Saints and Sinners

Chapter Ten

Crowthorne Keeper Training College

(after a short detour)

Crowthorne

Berkshire

"Most of them don't get any visitors anymore." Miss Daphne Scott explained to Caroline Blackstone as her young assistant guided her firmly forwards to stand in the doorway to what seemed to be a dormitory of sorts. There were six cots on each side, each one containing an old woman in what looked like sleeping gowns, except that there were tubes attached to them running to a huge enema machine at the end of the room. "So...there is really no need to get them up and exercise them? They spend their days with the bible...no talking of course...and nothing to see...but they get three liquidised meals a day and go on the cleaning frame once a week...no more punishments, no more standards to meet...I think you would like such an easy life, Caroline dear?"

"No...thank you, Miss Scott." Caroline whispered, staring the woman in the cot nearest to her, seeing nothing in her eyes.

"Don't be too hasty, dear...you would get your monthly visits, I am sure...and that would mean keeping you mobile...bring her to the window, Miss Boothe?"

"Yes, Miss Scott." Miss Boothe replied, tugging sharply on Caroline's leash.

"So...you would get up every afternoon and spend around three hours on the auto-walker to keep you sprightly...no gowns or corsets, just a simple dress and a cloak...your leash is attached to a ring on the runners and you are drawn along...switched off, of course...no one needs to be overstimulated?" Miss Scott continued as Caroline stared at the rather strange contraption and women in heavy cloaks being dragged around an enclosed courtyard. "What do you think, Caroline? Is this the life for you, dear?"

"No, Miss Scott...no, thank you, Miss Scott."

"Well, then...we have some work to do then, don't we? Because if you still fail to improve during your time with me, you will not be going home, Caroline? Do I make myself crystal clear, my dear?"

"Yes, Miss Scott...I will improve, Miss Scott...I promise?"

Daphne Scott smiled as she switched Mrs Blackstone off again, knowing that the woman meant it at face value. Motivation was important, obviously. Showing her what her future would really look like if she failed to apply herself was important, but Miss Scott was by no means sure that it would be enough. In her long career, dating back to the mid-nineties, she had personally trained hundreds of women, and thousands of keepers, and she knew that it was harder to save older Daughters of Eve from themselves. Caroline Blackstone had been spoiled for so long that it would be hard to take her back and teach her what obedience was really all about. But she had some ideas, as always.

"She is secured, Miss Scott." Miss Boothe announced, once she had Mrs Blackstone safely strapped into the car. Miss Scott nodded and took the younger keeper's arm to steady herself as she climbed in alongside Caroline.

"What do you think of her, Miss Boothe?" Daphne asked, always teaching, always trying to help her students and her charges improve.

"She is terrified, Miss Scott...and that is impeding her performance?" Miss Boothe said as she got into the car and took the bumper seat, facing her superior. Behind her, the driver shut the door and started the engine. "And I get the impression that she has to think about almost everything...nothing is instinctive?"

"Exactly...because that only comes from the early training...ideally as a child...skills that are learned in those early years become automatic in time...but dear Caroline was in her mid-twenties when she was saved and her training since then has been largely poor." Miss Scott sighed as they started to move, knowing that it would take a good hour to get to Crowthorne College. "So...how do we rectify her situation?"