Read Flash Gordon 4 - The Time Trap of Ming XIII for Free Online

eyes.
    “I’ll call the law,” said the young woman as she advanced on them, reaching out and grabbing up a bottle of stout from the side of the bar. “Now get out of here with ye, do ye hear me?”
    Kial held up his hands. “Please, miss! It’s just that we’re actors!” He gained confidence. “A traveling troupe of us is stranded at the spaceport, bumped from a flight to the Arcturus Galaxy.”
    The young woman stood very still, staring at Kial’s face. He could see now that she was very pretty, with flaxen hair, light-blue eyes, and a round face with full lips. Her body was shapely inside the monk’s robe.
    “Bumped, is it?” she asked, looking at him carefully. Then her eyes took in Lari.
    Lari blinked, trying to keep up with the fast-moving conversation. Actors? Bumped?
    “My name’s Kial,” said Kial, waving Lari aside. “I’m originally from Mercury in the Earth Solar System.”
    “Aye. That accounts for the strangeness of yer accent, and the vacancy of yer features,” said the girl in her woodsy accent. “All right. Me? I’m Magg, that’s short for Margaret, from the forest kingdom it is, and proud of it!”
    “This is Lari,” said Kial, waving at his companion.
    “Aye,” Magg said. “Now what’ll ye be needing, strangers to our forest kingdom? A mug of mead? A room? A bed?”
    “Talk; Drink. Information.” Kial smiled warily.
    Magg continued to study him. Then she backed off and nodded quickly. “Sit ye down.”
    And she bustled off behind the bar where Kial heard her banging mugs and bottles together. Lari sat down next to him at the round wooden table.
    Kial leaned over with his mouth close to Lari’s ear. “You keep out of this, Lari. Leave it to me.”
    “Sure, Kial,” Lari replied. “I’ll leave it to you.” He blinked. “What is it I’m leaving to you?”
    “The wooing of the damsel,” said Kial, his eyes dancing. “I’m going to worm out of her where Flash Gordon is. Take it from me—she knows.”
    “How do you know she knows?” Lari asked quickly.
    “I don’t know she knows, dummy,” snapped Kial. “But I intend to find out!”
    “But if she doesn’t know, then she can’t tell you, can she?”
    “I tell you, she knows, Lari!”
    “How do you know?”
    “I don’t know if she knows any more than you know if she knows,” Kial snapped. “She’s the only one who knows if she knows, but before I’m through, I’m going to know and you’ll know, too, if she knows.”
    “How do you know?” asked Lari.
    “I know because—” Kial stopped, fuming. “Leave the wench to me, Lari. No interference. You understand? You’ll flummox the whole deal.”
    Lari nodded sadly.
    Magg came up with the mugs of mead. She set them down with a bang. “Tell me,” she said, eying Lari. “What play is it ye’re touring the forest kingdom with?”
    Lari’s eyes got big. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
    “It’s called The Time Machine,” said Kial.
    Magg frowned. “It’s not been heard of around these parts. Are ye sure it’s all that great?”
    “It’s very big on Mercury,” Kial retorted. “That’s why the Mercury Players are touring the galaxies with it.”
    Magg turned to Lari. “Lari,” she said, the “r” sounding like a purr on her tongue, “would ye like another mug of mead?”
    Lari opened his mouth again.
    “Another round,” said Kial, leaning forward.
    Magg gathered up the empties and went behind the bar.
    Kial turned to Lari. “Stop trying to butt in, dummy! I’ve got this girl almost sewed up. As soon as I get her to myself in a dark corner, you sneak into Flash Gordon’s room and steal the blaster pistol.”
    “But, Kial, first we’ve got to find out where his room is,” said Lari.
    “I mean, after we find out where Gordon’s room is,” Kial said in exasperation.
    Magg set down two steaming mugs of mead. She looked into Lari’s face again.
    “Them’s strange clothes ye’re wearing, ye ken? That’s what