Alien Bounty Read Online Free PDF Page B

had were still surprised to see one inside an Il Ronnian warship.
    And while McCade had dealt with many alien cultures over the years, he couldn't remember a time when he'd been so completely immersed in one without so much as a single human face to keep him company. It made him feel like a freak, a curiosity led about on a leash, and he didn't like it.
    Unlike humans who constantly sought ways to create open spaces in their ships, the Il Ronn preferred the coziness of their traditional underground dwellings, and built their spacecraft accordingly.
    So the approach to Sector Commander Ceel's quarters was small and narrow, suddenly opening up into a circular space similar to an underground cave.
    As McCade followed the Il Ronnian officer through the passageway, he realized it would force intruders to attack one at a time, giving the defenders one hell of an advantage. A sensible precaution that had found its way from caves to spaceships. As he stepped inside the air crackled around him.
    A sensurround gave McCade the impression that he was standing in the middle of a desert. It stretched away in every direction, reddish streaks hinting at a time when the Il Ronnians' skin color had served as protective coloration, finally blending into a purplish sky on the far horizon. Some very real sand crunched under McCade's boots and added to the overall reality of the scene.
    He wondered what happened to the sand during zero G maneuvers. Did they vacuum it up or something? There was no way to tell.
    Ten Il Ronnians sat in a semicircle before him. They seemed to be sitting on a bench of native stone but appearances were probably deceiving.
    In their view the Il Ronnians outranked him, so in keeping with custom, they remained seated. Sector Commander Ceel was the first to speak.
    "Welcome, Sam McCade. I see you come before us armed."
    McCade tilted his head backward, exposing the major veins in his neck. "A warrior is always armed in defense of his people. My life is yours."
    It was a calculated move, a traditional saying straight from the messiah's memories, and it got the desired effect. Ceel was caught entirely off guard, as were most of the other Il Ronnians. They looked at one another in amazement. A polite human? Unheard of!
    But one Il Ronnian wore the red cloak of the warrior-priest rather than the purple of the Star Sept. And he was not impressed. "Yes, your life is ours, human, and to keep it you need more than a passing knowledge of Il Ronnian custom."
    The warrior-priest gestured toward the single rock facing the semicircle of Il Ronnians. "Take a seat."
    McCade did as he was told. Real or not, the rock was damned hard and slightly pointy. He was in no danger of falling asleep.
    The priest spoke again. "I am Teeb the interrogator. Understand from the start that I oppose your admittance to the honored ranks of the Ilwik. But I must bend before the wishes of my peace-loving brethren and will give you every chance. Every chance that time allows. Unfortunately we must accelerate your testing due to the urgent need for action. Under normal circumstances testing takes place over a period of ten year cycles."
    Teeb paused as though giving McCade time to absorb what he'd said. "There are two levels of testing, an initial phase in which we will determine your worthiness, and if you qualify, a second phase in which you will undergo the three trials of the Ilwik, or warrior-priest. The first phase will start in a moment. You noticed our battle fleet as you came out of hyperspace?"
    McCade nodded. "Yes, holy one. It was hard to miss."
    Teeb's tail appeared over his head, the pointy appendage shading him from the sun. "Good. The fleet is here for two reasons. The first is to defend against treachery, something we expect from your kind, and the second is to launch a surprise attack against the human empire should you fail the first tests. Shall we begin?"

Five
    McCade tried to remain calm. It wasn't easy. A test? So soon? What if he failed?