Dragon Pearl(25)

But how had I gotten here? Jang and the rest of his team had boarded the Red Azalea after the mercs, I guessed. I didn’t remember that at all. I had passed out by then.

I had to take advantage of this stroke of luck. “We can help each other. I need a reason to stay on this ship”—no need to go into detail, as I doubted a ghost would care—“and I can do that if I pose as you. I can continue your training cruise for you.”

Jang’s eyebrows shot up. “How are you going to manage that?”

I cast my eyes down. “I’m a fox.” It felt odd admitting it to a stranger.

“Huh,” he said after a moment, looking thoughtful. “Never heard of a fox in the Space Forces, but why not?”

Interesting reaction. Maybe ghosts were more open-minded than the living.

“There are a few supernaturals on this ship,” Jang added. “The captain tolerates them. But most of the crew is human.”

If Jang had never heard of a fox cadet, then Jun must have kept his true nature hidden from everyone. That figured—he’d always been the more obedient of the two of us. While the captain was open to some kinds of supernatural cadets, I bet that he, like most folks, didn’t trust fox spirits.

“It is true that your kind can shape-shift?” Jang asked.

I demonstrated by growing my hair, then returning it to its original length. He grinned appreciatively.

“I really am sorry about what happened to you,” I added, biting my lip. I’d never dreamed that by hitching a ride on the Red Azalea I would cause someone’s death.

“It was over quickly,” he said without emotion. “The mercs are really the ones to blame.” Then: “I accept your proposal. You can be me. And while you’re at it, you can find out more about the mercenaries who killed me.”

“It’s a deal,” I said, wondering if I was being reckless.

“Swear it on the bones of your ancestors,” Jang said.

I gulped. That wasn’t an oath I could wriggle my way out of. Also, I worried that taking on this detective work would distract me from my real quest of finding Jun. But I needed Jang’s help. “I swear on the bones of my ancestors,” I said, and shivered.

“All right,” Jang said, apparently satisfied.

“By the way,” I started, “did you know a cadet named—?”

“Someone is approaching,” Jang said, cutting me off. “You’d better be convincing.” With that, he faded out, leaving a wintry chill in the air.

I heard footsteps. Focusing on my memory of how Jang looked, I shifted into his shape. The face involved some guesswork, because the shadows had obscured some of the angles, but at least I had a pretty good idea of what a regulation haircut looked like from news clips of Space Forces soldiers in parades.

Before I had time to lie back down on the pallet, a curtain drew aside to reveal a tall woman in a slightly more elaborate version of the uniform Jang had worn, carrying a battered slate and stylus. She had short-cropped hair streaked with white and the demeanor of a bemused crane. From her round gold lapel pin with the symbol for longevity, I guessed she was the ship’s physician. I hit her with a dose of Charm to muddle her wits so I could convince her that Jang had survived and “Bora” hadn’t.

“Water?” I croaked, figuring that was safe. My new lower voice sounded odd in my ears, but I would just have to get used to it.

“Not until I’ve checked you over, Cadet,” the woman said. Her brow furrowed as she looked at my face, and I threw more Charm at her. She shook her head and pushed me down onto the cot. Her fingers traced lines in the air above me. I didn’t know much beyond first aid, but my late grandmother used to talk about the meridians, the body’s lines of energy, from which you could diagnose injuries and illnesses. Just as veins and arteries carried blood throughout the body, the meridians carried life force. Any damage to the mind or body would be reflected in its flow.

I stared up at her, trying not to show how intimidated I felt. As a doctor, she knew the human body inside and out, and there I was, a fox impersonating a human of the opposite sex.

“Good thing my shield took the worst of the hit,” I said so the physician had a plausible story for my survival. “By the way, what happened to the pilot of that freighter?” I asked, recalling Byung-Ho’s last scream.

“Him? He’s still in one of the healing pods,” she said, “but he’ll make it.”

I breathed easier and pushed with Charm again. “Too bad the girl didn’t.” I’d never used this much magic on a single person before. I’d expected it to be harder. My body ached, but that was from the grenade blast.

How much pain was Byung-Ho in? I wondered. He’d taken that grenade for me.

“Can I see the pilot?” I asked the physician before I’d thought the matter through. There was no reason Jang would have made such a request.

The doctor clucked. “You won’t do him any good. He’s in a medi-coma.” She traced another meridian. “But you’re in satisfactory condition. As soon as I fill out the forms, you can return to duty.”

While she input some information on the slate, I wondered how I could get a map of the ship. I had no idea where I was supposed to go. Too bad Jang had faded away before giving me tips about how life on a battle cruiser worked. Maybe I’d get a chance to quiz him once I had some privacy. And at some point I wanted to get a real uniform to replace my magical one, especially if I was going to be stuck here for any length of time.