which, from the screams and shooting, seemed also to be a battlefield.
The door crashed open and a big shaven-headed man in a fur tunic stood framed in the doorway, holding a heavy shotgun.
Elly-May screamed and backed into the corner but instead of shooting her the outlaw laughed, lowered his gun and reached out and grabbed her by the arm. Elly-May struggled but his fingers tightened and he dragged her out into the bar.
Eggs and three of the boys lay on the floor looking very dead. In the corner three of the bar girls huddled, guarded by another outlaw. Elly-May was pushed into the corner and ordered to strip. She stood dumbly, unable to do anything. The outlaw repeated his order.
‘Strip.’
‘But I…’
The outlaw took a firm hand on the front of her dress and ripped downwards. The fabric rent down to her stomach and she reluctantly slipped her arms out of the torn garment, stepped out of her sandals and was pushed into the corner. The outlaw picked up her clothes and threw them into the street.
Two of the women in the corner with her were huddled together weeping. Slightly apart from them, her partner, red-haired Anna, sat against the wall looking resigned. Elly-May crouched beside her.
‘Wha’s gonna happen? They gonna kill us?’
Anna looked up.
‘Maybe, maybe not if we come onto them. They’re only johns, we oughta be able to impress them.’
‘Why do they take our clothes? We gonna get raped for sure, oh Anna.’
‘Listen, get yourself together. It’s only rape if you struggle. Otherwise it’s just another buncha tricks. Think like that an’ maybe we’ll stay alive longer. You hear?’
‘Sure, but …’
‘Okay, shut up an’ see what happens.’
Two more women were brought in, stripped and pushed into the corner. Outside the gunfire became more sporadic. Anna looked up and deliberately grinned at the guard. ‘Hey mista, what you boys a-doin’?’
The outlaw looked surprised; most women they captured screamed and wept. He threw out his chest.
‘We take town.’
‘Plenty loot?’
‘Sure, plenty loot.’
‘An’ women, you like women?’
‘Sure.’ The outlaw grinned.
‘You get to pick your women?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Me an’ me friend,’ she indicated Elly-May, ‘we can sure give a man a good time.’
‘Good time?’
‘Lovin’ like you never had inna hills.’
The outlaw looked bewildered; southern women had strange ways.
‘You not speak. I look for you in line. I remember.’
‘You do that darlin’.’
Elly-May listened in wonder; how could Anna get into hustling in this situation? She seemed to have the right idea. Maybe they would survive.
Another group of women were dragged into the bar. The naked group in the corner grew steadily.
A sniper holed up on the roof of one of the few brick buildings was holding his own, preventing Iggy or any of his boys getting within thirty paces of the building. At the other end of the strip Oltha’s foot men were herding a bunch of prisoners out of the general store. Two more houses were burning but except for the man on the roof and a group of maybe ten besieged in another building all resistance had ceased.
Celebration at Festival had left the town half-empty and it had fallen to their surprise attack with almost no trouble.
Soon the ammunition would run out in the pockets of resistance and it would all be over.
Cautiously Iggy moved out to where Winston was directing the fire into the house still held by the townsmen. He crouched beside the line of gunmen.
‘Hey, Winston.’ Winston crawled over to him. ‘Where’s the chief?’
‘Oltha? I think he’s with his boys, roundin’ up prisoners.’
‘Lissen, let your boys keep the men in the house pinned down an’ we’ll get some of Oltha’s bowmen t’ let go a buncha fire arrows. Burn th’ muthas out.’
Iggy and Winston crawled away. As they reached the strip a cheer went up as a lucky shot toppled the man from his position on the roof. They hurried over
The door crashed open and a big shaven-headed man in a fur tunic stood framed in the doorway, holding a heavy shotgun.
Elly-May screamed and backed into the corner but instead of shooting her the outlaw laughed, lowered his gun and reached out and grabbed her by the arm. Elly-May struggled but his fingers tightened and he dragged her out into the bar.
Eggs and three of the boys lay on the floor looking very dead. In the corner three of the bar girls huddled, guarded by another outlaw. Elly-May was pushed into the corner and ordered to strip. She stood dumbly, unable to do anything. The outlaw repeated his order.
‘Strip.’
‘But I…’
The outlaw took a firm hand on the front of her dress and ripped downwards. The fabric rent down to her stomach and she reluctantly slipped her arms out of the torn garment, stepped out of her sandals and was pushed into the corner. The outlaw picked up her clothes and threw them into the street.
Two of the women in the corner with her were huddled together weeping. Slightly apart from them, her partner, red-haired Anna, sat against the wall looking resigned. Elly-May crouched beside her.
‘Wha’s gonna happen? They gonna kill us?’
Anna looked up.
‘Maybe, maybe not if we come onto them. They’re only johns, we oughta be able to impress them.’
‘Why do they take our clothes? We gonna get raped for sure, oh Anna.’
‘Listen, get yourself together. It’s only rape if you struggle. Otherwise it’s just another buncha tricks. Think like that an’ maybe we’ll stay alive longer. You hear?’
‘Sure, but …’
‘Okay, shut up an’ see what happens.’
Two more women were brought in, stripped and pushed into the corner. Outside the gunfire became more sporadic. Anna looked up and deliberately grinned at the guard. ‘Hey mista, what you boys a-doin’?’
The outlaw looked surprised; most women they captured screamed and wept. He threw out his chest.
‘We take town.’
‘Plenty loot?’
‘Sure, plenty loot.’
‘An’ women, you like women?’
‘Sure.’ The outlaw grinned.
‘You get to pick your women?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Me an’ me friend,’ she indicated Elly-May, ‘we can sure give a man a good time.’
‘Good time?’
‘Lovin’ like you never had inna hills.’
The outlaw looked bewildered; southern women had strange ways.
‘You not speak. I look for you in line. I remember.’
‘You do that darlin’.’
Elly-May listened in wonder; how could Anna get into hustling in this situation? She seemed to have the right idea. Maybe they would survive.
Another group of women were dragged into the bar. The naked group in the corner grew steadily.
A sniper holed up on the roof of one of the few brick buildings was holding his own, preventing Iggy or any of his boys getting within thirty paces of the building. At the other end of the strip Oltha’s foot men were herding a bunch of prisoners out of the general store. Two more houses were burning but except for the man on the roof and a group of maybe ten besieged in another building all resistance had ceased.
Celebration at Festival had left the town half-empty and it had fallen to their surprise attack with almost no trouble.
Soon the ammunition would run out in the pockets of resistance and it would all be over.
Cautiously Iggy moved out to where Winston was directing the fire into the house still held by the townsmen. He crouched beside the line of gunmen.
‘Hey, Winston.’ Winston crawled over to him. ‘Where’s the chief?’
‘Oltha? I think he’s with his boys, roundin’ up prisoners.’
‘Lissen, let your boys keep the men in the house pinned down an’ we’ll get some of Oltha’s bowmen t’ let go a buncha fire arrows. Burn th’ muthas out.’
Iggy and Winston crawled away. As they reached the strip a cheer went up as a lucky shot toppled the man from his position on the roof. They hurried over
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