Read Online Dragonback 02 Dragon and Soldier by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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"Actually, it's kind of nice to
know I've got something useful to bring to this team."
"You are the reason I am alive," Draycos reminded him. "For my
part, that is very useful."
"And you're very welcome for it," Jack said. "I just meant it's
good to be something other than your personal RV."
"Pardon?"
"Recreational vehicle. Mobile home." Jack shook his head. "Skip
it."
"Ah. I see."
"Anyway, don't worry about the cables," Jack went on. "Even if
you'd thought to pull them back inside, leaving them tied together like
that would still have been a dead giveaway. You sure didn't have time
to put everything back the way it was."
"What will we do next?"
Jack stared at the dark underside of the bunk above him. "Depends
on whether they nail us or not," he said. "If they grab me tomorrow, we
wait our chance and try to break out."
"It would be useful in that case to have transport ready."
Jack peered down his nose at his chest. "Are you suggesting we ask
Uncle Virge for help? You ?"
"My feelings about Uncle Virge's life philosophy do not prevent me
from working with him," Draycos said stiffly. He shifted a little
across Jack's skin, like a K'da version of fidgeting.
"Even if Uncle Virge isn't exactly your sort of soul mate?"
"I do not know that word," the dragon growled. "The point remains.
I am a poet-warrior of the K'da. My personal feelings cannot be
permitted to intrude upon my work."
"Glad to hear it," Jack said, rather enjoying this. Draycos was
always so calm and in control that it was nice to see him squirm a
little for a change. "I'll make sure I have my comm clip along tomorrow
in case we have to whistle him up."
"Assuming he is close enough to be of assistance."
"He is," Jack assured him. "Anyway, if they don't grab me,
we might as well finish the last four days of training before we take
off."
"We will not try again?"
"With them alerted?" Jack retorted. "Not a chance. We'll have to
pick another mercenary group and try again."
"Then why not leave now?"
"Because it'll be easier to sneak out after graduation than
before," Jack told him. "And because Alison has proved it helps if
you're not starting from scratch."
"Perhaps," Draycos said, sounding doubtful. "We must be alert,
though. They may decide not to take you immediately."
"Oh, I'll be careful," Jack said. "Trust me. I've had enough
people do that slow vulture circle around me, watching and hoping I'll
make a wrong move. I know what it looks like."
"That will be helpful," Draycos said, not sounding entirely
convinced. "You had best sleep now."
"Sounds good to me," Jack said with a sigh. The excitement and
tension of their midnight excursion was fading, and his eyelids were
suddenly feeling very heavy. "See you at reveille."
"Yes," Draycos murmured. "I wonder . . ."
With an effort, Jack propped open one eyelid. "You wonder what?"
"I wonder if perhaps I was not seen at all," the dragon said.
"Perhaps it was something else that drew the patrols to the camp
perimeter."
"Such as?"
"Perhaps the Essenay ," Draycos said. "You suggested it
would be close at hand."
Jack thought it over. It was possible, he had to admit.
After five days of not hearing from him, Uncle Virge might well have
gotten impatient and brought the ship in for a closer look. Without
knowing the Edge's security system, he could have tripped some alarm in
the process. "Could be," he told Draycos. "We'll ask him about it
later." He lifted his eyebrows. "If it was Uncle Virge, you
have my permission to never let him live it down."
"I was not thinking of how to place blame," the dragon said. "I
was merely wondering if the ship might have taken damage."
Jack winced. "I guess we'll find that out soon enough, too."
CHAPTER 9
No one came storming into the barracks in the predawn darkness
before reveille. No one came and grabbed him in the shower, or on his
way to breakfast, or even at breakfast. Everything, in fact, settled
nicely into the normal morning routine, from the rotten food to
know I've got something useful to bring to this team."
"You are the reason I am alive," Draycos reminded him. "For my
part, that is very useful."
"And you're very welcome for it," Jack said. "I just meant it's
good to be something other than your personal RV."
"Pardon?"
"Recreational vehicle. Mobile home." Jack shook his head. "Skip
it."
"Ah. I see."
"Anyway, don't worry about the cables," Jack went on. "Even if
you'd thought to pull them back inside, leaving them tied together like
that would still have been a dead giveaway. You sure didn't have time
to put everything back the way it was."
"What will we do next?"
Jack stared at the dark underside of the bunk above him. "Depends
on whether they nail us or not," he said. "If they grab me tomorrow, we
wait our chance and try to break out."
"It would be useful in that case to have transport ready."
Jack peered down his nose at his chest. "Are you suggesting we ask
Uncle Virge for help? You ?"
"My feelings about Uncle Virge's life philosophy do not prevent me
from working with him," Draycos said stiffly. He shifted a little
across Jack's skin, like a K'da version of fidgeting.
"Even if Uncle Virge isn't exactly your sort of soul mate?"
"I do not know that word," the dragon growled. "The point remains.
I am a poet-warrior of the K'da. My personal feelings cannot be
permitted to intrude upon my work."
"Glad to hear it," Jack said, rather enjoying this. Draycos was
always so calm and in control that it was nice to see him squirm a
little for a change. "I'll make sure I have my comm clip along tomorrow
in case we have to whistle him up."
"Assuming he is close enough to be of assistance."
"He is," Jack assured him. "Anyway, if they don't grab me,
we might as well finish the last four days of training before we take
off."
"We will not try again?"
"With them alerted?" Jack retorted. "Not a chance. We'll have to
pick another mercenary group and try again."
"Then why not leave now?"
"Because it'll be easier to sneak out after graduation than
before," Jack told him. "And because Alison has proved it helps if
you're not starting from scratch."
"Perhaps," Draycos said, sounding doubtful. "We must be alert,
though. They may decide not to take you immediately."
"Oh, I'll be careful," Jack said. "Trust me. I've had enough
people do that slow vulture circle around me, watching and hoping I'll
make a wrong move. I know what it looks like."
"That will be helpful," Draycos said, not sounding entirely
convinced. "You had best sleep now."
"Sounds good to me," Jack said with a sigh. The excitement and
tension of their midnight excursion was fading, and his eyelids were
suddenly feeling very heavy. "See you at reveille."
"Yes," Draycos murmured. "I wonder . . ."
With an effort, Jack propped open one eyelid. "You wonder what?"
"I wonder if perhaps I was not seen at all," the dragon said.
"Perhaps it was something else that drew the patrols to the camp
perimeter."
"Such as?"
"Perhaps the Essenay ," Draycos said. "You suggested it
would be close at hand."
Jack thought it over. It was possible, he had to admit.
After five days of not hearing from him, Uncle Virge might well have
gotten impatient and brought the ship in for a closer look. Without
knowing the Edge's security system, he could have tripped some alarm in
the process. "Could be," he told Draycos. "We'll ask him about it
later." He lifted his eyebrows. "If it was Uncle Virge, you
have my permission to never let him live it down."
"I was not thinking of how to place blame," the dragon said. "I
was merely wondering if the ship might have taken damage."
Jack winced. "I guess we'll find that out soon enough, too."
CHAPTER 9
No one came storming into the barracks in the predawn darkness
before reveille. No one came and grabbed him in the shower, or on his
way to breakfast, or even at breakfast. Everything, in fact, settled
nicely into the normal morning routine, from the rotten food to
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