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CHOSEN FEW

As people hauled in the sails, two smartly turned out figures assembled on the rear deck. Both were smoking cigarettes and were exceedingly overdressed.
"Well," said Jack. "There goes the neighbourhood."
"You reckon?"
"More money than brain cells. Couldn't sail if all the crew died, new money." Jack shook his head. "Maybe bad money."
"Don't get me going, this is a rest day, remember."
The couple walked across the lawn, a crew member carrying luggage a few paces behind them. They walked straight into a cabin without going to reception.

"They act like they own the place." Jack seemed to be counting. "Hang on, isn't that your cabin?
"

The man appeared at the doorway and tossed some clothing into the lagoon.
"Damned cretin." Griff rose and headed across, Vai soon caught up with him.
"Don't do anything impulsive Griff."
The door was ajar, Griff walked straight inside. "Not born with manners then?"
The man span around, glanced up and down and sneered. "Get the fuck out of my room."
"Obviously not. Can you swim?"
"What the fuck are you on, didn't you hear me?"
"I heard a noise I admit. Now if you booked this cabin you should have telephoned ahead to say that you would be late as we were allocated it yesterday afternoon. So before you go to reception to apologise you can recover my wife's clothes from the water."
"Fuck off moron, before I lose my temper, and take your whore with you."
Griff shook his head. "Look you insolent piece of shit, this is Princess Vai of Carillus so I suggest you apologise before I throw you to the sharks."
The man walked over to his case, unzipped it and fumbled around inside.
"If you are doing what I think you are doing you had better start praying for your soul."
"Asshole," spat the man pulling a handgun and levelling it towards Griff's face. "Fuck off and take that bitch with you, she's no more a princess than I am."
"Is there a problem?" asked Michael, walking in with Jack. "Ah, maybe there is. Please, your highness don't make a mess in the room, blood stains are very hard to clean off." Quite casually Michael looked at the armed figure. "We have a strict code of conduct here, no smoking, no guns, no drugs. I'm afraid you will have to leave."
The gun moved slightly and fired twice, Michael jumped back as the muzzle flash lit up his eyes. Only there was a blue haze in front of them and the bullets had stopped dead, hitting the floor before he drew breath again.
"Now wasn't that a stupid thing to do in front of a god!"
The man was obviously being a bit slow, he aimed at Griff once more and fired three times, but again no bullets came close.
"Michael," said Griff. "I'm a little disappointed, I thought you said you vetted people."
"Sorry Bach-ael."
Griff looked an the man carefully. "Drug money I suppose, the question is does the god Bach-ael punish him, the Angel Gabriel, or the Grand Dragon of Carillus."
"The bitch tried to kill me, whichever is the most painful."
Griff walked across and lay down on the bed. "One line him Vai."
Vai laughed, almost cackled. "Be afraid, be very afraid."
The vapour rose from Griff's body and the dragon bared its teeth just in front of the man's face. Understandably perhaps, his wife fainted, scared witless he backed towards the open terrace. When his backside was against the rail he turned briefly to see how far it was to the water.
The dragon coughed and a light blue flame scorched away his clothing, burnt off all his hair and blistered his skin. Screaming in agony he dived into the water, only to find that the dragon could swim. Teeth bit into his legs and dragged him across the lagoon, his head barely above the water, breathing more than difficult. At the edge of the reef Griff tossed him as a killer whale occasionally does to its prey. The man landed heavily in shallow water and the coral lacerated skin the length of his body. As he tried to stand, sea urchin spines embedded in his feet causing him to fall back again. Looking up he saw the dragon coming in again, it grabbed him by the arm, yanked him out of the water and threw him again, only its mouth closed and he hit the water less his arm, causing a red bloom around him. Seconds later his useless limb landed metres away and the dragon vanished.
As Griff rose off the bed Michael was craning his neck, looking out to sea. "Is he dead?"
"No, the sharks can have live rat today."
"Is that a god idea?" asked Jack, "letting them taste human flesh?"
"They are mostly white tipped reef sharks, I don't think they would be interested in people normally, only that idiot is thrashing around like a washing machine and spewing blood."
"I'm so sorry your highness."
"Don't be daft, you didn't know he was a low life."
"Thank you for saving my life."
"The man must have been brain dead. Attempting to kill people in a resort. Where would he stop, after the four of us there would be half the staff outside?"
The woman was beginning to stir, Griff helped her to her feet. "Lie down for a moment Vai." Griff then just dropped the woman in a chair. "Was that your husband?"
"Yes, where is he?"
"Feeding the sharks. Did you know he had a gun?"
"He always has a gun nearby, the prat."
"So, what part do you play in his lifestyle?"
"Mainly arm candy," she sighed. "When I married him I didn't realise he was a bloody cocaine baron. Once I knew, I could hardly be allowed a divorce, unless it was in a body bag."
Vai sat up and smiled. "The woman is relieved, almost pleased that the man is dead, she is not lying."
"How does she work that out?" asked the woman.
"By interrogating your soul as you spoke. Your late husband picked the wrong people to quarrel with, I am a god, Jack is the only human and we have enough firepower to destroy half the planet."
"Jesus!"
"Close enough," Griff laughed. "The yacht is now the property of the resort, you must have access to enough money to charter a seaplane back to the mainland. Your husband was attacked by sharks while swimming, as countless people are probably witnessing at the moment. As his widow you will inherit his estate, if you take over his business you may die very painfully."
"I don't need his drugs, he has enough money for me to live quite high off the hog for as long as I like."
Griff looked across the lagoon, the water over the reef seemed quite still. "Had might be more appropriate."
"I think we all need a stiff drink," declared Michael. "I'll get housekeeping in to tidy up and recover your clothing. Thank you for the display of talent. Now we had better reassure the rest of the guests that all is well."
There was a sizeable crowd outside, quite a lot of staff and most of the guests. Then there were the Annie Oakley girls, two alien women in bikinis with pulse rifles resting on their hips.
"Nice touch ladies, but don't you have any faith in your god?"
"We thought crowd control was appropriate in case you got carried away."
"Ladies and gentleman, I'm sorry about the disturbance," said Michael. "Unfortunately we unknowingly booked in a drug dealer. As we have alien guests today it was his misfortune that he tried to kill one of them. In his haste to escape he swam out of the lagoon but as he cut himself badly on the coral I don't think we will see him again. Luckily his widow is generous and will be paying for free food and drinks for the rest of the day."
"Aliens?" asked a man towards the back.
"Prince Bach-ael and Princess Vai of Carillus, Squadron Leader Jack Armstrong and crew."
"Alsarian crew," corrected Griff.
"I wouldn't mind a fancy title," sighed An-ish.
"Chief engineer suit you? Than would make Ta-kish..."
"Indispensable," she laughed.
"Is it safe to swim in the lagoon, I saw something large grab that man and drag him into deeper water?"
"Perfectly, unless you point a gun at someone."
"Sorry?"
"It wasn't marine life, or native to this planet."
"Oh," he said sheepishly.
"Your highness," Michael began. "Do you think you could stay another night so we can cheer everyone up with a beach party?"
"I don't see why not."
So to prove they were not hostile aliens, Griff's dragon lit the barbeque and a solar ball provided a romantic atmosphere. An-ish got rather tiddly, Ta-kish got legless and Jack danced with most of the female guests.
Griff was a little withdrawn by the end of the evening.
"What's wrong my love?"
"It seems even this paradise can't escape the evil tendrils of man's greed."
"It has spoilt things a little. Wasn't it last time we were here that you were worried about the wrong people arriving?"
"Yes. That and raising awareness."
"But we don't have to be here, any interaction is random. What happened this morning was trivial, otherwise you would have had a premonition."
"Yes, I suppose I would."
"See, Al-lisia isn't the only one who can play head games."
"Dance, before we go to bed."
"About time."

In the morning they tried to have an uneventful session on the beach. Michael popped over a couple of times with the drinks. It seemed that whenever he was grateful he started to use the words ‘Your highness' and took over as waiter.
"I didn't get to read any papers yesterday, but there is a massive upsurge in religious fervour in America following two appearances on live television by God."
"Oh."
"Satellite television is still playing clips as the world discussing the phenomenum."
"That doesn't surprise me."
"So why were you present at both events Jack?"
"God needed a front man in the audience."
"Are you saying you are the God, rather than simply Bach-ael?"
"No, just his right hand man at the moment."
"Really?"
"Come on Michael, I wouldn't lie to you."
"Amazing, did you meet Him?"
"Yes, we had a little chat."
"What's he like?"
"Weird sense of humour, calming to the soul. Nice guy, been around so long he can't remember how old he is."
"Do you think he made sure you were here to save Dorothy?"
"Maybe, who knows."
"Thank you for looking after us. ALL of us."
"I always keep an eye out for good guys, it's the sewer trash that need to sweat."
"And the insincere bible thumpers," Michael laughed.
"I wonder what my ex commanding officer will say if he notices?" mused Jack.
"Probably imagine a look alike, though in both audiences!"
"Do you think the President is aware?"
"I think she is smart enough to work it out, after all, she has all the information."
"Let's find Chris, I fancy finding something edible for a change."
"We could all dive the wreck."
"That should help us unwind. Are you stressed, I'm still feeling a little odd."
"I'm used to it by now. Though I can't get over the limited mental capacity of that dick brain."
"I dare say he thought you would crumble into a quivering lump of jelly at the sight if a gun. When you didn't he had trouble thinking. Michael telling him to go crawl under a rock for his holiday obviously snapped his restraint."
"But after the bullets hit a blue shield and dropped to the floor he tried to shoot you."
"Reasoning power of a mole."
"So, I don't suppose there had been enough time for another cray to make the steamer home?"
"If you want shellfish it would be better to hunt the nooks and crannies of the reef."
"Well they are easier to catch than fish, at least without a magic ring anyway."
"What about clams? Maybe Chris knows a bed."
"I don't know if you get them in the tropics."
"No, neither do I. We'll do the wreck, if you see dinner, point it out and I'll pop it."
"Teamwork."

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