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The capital prison of Antar - which either has no name or has a name that is never spoken - is not tall. It is, however, ten floors. The tenth floor is the furthest into the ground -- the entry level is referred to as zero.
The former-former king and queen of Antar, parents of Zan and Vilandra, are in a glass cell on level ten.
There are guards pretty much everywhere.
August 10 2005, 22:24:08 UTC 6 years ago
August 10 2005, 22:25:19 UTC 6 years ago
These two guards? are harmless.
They aren't even armed.
How convenient.
August 10 2005, 22:27:13 UTC 6 years ago
August 10 2005, 22:34:23 UTC 6 years ago
and then takes a few stumbling steps out into the open, and falls to her knees, her face twisted in apparent agony, silver "blood" trailing down her cheek.*
Oh, merde, la douleur la douleur, oh je m'en fous -
*Interesting how her tutu is riding rather high up her legs, too. When going for a distraction, Meg figures, be as distracting as possible.*
August 10 2005, 22:46:30 UTC 6 years ago
The guards end up with a sort of Stooge-like repertoire; the older one torn between calling for a medic and helping her himself, whereas the younger is just staring at Meg's leg.
Eventually, the older guard smacks him upside the head and drags him over.
"My lady?" he queries of Meg.
August 10 2005, 22:52:11 UTC 6 years ago
August 10 2005, 22:56:33 UTC 6 years ago
She's probably fluttering her eyelashes, too.*
August 10 2005, 23:03:36 UTC 6 years ago
The young, hapless and clueless guard is just staring for a minute, while the other looks panicky.
"Call a medic," he says to the younger, leaning over to see if she's feverish.
The younger guard leans over too, because Meg is a pretty young girl with legs, and is probably drunk.
Leaning may not be such a good idea.
August 10 2005, 23:12:10 UTC 6 years ago
Because Zaphod, albeit being a bit distracted by Meg's legs himself, then clocks their heads together and drops his hands away with distaste.
"Lecherous bums," he says self-righteously.
August 10 2005, 23:16:27 UTC 6 years ago
Gort! Klaatu barata nikto!
They both fall to the ground, unconscious.
August 10 2005, 23:19:06 UTC 6 years ago
. . . . that was way too easy. Who hires these buffoons?
August 10 2005, 23:27:16 UTC 6 years ago
"I think that would be Rent-A-Goon."
He helps Zaphod drag the two guards out of the line of view and binds them securely.
August 10 2005, 23:32:01 UTC 6 years ago
"One moment, if you would."
She disappears into the shadows and is followed by another girl, tlaler, who looks very similar to her.
"Livrana, these are our partners. She won't understand you if you talk to her, I'm afraid," Meroin interjects toward the others, "but can lead us downward without interruption."
August 10 2005, 23:39:17 UTC 6 years ago
They begin to walk down the stairs.
August 10 2005, 23:46:05 UTC 6 years ago
August 10 2005, 23:48:56 UTC 6 years ago
It's very dark.
And then it isn't - Livrana is holding fire, and turns to smile at Meroin, who speaks.
"We have no weapon that can break what is holding them," she says to Mouse, gesturing at his ammunition, "but King Zan says that you do."
Then she gestures at the cells, Livrana holding up the light.
Small boxes of a clear substance, with clear furniture inside.
And suffering people with it.
Many little glass prisons.
August 10 2005, 23:56:29 UTC 6 years ago
He fires at the first cell, careful not to hit anyone. It shatters, and so does the next.
August 11 2005, 00:05:16 UTC 6 years ago
Not with guns, but with silver arrows, posessing pointed sharp-tipped blades of red.
Likely poison.
The arrows completely miss Asmodean and Livrana, graze the top of Mouse's head but don't actually hit him, and Meroin ducks out of the way of one just in time.
Missed some enemy, there in the darkness.
August 11 2005, 00:09:01 UTC 6 years ago
The wall behind some of the guards is rendered smooth as glass, charred corpses are all that remain between Asmodean and the marks on the wall.
August 11 2005, 00:15:22 UTC 6 years ago
He looks down at the corpses for a few second, then looks back up as he fires at the next cell.
August 11 2005, 00:18:43 UTC 6 years ago
At Mouse.
At the arrows.
At Asmodean.
At the bodies.
And then Meroin turns to look upward, and they all hear it -- sounds of Many Feet and Many Shots, as people emerge from the cells.
"Shoot up," she urges, grabbing Mouse's arm and pointing at the stairs above them. "Warning."
August 11 2005, 00:24:30 UTC 6 years ago
Meg, the shortest one of the group, is also jumping up and down, as she runs, in an attempt to see over a mass of blue shoulders.
A good half of those shots weren't Mouse.*
What's going on? *she shouts down the stairs, in faint hope that someone will hear her - and the Antarians, after all, can't understand what she's saying.*
August 11 2005, 00:29:13 UTC 6 years ago
He swears under his breath, then fires at the guards coming down the stairs.