Dragonback 04 Dragon and Herdsman (30 page)

"Hren said they would attempt to cross the forest and then circle
back around the edge to rejoin the rest of their group," Draycos added.

Jack suppressed a grimace. Walking through the middle of a
dangerous forest, only this time with no true K'da there to look after
them.

"They'll be all right," Draycos assured him. "The Erassvas still
have the altered odor that seems to ward off predators. And the
Phookas, too, seem somewhat more alert than they were when we first met
them."

"Spending a few days running for your life will do that, I
suppose," Jack agreed reluctantly. "I just hope it lasts long enough to
get them all the way to the other side of the forest." He raised his
eyebrows at Alison. "What about you? You want to go back and wait for
your friends to show?"

"With Frost still here?" Alison snorted. "No thanks. I'll give
them a call and tell them I've made other arrangements. That is, if you
don't mind me tagging along a little longer."

"Just like the baby sister I never had," Jack said dryly.

Alison's eyes narrowed a little. "Watch it, pal," she warned. "I'm
at
least
five months older than you are."

"Can we hold off a comparison of birth records until we're clear
of this place?" Uncle Virge asked impatiently. "I'd really rather not
be around when Frost gets the Kapstan's lifters working again."

"Yes, we can go," Jack soothed him. "Actually, no—we have to find
and get rid of that ECHO-transmitter gadget of his first."

"Done and done," Alison said.

"It was fastened to the hull in front of the aft ECHO pole," Uncle
Virge added. "I had some time on my hands while drifting down the
river, and was able to locate it."

"So it's off?" Jack said, his last unanswered question about
Alison finally fading away. Something on the
Essenay
's outer
hull could have been planted there by anyone at any of the spaceports
they'd passed through on their way here.

"I already had it neutralized, but Alison insisted on removing it
as well," Uncle Virge said. "She seemed to think that it would bring a
good price in the proper market."

"Oh,
did
she, now?"

"Would you rather hitchhike home?" Alison countered. "Gadgets like
that can be a good way to keep the fuel tanks filled."

"Whatever," Jack said with a sigh. "Sure, let's get out of here.
Oh, and make a pass over the Kapstan on your way out—I want to make
sure Frost knows we've left."

"But don't make it
too
low a pass," Alison warned.

"I didn't mean we would," Jack said, fighting for patience. "So
where exactly would you like us to drop you?"

The cockpit was dark as Alison came in, lit only by the various
indicator lights on the control boards. "Good evening, Uncle Virge,"
she said. "How are things running?"

"Smoothly," the computerized personality said tartly. "What are
you doing here?"

"I came to look over the nav maps," Alison said, sitting down in
the pilot's seat. "Jack asked me where I wanted to be dropped off,
remember?"

"We could have discussed that from the dayroom or your cabin,"
Uncle Virge said stiffly. "You shouldn't be in here without Jack or
Draycos."

"Come on, give me a break," Alison growled back. "Jack's sleeping
off his pain medication, Draycos is giving Taneem advanced English
lessons in the dayroom, and I'm going stir-crazy in that cracker box
you call a cabin. All I want is to look at some charts and figure out
where I want to go. Okay?"

Uncle Virge sighed theatrically. "Fine. But I'm recording
everything." One of the displays lit up with a map of the southern
Orion Arm. "Jack's heading to Nikrapapo to try to get into the Malison
Ring base there," he said. "Somewhere not too far off our vector would
be handy."

"I understand," Alison said, bracing herself. If her guess about
this ship was correct . . . "You've only got a couple of months left to
locate the fleet's rendezvous point, don't you?"

"It's a few days more than that at the moment," Uncle Virge said.
"But of course by the time we reach Nikrapapo—"

"Privacy lock code activate," Alison said.

The computer went silent. "Uncle Virge?" Alison called
tentatively. "Uncle Virge? Computer?"

There was no response. "I'll be fraggled," Alison murmured to
herself. But there was no time now to sift through all the
possibilities this suddenly opened up. Swiveling her chair around, she
activated the
Essenay
's private and very expensive InterWorld
transmitter.

It took only a minute to make the connection. "Smith," a voice
replied.

"Kayna."

"About time you checked in, girl. Let's have it."

She gave her report in clipped military fashion, the way she'd
been taught. "Interesting," Smith said when she'd finished. "I trust
Morgan has no idea who you are?"

"Not a clue," Alison assured him. "Do you know if Frost got off
Rho Scorvi all right?"

"Let me see . . . yes, he checked in with Neverlin from Immabwi.
Probably not a very happy camper."

"As long as he made it out alive," Alison said. "We don't want to
lose him. Not now."

"Agreed," Smith said. "Anything else?"

"Yes," Alison said, grimacing. A part of her didn't really want to
do this. "The Phookas."

There was the faint sound of a sigh. "All of them, I suppose?"

"All of them," Alison said firmly. "They're wild cards. We can't
let them stay on the playing field."

"You're mixing metaphors, of course," Smith pointed out. "But I
take your point. All right, we'll deal with them. What about the
Erassvas?"

Alison shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Whatever you want."

"We'll handle it," the other promised. "I gather you want to stay
with Morgan for the moment?"

"For as long as I can," Alison confirmed. "He's the only inside
source there is on this half of the game."

"Okay, but only until he makes you," Smith warned. "Be ready to
bail the minute that happens."

"I will," Alison said. "I'll report again when I can."

"Right. Good luck."

Breaking the connection, Alison shut down the transmitter.

She gave it another minute, just to make sure there weren't any
lingering effects in the system that the computer might spot and wonder
about. Then, leaning back in the chair, she took a deep breath.
"Privacy lock code release," she called.

"—it'll be almost exactly two months," Uncle Virge said. "So the
less time we have to waste chauffeuring you around, the better."

"I understand," Alison said, getting up out of the chair. "Though
come to think of it, let's make it easier on everyone. I'll just stay
here with you and Jack for the moment."

"You sure?" Uncle Virge asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes." Alison smiled. "Very sure."