New Release Sample: HERE THERE WERE DRAGONS

 

M’kar winced, feeling a single throb of psionic ache that she suspected had come from Thyal to her. A blurry silver image flashed in her mind’s eye and she knew what had happened. Not how, but what. Or more accurately, who.

Granny somehow knew what M’kar had been showing Thyal, and she teleported in from Anwesta to scold and lecture.

By the time Thyal reopened their link, M’kar had her theory. Infrenx had probably picked up the images from Thyal as M’kar gave them to him. She didn’t understand anything except that it had to do with other dracs. Being exposed to the hierarchy of the Academy in action every day, she had done the logical thing and went to the highest authority to explain the matter. Meaning she had gone straight to Granny, on Anwesta Medical Station, and shared the images picked up from Thyal.

Judging from the nearly fifteen minutes of silence from Thyal, M’kar guessed he had needed help calming Granny, and probably had had to make some promises to her.

Please tell me you aren’t heading for the nearest available ship to take you and her to Draxonis, she said, when she felt Thyal’s mind-call.

Nearly. I had to promise you would report regularly. She’ll have to wait for you to come back to Anwesta.

And she agreed to it?

She did. At least, as much as I can understand. How can someone with no language manage to mutter under her breath?

M’kar laughed and slouched a little against the pedestal.

I’m sure she’s planning something. If the distance weren’t so great, I’d be half-afraid she’d focus on all the dracs on the Defender and find some way to teleport herself and join you.

Please, Thyal, convince her to wait. M’kar shuddered at the mental image of Granny killing herself with the effort. Moving dozens of eggs up from Draxonis to hide them on the Defender had worn her out, and she had had help from most of her tribe. If the distance from the planet to a ship in high orbit had done that to her, the distance of numerous galaxies, with four intervening jump gates, would do more than wear out the little silver drac. It could erase her from all existence. Granny’s spirit and determination were a force to be reckoned with, but her body was frail. M’kar could only hope Granny was smart enough to realize her limits and not do something that would result in suicide.

Thyal planned to confer with Dulit and Flinders, two drac parents acting as liaisons between the drac population and the medical personnel tending the cocoons. Hopefully with the help of their dracs they could work with the older dracs on Anwesta and find some understanding of the situation with Forbidden Island. That was the best they could do.

M’kar said a quick prayer that Granny would have calmed down by the time the Defender returned to Anwesta. Then she went to her duty station to put together a formal report to send with the next message burst Genys was ready to transmit. Sometimes she wished she and Thyal didn't have to pretend they didn't have their mental link, because pretending to communicate by slower methods could sometimes be a problem and a pain. Her parents and Thyal's parents knew, and Dulit, and the Masters at the Academy, of course. The more people who knew, the greater her chances of being transferred off the Defender and turning into a long-term scientific study. She swore if that day ever came, she might just steal a ship and turn pirate, to stay free.