Read Online A Covenant of Justice by David Gerrold - Free Book Online Page A

tell me.” Sawyer turned back to the Dragon Lord. He didn’t know if the giant beast had understood him or not. He didn’t even know if the creature had heard his words over his own roaring.
    He checked the charge on the rifle. Yes, he could bring the monster down if he had to. But if the Dragon Lord erupted in a berserk fury, so would his troops, and Sawyer knew he couldn’t stop them all if they charged.
    Without thinking about it, he slapped the controls of the gun, setting the beam for wide-angle, emergency discharge. He fired—
    â€”the blast resounded throughout the entire ship. The defocused beam of the weapon leapt out, spreading a crackling blue nimbus across the entire arc of fire. The Dragons reeled as the smart-energy sought out its targets: their electronics, their augments, their nervous systems. They staggered under the impact, several of them collapsed to the floor. The Dragon Lord blinked, disconcerted, his death-rage interrupted, possibly broken.
    â€”and still the spray of fire continued! Sawyer reeled under the strain of the weapon’s fury. He had no idea that the Dragons charged their weapons so high. They must have some kind of ultra-powered fuel cell that even he didn’t know about. He should have suspected it by the effectiveness of his first shot. One by one, the Dragons tottered and fell. It sounded like a forest collapsing around them. The crackling energy flickered over their bodies, hungrily drawn to the electrical fields in their armor, their nervous systems, their brains. It would not stop until it had discharged itself into those targets. The Dragons twitched where they lay.
    â€”and then, finally, the weapon fell silent. Exhausted, depleted. Sawyer had pumped its entire reservoir of energy into the hapless Dragon Guard.
    â€œDid you kill them?”
    â€œMaybe. I don’t think so. Dragons don’t die easy.” Sawyer threw the cannon aside and grabbed two more. One he slung over his shoulder, the other he hefted. He scrambled for an ammo belt. Tuan and Lee shoved their needle-guns into their shirts and did likewise, each one grabbing one weapon to use and a spare to carry. The rebellion had learned to gather weapons wherever they could, and old habits died hard.
    Three-Dollar dumped Zillabar into Finn’s lap, tying her in place with her own red diplomatic sash. He grabbed a cannon-rifle of his own and hung another one on the back of the wheelchair, plus several belts of extra charges. Then he pointed his weapon at those still remaining, set his beam on wide and fired. Despite their armoring, the weapons couldn’t withstand the assault. They melted into slag. Sawyer’s ears began to hurt from all the noise.
    â€œThe bridge!” said Lee. “If we can seize the bridge—”
    â€œLet’s not get grandiose,” said Sawyer. “Let’s just get off this ship.”
    â€œThis way,” pointed Three-Dollar. He steered the wheelchair toward the door. “Sawyer, take the point. Lee, cover our butts.”
    The men circled the twitching Dragons warily. The seizures afflicting the great beasts had left them helpless in their own vomit. Their sphincter muscles had also relaxed and they had fouled themselves with their own urine and feces. The horrendous stench filled the chamber. The rebels hurried out quickly.
    Ahead, the brinewood-paneled corridor stood empty. An alarm clanged insistently, but no one came running to meet them.
    â€œTo the left,” said Three-Dollar. “To the shuttle-bay.”
    Sawyer grunted and quickly headed left. The others hurried after, Tuan covering Sawyer, Three-Dollar steering the wheelchair, Lee dancing backward behind them.
    Two insect attendants stepped out of a door. They looked surprised at seeing the men escorting Zillabar. They fluttered their claws nervously. “Get back!” Sawyer motioned them back into the chamber. The door slid shut behind them and the men