leering laughter hovering in the eyes of the night porter, finally getting into this taxi in which she now rose through the mysterious looking city toward the ferry to take them to the other side.
Though she had no idea what she would do after she had arrived at the motel, she was certain that she was doing the right thing. If she ever decided to let Robert know where she was, he would realize that he had to treat her with more respect and tenderness than he had so far. He would have to learn that she had feelings too, and when that happened she was sure she would be able to give him as much pleasure as any of those street whores he had gone out to find.
Meanwhile she would just go right on and enjoy seeing the strange new country she was in – she would try to forget everything that had occurred. Then they might be able to start all over again.
Penny felt the bump and lurch of the taxi as it passed from the hard asphalt surface onto the ramp of the ferry, and when they had stopped in the depths of the boat, she got out to see if she could find some coffee on one of the upper decks. When she reached the top of the steps leading up from where the cars were, she glanced back at the hazily silhouetted city. Something struck her as strange and then it finally dawned on her. The minarets thrusting up all over the place from the hundreds of mosques were like so many erect penises aiming at the moon. She laughed to herself, remembering that only a few hours before they had seemed like missiles aiming at the moon.
I'll show him who's sexy when we get together again, she whispered softly to herself.
She suddenly heard a light cough near her in the darkness and turned to see a Turk with a dark mustache running his eyes up and down her figure. Than she noticed a lighter patch on his black suit, and looking more closely, she realized with a start what it was.
He had unbuttoned his fly for her benefit! With a crawling sensation of horror running up and down her back, she discovered that he was holding his thick penis in his hand, slowly masturbating as his eyes roamed over the contours of her young body. She cried out in disbelief and hurried back to the taxi below. There she rolled up all the windows and locked the doors from the inside, not daring to move again until the ferry reached the other side and they were speeding off toward the distant motel on the Dardanelles.
CHAPTER TWO
The taxi entering the long driveway into the motel was visible from the night manager's office. Osman, on duty alone in the nearly deserted motel, was surprised to see the car and wondered who could be arriving at this time of the night. He had been bored by the lack of activity, but now his interest was aroused. He quickly slipped on his maroon blazer and stepped briskly out to meet the car now pulling to a halt outside his office. He could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the young girl sitting all alone in the back seat and his blood began to pound in his temples. Even if this young innocent-looking girl was some rich man's mistress coming to wait for him here, it could prove to be an interesting evening.
When he learned from the driver that she was American and would be alone, it was all he could do to keep from showing the excitement in his face, but he maintained his calm, efficient manner.
'Good evening, Madame,' he said in an obsequious voice. 'Osman, at your service.' He bowed deeply as he opened the door of the taxi, offering his arm to assist her. Penny deliberately ignored his gesture and stepped out of the car on her own, casting an aloof glance in his direction, which was not lost on Osman, although he swallowed his pride and kept smiling at her. There would be plenty of time for him to even the score for her completely unwarranted rejection of his attentions if he had his way.
'Madame wants a cottage to herself? With a view?' He suggested in his senile way. He knew her type very well. As long as he pretended to bow and scrape to her, she would be satisfied.
'You have a vacancy then?' she asked. 'They told me in Istanbul that you were hardly ever full. I guess they were right.' Secretly the young fugitive wife was wondering why the motel was not jammed with people. Even in the dark she could see that it was a magnificent place to stay. The cabins were scattered about in a pine wood overlooking the water, with a lovely view of the islands scattered in the Dardanelles below. But she knew from her reading previous to the trip that the way to treat foreigners was to keep them off-balance by being haughty and disdainful. It would never do to let them think they had the upper hand, especially if you were an American.
'I suppose that will do,' the lovely blonde said as though to nobody in particular, glancing around the office they had now entered as if expecting it to be infested with vermin. 'You can get my bags from the taxi.'
Without another word, Osman returned to the taxi and told the driver to put the bags in cabin number fourteen. He waited outside the door until the taxi driver returned ready to leave. Reaching through the window, Osman gave the one-eyed driver five hundred lira.
'You didn't bring the Madame here, do you understand?' he whispered in a harsh voice. 'She changed her mind, and you took her to the airport.'
The driver smiled knowingly and stuffed the money in his pocket. He took a good look at Osman's face – this was a good thing to remember for the future. Then he slipped the car into gear and pulled away from the lights of the motel.
'If Madame will follow me?' Osman said when the taxi was gone. He led Penny with a flashlight along the pathway winding among the isolated cabins until they reached the most remote one of all. The light had been left on inside by the taxi driver and Osman held the door while she walked in and looked around.
Penny was still a little dazed from her sudden decision to leave Robert and from the dangerous trip up the winding road to the motel. She glanced into the bathroom once and wished she were already soaking in the bath.
'All right, the room will be fine,' she said at length to Osman, who was waiting expectantly by the open door. 'If you could bring me something warm to drink before I go to bed?'
'Of course, Madame. A hot brandy and milk?' Osman suggested. With a little special brew of my own, he added to himself.
'Yes. That'll do,' Penny answered. When Osman didn't close the door and leave her alone, she became suddenly short-tempered and tried to put him in his place with her tone. 'Well? What are you waiting for? Please get me the drink now!' She was exasperated. Here she was, tired and frightened and eager to be alone to think things out, and this stupid man only stood there staring at her. It was too much.
'At once, Madame,' he said with a little self-deprecatory bow. 'If I could please have your passport. Motel regulations require that I fill out certain forms.' He smiled at the way she looked flustered and embarrassed under his insistent gaze. Then finally she seemed to understand what it was he wanted, and she dug into her purse searching for her passport. When she handed it to him with an annoyed flick of her waist, she looked coldly up at his face.
'Now will you please bring me the drink so that I can go to bed?' she intoned in a frigid voice. She didn't quite understand how, but this night manager was making her very nervous and uncomfortable and she wished he would leave.
'Thank you, Madame. It will take a moment for the brandy and milk, since the bar is closed. Excuse me,' he said, maintaining his cool exterior. He knew that he was making the innocent-looking young woman uncomfortable, and he was enjoying himself. But he knew there was a lot more pleasure to come and hurried back to the office to mix up his special nightcap for young ladies who came to the motel alone.
After hiding the girl's passport, which he had no intention of registering in the guest-book, he took the sleeping powder from his private locker, and after a moment's thought, reached into the inside pocket of his sport jacket to get the tiny lump of hashish he always carried. I might as well give her some pleasant dreams as well, he chuckled to himself as he began to mix the drink. When he had heated the milk on the single burner alcohol stove, he dumped in the strong brandy and sprinkled the two powders on top. He stirred in the whitish sleeping potion and the dark brown hashish carefully, humming to himself as he thought of the promising evening he had ahead.
While Osman was gone, Penny had quickly changed into a frilly negligee she had brought especially for her wedding night and started running the bath water.
She heard the light knocking at her door, and opened it just wide enough for him to pass the tall warm glass to her. She tried to give him a scathing glance of dismissal, but the way he was staring at her partly revealed figure caught her off guard, and she hurriedly pulled the neck of her negligee close together with her free hand and looked
