“What?” Blazer said. “We helped. We carried scrap metal out of the dragon’s lair for him.”
“I believe he was also going to ask Bhrava Saruth for help,” Rysha said. “He was thinking of doing it out at the dragon’s temple since no other dragons go out there, so it would be easy to make it a secret project. Perhaps Shulina Arya’s parents would consider helping too. They seem to like science and engineering. Also, they might not require Trip to worship them in exchange for their assistance.”
Angulus blinked slowly, though nobody in the room truly appeared surprised by the comment.
They would certainly not do such a thing, Shulina Arya said. Believing yourself a god is the sign of a delusional mind. All sane dragons know this.
“I’d like to learn more about this project,” Angulus said, “and would approve it going forward if it looks as promising as you’ve made it out to be.”
“Excellent, Sire.” Zirkander snapped his fingers. “We’ll just have to get the project leader out of jail, and we can get started right away.”
Angulus gave him a flat look, but Blazer and Kaika both nodded. Even though Rysha wasn’t sure Zirkander was the best advocate—Angulus didn’t seem to adore him as much as the newspapers did—it did please her that Trip had this many people fighting for him.
“The impartiality problem we discussed still exists,” Angulus said. “You have my word that I won’t let anyone rule in favor of hanging him—not that we truly have the power to harm him, regardless—but I need it to appear that I’m not dismissing Lord Lockvale out of hand. His father may have been a drunk and a gambler, but his grandfather was one of my grandfather’s right-hand men and instrumental in keeping the peace with the Cofah in their time.”
“Can’t Trip be punished somewhere besides a jail cell in the fort?” Zirkander asked. “Oh, I know. What better punishment for a man than being forced to serve the delusional dragon who thinks he’s a god out at his temple?”
“I approve of that idea,” Kaika said.
“I like it too,” Rysha said.
Angulus still wore that flat look. Rysha couldn’t imagine Kaika falling for a man without a sense of humor, so she decided to assume that Angulus had one but that it disappeared when Zirkander walked in the room.
“Stay,” Angulus said, then walked past Zirkander and Rysha and out the office door.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke; they only looked at each other in puzzlement. Kaika didn’t seem to have any insight into where Angulus was going.
Then Shulina Arya groaned into Rysha’s mind. I will not stay.
She turned into a parrot, used her magic to open the window, and flew outside.
Rysha gaped after her. Shulina Arya?
I will return when he is done handling his bars.
“What just happened?” Major Blazer asked.
“I don’t know,” Rysha said. “I—”
Angulus walked back in, carrying an iron case. He thunked it down onto his desk, opened the lid, and stepped back so they could see inside. A plain-looking iron bar rested inside.
Rysha guessed what it was immediately, though nobody in the room would be able to sense it the way Trip did. And the way Shulina Arya had.
“You had the sudden urge to fetch a paperweight, Sire?” Zirkander asked.
“Zirkander.” Angulus sighed. “When was the last time someone told you it’s a good thing that you’re so competent at flying and shooting things because your mouth would have gotten you kicked out of the army years ago, otherwise?”
“Yesterday, Sire.”
“Consider it said today, as well.”
“Yes, Sire.”
“As soon as I got Major Blazer’s report back with information about that quarry, I had Colonel Anchor from Cougar Squadron send a team over to retrieve some of the ore. I debated on whether I needed to open trade negotiations with Rakgorath’s leaders, but as far as our intel department believes, nobody claims that part of the continent, and it was easier not to have to deal with the various city-states. The pilots took a few miners along, and they extracted the ore without incident. I have ten bars like this in an iron vault, and we can get more if necessary. My intent was to save them and perhaps see if Sardelle or Captain Trip could figure out how to make more of the chapaharii swords, but I have to admit, this talk of a weapons platform appeals far more to my modern mind than pigstickers. Or dragon stickers.”
“So Trip can start working on the structure?” Zirkander asked.
Angulus narrowed his eyes. “I want to see his blueprints first and have one of my engineers look over them. If this weapons platform seems feasible, he can get to work. We’ll work on the cover story. I’m not sure worshipping a dragon sounds enough like punishment. The newspapers better report that he’s out there under guard and scrubbing latrines with a toothbrush.”
“Do dragon temples have latrines?” Kaika asked.
“Two up front, one in the back,” Zirkander said, “for the comfort of his worshippers that travel to seek out his blessings.”
“And you know this, why?”
“I helped with the initial construction, remember.”
“I thought you just finagled the land for it from Angulus.”
“If only it had ended there.” Zirkander pointed toward the door. “Can I go get him out now, Sire? Assuming I arrive with a toothbrush in hand?”
“Yes, and don’t forget to bring the blueprints.” Angulus closed the lid on the box.
“I better go find Shulina Arya,” Rysha said. “Uhm, may I be dismissed, Sire?”
She felt odd asking for his permission to leave since she’d barged in without any permission, but that was expected.
He grunted and waved at the door.
“Actually, wait a minute, will you, Lieutenant?” Kaika crooked a finger and nodded toward the suite behind the office.
Angulus looked up. Kaika made a shooing motion at him, as if to indicate he should follow Zirkander and Blazer out.
“I’m being kicked out of my own suite?” Angulus asked.
“Just for a little while. We need to talk about woman stuff.”
Angulus mouthed the words but did not repeat them aloud.
Rysha paused before obeying Kaika’s wriggling fingers to make sure this would be allowed. Even though Kaika was her superior officer, Angulus was her superior… everything.
“Fine,” he said, heading for the door. “I’ll see if the math has been corrected yet or if my noon appointment simply fled in shame.”
19
A door clanged, the noise piercing Trip’s groggy consciousness. After he’d finished his sketches, the lack of sleep during the night had caught up with him, and he’d lain down to rest on the floor.
He sensed General Zirkander and Major Blazer as they arrived in front of his cell, and he lifted his head. Had they come to extricate him? Or just to visit? The smoke from one of Blazer’s cigars tickled his nose. Neither officer seemed stressed or concerned, so Trip took that as a good sign.
He pushed himself to his feet to salute. Then he wiped his chin, hoping he hadn’t been drooling.