awakened by now.”
“Good thing I’m not out cold,” said Booker. “I’d get tossed in a pit like a dead dog if I was.”
“That’s not a bad idea even with you wide awake,” said Sixy. He’d come to soon after they’d carried him into the woods beyond the monorail track.
“If I wasn’t hurt so bad,” said Booker, who was sitting with his back resting against a tree trunk, “I’d fix you good, you monkey-footed fool.”
“Enough,” put in the giant Mallox. “We want no squabbles. Those little blue devils will be hounding us soon enough. We must all work together.”
“I’m helpless,” said Booker. “I can’t run.”
Jape said, “You better get rid of that notion right now, Booker. I’ve examined you and there’s nothing much wrong with you beside a few bumps and bruises.”
“You’re no doctor.”
Mallox said, “He’s close enough to a doctor to satisfy me.” He held one huge hand, fingers slightly clenched, out toward the black man. “If you want to pretend to be sick for a while, I can carry you. Because when it’s time to move from here, we’ll move.”
Booker looked away from the giant. “Maybe I can walk a little bit,” he said in a low voice.
Jape rubbed at his head with one of his hands. “I’ve heard that other runaways may live off in the jungle. Perhaps we can reach them.”
“That’s okay for now,” said Flash.
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning it’s only a short-term solution,” Flash said. “Eventually we have to get off this planet. Off and back home to our own planets.”
The hawkman’s wings fluttered and he laughed. “Maybe I can fly to Mongo,” he said. “I don’t see how else we can do it. The chances of getting hold of a spacecraft are rather slim.” He shook his head.
“There’s more to leading a guerrilla life than annoying the enemy,” said Flash. “Eventually, you have to make a play, take over. Maybe only one town, but something you can control.”
“You mean that if we live in the wilds for a while,” said Sixy, “we have to be planning all along on how to take over Mesmo.”
“We’ll have to take over a spaceport,” said Flash.
“Some chance,” said Booker. “With a half-dozen escaped slaves, you’re going to overthrow millions of those blue men.”
“There are seven of us,” said Mallox, “and you forget that we’re an exceptional group. I’m with Flash Gordon. I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life in the wilderness. I miss my home planet.” He reached out his huge hand and gave Flash an encouraging thump on the back. “I say we try.”
Jape stroked his chin with his upper right hand. “If we could learn more about them, about how they communicate,” he said, “we might be able to accomplish something.”
“I know what Flash was able to do on Mongo,” said Huk. “There were many who thought Ming would never fall, but fall he did.”
“It’s good to have a plan,” said Sixy, “something to work toward. Even if—”
“Look there!” said Jape, pointing with all his hands.
Lights glowed in the rainy gray sky over the wreck of the train.
“Some kind of aircruiser,” said Huk.
“They’ve come to investigate the wreck,” said Sixy, pushing up off the ground. “Time for us to get deeper into the woods.”
Without a word, Mallox reached down and yanked Booker upright. “What’s it to be, walking or riding?”
“I can limp along okay, I guess,” said Booker. “You’ll probably leave me behind, but that’s okay.”
“You’ll keep up with us,” the strongman told him. “We want none left back for the blue devils to find,”
Flash eased his arms under Narla.
The blonde girl opened her eyes slightly. “Where are we?” she asked in a faint voice.
“On the run,” he told her.
CHAPTER 18
T he rain fell hard on the roof of the cottage. Yawning, the blue man swung out of his bed. He reached to the raw wood floor to pick up his helmet and clothes.
“Good morning,” came the
“Good thing I’m not out cold,” said Booker. “I’d get tossed in a pit like a dead dog if I was.”
“That’s not a bad idea even with you wide awake,” said Sixy. He’d come to soon after they’d carried him into the woods beyond the monorail track.
“If I wasn’t hurt so bad,” said Booker, who was sitting with his back resting against a tree trunk, “I’d fix you good, you monkey-footed fool.”
“Enough,” put in the giant Mallox. “We want no squabbles. Those little blue devils will be hounding us soon enough. We must all work together.”
“I’m helpless,” said Booker. “I can’t run.”
Jape said, “You better get rid of that notion right now, Booker. I’ve examined you and there’s nothing much wrong with you beside a few bumps and bruises.”
“You’re no doctor.”
Mallox said, “He’s close enough to a doctor to satisfy me.” He held one huge hand, fingers slightly clenched, out toward the black man. “If you want to pretend to be sick for a while, I can carry you. Because when it’s time to move from here, we’ll move.”
Booker looked away from the giant. “Maybe I can walk a little bit,” he said in a low voice.
Jape rubbed at his head with one of his hands. “I’ve heard that other runaways may live off in the jungle. Perhaps we can reach them.”
“That’s okay for now,” said Flash.
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning it’s only a short-term solution,” Flash said. “Eventually we have to get off this planet. Off and back home to our own planets.”
The hawkman’s wings fluttered and he laughed. “Maybe I can fly to Mongo,” he said. “I don’t see how else we can do it. The chances of getting hold of a spacecraft are rather slim.” He shook his head.
“There’s more to leading a guerrilla life than annoying the enemy,” said Flash. “Eventually, you have to make a play, take over. Maybe only one town, but something you can control.”
“You mean that if we live in the wilds for a while,” said Sixy, “we have to be planning all along on how to take over Mesmo.”
“We’ll have to take over a spaceport,” said Flash.
“Some chance,” said Booker. “With a half-dozen escaped slaves, you’re going to overthrow millions of those blue men.”
“There are seven of us,” said Mallox, “and you forget that we’re an exceptional group. I’m with Flash Gordon. I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life in the wilderness. I miss my home planet.” He reached out his huge hand and gave Flash an encouraging thump on the back. “I say we try.”
Jape stroked his chin with his upper right hand. “If we could learn more about them, about how they communicate,” he said, “we might be able to accomplish something.”
“I know what Flash was able to do on Mongo,” said Huk. “There were many who thought Ming would never fall, but fall he did.”
“It’s good to have a plan,” said Sixy, “something to work toward. Even if—”
“Look there!” said Jape, pointing with all his hands.
Lights glowed in the rainy gray sky over the wreck of the train.
“Some kind of aircruiser,” said Huk.
“They’ve come to investigate the wreck,” said Sixy, pushing up off the ground. “Time for us to get deeper into the woods.”
Without a word, Mallox reached down and yanked Booker upright. “What’s it to be, walking or riding?”
“I can limp along okay, I guess,” said Booker. “You’ll probably leave me behind, but that’s okay.”
“You’ll keep up with us,” the strongman told him. “We want none left back for the blue devils to find,”
Flash eased his arms under Narla.
The blonde girl opened her eyes slightly. “Where are we?” she asked in a faint voice.
“On the run,” he told her.
CHAPTER 18
T he rain fell hard on the roof of the cottage. Yawning, the blue man swung out of his bed. He reached to the raw wood floor to pick up his helmet and clothes.
“Good morning,” came the
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