removed the offending smoke, replacing it with a clean scent of pine. The smell must not have meant the same thing to the Calens, as their noses wrinkled again in disgust at the new odor. He sat staring at Cobia, who sat glaring back at him. He shook his head.
They just won't learn.
In a blink, he BLIPPED!, reappearing on top of the marble, Council table, sitting cross-legged in front of Cobia. The dozen Council members jumped to their feet, mouths open in shock, backing away from the Earthman.
“Cobia, I guess you don't understand yet,” Arthur said. He took a sip from another beer he just materialized. “When Daisy, er, Emeara and I met on Earth, she told me she and I would be ruling together. She also told me things weren't going so well on her planet. It appears she was right. Now, you have two choices. You can either quit, resign, whatever you want to call it, or I'll fire all twelve of you. And that won't be pretty. I'll find some desolate planet to plant your sorry asses on, where you won't be a threat to anyone again. What will it be?”
Cobia's face tightened up with rage as she quickly grabbed for the ray gun holstered at her side. She barely had the gun aimed at Arthur before he pointed his finger, saying, “Pow!” The dozen women vanished to the same place as the beer can, cigarette filter, cigar, and smoke. Arthur stared at his finger in amazement.
Pretty slick, but I didn't mean to do that. I'd better be careful.
The onlookers in the balcony sprang to their feet, moans and cries of disbelief filling the room. Tig ran up to Arthur, and tugged on his arm, eyes wide with fright. “Arthur, what have you done? Did you harm them?”
He smiled down at Tig, patting her hand. “Don't worry, they're fine. I put them where they won't be a nuisance to anyone, anymore.”
Yeah, but where the Sam Hell is that? Where ever the beer can went, dummy.
He shrugged. As long as they left him alone, it didn't make any difference. He knew if he wished them back, they'd probably reappear just as he'd sent them; whether it was today or ten years later.
Do I want to?
Images of gory science fiction and horror movies he'd seen with bodies with no heads, or heads with no faces, floated through his mind. He shuddered.
No, they were better off wherever they were.
The memory faded, and Arthur finally slipped into a restful sleep. Panth sighed. What he just saw explained so much. The twelve Council members had a huge following, and their followers finally retaliated.
I still do not understand why Teth and my family were involved? Is it because of the silver objects? What, in Osso's name, are they?
Unlike his snoring cellmate, he tossed and turned the rest of the night.
Chapter Seven
“What the hell?” Pam cried, stumbling forward, falling to her hands and knees. Turning over, sitting on her butt, eyes wide with fright, she slowly peered around. She found herself in a round room, and everywhere she looked was silver. Silver computer consoles, silver chairs, silver screens, and a silver floor and ceiling. The bright, overhead lights turned all that silver into an eye-squinting glare.
Her heart started racing.
Oh, my God, I'm in one of those space ships from the cavern.
How? Who teleported me here?
The only person she knew who could've done it was her father. Slowly rising to her feet, she glanced around some more.
“Dad? Is that you?” she asked, her voice ending in a squeak, hand at her chest.
*We are
Weesa
,* came a female voice.
Pam rubbed her forehead. She hadn't heard any words, but felt them resonating in her mind. It felt like someone was softly scratching at her brain.
Is this what my family feels when I talk to them telepathically?
It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
“
Weesa
? What's a
Weesa
?”
Two silver screens in front of Pam flickered on. She found herself staring at identical twins. They were very pale, bald-headed, wearing white robes with silver trimming, and she couldn't tell if they were male or
They just won't learn.
In a blink, he BLIPPED!, reappearing on top of the marble, Council table, sitting cross-legged in front of Cobia. The dozen Council members jumped to their feet, mouths open in shock, backing away from the Earthman.
“Cobia, I guess you don't understand yet,” Arthur said. He took a sip from another beer he just materialized. “When Daisy, er, Emeara and I met on Earth, she told me she and I would be ruling together. She also told me things weren't going so well on her planet. It appears she was right. Now, you have two choices. You can either quit, resign, whatever you want to call it, or I'll fire all twelve of you. And that won't be pretty. I'll find some desolate planet to plant your sorry asses on, where you won't be a threat to anyone again. What will it be?”
Cobia's face tightened up with rage as she quickly grabbed for the ray gun holstered at her side. She barely had the gun aimed at Arthur before he pointed his finger, saying, “Pow!” The dozen women vanished to the same place as the beer can, cigarette filter, cigar, and smoke. Arthur stared at his finger in amazement.
Pretty slick, but I didn't mean to do that. I'd better be careful.
The onlookers in the balcony sprang to their feet, moans and cries of disbelief filling the room. Tig ran up to Arthur, and tugged on his arm, eyes wide with fright. “Arthur, what have you done? Did you harm them?”
He smiled down at Tig, patting her hand. “Don't worry, they're fine. I put them where they won't be a nuisance to anyone, anymore.”
Yeah, but where the Sam Hell is that? Where ever the beer can went, dummy.
He shrugged. As long as they left him alone, it didn't make any difference. He knew if he wished them back, they'd probably reappear just as he'd sent them; whether it was today or ten years later.
Do I want to?
Images of gory science fiction and horror movies he'd seen with bodies with no heads, or heads with no faces, floated through his mind. He shuddered.
No, they were better off wherever they were.
The memory faded, and Arthur finally slipped into a restful sleep. Panth sighed. What he just saw explained so much. The twelve Council members had a huge following, and their followers finally retaliated.
I still do not understand why Teth and my family were involved? Is it because of the silver objects? What, in Osso's name, are they?
Unlike his snoring cellmate, he tossed and turned the rest of the night.
Chapter Seven
“What the hell?” Pam cried, stumbling forward, falling to her hands and knees. Turning over, sitting on her butt, eyes wide with fright, she slowly peered around. She found herself in a round room, and everywhere she looked was silver. Silver computer consoles, silver chairs, silver screens, and a silver floor and ceiling. The bright, overhead lights turned all that silver into an eye-squinting glare.
Her heart started racing.
Oh, my God, I'm in one of those space ships from the cavern.
How? Who teleported me here?
The only person she knew who could've done it was her father. Slowly rising to her feet, she glanced around some more.
“Dad? Is that you?” she asked, her voice ending in a squeak, hand at her chest.
*We are
Weesa
,* came a female voice.
Pam rubbed her forehead. She hadn't heard any words, but felt them resonating in her mind. It felt like someone was softly scratching at her brain.
Is this what my family feels when I talk to them telepathically?
It wasn't a pleasant feeling.
“
Weesa
? What's a
Weesa
?”
Two silver screens in front of Pam flickered on. She found herself staring at identical twins. They were very pale, bald-headed, wearing white robes with silver trimming, and she couldn't tell if they were male or
Similar Books
