CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
Fragg glanced around at his surroundings. The palace decorations had changed a lot, even since he had been here a few days ago. Sculptures and paintings that had formerly adorned the walls had been replaced with lots of business posters and scientific charts. It all looked very Vykker, which might help explain why Humphrey had been the one on the loudspeakers when he had approached the city.
Still, that didn’t account as to why the Sligs and Glukkons still crowding the palace halls looked extremely somber. Well, as a rule, they were always somber in the palace, but somehow they seemed grimmer than usual. It might just have been because everyone was dressed in black, had their heads bowed, didn’t look up as he passed them, and quietly sniffled as if they were trying not to cry.
Altogether, Fragg got the impression that something was wrong. He just didn’t know what the problem was. But he knew he would find out soon, because he was approaching the throne room, where Humphrey had said to meet him to talk things out.
Fragg grinned. He would certainly do some talking with his gun before long, once he got to speak with King Glok. Why would the people of this great industrialist empire allow such a momma’s boy – a non-smoker, of all things – to become the Gluk that made all the important decisions in the land, when there were much better Glukkons, like Fragg?
The great throne room doors loomed ahead. Fragg gave himself a quick look-over – not because he wanted to impress that idiot Glok, but rather because he wanted himself to look professional on tape when he murdered the king with a handgun.
He moved forward, and the doors opened automatically.
His jaw dropped open. “What’s happened to this place?” he said, shocked.
A small army of BigBro Sligs, Glukkons, and Snoozers were clustered around a small object in the center of the room, but from this distance the businessman could not see what it was they were looking at. Humphrey came striding over from somewhere in the corner.
“I’ve got things all set up for you,” the Vykker cackled, rubbing all four hands. “I murdered Glok and set you up to replace him.”
Fragg felt his forehead crease. “You – you killed Glok? By yourself?”
“Handy-dandy assassin-buddy at your service,” Humphrey replied.
The Glukkon motioned at the crowd. “So that’s the big boss himself, in a coffin?”
“Yep.” The Vykker laughed, an awful high-pitched squeak. “What do you think of my arrangements?”
“You’ve sure been useful.” Fragg smiled, and drew his pistol. “But not any more.”
The assistant raised all four hands and screeched, a piercing wail that made every sentient in the room whirl around to face the source of the noise. The Glukkons started shouting.
“Hey, whaddaya think yer doin’?”
“Put that gun away!”
Fragg said, smiling, “Humphrey’s just told me he murdered King Glok so I could be king. He was hoping to get favors once I was the ruler.”
Humphrey screamed again. “No no no no, that’s not true! That’s a –”
The Glukkons and Sligs turned away in disgust, and Fragg pulled the trigger. The hole that burned through Humphrey’s head was the most precise and satisfying hole that Fragg had ever seen.
Then he turned and moved toward the coffin. Time to establish himself as the Glukkon king once and for all.
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