‘Which one of them?’ asked Hinea. ‘All of them,’ said Lei, and scooped in another mouthful. Her wings rustled with delight at the sweetness. �...�Do you want to bring some to your friend?’ asked Baltin, who had just finished filling a fourth plate. Lei, having cake in her mouth, shook her head. ‘He doesn’t like sweets,’ she said when her mouth was empty. Then filled in another spoonful. ‘Let her try some cookies too,’ said a beetle-woman, whose name Lei was sure she had been told and had forgotten.. . 'H'...'S'... six months? It had been trapped like that for six months?I began to step backwards towards the door away from it, signalling Iwanted no bother. Panic seemed to set in and it squealed, begging andpleading in mumbled chirps, and pointing time and again at the pageabout releasing a slave.Not knowing what else to do, I began to read the text on the page. Ittook a short while as the language was not something I was used to, butit seemed desperately happy to hear the words and clapped. .."I can't afford to pay rent. I don't have a job." My head droops as I realize just how much I really want to move in."We got you covered there," Amber pipes in, grabbing my arm, and giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "Ron here is one of the bouncers at our club. He can get you hired there." But I'm not strong or big enough to be a bouncer." I protest."Maybe not as big, yet, but that can be worked on. I saw how you moved that furniture around, and you are stronger than you look." Ron told. 'It's true, there are children living here – and their mothers – and some of the girls are underage but, you know how it is, girls will be girls and boys will be boys, and sometimes they have sex, whatever the law might have to say about it.''And the girls become pregnant.''That would be the usual outcome of having sex, ' I agreed politely.'You say their mothers are living here?''Except for my children. My wife died last July.''You were married?'I allowed a little anger to creep into my voice..