The Future

THE FUTURE

By C

PART II

CHAPTER 15

                         

       The war continued into the thirteenth year and had deteriorated into a chaotic and violent stalemate with no power being able to gain an advantage. It was at this point that scattered contact started taking place between small groups of women in opposing countries. It had become increasingly evident to these women that there would be no end to the insanity unless something could be done. They had little hope of doing anything that would have an effect, but it was at least a comfort to open a dialogue and discover that women in other parts of the world shared the same feelings of frustration. It was in this way that the beginnings of a movement started which would eventually lead to the formation of a large, worldwide, underground organization of women.

       The movement would have not have gone beyond women merely communicating with each other and offering mutual comfort if it had not been for the actions of a woman that lived in the United States. She was in her mid thirties and one of the few surviving women reaching this age. Her maturity and farsighted wisdom enabled her to recognize that forming an underground organization had the potential of becoming a unified worldwide group of women that shared a common desire - to see the war come to an end. Such a group would be able to coordinate efforts in trying to influence male leaders into seeing the senseless futility of continuing the fighting. She knew that the chance of widespread success would be nonexistent, but if even a few could be convinced they might try to open negations that, hopefully, would spread.

      It took a great deal of effort by her and others, but the underground was indeed formed. The coordinated appeal was made, but, in every case the women emissaries were rebuffed - and, for some, much worse. It had reached the point that the brutal men of power had become so unbalanced and blinded by their desperation and hatred that they had lost any ability to think either rationally or logically.

       The war continued unabated, but the farsighted woman did not let the failure of the first attempt stop her. She recognized that only through the efforts of a large, worldwide, underground group of women with a common goal could some possible way be found that would bring an end to the war. The organization continued to grow, and she became its undisputed leader – holding the deep respect and admiration of all members. It was in this role that she became known as the "Supreme Commander".

       When it became obvious that there was no hope of influencing the men of power to see the hopelessness of the bloody turmoil, the Supreme Commander and her assistants began searching for alternative methods to stop the war. In this effort, they kept coming back to a course of action that, when first suggested, had been rejected outright because of enormous risk with little hope for success. The consequences that would be faced if they failed were too drastic to contemplate. This course of action was to attempt a simultaneous overthrow of all the dictatorial regimes throughout the world by the use of force. But, for such an operation to take place it would have to be done completely by women - women who not only would be going against the trained military might of all countries but would be greatly outnumbered.

       At first glance, such an endeavor appeared hopeless. But, as things continued to deteriorate, it became obvious that the world was headed toward total and catastrophic destruction. The only way that widespread annihilation could be avoided would be to attempt the desperate gamble - regardless how hopeless it might be or the dire consequences to be faced from failure. The leaders of the underground put forth an intense effort and, primarily through the guidance and foresight of the Supreme Commander, developed a plan that, although entailing enormous risk, appeared to at least have a chance for success.

       The plan called for a highly coordinated attack that would simultaneously overthrow all the totalitarian dictatorships. The attack, however, would not be conducted in a traditional military sense. It would be pointless for women to attempt assaults on fortified positions against vastly superior numbers. But, if by using surprise and deception, the dictators, along with military commanders and their headquarters, could be caught of guard and captured, then women would control vital command and control structures at the highest level. If this could be accomplished, orders could be sent to all units stating that an immediate cease-fire had been called. Orders being issued from the top level of command would give every appearance of being ligament and would, therefore, be obeyed. In addition, members of the armed forces were known to be highly demoralized, and there was every reason to believe they would be more than willing to do as told. But first, much would have to be done. A large army of women would have to be secretly raised and trained until it was a highly organized and efficient force. Only then could they act.

       Women were surprised to find they were able to work openly in building and training their army. It was a simple matter to obtain weapons, ammunition, and supplies. Not only did women make up the labor force that manufactured such items, but countless battlefields were be littered with them for the taking. The same was true for communication equipment which enabled establishing a highly efficient worldwide network.

       The explanation given, if asked, was that a "home guard" was being organized to "aid in the cause". The explanation brought laughs, but the training was not stopped. It was beyond the ability of military commanders to visualize women as being either any help or a threat and, therefore, ignored the activity. It was still, however, an enormous undertaking made more difficult by heavy casualties that continued to be suffered by the ranks of the female population. But the leaders would not be deterred, and the underground army continued to grow until it did indeed become a large, efficient, highly trained, and well organized force.

       Most of the training was done by small groups so that it would continue to be ignored. It reached a point, however, when occasions arose where it was necessary to assemble a large group for extended training, and it was decided that exercises such as these should be conducted in remote locations to avoid calling unwanted attention. It was during the first such extended exercise that yet another discovery was made in a manner that a human penis reacted when being cooked - this time while remaining attached to the body.

       The source of food which women had been forced to turn had not changed. In fact, the reliance on using bodies of slain soldiers as food had steadily increased as acute shortages of other food sources became more and more severe. Up to this point, however, women had prepared meals primarily for themselves, and, since there were no means for preserving meat, it was impractical to prepare a large quantity. It was for this reason that cooking an entire body had not been attempted. Occasionally, a lower torso would be cooked whole, but even when this was done the genitals would be removed first. The discovery that male sex organs were a supreme delicacy resulted in them being cooked separately to be savored as a special treat.

       The discovery that penises would enlarge when being cooked had proved to be such an intriguing and exciting phenomena that little thought was given to the cause. In the same light, women did not wonder why the growth never went beyond reaching a state of being only partially erect.

(In reality, there was nothing mysterious about what was taking place. The swelling was caused from intense heat forcing cooking juices into the sponge-like erectile tissue. It was the absorbing and retaining of these favorable juices by the soft and tender tissue that played a primary role in giving a cooked penis its delectable texture and taste. But, as the penis expanded the resistance increased until juices were forced out the severed root – thereby preventing further growth.)

       The first large training exercise was structured along military lines which included a mess unit being assigned to prepare meals for the entire group. Obtaining food was no different than had been done in the past - go to a recent battlefield littered with the bodies of soldiers and take what was needed. The task of cooking a large quantity of meat, however, was another matter. The only means for cooking in volume was over an open fire, and the simplest and most practical way was to attach the bodies to large rotisseries and roast them whole.

       Constructing a rotisserie of sufficient size proved to be a simple matter since scrap metal was one thing that was abundant. The spits were four steel rods that were long and strong enough for each to hold the bodies of three men skewed end to end. These were placed in parallel rows and supported on notched, metal, post driven firmly into the ground. The revolving action was achieved by running a belt from an old, but still operational, engine to a pulley attached to the end of each rod. The apparatus was crude and turned in a jerky manner - but at least it worked.

       A large pile of hardwood was set ablaze and allowed to burn until it became a bed of glowing coals. While this was taking place, the bodies of twelve soldiers were brought out and stripped. They were then unceremoniously hung upside-down from tree limbs, and, in the same manner that had been used through the ages for cleaning large game, were cut open, disemboweled, and beheaded. One difference, however, were playful flips and wisecracks made of the limp objects that hung upside-down at eye level. Eatable internal organs that did require being removed for cleaning were left in the bodies to enable being cooked at the same time. Two of these items were the prostrate glands and seminal vesicles, which had been found to make a tangy and tasty dip. At the time, little thought beyond providing a means for being cooked was given for leaving these internal male reproductive glands in the bodies. The decision, however, was destined to have a major impact on what was about to take place.

       When the bodies were ready they were skewed on the steel rods going through the severed necks and out between the legs. Crossbars were bolted on inside chest cavities to hold the carcasses firm, and others at the feet where ankles were lashed to the ends. The purpose of the latter was to spread the legs in order to facilitate even cooking, but, in so doing, it gave a much better view of that which hung between. Hands were tied behind backs with wire, and, when this had been accomplished, the preparation was complete. The four rods, each holding three, skewed, headless, bodies were lifted over the glowing coals, placed on the post, and connected to the belt running from the engine. Everything was in readiness, and the engine was started.

       It had become common knowledge, throughout the camp, how the bodies were going to be cooked, and it required little imagination to visualize the activity that would take place between men’s legs legs. The more that the scene was pictured in women’s minds, the more intriguing it became to desire seeing it actually take place. Women, throughout the unit, that did not have other duties had begun to wander over as the bodies were being prepared. When the came time to start the engine a large group was standing in a circle around the bed of glowing coals - each staring intently at the intriguing sight of twelve, naked, human, bodies, headless but quite obviously male, suspended above simmering waves of heat. There was not a woman present who did not find herself becoming filled with a strange but pleasant type of excitement and anticipation. None, however, had any suspicion of being on the verge of witnessing an event that would far exceed anything they were expecting.

       The old engine sputtered several times and then, with a jerk, the bodies began to turn. At first, the circle of women remained silent as they stared intently at the sight before them. Their attention had been drawn immediately to the movement of the genitals, protruding from patches of pubic hair, which obligingly began to perform as had been expected. Limp penises flopped from one side to the other as bodies revolved on their backs, rolled across rounded thighs to hang sideways, along with bulging scrotums, as the revolution continued, and then both dangle like pendulums, swinging back and forth, as the bodies turned on their stomachs. Movements such as these had been anticipated, however, the constant jerking caused the highly sensitive organs to react in ways that had not been expected. Limp shafts constantly jiggled and flipped with each jerk, and the oval bulges within the scrotums jounced noticeably in all directions.

       The jerking action that caused the unanticipated activity was due to the crudeness of the apparatus and the aging engine. The result however, although unplanned, added greatly to the enjoyment that the women found themselves experiencing. It was not long before they were giggling among themselves and then openly laughing at the antics being performed before them. They found that the merriment served to heighten the growing excitement and other emotions that were building rapidly within. In addition, they found themselves experiencing a pleasing and satisfying sensation of feminine pride at being a woman, along with a group of fellow women, and watching the sex organs on male bodies openly humiliate themselves in a degrading manner that was both exciting and comical.

       It did not take long for the bodies to start becoming wet from juices being forced out by the intense heat. They began turning golden brown, and smoke billowed from dripping juices striking the glowing coals. The women that were watching, like all women of that time, had long ago lost any qualms over cooking and eating the flesh of human males. In fact, they had been doing it for so long that, although the activity still brought forth erotic sensations - especially from cutting off, cooking, and eating a penis and testicles, they had come to look upon the practice as being almost commonplace. In this case, however, they were not looking at only part of a body being cooked. They were watching the bodies of twelve men being roasted whole, with sex organs still attached, and it proved to be a totally new experience that brought forth feelings far exceeding any they had known in the past. One of the strongest was an eerie feeling of unreality at watching naked headless bodies, glistening with juices, revolving over a bed of, sizzling, red-hot coals and reflecting the reddish glow. The simmering waves of heat, billowing smoke, and the strong, pleasing, aroma of roasting flesh only severed to enhance the eerie reality that the bodies being cooked were human.

       The feelings, however, were neither distracting nor disturbing. In fact, the women found them to not only be strangely pleasing, but that they actually enhanced the emotions, merriment, excitement, and feminine pride which continued to build. But, none of these were so overpowering that they prevented attention from being directed toward the activity taking place between spread legs.

       It came as no surprise when the penises started to thicken and grow - such a reaction had been expected. The swelling continued until they lifted from the bodies and curved outward. When the shafts began to swell their movement became heavier and more pronounced as they bounced from the constant jerking or flopped from one side to the other. The holes started opening and began to trickle clear juices.

       Observing the penises increasing in size and the resulting change in movement heightened the woman's enjoyment, excitement, and erotic passions. They had experienced similar feelings on numerous past occasions while watching a severed penis swell when being cooked, but seeing it happen while remaining attached to a body along with the captivating activity was a new experience that heightened the excitement. It was, however, something they had anticipated and the primary reason for wanting to watch. But, what came next was something they had not expected and caught them completely by surprise.

       A hush fell over the women, interrupted only by gasps, as they watched in amassment when the swelling shafts did not stop part way, as had always been the case before, but continued to grow until they became rigid in the fullest erections possible. The skin of the scrotums was stretched so tight that the testicles ceased to move and the oval shapes were clearly outlined underneath. The ridges of the strutted heads flared outward giving an appearance of becoming enraged – an appearance which was enhanced by holes gaping open to such an extent that it was possible to see inside. The swollen shafts were so stiff that movement ceased altogether except to quiver at each jerk.

       A surge of immense excitement swept through the circle of astonished women as they stared in disbelief. Most had never seen a penis become fully erect, and they gaped in amassment that something which had been so limp a short while ago was capable of being transformed into such rigid enormity. They had been so surprised and caught off-guard that it did not even cross their minds to try and rationalize how a reaction of such magnitude could occur in bodies of men that were dead.

(In actuality, the seemingly unbelievable phenomenon had a simple explanation. The intense heat forcing juices into erectile tissue had caused the shafts to start swelling in the same manner as women had observed numerous times in the past. But, on this occasion, the penises remained attached to the bodies instead of being severed and, as a result, no means was provided for juices to escape as pressure increased. The building intensity of the heat forced in more and more fluids until the swollen shafts were stretched to the limit. Only then did the growth stop – but not before erections were achieved of a size that exceeded any which could have occurred in a normal manner on a living body.)

       The excitement and disbelief that the women were experiencing, however, were on the brink of being overshadowed by what was yet to come. The pressure within the bodies continued to build from the intense heat, and the juices running from the gaping holes began to bubble and sputter. In addition, the clearness started turning a milky color giving evidence of semen being forced from the prostrate glands and seminal vesicles into the urethras. For several minutes, the resistance managed to hold the flow to a trickle, but this changed with dramatic suddenness when the semen reached the boiling point. The result was pressurized steam building within the confines of the small storage chambers that forced semen to surge forward with tremendous velocity until the relieved pressure allowed the resistance to briefly return before building once again - a cycle that was repeated over and over.

       The women had been so engrossed in staring at the enormity of the strutted shafts that they did not give it much thought when the clear juices sputtering from the holes started becoming milky. The same, however, could not be said when one of the bodies revolved on its back, and a jet of semen erupted from the penis under such pressure that it shot high into the air. A moment later, the penis on another body did the same to be followed, almost simultaneously, by several others. Within a matter of seconds those on the remaining bodies joined in, and all were spewing jets of white fluid.

       The women gasped and shirked in both disbelief and delighted surprise as the eruptions continued again and again. They found themselves tingling with uncontrollable excitement at the captivating sight of semen spewing in all directions in a manner that resembled some unimaginable type of fountain. The force of the jets were so great that the men not only sprayed themselves but each other until all were coated with the slick looking substance - causing the glistening bodies to reflect the reddish glow of the glowing coals even more.

       The intensity with which the semen was being expelled caused the supplies to quickly deplete, and the force of the spewing jets began to diminish accompanied by longer intervals between eruptions. They continued to decrease until, on one body after another, they ceased entirely to be replaced by juices bubbling and sputtering as before - the only difference being wisps of steam also emerging giving evidence that the heat within the pelvic cavities had become far more intense.

       The entire display lasted little more than a minute, but, while it was taking place, the captivated women lost all sense of time. The remarkable scene had been etched so vividly in their minds that, if asked later, they would have stated it had lasted much longer. When the last of the ejaculations ceased, the women began to babble amongst themselves with laughter and exuberant excitement at the unbelievable event they had witnessed. Their gaze, however, remained fixed on the strutted shafts that lost none of the enormity or stiffness from the occurrence and continued to stick out straight and rigid.

       A short while later, the woman in charge of the mess unit stuck a long handled fork into several rumps and stated that the bodies were fully cooked. A feeling of disappointment passed through the circle of women as they watched the steel rods containing roasted and glistening wet male bodies, now a deep brown, being lifted from the coals and carried into the mess tent where they would be carved. When the last body with its penis still fully erect disappeared from view they began to wander off, but their excitement remained high as their minds continued to replay the drama they had just witnessed.

       The women had experienced such a heightened degree of excitement and amusement that, at the time, they were only vaguely conscious of intense erotic desires that had also been building within. It was only after they were able to calm down to some extent that they became aware of the degree to which they had been sexually aroused - and, for that matter, still were. Their nipples remained hard, and there was a noticeable wetness between their legs accompanied by a, longing, tingling sensation deep within their vaginas.

       The sexual excitement remained strong and was even intensified during the evening meal when the distinctive, smoked, flavor of the meat they ate reminded them anew at what they had witnessed while watching it being cooked. This was especially true for the women that had the good fortune to also be given a small but still delicious pice of roasted penis or testicle. The erotic passions remained so intense that there was not a woman among them who, after going to bed, was able to resist reaching down to stroke still wet folds and massaged swollen clitorises while minds replayed vivid images of what had transpired - the most frequent, by far, that of strutted penises spewing forth thick jets of white liquid. The sexual longings had been so great that most of the women found one organism to be insufficient and continued the activity, having one heightened climax after another, until they finally lay spent and drained but, in so doing, feeling a relaxed contentment and satisfaction to a degree they had never known before

       Word of what had occurred spread throughout the camp which created a great deal of curiosity and excitement among those that had not witnessed the event. The commander of the training exercise also heard what had taken place, and she could not help but notice the enthusiasm being displayed by those that had attended – to say nothing of continued merriment which was something rarely seen in women of that time. The experience had obviously had a positive effect on moral and, since morale and laughter were commodities of supreme importance, the commander issued orders for schedules be adjusted so that all members of the unit would be have a chance to watch when more bodies were cooked.

       When the time arrived for the next occasion to take place, a much larger crowd was standing around the bed of glowing coals over which the headless carcasses of yet another twelve men rotated. The women who had not witnessed the first event had been told in graphic detail what to expect. This, however, did nothing to dampen the merriment, excitement, and sexual desires being created when the genitals reacted in the same manner as before - climaxing by spraying the bodies to which they were attached and those of others with spewing semen. As before, the enthusiasm and erotic excitement remained long after the event was over. There was a great deal of merriment and laughter for the rest of the day, and after lights-out the air was filled with unmistakable sounds of women achieving intense, sexual satisfaction.

       The training exercise lasted for several weeks and each time more bodies were cooked as many women as possible were allowed to watch. There was not a single member of the group that did not witness an event on more than one occasion. The repetition, however, did nothing to dampen any of the reactions. If anything, knowing what was about occur only served to build anticipation and heighten the amusement, excitement, and sexual desires.

       The improvement in morale was so remarkable that the commander included a detailed account of what had taken place in her report and strongly recommended it be duplicated during future exercises. She made no attempt to speculate as to why the women under her command reacted as they did. She only knew that, at least for several weeks, she had observed merriment and laughter among women whose lives had known nothing but immense hardship, sadness, and pain. To her, the positive benefit that resulted was all that mattered and should be taken advantage of whenever possible.

       When the report was reviewed, the account was met with a degree of skepticism by the women in higher command. It trying to visualize the event, they could understand a certain amount of intrigue but found it hard to contemplate women reacting with exuberance while watching human bodies being cooked - even if the bodies were those of males. But, even if the reaction had been exaggerated there could be no dispute over the importance of anything that might improve morale, and the recommendation was approved. It was only after similar events were repeated during other training exercisers with women responding in the same manner that the facts could not be denied. The practice, however, did not become widespread since the dangers of holding large maneuvers severely limited the number that could be conducted. The result was that most women remained ignorant of what occurred.

       The underground army continued to grow until it truly became a large, worldwide, highly trained, and well-organized fighting force that was ready to act. But the Supreme Commander, the woman that had been the driving force behind all that had been achieved, realized that timing would be critical. She knew they would have only one chance, and, therefor, must be patient and wait - wait for the strength of the decadent and dictatorial regimes to continue to deteriorate and for the demoralization to increase among soldiers. Only then would women have a realistic chance for success. Until this time arrived, as frustrating as it was, they would have to stand by and watch the insane violence go on - along with the continuing hardship, suffering, and death that must be endured.

       The war went into its eighteenth year. The chaos and devastation become so widespread that it reached the point of being only a matter of time before the mentally unbalanced and ruthless dictators controlling the major powers would finally resort to unleashing nuclear arsenals in a last desperate attempt to achieve victory. Their minds had become so depraved they were no longer capable of rationalizing that such action would only result in bringing forth annihilation of the entire world – themselves included. The Supreme Commander recognized that the crucial moment for which they had been waiting had arrived. With a remarkable degree of coolness, and without hesitation, she issued the orders that set the wheels in motion.

       D-day came, and, at the appointed hour, the operation commenced. With a remarkable degree of surprise, swiftness and coordination, the underground army struck and successfully overthrew the brutal, dictatorial, regimes of every country in the world. The action would technically be classified as a military operation, but it was totally unlike any military campaign that had ever been recorded in the annals of history. The members of the conquering army wore no uniforms but, instead, gave every appearance of being harmless and defenseless women. The advantages that came with being an attractive female when dealing with men were utilized to the fullest. Sentries and guards were distracted by beautiful, seductively clad, flirting young women. Leaders ranging from the powerful dictators, ranking generals, and on down to commandants of cities and towns found themselves being confronted by what they first thought was only another delegation of women coming to make a request or to register a grievance. Such activity had been taking place on a regular basis for the very purpose of making them appear routine. None of the men suspected it being anything different this time - that is until they found themselves looking down the barrels of weapons that suddenly materialized in women's hands - taken from clothing, handbags, or innocent looking packages.

      Military headquarters and command and control centers were simultaneously neutralized in the same manner, and the ranking commanders were forced, at gun point, to send out orders to all units instructing them to lay down their arms and withdraw to designated areas. The headquarters of terrorists groups received the same treatment and were captured with the same ease.

       The war weary and bewildered soldiers obeyed the orders, laid down their weapons, and withdrew to specified bivouac areas. It was then that they found themselves being confronted by women carrying arms but, at the same time, acting in a manner that did not appear threatening. Orders were given in a firm, confident, manner that left little doubt who was in charge, but, at the same time, the women issuing them displayed kindness and compassion.

       Without their leaders, the demoralized soldiers were far too confused and disorganized to offer any resistance. The years of insane, desperate, fighting under brutal and totalitarian dictators had left them in such a state that they had neither the strength nor the desire to oppose such a well organized force of women - a force of women that told them the one thing they most desperately wanted to hear - that the fighting was over. Throughout the entire operation, from start to finish, only a few shots had been fired in anger and casualties had been practically nonexistent.

       The uprising had been so well planned and executed with such precision that every dictator, their cronies, and high ranking military leader, throughout the world, were almost simultaneously taken into custody before they had time to realize anything had happened. Throughout the entire operation, the actions of the women were conducted with such swiftness and efficiency that being greatly outnumbered by the male forces over which they gained control had no bearing whatsoever on the outcome.

       A plan that, at first, had been discarded as being a wild, desperate, and impossible gamble not worthy of consideration turned out to be a remarkable success of unbelievable magnitude. In a matter of hours, a war that had lasted over eighteen years came to an abrupt end. In a matter of hours, a world that had been in the grip of the bloodiest and most brutal holocaust that had ever taken place became a world at peace. And also, in a matter of hours, for the first time in history, the entire world came under the total and complete control of women.

       The women that developed the method for ending the war had gone far beyond merely planning the military phase of the operation. They had also developed plans as to what would be done afterward to enable maintaining control. They decided on the type of governmental structure to be set up and selected and trained the women that would be the new leaders to enable them to begin the process of bringing about a semblance of law and order.

       A great deal of prior planning had been done as to what course of action would be taken once control had been gained. Numerous groups and committees had worked for many months gathering information and developing plans so that the more immediate and pressing needs could be dealt with first. These plans were set in motion with the same degree of swiftness and efficiency that had been used in the actual takeover itself.

       Massive destruction and desolation lay everywhere, and the list of vital facilities that needed to be repaired or rebuilt was almost endless. But, as important as these were, most had to wait until completion of the task that had been given the highest priority of all - constructing numerous compounds surrounded by security fencing and guard towers. During the months of planning there had been one obvious conclusion that had been recognized from the start. If soldiers were released before things were properly organized and safeguards established, men would soon once again regained control and resumed past policies of male dominance and violence. The planners were unanimous in their belief that the only way to prevent this from happening was to hold the entire male population in confinement until those considered dangerous could be identified. It would also enable further study being given in developing a plan as to how the remainder could be returned to society in a manner that would not lead to undoing of everything that had been accomplished - one of the few things that all the months of planning had been unable to solve.

       The captured dictators, their cronies, high ranking military commanders, and radical terrorists had been immediately imprisoned in existing high security facilities. The soldiers, who made up the vast majority of the male population, were so exhausted that they willingly stayed in their bivouac areas during the time it took for the compounds to be constructed. When the men were transferred to these facilities they were told that due to the chaotic conditions that still existed it would be necessary for them to be "temporally" confined until things were sufficiently organized for them to be released.

       Only a small number of soldiers offered any resistance. The vast majority was so relieved that the fighting had stopped that they offered no objection at being held. Another factor that strongly influenced the behavior was the years of being indoctrinated to accept, without question, what they were told from anyone in authority. It was the first time in years that they found themselves not being brutally driven and mistreated, and they were willing to wait patiently until the time came for them to be told they could go free.