The Brain Spiders Read online

  Zak paused. He knew about Jabba the Hutt's reputation for cruelty. For all he knew, the other prisoner might be as innocent as he was. On the other hand, he might be a real criminal. Zak remembered that Jabba had already turned three wanted criminals in to the Imperials. Maybe this was yet another killer. "I don't know," he said at last. "How do I know you're not in here for a good reason?" "I didn't do anything!" the man yelled. "You gotta be- lieve me!" Clunk! One last stroke of the knife opened a small hole in the wall, exposing a tangle of wires. Zak didn't know which one powered the automatic door, so he just cut them all with a quick slash of the knife. There was a groan of metal rollers, and the locks that held the prison door in place suddenly relaxed. Zak grabbed hold of the bars and pulled. The door was heavy, but he managed to open it enough to squeeze through. "You did it!" the other prisoner cheered. "Now, please, let me out!"

  Zak stepped closer to the other cell door. The prisoner

  was human, with a large nose and long hair. His features

  were smooth. He looked more like a scholar than a crimi-

  nal.

  Zak hesitated. Suppose he made a mistake and freed a

  wanted criminal? Wouldn't that make him an accomplice?

  But if the man really was innocent, and Zak abandoned

  him, he'd be helping Jabba the Hutt with one of his many crimes. Zak wavered, unsure of what to do. Either way, he might make a terrible mistake. "If you're innocent," he said, "why did Jabba throw you in jail?" "I told you I don't know!" the man said. "Please help me!" Zak decided. The man just didn't seem like a criminal to him. Locating the door controls, Zak unlocked the cell. The door slid open, and the man stepped forward. He was very slender, with smooth hands. He cried out in relief as he slipped through the door. "Thanks! That's one I owe y0u!" the man said. "Now I'm getting out of here as fast as I can!" He bolted away into the darkness. Zak was about to follow, but five pointy fingernails dug into his shoulder and a voice snarled in his ear, "What are you doing here?"

  Zak spun around and found himself face-to-face with the pale, oily visage of Bib Fortuna. Fortuna's sharp teeth bit into his lower lip as he glared at Zak. "I got lost," Zak explained. "I accidentally stumbled into one of the prison cells and it took me a while to get out." Fortuna spied the two open doors. "Where is the other prisoner?" he demanded.

  "Prisoner?" Zak said. "What prisoner?" Another growl escaped from between the alien's teeth. "Never mind. This place is restricted. Do not come here again or you will become a permanent resident." Zak didn't argue. Fortuna showed him the way out, and Zak hurried back to the upper levels. He rushed into Hoole's quarters, where he found the Shi'ido poring over the B'omarr manuscripts. "Very interesting," Hoole said, more to himself than to Zak. "These B'omarr monks have developed some fascinating practices." He pointed to some of the mark- ings on the scroll. To Zak, they looked like a bunch of scribbles. "See here," Hoole explained. "Sometimes the B'omarr used tricks to convince their students that they had mind control power. One of the tricks involved lume rocks." "Lume rocks, right," Zak said, still catching his breath. "But Uncle Hoole " "They're quite clever," Hoole continued. "They appear to give oA light and heat, but they don't actually burn the skin. The B'omarr monks tell the students to hold them, and the students think they're using their minds to resist the heat." That got Zak's attention. He recalled the test Grimpen had given Tash. " 'Hot coals,' my afterburners," he grum- bled. "What was that?" Hoole asked. More loudly, Zak asked, "You mean these monks are actually fakes?" "Not exactly," Hoole explained. "These tricks are used to build confidence in the students. The monks believe that if the students think they can do certain things long enough, eventually they can. In addition, the monks are the only

  beings that have achieved the ability to do brain transfer- ence, and " "Uncle Hoole, listen," Zak interrupted. "Something really strange is going on. First I was chased into the dun- geons by a brain spider. And I met someone there who I'm sure was innocent so I freed him and " "Wait a moment," Hoole demanded. He gave Zak a look that made the young Arranda's heart skip a beat. "You went into Jabba's dungeon? You freed a prisoner? That was

  extremely unwise." "There's more," Zak continued. "I overhead Jabba the Hutt talking to someone named Karkas. That's the criminal the Imperials are after! It sounded like they were working together." Hoole nodded. "Very well, Zak. Thank you for the infor- mation. Now, please, do not wander away from our rooms again." He turned back to his scrolls. Zak's jaw dropped. "Uncle Hoole! Aren't you going to do anything?" Hoole looked up. "What should I do?" Zak was dumbstruck. Was this really his uncle? Hoole was usually the first to act when he saw something bad happening. "I don't know," Zak replied, "call the Imperi- als, confront Jabba. Karkas is wanted in two dozen star systems!" Hoole sighed. "Zak, Jabba is a gangster. I am sure that you are right Jabba is up to something. But there is no way I can stop it. Not while we are under his roof. I do not agree with his methods, but considering Jabba's power, there is very little we can do about it at the moment. You are being a little naive." "Naive?" Zak tried to get his mouth around the new word. "It means young and innocent," Hoole explained. "Young again," Zak groaned. "You're starting to sound like Tash." "Speaking of whom," the Shi'ido said, "where is your sister? You two are usually inseparable." Zak grimaced. "She made friends with one of the B'omarr monks. I guess she'd rather be with him than with me." Zak was hoping his uncle would hear the frustration in his voice, but Hoole was too preoccupied. "Considering what you have just told me, I think it might be best if you and Tash stay here for a while. Please go down to the B'omarr tunnels and find her. And Zak " he said with a knowing look, "stay out of Jabba the Hutt's business." Zak grumbled to himself as he left Hoole's room. First his sister abandoned him, then his uncle called him naive, and now he'd become an errand boy. Zak walked down the hall nervously. At any moment he expected someone to jump out at him. But nothing hap- pened. He passed two or three beings who either ignored him or nodded in his direction. Bib Fortuna drifted across his path, hardly noticing the young human.

  Everything was as normal as it could be in the palace of

  Jabba the Hutt. Uncle Hoole's right, Zak thought as he descended into the B'omarr tunnels. I have to remember where I am. 8'anted criminals and innocent prisoners aren't out of the ordinary here. There 's nothing for me to worry about. The tunnels were deserted. Keeping an eye out for brain spiders, Zak tried to remember where the monks' tea room was, figuring he'd find someone there who could help him

  locate Tash. "Psst! Zak!" a voice whispered.

  Zak looked around. No one was there. "Over here!" The voice came from a dark corner where the corridor curved. Stepping into the corner, Zak saw Brother Beidlo huddled there, He looked frightened. "What is it?" Zak asked.. "Keep your voice down," Beidlo warned. Two monks appeared in the hallway, and Beidlo pulled Zak into the darkness. The young monk pressed his back against the wall until the B'omarr had passed. "You have to get out of here," Beidlo told Zak in a frightened whisper. "We all do. Or we're all going to end up dead!"The look of fear on Beidlo's face was so intense that Zak thought he might be crazy. "What do you mean?" he asked. "This morning you said everything was just fine." "That was before" Beidlo swallowed "... before I found out about the brain transfers." Zak scratched his head. His mind was cluttered enough without Beidlo confusing him further. "But you told us about the brain transfers. You just about showed us one!" "I know! I know!" Beidlo explained. "That's how it started. There wasn't supposed to be a brain transfer yester- day. It made me curious, so I started looking around. I found out that there have been an awful lot of unscheduled brain transfers recently. Then I realized there are at least twice as many brain spiders as there were when I joined the B'omarr just a few months ago."

  "So?" Zak asked. "Doesn't that just mean more monks are becoming enlightened or whatever?" "Either that," Beidlo said in a trembling voice, "or someone is removing their brains against their will." "What?" Zak said in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense. Why woul
d someone want to stick their brains in little jars? Besides, Uncle Hoole just told me that only the B'omarr monks know how to perform the operation. Which means they're doing it to themselves." Beidlo shook his head. "No, no, it's worse than that. Ten monks have supposedly become enlightened in the past few months. But there have been fifteen operations! And I'm telling you, there are way too many brain spiders around. And they're acting strangely." Zak remembered the brain spider that had chased him. "I can't argue with that." "Something bad is happening here," Beidlo nearly sobbed. "Someone is performing the brain transfers on monks who aren't ready!" Zak swallowed. "Okay, if this is true, why tell me? Why not tell the other monks?"

  Beidlo smacked his head in frustration. "Don't you think I tried that? But the monks just don't care. I told you, they spend all their time studying and thinking. They don't care what happens to their bodies. They don't care about anything outside their meditation. They won't listen!" "And you think I will," Zak guessed. "You and your uncle. Please, call the authorities. Ask them to come down here and investigate. Anything!" Zak wasn't sure what to think. He didn't know anything about brain spiders or B'omarr monks. Beidlo's story didn't make very much sense. But he still had the nagging feeling that something weird was going on in Jabba's pal- ace. "Okay, I'll tell my uncle. Maybe he'll have an idea." "Thank you!" Beidlo said in relief. "While you do that, I'm going to tell the one monk who might be willing to act. Grimpen's not like the rest. He'll get to the bottom of this!" Zak hurried up the tunnel as Beidlo ran in the opposite direction. Armed with this new information, Zak returned to his uncle's quarters. "Back so soon?" Hoole asked. "Where's Tash?" Zak quickly explained what Beidlo had told him. Hoole frowned. "I do not understand, Zak. What would the monks have to gain by doing more brain transfers? And why would they do them on anyone but other monks?" "I don't know," Zak replied, "but I'm telling you, something's wrong here." The Shi'ido nodded. "I think you're right, Zak. Come on." Hoole returned to the B'omarr tunnels with Zak, and together they searched for Tash. They searched in the hall- ways, they searched in the tea room, they even found a small library but there was no sign of Tash. Once in a while, a brown-robed monk would wander by.

  Hoole would stop the monk and ask if he had seen a young human girl. But each time, the monk merely stared at Hoole for a moment, then walked on without saying a word. "Friendly bunch," Zak sighed. "Let's continue," Hoole said. They looked for nearly an hour, but there was no sign of Tash. Finally, just as they were about to give up, another monk approached. Zak decided to try once more. "Excuse me," he said, "but have you seen Oh, Beidlo, it's you!" Beidlo blinked as though he'd been daydreaming. "Huh? Oh, yes, it's me. What can I do for you?" "What can y-you... ?" Zak stammered. "I warned Uncle Hoole, just like you wanted. Now we're looking for Tash." Beidlo looked confused and seemed annoyed. "What are you talking about?" "You know what I'm talking about," Zak exclaimed. "The brain transfers! An hour ago, you were terrified that everyone was going to die." "Oh, yes, that. Don't worry about it. I think I was wrong." "Excuse me, young man," Hoole interjected. "Are you saying that there is nothing out of the ordinary going on here?" "Yes, that's what I'm saying," Beidlo said. "Now ex- cuse me, I've got... things to do." Beidlo pushed past them and hurried along the tunnel. Hoole cast a scolding glance at Zak. "Uncle Hoole, I " "I don't blame you, Zak," Hoole interrupted. "Jabba's palace can be quite confusing. But you must understand, this isn't like any other place you've been. Strangeness and danger are normal here." Zak didn't argue... but he didn't agree, either. Beidlo had been terrified only a short time ago. Now he hardly seemed to remember the conversation. "I'm not suggesting you did anything wrong, Zak," Hoole said as they returned to their chambers. "It is simply that this place is too full of intrigue for someone your age. That's not your fault it is just a question of experience. You will be much safer if you stay near me." Hoole reached his own room and pointed to Zak's quar- ters next door. "I promise you," he said, "that as long as you stay near your room, nothing bad will happen." "Yes, Uncle Hoole," Zak said sullenly. He walked into his room. And found Tash hanging upside down from the ceiling like a piece of meat on a hook.

  "Tash!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "What!" she screamed back. Her eyes flew open and she plummeted headlong toward the floor, where she landed with a heavy thud. Zak saw a small bar attached to a rope dangling from the ceiling. Tash had been hanging from the bar by her feet.

  "Thanks a lot, laser brain!" Tash said, sitting up and rubbing her head. "You nearly scared the life out of me." "I scared you?" Zak retorted. "What in space were you doing hanging from the ceiling?"

  Tash sighed like a weary teacher explaining a lesson to a thick headed student. "It's a B'omarr meditation exercise. Grimpen showed me how to do it."

  "I knew that monk had you turned inside out, but I didn't know he had you turned upside down as well,*' Zak said snidely. "Funny," his sister replied. "Just the kind of thing I'd expect from someone as unenlightened as you." Zak smirked. "Oh, like you're so wise." Tash got to her feet and limped around for a moment to make sure her leg wasn't damaged. "According to Grimpen, I am. He says only one person in a billion has the potential that I have." "Great," Zak said under his breath, "you're still taking compliments from a guy who wants to have his brain re- moved." More loudly, he said, "Listen, Tash, I know we haven't been getting along too well, but I need your help. There's soinething odd going on. First I was chased by a brain spider. Then I met this prisoner, and now Beidlo is acting very strange " "Zak." Tash held up one hand to stop him. "I'm sorry if I've been rude to you. I don't mean to be. It's just that meeting Grimpen has opened my eyes. You know how much I like to study, and you know that I'm trying to figure out how to use the Force. The B*omarr meditations Grimpen has shown me really help. I feel like I'm starting to understand things." "Great. So try to understand this," Zak continued. He told her about Beidlo's strange behavior. Tash shrugged. Her face took on a distant look. "It

  sounds as if everything worked itself out, Zak. I have more important things to think about." "More important!" Zak sputtered. "What's more im- portant than making sure we're all safe? I suppose now you're going to hang from the ceiling by your big toe?" Tash's face turned red, but she made a great effort to remain calm. She forced her face to look relaxed and walked out of the room.

  "You handled that very well," said Grimpen. She had re- turned to his chamber. "Thanks," Tash said. She liked listening to his voice. Grimpen seemed to know her very well. He always found the good in her. "But I can't stay here long. Uncle Hoole told us not to go too far from our quarters." "I understand," Grimpen said sympathetically. He was sitting cross-legged in his small meditation room. "But I'm glad you told me about Zak. Tash, this may be hard to hear, but I think you're wise enough to understand. Sometimes, as we become more enlightened, our friends become jeal- ous. They try to hold us back." He looked deeply into her eyes. "I think Zak is holding you back." Tash nodded sadly. "Maybe he is." "Giving up old friendships is one test of enlighten- ment," Grimpen explained. "But there is another test that awaits you. It's a test of courage..." An hour later, Tash Arranda stood at the edge of a vast pit in the middle of the desert. The sands of Tatooine stretched out in all directions. WAat am I doing here~ she thought. Then she pushed the thought away. She knew why she was there. Grimpen had explained it to her: "In order to become truly enlightened, we have to face our fears. All the great monks of the past have gone through a test of cour- age, and you too must take this step if you are to become enlightened. You must walk in a full circle around the edge of the Great Pit of Carkoon." Deep in the sand of the Great Pit of Carkoon was where the Sarlacc lived. The Great Pit of Carkoon wasn't far from Jabba's palace. The sandy pit led down to a wide hole but it was no ordinary cave or tunnel. The pit was also the mouth of the Sarlacc. The Sarlacc's maw was always open, waiting to devour anyone or anything that came within reach of the tentacles that protruded from its mouth. Row after row of sharp, needlelike teeth stuck out from the sides of the Sarlacc's mouth.
Moving around the teeth, the tentacles waited like wriggling tongues, probing for any foolish trav- elers who came too close. "There's nothing to it," Tash whispered to herself. "I can do this cruising on sublight engines." Casually but carefully Tash began to walk around the edge of the pit. Once or twice, her footsteps sent a tiny avalanche of sand trickling down the sloping side of the pit

  and into the Sarlacc's mouth. In response, a thick tentacle would lash out, searching for food, then slither back into the Sarlacc's giant mouth. Tash was halfway around the circuit and growing very proud of herself. This was a breeze. She could hardly be- lieve Grimpen had made such a big deal of this test. She could hardly believe it was a test at all. At that moment, a voice nearly shouted in her ear. "Tash, what are you doing?" It was Zak. He must have followed her. He had snuck up on her during her walk. These thoughts passed quickly through Tash's mind. Only when she finished thinking them did she realize that she had slipped and fallen to one knee at the edge of the pit. And only after that did she finally understand that she hadn't slipped.

  The Sarlacc's tentacle was wrapped around her leg.

  The Sarlacc's tentacle was firmly wound around Tash's an- kle. One strong pull dragged her a few meters down the side of the pit. Her hands clutched for something to hold on to, but all she grabbed was sand. "Help!" she cried, her eyes going wide with fear. Zak lunged forward and grabbed her outstretched hand. He tried to brace himself in the sand, but it was like trying to stand on top of water. His feet just sank into the soA yellow grains. The Sarlacc pulled again. Tash slid another meter down into the pit, this time dragging Zak with her. "Do something!" Tash yelled. "Can you shake free?" he asked. Tash tried to pull her leg up, but it wouldn't budge. "The Sarlacc's too strong!"