Dragonback 06 Dragon and Liberator Read Online Free PDF Page A

the lock mechanism," Alison told
her. "We're going to have to try something else. Something a bit risky."
    The K'da shifted position on her skin. "I'm ready."
    Alison grimaced. It was more than just a little risky, she knew.
But with their air running out, it was all she could think of. "You
remember that trick Draycos has where he can lean over a wall, like you
did just now, only then fall all the way over and come out the other
side?"
    "Yes, of course," Taneem said cautiously. "He also said no other
K'da in history has ever had such an ability."
    "I know," Alison said. "But I think you can do it."
    "I can't," Taneem said, an edge of fear starting to creep into her
voice. "I'll fall off and—I'll die , Alison."
    "You won't die," Alison said firmly. "You can do this as well as
he can."
    "I can't," Taneem insisted. "Draycos is a powerful poet-warrior.
I'm not."
    "It has nothing to do with Draycos's warrior training," Alison
said. "It has to do with you and me. You as K'da, and me as human."
    "I don't understand."
    Alison wrinkled her nose. This was hardly the time and place she'd
planned on springing this on either of the two K'da. But under the
circumstances, Alison didn't have much choice. "I know Draycos has been
walking you through the encyclopedia section of the Essenay 's
computer," she said. "Has he shown you the drawings and paintings of
dragons from Earth legends?"
    "I've seen some of them, yes."
    "Didn't it strike you as odd that we would have so many legends of
that sort?" Alison asked. "Especially from so many different cultures
and peoples?"
    Taneem had gone very still. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
    Alison took a deep breath. "I'm saying that I think the K'da
originally came from Earth."
    "That can't be," Taneem said. "Draycos told me his people are
coming here from a far distant world in a very different part of the
galaxy."
    "And so they are," Alison agreed. "But he also says the whole
group of them were kidnapped from their home world by passing slavers
thousands of years ago. I think they just don't realize how far they
traveled before they were able to fight their way free."
    "And what of my own people?" Taneem asked. "The Phookas living on
Rho Scorvi?"
    Alison grimaced. Those Phookas weren't living on Rho Scorvi
anymore, she knew. She and her associates had made sure of that. "You
were probably survivors of one of the battles the slavers used you
for," she said. "You found the Erassvas—or they found you—before your
time limit was up and discovered they could serve as hosts."
    There was a rhythmic tapping against Alison's leg as Taneem
twitched her tail restlessly. "No," she said. "This can't be. You're
just guessing."
    "There is some guesswork involved, yes," Alison agreed. "But I've
got at least one bit of evidence on my side. Do you happen to remember
the name Draycos said their original hosts were called?"
    "The Dhghem."
    "That's right," Alison said, vaguely surprised that Taneem would
remember such a jaw-cracker of a word. "A while back, just for fun, I
looked it up. Turns out it's the old Indo-European root word for human ."
    Taneem didn't say anything but just kept tapping her tail against
Alison's leg. "I'm not the only one thinking along these lines,
either," Alison went on. "A couple of nights ago, while we were waiting
for Frost to start moving the Brummgan mercenaries, I caught Jack in
the dayroom looking through some of the old Earth dragon legends."
    "But how can this be?" Taneem asked at last. "We aren't like any
other Earth creatures."
    "You aren't like any other creatures, period," Alison said. "I'm
just saying it looks more and more like you were originally designed to
be companions and friends to human beings. Specifically to
human beings, in fact. That's why Draycos can do things with Jack that
he couldn't do with the Shontine. Certainly things you and the other
Phookas couldn't do with the Erassvas. With a human host, you're
finally becoming the way K'da were truly meant to