Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain Read Online Free PDF Page B

entitled to file a complaint with the Atlantese Pecuniary Society.”
    “I doubt he’ll complain,” I said. “If he’d really wanted me dead, he’d have sent something more…” I searched for a word that would make my point without insulting the soldier. “…less frugal.”
    “No need to be polite on my account. I work in the discount division. Strictly low rent. When I’d heard they were sending us after the Emperor Mollusk, I knew we were taking on a suicide mission. But, hey, it’s a living, right?”
    “And you didn’t wonder why they sent you?” asked Zala.
    “I don’t wonder. Mine is not to wonder why. Mine is to follow the work order.”
    His attitude irked her. I couldn’t see why. She was a virtual slave to her own chain of command, and I doubted she’d ever questioned it. The only difference between her and this hapless soldier was how command chose to motivate them. Venusians thrived on honor and duty. The mercenary divisions of Atlantis worked on stock options and a bonus plan. In the end, both were merely tools of a manipulative central command that reaped the benefits of expendable lives.
    Zala’s patience was growing thin. “Who sent you?”
    “Atlantis Executive Command,” he replied. “Beyond that, I can’t tell you.”
    She drew her scimitar.
    I stepped between them. “Put that away.”
    “But he’s already admitted that he knows nothing. You paid him for nothing.”
    “No, I paid for the right to negotiate a meeting price for Atlantis Executive Command.”
    The soldier smiled, counting the hefty commission check that would be coming his way.
    “But that’s robbery!” she said. “You paid him not to kill him and to tell you nothing. And now you’re going to pay him to arrange a meeting with someone else? It’s madness.”
    “It’s good capitalism,” said the soldier.
    She nearly bowled me over and beheaded the poor bastard right there. Then she remembered the chain of command, with me on top, and backed down like a good little soldier.
    After he radioed his commanders to be sure he was in a position to negotiate, the haggling began. It took the better part of an hour. I could’ve paid his first offer without discussion, but just because I had the resources didn’t mean I wasn’t looking for a deal. The best way to earn an Atlantese mercenary’s respect was to be a shrewd negotiator. Meteor guns and death rays weren’t cheap, and more than one conquering genius had been foiled by poor cash flow. Maybe I wasn’t out to conquer anyone right now, but who knew what tomorrow might bring?
    The deal was made. The soldier had me sign the appropriate forms. Atlantis had paperwork for everything. Then I told the soldier to make himself comfortable while I supervised the preparation of my mid-class saucer.
    The robot workers marched through my underground storage space, loading equipment into the craft. Zala stayed by my side as I supervised.
    “So after paying those who tried to kill you, you’re going to fly into the heart of their empire,” she said. “How have you survived this long?”
    “By knowing my enemies, and Atlantis isn’t my enemy. It’s merely a tool of those who are. And as long as Atlantis is getting their money, it’ll play by its rules.”
    “You are remarkably trusting, Mollusk.”
    A procession of exoskeletons on autopilot trudged into the saucer. A giant exo, bristling with weaponry, brought up the rear.
    “Not that trusting,” I said.

Conqueror
    I chose Hayward, Wisconsin, site of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and home of the largest muskie, to make the announcement. I hovered my saucer over the muskie for several days. I maintained transmission silence until a good crowd had developed. When all the tanks, artillery, soldiers, and civilians were in place, I finally set down.
    I lowered the hatch with much deliberation, turned on the fog generator, and stepped out into the chill December evening. It was important to make the proper