Chapter 16: Rehearsal

"Nothing you haven't done before, quite often, to judge from your records," came the reply, "You simply walk up and down to show your body off to its best effect. That way you get a higher price and your new owner will probably treat you better because you cost him, or her, so much."

"Walk up and down as though you are displaying clothes at a high-class dress show," she continued, "Then stop and face the audience with your feet apart and your hands on your head. Then turn round slowly and stop with your back to the audience. Next you bend down and touch your toes."

Jacqui did as she was told, but Kate made her practice it several times before she was satisfied. Jacqui found the toe touching exercise very humiliating in front of this woman, but she had, as Kate had implied, done it all before, though only for men she had chosen.

"Now you can put your overalls on and sit down," said Kate.

When Jacqui had put the overalls on and settled herself, Kate continued, "Jacqui, in the batches of prisoners that come to this god forsaken hell hole there are about six men for every woman, and not many of those women are as attractive as you. You need to convince the people here this afternoon that you are worth buying."

"Who might buy me?" Jacqui asked, since it probably would matter to her. There really didn't seem any chance of going home soon.

"Well, one of the mine managers might want you for a housekeeper cum bed-girl. That's the most likely, but Martha might buy you for the New House of Joy."

"That sounds like a brothel," Jacqui remarked and was not surprised when Kate nodded, "I wouldn't fancy that. It must be better to have just one man fucking you than a whole succession of them," Jacqui ventured.

"That depends on who the man is. Some of them can be very demanding, like the one who carved my face. Still he won't be buying you; he died."

The tone of her voice made Jacqui think that maybe Kate had killed him.

"Well, said Kate, "I have a lot more prisoners to process, so..."

Jacqui interrupted her to ask, "What happens to somebody isn't bought?"

"Everybody asks that," Kate replied brusquely, "They starve. There isn't any food or shelter in the prison here; just this building and it's locked when there's no ship in. Anyone unsold has to fend for themselves. They can't live away from the mines because there isn't anything. Nothing was growing here when the planet was first discovered; no people, no plants, no trees, no birds, no animals, no insects, not even bacteria, nothing. Now we have a few areas being farmed, but the soil isn't good enough yet, so the crops are poor."