Ingenious Pain

One of the best books I read recently was a novel simply titled Pure,  a historical fiction novel about a young engineer who is given the daunting task of clearing the Les Innocents Cemetery.
As I read it, I gradually fell in love with its story, characters and vivid depiction of France, a few years before the revolution. I vowed to seek out more novels by the author, Andrew Miller and eventually, I decided to go back to the beginning and make my next Miller-novel; the first one that the author got published, way back in 1997: Ingenious Pain.

Set primarily in England during the 18th century, Ingenious Pain is the story of James Dyer, who is born without the ability to feel any physical pain: Break his kneecap, tear his nails out, whatever you do, James won't feel it. In addition, he's also been blessed with a rather remarkable healing-factor. The down-side to all this is that James Dyer is also completely lacking in any sort of empathy for others. As such, he's not exactly overcome with grief when he looses his entire family to smallpox at a young age. Thus, young Dyer sets out into the World, the first step on his journey sees him becoming the assistant to the fraud Mr. Gummer, who uses the boy to demonstrate the efficiency of his healing tonics. Soon, James is 'rescued' from Gummer by Mr. Canning, a wealthy eccentric who collects so-called human oddities. In Canning's home, James acquires knowledge by reading the books in his host's library and is acquainted with some of the other 'items' in Canning's collection; a pair of Siamese twins and a real-life mermaid.

Eventually, James is re-united with Gummer and leaves Canning. From there on, the two soon find themselves aboard a man-of-war, where James becomes the assistant to the ship's surgeon and discovers that he possesses a genius for surgery; his utter lack of compassion for his patients actually being an asset in this case, allowing him to perform complex operations without the fear of failure. James Dyer's journey eventually sees him as the participant in a race among doctors, all the way to Russia. Catherine the Great wishes to be inoculated against smallpox by an English doctor and whoever reaches St. Petersburg first, gets the honor and of course, James is determined that it shall be his.

I came into Ingenious Pain with some expectations, and all I can say is that those expectations were more than fulfilled. Considering that this was Miller's first published novel, one would perhaps think that his prose would not be on par with that of Pure, one of his later works. Well, one would be mistaken. In fact, if I hadn't been aware going in that this was his debut, I doubt I would've been able to tell: As with Pure, the prose in Ingenious Pain is incredibly evocative. Miller truly has a gift for bringing the 18th century to life, both the filth and superstition, as well as the forward-thinking and progress that characterized this time-period. There are some notable differences between Ingenious Pain and Pure though, and I'm not just talking about the respective country each novel is (mostly) set in, or the nature of its protagonists, but other stuff as well:

First of all, Ingenious Pain covers a much larger time-period, chronicling its protagonist's life from birth to death. Secondly, it begins at the very end, with James already lying dead while his friend, rev. Lestrade watches as his corpse is being dissected. The narrative than jumps back to one year before Dyer's death, before finally taking a gigantic leap backwards in time, to the time and place of his conception (we learn here that he's the unfortunate by-product of his mother being raped while ice-skating).
As such, the reader already knows how James' story concludes, but as it is with a lot of things, its the journey that's the interesting part not the destination and this is a journey that's well worth embarking on. As a travelling companion, James Dyer is not the most sympathetic fellow, but he is always interesting.

All in all, Ingenious Pain is an outstanding novel that continues to establish Andrew Miller as one of my favorite living authors. Highly recommended.

Chapter 21

The next day, after breakfast, Risha and Merees left the doctor's house and walked down the stone-steps, which led to the village. Merees was not wearing her cloak and Risha was just about to point it out, wondering with some worry if she had lost it in the ocean, but before she could ask the question,her friend anticipated her:

"If you wonder about my cloak, it was damaged in the shipwreck. During your convalescence, I took it to the local tailor to get it repaired. Besides, I have no need for it on this island."

Upon entering the village, the duo found it bustling with activity. Shopkeepers were busy sweeping outside their doors. In the square, vendors were setting up their stalls and  in the shade of an oak, a small group of people had set up a game of boules. On the sidewalk, a group of children, temporarily relieved from school and the burdens of homework, played. As Risha and Merees, passed by,several villagers stopped what they were doing and stared quite openly at the couple.

"We seem to draw quite some attention", Risha observed. "Can't blame them I suppose, we are pretty good-looking."

"That's true. Though, I think their gawking has more to do with us still being strangers in these parts. We are simply an exciting novelty, that's all."

"You are probably right, but I liked my version better."

"So did I."

The lynx and the dragon kept strolling through the streets of the village, until they reached the outskirts and a road which led into a deep forest.

"We're heading into the woods?" Risha asked.

Merees nodded.

"The place I want to show you is located in there. Its pretty far though, so if you don't feel up to it, we can stay in the village."

There was genuine concern in Merees' voice as she made the offer and her eyes kept drifting upward, to the tiny scar located just below Risha's ear.

"I'm fine", the lynx answered, smiling reassuringly. "Besides, it will do me good to stretch my legs after spending so much time vegetating."

"Well then, let us go."

"Lead the way, Princess."

As she followed her friend through the lush forest, Risha looked at the trees.
They were the tallest trees she had ever seen, their crowns located so high up that she had to tilt her neck backward in order to get a glimpse at them. Suddenly, the let out a small gasp of surprise, causing Merees, who was walking a few steps ahead, to stop and turn around.
"What's the matter?"

"I saw something in the tree", Risha said.

"Oh? Did you see what it was?" Merees asked, looking in the direction Risha was pointing.
The lynx shook her head.

"No, it was too quick. There's nothing dangerous in this forest, right?"

"Well, whatever you saw is probably more afraid of you than you are of it."
Risha frowned.

"Who said anything about being afraid? I'm not afraid."

Nonetheless, Risha decided to stay closer to her friend, while occasionally throwing a worried glance up at the tree-tops.

******

"Well, here we are."

Risha stared with incredulity at the large, green bush in front of her. This was what they had trekked through the woods for more than an hour to see? Her feet felt as if they were made of lead, not to mention that she had tripped over a root and scraped her chin on the way here. The lynx-girl had a sharp comment on the tip of her tongue, but it died, when she saw the look of excitement on Merees' face.

"Its a...great bush", she said, hesitatingly. "I wasn't aware that you were so interested in bushes. Well, actual bushes, not you know..." Her voice trailed off.

Merees shook her head. To Risha's relief, she had apparently paid no attention to that last part.

"No, no. Its not the bush that I wanted to show you, but what's behind it. Observe!"
With that she parted the branches of the bush, revealing the entrance to a tunnel.

"I know that normally its ladies first, but since we're both ladies and I know the way, I'll take the lead. Oh, by the way, mind the ceiling."

"Yeah, yeah."

Taking care not to bump her head, Risha followed her friend inside.
The tunnel was quite small and the two of them had to crawl through it on their hands and knees. After awhile, however, it got wider, so that they could almost walk upright. Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel and emerged into a large cavern, complete with an underground lake and a small waterfall; all of it, illuminated by strange, shining rocks.

Risha gazed at the scenery in front of her, having never seen anything like it. A soft curse escaped her lips.

"I take it that our trip here was worth it, after all?"

The female lynx nodded. She then sat down on the ground to rest her feet.

"Its amazing. How did you..."

She stopped mid-sentence, a sound had just reached her ears; the soft rustle of clothes dropping to the floor..

"I'm going for a swim in the lake", Merees said. "Care to join me?"

She received no answer; the sight of her friend standing there, naked, with the exception of her underwear, which she had not yet discarded, had temporarily reduced Risha to stunned silence.

Someone likes what she sees, Merees thought, a wry smile playing on her lips.
It was then that she got an idea:

Many years ago, a famous dancer had come to the court to perform her art for the King. Merees had not been allowed to watch, since the dancer's act had earned a reputation for a certain lasciviousness, the King had thought it best not to expose his youngest daughter to it.
Curiosity knows no master though and the young Princess had managed to sneak into the throne-room and watch the performance, hidden in a dark corner.

The sight of the vixen contorting her body to the music had awakened feelings in Merees, that she had not been aware of before, and she had been forced to bite down on her lip until it bled, in order not to cry out and be discovered.
That night, as she lied in bed,  the young dragon had reached down between her legs for the first time, her head filled with visions of what she had witnessed.
As for the dancer, she left the palace the next morning, having received many gifts, not just from King Sharan, but also from his older daughter.

In the cavern there was, of course, no music, but Merees was not deterred: She began to move her body the way she remembered the dancer had all those years ago. Though, not being a trained professional, her movements were somewhat less graceful.

Not that Risha noticed any imperfections in the performance; she stared at those swaying hips, the look on her face gradually changing, from one of surprise, to that of a starving man outside an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The hungry look in her friend's eyes, spurred Merees on and as she kept dancing, her movements gradually lost their initial awkwardness and became smoother and more confident. She decided to spice things up a bit:

Grinning mischievously, she turned around and  leaned forward, raising her spiked tail high, swaying it back and forth seductively. While doing this, she also began to slowly pull down her velvet panties, granting her audience a full view of her shapely rear-end.

Risha watched this impromptu performance with a growing sense of arousal: She had had fantasies like this over the years, but she had never hoped that they would come real. It still seemed unreal to her, that someone so gorgeous should expose themselves to her, for her enjoyment.

Eyes wide and her tongue clinging to the roof of her mouth, Risha kept gazing mesmerized at the stunning display before her eyes, feeling like an art-lover who had just been granted a private view of a masterpiece.

Feeling the need to gather her breath, Merees stopped dancing. She stood with her back turned to Risha, hands on her knees. Bathed in the glow of the rocks, the Princess' bottom shone like the full moon. Though if one was to ask Risha her opinion, she would say that this moon far outshone its sister in the sky. Leaning closer, the lynx-girl could make out the tiny beads of perspiration that had formed on Merees' backside, each bead glittering like a tiny pearl or drops of dew in the morning grass.

As if in a trance, Risha reached out to touch one of those cheeks, then she noticed that Merees was looking at her over her shoulder and pulled back, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"It's fine" Merees said. "Go ahead."

Risha did not need to be told twice and she immediately set about to caress and kiss Merees' firm, round buttocks.
It did not take long until the combined sensation of Risha's fingers and lips upon her ass began to have an effect on Merees; her breathing grew heavier and whisps of smoke rose up from her nostrils.

"R-Risha! Stop!" She cried out, sharper than she had intended.

Surprised, Risha did as she was requested.

"J-just give me a moment" Merees gasped. She took a few deep breaths and waited for her body to calm down.

"Did I do something wrong?" Risha asked, concerned that she had spoiled the whole thing.

"Not at all" Merees replied. "I just think we should slow down a bit. We want the fun to last, don't we?"

She helped Risha to her feet and touched her cheek. She then began to deftly unbutton the lynx-girl's blouse, causing Risha's heartbeat to increase rapidly.
As her body gradually came into view, Risha found herself seized by a sudden and very unwelcome feeling of  inadequacy. She gazed at the gorgeous curves that made up Merees' body, then down at her own:

How can I possibly compare? She asked herself and before she could stop it, a whimpering sound had escaped her throat.

Realizing that something was troubling her partner, Merees began to nuzzle Risha's neck, while her fingers gently caressed the lynx-girl's breasts. Risha could feel the negative emotions' hold on her weaken and she parted her lips slightly, allowing the dragoness' long tongue to enter her mouth.

As their tongues wrestled, Merees proceeded to remove Risha's underwear and gently pulled her down on top of her. Soon, the cavern, the island and the very world itself, faded into nothingness as the two of them explored each other, until finally, their bodies shook with ecstacy, twin moans resounding throughout the cavern.

****

Later, the two lovers lied next to each other, waiting for the strength to return to their limbs. Risha was the first one to speak:

"That was amazing!" She gasped. "You are amazing!"

"Thanks, you weren't so bad yourself."

"What do you mean 'not so bad?'" Risha asked, playfully punching Merees' arm. 

"I was just teasing, you were great too. Was this your first time?"

"It was."

"In that case, I'm impressed that you managed to last for so long. I was almost certain that you wouldn't manage to hold out until the end."

"It wasn't easy" Risha admitted. "Your dance had me all fired up. Where did you learn it? I didn't think that was the sort of thing a Princess needed to know."

"Its not, I picked it up on the sly. You are the first person who has seen it."

"I loved it. Will you dance for me again, some time?"

"Whenever you want."

The two moved closer, wrapping their arms around one another, gazing into each other's eyes.

"You know" Risha said. "Despite everything that's happened. Right now, I couldn't be happier. Is that bad?"

"No, I think we both deserve some happiness."

"This is a great place, isn't it?" Risha said, resting her head on Merees' chest.

"Its a really nice cave" Merees agreed, as she played with the tufts on the lynx's ears.

"Actually, I was thinking about the island in general. We were really lucky to get shipwrecked here and the doctor has been so good to us, he and Amelia are really great people..." She paused, letting the sentence remain unfinished.

 "I sense a 'but' in there somewhere", Merees said, propping herself up on her elbow.

"You're right". Risha admitted. "The island is lovely, but if we can't go back home, I want to see the rest of the world. There are so many places I want to go to and I want to visit them with you." 

"You shall. We'll all go together: You, me and Leorin." 

"What about Luke?" 

Merees shrugged. 

"Luke isn't really my responsibility, but he can come along if he wants to. And do not worry: I'll find a way to get us back home, eventually." 

After all, she thought, there's justice to be done. 

She turned, so that Risha wouldn't see the burning hatred that had suddenly flared up in her eyes.