Dragon and Judge

Jack glowered across at his pillar, and the Golvins still standing guard around its base. In other words, foreigner, back off and butt out?

Fine. Jack would back off. For now.

But the One would hear about this . . . and Jack would find out what was going on.

In the meantime, there was work to do. "Very well," he said to Thonsifi. "Bring it on."

With questions about the mysterious prisoner swirling through his mind, he called an early lunch break. To his relief, and as Draycos had predicted, no one raised any objections to his decision to return to his apartment for a few minutes before rejoining the others for the midday meal.

Draycos was nowhere to be seen as he pushed aside the fringe and entered the apartment. "Draycos?" he called softly as he walked into the bedroom.

"Here," the K'da said, lifting his head into view from the far side of the bed.

"Catching a little nap, are we?" Jack asked, circling around the foot of the bed. "Wait'll you hear—geez!" He broke off as he came within sight of the black blood spread across the other's scales.

"I had to descend the shaft rather quickly," Draycos explained, getting gingerly to his feet. "It looked worse before."

"I'll just bet it did," Jack said, heading into the bathroom and grabbing one of the washcloths. "Get in here."

A few careful minutes later, he had wiped off most of the caked blood. "At least you look better now," he said as he rinsed out the cloth. "What's the rest of the damage?"

"It's not too bad," Draycos assured him. "A few bruised muscles and strained joints and lightly burned paws. A day or two of rest against your skin and I should be back to full health."

"I hope so," Jack said, laying out the cloth to dry and heading for the galley. "Because something new has just come up."

He related what little he knew about the prisoner as he got the K'da some meat and water. "At least now I know what the noise was that tipped them off," he concluded. "You falling down the shaft."

"Descending the shaft rather quickly," Draycos corrected as he wolfed down the meal. "Though I'm not sure whether to be pleased or regretful for my unplanned part of this incident."

"You don't think this guy's really a murderer?"

"I don't know," Draycos said. "But we've both seen the Golvin ability to shape and color the truth to say what they wish others to hear."

"Like in just about every case I've heard in the past six days," Jack said wryly. "Makes your ears itch after a while."

"In that they are not so different from other peoples," Draycos pointed out. "But it means we must be careful not to come to any conclusions until we know all the facts. I trust you'll be speaking to the One about that?"

"First chance I get," Jack said, clearing away the remains of the K'da's meal. "Meanwhile, I need to get back. Hop aboard, and let's go."

The chance arrived sooner than Jack had expected. When he returned to the Great Hall, he found the One waiting for him.

"Good midday to you, One Among Many," Jack greeted him. "This is a fortunate meeting."

"Perhaps not so fortunate," the One warned. "Thonsifi tells me you have asked for information on our prisoner."

"That's right," Jack said. "I was told he killed four of your people?"

"Yes," the One said, his voice darkening. "Four of the Many, none of whom was threatening him in any way." He eyed Jack. "Nor did they offer any provocation to him," he added pointedly.

So Thonsifi had also given him a rundown on the morning's decisions. "I'd still like to hear all the facts," he told the One. "I may decide that a rehearing of his case would be—"

"There will be no rehearing," the One snapped.

Jack took an involuntary step backward. The sudden blaze of fury was something he hadn't seen in these people before. "I understand your anger," he said, keeping his voice calm. "But there may be circumstances—"

"The circumstances are that he killed four of the Many, that he was found responsible for those deaths, and that he will remain a prisoner until his death."

"I understand," Jack said. "But as Judge-Paladin it's both my right and my duty to investigate these matters."

"And you have done so," the One said. "Your investigation is now ended."

For a long moment he and Jack gazed at each other. "Very well," Jack said. "With your permission, I have yet to eat my midday meal."

"Then eat and be filled," the One said. His surge of anger was gone, his voice that of the calm leader again. "More arguments and claims await you this afternoon." With a nod, he brushed past Jack and headed for the exit.

And with that, apparently, the conversation was over.

But that didn't mean the subject was closed, Jack promised himself. Not by a long shot.

CHAPTER 13

The click of the stateroom door being unlocked was their only warning. "Quick," Alison muttered, thrusting out her hand to Taneem.