Read Online Galactic Axia Adventure 1: Escape to Destiny by Jim Laughter - Free Book Online Page B

in the player. The room soon filled with music. All that could be seen from outside was the rosy glow of lamplight on the curtains.
    Robert followed several of the game trails that ran deep into the hollows. Turning up one in particular, he reached his destination only an hour after leaving the farm. Pausing for breath after his climb, he was startled by the snap of a branch behind him. Turning cautiously, he saw the form of a man separate itself from the darkness.
    “Delmar?” he whispered.
    “Mr. Hassel?” returned a whispered reply. “Am I glad to see you!” Embracing in a hug for a moment, Robert pulled back and looked at the boy.
    “Not here,” Delmar whispered. Motioning the older man to follow, the boy led him for some distance until they came to a thicket. He pulled back a tangle of branches and revealed a hole even darker than the night. Robert followed him through the opening. Once inside, Delmar whispered again. “Okay, we’re safe in here.”
    Robert opened his pack and pulled out a small hand lantern. He switched it on and the meager light he allowed to escape from his overshadowing hand revealed they were in a deep cave. He turned his eyes toward the boy and was shocked and disgusted by what he saw.
    The young face looking back at him was clean but bruised and suffering ugly dried cuts. It was obvious that Delmar had received a few going away presents at the hands of his brutish brother.
    “We packed you some supplies,” Robert said, opening the pack. “It should be enough to keep you for a week or two.”
    “Thanks, Mr. Hassel!” the boy said as he eyed the food hungrily. Robert reached into his jacket and pulled out the old pocket watch.
    “Here,” he said, “I thought you might want this back.” The boy’s smile was more eloquent than words.
    “You better eat, son,” Robert said. “You look like you could use it.” Just then, Delmar’s stomach growled a reply.
    Robert sat down next to the boy while he quickly ate two sandwiches Agnes had packed on top of the supplies as a decoy for Robert in case he was stopped by a roving patrol. That he occasionally went out at night to stargaze was no secret. Robert let Delmar eat while he filled him in about what had happened since they were last together. After he’d finished the sandwiches, Delmar told Robert about what happened with his brother. The older man gritted his teeth in anger. They discussed what Delmar should do and arranged to meet again for more supplies.
    Neither wanted to part but Robert knew he had best be going. Giving Delmar a hug, Robert went out through the concealed entrance and into the night. Inside, Delmar gathered the supplies and the lantern and stored them in a crevice deeper inside the cave. Rolling a sleeping bag out that Mr. Hassel had brought, the boy doused the light and settled in for the night.
     

Chapter Six
    Tumbling out of yet another canvas bag, a certain packet landed on the sorting table in an obscure back room. The duty clerk at the Imperial Postal Center in the palace on Shalimar, the home world of Galactic Axia, began sorting through the pile. After bringing order to the several hundred letters and packets, he began to read the priority stamps on each one and sort them accordingly.
    Not everything went immediately to the empress’ famous red box. Some had been marked for further research. He dealt with this first. Sorting to each department according to priority stamps, in a short while, he had a smaller pile of material that would require unspecified research. He placed these items in another bin that would go to a department where each inquiry would be thoroughly studied before going to the red box.
    Robert’s packet nearly went into this bin until the clerk noticed the small blue seal under the return address. He pulled the packet back out of the bin and tossed it into his IN basket.
    The trooper sat down at his desk and sighed as he eyed his in basket filled to overflowing. He swallowed another