Capter 49
I snuck across the camp, carefully reviewing the directions in my mind. Down the main road, past the grey tent, left at the corner, and …
Bingo!
There it was - easily the biggest tent in the area. A big red flag with the Magog Cartel logo emblazoned on it was draped over the opening, like a curtain-door.
But I likely couldn’t slip in the front way. Not if this was a glukkon’s Big Cheese tent.
So I crept up the road, thankful no sligs were in sight, and slipped around the tent to the back side, hoping to find …
Yes! A back entrance. This was exactly what I needed. I pulled back the flap covering the opening - ever so slowly! - and peered inside.
There was a massive desk not far from me. Seated at it was a large, lanky glukkon dressed all in black and covered in medals. He wore an eye patch and, oddly, a hair piece, which sat slightly askew on his head. He appeared to be deeply asleep. The desk itself was littered with papers, pens, an overturned bottle of Chill Pills, and a laptop “come-pew-tear” with a blank display screen.
By the front entrance are several mudokons, but no sligs. At all.
How lucky was I?
The mudokons were quietly whispering to each other, not really paying the glukkons any attention. Let sleeping slogs lie, as they say.
I tiptoed into the room, so as not to wake the glukkons. But now, my luck ran out. I tripped over some item - could’ve been a rock, a bone, a turd, who knows - and went toppling over …
Right onto Bung’s desk.
I righted myself in a hurry, sending the few strewn papers flying, and made a mad dash to the back entrance. I was already slipping between the tent flaps when I noticed the glukkon hadn’t started yelling. In fact, he hadn’t reacted at all.
I slowly turned … and sure enough, Bung hadn’t budged.
Creeping closer to the desk, I slowly came to a realization: that old gluk was probably dead.
It wasn’t until I had gotten directly in his face that I decided he was. A little runnel of blood was running out of Bung’s mouth, and was already drying. His mouth was hung open in a sort of “I’m-sleeping-and-would-be-snoring-if-I-could” sort of way. And the typical dim orange glow common among glukkons eyes was out completely.
Then it hit me.
[VISION]
Bung is pacing slowly in his chamber. He is alone - his sligs have gone to investigate some shooting down by the slig tents. He is desperate for something that will mellow him out, but … he’s been taking far too many as it is … and the Vykker totally told him to lay back … but this one dose couldn’t hurt … just one more pill, then he can relax … but he can’t get the bottle open without a slig in here … but just one pill should be easy enough to get out … there is a way for a fully dressed gluk of high regard to open such a bottle without degrading himself by becoming undressed ….
So Bung tipped forward and knocked the bottle over. The lid popped easily off and several small, glorious, green Chill Pills spilled out. Bung greedily gobbled them directly off the table, and within minutes felt an immense wave of relief wash over him.
Now the dreams will come, Bung knows. And that’s fine. Because the dreams are nice, and the dreams don’t need results. The dreams are full of “Take your time” and “Don’t rush things” and “You’re doing great.”
Bung fell back into his chair with a dopey open-mouthed grin plastered on his dying face. He didn’t even know he went.
[/VISION]
That mystery cleared up, I was quick to call over the other mudokons in the tent. After a brief exchange - All o’ ya! Follow me! Okay. - they trotted over.
“Hey, guys, I need you to take all those clothes and things off of Bung, okay?”
The mudokons were instantly - and unsurprisingly - disgusted and quite hesitant.
“But, guys, come on … can you help me out here?”
Several moans. One mud muttered “Yeah, whatever …” under his breath. I let it slide.
Meanwhile, I had to contact … what was her name? Draino? Doorknob?
{Druna?} spoke a female voice in my head.
I jumped about a mile out of my skin before I realized it was Druna, the chick Patch was with when I needed the glukkon power granted.
{Yeah … it’s me.} I didn’t know what else to say. I felt like a schmuck for forgetting her name.
{Did you need something?}
I nodded, as though she could see me … and then slapped my forehead. One of the mudokons working to disrobe Bung’s lifeless body gave me a confused look, but soon dismissed it.
{Yes, please. Can you give me the glukkon morph? Please?} I sounded almost like a child.
{Of course. But next time you forget my name, I’m going to leave you high and dry.} She was trying to sound very stern, but the mental bond we shared said otherwise. She understood, and likely had forgotten about me entirely.
I thanked her and turned to the mudokons, who had already finished stripping the dead glukkon.
“Guys, this is gonna be a little weird, but I need you to trust me, okay?”
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