Read Online Dragons' Bond by Berengaria Brown - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Berengaria Brown
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business sense to get the museum’s security upgraded now before the bad guys find out how easy it would be to rob it.”
Mallory nodded, sighed, and agreed. “Yes, I can see all that. But I suspect it’s going to cost a lot of money, and they aren’t going to be happy about it, assuming they agree.”
“Um, Mallory. Mark, William, and I aren’t exactly poor. One of the advantages of having lived longer than the average human is the ability to wait for long-term financial growth opportunities. I know we went shopping in a chain store, but that’s because we want to look ordinary and fit in with the crowd, not because we can’t afford nicer clothes. If the directors won’t pay for the upgrades the museum needs, we’ll pay for it. For a start, your safety is incredibly important to us. But also, this is our home. It’s only fair we contribute to the costs.”
Mallory sighed again. “Well, let’s just hope they agree. That’ll solve all our problems. I’m glad I didn’t know how weak the security was those first three months. I was so happy here alone. Although, I was always wary of having the downstairs lights on at night.” She shrugged. “I must get to work. What are you planning to do?”
“We decided to read all the papers much more carefully, looking for clues about potential shape-shifters.”
“Oh yes, that’s right.”
“I’ll prepare some lunch for you at one o’clock, okay?”
“Thanks. See you then.”
Angus watched as Mallory ran down the stairs. Yes, he was supposed to be reading the papers in the trunk again, but what she’d just said had raised the hairs on the back of his neck. She’d always been very careful never to leave lights on downstairs after dark. Something had definitely worried her about that, and it wasn’t good. He needed to visit that electronics store Mark had found and buy one of those gadgets that detected electronic bugs so they could check the whole museum carefully, and also he needed a good set of binoculars. Come nighttime, he planned to find out just who could see into their windows and from which buildings.
* * * *
For the first time ever, Mallory couldn’t settle down to work. She polished the table on which she’d placed the palm-sized stone dragons. She looked at first one statue, then another, but none of them was calling her to work on them. She wandered over to the windows and stared out, wondering who lived in the tall buildings in the next block or if they were businesses and offices. She looked at her watch, wishing it was lunchtime, yet she wasn’t hungry. She’d eaten better in the last twenty-four hours than she had in the previous month.
Get a grip, woman. She turned and wandered into the rear storeroom. It wasn’t exactly a storeroom, although that was how she was using it, storing all her cleaning gear here. It had a desk pushed against the side wall under a small, high window. There was a filing cabinet beside the desk, and she’d already been through it, looking for paperwork she needed. The first two dragons she’d been unable to identify were sitting on the desk, and she thought they were looking at her rather reproachfully.
Now, of course, they’d been joined by the four oak dragons. Even though she’d found their provenances, she hadn’t brought them back out into the second room in case they were spies for Teivel.
Gently, she stroked one of the first dragons. He was a handsome fellow, his wings opened wide, and carved very intricately in limestone, with the colors running through him in a very attractive manner.
“I’m sorry I’ve neglected you. I’ll have another look for your paperwork now.”
Mallory pulled out the chair and settled herself in it, opening the middle drawer of the filing cabinet, and grabbed a sheaf of wrinkled old papers. Time passed as Mallory read, sorted, and filed, finally coming across an old, torn, dirty sheet of paper that explained so much to her.
She sat back in the chair, holding
Mallory nodded, sighed, and agreed. “Yes, I can see all that. But I suspect it’s going to cost a lot of money, and they aren’t going to be happy about it, assuming they agree.”
“Um, Mallory. Mark, William, and I aren’t exactly poor. One of the advantages of having lived longer than the average human is the ability to wait for long-term financial growth opportunities. I know we went shopping in a chain store, but that’s because we want to look ordinary and fit in with the crowd, not because we can’t afford nicer clothes. If the directors won’t pay for the upgrades the museum needs, we’ll pay for it. For a start, your safety is incredibly important to us. But also, this is our home. It’s only fair we contribute to the costs.”
Mallory sighed again. “Well, let’s just hope they agree. That’ll solve all our problems. I’m glad I didn’t know how weak the security was those first three months. I was so happy here alone. Although, I was always wary of having the downstairs lights on at night.” She shrugged. “I must get to work. What are you planning to do?”
“We decided to read all the papers much more carefully, looking for clues about potential shape-shifters.”
“Oh yes, that’s right.”
“I’ll prepare some lunch for you at one o’clock, okay?”
“Thanks. See you then.”
Angus watched as Mallory ran down the stairs. Yes, he was supposed to be reading the papers in the trunk again, but what she’d just said had raised the hairs on the back of his neck. She’d always been very careful never to leave lights on downstairs after dark. Something had definitely worried her about that, and it wasn’t good. He needed to visit that electronics store Mark had found and buy one of those gadgets that detected electronic bugs so they could check the whole museum carefully, and also he needed a good set of binoculars. Come nighttime, he planned to find out just who could see into their windows and from which buildings.
* * * *
For the first time ever, Mallory couldn’t settle down to work. She polished the table on which she’d placed the palm-sized stone dragons. She looked at first one statue, then another, but none of them was calling her to work on them. She wandered over to the windows and stared out, wondering who lived in the tall buildings in the next block or if they were businesses and offices. She looked at her watch, wishing it was lunchtime, yet she wasn’t hungry. She’d eaten better in the last twenty-four hours than she had in the previous month.
Get a grip, woman. She turned and wandered into the rear storeroom. It wasn’t exactly a storeroom, although that was how she was using it, storing all her cleaning gear here. It had a desk pushed against the side wall under a small, high window. There was a filing cabinet beside the desk, and she’d already been through it, looking for paperwork she needed. The first two dragons she’d been unable to identify were sitting on the desk, and she thought they were looking at her rather reproachfully.
Now, of course, they’d been joined by the four oak dragons. Even though she’d found their provenances, she hadn’t brought them back out into the second room in case they were spies for Teivel.
Gently, she stroked one of the first dragons. He was a handsome fellow, his wings opened wide, and carved very intricately in limestone, with the colors running through him in a very attractive manner.
“I’m sorry I’ve neglected you. I’ll have another look for your paperwork now.”
Mallory pulled out the chair and settled herself in it, opening the middle drawer of the filing cabinet, and grabbed a sheaf of wrinkled old papers. Time passed as Mallory read, sorted, and filed, finally coming across an old, torn, dirty sheet of paper that explained so much to her.
She sat back in the chair, holding
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