Free The Iron Maiden by Piers Anthony Page A

know.
    She played on that. “Hope, I am your sister. I will do anything I have to, to keep you safe. I would die for you, as Helse did. Does anything else matter?”
    Still he struggled, visibly “There are things you must not do for me, Spirit.”
    She put on her most innocent look. “Like what?”
    “Like--” But he choked again.
    “Like lying to you?” she asked. “Ask me anything, Hope; I won't lie.” Please God, let him not ask!
    He gave it up. “You are my sister.”
    “Always,” she agreed. Then, trusting her luck no farther, she left him and went on about her business.
    Soon he rejoined her. He never brought up the dread subject again. But it lingered long in her dreams.
    *
    Only a few days later the next pirate ship came. They set up for the three stage defense, this time with only two innocents to greet the visitors, because that was all they could spare. But the men had hardly entered before Spirit blew the whistle.
    For an instant Hope and the others were at a loss. “It's the Horse!” Spirit hissed. Then they understood.
    “Do it!” she said, meaning stage three.
    But that moment of delay was too long. Even as Hope went out the lock, a pirate leaped forward and caught Spirit. She could not go to turn off the drive, so that Hope could reach the key valve. They were caught.
    Horse wasted no time interrogating the captives. “Where are all the others? How did you get this pirate stuff?” he demanded. They refused to answer.
    “Then we shall do it the harder way,” the Horse said grimly. He pointed to Spirit. “Strip her.”
    They were going to rape her? But of course she had proved she was old enough, and of course no girl was too young for a pirate. She struggled, but soon they had stripped her naked.
    The Horse studied her. “Not quite old enough,” he said with evident regret. “Another year and she'll be fine, but I don't get my kicks from children. Anyway, that won't make this kid talk; it didn't before. We'll have to go the other way.” He drew his knife.
    The Horse faced Hope. “This is your little sister, by the look of her.” He brandished the knife. “So are you going to talk?”
    “He won't!” Spirit exclaimed bravely. But she was terrified. Rape was not necessarily the worst, with pirates.
    The Horse sighed. “Okay, we'll start with a finger.” He grabbed her left hand and wrestled with it until he had hold of her smallest digit, while the two other pirates held her legs and other arm, preventing her from struggling effectively. So far this wasn't much different from rape. Was he really going to cut her finger?
    Then, without further ceremony, he brought the knife up and sliced into the base of her finger, near the knuckle.
    The pain was overwhelming. Spirit screamed so piercingly her own ears hurt. She wrenched with all her strength, but the pirate hung on and kept carving. Blood spattered out and the pain continued.
    Then it stopped, somewhat. Spirit stared at her hand, which was awash with blood. Her little finger was gone!
    “I ask you again,” the Horse said, grinning at Hope. “Are you ready to talk?”
    What Hope said then surprised Spirit through her pain. It sounded like “Kife.”
    Spirit was awash in pain and horror, but she was aware that all the pirates took note. She didn't know what the word meant, or how Hope had learned of it, but it had obvious power.
    “So you're into that, are you?” the Horse asked, licking his lips. He had for the moment forgotten Spirit.
    “All right, show me the mark and I'll turn you loose.”
    “I have no mark,” Hope said.
    That evidently didn't wash. “There's always a mark,” the Horse said.
    “Let my sister go, and I'll tell you everything,” Hope said, obviously defeated.
    The pirates holding Spirit let go of her arms and put ropes on her ankles instead. She tried to put her fist in her mouth, but all she did was smear her own blood on her face. A man gave her a dirty bandanna, and she wadded that against the