CHAPTER 10

CHULAK, 19 NOVEMBER 1998

Subcommander Kormok sat alone in a filthy cell, somewhere in the capital city of Chulak, also, confusingly, known as Chulak. Brought here by the humans who had shot down his Stingray-class Manta Ship the previous afternoon, he had languished here since then. Kormok scowled. Despite the fact that they called themselves Jaffa, they appeared to Kormok like any other human slime he had ever seen. The dishonor of having been captured by them was almost too much to bear.

The sense of shame he felt was only increased because, despite the gloatings of their leader, the fool who called himself Sebe't, he had not been taken immediately into the presence of their "god" for interrogation. This "Apophis" who these fools worshiped apparently considered himself too busy to be bothered with Kormok when he first arrived. The indignity of it all!

Worse yet, like the barbarians they were, they had not fed him or given him water since his arrival here. Indeed, there had been no further contact with anyone since the jailer closed the heavy wooden door and slid the heavy iron bolt which secured it into place.

But he had not spent all of his time here since his arrival feeling sorry for himself. He had been formulating a plan of escape, and if SOMEONE would just come to his door, he intended to put it into action. He smiled slightly as he thought of it. The humans here had never encountered a Kromagg, to judge by their reactions to him upon his arrival. He would show them the folly of underestimating him.

As these thoughts were going through his mind, he heard the rattling of chains, then a scraping sound as the iron bolt was pulled back to unlock the door. Kormok immediately moved to a shadowy corner to one side of the door, and waited as it opened.

The jailor, a fat Jaffa named Gree'tak, accompanied by two armed guards, came in. Gree'tak looked around the cell, then saw Kormok crouched in the corner.

"There you are," he said. "The great god Apophis wishes to see you now." Then his eyes widened as he looked closer at the captive.

"Sebe't!," he exclaimed. "How came you here? Where is the prisoner!"

"Sebe't" stood up and stepped out into the light steaming in through the open door. His voice boomed with rage. "Fool of a jailor, who does not even know what goes on underneath his own fat, bulbous nose! Get me out of here at once!"

"Yes, Sebe't! It shall be as you demand!," Gree'tak said, bowing fearfully. "But where is the prisoner?"

"Escaped!," "Sebe't" hissed.

"But...how?" Gree'tak asked, scratching his head with confusion. "Where would he have gone? My men and I have been on guard at the entry into the prison all night!"

"Sebe't" growled, "How should I know? Search for him at once!"

"It shall be done!," Gree'tak exclaimed. Turning to the guards, he said, "Go! Inform Milt'ost! Begin the search at once!" The two armed Jaffa quickly rushed from the room. Soon the shouts of other Jaffa told them that the search had begun. Gree'tak turned back to "Sebe't" with a look of satisfaction on his face. His eyes suddenly widened with shock as Kormok's fist found his trachea, crushing it. Gree'tak collapsed to his knees, clutching at his throat as he gasped for breath. As he began to turn blue, Kormok reached down and took the knife and keys from the jailor's belt. He stepped behind Gree'tak and grabbed him by his hair. Gree'tak uttered a strangled cry as Kormok inserted the tip of the knife into his eye socket, neatly removing the eyeball with a quick motion.

"You should have fed me, human slime," Kormok said as he popped the eyeball into his mouth, chewing it with a wet, crunching sound. Gree'tak, finally overcome by suffocation, silently collapsed to the floor. "Pity," Kormok said. "I like my eyeballs fresh." He stooped down, cut out the remaining eye, and popped it into his mouth. "But when hunger calls, compromises must be made."

He wiped the knife blade on Gree'tak's uniform, and took the sheath for it off of the dead jailor's belt, placing it onto his own instead. He stepped out of the cell, and closed the door behind him. Sliding the iron bolt into place, he reset the chain and lock which had held it shut, and then, using Gree'tak's key, he locked it. He could see the other Jaffa still searching, fruitlessly, for the "escapee." He nodded to them as they bowed their heads in respect for "Sebe't" as he walked by. He looked at one of them. "Your weapon! Give it to me!" he demanded. The Jaffa quickly handed over the staff-like weapon, and "Sebe't" nodded in thanks before moving on.

He hurried toward the main entrance to...and the only exit from...the prison. As he approached the door, he was confronted by the sight of the real Sebe't, who was aggressively demanding from the single guard left at the door to know what had occasioned the search he saw going on there and where Gree'tak was. The guard saw him approach, and his eyes widened at the shock of seeing not one, but TWO Sebe'ts before him. "First Prime! Look!" He pointed toward the new arrival, and Sebe't turned to look. His eyes widened even more as he was confronted by...himself...standing there, pointing a staff weapon at him.

Kormok laughed. "Now you die, human!," he said, and tried to fire the weapon. But to his chagrin, he found he did not understand the trigger mechanism. Sebet quickly drew his Zat'nik'tel and fired, stunning the Kromagg officer. Kormok grunted as he dropped the staff weapon and collapsed to the floor, unconscious. As Sebe't and the guard watched in horror and amazement, the unconscious Kormok resumed his own form as the illusion of "Sebe't" was destroyed.

Several other Jaffa, attracted by the sound of weapons fire, came running up to the group standing before the prison entrance.

"Get this...thing...back to its cell," Sebe't ordered. "And if you open the door and see me...or anyone else other than the prisoner, for that matter...in there, don't believe your eyes. He has the ability to change his appearance somehow."

The Jaffa acknowledged his orders, and took the prisoner away. "What is he, lord?," the completely flabbergasted guard said to Sebe't as he watched them go.

"A very dangerous creature," Sebe't said. "A very dangerous creature, indeed."