Zorba the Hutt's Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page A

anymore."
    "Here, take a look," Ken offered.
    "Thanks," Luke said, taking the macrobinoculars.
    Luke flipped a small button on the side of the macrobinoculars. Now they were powerful enough for him to read even the name on the side of the spaceship: Zorba Express.

CHAPTER 4
    A Friendly Game of Sabacc
    The Zorba Express wobbled as it settled onto a landing bay in Cloud City.
    CHIZOOOOOK! SQUEEEEEEEEEGE!
    As the ancient, bell-shaped space voyager let out a long wheezing sound, the Cloud City Space Dock attendants exchanged an amazed look.
    For an express spaceship, it certainly wouldn’t be able to take many more express journeys. In fact, after a few more trips, it was doubtful it would even be able to break the sound barrier anymore.
    From out of the hatch of the Zorba Express came a very odd trio. First came Zorba the Hutt, who at once began coughing, because of the braze.
    Then came CB-99, the slightly bent, barrel-shaped droid following Zorba. He rolled along while Zorba squirmed his way across the wide platform.
    Last came Tibor, the bounty hunter, his shiny armor strapped tightly around his horny green scales.
    Their destination: The Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino.
    Soon they entered the lobby, which was filled with noisy, glowing games of chance. This was where the rich gambled: slickly dressed aliens in colorful costumes, wealthy business beasts from the moons of Mima, and snobby humans who brought their droids along to pull the handles of the jingling Spin-and-Win machines.
    Zorba attracted quite a few stares as he wobbled up to the main desk, licking the drool from his chin with his thick dark tongue. He began a conversation with a fancy clerk droid. The clerk droid’s body glittered with polished gems. Nothing but the best for the Holiday Towers Hotel and Casino. "May I help you, urn, sir?" the clerk droid asked.
    "I want the passkey to Jabba the Hutt’s suite!" Zorba demanded. "It’s the penthouse suite."
    "I’m sorry, but the penthouse suite is no longer reserved for Jabba the Hutt," the clerk droid replied. "And I am not at liberty to give anyone the passkey." Zorba scowled. "I won’t put up with rude remarks from droids! You’re speaking to Zorba the Hutt, Jabba’s father! And Holiday Towers is now my property!"
    "Perhaps you’re not aware of the change of ownership of this establishment," the clerk droid responded. "The government of Cloud City took over this hotel and casino after Jabba the Hutt died." The droid’s metal face gave a programmed metallic smile. "Governor Lando Calrissian runs Holiday Towers now. And he lives in the penthouse suite. I’m sorry, but I can’t oblige you."
    Zorba spit on the polished marble floor. "Notify that thief, Lando Calrissian, that Zorba the Hutt is waiting to talk to him! He’ll find me at the sabacc tables!" A short while later, Lando arrived at the game room in the lobby. As he approached the sabacc tables, he saw the huge Hutt with the braided white hair and white beard. And right alongside Zorba the Hutt were Tibor and the dusty, barrel-shaped droid, CB-99. Zorba was playing sabacc, and he was losing. Lando watched Zorba open his pouch and take out some gemstones to buy more credits for gambling.
    "Hello, I’m Governor Calrissian," Lando said, introducing himself. Zorba’s drooling tongue slid across his mouth as he hissed: "I’m Zorba, Jabba the Hutt’s father. Get your things out of Jabba’s penthouse suite now, because I’m moving in. And tell the clerk droid at the front desk to give me a passkey, or my friend Tibor here will send what’s left of you to the nearest Cloud City mortuary." Lando knew that there was no way to reason with a Hutt. The only way to get the better of a Hutt was to trick him, outsmart him, or wound his pride.
    Lando had been around Cloud City casinos long enough to know how to recognize a miserable sabacc player when he saw one. And from the number of gemstones he had seen Zorba lose, it was obvious that Zorba was an