The Dragons
Chapter Twelve
Melly, Colin and Reno had made copies of everything they thought might be the least bit of interest from the library. Anja had found Dinah detailed drawings of the flowers and had gotten her samples of the dragons' blood tea. They'd wished Samma and her monks well, Snow had said a fond farewell to his Mum, and they'd headed toward the Rim for a meeting of the Barons.
Marc was less than happy about letting Dinah get within more than 10 parsecs of any Baron, friendly or otherwise, but short of tying her up and keeping her prisoner aboard Aaru (not that he hadn't given that serious consideration) they were going to have to face the Barons eventually. But that the meeting, since they'd blown up Sutta, was now scheduled for Baron Bhanderad's home world, didn't make Marc much happier.
Meanwhile, Lev was getting his first look at the Rim and practicing dragon tactics with Kalie and the rest of the dragons. He often spent hours with the dragons, talking about their games and their moves, and the rest of the time he spent with Ingev or Natha picking their brains about the Rim, the Barons, the Guild, and whatever else he could think to ask about the Rim.
Their first stop, Ingev told Lev, would be at the Red Limit Bar on Pensa where they'd meet up with McGee and Zaf aboard Ther'lin.
Natha looked over from where she was monitoring the comms and grinned at Lev. "If you like trouble, you'll like the Red Limit."
"I'm not particularly drawn to trouble, but it does seem to find me," Lev replied with a sigh. "I gather the Red Limit is where everyone who wants to make a statement shows up?"
"Well, mostly it's where everyone shows up so it's a good place to pick up both news and gossip," Natha said. "Plus the booze is safe and the management pays enough graft so no one gets hassled."
"Ah, I see. And the Guild Traders hang out there, I believe Ingev said."
"And the spies for the Syndicate and the Barons. Anyone having business they want to handle quietly, though I'll never get that one. Or planned accidental meetings. Think Casablanca and Rick's Place in space, complete with piano player."
"Ah, thanks for that visual," Lev replied. "Marc's looking a bit ... tense these days. I guess he's expecting trouble. I don't suppose he can talk Dinah into staying aboard."
Natha just laughed and turned back to the board.
"Well, I feel bad for Anja. Having done the whole body guard thing for a nervous male watching over his not so careful mate... " he shook his head. "One more reason to stay unattached."
"You mean Ian and Betty Jo?" Natha asked.
"Yeah. I was hired as her bodyguard. Thankless task. Not that she isn't a sweet lady, it's just that he's a bit like Marc."
"Well," Natha said. "Don't speak too soon. I'm expecting Marc to add to Dinah's detail."
"I'm doing dragon tactics duty," Lev replied a bit smugly.
"Were," Marc's voice said from behind them. "You're on Dinah guard duty on Pensa," he added with a grin. "Don't worry, you'll love it Trust me."
Natha stifled a laugh and focused hard on the board.
Lev frowned.
"Oh, come on. You know you want to see your first planet here on the Rim. You'll get to throw a couple of punches no doubt too. And with luck Paxx Palandjian will be on planet, or even maybe the Darroch troublesome twins."
"I suppose I should look upon this as an educational experience?" Lev suggested.
"Exactly!" Marc agreed, grinning as Dinah walked onto the bridge to join them.
"What will be educational?" Dinah asked.
"Lev's first visit to the Red Limit. A chance to widen his horizons and rub shoulders with the hoi polloi," Marc explained.
Suspicion lit Dinah's green eyes. "Oh," she said, her voice flat.
"Don't use that tone with me," Marc shot back.
"Really?" she said, folding her arms across her chest. "What tone should I use?"
"The tone where you understand that your ass is wanted across the length and breadth of the Rim and that you understand that you are not impervious to bullets and other lethal means of assassination," Marc replied.
"Are they always like this?" Lev asked Natha.
She nodded.
"There are non lethal means of assassination?"
"Oh do hush," Marc replied. "You are going down to Pensa with a phalanx of security or you are not going down at all."
"Who died and left you God?"
"I killed God myself, and stop changing the subject. I'm just increasing our security a bit. After all, the Barons and the Syndicate do have a reason or two to be a bit miffed at you.
"Then why don't you just talk to me about it instead of telling me what to do like it's your decision, and only yours, and all I have to do in this life is follow, panting with delight at being threatened, in your wake?"
Marc rolled his eyes. "Darling, would you mind terribly if I tripled your security in light of the high likelihood of an attempted assassination of you?"
"Jack ass!" she said and socked him in the jaw.
Marc rubbed his jaw. "I thought you were trying to give that up?"
Lev was dying trying not to laugh. Natha had her back firmly turned on the pair.
"That was before you started behaving like an idiot," she said.
"Reno's gonna so be so mad," Natha whispered to Lev.
"Why's that?" Lev whispered back.
"His pool on them," she said. "He figured the fight wouldn't happen until after the Red Limit."
Lev snorted.
"What was that?" Marc asked Natha. "You've got a comment too? Rotten bossy men, I expect."
"I won, Reno lost," Natha said, unperturbed. "Thanks."
"Hrumph," Marc replied and stomped off the bridge.
Dinah grinned and followed him. Natha watched her go. "It was overdue," she said.
"Ah. I'll take your word for it," Lev replied, watching Dinah leave.
Natha laughed. "She's easier to guard than that makes it seem."
"Oh yeah? How so?" Lev asked.
Natha looked at him. "She does it for him," she said. "She's not mad he wants more security. She's mad he didn't discuss it with her. Plus she never takes it out on Anja when he does this."
"Ah, well, that's heartening," Lev replied. "I guess I better check in with Anja and see how we plan to try to keep her alive for him."
Marc was less than happy about letting Dinah get within more than 10 parsecs of any Baron, friendly or otherwise, but short of tying her up and keeping her prisoner aboard Aaru (not that he hadn't given that serious consideration) they were going to have to face the Barons eventually. But that the meeting, since they'd blown up Sutta, was now scheduled for Baron Bhanderad's home world, didn't make Marc much happier.
Meanwhile, Lev was getting his first look at the Rim and practicing dragon tactics with Kalie and the rest of the dragons. He often spent hours with the dragons, talking about their games and their moves, and the rest of the time he spent with Ingev or Natha picking their brains about the Rim, the Barons, the Guild, and whatever else he could think to ask about the Rim.
Their first stop, Ingev told Lev, would be at the Red Limit Bar on Pensa where they'd meet up with McGee and Zaf aboard Ther'lin.
Natha looked over from where she was monitoring the comms and grinned at Lev. "If you like trouble, you'll like the Red Limit."
"I'm not particularly drawn to trouble, but it does seem to find me," Lev replied with a sigh. "I gather the Red Limit is where everyone who wants to make a statement shows up?"
"Well, mostly it's where everyone shows up so it's a good place to pick up both news and gossip," Natha said. "Plus the booze is safe and the management pays enough graft so no one gets hassled."
"Ah, I see. And the Guild Traders hang out there, I believe Ingev said."
"And the spies for the Syndicate and the Barons. Anyone having business they want to handle quietly, though I'll never get that one. Or planned accidental meetings. Think Casablanca and Rick's Place in space, complete with piano player."
"Ah, thanks for that visual," Lev replied. "Marc's looking a bit ... tense these days. I guess he's expecting trouble. I don't suppose he can talk Dinah into staying aboard."
Natha just laughed and turned back to the board.
"Well, I feel bad for Anja. Having done the whole body guard thing for a nervous male watching over his not so careful mate... " he shook his head. "One more reason to stay unattached."
"You mean Ian and Betty Jo?" Natha asked.
"Yeah. I was hired as her bodyguard. Thankless task. Not that she isn't a sweet lady, it's just that he's a bit like Marc."
"Well," Natha said. "Don't speak too soon. I'm expecting Marc to add to Dinah's detail."
"I'm doing dragon tactics duty," Lev replied a bit smugly.
"Were," Marc's voice said from behind them. "You're on Dinah guard duty on Pensa," he added with a grin. "Don't worry, you'll love it Trust me."
Natha stifled a laugh and focused hard on the board.
Lev frowned.
"Oh, come on. You know you want to see your first planet here on the Rim. You'll get to throw a couple of punches no doubt too. And with luck Paxx Palandjian will be on planet, or even maybe the Darroch troublesome twins."
"I suppose I should look upon this as an educational experience?" Lev suggested.
"Exactly!" Marc agreed, grinning as Dinah walked onto the bridge to join them.
"What will be educational?" Dinah asked.
"Lev's first visit to the Red Limit. A chance to widen his horizons and rub shoulders with the hoi polloi," Marc explained.
Suspicion lit Dinah's green eyes. "Oh," she said, her voice flat.
"Don't use that tone with me," Marc shot back.
"Really?" she said, folding her arms across her chest. "What tone should I use?"
"The tone where you understand that your ass is wanted across the length and breadth of the Rim and that you understand that you are not impervious to bullets and other lethal means of assassination," Marc replied.
"Are they always like this?" Lev asked Natha.
She nodded.
"There are non lethal means of assassination?"
"Oh do hush," Marc replied. "You are going down to Pensa with a phalanx of security or you are not going down at all."
"Who died and left you God?"
"I killed God myself, and stop changing the subject. I'm just increasing our security a bit. After all, the Barons and the Syndicate do have a reason or two to be a bit miffed at you.
"Then why don't you just talk to me about it instead of telling me what to do like it's your decision, and only yours, and all I have to do in this life is follow, panting with delight at being threatened, in your wake?"
Marc rolled his eyes. "Darling, would you mind terribly if I tripled your security in light of the high likelihood of an attempted assassination of you?"
"Jack ass!" she said and socked him in the jaw.
Marc rubbed his jaw. "I thought you were trying to give that up?"
Lev was dying trying not to laugh. Natha had her back firmly turned on the pair.
"That was before you started behaving like an idiot," she said.
"Reno's gonna so be so mad," Natha whispered to Lev.
"Why's that?" Lev whispered back.
"His pool on them," she said. "He figured the fight wouldn't happen until after the Red Limit."
Lev snorted.
"What was that?" Marc asked Natha. "You've got a comment too? Rotten bossy men, I expect."
"I won, Reno lost," Natha said, unperturbed. "Thanks."
"Hrumph," Marc replied and stomped off the bridge.
Dinah grinned and followed him. Natha watched her go. "It was overdue," she said.
"Ah. I'll take your word for it," Lev replied, watching Dinah leave.
Natha laughed. "She's easier to guard than that makes it seem."
"Oh yeah? How so?" Lev asked.
Natha looked at him. "She does it for him," she said. "She's not mad he wants more security. She's mad he didn't discuss it with her. Plus she never takes it out on Anja when he does this."
"Ah, well, that's heartening," Lev replied. "I guess I better check in with Anja and see how we plan to try to keep her alive for him."
