[Galaxy Of Fear] - 09(4)

“You okay?” Zak asked.

“Yes,” she answered. “Let’s play.”

Speed globe was a team sport, but Zak and Tash did their best. They found an open meadow covered in short green grass, and Tash flicked a switch on the globe. It hummed to life, trembling in her hands. She flicked another switch and the globe shot out of her hands, bouncing to a stop a few meters away.

“Go!” Zak shouted, and dove for the ball. He was fast, but the ball was faster. Just before he could grab it, the speed globe jumped out of the way, powered by its internal engine.

“Nice try,” Tash yelled, jumping past her brother. “It’s mine!”

But the speed globe dodged away from her, too.

Laughing, Tash and Zak raced across the meadow after the globe. Catching it was nearly impossible-they needed teammates to help corner the globe and grab hold of it. They might never have touched the globe again if it hadn’t bounced against a tall tree, coming to a stop in its thick roots.

Tash started forward.

“Hold on,” her brother said, tromping up behind her. “What if it’s dangerous?”

Tash looked around. Nothing was moving except some of the vines on the tree, stirred by the wind. “What if what’s dangerous?”

Zak held up his finger. “The tree. Remember that alleth plant that stung me? What if its parents live here?”

“They won’t bother you,” Tash said, grinning. “Unless you consider yourself a small rodent.” She looked around. “It’s so peaceful, I’m sure there’s nothing dangerous here.”

The sentence had barely left her mouth when a bunch of vines wrapped themselves around Zak and pulled him into the air.





CHAPTER 2


It happened so fast, Tash thought she was seeing things.

One moment, Zak was standing next to her.

The next, he was up in the branches of a nearby tree. For the first few seconds, Tash’s brain couldn’t figure out how it had happened-she thought her brother had somehow jumped up into the tree, and all she could do was wonder why he was thrashing around up there.

Then Zak managed a strangled cry of “Help!” and she knew he was in trouble.

The vines of the tree were moving. Sharp, jagged leaves protruded from the vines like claws. Several of the vines had already,wrapped themselves around Zak’s waist, and more were now encircling his neck and throat. When he tried to pry the vines away, tree branches whipped against his arms. “Hel-!” Zak started to yell again before a vine covered his mouth.

“Zak!” Tash shouted. She ran toward the tree.

Which was just what the tree wanted. The moment she stepped within range, a vine stabbed out to loop around her ankle. But the Force was with her. She moved as the vine moved and jumped back just in time.

The tree pulled Zak in even farther, and he nearly disappeared beneath the vines. But Tash could still see his feet kicking, and the thrashing vines told her that her brother was putting up a good fight.

Again and again Tash tried to rush forward, but each time the tree was waiting for her. Tash picked up a rock and threw it at the tree. The stone bounced off the tree’s hard trunk-nothing happened. But she had no other weapon to use. In frustration, she picked up a larger rock.

“That won’t help,” said a deep, calm voice. Tash nearly dropped the rock on her foot.

Standing behind her, gazing with kind, friendly eyes, was Fandomar the Ithorian.

“Help!” Tash insisted. “It’ll kill him”

Without answering, Fandomar stepped past Tash and walked right into the shade of the thrashing tree. Over the hissing sound of scraping leaves, Tash heard Fandomar talk to the tree in a soft, throaty whisper. Tash couldn’t understand the words, but the voice was so soothing that she felt instantly calm.

Fandomar’s voice had the same effect on the tree. Its moving limbs became still. A thick bunch of vines suddenly unrolled toward the ground, revealing Zak, who had been wrapped up as tightly as a mummy from Necropolis. His face was a deep shade of red and his eyes looked as if they’d almost been squeezed out of his head.

Still frightened of the tree, Tash kept an eye on its branches as she ran to her brother’s side. She caught him just as his knees gave out.

“Are you hurt?” she asked.

Zak shook his head. “I’m okay.” Then, with a gasp, he added, “Breathing-it’s a very good thing.”

“He should recover shortly,” Fandomar said.

Tash moved quickly out of the shade of the predatory tree. “Your planet looks so peaceful,” she said to the Ithorian. “I can’t believe you have such dangerous trees. You should cut them down.”

Fandomar stiffened, and Tash realized she had offended the Ithorian, who said, “We obey the Law of Life. We do not harm living things.”