Old Mars

“Just some travelers looking for a place to rest,” answered Scorpio, still unable to see the man who was speaking.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want,” said the voice.

“Thanks.”

“For ten thousand credits a night,” added the voice.

“Does that include running water and kitchen privileges?” asked Scorpio, withdrawing his burner.

The voice laughed. “I like you, fellow Earthman!” it said. “It would be a shame to kill you over something as trivial as a few thousand credits. Put the burner away, pull out your money, and we can all be friends.”

“All?” said Scorpio.

“Did I neglect to mention that you’re surrounded?”

“By two naked monkeys from Titan and an Earthman who hasn’t got the courage to show himself?” replied Scorpio. “I may just faint dead away from fear.”

Where are the other two?

One’s twenty degrees to the left of where you’re facing, the other is thirty degrees to the right.

I don’t know from degrees. Give me a reference point.

One’s in front of the doorway to the crystal building on the left, and if you follow the right wing of the flyer straight out seventy meters you’ll find the other one.

You’d better be right, thought Scorpio, pointing his burner at the crystal building, pressing the firing mechanism, and moving the barrel so that it covered the entire front of the building.

There was an inhuman scream. Scorpio dropped to one knee, fired where the right wing of the flyer was pointing, and was rewarded with a wail of agony an instant later.

“I’ll kill you for that!” cried the human voice.

Stand next to me—quick!

Scorpio grabbed Quedipai and pulled him over to where Merlin was crouching. The ground where they had been standing exploded a second later.

“Nice try,” yelled Scorpio. “But now you’re outnumbered three to one. Maybe you’d like to call it quits. Just put ten thousand credits on the ground and walk away safe and sound.”

He was answered by a curse and another explosion, this one blowing the landing gear off the flyer.

“We’d better do something soon,” said Scorpio softly. “If he hits the ship broadside, we’re hundreds of miles from any transportation.”

“He must have transport,” offered Quedipai. “He couldn’t have walked here if he’s trying to elude the law. And the natives of Titan are bigger than Earthmen, so clearly his transport can accommodate all three of us.”

“Cutie Pie, you’re getting better at this all the time,” said Scorpio. “Okay, Merlin, we won’t worry about the ship. Let’s just concentrate on taking him out.”

But the Venusian was no longer there.

“Here!” said Scorpio urgently, handing his burner to Quedipai. “Start firing it nonstop, and aim about ten or fifteen feet above the ground.” The Earthman got the sonic blaster and began doing the same.

“I assume there’s a reason for this,” said Quedipai.

“Merlin’s gone,” said Scorpio. “That means he’s after the man, and we don’t want to hit him by accident. We just want the man to be concentrating on us.”

“Will Merlin be able to find him?”

Scorpio nodded as he continued firing. “His eyesight’s none too good, and his sense of smell is no better than mine, but somehow he can home in on thoughts. Any politician would want to shoot him on sight.”

The far side of the flyer took a direct hit and caved in.

“Damn!” muttered Scorpio. “He’s getting close.”

Distract him.

He’d damned well better have come in a flyer, thought Scorpio. Aloud he said: “Cutie Pie, turn the burner on the flyer!”

“What?” said the Martian, confused.

“Just do it!” snapped Scorpio as he aimed the sonic blaster at it and blew out all the windows.

Quedipai followed suit, and a second later the interior to the flyer was ablaze.

And almost instantaneously, they heard a single hideous scream from about ninety yards away in the darkness.

“Okay, you can stop now,” said Scorpio.

“We were creating a distraction, were we not?” asked Quedipai.

“Well, a confusion, anyway,” replied Scorpio.

A moment later, Merlin trotted back to the ship.

“You okay?”

A little bruised, but that will just make dinner taste all the better.

Dinner?

Don’t ask.

What about their weapons?

Old and not very efficient. Ours are better.

I trust you destroyed them?

Of course.

“Well,” announced Scorpio, “there’s no sense staying in or near what’s left of the ship. Let’s see what the city has to offer in the way of lodging.”