Dragon's Heart by Jane Yolen Read Free Book Online Page B

penal colonies maintained by the Federation.
    "I think," he said, "that I have lots to learn about the last year."
    Slakk banged his fist on the long table. "Lots to learn!" he said in rhythm to the bangs. "Lots to learn!" And soon everyone at the table except Jakkin was banging away. The takk pot bounced up and down precariously. Kkarina stomped out of the kitchen, charging toward their table and brandishing a large wooden spoon.
    "Fair warning," she cried, slapping the spoon down on the table by Slakk's fist. "Next time it's your head, Master Slakk. And that fat bawbie will split open like an old mello." Mellos grew in the back kitchen glasshouse, yellow and round. If not picked in time, they cracked open and spilled out their bright red contents.
    Everyone in the room applauded and laughed and the game was over.
    "Some of the old rebels are even working in nurseries now." Arakk spoke quietly, looking down at his plate, which had been scraped clean as if he—and not Jakkin—had spent a year eating poorly. "The ones who are left on planet are to be considered
led astray
."
    Jakkin remembered the meeting with the rebel cell. None of them seemed to have been led astray. "Except for us, of course," he said under his breath. The real rebels had all appeared horribly committed to what they were doing, especially those angry acts of random—or not so random—violence. "Are there any here?"
    Just then, Kkitakk, a large, plain-faced man, sat down at the table, his plate piled with slabs of lizard meat. "Not here, boys. We won't have them rebels here." Jakkin recalled that Kkitakk had been Balakk's helper. Before. And hardly so large then. "Not since those lizard drools killed our Master that was, Sarkkhan."
    There was nodding agreement all around.
    Jakkin let out a huge sigh. "Then who are all the new faces?" Jakkin gestured with a hand that took in the entire dining room.
    Looking at his full plate, Kkitakk said, "Workers from other nurseries, dragon handlers who'd worked Rokk Major. Folk who had nowhere to go after the explosion."
    Jakkin nodded and filled his cup with some cooling tea. He said quietly, "So—
our
nursery took them in. That's good. It honors Master Sarkkhan's name. "
    "The odd thing is," Kkitakk added, "only a handful of nurseries are still open. Bond kept 'em together. Freedom's torn 'em apart."
    "More Errikkins around than we knew!" Slakk said.
    "What do you mean by that?" Jakkin asked.
    Slakk shrugged, but the girl with hair as red as a fighting dragon answered in his stead. "My nursery mates took a vote and most decided to go work in The Rokk. In groceries, feed stores, restaurants, bars. A couple joined the wardens. One took nurse training. 'No more fewmets' was what they all said. But I think they expected to work less now that they were out of bond. Hah! What slackers. 'Freedom takes
more
work, not less,' I told them. No one listened to me. But when our old master sold up and moved to his other home to live off his winnings, I came here, because it's the best nursery that's still running."
    "It's
always
been the best nursery!" Kkarina said curtly.
    "That, too," the girl agreed, "but as a
bonder
I couldn't very well choose
where
to work, could I? And now I can. Still, I'm a country girl and dragons is what I know. So, here I am!" She grinned after delivering this speech, and several of the men gave her a flat-hand salute to their chest, which she returned.
    "And Austar now embargoed for up to fifty years." Slakk said this with a satisfied look. "We should be well settled before then." He nodded at Jakkin, clearly expecting him to agree that such an exile was good for the planet.
    "But we'll all be as old as Likkarn then," Jakkin said, which made everyone laugh. Slakk slapped him on the back, hooting.
    Still standing over them, Kkarina nodded. "We
need
the Federation. We need their metals and supplies."
    "Nah, nah," Slakk said.
    Jakkin had a sudden memory of the trogs and how they worked