SOMEWHERE NEAR THE SIZE ISLANDS
* * * * *
J-Rog thought it over. Finally, he said:
"That's a very tempting offer, Sizae-oni. But, I was wondering. How did Ray Venn wind up as a private eye on Earth? I mean; with his talents, he could be a high-ranking police officer on this world!"
Sizae-oni frowned, with a touch of sadness.
"He was, at first. After graduating from Nusi Academy, he followed in his father's footsteps by joining the Size Island Constabulary. Although, sometimes, he moonlighted as a professional bodyguard at public appearances by Sizeloan celebrities (like the stars of DEMON BUSTERS). Then, one day, he was visited at his office by Paxinda Toleranza. An...ex-classmate of his from the academy."
FIVE YEARS EARLIER
"When I'm not running the dojo, I lead a small chapter of S.E.T.H., on the side."
"You?!" exclaimed Ray: "The former campus queen of non-involvement?"
"Well, let's just say that our...time together...really opened my eyes. Which brings me to the reason for my visit. S.E.T.H., as a whole, does what it can from within the system. But, picket signs and demonstrations can only go so far. My chapter has decided to become a litte more...pro-active."
"What do you mean?"
"We recently learned that the Sitmobtia is bringing a shipment of shrunken humans into the Trion Sector of the Gamma Continent. That's a human-free zone! No pet humans allowed. So, my people and I are going to liberate that shipment, and bring the humans here."
Ray looked at her in mild astonishment.
"That's a pretty bold move, Xinda. The Sitmobtia are dangerous people."
"I know. That's why I'd feel more comfortable if you were there with us. You were the top of our class at size-changing. And, you also have the self-defense training you learned from your father!"
During their early days at Nusi Academy, Ray had told Xinda all about his parents. Including his father's Vietnam-era youth as an Air Force SP at Naha, Okinawa. The birthplace of goju-ryu karate!
Xinda had learned enough of that martial art, from Ray, that she was able to open her own little dojo, following graduation. With some of her students being fellow members of S.E.T.H.
"As well-trained as they are, they're not a seasoned veteran policeman like you."
Ray half-smiled and agreed.
Two nights later, a delivery van marked "Cross Time Gifts" came to a halt in the middle of an empty field, and turned off its lights. Five minutes after that, a saucer-shaped craft landed roughly fifty feet from that van. With two women, wearing silver-foil flightsuits, disembarking from the saucer's hatch. The apparent leader of the duo had whitish-blonde hair. Her much younger partner had auburn hair.
It was the former who conversed with the black-haired man who emerged from the driver's side of the van. After which, she nodded to the auburn-haired youngster, who immediately began relaying hamster cages to the driver's partner.
It was when the cages were almost fully loaded into the van that the S.E.T.H. chapter re-enlarged themselves...and struck.
They were dressed like ninjas! And, their sudden appearance so startled the smugglers that three of them were unable to avoid being karate-chopped and kicked into submission. But, the auburn-haired youngster fought back, engaging one of the attackers in a tug-of-war for the last cage.
"Let...go...you...human-loving..."
"Deborah???" gasped the attacker.
"Xinda???" gasped her opponent.
This mutual distraction allowed one of the other S.E.T.H. ninjas to stun Deborah from behind.
"Let's go-go-go!"
Xinda and her "rescuer" ran towards the van, which one of the other liberators had already started up. But, Xinda never made it. The black-haired driver managed to shake off the pain of his injuries, and withdraw a tubular object from within his windbreaker.
Deborah saw this and shouted: "Aetor! No!"
She was too late, however. A red beam enveloped Xinda. Disintegrating both her...and the cage she was carrying.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed the ninja who had been running in front of her. The black-haired driver promptly aimed the tube at him. But, he missed as that ninja shrank from sight.
When the latter re-enlarged, he was armed with a Smith and Wesson Model 39 in nine millimeter. And, the first bullet fired from it lodged itself, quite literally, between Xinda's killer's eyes!
The whole field was subsequently spot-lit by police heli-saucers, who had detected the energy spike from the molecular disruptor's two discharges. They landed, and arrested everyone.
It would turn out that the dead man was one Aetor Bigla; better known among the "mini-phage" set as Voracio.
"Mini-phage?" echoed J-Rog.
"Sizeloans who--literally--get off on swallowing shrunken humans alive. Of course, they can only do so in those areas of the Commonwealth where the human pet trade is legal!"
The judge at Ray's trial summed it up best when a compromise was reached between Ray's lawyer and the prosecution.
"Your extra-legal vigilantism is mitigated only by the fact that you shot to kill, in self-defense, during a crime in progress. Namely; the attempted importation of contraband into the Trion Sector. Therefore; it is the verdict of this court that (with the exception of the Size Islands) you are to be banished from Sizeloa for life!"
The ensuing murmurs, both pro and con, that ran through the spectators required silencing by repeated rappings of the judge's gavel.
"Sentence will commence exactly twenty-four hours from now! You have that long to get your affairs in order. If you are still anywhere on any of the Four Continents, after that? You will be subject to arrest...and summary execution. Court is adjourned."
RAP!
Ray's exit from the courtroom was delayed by a young woman who superficially resembled the African-American actress named Vanity.
"Consider yourself lucky, Venn. Because, if we ever meet again, I will cut off your head; shrink it to the size of a grape; and SWALLOW IT WHOLE!"
"I believe you, Veronica. That is; I believe you'll try."
Xinda was symbolically buried on Humanitaria. And, Ray was the next-to-last person to leave her graveside. The very last person to do so was...Deborah Law.
"If it's any consolation, I've left the Sitmobtia, Ray. I've never seen anyone...disrupted...before. Especially, not someone willing to die for...for..."
"...for mere humans?" he completed the sentence for her. And, guiltily, she nodded.
"I hope you maintain that resolve, Deborah. Sizeloans and humans aren't just examples of convergent evolution. The very fact mixed couples, like my parents, can even _have_ children is proof of that! Xinda realized it. And, she ultimately martyred herself to wise up others. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain."
His own tears, as he walked away, prevented him from seeing the tears that flowed through Deborah's fingers as she buried her face in her hands.
tbc
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
A slight, and somewhat somber, interlude.