His by Right Read Free Page B

the fabric. It was also warm to the touch, not to mention the fact that she could see every inch of her body through the iridescent cloth. Even if someone else couldn't see through it, just casually walking would blow enough of it aside to allow people to eye her business.
                "Now you may ask your questions."
                "I hope you have an hour to spare, because I have a ton of them. First, where's the bathroom?"
                In a way, it was funny to see the millipede tilt its head at her. It made the thing appear almost human.
                "Explain bathroom."
                "It's where I clean up. Where I can pee. Where I can—"
                "Here."
                Gleeth went to the opposite side of the room, near the head of the pallet. Another panel slid back, revealing an oddly tube-shaped cylinder standing vertically. Meredith limped over and stuck her hand inside. Lukewarm water sprayed from the tube's sides, and her body reminded her of its dehydration. Cupping her hands, she quickly gulped down three handfuls before wiping her face and shaking the wetness from her fingers. Although the water was warm, it tasted fantastic. Meredith heaved a deep sigh and turned to face Gleeth as the thing seemed to nod.
                "What else do you wish to inquire about?"
                "My two years of servitude. What kind of servitude?" She brushed a hand over the shift. "Dressed like this, I look like a—" She started to say call girl, or slut, or porn star, when her mind finally clicked, and realization burned through her like a bolt of lightning. "Your humanoid clientele? What is this place? Am I on a space ship?"
                "You are on an intergalactic vessel."
                "Just what am I supposed to be to your humanoid clientele?"
                "You will allow them to pleasure you."
                " Pleasure me? What am I? Are you telling me to prostitute myself? What the fuck are you? My pimp?" Fear combined with indignation, and Meredith glared at the creature.
                Rather than answer any further questions, Gleeth started shuffling toward the doorway. Meredith hurried to place herself in front of the creature. There was no way she could allow the thing to leave without first getting a decent answer, and that meant one she could accept.
                "You didn't answer me, and you said you would. What is this place? Some kind of floating whorehouse in outer space?"
                "Whorehouse? Yes. You could call this a whorehouse. Or rather, a whoreship."
                She felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest. A faint dizziness wafted behind her eyes. "You can't do that to me. You can't keep me here against my will and tell me I have to fuck your precious clientele. What if I refuse? What if I demand you take me back to Earth?"
                This time, Gleeth's face, with its multitude of shiny black eyes, almost gave the appearance of looking sad. "You were dying on your world. Do you truly wish to be returned to that situation?"
                "If it's my only alternative to being used as a fucking prostitute, yes!"
                Gleeth paused. "You were alone. You were dying. You fit our needs."
                "But you don't have my permission. What you're doing is slavery. Slavery is illegal."
                "According to whom? This is not your world."
                Meredith started. The thing had a point. Here in outer space, who was to say slavery wasn't allowed? Think of all the people who've claimed to have been abducted.
                "If we return you, we will have to put you back exactly the way we found you. You will die. Is it your wish to die?"
                "No, I don't want to die," Meredith admitted.
                "Then