Read Online The Cagliostro Chronicles by Ralph L. Angelo Jr. - Free Book Online Page A

All space fairing vessels have to stay here within the spaceport. Them’s the rules. Plus I ain’t allowed anywhere outta the commercial zone.”
    “Why not? Were you a bad boy?” Eddie grinned sarcastically.
    “I’m a worker here, on a work visa. I live nearby. Credom an’ I stay here for six months at a time then go home to our planet. Then we come back for another six months. The credits are good.” He shrugged.
    “So are all the goodies you and your pal lie, cheat and steal people out of, I’d wager.” Mark replied sardonically.
    Again the big alien shrugged, but this time with a smirk.
    “Uh guys…” Ariel stopped them with a hand raised. ‘ I’m getting thoughts aimed at us and our ship from within the hangar. ’ She told them mentally.
    Eddie, being the smallest member of the crew —besides Ariel—slunk around the nearest corner and peered over at their ship through the shadows. “Sunova…” He began.
    “What is it?” Mark pushed.
    “The Stargrazer, it’s surrounded, by guys in uniforms. The purple skinned, salad heads.” He turned back and looked at Mark, “The ship’s cordoned off.”
    “What’s going on here Endorf? I want answers now.” Mark hissed.
    “Uhh, security has surrounded your ship?”
    “That much I can tell. Why, though? What set them off?”
    ‘ They knew we were coming. ’ Ariel’s voice sang across their minds once again.
    ‘ How? ’ Mark replied mentally.
    ‘ The plant or traitor or whatever he is. That’s the only explanation. ’ Red offered.
    ‘ So they’ve been waiting for us. Then those ships that attacked us on the way here were not pirates or thieves or some other random act. ’
    ‘ Are you Earthmen that naïve that you believe those were random attacks? ’ a new mental voice forced its way into their mind link. Immediately, Ariel fell to her knees holding her head with both hands and moaned piteously. Mark ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.
    Behind the group a creature appeared that lay an aura of dread upon everyone there. Even Endorf began to babble an d mutter as he backed away from the thing, wide eyed and fear filled.
    The creature stood eight feet tall, but it was gaunt. Thin as a whisper at sunset. Its skin was a burnt brown color. Its scalp was three sharp boned rows running front to back. The thing then stretched a questing hand towards Endorf. Even as it did so the length of that impossibly long hand and fingers were the first thing one noticed. They were twice the length of a tall man’s hand and had four joints instead of two. It wore a black uniform with white frilled cuffs and collar. Endorf backed away fearfully. Immediately Red positioned himself between the nightmarish horror and Endorf, even as Ariel continued to squirm upon the ground.
    “Let her go, now!” Mark roared as he threw himself at the creature before them. Obviously the thing, whatever it was, was not prepared for Johnson’s head long rush as he bowled it over easily, tackling it and sending it smashing to the ground. He drew his fist back and began pummeling it relentlessly.
    Ariel was instantly back on her feet, backing away from the creature with fearful eyes. Dan immediately grasped her to him protectively. “What’d that thing do to you?” He asked quietly, fearfully.
    “I-I have never felt anything like that. It just took control of my mind. My thoughts were all its own. I couldn’t form a coherent thought of my own. I-it showed me terrible things. I was helpless.”
    “What is that thing?” Red asked as he stood there with his gun drawn on it.
    “That is a Quel.” A new voice intruded. They all turned towards its source, back towards the Stargrazer, where a purple skinned being was walking towards them with its hands behind its back. It wore a uniform of some kind. “They are nasty creatures, we employ them when we fear telepaths are involved. They, as your woman now knows, can worm their way into a telepaths mind and gain control of it.