Read Online Dragonback 06 Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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furious than he'll be when he finds out I lied to him
about being one of Neverlin's associates." Harper consulted his watch.
"Which should be any time now, depending on when the answer to his
query gets back from the Advocatus Diaboli ."
Jack frowned at him. "You knew he would check up on you?"
"Of course," Harper said. "But I also know how long it typically
takes messages to transfer back and forth between underlings and
superiors. I figured I had enough time, especially given how eager the
Patri was to let me sneak you out of jail and into his hands."
A shiver ran up Jack's back. "You play dangerous games."
" You should talk," Harper countered. "From where I sit, it
looks like you're involved with Neverlin up to your lower lip."
"Jack's involvement is purely accidental," Draycos put in.
"And then we have you," Harper went on, looking over his shoulder
at Draycos. "I can't wait to hear your story."
"Jack, I believe it's time," Uncle Virge spoke up. "They're all
far enough away."
Jack nodded. "Rev us up."
The board lit up again as the computer reactivated the Essenay 's
systems. Jack gave everything a quick look, then got a grip on the
control yoke. "You might want to hang on to something," he advised
Harper. "This could get a little bumpy."
"Keep it slow and casual as long as you can," Harper cautioned.
"The more you look like someone out on an innocent late-night errand,
the longer it'll take them to notice you."
"Thanks, I know the drill," Jack told him. "Here goes."
He eased the Essenay away from the roof, turning off the
chameleon hull-wrap as he did so, and headed at a leisurely pace at
right angles to the current focus of the searchers' attention.
For the first thirty seconds he thought they were actually going
to pull it off. Then, three of the fighters turned away from their
confrontation with the Chookoock shuttle and swung onto an intercept
course. "That's it," Jack said, grabbing the thruster control. "Hang
on, everyone." Mentally crossing his fingers, he jammed it to full
power.
He needn't have worried. The fighters' pilots had apparently been
motivated by little more than curiosity about the unidentified craft's
presence over the city. By the time Jack's burst of speed turned their
idle questions to sharp-edged certainty, the Essenay had too
much of a lead.
Six minutes later, with the fighters still trying to play
catch-up, Jack keyed in the ECHO. The starry sky in front of them
flashed with the usual brief rainbow, and became the blue of hyperspace.
And they were safe. For now.
"Nicely done," Harper said. "Now what?"
"We find someplace to drop you off and get on with our lives,"
Jack said, frowning at the navigation display. With the data diamonds
holding the refugee rendezvous information still aboard the Advocatus
Diaboli , the new plan had been for him and Draycos to go to
Driftline, where Alison had deduced Frost had been heading when he'd
been ordered to Semaline to pick her up.
Of course, that had been a month ago. Frost and Neverlin could
easily have changed their plans since then. But Driftline was the only
lead they had.
But Uncle Virge had already laid in an ECHO course. Not for
Driftline, but some obscure planet named Bentre at the edge of Compfrin
space. "Uncle Virge?" Jack asked.
"We'll talk later, Jack lad," the computerized personality said
firmly.
"Whatever," Jack said, catching the cue. Apparently, whatever was
going on, it wasn't something Uncle Virge wanted to discuss in front of
company.
"Meanwhile, we'd be more comfortable in the dayroom," Draycos put
in.
"Good idea," Harper said, turning and working his way out of the
cockpit. "I'm looking forward to hearing your story."
"I'm sure you are," Jack said, following him out. "Almost as much
as we're looking forward to hearing yours."
CHAPTER 6
Alison had just unwrapped a pair of ration bars when the receiver
she'd set in her ear picked up the sound of a door opening and an
indistinct murmur of human voices. "Hold it,"
about being one of Neverlin's associates." Harper consulted his watch.
"Which should be any time now, depending on when the answer to his
query gets back from the Advocatus Diaboli ."
Jack frowned at him. "You knew he would check up on you?"
"Of course," Harper said. "But I also know how long it typically
takes messages to transfer back and forth between underlings and
superiors. I figured I had enough time, especially given how eager the
Patri was to let me sneak you out of jail and into his hands."
A shiver ran up Jack's back. "You play dangerous games."
" You should talk," Harper countered. "From where I sit, it
looks like you're involved with Neverlin up to your lower lip."
"Jack's involvement is purely accidental," Draycos put in.
"And then we have you," Harper went on, looking over his shoulder
at Draycos. "I can't wait to hear your story."
"Jack, I believe it's time," Uncle Virge spoke up. "They're all
far enough away."
Jack nodded. "Rev us up."
The board lit up again as the computer reactivated the Essenay 's
systems. Jack gave everything a quick look, then got a grip on the
control yoke. "You might want to hang on to something," he advised
Harper. "This could get a little bumpy."
"Keep it slow and casual as long as you can," Harper cautioned.
"The more you look like someone out on an innocent late-night errand,
the longer it'll take them to notice you."
"Thanks, I know the drill," Jack told him. "Here goes."
He eased the Essenay away from the roof, turning off the
chameleon hull-wrap as he did so, and headed at a leisurely pace at
right angles to the current focus of the searchers' attention.
For the first thirty seconds he thought they were actually going
to pull it off. Then, three of the fighters turned away from their
confrontation with the Chookoock shuttle and swung onto an intercept
course. "That's it," Jack said, grabbing the thruster control. "Hang
on, everyone." Mentally crossing his fingers, he jammed it to full
power.
He needn't have worried. The fighters' pilots had apparently been
motivated by little more than curiosity about the unidentified craft's
presence over the city. By the time Jack's burst of speed turned their
idle questions to sharp-edged certainty, the Essenay had too
much of a lead.
Six minutes later, with the fighters still trying to play
catch-up, Jack keyed in the ECHO. The starry sky in front of them
flashed with the usual brief rainbow, and became the blue of hyperspace.
And they were safe. For now.
"Nicely done," Harper said. "Now what?"
"We find someplace to drop you off and get on with our lives,"
Jack said, frowning at the navigation display. With the data diamonds
holding the refugee rendezvous information still aboard the Advocatus
Diaboli , the new plan had been for him and Draycos to go to
Driftline, where Alison had deduced Frost had been heading when he'd
been ordered to Semaline to pick her up.
Of course, that had been a month ago. Frost and Neverlin could
easily have changed their plans since then. But Driftline was the only
lead they had.
But Uncle Virge had already laid in an ECHO course. Not for
Driftline, but some obscure planet named Bentre at the edge of Compfrin
space. "Uncle Virge?" Jack asked.
"We'll talk later, Jack lad," the computerized personality said
firmly.
"Whatever," Jack said, catching the cue. Apparently, whatever was
going on, it wasn't something Uncle Virge wanted to discuss in front of
company.
"Meanwhile, we'd be more comfortable in the dayroom," Draycos put
in.
"Good idea," Harper said, turning and working his way out of the
cockpit. "I'm looking forward to hearing your story."
"I'm sure you are," Jack said, following him out. "Almost as much
as we're looking forward to hearing yours."
CHAPTER 6
Alison had just unwrapped a pair of ration bars when the receiver
she'd set in her ear picked up the sound of a door opening and an
indistinct murmur of human voices. "Hold it,"
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