Free The Wishing Stone by Christopher Pike

you.”
    Hironee nodded weakly. “I hate this place. I’ve told you how much I hate it. But I’ve been here half my life. It’s home to me now. I know that sounds silly but I’m afraid to leave it.” She stopped and Sally saw the tears in her eyes. “You and Cindy had better leave without me.”
    â€œNonsense. We’ll never do that.” Sally gave her a hug and then gestured to the barren landscape. “This is no home for a person like you. Try to remember what Zanath was like—the blue water, the green islands, the warm yellow sun in the clear sky. That’s your home, Hironee, and if you come with us you might see it again soon. I’m not promising you will. Maybe you will die in the desert like Charles—that’s a definite possibility.But you have to know deep inside that it’s better to die free than to live as a slave.”
    Hironee smiled. “You never told me, Sally, that you were a motivational speaker.”
    Sally laughed. “My talents are endless.” She turned toward the building where Cindy had disappeared. “Let’s take what supplies we can carry and get out of here before Lizard Breath wakes up.”
    They came out of hyperspace much closer to Amacron 37 than they had been to the other worlds when they had finished making their jumps. Fur explained that he had intentionally cut it close so that the Kasters would have less time to spot them.
    â€œBut we can circle around the planet until they shoot us down if we’re hoping to get into their-slave compounds,” he said gloomily as they raced toward the desert planet, a purple sun hanging in the sky off to their right.
    â€œAre the force fields just around the slave compounds?” Watch asked.
    â€œUsually,” Fur said. “There’s no point in protecting all of a planet like this. It’s mostly dust and sand. The Kasters usually concentrate theirenergy where it’s needed most. But that allows them to erect an even stronger force field. Don’t fool yourself, this place is more protected than Tallas Four was.”
    â€œWhere we were far from a huge success,” Watch observed.
    â€œIs there no way to get through the force fields?” Adam asked, frustrated.
    â€œWe can try,” Fur said. “We can turn Watch’s generator up to full power and try to smash through. But there is an excellent chance we’ll explode.”
    â€œBetter not risk it,” Watch said, having second thoughts.
    â€œWe have to give it a try,” Adam said.
    Fur stared at him. “These two girls must be pretty special.”
    â€œOne of them is,” Watch said. “The other is just unusual.”
    â€œThey are our friends,” Adam said. “That’s what matters.”
    Fur was wistful. “I wish I had friends as loyal as you two.” He added, “Or at least as loyal as you, Adam.” Something on the control panel caught his eye. He pushed a couple of buttons, seemingly rechecking his readings. “This is odd.”
    â€œWhat is it?” Adam asked.
    â€œThe southernmost compound on Amacron Thirty-seven—its force field is shut down. Not only that, there are three life forms heading away from the compound, heading into the deep desert.”
    â€œIt must be the girls!” Adam exclaimed.
    â€œI thought there were only two of them,” Fur said.
    â€œThey make friends fast,” Watch said. “At least Cindy does.”
    Something else on the control panel caught Fur’s eye. But rather than try to ascertain what it was with his instruments, he leaned back and stared up at the window on the ceiling of the control room. Adam and Watch did the same just in time to see a fleet of warships materialize in normal space. Clearly the ships had just completed a jump through hyperspace. They were gray in color, long and sleek, with red fins and smoldering weapons ports.
    â€œThe Kasters,” Fur