Satan's Forge (Star Sojourner Book 5) Read Online Free

offer you.”
    I held down the seething anger that rose like bile in my throat. I would have to play his game, if not by his rules. “They're all right. But the bars could go.”
    He stared at me. “Sit down, Jules. Would ye like a cup of coffee? I had it freshly brewed.”
    I breathed in the aroma as I took a chair. My mouth watered. “No, thanks.” There would be no pleasantries between us, no more than between predator and prey.
    The Altairians must've made leaps and bounds in their interstellar technology. Boss Slade wore no helmet to contain his natural atmospheric gases, but I saw the scars across his neck and the tubes from his backpack that were fed into them.
    He sat behind his desk and folded his green, scaled hands. “The reason we recruited ye for this employment, Jules,” he said softly, to lower my defenses, I think, “is because of your rather impressive telepathic abilities.” He hissed in a breath between pointed teeth on his broad, flat snout. “Your reputation precedes ye, my friend.”
    “I don't remember applying for the job.”
    He chuckled. “Water under the bridge.”
    You think, crotefucker
? I thought.
    He tapped the desk. “All that I, and my off-world employers request of ye, is that under the guise of being an overseer, ye…what do you call it, mindlock?”
    Mindlink, schmuck.
“Close enough.”
    “Ah. Ye mindlock with our subjects and examine their thoughts, and their whispered conversations, to bring to light any hints of rebellion.” He tapped a key on his computer and studied the screen. “There is an ongoing threat of insurrection by the workers here at Lithium Love Mine.” He scratched the scales around his lips. “Some of our subjects are by nature disgruntled creatures, and they infect others with their derisive attitudes.” I caught the note of irritation in his tone. He glanced toward the closed window where the Cleocean's shrieks broke through glass like an invisible battering ram.
    “So, my friend.” Boss Slade grinned. “Someday, this mine will be played out and we can all return home.” He sat back. “Me to my beautiful Altair, and ye to Earth. That said, do ye agree that we can do business?”
    I rubbed my chin while the screams sank to moans. “That depends, my friend. Will I be on salary?”
    “Salary? Why…why what did ye have in mind as a retainer?”'
    “With my impressive telepathic abilities, I'm thinking a thousand credits a week should suffice.”
    “A thousand!” He leaned forward. The skin around his eyes flushed dark green. Then he collected himself and cleared his throat. “That is not unreasonable,” he said tightly. “The money will be deposited in your account on our online bank at the end of each work week.”
    Sure it will, you lying motherless piece of crud.
    He stood up and extended a thickly-muscled arm. “Can we shake on it?”
    “Done deal.” I shook his reptilian-cold hand.
    Back out in the thick air and heavy sunlight, I felt as though a suffocating hand had been lifted from my kwaii, what we Terrans call spirit. I watched two guards drag away the bleeding, semi-conscious Cleocean.
    Azut strode up to me. “This way!” He took my arm and turned me around. “We are assigning ye a horse and a whip. Both to be used at ye own discretion.”
    I nodded at his beam rifle. “And a weapon?”
    “Ye know, Terran,” he said as we walked, “ye do not fool me for one minute.”
    Toby was a big bay with nice conformation and an alert manner. I patted his neck and smiled. I have always loved horses. I think he was a Tennessee Walker. “Hey, big guy,” I said soothingly and stroked his silky neck. At least the overseers' mounts were well taken care of.
    “Aw,” Azut said. “Ye two should become lovers. Ye are made for each other.”
    I continued to stroke Toby's neck. “He's the most honest tag in the Love Mines, croc face.”
    * * *
    “Do you know a tag named Briertrush?” I asked an old Kubraen slave. “We were friends on