Hard Luck Hank Screw the Galaxy(69)

It did sound kind of lousy like that. But I was shocked into silence by Garm’s tears.

“What do you want me to do, Hank? Eat the delfiblinium? Maybe flush it down the toilet? That’s probably why they haven’t come through yet. They’re waiting for Belvaille to explode.”

“I was thinking maybe we could put it in a rocket and launch it from a ship before the Navy gets here,” I suggested.

“Oh, yeah. No one will notice that. We launch missiles all the time on our space station. And Delovoa bought a Dredel Led? He’s dumber than you are.”

I agreed with her there.

“What should we do?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered angrily. “Killing Delovoa would be a good place to start.”

“I’m not sure how the robot will react,” I replied.

“What, is it like nipping at his heels? Like a pet?” she asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, pretty much. Though it’s also knocking apart his walls as it moves around.”

Garm soaked that in.

“Why did this have to happen now? Where did you get the metal, Hank?”

“I promised I wouldn’t tell,” I said.

Garm was calm. I think because she was spent. Her eyelids looked heavy.

“I don’t care what you promised. I’m about ready to throw you out the airlock.”

“That wouldn’t get rid of the metal or the Dredel Led,” I answered. “And you said the Navy wanted to talk to me personally.”

She smirked at me calling her bluff.

“Can your pistol destroy the robot?”

“It’s really big. Much bigger than the others. Delovoa said he had used every tool he had to try and open it up and nothing worked. So I’m not sure. I don’t even know if my pistol still shoots.”

“That’s great,” Garm said. “I’d say use the delfiblinium on the robot, but that would kill everyone here. Two hundred pounds?”

Garm put her head in her hands again and I prayed she wasn’t going to cry.

“What, are you a drug dealer now?” she asked absently, pointing to the drugs Grever Treest had given me. I had been carrying them around for when I eventually went to talk to Jyonal.

“No, it’s just…” Hey. Jyonal could get rid of that Dredel Led. What was I thinking? I was friends with a level-ten mutant. He could probably turn that robot into a large trash can with just a few drinks. “Never mind,” I said, “I think I might have an idea for the Dredel Led.”

Garm looked at me with dead eyes.

“And what is your idea?”

I went to the door.

“I’ll take care of it. Should I bring over the delfiblinium?”

“No, you shouldn’t bring over the delfiblinium,” she answered tersely. “What’s your idea?”

I was out the door. Garm, who can probably crawl faster than I can run, was right behind me.

“Guards, stop him,” she said.

I looked at the two guards, who were sitting down playing cards. They looked back at Garm.

“Uh,” one of them said.

“Don’t worry about it, Garm. Trust me.”





CHAPTER 27


This wasn’t like the other Dredel Led, who were cannon-toting and rather surly. ZR3 had a one-word vocabulary and enjoyed standing under tarps for years at a stretch. Jyonal wouldn’t have to worry about it attacking him at all.

I didn’t know how Jyonal’s powers worked. Did he have to see the robot? Could he just think it away? I mean it was undoubtedly the only Dredel Led on the station. Could he just say, “Turn all the robots on Belvaille to rubber”?

I stopped at my apartment, first to change my socks, then to use the bathroom. I still had the ore and Garm hadn’t given me any hints on how to dispose of it. I suppose I could just leave it out in plain sight at the docks with a sign over it saying, “Free delfiblinium,” for when the Navy arrived.

I hopped across the street and went up to ask Jyonal how he felt about killing robots.

The door opened and there stood Jyen with green skin wearing even less clothes than usual.

“Hank,” she squealed and hugged me.

“Is Jyonal home?”

“Do you like it?” she asked, twirling around, showing off her body like she had just discovered it.

“Yup, so is he here?”

“I wanted a change of colors. I’m not sure if it’s better than blue. What do you think?”

“Great,” I said, trying to ignore the half-naked, flirty woman next to me.

“Hey, now that the Portal is open, do you think we can leave?”

I looked at her.

“You guys are leaving again?”

“Well, you’re coming with us, right?”