The Hunger

by John Whitman

  jabbed the stick into Zak's ribs again. "Not important who I am. The

  question you should be asking is, Who are you?"

  "I know who I am," Zak replied.

  "Do you?" asked the creature.

  Zak wanted to laugh. The creature sounded silly and looked even

  sillier. But something about the way he asked the question made Zak pause.

  If there was one thing he'd learned after all his adventures with Uncle

  Hoole, it was that appearances could be deceiving.

  "A good lesson!" the creature cackled, as though reading his thoughts.

  Not knowing what else to do, Zak said, "My name is Zak Arranda. What's

  yours?"

  The creature cackled again gleefully. "I am Yoda." Zak shook his head.

  "For a planet that's supposed to be uninhabited, Dagobah sure is getting

  crowded."

  Yoda made a gurgling sound in his throat. "Uninhabited, do you say?"

  The little creature spread his small arms wide. "Have you no eyes? No ears?

  Life is all around."

  "Oh, right," Zak said, surprised by the little creature's suddenly

  serious tone. "I just meant, you know, intelligent life."

  "Intelligent, huh!" Yoda said with a grunt of disgust. "What is this

  intelligence?"

  Zak opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. He thought of the most

  intelligent people he knew-Tash and Uncle Hoole.

  "Intelligence means learning. Being able to figure things out. Knowing

  how the universe works," Zak finally said.

  "Ahhh," the little creature said, nodding meaningfully. "Come here," he

  said, shuffling toward a nearby tree. When Zak hesitated, Yoda waved his

  stick. "Come, come, come!"

  Not knowing whether to be amused or frightened, Zak followed. Yoda

  stood next to a rotting log. With his stick he poked the log, and a chunk of

  dead wood fell away. Inside, hundreds of worms as thick as Zak's finger

  wriggled and squirmed.

  "Yuck," Zak said.

  "Rotworms," Yoda said. "Are they intelligent?"

  "No," Zak answered, trying to explain. "You see-"

  Yoda spoke again as the exposed rotworms burrowed into the soft,

  decaying wood and disappeared. "Rotworms learn that dead logs make the best

  homes. They figure out how to burrow into the wood. Burrowing, they help the

  log to rot, and the bits of dead wood enrich the soil, making good ground

  for new trees to grow." The little creature stared at Zak. "That is how the

  universe works."

  Zak blinked. A moment ago this strange creature had seemed like a

  clown. Now he wasn't so sure. "Who are you?" he asked again.

  Yoda nodded mysteriously. "Someone you will meet again. Now go. Others

  await you."

  Zak started to ask another question, but Yoda chattered, "Go, go, go.

  Away with your questions!"

  The little creature turned to leave. His movements were awkward, more

  like a waddle than a walk, but he was gone so quickly that Zak was

  half-convinced that Yoda had simply vanished into the misty air.

  "That was prime," Zak said aloud. "Weird. But prime."

  He turned to go. He felt confident about his directions now. In fact,

  the way back was so obvious, he wondered why he'd been worried. He started

  to jog. But his feet slowed down as he caught the dull glint of metal in the

  gloomy swamp.

  Curious, Zak approached the metal object. As he did, he realized that

  it was very large. Creeping nearer, he saw that it was a ship. And when he

  was only a few dozen meters from it, he realized that it was a ship he

  recognized.

  He'd seen it on the Shroud's scanners.

  The ship belonged to Boba Fett.

  CHAPTER 10

  "Boba Fett!" Platt spat the name out like a curse. "This is getting

  worse all the time!"

  Zak had brought the news back to the village as fast as he could run.

  First, he had told Tash and Uncle Hoole, adding everything that had happened

  with the strange character called Yoda.

  "Yoda," Tash had replied. "There's something about that name . . ."

  "Intriguing," Hoole had agreed. "There seems to be yet another being on

  this supposedly empty planet. But our first concern is the bounty hunter."

  So Hoole had gone immediately to tell the others. The smugglers had

  gathered in the center of the village to discuss Zak's news, but the

  Children were nowhere in sight.

  Apparently, they had managed to catch something in the swamps, and were

  eagerly preparing a rare feast. They had even converted Galt's hut into a

  kitchen to cook the food they had found.

  "How could Fett have followed us here?" Tash said in disbelief.

  "I don't know," Platt growled angrily. "But if I'd known that killer

  was after you, I'd have dropped you off on the nearest asteroid and let you

  deal with him yourselves."

  Hoole stiffened slightly. "We thought Boba Fett had been eliminated. We

  had no intention of placing you in his line of fire."

  "Yeah, well, we're there anyway, aren't we?" Platt said. "And he's

  already killed one of my men."

  Zak was surprised. "How do you know it was him?"

  "Isn't it obvious? Right now the odds are six blasters to one in our

  favor. He's trying to whittle us down before he comes in for the kill."

  Platt kicked at the soggy ground in frustration. "He's probably out there

  right now, watching us. Waiting to make his next move."

  Zak scanned the surrounding trees, but all he saw was the endless

  swamp, moss-covered trees, vines hanging from gnarled branches, and the mist

  that drifted formlessly across Dagobah's landscape.

  "How long before the ship is ready to fly?" Tash asked. Platt scowled.

  "Twenty-four hours."

  "Long enough for Fett to take us all out," Zak said.

  "Right," the smuggler agreed. "So we're not going to wait for him.

  We're going to go out there and get him."

  Tru'eb and the other smugglers were startled.

  "Go after Boba Fett?" Tru'eb growled. "Have you come down with swamp

  fever or something? He'll pick us off like fleas on a nerf."

  "And what do you think he'll do if we stick around here?" the smuggler

  snapped back.

  When Tru'eb had no answer, Platt started organizing her small gang into

  hunting parties.

  "We could use you, Hoole," Platt said to the Shi'ido. "With your

  shape-changing power, you might be able to spot the bounty hunter before he

  spots you."

  "Out of the question," Hoole replied. "My first responsibility is to my

  niece and nephew."

  Tash spoke up. "I want to find this Yoda."

  Zak felt a pang of sudden jealousy and bit his lip to stop himself from

  saying "No!" He didn't want Tash to meet Yoda. He wasn't sure why, but he

  felt a connection with the little creature. He didn't want Tash barging in.

  So he was relieved when Hoole said, "No, Tash. Remember there is a

  price on your head, too. You should stay here."

  "And do what?" Tash replied. "Wait for Boba Fett to knock on the door

  while the smugglers are out hunting?"

  "Tash, it seems-"

  "Actually," Platt interrupted, "it's not such a bad idea. I'm curious

  about this little creature myself. He's a wild card, and I don't like wild

  cards. W
hy don't I send two of my boys along with your niece and nephew to

  look for him? This creature talked to Zak once. Maybe he will again."

  In the end, Hoole relented. He knew his powers were best used in the

  hunt for Boba Fett. And with two armed smugglers for guards, Zak and Tash

  were as safe as they were going to get.

  "Be careful," Hoole said. He looked at Tash. "Listen to your instincts.

  And do not do anything rash. I will see you back here shortly."

  The smugglers broke into two parties. Platt and one of the smugglers

  went off in one direction, while Hoole, Tru'eb, and another smuggler went

  the opposite way. That left Zak, Tash, and the two remaining smugglers in

  the village just as Galt and some of the bony Children appeared, carrying a

  large pot pounded out of scrap metal.

  "Where are you going?" Galt asked. "The feast is just about to begin!"

  He held the pot under Zak's nose. It was full of a bubbling brown broth

  in which floated ribbons of fat and large chunks of meat. The delicious

  smell rising out of the pot made Zak's stomach rumble, and he realized that

  he hadn't eaten all day.

  "Come on," Tash said, tugging at his arm. "We can eat when we get

  back."

  "Maybe just a taste," said Zak, reaching to dip his finger into the

  broth.

  "Let's go!" Tash urged, pulled him away. Zak cast one longing look back

  at the untasted food and then turned away.

  He led Tash and the two smugglers in the same direction he'd gone

  before. At least, he thought it was the same. There was no stone path to

  guide them, and the ground seemed to shift and drift in the murky swamp

  water. The plants-especially the giant gnarlwood trees-all looked exactly

  alike. The trees had massive roots that grew above the surface. The roots

  were taller than the smugglers, and looked like pillars holding up the giant

  trees.

  Not pillars, Zak thought as they walked right under one of the huge,

  curving roots. More like lots of twisted, knobby legs. Did that mean the

  trees could walk?

  "So what's this little creature look like again?" one of the smugglers

  asked, resting his blaster rifle on his shoulder.

  Zak described Yoda's wrinkled, greenish skin, pointed ears, and tufts

  of wiry gray hair.

  The other smuggler laughed. "Sounds like your mother-in-law, Traut!"

  The smuggler with the blaster rifle grunted. "This Yoda sounds

  better-looking."

  "You're married?" Zak asked. "I didn't think smugglers got married."

  "Sure," Traut said. He held up his left hand. On the second to last

  finger was a silver ring. It was called a promise ring, and meant he had

  promised himself to someone special. He smiled at Zak. "You think smugglers

  can't fall in love?"

  Zak was about to respond when Traut's eyes went wide, staring in sheer

  terror at something over Zak's shoulder.

  Zak forced himself to turn around. Then he saw it, too.

  There was a giant spider standing right behind him.

  CHAPTER 11

  The spider was white and almost four meters tall. Its eight knobby legs

  were bent into vicious hooks. It bobbed up and down on those legs, then

  lunged forward to pounce on its prey.

  Zak jumped back just in time and the spider's pincerlike mouth bit into

  the soggy ground.

  "There's more of them!" Traut yelled.

  All around them, giant white spiders crawled out of the shadows beneath

  the gnarltrees. Their hundreds of scurrying feet made an eerie

  thudathudathudathudathuda sound on the carpet of moss that covered the

  ground, and their jaws clacked hungrily.

  The smugglers fired their blasters. Chunks of white flesh blew off the

  nearest spider, and thick green liquid, almost like sap, splashed out of the

  wound. The spider squealed, but instead of backing off, it charged forward.

  "Blow off its legs!" Traut yelled.

  The two smugglers poured blaster fire at the oncoming creature. The

  firestorm was so loud Zak and Tash clapped their hands over their ears to

  shut out the scream of energy bolts and the shrieks of the wounded spider.

  Bits and pieces of spider legs flew in all directions, and with a final

  squeal the spider fell to the ground.

  At least a dozen more scurried forward.

  "Back up!" Traut ordered. He pushed Zak and Tash behind him and moved

  away from the spiders. But after only a few steps, Zak felt his back pressed

  against the cold bark of a gnarltree.

  "So much for our retreat," Traut groaned. He looked at the tree. There

  was a hole in the bark large enough for a small human to pass through. Some

  tree-dwelling creature had carved a home in the gnarltree. "You two!" He

  pointed at Zak and Tash. "In there!"

  The smugglers lifted Zak and Tash and slid them one at a time into the

  hole. But as soon as the two armed men had turned their backs, the spiders

  charged. Through the open hole, Zak saw the smugglers turn and open fire.

  The nearest spider blew apart, and a knobby leg flew through the air toward

  the hole. Zak ducked as spider pieces spattered against the tree.

  Zak and Tash huddled together in their dank hiding place as the sound

  of clacking spider jaws, blaster fire, and screams continued outside.

  Then all sound stopped with terrible suddenness.

  Zak and Tash looked at each other in the gloom of their hiding place.

  "Are they-?" Tash started to ask.

  A voice came from outside. It was Traut's voice, ragged and tired.

  "Who's there? Who are you?" he shouted angrily. Then his voice calmed down.

  "Oh, it's you. We were just-agghhh!"

  Traut's final scream filled the air. A flying creature, startled by

  this last sound, flapped away into the distance. When the sound of its wings

  faded, true silence settled over the swamp.

  Zak scrambled up and out of the hole. He dropped to the ground. All

  around him was the aftermath of a gory battle. Spider parts were everywhere.

  Green spider blood ran down the bark of the trees. Nearby, one giant spider

  flopped around on its two remaining legs, then sagged down into the mud and

  lay still.

  Traut's body lay on the ground nearby, bleeding from an ugly wound to

  the head. The other smuggler was gone.

  Tash dropped down beside her brother. "Did the spiders . . . did they

  take him?"

  "I don't know," Zak whispered. He pointed to a wide, shallow line that

  had been drawn through the mud. "It looks like something dragged him off in

  that direction."

  "F . . . Fe . . ."

  "Traut's alive!" Zak rushed to the smuggler's side. His eyes were

  closed, and half his face was covered in blood. His mouth struggled to work.

  "F . . . Fe . . ."

  "Fett?" Tash guessed. "Maybe that's who he saw just now."

  Zak wasn't so sure. "Traut sounded like he knew the person he saw. And

  if it was Fett, why wouldn't he take both bodies?"

  Something rustled through a nearby bush and a sickly white form pushed

  its way forward. "More spiders!" Zak hissed. He and Tash started to back

  away.

  The figure that stepped through the bushes was as pale as a spider, but

  it walked on two legs. It was Galt,
followed by another of the Children.

  Galt looked completely surprised to see Zak and Tash standing in the

  middle of the battle scene. "Why are you here?" he asked.

  Tash explained hurriedly, "We were hiding in that tree. The spiders

  attacked. Someone, or something, dragged the other smuggler away. But

  Traut's still alive. We have to get him some help."

  Zak remembered how easily Galt had carried the body of his dead

  companion out of the swamp before. "You two have to carry him back to camp!"

  he told the skeletal man.

  "We will," Galt said simply. He and his companion lifted the wounded

  man by his shoulders and feet. Traut's eyes fluttered, and he reached out,

  clutching Zak's arm so hard that Zak felt the man's promise ring press into

  his skin. He tried to speak, but swooned again.

  "Hurry!" Zak said. "Uncle Hoole or Platt may be able to help him."

  The two Children started off through the swamp, moving faster than Zak