Read Online The Prison in Antares by Mike Resnick - Free Book Online Page B

through your disguise, that something’s not right physically, she’ll know and wave you off.”
    â€œI hadn’t thought of that,” admitted Proto. “Okay, I’ll take a few minutes.”
    He began walking around the building, while Pretorius and the two women entered what turned out to be a tavern, populated by half a dozen races, half of them of human stock, the rest more reptilian—and sitting at a table in the corner were five Antareans.
    â€œHow close do you have to be?” asked Pretorius in low tones.
    â€œAnywhere in the room will do,” answered Circe.
    He led them to a table, and they all sat down. The Antareans shot them some hostile glances, but otherwise ignored them. Then, after perhaps two minutes, Proto, appearing distraught in his Antarean guise, entered the tavern from behind the bar, and walked swiftly to the middle of the room, looked around until his gaze fell on the Antareans, walked over, and began gesticulating.
    They simply stared at him for a moment. It was clear they didn’t understand what he wanted, and clear that he couldn’t speak with part of his jaw misshapen and the rest of it missing. Pretorius kept waiting for him to slam a fist into the table and find some way to demand they follow him, then remembered that his entire body beyond the lowest eighteen inches was an illusion and he couldn’t slam his fist into anything.
    â€œAre they buying it?” whispered Pretorius to Circe.
    â€œYes,” she replied. “They’re confused, but I assume that’s because they don’t know quite what he wants. None of them doubts that he’s an Antarean officer, or that he’s truly unable to speak.”
    Finally Proto took a few steps to the back door, turned, gestured for them to follow him, and repeated the procedure three times until they finally rose from their chairs and did indeed follow him out the back door.
    â€œWell, that’s that,” said Pretorius. “Let’s give Felix a couple of minutes, and then we’ll go out and meet them.”
    â€œI’m surprised we haven’t heard a sound yet,” said Irish.
    â€œFelix is a walking armory,” said Circe. “He’s not only as strong as four or five men put together, but all those mechanical parts double as weapons.”
    â€œHe’s a good man,” said Pretorius. “Not the brightest member of the team, God knows, but absolutely fearless, and loyal to a fault—along with being a killing machine par excellence. ” He got to his feet. “We might as well go. If he hasn’t disabled or killed them by now we’re in real trouble.”
    The three of them paid for their unfinished drinks, walked out the front door, waited a moment to make sure no one else was leaving, then walked around to the back of the building, where they found Ortega and Proto standing over the five Antareans.
    â€œDead?” asked Pretorius.
    Ortega nodded. “No trouble, Nate. Two of ’em had weapons in their hands as they walked out the door, but I took care of that.”
    Pretorius looked around. “There’s a small storage shed over there. Let’s move the bodies before someone trips over them.”
    Ortega carried three at once, then came back for the other two.
    â€œI’d help you,” said Pretorius, “but I’d probably end up dragging him, and why leave tracks?”
    â€œI doubt that Irish or I could even budge one,” said Circe.
    â€œNot a problem,” said Ortega. “That’s what you’ve got me for.”
    â€œAll right,” said Pretorius. “There’s two more on the ship. It’d be stupid to leave any other witnesses. Let’s take care of them and get the hell out of here.”
    Five minutes later they came to the Antarean ship, and Pretorius contacted Pandora.
    â€œThey still there?” he asked.
    â€œTwo Antareans and a something ,” she