Free Dragonback 02 Dragon and Soldier by Timothy Zahn Page B

you all the access codes you'll need to work our
systems," Basht added. "By the time you're done, each of you will be a
fully qualified Whinyard's Edge systems operator."
    "I presume none of you objects to a change in specialties?" Elkor
said, lifting his eyebrows. "If you do, say so now. Plenty of other
recruits marching back and forth out there for us to choose from."
    The implications were obvious: stay here and do inside work, or go
back outside and sweat. There was another silence from the group, this
one a lot more positive than the last. "Good," Elkor said briskly. "The
six of you are now designated as Technical Squad Tango Five Zulu. Carry
on, Lieutenant."
    He strode from the room. "All right," Basht said, gesturing toward
the computer stations. "Everyone pick a station, and let's get started."

    They took a short break for lunch, and an even shorter one for
dinner. Throughout the day the noise outside rose and fell as the rest
of the recruits were drilled and exercised, then taken away for more
target practice, then brought back for more drills and exercise.
    The noise inside the room, consisting mostly of Basht's steady
drone of information, seemed to go on forever.
    The sky was already darkening when they were finally turned loose.
"I guess that's what they mean by information overload," Jack commented
to Draycos as he trudged alone toward the barracks. "My head is so full
it hurts."
    "Perhaps the next two days will be easier," Draycos suggested from
his shoulder. "You seem to have been given most of the necessary
information."
    "Yeah, but the next thing will be drilling us in how to use it,"
Jack pointed out. "That's always a lot harder than just memorizing
facts and figures."
    He glanced down at the dragon's head, just visible beneath his
collar opening. "Speaking of facts and figures, thanks for bailing me
out when Basht started lobbing pan-fried rocks into our laps. I'm
amazed you even bothered reading all that stuff, let alone memorized
it."
    "I am a poet-warrior of the K'da," Draycos reminded him. "The
gathering of military information is part of my profession."
    "Yeah, maybe," Jack said suspiciously. "Let me guess: you made up
a little song about the Edge's expeditions. Right?"
    There was a short pause, and then the dragon's voice rose in
gentle melody from beneath his shirt. "On Eagles' Rock two hundred
strong, where humans fight a Trin-trang throng," the dragon sang.
"Eight hundred fight at Sunright here: Agri and seven friend Shamshir."
    Jack rolled his eyes. "Words fail me."
    "Thank you," Draycos said dryly. "There are thirty more verses if
you would care to hear them."
    "Some other time."
    They walked in silence a few more steps. "I trust you realize,"
Draycos said at last, "that this is a trap."
    "Oh, I know," Jack assured him. "Let's hear your take on it."
    "They know that someone tried to break into their system last
night," the dragon said. "They suspect it was you, but are not certain.
They therefore offer you the chance to learn their access codes, in the
hope that you will try again tonight."
    "Not bad," Jack said. "You're getting better at this sneaky stuff."
    "I will take that as a compliment," Draycos said gravely. "Thank
you."
    "You're welcome," Jack said. "Only one thing. Unless they also
think I'm dumber than dirt soup, they know I won't try another midnight
stroll. Not with them alerted like this."
    "What then do they expect?"
    "I figure there are two possibilities," Jack said. "One, that I'll
go straight off the chutzpah meter and try to break into the records
while Basht is standing right there teaching me how to do it."
    "What is a chutzpah meter?"
    "Chutzpah is sheer, blatant nerve," Jack growled. Having to stop
every third sentence to explain something was starting to get really
old. The minute they were back on the Essenay , he promised
himself, he was going to sit the dragon in front of a dictionary and
not let him get up until he'd memorized it. "The classic definition is
a kid on