As he walked to the stage, he could be seen to be carrying a tooled, black leather box about two feet long on his left shoulder, which appeared to be chained to his wrist, by a stout leather cuff and a highly polished, heavy gold or more likely brass chain. As he neared the stage, the audience could see that he was secured by strong padlocks on the hood, at his wrist and in the cleft of his buttocks. Gently and with immense care and precision, he laid the box slightly away from the centre of the stage and as he walked away from it, a couple of metres of chain, clanked and rattled its way out of the box. It pulled him up abruptly as it reached its full length, of perhaps four or five metres.

For the next minute or so, whilst a quiet Chaplinesque tune played in the background, he contemplated his position. He tried to remove the hood, but the neckband was so solid and constricting, that the locks prevented any easy release. He tugged at the unforgiving chain. The wrist cuff too, was tight and would not slip over his hand. He did think that he could perhaps remove the pouch, but thought better of it. Anyway he reasoned to the audience, it would not aid his escape.

All of a sudden laughter erupted.

A slim and tanned hand, with white painted nails and one plain gold and two sparkling diamond rings the only possible clues as to its sex, on the end of an equally slim and elegant arm had literally sprouted from the top of the box and had been illuminated by a single highly-focussed light. The hand was holding what appeared to be a small fluorescent orange bottle, which it delicately placed on the box. The slim fingers clicked and the hand waved the man to take it. With expressions of mock surprise from his hands, he quickly took the bottle. He then shook and thanked the unattached hand, which gave him a thumbs-up before retreating. He now proceeded to oil his body with the contained liquid, liberally rubbing it all over and especially into that cuffed left hand, to see if it could be freed from its plight.

But still he was firmed chained to his heavy cargo!

There was now another burst of laughter, as the hand had reappeared and was tantalisingly waving a key on a ring and a short chain. He wasted no time and grabbed it immediately, as the hand disappeared with equal speed into its lair. Hurriedly he then tried all of the locks on his body.

Not one fitted the key!

Sitting in despair in a pool of light, miming tears and banging his hands and feet on the stage, with his back to the box, he could not see the hand had now come out again and after making a few rude and mocking gestures to him, was pointing vigorously to another padlock on top of the box. As was to be expected a typical Essex wag, yelled out those immortal words from some long forgotten game show. 'Open the box!' Within seconds, everybody had joined in the chant.

He remained unmoved for perhaps thirty seconds, before standing and asking the audience what all the fuss was about, displaying his hands palm outwards in a innocent and unknowing gesture. Finally he got their obvious message and moved towards the box, before trying the key. It fitted and he was able to open the two flaps and fold them over and back against the sides of the box. He looked in and retreated with his hands to the sides of his head in mock horror.

There was more laughter as the hand rose again, this time holding a small version of the classic Indian snake-charmers flute. He was beckoned to take it. The same wag hit the right note with another phrase. 'Give us a tune then!' Again the audience followed his lead.

***

He now turned towards the box and sat cross-legged facing it, about three feet away. He put the flute to the tiny hole by his mouth and whether he was playing or whether it was a record could not be discerned, but the tune was unmistakably the slow, rhythmic, haunting warble of those that charm snakes in the sub-continent.

Now two painted and beringed hands arose from the box, with their palms flat together. It was now obvious that his chain was linked to a similar cuff on the right hand they saw before them. Again it was padlocked tight. Then what looked to be a head covered in a heavy and impenetrable black silk veil or shroud ascended gradually, followed by the rest of a slim body, that somehow had contorted itself into the confines of the box.

She, for despite the silk reaching to the floor it was obviously a woman beneath, now stepped away from the box and proceeded to dance as would a charmer's snake, teasingly showing first naked feet, then bared ankles, calves and thighs and finally buttocks, which appeared to be locked into a very similar garment to the man. Gradually more and more of her body was revealed as she gyrated, swirling and teasing the veil around, in front of and occasionally away from her body.

Finally, the man could sit and wait no more. Throwing his flute to one side, he jumped to his feet and taking hold of the veil on top of her head, he removed it in one movement, very reminiscent of the conjurer doing his best and most flamboyant trick.

***

The audience gasped almost as one as the woman was fully revealed.

It could now be seen that the two were virtually identical in height and looked to be matched in weight and build as well. But that was not where the similarity ended. Her body too, was very fit, oiled and muscled, and as the audience had already suspected was dressed in the tiniest of chained and padlocked, leather thongs and had a gold ring in each nipple. Her head too was completely shaved, naked, tanned and oiled like her body, with the most minimal of make-up to accentuate a very beautiful, if almost androidal face. Her only other jewellery were two earrings, which matched those at her nipples and a thick gold chain holding a couple of keys around her neck.

She had now stopped dancing and facing the man, she reached up with the keys at her neck and proceeded to unlock the two padlocks that secured his hood. She removed it with the same bold and grandiose gesture, he had used.

Another shaven and identically made-up head was revealed.

***

The chaste kiss they gave each other after his release, was perhaps the only touch between them except for their fingers and occasionally their hands, as they danced together for the next ten minutes to one of those classical themes, that everybody knows, but only an aficionado can put a name to.

But the dance could not be described as chaste.

It was funny, as with their heavy chain weighing several kilos and getting in the way, there was times where humour was the only way to overcome the limitations. It was touching and loving, and the audience could sense the feeling between the two dancers, whose relationship was obviously much more than just a very professional performance.

But above all it was supremely erotic. It could be nothing else, as two very talented and incredibly flexible dancers, performed a pas-de-deux like none that anyone present had ever seen.

They finished by laying head-to-head on the stage and it was only then that they showed any overt passion as they kissed deeply, rolling backwards and forwards at the same time. Eventually, they expired exhausted and lay on their backs for a few moments soaking up the tumultuous applause, before rising to take a bow to all sides of that circular stage.

***

It was now his turn to take charge.

Gently he pulled her towards him and with further care eased the necklace over her head, before almost triumphantly placing it on himself. He was now smiling broadly and she frowned with fear and made as if to run away. He did nothing to prevent her, but just waited until the chain at her wrist went tight and stopped her in her tracks. She slumped dejectedly to the stage, miming all of her apprehension.

Slowly, still keeping the chain tight, he then bent down and retrieved the leather hood with the two padlocks he had worn for his entry. Gradually, he pulled the chain drawing her reluctantly towards him. He was now standing above her and despite her theatrical protests and attempted bites and scratches, he slipped the hood over her head and clicked the two padlocks at the neckband.

He now picked up the shroud and throwing it over his head, he folded himself with a tremendous degree of alacrity and a certain amount of difficulty into the same leather box, in which he had carried the woman. Once safely inside, his arm rose and called for her to shut and lock the top. Two obedient folds and a click later and he was sealed away.

Laughter erupted as his hand climbed through the hole in the top and started miming the playing of a flute. She looked for the flute and after dragging the box towards it, was able to pick it up and give it to the hand. Thanks were returned and the hand disappeared.

Their departure from the stage was quick and took everybody by surprise. In one swift movement she lifted the box directly to her right shoulder and waving to the clapping and cheering audience, she literally ran up the stairs to the exit.

Copyright 1999 by Ewart Higgins