The Iron Maiden Read Free

can. It's still no easy score, but if you're sharp enough, its possible.”
    “Thank you,” Hope said. He knew the booth man was playing to the crowd, hoping for many more players. In fact it wouldn't bother him if Spirit won, because it would show that it could be done. But she had to earn it.
    The third game came on. This time Spirit didn't wait for the meteors to come within easy range; she picked them off at a distance. She missed more, but had unlimited shots, and was able to get them with second shots, still farther away than before. The shower was almost over, and she had the field mostly cleared. Then a bright one showed, the last.
    “Oh, damn,” the booth man murmured. “That's a boulder.”
    A boulder was a meteor too big to blast apart. It would have to be chipped down by several shots, and there would not be time to demolish it completely before it caught the dome.
    But Spirit knew this game, and knew the strategy for boulders. She caught it with a glancing shot, and a fragment separated from one side. The fragment went wide left, out of play, and the remainder of the boulder nudged slightly right. She caught it with another shot, on the same side, and nudged it right again.
    She was able to chip it five times before it got by her and flew on toward the dome.
    All of them watched as it went. It was only a few seconds, but seemed longer. Then the fragment struck the surface of the planet just beside the dome. A spray of rocks and dust went up, but the dome remained intact. She had won.
    A cheer went up from the audience. Spirit leaned back, feeling weak with relief. That had been close!
    “Good game, kid!” the booth man said. Then he corrected himself and addressed Hope. "I mean, sir.
    You nudged it just far enough to miss the dome. You won. What's your prize?"
    “The finger whip,” Hope said.
    “Good choice.” The booth man handed over the little package. “May you have much joy of it.”
    They left the booth. Already others were clamoring to play, so Spirit's effort had indeed been good for business. Hope handed her the package, and she quickly pocketed it. “Thanks,” she said, overflowing with gratefulness. This might have been a routine favor for him, but she had truly wanted the whip, and the favor loomed much larger on her screen than on his. “I'll pay you back the money.”
    Thereafter she practiced diligently with the finger whip. It was tricky at first, and her middle finger got sore, but she was determined and well coordinated, and in due course became so proficient she could snap coins out of the air. When she tackled other finger whippers and won the junior championship of her schoolyard, she knew she was good enough. Never again would anyone sting her with one of these, because she was no longer a patsy. Thereafter she retired, in her fashion, never showing or using the whip unless there was need. But it was always with her.
    Similarly she masked her infatuation with her brother, but was unable to abolish it. Others complained endlessly about their siblings, so Spirit did too, but it was all pretense. She wished she could get him alone, maybe asleep, and be able to hug and kiss him without limit. Beyond that her mind balked, but the longing remained. She knew that he would never cooperate in such a thing; Hope was very morally minded. She felt guilty for her forbidden desire, but maybe she would outgrow it when she got her body and became attractive to boys.

Bio of a Space Tyrant 6 - The Iron Maiden
    CHAPTER 2
    BUBBLE
    Things were smooth for about a year; then they complicated ferociously. She was walking home with Hope and Faith when Faith was accosted by a wealthy scion. The rich punk floated up on his gravity-shielded saucer and asked her for sex, proffering two dollars. It was insulting and gross, making Faith blush deeply, but he would not give over. Hope was plainly controlling his anger, but Spirit didn't.
    She impulsively pushed the rim of the saucer with her foot and dumped