Øregård threw his gear out the door and jammed his body halfway through getting momentarily stuck.
"He's like a big green pooh bear stuck in his cave," said a tickled Melock.
Murphy ignored Melock's anachronistic otherworldly references, caught the word stuck, grabbed one of Øregård's feet, and shoved him through. Outside, he stretched, and cracked, and groaned with delight in the freedom of movement. Murphy, Melock, and Grimble all followed suit and took deep breathes of the fantastically fresh air.
The three Gastraddars approached them. The biggest one stood in the center sporting a leather eye patch over a missing eye. To his left stood a nearly as large ogre with a gruesome spiked helmet hiding his face. At his right side was a female with long black hair hanging down the front of her armor in thick braids. Her eyes were as big and blue as Øregård's. The leader spoke for the group.
"We received your message," he said pulling a jagged sword off his back and holding it for all to see. "We are heading back to Gastraddar with a full hull. You're welcome to join us, Øregård." He said flatly while looking over the others with his singular disapproving eye.
Øregård turned to his new friends and said, "I will be with my people if you need me. My services are at your request, wizard."
"Excellent. I suspect we will meet again," said Melock.
"May the god of war guide you," said Murphy.
"Stay strong little warrior. Farewell Mr. Grimble Grumble."
"Travel far, friend," said the gnome.
He turned, the others turned, and the four green hulks boarded the gunship. Its ramp retracted and the ship noisily lifted off with a roar of turbo engines. They left behind a burnt patch in the manicured lawn and an offensive smell of exhaust.
"I would have never guessed to befriend a Gastraddar so easily. It's a shame to see him go," said Grimble.
"Indeed, but brute force won't help us infiltrate the Makina worlds," said Melock as he walked away toward the glass doors of the sprawling building.
Murphy picked Grimble up and followed. Integer stayed with the ship obsessively cleaning under the guise of necessary maintenance. They crossed the lovely upper-level garden alive with flowering beauty and walked into a hall of mirrors, gold, and countless sparkling chandeliers. A hologram of a middle-aged soft-spoken and trimly dressed human appeared before them.
"Welcome the Palaces of Versailles circa 2008-2009 of the old Earth calendar, the same year I, Jeff Koons, your host and guide, once held a major exhibition of my artwork. This painstakingly accurate replica of the palace is a work of such stunning craftsmanship that it surely boggles the mind.
"The Palace was the ancestral home of the French monarchy from 1662 until 1789 when the French Revolution ended their reign. Versailles was one of the most important landmarks in the history of France. I hope visitors will enjoy the juxtaposition of 20th century American modern pop iconography with the ornate classical Baroque style architecture and recognize the artistic similarities intrinsic to both. If I may be so bold as to draw your attention to the large scale metalwork in finely polished chrome of a balloon dog—"
"We're looking for the Technowizard," said Murphy having heard more than enough.
"Ah, well, Tykö is in fact the individual who created this replica and my program as well. I'm afraid he is not in residence at the moment. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to disclose his current location. However, I can tell you he was last seen exiting the system aboard a Makina spaceship. Sadly, I suspect foul play."
YOU ARE READING
Space Wizards
Science FictionUsually, they say not to judge a book by its cover but....
