CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
Lord Fragg could not decide whether to have a scowl or a grin on his face as he neared the gates of Mantin City once again. He was almost looking forward to talking with King Glok again – and when he did talk to the king, it would be his gun that spoke. It was high time to rid Glukksonia of that wimpy little jerk and install himself on the throne. He would never have to search for Abe again, because he would be his own master.
Still, the sight of the spindly-legged metal monsters patrolling around the city gates were a bit of a surprise to him. He waved one hand, motioning for his Sligs to move back.
“Not you,” he hissed to one of them. “Go check that thing out. Talk to it.”
The Slig swallowed hard. “Me?”
Fragg cocked his gun. “Yeah, you.”
The soldier tried to stand tall and raise his gun high in a brave manner, but he looked terrified as he crept toward the metal creature. Fragg watched from behind cover as the Slig moved close to the thing.
When the soldiers was within twenty meters, the robot’s head swiveled to point at the Slig – along with a gun on the underside of its body. “State the password.”
The Slig looked once at Fragg. “I…I don’t know –”
Immediately the gun on its underside opened up in a spray of laserfire, and before he could scream the Slig crashed to the ground in a dead heap.
“Intruder neutralized,” the robot said, and resumed patrolling.
Fragg twirled his gun. “Well, that complicates things…”
Suddenly, the loudspeakers on the side of the wall crackled to life in a burst of static, and Humphrey’s voice came out of it. “Lord Fragg! Is that you out there?”
Taking a deep breath, the Glukkon moved out of cover. “Yeah, it’s me.”
“So glad to see you! Sorry about the Snoozer – they haven’t been totally trained about what people to let into the city.”
Fragg wondered what Humphrey was doing on the loudspeaker system, then nodded. “Tell it to stand down and we’ll come inside.”
Humphrey’s chuckle sounded like it came from an electronic demon. “Oh, do come inside. I’ve got everything arranged for your arrival. Snoozers! Let Lord Fragg by.”
The loudspeaker clicked off ominously.
Fragg scratched his chin with a finger. Humphrey’s words “everything arranged for your arrival” sounded like a trap…but the Vykker had always been loyal to him. And the Snoozers were no longer patrolling around, since Humphrey had ordered them to stop.
He drew himself up in a manner that showed his high rank; he was not a coward and he would never be one.
“Let’s go in,” he said, and started for the gates. The sound of squeaking legs announced that his Sligs were following.
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