Monsters Win Wars: A Novella by Edward Punales Read Free Book Online

few
months, Henry had seen these commandos in countless combat
situations, but the only time they bled was during training.
    They didn’t pant, or sweat, but just stared
up at him as their tense, combat ready bodies began to relax.
Without their helmets, Henry could see the trails of tears that
glistened on their cheeks. But these were not tears of anguish at
the pain they’d endured. According to Aric, it was quite natural
for saurians to cry during combat.
    Henry didn’t want to ask anymore. He’d
resolved to spend as little time around them as possible during
training sessions. But what he found out couldn’t wait. He needed
to know what was going on.
    “What is it?” Rand asked, his voice
irritable. “I told you never to disturb us while we’re
sparing.”
    Henry held up the medical report in his hand
and said, “It’s about Sallis.” Rand’s eye’s narrowed into
slits.
    “Leave us.” Rand said to the others. The
others left through a door along the wall, as Henry descended the
stairway, to meet Rand on the ground.
    “We did a physical on him this morning.”
Henry said.
    “I ordered that you were not to do any such
thing.” Rand said. During the six months that they’d kept Sallis as
their prisoner, Rand had insisted that he be the only one to have
contact with him. The logic was that for continued interrogations
to work, that Sallis needed to feel trapped, and only having
contact with the one who interrogated him would help. Aric agreed,
again appealing to the fact that Rand was an expert interrogator
who knew what he was saying, but Henry protested. He felt that at
the very least, Sallis should be allowed an occasional visit to the
ship doctor to see if he had any health problems.
    “It’s only the humane thing to do.” Henry had
said. But they ignored him.
    That morning, against their wishes, Henry
decided to visit Sallis. The president lay in his bed, staring up
at the ceiling.
    “Mr. President?” Henry had said. The
president didn’t say anything. He didn’t speak or acknowledge
Henry’s presence. The rebel leader immediately called Emily, and
together they carried Sallis to the infirmary, where they performed
some tests, the results of which Henry had brought to the hold
where Rand had been training.
    “Well we did it anyway.” Henry said, holding
up the medical file on Sallis’ physical.
    “You defied my orders?” Rand said, more
annoyed than offended.
    “Do you know what we found?”
    “I don’t care. I am the second-in-command of
this army, and the chief interrogator. Do you have any-”
    “Shut the fuck up!” Henry interrupted. His
breathing had become hard. His arms were shaking, and his eyes
seemed to bore into Rand. The saurian didn’t say anything. Henry
held up the file, and asked, “Do you know what we found when we did
the physical?”
    Rand stared at the file silently for a few
moments, before looking back at Henry. His thin lizard lips spread
in a small smile.
    “Is he pregnant?” Rand said. Henry dropped
the folder, and punched the lizard man in the face. The force of
the punch made Rand stumble back. Henry began to nurse his fist. He
could see the diamond shape indentations on his knuckles, where
they’d collided with the scaly face.
    Once the shock of the punch had worn off, the
saurian ran up to Henry and grabbed him by the arm. He pulled him
close, and wrapped his hand around his neck.
    “Don’t ever strike me again!” Rand said, his
lizard face had become livid. He bared his dagger-like teeth, in a
menacing scowl. His eyes seemed to glow with hatred, and his claws
pressed into Henry’s skin. “If you ever strike me again, I will
slit your throat!”
    “And what would Aric say about that?!” Henry
said. The long scaly fingers around his throat began to tighten
their grip, and the claws began to sink deeper into his skin. For a
few seconds, Henry thought he was going to suffocate, or that the
lizard claws at his throat would find their way to a major