Myth 13 - Myth Alliances Asprin, Robert (top 100 novels .TXT) 📖

this sorry little sheep has any?thing to do with transdimensional travelers?” Oshleen asked, in a bored voice, filing her nails with a twelve-​inch rasp. “Plenty of people know we're here. When we started having to seek out venture capital to try and re?coup our losses we had to let them know where we were. Niki's intruders could be industrial spies who are taking advantage of the fact that we are having some unrest to rip us off.”

“It could be bill collectors,” Tenobia grumbled. “I told you these stupid Wuhses would spend us out of house and home.”

“They usually send a notice before showing up,” Osh-

leen reminded her, “and I've been keeping them placated with small payments. It has to be that wizard.”

“It's a coincidence! It's snoops from some other con?cern on Perv.”

'The timing's suspicious,“ Loorna retorted, dropping her prisoner to confront Oshleen. ”I've been around a long time, and I don't believe in coincidences."

“What were they looking for?” Paldine asked. “I've kept my research hush-​hush. The dimensions where we're planning to sell this gadget haven't got enough magik to blow their noses, let alone shake Niki on her own ground. There's a high-​powered wizard out there.”

“It's probably this Great Skeeve,” Charilor interjected. “He's the one who got us locked up on Scamaroni. Well?” she turned to the Wuhs, who cowered in the corner.

“It's bill collectors,” Tenobia insisted. “Who knows what the Wuhses bought in the last week? With the treasu?ry empty there's no money for the Wuhses to steal to pay for their purchases. They're looking for saleable assets or collateral.”

Loorna lost her patience. She jumped at Wensley and held him high in the air by his collar.

'Talk!“ she shrieked. ”Where is that damned D-​hopper?"

“I don't care if you torment me, foul green viragoes,” Wensley choked out, drawing up his narrow chest as far as he could over his little round belly. “I will not betray my friends.”

“Oh, now it sounds like he read a book,” Charilor sneered.

Caitlin laughed. “What would you know about reading books, you rave queen?”

“Girls!” Nedira snapped. “He's confessing, and you won't even let him speak.”

“I am not confessing,” the Wuhs protested, then clamped his plump lips shut. The Pervects looked at each other in disbelief.

“A Wuhs with a backbone,” Vergetta hooted. “I never believed such a thing existed.”

“Threaten to tear his legs off,” Caitlin suggested.

“Talk, or I'll tear your legs off!” Loorna shouted.

“Now shake him until his teeth rattle.”

Loorna shook her fist, and the Wuhs's limbs flailed like those of a rag doll.

“Wait a minute!” she demanded, looking at the youn?gest Pervect. “Who's conducting this interrogation? You or me?”

“Oh, you can, if you really want to,” Caitlin yawned, leaning back in her chair. “I figured as long as you were go?ing by the book I could just coach you. It saves time.”

“Why isn't anyone taking this seriously?” Paldine asked. “Our future is at stake here.”

“I am. You're pretty brave for a sheep,” Loorna hissed right in Wensley's face, “keeping your mouth shut. Got some Dutch courage from somewhere? I don't smell any alcohol on you.”

“I need no alcohol. I know I don't have to tell you any?thing!”

Loorna grinned. “Well, I don't know if you've ever taken a look downstairs in the dungeons of this sweet little palace of yours. You keep talking about how your ancestors were always so peaceful, cooperative and nice, but I'm here to tell you that there is some pretty nasty torture equipment down there that even Pervects would never have thought of using on another living being. I am just on the edge of taking you down there and using some of it on you. Or,” she leaned close enough so that the Wuhs could see the gold flecks in her bright yellow eyes, “we'll make you eat some of our food. Talk!”

Myth 13 - Myth Alliances

TWENTY-TWO

'What does this have to do with assembling the Death Star?"

G. M. TARKIN

“Whew!” I whistled, as we emerged in the tidy gardens of Kobol. Zol stood up from the marble bench where he had been waiting for us. “Do you think that Pervect got a good look at us?”

“I think we must assume,” Zol replied, “that she did see us as we were, undisguised. And if she did not, there were plenty of witnesses to our tour. I think you must assume that she will have a full description of us very soon. The Wuhses are more adept at self-​preservation than they are at maintaining discreet silence.”

“You mean they'll save their own skins,” Tananda translated.

"More than that: the odd behavior that we all witnessed among a segment of the workers indicates to me that they are engaged upon an enterprise of which even they are un?aware. You saw the look of stupefaction on the faces of those males. They all believe that they make handcrafts, but it is clear from the involuntary re-​creation of the repet-

itive motions they went through that it could be nothing of the sort. Since Wuhses cannot keep a secret they must not know it."

“The situation is worse than I thought Ñworse than Wensley thought,” I stated grimly. “Not only are the Pervects in total control of the country, they're bending the minds of the inhabitants. It's inhumane.”

“What do you suppose it is that they're making?” Bunny asked. “It seemed when that fellah pounded on the top that it looked like something mechanical.”

“Some kind of armaments?” Tananda guessed. “But it's nothing I've seen anywhere, in or out of the Assassins Guild.”

“It does rather look like a weapon of some kind,” Zol suggested. “How curious. There