Flash was frowning. “Matter of fact, I have.”
Three heavily-armed rescue ships had arrived from Arboria. They were rapidly taking care of the flock of giant harpibats. One side in particular was eliminating more than its share of the flying reptiles.
Flash, an arm around Dale, stood next to their safely landed aircruiser and watched the conflict in the sky.
“What manner of weapon is mounted on that third ship?” asked the excited Tomo. “It disintegrates the creatures entirely, instantly. I’ve never witnessed anything like this before.”
Another of the aircruisers, free of pursuing harpibats, was settling down to a landing in the clearing.
His eyes still skyward Tomo said, “Perhaps it is the work of the sorcerers.”
“Who are the sorcerers?” asked Dale.
“As you know,” answered Tomo, “Ming has tried to keep all his enemies at a very primitive level technologically. One of the things he did, quite long ago, was to make it a crime for any scientist to work for us. The penalty is death.” The young man smiled, “Ming did not, however, make witchcraft and sorcery a crime. Mongo has a long and honorable tradition of magic.”
“I see,” said Dale, “so your scientists call themselves sorcerers.”
“I’m certain it no longer fools Ming, but men of science like a joke,” continued Tomo. “The scientists have enclaves in all parts of Mongo and they assist in recruiting men to our cause. They’ve come up with many new inventions, war-like and otherwise.” He watched the sky once more. “It may be some new recruit who has devised this remarkable weapon.”
“I wonder,” said Flash.
The sky was clear. All the harpibats had either been destroyed or had retreated. The rescue ships dropped down to join the trio of aircruisers in the forest clearing.
Flash, taking Dale’s hand, walked toward the ship which had been using the new type of blaster cannon. Before they reached it, a side door burst open and a large bearded man in a green jumpsuit leaped out. “I knew it would outshine anything available on Mongo,” he bellowed. “And it did. What’d you think of it, Flash?”
“A great breakthrough on the harpibat extermination front, Doc,” said Flash, grinning.
Dale threw her arms around the burly scientist. “Zarkov! You’re not dead.”
“Dead?” he roared. “With my constitution and the diet regimen I follow?” He cocked his head at the ship he’d just left. “These sorcerer boys still have a thing or two to learn about synthesizing vitamins. And, would you believe it, they have never heard of Vitamin Z.”
“The one you discovered and named after yourself?” asked Flash.
“That Vitamin Z, yes.” Zarkov returned Dale’s embrace with an enthusiastic bearhug, then shook both Flash’s hands. “They’ve got a lot to learn. It was their good fortune that I convinced them to take me straight to the capital of Arboria. The only good lab setup in outlaw Mongo is there.” He stood back a few feet, admiring both his friends, clutching at his beard. “I hear you’ve been giving Ming all sorts of trouble, Flash. Killing off apes, tigers, and lions.”
“That old Flash Gordon adaptability,” said Dr. Zarkov, in his booming voice. “Drop you anyplace in the universe and you always land on your feet.”
“Speaking of which,” said Flash, “they’ve promised to find our survey ship and bring it here to Arboria so it can be patched up.”
Zarkov continued to tug at his beard. “Oh, yes . . . the survey ship,” he said in what was, for him, a low voice.
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about getting it fixed,” Dale told him. “Don’t you want to get back to our orbiting lab?”
“Eventually,” answered the doctor. “I tell you, there are several interesting problems I know I can lick right here in Arboria. The biggest of which is Ming. What can you do with a ninny who tries to outlaw science?”
“Ming may be dead,” said Flash.
“Dead?”
Flash gave Dr. Zarkov the story of his adventures in the palace of the emperor.
When he was finished, Zarkov shook his head. “If the old boy is defunct, they’re not letting on in the capital,” he said. “We picked up a broadcast this morning purporting to be devoted to a fresh proclamation from Ming himself.” He nodded at Flash and then the girl. He paused a moment, then asked, “Would you mind staying on here a while longer, you two? There’s a good deal to be done.”
Flash looked at Dale and she nodded. He turned back to Zarkov. “Not at all,” he said.
Table of Contents
Back Cover
Books
Titlepage
Copyright
THE LION MEN OF MONGO
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33