SG1-16 Four Dragons Read Online Free PDF Page B

Daniel the loaded P90.
    And was ignored, of course.
    “It’s a Zhenmushou ,” Daniel said, the academic coming on in full force. “A Chinese funerary beast. Probably set up here to protect these four graves. Some ancient Earth culture must have brought the tradition with them when they were brought here.”
    Jack had a choice. Let Daniel get it out of his system… or shoot him.
    Which would make this entire exercise a moot point. So he’d wait. Jack checked his watch. Thirty seconds should be more than fair.
    “Obviously, ancient Chinese origins,” Daniel blathered on. “The question is… how far back? I’ll need to ask Kevin when we head down. And do the graves date from the same period? Balinsky said they should have some sort of carbon dating soon…”
    Twenty seconds .
    “…But the Xian dynasty lettering would place this at 2200 B.C… But that’s impossible. Statues on Earth like these only date back to fourth century A.D. Still, the writing in that cup Kevin found was Xian, though the style was definitely Shang, but…”
    Ten seconds .
    “…If the Ancients spent time here, anything is possible. Countless cultures used mythic animals as a way to ward off some aspect of death, be it evil spirits or death itself…”
    Time’s up .
    “I swear to God,” Jack said, shoving the rifle at Daniel, “if you don’t take this, I’ll prove just how unreliable this Zen Moo Shoo statue is.”
    “ Zhenmushou. ”
    “Whatever.” Hell, at least he took the rifle.
    Jack turned Daniel toward the target deliberately set up facing the opposite direction of the dig down below. “I’ll make it easy on you. Carter could nail this sucker at fifty yards, easy. Let’s start you at twenty.” He headed off toward the other side of the hill where their packs, along with lunch, gathered dust.
    That is, until he realized Daniel wasn’t following.
    Taking a deep breath, Jack turned back around. “What?”
    Daniel stood there, his P90 dangling by his side. “You want to tell me what this is about? Sam and Teal’c are off hiking the perimeter. It’s just us.”
    Like that made any difference to Jack.
    “Daniel, so help me God, if you don’t start shooting, you can kiss your ever-loving future trips through the Stargate goodbye.”
    Daniel’s eyes got as big as his glasses. Which was good.
    It was about time he took this seriously. “You can’t do that.”
    Jack counted to ten, breathed out through his nose, and then kept his voice as steady as he could. “Shoot the target, Daniel. Show me what you’re made of.”
    Daniel raised his rifle, aimed, and…
    He hesitated. Typical.
    “I shot a pistol long before I joined the Stargate program,” Daniel said, again dropping the rifle to his side.
    “Really not caring,” Jack replied. Marksmanship wasn’t what this was about…
    Staying alive was.
    Daniel brought the rifle up again, but damn it, his stance was all wrong. He practically cradled the thing like a baby.
    Step one, rattle Daniel with verbal abuse, would now commence.
    “Stop holding the thing like it’s gonna break,” Jack barked out deliberately.
    Daniel’s neck stiffened.
    “Stand up straight, shoulders back.”
    A hand slid down to the trigger.
    Time to push harder. “Stop being a pansy. Shoot to win, damn it.”
    Zing. The target flapped back and came to a rest. “Satisfied?”
    “Not bad,” Jack answered. Picking up the target, he moved it back another twenty feet and then returned to his pack behind Daniel. He pretended not to notice the red-faced glare saved for him and him alone.
    “Again,” he said.
    “Not till you tell me what this is about.”
    Jack stabbed a finger at the target. “Just shoot the damn thing.”
    “If I understood what — ”
    “Listen, knowledge-boy, you don’t need to understand everything.”
    Daniel dropped the weapon to his side again. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
    “What?” Jack asked, getting up in Daniel’s face. “You think it’s more