[Danny]

here's another one, fresh from the fingers...

CHAPTER 53

“So, gentlemen, what brings you here?”

The slig was the first to speak. “We’ve recaptured the escaped crossbreed. It stumbled into one of our traps. It didn’t even try to fight us, it just tried to keep walking in the direction it was going. We wondered if there was a reward for its capture?”

Snikkit frowned at him. “I thought I gave orders that you weren’t to go after the creature!”

The Director smiled at Dran’s discomfort. “Oh please, there’s no need to fight amongst ourselves. After all, the creature has been recaptured, and there was no harm done. Logging is back on schedule, and I don’t believe we have any further problems, do we?”

Snikkit’s frown deepened. “What about this female slig you have? Have you destroyed it yet?”

For the first time, The Director seemed ill at ease. “Not quite.”

“Well, when were you planning on doing it? Might I remind you that if Central Office sends an Inspector here, this operation will be closed down, and you will lose out on this profitable opportunity for study.”

Supervisor Dran’s Mobile Fone bleeped. “Excuse me,” he said, as he strolled into the corner to take the call.

The Director smiled to cover his unease. “We will have her destroyed as soon as she is recaptured…”

Snikkit stood up in panic. “You mean she’s escaped? How?”

“You can trust that the person responsible has been disciplined. Terminally, I expect, depending on the imagination of his Successor…”

“That’s unimportant, do you know where-”

“A Crawler?” Dran’s voice interrupted Snikkit’s, and the other two stopped arguing to listen. “How Far? What size was it? The Factory? What sort of defences do they have back there? Well, did you see how well the Mudokons were armed? Oh well, never mind, well done. Yes, I’m with Snikkit and the Director now, we’ll think about how to deal with them now. Thank you for the information. Goodbye.” With anxiety in his eyes, Dran closed his Fone and turned back to the others. “We have a problem…”