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“You see, Chamco,” said Terl, “I can keep this file open, but in a safe place where it can be found if anything happens to either of us. It can be activated at any time. And would be activated if further offenses occurred.” His voice took on a pleading tone. "Zzt has been a valuable fellow in the past. As a favor to me, lay aside your revenge and let it lie.”
The Chamco was thoughtful, his bloodlust cooling.
Terl glanced at Zzt and saw no attack signals. He put out his paw to the Chamco. “Give me the rifle.” The Chamco did and Terl put on the safety slide. “Thank you,” said Terl. “The company is indebted to you. You can go back to work.”
The Chamco smiled. This Terl was sure a fair and efficient Psychlo. “I sure appreciate your getting my money back,” said the Chamco and left.
Terl turned off the camera he had put on the wall and restored it to his pocket. Then he picked up the things on the bench and made them into a neat package.
Zzt was standing there restraining the tremble that threatened to engulf him. The aura of death had gripped him all too nearly. Stark terror flared in his eyes as he looked at Terl. He was not seeing Terl. He was seeing the most diabolical devil ever drawn in the mythology of the Psychlos.
“All right?” said Terl quietly. Zzt sank slowly down on a bench.
Terl waited a bit but Zzt didn't move. “Now to business,” said Terl. “I want certain things assigned to my department. A Mark III ground car, executive. Two battle planes, unlimited range. Three perso
Zzt did not resist the pen as it was pushed between his claws. The thick sheaf of requisitions was slipped onto his knee. Lifelessly he began to sign each one.
That night a very cheerful Terl, who said he felt lucky even though a bit drunk, won all six hundred fifty credits back from the smaller Chamco brother in a very narrowly contested game of rings.
Terl even bought kerbango for the whole crowd out of his wi
He dreamed beautiful dreams wherein leverage made him wealthy, crowned him king, and got him far away from this accursed planet.
Chapter 6
Jo
He saw what had distracted him a few moments before. Terl drove up to the cage gate in a long, sleekly gleaming, black tank. It purred quietly, hiding awesome power behind its gun muzzles and slitted ports.
Terl bounded out and the ground shook. He was very jovial. “Get your clothes on, animal. We're going for a drive.”
Jo
“No, no, no,” said Terl. “Clothes! Not hides. You'll stink up my new ground car. How do you like it?”
Jo
Terl was unhooking the leash from the cage. “Oh, well. What's the difference? I can stand it if you can. Get your air mask. You'll be inside, and I am damned if I’ll drive around in one. Bring your clubs, too.”
Now Jo
Terl checked the air bottles and playfully snapped the elastic of Jo
Indeed it was, thought Jo
“I checked her all out for remotes,” said Terl. He laughed and laughed at his joke as he climbed in. “You know what I’m refer ring to, rat brain. No over the cliff on fire today.” He hit a button and the doors closed and sealed. He turned on the breathe-gas louvers and the atmosphere changed in a blink. “Crap, were you stupid!” he laughed some more.
The ground car went hurtling toward the open, four feet above the earth, accelerating to two hundred miles per hour in a breath, almost breaking Jo
Terl unsnapped his face mask and threw it aside. “You see those doors? Don't ever hit a latch or try to open one when I’m not wearing a mask, animal. This thing would wreck with no driver.”
Jo
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“Oh, just a drive, just a drive. Seeing the sights.”
Jo
They sped north and then in a long curve headed south of west. Despite the blur of speed, Jo
Through the heavily plated gu
Terl reached into the ground car bar and drew himself a small pan of kerbango. He drank it off and smacked his mouthbones and belched. Then he put on his face mask and hit the door button. “Well, get out, get out and see the sights.”
Jo
“What was this place?” said Jo
Terl stood with his elbow braced against the top of the car, indolent, very casual. “Animal, you are looking at the primary defense base of this planet during the days of man.”
“Yes?” prompted Jo
Terl reached into the car and brought out a Chinko guidebook and threw it at him. A page was marked. It said, “A short distance from the minesite lies an impressive military ruin. Thirteen days after the Psychlo attack, a handful of men stood off a Psychlo tank for over three hours, using primitive weapons. It was the last resistance that was overcome by the Psychlos." That was all it said.
Jo
Terl pointed at the curved trench. “It happened right here,” he said, with a sweep of his paw. “Look.” He dealt out more leash.
Jo
“Look good,” said Terl.
Jo
Suddenly he was gripped by the vision of desperate men, fighting valiantly, hopelessly. He glanced across the field before the trench and could almost see the Psychlo tank coming on, withdrawing, coming on, battering them at last to death.
Jo
Terl leaned indolently against the car. “Seen enough?”
“Why have you shown me this?”
Terl barked a laugh behind his mask. “So you won't get any ideas, animal. This was the number-one defense base of the planet. And just one measly Psychlo tank knocked it to bits in a wink. Got it?”