Chapter 50
AMBASSADOR GOGG FLICKED his wrist and a glowing holographic scroll appeared in the misty air beside him. As the diplomatic cable unfurled, two words in neon green jumped out of the illuminated legal mumbo jumbo: DANIEL X.
“As I stated,” said Gogg, “the terms of the agreement are quite simple. Her life for yours. The party of the first part, in exchange for certain…”
My universal translator decoded his next several chunks of legalese as “Blah, blah, blah. Yadda, yadda, yadda.” But while the giant babbled, I had time to consider how to take down the whole armada. But the “blah, blah, blahs” in my head became real words again soon because my brain knew I needed to hear this:
“And, to prevent the party of the second part, Daniel X, from initiating any of his customary parlor tricks against my duly appointed diplomatic representative and said diplomat’s military escort, be advised that the captive, one Melody Judge, will be dealt with most harshly should any treachery befall my messenger and/or airships.”
Gogg looked up and, in a blinding flash, every one of the two hundred helicopters flipped on high-intensity spotlights mounted to their undercarriages. The lights were actually incredibly bright LCD projectors, which blasted the ground around us with hi-def video images of Mel, sitting in a straight-back chair, her wrists and ankles bound with heavy chains. A dozen weapon-toting aliens surrounded her.
In other words, if I cooked up a counterstrike, Mel would be struck dead.
At my side, Agent Judge was about to drop to his knees to be closer to the images shimmering on the ground all around us.
I braced him by the elbow. “Don’t let them see how much it hurts, sir. They’ll just use it against you. Against her.”
Agent Judge nodded and stiffened his spine.
“At least we know she’s okay,” I whispered.
“But how long will she stay that way?”
“Until Number 2 gets what he really wants: me.”
“Well, Daniel?” boomed Gogg. “Do you agree to my Lord’s extremely generous terms?”
I looked at Agent Judge. He was shaking his head. “No. I can’t let you do this. You’re too valuable. You’re this planet’s last and best hope.”
Gogg heaved an aggravated sigh, like we were boring him, and said, “Might I remind you, Daniel, that if we don’t hear what we’re dying to hear, someone else will be dying, very soon?”
He gestured grandly toward the ground and the two hundred projections of Mel surrounded by Abbadon’s heavily armed henchbeasts. The aliens raised their weapons. Took aim. It was a circular firing squad, with Mel in the middle.
I had to give Number 2’s ambassador an answer. Now.
And it had to be the right answer!
There would be absolutely no makeups on this exam.