The Stainless Steel Rat eBook Collection (78 page)

I started back at a slow run, changed that to a fast walk. To a slow walk, then a crawl. If there had been any farther to go I would probably have done it on all fours. As it was I stumbled into our quarters
and collapsed, gasping, onto the couch. Floyd looked astonished.

“You look like you’ve been dipped and rolled.”

“I feel even worse than that. Water, quickly, lots of it!”

I drank until I was sloshing, then sipped a little bit more, handed the glass weakly back.

“Knocked myself out. Be a good buddy and get my pack. I got some vitamin pills there should pick me up.” When he handed me the pack
I clicked out a couple of Blast-offs, super-uppers, and swallowed one. “Vitamins, good for you,” I said as I passed one over. Floyd was a little faster off the mental mark lately and did not ask any questions.

Our timing was pretty good. The wave of good feeling and energy was washing away my almost-terminal fatigue when Veldi threw open the door.

“On your feet!” he called out. I did not move.

“Veldi,” I said. “Old and trusted servant. No soft knock? No sweet tones …”

“The word is out that you Stainless Steel Rats are just plain rats. Troublemakers. Just get going.”

There was the quick thud-thud of marching feet and Sergeant Ljotur came in with an armed squad of soldiers. Armed with wicked-looking spears with gleaming points and barbed shafts.

“You are to come with me!” he ordered.
He did not look happy about it.

“No longer a musical fan, Ljotur?” I said, climbing slowly to my feet.

“I have orders.” Orders that he obviously did not like. Which of course he would obey since independent thought had never been encouraged in the military. Floyd followed me out and the squad formed up. Four in front, four in back of us. Ljotur checked the formation, nodded, took position in
front and raised his spear.

“Forward—
burtu!
”

We burtu’ed at a slow trot, down the road and turned right at the corner. Which put us directly on the route to the red brick lodgings where Iron John lurked, as I remembered from our first visit. Trotted down the road and into a tunnel under a row of buildings. One of the guards to the rear tapped me on the shoulder.

“Give me a hand, will you?”
he asked in a hoarse voice.

Then swung sideways and planted his fist in the stomach of the guard next to him. Who folded and dropped without a sound.

This was easy enough to understand. I had turned when he tapped me so I kept turning to face the rear. I reached out and got a hand on the other two guards’ necks. Squeezed as they turned their spears towards me.

“Floyd!” I gasped out, putting
all my energy into my throttle grips so these jokers would pass out before they harpooned me. “The others!”

One of the guards dropped but the other one, with a stronger neck, kept his spear coming. Into my stomach—

No, not quite. The first guard, who had called to me, gave him a quick chop under the ear. He and I whirled about, ready to jump to Floyd’s help. And stopped.

The four other guards
were lying in a silent, tumbled heap on the ground. Floyd had a spear pressed firmly under Ljotur’s jaw, was holding him up with his other hand.

“You want to talk to this guy?” Floyd asked. “Or you want him down there with the others?”

“I’ve nothing to say …”

“No talk. Drop.”

Before I could finish speaking a limp Ljotur joined the rest of the sleeping patrol.

“What about this one?” Floyd
asked, fingers arced, pointing to the soldier who had called to me.

“Wait! He started this thing. There has to be a reason for it.”

“There is,” the soldier said in the same hoarse voice. “I am going to tell you a few things. You will not laugh at anything I say—understood ?’’

“We’re not laughing!” I said. “Great, guy, thanks for the help. And what’s the plan?”

“First off—remember about the
laughing! I’m not a guy. I’m a girl. Do I see lips bending?”

“Never!” I called out, to disguise the fact that a little flicker of emotion
had
appeared. “You saved us. We are in your debt. We are not laughing. So tell us about it.”

“All right. But let’s drag these so-called soldiers out of the way first. Then we go on. The orders were to bring you to Iron John and that is what I am going to do.
Your friend is in danger. Do nothing precipitate. Forward.”

We went. Disbelieving perhaps, but still forward. Floyd started to talk but I raised my hand.

“Save the discussion. Explanations will be useful after we make sure Steengo is all right. But Floyd—stop me if I am wrong—did
I see you take five guys out while I was just about managing two?”

“You didn’t see it. It was over before you turned
to look.” He was the same old laid-back Floyd—but was that a new touch of firmness to his words? It was a day of surprises. And he was right—I had not seen him at work, just the results.

The brick palace jogged into view ahead. Apparently not all of the troops had been told that we were no longer heroes, for the guards at the entrance did a snappy jump to attention and salute as we trotted past.

“Halt!” our newfound friend (girl … ?) called out and we stopped before the guards at the door. “Orders to bring these two to Iron John. Permission to enter?”

“Enter!” the officer in charge called out. The doors opened and closed behind us as we trotted by. There was the large room ahead and inside it was Iron John. And just one other person.

Steengo. Collapsed against the wall, covered in bruises
and blood. One eye swollen shut. He started to speak but could only rasp out something incomprehensible.

“You are all here now,” Iron John said. “Soldier—guard the entrance. No one to enter or leave. I have a score to settle with these interlopers. Because I have changed my mind about keeping this thing quiet. I listened to my advisers and I am sorry that I did. Secrecy is at an end and justice
will be done to the blasphemers. Here is what will happen. First I will kill this aged devil who spoke such filth. You two will watch.

“Then I will kill you as well.”

He started towards Steengo, a red giant of unleashed power. Hands extended to kill.

“L
et me have your spear.” I called out to the soldier at the door. She shook her head in a silent
no,
then said, “I have my orders.” No help from this source.

Iron John had turned and was walking towards Steengo. I ran two silent steps in his direction and launched myself into a flying kick to his back. Heel punching out, a killing blow.

Then I was batted from the air. As big as he
was—Iron John was just as fast. He had turned while I was in the air and had swung one hand. Knocking me aside, sprawling me onto the floor. His voice was as deep and ominous as a distant volcano.

“Do you want to be first, little man? You wish the others to watch your destruction? Perhaps that is only fair since you are their leader.”

He came slowly towards me and I found myself trembling with
fear. Fear? Yes, because he was not human, more than human. He was Iron John a part of the legend of life, I could not hurt him.

He wasn’t!
I scrabbled to my feet, my leg ached, moved away. He was much bigger, wider, stronger than I was. But no, he wasn’t a legend. He was a man.

“A big fat red slob!” I shouted. “A hairy conman!”

His eyes were wide, red, angry. His arched fingers reached for
me. I feinted a fist at his jaw, saw him move to block it. Kept turning in an unstoppable kick to his knee.

It connected—but he made no attempt to avoid it. My foot hurt. His knee, his kneecap, looked unhurt.

“I am Iron John!” he shouted. “Iron—iron!”

I fell back, there was no escape. I swung a twisting punch that he took on his biceps. It felt like striking stone. Then his fist to my ribs
sent me skidding down the room.

When I gasped in breath it hurt. Felt like something was broken there. Stand up, Jim! I got as far as my knees and he came on.

I blinked as I saw two arms encircle his legs, send him staggering. Kicking out. It was Steengo who had crawled behind him, tried to trip him. Who was now sent crashing back into the wall. To fall and not move again.

I was barely aware
of this because the instant Iron John’s attention had wandered I had jumped. Getting an arm around his neck, grappling my own wrist. Pulling my forearm tight against his throat to crush his larynx, to cut off blood and air. The armlock that kills in seconds. My face was buried in his rank red fur as I tightened hard, harder than I ever had before.

To no avail. I could feel the tendons in his
neck stiffen like steel bars, taking the pressure that should have been on his throat. He lifted one hand slowly, then sank his fingers deep into my flesh—

—hurled me across the room to crash into the wall, fall.

I realized that the voice wailing in agony was my own. I could not move. The soldier at the door looked at me, looked away. Steengo had lain, motionless, since that single, terrible
blow. Nor could I do much better myself, just able to crawl.

At least Iron John had felt my hold; he was rubbing at his neck. The smile had gone and frothed saliva now coated his lips. Death would be a single blow …

“Iron John—you have forgotten something. You have forgotten me.”

Floyd was speaking. Thin, black-bearded, uninvolved. He
must have stood and watched while Steengo was stricken,
I was felled. Only now did he move.

Quietly forward. Hands extended, fingers lightly bowed. Iron John was in a rage. Leaped and lashed out.

And missed because Floyd was not there. He was to one side, kicking the red giant in the ribs so that he stumbled and almost fell.

“Come here,” Floyd said in a voice so low I could barely hear it. “Come and be destroyed.”

Iron John was cautious now, knew
how fast his new opponent could react. He opened his arms wide and came slowly forward. A force of nature. Implacable and inescapable.

Two quick thuds, two blows sounded and Iron John staggered. Floyd was out of his reach again, circling him slowly. A sudden kick, a blow, then away again.

Nothing Iron John did seemed to affect the outcome. He was wary, he attacked suddenly, reached out and struck.
Touched only air. Floyd was before him, behind him—striking him. Wearing him down.

They circled for minutes this way. And Floyd was still just as fast, striking with impunity. But the red monster was going slower and slower, arms lower and lower as the endless blows drove the strength from them. He must have realized that there could be only one end to this battle, on these terms. But he was
still dangerous. Almost by chance the struggle moved towards me.

He was after me I realized! I had only the shortest instant to draw my leg back before Iron John spun about and dived towards me.

And caught my kick full in his face. He dropped—but his hands closed on my ankle, pulled me towards him. Reached up …

Then Floyd struck. No science now—raw power. Pile driver blows to the giant’s back
and kidneys that opened his
mouth wide with pain, forcing him to release me as he struggled to get away from his tormentor.

More blows to his head. He tried to rise, his legs were kicked from beneath him. The thudding of quick strikes like some terrible machine at work. Then a sudden silence.

A moment for balance, no expression showing on his face, then Floyd swung a terrible kick that terminated
on the side of the giant’s head. Who fell over and did not rise nor move again.

“Dead?” I croaked. Floyd knelt and felt the pulse in his neck.

“No, he wasn’t supposed to be. He’ll survive. But I think that he will remember he has been in a fight.” He flashed a quick smile, then his face became calm again. “If you’re all right I’ll look at Steengo.”

“I’m great. Knocked about but great,” I croaked
as I climbed painfully to my feet.

“Pulse good,” he said, kneeling beside our friend. “He has taken a lot of punishment but nothing seems to be broken that I can find. He will come out of this fine.”

I was groggy, now even weaker with relief, blurted out the words without thinking.

“He’s fine. I’m fine. However we would have been a lot better if you had waded into this fracas sooner.”

I saw
him wince at the words, wished I could take them back. You never can.

“I’m sorry, I really am. I had to wait, see what he could do. I know that you’re good, Jim. I knew you could at least hold him. I’m sorry but I had to see how fast he could move before I took him on. I had to wear him down, not get touched. I knew I could do it—and I moved as soon as I knew. Sorry …”

“Reporting,” our guard-guy-girl
said. “The Red One is unconscious.”

She lowered the small, coin-sized communicator as I stalked towards her, hands out and ready to strike.

“Who were you talking to? Whose side are you on? What’s happening here? Speak—or get demolished.”

The guard, spear lowered and pointed at me, stood her ground. “The answer to your questions is arriving now. There.” The point of her spear moved to indicate
a spot behind me. A ruse? Who knew, who cared. I turned and looked at Iron John’s giant throne.

Which was slowly turning on some invisible axis. Floyd and I both faced that way, hands raised automatically on the defense. A black opening was revealed and, as the throne stopped moving, there was motion in the darkness beyond. Two figures appeared, walked out into the room.

Both women.

One of
them was Madonette.

“Hi, guys,” she said, smiling and waving. “I’d like to introduce a new friend, Mata.”

The woman was about my height, regal of bearing in her dark robe touched with gold embroidery. Her expression was composed, peaceful; small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, a touch of gray to her hair, were the only signs of age.

“Welcome to the other side of Paradise, Jim,” she said—and
held out her hand. Her handshake was firm and quick. I opened my mouth but could not think of anything relevant to say.

“I know that you have many questions.” Her words filled the gap. “All of which will be answered. But it would be wisest to postpone our little chat until we are out of this place. A moment, please.”