"...wow," Amaryllis said, filling the silence after Starre finished talking. "That's...ambitious."
John, however, practically grabbed a 'veto' stamp and whammed it on Starre's forehead. "That's way too dangerous!" he exclaimed. "You've been in and out of that building too many times. I don't want to hear another word--"
"But, daddy," Starre said, her eyes big and innocent, "otherwise, who will save the kin?"
John sputtered, and crossed his arms sulkily.
"That sound AWESOME!" Stevan said, shifting to sit cross-legged on his chair. "I think it would actually work! What do you say, Nina?"
Nina bit her lip, glanced over at John, and said, rather quickly, "I think it would work, too."
John sighed. "Yes," he admitted, "there's a chance it would work, but...it's dangerous!"
I'd be there with her! Rai said indignantly. I have sharp claws. I'd protect her. And, believe me, she added, grinning, I'd warn all those nasty people there that if they came anywhere near hurting my Starre, the concequences would not appeal to either of the halves of their bodies.
Amaryllis snorted, and Starre applauded, laughing. "Thank you, Rai," she said earnestly.
Rai smiled proudly, flexing her wings.
I would come as well, Gana said, but, if the others and I suddenly appeared in the HQ again, well....
Starre nodded. "Rai and I can go," she said. "If, that is, it's okay with dad."
Everyone turned, and looked expectantly at John.
Sighing, John hung his head. "I know I'm being overprotective, and that you could take care of yourself perfectly well, but...well, it seems like I just got you back, and I...I don't want to lose you again!"
Starre walked over and hugged her dad. "Don't worry," she promised. "I understand. But, I swear, if anything happens, Rai can fly." Grinning, she added, "and so can I, if you haven't forgotten."
John smiled, and nodded. "But," he replied firmly, "you must promise to never, ever do anything dangerous again."
"Like steal my football helmet and write 'mommy loves Stevie' on it before a game," Stevan said. "With permanent marker."
Amaryllis laughed, and Starre turned and grinned.
"Sorry," she said, biting her finger to stop the giggles, "but that reminds me of something I did to my little sister Ty once, when we were your age...."
**--**--**
"Hello," Starre said to the video camera. She sat on the bed of her hotel room, running through the speech she had written that morning. "My name is Starre Copper, and I'm 13. I am also kin," she added, nodding to her leathery green wings, fanning out behind her in the security of the locked room. "I am in Saxvistan, and I'm about to give you the true story of what goes on behind the DF. You may consider the dragonfights a simple game or passtime, but kin are people, just slightly different than humans. Think of the slavery of long ago; we treated the african americans horribly because they were different. That is wrong, and I'm about to show you why.
"I will be giving you a tour of the DF headquarters," she continued. "I will be dressed up as a young DF worker, and I'll be able to give you an insider's view of all the awful things that go on via a hidden camera on my hat. It'll show you everything that I see, and I think that you might feel differently about the DF by the time you finish watching this tape."
Nina stopped the tape, and grinned. "That was fantastic," she replied. "Well, everything's set in the hat. We'll use the strap we found in it to keep it on your head. You'll do great," she added, ruffling Starre's hair.
I was singing in the background, Rai said guiltily. Does it pick up telepathy?
"I doubt it," Nina assured the bishel, setting up the tape in Starre's hat. "So...let's get going, I guess, hmm?"
Starre glanced out the window. Amaryllis had left last night, but the group had talked and laughed for hours before. But, now, she had a great task at hand, and one that could potentially save a race of people.
"Right," she replied, straightening the DF uniform she wore. It was slightly big still, though Nina had washed it several times to shrink it. Her hair was up in a bun beneath her hat, where it helped secure the recorder that was taped there. The camera on the hat had been replaced with a camera that recorded onto the recorder. Starre could get four hours of footage.
The taxi took them down to the HQ, where Nina told the driver to wait a moment, and jumped out with her daughter and Rai.
"Just be careful," Nina whispered, hugging Starre.
"Don't worry," Starre replied. "I'll be fine. I'll be back soon."
Nina bit her lip, and nodded. "Good luck, sweetheart," she said, releasing her daughter. "You'll do great."
Starre nodded, and, after pausing a moment to scratch Rai between her horns, marched off into the HQ with her bishel.
The pair walked with total confidence, though Starre was forced to get used to the interesting feeling of having a tape recording on the top of her head. Rai's eyes darted around for a group of young boys that would serve Starre's purpose, and she tapped Starre's foot when she saw some. Starre rushed over, and waved.
"Hey," she asked, "you off-duty?"
"Yep," one of the boys said. "Why?"
"Well," Starre asked, crossing her arms, "I just wondered if there was anything interesting to watch."
The boy nodded eagerly. "Oh, yeah," he said. "Come on! That was where we were headed."
Score! Starre thought happily, following the boys.
Nice! Rai said, beaming her thoughts directly to Starre. Don't worry, they can't hear me.
Good, Starre thought, wondering if Rai could hear her. Er...are you picking up my thoughts?
Yeah! Rai said with surprise. Oi, that's so cool! Say something else.
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya to Bermuda, Bahama... Starre sang, and Rai made an amused trilling noise, though she quieted quickly when the boys turned to look at the shrape.
"Nice dragon you got yourself," one of the boys commented, and Starre nodded.
"She's great," Starre replied. "Her name's Rai."
The boys examined Rai's wings and talons with interest. "I'd love me a dragon like that," one boy said to another one, making Rai raise an eyeridge at Starre.
Silly boys, Starre joked.
Rai wrinkled her snout in a smile. Yes, silly boys, she sighed, shaking her head. Silly, silly, silly boys.
Nothing, Rai said quickly, shaking her head. I just...nothing. We can...oh, forget it. We're at the elevator.
Starre blinked, and realized that she had made it through the crowd and to the elevator. Perhaps she was getting used to the chaos. Whatever the case, she followed the boys onto the lift just as the door closed.