Without Rhythm (The Lament) Read Online Free PDF Page B

matter what. I'd rather not have to service everyone on the ship sexually, but I really was about to try whoring myself, so..." It made her stomach tense thinking about it, but it was all true. She expected laughter then, but no one made any sound except the man in the back of the wagon.
    "Dumb whore."
    Everyone else ignored him.
    The large muscular man in black stood and gestured her to do the same.
    "Alright then, bargain. It won't be easy, but do all you said there and I can at least show the Captain that you're worth taking on, even when you can't make it as a Guardian. We'll start the real training in the morning, before the trial. Right now, help me get this prisoner in the cell, so the Doctor won't have to come out into the chill air. He's a bit delicate."
    That got a laugh from Paul, but no explanation. Standing, which felt stiff and painful on the right leg, Pran moved to get the man out of the back of the wagon, only to find him picked up bodily by Clark, set on his feet, arms being pulled back just a bit on the restraints for control. He did it with one hand, then gestured for her to take over.
    She reached past the controlling hand, under the restraints instead of over, since Clark was doing the same thing, bumping her arm into his. Then she placed a firm hand on the man's jacket and grabbed the cloth again. That way he couldn't spin on her as easily. The moves got a smile from the large man. Her new master, it seemed.
    "Good. You learn fast. Keep that up. I'll guide from this side, so you can watch what's behind me and I can do the same for you. If anyone comes up, even a friend, or if something happens that you aren't absolutely certain about, you call it out. Don't be shy about it, better a thousand false alerts than one wrong one. I'll do the same. Go ahead and start walking backwards."
    The instructions got called out very clearly, telling her when to step up at the lip of the ramp going to the hatch and how to use the bump bar to open the thing without turning around. It was just a latch big enough to hit with an elbow, though she had to back into the door hard to get it to open all the way. There were some dim lights on inside, which had to be special, since no one would light something as large as the hallway she was walking down normally. It was nice inside, but mainly made of wood with sturdy metal fixtures and railings.
    "About thirty meters back on your right there's a door. You'll walk past it about three meters and turn the prisoner around while I see to the door." It took a while to get there, walking half the length of the ship backwards it seemed, but she did what she was instructed without being told, hoping to do it right, since she really wanted to make a good impression.
    Almost as if he realized that, the rapist kicked off the wall as she started the turn, pushing her back, using his greater weight to swing her in place. There was an impact against her head, but Pran didn't let go, holding on for dear life in fact. She couldn't let this evil man take away her only chance after all. It was hard and she nearly lost him, but by pulling as hard as she could on his arms and kicking him in the back of the heel several times she got him to finally stop.
    "Moron. Cut that out. If you were going to fight, you should have done it at the outer door, when you might have been able to run away." Her voice was angry sounding, but it had been a day and a half, more than that, since she'd last slept and really she was at about the end of what could be put up with.
    "Door open. Walk him in. Backwards again."
    This part of things made sense, but as she got in the cell a thought occurred to her, what if this was all a trick? Just by shutting and locking the door she'd be trapped in place. With a rapist. Sure, a bound one, which would give her a chance to fight if she had to, but still... It was scary. The Guardians didn't just let people into their ranks after all. Maybe she really would be in