with the beast.
Tim's gift was a brand new Magnum Class (MC)
Blaster with a new light weight scope attached. It was not the
usual gag gift and it was very warmly received by Jake. All the
other gifts were rude and obnoxious, but fun.
Arr waited until they returned to the
cruiser before he gave Jake his present. Jake thought the
festivities were over and he was ready for a good night's rest. He
had too much to drink. Oh well, you only had a birthday once a year
and a fortieth one only once in a lifetime.
"I couldn't think of anything as funny as
your friends' gifts," Arr said, as he stirred restlessly in the
doorway to Jake's cabin.
Jake came up to Arr smiling down on the boy,
he put his hand on the Henu's shoulder. "That's okay. I don't think
I could stand another gag gift."
Arr pulled a piece of rolled paper tied with
a ribbon from behind his back. "Happy birthday, Jake." He was a bit
embarrassed that it was so small. He handed it to Jake and
retreated briskly, walking back to his own cabin.
When Jake unrolled the sheet it was one of
Neena's pictures. The only one Arr kept out of the dozens she drew.
Arr's favorite. The Henu in the picture smiled back at him from
under a tree by the lake.
Chapter 39
"You're under arrest for the murder of Bola Terga of
the planet Athos."
They were Galactic Officers all dressed in
their blue with gold braid. Jake could see six of them, behind him
and Arr, in the mirror above the bar.
Jake took the gamble and lost. If he were by
himself he would try fighting his way out, but the kid was with
him. Jake had his own code of ethics and pulling a friend into a
fight, maybe getting them killed, was against the rules when that
friend wasn't given all the information and the choice up front.
Jake didn't bother to explain to Arr that he was taking a risk
coming here. He convinced himself that after over fifteen years the
incident on Rigil Four would be forgotten. He was sure no one would
recognize him with a beard. After all, he only took the chance
because of an emergency.
It wasn't often that Jake underestimated his
opponent. How the Guardians got a whiff of his presence on the
planet, God only knew, but they were tenacious. They probably were
following them all day. Probably took his prints off the prod he
picked up at the repair shop.
Jake turned slowly around. "I believe you've
made a mistake gentlemen." He raised his hands to show that he had
no intention of going for his blaster.
"You are Jake Harcourt of the cruiser
Calpernia, are you not?" The leader of the six asked.
"Yes." Jake gave Arr a gentle nudge, to put
him out of the line of fire.
"Then there has been no mistake," the
lieutenant stated. "If you'll just hand over your blaster and come
quietly no one will get hurt."
Jake slowly removed his blaster from its
holder and gave it to the officer.
The GO leader indicated with a head movement
for one of his men to cuff their prisoner. When the man took the
cuffs off of his belt and headed toward Jake, Arr started to go for
his blaster and a low rumble emanated from Kay-o.
"Don't!" Jake protested forcefully to the
two. "This is my business! You stay out of it. Go find Tim. Tell
him what happened."
The officer locked the cuffs securely. They
hustled Jake quickly out of the bar. Arr and Kay-o trailed along
like lost puppies.
As they pushed Jake into a transport craft
he called back over his shoulder, "Take care of yourself, kid."
Chapter 40
Arr paced the pilot platform in agitation. He had
been waiting four days. He called Tim as Jake instructed the moment
he arrived back on board the Calpernia. Tim advised him to 'Sit
tight and stay out of trouble,' until he got there. Arr glanced at
the onboard time line for what seemed like the umpteenth time. By
his best calculations Tim should arrive sometime tomorrow
morning.
Arr went down to the planet's surface at
least a half dozen times to try to see Jake, but the Galactic
Officers refused to allow him any visitors. Arr did
Tim's gift was a brand new Magnum Class (MC)
Blaster with a new light weight scope attached. It was not the
usual gag gift and it was very warmly received by Jake. All the
other gifts were rude and obnoxious, but fun.
Arr waited until they returned to the
cruiser before he gave Jake his present. Jake thought the
festivities were over and he was ready for a good night's rest. He
had too much to drink. Oh well, you only had a birthday once a year
and a fortieth one only once in a lifetime.
"I couldn't think of anything as funny as
your friends' gifts," Arr said, as he stirred restlessly in the
doorway to Jake's cabin.
Jake came up to Arr smiling down on the boy,
he put his hand on the Henu's shoulder. "That's okay. I don't think
I could stand another gag gift."
Arr pulled a piece of rolled paper tied with
a ribbon from behind his back. "Happy birthday, Jake." He was a bit
embarrassed that it was so small. He handed it to Jake and
retreated briskly, walking back to his own cabin.
When Jake unrolled the sheet it was one of
Neena's pictures. The only one Arr kept out of the dozens she drew.
Arr's favorite. The Henu in the picture smiled back at him from
under a tree by the lake.
Chapter 39
"You're under arrest for the murder of Bola Terga of
the planet Athos."
They were Galactic Officers all dressed in
their blue with gold braid. Jake could see six of them, behind him
and Arr, in the mirror above the bar.
Jake took the gamble and lost. If he were by
himself he would try fighting his way out, but the kid was with
him. Jake had his own code of ethics and pulling a friend into a
fight, maybe getting them killed, was against the rules when that
friend wasn't given all the information and the choice up front.
Jake didn't bother to explain to Arr that he was taking a risk
coming here. He convinced himself that after over fifteen years the
incident on Rigil Four would be forgotten. He was sure no one would
recognize him with a beard. After all, he only took the chance
because of an emergency.
It wasn't often that Jake underestimated his
opponent. How the Guardians got a whiff of his presence on the
planet, God only knew, but they were tenacious. They probably were
following them all day. Probably took his prints off the prod he
picked up at the repair shop.
Jake turned slowly around. "I believe you've
made a mistake gentlemen." He raised his hands to show that he had
no intention of going for his blaster.
"You are Jake Harcourt of the cruiser
Calpernia, are you not?" The leader of the six asked.
"Yes." Jake gave Arr a gentle nudge, to put
him out of the line of fire.
"Then there has been no mistake," the
lieutenant stated. "If you'll just hand over your blaster and come
quietly no one will get hurt."
Jake slowly removed his blaster from its
holder and gave it to the officer.
The GO leader indicated with a head movement
for one of his men to cuff their prisoner. When the man took the
cuffs off of his belt and headed toward Jake, Arr started to go for
his blaster and a low rumble emanated from Kay-o.
"Don't!" Jake protested forcefully to the
two. "This is my business! You stay out of it. Go find Tim. Tell
him what happened."
The officer locked the cuffs securely. They
hustled Jake quickly out of the bar. Arr and Kay-o trailed along
like lost puppies.
As they pushed Jake into a transport craft
he called back over his shoulder, "Take care of yourself, kid."
Chapter 40
Arr paced the pilot platform in agitation. He had
been waiting four days. He called Tim as Jake instructed the moment
he arrived back on board the Calpernia. Tim advised him to 'Sit
tight and stay out of trouble,' until he got there. Arr glanced at
the onboard time line for what seemed like the umpteenth time. By
his best calculations Tim should arrive sometime tomorrow
morning.
Arr went down to the planet's surface at
least a half dozen times to try to see Jake, but the Galactic
Officers refused to allow him any visitors. Arr did
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