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  Max

  A novel

  By Barry Friedman

 

  Copyright © 2011 by Barry Friedman

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

 

  Also by Barry Friedman

  Novels

  Dead End

  Assignment: Bosnia

  Prescription For Death

  The Shroud

  Sleeper

  Hyde

  The Old Folks at Home: Warehouse Them or Leave Them on the Ice Floe

  Fracture

  Non-Fiction

  The Short Life of a Valiant Ship:USS Meredith(DD434)

  That’s Life: It’s Sexually Transmitted and Terminal

  Prologue

  Xam was locked onto the screen. For hours he had been watching the contest they called Monday Night Football. Several hours before, it had been called Sunday Night Football.

  A voice over his shoulder said, “I suppose they also have Saturday Night Football.”

  Xam turned. “No, Ling, Saturday night is something they call ‘Live.’ It’s not football.”

  “Do you have any idea what they’re doing?”

  “Sure.” Xam pointed to the screen. “This guy pulls a brown thing called a football from between the legs of the other guy bent over. Now, see he’s looking for someone to throw it to. Oops… that’s called a sack.”

  Ling said, “I thought a ‘sack’ was what they called a bag.”

  Xam stared at Ling for a few seconds. “This is too complicated for you. Why don’t you go back to piloting this ship?

  Ling walked back to the controls of the spaceship shaking his head. “Crazy humanoids.”

  Xam leaned back, thinking about the game he’d been watching. Looked easy. Why couldn’t he…?

  A few minutes later, he clicked off the viewing screen, and ambled to the Command Center. He fitted his ID card into a slot and a door slid open revealing a cavern-like room. Seated at a desk in the center of the room was Commander Loto. Like Xam and Ling, Loto was tall and thin, with red hair.

  Xam flopped into a chair in front of the desk. “Commander,” he said, “I’d like to ask a favor.”

  Loto grinned. Half a dozen times before, Xam had come to him requesting permission to land on the planet inhabited by creatures identical to those of their own planet.

  Xam would not be the first visitor to Earth that Loto had set down. Others had spent periods of a few months to a year, Earth time, living and working among Earthlings, observing their habits and customs. Eventually, they would return their home planet. One “alien” always remained and was responsible for maintaining a base on Earth until relieved by a fellow “visitor.”

  “Still want to go there?” said Loto.

  Xam nodded. “We look like them. I’ve studied their language. I’m sure I could get away with it.”

  “I’m sure you could. But what would be the purpose?”

  “I’ve been watching re-runs of a game they play. I’d like to try it. To see how our skills match up to theirs. We’ve always thought we were superior in all ways.”

  “That’s true,” said Loto. “We’ve been able to monitor their activities; they don’t even know we exist.” He gazed down at his desk, then brought his head up. “It’s an intriguing idea, Xam.”

  Xam gripped the arms of the chair. “Then you agree? I can go?”

  Loto took in a deep breath. “You know the risks and the rules.”

  Xam put up a hand. “I know. I know. You can be sure, Commander. They’ll never know.” He smiled. “I don’t think they have the intelligence to even suspect I’m not one of them.”

  Loto raised a cautionary finger. “Don’t underestimate them. There may be a few who suspect that forms of, what they call life, exist outside their planet. But even those few only think of us as enemies who are interested in destroying them.”

  “Crazy idea,” said Xam. “Why would anyone get that notion? They haven’t even found ways of communicating with us.”

  Loto pressed a button and a large map appeared on the wall-sized screen behind his desk. With a laser pointer he indicted a spot on the map. This is where we’ll put down. He handed Xam a plastic card. An address was printed on one side. “Here’s your key to where you’ll be staying. We call it a ‘safe house.’ You’ll find clothing, money, a vehicle and other items, everything you’ll need. Kentu is your contact. He’s already there but is scheduled to return to home planet. You’ll be his replacement.”

  He reached into a desk drawer and withdrew a small phone. “Here’s your link with us. You know how to get us, but remember, only in an emergency.”

  Loto glanced at the dialed object on his wrist. “It’s their summer. You have until early their winter, understood?”

  Xam saluted smartly. “Aye aye, sir, as they say.”