Mouse and Dragon by Sharon & Miller Lee & Sharon & Miller Lee

Author:Sharon & Miller Lee & Sharon & Miller Lee [Lee, Sharon & Miller, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baen Books

Chapter Nineteen

Those who enter Scout Academy emerge after rigorous training capable of treating equitably with societies unimaginably alien, some savage beyond belief.

Scouts are by definition courageous, brilliant, supremely adaptable and endlessly resourceful.

—Excerpted from "All About the Liaden Scouts"

They had flown after all like a Scout and a brand-new first class, and so missed the bonus. On-time delivery, however, was comfortably within their grasp when Aelliana entered the code provided by the client into the comm.

"Clan Persage, who is calling, please?" Though the phrase was recognizably the familiar challenge to an unknown caller, the words fell oddly on her ear.

Aelliana blinked and belatedly inclined her head to the round-faced young woman in the screen.

"I am Aelliana Caylon, pilot-owner of Ride the Luck. I have been engaged to deliver a package directly into the hands of Bre Din sig'Ranton Clan Persage."

The young woman hesitated, as if the accent of Chonselta was something exotic, and not readily decipherable. Then the moment passed, and she inclined her head.

"I am desolate to inform Pilot-Owner Caylon that Bre Din sig'Ranton is away from House." She tipped her head to one side, apparently debating with herself—and coming to a decision all at once.

"Bre Din plays music at the port, you know, Pilot. The place is called Bas Ibenez."

"I thank you," Aelliana said. "I will seek him there."

By the time they had exchanged the required parting formalities and Aelliana had closed the connection, Daav had located the listing for Bas Ibenez in the Avontai Port database and had sent the information to her screen.

"You are far too efficient," she told him, with a smile.

"Copilot's duty," he returned, as she scrolled down the listing.

"The club opens in the evening only," she murmured, with a glance at the board to check local time. Several hours, yet, until opening time.

"Still well within the client's necessity for delivery," he pointed out.

"True," she acknowledged, and sighed. "I suppose we might call and find if he's arrived early."

"Or," Daav murmured, "we might refresh ourselves, and rest, so that we do not come to the young gentleman in all of the disorder of travel." He met her eyes, his only slightly mischievous. "After all, he may have something to send in return."

Aelliana leaned back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. It was true that they had flown hard, pushing her limits, if not his, and more with her training in mind than the bonus . . . But, it had been the pure joyous rush of flying, even the considerable bits where "flying" was Jump and the screens showed nothing but grey—the joy of knowing that she was at last working her own ship, just as she said she would do—exactly as she had hoped to do, with Daav sitting his board at her right hand. Oh, it had been exhilarating, the lift to Avontai.

But it had not necessarily been conducive to either rest or sleep.

"There is something in what you say," she admitted. "Who would entrust anything precious to such

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