harm the South Star in battle.”
“It’s that formidable a ship?” asked Cole.
“If we don’t come back with the money, it’s got orders to blow this whole city away. We could demolish it in ten minutes’ time.”
“What would it take not to blow it up?”
“Just pay us our money and we’ll leave the city alone,” said Strahan. “Until the next time. Now, are you going to pay up or not?”
“Not, I think. And this conversation has gone on just about long enough.” He nodded almost imperceptibly to Val. She edged over to Chadwick and gave him a sudden shove with her hip. He wasn’t expecting it, and careered into Jaxtaboxl, who grunted and spread his arms for balance. The unbearded man immediately trained his weapon on the Mollutei, and as he did so Val’s long leg lashed out and kicked the pulse gun from his hand as Pampas launched himself at Strahan. Within seconds both men were on the floor, Pampas sitting atop one, Val with her boot in the middle of the other’s back.
“One last chance,” said Cole. “Will you tell me where I can find Genghis Khan?”
“Do your worst!” rasped Strahan. “We’re not talking!”
“I can make them talk,” said Val.
“Forget it,” said Cole. “We’ve got thirteen men and aliens to disable. Put these two out of commission—that does not mean kill them —and get to work on the others. If you need help, Domak’s over at the hospital. Probably you won’t; you may be outnumbered, but you know who they are, and they have no idea who you are—except maybe for Val; people don’t forget nine-foot-tall redheaded giants.”
“I’m not even seven feet tall,” she said, putting both men to sleep with a pair of karate chops to the backs of their necks. “If I was nine feet, I’d own the universe.”
“I can believe it,” said Cole. He gestured to the two bodies. “How long will they be out?”
“A couple of hours,” she replied. “And by the way, I’ve spent fifteen years on the Inner Frontier, and there’s no Demon Jack Devereaux.”
“I must have been mistaken,” said Cole easily. “Now I think it’s time for you four to go out and take care of the rest of Strahan’s landing party.” He knelt down and trussed his prisoner’s hands and feet with glowing manacles. “Remember, the police will lend a hand if you need them.”
“You’re not coming with us?”
“I’ve got my own work to do,” said Cole. “Report back when your mission’s been accomplished. And don’t kill anyone you don’t have to kill.”
“Our brig can only hold three or four of them, sir,” said Chadwick.
“I’ve arranged for the city to provide them with accommodations in the local jail.”
“Not if they think there will be reprisals from Genghis Khan,” said Chadwick.
“There won’t be,” said Cole. “Now get going.”
The four of them left, and Cole immediately contacted the Teddy R .
“Yes, sir?” said Malcolm Briggs.
“Where’s Christine?” asked Cole.
“Her shift ended, sir,” said Briggs. “I believe she’s in the mess hall.”
“Patch me through to her.”
A moment later he was facing Christine Mboya’s image.
“What can I do for you, sir?” she asked.
“I’m going to transmit some captured audio to you,” said Cole. “I want you to edit it as follows.”
He spent the next five minutes telling her what he wanted.
“I’m sure I can do that, sir.”
“It’s got to sound natural, and pass a voice ID test.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, sir.”
“Okay,” said Cole. “After you send it back down, I want you to supply me with codes that will enable me to choose each sentence in the order I want it, based on what is said at the other end.”
“That will be the easiest part of all.”
“Good. If I was paying you anything to start with, I’d give you a raise.”
“Thank you, sir. I think.”
He had her transfer him back to the bridge and uploaded the captured audio of everything Strahan had said,
“It’s that formidable a ship?” asked Cole.
“If we don’t come back with the money, it’s got orders to blow this whole city away. We could demolish it in ten minutes’ time.”
“What would it take not to blow it up?”
“Just pay us our money and we’ll leave the city alone,” said Strahan. “Until the next time. Now, are you going to pay up or not?”
“Not, I think. And this conversation has gone on just about long enough.” He nodded almost imperceptibly to Val. She edged over to Chadwick and gave him a sudden shove with her hip. He wasn’t expecting it, and careered into Jaxtaboxl, who grunted and spread his arms for balance. The unbearded man immediately trained his weapon on the Mollutei, and as he did so Val’s long leg lashed out and kicked the pulse gun from his hand as Pampas launched himself at Strahan. Within seconds both men were on the floor, Pampas sitting atop one, Val with her boot in the middle of the other’s back.
“One last chance,” said Cole. “Will you tell me where I can find Genghis Khan?”
“Do your worst!” rasped Strahan. “We’re not talking!”
“I can make them talk,” said Val.
“Forget it,” said Cole. “We’ve got thirteen men and aliens to disable. Put these two out of commission—that does not mean kill them —and get to work on the others. If you need help, Domak’s over at the hospital. Probably you won’t; you may be outnumbered, but you know who they are, and they have no idea who you are—except maybe for Val; people don’t forget nine-foot-tall redheaded giants.”
“I’m not even seven feet tall,” she said, putting both men to sleep with a pair of karate chops to the backs of their necks. “If I was nine feet, I’d own the universe.”
“I can believe it,” said Cole. He gestured to the two bodies. “How long will they be out?”
“A couple of hours,” she replied. “And by the way, I’ve spent fifteen years on the Inner Frontier, and there’s no Demon Jack Devereaux.”
“I must have been mistaken,” said Cole easily. “Now I think it’s time for you four to go out and take care of the rest of Strahan’s landing party.” He knelt down and trussed his prisoner’s hands and feet with glowing manacles. “Remember, the police will lend a hand if you need them.”
“You’re not coming with us?”
“I’ve got my own work to do,” said Cole. “Report back when your mission’s been accomplished. And don’t kill anyone you don’t have to kill.”
“Our brig can only hold three or four of them, sir,” said Chadwick.
“I’ve arranged for the city to provide them with accommodations in the local jail.”
“Not if they think there will be reprisals from Genghis Khan,” said Chadwick.
“There won’t be,” said Cole. “Now get going.”
The four of them left, and Cole immediately contacted the Teddy R .
“Yes, sir?” said Malcolm Briggs.
“Where’s Christine?” asked Cole.
“Her shift ended, sir,” said Briggs. “I believe she’s in the mess hall.”
“Patch me through to her.”
A moment later he was facing Christine Mboya’s image.
“What can I do for you, sir?” she asked.
“I’m going to transmit some captured audio to you,” said Cole. “I want you to edit it as follows.”
He spent the next five minutes telling her what he wanted.
“I’m sure I can do that, sir.”
“It’s got to sound natural, and pass a voice ID test.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem, sir.”
“Okay,” said Cole. “After you send it back down, I want you to supply me with codes that will enable me to choose each sentence in the order I want it, based on what is said at the other end.”
“That will be the easiest part of all.”
“Good. If I was paying you anything to start with, I’d give you a raise.”
“Thank you, sir. I think.”
He had her transfer him back to the bridge and uploaded the captured audio of everything Strahan had said,
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