Phule's Paradise Read Online Free PDF

grinned and nudged each other gleefully at the announcement.
          "Now then, as to the assignment itself," he continued, raising his voice slightly, to which the company responded by falling silent, "I guess it can best be described as good news/bad news. The bad news is that we've drawn guard duty again, which I know will be a disappointment to those of you who were hoping for some kind of combat assignment."
          Phule paused for a moment, and, as he had expected, the now-traditional voice from the back of the room piped in.
          "What's the good news?"
          "The good news," he responded, working to keep his voice and face deadpan, "is that what we are being assigned to guard is the Fat Chance Casino on Lorelei, which I think you'll agree is a step up from standing duty in a swamp. To quote Headquarters directly, it's `easy duty in paradise.'"
          There were a few heartbeats of silence, then the room exploded. The Legionnaires crowed and cheered, thumping each other enthusiastically on the back.
          Phule noticed, however, that not everyone was joining in on the festivities. Several of the company's members, specifically the older, more experienced Legionnaires, seemed unmoved or, in some cases, even wary and thoughtful at the news.
          "Excuse me, Cap'n," Chocolate Harry called, heaving himself to his feet, "but exactly what is it we're supposed to be guardin' his casino against? I mean, it occurs to me that we're a bit overgunned to be doormen."
          "I wondered about the same thing, C.H.," the commander said with a smile, though inwardly he was cursing the shrewdness of a question that prevented him from presenting the situation at his own pace. "So I gave the owner a call. It seems that his main concern, and the reason for specifically requesting our services, is that he's afraid that a certain criminal element might be trying to take over his casino. It's our job to stop them."
          The celebratory smiles disappeared abruptly at this news, and the Legionnaires began to murmur back and forth.
          "A certain criminal element," Harry repeated dramatically. "Tell me, Cap'n, is that rich folks' talk for `organized crime'?"
          "That's organized crime no matter who's doing the talking, C.H.," Phule confirmed grimly.
          The mutters and conversation in the ranks accelerated noticeably. For some, organized crime was a legendary force they only knew about from carefully phrased media coverage, while others in the company had more firsthand dealings with that subterranean branch of society. Whether their knowledge was from rumor or personal experience, however, it was clear to all that their new "cushy assignment" had just grown some dangerous thorns.
          "Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that uniformed security guards won't be much of a deterrent against this kind of opposition," Phule said, pressing on before the meeting got totally out of hand. "Any more than uniformed beat cops can keep organized crime out of a city."
          He paused involuntarily to take a deep breath before plunging into the next part.
          "That's why I've decided that, for this assignment, some of you will be working under cover, independently and out of uniform, infiltrating the normal hotel and casino staff to gather intelligence for the rest, of us. In fact, I'll be calling for volunteers for this duty as soon as the meeting breaks up."
          His eyes sought out the tall Voltron, easily spotted in the assemblage.
          "Tusk-anini, you're exempt from this duty ... as are the Sinthians, Louie and Spartacus. It's my understanding that nonhumans are still a rarity on Lorelei, so you'd be too obvious in any capacity other than as a part of our open presence. Any of the rest of you who are willing to apply for this special assignment, report to me in my office when we're done here."
          "How many are you looking for,