by Diane Rapp
Jordan grinned behind Brandon’s back. Maybe his sister heeded his warnings after all. “That’s too bad, Brandon, but there are plenty of pretty girls at Havenshire.”
Brandon frowned. “They’re pretty but seldom talk about anything of interest. I’m ready to find a woman to share my life, just like you did.”
Jordan felt shocked and wondered if he made a mistake about the young lordling. Should he tell Shariel?
The chamber felt hot. The protective suits repelled radiation not high temperatures. Silver bodies rimmed the catwalk over a bubbling vat and watched Tessa pour a decanter of white powder into the hot liquid. A smoky vapor hissed from the mixture.
“What’s happening?” Brandon asked Tessa as he edged closer and flashed his most tempting smile.
Tessa appeared immune to his charm. “As we melt the crystals a current of electricity runs through the mixture to remove impurities. We add salt at the right time and sodium atoms attach to the crystal nuclei. Chloride vaporizes. See them lower the cool rod into the mixture? Hardened crystals form on the rod—strong enough to withstand impulses magnified in the Transfer machine.” Tessa gazed at her own ring and smiled.
They helped move the rod through the hot solution. Delicate white crystals grew on the surface, jutting out in complex geometric formations. When pulled out of the mixture, workmen carefully chiseled clear-white crystals from the metal trunk. They packed hardened crystals into crates. Brandon loaded similar crates on the shuttle bound for the space ship.
“You’re beautiful, Tessa.” Brandon slipped his arm around Tessa’s waist but she pulled back and slapped him.
“Leave me alone; I’m not available!” A feral growl rumbled in Tessa’s chest and a nearby wolf echoed the sound. “Don’t make Shadow angry. Her teeth are very sharp and she loves to bite.” Jordan grinned as he watched the interchange.
Brandon brooded while Jordan asked, “How does the Institute use the crystals?”
Tessa smiled sweetly at Jordan. “The crystals focus energy through the Transfer machinery. Mother says these crystals gather memories and transfer them from an old body into its clone.”
Jordan looked shocked and Brandon hissed as his hands moved in a sign against sorcery.
Tessa glared at them both.
“Pour bags of raw crystal into the solution so we can start a new batch. After we’re finished, fly the hardened crystals back to the spaceport.” She stomped away, leaving Jordan and Brandon to dump bags of brown crystals into the vat.
27 ~ UNCOVERING THE PLOT
Donovan gazed at the fireplace in his private chamber, while Marasuta cleaned his sword, and Bryant leaned against the fireplace mantle. They listened to Trenton’s animated story about capturing Fremont’s secret army.
Trenton said, “You should’ve seen their faces when we herded them naked into prison cells. It was worth a week’s pay.”
Marasuta leaned forward. “Do you believe the spacers are stupid?”
Trenton looked startled. “No. We just uncovered the subterfuge before it was too late.”
Donovan rubbed his ring. “It seems too easy. There’s something rotten in this situation and the stench might gag us!”
The lines in Trenton’s face deepened. “What did we overlook? They can’t hide a battle cruiser inside the barge. It’s impossible!”
“A lethal trap is often hidden in plain sight,” Marasuta said.
Donovan nodded. “That’s why I’m irritated! I know in my gut Fremont’s up to something sneaky. He prepared to blast us off the planet before Jarrack stepped in. Now he’s the great humanitarian, ready to supply our needs! Jarrack and Fremont are leading us to the guillotine while we meekly wait for the ax to fall.”
Trenton fixed his gaze on the crackling fire. “They knew the capabilities of the shuttle and wanted us to find their men! I should’ve recognized the trap, but I was too busy gloating. That’s part of the trick…to make us feel smug.”
Bryant said, “You think Fremont snuck something else through?”
Donovan gave his ring to Trenton. “Interrogate those men and get some truth.”
Trenton fingered the ring. Its white light cast tiny spotlights around the dark room. “I’m such a fool.”
“A clever trapper usually gets the best of his quarry, but a fox can lay a false trail. Go to Asbohar. Don’t let up on those prisoners until you figured out Fremont’s plan.”
Trenton’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Would you like to bet on how long it takes me to crack them?”
“You never stop!” Donovan groaned. “Okay, I’ll give you even odds—I’ll unravel the mystery before you do.”
“I’ll take that bet, say fifty days of leave?”
“You get leave?” Donovan bellowed, “What do I get if I win?”
“Fifty days of vacation in a private mountain retreat. I’ll man the castle.”
“Done! You’ll regret this bet, Trenton. I need a vacation more than you, and I’m determined to get it.” Donovan shook Trenton’s hand before the trapper left the room.
Bryant nodded at Marasuta. “We’ll leave you to the rest of your evening.”
As the room emptied, Krystal came out of the bedroom. “It’s wonderful how you and Trenton jest but you don’t fool me. This is serious.”
“Those old warriors have crafty minds, so I hope they come up with answers. Do you mind if I go back to work tonight?”
She said, “No, I’ll dream about fifty days in a mountain retreat.”
Donovan stroked her hand. “See you at breakfast, love.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You and Bryant will talk all night. I’ll tell cook to send a snack to the tower. Alex is setting up his lab, so I’m scheduled to help him tomorrow.”
Donovan nodded. “Why did he choose the old spaceport for the lab?”
Krystal said, “His equipment is safe behind the force field, and the spaceport’s reputation keeps people clear. If you’re a mad scientist, it’s a perfect place. He’s also got a flock of dragons and young people waiting to take trips on his behalf.”
“You make the operation sound sinister.”
“Alex is determined to help chronically ill patients but we must work in secret until Drako accepts technology.”
“You’re safer at the spaceport than at ground zero. I’d bet that Fremont will hit Havenshire the first chance he gets. Keep busy so you don’t worry.”
Krystal frowned. “You really believe Fremont will attack?”
“He’s planning something. I’m glad you’re safely out of the line of fire.”
She brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. “I won’t nag. You know how much you mean to me. Stay safe.”
He kissed her and left without another word.
*****
Trenton left the prisoner’s cell and saw Marasuta waiting. “How’d you get here?”
Marasuta’s eyes narrowed. “I rode in the belly of Donovan’s mechanical monster. I prefer riding dragons. How do your interviews progress?”
“These men don’t know why Fremont sent them.”
Marasuta nodded. “That fits Donovan’s theory.”
Trenton’s eyebrow twitched. “So Donovan wins our bet?”
Marasuta smiled. “I would never bet against Donovan. He has an uncanny ability to plot military strategy.”
Trenton sauntered down the hallway to a makeshift office with Marasuta. “Tell me about Donovan’s theory.” Trenton dragged out two chairs and sat.
Marasuta joined his friend, noticing lines of tension in the trapper’s face. “Donovan believes Fremont booby trapped the suits worn by the captured men. Does that make sense?”
Trenton nodded. “That snake in the grass! Fremont sent expendable decoys and meant for us to catch them. If we caught them, we’d use the suits working with the reactor.” Trenton’s expression grew sullen. “There might me more than one booby trap!”
Marasuta considered Trenton’s comment. “Donovan says to check for
explosives.”
Trenton nodded. “I see serious trouble ahead.”
“How?”
“We replaced parts in the defense satellites, repaired the reactor, and built a new Transfer lab. If everything Fremont sent is rigged to explode, there’d be little left of Drako.”
Marasuta growled, “Fremont has no respect for life.”
“We’ll check the radiation suits and call Donovan. You’d better tell Alex.”
“I’ll fly a dragon to the spaceport today. Donovan doesn’t want the information to go by radio waves.”
*****
Bryant rubbed his face with a calloused hand. “It’s beyond me, Donovan. I fight battles face to face and the enemy has an equal chance of killing me. How do we fight cowards sitting safely in a ship? It’s obscene.”
“When cities look like pinpricks on a map, men become numbers. It’s too easy to destroy without thinking. We must save Drako from this kind of war.”
Bryant’s jaw bulged from clenched teeth. “What can we do when this is finished? How do we keep our young men from falling victim to the lust for spacer weapons?”
Donovan frowned. “Fear of technology gives us time.”
“We must train enough young people to defend ourselves,” Bryant gripped the hilt of his sword, “but Drako will never be the same.”
Donovan’s expression looked sad. “We must teach them history and pray they learn from our past.”
“We’d better uncover Fremont’s plan, or we’ll have nothing left to worry about.”
Donovan’s lips curled into a sly grin. “Let’s put Fremont into a situation that guarantees he’ll tell us everything.”
“How?”
Donovan said, “Don’t think of the color green.”
“What has green got to do with the problem?” Bryant grimaced. “Lord, I can’t get the color out of my brain.”
Donovan nodded. “Fremont has too much on his mind. He wants to capture the doctor, wants to get back to his ship, and he wants to take Jarrack along. We’ll give him what he wants and let him tell us the plot.”
“I’m confused.”
“Let’s hope I confuse Fremont as well.”
*****
Fremont felt excited as he left the prison cell in Havenshire. Finally Donovan agreed to let him return to the space ship and his final plan would be executed! He climbed into the shuttle with Jarrack, vibrating with triumph. “Their time for smugness is nearly over,” he growled.
Jarrack glanced at Fremont. “Don’t gloat. Donovan doesn’t lose easily.”
“Twenty years ago they humiliated me with their clever escape, but I was unprepared. This time, I’m the one who will laugh while Drako explodes.”
Jarrack glanced at the castle and noticed a lone figure in the window of the royal tower. It was Donovan. He slammed the shuttle door shut. Why should I care if this planet gets wiped out? I must get out of here! When I get back to civilization, the Institute will give me a young body. Maybe I can regain my real powers.
The pilot lifted off and banked the shuttle over the castle.
Why do I feel so apprehensive? Jarrack wondered. As they left Havenshire the feeling faded. Jarrack realized his empathic senses picked up Donovan’s worries. If Donovan’s afraid, then Fremont might win. I can’t wait to get out of here. Maybe this blasted empathy will disappear in space, just like it fades when I leave the castle. I’m going to be my old self soon.
*****
Krystal wiped sweat from her forehead with a greasy hand. She held out a blast node and said, “One of these contains enough explosive to destroy this room.”
Dr. Alexander’s long fingers twitched. “How does it detonate?”
The calm question startled Krystal. Her nerves felt frayed with tension and she wondered how the doctor could remain unruffled.
“They can be electronically triggered from a distance.”
“Fremont can destroy us from space? I’ll send a dragon to Donovan with the news.” Dr. Alexander rose from his chair. “Begin removing those things.”
Krystal clenched her fist. “We can’t possibly find them all without knowing where to look.”
The doctor’s cool gaze didn’t waiver. “Nothing can be accomplished until you start. I’m not ready to give in just yet.”
“Yes, doctor.” She moved toward the half-assembled lab, fingering the screw driver in her utility belt. “Better ask Shariel to send up a swarm of her sharp-eyed youngsters. Their nimble fingers are perfect for this job.” She opened the access panels.
Shariel entered the lab with two of her brothers, Duncan and Stephen. They all watched Krystal extract the next explosive device from its hiding place and eagerly dove into the project. Shariel felt their excitement as they discovered more blast nodules, but she frowned when Brandon entered the lab.
It took half an hour for the young people to fill a sack. They asked Krystal what they’d do with the dangerous things. Krystal said, “Fly them into the desert and drop them into a deep hole. Find a place where no one will get hurt by the explosion.
Shariel grabbed the sack and left the room.
Brandon followed her outside. “What’s wrong? You’ve been giving me the evil eye since I got back from Asbohar.”
She shrugged. “You don’t care what I think of you! You’d rather court Tessa.”
Brandon stared at his feet. “Who told you? Did Jordan tell you about my dreadful behavior toward Tessa? He’s got it in for me.”
Shariel stared at him with penetrating eyes. “I don’t need to hear anything from Jordan. I see it in your mind. Tessa rebuffed you and you slunk back here like a wounded puppy.”
He scuffed his foot against the floor. “You worry about your dragons and how to build an air force with your brothers and sisters. I can’t speak to the dragons, so I don’t fit in.”
Shariel studied his face and shook her head. “You’ve always felt like you belong. Your father is a lord and you’ll inherit one day, but Jarrack killed his sons. He formulated a plan to breed his daughters to gain more replacements. We had no value. After his defeat, we were feared by everyone we met. We have a chance to establish a place for ourselves, and we’ll grab it with both fists.”
Brandon nodded. “Where does that leave me? I’m falling in love with you, but I don’t fit in your plan.”
Shariel leaned against his shoulder. “I’d like to return to the sea cliffs when this is finished. It’s part of your father’s fief. We might build a dragon academy. You said you wanted to develop flashing lights for your ships and communicate with dragons at sea.”
Brandon grinned. “We could work on the project together and impress my father. He’d be excited to have dragons help his ships. It’s an exciting idea.”
“If you love me, you must never flirt with other girls!”
He kissed her trembling lips. “I promise I’ll never flirt again. But you must let me court you properly, attend dances at Havenshire, and ride dragons together. We can take a picnic along so we don’t need to eat husker.”
“That sounds good to me. Take it slow so I learn to trust you, Brandon.”
“I don’t care how long it takes—I’ll earn your trust.” He stroked her cheek and gazed into her dark eyes. “You have little flecks of brown around your pupils! They look enchanting.”
“Want to go drop this package into a deep hole? I’ll ride Dazzle and you ride Blaze.”
He said, “I’d go anywhere with you.”
*****
Trenton’s fingers curled over an explosive device inside a helmet. “I found one!” he shouted. “Maggie, feel inside the lining next to the seal. It’s small but deadly.” He examined the blast node and wiped sweat from his forehead. He remembered using a few of these to blast a hole in the side of a ship once and he didn’t want to imagine…He glanced at Maggie with a worried expression.
“I’ve got one!” Maggie confirmed and carefully placed the node into a bag. She looked up and smiled at Trenton’s crinkled fo
rehead. She turned back to the job without concern.
“And I found one.” Lance echoed, holding out another nodule in his long fingers.
Trenton grimaced. “Fremont’s a clever bastard! I’d bet the men got orders to hide near the reactor if we didn’t discover them. Either way, we’d be blown to bits. Those poor men never knew they were marked for death.”
“Could the plasteel explode?” Maggie frowned and glanced toward the freshly poured security walls.
Trenton considered the idea. “No, you mixed the raw ingredients but check the barrels for explosives!”
Maggie ran into the hallway barking orders to the priests. A line of workers followed her plump figure as she headed for the storage chamber where the barrels were stacked in neat rows.
“How can we find them all?” Lance stood and stretched, towering over Trenton.
Trenton smiled at the healer and wondered if Tessa was really falling for the big guy. She could do worse but he felt especially protective of the girl he raised. “Donovan’s got a plan to glean specific information from Fremont.”
Lance raised an eyebrow. “How?”
“They decided to let Fremont leave the planet. He’ll stop at the spaceport to fetch a load of treated crystals but Donovan plans an interesting diversion.”
Marasuta entered. “Our transportation’s ready.”
“See? Things are already happening.” Trenton winked at Lance and moved to follow the Samurai. “Help Maggie find those blast nodes while Marasuta and I go trap a weasel. Make sure Maggie’s safe and bury those explosives in the desert.”
*****
A flock of dragons gathered along the ridge above the spaceport and watched the shuttle land. Their riders stared in fear, but the dragons thrummed with excitement. They craned their long necks and tilted their heads to gawk at the silver bird sitting on the ground.
