The Master of Muscigny (The First Admiral Series Book 5) by William J. Benning Page B

the huge rectangular southern plain. Driven by anger and outrage, it took less than a few minutes for him to cover the ground to the well where the distressed donkey was still braying loudly and trying to stand up. Hampered by the ropes and chains from the yoke to the water wheel, the small, painfully-thin grey donkey was having trouble regaining its feet.
    “Hassan! No! Hassan!” the young boy, an Arab, tried to calm the donkey which continued to thrash and struggle on the ground, braying and bellowing in its panic.
    “Calm it!” Billy called out as he approached the scene with Gummell and the Landing Troopers close behind.
    Startled by the sudden demise of the now shuddering fat man, the young boy looked up to see four uniformed creatures dashing towards him. And in that moment, he too panicked.
    “Please don’t hurt him!” the young boy pleaded, holding out his left hand in supplication whilst trying to calm the struggling donkey with his right.
    “Calm him down!” Billy ordered as he reached the well and stepped determinedly over the fallen donkey.
    With one smooth movement, Billy drew the short Landing Trooper Battle-Blade from his boot top and cut through the rope on the yoke, freeing the donkey. With a loud bray, the donkey fell sideways having been released from the constricting burden on its neck.
    “Please! Please don’t hurt him!” the young boy pleaded again trying to calm the braying, thrashing and snorting animal.
    “Just keep him calm!” Billy ordered, yanking the chain from its mooring on the water wheel.
    Finally freed from the well, the donkey struggled and lurched to its feet, pulling the young Arab boy with it. Once on its feet, the donkey hobbled a few steps, its rear right leg held up before it collapsed again gasping, braying and panting in the dust.
    “Please, don’t hurt him, he’s just tired that’s all,” the boy pleaded again, lying across the donkey’s neck to try to calm it down. “I will push the wheel until Hassan is rested.”
    “No one’s going to harm him,” Billy promised gathering up the chain from the donkey and throwing it back over the water wheel.
    “You all right, sir?” Gummell asked arriving on the scene with the Landing Troopers at his heels
    “Yes, I’m fine, get a Medical Technician down here for this animal,” Billy ordered, starting to gather up the rope from around the donkey’s neck. “Come on, shift this drive shaft.” Billy called the Landing Troopers over to move the shaft that the donkey had been pulling.
    With the two burly Troopers, Billy set his weight to the shaft, which creaked and groaned in protest as it was shoved further round its circuit away from the fallen donkey. When the shaft had been moved, the rope went the same way as the chain.
    A moment later, a bright blinding flash of light heralded the arrival of a blue-uniformed Thexxian medical technician. Startled by the sudden arrival of the young Thexxian female, the boy let out a wail of despair. Strange things were now happening, and the young boy was just completely unable to comprehend them.
    “Sir?” The young Medical Technician waited for instructions.
    “Sort out this donkey.” Billy indicated the fallen animal that grunted and snorted in the dust.
    “Yes, sir. What about that one?” she indicated the tremoring fat man.
    “Tend to him after the donkey, if I haven’t thrown him down the well.”
    “Sidi! Sidi!” Ibrahim finally joined the gathering.
    “What’s your name, son?” Billy asked the young boy as the Medical Technician gently pushed him away from the donkey’s neck.
    “He is Khalil,” Ibrahim answered breathlessly for the young boy. “He’s lazy and useless and...”
    “But, he has a way with animals, doesn’t he?” Billy cut the Steward off in full flow as he watched the Technician pass a hand-held medical scanner over the now motionless, gasping donkey’s body.
    “Yes, Sidi.” The Steward knew when not to argue a point.
    “Khalil?”