Read Online Flash Gordon 4 - The Time Trap of Ming XIII by Alex Raymond - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alex Raymond
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got to find out.”
“I make it on a direct line south,” Lari said nervously, glancing at his digital grid setting.
“Me too,” said Kial. “Let’s go.”
Huey activated the space packs and faded in on a stretch of superway some distance away.
“Look!” cried Lari.
“I see it,” Kial muttered between clenched teeth. “Come on. Get out that blaster pistol you took from the jetcar. I’ve got Flash Gordon’s.”
They moved cautiously down the superway.
In the distance a purple iridescent creature that resembled a giant aphid stood in the middle of the superway and watched them approach.
“It’s some kind of insect from Mongo’s past,” explained Kial.
“What kind?” Lari wanted to know.
“I’m no biologist,” Kial retorted.
Lari halted.
Kial halted.
“It’s watching us,” Lari said. “Now it’s moving toward us, Kial!”
“Get your blaster pistol ready, dummy,” Kial said impatiently. “We’ll both take him simultaneously.” Kial shook with anxiety and fear.
The purple monster’s eyes were focused directly on Kial and Lari. Suddenly it hunched forward and glided over the superway toward them. As it moved it exuded a glistening web of purple spoor. It moved quite rapidly.
Lari’s hand trembled as he lifted the blaster pistol and pointed it at the enormous insect. Suddenly he cried out, “Kial! By the side of the superway. It’s—it’s Flash Gordon and Dale Arden!”
Kial stared past the advancing purple aphid. He could see the two human beings frozen in a large blob of purple jelly.
“By the orange moon of Mongo!” gulped Kial “I don’t believe it! This monster must have frozen them into eternity.”
“Then we can go home. Flash Gordon is dead and we’re safe at last”
Kial shook from head to foot. “Hold it, dummy! We don’t know that for sure.” He swallowed hard. “Maybe it’s a trick.”
“What trick?” Lari yelped. “Let’s set our time packs, hit the Tempendulum, and get back to Ming XIII.”
The purple aphid was rapidly closing the distance between them.
“Fire, dummy!” screamed Kial. “We’ve got to do this thing in, no matter what.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Lari, and squeezed the grip of the blaster.
The ray missed the monster and disintegrated a stand of club moss. By the time Lari had compensated for this angle of fire, Kial’s ray was focused on the purple monster.
There was a high-pitched screech that offended Kial’s ears, and the purple creature froze in its tracks on the superway and stared in astonishment at the blaster pistol in Kial’s hands.
Lari’s ray centered on the creature’s chest? Neck? Head? Thorax?
“Keep firing!” cried Kial.
Slowly the purple monster swelled and swelled, like an overinflated balloon.
“It’s getting bigger,” cried Kial. “What can we do? It’s apparently feeding on the energy from the blaster pistol.”
Lari’s face was white. “Kial, I can’t turn the blaster off. It’s eating up the ray. It’s keeping me from turning it off!”
The high-pitched screaming laughter erupted again, louder this time, making the air reverberate.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kial screamed and turned to run.
Lari fought for control of the blaster pistol, which seemed to be controlled by the giant aphid. He could not move the blaster at all. The purple creature swayed toward him, hovered over him, looked directly at him.
Lari could hear Kial crash through the undergrowth, small sounds of utter despair issuing from his throat.
Lari watched the purple monster in front of him, his eyes bulging from their sockets.
Then the aphid thrust forward its head on its neck, its offensive oral cavity opened, and a gelatinous blob of purple jelly spewed forth toward him.
The gelatinous spittle touched him.
Lari recoiled, turned, and ran.
The jellied substance ran over him and covered him as he froze in his tracks.
He could not move.
The jellied effluence pressed in on him, crushing the breath out of his
“I make it on a direct line south,” Lari said nervously, glancing at his digital grid setting.
“Me too,” said Kial. “Let’s go.”
Huey activated the space packs and faded in on a stretch of superway some distance away.
“Look!” cried Lari.
“I see it,” Kial muttered between clenched teeth. “Come on. Get out that blaster pistol you took from the jetcar. I’ve got Flash Gordon’s.”
They moved cautiously down the superway.
In the distance a purple iridescent creature that resembled a giant aphid stood in the middle of the superway and watched them approach.
“It’s some kind of insect from Mongo’s past,” explained Kial.
“What kind?” Lari wanted to know.
“I’m no biologist,” Kial retorted.
Lari halted.
Kial halted.
“It’s watching us,” Lari said. “Now it’s moving toward us, Kial!”
“Get your blaster pistol ready, dummy,” Kial said impatiently. “We’ll both take him simultaneously.” Kial shook with anxiety and fear.
The purple monster’s eyes were focused directly on Kial and Lari. Suddenly it hunched forward and glided over the superway toward them. As it moved it exuded a glistening web of purple spoor. It moved quite rapidly.
Lari’s hand trembled as he lifted the blaster pistol and pointed it at the enormous insect. Suddenly he cried out, “Kial! By the side of the superway. It’s—it’s Flash Gordon and Dale Arden!”
Kial stared past the advancing purple aphid. He could see the two human beings frozen in a large blob of purple jelly.
“By the orange moon of Mongo!” gulped Kial “I don’t believe it! This monster must have frozen them into eternity.”
“Then we can go home. Flash Gordon is dead and we’re safe at last”
Kial shook from head to foot. “Hold it, dummy! We don’t know that for sure.” He swallowed hard. “Maybe it’s a trick.”
“What trick?” Lari yelped. “Let’s set our time packs, hit the Tempendulum, and get back to Ming XIII.”
The purple aphid was rapidly closing the distance between them.
“Fire, dummy!” screamed Kial. “We’ve got to do this thing in, no matter what.”
“Oh, yeah,” said Lari, and squeezed the grip of the blaster.
The ray missed the monster and disintegrated a stand of club moss. By the time Lari had compensated for this angle of fire, Kial’s ray was focused on the purple monster.
There was a high-pitched screech that offended Kial’s ears, and the purple creature froze in its tracks on the superway and stared in astonishment at the blaster pistol in Kial’s hands.
Lari’s ray centered on the creature’s chest? Neck? Head? Thorax?
“Keep firing!” cried Kial.
Slowly the purple monster swelled and swelled, like an overinflated balloon.
“It’s getting bigger,” cried Kial. “What can we do? It’s apparently feeding on the energy from the blaster pistol.”
Lari’s face was white. “Kial, I can’t turn the blaster off. It’s eating up the ray. It’s keeping me from turning it off!”
The high-pitched screaming laughter erupted again, louder this time, making the air reverberate.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kial screamed and turned to run.
Lari fought for control of the blaster pistol, which seemed to be controlled by the giant aphid. He could not move the blaster at all. The purple creature swayed toward him, hovered over him, looked directly at him.
Lari could hear Kial crash through the undergrowth, small sounds of utter despair issuing from his throat.
Lari watched the purple monster in front of him, his eyes bulging from their sockets.
Then the aphid thrust forward its head on its neck, its offensive oral cavity opened, and a gelatinous blob of purple jelly spewed forth toward him.
The gelatinous spittle touched him.
Lari recoiled, turned, and ran.
The jellied substance ran over him and covered him as he froze in his tracks.
He could not move.
The jellied effluence pressed in on him, crushing the breath out of his
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