The Cagliostro Chronicles II: Conflagration Read Free Page B

air is safe and clean. We all double checked, and it’s kinda nice out here. Relaxing even. Come out for ten minutes, then we can both go back inside. You’ll like it out here, I promise.”
    Mark shook his head angrily , then deflated slightly, his head sinking into his chest. After a moment he finally replied, “All right Ari, I’m on my way. But all I’m giving you is ten minutes, got it?”
    “Got it , Boss,” she acknowledged mischievously.
     
    ***
     
    A few minutes later, Mark exited the Cagliostro and found Ariel waiting for him at the boarding ramp.
    “Well? What do you think?”
    “About what?” he answered.
    “This place, what do you think I meant? It’s amazing isn’t it? ”
    He glared at her, annoyed, and then began to look around, taking a deep breath cautiously before exhaling and taking a second. He listened closely and heard all manner of winged creatures calling to each other in hoots and whistles, as they flew overhead. The foliage was thick, so thick it almost blocked out the sun. 
    “This place is a jungle ,” he announced to no one in particular.
    Overhead unseen birds flew past calling to each other somewhere beyond the verdant tree tops.
    After a moment he called back to Ariel. “So no one has discovered if there’s any intelligent life here yet?”
    “Well…” she began, “I th ink there may be more than meets the eye here, but for some reason my telepathy is not getting a solid feel on anyone, or anything but I sense they are here. It’s just as if they are intentionally blocking me.”
    “That’s new .”
    “Yes it is, and it’s a little annoying .”
    “I believe it .” He smiled and put his arm around her, pulling her close.  They walked over to the landing gear and sat with their backs against it.
    “Not the most comfortable of back rests, but not that terrible either ,” Mark noted.
    “It ’s better than a rock somewhere.” Ariel turned and looked him in the eyes and smiled. “How are the repairs going?”
    He felt himself relax immediately.
    Mark returned her smile. As he looked into her eyes, he felt himself unwinding like a spring being released after far too long. The tension seemed to drain from him, at least for now.
    “Slowly. We took a lot of damage. We got battered.”
    “But don’t forget,” she held a finger up and wagged it, “we still won.”
    “You and I would not be alive to have this conversation right now if we hadn’t ,” Mark nodded grimly, a knowing smile on his face.
    Johnson leaned back and looked around, studying the dense foliage that lay just beyond the ship . “So what do you think, Ari? Is whatever’s out there intelligent? Or just some animal form of life?”
    Almost as if on cue, a team of scientists suddenly broke through the foliage running for the ship, hands in the air and shouting unintelligibly.  Mark and Ari were on their feet immediately.
    “Whoa , WHOA!” Mark repeated himself holding his arms out to stop the running team of scientists.
    “G-get back onboard the ship!” one man stammered as he pushed Mark out of his way, practically frothing at the mouth.
    Another shouted as he brushed past, “It’s coming ! Run!”
    Mark turned and shoved Ari behind him, onto the entry ramp . He pulled his blaster in a lightning quick move. “Ari, are you getting anything?”
    He knew she was already using her telepathic abilities to search for whatever mind out there was coming this way fast.
    “Yes!” S he practically shouted, “But it’s not human. It’s some kind of beast. It’s all emotion and rage, and it’s very angry right now.”
    An Earthshaking roar punctuated her sentence as both of them turned their heads toward the sound. They slowly backed up the ramp. Mark tapped the cuff of his right sleeve. “Red, you better get a security team out here quick.”
    “What’s going on?” Red replied instantly.
    “The Sci-guys pissed something off, and it sounds like it was something big. It’s definitely