[Lord Stanley]

CHAPTER TEN

Abe couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so groggy. His head spun and whirled as if he were in the washing machine set on Turbo Mode, and the land around his eyes was covered in darkness. Either it was night, or he was simply in a place where no light could get through.

He sat up, pushing himself up with one arm, and groaned. He was sore all over, more than he had been after a hard day’s labor at RuptureFarms. The ground under his hand was made of large rocks, and was certainly not the most soothing substance for his aching body to lie on.

But at least he wasn’t chained, and all his limbs were still attached.

Abe decided not to waste time asking thin air where on Oddworld he was. Instead, he twisted his head around in a quick semicircle, peering into the gloom that surrounded him.

Mudokon eyes were not the best in the darkness, but he began to make out shapes nearby. Three Sligs lay on the ground around him…probably Cloud, Crak, and Oner, though he couldn’t be sure with the bad lighting. And standing in a circle around the four of them were –

Abe blinked several times, trying to get the better of the darkness. What were those tall, catlike creatures standing around them, holding guns that glowed with blue energy?

He pushed himself up onto his knees –

“Down!” one of the creatures ordered, in a voice that was strangely soft and smooth. “Don’t make me shoot you.”

Abe sat back down again, nodding. “So I see taking a quick walk is out of the question…”

He turned and slapped one of the Sligs. “Hey. Rise and shine.”

The Slig yawned and stretched, opening his eyes. “Shine, you say? I sure could use a little light to brighten things up…”

Abe frowned. It was Oner, of course. “You recognize our captors?”

“Those guys?” Oner sat up and shrugged. “If I had my helmet, I could…but they probably stole it, whoever the Odd they are.”

Abe sat silently in the darkness, staring around at the catlike beings with a thousand questions running through his head. Who were they? What were their intentions? Why had he never seen beings like that before? What were they doing here now? What kind of guns were they wielding? What were they going to do to their captives? What had happened to the Interns?

This was one of the times Abe really, really wished he had a good gun with him. And preferably a whole regiment of Mudarchers to back him up…

Looks like I’ll have to make do without those, he thought.

“Whaddaya say we do?” Oner whispered.

“You’re the expert. You tell me.”

Oner shrugged. “Hey, gimme a weapon an’ I’m a powderkeg. But weaponless, armorless, and helmetless…all I’ve got to fight ‘em with is my stinging wit.”

“Sometimes that’s all we have.” Abe frowned. “I could try to possess one of them, but they’d probably shoot me before I could get a hold of one of them.”

“I can cause a distraction.” Oner grinned past his face-tentacles. “I’m good at that sort of thing….Then while they’re occupied with you, you possess one of the hairy freaks.”

Abe’s frown grew deeper. This wasn’t much of a plan, but, hey, it was a plan. “Wake Cloud and Crak and inform them of the plan. I’ll check how well trained these creeps are.”

Oner nodded and turned to the two unconscious Sligs. Abe picked up a chunk of rock the size of his head and threw it overhand at one of their guards.

One second, the rock was there, flying toward one guard’s head. The next, the rock was blown to pieces by a sudden laser that came from the guard’s gun.

“A foolish attempt,” one of the guards hissed. “You seem to think we Vamps are so easily defeated.”

So these things were Vamps? Abe grinned fearlessly. “Any good prisoner has to know his guards’ capacity before he attempts escape.”

“Attempts,” the Vamp repeated. “Not successful.”

“We’ll see,” Abe replied.

“We have orders to keep you alive and guarded, blue one…do not make me cross the line.”

Abe turned to the three Sligs, who were all awakened by this time. Oner had already told them about the plan in that short time.

“I don’t think it’ll work,” Abe said. “These guys seem professional.”

“An easy enemy,” Crak muttered under his breath. “Someday, we’ll fight an easy enemy. Just spit in his face an’ he’ll go away…like that’s ever going to happen.”

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