The Countess stared around herself somewhat uncertainly, taking in the weird array of machines, each one more strange and frightening than the last.

Vulcan deposited Lilliphane over a whipping horse and rattled his dirk against an iron triangle hanging from the ceiling.

Despite her nudity, the countess noticed an all-pervading warmth making her skin prickle with perspiration. She remarked upon it to Vulkan, who pointed upward.

"The main kitchens are directly above," he explained, "the fires burn day and all night and the heat travels down here through the stone buttresses supporting the roof.

Gargo, the dungeon master, shambled up the steps from the cells in response to Vulkan's alarm. His hirsute, endomorphic body covered only by an ancient leather apron and sandals. Behind him came the little grull hopping up the steps on its bandy legs. The countess pointed a long, shaking finger at the little gargoyle.

"What the Hell is that?" she choked incredulously, skipping nimbly behind Vulkan's protective bulk.

"More to the point, who the hell was that?" contradicted the prince darkly, before turning to Gargo.

"Bring the countess her harness and then attend to the princess, she's no doubt impatient to know why we've brought her here."

Five minutes later the countess found herself strapped into a tight fitting body harness of well oiled black leather, consisting of a girdle encasing her shapely hips with generous cutaways to allow easy access to her sex and rectum. Cross over straps separated her breasts over which were fitted iron rings that encouraged the milk white orbs with their crimson nipples to thrust out in two cones. The outfit buckled to a broad neck choker, also leather and was completed by a pair of black thigh length leather boots fashioned from supple deer hide.