Read Online Dragonback 05 Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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the floor and take three paces to his left and he would
likewise get the shock of his life.
"Come on, come on," Dumbarton growled.
"I'm coming," Alison snapped back, pretending her foot was tangled
in the comforter as she lowered her hand toward the crouching K'da and
tapped her fingertips vigorously on the side of the bed.
To her relief, Taneem got the hint. A dragon paw grabbed on to
Alison's wrist, and a moment later the K'da was back on her skin. "No
room," Taneem whispered.
"I know," Alison whispered back. "Off my left foot, when I
signal." Making a show of freeing herself, she stood up. "Can I at
least change in the bathroom?" she asked aloud.
Silently, Dumbarton planted himself directly between her and the
bathroom door and folded his arms across his chest. "Fine," Alison
growled, coming around the bed toward them. "Would you at least get me
one of the robes from the bathroom?"
"Sure." Dumbarton looked at the Brummga, jerked his head.
The big alien turned and lumbered off. "Thanks," Alison said,
unfastening her belt, her eyes darting around the room. With the
Brummga's back toward her, and Dumbarton's attention about to be
elsewhere, getting Taneem off her body without being seen ought to be
easy enough.
But that was only the first problem. In an open room like this,
there were precious few places something the size of a small tiger
could hide.
And then Alison's eyes fell on the computer desk in the corner. It
would be a tight fit, she knew, but it should work.
Provided she could make Taneem understand what she wanted.
"Don't think I'm not going to go straight over to that computer
and log a complaint when this is over," she warned Dumbarton, walking
up to him and looking him straight in his eye.
"I'm sure the colonel's real scared," Dumbarton said dryly.
"He should be." Out of the corner of her eye, Alison saw the
Brummga disappear through the bathroom door. Lifting her left foot past
Dumbarton's legs, she wiggled her ankle furiously.
She nearly lost her balance as Taneem shot out the leg of her
jeans. The K'da hit the deck silently, her neck turning back and forth
as she looked around. Alison held her breath . . .
Then the long neck straightened, and Taneem headed off in a fast
lope toward the desk. Ducking under the modesty panel, she rolled over
onto her back and reached all four legs up toward the underside of the
desktop itself. Because Alison was listening for it, she heard the
faint scrunch of claws digging into wood.
And the gray-scaled K'da body pulled upward and disappeared behind
the panel.
"I'm going to need more clothes, too," she told Dumbarton as the
Brummga emerged with the robe and tossed it on the end of the bed. "At
least one more outfit, plus a nightshirt or something to sleep in."
"Check the closet," Dumbarton said shortly. "There's probably
something in there you can use."
"Oh," Alison said as she turned and snatched up the robe. "I never
thought of that."
Dumbarton snorted under his breath. "Some criminal mastermind," he
muttered.
Alison smiled to herself. Being underestimated, her father had
often said, was nearly as good as not being noticed at all.
Half an hour later, when they brought back her clothes, Alison was
sitting at the desk, her knees helping to support Taneem's weight,
pounding out the indignant entry she'd promised into the ship's log.
Dinner was served at seven o'clock that evening, ship's time. By
then Alison had found and disabled the two microphones that had been
sewn into her clothing while Frost was having them scanned.
The colonel was apparently not the type to give up easily.
She and Taneem ate together in silence, finishing off the entire
selection of food that had been provided. Alison wondered if her
seemingly vast appetite was going to raise any red flags among Frost's
men. Still, she was fourteen, and fourteen-year-olds' appetites were
the stuff of legend. Hopefully, that would be the conclusion Frost
would draw from the next nine days' worth
likewise get the shock of his life.
"Come on, come on," Dumbarton growled.
"I'm coming," Alison snapped back, pretending her foot was tangled
in the comforter as she lowered her hand toward the crouching K'da and
tapped her fingertips vigorously on the side of the bed.
To her relief, Taneem got the hint. A dragon paw grabbed on to
Alison's wrist, and a moment later the K'da was back on her skin. "No
room," Taneem whispered.
"I know," Alison whispered back. "Off my left foot, when I
signal." Making a show of freeing herself, she stood up. "Can I at
least change in the bathroom?" she asked aloud.
Silently, Dumbarton planted himself directly between her and the
bathroom door and folded his arms across his chest. "Fine," Alison
growled, coming around the bed toward them. "Would you at least get me
one of the robes from the bathroom?"
"Sure." Dumbarton looked at the Brummga, jerked his head.
The big alien turned and lumbered off. "Thanks," Alison said,
unfastening her belt, her eyes darting around the room. With the
Brummga's back toward her, and Dumbarton's attention about to be
elsewhere, getting Taneem off her body without being seen ought to be
easy enough.
But that was only the first problem. In an open room like this,
there were precious few places something the size of a small tiger
could hide.
And then Alison's eyes fell on the computer desk in the corner. It
would be a tight fit, she knew, but it should work.
Provided she could make Taneem understand what she wanted.
"Don't think I'm not going to go straight over to that computer
and log a complaint when this is over," she warned Dumbarton, walking
up to him and looking him straight in his eye.
"I'm sure the colonel's real scared," Dumbarton said dryly.
"He should be." Out of the corner of her eye, Alison saw the
Brummga disappear through the bathroom door. Lifting her left foot past
Dumbarton's legs, she wiggled her ankle furiously.
She nearly lost her balance as Taneem shot out the leg of her
jeans. The K'da hit the deck silently, her neck turning back and forth
as she looked around. Alison held her breath . . .
Then the long neck straightened, and Taneem headed off in a fast
lope toward the desk. Ducking under the modesty panel, she rolled over
onto her back and reached all four legs up toward the underside of the
desktop itself. Because Alison was listening for it, she heard the
faint scrunch of claws digging into wood.
And the gray-scaled K'da body pulled upward and disappeared behind
the panel.
"I'm going to need more clothes, too," she told Dumbarton as the
Brummga emerged with the robe and tossed it on the end of the bed. "At
least one more outfit, plus a nightshirt or something to sleep in."
"Check the closet," Dumbarton said shortly. "There's probably
something in there you can use."
"Oh," Alison said as she turned and snatched up the robe. "I never
thought of that."
Dumbarton snorted under his breath. "Some criminal mastermind," he
muttered.
Alison smiled to herself. Being underestimated, her father had
often said, was nearly as good as not being noticed at all.
Half an hour later, when they brought back her clothes, Alison was
sitting at the desk, her knees helping to support Taneem's weight,
pounding out the indignant entry she'd promised into the ship's log.
Dinner was served at seven o'clock that evening, ship's time. By
then Alison had found and disabled the two microphones that had been
sewn into her clothing while Frost was having them scanned.
The colonel was apparently not the type to give up easily.
She and Taneem ate together in silence, finishing off the entire
selection of food that had been provided. Alison wondered if her
seemingly vast appetite was going to raise any red flags among Frost's
men. Still, she was fourteen, and fourteen-year-olds' appetites were
the stuff of legend. Hopefully, that would be the conclusion Frost
would draw from the next nine days' worth
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