by Allan Cole
But Old Scratch was unmoved by the emergency. “Do not get thy softskin bowels into an uproar, Little Friend of the World,” he said, cool as could be. “Calm thyself, so thou canst do the proper work of an Engine Devil.”
Then, to Billy’s amazement, Scratch flicked a switch with a long talon. And at the same time, he issued a stream of mentos orders that came so fast Billy could barely decipher them.
Thousands of little fiends raced to do Scratch’s bidding and in an instant the Centaur was hurled aside.
The action was so quick and violent that Billy was pinned to the invisible walls of his protective bubble. Before his eyes he witnessed the ship veering straight across the Planetar Demon’s open mouth.
There was a violent rocking as the fiend tried to suck them into his black hole innards. Then a quick feeling of freedom as they broke the gravitational bond and swooped past the ferocious visage.
And then Scratchy said, “The killing is thy prerogative, Little Friend of the World. I give thee this gift of revenge.”
Billy’s mouth fell open. “What are you saying? What do you want me to do?”
Old Scratch shrugged. “Kill him, what else? Was that not the plan?”
Billy gulped and nodded. His hand hovered over the large button that would do the rest. This was it. This was his final revenge. He looked up at the screen and saw the huge jaws of the Planetar Demon beginning to snap shut in surprise as their ship evaded him.
At the slap of the button, revenge was his. Revenge for his grandparents. For the lovely Lupe. For all the wrongs that had been committed against him in his short life as a half-breed orphan.
All the hate for all the wrongs he’d suffered surged forward. His heart was so full of hate he thought it would burst.
Then he hesitated.
And in that hesitation, all hate fled. His hand dropped to the side of the button.
“I can’t do it, Scratchy,” he said. “I can’t kill him.” His head dropped low. “I guess I’m a coward.”
And Old Scratch replied, “Thou art no coward, Little Friend of the World. Thou art a brave boy, indeed, to make this decision.
“I loathed to give thee this chance for revenge. He is too young, I thought, to carry such a burden. But it was my love for thee that could not deny thee the opportunity.”
Billy was bewildered. “So what do we do, then, Scratchy? What next?”
And Scratch said, “We kill him, what else?”
Then he slammed his taloned fist down on the huge button.
Immediately, the Centaur swooped off in the opposite direction. Releasing the planet bomb carrying Hesperos from the traction beam.
The Hesperos shot forward. And at the same time Scratchy mentos shouted commands to its crew to flee, flee, flee for their lives.
Then, he swung the Centaur back around to watch what he had caused. Little Brownies and Gremlins from the Hesperos were already crowding into the engine room and Scratchy had to shout for silence, because they were so happily and noisily gossiping.
“Damned Brownies,” he growled. “A decent Engine Devil can’t think over their noise.”
He only commented in a futile attempt to distract Billy, who was watching the Hesperos blast toward the Planetar Demon.
The fiend saw a quick victory, rather than a threat, and swallowed the ship whole.
At that moment Scratch toggled another switch with his fore-talon.
And that was the end of the Planetar Demon.
It was a terrible thing to witness. Not just for Billy, but also for Old Scratch, who was at heart a peaceful demon who meant no harm to anyone.
There was a series of incredible explosions, of course. But the gore that followed would haunt one and all for the rest of their lives.
Terrible shrieks wrapped around gobs of meat. Crying, crying, crying. Leaping flames that moaned and wailed so pitifully that they even made Scratchy weep.
He witnessed other things as well, too gruesome to relate.
He was so shaken that when the deed was done it was Billy, not Scratch, who signaled Tanya.
She turned to Davyd and Vlad, saying, “Well, it’s finally over. We won, in case you’re keeping score.”
Davyd and Vlad were nearly overcome by what the horrible thing they had just witnessed.
Vlad recovered first. “What do we do now?” he asked.
Tanya sighed and palmed a switch. The giant vid screen swirled for a moment, then cleared.
Filling the screen from edge to edge was an enormous war ship of ancient design and hateful intent. It was swiftly moving in on the Centaur.
As they looked, they saw the deadly gunports open.
“You’re looking at a little present from the Council of Eight,” Tanya said. “Good job, boys, now we’re gonna kill you.”
“No problem,” Davyd said. “My suggestion is that we get the hell out of Dodge.”
And so that is what they did.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
It was in a world far and far away and at the very edges of the Galaxy …
…The gathered tribes sat about a roaring campfire, sparks shooting up to meet the starry night.
There were softskins of every age— from suckling babes to cackling crones— as well as spirit world folk of every shape and sex and variety.
And they all listened intently as the wise old Engine Devil told the tale of his great adventures.
His name was Scratch and as Old Scratch he was known to rebels throughout the Galaxy. Crouched beside him was his constant friend and companion, the softskin boy known to one and all as “Little Friend of the World.”
Scratchy spun a remarkable yarn of marvelous feats and terrible sacrifices and fabulous deeds of derring do.
He told them about Tanya Lawson, the fearless police detective who ferreted out the dread conspiracy of the evil Council Of Eight.
And of the two bitter foes, David Kells and Vlad Projogin, the two mighty warriors who had fought the greatest duel in all history. Only to lay down their arms for the love of a woman and join together to defeat the dreaded Planetar Demon.
The softskin and spirit world clans hung on Scratchy’s every word, murmuring in amazement as he recounted all that had occurred.
When he was done, many toasts were drunk to the health and well-being of Tanya and her companions.
Scratchy waited until the proper time, then he made his recruiting pitch. One which he’d perfected over many nights such as this on countless worlds.
He told the gathered clans that a still greater fight was being waged by Tanya, Vlad and Davyd.
It was battle not just for their own lives, but for the freedom of beings everywhere. Softskin as well as spirit world folk.
Scratchy pointed a gnarled talon at the blazing night sky. “They are somewhere out there even now,” the Engine Devil said, “raising the tribes to bring down the Council Of Eight and end their tyranny.
“But everywhere they go, those devils who rule the council are hard at the heels of our three heroes. Intent on bringing them to ground and slaying them.”
There were angry mutters at this news. Fierce curses hurled at the Council Of Eight that delighted Old Scratch and Billy.
He said, “I wish I could report to thee that all is well and that our friends are gaining the upper hand.
“Alas, that would be a lie. And all of you know, an Engine Devil never lies.
“Perhaps those evil ones will eventually capture the brave three who carry our banner high. Who can say? I must admit the odds do not favor them.
“The devils who rule the council command many fiends. And, as all of you know, they are ancient lords of terror who have fostered hate among the races wherever they go.
“But even if they do, my friends, many of us have pledged ourselves to carry on that brave fight.
“And with thy help we can march forward and take the battle to the very doors of the evil ones who have enslaved us all for lo these many centuries.
“So,
what say you, O gracious hosts? Will you join me and my Little Friend of the World in this final fight to cast off the chains of our enslavement?”
Again he gestured at the sky, where the two stealth ships hovered, waiting to gather up recruits and fly them away to the many raging battle zones.
“You only have to say the word and make the sacred pledge to join our growing band of brave heroes. I cannot promise riches, or even sufficient food. Only hardship awaits you if thou chooseth to join us.
“However, when the scrolls of freedom are unfurled at the end time— and Judgment Day is upon us— your names will be written large for the eyes of the gods who love us to marvel upon.
“So what say you, brave folk? Will you come away with us. And fight the good fight?”
There was a loud and defiant clamoring of voices as young fiends and softskins leaped up to pledge their very lives to the cause.
This pleased Scratchy mightily, but also saddened him. For he knew that many of them would never again return to sit by the campfire with their friends and families.
But such things must be done if the galaxy were to be made a better place.
Then Billy rose up to sing his Kipling song and seal the moment. His clear boy’s soprano floating through the sweet night air:
“O look and behold
The Planets that love us
All harnessed in gold!
What chariots, what horses
Against us shall bide
While the Stars in their courses
Do fight on our side?…”
And Scratchy knuckled away a stray tear, feeling just a little sorry for himself.
For he was an old devil.
A tired devil.
Whose vacation was long, long overdue.
And he wondered if Avalon had been lost to him forever.
THE END
Table of Contents
DEDICATION
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
CHAPTER-FIFTY TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
