Read Online The Battle for the Ringed Planet by Richard Edmond Johnson - Free Book Online Page A

Alvarr, my sister’s betrothed, the worst shot in the whole village. He’ll probably wet his pants when he sees you.” Torian strode with his pistol drawn under a tall fir tree with a well-camouflaged platform a few feet up and a lone figure watching across the wide green valley.
    Peering up and walking around, the flight specialist called up, “Hey!”
    A man about Torian’s age peered down and gasped dropping his jaw, and as he fumbled with his crossbow, it slipped out of his hands, “A Sky Demon!”
    “Hi Alvarr.” Siiri poked her head out from a tree near Torian.
    “You brought him here? You traitorous demon witch!”
    Then all stared at his crossbow on the ground next to Torian’s feet, “Well, Alvarr, I guess you’re at a disadvantage.”
    “He shot himself in the foot once, so it’s better he’s disarmed.” Siiri folded her arms.
    Alvarr was frantically signaling by pressing a button attached to the trunk of the tree, “You may fray me alive, Sky Demon, but now the whole village is alerted!”
    “That’s if they believe you, Alvarr, the last time you pressed panic button we all enjoyed a fine meal of venison.”
    “Filthy evil Demon Spawn!” He kept pressing.
    Picking up the crossbow Torian handed it to Siiri, “Are you any good with this?”
    “I’m the best girl shot in the village.”
    “Is she, Alvarr?” Torian glanced up at the red haired man still pounding the signal button.
    “Yep, she’s better than most of the boys, too.” He commented honestly.
    “Impressive.” Torian glanced at Siiri who shot him a smirk and then back up at Alvarr, “Why don’t you climb down.”
    “You’ll strip me naked and flay off all my skin, and that would be awfully embarrassing in front of the filthy demon spawn girl.”
    “I’ll look the other way.”
    “And I’ll give you a running start.”
    “Really?”
    “But you have to tell everyone I just want to give them a message, and not kill them all.”
    “I promise!”
    “Tell them I mean no harm.”
    “Sure sure!”
    “I’ll count to five, now come on down.”
    “Don’t flay me!”
    “One …”
    Alvarr clambered down the tree and sprinted towards the river, turning sharply, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Help! Help! A Sky Demon is here and he’s going to flay us all!”
    Torian glanced at his Con, “And he’s going to marry your sister?”
    “There is a shortage of eligible bachelors in the village.”
    “Well that sounds promising.”
    “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. They’d line up in droves to marry Alvarr before consorting with a Sky Demon.”
    “Their loss.”
    “Right. You would love them and leave them anyway, just like in the holos.”
    “And die in some far away space battle?”
    “Yes.”
    “Like here?”
    “I’ll bet you’ve left a few girls at far away space ports.”
    The tall military man examined the crossbow in Siiri’s hand, “No, too many cynical girls watched the same holo as you did. Five bolts in the box, pretty smart.”
    “Father Jarlan invented it, he said that way Sky Demon’s couldn’t detect plasma bolts from more modern weapons.”
    “I have a feeling I’m not going to like this Father Jarlan.” Walking cautiously with Siiri trailing close, Torian scanned the area towards the fast moving waters of the Norstrom River. A green meadow of clover preceded fields of barley and wheat that flowed in the breeze like waves in a golden ocean. The grains, loosely segregated from the other crops, gave the appearance from afar that they were growing wild.  
    “How do you know what field belongs to each farmer?”
    Siiri responded with clear worry in her voice, “There are small stone markers with names and measurements.”
    “Measurements … you must have had a lot of disputes.” As he examined his holo data she remained quiet while he added, “You didn’t fool me. I live on a barley farm and the lack of undergrowth on the fallow fields gave you away.” 
    “Who knew Sky Demons