America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 4: Demilitarized Zone by Walter Knight Read Free Book Online Page A

“There
are riches enough for us all.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    The spider commander looked up at the
artillery and missile launchers on the hill next to that gaudy
human pestilence church. It will be an easy target, he
thought. At night, the light from that church can be seen for a
hundred miles. They think their artillery will be safe hiding next
to a church? Or under it, in tunnels? Maybe I will just nuke the
whole hill.
    The spider commander’s thoughts were
interrupted by the arrival of his engineers. He turned his
attention and anger to them. “Why has the human pestilence found
water, and all you can find is dust? They have found so much water,
they waste it on a public fountain next to that obscene statue at
the border crossing. The fools throw coins in the water. I saw it
with my own eight eyes.”
    “I do not understand it,” said the engineer.
“The geology is the same on both sides of the border. The ground
out here is like cement, but the water table should be at the same
level on both sides of the border. Maybe they have tapped into an
isolated aquifer. Or maybe we are just having bad luck.”
    “Get a human pestilence water witcher if you
have to,” said the spider commander. “I want water! If I do not get
water soon, you will learn the true and painful meaning of what it
means to have bad luck.”
     
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    Chapter 7
     
    The Angry Onion Tavern, like Walmart, was
divided by the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Unlike Walmart, bar
patrons were allowed to cross the MDL and mingle. It just was not
practical to shoot drunks who staggered across the line. The spider
commander and I were both ordered to make the concept work. It was
hoped that the Hell’s Angels Corporation, having both human and
spider membership, could further dialogue between humanity and the
spiders. In other words, the eggheads had some sociological
theories they wanted to prove, and we were the experiment.
    I pointed out to General Kalipetsis that
there were already plenty of well functioning organizations that
had both spider and human membership, such as the Foreign Legion,
various sheriffs’ offices, the Fraternal Order of Elks, and even
the Mafia. I argued that giving creditability and backing to the
Hell’s Angels, a possibly dangerous gang of drug dealers,
extortionists, and anarchists, might be a mistake. General
Kalipetsis said the Hell’s Angels concerts had positive results,
and that the decision had already been negotiated and made by the
President and the Emperor. Joint projects by humanity and the
spiders were to be given priority and encouragement, even if they
involved humans and spiders drinking themselves blind at a biker
bar on the MDL. “End of discussion.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    The first familiar face I saw at the Angry
Onion was Pastor Jim. Great. “What are you doing here?” I
asked.
    “I’m trying to get laid,” slurred Pastor Jim,
eyeing some biker babes standing at the bar. “Want to be my
wingman?”
    “I’ll pass,” I said, finding a table by the
wall so I could protect my back. Captain Lopez and Sergeant Green
soon joined me.
    “Do you think there will be any fights?”
asked Sergeant Green, checking the room for the usual suspects.
“I’ll bet a month’s pay Privates Krueger and Wayne get into it with
someone tonight.”
    “I know there is going to be at least one
fight tonight,” I said, as I downed my first whiskey. “Because I am
going to be in it.”
    “You need to set a better example for your
men,” suggested Captain Lopez. “You should not be brawling like a
recruit.”
    “As soon as that spider commander walks in,
I’m going to carve him up,” I promised. “That will be example
enough for my men.”
    About that time, several Arthropodan marines
sat at the bar next to Private Krueger. The Angry Onion was thick
with spiders. A marine sized up Private Krueger and made a comment
about Krueger being too short to sit at the bar, and that he