Inferno: A Chronicle of a Distant World (The Galactic Comedy) by Mike Resnick Read Free Book Online

imagine the ground trembling beneath his feet, and the thought occurred to her that Emperor Bobby, all protests to the contrary, would not be heartbroken to see the champion of the Rizzali humbled in front of this assemblage. It was not an attitude that was shared by the other jasons in the audience, who roared their approval as Labu shuffled ponderously around the ring, trying to loosen his bulging muscles.
    A human referee climbed into the ring, brought the fighters together for their last-minute instructions, then sent them to their corners. Wycynski kept dancing and shadow-boxing, working up a mild sweat, while Labu simply stood in his corner, his arms draped over the ropes, smiling to the some of his Rizzali tribal brothers in the crowd.
    Then the bell rang, and Wycynski moved to the center of the ring, bobbing, weaving, jabbing, ducking. Labu seemed to approach him almost in slow motion, and threw a huge roundhouse right. The human segment of the audience gasped, then relaxed as Wycynski ducked it, stepped inside, and threw a flurry of six rights and left to the jason's midsection, then danced back out of reach with the Men's cheers ringing in his ears. Labu seemed more surprised than hurt, grinned foolishly at his opponent, and plodded after him. Each time he came within reach, Wycynski moved in quickly, delivered another flurry of punches, and withdrew before Labu could counter.
    "They might as well stop it," said Cartright to Bobby. "Your fighter will be lucky to land a punch all night."
    The sitate mumbled some answer, but never took his eyes from the ring.
    Beddoes was watching the ring, too, and wondered if anyone else saw what she was seeing: that despite the fact that Wycynski was hitting him at will, Gama Labu seemed none the worse for all the punishment he was taking. He still had that foolish grin on his face, he still pursued his opponent doggedly if not gracefully, he seemed to feel no need to protect himself from the human champion's heaviest blows. And despite all the excess weight he was carrying, he wasn't puffing or gasping for air. You may not look like much , thought Beddoes, as the fighters returned to their corners amid much cheering from the humans and almost total silence from the jasons, but you are one hell of a remarkable specimen.
    By the third round, Labu had convinced himself that his foe could do him no damage, and he walked out to the middle of the ring when the bell rang, spread his arms out, and invited Wycynski to take his best shot. The human looked surprised, but he wasted no time in accepting Labu's offer, and pummeled him for a full thirty seconds, stopping only when Labu broke out in peals of amused laughter, which was suddenly echoed by the jasons in the audience.
    And suddenly the nature of the fight changed, for now Labu, who had still not landed a blow, began stalking Wycynski in earnest, and somehow, although he continued to move flat-footed, with his head down and his belly hanging over the elastic band of his shorts, Beddoes began to appreciate that he had a certain alien grace, that a Man moving like this might appear slovenly but that the jason seemed like an engine of destruction, bearing down relentlessly on his opponent. He cut off the ring, backed Wycynski into a corner, and moved in for what everyone in the crowd sensed would be the kill.
    Wycynski was a champion, and he fought back like one, but the enormous jason merely shrugged off his blows and began pounding him, a right to the head, a left to the chest, a right to jaw. With each punch, the jasons cheered wildly and the human's knees buckled more. Finally Labu turned to Emperor Bobby, and offered another clumsy salute, and the crowd, both jason and human, became suddenly silent. For just an instant Beddoes seemed to think he was staring directly at her and Cartright; then he grinned happily, turned back to his opponent, and delivered one final blow to the head. Wycynski collapsed, totally senseless, to the