by Van © 2020
		Chapter 7

The rest of Effie's Day of Recuperation passed in something of a haze.  Jana and Olivia seemed to understand, because once Effie's initial questions were answered, breakfast was over, and the empty container and half-empty coffee thermos stowed back in the hamper, they refrained from talking, letting Effie get down to the serious work of digesting her burritos and coffee and catching up on her beauty sleep...  and she did.  Maybe they did whisper a little (quietly) once Effie was obviously asleep, but how would she know?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ zzzzzzz ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They roused Effie for lunch, which consisted of finger sandwiches, apples, and cheese (probably smoked Gouda, but Effie wasn't sure).  They washed it all down with the rest of the coffee, which was still hot, more-or-less.  As during breakfast, Jana and Lolita took turns feeding Effie, who otherwise would have had a decidedly difficult time feeding herself, what with her wrists still crossed and cage-cuffed behind her back.  Afterwards, they helped her use the stainless steel commode (and bidet) in the corner.  And then... they all returned to the mattress and Jana and Lolita commenced talking her into allowing them to give her a full-body massage!

"It'll help" Jana intoned gravely.  Effie reflected that even a serious and unsmiling Jana was unconscionably cute and adorable (especially while nude).  She supposed Jana's generalized ginger cuteness was something she'd just have to learn to live with.

"She's right, "Lolita weighted in with equal gravity.  "It'll be just the thing.  We know."  Naked Lolita was also unconscionably cute.

Effie had no real choice but to acquiesce.  "Well... okay," she sighed.  At least they're asking permission, she mused, unlike certain amazon handlers I might mention.

Her herd-sisters' smiled broadly, flexed their fingers, and set to work.  Oh-by-the-way, there just happened to be a small towel and a plastic bottle of massage oil in the hamper.  Apparently, Tasha had planned ahead for just this contingency.  Anyway, soon, two pairs of oily, glistening hands were gliding over Effie's naked body... all of Effie's naked body.  Her cage-cuffed wrists were a slight impediment, but Jana and Lolita persevered.

Effie quickly formed the opinion that a pair of collared but otherwise naked and adorable cuties kneading her still somewhat sore muscles was, in fact, "just the thing."  She resolved to tell them so...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ zzzzzzz ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

...as soon as they woke her up for supper... which they did.

"You were right," Effie purred, batting the sleep from her eyes, yawning, and sitting up with the help of her naked, collared, and smiling herd-sisters/masseuses.  "That was 'just the thing.'  Thank you, Lolita."  She leaned to the left and planted a kiss on Lolita's cheek... then leaned to the right and did the same for Jana.  "Thank you, Jana."

Jana blinked uncertainly.

"She means the massage," Lolita grinned.

Jana's dimpled (adorable) smile returned.  "Oh.  You're welcome."

"What she said," Lolita agreed.

Effie's herd-sisters beamed and giggled (and they may have blushed, but she wasn't sure), then opened the basket, rummaged around, and produced the remaining food.  Supper turned out to be more finger sandwiches, more fruit, and more cheese, but there was more of it and in greater variety.  There was also a bottle of red wine (with a screw cap).

They ate more or less in silence, but Effie could tell there was something going on.  Jana and Lolita kept exchanging "significant glances," now and then, when they thought Effie wasn't watching.

"What?" Effie said finally.

"What what?" Lolita inquired (failing to achieve the nonchalance she obviously intended).

"She deserves to know," Jana sighed, "regardless."

"Know what?" Effie demanded.

"You tell her," Lolita said quietly.

"Coward," Jana accused.  (Even her pout was adorable.)

Lolita blushed.  "Just tell her, okay?"

Effie focused on Jana.

"Uh..."  Jana sighed, again.  "Every now and then, but not every night—"

"Certainly not every night," Lolita interrupted.
 
"Oh, now you want to talk," Jana huffed.

Lolita blushed and shrugged.  "Sorry."

Effie thought her herd-sisters' flustered-and-nervous comedy routine was very entertaining (and adorable), but it wasn't very informative.  She directed a questioning look at Jana.

"Sorry," Jana said, also blushing and shrugging, like Lolita.  "Anyway, Tasha has a habit of holding what she calls 'sleep overs.'"

Effie frowned.  "What do you mean by..."  The truth dawned.  "Oh."

Jana nodded.  "Now and then, maybe twice a week, one of us, uh, gets 'invited' to share her bed for the night."

"And if you politely decline?" Effie inquired.

Jana sighed yet again.  "That's difficult to do when you're naked, harnessed, tied up, or cuffed, and with your collar set on 'hush-mode.'"

"Very difficult," Lolita nodded.

"You said 'one of us?'" Effie inquired.

"Apparently at random," Jana explained.  "But the point is... everybody gets a turn... eventually."

"Eventually," Lolita agreed.

"Oh," Effie said in a near whisper.

"That's the bad news," Jana continued.  "The good news—"

"More like the less bad news," Lolita interrupted.  Then blushed and did a lip-zipping gesture.

"The good news is... she isn't Kyler," Jana continued.  "She's not a sadist and she isn't mean.  She's Tasha.  But she's also a 'no nonsense' sort of tyrant, and what she says goes, always."

"Even in bed," Lolita sighed.

Effie frowned while she evaluated this latest intelligence.  "Oh."  She looked from Jana to Lolita and back.  "You said 'regardless.'"

Jana cocked her head (in an adorable manner).  "Regardless of what?"

Effie refrained from rolling her eyes.  "Yes, that's the question."

"Regardless of your sexual preference," Lolita answered.

"Oh, yeah," Jana nodded.  "That's what I meant."

"I see," Effie responded.

"It really doesn't matter either way," Jana stated, "meaning we're all in this together and have agreed that we don't care who's what.  Your sex life is your business."

"Or would be if Tasha didn't make it her business," Lolita added.

"We also agree that Tasha is what you might call a rather insistent and dominant lesbian," Lolita stated, "but she isn't mean."

"There isn't a cruel bone in her dominating body," Lolita agreed.

"We just thought you should know," Jana said with a sincere smile.

"So you don't freak out when it's your turn," Lolita added.

"Uh... thanks," Effie muttered, "I guess."

After packing everything back into the picnic basket, the herd-sisters decided to retire for the evening.  That meant more-or-less nonstop languishing.  Apparently, nobody was in the mood for more conversation and Effie had a lot to think about... like the looming prospect of Tasha dragging her to her bed and 'having her way' with her.

The sun set and the stall/cell was now more-or-less dark.  A little light was finding its way through the glass and bars of the long, narrow, escape-proof window up near the ceiling... but not much.

Effie had been dozing, napping, and snoozing all day, so, sleep was the last thing on her mind... on her conscious mind, anyway.  Her subconscious mind had its own ideas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ zzzzzzz ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Effie and her herd-sisters woke to the sound of the stall door being unlocked and then opening.  Tasha stood in the threshold, smiling (as usual), with her hands on her hips and dressed in black riding-boots, dove-gray riding-pants, and a gray-green tank-top.  "Rise and shine, pretty ponies!" she gushed.  "And be advised, your collars are now on hush-mode, so there will be no talking."

Effie watched as Jana and Lolita climbed to their feet, stretched, and yawned (silently).  She decided to follow suit, except for the stretching part.  Her wrists were still crossed and cage-cuffed behind her back.  Truth be told, Effie would very much like to be able to stretch.  Her shoulders were sore again.  Finishing her yawn, she glared at Tasha.  As far as she was concerned, their handler was not racking up any brownie points, not with Effie, anyway.

Tasha pointed at the commode.  "Fifteen minutes, ponies.  Then... yummy breakfast!"  And with that, she pulled the door closed, the lock clicked, and she was gone.

Discussion of the situation was impossible, but the herd-sisters' mission was clear.  Suffice it to say Effie, Jana, and Lolita relieved themselves, and afterwards let the bidet get them spanking clean (to coin a phrase).  Jana and Lolita helped Effie do her business... not that she needed much help, but then, she was the one that was cage-cuffed and helpless.  Anyway, they finished with five minutes to spare.  It was enough time to let their nether regions drip dry (more-or-less)... and to let their breakfast appetites grow.

Finally,  the door opened and Tasha reappeared.  She pointed at Jana, and then at Lolita.  "Lug that basket to the Stable Kitchen and clean up.  You know the drill."

Jana and Lolita lifted the wicker picnic basket and left.  Obviously, Effie reflected, they knew the routine.  So, Effie reflected, Tasha doesn't do all the work required to care for the herd.  Jana and Lolita were still naked ponygirl-captives) but enjoyed at least some degree of trustee status.  Of course, between their collars, the stable's supposedly highly effective security system, the abundance of door locks, and the inescapable pony-restraints, as well as Tasha's diligence and dedication, all the "trustees" received for their cooperation was not being punished for not cooperating.

Meanwhile, Tasha had approached Effie, put her hands on her shoulders and spun her around, and unlocked the cage-cuff—but before Effie could decide whether or not this was some sort of opportunity for her to rebel and/or escape—Tasha spun her back around, crossed her wrists in front, recaptured them in the cage-cuff, and re-locked the padlock.

Effie resumed staring sullen daggers at her handler, all of which bounced off Tasha's smile.  She also tugged on the cage-cuff.  Yep, front or back, the damn thing's solid, she silently fumed.

Tasha gathered Effie's hair into a ponytail and snapped a cloth-covered elastic around the base.  She then grabbed hold of the ponytail and led her from the stall... which was still humiliating as hell, in Effie's humiliated opinion.

Their destination was a stable room about the size of the stall they'd just left, and it was occupied by a round table, six chairs, Jo, and Olivia.  They were naked (of course), seated at the table with their hands in their laps and ponygirl collars were locked around their necks (of course).  The two Brits gazed at Effie with what she supposed was friendly curiosity.  Effie thought this was perfectly reasonable.  She was also friendly and curious.  Unfortunately, if the Brits' collars were also in hush-mode, like her own, getting better acquainted would have to wait.

Oh-by-the-way, delicious odors and the noise of clattering pots and pans were wafting and sounding (respectively) through the open top half of a dutch door leading to an adjoining space.  Effie surmised the space in question was the "Stable Kitchen" to which Tasha had dispatched Jana and Lolita.

Tasha politely assisted Effie in seating herself—Hey!—meaning she pulled out the chair next to Olivia and forcibly planted Effie's naked keister on the hardwood seat.  This didn't improve Effie's mood, but on the other hand, it didn't impact her anticipation of the impending meal.  She noted the five places were set with plastic sporks (spoons with abbreviated tines at their tips), hard plastic plates, and thermal plastic coffee mugs.  In addition, the two unoccupied the place settings included a pair of police handcuffs, and they were the "regular" kind separated by an inch or two of nested steel links, as opposed to being hinged or directly joined.

The dutch door fully opened and Lolita, her hands protected by a pair of green oven-mitts, carried a large cast-iron skillet to the table and set it down in the very center.  Jana followed, carrying a large insulated carafe and a large plastic serving spoon.  The skillet was filled with a generous, steaming heap of some sort of "scramble" of eggs, diced roasted potatoes, and chopped bacon, ham, and sausage, all topped with melted and lightly browned cheese.

Jana and Lolita worked together to spoon equal servings of the scramble onto the five plates, then filled the five mugs with steaming black coffee.  The ginger and brunette-with-the-pageboy naked cuties then settled into the two unoccupied chairs, lifted the handcuffs beside their place settings, and clicked them closed around their wrists.

C-c-c-c-click—c-c-c-c-click.  C-c-c-c-click—c-c-c-c-click.

Tasha watched the final meal preparations from the door to the hallway—including the voluntary self-cuffing of Jana and Lolita.  "Breakfast is served, ponies," she purred.

The herd lifted their sporks and commenced eating.  Or rather, Jo, Jana, Lolita, and Olivia commenced eating.  Effie tried to commence eating, but was experiencing difficulty.  Her rigidly crossed and cage-cuffs hands made the process of sporking her portion of the scramble into her highly receptive mouth was awkward at best.

Her herd-sisters noted Effie's difficulty, dropped their sporks in unison, turned to Tasha, and glared at their handler in perfect unison.  Effie added her displeasure to the group effort.

"What?" Tasha objected with a chuckle.  "I only have four sets of 'dining-cuffs.'  A fifth set should arrive in the mail today or tomorrow, but what am I supposed to do?"

The herd's glowering hostility continued.

"I suppose I could fetch a pair of thumbcuffs."

The herd's disapproval was unabated.

Tasha heaved a theatrical sigh and focused her smile exclusively on Effie.  "If I uncuff your hands, will you promise not to cause me any trouble?"

Effie continued glaring.

"Everybody will be punished if you cause mischief," Tasha added, "seeing as it's a herd-wide rebellion."

Effie heaved an angry sigh, then nodded.  She did not stop glowering, however.

"There's a good pony," Tasha grinned, stepped forward and unlocked and removed Effie's cage-cuff, then returned to the doorway.  "You're welcome," she purred.

It was clear that none of the herd found their handler's remarks to be especially amusing.

The meal continued.  Effie had to admit the scramble was delicious, as was the coffee.  As she was the only herd-sister with free hands, she took upon herself the important tasks of keeping all the herd's coffee mugs full and distributing the remaining scramble as plates emptied.  It was easier that way.  And by their smiles, Effie could tell her herd-sisters appreciated the gesture.  It was something of a minor bonding experience.  Go figure.

Finally, the meal was over and Tasha unlocked Olivia's cuffs and assigned her cleanup duty.  After a quick glance at her fellow Brit, Olivia picked up the skillet and carried it through the dutch-door and into the stable kitchen.  Effie surmised the kitchen included a scullery, probably with a deep sink.

Next, Tasha unlocked Jana, Jo, and Lolita's cuffs.  As she did so, the ponygirls placed their hands atop their heads without being told to do so.  Tasha gave Effie a significant look... and the Canadian captive rolled her eyes, lifted her hands and interlaced her fingers, then placed them atop her head, like the others.

"Smile, Effie," Tasha chuckled.  "Your face is gonna freeze like that... not that you don't have an endearing little scowl."

This elicited four sets of eye rolls, but Effie managed to make her allegedly enduring scowl  less hostile and more of a grim stare.

"Jana, Jo, and Lolita.  Tack Room #1.  Harness yourselves as best you can.  After I finish taking care of our newest pony, I'll be along to finish you up.  And as always, make everything tight and proper or Tasha will punish."

Jana, Jo, and Lolita gave Effie a sympathetic look (which did nothing to reassure the "newest pony," then padded through the door and disappeared down the stable hallway—naked, collared, and with their hands submissively planted atop their pretty heads.

Effie watched her herd-sisters depart, then shifted her grim (and slightly worried) gaze back to Tasha.

"Don't be afraid, Effie," Tasha purred.  "I take good care of all my ponies, and you've done nothing to warrant punishment... at the moment."  She made a sweeping gesture towards the door to the hallway and Effie took her cue.  Like her fellow herd members, she departed the dining room naked, collared, and with her hands submissively atop her head.

Effie knew they all had no choice but to follow Tasha's orders.  The security system, with it's electronically monitored doors and windows, as well as the omnipresent threat of their pony-collars saw to that.

Damn these fucking collars, she fumed silently.

Effie's destination turned out to be the room in which she'd originally opened her eyes to find herself at The Ranch—to find herself naked, bound in medical restraints, and about to enjoy the experience of having her tongue and nipples involuntarily pierced.  And now, she found herself flat on her back on the very same adjustable medical-style table and bound with the very same straps and padded cuffs.  At the moment, the articulated parts of the table were in "flat" or "table" configuration, as opposed to "scary-gynecological-examination-table-with-stirrups" configuration.  The straps and padded cuffs were buckled tight around her wrists and ankles and the straps stretched across the table and her naked body and also buckled tight.

Effie wasn't going anywhere, and thanks to the threat of her ponygirl collar, she couldn't even complain about it.  For the same reason she couldn't demand to know Tasha's plans for her immediate future.  And soon, there was an additional reason she couldn't complain or demand.  As soon as Tasha buckled the last strap and Effie was totally helpless, the smiling amazon-handler turned and left the chamber, closing the door behind her!

Several long, helpless minutes passed.

Being a ponygirl is kinda like being in the army, Effie mused as she tugged on her cuffs and generally tested her restraints.  There's a lot of that 'hurry up and wait' nonsense they talk about.  Otherwise, now that I think about it, the analogy breaks down pretty quickly... at least in any army I know anything about.

Having no other option, Effie waited for Tasha to return.

And eventually, she did.

"Sorry about that, Effie," Tasha grinned as she breezed back into the chamber, "I had to get the rest of the herd harnessed up and exercising.  But now I have time for you.  How 'bout a nice massage?"

Effie tugged on her bonds, again, and stared at Tasha.  The grinning handler didn't seem to be expecting an answer to her question, which was just as well.  The answer Effie had in mind probably would have earned her serious punishment.

Anyway, Effie received the promised (threatened) massage... but it took a while.

Tasha gave her entire front side a deep muscle massage, releasing and re-securing the individual restraints as required to massage specific parts of Effie's body.  Next, she released all of the restraints, ordered Effie to roll over onto her stomach, re-secured the restraints, then repeated the process.

Truth be told, Effie appreciated the massage, or more precisely, her sore muscles appreciated the massage.  Her mind, however, resented being used as Tasha's Bondage Barbie-doll, and obviously, that was what was happening.  Tasha enjoyed her work, while Effie very much resented being her work.  But it was just another thing the pony-collar wouldn't let her complain about.

Finally, apparently, Tasha was satisfied with thoroughly kneading and lightly oiling Effie's naked body and once again released all the restraints.  "Up," she ordered.

Effie climbed off the table and sullenly stared at her smiling handler.

"You're using up the last of your new-pony-points, Effie," Tasha chuckled.  "Hands atop your pretty head unless otherwise ordered... always."

Effie slowly lifted her hands, interlaced her fingers, and placed them atop her head.

"Try and remember, Effie, or I'll have to start using your collar to remind you."  Tasha gestured towards the door.  "Tack Room #1."

Effie sighed and padded to the closed door... waited for Tasha to open it... then padded down the hallway to what she now knew was the harnessing room, or rather, one of two harnessing room, as there was also a door labeled "Tack Room #2."  There was the required pause while Tasha unlocked and opened the door, then Effie padded into TR#1.  As before, the aroma of expensively tanned leather hung in the air.  If wasn't exactly an unpleasant smell, but given the setting, she found it a little unsettling.

And then... Effie let Tasha fit her with an upper-body-harness.  She didn't know if it was the same harness she'd worn before.  There were no "Jo," "Jana," "Lolita," or "Olivia" signs mounted above groupings of gear.  In fact, the gear in question seemed to be grouped by type.  Bridles/head-harnesses hanging in one cluster, corset-bra-armbinders in another, etc.

We're all the same height and build, Effie realized, meaning her herd-sisters, so I guess it's one-size-fits-all.  How convenient for Tasha.

Anyway, Tasha had taken down a corset-bra-armbinder and was readying it for use, and Effie was seriously considering open rebellion, collar be damned!  But she knew it would be a pointless and painful gesture.  I'm chicken, she silently chided herself.  No, chicken isn't exactly fair.  Who's into pain?  Well, masochists, of course, but I'm no masochist.  I'm not even submissive.  I just play one while 'vacationing' at The Ranch.

With well-practiced competence and deft fingers Tasha buckled every strap and secured Effie in the half-harness... or upper-harness... or... whatever.  Now, as before, Effie's arms were folded and encased behind her back, her waist squeezed by the corset, and her bare boobs thrust upwards and supported by the corset-bra's boob-shelf.  She was "free" from the waist down, if you didn't count having nowhere to go that wouldn't earn her a jolt from either the security system or Tasha's smartphone.

Tasha grabbed Effie's ponytail—which she still found humiliating—and led her from Tack Room #1, down the hallway, and into another stable chamber/cell.  This one was small, compared to the others she'd already visited, and was dominated by a low platform situated in the center.  Effie thought it was probably an exercise treadmill or running machine, only it was big enough for two runners at once, allowing them to walk, jog, or run side-by-side.  She'd never seen anything like it.  Also, several long steel chains dangled from rings and pulleys set in the wooden beams overhead and rings set in the walls at about shoulder height (meaning 5' 1" Effie's shoulder height.)  The far wall was covered by opaque hanging drapes of what appeared to be pleated green canvas.

"Welcome to the 'Rainy Day Room,'" Tasha said, using air-quotes for emphasis.  "We use it for pony exercise during seriously inclement weather, as well as the depth of winter.  And by 'we' (more air-quotes), I mean the herd."  She smiled at Effie.  "Get it?  The herd?"

Effie understood, but her only response was to continue staring daggers at her smiling handler, not even giving Tasha the courtesy of a nod.

"As you can see," Tasha explained as she led Effie to the platform and positioned her at the center, "the track is big enough to exercise two ponies at once, but this morning it'll be only you.  Stay," she added, pointing at Effie's bare feet.  Then, she stepped to the wall, retrieved dangling chains, one at a time, and attached a total of eight to the D-rings of Effie's harness.  Eventually, Effie found herself more-or-less pinned in place, standing on the track with one "X" of four chains linking her to the left and right walls, and a second "X" of four chains linking her to the four corners, up near the ceiling,  She could do nothing but stand... or walk/run, once the treadmill started.  The four horizontal chains afforded limited slack, but the four upper chains were more-or-less taut.  She noted the upper ends of the upper chains incorporated long springs of coiled steel, like the kind used to prevent garage doors from catastrophically dropping.

Effie looked down.  The tread under her bare feet was hard black rubber, slightly rough (for traction, obviously), with very narrow seams between the individual slats.  She noticed two faint, separate wear patterns, one on her left and the other on her right, and she was half-straddling both.  Two sets of ponygirl tracks, Effie realized.  It made sense.  She'd watched a pair of her herd-sisters, Olivia and Lolita, harnessed side-by-side and hauling Kyler's fat ass around on a pony-cart, so training on the treadmill in pairs made sense.  I guess that makes me the odd ponygirl out, she fumed.

Tasha stepped to a control panel mounted on the wall next to the open door.  It incorporated what was obviously a small touchscreen.

Effie looked back at Tasha over her right shoulder and continued glowering.

"I'm going to start you out slowly, Effie," Tasha announced, "to toughen up your bare feet."  She turned a switch on the base of the panel.  The screen began to glow and displayed what was probably a menu, but the distance was too great for Effie to read anything.  "Later this week, I'll introduce you to a pair of pony-boots and let you get used to them.  Then, we'll move on to improving your stamina and wind.  That will take at least a month.  Every pony's different.  Next, you'll learn to pull in tandem in full harness.  I like to mix things up and let all my ponies learn to work with different partners.  That gives me maximum flexibility when Mistress visits."  Tasha tapped the virtual buttons on the screen several times... eliciting a series of audible beeps... then turned back to smile at Effie.  "I don't want you to get bored during your first few hours of real training, so..."  She reached back and flipped a switch mounted on the wall next to the control panel.

A motor whined and Effie turned back to her front, just in time to watch the green drapes part and slowly retract to either side... revealing a wall of glass protected by vertical iron bars... and beyond the glass...

Effie's eyes popped wide.

She had a perfect view of the circular exercise track, with its central post and the horizontal, dual-ended, motor-driven arm mounted on top, the same track she'd watched Jo clomp around on her first day as a pony.  However, this time, all four of her herd-sisters were using the track.  Clomping around the curcular dirt path, at one end of the rotating arm, were Jana and Jo, side-by-side and in full harness.  And at the other end of the arm were Lolita and Olivia, also side-by-side and in full harness, and by "full harness" she meant:

• Ponygirl boots;
• Thong-panty lower-harnesses;
• Corset, bra, and armbinder upper-harnesses;
• Collars;
• Head-harnesses with rubber bits, blinders, and reins.
  

As before, the reins were attached to the end of the swing-arms, but this time, in addition, a horizontal metal bar linked each pair by means of four evenly spaced rings clipped to their nipple-rings!  And like the reins, the metal bars were linked to the ends of the swing-arms by long lengths of light chain!  In other words, both pairs of ponies were trudging around the track to prevent the reins from tugging on their bits and the metal bars from tugging on their nipples!

"Pony-pairs have to learn to pull their cart in perfect unison," Tasha lectured, "and to react instantly to every command and tug on the reins.  But don't worry, Effie.  You're weeks away from training-at-the-bar, as we call it."  She touched a virtual button on the control panel and Effie heard a motor hum to life under her bare feet.  "So... enjoy this glimpse of the future as you enjoy your morning exercise."  She tapped the screen a final time, then made her exit.  "Later!" she called as she closed the door.

The track was now slowly rolling under Effie's feet.  She took a tentative first step... followed by a second... and then a third.  The treadmill slowly increased in speed until Effie was padding on the semi-hard rubber treads at a comfortable walking pace... endlessly padding towards the bars, the window-wall, and her herd-sisters as they endlessly clomped around the circular track.

I'm going to get the hell out of this place, Effie resolved, once again, and I'm taking all of them with me.