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supposed to soothe. But really, nothing could soothe her except finding a way
to go, a way to answer the ifflings' plea. And she knew that At had no way to
give her what she needed.
Back in her room, Jael flicked on the bolo projector. "Ed!"
At boomed. "How are you, my feathery friend?"
"Scrawwwww!" The bird flashed his colors and took to wing from the stondai
tree. He batted about the room in jubilation before circling to land on At's
shoulder. "Back!
Rawk! Back-you're back! Scrawww!"
"I am indeed back, and I missed you. I trust you've been keeping
Jael good company," At said, making a tickling gesture under the parrot's
holographic chin.
"Yep, yep. Good company." Ed sat back and cocked his head about the room.
He gazed at Jael and then at At. "She tell you? Awki She tell you?
Graggon-things here! Haww!"
At gave him a crinkly smile, his eyes glowing purple at the parrot.
"You mean the ifflings?"
"Ifftings, ifftings-haww! That what they were?"
"Apparently so. I guess she told you about them?"
"Rawwk! Ed saw. Ed saw! Strange things, awk@alking.
Woke Ed up! Scary-hraww! Scared jayl, scared Ed!" The bird fluttered his
wings.
At cocked his head to peer at the bird. "You saw it, too, Ed?
Are you sure?"
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"Hawwwwk! Ed sure, all right! Scared Ed!" The parrot launched himself from
At's shoulder and whirred about the room before landing on
At's knee.
Jael looked at At with a wry smile. She remembered a time, a couple of years
ago, when At had doubted her story of dragons in the Flux.
"Did you think maybe this was another figment of my imagination?
Like Highwing?"
His silver-blue face darkened slightly. "I did not doubt you, Jael.
But it is helpful to have confirmation. It could make our needs more
... credible ... if we seek . . ." He paused to grope for words.
"Well. It will not be easy for us to get back there, will it?
But it seems we must try."
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Jael drew a sharp breath. Until now, At hadn't come right out and said that
he wanted to return with her. Her pulse raced, and she gazed at him with
gratitude. They were no closer to having a ship, perhaps, but it felt to her
as if the gulf between her and the dragon realm had just closed a little.
Maybe, just maybe she would sleep tonight without her dreams of anxiety, and
with hope in her heart.
This fight jarvorus did not start. He was content to watch and wait as the
two ifflings bobbed in the distance, whispering their irritating
encouragements to the human. It was his fellow warrior who took the
initiative stupidly, blindly hoping to destroy the ifflings in a display of
boldness and strength.
Erupting with anger, the ifflings pounced back upon jarvorus'
companion. jarvorus watched in dismay, holding back for the sake of the
mission, as the warrior was annihilated . He regretted losing his companion.
But the important thing, more important than aiding his fellow, was to remain
vigilant for a chance to lead the human astray.
It did not matter if the ifflings lived or died, only that their purpose be
thwarted.
His fellow had destroyed one of the ifflings before being consumed in the fire
himself. Jarvorus briefly considered striking now, while the last iffling was
weakened. But what he saw emerging from the fire was not a weakened foe, but
a blazing and indignant foe.
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jarvorus silently thanked his late fellow for his foolishness and bravery; but
he, Jarvorus, would wait. Only he, now, could see to it that his mission was
fulfilled.
By the next afternoon, they had been over every avenue they could think of to
acquire a ship-from applying for grants from the rigger-space research [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]