JS landed at the resort with Flotsam and Jetsam happily wild, and Eve refusing to listen to reasons to stay at the HQ. "The entrance is everything, Eve!" JS grinned on the way. "Look, a tropical storm is coming. This will make our arrival even more dramatic!" "Who are those people?" Larry kept saying, looking with bulging eyes at the two urchins. But nobody bothered to reply. Vasquez was reporting to JS. Eve was keeping in check the two scamps who strutted out their new space suits, a gift from JS. Lee paced back and forth aimlessly on the sand. Sneering Flotsam snapped: "We're Captain's bodyguards, so what?" leaving Larry flabbergasted. But Larry wasn't one to stay dumbfounded for too long especially with a scoop in front of his nose. Therefore he approached JS just in time to hear Vasquez and the brats asking: "Why is this Nyhlloghast here?" "Someone put out a death contract on his head." JS muttered indicating Larry with a nod. "A death contract? Are you kidding?!" Larry cried. JS fixed his iciest gaze on him and replied calmly: "I never joke on contracts." "Who dares? Who dares so much?" "Your a*s is grass, do you know it?" Vasquez grimaced. "Good plan! To do you in by a simulated accident. Your ready-to-use Nyhllo travelled in your own spaceship, probably." JS observed. "Really you don't know who owns Galactic Adventures, do you?" Larry was about to reply when Lee broke angry: "Miss Hard's in danger. It could devour her. How can we save her?" "Miss Hard isn't in close danger. Despite their horrid look, Nyhllos are flower-eaters," JS pointed out. "This Nyhllo is an alpha male, apparently. He has kidnapped the girl as a challenge. Now he expects the claimant challenges him, otherwise he'll come to fight. Fighting between Nyhllo males is a brutal affair with horns and claws, and the winner often rips off the genitals from the loser. The no-hoper bleeds to death. More or less, this was Larry's friends' smart idea. But we weren't in the picture." A lightning tore the sky. "It's going to rain," said Lee. "What are you going to do, now?" "That poor bastard." JS shook his head, "Jetsam, Flotsam, let's bring Miss Hard back." "Why you must go yourself, it's dangerous!" Eve thought. "Thanks to your telepathic gift. You care for my family jewels more than me, honey!" JS laughed mentally. "Daredevil!" Eve kissed him mentally. "That poor bastard!" Larry shouted. "You sympathize with the Nyhllo!" "Sure!" JS grinned. "You're peacefully enjoying your harem of 40 boinkable, compliant females at hand and a dozen submissive male. Then some brutes come. They stun, kidnap and throw you into an island light years away from your beloved swamp! And with only an emaciated female, by Nyhllo standards, at least. Another girl shoots at your balls, turning your world upside down. Now a SOB's going off you, as if it were your fault. Of course I'm with the Nyhllo!" "Killing a poor animal is never fun," remarked Vasquez. "To kill him, is it the only way?" Eve asked. "Even if I capture him alive, what can we do?" JS said. "You cannot kidnap a wild animal and return it to the wild as a package. Assuming that we bring him back to Bellatrix V, dodging the Rogue fleet, we haven't the faintest idea of where his territory is. We'll send him certain to death. More merciful to kill him." "Damn, what a story! A group of fugitives, pursued by the Rogue fleet, risk their lives to help a monster, after saving a damsel in distress." Larry exclaimed. "You'll become the hero of the galaxy if you let me tell the story!" Lee nodded earnestly. JS and Eve stared at him. "Galactic hero," JS thought, "this could be useful against 3TC, Eve." Nodding he added aloud: "We can make it, Eve, if Doc gives me a hand." "What about the contract on me?" Larry put out. "We'll talk about it later. Now, let's save Soldier Nyhllo,!" JS entered the jungle with the two brats at his heels. --- Thanks