Read Online Dragonback 03 Dragon and Slave by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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called the barrier between the slaves and the
Chookoock family grounds a thorn hedge. With the darkness, and his own
limited viewing angle beneath Jack's shirt, Draycos hadn't noticed any
thorns as they were driven through the gap the night before. But as he
approached the hedge this time he could see that the name was quite
accurate.
In fact, the hedge was almost an encyclopedia of thorn types.
There were rows and rows of tiny ones, the kind that would snag and
tangle clothing. There were extra-long ones, sturdy enough to stab all
the way through Jack's palm should he be careless enough to hit it hard
enough. And there was just about every other length in between.
Draycos arched his tail as he studied it, marveling at the design.
Either the Brummgas had interwoven several different types of thorn
bushes and vines together to create the hedge, or else they'd
genetically combined all the various thorn types into a single,
incredibly nasty plant. Either way, it made for a serious barrier.
He followed the hedge to where it ended against the wall, then
traveled its length all the way in the other direction. There were, he
discovered, only three openings in the thorns. Two of them were wide
gateways, clearly designed for cargo vehicles. They straddled roads
that headed into the lumbering and mining areas. Both of those gaps
were protected by smaller versions of the metal-and-ceramic gate Gazen
had brought them through into the Chookoock family grounds. The third
was the smaller gap the Brummgas had driven through on their way to
lock Jack into the hotbox.
A gap with no guards and no gate. Open, inviting, and apparently
unprotected.
Right.
He eased toward the gap with the same caution he would use in
approaching a dozing Valahgua assault battalion. Twenty feet away, he
spotted the sensor disks along the sides, half hidden behind clumps of
leaves. Another five feet, and he was able to see the connecting wires
woven in among the branches. Another five, and he could hear the faint
hum of the electronics.
He didn't dare go any closer. Clearly, the opening was a trap,
designed to lure in any slave who might be thinking of sneaking into
areas where he wasn't supposed to go.
But then, a poet-warrior of the K'da hardly needed to use an
opening to get over a ten-foot hedge. Neither did a human boy with a
K'da warrior as an ally.
Moving away from the gap, he headed eastward. A hundred yards in
that direction was a low bush a few feet from the hedge. Draycos
maneuvered his way carefully between bush and hedge, fully aware that
the longer thorns might be able to slide between his golden scales and
draw blood. Rolling onto his side, he extended his claws and began to
cut his way into the hedge.
It was a slow, delicate operation. The hedge was a confused tangle
of branches and vines, and he often had to cut each one in three or
four places to free the piece he needed to move.
Even trickier was the need to work behind the first layer of
branches, leaving that group intact. It might be days before he and
Jack were ready to move, and he couldn't afford some sharp-eyed Brummga
noticing a growing hole in the hedge.
He couldn't even cut the front layer away, work behind it, then
wedge the branches back into place. Most plants changed color or
texture after they'd been cut, and that would be as much of a giveaway
as an open hole.
He worked for about an hour, until the tingling in his scales
warned him that the time was approaching when he would need to return
to his host. Stuffing the pieces of hedge he'd cut under another bush,
he headed back to the slave colony.
All was as he'd left it, except that the sounds of washing had
ceased. Slipping through the open door of the long hut, he returned to
Jack's cot.
The boy was sleeping soundly, his mouth hanging slightly open.
Stepping to his side, Draycos touched a forepaw to his hand and slid up
his arm in two-dimensional form. He traveled along the arm, toward his
usual position across Jack's
Chookoock family grounds a thorn hedge. With the darkness, and his own
limited viewing angle beneath Jack's shirt, Draycos hadn't noticed any
thorns as they were driven through the gap the night before. But as he
approached the hedge this time he could see that the name was quite
accurate.
In fact, the hedge was almost an encyclopedia of thorn types.
There were rows and rows of tiny ones, the kind that would snag and
tangle clothing. There were extra-long ones, sturdy enough to stab all
the way through Jack's palm should he be careless enough to hit it hard
enough. And there was just about every other length in between.
Draycos arched his tail as he studied it, marveling at the design.
Either the Brummgas had interwoven several different types of thorn
bushes and vines together to create the hedge, or else they'd
genetically combined all the various thorn types into a single,
incredibly nasty plant. Either way, it made for a serious barrier.
He followed the hedge to where it ended against the wall, then
traveled its length all the way in the other direction. There were, he
discovered, only three openings in the thorns. Two of them were wide
gateways, clearly designed for cargo vehicles. They straddled roads
that headed into the lumbering and mining areas. Both of those gaps
were protected by smaller versions of the metal-and-ceramic gate Gazen
had brought them through into the Chookoock family grounds. The third
was the smaller gap the Brummgas had driven through on their way to
lock Jack into the hotbox.
A gap with no guards and no gate. Open, inviting, and apparently
unprotected.
Right.
He eased toward the gap with the same caution he would use in
approaching a dozing Valahgua assault battalion. Twenty feet away, he
spotted the sensor disks along the sides, half hidden behind clumps of
leaves. Another five feet, and he was able to see the connecting wires
woven in among the branches. Another five, and he could hear the faint
hum of the electronics.
He didn't dare go any closer. Clearly, the opening was a trap,
designed to lure in any slave who might be thinking of sneaking into
areas where he wasn't supposed to go.
But then, a poet-warrior of the K'da hardly needed to use an
opening to get over a ten-foot hedge. Neither did a human boy with a
K'da warrior as an ally.
Moving away from the gap, he headed eastward. A hundred yards in
that direction was a low bush a few feet from the hedge. Draycos
maneuvered his way carefully between bush and hedge, fully aware that
the longer thorns might be able to slide between his golden scales and
draw blood. Rolling onto his side, he extended his claws and began to
cut his way into the hedge.
It was a slow, delicate operation. The hedge was a confused tangle
of branches and vines, and he often had to cut each one in three or
four places to free the piece he needed to move.
Even trickier was the need to work behind the first layer of
branches, leaving that group intact. It might be days before he and
Jack were ready to move, and he couldn't afford some sharp-eyed Brummga
noticing a growing hole in the hedge.
He couldn't even cut the front layer away, work behind it, then
wedge the branches back into place. Most plants changed color or
texture after they'd been cut, and that would be as much of a giveaway
as an open hole.
He worked for about an hour, until the tingling in his scales
warned him that the time was approaching when he would need to return
to his host. Stuffing the pieces of hedge he'd cut under another bush,
he headed back to the slave colony.
All was as he'd left it, except that the sounds of washing had
ceased. Slipping through the open door of the long hut, he returned to
Jack's cot.
The boy was sleeping soundly, his mouth hanging slightly open.
Stepping to his side, Draycos touched a forepaw to his hand and slid up
his arm in two-dimensional form. He traveled along the arm, toward his
usual position across Jack's