THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (mmmm/mmmm)

[Xtc]

As he might say himself: wily orientals.

[Xtc]

THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (23)


The Wrestling Match

It was now a question of whether Sid being tied up or Aki trying to escape being so should be the next item for the entertainment of the rest of the company. No choice, there were far too many advantages to making Aki try to avoid further humiliation first. It was simply a question of how it should be done. Wrestling was a popular choice with the loser being tied up. That was decided before the details had been properly considered. The four big brothers then all stated speaking more or less at once.

After a lively few minutes’ "discussion" it had been decided at least that it would not be fair for the smallest guy to have to wrestle any of the big brothers even though Tatsu tried to sound offended to have had his kind offer to be Aki's opponent turned down. Likewise, Matt outweighed Aki by a considerable factor. That left only one possible candidate because Mo simply wasn't prepared to unchain Sid for obvious reasons. Aki thought his birthday had arrived early.

Although Luke was heavier than he, Aki knew he wouldn't throw away the chance of being tied up by his big brother (or almost anybody else for that matter) but so did the big brothers. Scott took Luke to one side to "explain something to him". Upon their return Luke seemed to be looking at Aiden with a less than confident expression on his face.

"What did you just say to him?"

"Oooh, not a lot."

"No, honestly, why's he looking at me like that?"

"Oh, I just explained some of your famous techniques to him."

"Me? You know I'm just a pussycat." Aiden's sweet, ‘misunderstood’ grin was unsettling.

"Nah, I just promised him that, if he won, he'd get the choice of being tied up tonight or not. He liked that idea but I also said that, if he lost, I'd give him to you and Karl to look after the next weekend that our parents are away on business."

"He did." Luke nodded solemnly. "He could." Luke sighed. "He would". Luke's shoulders sagged.

"OK," announced Mo, "That's Lucky Luke versus the Nippy Ninja. Get ready, boys." Aki was confused. "Wrestlers don't dress like that."

Luke was not confused. "Oh please, I've said I'll try my best. Not those manky old Speedos of yours. They're filthy and they crush me nuts."

Scott did not look impressed. "We'll worry about that when you grow some." Luke knew when he was defeated and headed off to find the grubby, over-tight cast-offs. "Oi, Shithead,- here." Luke looked round and Scott threw something that he'd retrieved from his rucksack to his little brother. "Your choice." Luke caught what Scott had thrown. He found he was holding a pair of his brother's old water-polo team swim briefs. Apparently, Scott had brought them 'just in case he needed them'. Luke knew that they were bigger than the awful black thing that he had been forced to wear earlier but he couldn't remember how big his brother was when he abandoned playing water polo in favour of volley ball. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and he could always beg to be allowed to change into the black horror if seemed as though his bits were in danger of popping out.

Tatsu suggested that, as a Japanese ninja, Aki should wear that fundoshi again. At least Aki managed to bargain his way into stripping off his shirt and shorts and wrestling in only his tighty-whiteys. Not many of the other boys were convinced that he had made a wise deal. Although he fully intended to beat his little mate, Luke thought he would be magnanimous. He suggested that Aki should wear the black briefs that he had rejected. Aki accepted as long as he was allowed to keep his underpants on as well.

I believe I have already explained that Luke was not always that quick on the uptake and he'd only just spotted the snag. Now that he'd offered his fallback position clothing to Aki and it had been accepted, he only hoped that the dodgy stag's head emblem would stretch proudly over his arse rather than looking as if the antlers were about to drop after the rut. Oh well, he'd made his bed, now he had to lie in it. Luke moved away from the group of youngsters, turned his back, stripped and raised the day-glo green 'Arena' swim briefs into position. He couldn't see it but the stag's head looked quite proud.

Luke adjusted himself inside the swimmers and breathed a sigh of relief. Result!!

Being the smallest person present, Scott's old Speedos were more than loose on Aki but, with his underpants in place as well, he was - to a certain extent - decent. The wrestlers were suitably attired and Aki hoped that the rules would be explained to him. Luke already knew them.

After about five minutes of careful attention from his brother, Aki wondered how he was supposed to be able to wrestle with his arms bound behind him. At least this time his elbows had not been forced together but his wrists had been bound to the opposite elbows before a generous length of rope had been woven in figure of eight style between his upper arms thus denying him almost all mobility in his arms. Needless to say, Luke was in the same state but he didn't look so unhappy about it.

Scott took the unaccustomed role of MC. "Gentlemen, in the following bout rounds will end when there is a score and the result will be decided on a 'best of three' basis." There were immediate objections from the other big brothers. It was quickly decided that best of five would be more entertaining. Scott looked at Luke. Luke took the hint. Aki remained confused.

"The contestants will kneel." They did. "Master Tatsuhiko, will you please mark out the ring?" Tatsu had a rope in his hand; it had two sticks tied onto it somewhat less than two metres apart. Aiden took one of the sticks and a mallet and hammered it into the ground. Once the stake was firmly positioned, Tatsu used the other one to scribe a circle into the soft ground. He made several circuits to ensure that the mark could be neither mistaken nor easily erased. Predictably, when he had done the job to his satisfaction, he withdrew and bowed slightly to his friends.

"Nice one, Tatsu." Having expressed his appreciation of the work, Scott took the scribing tool from his friend and used it to draw a diameter across the resultant circle, removing the central stake as he did so.

Aki was still confused.

"The contestants will kneel at the ends of the scratch line." Luke knew what was required of him and knelt with his knees on the scribed circle and facing out of the ring. Tatsu ‘assisted’ Aki to adopt the equivalent position on the other end of the scratch line. Scott continued, "Only the soles of the wrestlers' feet may be in contact with the ground, anything else counts as a fall to his opponent. Contestants must stay within the ring. Even touching the edge of the ring counts as a fall." Aki thought he understood. "First to take three falls loses."

Scott had appointed himself not only as M.C. but as referee as well. "Wrestlers, come up to scratch." Luke immediately stood and placed his right foot against the marked diameter; he'd done this before. Aiden helped Aki to do the same but facing Luke. He gave a detailed explanation to the confused Nippy Ninja of what was expected of him including the facts that barging, tripping, kneeing and all sorts of other techniques were allowed in order to unbalance one's opponent or to force him out of the ring. Aki only hoped that he had not misjudged Luke and that he would have taken no notice of Aiden's potential appointment as a future babysitter. Aki was more agile than Luke but Luke had the weight advantage and, as Aki correctly suspected, considerable previous experience.

"Round one. Go! - - - and Luke, don't forget: Aiden enjoys babysitting." I don't think Scott was exactly an unbiased arbiter.

Luke braced himself and took the pressure as Aki pushed against his chest. He could have stayed there all evening if necessary. The big brothers were pretty sure that they would get the result they wanted as Aki scrabbled his feet without making any impression on Luke's stability at all.

"Come on, Luke, flatten him." Luke looked daggers at his brother - - and slipped quickly to his left. Aki ended up face down. Luke went to the opposite side of the ring from where Aki was lying and saying some very rude Japanese words. He positioned his knees against the circle and faced outwards.

Aki's second didn't seem all that upset that his man was now one fall down but both Aiden and Scott took a surreptitious look to see that the little guy wasn't too badly hurt as his brother suggested that a real ninja would not allow himself to be humiliated and would be ready to fight again. Aki scrambled to his feet and his second rolled the oversized swim briefs down a bit to take up the slack between his brother's legs.

"Get him to come up to scratch." Aiden put a foot opposite to where he wanted Aki's foot to be positioned. The older boys were starting to get some regard for the braveness of the little kid even though his was obviously a lost cause. As soon as Aki was adjudged to have come up to scratch, Scott gave Luke the call to make himself ready as well. Once more the two wrestlers faced off.

"Round two. - Go!" Luke leaned forwards and tripped over Aki's foot. With the way he rolled to break his fall, certain of the older boys could have sworn he took a dive. The sheepish look on Luke's face convinced nobody. Scott curled his lip and clenched one fist. Aiden cracked his knuckles and looked hungry. Tatsu insisted on his man kneeling against the opposite side of the ring from where Luke had rolled out of it while the post-mortem got underway. Aiden thought that Aki should score two falls as not only did Luke ground other parts of himself than the soles of his feet but that he also rolled out of the ring. Tatsu politely begged to disagree. Using technical terms, Scott explained that Aiden was, "talking bollocks" because the round ended "as soon as Shithead fell over".

Luke still wore that close lipped enigmatic smile as he came up to scratch. Aki came to face him. It didn't really matter to Scott whether he or Aiden got to tie up his brother at a later date and Aiden would have done it 'just to oblige' but wouldn't really mind one way or the other. Tatsu, though, obviously really wanted Aki to suffer further torments that evening and the others would do anything for a mate.

"Round three. - Go!" This time the two wrestlers circled one another warily. Luke made several feints as if he was going to barge into Aki. Aki seemed to be learning to anticipate them. When the assault came, Aki went down and Luke tripped over his flailing legs.

Both fallen fighters were made to kneel facing away from one another on opposite ends of the scratch while a second post mortem started. Scott thought that Luke should score a fall because Aki hit the ground first and that should be the end of the round. And Scott was the referee. Tatsu reluctantly agreed. However, being the ref. doesn't always give a person the last word in that company and Aiden and Mo still thought the score should now be two - all.

"Come on, you lot, stop arguing."

"Who asked you, Tubs?"

"No, listen, I think Aiden's right." That might have been a first and Aiden was stunned into a sudden silence.

"Yeah, who asked you, Tubbs? Scott was still unconvinced.

"Look, call it two - all - - -"

"Yeah, who asked you, tubs?" Mo was, predictably, grinning.

"- - - and then make sure they can't trip over one another again." Experience of Scout games comes in useful sometimes. "If you tie their ankles their legs won't get in the way."

"I thought the referee's decision was final."

"Who asked you, Scott?" Scott's objection wasn't a serious one; if he accepted the suggestion, there was only one more fall to go and tying up the contestants even more restrictively sounded like fun. Aki was less convinced. So was Tatsu but his grasp of science still led him to believe that Aki would soon be tied up even more securely for quite some time. After all, he deserved it, especially after what he had just called him.

The contestants were pushed onto their backs and two of the shorter ropes were sorted out. Aiden said he would take over referee's duties so that Scott could secure Luke. Aiden was charged with seeing that both bindings were as nearly identical as possible while Mo re-marked the abraded sections of the ring and the scratch.

Tatsu said that he was happy to watch Scott at work and then try to copy his technique. Aki was glad that Mo was there to ensure fair play - how trusting!

Luke willingly raised his ankles and Scott doubled the rope, pushed the bight back over the double strand to form two loops which he slipped over Luke's feet and pulled tight but not too tight. The free ends were wrapped three rimes round Luke's ankles and tied off through the lark's head. Careful positioning had allowed Scott to use the remaining rope to form a short cuff between his brother’s ankles. Luke had been made to wrestle under stricter ties in his own Sea Scout Troop games. Even he judged that then was not the time to assert that "Farmer Boys can't tie for f***."

Being such a nice kid, you wouldn't expect Tatsu to try to put his brother at a disadvantage, would you? Oh, alright then, of course he did. Mo had to make him start again where he had tried to get away with tying Aki's ankles as close together as possible.

"Maurice?"

"Yes?"

"Has anyone told-a you you are no fun?"

Mo grinned, "Just do it properly, big guy." Soon both wrestlers were secured to the host's satisfaction. Aiden told them to kneel properly and they were soon positioned at each end of the scratch line. Aiden said that, on his call, they were to stand and to come out fighting.

Scott thought that was unfair. "Shithead's had a lot of practice at getting up with his ankles bound, Yeah. yeah I know: I'm no fun." Tatsu, apparently, couldn't see the problem but the others overruled him.

On the call both wrestlers clambered to their feet and what Scott had said proved to be true: if they did have to start fighting immediately, there would have been an Akihiko okonomiyaki splattered on the ground before he had even risen from his knees. There was no sensible way that both boys could come up to scratch and stand toe to toe so Aiden told them to hop until they were back on their positions and facing out.

"Final round. - Go!" Now that was more like entertainment as both wrestlers hopped energetically round the ring. Luke taunted Aki to "Come and get me then, Ninja Minger." Aki was having none of it. The best he could hope for was to keep out of his opponent's way and hope Luke would over-balance before he himself did. Luke had some fun for a time but he genuinely did not relish being Aiden's guest in a couple of weeks' time and, in any case, Scott had given him the choice of being tied up or not as long as he won. The Nippy Ninja managed to avoid his fate for a good two minutes before Lucky Luke simply barged him out of the ring. Aki fell, Luke still bounced like Tigger.

Aiden came up behind Luke and announced, "And the champion is - - - Lucky Luke!". He shoved one powerful hand under each of the victor's armpits, lifted him in the air and held him at arm's length. A defeated Aki didn't even bother to try to escape his brother's attentions.

TBC

[Xtc]

THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (24)


Aki and Sid Accommodated

Matt knew his place as tea-boy and, if truth be told, he didn't really resent it. He simply resented the hold his big brother would have over him for some weeks to come and he had been completely humiliated by the knowledge that his fondness for exercising in body-building briefs was out in the open. At least he would not have to get himself overdressed for the home gym in future as long as Aiden was the only person likely to see him. Matt had the brew going in no time flat ready for the jury's ruminations over what should happen to Aki and Sid next.

Scott asked Luke if he wanted out of his ropes but Luke said that, as long as he got a drink first, he'd prefer to be blindfolded and left somewhere safe for a while. Matt said he'd be prepared to give Luke his coffee as he didn't suppose he had much else to do until the morning. He ignored Aiden's suggestion that he could always start walking when it was dark and hope that no one saw him.

Aki was temporarily consigned to the necklace but Tatsu didn't see any reason to untie him as long as he was prepared to give him his drink. Luke was allowed to sit comfortably on a fallen tree while Matt and he conversed easily and they both took their coffee. Matt even helped Luke to a couple of biscuits, a privilege not extended to Aki or Sid.

Once Tatsu had finished with Aki's beverage, he left him and Sid to lament their fates and joined the others to decide what to do next. Sid apologised for not trying to untie his friend but, not being stupid, Aki could see the futility of such a course of action. Scott told Luke that his contribution was not required and brandished one of the dumbbells menacingly before making him bunny hop over to a tree near to the one accommodating Sid and Aki. He pulled one of the pillowcases over Luke's head but then decided that his brother deserved better than that and reinforced it with another one. Luke was satisfied with its opacity but would really have preferred the hoods to have been secured properly.

The jury had decisions to make.

-----00000-----

Tatsu and Aiden pulled up a sizeable log to one side of the campfire, Matt and Scott moved the one upon which Matt had just fed Luke at right angles to it and, the furniture having been arranged, the jury - and Matt - sat comfortably. They could deliberate the fates of Aki and Sid whilst still being able to keep an eye on them and Luke. By the time the discussion started, Luke was contented and well away and Sid and Aki talked quietly enough so that they would still be able to learn their fates.

Matters for discussion:
1) Should Sid be tied up again? - no brainer.
2) Should Aki stay as he was or should he be re-tied? - only real cause for discussion.
3) Should Aki and Sid be gagged? - of course they should but could the big brothers put up with the incessant squeaking noises if they were?
4) Was there any chocolate in the box of compo? - of course there was.

The Jury's decisions:
1) Of course, and they had a really good idea of how.
2) Of course he should be re-tied. See verdict 1.
3) No, the noise would be more annoying than the quiet talking of little brothers under threat of being gagged.
4) There was no longer as much chocolate in the compo box.

-----00000-----

Having two tie-up subjects had certain advantages. It was just a question of whether they should be tied to the necklace tree or whether they should be moved nearer to the fire. There was also the consideration of whether their current state of attire was suited to their forthcoming prolonged confinement. The Older brothers certainly ensured that all their deliberations could be clearly overheard.

It was simply too convenient not to keep Aki and Sid chained inescapably, especially as Sid would certainly do a runner as soon as he could, so Aki would be untied before both captives were accommodated for the night.

Tatsu offered Aki the dumbbell just as a reminder; Aki declined and Tatsu ordered him to his feet so that his job would be easier. Aki pushed himself up against the tree taking Sid off the ground as well.

Aki was soon free from ropes and facing the tree. Tatsu allowed him some self-massage time before both Sid and he were forced to sit again with their backs against the tree. The next job was a specialised one so Aiden and Scott were deputed to do it while Tatsu and Mo prepared the rest of the bed-frames.

Scott reminded his subjects that they were in a totally inescapable situation and that they might be more comfortable if they needed no 'persuasion' to behave themselves while they were put to bed. He then applied just a little tweak to the hair on both boys' temples. They both affirmed that they understood what Scott had just explained to them.

The tree turned out to be an even better fit than the big brothers had hoped and it turned out to be possible to tie each boy's right wrist directly to his counterpart's left one without needing to leave any trace of a rope cuff between them. Their arms didn't even seem to have been forced too straight, or at least that was Mo's and Tatsu's decision when they had completed their end of the arrangement. The fact that Aki and Sid begged to differ didn't seem to count for much and their protests came to a sudden halt as Aiden gave both dumbbells a series of tweaks. Aiden thought he could take Sid's death-stare.

By the time the captives’ arms had been secured, Tatsu and Mo had hammered the stakes that had previously been Sid's bedposts into the ground. It was then their task to use long ropes to secure their brothers' ankles to them. There was plenty or rope between the spread ankles and the stakes and there was even some scope for wriggling and the bending of legs.

Four big brothers stood back to examine their work and expressed themselves satisfied. Upon a final inspection, Mo suggested using two of the remaining ropes to tighten things up a bit and draw the victims' elbows back a bit. Scott said that wasn't safe for a prolonged period of time due to potential nerve damage. I'm not sure whether Aki and Sid realised that a lot of the things that were being said had been thoughtfully considered and intended to convey a certain menace.

"Pillow cases?" Suggested Mo.

"Nah, they'll do," countered Scott and it was agreed that it was nearly time for that game of "Blind Pirate".

TBC

[Xtc]

THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (25)


Blind Pirate

When it came to the game of "Blind Pirate" there were Scouts and Sea Scouts present whose word of honour could be trusted, couldn't it? Well, yes, but this was a civilian game, wasn't it? And besides, Mo was in no way a Scout. About the only participant who could be trusted not to cheat was Tatsu and that would put him at a distinct disadvantage, not that he would have been so rude as to point it out. So, they needed a pirate, some treasure thieves, and an essential referee. Aiden knew who could be the ref. because he wouldn't dare cheat him if he still wanted to go on that rugby tour, would he? Matt started to bargain.

Aiden must have been going soft because he agreed to allow his brother to take part on the same basis as everybody else so now they needed to appoint a referee for the first game. After some discussion, Tatsu agreed to referee the first game much to the relief of the other players. He was told that he could stand anywhere and should adjudge whether the pirate had shot a thief or not. He also knew that, following a shot, all other contestants should remain still until he had delivered his verdict. It probably wasn't really necessary to blindfold the pirate but, you know . . .

Aiden collected the gun and the treasure from his back-pack in the form of the emergency whistle and a torch, Scott picked up one of the pillow cases and the party wished their captives, "Have a good evening", before they departed for the long grass of the nearby field.

Mo pulled four grass stalks and offered them to the candidates for pirate. Shortest strand had to take the pillow case, the treasure and torch, and sit in front of Tatsu. Matt drew the short straw. He sat, complained about getting a wet bum, positioned the whistle about a metre in front of his crossed legs and hooded himself. At that time of a September evening the single layer of fabric was sufficient to render the pirate truly blind. Tatsu watched as Scott, Mo and Aiden departed far enough away from the pirate for him to be satisfied.

On Tatsu's call the treasure thieves had to approach and try to grab the whistle and blow it without being detected by the pirate. If the pirate thought he could hear a thief approaching, he could shoot him by shining his torch on him. In the current game, just getting the beam in the right direction as judged by the referee was good enough. For the cynics among you, the pirate was only allowed three missing shots before he was out.

Long story short, Aiden got shot, so did Mo and Scott blew the whistle.

Another game was called for with Scott as the pirate. Although he was a determined games player, Scott was also too impulsive and Matt, who had taken the role of referee, ruled his first two shots as misses. Scott reminded him who had offered to lend him some footwear for tomorrow. Nevertheless, Matt told him his next shot was a miss as well. He knew Scott was a sportsman.

Next game: Aiden was the referee and Mo was the pirate. Mo had never played the game before and left it too late to shoot anyone before Matt blew the whistle.

If there were going to be forfeits, obviously everyone had to take a turn as pirate and one as referee just to make it fair. (Alright, we all know that the "fairness" of the boys' decisions was somewhat arbitrary but they knew what they meant.) A change of rules was called for. So far, as anyone who knows the game will realise, they had been playing the indoor rules where the thieves merely had to try to be stealthy in their approaches. Scott suggested that, as it was now dark enough because there was no moon, what he called the "real rules" should apply from then on.

Matt, who seemed to be allowed an opinion, and Aiden agreed so Aiden explained the differences to Tatsu and Mo. The party moved to the other end of the field where the grass had hardly been trampled at all. It was Tatsu's turn to be the pirate and Mo's turn to referee. Tatsu knew that he was still only allowed three misses but that the thieves would crawl towards him to try and keep out of sight. He knew that he also had to score a direct hit to kill a thief. Matt and Scott were quite cavalier about dragging their bare torsos over the by now dewy grass and Aiden saw positive advantages to dragging his once white t-shirt over any muck that he couldn't be bothered to avoid.

Tatsu might not have had the sharpest sight of those present but, being more used to a calm environment at home than the others, the acuity of his hearing gave him an almost unfair advantage. Aiden, Matt and Scott fell to his marksmanship in very quick succession. Aiden hardly managed to get his t-shirt any muckier at all.

The last game commenced. Aiden shot first Tatsu and then Mo. Matt crept up silently from behind him and launched himself for the whistle before Aiden could react. Matt blew the whistle and Aiden shot him. The referee's decision was called for. Now, Scott was a friend of Aiden's, wasn't he? That wouldn't affect his decision, would it? Well, no, actually; Scott ruled that Matt had blown the whistle before he'd been shot by his brother. Aiden knew that already but it was worth a try.

-----00000-----

The discussion of winners and losers soon decided that there were two obvious losers: Aiden and Mo. The next deliberations were not so easy as Aiden tried to make Matt trade off one of his two wins against his single loss. Scott and Tatsu were obviously safe with one win each, it was just a question of "fairness". Should Matt be accounted the overall winner or not? It was decided that Matt shouldn't get a vote in spite of his best attempt to convince the others that he should win because he was the only player to have won twice. Nevertheless, the vote over whether Matt should be declared the winner went three pro, one con, not because of the validity of any of the arguments forwarded by either side but simply on the unstated grounds that it was too good an opportunity to wind Aiden up.

That close-mouthed smile of Matt's still made him look cute even though he was no longer the sweet little blonde. The players arrived back on site and Tatsu, Scott and Mo examined their little brothers to see that they were secure. Luke turned down the opportunity of immediate release. By the time Mo had returned to the camp-fire to learn about the forfeits, everybody could hear the distinctive sound of one of those blue dumbbells squeaking spasmodically.

"I know you lads don't approve of strong language." Nobody believed Mo but nobody suggested that what he had done was out of order either.

First decision: what prize should be awarded to Matt. He didn't hold out many hopes.

"OK, Tubbs, no ropes overnight." Aiden was so generous.

Matt made his bid, "And one of your clean t-shirts for tomorrow."

"Don't push your luck, mush." Matt decided to cut his losses.

It was difficult to decide which of Mo and Aiden should be considered the loser and obviously, once again, Matt didn't get a vote in spite of Mo suggesting that he should. By the time the hot chocolate was ready and the remaining chocolate bars had been located, two equal losers had been designated.

Then boring common sense broke out. Scott made a suggestion, "What about we let them both off being tied up?" Tatsu was taken aback. "No, no, I've got an idea." That sounded ominous. "Look, we're all going home tomorrow, right?" The others agreed. "And we have to get this place tidied up, right?" Aiden and Mo saw what was coming.

The suggestion that Aiden and Mo would do the tidying up was agreed even by the losers. Let's face it, Mo would have had to do it in any case and Aiden would certainly have volunteered to help so it was a zero-sum game.

"As long as Tubbs has to help as well." It sounded reasonable to Aiden, and Matt was in no position to argue.

"Or, then again, we could allow Matt to tie you up as part of his winner's award." Aiden tried his 'you wouldn't dare' look. The others were unimpressed. Aiden smiled ruefully and sighed.

"OK, OK, me and Mo clear up. OK by you, Mo?" Mo agreed so there wasn't much left to do except to look into the fire, tell lies and throw debris at one another until it was much later than their normal bed-times.

TBC

[Xtc]

THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (26)


Time To Turn In

When it came to the time to bank up the fire for the night and it seemed as if those who were not bound were about to head for bed, the sound of squeaking became ever more animated and the agitated sound of Japanese started to ring out over the site once more. Matt knew better than to interfere and Luke knew better than to despair.

The big brothers were well aware that they couldn't leave Aki and Sid as they were overnight although Mo pretended that he wasn't, and Luke rather hoped that he would be left where he was. Did I say that Luke wasn't too bright?

It was time to extend hospitality. The old Icelandic could just about accommodate all present and even six grown people would be able to fit comfortably so Aiden made a generous offer. Scott declined and said that, if Luke and he used their own tent, everyone else would have more room. Mo suggested that, if they staked Sid out by the fire, there would be even more room. The blue dumbbell went into overtime.

Aiden had a quiet word with Sid, who calmed down but he did manage to convince himself that trying to escape would be futile but that he would be more or less safe all the while Aiden was there to "protect" him. He also knew that, if he did not cooperate, that protection would be withdrawn.

As usual, several things happened at once but it will be easier to relate them as if they occurred in a serial fashion.

Scott convinced Luke that, if he untied him, he could attend to personal matters and get tied up in a more acceptable manner for an overnight sojourn if that was what he wanted. Even Luke could recognise a good deal when he was offered one. He forced himself to his feet by pushing against the tree behind him and Scott held his torch in his mouth while he freed his arms in a reasonably efficient manner. Luke didn't even start to topple that often. Once Scott had done what he considered to be enough, he left Luke to remove the pillow cases from his head and the ropes from his wrists before seating himself to untie his ankles. He even coiled the ropes properly afterwards.

Having ironed out the kinks a bit, Luke took his erstwhile bindings over to his tent and located a clean pair of boxers. He made for a private area, stripped, took a piss and thought he might 'adopt' Scott's old water polo briefs for use in future tie-up adventures. He couldn't see his brother objecting. Upon returning to his tent to await Scott's promise to 'tuck him in for the night', Luke stowed the lurid green garment safely in his rucksack.

Aiden thought it would be wise to stand guard over Sid as Mo and Tatsu freed their respective little brothers from each other (but not from the necklace, of course). Aki was reckoned to be the more susceptible to reason of the captives and Tatsu was happy to deal with him on a one-to-one basis. The others wondered exactly how much the biggest guy present had over the smallest one to have made him so cooperative. Aki obviously needed more than a tree to visit and he managed to negotiate a visit to the stable yard. In his situation, he had the choice: either promise to do only what he had to do and immediately return ready to be put to bed, or start walking. Tatsu smugly released him from the chain.

Aki made for his back-pack, collected a pair of basketball shorts and a loo-roll in a plastic bag. As he ran off to find much needed relief, Tatsu went to find something from his own pack that he thought he would need upon Aki's return.

Predictably, as soon as he had pulled the gag from his mouth, Sid immediately demanded equal rights with Aki. Mo asked whether he shouldn't just tie him up, gag him again and leave him where he was. Aiden raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to one side. Sid took the hint.

"Please, Mo, I promise I'll come back. Honest."

"Hands up who believes Sid." Sid's petition died at its inception.

"Tell you what: when Aki gets back, I'll ask Mo if he'll be kind enough to take you walkies on this chain." Aiden shook the chain lightly. "Deal?"

"Hang on, doesn't he have to ask me nicely again?"

Sid looked from face to face. No sympathy was to be detected (Matt didn't count). "Please, Mo, will you take me to the bog?" Mo graciously agreed.

"Here, you might need these." Scott, who had returned from untying Luke, had released the redundant padlocks and was offering them to Mo, whose mathematics were not of the highest quality. Fortunately, both Scott's and Aiden's were - or were those two just more accustomed to the use of locks and chains than he was?

Aiden instructed Sid to stand and to turn to face the tree. "OK, Mo, this is the critical stage, hold onto the chain." Aiden unlocked the ends of the chain and handed the padlock to Scott. Mo was holding onto one part of the chain a few centimetres in front of Sid's neck while Aiden brought the other strand over his shoulder so that it hung down his back. He made a careful, informal measurement and took one of the padlocks from Scott. Sid's right wrist was soon surrounded by metal links and secured. Aiden had left the chain hanging down Sid's back quite loose even when his arms were straight. "There you go, your turn." Aiden was addressing Mo. "Give him a bit of length, he'll be quite safe."

Mo cuffed Sid's left wrist about thirty centimetres from his tight one. At the first attempt, Sid complained volubly that the cuff was too tight. Even Mo had to agree so, under instruction from the more experienced boys, he wrapped the chain twice round Sid's wrist before securing it again.

"D'you reckon I ought to cuff his feet as well?"

"Oh no, pleeeease, I won't run off, honest."

"Votes?" - a pause - "No sorry, Sid, we don't believe you for some reason."

Mo was about to bring the trailing end of the chain down behind his brother until Scott asked him what Sid was about to go and do.

"Go for a crap, I expect. - - Ah. Yes, I see." Mo changed tactics and left the chain hanging down in front of Sid. Using the end of the chain, and following a word to the wise about the advisability or otherwise of using his knees once Mo had knelt, Mo trapped Sid's left ankle. There was a fair amount of chain looping on the ground but Sid completely refused to beg Mo to leave him as long a hobble as possible. "OK, your decision." And Mo allowed him only about thirty centimetres of chain between his ankles.

"Mo, here, you can't leave him like that, he'll trip over all that loose chain."

"And the problem with that is?"

"Mo, just shorten that hanging chain, mate. Yes, you HAVE told me." Mo did what he knew to be sensible, leaving Sid with a loop of chain hanging down at a well-judged height to be really annoying as it flapped around against Sid's meagre clothing and its contents whenever he moved.

"OK, Sid, off you go."

"Aren't you coming too?"

"I've got better things to do than listen to you taking a dump." Sid couldn't believe his luck; if his granddad saw him like this, surely he'd tell their dad and then even that air-head would have to stop Maurice bullying him, wouldn't he? Sid made off, somewhat slowly, for the manor house but he had a necessary stop to make on the way.

Before he had left the camp site, Sid passed the returning Aki who ceded the loo roll to him. It took Sid a remarkably long time to get to the stable yard and he just about managed to manoeuvre his swimming costume down and his backside onto the toilet seat in time to avoid an embarrassing accident. He was quite glad that his brother had better things to do than . . .

Procedures being over Sid, not without some difficulty, completed the paperwork and with even more difficulty, pulled his swimmers up. What followed wasn't the most comfortable 'habillement' Sid had ever effected as he frantically wriggled, jumped up and down, tried to get his right thumb as far round to the front of the waistband as possible and swore as he tried to get his bits into the garment.

Eventually Sid was as happy as could be expected with his costume and pushed open the door to the thundershed with his shoulder. "Hi, Sid. Nice crap?" All the little guy's hopes dispersed into the night. He didn't even have the heart to swear. Visions of that tractor and the disc harrow resurfaced. "Coming?" Sid's trudge back to the campsite was even slower than his journey there.

-----00000-----

Luke would present no problems unless you count begging to be tied up at regular intervals and, according to Tatsu, Aki should present very little problem at all, especially after he had used what he had retrieved from his pack, so everybody agreed to deal with Sid once Mo had escorted him back to site. Scott and Luke hoped to gain from Tatsu's providence as well but Scott did have to show one of the dumbbells to Luke to stop him nagging. Several more biscuits were consumed by all the waiting boys and even Aki got a share of the remaining chocolate.

Eventually Sid stumbled his way back to the site and Tatsu checked his supplies and decided that he could spare some for his friend, Mo. Mo was a bit reluctant because he would have preferred to "tie the little git up properly". However, he bowed to the experience of Scott and Aiden and settled for accepting the rolls of gaffer tape which he had been convinced would be safer.

'Uncle Aiden' appealed to reason with Sid. He pointed out that he could either be put to bed as he was but with the chains adjusted so that his wrists and ankles would be much closer together, or he could cooperate while the 'generous Maurice' made him more comfortable. Sid didn't look grateful but he did indicate his 'willingness' to cooperate.

Mo accepted two of the new rolls of black tape that Tatsu had been saving and Aki realised what it was that had been taking up at least some of the space in his brother's over-stuffed rucksack. He hoped against hope that there were no more hidden surprises waiting for him. In spite of Sid's assurances, Mo was taking no chances and Sid was given the choice of walking over to the 'necklace tree' of his own volition or of receiving assistance. He declined the kind offer of assistance.

Aiden went along, not only to help his mate, but also to be there to calm Sid down if it looked as if he was going to get himself into more trouble. He really didn't want to have to keep an ear out for him once he had retired for the night just because Mo had found it necessary to restrict him less comfortably. Mo unlocked Sid's hobbles and gave the end of the chain to his mate to hold while he unlocked his wrists. Sid was soon chained to the tree once more.

Mo slipped the rolls of tape off his arms where he had stored them while he was dealing with the padlocks and knelt down. "Don't do that first, Mo, little tick'll only fall over." Not only was Aiden probably right, Sid didn't fancy toppling and being arrested by the chain around his neck. He thought he might just behave. Mo pointed out how generous he was in not taping Sid's arms behind him UNLESS that was what he really wanted and told him to hold onto his opposite elbows. Sid had to hold his arms away from his body while Mo carefully wound tape from his right elbow, all the way along his forearms and back again. A few turns around Sid's upper arms had still made very little impression on the roll of tape. Seeing how much was left, Mo then bound his little brother's arms to his torso.

"Mo, do you think that was really necessary?"

"Nope." Mo was happy in his work. By the time he had taped Sid's ankles, calves and thighs comprehensively, there was still plenty of tape left and he hadn't even started on the second roll. He was in such a good mood that he even pulled one of the pillowcases over Sid's head to protect his hair before taping over his eyes. Sid didn't see Aiden putting his hand on Mo's arm.

"Sid, don't you think it's kind of Mo not to gag you?" Mo was puzzled but managed to remain quiet. "Say, 'thank you', or I'm sure he could change his mind."

Sid gave his brother a reluctant, "Thanks." and Aiden made a note to explain overnight safety to Mo later on. Mo settled for securing the pillowcase firmly but safely round Sid's neck before releasing him from the tree.

"Eeyhhh-Upp!" Mo almost immediately regretted not gagging Sid as Aiden hoisted him up onto his shoulder. After the initial shock, Sid calmed down as Aiden carried him across to the biggest tent on site. Both Mo and Tatsu had benefitted from Aiden's wisdom so there was no carry mat for Sid even though Mo had moved their sleeping bags into the tent. The well wrapped boy was soon zipped securely into his sleeping bag and Mo left him with a parting, "No wanking, now." Sid did not appreciate the irony.

-----00000-----

Mo returned the unused roll of tape to Tatsu and the boys turned their attention to accommodating Aki who suffered a similar fate to Sid except that Tatsu exhausted an entire roll of tape on the skinny little kid, leaving very little exposed flesh below his neck and absolutely no sign of the long shorts he was wearing. Tatsu asked his friends if he ought to apply a further roll over the top of his pet worm but they convinced him that it probably wasn't necessary. He settled for wrapping far more tape than was necessary round his brother's hair and eyes but he did use one of the pop socks first.

There was no way Aki could be expected to hop over to the tent so Tatsu settled for making him lie down and rolling him. He said that dragging him was likely to make the tape looser and that he was prepared to take the time and trouble necessary. Aki was soon zipped into his sleeping bag and Tatsu decided that perhaps he would be wise just "to make him more - - - com-fort-a-ble". Mo supported Aki's feet and Scott wrapped the unoccupied fabric more closely round Aki's legs ready for Tatsu to bind round where his ankles all too evidently were. Another few layers above where the occupant of the sleeping bag's legs bent preceded a further wrapping of the loose bag fairly tightly around the little guy's torso ready for more tape to be applied at the tops of his thighs, round his waist and twice more before Tatsu proclaimed his satisfaction. Aki was then pushed over to be lying beside Sid.

That left Luke to tuck in for the night. Scott didn't normally use tape on him and he was usually just simply tied round his wrists and his ankles and blindfolded unless he was the "guest" of his rival Scout Troop. He was getting rather keen now and would really have appreciated lying face down while he was accommodated but he didn't dare ask.

Scott asked Tatsu if he could use one of the surplus rolls of gaffer tape and Tatsu indicated that there were many from which he could choose. Luke was standing with his hands over his shorts.

"OK, Shithead, if that's the way you want it." In truth Scott recognised his brother's predicament but he had certainly been a good boy during the Little Brothers Contest and Scott didn't want to be nastier to him than he considered to be reasonable. Even giving him the offer of backing out would not really be in order. He started at Luke's shoulders and wrapped him all the way down his hunched-up torso as far as his elbows. With Luke being so cooperative, Scott considered that he was creating a masterpiece and had managed to overlap the tape generously.

"OK, hands off cocks." Luke's blush could not really be seen by the light of the fire but neither could anything else from any distance. Luke did his best to move his hands away from the front of his boxers and Scott did his best to avoid any intimate passing massage as he wrapped his hands into a useless black lump. "OK, you can cover yourself up again now." Scott taped Luke's lower arms to his torso just as generously as he had wrapped his upper arms.

"OK, Shithead?" Luke nodded but he was a bit concerned that Scott had done all he was going to do to him. He really should have known better but this IS Luke we're talking about. "In that case, I'd better finish the job." Luke smiled. "Over there." Scott indicated one of the sections of fallen tree that constituted the camp furniture. Luke sat on it and raised his feet.

"Not like that, on your belly." Scott was too experienced to expect his subject to remain stable as he tried to keep his seat once his legs were raised so Luke was soon belly down over the log and offering his feet ready for binding. "Mo, grab hold a minute, will you?"

"Delighted." There was no way Luke needed restraining to prevent his escaping but it would have been too much of a strain for him to be able to have presented his thighs for binding so Mo clamped his ankles together and raised them to a convenient height. Before long Luke had been taped from his ankles to his bum with the tape trapping his boxers and leaving only the fronts of his knees exposed. As far as Luke was concerned, there was only one thing left and he could always remind Scott about that if he looked as though he was going to forget. He needn't have worried.

"OK, Luke, on your feet." Scott helped him wriggle off the log and supported him as he tried to stand. Luke looked at his brother questioningly but he did not need to frame the question. He made several small bunny hops to turn himself round. Scott and Aiden were ready to catch him. He started to try to make for his and Scott's tent.

"OK, matey, good try. Here y' go " So saying, Aiden bent forwards and pushed his shoulder into Luke's midriff prior to lifting him onto his broad shoulder. He set him down again by the door of the tent and helped him to regain his equilibrium. Luke knew that that equilibrium was almost certain to become disturbed very soon. Sure enough, he started to topple after only a few seconds. His bother helped him reasonably gently to the ground. The mummy that was Luke breathed a noticeable sigh of relief.

Scott removed Luke's sleeping bag liner from inside his sleeping bag and pulled it up round Luke's supine form. "OK, your choice, inside the bag or on it?" It was that time of year and Luke was already feeling sorry for Sid and especially for Aki who were inescapably ensconced in their downy cocoons. Luke appreciated the mild protection from insects that the liner would afford him but he really did not want to end up swimming in his own sweat. He made his choice and Scott zipped up his sleeping bag so that he would have both layers to lie on. Needless to say, his carry mat had already departed to Scott's side of the tent.

"Ready?" Luke indicated that he was and soon found that his brother was not going to be as concerned as Tatsu had been about the consequences of dragging his prisoner into his tent. Being a four-berth dome, there was plenty of room to drag Luke into the sleeping compartment and then roll him onto his sleeping bag. "OK, Luke?" Luke said that he'd be OK and asked if Scott was going leave him like that. Scott could take a hint, so he went to collect one of the pillow cases and the remains of one of Tatsu's rolls of tape. It wasn't long before Luke had drifted off to that place again.

-----00000-----

Matt still half thought that he would end up being tied up like the other little brothers but Aiden had promised him that he was free even if he had cheated him of his opportunity to leave the site. He would really have liked to be able to change out of those skimpy briefs, though. Oh, well, at least he could use his sleeping bag to lie on and protect it from the dirt that liberally endowed his body by sleeping in his sleeping bag liner. He was quite surprised to find that Aiden had even returned his carry mat; he didn't bother to thank him.

Scott, who, like Matt, had also played the last evening games bare-chested also decided that, rather than simply slathering himself in deet as he would often do before simply lying on his sleeping bag, he would also retire to his cotton liner. His mum would probably only make him launder it himself either way. He wished his brother, "Goodnight", well, what he actually said was, "Awright, Shithead?", and, upon receiving an affirmative reply, turned his back on him and put some serious effort into throwing up the zeds.

Tatsu (predictably) stripped, folded his clothing neatly into his rucksack and attired himself in his pj's. Aiden and, this time Mo as well, settled for the more traditional night attire of the immediately preceding day's boxers. Nobody bothered to zip up his sleeping bag and soon even Mo had stopped talking and peace and (relative) quiet settled on the site.

TBC

[blackbound]

I won't lie, the dumbbells always make me snicker when they make an appearance. So humiliating yet hilarious.

[Xtc]

Thank you. Yes, there's so much useful stuff sold in pet shops!

[Xtc]

THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (27)


Freedom at Last

By the time the boys got going in the morning, Luke had toughed out the entire duration and had even spent most of the night asleep, so Scott dragged him and his sleeping bag liner out of the tent, tipped him out of the cotton bag and used his handy knife to remove the pillow case and slit enough of the tape shrouding him to allow him to complete his release. That way he could sort himself out while Scott sneaked a couple of minutes more shut-eye.

In the Icelandic the night had been mostly peaceful but not exactly uneventful. Aiden had opened Sid's sleeping bag for him after a couple of hours without Mo even stirring. Sid already knew better than to ask for any more relief and at least he had it better than Aki. The little guy tried to behave himself but, once it had become obvious that Aiden had exposed as much of Sid's body as showed to the cool air, he obviously hoped to receive the same relief from his sweaty sarcophagus. That woke Tatsu who warned him about, "waking my friends", but, once more, Uncle Aiden advised mercy. Tatsu pretended that he could see no reason why he should be merciful after all the trouble he had caused for him but said that he would allow him some freedom, "Because my good friend, Aiden, has asked me." Honour was satisfied and Aiden cautioned Aki to be VERY still while 'Doctor Tatsuhiko' used the proffered knife to operate.

Tatsu accepted the knife and the loan of Aiden's Petzl head torch. In his pj's and wearing the head torch, Tatsu did look somewhat like a cartoon version of a surgeon in his scrubs but the scalpel was a bit out of scale. With Matt using the still snoring Mo's torch to enhance the Good Doctor's view, Tatsu had soon removed all the tape round the tightly wrapped sleeping bag with the exception of that round the occupant's ankles. He thought he would leave that, "Just-a to make sure you do not-a escape".

Tatsu!!

"What?" Tatsu tried to sound surprised.

"How the fuck can he escape with the way you've wrapped him up?"

"Wily Orientals?" Tatsu grinned.

"OK, but if he wakes me up again with his whining, YOU get to take him outside and deal with him.

"It's-a OK, I shall do that." Aki did not seem very comforted by that. Tatsu shook the sleeping bag loose, located the zip and opened it down to the tape round his brother's ankles. Aki did not bother to thank him.

It was time for the big brothers and Matt to return to the Land of Nod but there was a snag. Matt flicked his head towards the grampus that was the sleeping Mo and raised his eyebrows. Aiden nodded once. As he sank to his sleeping bag once more, Matt 'accidentally' delivered a backhander to Mo's belly. Mo said something insulting.

Now it was competition on: last man asleep would have to listen to the others snoring.

-----00000-----

Not long after Scott retired again having left Luke to finish freeing himself, the other boys, even Mo, started stirring. Tatsu asked to borrow Aiden's knife and dragged Aki and his attached sleeping bag out of the large green tent and removed the tape securing the sleeping bag to Aki's ankles. Overnight, the tape mummifying the little Japanese kid had more or less detached itself from his sweating body but had kept more or less adhered to itself. That made Tatsu's task easier and Aki's situation somewhat less painful and much safer. Tatsu removed all the tape above his brother's waist and then told him that he could do the rest himself before returning Aiden's knife with thanks and the inevitable small bow. Aki wished that he didn't bite his fingernails. Tatsu retired to the tent to change into a completely clean outfit.

Matt and Aiden pushed the large logs containing the fire towards the centre and blew the fire into life again. It wasn't really needed but since when has that had anything to do with youngsters having camp fires? And besides, they needed to get it burnt out as much as possible before leaving the site. Aiden then went off to deal with his morning routine, change into a clean pair of boxers in some privacy and returned to attire himself in a clean t-shirt, his trackie bottoms, two pairs of socks and his boots. It was already warm but Aiden knew he had a morning's work and a short hike home coming up.

Matt, of course, had on only his now somewhat unsavoury posing briefs and Scott's flip-flops. Aiden told him where he had hidden his board shorts so Matt headed off for the stable yard to find both them and the ancient thunder shed.

Mo wondered whether he couldn't leave Sid as he was but Scott pointed out that the Little Brothers Contest was over and Aiden reminded him that Mo and he had to get the place tidied up, so a reluctant Maurice picked up Aiden's knife and visited Sid in the Icelandic. He didn't bother to remove the blindfold and started at Sid's ankles and worked upwards ignoring all of Sid's imprecations and pleas to be allowed to see again as he went slowly about his work. Eventually, even Sid's arms were free and Mo exited the tent leaving Sid to un-tape the pillowcase. Another of the little brothers also wished he did not bite his fingernails.

By the time Sid appeared from the Icelandic, Aki had dressed himself in the embarrassing costume that his brother had decreed even though the shirt and shorts were no longer really white. He had tried to get alternative clothes from his pack but following what Tatsu tried to explained to the others was more or less the Japanese equivalent of, "And then there was that lovely ornament, the maneki-neko, the our Grandma gave to our mother. I wonder what REALLY happened to it? It was not very lucky for the cat, was it?" Aki decided to cut his losses. After all, it was only their mother who would see him, wasn't it?

What the others didn't know was that, over the past couple of days, in the privacy of their own language (It was, apparently, alright to speak Japanese as long as it suited Tatsu to do so.), Aki had managed to trade his perfect cooperation for the promise of total amnesia on his brother's part concerning several of his specified misdemeanours. And Tatsu was an honourable young man. Wasn't he?

Luke and Scott were, predictably, bare-chested and in their boardies but properly shod for walking and both of them had slathered their exposed parts in sun-block. Sid went collecting his clothing that Mo had scattered casually around the site, and giving his brother the benefit of his opinion of him. It was like water off a duck's back and, once Sid was dressed and had replaced the missing trainer lace, he made off for home as fast as he could.

"Mo, won't you get into trouble when he tells your folks what you did to him?"

"Nah, dad's a dead-head, he reckons it's up to us to sort things out between ourselves as long as we don't kill one another. Our step mum might be a problem eventually. She's great but she still doesn't like to over-rule our dad. In any case, if he did rat on me and I got punished for it, he knows he'd be committing sidicide, his life would be unimaginably grim for the next few weeks. Don't worry about it.

Oi, Sid, aren't you going to take your stuff with you?" Sid checked his flight for just long enough to turn and flip his brother the finger before continuing his departure. Mo shrugged.

Cleanliness Is Next To . . .

Morning ablutions had taken various forms. For someone who was a city boy from Osaka, Tatsu had taken to a rather Spartan regime readily and, prior to removing his pyjamas in the privacy of the Icelandic, he had filled the collapsible bowl with cold water from the barrel and taken quite a comprehensive sponge bath before dressing. Aki couldn't be bothered, he thought he would have to wait until he got home to remove the traces of glue from his person, not that there was much. Aiden had taken the cursory regulation Scout flannel tour of his neck and armpits and a comprehensive wipe round his face followed by the application of far too much deodorant. Mo cleaned his teeth, sniffed his armpits and, at variance with the opinions of his mates, declared that they would do. Scott and Luke just couldn't be bothered. Luke had glue from the gaffer tape attached to the hair on his arms and legs and Scott's chest was still very mucky from crawling bare-chested through whatever was on the ground during last night's game in spite of the amount of it he had deposited on his sleeping bag liner. A quick application of anti-perspirant would have to do until he could get under the shower at home.

Aiden started the brew water and distributed the breakfast stuff from the box of compo rations just as Matt returned from the stable yard with water noticeably dripping from his person and still attired in only a now very wet pair of posing briefs and Scott's flip-flops and carrying his boardies. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I found a hose in that stall where you threw these." He waved his shorts towards his brother. "It's a warm morning and I needed to get all that shit off my body so I stood over the drain and took a cold shower. I've left the hosepipe attached to the tap; you and Mo can put it away later."

Something had just dawned on Scott. "Mo?"

"Yeeeess? It had also dawned on Mo.

"You let me and Luke struggle to fill that barrel."

"Yeees."

"And you knew there was a hosepipe we could have used?"

"Yup!" Mo's smug grin was probably not his best judged response and Scott made an assertion. "No, I think my parents were married well before I was born." Scott knew it was all part of the game but he did make a mental note for future reference. By now even Luke had cottoned on. He even managed a grin to follow his initial open-mouthed reaction.

Scott and Luke grabbed their towels, Luke got another clean pair of boxers and they headed for the stable yard with their rudimentary toilet bags while Aiden got on with breakfast preparations and Matt continued to drip-dry.

Once at the stable yard, Scott stripped and stood over the grating. He threatened Luke with appalling tortures if he didn't get it right and the smaller brother turned the tap well on and pinched the end of the hose forming an improvised spray and took some delight in hosing his big brother down. It wasn't his fault when he accidentally hit Scott in the unmentionables, was it? After all, that apology seemed so genuine. So did the dimple-cheeked grin! Scott warned him that the tables would soon be turned. Luke turned the tap off and Scott soaped himself down before subjecting himself to another deluge. This time he held onto his bits.

After what was a more refreshing shower than you might think, Luke demanded his turn. Although not shy, he was becoming shier than his brother, having been influenced by those whom Scott described as, "The sort of skanks that shower with their shorts on," and retained his boxers as Scott returned the favour. After towelling down and rinsing the soap suds down the drain, Scott and Luke dressed and returned to the site. The yelps that signalled their return were simply the result of Luke's being towel-whipped as Scott explained the disadvantages of hitting one's elder brother in the nuts with a high-pressure stream of water. The yelps were, however, interspersed with a lot of giggling. Luke knew there was always a price to pay for his fun; it was just a question of figuring out whether it would be worth it. He was getting better at such calculations.

Breakfast was under way as the now unbelievably clean brothers ran onto the site and things settled down peacefully for about half an hour.

Time to Go Home

Breakfast was done and whatever "crockery" could not be burnt was returned unwashed to rucksacks and everyone started packing their personal kit. Matt claimed the t-shirt Aiden had promised him but, when he saw the state of it, he decided to try to beg some sun-block from him instead. In those temperatures, he wouldn't look too odd walking home bare-chested and in any case, as he told himself, these days his physique looked good. Having taken precautions against sunburn, he made to leave the site.

"Oi, Tubs," Matt smelled treachery. "Take my rucksack for me."

"Carry it yourself."

"OK, deal." Matt thought that it would at least be worth listening, at least Aiden was not saying things like 'Quel dommage.' "Yes, tell you what: you take my gear home and I promise, on my honour, I'll forget about that note you forged to get onto that school trip."

"Permanently?"

"Permanently. And you've got my word of honour on that in front of all these witnesses."

"From now on?"

"Don't push your luck. From after the rugby tour - IF you get to go on it; I've got to hold onto some cards." Matt thought he'd settle for what he could get and shouldered Aiden's sizeable rucksack, adjusted the straps and walked off site. He didn't even bother to help himself to a clean(ish) t-shirt once he was out of sight.

-----00000-----

Tatsu produced his phone and dialled home.

"あなたはそれを持っていないと述べました！"

Tatsu looked at his phone as if he was surprised to see it in his hand. "Manners, Aki, English only in front of our friends, please."

"He said he did not have his phone!" There was no use in appealing to the big brothers, Luke knew it was all part of the game and Matt thought he should have known better than to believe his big brother by now. Tatsu confirmed that he and his brother were ready to be picked up from where they had been dropped off and put his phone away.

Aki wished Luke goodbye and Tatsu thanked Scott and Mo for including him and his brother in the Little Brothers Contest and expressed his appreciation of Mo's hosting skills. As a token of his appreciation, he handed Mo the unused rolls of gaffer tape that he had brought because he was sure that his friends and he could find a good use for them. The inevitable bows preceded the Japanese lads hoisting their packs on their backs and leaving for the gate where they had been dropped off previously. They departed to an incomprehensible (to the other boys) stream of Japanese from Tatsu that they assumed was him explaining to Aki how he could best ensure his future well-being once their mother had arrived. They were right.

-----00000-----

Luke offered to help Mo and Aiden get the site clear and the stable yard tidy but he was surprised when Scott vetoed the idea. He knew that Scott would always offer to help in such a situation but, when he questioned Scott's reaction, Scott simply asked if he wanted to be tied up. Luke's eyes brightened.

"NO! I meant do you want me to Tie! - You! - Up!?" Luke could take a hint. He knew when not to pursue a matter or, at least he knew when to shut up until there was no one else around. He would just have to play along and wait. Scott helped Luke on with his rucksack and asked Mo if he knew what the two loops on the bottom were for. Mo thought that they were where some people placed their carry mats. Scott agreed but said he had a better use for them.

"OK, Shithead, get your wrists in there." Luke did as he was told and Scott tightened the straps round his wrists.

"Aren't you going to tie me so that I can't slip them out?"

"All in good time, little man. All in good time." Scott continued to explain that he was teaching him some self-discipline and that, in any case, if he wriggled free, he had better enjoy being on the receiving end of a real prize-winning wedgie as soon as they found a gate post that was high enough. As I said: there were times when Luke could take a hint.

Scott collected his pack and Aiden helped him on with it. He was not at all surprised that Scott had not offered to help tidy up but he knew when not to mention it, so Scott and Luke headed for home.

TBC

[Xtc]

THE LITTLE BROTHERS CONTEST (28)


The Last Rites

Mo and Aiden knew that they had a lot of work to do and set about tidying the site and spreading the fire. The old Icelandic took some striking but the stretcher came in handy to transport it to the stable yard where it could stay until Aiden could arrange for both items to be picked up. A totally unnecessary litter sweep took place during which Mo consigned Sid's rucksack and what few other items that it contained to different patches of undergrowth knowing that his granddad would make Sid tidy it up later. Granddad was generally a very laissez faire type but he was also someone with whom no one would dare argue when he was outraged, and the site of rubbish strewn around his property was something that was sure to outrage him.

The fire, except for the large surrounding logs, was nearly out as far as Mo was concerned but Aiden insisted upon emptying the remaining contents of the barrel over the ashes. They took the empty barrel back to the stable yard, filled it using the hose, mounted a very full barrel onto the sack truck and arrived with most of the contents back on the site. The two large logs got a comprehensive shower. Mo was impressed by the amount of steam but Aiden, who was by now bare-chested, insisted that they needed to repeat the procedure at least once more.

By the time the site had been cleared and the 'agility course' had been roughly stowed in the stalls, it was well into the afternoon. The two labourers thought they would sit on a couple of old chairs and treat themselves to some of the uneaten delights from the rat pack. Aiden thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He managed not to react as Scott put his finger to his lips.

All of a sudden Aiden's conversation became more animated as he tried to indicate something behind him that Mo had to strain to see. That's when Mo's world went several stages darker.

"Hi, Mo, we just wanted a little word with you." By the time Scott had slipped the pillow case over his head and pinioned his arms to his sides, Luke had no difficulty securing the hood with just a little tape round Mo's neck. Mo was more or less defenceless.

"Yes," came Aiden's voice, "There are one or two things we'd like to clear up."

"Wha - - -? Did you lot plan this?"

"Might have done. Just shut up and listen. You'll get your turn in a minute."

Scott lifted his mate from his chair and, following Aiden's suggestion of, "Over there, I think." he manoeuvred him across to one of the pillars that had formed part of the agility course. Aiden and Luke took an arm a piece and pulled so that Mo ended up with his chest forced against the pillar. He felt the ropes encircling his wrists as Scott went to work.

"Can I tie his ankles?"

"Yeah, you need the practice." Poor Mo, he stood no chance especially once Luke had rope-cuffed his ankles so that they were on opposite sides of the pillar. Scott approved. Luke grinned.

Mo was unable properly to straighten his legs but he could just about keep his feet while he had to listen to his captors reading him his fortune.

"Ok, Mo, you know when you lot made me and Luke fill that barrel?

"Yes, and you didn't tell us about the hosepipe?"

"Wait a minute. Is Sid there with you?"

"Oh, hi, Sid. Glad you could make it." Mo groaned. "Nah, course he's not. We're not that inhuman."

"I would've told him but Scott wouldn't let me bring my phone."

"Right, shut up, Shithead, let's get back to business. Now, what excuse does the prisoner have for subjecting my poor little brother and me to such horrible ordeals when he could have told us about that hosepipe?"

"I forgot about it, maybe?"

"Judge Aiden presiding. Does the jury find the prisoner guilty or not innocent?"

"Oh, come on . . ." The impartial jury found the defendant not innocent. "In any case, what did I ever do to you, Aiden? Maaate, cut me some slack."

"Does the prisoner remember holding out on his mates about the presence of a certain sanitary facility that would have made their lives easier?"

"I thought you might be scared of spiders." Mo's pathetic excuses might have made him sound desperate but, in truth, he had resigned himself to whatever fate his friends were about to decree for him and was really only arguing for the sake of the theatre.

"Luke, you find the prisoner guilty, don't you?"

"Yes, Your Honour."

"Scott, how guilty do you find the prisoner?"

"Guilty as hell, your honour." After a fair trial all that was left to decide was the nature of the consequent execution."

"What do you think, boys? I reckon two guilty verdicts warrant two punishments." There was no dissent from the learned judge's recommendation, well not from anybody who was going to get a say in the matter in any case.

Scott spoke up. "I think we ought to leave him there to work his way free. All in favour?" The decision was unanimous.

Then Aiden had second thoughts. "But supposing he can't get free. We. Would. Not. Want. Him. To die here, would we?" Aiden's theatricals were a bit obvious really but he was enjoying himself. "I. Know. Why don't we ring Sid to come and rescue him?"

Now Mo WAS desperate. "No, - please, - boys, - now, you know how kind you are, anything but that. You wouldn't surely?"

"Put it to the vote." There was a pause. "No, sorry Mo, as your friends we must consider your safety." Over the next five minutes, Mo negotiated a delay of one hour before the phone call.

"Right, that's one punishment." Mo tried to argue that, with the phone call to Sid, that counted as two penalties but learned counsel argued that the phone call might not be necessary so there was still another sentence to hand down.

The decision was somewhat gross but what else could they do for a friend? Scott yanked Mo's jeans down to his knees and was happy to leave him like that flashing his boxers. Unfortunately Luke chose that moment to have an idea.

"Mo, are those your famous spunk-proof boxers?" The others were intrigued as Luke went over to his pack. "I think we ought to test them. What you say, lads?" Being hooded Mo could only think the worst. He was frantically trying to reassure himself that Aiden and Scott were his friends; surely they wouldn't let the evil, grinning little inconvenience do anything REALLY unpleasant to him. - - - Would they?

Luke had sneaked the unused squirty cream into his rucksack for his private enjoyment once he'd got it home. All Mo herd was, "Yesss!" from his supposed friends as Luke made his altruistic offer to sacrifice the confection by gesture alone.

"Nice one, Shithead. Your honour, I think." Scott went across to the increasingly desperate Mo, who felt the waistband of his boxers pulled clear of his backside by two hands. Luke squirted - generously. Scott allowed the boxers to slop back against the disgusted wearer whereupon the aerated cream oozed over the waistband. Aiden added a healthy slap with his enormous right hand to Mo's backside whereupon the cream leaked out from the legs of Mo's boxers as well. Mo's resigned groan was most satisfactory. He was not looking forward to discovering what his supposed friends had used to torture him with. And they weren't saying.

-----00000-----

It had been a good day for Luke so far: Scott had had to agree to tie him up and blindfold him while they waited to ambush Mo. He knew how to play the only card he had: he explained that, because of his ADHD, being tied up was the only way to keep him quiet enough to allow the ambush to work. He had gained the approval of the older boys with his contribution to ensuring that Mo was treated justly, and now he hoped that he would be tied up lightly for his hike home as well.

Aiden had learnt more about his brother than he knew before but, rather than adding to his store of blackmail material, he was learning to have more respect for him. He would just have to make sure not to let him know.

Scott, well, Scott had spent a few days in the outdoors with his mates in spite of having to 'entertain' his little brother. He didn't really mind looking after him now that Luke's secret was out, it was often so useful having a (more or less) willing tiee at his disposal. He wasn't yet ready, though, to let Luke tie him up.

Tatsu had worked off an awful lot of frustrations and was pretty sure that his little sneak of a brother would think twice (or more!) in future before ratting on him to his parents. It was just a matter of whether or not he was going to share Aki's guilty secrets with their little sister, Mitsuhiko. Now, what do you think? Tatsu was the nice, quiet, polite but slightly slow boy wasn't he? He had obviously been in England too long - of course he was going to spill the beans. As soon as he could.

Even Matt, once he had recovered from the initial humiliations, had his revenge to plot as he walked home displaying his recently developed physique to whomever would care to view it. He even managed to smile ruefully that at least he wasn't wearing only his posing briefs. Perhaps Aiden was losing his touch? Now that his sartorial secret was out, he didn't even have to worry about Aiden catching him in his costume of choice in the home gym any longer.

Sid and Aki didn't seem to have had as good a few days but Tatsu and Mo didn't seem to think that mattered too much.

That just leaves Maurice. By the time Luke had fitted his rucksack and Scott had tied his hands in front of him, just to oblige, so that he could lead him until they came to where people would be more likely to see them, Mo had given up the effort to stand and was sitting with one leg on each side of the post and feeling for the knots securing his wrists. He couldn't see Scott making sure that he had located them and was starting to make progress before he and Aiden also hoisted their packs and left noisily. Once they were clear of the site, Aiden asked Scott whether he had really tied Mo as well as he could have done. Scott suggested that surely Aiden could not possibly be questioning his integrity and they left things like that.

Once he started to make progress, Mo thought he might just get involved in such activities in the future - as long as he didn't have to be rescued by Sid.

THE END

[Xtc]

OH. That's the lot.
Any requests for any pf my old stories that I can re-post?