Dragon and Judge

Another burst of gunfire echoed in the distance, and Alison winced in sympathetic pain. "So the spies figured it out."

"The Penitent has had no choice but to lead us to the attack," the Parprin said. "He asks for your aid."

And Taneem, Alison suspected, was more than ready to render that aid. And possibly get herself killed in the process.

The question was how much Alison herself was willing to do for this lost cause.

"Alison Kayna?" the Parprin prompted as she hesitated.

Alison came to a decision. "Go back to the Penitent," she ordered the Parprin. "Tell him we'll do what we can."

For a moment the alien searched Alison's face, as if not sure whether to believe her. Then, with a curt nod, she took off again through the forest.

"We are going to fight?" Taneem asked, her voice wary.

"Do you want to?" Alison countered. "We don't have to, you know. This isn't our war."

"It was our arrival that created this danger," Taneem said. "We can't simply turn our backs on them."

"Even if it means Draycos's people—your people—will die?"

Taneem seemed to brace herself. "The K'da warrior ethic requires that we do what is right," she said quietly, the words almost swallowed up by another burst of distant gunfire. "No matter what the advantage or cost to ourselves."

Alison grimaced. She'd called it, all right. Death and glory, and honor and pride. Draycos had indoctrinated the young K'da, but good. "Lucky for us, we're not K'da warriors," she reminded Taneem. Putting the sound of gunfire to her left, she headed off southward through the forest.

Taneem's head rose from her shoulder. "Then we are going to abandon them?"

"Well, we're certainly not going to charge straight into the Brummgas' guns," Alison said. "If we're going to do anything, we're going to try to be clever about it."

"Then you do have a plan."

"I said if we do anything," Alison cautioned. "Let's first figure out the lay of the land."

"But the fire is coming from the slave compound," Taneem said, flicking her tongue past Alison's chin toward her left.

"One more good reason not to go there," Alison said.

"But—"

"But mostly we're not going there because that's not where the Brummgas have their main attack line," Alison interrupted her. "The ones making all the noise in the compound are just there for show. Their job is to drive any potential rebels or escapees through gaps in the hedge into the real trap."

"Which is where we are going?"

"Which is what we're going to take a look at, anyway," Alison said. "Here we are. Everybody off."

Ahead, the hedge loomed over them, ten feet of densely tangled branches and long thorns. "You wish to go over it?" Taneem asked doubtfully as she leaped off Alison's skin.

"Not over," Alison corrected her. "Through. Get those K'da claws working."

Taneem gave a little hiss of malicious satisfaction. Lifting her forepaws and extending her claws, she set to work.

Two minutes later, she had carved out a hole big enough to sidle through. "Great," Alison said. "Now, we're going to head southeast—quietly—toward where the Brummgas should have set up their lines."

Taneem nodded and headed off at a brisk trot, her ears cocked, her tongue flicking out with every other step. Trying to suppress her own misgivings, Alison followed.

They didn't have far to go. Flickers of laser fire were coming from a line of bushes and small fountains scattered around the north end of the slaveowners' section of the grounds. The nearest firing position was no more than thirty yards away, with the entire combat line stretched across nearly four hundred yards. In the dim light, Alison could make out the hulking forms of some of the nearer Brummgas hunched over their weapons.

They weren't firing at random, either. To the north, at the base of the hedge, Alison could see the shadowy figures of Stronlo's would-be escapees. Some were still coming, zigzagging in an effort not to be shot. But most were flat on their faces, pressed helplessly against the grass. From the slave compound behind them, in mocking counterpoint to the silent lasers, came more loud volleys of gunfire.

Alison felt her throat tighten, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. So the trick had worked. The roving Brummgas in the compound had forced Stronlo's slaves to make their move, and now they were trapped.

With a sigh, she trotted to a halt. "So that's it," she murmured. "I'm sorry, Taneem—"

But Taneem hadn't stopped. In fact, she had picked up speed. "Taneem!" Alison snapped. "Come back!"

The K'da ignored her. To Alison's horrified disbelief, she gave a shrill warbling scream and aimed herself at the nearest Brummgan firing post.

And charged.

Jack had made it perhaps fifty feet up the light shaft when he heard the sound of rapid footsteps far below. "Langston?"

"Quiet," the other whispered urgently.

But it was too late. Even as Jack craned his neck to look, he saw the outline of a Golvin head appear in the opening in his former apartment far below.

The Golvins had found them.