "Has big Sis taught youany tricks yet?"

I looked up at her.

"Let's see if you can do any tricks!" she said, and, rising to herfeet, she untied my tether and led me out on the lawn, where she re-tied itround the trunk of a small tree in the centre. She left me and went back intothe summerhouse, to re-emerge carring a short, flexible riding Crop.

"Fido!..Sit!" she commanded, with a light rap on my shoulder. WhenI obeyed, haunches on my heels, front paws flat on the ground in front of myknees, she walked around me, examining my stance critically. She poked my flankwith the crop.

"Back and front legs straight! Head up!" she ordered. Then: "Gooddog!....Fido!......Lie down!" The Crop stung me on the left buttock, andI flopped immediately onto my left side to lie facing her.

"Fido! Sit!.........Fido! Lie down!" Over and over until she wassatisfied wiht the speed of my responses and the positions I tok up at hercommand. Then she introduced "Fido!..Up!" which she taught me meantI should stand on all fours, with my four legs straight and parallel, and myback horizontal. Then: "Fido!....Roll over!" on my back with my legsin the air as best I could get them.

She took me through this routine time and time again, each command being prefacedby my name and accompanied by a blow from the crop.

Finally she returned me to the balcony and tethered me again. She went inand got herself a fresh drink, and a shallow bowl of water for me. Then shecarried on with her work while I fell asleep for a time, to be woken by thesound of her mobile telephone ringing. Lazily I turned on my side to listento the one-sided conversation.

"Hi, Sis;" I heard her say. "Oh! That's good!.... Really?......Yes,I'll see Fido's ready for you!"

She put down the handset, and turned to me.

"Come on, Fido! I want some lunch, and you have work to do!" Andwith that she rose, clipped on my leash, gathered her things in her case, andled me off back the way we'd come, then around the garage and up to the widefront porch.

As I was led up to the tiny cage, I knew immediately what was to happen. Ihung back on my leash and began to whimper, to be rewarded by a sharp blowfrom the crop across my back and the angry words "Bad dog!" Resignedly,I wriggled into the cramped cage; the wooden sides, ends and top were erectedaround it, and I was left alone in the hot darkness.

Some little time later I heard the young lady come from the house out ontothe porch. I heard the slosh of liquid and tinkling of ice, and knew she wastaking a drink at the table there. Only a few minutes later came the soundof my Lady's SUV coming up the drive, and entering the garage. Quick, sharpfootsteps, and my Lady arrived to join her sister. She was offered an iceddrink, and sat in her comfortable wicker chair with a sigh of satisfaction.Her sister began the conversation.

"You really can spend the rest of the week working from home, Sis?"

"Yes, little sister; I don't have to be at Citibank in New York untilTuesday 10th.....How have you been getting on with Fido?....Has he been a gooddog?"

"As good as gold!.....He's been very good....and I've taught him sometricks!"

"You must show them to me later...but first...."

Here I heard Her rise, followed by the click/clack of her leather soles andheels on the concrete as She came over to where I lay crouched in the darknessof my cage. Sure enough, the flap rose, and my Lady's dusty black right shoereated on the grill below my face. I began to lick it, relishing the slickway my tongue moved on the polished leather, and being extra-careful to avoidgeting my saliva on her sheer-stockinged ankles. Then she turned her foot onone side and I licked the smooth leather sole, swallowing the mixture of salivaand grit which accumulated in my mouth as I went. She withdrew her right foot,gave me a little water, then inserted the left. I licked that thoroughly too,and finally She took out Her foot and I heard her walk off and re-seat herself.

"It's getting quite good at this," I heard Her remark.

"He's a clever dog!" Her sister agreed.

"I'll shower and change, then we'll try him out at something else...itwill be fun!...Will you take him out of his box, sis?....I don't want him tobe cramped."

"OK, big Sis!...in a minute!"

My Lady went into the house, and a few minutes later her younger sister cameover to me and removed the wooden box. Then she took me out of the cage andled me into the garage. There, to my surprise, she made me stand up. She tiedmy leash to a ring set five feet high in the wall, and left me. It felt strange,being on two legs for the first time for more than tweny-four hours, and Iwondered why I'd been allowed it.

I was not to wonder long; after about fifteen minutes my Lady entered thegarage carrying a large cardboard box. She had changed into a neat cream colouredskirt, with a cream top, and linen jacket; flat-heeled cream leather shoeson Her feet. Her sister followed her, and together they began to take fromthe box leather straps of various lengths and widths.

"There!" said my Lady. "The thick belt goes round its waist......makesure it's good and tight!"

"And these padded ones go over its shoulders," replied her sister. "Andhere's a breast strap for it to lean into."

Deft hands buckled the straps about me.

"Well, that's its harness on!" observed my Lady with satisfaction. "Nowfor its bridle and bit!"

I sensed her sister on one side of me while my Lady took up station on theother. Then, without warning, her sister's hand clamped down hard on my nose,my mouth opened in shock, and my Lady rammed the steel bit into my mouth andtightened its retaining strap at the back of my head. Another strap, carryinglarge leather blinkers, went around the back of my head. The young lady clippedthe ends of long leather reins to the steel rings dangling from either endsof my bit and removed my leash. My Lady led me around the SUV and into a cleararea where a small, two-wheeled cart stood, its shafts resting on the floorin front of it.

My Lady shortened Her grip on my reins and backed me between the shafts whereher sister lifted first one, then the other, to the belt around my waist, andstrapped the shafts tightly to it. My Lady then turned me, and led me off outside,the rubber tyres on the high wheels of the cart noiseless on the concrete.Then, lengthening the reins as She went, She walked around the cart. I couldtell from the slight heeling of the shafts when She took her seat behind andabove me. My reins shook up and down, I heard a swish, and felt a sharp painin my left shoulder. I knew what to do; I began to walk forward, finding, tomy pleased surprise, that the cart rolled after me quite easily. I could seenothing to the sides, and very little in front as my head was pulled down bythe pressure on the shoulder straps, but I found it surprisingly easy to movein a straight line, or to turn, if I followed the gentle pressures on my bit.I was driven onto the grass-centred paved path, and here my Lady flicked myrump, causing me to break into a slow trot. A few yards, and another flickwarned me to go faster. We went on for some distance at a steady, medium-fastpace, until the path straightened. There the whip fell on me twice, and I burstinto a full run. It was pleasant at first, with the air cooling my skin, butquite soon I began to flag. The whip bit me viciously as I unconsciously slowed;I speeded up and ran on. By now I was panting with exertion, and sweating copiously,but the long path seemed to have no end. Finally my Lady allowed me to cometo a gasping stop. Exhausted, I stood slumped in my sweaty harness, my headlowered in fatigue.

My Lady let me stand there for some minutes before She flicked my back withHer whip to make me move on again. At a walk we went on, until we came outon the lawn in front of the very summerhouse where I'd spent the morning. Theyoung lady sat at the table on the balcony, a large jug of some iced drinkin front of of her. My Lady got down and led me to where She could tie my reinsto the balustrade, keeping me in the shade. Then She took a seat at the tablewith Her sister, some twenty feet upwind from me, and picked up the cool drinkher sister had poured for her.

Somewhat recovered, I found I could hear their desultory conversation quiteplainly.

"You go far with it?" enquired the young lady.

"Just down to the Long Drive, down that to the end, and round to here."

"About three miles,then.....You give it a run?"

"Drove it hard down the Drive....had to wait a bit to let it cool down.....Youwant to take it out?"

"OK. Thanks, big Sis!....After I've finished my drink....it is hot today!..Whattime is it?"

My Lady glanced casually at Her slim Cartier wristwatch.

"Coming up to three," She said lazily.

"Plenty of time then!.....And your turn to cook dinner, big Sis!"

Her big sister laughed tolerantly and poured more cool drink. Standing inthe shafts, I urinated onto the grass between my feet. The young lady sparedme a glance.

"Think I'll take it out now, sis.....You think I should give it somewater first?"

"When you bring it back....not cold water, mind!..You'll give it stomachcramps."

All this I heard quite without resentment, or even surprise. It seemed quitenatural to hear myself talked about in this manner, as if I was a tetheredbeast. In their eyes, and they were the only ones which counted, that was exactlywhat I was.

The young lady rose and stretched.

"Think I'll go for a cooling ride!" she said lazily.

She descended the steps to the lawn, untied my reins, pulled my head roundand got into her seat. The whip cracked down on my shoulder, and I moved slowlyoff, across the lawn and onto one of the paths which fanned from it. There,perhaps mindful of the work her sister had already put me to, she allowed meto pull her along at a slow, steady trot. She was not as skilled as her sister;her hand was much heavier on my bit, and several times she pulled my head aroundwith painful force. I was surprised by the extent of my recovery, and feltI could keep up this pace indefinitely, until we came to a gentle slope whichsoon brought me down to a panting, sweating, walk. In the end she alightedand led me on by my reins until we reached the wooded crest of a smal hill.In a tiny glade at the top, she tethered me to a tree, and stretched herselfout on the cool, short turf. There she seemed to doze off, leaving me waitingpatiently for further use. It was pleasant here, but soon flies and other insectsbegan to bother me. I learned to flick the fringe of hair flopping down uponmy forehead to keep them from settling around my eyes, but I could do nothingto dissuade them from my mouth and nose, only to shake my head from side toside, causing the rings on my bit to jingle aganst the steel clips of my reins,and the bell on my collar to tinkle violently.

Perhaps it was the noise I made doing this which awake the young lady, forshe rose to her feet, stretched luxuriously, come over to me where she untiedme, and re-took her place in my cart. She drove me off, down the slope at afast run, then at a slower pace along the path back to the summerhouse, wherewe found her sister drowsing over Her book.

After tethering me, the young lady went into the summerhouse to re-appearwith the refilled jug. She sat down, at which my Lady opened a sleepy eye.

"Dear me!" She yawned. "I really must have fallen asleep.....andit's five o'clock already!"

"No hurry, big Sis!" came the reply. "I took it up the hill...andfell asleep myself!...Have a drink!"

"Very well," my Lady replied. "But then I'll have to startdinner.....Will you take it back, dear?"

"OK.....Which reminds me...we really must find it another name when we'reusing it as our pony!"

"Mmm!" My Lady sat deep in thought for a moment. Then: "I know!We'll call it 'Muffin'!"

(And so it was to be; I was 'Fido' when I lay at my Lady's feet; 'Muffin'when I pulled her cart.)

My Lady rose and left us, waliking slowly along the path back to the house.Her sister sat a while, then got up and rummaged in the in the back until sheemerged, carrying a shallow bowl. "Not cold water, she said," I heardher mutter. "I know! The rainwater butt!" She went around the sideof the building to re-emerge staring doubtfully at the contents of the bowlshe carried before her. She shrugged, and offered it up to my eager lips. Thewater was scummy and warm; the corpses of tiny drowned insects floated in it,but to me it was nectar, and I lapped it eagerly. Afterwards, she sat, pickedup her sister's abandoned book and began to read as the shadows lengthenedabout us.

I became bored and restless, standing there in my heavy harness, and beganto tread the ground impatiently, and to toss my head, making the chains onmy bit jingle and the bell on my collar sound.

At last she put down the book and yawned. She rose, and after taking the usedglasses and the jug into the back, came down onto the lawn, untied me, mountedthe cart, and drove me off. She kept me at a steady walk all the way back -for which I was grateful, for I was very tired - then drove me into the garagewhere she unharnessed me.

Then it was on with my leash and "Down, Fido!" as I reverted todog role. She led me from the garage, through yet another door, into a small,fenced, concrete-paved backyard. Two large trash-cans stood in a corner, and,under a short coiled hose-pipe, there was a dripping tap set low in the wall,with a large bucket beneath. In the centre of the yard was a drain, and justbeyond that a steel ring had been set into the concrete; a short chain attachedto it. I was taken over to it, and the short chain clipped to my collar. Theyoung lady then left me standing there in the hot, airless yard, while shedeparted through a door which apparently led into the short passage from thegarage to the kitchen; a mouth-watering smell of cooking wafted through itas she closed it behind her.

Minutes ticked by, leaving me increasingly uncomfortable. The tether was muchtoo short to allow me to sit; the concrete too hard for me to lie down on,leaving only standing on all-fours as an alternative.

The young lady came back. She had changed into disreputable old coveralls,and she carried a large, coarse sponge, a plastic bottle of liquid soap, arubber kneeler, and a colourful aerosol spray can. All these she put down whileshe filled the bucket from the hose. That done, she set about washing me downwith the soapy sponge. She washed me thoroughly all over, including my hair;the soap suds ran into my eyes, making me wince and shake my head violently.Then she washed off the soap with the hose, and left me to dry.

Thanks to the dry heat, in a surprisingly short time I was dry all over, andI felt much refreshed, and grateful to my Lady, whose idea I was sure it hadbeen. (But I had the thought that my 'bath' was not so much for my benefit,but for Her's, lest my rank male smell offend Her fastidious nostrils.)

Back again came the young lady. This time she picked up the aerosol can, andgave it a vigorous shake. I had time to notice its label, showing a handsomeGolden Labrador above the words 'PetCare - Dog Deodorant' before she beganto spray me, paying particular attention to my armpits and crotch. She undidthe chain and put on my leash. Then she led me from the yard into the kitchen,from where issued the appetising smells.

The cooking was evidently nearly finished, for My Lady sat at Her ease atthe table, a pre-prandial Martini at hand. Her sister led me over to Her andbade me "Sit!"

My Lady looked down on me casually.

"Thank you, little sister," She said. "And thanks for puttinghis name disc and bell on his collar....Dinner's almost ready; I've set theDining Room table for you....I'll take him now while you shower and change."

The young lady handed her the end of my leash.

"OK, Sis!...I'll put on my best dinner dress!" replied her youngersister cheekily.

My Lady looked fondly on her, and chuckled indugently as the young lady left.I regarded my Lady with my usual mixture of awe, trembling adulation, and inferiority.She was smartly, though not formally, dressed, in a tan silk dress with a garnetbrooch as discreet decoration. Her immaculately stockinged legs were shod intan leather high-heeled light shoes. I glanced up at Her, then began stealthilyto lower my head towards them. She must have caught my movement, for She pulledsharply back on the leash, dragging my head back up abruptly.

"Oh no you don't, Fido!" She told me. "Not those shoes! Now,Sit!"

Chastened by Her tone, I sat meekly at Her side until Her sister returned.My Lady handed her my leash, saying "Take him into the Dining Room, dear;and put him on that long tether."

The young lady led into the large Dining Room opening off the kitchen. Itwas about thirty by thirty feet square; as they were the only diners, a smalltable had been laid for them near the fireplace. I was tied by a long leatherthong, allowing me to move fifteen feet or so into the room.

A tureen of soup stood on the dining table; my Lady served them from it. Vichy-suisseby the smell. The two ladies ate heartily of the fresh, crusty bread accompanyingit. Then my Lady served steak and salad. My Lady drank a Montrachet '94; hersister, with the happy barbarism of youth, drank Coke. My mouth watered freelyat the delicious smell of the steak, so much that I dared to creep across thefloor towards them, moving so gently that my bell scarcely sounded. Arrivingundetected at the young lady's side, I sat bolt upright and stared at her fixedly.The sudden tinkle of my bell alerted the two to my presence; the young ladyglanced down at me, a smile on her lips.

"Hello, Fido!" she said. "Have you come for some scraps?....Here......begfor it!" And she held out a scrap of discarded meat at arm's length.

I begged, imitating the way I'd seen dogs do it; crouched on the balls ofmy feet, my front paws turned dowwards level with my head. The young lady brokeinto appreciative laughter.

"Isn't he clever!" she exclaimed. "Here, Fido!"

She held out the scrap enticingly. Instinctively I glanced at my Lady forHer approval. She nodded at me coolly. "Take it, Fido!" She commanded;and I took it from her sister's fingers smoothly and neatly, and gulped itdown.

I boldly begged from my Lady next, and She too made me beg first, but I couldtell that She did not really approve of my behaviour because immediately afterwardsShe told me sharply to "Lie down!"

Their final course was a light, summery smelling pudding of some kind, afterwhich they sat back in their chairs for a few minutes breathing sighs of contentment.

"There, little sister!" My Lady said teasingly. "That was betterthan burgers and fries, wasn't it?"

"Much better!" said Her sister affectionately. "And to showmy thanks I shall clear the table and make the coffee!"

"Thank you, my dear. I shall take mine out on the terrace; would youbring me a Grand Marnier with it? Oh, and bring me the bag from the Petstore,please."

Her sister smiled in assent, and left. My Lady glanced down at me lying byher chair. She rose leasurely to Her feet, went over to where my tether wassecured, and loosed it. "Heel, Fido!" She directed as She coiledthe surplus in Her hand. I ran over to Her, and She led me out onto the terracewhere She secured the tether to an upright of the balustrade. She took a seatat the table, and I went to join Her, but was brought up by my tether a yardor so short of Her chair. She spared me a glance, but just then Her sisterbrought out to Her the gaily coloured plastic bag from the Petstore, theircoffee, and my Lady's digestif.

I was too busy straining against my tether to reach Her to notice what Shetook from the bag, but She sharply ordered me to "Sit!" while Shefixed some sort of leather apparatus around my mouth and nose, securing itat the back with a strap and buckle. Then She moved a chair near enough forme to get to Her side, where I immediately, with a guilty glance upward, loweredmy head over Her shoes.

But the expected reprimand didn't come; instead I heard my Lady's chuckle,and the happy laughter of Her sister.

"Oh, you've muzzled him! Poor Fido!" she giggled.

"He shall learn which shoes I want him to clean and when!" saidmy Lady, with mock severity.

"Now, Fido....Lie down!"

Still whining with disappointment, I did as She ordered, at which She placedHer feet, in their chic high-heeled shoes, upon my flank. I was much more contentthen, even when, as the sisters conversed, my Lady would shift position causingHer sharp heels to dig painfully into my flesh.

Finally the young lady, yawning her fatigue, left us for her bed. My Ladysat on in the soft, warm darkness for a few minutes more before stirring fromHer reverie and commanding me to "Sit!" I had almost dozed off, amdobeyed sleepily. She removed my muzzle, then I felt Her fingers at my collarand the end of my tether dropped to the floor. I stared at Her in astonishmentas My Lady pointed through the open French doors into the interior.

"Fido!.....Fetch it!" She ordered me.

For a second I was confused, then came instant comprehension. I ran throughthe French doors, through the Dining Room floor, and into the kitchen. Thereit was, just where I'd seen my Lady put it! I seized the leash in my teeth,and ran back as fast as I could manage, my paws and knees skidding on the polishedwood, until I sat before my Lady, my leash dangling from my jaws. She smiled,but said nothing, only took the leash from me and clipped it to my collar.She replaced my muzzle, rose, and tugged my leash gently. I followed Her, walkingdecorously by Her side, Her skirt brushing against my shoulder and flank nowand again, bringing a faint waft of Her exquisite scent to my nostrils.

She led me into the garage, and up to my cage where She wrinkled Her noseat the smell from my stained and discoloured bedding. But She made no comment;merely clipped on my chain, and removed my leash Then She ushered me into mycage, bolted the door on me, and left.

A few moments after the lights went out. I lay down on the smelly paper padand prepared for sleep, realising as I did so that my Lady had neglected toremove my muzzle.

Might not She remember this, and return? Or would She, as was far more likely,if She thought about it at all, shrug Her shoulders and dismiss the problemuntil the morrow?

To Her I was only a dog, after all.