Free Dragonback 05 Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn Page B

caught me slipping some
food into my pocket from the serving platter and told me that wasn't
necessary, that they would supply whatever I wanted for breakfasts and
midnight snacking."
    "Very kind of him," Draycos said, changing direction back to the
door. "If you don't mind . . .?"
    "No, help yourself," Jack said. "I can't vouch for what kind of
meat it is, though."
    "There are many species of animals who live in deserts," Draycos
reminded him.
    "Maybe," Jack said doubtfully. "But in a farming area like this,
I'm guessing most of what they get is some sort of rodent."
    "Or fish."
    "Oh, right," Jack said, his voice brightening. "Yeah, that sounds
a lot better. Good. Go have some fish."
    The platter in the refrigerator was a welcome sight, piled high
with thin strips of dried and seasoned meat. Draycos ate his fill, not
actually caring what kind of creature it had come from.
    And when he was finished, he returned to the bedroom and told Jack
all about his unplanned trip to the city.
    Jack listened in silence until the K'da had finished. "What do you
think it means?" he asked.
    "I think it's fairly obvious," Draycos told him grimly. "Someone
out there doesn't want a Judge-Paladin visiting this canyon."
    "Or maybe they don't want him visiting the mining area you spotted
outside the canyon?" Jack suggested.
    "Possibly," Draycos said. "However, at this point the specifics
aren't important. There was no one outside as I came in, and the
shuttle's controls seem straightforward enough. We can be back at the
spaceport within an hour and—"
    "We're not leaving."
    Draycos broke off in midsentence. "What do you mean?" he asked
carefully.
    "Uncle Virgil told me my parents were killed by an explosion,"
Jack said, his voice going dark. "That made sense when I thought they
were miners. But I can only think of one situation where a
Judge-Paladin would die that way." In the darkness Draycos sensed the
boy brace himself. "I think they were murdered."
    Draycos twitched his tail in a grimace. He'd come to that same
conclusion the moment Jack had learned their true professions. "All the
more reason for us to leave."
    "All the more reason for us to stay," Jack countered.
"Judge-Paladins aren't just roaming benchwarmers, you know. They have
the authority to investigate and to even pass summary judgment in some
cases. I'm apparently a Judge-Paladin now. Let's investigate."
    Draycos sighed. "Jack, we don't even know what we're looking for,"
he said. "Not to mention the fact that all your detection and sensor
equipment is aboard the Essenay ."
    "That just means we'll have to make do with our eyes and your nose
and tongue," Jack said. "Hey, you're the one who told me that
K'da warriors had the right and the duty to pass judgment on murderers."
    "That was under K'da and Shontine law," Draycos reminded him. "At
any rate, my prime duty is to protect my host."
    "You will be," Jack assured him. "You'll be right here with me the
whole time. Look, Draycos, it'll be a week or two at least before
anyone can get here. Maybe even longer—that number your buddy called
was a Barcarole exchange, and that system's nearly all the way across
the Orion Arm."
    "Unless they choose to spend extra fuel to obtain extra speed."
    "Which assumes whoever it is even bothers to send anyone," Jack
went on doggedly. "It's been eleven years, after all. I doubt anyone
even cares anymore."
    Except you , the thought flicked through Draycos's mind. "We
should at least go back to the spaceport and try to contact Uncle
Virge," he urged. "Let him know what we're doing, and have him standing
by in case of trouble."
    For a long moment Jack was silent. "Actually, I don't think the Essenay 's
here anymore," he said at last.
    Draycos felt his neck arch. "That's impossible," he said. "Uncle
Virgil programmed the ship to stay with you and protect you."
    "Then where is it?" Jack demanded hotly. "Uncle Virge knew about
all this, remember? He should have been buzzing around overhead before
we even