ron Goulart - Challengers of the Unknown Read Online Free
Author: Ron Goulart
young lady; besides which, my heart is promised elsewhere."
"You were saying," Red urged the chief of the Challengers.
"Dug into one of the files I've been keeping," Ace said. "Something like two months ago stories began drifting out of an area in Ereguay around Lake Sombra. Nothing big, back-page stuff mostly."
"The Monster of Lake Sombra," said Prof. "The old rascal hasn't surfaced since late in the last century. I recall seeing a squib about his recent return."
Nodding, Ace said, "Locally he's called Zarpa. Means claw in Spanish."
"He's certainly got claws," said Prof. "Legend has it he's quite fond of ripping his victims apart."
"This is one legendary creature I'm not up on," said Red. "What is he supposed to be? A big serpent like the Loch Ness beastie or what?"
"Stories about Zarpa go back several hundred years," said Ace. "Most accounts, which include several by folks who claim to have been attacked by Zarpa and escaped, depict him as roughly humanoid. But with the head of some kind of amphibian reptile."
"What's Uncle Sam want us to do?" Rocky finished the last carrot. "Cage the guy?" "PetroSur, which is a branch of one of our biggest U.S. oil companies, is developing oil fields in that part of Ereguay," said Ace. "So far the creature has attacked only local citizens—"
"Ah, but we can't have him eating up Americans," said Prof. "Specially not big oil biz Americans."
"Easy, Prof," cautioned Red, with a grin, "you're starting to sound a shade too radical."
"There's a lot more to it than protecting PetroSur's interests," said Ace. "In the first place, I'm damn curious to find out what exactly this creature is."
"Lot of 'em turn out to be hoaxes."
"Not all, Rocky," reminded Red. "Which is one of the things which keeps us in business."
Prof was running his tongue around against his cheek, left eye nearly shut. "There's some political turmoil abrewing down Ereguay way," he said. "At the moment it's one of the few South American countries with anything resembling a democratic government."
Red added, "Their President Chanza was actually elected."
Rocky folded his newspaper, sat on it. "Speaking of June Robbins," he said, "when's she due here at Challenger headquarters?"
"Sometime between now and tomorrow," said Ace. "That's as close as I can come. You know how June is."
"Unpredictable," supplied Red.
"I'm kind of worried about her tagging along on this caper," the big man said. "In case we end up tangling with a monster and all."
"Worry about the monster," advised Prof.
The one-way glass wall let in a sweeping view of orange and gold cliffs and canyons. Alex Hentoff shook his head, which seemed slightly too large for his slim body, and wiped at his glasses with a swatch of treated paper before replacing them. "Incredible," he said in his somewhat piping voice. "From outside, this looks like just one more Southwest hunk of mountain."
"We call it camouflage," Prof said from the comfortable chair where he sat watching the young government agent.
Giving his rimless spectacles a final adjusting pat, Hentoff turned his back on the briefing room's impressive view and crossed to a chair.
Six chairs were placed in the center of the large room, all but one now occupied.
Rocky shifted again in his, drumming his fingers on the clipboard on his knee, frowning toward the entry panels in the wall. "She's late," he muttered.
Red raised an eyebrow at Prof. "Who's the Rock alluding to?" "Search me. Some young lady, I gather."
"Knock it off, you guys," growled the big man. "All the things that've been happening . . . well, Kee-rist, I'm a little worried about Juney Robbins is all."
"Women are always late for meetings," Red said.
"Not anymore," put in Prof. "They have equal rights now."
"I forgot."
Hentoff allowed a small smile to touch his lips. "Shall I wait for Ms. Robbins?"
"Yes," said Ace.
Nodding, the National Espionage agent said, "You alluded to some unusual things which had been taking place, Rocky.
"You were saying," Red urged the chief of the Challengers.
"Dug into one of the files I've been keeping," Ace said. "Something like two months ago stories began drifting out of an area in Ereguay around Lake Sombra. Nothing big, back-page stuff mostly."
"The Monster of Lake Sombra," said Prof. "The old rascal hasn't surfaced since late in the last century. I recall seeing a squib about his recent return."
Nodding, Ace said, "Locally he's called Zarpa. Means claw in Spanish."
"He's certainly got claws," said Prof. "Legend has it he's quite fond of ripping his victims apart."
"This is one legendary creature I'm not up on," said Red. "What is he supposed to be? A big serpent like the Loch Ness beastie or what?"
"Stories about Zarpa go back several hundred years," said Ace. "Most accounts, which include several by folks who claim to have been attacked by Zarpa and escaped, depict him as roughly humanoid. But with the head of some kind of amphibian reptile."
"What's Uncle Sam want us to do?" Rocky finished the last carrot. "Cage the guy?" "PetroSur, which is a branch of one of our biggest U.S. oil companies, is developing oil fields in that part of Ereguay," said Ace. "So far the creature has attacked only local citizens—"
"Ah, but we can't have him eating up Americans," said Prof. "Specially not big oil biz Americans."
"Easy, Prof," cautioned Red, with a grin, "you're starting to sound a shade too radical."
"There's a lot more to it than protecting PetroSur's interests," said Ace. "In the first place, I'm damn curious to find out what exactly this creature is."
"Lot of 'em turn out to be hoaxes."
"Not all, Rocky," reminded Red. "Which is one of the things which keeps us in business."
Prof was running his tongue around against his cheek, left eye nearly shut. "There's some political turmoil abrewing down Ereguay way," he said. "At the moment it's one of the few South American countries with anything resembling a democratic government."
Red added, "Their President Chanza was actually elected."
Rocky folded his newspaper, sat on it. "Speaking of June Robbins," he said, "when's she due here at Challenger headquarters?"
"Sometime between now and tomorrow," said Ace. "That's as close as I can come. You know how June is."
"Unpredictable," supplied Red.
"I'm kind of worried about her tagging along on this caper," the big man said. "In case we end up tangling with a monster and all."
"Worry about the monster," advised Prof.
The one-way glass wall let in a sweeping view of orange and gold cliffs and canyons. Alex Hentoff shook his head, which seemed slightly too large for his slim body, and wiped at his glasses with a swatch of treated paper before replacing them. "Incredible," he said in his somewhat piping voice. "From outside, this looks like just one more Southwest hunk of mountain."
"We call it camouflage," Prof said from the comfortable chair where he sat watching the young government agent.
Giving his rimless spectacles a final adjusting pat, Hentoff turned his back on the briefing room's impressive view and crossed to a chair.
Six chairs were placed in the center of the large room, all but one now occupied.
Rocky shifted again in his, drumming his fingers on the clipboard on his knee, frowning toward the entry panels in the wall. "She's late," he muttered.
Red raised an eyebrow at Prof. "Who's the Rock alluding to?" "Search me. Some young lady, I gather."
"Knock it off, you guys," growled the big man. "All the things that've been happening . . . well, Kee-rist, I'm a little worried about Juney Robbins is all."
"Women are always late for meetings," Red said.
"Not anymore," put in Prof. "They have equal rights now."
"I forgot."
Hentoff allowed a small smile to touch his lips. "Shall I wait for Ms. Robbins?"
"Yes," said Ace.
Nodding, the National Espionage agent said, "You alluded to some unusual things which had been taking place, Rocky.
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