Alien Worlds #9 NM

"10 Devils"
A platoon of army grunts patrol their section of the river delta in Viet Nam, but get caught in a barrage of unconventional weapon fire...lasers. They find that they are in an evenly matched 10-on-10 against some alien invaders who are testing their forces against those of Earth prior to deciding whether to launch an invasion. 8 pages.

"The Reading!"
Two beings hover in a realm outside of this reality, one a bespectacled man, the other, a hooded figure reading the others Tarot cards. The man's job in life was in the service of the government, finding ways to dispose of nuclear waste. We realize that the hooded figure is Death itself, and that the man and the entire planet has died because of his poor judgements. 5 pages.

"Small Game"
In a future world, all animal life other than man is extinct, and hunters gain their thrills by being miniaturized and hunting house flies. But even house flies can want revenge. 10 pages.

"The Maiden and the Dragon"
A Persian Caliph has 4 daughters, his wife dying in childbirth with the last of them. As he gets on in years, he ponders which daughter to bequeath his lands, which he refuses to divide. A old crone helps him devise a plan to determine the most deserving daughter, disguising himself as a dragon. The plan backfires, however, and Caliph dies without riches or love. 6 pages.