least she hoped so, Akki then turned away again, to stare straight ahead at the long road. Often wild east winds swept across the road, burying parts of it in sand. But there'd been winds from the north recently, and so the raised paving was clear. She hoped that was a good omen for the rest of the trip.
11
THEY RODE for quite some time in silence and Akki was glad of it. Glancing out her window, she glimpsed the Narrakka River, dark and swift and threatening. Toward the north were the brooding mountains. She shivered just looking at them.
Half an hour later they passed the convict city of Krakkow, on the one rim road around it. Soon they'd be heading through the heart of the desert toward The Rokk. Her excitement communicated to the little dragon curled against her, and it thrummed loudly.
"What's that noise?" demanded Boomer.
"Nothing worrying," she replied. "Just the hatchling."
"I don't trust them lizards," he repeated, his lips pushed out, which made his face strangely alien.
Neither spoke much for the rest of the trip, which was just fine with her.
The road between Krakkow and The Rokk had a numbing sameness to it. On both sides, the desert was a light-colored sandscape, hardly relieved by any greenery. It could have been soporific, but Akki was too keyed up to nap along the way. Besides, she didn't trust Boomer. He might stop at one of the roadside houses, pleading tiredness, then make her get inside. He might try to take the hatchling away. Or hurt it somehow. He might ... she couldn't begin to imagine all of the things Boomer might be capable of doing if she didn't stay awake.
Boomer. What a stupid, troglike name.
She shifted uneasily on the seat, resettling the hatchling next to her, curling her arm around its back, enjoying its dozy thrum. She sent it a gold-colored chuckle that looked a great deal like reeds waving in a soft wind.
"Comfy, girl?" Boomer asked, scratching up under his bandana.
"Mmmm."
"You can nod off if you want."
"No thanks." Her answer didn't encourage any more questions, and for a long time he didn't ask any.
All the way, in fact, to The Rokk.
***
WHEN THEY CAME at last to the outskirts of the city, Akki sat up straight. As always, the sight of the great walls struck her with awe. In her heart. Or her stomach. She wasn't sure which.
Stone towers, like dragon wings, stretched out on either side of the main structure. Her usual response to spotting The Rokk had been to laugh. This time she just sighed.
"Quite a thing," Boomer ventured. "Never seen it afore, I bet."
She turned and said sharply, "Oh, I've seen it often enough. Even worked here for a while."
He nodded, as if understanding. "Bag girl!"
"
Not.
" Her voice held contempt that she hadn't meant. After all, her own mother had been a bag girl. Had died in a baggerie. And Kkarina, too, had started in a baggerie before turning to cooking. Being a bag girl was an honest profession. She rephrased and softened her answer. "Not a bag girl. A student doctor."
Boomer laughed. "Of course." He obviously didn't believe it. "And that's a waste."
Now that they were in sight of the city, Akki suddenly felt a need to set him straight. If he threw her out here, she could walkâeven carrying both the satchel and the hatchlingâand be there inside of an hour.
"
Of course,
you pig. Nothing wasted about me. I was an apprentice doctor and working with one of the finest research doctors on the planet. Her name is Dr. Henkky. Maybe you've heard of her?"
He shrugged noncommittally.
Akki continued. "I'm not one of your pretty girls, Boomer whatever-your-real-name-is. And my father, Master Sarkkhan, owned the nursery where you picked me up."
So much for remaining anonymous.
Immediately she regretted having said anything at all. He could sell that information, could pass it on to ... to ... She had no idea who might want to know, but suddenly sure she should have remained nameless. In his own way, Golden had told them both that
11
THEY RODE for quite some time in silence and Akki was glad of it. Glancing out her window, she glimpsed the Narrakka River, dark and swift and threatening. Toward the north were the brooding mountains. She shivered just looking at them.
Half an hour later they passed the convict city of Krakkow, on the one rim road around it. Soon they'd be heading through the heart of the desert toward The Rokk. Her excitement communicated to the little dragon curled against her, and it thrummed loudly.
"What's that noise?" demanded Boomer.
"Nothing worrying," she replied. "Just the hatchling."
"I don't trust them lizards," he repeated, his lips pushed out, which made his face strangely alien.
Neither spoke much for the rest of the trip, which was just fine with her.
The road between Krakkow and The Rokk had a numbing sameness to it. On both sides, the desert was a light-colored sandscape, hardly relieved by any greenery. It could have been soporific, but Akki was too keyed up to nap along the way. Besides, she didn't trust Boomer. He might stop at one of the roadside houses, pleading tiredness, then make her get inside. He might try to take the hatchling away. Or hurt it somehow. He might ... she couldn't begin to imagine all of the things Boomer might be capable of doing if she didn't stay awake.
Boomer. What a stupid, troglike name.
She shifted uneasily on the seat, resettling the hatchling next to her, curling her arm around its back, enjoying its dozy thrum. She sent it a gold-colored chuckle that looked a great deal like reeds waving in a soft wind.
"Comfy, girl?" Boomer asked, scratching up under his bandana.
"Mmmm."
"You can nod off if you want."
"No thanks." Her answer didn't encourage any more questions, and for a long time he didn't ask any.
All the way, in fact, to The Rokk.
***
WHEN THEY CAME at last to the outskirts of the city, Akki sat up straight. As always, the sight of the great walls struck her with awe. In her heart. Or her stomach. She wasn't sure which.
Stone towers, like dragon wings, stretched out on either side of the main structure. Her usual response to spotting The Rokk had been to laugh. This time she just sighed.
"Quite a thing," Boomer ventured. "Never seen it afore, I bet."
She turned and said sharply, "Oh, I've seen it often enough. Even worked here for a while."
He nodded, as if understanding. "Bag girl!"
"
Not.
" Her voice held contempt that she hadn't meant. After all, her own mother had been a bag girl. Had died in a baggerie. And Kkarina, too, had started in a baggerie before turning to cooking. Being a bag girl was an honest profession. She rephrased and softened her answer. "Not a bag girl. A student doctor."
Boomer laughed. "Of course." He obviously didn't believe it. "And that's a waste."
Now that they were in sight of the city, Akki suddenly felt a need to set him straight. If he threw her out here, she could walkâeven carrying both the satchel and the hatchlingâand be there inside of an hour.
"
Of course,
you pig. Nothing wasted about me. I was an apprentice doctor and working with one of the finest research doctors on the planet. Her name is Dr. Henkky. Maybe you've heard of her?"
He shrugged noncommittally.
Akki continued. "I'm not one of your pretty girls, Boomer whatever-your-real-name-is. And my father, Master Sarkkhan, owned the nursery where you picked me up."
So much for remaining anonymous.
Immediately she regretted having said anything at all. He could sell that information, could pass it on to ... to ... She had no idea who might want to know, but suddenly sure she should have remained nameless. In his own way, Golden had told them both that
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