by Brian Bakos
I yanked my eyes away. When I looked back, both enemy Kintz were watching the game. The Captain was leaned forward, gripping his knees. The long, powerful fingers strained with bottled-up violence, his face was hard and intense. His body may have been present on the bleacher, but his mind was out on the court doing battle.
The game was faster and rougher than at the sports club. Quentin played great, but I was certain he’d get creamed any second. The scrambling action rushing back and forth on the court made me feel dizzy. The imitation eggs I’d eaten for breakfast churned around and threatened to come back up.
I closed my eyes, but the dizziness got worse. I wanted to run away, but simply didn’t have the energy.
I couldn’t watch the game anymore. I couldn’t look at the purple guys or at the vast arena swirling around me. I fixed my eyes on the sidelines where a half dozen attendants stood watching the action.
I tried to become as still as they were.
Amazing how Kintz could stand so utterly motionless, like statues almost. Minutes passed and none of the attendants made the slightest move, not even when the ball hissed by them and the players struggled past. I had paid little attention to these flunkies in the past, but now I studied them closely, so as to occupy my brain.
I was getting better at telling the Kintz apart. The attendants were actually all quite different from each other, despite their similar uniforms, hair, and complexions. The one standing in back actually looked a bit familiar. Had he been with the welcoming committee?
“Oh!” the onlookers cried.
A big fight had started on the court, a half dozen players all swinging away at each other. My heart leaped. Was Quentin involved? ...
No, thank heaven! He was off to the side with Eddie and Calvin protecting him.
Then the robot referees swooped in and broke things up in their usual gentle manner. The game resumed, and my heart settled back down. I returned to watching the attendants.
The one in back was slipping away from the group now and moving toward the reserve robot referee. The others did not seem to notice. What was he up to?
“Cool!” Ilona shouted.
Quentin had broken from the pack and was heading toward the goal. Defensemen chased him, but he outran their clumsy efforts. He smacked the ball past the goalie and bright lights flashed. The little crowd cheered.
Quentin leaped ten feet in the air and hovered with his stick over his head, pumping a victory salute. Typical.
I looked back toward the sidelines. The attendant was at the reserve robot now – something was wrong. With a violent jerk, the attendant tore off his green jumpsuit. He wore another one underneath it. Purple!
“Oh!” I grabbed Ilona.
The attendant jumped on the robot. The machine zoomed across the court – right at Quentin.
“Look out, Quentin!” I shrieked.
The crowd gasped. Quentin turned toward the onrushing enemy. Too late.
The robot grabbed him in its spidery arms. It shot straight up at incredible speed, aiming for the hole in the dome. Quentin’s scream trailed behind: AAAHHHHhhhhh ...
Then he was gone.
22: Chaos
I sat frozen, staring up at the dome with my mouth gaping. Nobody moved or made a sound. Then the two purple observers stood up and the awful spell broke.
“Get them!” Calvin shouted.
The Purples headed for the passageway, but the elders and other spectators blocked it. Our team charged off the court, Eddie in the lead.
“Yaaa!” He dove into the enemy Captain and knocked him over.
But the Captain was soon back up, holding Eddie in an arm lock.
“Desist!” he shouted. “We are not responsible!”
But our team was not in the mood for discussion. They rushed the Purples with howls on their lips and murder in their hearts.
The enemy players fought back hard, and for a moment I thought they might actually escape. But our players swarmed all over them, knocking them down into a great heap of pounding fists and shouts.
“Ohhh ...” Everything swirled around me.
I put my hands over my face, they were ice cold. A bare instant before fainting, I managed to duck my head between my knees.
“Lady Amanda!” The girls cried.
Blood rushed back into my numbed brain, the fainting spell passed. I sat back up.
“We must get you back to your chambers,” Ilona said.
“Yeah ...” My own voice seemed distant to me.
The elders had stopped the massacre. The two Purples were on their feet now, battered and bloodied, with our guys pinning back their arms. Eddied grabbed the purple Captain’s medallion and snapped it off its chain.
“You dishonor us both,” the Captain protested.
Eddie waved the medallion in the Captain’s face like a weapon. “I’ll do a lot more than that, punk!”
The girls helped me to my feet.
“Please stay here, Ilona,” I said, “find out whatever you can.”
I stumbled toward the passageway with Kimmy and Tricia propping me up.
***
An hour or two passed, I couldn’t do anything except cry like a helpless baby. Tricia and Kimmy stayed with me, but I had never felt so utterly alone.
Quentin was gone! What were those horrible creatures doing to him – how could I ever get home?
If only I was a tough, macho guy I could handle things better. Then again, Quentin had been surrounded by macho guys and they couldn’t do a thing. Eddie said they’d protect him. So, why didn’t they?
Finally, I was able to sleep a little.
When I woke up, I felt much stronger – as if all my terror and worry had wrung out with the tears. The situation was no less horrible, though. Kimmy and Tricia were gone, but Ilona was standing nearby. I sat up on my hover bed.
“What did you find out,” I said, “is Quentin okay?”
“As far as we know, yes,” Ilona said. “The enemy has opened negotiations.”
Relief washed over me, followed by dark suspicion.
“What kind of negotiations?” I said.
“The enemy offers to exchange their two best players for Prince Quentin,” Ilona said. “None of them will participate in the final contest. Once the game is finished, all hostages will be released unharmed.”
I thought this over, it didn’t take long to see through it.
“Bull!” I said.
Ilona looked confused. “What is this ‘bull,’ Lady Amanda – a male animal of some sort?”
“No, no. It’s what my dad says when somebody tries to put one over on him.”
“What is this ‘put one over?’” Ilona said.
“Forget it,” I said. “The thing is, we have to stop them.”
“But my father and the Council elders are inclined to accept the offer,” Ilona said. “What else can we do?”
I slid off my hover bed and began stalking the room.
“We can show some backbone,” I said. “The Purple Nazis wouldn’t sacrifice their two best players unless they were really afraid of Prince Quentin.”
“So it would seem,” Ilona said, “but the elders think that – ”
“I’m sick of those old phonies!”
Ilona looked shocked.
“Er, sorry Ilona,” I said. “I didn’t mean to insult your dad or anything.”
Fortunately, Tricia and Kimmy came in from the hall just then. They stood with Ilona by the hover bed.
“Quentin is the key,” I said. “Without him we lose the game, then the Purple Nazis invade Earth.”
“A lamentable outcome for certain,” Ilona said, “perhaps it is fated to be.”
“Well, I’m an American,” I said, “we don’t think like that.”
“So it would seem,” Ilona said.
“I’m half Russian, too,” I said, “and they are very tough people. We beat the Nazis together once before and we can do it again – even if a billion of them land in our
backyard!”
The brave words carried me along. I had to keep moving or I’d fall over, like riding a bike. I needed to get as far away as possible from that fainting little girl back in the arena.
“Can you get me in to see the purple hostages?” I said.
“Lady Amanda,” Ilona said, “this is unheard of!”
“All the better,” I said, “nobody will expect it, then.”
“Perhaps it could be arranged,” Ilona said, “but to what end?”
I took a deep breath to buck myself up. I didn’t feel a bit wobbly now.
“I’m going after Quentin,” I said. “Maybe those Purple guys know something I can use.”
Part Three: Rescue Attempt
23: The Purple Hostages
It took me a while to convince Ilona. I had to play the Lady Amanda role to the hilt, like I was some royal big shot. I felt like gagging on the role, but I kept at it until she finally agreed to help.
Ilona was a “tough nut to crack” as my dad would say, but once she put her mind to it, things happened fast. She left my apartment; fifteen minutes later she was back with two extra translator ear pieces.
“These should suffice for the interview,” she said. “Tricia, Kimmy – you stay here. Tell no one about this. Got it?”
“Yes, Ilona,” they said.
Wow! Ilona sure was a take charge type when she wanted to be.
“Shall we go, Lady Amanda?” she asked.
“Lead on,” I said.
An elevator ride down, a short walk, and we were at the “jail.” It was really just another apartment like mine with a couple of guards at the door.
They held long stick clubs and wore official green pouches over their shoulders. They were thin, like all Kintz, but seemed puffed up with authority.
Ilona approached as if she was their commanding officer. At first, I didn’t think they’d let us in, but she kept talking until they finally opened the door. We followed them inside.
“Nice work, Ilona,” I whispered.
“The Council President’s family carries weight,” she replied, “even the females.”
The two purple flame ball players sat on the hover bed. Thick cables surrounded them, forming a sort of cage around half the room. These black cables seemed alive, almost, and writhed around a bit like snake bodies.
“Leave us alone with the captives, please,” Ilona told the guards. “And don’t disturb us unless we call.”
The guards headed for the door. One of them brushed against Ilona. It looked to me as if she had intentionally stepped in his way.
“Excuse me, my lady,” he said.
The guards left. The two hostages glowered at us silently with their smoldering red eyes. The Captain still wore his cape and the silvery chain around his neck.
“You would do well to show proper respect when ladies of quality visit,” Ilona said.
The Captain looked a bit surprised. “Of course.”
He stood and offered a slight bow – rather sarcastic if you ask me.
“Use these.” Ilona handed over the translators. “Lady Amanda wishes to address you directly.”
“So, this is the famous Lady Amanda,” the Captain said. “Perhaps I should feel honored.”
I waited for them to put on the translators, then I said: “Feel any way you want, just tell me what I need to know.”
The two Purples glanced at each other, the Captain spoke again: “I have heard that you Earth Americans waste few words, that would seem to be true.”
I nodded.
“Very well.” A rather mocking smile crept over the Captain’s thin lips. “How may we be of assistance?”
He had a cool, dangerous look, as if he could turn violent any second. At the same time, he was rather cute – in an exotic, bad boy sort of way.
Did he think I was cute, too? I found myself smoothing back my hair.
Get a grip, Amanda! I slammed my mind shut against the Captain’s obvious charms.
“I need to know what happened in the arena today,” I said.
The Captain’s face darkened, and his little smile disappeared.
“We were betrayed!” he spat. “We gave our solemn oath to play the enemy team and its puny humans. Now we are made out to be liars.”
“Oh?” I said. “Who did that to you?”
The Captain seemed too upset to speak, he was actually trembling. His sidekick piped up.
“The Supreme Council must have ordered this treachery,” he said. “Those cowards believe we cannot handle a mere boy like this Prince Quentin.”
“Maybe Prince Quentin is tougher than you think,” I said.
“Certainly,” sidekick said, “we could always use him for an attendant.”
I decided not to argue, as it wouldn’t get me anywhere.
“Our Fuehrer is old and sick, now,” the Captain said. “The Council has stolen his powers.”
“Fuehrer,” the same title Hitler had used. I swallowed and tried to keep a straight face.
“We need a vigorous young leader for our people,” the Captain said, “someone to carry on the Fuehrer’s wise policies.”
“You wouldn’t have anyone in mind, would you?” I asked.
The Captain gave me a long, thoughtful look through his crimson eyes.
“Lady Amanda’s reputation for intelligence would seem to be well founded,” he said.
“I’m smart enough to see that we’re in the same jam,” I said. “We have to get Prince Quentin back so you can all play in the final contest.”
The Captain looked surprised again. He glanced at sidekick. Then they both started to laugh, if you could call the nasty, crackling noise laughter.
“How does Lady Amanda propose to do this?” the Captain said. “Simply appear at the prison tower and ask them to release the Earth American?”
“Well, yeah ... if I have to,” I said.
The Captain laughed again. “You wouldn’t get ten feet into our side of Core City. Not unless we came with you, and that doesn’t seem very likely, does it?”
No it didn’t. My bold rescue plan was crashing down before it could even get started.
“Perhaps arrangements can be made,” Ilona said.
She opened her hand. A little metallic rectangle sat in her palm.
“Huh!” the Purples gasped.
The laughter vanished from their faces, replaced by an almost comical shock. I took Ilona’s arm and brought her to the farthest corner of the apartment.
“What is that thing?” I whispered
“It is the key to their restraints,” Ilona said. “I stole it from the guard.”
I must have looked as shocked as the Purples.
“Come now, Lady Amanda,” Ilona said, “it is obvious that they are the only ones who might bring us to Prince Quentin.”
I fought to get my spinning head under control. Incredible and frightening possibilities gaped ahead of me like the Grand Canyon. Could I possibly be brave enough to attempt a rescue mission – with those two dangerous guys, no less?
Sure, I’d said I’d do it, but that was back when it seemed impossible. Now a real opportunity was staring me in the face.
“Lady Amanda?” Ilona said. “Are you all right?”
“Yes ...” I shook my head hard to get some sense back into it.
“We can’t both go, Ilona,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Nobody must know that you’re involved,” I said, “it could ruin everything. Besides, you’re too valuable as a hostage if we get caught.”
“But Lady Amanda, I can’t allow you to go alone with those brutes!”
I glanced toward the hostages. They were having their own whispered conference.
“Look at them,” I said, “they almost fought off our whole flame ball team. There’s nothing you can do to protect me.”
“But ...”
“Let’s get started before the guard misses that key gizmo,” I said.
And befor
e my nerve gave out, too.
24: Break Out
I moved toward the prisoners.
“I have a proposal for you two,” I said, “if you’re brave enough to try it.”
The Captain arched an eyebrow. “What?”
“If we let you go, will you help me rescue Prince Quentin so that you can all play in the final contest?”
“Agreed,” the Captain said.
“You have to give your most solemn oath,” I said. “Only the three of us go, Ilona stays on Neutral Isle.”
The Purples nodded.
“And you won’t hurt anyone,” I said, “not on our side, anyway. If you have to crack a few heads on your own side, that’s okay.”
Both of them snapped to attention and placed fists over their hearts.
“My word is my honor!” They said.
“Well ... that’ll have to do,” I said.
Ilona pressed a button on the gizmo, and the cables fell flat. The Purples stepped out of their cage.
I closed my eyes. Here it comes, I thought, we’re dead. Or maybe we’ll suffer the “fate worse than death,” like they say in the old stories.
But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the Purples crept toward the door. The Captain reached an open hand toward Ilona. She gave him the key gizmo, then she started screaming.
“Help! Help!”
The door burst open.
I grabbed Ilona and tumbled to the floor with her. We lay there like characters in some cheap movie waiting to get rescued. The guards charged in, and the Purples jumped them from behind.
The guards couldn’t put up much of a fight. The Purples quickly disarmed them and shoved them inside the reactivated cage.
The Captain jabbed a threatening finger at them.
“Remain silent for half an hour,” he ordered, “then we’ll release the hostage unharmed. Otherwise ... ”
He made a crunching gesture with his fist. The guards looked helplessly at Ilona.
“Please do as he demands,” she said. “My life depends upon it!”
The Captain took me up in his arms, sidekick gathered up Ilona, and we were off trotting down the empty hallway.
“Is this necessary?” I asked.
“You wish to appear as a prisoner, do you not?” the Captain said. “It would hardly do if someone spied you running after us.”
Actually, I might have been able to keep up with them on foot. Like all Kintz, these Purples were slower than humans. So ... Quentin still had his speed advantage over them.
