Norm cheers.
So do most of the others.
“Whatever the reason is,” Liz says.“We need way,waymore humans.If you can all do whatever you can to locate more, that could save the dragons from causing another war by forcibly bonding people.”
“But if just one of our friends decides to call the government,” Norm says.“Then...”
“The entire plan would be put at risk,” Liz says.
And you would be in danger,I say.You should stay in Iceland from now on.
“Absolutely not,” Liz says.“They need to hear this from me—I’ve been bonded.I’m un-bonded now, and I’m still working to help you.They need my word to believe you.”
“That’s true,” Karen says.“She convinced me.”
“And her wings didn’t hurt,” big teeth man says.
“That’s true,” the tiny woman says.“The wings were the reason I believed her story.”
You can’t come without me,I say.So I guess that means we’ll both be traveling.
“Norm got me a satellite phone,” Liz says.“That way, at least we can communicate with them from Iceland to coordinate spots to rendezvous.”
A small flock of large white swans fly past overhead—not far overhead—and Agrippa’s head snaps up.She shoots into the sky, grabbing one and then another into her mouth.
When she lands, she’s quite pleased with herself.There’s more food here than in Iceland.
“Those are tundra swans,” Karen says.“They’re one of the few large birds that make Utah their warm, winter home.”
They’re also delicious.
Liz and Karen don’t look impressed.
Was there some reason I shouldn’t have eaten them?Agrippa’s eyes are wide.
“Generally speaking, humans don’t eat swans,” Liz says.
Why not?You eat geese and ducks, right?Agrippa frowns.Swans are bigger—and more delicious than the ducks I’ve eaten.
“I thought you couldn’t eat without being bonded,” Karen says.
“The earth blessed ate just fine until they got their power upgrade,” Liz says.“That just happened—and now they can’t eat.”She looks at Agrippa.“Unless...”She steps closer.“How do you feel?”
Agrippa straightens.I feel great.You never answered about the swans.
“They’re pretty,” Karen says.
“I think that’s why,” Liz says.“It’s not a great reason, but I think that’s why we don’t eat them.”
I’m as confused as Agrippa looks.How are we to know what we can and can’t eat—the birds all look about the same to me.
“It’s fine,” Liz says.“It’s not like we’ll attack you because you ate a few swans.”
At least if I bonded a human, they could explain some of these confusing human-things to me.
As if he can hear my thoughts, Norm asks, “Why haven’t you rebonded Liz?When you died, it broke the bond, right?But you could rebond her now.”He frowns.“Or can’t you?Have you already tried?”
I can’t admit it out loud, but I think I’m scared to bond her again.By all counts, I turned into a lunatic while I was bonded to her, and in spite of my best efforts to dislike her, I find myself listening to her strange human demands more and more with each passing day.
