| "Yeah, it isn't like they could understand us, even if they bothered
to try." Loam grimaces, touching his muzzle. "It isn't like we can speak
our native tongues any more. We can communicate with each other well enough,
and whatever Minestus did to us seems to have hardwired this . . . . language
of whips and barks. Versatile enough for anything I've ever seen, but .
. . ."
"Humans don't speak 'werefolk,'" Alicia says sadly. "And we need to
establish ourselves as a friendly and helpful force, and not a band of
rampaging monsters."
"At the core of it, WE need a base of operations," Fred says. "And worse
come to worse, a place to set up a home where we can be free and live our
lives the way we WANT to live it."
"At least we are doing something more than that fool Carradene!" laughs
Alicia. "We're in the 'Hands of Fate' indeed! I'm glad that he resigned
his post last night!"
"Uh, guys, there's one other thing that you should know." Loam says.
"Carradene isn't the washed up fool he comes across as."
"I know," Fred mutters. "He's a guy who gets power any way he can!"
Fred stops when he sees Loam hold up his hand and shake his head.
"It isn't quiet like that." Loam says. "Look, it looks like he's a quisling
and all with Moreau, but he really was playing a deeper game than that!
He's been trying for the last few decades to get us all off this island.
But . . . . if he moved too fast or too boldly . . . . . he'd be killed
by either Moreau or Minestus."
"So . . . . how was he going to accomplish this?" Alicia asks, not quiet
believing what she's hearing. Fred would love to know what's up, also.
"What he has been doing is admittedly . . . . or was admittedly a long
shot at best," Loam says. "He had contacted an old associate from his early
days as a magic user . . . . one he did several magical research projects
with . . . . He contacted a rogue dragon who hates Minestus with a passion.
The dragon Malachi.
"Anyway, Malachi was SUPPOSED to contact us today," Loam finishes up.
"But with the coming of these golems, I don't know if he's . . . . ."
"She." Fred says out of the blue. "Malachi is female. One thing that
a dragon WANTS you to know about him, at the VERY least . . . . if it is
inclined to talk with you, is what sex it is . . . . . has something to
do with their personality."
"Why would . . . Carradene lie to me about the lizard's sex?!" Laom
asks, perplexed.
"Probably cover," Alicia reasons aloud. "Moreau was sharp on many things,
but dragons are odd beasts--their logic is our madness sometimes-- and
getting the sex of a dragon wrong while naming names . . . . can more than
likely make that an interrogating dragon think that what you tell is a
lie."
"Covering himself and his allies, if I was ever compromised . . . .I
can see and understand that." Loam says. "Well, anyway, what I think we
need to do is see Carradene, and see what he's been able to dig up from
Malachi, if anything."
So, the trio gets back to shore and a rushed exodus takes place.
|
