Read Online America's Galactic Foreign Legion - Book 20: Time Machine by Walter Knight - Free Book Online

“I’ve been kissing some serious human pestilence ass, explaining our attack was all just one big mistake. Czerinski is taking our attempt to kill him personal. That human pestilence holds a grudge forever.”
    “Speaking of top secret,” continued the governor, “the General Staff believes Czerinski may have deployed a secret weapon against our commandos. There are reports that a tornado reached down from the sky and attacked our armor and troops unmercifully. I want our defeat investigated.”
    “The Butcher of New Colorado has a reputation for not taking prisoners.”
    “That doesn’t explain tanks and armored cars being tossed about like toys. I’ve never heard of tornadoes in the New Gobi area. It doesn’t add up.”
    “I ’ll review the helmet camera downloads of the battle,” promised the spider commander. “It was probably just a dust devil. We have dust devils all the time. They’re like tornadoes, except different, with less water, and no cows flying by.”
    “I have eye -witness reports of a bright light from the sky, followed by a human pestilence hand reaching down and squashing commandos.”
    “Magic mushroom abuse is pervasive in the New Gobi,” scoffed the spider commander. “I blame the fog of war, and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and video games.”
    “If Czerinski has a secret weapon, I want it. You will investigate the matter thoroughly. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, Your Excellency.”
     
    * * * * *
     
    The spider commander contacted Corporal Tonelli at his guard shack to offer assistance, and to collect on New York sweeping Seattle.
    “I heard your partner picked New York to sweep, then reversed his bet,” commented the spider commander. “Too bad, so sad.”
    “It happens,” replied Tonelli, giving the spider guard across the border a hard stare for snitching on Jesus. “Do you want to bet on Texas-Seattle?”
    “What?” shouted the spider guard. “Guido, I didn’t tell anyone anything. I’m no snitch!”
    “Let ’s call your partner over,” suggested the spider commander smugly. “See who he thinks will win the series.”
    Corporal Tonelli motioned for Jesus to take a break. “Someone wants to talk to you!”
    “I ’m told you know your baseball,” said the spider commander conversationally, shaking hand and claw with Private Christ. “First, I appreciate your tankers rescuing me from my own prison. Are you connected, like my friend Guido?”
    “I lost my enlistment bonus on the last Yankees game,” lamented Private Christ. “Gambling is evil. I recommend against it.”
    “Lots of things are evil. It’s all relative. Where do you get your baseball savvy?”
    “From my Dad,” explained Private Christ. “He knows all. He’s a fan, but I’ll never gamble again. It’s a sin. I know it.”
    “Don ’t you want to get your money back? I’ll loan you more than enough to get your money back, if you can hook me up with a winner for the American League title.”
    “I ’ll talk to my Dad.”
    “Sorry about almost killing you two during the last war,” advised the spider commander as an afterthought. “Goodwill goes a long way. Next time I’ll give you fair warning, if you pick me a winner.”
    “Thanks for nothing,” groused Corporal Tonelli. “You owe me big-time anyway, if you expect to do business through my sports book. It was a miracle we didn’t get crushed by your tanks.”
    “Fair enough. Speaking of miracles, there was a report of strange lights in the sky during the battle. Did you see anything?”
    “Sorry, there were no UFO sightings on my watch.”
    “What kind of bright lights?” asked Private Christ. “Omniscient?”
    “Exactly! What did you see?”
    “Nothing. I saw nothing.”
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 1 2
     
    President John Kennedy addressed the assembled guests at Rice University. “I am particularly delighted to be here. This City of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States, was not built by