The Water lily Pond

The Water lily Pond
Venus and Cupid
Vermeer girl with the pearl earring
virgin of the rocks
Chaos take your mission!" Vader growled. "Where are those tapes!" Hesqueezed harder, the threat in his grip implicit. When he finally replied, the officer's voice was a bare, choked whisper."Only … the Commander knows." "This ship carries the system crest of Alderaan," Vader growled, the gargoyle-like breath mask leaning close. "Is any of the royal family on board? Who are youcarrying?" Thick fingers tightened further, and the officer's struggles became moreand more frantic. His last words were muffled and choked past intelligibility. Vader was not pleased. Even though the figure went limp with an awful,unquestionable finality, that hand continued to tighten, producing a chilling snappingand popping of bone, like a dog padding on plastic. Then with a disgusted wheezeVader finally threw the doll-form of the dead man against a far wall. SeveralImperial troops ducked out of the way just in time to avoid the grisly missile. The massive form whirled unexpectedly, and Imperial officers shrank under thatbaleful sculptured component by component, until you find those tapes. As for thepassengers, if any, I want them alive." He paused a moment, then added, "Quickly!"Officers and men nearly fell over themselves in their haste to leave—not necessarilyto carry out Vader's orders, but simply to retreat from that malevolent presence.