War of the Princes 02: Dragoon Read Online Free PDF Page A

take.
    We have to do what is needed of us.

 
    Chapter 5: Another Machine
     
     
     
     
     
     
    “Who shot your dog?” Kyle inquired beside me.
    “ That obvious?” I asked, looking up at him from my seat on the bench. I was clutching the papers and satchel in a death grip. My argument with Ruby left me wanting to scream, kick something, and apologize all at once.
    “ You might want to avoid scowling. Just a suggestion,” he said with an easy, lopsided grin.
    “ What happened to your shirt?” I countered, changing the subject.
    He would have looked particularly great that evening, if not for a typical mishap or two. Grey slacks and a white dress shirt complemented Kyle's lean frame. Many would consider his tousled brown curls charming. The fact that his shirtsleeves were rolled up to the elbow made him look casual, disarming. It was the horrendous spattering of brown sludge across the front of his chest that ruined his ensemble.
    “ A gift from my date,” he told me, shamelessly.
    “ Sally shot you with the hose of a septic tank?” I asked, aghast.
    “ What? No. Sally told me engineering was boring, so I took back the flowers I gave her and cut her loose. My date is, Loraine,” he said, standing aside with a grand sweep of his arm.
    Guided by his gesture, I twisted my torso to look over the back of the bench. Near the foot of the lofty weather tower sat a five-foot-tall engine. A rectangular copper case and glass front panel protected the rotating gears, rods and pistons. Wheels were fitted to the bottom of the case. Pinched in the doorway of the glass panel was a bouquet of bright yellow flowers.
    “ I take it Loraine finds you interesting,” I smirked.
    “ This is oil, for the record… and maybe a bit of ice cream too. It's not, you know,” he trailed off. “And yes, she does.”
    “ What does this thing do? I mean, Loraine.”
    “ I'm glad you asked! She drives herself, with some directional input from a remote control device, plays music and makes ice cream. She's making chocolate chip coffee right now.”
    “ That's actually a pretty good idea,” I admitted. “That guy who pushes the cart on Market Street is creepy.”
    “ I know! I just wish I didn't forget to fit her with cones. Gotta make some changes so she doesn't tear around, aggressively spitting dessert on people.”
    “ I could think of worse ways of being attacked.”
    “ All you need are quick reflexes, or a human shield,” he said brightly.
    As much as he could always cheer me up, his positive disposition broke something down inside of me. I sighed, feeling a buildup of hurt and confusion solidifying in my chest.
    “Kyle, I don't know where I fit anymore. I love Rivermarch, I love everyone here, but there's something wrong with me. I'm not the same person I was. I-I'm like a porcupine at a petting zoo. I just keep hurting people.”
    “ Porcupines can be pet you know. As long as they're calm.”
    “ Thanks for the handy fact, Mr. Manimal, but you're missing the point.”
    “ I take you for more of an opossum. Stress makes you fall down and smell bad.”
    I smacked gently at his arm and smirked against my will. “I hate you.”
    “ No, you love it,” he grinned back at me. Behind him, something caught my eye.
    In the soft evening shadow of the weather tower, a dark shape shambled near Kyle's creation. Struggling, the form pulled itself up to stand. It was a man. One of his shoulders sloped down making his left arm appear longer than the right. The evening sky and dim weather tower lights made it difficult to tell what was wrong with him. I could see his body heaving as though he had sprinted hard to get there.
    “ Who's that guy by Loraine?” I asked, on alert.
    “ Looks like Eddie Elm, the architect. He built the additions to the civic building,” Kyle said craning to get a better view. “Doesn't look so good.”
    The man cast a paranoid look over his shoulder and cried out, “He's coming! Don't stop me... he's