Introduction

In Britain, the New Order government has been in power for almost twenty years, pursuing gyno-centric policies that have progressively deprived men of status and political relevance. With women as the economic power house and men treated as little more than property, society has reshaped itself. The New Order Government, beset by the usual problems of internal political manoeuvring, outside events and the gap between the ideological and the achievable, has built up all the mechanisms needed to make sure that the country continued to tread the path set out for it by the New Order pioneers.

In the homes of women around the country, the mundane problems of everyday life and of making sure that the man of the house doesn't contravene the range of New Order laws and control orders are more important than the intellectual basis of female led politics. And, of course, while some of today's women see New Order as the inevitable face of society, some of them just get off on having men at their beck and call.

Against that backdrop, New Order has civil servants and party officials set up in the roles that make sure that the country goes the way it wants.   

Chapter 1: From the Agency

The knock on the door was unexpected. Caroline Bullworthy was enjoying a quiet afternoon. She had just got back from work an hour earlier. Her husband, Graham, was busy with his chores in the garden; her daughter supposedly diligent with her school work upstairs. It wasn't worth summoning Graham so, for once, Caroline answered the door herself.

Two women stood on the step. One was a quiet, mousey-looking, rather pale woman wearing gold rimmed, half-moon glasses and carrying an e-pad. The other looked sterner. Her straw blonde hair was scraped back from her face and pulled into a pony tail. She wore dark glasses, a dark jacket, dark trousers and low heeled ankle boots. Even without the lapel badge on the woman's jacket, Caroline would have known that she was a New Order party agent, put in place to make sure that some civil servant or other was doing their job.

"Mrs Bullworthy?" The mousey woman blinked down at the screen of her e-pad and then looked up again.

"Yes," Caroline responded, "How can I help?"

"Care and Confinement Agency," the mousey woman said, fumbling in her pocket for a wallet with her identity card. "Just one of our spot checks. Nothing important really." She shook her head from side to side, smiling. Caroline wondered if it would fall from her shoulders. Her party companion didn't look as though she thought it was 'nothing important really'. She didn't bother to introduce herself.

Caroline knew about the spot checks. It was an annoyance for her. She didn't see why the government should be able to come around disturbing people but on the other hand, Caroline approved of making sure that people did what they were supposed to. The checks had become more frequent recently. The government had said it was because of increased risk of dissident activity; the opposition had claimed it was a disgraceful infringement of civil liberties because the Home Affairs minister wasn't up to her job. In theory, Caroline knew, she could insist on seeing their inspection warrant but, in practice, that would only irritate. It probably wouldn't worry the mousey looking woman but the thin lips and the cold stare of the party agent suggested she might make life difficult if Caroline refused. "Come in," she said, showing the way to her living room.

The living was comfortably, if conventionally, furnished. A floral print fabric covered the couch and two armchairs. The three women sat down. Caroline on one of the armchairs, her guests on the couch. 

The mousey woman seemed no less diffident. "Oh. Sorry. Should have said. Isobel Harris. I'm a junior inspector with the agency. Just starting. I'll try to make this as straight forward as possible." Her companion allowed herself a momentary glance ceiling-wards.

"Quite all right. It's no problem at all." Caroline was reasonably sure it was no problem. She thought she complied with all the regulations although it was difficult to be sure; they kept changing all the time. She sat back. The print of the dress she was wearing blended almost matched that of the chair. To Isobel it looked like her head, with its ruddy, chubby face, and her podgy hands and legs were emerging from the chair itself.  "So how does this work? I mean do you want to look around or anything?"

"Ah, oh, err, yes. Just a moment." Isobel flipped screens back and forth on her e-pad. Finally, she seemed to work out what she was doing. "Right. Fine. I'd like to see all the members of the household please, first, and their ident cards."

"Of course. My husband, well ex-husband. You know. And my daughter. I'll just get them. Excuse me Ms Harris, and …." Isobel's companion didn't bother to fill the gap.

Caroline Bullworthy pulled herself out of the chair and headed towards the back of the house. "Graham"" she called from the kitchen door. "In here, please." She didn't wait for him to acknowledge her but went back to the foot of her staircase and called up. "Sue-Linn. Someone to see you."

She went back into the lounge. "They won't be a minute. Still, at least I can give you my ident card." Caroline pulled her purse from her handbag and took out two of the plastic covered cards; her own, coloured pink, and her husband's white card. She held them out to Isobel.

"Oh. Thanks. Yes." Isobel smiled. "That's good." She swiped the cards through a reader on her e-pad and handed them back. "I'm glad to see you keep your man's card."

"Well, I think that's what I'm supposed to do isn’t it?" Caroline responded primly. She wasn't in the mood to be patronised by a women twenty years her junior. The regulations were perfectly clear on that. Graham wasn't allowed to carry his ident card except when specifically authorised and absolutely necessary. That was what having a sponsored male meant.

"Yes. Yes. Of course. You would be surprised how often people don't do it though."

Isobel's thin-lipped companion gave a half smile as though recollecting some particularly amusing incident where she had been able to take advantage of just such a situation but continued to keep her silence.

Moments later, Graham and then Sue-Linn appeared. Caroline waved Graham to stand in the corner of the room facing the wall. Sue Lin, still wearing her school uniform with its short grey pleated skirt, white knee-length socks, white shirt and red and black striped tie, came and sat on the arm of the chair beside her mother.

"Could I see your ident card, please, Miss," Isobel said. Sue-Linn took her card from the small purse that she had strung on her hip strap and passed it across. Isobel slotted the pink card into the reader of her tablet, prodded the screen a few times and passed it back. "I'm sorry we have to do this personal stuff, but I'm sure you understand."

Caroline wasn't in the least bothered and Sue-Linn seemed interested by the whole process.

"Now, perhaps I can check a few details. Sue-Linn, you're eighteen, right?"

"Nineteen next week," Sue-Linn responded.

"And Ms Bullworthy… I see your divorce went through just three months after the Transfer of Marital Assets Act but you've had – ah, what's his name – oh yes, Graham – as a sponsored male ever since."

"Well, you know how it is."

Isobel didn't really. She found it hard to understand why women carried on sponsoring ex-husbands but it was quite common, especially for those of Ms Bullworthy's generation. 

"He isn't Sue-Linn' s birth father, is he? Even though you were married at the time?"

Caroline laughed. "Well, he was there for the conception but he wasn't involved, unless you count kneeling by the bed with my knickers over his face." Sue-Linn giggled. She always found the stories of how her mother cuckolded her husband funny. Graham looked abashed. "He's useful for some things but that's not one of them. I think that you'll find details of Sue-Linn' s natural father if you scroll down on your information. A very agile Chinese gentleman." She raised her voice and turned her head so that her words carried clearly to Graham standing with his face in the corner, "Very well equipped and very well able to use it."

Isobel smiled. These inspections often threw up interesting details and old enmities. She looked down at her e-pad. According to the records Caroline looked to be a law abiding woman. She hadn't had any problems in the past. It looked like this inspection was going to be straightforward. "Well, that's fine. Perhaps I can have a look at your care and confinement resources."

In the corner, his face hidden from the women in the room, Graham allowed himself a raise of the eyebrows. "Care and Confinement Resources!" he thought. "Caroline's toy box would be a better word."

"Of course," his ex-wife said. "Come upstairs. I'll show you."

© Freddie Clegg 2012

Chapter 2: A Short Demonstration

Sue-Linn & Isobel's companion stayed where they were. Graham was still standing with his face in the corner.

The stern faced woman in the dark glasses seemed to be taking little interest in her surroundings but then suddenly spoke. "You're not a member of New Opportunity, are you?" she asked.

Sue-Linn shuffled uncomfortably for a moment. It was expected, she knew. When a girl got to eighteen, it was the done thing. The trouble was, though, she had never been much of a joiner-in. The other girls at school thought she was bookish and a bit geeky. Nobody had asked if she wanted to come along when the rest of them had organised a panty raid on the local boy's reformatory. It had been the same when two of the girls had trapped one of the delivery boys in the game keeper's shed and had auctioned off his attentions for the afternoon. Sue-Linn looked across at the woman and shook her head. "No. I guess it didn't seem like my sort of thing."

"I think you are under-estimating yourself," the woman said. "You would learn a lot of useful things, make useful contacts. You might even have some fun."

Fun wasn't something Sue-Linn would have expected the cool looking woman to suggest. The woman took off her dark glasses. Sue-Linn was astonished by the piercing blue of her eyes.

"You'd get classes in basic civic rights too. You'll need to understand those. Had you thought?"

Sue-Linn nodded. "Oh yes, but I have studied things. About property rights and contract and, and, male disenfranchisement and positive female discrimination. I've learned a lot from reading and we had extra classes at school and…"   

"I'm glad you're taking it all seriously."

"Mummy was very keen that I should. She says I have no idea what she had to put up with when she was my age and I shouldn't have to."

"That's certainly what New Order was intended to do. And how about control skills? You won't be learning those at school, will you?"

Sue-Linn blushed and shook her head. "No, but mummy says…. Well, since Graham isn't my real father, more my sort of, well, step father, I guess. Anyway, she says that it's all right if I … "

"It's all right if you practice on him?"  

Sue-Linn nodded.

The woman nodded too. "Yes, she is right. Provided that you are getting the practice. I would be concerned if there was any question of a girl of your age, domiciled with a sponsored male but without the skills necessary to cope with any situations that night arise."

"I can show you if you'd like. Mummy won't mind." Sue-Linn smiled brightly, keen to demonstrate her competence.

"That would help me a great deal. Thank you."

Sue-Linn went to a cupboard that stood against the far wall and opened a drawer. She took out a pair of high heeled shoes and a whippy cane. Sitting on the couch she changed her pumps for the glossy black stilt heeled shoes, "Mummy says it helps," she said by way of explanation as the other woman looked on in approval. The turning to where Graham was standing she called, "Step-father. Come here."

Graham turned around looking worried. "Please," he said, "must I?"

Sue-Linn was implacable. "Of course. You know you must do as you are told. Come here at once!"

Graham looking both reluctant and embarrassed at being ordered about by his step-daughter, made his way across the room slowly. Sue-Linn smiled in triumph as he reached her side and, without being told, dropped to his knees beside her.

"This lady wants to see that you know how to behave.  Head down on floor now!"

Graham looked around towards the woman with the piercing blue eyes. He had no idea why he should expect her to intervene on his behalf but his pleading look told how he hoped that she would. The way in which she folded her arms and leant back against the wall made it clear that he could expect no help from her though. Defeated, he did as his step-daughter had ordered, pushing his face down against the living room carpet.

"Now," Sue-Linn ordered, "slide your face over to our visitor. Show her respect please."

Graham started to move towards where the woman was standing but a moment later his step daughter's crane cracked down across his back. "Keep your face on the carpet. Don't you dare lift your head!"

Graham gasped with the pain of the blow but pressed his face back down against the carpet pile, ignoring the dust that he was forced to inhale and the coarse texture of the carpet rubbing against his face.  He shuffled his face forward, trying to guess when he might be getting close to the woman.

"Stop!" snapped Sue-Linn.

Graham responded, but not quickly enough to prevent him bumping his forehead against the pointed toes of the woman's shoes.

"Oh, sorry, Miss," Sue-Linn said, apologetically.

"Don't worry," the woman replied. "It is difficult to judge things like that. It comes with practice. Look I'll show you." She leant forward and hissed in Graham's ear. "Turn around, you little shit, and get yourself back over to your step-daughter.

Graham knew enough not to answer the woman but swivelled himself around until he was pointing towards where he hoped Sue-Linn stood. He set off again, his face rubbing against the carpet as he crossed the room once more.

"Stop," the woman ordered. "Now look up!"

As he did so Graham saw Sue-Linn lounging back in one to the room's armchairs. Her legs were crossed. His face was only an inch from the high heeled shoe she had planted on the floor. The other foot, its shoe dangling from her toes, hung threateningly above his head. Sue-Linn was smiling and flexing her cane between her two hands. "Very good, step father," she said with a giggle. "You can kiss my foot as a reward."

When Graham was slow to respond, Sue-Linn' s cane cracked down across his back. Graham yelped but then pressed his lips to her shoe, anxious to show that he was eager to obey her instruction. He knew that if there was any trouble resulting from the inspection it would be him that was made to suffer afterwards.      

© Freddie Clegg 2012

Chapter 3: First Floor Facilities

While Sue-Linn was demonstrating Graham's compliant nature and her own skills as a young dominatrix in the lounge, Caroline was showing Isobel how she had things organised upstairs.

"Now, I know it's difficult to have proper containment facilities in a house like this, Ms Bullworthy," Isobel send with a tone that Caroline found at once condescending and pompous. "But we do make appropriate allowances for the nature of the property, provided – of course- that the basics are catered for. You need to have what's called a 'defined place of containment within the meaning of the act', I'm sure you know," Isobel prompted.

"Of course." Caroline's blunt response gave vent to her exasperation with what she saw as Isobel's unnecessary questions.

"And there also need to be 'adequate individual restraint facilities'. We have to check for those as well." 

"I think you'll find," Caroline responded, trying to keep her irritation in check, "that the arrangements meet the agency's requirements."

"I'm sure. Perhaps you could show me the overnight arrangements." Isobel knew this was the most important part of the inspection. More males absconded in the hours of darkness than at any other time and the Agency was being very hot on this aspect. Her supervisor had told her that if there was any instance of a male absconding from overnight confinement after one of her inspections she'd be looking for a new job; and she didn't want that.

"We've converted one of the old built-in wardrobes, here," Caroline said, pointing to where a closet at one end of the second bedroom had been modified to provide a place where Graham could be securely lodged.

"That's a two inch thick door with a five lever lock and exterior bolts at top and foot. Inspection spy hole there, as you can see – same specification as the prison service, I'm told. The floor level door is for feeding during long term confinement." Caroline paused while Isobel ticked boxes on her tablet programme. "But, I expect you realised that." 

Isobel looked up and nodded. "Err, could I look inside?"

"Of course."  Caroline slid the bolts back and took the largest, brass key from a bunch that hung from a chatelaine attached to the belt of her skirt. A solid clunk was heard as she turned the key in the lock and swung the door open.

Isobel peered inside, checking off the essentials that were expected in an overnight confinement space. Rudimentary lavatory facilities (in this case a small bucket), solidly fixed attachment points for restraints (Isobel was pleased to note that these include the possibility of fastening a neck collar wrist and ankle cuffs to the wall), no obvious means of communication to the outside, and no access to the outside bolts or locks. "That seems completely satisfactory, thank you. It's much better than many I have seen."

Caroline smirked. She wasn't surprised. If Isobel had been inspecting the other facilities further up the street she must have seen some pretty slid-shod cages and cupboards. Caroline was amazed that none of her neighbours' males had absconded.  "I had him in here for three days, once," she said. "He'd been particularly tiresome about something - although I can't for the life of me remember what - and I just put him in here until he came to his senses. They can be a bit stubborn sometimes, can't they?"

Isobel nodded but she didn't really have very much direct experience herself. Of course, she'd had a few males to stay overnight but for occasional stays the agency only recommended personal restraints and that was all she had. Obviously she'd have to have something like this if she ever took a male on full time but that wasn't really on the agenda. She was happy enough with a casual topping when she felt the need for it. "I suppose you have some personal restraints as well?"

"Of course," Caroline responded sniffily. "In my bedroom." She closed up the cupboard and gestured towards a door at the end of the corridor.

Caroline's bedroom was a haven of comfort for her. The floral wall paper, cosy curtains and large comfortable bed all reflected, what to Isobel was, a rather provincial, feminine, taste. Nevertheless Caroline delighted in its comfort. "I keep the 'personals' in here," she said almost conspiratorially, sliding a trunk from underneath her iron framed bed. "I don't need them much with Graham obviously but, well, you never know." She opened the trunk.

Inside it were a series of carefully separated compartments each holding its allocation of devices of restraint and correction. Along the back a long thin compartment held a collection of canes, and crops. In front of it three almost equally sized spaces held wrist cuffs, a selection of gags – both bit and ball, and blindfolds and hoods. The last row, closest to Isobel contained, on the left, butt plugs and vibrators and, on the right, a collection of clamps.

"I have more or less everything I need in here," Caroline smiled, smugly. "The keys are on my belt obviously."

"Obviously," Isobel responded. It was annoying. Caroline Bullworthy was a smug, irritating woman but she was entitled to be smug. There wasn't anything that Isobel could fault in what she had seen. "Thank you, Ms Bullworthy. That's fine." Isobel looked down at her e-pad. She seemed to have covered most of the things the inspection needed to look at. "There's just another couple of questions. Perhaps we could go back down stairs?"

"Well as long as you've seen everything you need to. I'd hate you to think that this house wasn't completely up to standard."

Isobel coughed and said that everything was fine. Caroline led the way back downstairs. 

© Freddie Clegg 2012

Chapter 4: A Few Further Points

Isobel and Caroline returned to the lounge just as Graham was demonstrating his obedience to his step-daughter.

"Oh, really, Sue-Linn. I hope you aren't showing off."

"No, mummy not at all."

"It's quite all right, Ms Bullworthy," Isobel's companion said. "Sue-Linn has been showing me just how well she has been able to pick up the essentials from yourself."

"Well, I think I've been able to show her the most important skills," Caroline replied.

"You certainly have. But I do think Sue-Linn would benefit from getting together with girls of her own age at a New Opportunity group." For the first time Sue-Linn noticed that the woman who had accompanied Isobel wore a small badge on the lapel of her jacket. In black enamel and silver, it carried the intertwined female and inverted male symbols that were the symbol of the New Order party. It must mean that she was a party member. No wonder she is so keen on getting me into the local group, Sue-Linn felt. "In fact," she said, "on the strength of what I have seen this afternoon, Sue-Linn could give a demonstration of what she has learned to the local group. It might ginger them up a bit to see what someone has been able to do on their own. That is if you wouldn't mind him," she nodded at Graham, "being taken out for an evening."

Caroline looked a little uncomfortable. She'd tried to avoid any involvement with the party. She wasn't really a political person. The changes that New Order had brought in had been fine by her but she wasn't interested in the political dialectic, she just liked getting her own way around the house.

"It would be very public spirited of you, Mrs Bullworthy. The sort of thing any member of the community would be proud to be part of."

The combination of the subtle flattery and implied threat of disapproval were sufficient to convince Caroline that it was a good idea after all. "Well, I suppose no harm can come of it," she said. "He'll have his box on, of course. Mind you, I don't think there's much to frighten them between his legs."

"Oh, I'm glad you mentioned his box, Mrs Bullworthy," Isobel cut in looking down at her e-pad once more. "There's just a few last questions and that was one of them. From what you say, I take it that he is routinely boxed?"

"Most certainly. And, if you ask me, it would be a good thing if all of them were. I can't imagine why New Order hasn't made it law. Save all sorts of trouble, it would."

Isobel's companion looked uncomfortable for the first time. She found it hard to explain why the Party hadn't made locked chastity devices for males compulsory. Plenty of women used them and it would hardly be a controversial piece of legislation. From her own point of view, she agreed with Caroline but the Party had decided it was a matter of individual conscience and so nothing more had been done.

"The Government is using them on detainees, isn't it? If you need them when you've got the buggers under lock and key why don't we get the protection of the males having them all the time?" Caroline looked as though she was just getting into the stride of what could be a lengthy rant. "Just let me show you," she said to Isobel's companion and then, turning to Graham, "Drop your trousers and your pants!"

"Please, Caroline, don't make …" Graham started to beg but then, seeing his ex-wife's look of fury at him using her name in front of strangers, he stopped himself and began to obey. In moments his trousers and pants were pushed down around his ankles and his private parts, caged in the chrome plated chastity device he was forced to wear, were clearly on display.

"There," said Caroline in triumph, "see what I mean. He's got so excited at being bullied by Sue-Linn that he's practically bursting out of that cage. And the repulsive thing is dripping!"

It was true the combination of Sue-Linn's domination, the idea of being paraded in front of a group of New Opportunity girls and the presence of Isobel's austere looking companion had all helped Graham to a substantial hard on that was now pressing painfully against the chromed steel cage that enclosed his cock and balls. The disdainful looks of Isobel, Caroline, Sue-Linn and the other woman weren't helping either.

"I'm just glad I've got this key," Caroline held up the small key to the padlock on Graham's cock cage. "And I'd be happier if every other sponsor had the same thing for their males too."   

Isobel made a non-committal noise. Privately she agreed with Caroline but, since it wasn't Government policy she didn't feel able to say so. She turned back to her e-pad. Graham was still standing with his trousers and under pants around his ankles. "There are a few last questions, if you don't mind, Ms Bullworthy."

"Of course not, dear," Caroline had calmed herself down after her heated expression of enthusiasm for male chastity devices.

"Does the sponsored male have any outside work or is he mainly here on the premises?"

"Outside work? Good grief! I can't imagine there would be anywhere that would have any use for him. He can just about cope with keeping the house clean and that seems to take him all day!"

"I'll take that as a 'no' then. And does he have a key to the premises?"

"Not on a permanent basis. I give him one if he has to run errands but it's returned to me at the end of each journey."

"I see. And would he be restrained in any way during the day? I mean, obviously I can see that you have the equipment and I'm sure it gets plenty of use," Caroline looked smug, Graham uncomfortable, "but perhaps you can just say a bit about how and when it is used? Just run through last week if that's easier. This really is the last question."

Caroline sighed.  "Oh well, let me see. Monday? Oh yes. He was in the cell all day for some stupid remark or other, I can't remember what but I didn't need any of the other equipment. Tuesday I had some of my girlfriends over, so he would have been handcuffed and shackled most of the day to stop him getting into anything he shouldn't. Then – oh yes!" Caroline giggled, "well, I'm afraid I ended up in bed with one of the girls from the tennis club. I thought he ought to listen in and perhaps pick up some tips – fat chance I know but you can hope – so he was chained up at the foot of the bed overnight. And I think, Daphne – that's my friend's name – pushed a butt plug up him that stayed there for most of the night after he'd grunted or complained at some inopportune moment. Where's that then?"

"Wednesday? But…" Isobel had heard enough to answer the question, 'Is adequate use being made of alternative restraints?' but Caroline was now in full flow.

"Oh yes, Wednesday. Back in his cell at the end of the day because Sue-Linn had some of her class over for a study session and I didn't want him distracting them. And then he got left in there over night because I forgot about him."

"Thursday there was quite a lot of housework to do, so I think he would have just had his collar on. Oh, no, I'm wrong.  He hadn't done a very good job of cleaning my shoes and I've got a really good collar that lets me fit a shoe in his mouth as a gag. He had that on, just as a reminder.  Friday? Oh yes. Well Friday night I like to give him a bit of a treat if he hasn't been too useless, so when he'd finished with the house work and the evening meal I took him upstairs and let him have a bit of fun with his tongue. He was handcuffed for that, of course."

"Of course," interjected Isobel, hoping to regain control of the conversation, but Caroline wasn't to be stopped.

"Well, he gets very worked up sometimes. Especially if I squat on his face for long. Anyway he gave me such a good tonguing by the time I'd had a couple of orgasms, I was quite ready for sleep. I woke up in the morning to find the poor thing was still chained to the bed rail. He hadn't disturbed me though, so he can be a good boy sometimes."

Oh yes, thought Graham, I bet I know what would have happened if I had dared disturb her after a shagged out evening of drink and cunt tonguing. He didn't say anything of course.

"Then, Saturday. Well, I always do a sort of reckoning up on Saturday mornings. Anything he should have been punished for that I haven't got around to doing. So if I remember rightly we had the paddle and the cane. Quite the re-bottomed lad he was. And an afternoon in the cell again just to give him time to think about things and then that brings us to Sunday and here we are."

"Well, thank you Ms Bullworthy, I can see you're very diligent. That's really one of the most comprehensive responses I've had."

Caroline smirked with self-satisfaction.

"Well, I think that's it more or less." Isobel peered at her e-pad. "Oh, yes. Two more things. Access to communications? Telephone? Emails?"

"Certainly not! The phone has a pass code on it and only Sue-Linn and myself know the key. I check the itemised bill too, just to make sure he hasn't found some way around it. All our internet devices have fingerprint or iris recognition keyed to Linn or myself. Our Internet Provider has been a great help too. We've been able to set our connection so it is only active for our own devices so even f he got hold of some other device he couldn't use it here."

"Well that's comforting Mrs Bullworthy. There has been a spread of unauthorised electronic access recently and that is certainly the right way to prevent it. Then there's the past thing. Money. I presume his access to that is limited too."

Graham grimaced. 'Limited' was one way of putting it. 'Non-existent' would be another.

"Of course. He only has cash when he has a specific errand to run and has to provide receipts for every amount spent. Sue-Linn and I do regular checks of his accommodation too. If he was finding a way to squirrel away money or anything else we would have fond it by now, I am certain."    

"Thank you very much, Ms Bullworthy." Isobel smiled as she closed the e-pad application. At least this inspection seemed to have gone well. "That really was most helpful. We'll let you get on with your evening."

© Freddie Clegg 2012

Chapter 5: Final Reflections

Isobel sat in her car and slid her e-pad back into its bag with a sigh of relief. It hadn't been too bad after all. She had been dreading her first series of inspections but, as it had turned out, they had all been straightforward. What she had been most worried about was what she would do if there was someone that really didn't come up to scratch but all of the places she had looked at had met the minimum standard easily.  Ms Bullworthy really seemed on top of things. She could teach some of the more radical party types the right way to do things!

Sue-Linn was happy to get back to her studies. She had an essay that was due in for college the following day and all the business with the inspection had meant she hadn't really had a chance to think about it. It had been quite fun though, bullying her step father for the inspector – maybe she would take up the woman's suggestion to go along to a New Opportunity meeting. And maybe, she'd have a word with her mother about doing a bit more practice on her step-father. It had been rather fun putting him through his paces. Perhaps she ought to try a bit more of that.

Party Observer, Jill Fenwick, walked slowly down the road. Isobel hadn't done a bad job for a new starter, she thought. She'd get better at it in time, of course, but she had covered all the key points. The other good thing was that the spirit of New Order seemed well embedded with all of the women they had seen. Jill wasn't naďve enough to imagine that everyone was interested in politics but the afternoon had shown her that New Order policies still seemed to be working. She'd really have to raise the issue of compulsory caging at the next policy chat, though, she told herself. The party seemed to be missing a trick on that one.

Caroline smirked as she shut the door behind her visitors. She wasn't sure about letting Graham out with Sue-Linn but she was happy that her daughter had obviously impressed the woman from New Order. Caroline wasn't keen on Sue-Linn getting involved in politics but, on the other hand, the party had a lot of influence and something like New Opportunity might just help Sue-Linn fit in with her friends.  Certainly she had a knack for keeping men under her thumb. But then she got that from her mother, Caroline thought. As she thought more about the visit, she was really amused by the way her daughter had been treating Graham. It was always the same, when she saw something like that it made her as horny as anything. She went upstairs in search of a few toys. It was about time that Graham did something useful for a change, she thought.     

Graham heard the door shut with a relief. The departure of the inspector and the woman from New Order heralded the start of a quiet evening he hoped. Sue-Linn had gone back to her homework. Perhaps she would forget about the New Order woman's suggestions.  Perhaps he could go back to some gardening. It was hard work but at least it was something he could do without his wife standing over him with a whip all the time.  That was the answer, Graham thought. And perhaps he'd be able to find a minute or two to dig out that packet of cigarettes he'd got hidden at the back of the shed. He headed out to the garden. His dream didn't last long. The window of his wife's bedroom opened and he heard her. "Get up here, Graham," she called, "I've got something much more amusing for you to help me with." 

 

THE END

 

© Freddie Clegg 2012