naturally Draycos, freshly arrived in the Orion Arm and who
knew nothing about anything, had picked it out of the background
without a second glance. So much for the big, fancy chameleon hull-wrap
Uncle Virgil had installed two years ago.
"It is quite well concealed," Draycos assured him. "My eyes accept
slightly different wavelengths of light than yours do, and your
camouflage does not exactly duplicate them. Also, as a warrior, I am
trained to search for hidden objects."
"A handy talent," Jack growled. "Let's just hope our buddies back
there don't include anyone like you."
Still no one in sight. Either they were all off searching a
different part of the forest, or they'd already found the Essenay and were lying in ambush for whoever might show up there.
Either way, there was nothing to be gained by sitting here
waiting. "Okay, we're going whole hog," he muttered to Draycos. "Hang
on."
Taking a deep breath, he gathered his feet under him and sprinted
toward the ship.
If there was an ambush waiting, it was a rotten one. No one shot
at him as he slipped between the trees and pounded into the open area
of the clearing. He kept going, hoping he wouldn't catch a foot on
something hidden in the grass and end up face-first on the ground.
He was about thirty feet from the Essenay when the airlock
hatch slid open and the gangway extended itself outward. Jack braced
himself, wondering if that was the signal the hidden attackers had been
waiting for.
But there was still no reaction from the surrounding forest. A
second later he was charging up the gangway, ducking his head under the
hatchway, trying to skid to a halt before he slammed full-tilt into the
bulkhead on the far side of the narrow airlock.
Draycos had already anticipated the problem. Again, the sudden
telltale weight appeared on his chest as Draycos came up and off him,
putting all four legs straight out in front of Jack like gold-scaled
shock absorbers to help absorb the impact.
Between the four K'da legs and two human arms, they bounced safely
together off the bulkhead. "Close the hatch," Jack snapped as he
regained his balance. Draycos dropped all the way off him, his long
neck swiveling around as he checked things out. "Uncle Virge?" Jack
called again.
"All right, all right, I'm not deaf," Uncle Virge said, his voice
sounding odd as the hatch slid closed. "I take it this is your new
friend?"
"Draycos, meet Uncle Virge," Jack said, slapping the door pad. The
inner hatch slid open, and he headed forward at a dead run. A glance
over his shoulder showed Draycos was right behind him.
He reached the cockpit, tossed his leather jacket and the
slapstick in a corner, and slid into the pilot seat. The preflight had
been done, he saw, and Uncle Virge had computed an ECHO course for use
once they were outside the atmosphere.
The weapons panel, he noted with decidedly mixed feelings, had
also been activated. Uncle Virgil had taught him how to use it, but
he'd never even had to turn it on, let alone actually shoot at anyone.
"How may I best serve?" Draycos asked. He was standing behind Jack
on his back paws, his body stretched upward with his front paws braced
on the back of the chair. His pointed snout was swinging back and forth
over Jack's shoulder as he studied the controls.
"You can't," Jack said, getting a grip on the Y-shaped control
yoke. "This is a one-man operation. Hang onto something; here we go."
Without waiting for a reply, he threw power to the antigrav
lifters. The Essenay shuddered once, then lurched up and out of
the clearing. They cleared the trees, Jack switched over from the
lifters to the main drive, and they were off.
As the ship headed up through the drifting smoke, he felt a brief
weight on his shoulders, then nothing. The dragon had found something
to hang onto, all right. Him.
"They will send ships to intercept," Draycos warned from Jack's
right shoulder. "Is this vessel armed?"
"Right here," Jack said, letting go of the yoke with his left
knew nothing about anything, had picked it out of the background
without a second glance. So much for the big, fancy chameleon hull-wrap
Uncle Virgil had installed two years ago.
"It is quite well concealed," Draycos assured him. "My eyes accept
slightly different wavelengths of light than yours do, and your
camouflage does not exactly duplicate them. Also, as a warrior, I am
trained to search for hidden objects."
"A handy talent," Jack growled. "Let's just hope our buddies back
there don't include anyone like you."
Still no one in sight. Either they were all off searching a
different part of the forest, or they'd already found the Essenay and were lying in ambush for whoever might show up there.
Either way, there was nothing to be gained by sitting here
waiting. "Okay, we're going whole hog," he muttered to Draycos. "Hang
on."
Taking a deep breath, he gathered his feet under him and sprinted
toward the ship.
If there was an ambush waiting, it was a rotten one. No one shot
at him as he slipped between the trees and pounded into the open area
of the clearing. He kept going, hoping he wouldn't catch a foot on
something hidden in the grass and end up face-first on the ground.
He was about thirty feet from the Essenay when the airlock
hatch slid open and the gangway extended itself outward. Jack braced
himself, wondering if that was the signal the hidden attackers had been
waiting for.
But there was still no reaction from the surrounding forest. A
second later he was charging up the gangway, ducking his head under the
hatchway, trying to skid to a halt before he slammed full-tilt into the
bulkhead on the far side of the narrow airlock.
Draycos had already anticipated the problem. Again, the sudden
telltale weight appeared on his chest as Draycos came up and off him,
putting all four legs straight out in front of Jack like gold-scaled
shock absorbers to help absorb the impact.
Between the four K'da legs and two human arms, they bounced safely
together off the bulkhead. "Close the hatch," Jack snapped as he
regained his balance. Draycos dropped all the way off him, his long
neck swiveling around as he checked things out. "Uncle Virge?" Jack
called again.
"All right, all right, I'm not deaf," Uncle Virge said, his voice
sounding odd as the hatch slid closed. "I take it this is your new
friend?"
"Draycos, meet Uncle Virge," Jack said, slapping the door pad. The
inner hatch slid open, and he headed forward at a dead run. A glance
over his shoulder showed Draycos was right behind him.
He reached the cockpit, tossed his leather jacket and the
slapstick in a corner, and slid into the pilot seat. The preflight had
been done, he saw, and Uncle Virge had computed an ECHO course for use
once they were outside the atmosphere.
The weapons panel, he noted with decidedly mixed feelings, had
also been activated. Uncle Virgil had taught him how to use it, but
he'd never even had to turn it on, let alone actually shoot at anyone.
"How may I best serve?" Draycos asked. He was standing behind Jack
on his back paws, his body stretched upward with his front paws braced
on the back of the chair. His pointed snout was swinging back and forth
over Jack's shoulder as he studied the controls.
"You can't," Jack said, getting a grip on the Y-shaped control
yoke. "This is a one-man operation. Hang onto something; here we go."
Without waiting for a reply, he threw power to the antigrav
lifters. The Essenay shuddered once, then lurched up and out of
the clearing. They cleared the trees, Jack switched over from the
lifters to the main drive, and they were off.
As the ship headed up through the drifting smoke, he felt a brief
weight on his shoulders, then nothing. The dragon had found something
to hang onto, all right. Him.
"They will send ships to intercept," Draycos warned from Jack's
right shoulder. "Is this vessel armed?"
"Right here," Jack said, letting go of the yoke with his left
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