[Galaxy Of Fear] - 04(17)

The rancor had come back.

Screeching, the Bothans bolted for the nearest building. They dove into the administration building, and the doors slammed shut behind them.

Zak laughed. “That’s prime! Those Bothans are going to feel like fools when they learn that the rancor is just a hologram.”

Tash only shrugged. “Can’t blame them. We did the same thing when we got here.”

As they spoke, the huge rancor continued to charge forward. Now it was ten meters away, its head lowered, its jaws open wide to swallow them.

They ignored it. “If you don’t mind,” Lando said casually, raising his voice to be heard over the artificial roar of the rancor, “I’d like to get your opinions on some of the other attractions. Then I’ll make my final decision about Fun World.”

“No problem!” Zak shouted back. “Let’s just wait for this pest to pass.”

“You know, an old friend once dared me to look a rancor in the eye,” Lando said with a chuckle, “and I never back down from a dare.” He turned and shouted right into the rancor’s face. “Get outta here, meat breath! Your program couldn’t fool a greenie from Circarpous IV!”

The rancor responded with lightning speed. Its massive head shot forward and its jaws snapped shut around Lando Calrissian.





CHAPTER 11


“Lando!” Zak cried, jumping back.

“What happened?” Tash shouted, although she and Zak both knew very well what had happened. They had both seen Lando Calrissian swallowed whole by a rancor that was supposed to be nothing more than an illusion.

The rancor let loose a bone-chilling roar that shook the Fun World dome. Clots of gooey red gore spilled from its open jaws.

“Run!” Deevee shrieked frantically as the rancor’s tiny eyes settled on the three remaining portions of its meal.

Zak, Tash, and the droid scrambled toward the doors to the administration building, but the portal refused to slide open.

“It’s locked!” Tash cried.

“The Bothans must have locked it!” Zak guessed, pounding on the door. “Let us in!”

There was no reply, except for another triumphant roar from the rancor.

Deevee’s caretaker programming took charge. “This way!” the droid ordered.

The two Arrandas followed Deevee as the droid churned his mechanical legs as fast as they would go across the plaza. The rancor hesitated a moment. Then it turned and thundered after them.

The beast had cleared the streets of real and holographic tourists alike. Zak, Tash, and Deevee were alone now as they ran from the rancor. Zak veered away and pounded on the door to the nearby Volcano Slide. That, too, was locked.

“What’s going on here?” he panted, and continued running.

The rancor was gaining on them.

“Follow me,” Deevee encouraged.

“Wh-Where?” Tash managed to gasp as they ran down one of Fun World’s many lanes.

“To the lagoon,” Deevee suggested. “The rancor will not like the water.”

If the path to the lagoon had been straight, Zak and Tash would have been swallowed by the rancor’s next bite. Deevee would have been crushed into scrap metal by the carnivorous beast’s next footstep.

But the path wasn’t straight. Zak, Tash, and Deevee made a sharp turn to the left just as the rancor pounced. Unable to turn as fast as its tiny prey, the giant predator skidded and crashed into a building, toppling a wall.

“Hurry! This is our chance!” Deevee urged.

Zak was usually faster than Tash, and much faster than the stiff-legged droid. So he was surprised to see Deevee keep ahead of him as they ran. When had the droid gotten so fast?

The persistent rancor had recovered from his crash and was gaining once again. But by now they had reached the lagoon. All three kicked up white sand as they dashed across the beach and splashed into the water.

“Get beyond its reach!” Deevee cried.

Tash and Zak waded out until the water was almost to their necks. They were a dozen meters from shore-much farther than the rancor could extend its massive claws.

The rancor rumbled across the beach, sending huge sand clouds billowing into the artificial sky. The minute its foot touched the wet sand at the water’s edge, the creature stopped.

Tash rubbed water from her eyes with trembling hands. “Are you sure this will work?”

“Yes,” Deevee replied as water droplets ran down his metal plating. “According to my information banks, rancors have an innate dislike for water.”

The rancor growled, raised a foot, and took one mighty stomp into the ocean.

“Of course,” the droid added, “I could be mistaken.”

The rancor took another step. The weight of its body sent a huge wave rolling out from the shore toward them. The wave carried them farther out into the ocean.