Chapter 3: Can the Puzzle be Unraveled?

“I would like to propose a toast,” said Sergei as he raised his glass. “To a fantastic day, it was one of the best days of my life.”

They all seemed to feel the same way and raised their glasses.

“I think we should review our thoughts and our experiences of the day,” Julia said.

“Well,” said Sergei, “I felt we made excellent progress in the morning. Linda would make an excellent interrogator. What gave you the inspiration Linda?”

“We were making no progress. We have a week here at most. I was tired of sitting around,” said Linda. “I’m sure some of you guys have some awareness of the concept of telepathy. I simply listened to the thoughts of the council and asked questions. They had asked all of you guys there for a reason and I wanted to move on to the next phase. I was tired of the ducking and diving.

“The only useful and invigorating part of the day was this extraordinary relationship I have established with a Dragon,” said Linda. “Today when we bonded to them was their first experience of telepathy and a telepathic bond. I struggle to understand how an ancient sentient group of beings could think and behave like such immature idiots. They spend too much time in each other’s company feeding into each other’s nonsense. They definitely need to get out into the wider world a bit more.

“I didn’t go searching for anything else, I simply wanted to define the issues with the Council. With my Dragon partner of the day it was a different experience entirely.” said Linda. “The experience was exactly what my experience is when I’m intimate with Jason.”

“I felt the Dragon tentatively and even involuntarily searching for contact. I allowed them in and at the same time I was welcomed in. The bond was initiated by the Dragon, and I suspect all of you had the same experience,” said Linda as she looked around the table and saw heads nodding at her. “The ancients created this relationship of that there is no doubt. The dragons do not feel the process has ended. I also feel there is an additional element and that is how we fight together. I don’t know how I know this, but I feel it very strongly and it is logical. That is the component we have to explore tomorrow. I believe it was important for them to initiate the bond not us. It was important for them to invite us to ride, not us to ask them or to suggest it. This way they retain their independence and their feelings of being in control. They were clearly thrilled with the experience. I feel terribly sorry for Counselor Coccydioborgus Effulix.

“Jason, I suggest that you call your friend Lynas and tell her you are making good progress with defusing the situation. I don’t think you should tell her any more than that. Leave the responsibility for more contact to the dragons. We promised also to call Cassius, Alana, and Brecht Chatzke. Perdita, I think it would be a good idea for you to call your father and Felix and tell them what is been happening. Mergal is also dying to hear about our trip. She loves the idea of the Gromelix,” said Linda.

“The only one I want to contact today is Lynas,” said Jason. “Before I contact the others, I want to see what tomorrow brings. I suspect we are all going to get some surprises. Is there any Dragon mythology in the Empire?” Jason asked.

“No, there is no such mythology,” said Mandy Fritzell, “and I already asked Perdita about the Jumo and the Coven guys about the Coven. There is nothing. It is interesting that it is so dominant in Earth mythology. I never asked Pardela if they had any such stories or mythology.

“Jason every trip that you have suggested I have got an enormous amount out of it even though at times I was scared out of my wits. I’m beginning to feel like a superwoman!” She said.

The others all laughed together and continued giggling for several minutes.

“What do you think our strategy should be for tomorrow?” Julia asked looking at the whole group.

“I think the responsibility is now theirs. They need to be in the driving seat,” said Amelia DiMaggio. “I would let them lead the discussion. See if they have an agenda and tentatively suggest things you think are missing.”

“I think we should ask them directly if they want to explore more. We should ask if they want to rethink considering a war on Lynas and we should tell them about our goal to attack the Ghouls. As far as their relationship with the Tyrannosaurus Rexes is concerned that is up to them” — Amelia placed her hands on the table and tapped on the table to make her points — “They need to get themselves out of their own mess.”

“Our responsibility is to prevent a war if we can, not sort out the rest of their relationship with the Tyrannosaurs. I don’t see that they have any downside if they come out as dragons, other than that the Parzool will be surprised,” said Andrea. “I have the feeling the crisis is over, bar the talking.”

“Perhaps some of them can come with us and spend some time with Porquenta and a whole group of medical scientists to find out how this whole implantation of the egg happens. They have runes everywhere. I am interested in the runes and would like to find out about their powers if any. I intend to ask them directly about their magic, powers or whatever. There has to be something of importance we can discover. Maybe we will find out some of that tomorrow,” speculated Linda.