IMAGINATION'S PLACE
THE HUNTER'S PRIZE
By; Speaker Gerald Polley
Part 1


As the Lupan raider sped from the system they had just struck, its commander was pleased. He was the first of his people ever to successfully raid a Hume colony. Now, his cargo hold was packed with treasure, treasure that would bring him a considerable profit when it was auctioned off on his home world.
"Any sign of pursuit?" he asked one of his officers.
"No, sir," the officer replied, "the nullifier he left in their system has just been shut down. There was no way they could track us while it functioned."
"When our Zarin allies join us," said the commander, "I will not mind giving them their share of their prize money. It was a brilliant idea to disguise our ship as a gas bag attached to their hull! When we dropped off, they simply had to attach another, and inflate it. The Humes suspected nothing."
An officer entered the bridge and the commander turned to him. "What is it?" he said.
"One of the crewmen disobeyed orders and went in to try out some of the cargo. I think you'd better come have a look."
"I told them not to TOUCH the cargo!" the commander said. "I want none of it spoiled until it's sold. I'll not have its value decreased!"
He reached back to the hold and even as the hatch opened, he smelled blood. Off the narrow corridor on each side were racks and racks of narrow bunks into which Hume females had been packed. There were seven layers of such bunks. On the walkway between the bunks more females sat packed together so tightly there was no room to move around. The commander descended to the bottom-most level. Near the door one of his men lay on the floor...what was left of him. He had literally been ripped apart. Several stunned females were being tended as best they could, by their companions.
"Weapons at the ready," said the commander. His guards brought up their stunners as the door was opened, and the body of their comrade was dragged out.
"If you weren't so valuable," said the commander, "I'd hang all of you as a lesson for the others. But I can't afford such a waste. THAT one's got the most blood on her. Take her. We'll use her as an example for the rest. Hang her here. Then, so the rest can see, hang her in front of the other levels, so they get the idea, too. You obey or you die. WE are your masters now! You will learn obedience."
"If you step inside," said one of the women, "and are careless for a moment, you will learn just how obedient we are! And I promise you now, you will pay for this innocent blood."
"Innocent blood?" said the commander, "You murdered one of my men. What do you expect me to do? I told you to behave and you would be treated well. If you disobey you pay the price."
"It is YOU who will pay the price!" the woman said. "Our people are already in pursuit. Your friend here, talked too much, and we were able to atell our men back on the colony who took us, and where we're headed. They are already in pursuit. If you kill our sister you will pay the price!"
"Savages!" said the Lupan. "We don't believe in your religious mumbo-jumbo! You can no more communicate with your minds than we can, so don't try to frighten me!"
As the guards dragged the chosen woman out, she suddenly pulled free from the guards and a metallic object in her hand slashed at the commander ripping into his canine jaw and tearing up the side of his face. Before the woman could strike again, the guards disarmed her, handing the commander the jagged piece of metal ripped from one of the doorcases.
"Damn you whores!" the commander said. Not personally wanting to witness the hanging, he hurried off to medical to get his wound repaired. When he retired to the bridge he asked if anyone was following.
"There's only one ship behind us," said an officer. "it's our Earth friends about a day and a half behind. Apparantly they've concluded their business and are anxious to catch up with us to collect their prize."
"Good!" said the commander. "We're two days away from Lupa. Contact the capitol. Tell them we have more than a full load to be sold by auction at the space port, to the biggest bidder. Every noble in the district will be there. The bidding will be good. Maybe even a representative of The First Pack! I smell much gold and platinum flowing into our accounts. We're going to be rich, gentlemen, very rich!"
By the time they went in to land, The Zarin ship was only minutes behind them. While the cargo was being cleaned and appropriately dressed for the occassion the Lupan commander took his manifest to the auctioneer. "The auction area is already packed," said the auctioneer. "I have never seen so many nobles in all my days! Every high pack is represented, and the King's own council has already taken his royal place. We should be ready to begin in about an hour."
The Lupan commander returned to see to the cargo's preparations. As they were being brought out, he spoke to the woman who had taken charge of her companions.
"You will be completely obedient," he said. "Remember you are no longer among your people, and among ours women know their place, and are subserviant. You will learn to be quickly, or your lives will become very miserable. Do I make myself clear?"
The woman said nothing, but spat in the commander's face.
"Damn you!" said the commander. "This stupid ignorant pride will get you all killed! Be reasonable! Submit to our authority, respect and obey your masters!"
"Give us the opportunity," the woman said, "and we will kill our masters! We will not be slaves. It is not our people's way. WE are not afraid to die for our freedom. We know we will live again."
The Lupan commander ordered extra guards. He had a feeling these women were going to be hard to handle and he was not wrong. As they were being taken to the display area they tried to overpower the guards. Not wanting to stun them before the sale, they had to subdue them by hand, leaving many of the guards injured. But finally the first woman was brought up on the block and the auction was ready to begin. The Lupan commander saw his Zarin counterpart and saluted. The Zarin returned the salute but the Lupan noticed something strange. All the Zarin troopers were scattered around the edge of the display area, and had their battle visors down. Oh, well, perhaps they were just being cautious. The auctioneer began to speak.
"We have here, gentlemen," he said, "one of the rarest cargo ever to be brought back by our traders. At tremendous cost to them they have managed to purchase for the first time, Hume females, all young, all prime, all excellent for servants or for other purposes. Just look at this first example! A lovely creature by anyone's standards. I think it only reasonable that bidding on any one of these fine creatures begin at 500 gold credits apiece. I think that is the only reasonable beginning bid. Do I hear that offered?"
The Zarin commander rose. "I wish to make a bid," he said, "I wish to bid for these women...the lives of every man, woman and child on this spaceport, and, in the surrounding area for 200 legues about it!Will that bid be accepted?"
A murmur went ujp through the crowd, and the auctioneer fell silent. In the front of the crowd the royal representative rose and turned toward the Zarin commander.
"An intereting bid, sir!" he said. "May I ask for what reason you make it?"
The Zarin commander unsnapped the helmet and lifted it off his head. "Becaue," he said, "I am The First Speaker of the colony from where these women were abducted. Moments ago a small ship left our freighter. It is now two leagues above your head. It carries a single thermite bomb, the capabilities of which you are well aware of. I might mention that the bomb is so rigged that should a stun beam hit that ship, it will explode. You will also note that each of my troopers and myself are wearing thermite charges similarily equippped. Should we be struck by a stun beam, or any beam weapon, for that matter, they will detonate. I'm sure you realize what that will mean. In a crowd as densely packed as this one is, those that die will be the lucky ones. Thermite burns bring slow and agonizing death!"
"I do not understand," said the royal representative, "these females were traded for fairly and honorably. Do you now try to come and take them back?"
"The settlement in which these women lived," said the Hume Speaker, "was heavily stun-beamed while they slept. This commander and his crew then landed and packed their vessel with every woman they could find in the vacinity, then took off, disrupting our tracking system so we could not pursue them. Fortunately before they got out of range of our telepathic ability, one of your crewmen described the whole plot to one of our women. We seized the Zarin ship and pursued. We now place the crew of that raider under arrest. They will be taken back to stand trial for their crimes."

(Cont'd Next Issue)
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