As always the standard disclaimer applies: I do not own the Happy Tree Friends; they are the property of Mondo Media. I own only my own characters and this story.

Now here's chapter 63:

63 – COMBAT IN WORDS

"You can't be serious" said Mayor King incredulously.

"Try me" said Zarkwon Du, still smiling broadly.

"No" said the mayor, "I don't think I will. It's one thing to have to make hard choices, and another to enter a situation that's obviously been rigged against you and won't give you a good result no matter what you do."

Zarkwon Du's smile disappeared from his face and he looked hard at the mayor.

"Are you questioning my honesty?" he demanded.

"What honesty?" shot back the mayor, "there is nothing honest about your entire proposal. You're just looking for an excuse to hurt someone we care about. Only a mind reader would be able to guess your game in one guess, and even if he got it right what's to stop you from saying he's wrong? For that matter how do we know you haven't already killed Anna Ride and are just playing with us?"

"So you won't play?" said Zarkwon Du, "if you don't that'll be very bad for our hostage."

"Don't threaten me" said the mayor, "I wouldn't expect you to say anything else. But it still doesn't change anything. I'd say it's quite clear that you don't have any intention of playing straight with us. Am I right?" She turned to her fellow Councillors. There seemed to be considerable agreement from all sides. "I thought so" she continued, "you wanted to know if I could make hard choices? Well how's this? As far as we know Anna Ride is already dead, therefore you have nothing to bargain with, and there is nothing to stop us from capturing you."

Zarkwon Du picked up his blaster.

"Oh I assure you" he said grimly, "that I have no intention of being recaptured. And Mrs. Ride is not dead – yet. But are you going to condemn her out of hand?"

"You don't give me much choice" said the mayor, "call her a casualty of war if you want. She would understand."

"You're a lot colder than I would have expected" said Zarkwon Du, raising his eyebrows in surprise, "you would actually write off your friend in this way?"

"Anna Ride knows full well the dangers of war" said Flippy suddenly, "it's a daily part of her work, both for her and her husband."

"She would not want to be a pawn" said Splendid, "and she wouldn't want to be used in your game, especially one rigged the way you've set it up."

"Fine" said Zarkwon Du, "maybe I'm being a little too harsh. I'll give you three guesses. Now that's fair. Can't get much fairer than that. What are you doing?!" This last sentence was addressed to Barry, who seemed to be fidgeting uneasily in his place with his hands under the table.

"Nothing" said Barry with surprise.

"Really?" said Zarkwon Du, pointing his blaster at Barry "show me your hands. I want to see them."

Slowly Barry brought his hands out from under the table; they were indeed empty.

"You should be more careful" said Zarkwon Du lowering his blaster, "I almost shot you."

"That would have been stupid" said Barry quietly, then he suddenly added, "just like your guessing game. Whether you give us three guesses, or ten, or a thousand it won't make any difference. We know what you want, and we can't give it to you."

"Is that so?" sneered Zarkwon Du, "you seem to pretty sure of yourself. How old are you?"

"Fifteen" said Barry.

"Then if you're so smart then you tell me what I want, but this time – " and he leveled his blaster at Barry again, "if you guess wrong I'll kill you." The tension around the table rose higher, but not as much as Zarkwon Du expected. But he didn't know about Barry's ability to dodge blaster shots, whereas everyone on the Council did know and knew that Barry wasn't in as much danger as it seemed.

"No you won't" said Barry, unmoved, "you want the teleport technology that brought you here from the Animal City; everybody knows that. You made it quite clear when you first arrived that you were interested in it. If you gave XL-Jack-3 that, then not only would he spare your life but he'd probably promote you."

Slowly Zarkwon Du lowered his blaster.

"You're very clever" he said to Barry, "taking a risk like that. But I won't pretend you're wrong. XL-Jack-3 would love to get his hands on a teleporter, and it would certainly be good for Dunster and I to get him one. So just give me one, let us go, and your friend is safe."

"It's not that easy" said the mayor, "even if we wanted to help you we can't. The teleport technology is not one we possess."

"I don't believe it" said Zarkwon Du, "you used it to bring me here. I saw it."

"That was the property of the Animal City" said Toothy, "they are the ones who invented it, and they used it to transfer all of their prisoners of war to our custody. But they've never shown anyone in this city how it works."

"That rabbit who worked it knows" said Zarkwon Du, "and the anteater who helped him, I'll bet he knows too."

"You'd be right" said Barry, "but neither of them are here. The anteater went to the Animal City three weeks ago, and as for the rabbit, he teleported back there earlier today. I should know. I sent him there myself."

"So you see there's no one left in the city who could tell you anything about how the teleport technology works" said Mayor King, "I'm sorry but it's true."

For the first time Zarkwon Du seemed to lose some of his composure.

"I don't believe you" he said, "you're bluffing."

"Why would we lie about something like that?" demanded the mayor, "we might have been willing to negotiate with you in good faith, but we can't give you what we don't have."

"Then contact the Animal City" said the marauder, "and get them to send me a teleporter."

Barry tried to stifle a laugh.

"That will never happen" he muttered.

"He's right" said Toothy, "the Animal City is our ally but we don't control them, and their leaders are clear-sighted enough that they're not about to give their worst enemies one of their greatest secrets."

"Especially after XL-Jack-3 sent a force against them" said Flippy, "a force that you were part of. I have relatives in the Animal City and I know their leaders pretty well." He turned and spoke to Barry. "So do you" he continued "do you think that Handy would be willing to send this Marauder a teleporter?"

"Not a chance" said Barry, "and even if he did go crazy and consent, the Mole and Loco would never let him do it."

"If they don't" said Zarkwon Du, "then they will be responsible for a very gruesome murder."

"No they won't" said Toothy forcefully, "it's not one of their citizens in danger. And even if it was they wouldn't act any differently. The leaders of the Animal City take pragmatic views on things like this."

"Much as we A.I.s take the logical view" said Robot, "and logically it is not sensible to give our enemy a formidable tool that can then be used against us, even if it means saving a life in the short term."

"Besides" said Mayor King, "how do we even know Anna Ride is alive? You say she is, but you haven't given us any proof. I say until you do we have to assume that she's dead – and we should treat you accordingly."

"Fine" said Zarkwon Du slamming a fist on the table, "you want proof she's alive? I'll show you. But then you'll either do as I say, or watch as Dunster kills her slowly."

Zarkwon Du produced a holographic communicator and switched it on. Immediately an image appeared in the room. A gasp went around the table when they saw what it had to show.

(To Be Continued)

A/N - The plot thickens! You'll have to come back next time to find out what they saw. Meanwhile how's this story working for you? Please leave me a little feedback and let me know.