Read Online Dragonback 01 Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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wave; Jack leaned hard on the yoke to control it, his
full attention on the wind-skid indicators. If they went into a stall
now, the ship would be a sitting duck.
From the weapons board came another spitting hiss, followed
immediately by the flicker of the cockpit lights that meant the lasers
were firing. "Draycos, either learn to shoot straight or stop wasting
our missiles," Uncle Virge snapped. "All you're doing is—"
He broke off suddenly. Jack had just enough time to frown; and
then, from the corner of his eye he saw a brilliant flash. "What
happened?" he snapped, shifting his attention back to the aft display.
The explosion was already starting to fade, and in its light he could
see scattered bits of debris flying outward in all directions.
"I will be dipped in butter and rolled in bread crumbs," Uncle
Virge said, sounding awed. "It worked. It actually worked."
"What worked?" Jack demanded. "I wasn't watching. What happened?"
"Your gold-plated friend and his near-misses suckered one of the
fighters into flying straight into his friend, that's all," Uncle Virge
said. "Amazing."
"They were too close together," Draycos added, his forelegs
pulling back and settling flat onto Jack's skin. "The chiv-nez maneuver has always had that weakness."
On the ECHO section of the board, a green light flashed. "We're
clear of atmosphere," Jack announced. "Should I put us on ECHO?"
"By all means," Uncle Virge said. "Before they get something else
into the air after us."
Jack nodded and pulled the short lever. The shimmering rainbow
effect flashed in front of them and became the blue of hyperspace.
For the moment, at least, they were safe.
CHAPTER 7
Dinner that evening was a simple affair.
It was simple for Jack, anyway. It was somewhat hit-or-miss for
Draycos. The dragon had never sampled human fare before, and even with
the Essenay 's food synthesizer churning out small test samples
at its usual speed and efficiency, the process took quite awhile.
Fortunately, basic nutrition wasn't going to be a problem.
According to Draycos, the K'da body could synthesize all the vitamins
he needed from the basic proteins and carbohydrates of a standard human
diet. The trick was more a matter of finding something he wouldn't turn
up his pointy snout at.
They finally hit on a combination of hamburger and tuna fish,
mixed together with chocolate sauce and a dash of light-grade motor oil
from the Essenay 's engine room. Draycos ate dog-style, scooping
the meal up with teeth and tongue from a soup bowl at one end of the
short galley table.
Jack sat at the other end, eating his cheeseburger and trying hard
not to think about the weird combination the dragon was chomping down.
When dinner was over, it was time to retire to the dayroom with a
glass of fizzy-soda for Jack and a bowl of orange-flavored water for
Draycos. For a long, hard discussion.
"I'm sorry," Jack said after the dragon had related his version of
the battle. "I know you want to get back at the people who killed your
friends. But I really can't help you."
"You misunderstand me, Jack Morgan," Draycos said. He was lying on
the dayroom floor on his stomach, his posture halfway between that of a
dog and a cat. "I do not seek revenge. I do not even seek justice."
"Then what do you want?" Jack asked.
"I have told you already," Draycos said. "I must find those who
used the Death against us."
"But if you don't want revenge—"
"Tell us more about this Death weapon," Uncle Virge's voice came
from the intercom speaker. "You say it kills other beings besides K'da
and Shontine. How do you know?"
"We have seen it used against others," Draycos said, the tip of
his tail lashing restlessly through the air behind him. "The Valahgua
are a vicious people who seek total domination of our region of space.
They have already destroyed one species and scattered two others who
stood in the way of that goal. The K'da and Shontine are only their
most recent victims. Why do you not believe
full attention on the wind-skid indicators. If they went into a stall
now, the ship would be a sitting duck.
From the weapons board came another spitting hiss, followed
immediately by the flicker of the cockpit lights that meant the lasers
were firing. "Draycos, either learn to shoot straight or stop wasting
our missiles," Uncle Virge snapped. "All you're doing is—"
He broke off suddenly. Jack had just enough time to frown; and
then, from the corner of his eye he saw a brilliant flash. "What
happened?" he snapped, shifting his attention back to the aft display.
The explosion was already starting to fade, and in its light he could
see scattered bits of debris flying outward in all directions.
"I will be dipped in butter and rolled in bread crumbs," Uncle
Virge said, sounding awed. "It worked. It actually worked."
"What worked?" Jack demanded. "I wasn't watching. What happened?"
"Your gold-plated friend and his near-misses suckered one of the
fighters into flying straight into his friend, that's all," Uncle Virge
said. "Amazing."
"They were too close together," Draycos added, his forelegs
pulling back and settling flat onto Jack's skin. "The chiv-nez maneuver has always had that weakness."
On the ECHO section of the board, a green light flashed. "We're
clear of atmosphere," Jack announced. "Should I put us on ECHO?"
"By all means," Uncle Virge said. "Before they get something else
into the air after us."
Jack nodded and pulled the short lever. The shimmering rainbow
effect flashed in front of them and became the blue of hyperspace.
For the moment, at least, they were safe.
CHAPTER 7
Dinner that evening was a simple affair.
It was simple for Jack, anyway. It was somewhat hit-or-miss for
Draycos. The dragon had never sampled human fare before, and even with
the Essenay 's food synthesizer churning out small test samples
at its usual speed and efficiency, the process took quite awhile.
Fortunately, basic nutrition wasn't going to be a problem.
According to Draycos, the K'da body could synthesize all the vitamins
he needed from the basic proteins and carbohydrates of a standard human
diet. The trick was more a matter of finding something he wouldn't turn
up his pointy snout at.
They finally hit on a combination of hamburger and tuna fish,
mixed together with chocolate sauce and a dash of light-grade motor oil
from the Essenay 's engine room. Draycos ate dog-style, scooping
the meal up with teeth and tongue from a soup bowl at one end of the
short galley table.
Jack sat at the other end, eating his cheeseburger and trying hard
not to think about the weird combination the dragon was chomping down.
When dinner was over, it was time to retire to the dayroom with a
glass of fizzy-soda for Jack and a bowl of orange-flavored water for
Draycos. For a long, hard discussion.
"I'm sorry," Jack said after the dragon had related his version of
the battle. "I know you want to get back at the people who killed your
friends. But I really can't help you."
"You misunderstand me, Jack Morgan," Draycos said. He was lying on
the dayroom floor on his stomach, his posture halfway between that of a
dog and a cat. "I do not seek revenge. I do not even seek justice."
"Then what do you want?" Jack asked.
"I have told you already," Draycos said. "I must find those who
used the Death against us."
"But if you don't want revenge—"
"Tell us more about this Death weapon," Uncle Virge's voice came
from the intercom speaker. "You say it kills other beings besides K'da
and Shontine. How do you know?"
"We have seen it used against others," Draycos said, the tip of
his tail lashing restlessly through the air behind him. "The Valahgua
are a vicious people who seek total domination of our region of space.
They have already destroyed one species and scattered two others who
stood in the way of that goal. The K'da and Shontine are only their
most recent victims. Why do you not believe
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