JSA: Land Of The Thuggee
By Bruce Wayne
Justice Society of America created by Gardner Fox
Dedicated to ME, who has taught me more about being philosophical than anyone.
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
Chapter 11
Hawkman, Wonder Woman and Tagore questioned Rajput Ram Sonoka while the other members of the JSA took care of the prisoners and checked the palace to be certain no die-hard defenders were preparing a sneak attack.
"All right, Prince Ram," Hawkman began, "we came here to find out what you can tell us about Vandal Savage and the Cult of Kali. If we needed any evidence that you're involved in something shady, you certainly supplied us with it when you tried to kill us."
"That's your word against mine," Sonoka replied, gritting his teeth. "I am, after all, a member of the Indian nobility."
"This is the twentieth century, your highness," Wonder Woman said dryly. "Your title doesn't mean a lot anymore. You don't have any real authority."
"You see," Hawkman continued, "we're acting with the approval of both the governments of India and the United States of America. This means we can use any means necessary or place you under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, espionage against your own country and probably as an accomplice to murder, as well."
"You can't prove anything," Sonoka insisted. "You bastards attacked my palace,and my men acted in self-defense."
"Your reputation isn't exactly pure, Ram," Hawkman said. "Your word won't mean much in court, especially after we introduce evidence that you were cooperating with an internationally known criminals. If we don't have enough evidence to make certain you get convicted, we'll simply fabricate as much as we need."
"You bastards," Sonoka shouted.
Wonder Woman looked at the prince in disdain.
Hawkman suddenly swatted the back of his left hand across Ram's face. The prince yelped from the unexpected pain and stared at Hawkman, astonished that the crimefighter had struck him.
"Listen to me, you little creep," Hawkman said in a grim voice, his expression as hard as diamonds. "You're part of a conspiracy that has been killing innocent people and trying to set the groundwork for the eventual overthrow of your own country by a criminal enterprise. Most of the Thuggees are probably ignorant, frightened and uneducated recruits from the peasant classes. They'd be easy victims for a clever con artist with some technology to make the tricks more convincing."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonoka told him.
"We know what Vandal Savage has been doing," Hawkman said, deciding to use some of his own assumptions and theories to try to bluff Sonoka. "We know about the mechanical statue of Kali with a built-in laser cannon."
"How ..." the prince began, "Uh, would such a statue be connected with this wild claim about a conspiracy?"
"You do not lie very well, your highness," Wonder Woman said as she turned to Hawkman. "He's a murderer and a traitor to his own country. He can't even plead ignorance like those poor fanatics we tangled with in Bombay. The prince and his minions didn't try to take us on with just silk cords."
"What are your going to do?" Tagore asked. "Use your magic lasso to make him talk?"
Wonder Woman reached for the lariat that was on her shapely hip.
"Wait!" Sonoka exclaimed. "If I cooperate, how do I know you won't kill me?"
"We don't operate that way," Hawkman answered. "We don't kill people. If you can supply us with information about the Thugs and Vandal Savage, we have no reason to kill you and a good reason to keep you alive."
"Will I have to stand trial?" Prince Ram asked. "Will I have to go to prison?"
"That'll depend on how cooperative you are," Hawkman told him. "Frankly you'll have to prove to be very valuable to convince us that you shouldn't spend some time behind bars."
"Personally," Wonder Woman muttered, "I believe you're the worst kind of low-life. A person born into privlege can't even use the feeble excuse that he needed bread or he was trying to liberate his oppressed people. You teamed up with a vile criminal. What is your excuse anyway? Did Vandal Savage just offer you enough money to buy your loyalty?"
"Savage promised me West Bengal," Sonoka replied. "He said it would be mine to rule as an independent state. I could rule it as a true maharaja."
"Where is the headquarters of the Cult of Kali?" Lieutenant Tagore demanded. "You've tried to betray our country, Sonoka, so you'd better ..."
Tagore suddenly stiffened, his face contorted with pain. He opened his mouth and blood streamed over his lips. The CID man stumbled forward and fell to the floor, the hilt of a brass-handled dagger jutting from his back.
Wonder Woman and Hawkman turned to face the assailant. Kosti stood in the hallway, leaning against a wall. His face and chest had been torn and bloodied by buckshot pellets, but the psycho Thuggee priest had survived the blast he had received during the initial ambush. Kosti still smiled, although half his face looked like fresh hamburger, dripping crimson. The lunatic raised another dagger and prepared to throw it.
Wonder Woman moved in front of Hawkman. Kosti hurled the knife toward the two American heroes, hoping the blade would stab at least one of them. Metal struck metal as the assailant's knife was blocked by the protective bracelet on Wonder Woman's right wrist.
With amazing speed, the female Amazon princess rushed toward Kosti and knocked him hard to the floor. Kosti's head bounced off the floor and he was out cold.
Hawkman knelt by the fallen body of Lieutenant Tagore. "Damn!" he rasped in frustrated anger. "The knfie got Tagore under the left shoulder blade. He's dead. Blade slid right into his heart."
"At least he died quickly," Wonder Woman said softly.
"Guess what, Sonoka?" Hawkman snarled, pointing the bloodied tip of the killer dagger at the prince's face. "This doesn't exactly put us in a good mood. You better not mess around with us if you want to stay in one piece."
"I'll tell you where to find the mountain of Kali," Sonoka said quickly, fearful for his life.
"You'll do better than that, Prince Ram," Hawkman told him. "You're going to take us there."
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
The Benares mountain range is not very impressive compared to the Himalayas located to the north at Nepal. In fact, they're rather puny compared to the Alps or the Rockies. The Benares extend across the Bihar region to the outskirts of the Madhya Pradesh. The terrain is basically rocky and hard with patches of green. Few trees grow in the Benares range, mostly weeds and brush. The environment is not hospitable to any form of life, including human.
The Justice Society members, accompanied by Rod Lawson and a highly unnerved Prince Ram Sonoka, arrived at the Benares a few hours after sunup. The area was too rugged even for Jeeps, so they were forced to go on foot.
"I've got a question for his royal hind end before we go any farther," the Atom declared, turning toward Sonoka. "Several of the Thugs we questioned claimed they were blindfolded and transported to the mountain of Kali in a truck. If this is the right place, how do the trucks get to the mountain?"
"They have to get out of the trucks and walk," Sonoka answered. His right arm was in a sling, and he cradled it with his left. "They're still blindfolded, linked together by a rope and led by Kosti or Chopra or one of my men."
"Kosti and Chopra?" Lawson inquired. "Are those the two we captured at your residence?"
"Yes," Sonoka replied. "May the gods curse their souls for a thousand incarnations."
"Are you angry at them because they were captured?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Those two had been sent to set up an ambush at my palace in case your group came," Sonoka admitted. "They brought those submachine guns. Chopra and Kosti were so smug, so certain they could lure your group into a trap. Of course, those fools failed."
"Forgive us if we don't get too upset about that," Starman commented. "How many Thugs are probably waiting for us at Kali mountain?"
"I don't know," the prince admitted. "Perhaps thirty. Perhaps two hundred or more. I don't know how many Thuggee's are members of Shastri's cult."
"Merciful Minerva," Wonder Woman said. "Who, pray tell, is Shastri?"
"He's the supreme high priest of the Thuggees," the rajput stated. "Shastri is a fake prophet who has formed false cults before. He's a clever speaker and knows how to get his followers to believe the most outrageous claims. Vandal Savage could never have succeeded with the Thuggee scheme without him."
"Well, lady and gentlemen," Hawkman remarked, gazing up at the peaks of the Benares set against the pink and gold morning sky, "we'd better prepare for the worst. The odds will certainly be in the enemy's favor. Perhaps even forty to one."
"Jesus," Lawson muttered. "I wish we'd contacted the Indian CID or the military for reinforcements. This is crazy, and I've gotta be nuts to go along with you guys."
"We already told you why we couldn't call in reinforcements from the CID or the Indian military," Atom replied. "The Thuggees had at least one agent in the CID. We knew we could trust Lieutenant Tagore because he proved to be reliable when we hit the Bhowani temple in Bombay, but we can't be sure about anybody else CID might send. The army has probably been infiltrated by Thuggees, as well. By the time we could select some men we could trust, Vandal Savage would have closed up shop and taken the Thuggees underground until they were ready to start business somewhere else."
"Atom is right," Hawkman said. "When they figure out the ambush at Ram's palace failed, they'll realize it's time to stop operations until the heat cools off. We can't allow them enough time to fold up their tents and steal off unmolested."
"These mountains are dangerous," Sonoka warned. "Bahir Khan and his bandits roam the area. They're a dangerous lot. Bahir Khan is a wild man from the Mongolian tribes to the north. He is clever and very ruthless. His men are an assortment of misfits. Most are Moslem radicals, anarchists who once fought to overthrow the Indian government that they believe oppresses non- Hindus. Now they fight only for profit."
"Mercenaries?" Hourman inquired.
"The worst kind of mercenaries," Sonoka confirmed. "Vandal Savage pays Bahir Khan to leave the Thuggees alone. The bandits also serve as a first line of defense for the cult in case enemies get too close to their stronghold."
"That's nice," the Atom commented. "I didn't think we had enough to worry about with just the Thuggees and Vandal Savage to deal with. Any idea how many bandits this Bahir Khan guy has in his outfit?"
"At least forty men," Sonoka replied. "And every one of them is a cold- blooded killer. They know these mountains like a man knows his wife's breasts. Bahir Khan and his killers can strike from anywhere, anytime."
"Well," Hawkman said with a shrug, "the situation isn't going to improve by wasting time talking about it. Let's get to work."
The JSA team began the long trek across the rugged terrain. Kali mountain was several miles away, according to Sonoka. They paced themselves carefully and they had to stay alert to possible ambush every step of the way.
Narrow gaps and bumpy passes ran between the gray stone mountains. Boulders lay in the path, and the great rocks slowed progress. They might also be a place of concealment for one or more bandits. Hawkman took to the air frequently in able to scout ahead of the team.
An hour after the journey began, the sun began to beat down on them like an open oven in the sky. Sweat ran freely from their pores leaving damp patches on their costumes and shirts under their arms and between their shoulder blades. With her miniscule costume barely covering her body, Wonder Woman was in the best shape for the conditions. The march was especially difficult for Lawson, who was unaccustomed to such physcial exertion. Ram Sonoka had made the journey before, so it was easier for the prince than one might have thought.
They had traveled almost four miles without incident. Then the sound of rocks sliding against a stone wall echoed among the mountains. A strange whinny sound followed, but ended abruptly. The Justice Society members immediately bolted for the nearest cover. Lawson and Sonoka followed their example and huddled behind boulders with the crimefighters.
"Where the hell is the noise coming from?" Lawson whispered, fumbling for his subgun. "Sounds like a horse --"
"Shut up," Hourman said sharply. "Keep your ears and eyes open and your mouth shut."
Something moved along the edge of a stone formation. The object was a mere blur of movement. The sound of boot leather against stone rode the wind. It was impossible to tell where the noise came from. It probably came from more than one direction. Rock formations surrounded the super-heroes. Unseen adversaries could be anywhere and everywhere.
Without warning, rifle shots exploded from the rocks. Large-caliber bullets sang against the stone walls above the JSA members and richocheted off the boulders they used for cover. All the crimefighters could see of their attackers was the muzzle-flash of their weapons. The gunmen were firing their rifles between boulders that offered ideal concealment.
More shots snarled from the peak of the rock formation above the shelter of the Justice Society heroes. The Atom spotted a turbaned figure at the pinnacle of the stone tower. He motioned to Starman, who aimed his Cosmic Rod at the sniper. The energy blast sparked against rock that exploded. The man dropped his old rifle and tumbled from his perch with a shriek.
Starman fired another blast from his hand-held invention before heading for the Benares range. The red-clad warrior aimed his Cosmic Rod at the boulders where more snipers were hidden but was fearful he might kill the men with a blast that would bring a massive boulder down on them. The JSA heroes did everything they could do to avoid deliberately killing anyone.
"These guys are doing a good job at keeping their heads down," Starman growled.
"We could try to flush them out," Wonder Woman commented.
"I don't think they'd fall for it," Starman replied. "Probably just move to another position. Just wait ..."
Two heads suddenly appeared above the boulders. Starman immediately fired a blast from his rod.
Wonder Woman took to the air. Flying quickly over the rock formation, the amazing Amazon struck the skulls of the enemy gunmen against the rock. Both men were knocked very unconscious.
More gunshots erupted from other boulders and rock formations. Lawson fired a burst of slugs at two or more gunmen hidden behind a stony barrier. Bullets bounced off rock, but failed to strike flesh. The gunmen scrambled for new cover while other ambushers fired down from a rock formation higher up.
"Time to kick over the ant mound," Wonder Woman declared as she pushed a massive boulder that began to slide down the mountain.
Two bandits started to flee for their lives. They were afraid the huge rock might hit them. More gunmen bolted from cover to avoid the falling rock.
Starman spotted the ambushers and knocked them unsconscious with blasts from the Cosmic Rod. The hero from Opal City then adjusted a control on his weapon and fired a narrow beam at the pinnacle of another rock formation. The rocks exploded and another stony structure came tumbling down. Four bandits were scattered among the debris that tumbled into the gorge below.
Five outlaws suddenly rose at the pinnacle of a hill and began firing a concentrated stream of rifle slugs at the Justice Society position. Bullets sang along the rock wall above their heads, but Hawkman ignored the near misses and took into flight.
Hawkman moved so quickly in the air, it was impossible for the bandits to train their weapons on him. He disappeared into the sun. Suddenly, two bandits screamed and fell from view. The other three hastily retreated after the Winged Wonder attacked them from behind.
The shooting stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Lawson tried to count the number of bandits that had been killed or hurt thus far.
"Don't waste time with a body count," Hourman told him. "There are still enough bad guys left to attack us again."
"How do you figure they'll hit us next?" Lawson asked, gripping the frame of his subgun until his knuckles strained white against his skin.
"Well," Atom replied, "they tried to get us bottled in and shoot us. That didn't work so they'll try somethin' else. If they aren't in a hurry, they may just wait for us to move and try to set up a better ambush later."
"They might try to rush us," Hourman commented. "If they're mad enough and still have superior numbers, that'd be a logical tactic to try to drive us out in the open."
"Explosives would be better," Starman stated. "That's what I'd do. Lob a couple grenades or dynamite down on us. Either blow us to hell or drive us into the open."
"Perhaps we are lucky and they don't have any explosives," Wonder Woman said. "They haven't used any so far."
"Anyone can make a simple grenade," Starman remarked. "Doesn't take much more than some gunpowder, a container and a fuse."
"Keep it down," Hourman said. "They might hear you."
"We can't stay here," Prince Ram Sonoka told the others. "Bahir Khan and his men will cut us to pieces."
"They can do that just as easily if we run out in the open," Hawkman replied. "Right now, everybody stay put and ..."
Suddenly Sonoka scrambled over the boulder and ran into the open pass. He waved his uninjured arm and shouted in Hindi at the top of his lungs. The Atom picked up a large rock and started to throw it at the prince, but Hawkman placed his hand on the stone to restrain the little hero.
"Let him go," the JSA chairman said. "He can't tell the bandits anything they haven't already found out for themselves."
"Sonoka is telling the outlaws to hold their fire," Lawson translated. "He's telling them who he is and that he's part of the Cult of Kali. He just added that Vandal Savage wants him protected."
Two rifles boomed from the rocks. Rajput Ram Sonoka stopped running when a pair of slugs slammed into his chest. The prince half turned and fell to his knees. His face was a mask of astonishment as a trail of blood hung from his open mouth. Another rifle spoke and a bullet punched through Sonoka's back and burst a large exit wound in the center of his chest. The prince dropped on his face, too dead even to twitch.
"Looks like Bahir Khan and his boys weren't impressed," Starman said dryly.
Suddenly gunshots exploded from the rock walls, raining led projectiles down on the Justice Society members. The crimefighters took cover. They saw little more than a few blurred figures among the stones. Starman unleashed another blast from his Cosmic Rod and blasted at least three more bandits into unconsciousness.
The thunder of horse hooves mingled with the echo of gunshots. Four men on horseback charged the JSA shelter, accompanied by almost a dozen bandits on foot. The horsemen and foot soldiers attacked from both ends of the pass, hoping to catch the JSA in a two-pronged attack while they were still pinned down by sniper fire.
Starman continued to blast back at the gunmen on the rocks with his Cosmic Rod. Several snipers got careless, assuming the Justice Society would be distracted by the ground attack. Wonder Woman hurled large boulders to keep the snipers from getting clear shots. The gunmen rose to get a better target and exposed themselves to the two heroes. The amazing Amazon knocked down two snipers when a massive rock exploded and rained debris on top of them. The men moaned in pain.
Hawkman and the Atom battled it out with one group of attacking bandits on horseback and on foot while Hourman and Lawson defended their position from the other direction. Horses whinnied and toppled to the ground, throwing their riders. Outlaws cried out as the American crimefighters pummled them. Unconscious and injured men littered the ground, but more bandits immediately replaced them.
"Hasn't gotten rough enough for ya guys, eh?" the Atom rasped as he knocked out another attacker.
The diminutive fighting machine's fist exploded into another bandit, creating a violent impact that hurled the man into four other Indians and all five fell over to the ground in a cluster of broken bones. Seven others fell screaming, clutching the sides of their heads after making unsuccessful contact with the Atom.
After swallowing a Miraclo pill, Hourman knocked down three more horsemen who charged into the pass, firing revolvers and cut-down rifles as they rode. Both horses and men were startled and disorientated by the strength of the strange man in the yellow-and-black costume. The animals reared up and bellowed in fear. Riders were pitched from their saddles. Bandits groped on the ground trying to get up and face the American. Two men managed to get to their feet but were only knocked straight down by the Man of the Hour.
Almost three dozen outlaws charged the Justice Society position, most armed with revolvers or knives.
Wonder Woman threw a boulder into the chest of a pistol-wielding outlaw. The bandit fell to the ground but a pair of small men, armed with large knives with long recurved blades, attacked. The pair were renegade Gurkhas from Nepal. The Gurkhas have a well-deserved reputation for being among the best fighting men in the world. They also have a religious tradition of not returning a kukri knife to its sheath until the blade has drawn blood. Wonder Woman was in no doubt about whose blood they intended to shed.
One Gurkha attempted an overhead stroke, swinging his knife like an executioner's ax. The other swung his kukri in a cross-body sweep. Wonder Woman raised her arms to block the first blade with her protective bracelets. The other blade barely missed her.
The Amazon princess quickly lashed out with a roundhouse kick to the second attacker's ribs. The Gurkha grunted, stumbled slightly and raised his knife. The other Gurkha tried to move around his partner to attack Wonder Woman from a different position. The Amazon warrior concentrated on the immediate threat first. She dodged the kukri slash and pivoted, swinging the back of a heel into her opponent's breadbasket.
The Gurkha doubled up with a groan and Wonder Woman quickly slashed a chop to the base of the man's neck. With a war cry, the second Gurkha charged, his kukri held in a two-fisted grip and drawn over his shoulder. Wonder Woman suddenly grabbed her first opponent by the back of his shirt and hurled the little warrior into his knife-wielding comrade.
The second Gurkha had already started his kukri stroke, and he could not stop it fast enough to spare his partner. The sharp, recurved blade struck the first Gurkha in the side of the neck, slicing through skin, muscle and bone. The first Gurkha's head hopped from the stump of his neck as blood spewed up from the grisly corpse.
Wonder Woman did not give the remaining Gurkha an opportunity to try again. She delivered a thrust kick to her adversary's arms. The side of her foot struck hard, knocking the kukri knife from the guy's hands. The Amazing Amazon female followed through with a hook kick to the Gurkha's kidney and then snap-kicked him in the gut. The Gurkha staggered, dazed by the barrage of kicks. Luckily for the man, Wonder Woman held back on how hard she kicked him otherwise the Gurkha would have had multiple broken bones. Wonder Woman stepped forward and lashed a backfist across her opponent's face, followed by a left hook. The Gurkha dropped unconscious at her feet.
Hourman had knocked down three charging bandits. Another outlaw executed a wild knife lunge for the American's belly, and Hourman sidestepped the clumsy attack and slammed his fist against the guy's head. The man fell senseless, but another knife artist replaced him.
The guy was armed with a Bundi dagger, a unique and fearsome weapon with an H-shaped handle and a long double-edged blade. The Indian knife artist executed a rapid figure-eight stroke with his blade, forcing the Man of the Hour to back away fast.
The Bundi expert punched his dagger at Hourman's chest and missed. The super-hero punted a short side kick to his opponent's abdomen. The Bundi man staggered back two steps, but did not double up from the pulled kick. The Indian smiled and nodded, apparently thinking the big American was not very strong.
Hourman stood his ground and waited for the Bundi man to make the next move. The Indian hissed like a snake and made a weaving gesture with his knife. The Man of the Hour realized he was up against some sort of martial- arts technique modeled after a cobra.
Suddenly the Indian lashed a kick at Hourman's genitals and struck out with the knife at the same time. The American dodged the Bundi blade and shifted a leg to take the kick on his thigh. Hourman then swept his leg out and around, slicing at his opponent's leg from ankle to knee.
The Indian screamed and slashed his Bundi dagger at the American's face as he fell backward. Hourman moved his head and dipped his shoulder beneath the path of the blade. The Indian shrieked as he hit the ground. He dropped the Bundi dagger and was quickly knocked unconscious with a kick to the head by the Man of the Hour.
Not far away, the Atom knocked out a bandit before the attacker could fire a .38 revolver. However another Indian low-life swung an old rifle like a baseball bat at the little hero's head. The bandit raised the rifle planning to split Atom's skull with the buttstock.
The American crimefighter sidestepped the attack, and the bandit swung the rifle with all his might. As the stock struck a boulder and cracked in two, Atom slashed the side of a hand into his attacker's left kidney and grabbed the man's hair. He yanked the Indian backward to ram a knee to the small of his opponent's back. The bandit tried to alter the grip on what remained of his rifle, hoping to strike out at the American who was now behind him.
The Atom shoved hard, slamming the Indian into the boulder. The broken rifle slipped from the man's hands. Atom held on to his assailant's hair and smashed his face into the merciless rock twice more before he released the outlaw. The Indian slumped to the ground unconscious, his front teeth shattered and his nose smashed into a bloody smear in the middle of his face.
Three bandits attacked Hawkman. One man held a pistol and the other two were Gurkhas armed with their deadly kukri knives.
Hawkman instinctively took out the pistol man first, pumping two punches into the attacker's chest. The criminal went down, but the two knife artists kept coming. Hawkman drilled the closest attacker with a punch to the chin. The Gurkha's head snapped back and the blow stopped him dead in his tracks.
The other Gurkha got close enough to use his knife. He swung the murderous thirteen-inch blade at Hawkman's wrist, planning to chop the hero's left hand off. Hawkman quickly moved his arm. The kukri missed its target, but grazed the JSA chairman's left thigh. Hawkman grunted as blood oozed from the cut in his upper leg.
Hawkman ignored the pain and chopped the side of his hand on the Gurkha's forearm. The knife fell from the little killer's grasp. Hawkman quickly grabbed the man around the throat. Hawkman pulled hard and the bandit dropped to the sand. A boot to the head knocked the man out.
Starman confronted four charging bandits.
One opponent tried to lunge with a bayonet attached to the muzzle of his rifle. Starman triggered his Cosmic Rod, which he had set on low power. An energy blast hit the goon in the chest and dropped him in a flash. Another outlaw raised a scimitar, and Starman also blasted him in the chest.
A Sikh renegade closed in and swung a large curved knife at the strangely- clad man. Starman turned sharply and raised his left arm, swatting at the third attacker's wrist. The knife hurled from the Sikh's hand. The bandit muttered something in Punjabi before Starman jabbed his left arm twice, stamping his fist into his opponent's breastbone and the point of his chin.
The Sikh fell unconscious while the fourth and last bandit attacked with a hatchet held in both fists. Starman activated his Cosmic Rod, blasting energy into the aggressor's stomach. The psycho screamed in agony, but continued to charge. Incredulous that the man didn't fall, Starman stepped forward, raised his left arm and turned swiftly, lashing at hatchet man's forearms with the Cosmic Rod. The blow sent the ax hurling from numb fingers. The bandit staggered forward and tried to reach for Starman's throat with his bare hands.
"You get an A for effort," the American rasped as he stabbed a punch into the Indian's solar plexus.
The bandit gasped from the blow. He fell to his knees. Starman put him out of his misery with a well-placed boot to the left temple.
Rod Lawson had managed to shoot and kill one charging bandit before he ran out of ammo in his subgun. The CIA man reached for his .45 Colt, but another Indian leaped upon him before he could clear leather. The bandit struggled with Lawson, trying to drive a short-bladed dagger under the agent's ribs.
Suddenly the bandit screamed and sprawled limply across Lawson. The CIA operative shoved the Indian aside and stared down at the guy. Starman had hit the man with a blast from the Cosmic Rod.
"You okay?" Hourman inquired as he helped Lawson to his feet.
"Yeah," the agent replied breathlessly. "I don't think I'm cut out for this stuff."
"If it was easy," the Atom said, "anyone could do it."
"Hey, you guys down there!" a voice shouted from the rocks above. "This is Bahir Khan. You know who I am, yes?"
"We've heard of you," Hawkman yelled back. "You used to have a lot of bandits working for you, but most of them are our prisoners now."
"You guys are tough," Bahir Khan admitted. "We've fought enough, yes? How about a truce before everybody kills everybody else?"
"We're willing to call it a draw," Hawkman assured him. "Of course, we need some assurance that you fellows won't bother us again."
"You have the word of Bahir Khan," the bandit chief announced.
"I like dealing with an honorable man," the JSA chairman replied. "Perhaps we can discuss a business arrangement."
"Business?" Bahir Khan's voice seemed surprised. "What sort of business?"
"Making a profit," Hawkman answered. "What other sort of business would be of interest to a mercenary?"
"Very well, my funny-dressed friend," the bandit said, laughing. "We shall talk."
To be continued ...
By Bruce Wayne
Justice Society of America created by Gardner Fox
Dedicated to ME, who has taught me more about being philosophical than anyone.
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
Chapter 11
Hawkman, Wonder Woman and Tagore questioned Rajput Ram Sonoka while the other members of the JSA took care of the prisoners and checked the palace to be certain no die-hard defenders were preparing a sneak attack.
"All right, Prince Ram," Hawkman began, "we came here to find out what you can tell us about Vandal Savage and the Cult of Kali. If we needed any evidence that you're involved in something shady, you certainly supplied us with it when you tried to kill us."
"That's your word against mine," Sonoka replied, gritting his teeth. "I am, after all, a member of the Indian nobility."
"This is the twentieth century, your highness," Wonder Woman said dryly. "Your title doesn't mean a lot anymore. You don't have any real authority."
"You see," Hawkman continued, "we're acting with the approval of both the governments of India and the United States of America. This means we can use any means necessary or place you under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, espionage against your own country and probably as an accomplice to murder, as well."
"You can't prove anything," Sonoka insisted. "You bastards attacked my palace,and my men acted in self-defense."
"Your reputation isn't exactly pure, Ram," Hawkman said. "Your word won't mean much in court, especially after we introduce evidence that you were cooperating with an internationally known criminals. If we don't have enough evidence to make certain you get convicted, we'll simply fabricate as much as we need."
"You bastards," Sonoka shouted.
Wonder Woman looked at the prince in disdain.
Hawkman suddenly swatted the back of his left hand across Ram's face. The prince yelped from the unexpected pain and stared at Hawkman, astonished that the crimefighter had struck him.
"Listen to me, you little creep," Hawkman said in a grim voice, his expression as hard as diamonds. "You're part of a conspiracy that has been killing innocent people and trying to set the groundwork for the eventual overthrow of your own country by a criminal enterprise. Most of the Thuggees are probably ignorant, frightened and uneducated recruits from the peasant classes. They'd be easy victims for a clever con artist with some technology to make the tricks more convincing."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonoka told him.
"We know what Vandal Savage has been doing," Hawkman said, deciding to use some of his own assumptions and theories to try to bluff Sonoka. "We know about the mechanical statue of Kali with a built-in laser cannon."
"How ..." the prince began, "Uh, would such a statue be connected with this wild claim about a conspiracy?"
"You do not lie very well, your highness," Wonder Woman said as she turned to Hawkman. "He's a murderer and a traitor to his own country. He can't even plead ignorance like those poor fanatics we tangled with in Bombay. The prince and his minions didn't try to take us on with just silk cords."
"What are your going to do?" Tagore asked. "Use your magic lasso to make him talk?"
Wonder Woman reached for the lariat that was on her shapely hip.
"Wait!" Sonoka exclaimed. "If I cooperate, how do I know you won't kill me?"
"We don't operate that way," Hawkman answered. "We don't kill people. If you can supply us with information about the Thugs and Vandal Savage, we have no reason to kill you and a good reason to keep you alive."
"Will I have to stand trial?" Prince Ram asked. "Will I have to go to prison?"
"That'll depend on how cooperative you are," Hawkman told him. "Frankly you'll have to prove to be very valuable to convince us that you shouldn't spend some time behind bars."
"Personally," Wonder Woman muttered, "I believe you're the worst kind of low-life. A person born into privlege can't even use the feeble excuse that he needed bread or he was trying to liberate his oppressed people. You teamed up with a vile criminal. What is your excuse anyway? Did Vandal Savage just offer you enough money to buy your loyalty?"
"Savage promised me West Bengal," Sonoka replied. "He said it would be mine to rule as an independent state. I could rule it as a true maharaja."
"Where is the headquarters of the Cult of Kali?" Lieutenant Tagore demanded. "You've tried to betray our country, Sonoka, so you'd better ..."
Tagore suddenly stiffened, his face contorted with pain. He opened his mouth and blood streamed over his lips. The CID man stumbled forward and fell to the floor, the hilt of a brass-handled dagger jutting from his back.
Wonder Woman and Hawkman turned to face the assailant. Kosti stood in the hallway, leaning against a wall. His face and chest had been torn and bloodied by buckshot pellets, but the psycho Thuggee priest had survived the blast he had received during the initial ambush. Kosti still smiled, although half his face looked like fresh hamburger, dripping crimson. The lunatic raised another dagger and prepared to throw it.
Wonder Woman moved in front of Hawkman. Kosti hurled the knife toward the two American heroes, hoping the blade would stab at least one of them. Metal struck metal as the assailant's knife was blocked by the protective bracelet on Wonder Woman's right wrist.
With amazing speed, the female Amazon princess rushed toward Kosti and knocked him hard to the floor. Kosti's head bounced off the floor and he was out cold.
Hawkman knelt by the fallen body of Lieutenant Tagore. "Damn!" he rasped in frustrated anger. "The knfie got Tagore under the left shoulder blade. He's dead. Blade slid right into his heart."
"At least he died quickly," Wonder Woman said softly.
"Guess what, Sonoka?" Hawkman snarled, pointing the bloodied tip of the killer dagger at the prince's face. "This doesn't exactly put us in a good mood. You better not mess around with us if you want to stay in one piece."
"I'll tell you where to find the mountain of Kali," Sonoka said quickly, fearful for his life.
"You'll do better than that, Prince Ram," Hawkman told him. "You're going to take us there."
^J^ ^S^ ^A^
The Benares mountain range is not very impressive compared to the Himalayas located to the north at Nepal. In fact, they're rather puny compared to the Alps or the Rockies. The Benares extend across the Bihar region to the outskirts of the Madhya Pradesh. The terrain is basically rocky and hard with patches of green. Few trees grow in the Benares range, mostly weeds and brush. The environment is not hospitable to any form of life, including human.
The Justice Society members, accompanied by Rod Lawson and a highly unnerved Prince Ram Sonoka, arrived at the Benares a few hours after sunup. The area was too rugged even for Jeeps, so they were forced to go on foot.
"I've got a question for his royal hind end before we go any farther," the Atom declared, turning toward Sonoka. "Several of the Thugs we questioned claimed they were blindfolded and transported to the mountain of Kali in a truck. If this is the right place, how do the trucks get to the mountain?"
"They have to get out of the trucks and walk," Sonoka answered. His right arm was in a sling, and he cradled it with his left. "They're still blindfolded, linked together by a rope and led by Kosti or Chopra or one of my men."
"Kosti and Chopra?" Lawson inquired. "Are those the two we captured at your residence?"
"Yes," Sonoka replied. "May the gods curse their souls for a thousand incarnations."
"Are you angry at them because they were captured?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Those two had been sent to set up an ambush at my palace in case your group came," Sonoka admitted. "They brought those submachine guns. Chopra and Kosti were so smug, so certain they could lure your group into a trap. Of course, those fools failed."
"Forgive us if we don't get too upset about that," Starman commented. "How many Thugs are probably waiting for us at Kali mountain?"
"I don't know," the prince admitted. "Perhaps thirty. Perhaps two hundred or more. I don't know how many Thuggee's are members of Shastri's cult."
"Merciful Minerva," Wonder Woman said. "Who, pray tell, is Shastri?"
"He's the supreme high priest of the Thuggees," the rajput stated. "Shastri is a fake prophet who has formed false cults before. He's a clever speaker and knows how to get his followers to believe the most outrageous claims. Vandal Savage could never have succeeded with the Thuggee scheme without him."
"Well, lady and gentlemen," Hawkman remarked, gazing up at the peaks of the Benares set against the pink and gold morning sky, "we'd better prepare for the worst. The odds will certainly be in the enemy's favor. Perhaps even forty to one."
"Jesus," Lawson muttered. "I wish we'd contacted the Indian CID or the military for reinforcements. This is crazy, and I've gotta be nuts to go along with you guys."
"We already told you why we couldn't call in reinforcements from the CID or the Indian military," Atom replied. "The Thuggees had at least one agent in the CID. We knew we could trust Lieutenant Tagore because he proved to be reliable when we hit the Bhowani temple in Bombay, but we can't be sure about anybody else CID might send. The army has probably been infiltrated by Thuggees, as well. By the time we could select some men we could trust, Vandal Savage would have closed up shop and taken the Thuggees underground until they were ready to start business somewhere else."
"Atom is right," Hawkman said. "When they figure out the ambush at Ram's palace failed, they'll realize it's time to stop operations until the heat cools off. We can't allow them enough time to fold up their tents and steal off unmolested."
"These mountains are dangerous," Sonoka warned. "Bahir Khan and his bandits roam the area. They're a dangerous lot. Bahir Khan is a wild man from the Mongolian tribes to the north. He is clever and very ruthless. His men are an assortment of misfits. Most are Moslem radicals, anarchists who once fought to overthrow the Indian government that they believe oppresses non- Hindus. Now they fight only for profit."
"Mercenaries?" Hourman inquired.
"The worst kind of mercenaries," Sonoka confirmed. "Vandal Savage pays Bahir Khan to leave the Thuggees alone. The bandits also serve as a first line of defense for the cult in case enemies get too close to their stronghold."
"That's nice," the Atom commented. "I didn't think we had enough to worry about with just the Thuggees and Vandal Savage to deal with. Any idea how many bandits this Bahir Khan guy has in his outfit?"
"At least forty men," Sonoka replied. "And every one of them is a cold- blooded killer. They know these mountains like a man knows his wife's breasts. Bahir Khan and his killers can strike from anywhere, anytime."
"Well," Hawkman said with a shrug, "the situation isn't going to improve by wasting time talking about it. Let's get to work."
The JSA team began the long trek across the rugged terrain. Kali mountain was several miles away, according to Sonoka. They paced themselves carefully and they had to stay alert to possible ambush every step of the way.
Narrow gaps and bumpy passes ran between the gray stone mountains. Boulders lay in the path, and the great rocks slowed progress. They might also be a place of concealment for one or more bandits. Hawkman took to the air frequently in able to scout ahead of the team.
An hour after the journey began, the sun began to beat down on them like an open oven in the sky. Sweat ran freely from their pores leaving damp patches on their costumes and shirts under their arms and between their shoulder blades. With her miniscule costume barely covering her body, Wonder Woman was in the best shape for the conditions. The march was especially difficult for Lawson, who was unaccustomed to such physcial exertion. Ram Sonoka had made the journey before, so it was easier for the prince than one might have thought.
They had traveled almost four miles without incident. Then the sound of rocks sliding against a stone wall echoed among the mountains. A strange whinny sound followed, but ended abruptly. The Justice Society members immediately bolted for the nearest cover. Lawson and Sonoka followed their example and huddled behind boulders with the crimefighters.
"Where the hell is the noise coming from?" Lawson whispered, fumbling for his subgun. "Sounds like a horse --"
"Shut up," Hourman said sharply. "Keep your ears and eyes open and your mouth shut."
Something moved along the edge of a stone formation. The object was a mere blur of movement. The sound of boot leather against stone rode the wind. It was impossible to tell where the noise came from. It probably came from more than one direction. Rock formations surrounded the super-heroes. Unseen adversaries could be anywhere and everywhere.
Without warning, rifle shots exploded from the rocks. Large-caliber bullets sang against the stone walls above the JSA members and richocheted off the boulders they used for cover. All the crimefighters could see of their attackers was the muzzle-flash of their weapons. The gunmen were firing their rifles between boulders that offered ideal concealment.
More shots snarled from the peak of the rock formation above the shelter of the Justice Society heroes. The Atom spotted a turbaned figure at the pinnacle of the stone tower. He motioned to Starman, who aimed his Cosmic Rod at the sniper. The energy blast sparked against rock that exploded. The man dropped his old rifle and tumbled from his perch with a shriek.
Starman fired another blast from his hand-held invention before heading for the Benares range. The red-clad warrior aimed his Cosmic Rod at the boulders where more snipers were hidden but was fearful he might kill the men with a blast that would bring a massive boulder down on them. The JSA heroes did everything they could do to avoid deliberately killing anyone.
"These guys are doing a good job at keeping their heads down," Starman growled.
"We could try to flush them out," Wonder Woman commented.
"I don't think they'd fall for it," Starman replied. "Probably just move to another position. Just wait ..."
Two heads suddenly appeared above the boulders. Starman immediately fired a blast from his rod.
Wonder Woman took to the air. Flying quickly over the rock formation, the amazing Amazon struck the skulls of the enemy gunmen against the rock. Both men were knocked very unconscious.
More gunshots erupted from other boulders and rock formations. Lawson fired a burst of slugs at two or more gunmen hidden behind a stony barrier. Bullets bounced off rock, but failed to strike flesh. The gunmen scrambled for new cover while other ambushers fired down from a rock formation higher up.
"Time to kick over the ant mound," Wonder Woman declared as she pushed a massive boulder that began to slide down the mountain.
Two bandits started to flee for their lives. They were afraid the huge rock might hit them. More gunmen bolted from cover to avoid the falling rock.
Starman spotted the ambushers and knocked them unsconscious with blasts from the Cosmic Rod. The hero from Opal City then adjusted a control on his weapon and fired a narrow beam at the pinnacle of another rock formation. The rocks exploded and another stony structure came tumbling down. Four bandits were scattered among the debris that tumbled into the gorge below.
Five outlaws suddenly rose at the pinnacle of a hill and began firing a concentrated stream of rifle slugs at the Justice Society position. Bullets sang along the rock wall above their heads, but Hawkman ignored the near misses and took into flight.
Hawkman moved so quickly in the air, it was impossible for the bandits to train their weapons on him. He disappeared into the sun. Suddenly, two bandits screamed and fell from view. The other three hastily retreated after the Winged Wonder attacked them from behind.
The shooting stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Lawson tried to count the number of bandits that had been killed or hurt thus far.
"Don't waste time with a body count," Hourman told him. "There are still enough bad guys left to attack us again."
"How do you figure they'll hit us next?" Lawson asked, gripping the frame of his subgun until his knuckles strained white against his skin.
"Well," Atom replied, "they tried to get us bottled in and shoot us. That didn't work so they'll try somethin' else. If they aren't in a hurry, they may just wait for us to move and try to set up a better ambush later."
"They might try to rush us," Hourman commented. "If they're mad enough and still have superior numbers, that'd be a logical tactic to try to drive us out in the open."
"Explosives would be better," Starman stated. "That's what I'd do. Lob a couple grenades or dynamite down on us. Either blow us to hell or drive us into the open."
"Perhaps we are lucky and they don't have any explosives," Wonder Woman said. "They haven't used any so far."
"Anyone can make a simple grenade," Starman remarked. "Doesn't take much more than some gunpowder, a container and a fuse."
"Keep it down," Hourman said. "They might hear you."
"We can't stay here," Prince Ram Sonoka told the others. "Bahir Khan and his men will cut us to pieces."
"They can do that just as easily if we run out in the open," Hawkman replied. "Right now, everybody stay put and ..."
Suddenly Sonoka scrambled over the boulder and ran into the open pass. He waved his uninjured arm and shouted in Hindi at the top of his lungs. The Atom picked up a large rock and started to throw it at the prince, but Hawkman placed his hand on the stone to restrain the little hero.
"Let him go," the JSA chairman said. "He can't tell the bandits anything they haven't already found out for themselves."
"Sonoka is telling the outlaws to hold their fire," Lawson translated. "He's telling them who he is and that he's part of the Cult of Kali. He just added that Vandal Savage wants him protected."
Two rifles boomed from the rocks. Rajput Ram Sonoka stopped running when a pair of slugs slammed into his chest. The prince half turned and fell to his knees. His face was a mask of astonishment as a trail of blood hung from his open mouth. Another rifle spoke and a bullet punched through Sonoka's back and burst a large exit wound in the center of his chest. The prince dropped on his face, too dead even to twitch.
"Looks like Bahir Khan and his boys weren't impressed," Starman said dryly.
Suddenly gunshots exploded from the rock walls, raining led projectiles down on the Justice Society members. The crimefighters took cover. They saw little more than a few blurred figures among the stones. Starman unleashed another blast from his Cosmic Rod and blasted at least three more bandits into unconsciousness.
The thunder of horse hooves mingled with the echo of gunshots. Four men on horseback charged the JSA shelter, accompanied by almost a dozen bandits on foot. The horsemen and foot soldiers attacked from both ends of the pass, hoping to catch the JSA in a two-pronged attack while they were still pinned down by sniper fire.
Starman continued to blast back at the gunmen on the rocks with his Cosmic Rod. Several snipers got careless, assuming the Justice Society would be distracted by the ground attack. Wonder Woman hurled large boulders to keep the snipers from getting clear shots. The gunmen rose to get a better target and exposed themselves to the two heroes. The amazing Amazon knocked down two snipers when a massive rock exploded and rained debris on top of them. The men moaned in pain.
Hawkman and the Atom battled it out with one group of attacking bandits on horseback and on foot while Hourman and Lawson defended their position from the other direction. Horses whinnied and toppled to the ground, throwing their riders. Outlaws cried out as the American crimefighters pummled them. Unconscious and injured men littered the ground, but more bandits immediately replaced them.
"Hasn't gotten rough enough for ya guys, eh?" the Atom rasped as he knocked out another attacker.
The diminutive fighting machine's fist exploded into another bandit, creating a violent impact that hurled the man into four other Indians and all five fell over to the ground in a cluster of broken bones. Seven others fell screaming, clutching the sides of their heads after making unsuccessful contact with the Atom.
After swallowing a Miraclo pill, Hourman knocked down three more horsemen who charged into the pass, firing revolvers and cut-down rifles as they rode. Both horses and men were startled and disorientated by the strength of the strange man in the yellow-and-black costume. The animals reared up and bellowed in fear. Riders were pitched from their saddles. Bandits groped on the ground trying to get up and face the American. Two men managed to get to their feet but were only knocked straight down by the Man of the Hour.
Almost three dozen outlaws charged the Justice Society position, most armed with revolvers or knives.
Wonder Woman threw a boulder into the chest of a pistol-wielding outlaw. The bandit fell to the ground but a pair of small men, armed with large knives with long recurved blades, attacked. The pair were renegade Gurkhas from Nepal. The Gurkhas have a well-deserved reputation for being among the best fighting men in the world. They also have a religious tradition of not returning a kukri knife to its sheath until the blade has drawn blood. Wonder Woman was in no doubt about whose blood they intended to shed.
One Gurkha attempted an overhead stroke, swinging his knife like an executioner's ax. The other swung his kukri in a cross-body sweep. Wonder Woman raised her arms to block the first blade with her protective bracelets. The other blade barely missed her.
The Amazon princess quickly lashed out with a roundhouse kick to the second attacker's ribs. The Gurkha grunted, stumbled slightly and raised his knife. The other Gurkha tried to move around his partner to attack Wonder Woman from a different position. The Amazon warrior concentrated on the immediate threat first. She dodged the kukri slash and pivoted, swinging the back of a heel into her opponent's breadbasket.
The Gurkha doubled up with a groan and Wonder Woman quickly slashed a chop to the base of the man's neck. With a war cry, the second Gurkha charged, his kukri held in a two-fisted grip and drawn over his shoulder. Wonder Woman suddenly grabbed her first opponent by the back of his shirt and hurled the little warrior into his knife-wielding comrade.
The second Gurkha had already started his kukri stroke, and he could not stop it fast enough to spare his partner. The sharp, recurved blade struck the first Gurkha in the side of the neck, slicing through skin, muscle and bone. The first Gurkha's head hopped from the stump of his neck as blood spewed up from the grisly corpse.
Wonder Woman did not give the remaining Gurkha an opportunity to try again. She delivered a thrust kick to her adversary's arms. The side of her foot struck hard, knocking the kukri knife from the guy's hands. The Amazing Amazon female followed through with a hook kick to the Gurkha's kidney and then snap-kicked him in the gut. The Gurkha staggered, dazed by the barrage of kicks. Luckily for the man, Wonder Woman held back on how hard she kicked him otherwise the Gurkha would have had multiple broken bones. Wonder Woman stepped forward and lashed a backfist across her opponent's face, followed by a left hook. The Gurkha dropped unconscious at her feet.
Hourman had knocked down three charging bandits. Another outlaw executed a wild knife lunge for the American's belly, and Hourman sidestepped the clumsy attack and slammed his fist against the guy's head. The man fell senseless, but another knife artist replaced him.
The guy was armed with a Bundi dagger, a unique and fearsome weapon with an H-shaped handle and a long double-edged blade. The Indian knife artist executed a rapid figure-eight stroke with his blade, forcing the Man of the Hour to back away fast.
The Bundi expert punched his dagger at Hourman's chest and missed. The super-hero punted a short side kick to his opponent's abdomen. The Bundi man staggered back two steps, but did not double up from the pulled kick. The Indian smiled and nodded, apparently thinking the big American was not very strong.
Hourman stood his ground and waited for the Bundi man to make the next move. The Indian hissed like a snake and made a weaving gesture with his knife. The Man of the Hour realized he was up against some sort of martial- arts technique modeled after a cobra.
Suddenly the Indian lashed a kick at Hourman's genitals and struck out with the knife at the same time. The American dodged the Bundi blade and shifted a leg to take the kick on his thigh. Hourman then swept his leg out and around, slicing at his opponent's leg from ankle to knee.
The Indian screamed and slashed his Bundi dagger at the American's face as he fell backward. Hourman moved his head and dipped his shoulder beneath the path of the blade. The Indian shrieked as he hit the ground. He dropped the Bundi dagger and was quickly knocked unconscious with a kick to the head by the Man of the Hour.
Not far away, the Atom knocked out a bandit before the attacker could fire a .38 revolver. However another Indian low-life swung an old rifle like a baseball bat at the little hero's head. The bandit raised the rifle planning to split Atom's skull with the buttstock.
The American crimefighter sidestepped the attack, and the bandit swung the rifle with all his might. As the stock struck a boulder and cracked in two, Atom slashed the side of a hand into his attacker's left kidney and grabbed the man's hair. He yanked the Indian backward to ram a knee to the small of his opponent's back. The bandit tried to alter the grip on what remained of his rifle, hoping to strike out at the American who was now behind him.
The Atom shoved hard, slamming the Indian into the boulder. The broken rifle slipped from the man's hands. Atom held on to his assailant's hair and smashed his face into the merciless rock twice more before he released the outlaw. The Indian slumped to the ground unconscious, his front teeth shattered and his nose smashed into a bloody smear in the middle of his face.
Three bandits attacked Hawkman. One man held a pistol and the other two were Gurkhas armed with their deadly kukri knives.
Hawkman instinctively took out the pistol man first, pumping two punches into the attacker's chest. The criminal went down, but the two knife artists kept coming. Hawkman drilled the closest attacker with a punch to the chin. The Gurkha's head snapped back and the blow stopped him dead in his tracks.
The other Gurkha got close enough to use his knife. He swung the murderous thirteen-inch blade at Hawkman's wrist, planning to chop the hero's left hand off. Hawkman quickly moved his arm. The kukri missed its target, but grazed the JSA chairman's left thigh. Hawkman grunted as blood oozed from the cut in his upper leg.
Hawkman ignored the pain and chopped the side of his hand on the Gurkha's forearm. The knife fell from the little killer's grasp. Hawkman quickly grabbed the man around the throat. Hawkman pulled hard and the bandit dropped to the sand. A boot to the head knocked the man out.
Starman confronted four charging bandits.
One opponent tried to lunge with a bayonet attached to the muzzle of his rifle. Starman triggered his Cosmic Rod, which he had set on low power. An energy blast hit the goon in the chest and dropped him in a flash. Another outlaw raised a scimitar, and Starman also blasted him in the chest.
A Sikh renegade closed in and swung a large curved knife at the strangely- clad man. Starman turned sharply and raised his left arm, swatting at the third attacker's wrist. The knife hurled from the Sikh's hand. The bandit muttered something in Punjabi before Starman jabbed his left arm twice, stamping his fist into his opponent's breastbone and the point of his chin.
The Sikh fell unconscious while the fourth and last bandit attacked with a hatchet held in both fists. Starman activated his Cosmic Rod, blasting energy into the aggressor's stomach. The psycho screamed in agony, but continued to charge. Incredulous that the man didn't fall, Starman stepped forward, raised his left arm and turned swiftly, lashing at hatchet man's forearms with the Cosmic Rod. The blow sent the ax hurling from numb fingers. The bandit staggered forward and tried to reach for Starman's throat with his bare hands.
"You get an A for effort," the American rasped as he stabbed a punch into the Indian's solar plexus.
The bandit gasped from the blow. He fell to his knees. Starman put him out of his misery with a well-placed boot to the left temple.
Rod Lawson had managed to shoot and kill one charging bandit before he ran out of ammo in his subgun. The CIA man reached for his .45 Colt, but another Indian leaped upon him before he could clear leather. The bandit struggled with Lawson, trying to drive a short-bladed dagger under the agent's ribs.
Suddenly the bandit screamed and sprawled limply across Lawson. The CIA operative shoved the Indian aside and stared down at the guy. Starman had hit the man with a blast from the Cosmic Rod.
"You okay?" Hourman inquired as he helped Lawson to his feet.
"Yeah," the agent replied breathlessly. "I don't think I'm cut out for this stuff."
"If it was easy," the Atom said, "anyone could do it."
"Hey, you guys down there!" a voice shouted from the rocks above. "This is Bahir Khan. You know who I am, yes?"
"We've heard of you," Hawkman yelled back. "You used to have a lot of bandits working for you, but most of them are our prisoners now."
"You guys are tough," Bahir Khan admitted. "We've fought enough, yes? How about a truce before everybody kills everybody else?"
"We're willing to call it a draw," Hawkman assured him. "Of course, we need some assurance that you fellows won't bother us again."
"You have the word of Bahir Khan," the bandit chief announced.
"I like dealing with an honorable man," the JSA chairman replied. "Perhaps we can discuss a business arrangement."
"Business?" Bahir Khan's voice seemed surprised. "What sort of business?"
"Making a profit," Hawkman answered. "What other sort of business would be of interest to a mercenary?"
"Very well, my funny-dressed friend," the bandit said, laughing. "We shall talk."
To be continued ...