Burning Stone Read Free Page B

were pointed in the right direction and then leaving and using the spin of the orb to propel them into space.
    The move he used was one that required skill and many hours of flying.
    “You have been a pilot for a while?” It seemed a good start to their relationship. A nice easy question with no emotional ties.
    He gave her a sidelong glance. “All my life, it seems. I retired for a while but was available when Iskan called.”
    The familiarity that he used in the name made her curious. “You have known Halwis-Iskan for a while, Bohrvin?”
    “Years. I used to do supply runs in the area.” He smiled. “Call me Bohr.”
    “Bohr then. Call me Hara.” She grinned.
    He set the controls and received confirmation on location and direction from the computer before he got up and raised an eyebrow. “Cup of tea and a mission briefing?”
    She nodded and checked her chrono, stunned to realise that an hour had gone by.
    “Sure. Please.”
    He went to the galley and gave her the run down on how to operate the equipment and how to summon her ration packs until the enzyme treatment kicked in. Resicoran bodies did not really enjoy alien foods. Supplements and injections had to intervene.
    He settled the tray down on the small table in the galley, and once again, she noted that the chairs were odd and had a lot of room behind them for such a small space.
    “Who designed this interior?”
    “An old race. They don’t leave their homes anymore, so they have sold off their spacecraft.”
    His mouth tightened and she didn’t pursue it.
    He changed the conversation by getting up and retrieving a data pad. “The first stop on our tour is Jurkidal. They have found a mineral with incredible potential, but it can’t be extracted without damaging the cellular structure. They need your help to get it out of the surrounding deposit. A few pounds of it will apparently be sufficient.”
    She stared at the information and cleared her throat. “May I?”
    He slid the pad over and Leyhara took in the details of the rock they wanted her to work on. A vid of attempts to chisel, melt and otherwise extract the mineral from the rock face with rather unfortunate results was included. The mineral in question simply turned to dust.
    “Well, this does explain the drills that Halwis-Iskan had me doing. It should be possible but it might take a bit of practice.”
    He nodded. “I am sure that you will do what you can or she would not have accepted this assignment on your behalf.”
    She sipped at her tea and nodded. “Right. What comes after?”
    “I will give you the briefing after this assignment. You might want to look up the people of Jurkidal. You might need a bit of fortification to step out and greet them.”
    With his amused warning ringing in her ears, she looked at the images of the indigenous people and she swallowed hard. “Tentacles and nudity?”
    “And they exude a particular slime that can be caustic to the touch. Be careful and keep your robes hot enough to repel those who want to get close to you. Talents are rare on their world and something as powerful as you is even rarer.”
    She nodded and flicked him a quick smile. “So Halwis was telling me, but she is surrounded by strong talents and I am guessing that she just says that to keep the morale up.”
    “I am sure that if the Avatar said it, she meant it.”
    “Bohr, how did you get picked to fly me around?”
    “I volunteered for it once Iskan contacted me.”
    “That is quite a trip. Where were you retired?”
    “Oh, I was in the area.” He chuckled. “If that kind of thing can be imagined.”
    “I can imagine it, but it seems very strange. How long until we arrive at our first destination?”
    “Four hours. It is enough time for you to either rest or to get to work on a language lesson. Your Common is good, but you need to work on your sibilants.”
    She nodded ruefully. “The flash download didn’t quite take. My brain doesn’t process properly, or at least