Boba glanced up. Beams crisscrossed the ceiling. Feline shooks were chained there, their tusks dripping. Their evil red eyes watched Boba hungrily.
Durge took a step toward Boba. “It will be my pleasure to kill you,” he said, aiming his blaster.
“Your pleasure, perhaps!” boomed Jabba. “But not mine.”
He gestured impatiently at Durge. The great bounty hunter continued to stare at Boba. Inside his battle helmet his eyes flickered crimson. Finally, he lowered his blaster. “If not now,” he said, “then later.”
“I have a task,” continued Jabba the Hutt. “Someone has interfered with my smuggling trade.
Someone has refused to work with me. That someone must be killed.”
“I will see to it!” said Boba. His voice echoed loudly through the throne room.
“So you say.” Jabba leaned back on his throne. He extended his flabby hand. Immediately, a servant filled it with wriggling worms.
Jabba chewed the worms thoughtfully. He pointed at Boba. He said, “Mandalorian, you have no weapons!”
The bloated crime lord began to laugh. From everywhere in the room more laughter rang out.
Only Durge was silent. He continued to stare at Boba hatefully.
Boba shook his head. Think fast!
“That is so, 0 Exalted Jabba,” he said quickly. “I have waited to receive my arms from you, and you alone. Because you are the greatest among your kind. And I will be the greatest among bounty hunters!”
Jabba smiled. “A good answer!”
Boba turned and stared fearlessly up at Durge. “And a true one!”
The bounty hunter reached for his blaster. “You will suffer great pain for that. I think it’s time we saw what’s under your mask!”
With a roar, Durge lunged for him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Hoh hoh!” Jabba shook with delight. “Durge and an unarmed warrior!”
Boba wasted no time. Before Durge could catch him, Boba dove between his legs.
Jabba laughed, crying, “He is fast!”
“Not fast enough!” yelled Durge.
A flaming burst of red and orange shot from his weapon. Boba rolled. In an instant he was on his feet again. He looked around.
A few meters away was the spit. The squid dangled from it like a huge, empty glove. Fingers of flame ran up and down its tentacles.
Boba raced toward it, quick as a heartbeat. He grabbed one end of the spit. The metal was warm, but not hot. With a grunt he yanked it up, turning.
“You!” shouted Durge. One hand held a blaster, the other a dagger.
But all Boba saw was the Mandalorian skull blazing on his chest. He gave a shout, then swung the long metal pole. The sizzling squid’s tentacles fanned out like blades. They struck Durge in the face. For a moment he was blinded.
“Argh!”
But a moment was enough. Boba drove the metal pole at Durge’s chest. The squid exploded into globs of burning fat, spattering Durge’s face.
“That’ll teach you!” yelled Boba. He turned, panting, to Jabba. “Now, if we could - “
“Not quite, Mandalorian!”
Boba darted to one side - but not fast enough. Something whistled toward him: Durge’s blade. Boba ducked. He felt a glancing blow on his helmet. There was an instant of utter darkness. Then light and air poured like water across his face. Beside him he heard a sickening thump.
“What is this?” shouted Jabba in surprise. He heaved himself halfway from his throne. One plump hand pointed at the floor.
Boba blinked. He stared at the ground beside him
Into the empty eyes of his battle helmet.
“He’s only a boy!” shrilled one of Jabba’s Twi’lek dancers. Her blue skin gleamed as she looked disdainfully at Durge. “The new bounty hunter is a boy!”
“A boy?” echoed Jabba. For a moment he was silent.
Boba froze. His hand reached for his helmet, but he didn’t dare move. A few meters away, Durge also stood watching him, his goal of unmasking Boba accomplished.
Then Jabba began to laugh. “A boy! And he defeated Durge!”
“He will not live to manhood!” With a cry Durge started toward Boba.
“Stop!” roared Jabba. Immediately a dozen Gamorrean guards surrounded the bounty hunter. Durge raised his blaster.
Then more guards appeared. Reluctantly he holstered the weapon. The gaze he turned upon Boba held more fury and pure hatred than Boba had ever seen. When he spoke, it was in a low voice that only Boba could hear.
“I will hunt you down. That is my assignment, and I never leave an assignment unfinished.”
Quickly Boba turned away. He picked up his helmet and held it beneath his arm. Then he looked up at the throne. He knew the crime lord was his best chance at protection.