by Hal Archer
Jake looked at the young blue-skinned man. He saw the man had no visible weapon and was a good forty pounds lighter on muscle than himself.
"How do you know I'm not dangerous?" Jake asked.
"I don't know you're not dangerous," the man said. "But I do know you're not dangerous to me."
Jake raised his eyebrows. "That makes no sense."
"I see the near future," the man said. "And I see you walking through that door into the judgement arena and myself sitting here unharmed as you leave."
Jake recalled when he'd first heard about a race with such an ability. At the time, he didn't believe the woman who told him. After all, he remembered, he heard it from her after the two of them were halfway through their third bottle of delirium. He later came to know the race as the Blues, not being able to understand their name in their native tongue. He smiled as he pictured the woman for a moment, then returned his attention to his situation.
"I've heard of your kind," Jake said. "I also heard there aren't many of you left."
The man glanced downward. "No. Not many."
"So, the stories are true?" Jake asked. "The purges, I mean."
The man nodded. "All too true. It was only the Enforcers who kept our people from being wiped out."
Jake thought about the run-ins he had with the Galactic Enforcers through the years, when he was still living the mercenary life. The memories put a bad taste in his mouth. But he knew what the young man was talking about. For two years, the pressure from the Enforcers on him and his fellow mercenaries eased up as the Enforcers turned their attention to tracking down the Shry, a diaspora of extremists who blamed the Blues for the dissolution of the once-great Shry civilization.
"I never much cared for the Enforcers, but they were right to help your people," Jake said.
The young officer nodded. "We weren’t responsible for the decline of the Shry, not all of us, anyway. The ones who were had long-since been banished from the ranks of our people. But the Shry wouldn't make the distinction."
Jake decided to play into the man's comments. It was his only move. "Being blamed for something you haven't done is the worst kind of punishment."
The young officer gave Jake a knowing look.
Jake pressed the point home by glancing and nodding toward the door.
Their conversation was interrupted by a man walking down the corridor toward them.
"Dewey!" The man shouted the name even as he approached Jake and the young officer.
The irate official wore a uniform like the man seated across from Jake, but it had gold details on the shoulders. He appeared a little older than Jake and was a little heavy around the middle. Nothing alien about him, Jake noted, at least if human was the standard for non-alien.
The young officer Jake had been talking to stood and faced the other man square on. "Captain Fris."
Fris glanced at Jake, then addressed the young officer again. "How many times have I told you, Dewey, the guard stays here with you until the defendant enters the arena?"
"I couldn't say for sure," Dewey said. "I only wanted to make Mr. Mudd—I mean the defendant more comfortable."
"More comfortable?" Captain Fris tensed up as he spoke. "You're not here to make the defendants comfortable, you idiot."
Jake saw Dewey glower at Fris.
The captain stepped closer to Dewey and pointed his finger two inches from Dewey's face. "You watch yourself. Understand?" He poked the air in front of Dewey's nose as he continued. "You may have fooled the administrators into thinking you are useful, but as far as I'm concerned you're just a body to fill this job."
Jake watched Dewey stand there and take it. He could see Dewey was seething inside. He knew it must've been obvious to the captain too, but men like Fris just want someone to take their abuse, Jake thought. They don't care about opinions or right and wrong.
Captain Fris stepped back from Dewey and stared at him for a moment.
"Will there be anything else, sir?" Dewey asked.
Jake grinned, but managed to hold in his laughter at Dewey's nonchalant reply.
Fris squinted and exhaled slowly and audibly, then quickly turned about and walked back down the hall and through the door at the other end.
Dewey sighed.
Jake loosened his restraint, showing his amusement on his face at how Dewey ended the exchange.
Dewey stood quietly for a few seconds. Jake could tell he was shaken up.
"The guy's an asshole," Jake said. "Don't let him get to you."
Dewey looked at Jake, then nodded slowly. "He's not the best man to work for."
Jake laughed. "Is that all you've got? The guy's a prime specimen son of a bitch."
After a few seconds of silence, Dewey chuckled. "Yeah. He is, isn't he?"
"Worst kind," Jake said.
Dewey smiled and sat down.
"I didn't see that coming," he said.
"No?"
He moved his head slightly side to side. "I only get pieces of the near future. I don't get to decide which ones."
Jake squished his lips as he drew his mouth in and nodded. "You're still better off than the rest of us."
"Maybe," Dewey said.
"So, my future is to walk through that door in a minute?" Jake asked. "And then what?"
"The arena is Eon's chosen method of administering justice. You'll move to the center of the arena and hear the charges against you. Then you'll have a chance to defend yourself and clear your name."
"How's that supposed to work? I tell 'em my side of the story and they pick who they want to believe?"
"No," Dewey said. "I mean you defend yourself… literally."
"Literally?"
"Since the new government rose to power in Eon a little over a year ago, justice, at least in extreme cases such as yours, is determined by a fight to the death in the arena."
"You must be joking," Jake said.
Dewey shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It's not what I would have chosen, but it's the system we have. It's kept some of the more severe crimes in check."
Jake saw Dewey thought the idea sucked too.
"Well," Jake said. "I can tell you from the point of view of the guy about to go in there, this is the stupidest system I've ever heard of."
"Actually, I agree."
"What's to stop me from running back down the hall to make an escape?" Jake asked.
Dewey shook his head. "Any defendant who goes back that way is killed on the spot. There are too many armed officers." He paused for a moment. "I've seen it happen. You're better off in the arena."
"How many people who go to the arena clear their name?" Jake asked.
Dewey's eyes meandered. Jake could tell he was trying to recall the number.
"There might have been one," he said. "But it was before I started in this position."
Jake leaned back against the wall. "Well, that's just awesome."
Dewey stood. "It's time."
"Do I get any weapons?" Jake asked. "Who am I fighting?"
"All will be explained in there."
Jake stood up and shook his head.
Dewey nodded toward the door.
"How'd you know I wouldn't snap your neck?" Jake asked.
"I told you. I see the near future. Besides, you don't seem like the kind of man who would do that."
Jake looked Dewey in the eyes. "Thanks. But you really don't know me that well."
Dewey's eyes widened, but he didn't respond. He pressed a button on the wall next to him, which Jake hadn't noticed before. Jake heard a whooshing sound as the door slid open and disappeared inside the wall. Bright lights in the arena made it difficult for him to see anything past the first ten feet beyond the door. He noticed the floor of the arena looked like compacted dirt. The air was warm. A crowd cheered wildly. Jake figured there were thousands of people.
"My fans, I guess," he said.
"Time will tell."
"Anything else you want to tell me before I go in there?" Jake asked
.
"You win the first fight."
"The first fight?"
Jake shook his head and stepped through the doorway, shielding his eyes from the lights with his hand.
CHAPTER 26
A fter several steps across the hard dirt floor, Jake lowered his hand from above his eyes. He heard the whoosh sound of the door behind him closing.
The arena was circular. He figured he could land two or three ships the size of his in the space—it was huge. Thousands of spectators filled the stands which surrounded the dirt expanse and extended over a hundred feet above the floor. There was no ceiling. He could see the dirty clouds high in the air, and through them the backdrop of space, slightly distorted by the field Eon generated to contain the atmosphere.
The crowds roared, cheering and booing. Jake saw a spotlight in the middle of the arena. He was the only one in the giant flat circle of dirt.
So, I'm the entertainment.
He walked toward the spotlight, scanning the stands above the high wall around the dirt as he did.
Before he moved into the spotlight, he saw the grandstand. For the man in charge, he figured. Flags framed the area, making it distinct from the rest of the stands. He hated the Eon flag—black, with a white circle in the middle and a curved line of yellow dots draping from the top of one corner down across the circle then curving back up to the other top corner.
He couldn't clearly see the people in the stands, they were too far away and most of the lights shone down on the arena floor. He instinctively moved his hand toward his holster to open the flap that held his blaster in place, but when he touched the empty holster he realized what he was doing. Right. They didn't bother to give it back.
He glanced at the other side of his belt, where he normally wore his comm device. She's gonna wonder where the hell I am.
"Move into the light," said a voice, echoing down to Jake from the grandstand.
Jake stepped into the spotlight.
"Jake Mudd," the voice said, still with an echo. "You have been accused of crimes against the people of Eon."
There was a moment of relative quiet. The raucous crowds had died down.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Jake replied, shouting with his hand cupped to the side of his mouth.
"Silence!" the voice from the stands demanded.
"This is a joke," Jake said to himself. Then he thought about his situation more. Not funny when somebody's gonna get killed, though.
"I am Mayor Beltrax," the man said, his voice still amplified through some sort of loudspeaker. "Here are the charges against you."
"This outta be good," Jake said.
"Murder of an Eon citizen, the man found in an alley in the main district."
"Murder?" Jake asked, but not loud enough for the Mayor or anyone else to hear him.
"Murder," Mayor Beltrax said, "of one of Eon's most honored citizens, the Professor."
"Murder, of the shopkeeper, Thulia Grane. And, murder of five other residents of Eon, whose names are yet to be determined.”
"Hold on!" Jake shouted. "I didn't kill any of those people. You have the wrong guy."
Jake clenched his fists and felt his face getting hot. How the hell?
"Do you wish to defend yourself?" Mayor Beltrax asked.
"I had nothing to do with these murders," Jake said. "What makes you think I was involved?"
"We have a witness," the mayor said.
"Who?" Jake asked.
"You have not earned the right to face your accuser," Beltrax said.
"What? How am I supposed to defend myself? I didn't kill—Jake almost said anybody, but realized that wasn't true—these people. Well, maybe one of the guys found in the alley. OK, two of Vos' thugs. Hyde. He set me up.
"You will prove your innocence to Eon in trial by combat, or…"
"I probably shouldn't ask, but what's the or?"
"Refuse or lose and you will die, paying your debt to Eon. Win, and you are innocent and free to go. Then you may know your accuser."
Oh, that makes a lot of sense. Real fair system you got here.
Jake saw Mayor Beltrax stand. He was an enormously fat man.
"Justice for Eon!" Beltrax said, raising his widespread arms as he spoke. "Justice for Eon!"
The thousands of people in the stands chanted in response. "Justice for Eon! Justice for Eon! Justice for Eon!"
Jake looked around the arena and at the thousands of people in the stands. "Well, this sucks."
CHAPTER 27
T iffin guided Birdy along the top edges of the last dozen buildings, keeping her moving fast to avoid notice by any checkered hats in the area. She had taken a huge risk going into Baron Vos' place to find the license Jake needed and now she was taking an even bigger risk running her drone into the heart of the city. Sitting on one of the climate control boxes on the top of a building closer to the city center than she had ever been, she watched Birdy's view on the screen of her controller in her hands.
"I'm going to find out what I can," she said.
"Thank you," Sarah said. Jake's comm device was sitting next to Tiffin. "I can't believe you got the license, but I wished you'd tried to help Jake first. I'm still stuck here. I've tried what I can, but Jake agreed they could keep me locked up until he was ready to leave."
"What?" Tiffin asked.
"It was the only way they'd let us land. I'm worried about him, Tiffin."
"I'm worried about him too. But it's not like I can swoop in there and take him."
"No. I know," Sarah said. "Jake's strong. He can take care of himself."
Tiffin heard the worry in Sarah's voice, as if she was saying those words to convince herself Jake would be OK, even though she wasn't sure he would be.
"Birdy will find out what's going on," Tiffin said.
"Birdy?" Sarah asked.
"My drone. I made her. It's too risky to go in there myself. Besides, I wouldn't get very far. With Birdy I can get closer, see what's happening."
"Why would they take him?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know," Tiffin said. "He was involved in something." Tiffin paused, wondering what could've happened inside the building she saw Baron Vos and Hyde exit, where Jake was.
"Oh, no," Sarah said. "Involved in what?"
"He was trying to get the license. He made a deal with a man named Baron Vos. Not a good guy. It got messy."
"Oh."
"You don't sound surprised."
"Jake has a way of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Maybe," Tiffin said. "But he was there for me when I needed him."
"Yeah. He does that too."
"So, now it's our turn. To be there for him, I mean."
"What's the plan?" Sarah asked.
Tiffin was taken aback that Sarah was asking her what the plan was. She'd never had someone look to her for anything. The thought made her at the same time anxious and confident.
"I… I don't have much of a plan. Birdy's heading toward the main building complex at the city center. It's where they bring anyone they take in."
"So, Jake's locked up there?"
"Yeah. Either that or they've got him in the arena."
"Arena?"
Tiffin remained silent for a moment, then replied. "They don't keep people locked up for long. Not enough space. The new mayor started the arena system when he took over."
"I don't understand."
"They'll make him fight."
"Why?"
"The mayor's idea. Fight for justice, he calls it. Something like that. You win, you're innocent."
"And if you lose?"
"Like I said, they don't have a large holding facility."
"Oh, no." Sarah sounded quite distressed.
Tiffin wanted to say something to soothe her. "Jake can take care of himself, though. Right?"
The comm channel was quiet for a few seconds.
"Most of the time," Sarah said. "He's managed to make it all these years, despite himself."
"I'm going to check the arena," Tiffin said. "If he's not there, we still have time to figure out something."
"OK. Let me know as soon as your bird gets there."
"Birdy."
"Right, Birdy."
CHAPTER 28
J ake looked around the arena to see if anyone else was on the ground with him. He didn't see anyone yet.
"What are the rules?" he yelled to the mayor.
The crowd roared with laughter and jeers. Mayor Beltrax didn't answer Jake.
"Well, at least I'm not gonna die in the cell with no toilet," Jake said, turning around waiting for his opponent. He leaned his neck from side to side, loosening it up.
"Bring out the Zog!" Beltrax said.
The crowd cheered and the spotlight disappeared, leaving Jake in even light in the arena.
He glanced around the perimeter of the massive dirt floor, spotting a large solid metal gate opposite the grandstand. It was ten feet wide, and at least as tall. He watched it slowly lift. He walked toward the gate.
"OK, Zog, show me what you've got," Jake said, cracking his knuckles, and sucking in the warm air through his nose. He flexed his jaw a few times and swung his arms back to front, to get his energy up.
Zog stepped into the arena.
"Of course," Jake said.
The creature stood two feet taller than Jake. He had red skin and four arms. He was all muscle. The only clothing he wore was a fur piece around the waist which hung down to cover his privates. Jake was thankful for small mercies. Or judging by the size of the fur piece, in Zog’s case very, very small mercies. No wonder he looked so pissed off.
He noticed the ends of a leash in each of Zog's hands on his lower arms. The leashes were leather, each about as thick as one of Jake's forearms. They trailed back into the dark beyond the raised gate. Zog laughed with a deep heavy tone. Jake saw saliva spilling from the sides of his mouth. The creature made no attempt to deal with it.
People say I'm uncivilized.
Zog yanked both leashes and Jake heard growls from within the cave-like tunnel behind the creature.
Wait for it.
Two black-haired red-eyed beasts walked up and heeled beside Zog. If wild dogs were more like monsters, Jake thought, then this is what they'd be.