The Regulators - Stephen King [52]
COLONEL HENRY
You're worried, little one.
CASSIE
Of course I'm worried! Snake Hunter is right! The Power Wagons were never designed for the stresses of a deep space assault!
COLONEL HENRY
But that's not all that's on your mind.
CASSIE
Sometimes I hate your telepathy, Hank.
COLONEL HENRY
Come on ... give.
CASSIE
Something bothers me about those shapes inside the Force Corridor. What if they aren't power-generators?
COLONEL HENRY
What else could they be?
They have reached the slide-door to the Power Wagon Corral. COLONEL HENRY slaps his hand into the palm-lock and the door slides up.
CASSIE
I don't know, but . . .
INT. THE POWER WAGON CORRAL, FEATURING THE MOTOKOPS
CASSIE gasps with shock, eyes widening! COLONEL HENRY, looking grim, puts his arm. around her. The other squad-members gather round
ROOTY
Root-root-root-root!
SNAKE HUNTER
Yeah, Rooty, I couldn't agree more!
He stares bitterly at:
INT. THE POWER WAGON CORRAL, MOTOKOPS' POV
Floating in the middle of the parked Power Wagons, between SNAKE HUNTER'S Tracker Arrow and the silver-sided Rooty-Toot, is a grim visitor: the Meatwagon,HUMMING SOFTLY.
INT. RESUME MOTOKOPS SQUAD
COLONEL HENRY
MotoKops, prepare for battle!
SNAKE HUNTER (his stun-pistol already out)
Way ahead of you, boss.
The others draw.
INT. RESUME MEATWAGON
The Doom Turret SLIDES BACK, revealing NO FACE, sinister as always in his black uniform. Sitting behind him at the controls, with her customary look of sexy hauteur, is COUNTESS LILI. The Hypno-Jewel around her neck FLICKERS WILDLY through the color spectrum.
NO FACE
Floatpad, Countess. Now!
COUNTESS LILI
Yes, Excellent One.
The COUNTESS pulls a lever. A floatpad appears. NO FACE steps on to it and is wafted down to the floor of the Corral. He is unarmed, and as COLONEL HENRY steps forward, he holsters his own stunner.
COLONEL HENRY
Aren't you a little far from home, No Face?
NO FACE
Home is where the heart is, my dear Hank.
BOUNTY
This is no time for games.
NO FACE
As it happens, I couldn't agree more. The Force Corridor approaches. You, Colonel Henry, are planning a Power Wagon assault —
MAJOR PIKE
How do you know that?
NO FACE (icy)
Because it's what I'd do, you idiot!
(to COLONEL HENRY)
A Power Wagon assault is incredibly risky, but it may also be Earth's only chance. You'll need all the help you can get, and you have no vehicle at your command as powerful as the Meatwagon.
SNAKE HUNTER
That's a matter of opinion, you mutt. My Tracker Arrow —
COLONEL HENRY
Stow the gab!
(to NO FACE)
What are you offering?
NO FACE
A partnership until the crisis is past. Old quarrels put aside, at least temporarily. A joint attack on the Force Corridor.
He offers his black-gloved hand. COLONEL HENRY starts to reciprocate, and then MAJOR PIKEsteps forward. His almond-shaped eyes are wide, and his mouth-horn quivers with alarm.
MAJOR PIKE
Don't do it, Hank! You can't trust him! It's a trick!
NO FACE
I understand how you feel, Major ... we both do, do we not, Countess?
COUNTESS LILI
Yes, Excellent One.
NO FACE
But this time there are no tricks, no hidden cards.
COLONEL HENRY (to MAJOR PIKE)
And we have no choice.
NO FACE
Indeed we don't. Time is running out.
COLONEL HENRY reaches out and takes NO FACE'Shand.
NO FACE
Partners?
COLONEL HENRY
For now.
ROOTY
Root-root-root-root!
We FADE TO BLACK. Ends ACT 2.
CHAPTER SIX
1
Now speaking in the voice of Ben Cartwright, patriarch of the Ponderosa, Tak said: 'Ma'am, it looks to me like you were planning on skedaddling.'
'No . . .'It was her voice, but weak and distant, like a radio transmission coming in from the West Coast on a rainy night. 'No, I was just going to the store. Because we're out of ...' Out of what? What could