CHAPTER FIFTY
Abe kept all the Mudokons’ comments at a minimum as they crossed the industrialist land known as Glukksonia. The land was immediately known to belong to the Glukkons because of the pollution in the air, the taint in the water, the dry ground. It was such a pitiful sight when compared with the beauty of the Mudokons’ land.
Imagine what we could do if we had a few Storm Circles here, Abe thought grimly.
The landscape was so bleak and barren, he might almost have kept his eyes closed the whole time, if he had not been on the constant lookout for Sigs or Glukkons patrolling near the many towns and factories. Since they were in the heart of industrialist territory, probably only another day’s march from the capital, they would always have to be alert for any enemies that could be a threat…namely, all of them.
He glanced at the power pack on his Barrage 32-A laser carbine. Though not as impressive as the Snuzi, it had much more ammo and was probably even more powerful. It actually felt good to wield a weapon, after so many years of just going in with possession and his slow thinking.
Alf walked up beside him, a concerned expression on his face. “Abe…”
The hero rounded on him. “What?”
“Uh…” Alf chewed at his lip anxiously. “Ferg’s gone.”
Abe’s eyes widened. “Gone? Gone where?”
“I don’t know.” Alf sighed. “Someone must have done something very recently.”
Abe turned and glanced around the land, but he couldn’t see anything at first look. “There aren’t many places anyone can hide – someone must have dropped him.”
Alf cocked his head. “You mean, like…knocked him out?”
Abe grabbed Alf’s shoulder and hurled him roughly to the ground. Before the other Mudokon could even finish saying “What the –” Abe had joined him on the ground, and a charged Zappfly pinged off the ground only two feet above their bowed heads.
Abe let go of Alf and rolled sideways, raising his laser weapon toward the direction the Zappfly had come from. At the sight of the creature standing right there – even in the split second that he was allowed – he felt a quick flash of shock.
It was a Steef.
Then the other barrel of the huge crossbow fired, and Abe didn’t have time to duck the black-and-white striped critter that came flying out the end of the weapon. A Stunk! he realized, instants before said creature raised its fluffy tail and released a green cloud of gas into the air.
The smell was even worse than Elums’ stench, and he didn’t even have time to clutch at his bowels before he was puking wildly. His stomach wrenched and heaved from the extremely potent Stunk odor percolating through the air –
And then a second charged Zappfly caught him in the head, and everything turned to blackness…
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