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  out of that bowl and into another, explaining, "Evazan's files explained the

  reanimation process. I believe I can reverse it by canceling out the chemical

  substance in the boneworms."

  From his hiding place behind the examination table, Evazan yelled to

  Pylum, who lay crouched nearby. "Pylum, stop them!"

  "Stop them yourself!" the Master of Cerements screeched. He bolted for

  the door and slipped out the same way Zak and Deevee had slipped in.

  "Blasted coward," Evazan cursed. He looked around for the nearest zombie.

  "Kairn! Stop them!" he ordered.

  The undead Necropolitan gave a slight twitch and started forward.

  Deevee had grabbed hold of several chemicals on Evazan's table and had

  already begun to mix them together. Zak stood between Kairn and the working

  droid.

  "Kairn, stop! You still have your memory! You're not a zombie slave!"

  Kairn twitched. Zak thought he saw a flicker of life in his friend's

  darkened eyes. "Zak..."

  "I've almost got it!" Deevee exclaimed.

  Kairn growled and took another step forward. "Kairn!" Zak pleaded. "If

  you've still got your memories then you can still think for yourself. You

  don't need to follow his orders!"

  Kairn blinked. He seemed to be struggling with himself. He took another

  step forward, then rocked back on his heels. He seemed to be fighting against

  Evazan's command.

  "I have it!" Deevee shouted. He held up a large glass vial of purple

  liquid. "A small portion of this on the skin will break down the chemical

  reaction."

  "But how do we get it on the zombies?" Zak asked.

  Evazan saw his hold on Kairn slipping. "Kairn, get that vial! Bring it to

  me!"

  Kairn lunged forward. He shoved Zak out of the way, then forced the vial

  out of Deevee's hands.

  "Kairn! No!" Zak cried.

  The zombie Kairn ignored him. He staggered toward Evazan, who roared in

  triumph and reached out for the vial.

  But Kairn shoved Evazan out of the way as well.

  Zak saw Boba Fett firing madly. The bounty hunter seemed to have lost

  some of his cool calm. His back was to the wall. Every zombie that he blasted

  away returned again. He probably couldn't hold them off much longer.

  Boba Fett fired at the closest zombie, but his shot went wild and the

  creature lunged at him. Its powerful hands seized his armor and lifted him off

  his feet. Fett tried to fire his blaster, but before he could, another zombie

  came up behind the first and splashed a small drop of liquid onto the first

  creature's face. Instantly the zombie screamed, and its grip weakened. Boba

  Fett regained his balance as the zombie fell limply to the floor.

  Kairn had already done the same to many of the zombies in the crowd. The

  last of them turned on him, struggling to get the vial from his hands. Kairn

  fought back, dousing them with the remainder of the liquid. The zombies

  collapsed. But as the last one fell, it stumbled against Kairn, and some of

  the purple serum splashed onto him as well. He cried out, then fell forward,

  collapsing on top of the heap of bodies.

  "Blast!" Evazan cursed.

  Boba Fett dropped his blaster and pulled the vial out of Kairn's hand. A

  small pool of purple liquid still lay in the bottom of the glass. Fett hurled

  it straight at Evazan. The vial shattered as it struck the evil doctor,

  splashing purple liquid all across his scarred face.

  Evazan screeched, dropping to his knees. He gave a violent twitch, then

  fell face-first to the ground.

  Zak and Deevee rushed to the cell and freed Hoole and Tash. Tash threw

  her arms around her brother, and Zak returned her hug. Unnoticed by either of

  them, Hoole smiled.

  Deevee was the first to speak. "I believe we can make larger quantities

  of this antidote and spread it around Necropolis. It should take care of the

  zombies terrorizing the city."

  Hoole nodded. "Excellent work, Deevee. It seems you've been able to use

  your vast brain power after all."

  The droid simulated a shrug. "A momentary distraction."

  Only Pylum had escaped the violent battle. But he didn't get far. They

  found his lifeless body at the bottom of the stairs. His neck was broken and

  his face was frozen in an expression of fear.

  "What do you suppose happened to him?" Zak wondered.

  Hoole pointed up the stairs to the great iron doors above them. "The

  doors were too heavy for him to open," Hoole guessed. "He probably slipped

  while trying to push them and fell down the stairs."

  "I would agree with your theory, Master Hoole," Deevee noted, "except

  that Zak and I were careful to leave the doors open."

  "Well, they're closed now," Tash said.

  "Then perhaps the Curse of Sycorax found its victim after all," Hoole

  said darkly.

  With Boba Fett's help, they were able to push one of the doors open. As

  soon as they were out of the crypt, Hoole looked at Boba Fett. "We owe you our

  thanks."

  "You owe nothing," the bounty hunter stated. He stood up. "I like to

  finish what I start. I wanted Evazan. I needed the boy to lead me to him."

  Hoole's next question caught Tash's attention. "And that other matter we

  discussed earlier?" the Shi'ido asked Boba Fett. "Will you take that job?"

  The bounty hunter gave the slightest shake of his head. "Only a fool

  would take that job."

  Then Boba Fett ignited his jetpack and blasted away.

  EPILOGUE

  Hoole and Deevee worked with the Necropolitans to make more of the

  antidote. Armed with the serum, they were able to stop the zombies that roamed

  the city.

  Before long all the dead were put to rest and returned to their proper

  graves. Deevee devised a means to inject the serum into the soil to make sure

  no boneworms accidentally revived any bodies yet untouched. The dead would

  never again rise to trouble Necropolis.

  In a new cemetery at the edge of Necropolis, Zak and Tash stood over a

  single grave. Kairn's name was inscribed on the headstone.

  Zak sighed.

  "Are you all right?" his sister asked.

  "I think so," he replied. "It's just so sad that he was taken away in the

  first place. Its unfair-just like Mom and Dad." He shook his head. "I've

  realized something, though. I kept wishing we could have said goodbye to Mom

  and Dad, but I don't think it would have made the pain go away. And besides,

  it wasn't really necessary." He put his hand on his heart. "They're never

  really gone if I keep their memories here."

  Some time later Uncle Hoole and Deevee picked them up in their new ship-

  the Shroud.

  "Ugh," Tash said. "Are we really taking Evazan's old ship?"

  "It was the only ship available in our price range," Hoole replied.

  "It's prime!" Zak said, his eyes lighting up for the first time in days.

  "Can we at least clean it up and change the name?" Tash asked.

  Deevee said, "We can certainly clean it up. But in many cultures,

  changing a ship's name is bad luck."

  "More superstitions," Zak snorted.

  "If you dislike superstitions, then you will like this common sense,"

  Hoole said. "I'm considering t
aking you to the nearest medical facility, Zak."

  "What for? I'm fine!"

  Hoole frowned. "Perhaps. But we still don't understand everything about

  Evazan's experiments. You were exposed to his chemicals, and you encountered

  the boneworms."

  Zak shook his head. "Please, Uncle Hoole, the last thing I want after all

  we've been through is to have doctors poking and prodding me. That serum

  worked on dead bodies. I mean, do I look like a zombie?"

  For a moment Hoole was lost in thought. Then he said, "Perhaps you are

  right. But I agree only on the condition that you inform me the moment you

  experience any illness."

  "Deal!" Zak said. "Now, where's the engine room on this thing?"

  Zak found a set of tools in the storage bay and then made his way back to

  the maintenance hatch and popped it open. He smiled happily as he saw the

  tangled mass of wires and cables. He'd have a great time taking this system

  apart and putting it back together.

  "Me, a zombie?" Zak muttered. "What is he thinking? I haven't felt this

  good in days."

  Zak reached for a hydrospanner, then dropped it as his body gave a

  sudden, uncontrollable twitch....