Ardour: An Erotic Steampunk Story Read Free

are they doing
such things if there is not the influence of ardour involved?”
    “People sometimes need an excuse
to relax their inhibitions. I personally need nothing other than the love of a
good woman. Are you a good woman?”
    I shook my head, thinking of how
many times I’d fired my fusegun in the last year. “No, no I am not.”
    “Well I sometimes like bad women
too.” Her hand slid up from my knee along my leg towards my tightly crossed
thighs.
    “What are you doing?” I asked,
trying to push her hand away.
    “Do you truly wish me to stop?
Merely say the word and I will leave you alone forever more.”
    I thought for a moment and then
my hand folded onto the top of hers, our fingers entwining. I could not look at
her, my shame at my own desires being too overwhelming. Instead I stared at the
stage where a gentleman had joined the women. I realised it was the man who’d
handed me the money in my pocket, assuming me to be the one who’d killed the
mayor. His penis was sticking out from his trousers which looked both obscene
and amusing as his outfit was otherwise undisturbed.
    The two women were both naked by
now and they knelt on all fours facing away from the audience so their peachy
round bottoms and just a hint of pussy was visible to the roaring crowd. The
man took his erection in his hand and knelt behind the blonde woman, looking
back over his shoulder and winking to the crowd, saying something but I could
not hear the words over the screams that echoed round the auditorium.
    “Quickly,” Esmerelda said,
getting to her feet. “While he is occupied. Come!”
    “But…”I began, taking a final
glance at the stage as the man slid himself into the woman. I felt tingles deep
inside me at the sight but I saw no more as Esmerelda took me by the hand and
led me back to the autostairs. We descended at speed and she crammed a piece of
parchment into my hands before ushering me back into the foyer. “Will I see you
again?” I asked as she turned away. “I must see you again.”
    “I will come to you when it is
done,” she replied as she glanced around her before disappearing back down the
corridor, the door autoclosing behind her.
    I walked as calmly as I could
towards the bar to find Jared wasn’t there. He was instead standing by the
curtain that led into the auditorium, oblivious to my approach as he stared at
the stage in the distance.
    I was about to tap him on the
shoulder when I looked past him and froze to the spot. The show had moved on
since I’d been in the box and now the man was laid on his back and the redhead
was riding him as if he were a mechstallion, bouncing up and down on the shaft
of his tool whilst the blonde woman sat on the man’s head, grinding her body
agasint his face as the audience threw roses onto the stage.
    “Oh it’s you,” Jared said,
turning to face me and looking guilty as if he’d been caught watching something
unsavoury, which I supposed he had. “Where have you been?”
    I briefly told him what had
occurred and together we walked as slowly as we could towards the entrance so
as not to arouse suspicion. Once outside we waited until the steamcrate was
airbound before unrolling the parchment.
    “This is the last will and
testament of Edwin Gauge and I wish it to also serve as my confession. That
which you know as ardour is nought but a placebo. I was responsible for its
creation with Mr William Hawkins and the profits made from the sale therein. I
wish the money made by myself and William Hawkins, proprietor of Ardour music
hall to be donated to the people of the gutter so that their condition may be
improved.
    I have visited the gutter in
secret for many years and observed the degradation and poverty in which the inhabitants
live and it shames me to think Gauge Industries played a hand in such things.
As such I desire schools, orphanages, shops, parks, autolanding bays, all the
things that are needed to create a civilised society in the gutter once