Free Alien Manifesto by T.W. Embry

with full power at lift off. We
will be at the main house in just a couple of minutes at this
rate, I thought
as I held on for dear life. Snarth is not
holding back. I closed my eyes and felt
the braking thrusters fire with relief. Snarth is driving like a crazy son of a bitch. This must be
important. Wow! And I thought the bike ride was bad. I marveled at the exhilarating ride, filing one
more fact about the enigma that was Snarth away for later
contemplation. I wondered why Snarth feared the Galactic
Council. But more importantly, what does he need me for?
    When we landed, Snarth and I hurried
toward the courtyard at double time. Then at the rear entrance to
the courtyard, Snarth paused, composing himself and said, “Human
Tom, cloak yourssself and do not interfere until I tell you to. I
have inssstructed the sssecurity sssystem to allow you to move
around cloaked without sssetting off any alarmsss. However, that
meansss we won’t be able to sssee if whoever thisss isss alssso
hasss cloaked accomplicesss.” Then Snarth sauntered into the
courtyard with his best devil may care attitude.
    I quickly made my way to the center of
the room then second-guessing myself I retreated into the only
corner that I could see both the exits from, and have the wall to
my back. The most unlikely place someone trained in stealth would
choose. Here I would wait until Snarth’s signal to uncloak
came.
    The mechs had already admitted the
visitor into the courtyard. A hooded figure was seated on the
eating couch, waiting for Snarth’s arrival. As it threw back the
hood, I was surprised to see it was the same species as Snarth. I
had never seen Snarth stunned until now. They just stood there
looking at each other.
    My skin prickled with the
sense of another cloaked figure and I tensed, reaching for my
blaster. I felt the soft paw of the feline stealth master stay my
draw. Damn it, she had gotten close to me, again. Too close to let me forget
about it any time soon. However, I am glad she is
here .
    The Irishman and the canine
master must not be far behind. As if in answer to my thoughts, I
felt the hot breath of the cloaked canine master, Rowl as he called
himself since his string of professional victories in the fight
ring. That meant the Irishman was guarding the door outside. I
grinned wickedly. Anyone who tried to get
through that door was in for a real fight, I can assure
you.
    Finally Snarth spoke. “It’sss been a
long time, brother. To what do I owe the honor?”
    “ Do I really need a
reassson, brother?” said the newcomer.
    “ If I had known you were
coming, I would have prepared a proper feassst.” Still no sign from Snarth to decloak.
    Suddenly the two brothers lunged
toward each other and I felt the restraining paw of Rowl on my
shoulder. The two brothers embraced, each pounding on the other’s
back. It was not a fight; it was an embrace from one brother to
another.
    “ Why all the sssecrecy
brother?” Snarth asked.
    “ I jussst wanted to
sssurprissse you, that isss all,” answered the brother with a
tentacle-wiggling grin I recognized. Snarth used the same one when
he was up to something, something not good. Still no cue to decloak
came. There was more to this meeting than met the eye.
    “ ssSnarg, ever sssince we
were kidsss and you gave me that sssmile, we got into trouble. ssSo
let’sss have it, what do you want?” Snarth hissed in a low,
menacing voice.
    “ Okay, here it isss. Rumor
hasss it that you killed the leader of the Cult of Eli. It would
ssseem that after hisss death, a full-ssscale riot broke out and
the galactic sssecurity mechsss were called in to ressstore order,”
he hissed. “Now ordinarily, the Galactic Council would not be
involved in sssuch a trivial matter. However, one of the people
killed wasss the ssson of a very prominent colleague of mine. And
he isss most dissspleasssed with the whole matter. I am here at the
behessst of the new intelligence chief AArat.”
    “ I don’t do that kind