Jack Vance - Gaean Reach 01 by Gray Prince Read Free Book Online Page B

“Sky-shark!”
    Not fast enough. An explosion: metal cracked and groaned; the Apex shuddered and sagged by the stern. Down to the side swooped the sky-shark—a narrow platform with a curved windshield and a long concave bow-cone, which functioned both as gun and lance on those occasions when the pilot might wish to dart low and spit an enemy.
    The sky-shark swerved, rolled and went streaking high. The Apex hung dangerously down by the stern. Jemasze manipulated the controls and managed to control the rate of descent. Down swung the sky-shark; the Apex shuddered to another impact. Jemasze cursed under his breath. The ground came up to meet them; Jemasze used every ounce of thrust remaining to break the fall, almost toppling the Apex over on its back.
    The Apex settled upon the flinty soil. Jemasze seized a gun from a locker and jumped to the ground but the sky-shark, fleeting into the west, had disappeared.
    Kelse staggered to the radio and attempted a call. “Nothing. No power.”
    Jemasze said, “He shot away our rear pods—to bring us down, not to kill us.”
    “Rather sinister,” said Kelse. “We might learn more about rascolade than we want to know.”
    “Get the guns from the locker,” said Jemasze. “There should be a grenade tube there as well.”
    Schaine, Elvo and Kelse joined Jemasze on the ground. Kelse went over to the wrecked Sturdevant and peered within. He returned with a grim face. “He’s there. Dead.”
    Elvo Glissam looked in bewilderment from wrecked Sturdevant to wrecked Apex to Kelse. He started to speak, then held his tongue. Schaine blinked back tears. Five years wasted on Tanquil; five years gone because of arrogance and pride and reckless emotions—and now she’d never see her father again.
    Gerd Jemasze asked Kelse: “Did you identify the Blues?”
    “Most likely Hunge. They’re certainly not Ao. The erjins show a white ruff, so they’re not Garganche.”
    “You three take shelter behind the Apex,” said Jemasze. “If they come around from the north, open fire. I’m going out yonder to intercept them, and maybe reduce the odds a bit.”
    Kelse went behind the Apex; Schaine followed and Elvo more slowly, looking doubtfully after Jemasze who was trotting off in a half-crouch toward a knoll of compacted sand a quarter-mile west. “Why is he going out there?”
    “To kill some Blues,” said Kelse. “Do you know how to use this gun?”
    “I’m afraid not.”
    “It’s quite simple. Fix that yellow dot on your target and touch this button. Trajectory is automatically computed. You’re shooting OB-16 explosive pellets which should take out a Blue and an erjin together.”
    Elvo Glissam scowled down at the gun. “Are you sure they’re hostile?”
    “If they’re Hunge, they’re hostile. They’ve got no business here on the Dramalfo; this is Garganche territory. Even if they’re Garganche they’re hostile, unless they keep clear of us. They know the rules.”
    “If there are thirty of them, I wouldn’t think we have much chance. Shouldn’t we try to parley with them?”
    “Pointless. As for the odds, Gerd went out to even things up a bit.”
    Reaching the knoll, Jemasze scrambled up to a clump of dwarf ibix on the crest. The Uldras, still a mile distant, came bounding forward at full speed, flourishing their ancient Two Star thio-manuals. Jemasze scanned the sky. No sign of the sky-shark; perhaps it hung somewhere up against the sun, unseen in the pink dazzle.
    The Uldras approached and Jemasze saw that they were Hunge indeed. They came directly toward him, apparently ignoring the possibility of ambush, which suited Jemasze very well. He settled himself comfortably, arranged the grenade tube to the side, and thrust his gun forward. The Hunge bounded close; he could hear the panting cries of the erjins. Jemasze selected the leader: a tall man in flapping gray and yellow robes, with a headdress fashioned from a human skull. He touched the trigger button, then