four

four

“I’ve been ordered to wage a war against your world,” Captain Verdana explained as he paced back and forth.   “What the substance called Sugar on your world had done is tear apart a very important planet.  A single drop if diluted Cane delivers a chemical euphoria into the Todevaalian brain.  Now the whole planet is addicted to the stuff.”

There was a silence that crossed the table. 

The earthlings sat there, wondering how sugar could be such a bad thing.

“Okay,” Liz said, “you what us to stop bringing sugar to space.  But what are you going to do about other smugglers?”

“Eradication,” Captain Verdana said.  “Lousy council wants me to destroy the whole planet.”

“Oh my god!” Judas the bag of chips blurted.  “Very overboard idea there.”

“Even if I could disobey the order, they would just send another ship to do the job,” Captain Verdana explained with a sigh.  “Damned imperial council has really blown this one way out of proportion.”