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pieces of the flying creature they had upon their spits and were all pressed up against the invisible shield, ogling both the strange new invaders and the food.
    Mark tapped his right cuff and spoke, “Danny, move the field back in five feet.”
    “You got it, Boss,” Dan Sledge’s voice replied.
    The natives suddenly fell to the ground as the force field barrier they were leaning against disappeared.
    They slowly, cautiously approached the metal trays of hot food, looking at Mark, Red and Eddie with furrowed brows and almost animal uncertainty.
    Slowly on e of the natives crept forward. He reached a tentative hand toward the platter before him and removed a piece of chicken. He was immediately surprised at the heat of it and juggled it between hands, almost dropping it. But after an instant he cautiously moved it to his nose, sniffing it. Then he licked it. Immediately he was intrigued. He bit down and a smile spread over his face. He waved to his compatriots, and they descended upon the awaiting trays of food like ravenous fiends, devouring everything before them at an almost alarmingly fast rate.
    “C’mon gentlemen, let’s go back inside ,” Mark ordered.
    Eddie and Red exchanged glances and followed Mark up the ramp and back into the Cagliostro . The doors hissed shut behind them and locked.
    The three men returned to the command deck where Dan was awaiting them at his usual console.
    Mark looked at his friend and asked, “What’d they do after we left , Danny?”
    “They finished off the food and then looked up the ramp, like they were hoping more would be coming out .”
    “What are they doing now?” Red asked, his eyes slit.
    Everyone watched the monitor as all the natives turned to stare up the path they had taken to get to the Cagliostro in the first place. They dropped whatever scraps of food were left and grabbed their crude spears, chattering nervously amongst themselves
    “It’s coming back ,” Red announced.
    “Of course it is. It smelled the food,” Mark agreed.
    “Yeah , you said that was gonna happen,” Danny rumbled.
    “You’re up , Mr. Sledge,” Mark announced.
    Dan Sledge nodded his head. “On my way.”
    “You sure you don’t want one of the armored heavy battle suits?” Eddie called after him.
    “ Naah, I’m good. This won’t take long.”
    Dan disappeared into the maglovator. Everyone else on the command deck returned their gaze to the view screen.
    The trees shook as the natives began to nervously scatter. An instant later the towering red furred ape appeared through the thick trees, bellowing madly.

     

Chapter 5
     
     
     
    The fearsome red ape-like monstrosity with the v-shaped head bellowed its rage again. The natives fearfully pointed their spears at the towering hundred foot tall creature.
    “Gangway!” a voice roared from behind the beleaguered natives before they could even throw one crude spear at the lumbering monstrosity.
    Within the ship Mark commanded, “Now, drop the shield and bring it right back up after Dan clears it .”
    As one the natives turned toward where the voice had come from in time to see Dan Sledge take three bounding steps then to leap at the red furred beast, both fists forward. He hurtled through the air as if he was shot from a cannon and impacted the ape directly under the jaw. The creature staggered immediately, as if drunk en . Sledge dropped to the ground in a crouch and immediately charged the beast, again leaping fifty feet straight up, this time swinging his massive right fist into the beast’s chest.
    As if Dan were David fighting Goliath the ape went down with an Earth shaking thud. The impact was so great that the natives were all thrown from their feet.
    Dan walked up the giant creature’s body until he was standing on its chest. He reached his hands up above his head in double clenched fists, prepared to administer the finishing blow.
    But the Ape moved like lightning and grabbed Sledge around the waist with both