Chapter 3
Karin lay on her bed, thinking nostalgically about that first experience. Lucy had proved to be a good friend as well as a fantastic lover, and the affair had lasted for several months. It ended when Lucy moved to a different city.
Karin had then been forced to seek sex again, but this time, she wasn't interested in men. But a funny thing happened; they started asking her out. Karin figured she'd give it a try, but sex with boys never turned her on the way Lucy had. After the fifth or sixth time in bed with a guy, the fifth or sixth failure, Karin decided she was through with men. From now on, she would get her kicks soley with women.
And Karin had kept that-resolution. Once or twice, she had been tempted to break it, but the men had always turned out to be bastards and she was glad she had not given in. She was satisfied with nice warm pussy and didn't feel a thing for fat juicy cock.
But after a while, fucking one hot twat after another had grown boring. Karin was sick of superficial relationships. She wanted to meet a woman lover for a permanent relationship.
She had met Charlotte doing laundry one day and the two college girls had become fast friends. Karin could tell right away that Charlotte was straight; all she did was talk about men. But as the friendship became more open and Karin got to know Charlotte better, the attraction became an obsession.
Charlotte was warm and understanding, tender and compassionate. Karin had never derived such satisfaction from conversation before. Never had exchanging confidences been such a pleasure. Karin could hardly refrain from grabbing Charlotte and madly kissing her sweet lips with gratitude. She liked Charlotte more than any other person she knew.
But she knew that if she let Charlotte know about her lesbian desires, she would lose even her friendship. So Karin let matters remain as they were and didn't say a thing. She brooded in silence over her disappointment. And every time she saw Charlotte with a man, her heart turned green with envy.
Anne and Suzanne knew Karin well enough to recognize what was going on. They picked up all the little tell-tale signs she gave out unawares. Suzanne noticed the way she stared at Charlotte and the hungry look in her eye. Anne picked up the hesitation in Karin's voice whenever she and Charlotte discussed Charlotte's sex life with men. Together, both French friends made fun of their roommate's mad passion.
Suzanne and Anne loved the pleasures of a woman's hot flesh-they dug sinking their hungry mouths into wet hot pussy. But they were not the types to sit around mooning over one unobtainable pussy when there were hundreds to be had. And they could never understand Karin's firm resistance to men. Anne and Suzanne considered their roommate to be a very strange person.
They first met Karin at a party a friend of theirs had given. At the time, Karin was having a brief affair with a slender frail girl who was a friend of the host. She was looking for an apartment and their current roommate was going back to France. Anne and Suzanne had invited her to move in, figuring they had added another swinger to the pad. They had even looked upon Karin as an improvement, for Anouk had been straight.
But how wrong they had been about Karin! She was quiet and shy and kept to herself. She refused to participate in the wild sex parties that were the delight of the two girls. At times, infrequently however, they could persuade her to join in for a romping threesome. But never could Anne and Suzanne convince Karin to have anything sexual to do when even a single man was involved. It was so annoying! What a drag to have a luscious body right in the same apartment, but absolutely useless. There were so many interesting things they could do--the more bodies involved, the more things. But Karin refused.
Anne and Suzanne couldn't see it, for they loved sex, be it with hot cock or dripping pussy. They loved touching bodies and rubbing parts-they would take whichever kind they could get. Of course they had their moods. Sometimes, Anne thought she would positively die if she didn't get her hands on hot throbbing cunt, and hot male meat would serve no comfort. Other times, Suzanne lusted for a thick meaty prick sticking up her pussy, and female tongues were absolutely useless to her. But when you got right down to it, the girls really couldn't say which they preferred. It was stupid, really, to make a choice when they could have both.
Anne and Suzanne sat on the bus, on their way to visit Greg for a session full of promise. Greg was very uninhibited and pulled no punches. It was a joy to have sex with him. He had taken a little trip and the girls had not seen him for months. They were looking forward to the afternoon of hot kicks.
"Can't wait to see Gregory," Suzanne cooed, with her cute French accent.
"It takes about twenty minutes to get there. Did you say he had some coke?"
"Yes," Suzanne replied.
"That's wonderful," Ann remarked. "Karin, stupid girl! She should have come along."
"She's impossible, Anne," Suzanne insisted. "I give up trying to help her."
"You're right," Anne agreed. "She's hopeless."
"Remember how she was, when we first met?"
"Yes, I do. And I also remember the disgust in her eye when we told her we found men as exciting as we found women."
"She was full of feminist clap-trap, as the saying goes," remarked Suzanne. "Men the enemy of women! Ten!"
Anne laughed. "I know. Poor female. She never learned how to handle them. Never developed her power over them. Men don't scare me."
"Well, ma cherie," said Suzanne, "you make mince meat of them."
Anne giggled. "I learned all I know from you."
"We learned together and helped each other develop our talents," Suzanne said.
The girls laughed gleefully. It gave them a wonderful sense of power knowing that they could manipulate most men they met by using their sexy bodies and desirable faces. But it was more than that. The girls had developed a special charm, a sexual charisma, that they could control with the efficiency of an expert. Each knew what had to be done to get what one wanted. Each had that special perception that enabled her to judge what each individual man required.
They smiled, knowing their thoughts ran the same course.
"But of course," Suzanne suddenly said, "you realize that not all men are subject to manipulation."
"Suzanne," replied Anne, "of course I do. Those are the ones I like best. They are the most exciting. No man can manipulate me without a struggle. I like a man to try. I like to match wits."
"Yes," said Suzanne, "you are right. Those are the fascinating ones. But they are few and far between."
There was a moment of silence, perhaps in respectful memory to those few precious souls, men who did not let desirable women master them in their passion. They were by far the most exciting fucks.
"Did you see the look on Karin's face when I told her about Charlotte?" Anne suddenly asked.
"Yes. I thought she would come in her pants," Suzanne remarked. The girls snickered.
"I wonder if she'll get her wish," Anne reflected.
"Do you mean, will Charlotte fuck her?" asked Suzanne. "Yes."
"I don't know. You were the one who talked to her. What do you think?"
"I think," said Anne, "that Charlotte is likely to try women, even likely to try Karin. But I doubt that she will become involved with Karin the way Karin would like. Charlotte may become like us, but she will never become like Karin. Why change from men to women when one can have them both?"
"You delight me, my lamb," Suzanne replied, "with your impeccable logic. But Charlotte has a kind heart and has listened to Karin in her depressions. You never can tell."
"I don't understand these people," Anne declared, shaking her head. "I can never discover why they place so much emphasis on the inclinations of the spirit when it is physical love they seek."
"It's insecurity. They are afraid to be alone, so they seek to bind someone to them forever. You and I know how ridiculous such an attempt is, how futile. One is forever free, in actuality. How silly, how useless to pledge oneself forever," Suzanne replied.
"And yet," Anne noted, "we have been together for many years."
"But ah, my pet, that is because we make no pledges. We allow each other the proper freedom. Allow! What am I saying? We recognize that such freedom exists. And we admire and respect each other for that reason, as well as others. That is why we have been together for so long."
"Yes Suzanne," said Anne, "that and our lack of absurd jealousy have kept our hearts near to each other."
"Why should I be jealous?" asked Suzanne emphatically. "What reason have you to be jealous? The pleasures of the flesh are immense-I wish you as my loving friend, my sweet pet, to enjoy whatever delights you can. How silly of me to resent the being that can supply my heart's delight with such joy! I tell you, people are mad."
"Poor little Karin," Anne remarked. "She wastes her time mooning over what she doesn't have, failing to partake in the vast pleasures available to her. I do believe she's jealous of the affection we share."
"Silly child!" Suzanne exclaimed. "We manage to stay so true and loyal by allowing each other perfect freedom. She will never have what we have because she's too much of a parasite. She feeds off others for her emotional support. That's why she's been so down lately, no one to feed off of."
One might suppose that Anne and Suzanne were a little hard on poor Karin, for after all, she did not possess the self-confidence that enabled the two French ladies to go it alone. Anne would be bothered if Suzanne left her for another, but she would make it her business to find another close friend. If necessary, she could manage without one for a while.
Suzanne felt the same. She needed no one but herself to manage her life. Losing Anne would be a disappointment, but it would not affect her happiness. This mutual independence of mind enabled the girls to be free of cankerous jealousy. That's why their friendship had lasted so long-they never interfered, or felt they had a right to interfere, in each other's personal business.
But Karin was different. She needed someone to assure her, someone to confide in, someone to make her feel loved. She had no security in her powers of sexual attraction, no trust in her own spirit. She was afraid of life by herself.
But her clinging necessity was precisely what scared people away. Most people were not like Karin. They weren't prepared to devote themselves totally to another human being. She couldn't understand it. She thought such people were cold and selfish. Karin didn't understand that everyone is alone. She didn't perceive that emotions were changeable, even thought relationships could be maintained over long periods of time. Karin thought one pledged one's love forever, not seeing that love could change and fade.
After her roommates had left, Karin came into the living room. She thought about what Anne had said about Charlotte. Could it possibly be true? Was Charlotte interested in learning the joys of lesbianism? If so, Karin knew she had to be the one to teach her. Karin wanted to love Charlotte so bad, wanted Charlotte to love her so bad, that she could scarcely see anything else. They were already true and close friends. It was inevitable that they should become lovers.
Karin walked to the door. She would go see Charlotte now, hoping that she would be willing to talk about her desires for women with her. Charlotte would have to agree that men were not worth the agony they caused. Who needed them? A woman could only trust another woman not to hurt her, not to be cruel and heartless. Only another woman could understand what it was like, only another woman could muster the proper sympathy. Men led totally privileged lives, in comparison. Their privileges depended upon the oppression of women. It would be foolish to trust one for a second. .
Karin hesitated as she was about to turn the knob. Now would be the wrong time to go. Marie would be there. Charlotte and Marie were close friends and Karin was jealous. She didn't like Marie. Marie seemed cold and selfish. She wondered what a warm person like Charlotte saw in her.
"Charlotte, are you up?" said Marie, in a loud voice.
"I am now, big mouth," Charlotte retorted. "I want to talk with you. I'm steaming."
"How was last night?" Charlotte asked. Marie groaned.
"That bad," said Charlotte. "Worse."
"Did you fuck him?"
"Getting right down to basics," Marie wryly remarked. "Yes."
"How was he?"
"Fantastic."
"So what's the problem?" Charlotte sat up. Marie sat on the edge of her bed.
"He hadn't pulled his prick out five minutes ago when he practically kicked me out of the apartment. I'm so furious I could scream." Marie's cheeks blazed with anger. Her eyes shot fire.
"Calm down," said Charlotte, "there's nothing you can do about it now."
"I know," whined Marie, "but it's so frustrating. Every time a guy is good in bed, it's a one night slam. I'm sick of it."
"I know how you feel," Charlotte consoled, knowing that she wasn't very consoling.
"I don't understand it," Marie complained. "What are they afraid of? What does he think, that I want to marry him? I hardly know him. I just want to smash something."
"Just forget it," said Charlotte. "There's nothing else you can do."
"I know," said Marie, "but it's so hard to stop thinking about it. What's wrong with all the men?"
"I wish I knew."
"It just seems that every time I meet someone half-way decent, he pulls some kind of asshole stunt like this on me."
"I know," said Charlotte. "Me too."
"I know," said Marie. ""That's what's so depressing. If it only happened to me, I could blame it on myself, find something that I was doing wrong. But it happens to you and to Cindy and to Michelle and to every single woman I know."
"You'd think men would want women like us, women who aren't leechy. I don't know," said Charlotte, "I just want someone I like who's good for a steady lay. Just someone who's interesting and halfway decent in bed. Is that asking too much?"
"It must be," remarked Marie, sarcastically, "because the men don't stick around long enough to find out what we want. Our eyes must flash signs of warning or something. Beware of the possessive female! She wants your relationship to last longer than a day!"
"It just makes me sick," Charlotte declared. "It's so stupid. They're depriving themselves. What do they think, that I'll stop them from fucking other women? Sometimes I think that men get way ahead of themselves when it comes to women."
"Well, I guess some women are like that, so they learn to be careful," said Marie. "Some women imagine this whole big relationship, just because they're sleeping with a guy."
"That's true," agreed Charlotte. "But it still doesn't make sense. You'd think a man would be more likely to keep a sharp eye out for a woman who's not like that. You think they'd be glad to find us. It's not like we're lepers, or something."
"Well," said Marie, "I don't want to talk about it any more. But I'm going out of my mind. If I don't meet a decent guy soon, just one so I know they exist...."
"There's got to be one somewhere," said Charlotte. "Hopefully, even two."
"Well, if there's only one," Marie replied, smiling, "we'll have to share him."
"Better than nothing," Charlotte declared. "Hey Marie, guess who came to visit last night?"
"Who?"
"Anne."
"From across the hall?" Marie asked. "Uh huh. We had a very interesting conversation."
"What was it about?"
"She tried to talk me into going gay," Charlotte said.
"You're kidding! What did she say?"
"She made a pretty good case, actually. She said that it was stupid to confine youself to the pleasures of one sex when you could enjoy the pleasures of both. It makes sense, when you think about it."
"I don't know," Marie insisted. "Women just don't turn me on. I don't get horny looking at naked women."
"Neither do I," Charlotte replied. "But I wonder if it's because I don't let myself get horny."
"I don't think so," answered Marie. "You're getting too psychological. If you don't feel horny, why bother figuring put why? Just forget it."
"I would go along with that except for one thing," said Marie. "What's that?"
"I'm horny and frustrated from lack of men. So I have to get it somewhere else."
Marie looked dubious. "Maybe," she said, "but I don't think I'd have much fun in bed with a woman."
"Maybe, maybe not," said Charlotte.
"Are you going to try it?" asked Marie.
"I don't know. I might, if it presented itself to me and I was in a daring mood." Charlotte stood up and started getting dressed.
"You could fuck Karin," Marie suggested.
Charlotte laughed. "You fuck her. She's about as exciting as a dead door knob."
"Who would you fuck then?" Marie inquired.
"Oh, I don't know, Anne or Suzanne, I quess. Probably Anne, because she talked about it to me."
"Well, tell me all about it."
"I haven't decided to do it yet," laughed Charlotte. "I'm just thinking about it, that's all."
Anne and Suzanne smiled at each other as they rang the doorbell to Greg's apartment. They could hear the blare of loud rock music from within from behind the thick metal door. The odor of burning marijuana penetrated the air. It was just like Greg.
"Hey, outrageous," he said, as he opened the door and saw the two girls.
Anne and Suzanne walked into the apartment. Greg followed them to the living room. He had just gotten back after hitching cross-country and had not seen these friends of his for several months. He always enjoyed their company and was glad to see them.
"Anne, how you been?" he asked enthusiastically. "Suzanne? What have you been up to? I'm so glad you came."
"I told you we'd come," said Suzanne.
"Yea, but I thought you might be busy or something might come up." Greg smiled like a bashful little boy. "You know what I mean."
Suzanne smiled at him. He was positively endearing. Anne liked Greg too, but sometimes he got on her nerves. Not today, though, for she hadn't seen him in a long time and she liked him better than most people she met.
"And pass up some coke," Anne quipped, "oh, come now!"
The three friends laughed. Greg passed around the pipe he was smoking. The sweet scent of pot permeated the room. Anne took a toke and a smile of pleasure came over her face. It was one-toke stuff and she felt good. She handed the pipe to Suzanne.
As Suzanne sat puffing away, getting good and high, Greg got up and lowered the stereo. He came back and sat down in between the two girls. He put his hand in Suzanne's hair and stroked Anne's cheek.
"Now we can talk," he said. "Fantastic music, but there's so much to talk about."
"How did you like California?" asked Suzanne.
"It was great! Really. You should go."
"We're thinking of going next summer," said Anne.
"You should hitch," Greg declared. "It's the best way to see everything."
"Well, we've got time to think about it," laughed Suzanne.
"Gregory," said Anne, "we're having a party Saturday night. So cancel any other plans."
Gregory laughed. His eyes were twinkling. "Cancel my plans!" He fiegned indignation. "The nerve of this girl!"
The three of them laughed. Suzanne passed the pipe to Anne.
"Oh, I forgot about this," said Anne. "You must be very stoned, you pig. You kept it for so long."
"I'm abolutely wrecked," Suzanne declared, giggling.
"But really, Greg, will you come?" asked Anne.
"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Any interesting new people?"
"A new roommate-wait till you meet her," Anne said. Suzanne had laid back on the couch and was intently listening to the music. Her body shook in rhythm to the music; she swayed her head, grooving on the beat.
"Oh, what's she like?" Greg inquired.
"Weird. Gay, not bi. Afraid of men. Thinks of herself as a liberated woman, big feminist and all, but she's afraid of men, really. She's got a crush on a straight neighbor, who's also invited. It should be a very interesting evening."
"Sounds fascinating," said. Greg, with a big sweep of the hand. "But enough of this shit for now, let's do some coke."
Suzanne's ears perked at the mention of the beloved substance. She sat up, erect and alert, waiting for Gregory to gather the equipment involved.
Gregory got up and went over to a table with a little drawer under the surface. He pulled out a small strip of tin foil and a straw. He came back to the sofa and laid the objects on the coffee table. The three of them slipped to the floor, so that their shoulders were level with the top of the coffee table. All three watched the proceedings with interest.
Gregory opened the foil and spilled a little bit of white crystaline powder on the table. It was finely cut and sparkled on the dark wood grain. Greg got up and went into the bathroom. He returned with a razor blade.
"What did you get that for?" asked Suzanne. "It's looks cut enough."
"To cut the straw," explained Greg.
"Oh," Greg sliced the plastic straw in three fairly equal parts. He handed one to each girl, keeping one for himself. Greg took the razor and separated the pile of white gleaming powder into three equal parts. He pushed one in front of Anne, one in front of Suzanne, and kept one before himself.
As soon as Suzanne got her bit of cocaine, she put one end of the straw over the powder and stuck another inside one nostril. She leaned over, close to the coke, and started sniffing. Meanwhile, Anne and Gregory were preparing to do the same thing.
Suzanne threw back her head and breathed deep. Then she repeated the process, this time using the other nostril. Greg and Anne followed suit. Soon, all three had used up their little piles of magic white powder.
After it was over, they got up on the sofa, smiling and beaming at each other. Everyone was feeling real good. Suzanne felt sharp tingles dart through her veins. Her blood was racing, her head spinning. She could feel the pangs of desire welling in her cunt.
The rock music blared from the speakers as Gregory got up and turned up the volume. He danced his way back to the sofa.
"There's nothing like the Stones," he declared, "when you're in the mood to fuck."
They all laughed. Anne looked at him with an animal glance, erotic and inviting. Suzanne coyly smiled.
"So you're in the mood to fuck," she said.
"Well," exclaimed Gregory, "aren't you?"
Suzanne breathlessly laughed. "Yes," she replied, "and I'm sick of talking about it."
Gregory sat down beside her and put his wet hot mouth over Suzanne's eager lips. He kissed her long and sensuously, thrilling at the way she wrestled her passionate moist tongue with his. Suzanne made little growling noises in her throat.
"Hmmm," mocked Anne, "sex-crazy bastards!"
Gregory pulled from Suzanne, laughing. He put his arm around Anne's waist and drew her closer to him. He nibbled on her earlobes, her neck, her pearl white throat. Her skin tasted soft and sultry. Gregory writhed and twisted in the heat of his passion.
Suzanne sensuously massaged Greg's back as she licked his ruddy back neck flesh with her hot slithering tongue. She roamed every inch of sweet-tasting flesh, his long thick hair tickling her nose. She bit-into a vein and sucked, rubbing her hot tits against his back.
They were locked in a threefold embrace, passionately involved in enjoying the carnal delights of their bodies. Suzanne was pinned with her back to the sofa as Greg pushed his hands up her blouse, feeling and squeezing the big brown boobs inside. She wriggled and writhed with the pleasure of his tender fingers pinching the flesh of her bumpy brown nipples, growing hard with excitement. She groaned with desire.
"Let's get down on the floor, all three," Anne whispered, as she nibbled on Greg's ear.
He turned to Suzanne. "On the floor." he said.
They jumped up from the sofa in unison. Greg pulled off his teeshirt and flung it aside. Suzanne ripped off her blouse. Anne had already thrown her blouse on the couch and was now tugging at her tight jeans, trying to slip them off her ass. Finally, three naked beings stared at each other with joy.
"Oh wow!" said Greg. "You two really knock me out. It's been a long time since I've fucked two girls at the same time."
Suzanne laughed. "There aren't many like us, are there, mon ami."
"That's for sure," said Greg. "You two are the most sensible sexy females I've ever come across. No petty jealousies, no silly hang-ups."
"What is there to be jealous of?" declared Anne. "We adore each other and adore you. All three delight in the charms of the flesh. Why resist temptation when it can just as easily be fulfilled?"
"Anne, my lamb," cried Suzanne, embracing the girl to her bosom, "delight of my heart, put your lips to my pot of passion and evoke the sweet juices of desire."
She lay down on the floor, spreading her legs apart. Anne sat between the milky thighs, stroking the wiry fluff of dark pussy hair. She rubbed her cheeks against the soft flesh of Suzanne's thighs, feeling the short curly stubbles with the tip of her nose. She stroked the hot pussy with tenderness.
"Come here Greg," she said. "Lay down on your back between Suzanne's legs. I'll go down on you and suck her cunt at the same time."
"Fantastic," cried Greg. Anne stood aside, letting Greg get into position. His loose flowing hair tickled Suzanne's sensitive pussy lips-she shrieked with desire.
"Heart of my soul! What an idea!" Suzanne writhed and wriggled in time to the music as her love partners positioned themselves. Anne got on top of Greg and put her hot twat over his growing manhood.
Greg rubbed his juicy thick prick, helping it grow hard and firm so it would be ready to penetrate deep inside the hot pot of treasure right above him. Anne could feel it growing stiff and erect against her thighs.
Anne put her fingers in Suzanne's moist snatch, playing with the sticky hot inner pussy flesh. She put her finger on Suzanne's hot little clit and pressed it like it was a button. Keeping her finger firmly in place, she rubbed it around in little circles. Suzanne moaned and twisted her hot body in an uncontrollable frenzy.
Greg's hot juicy male meat had grown thick and enormous, throbbing and pulsing with hot intent. He guided it to Anne's swollen cunt lips, spreading them apart with his hands. He dipped his prickhead just inside the entrance to Anne's hot hole.
Anne eased her pussy down over the thick pulsing rod. She felt her hot pot cover the sizzling stick of pleasure. She twisted her cunt like a screw, trying to get all ten thick inches buried within her. Greg scrunched up his back so he could nibble on her tits while she went down on him.
Finally, Anne felt Greg's firm dick sizzling tightly within her. Rubbing her pussy up and down against his stiff thick dick, she put her mouth in Suzanne's hot pot and lapped at the tender meat with her hot hungry tongue. Suzanne squealed in time to the music, writhing her body to its rhythm.
Anne rubbed her pussy against the stiff dick. Greg felt sharp stabs of tingling sensation burn his pulsing prick. His belly quivered and quaked with lewd passion. He was wild with lust. He heaved his prick up into Anne's hot chamber, thumping his hips against her smooth body. He frantically chewed on a thick juicy nipple.
Anne was furiously rubbing Suzanne's outer pussy as her eager thrusting tongue explored the inner meat. She frantically stroked the wiry hair, sticky with hot love drippings. Suzanne growled in lust.
"Faster, faster," she pleaded, "come on, fuck me, suck me. Anne, mon enfant, lick it clean, all the way up."
Greg grabbed Anne's buttocks with his hands and shoved her cunt further down on his thick throbbing prick. His red-hot cock sizzled and pulsed in her hot honey-pot. It felt like a time bomb, ready to go off.
Anne felt the hot thick stream of cum squirt up her hole, in short fast spurts. In a dizzy mad frenzy, she thrust her tongue hard up Suzanne's hot hole, as if it were a miniature penis. She rubbed the writhing slithering taster against Suzanne's burning pussy walls. Suzanne writhed and moaned, twisting her hips in lewd and wanton delight.
Anne felt the sharp stabs of hot stinging points penetrate her flesh; she felt the building delight of hot mounting lust. She screwed her grinding pussy over Greg's hot dick, sizzling with sensation. The hot licking flames consumed her twisting snatch.
Anne rubbed her lips against Suzanne's pert throbbing clit as she pushed her eager tongue in and out of Suzanne's pussy hole. Suzanne shrieked as the hot stabbing sensations overwhelmed her. She screamed in delight as the bubble burst in orgasmic pleasure. Suzanne's hot love juices tasted like ambrosia. Anne licked them up like a hungry cat.
Greg started to lose his hard-on; Anne eased her pussy off his dick as she felt it begin to go limp. She took her mouth from Suzette's pussy, pressing her palms to the floor for leverage. Suzanne sighed with satisfaction. Anne rolled over on her back, giggling with delight. Greg slid up beside Suzanne, his head rolling with laughter. They lay side by side, enjoying the aftermath of the fruit of their labors.