Read Online Dragonback 06 Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Timothy Zahn
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"The
fact is that every report of a K'da being on Brum-a-dum came from you
or one of the Patri Chookoock's other people."
"You're here, Private," Frost said. "The Patri Chookoock is a long
ways away, where he can't hear. If you have anything to say, this is
the time to say it."
" Panjan Gazen was also killed," Mrishpaw repeated, sounding
thoroughly miserable. He was being railroaded, and he knew it. But he
was all muscle and stamina, and he couldn't think of anything to say in
his defense.
Alison could almost feel sorry for him. But then she thought back
to the Chookoock estate, and how Mrishpaw had accepted without protest
Frost's order to kill her in cold blood, and her sympathy faded away.
"Very well," Frost said. "Pending further investigation, you're
confined to quarters. Dismissed."
Again there was the thud of Brummgan footsteps across the office
floor, followed by the sound of a closing door. "Unless you'd prefer I
have him executed?" Frost asked.
"I don't know," Neverlin said. During the confrontation there had
been no hint of hesitation in his voice. Now, though, Alison could
detect both doubt and suspicion. "In point of fact, we don't actually know the K'da was on Semaline with Morgan. We only have Langston's statement
on that."
"I was thinking the same thing," Frost agreed slowly. "On the
other hand, those false orders definitely came from somewhere inside
the Advocatus Diaboli . Langston isn't here. Mrishpaw is."
"Mrishpaw and eleven other Chookoock family Brummgas," Neverlin
rumbled. "By the way, speaking of Morgan, it seems he's slipped through
our fingers again."
"What?" Frost demanded. "You said the police had picked him up."
"They did, and were holding him as ordered," Neverlin said grimly.
"Unfortunately, someone calling himself Springer showed up at the
Chookoock estate claiming to be one of my men. He convinced the Patri
that Morgan and the K'da were already working on escape and volunteered
to take a couple of Brummgas to the station and get them out."
Frost swore under his breath. "Idiot. Why didn't he check with you
first?"
"Springer apparently had him convinced that Morgan was already
halfway to the jail block door and there wasn't time," Neverlin said.
"The Patri decided instead he could check with me while the others went
off to fetch the prisoners."
"And?"
"Suffice it to say the police station now has a brand-new hole in
the tenth-floor wall, three dead Chookoock soldiers, and one prisoner
and one visitor unaccounted for."
"How convenient for Morgan," Frost said. "You think the Patri
might have deliberately helped him to escape?"
"One would hope the Patri is smart enough to know what it would
mean to try changing sides at this late date," Neverlin said
contemptuously. "No, I think he simply got conned by this Springer
character. I'm leaning toward him being someone sent by your friend
General Davi to retest the waters."
"One would hope General Davi is smart enough to leave well enough
alone," Frost growled. But Alison could hear the half-hidden discomfort
in his voice. "More likely he's one of Braxton's people, still trying
to track you down. That, or else the Internos government has finally
started to take notice of all this."
"Fortunately, whoever he is, he's hitting the curve too late to
stop us," Neverlin said. "And whatever he wants with Morgan, getting
three of the Patri's soldiers dead in the process will now have bought
him a great deal of additional trouble."
"Unless it was the K'da who killed them, not Springer," Frost
pointed out.
"I doubt the Patri will really care about such details," Neverlin
pointed out. "Besides, as I said, he's far too late to stop us."
"Maybe Springer can't," Frost warned. "I'm not so sure about the
Patri. If he gets it into his slow-motion brain that Springer was one of us, there to pull some kind of bizarre double cross, he might
decide to retaliate."
"With his men already here and out of communication with him?"
Neverlin countered
fact is that every report of a K'da being on Brum-a-dum came from you
or one of the Patri Chookoock's other people."
"You're here, Private," Frost said. "The Patri Chookoock is a long
ways away, where he can't hear. If you have anything to say, this is
the time to say it."
" Panjan Gazen was also killed," Mrishpaw repeated, sounding
thoroughly miserable. He was being railroaded, and he knew it. But he
was all muscle and stamina, and he couldn't think of anything to say in
his defense.
Alison could almost feel sorry for him. But then she thought back
to the Chookoock estate, and how Mrishpaw had accepted without protest
Frost's order to kill her in cold blood, and her sympathy faded away.
"Very well," Frost said. "Pending further investigation, you're
confined to quarters. Dismissed."
Again there was the thud of Brummgan footsteps across the office
floor, followed by the sound of a closing door. "Unless you'd prefer I
have him executed?" Frost asked.
"I don't know," Neverlin said. During the confrontation there had
been no hint of hesitation in his voice. Now, though, Alison could
detect both doubt and suspicion. "In point of fact, we don't actually know the K'da was on Semaline with Morgan. We only have Langston's statement
on that."
"I was thinking the same thing," Frost agreed slowly. "On the
other hand, those false orders definitely came from somewhere inside
the Advocatus Diaboli . Langston isn't here. Mrishpaw is."
"Mrishpaw and eleven other Chookoock family Brummgas," Neverlin
rumbled. "By the way, speaking of Morgan, it seems he's slipped through
our fingers again."
"What?" Frost demanded. "You said the police had picked him up."
"They did, and were holding him as ordered," Neverlin said grimly.
"Unfortunately, someone calling himself Springer showed up at the
Chookoock estate claiming to be one of my men. He convinced the Patri
that Morgan and the K'da were already working on escape and volunteered
to take a couple of Brummgas to the station and get them out."
Frost swore under his breath. "Idiot. Why didn't he check with you
first?"
"Springer apparently had him convinced that Morgan was already
halfway to the jail block door and there wasn't time," Neverlin said.
"The Patri decided instead he could check with me while the others went
off to fetch the prisoners."
"And?"
"Suffice it to say the police station now has a brand-new hole in
the tenth-floor wall, three dead Chookoock soldiers, and one prisoner
and one visitor unaccounted for."
"How convenient for Morgan," Frost said. "You think the Patri
might have deliberately helped him to escape?"
"One would hope the Patri is smart enough to know what it would
mean to try changing sides at this late date," Neverlin said
contemptuously. "No, I think he simply got conned by this Springer
character. I'm leaning toward him being someone sent by your friend
General Davi to retest the waters."
"One would hope General Davi is smart enough to leave well enough
alone," Frost growled. But Alison could hear the half-hidden discomfort
in his voice. "More likely he's one of Braxton's people, still trying
to track you down. That, or else the Internos government has finally
started to take notice of all this."
"Fortunately, whoever he is, he's hitting the curve too late to
stop us," Neverlin said. "And whatever he wants with Morgan, getting
three of the Patri's soldiers dead in the process will now have bought
him a great deal of additional trouble."
"Unless it was the K'da who killed them, not Springer," Frost
pointed out.
"I doubt the Patri will really care about such details," Neverlin
pointed out. "Besides, as I said, he's far too late to stop us."
"Maybe Springer can't," Frost warned. "I'm not so sure about the
Patri. If he gets it into his slow-motion brain that Springer was one of us, there to pull some kind of bizarre double cross, he might
decide to retaliate."
"With his men already here and out of communication with him?"
Neverlin countered
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