anyway.”
“Just how many, um, crises are we dealing with, Bert?” Charles asked.
“All in one and one in all, it seems,” said Bert, “and what the child has just told me only confirms my worst fears—that the crisis that began it all, and happened slowly enough that no one knew it was happening until it was over, may not be over after all.”
“What crisis, Bert?” asked John.
“Someone has stolen all the Dragonships,” said Bert. “They’re all gone, and no one knows where.”
“Gone?” exclaimed John. “How can someone have simply taken them? After all, they have wills of their own—I don’t think a Dragonship would go anywhere it didn’t want to go. Not easily, anyway.”
“That’s part of the mystery,” said Bert with a sigh. “There are no signs of struggle, or damage, or even cut anchor lines. The ships have simply disappeared. We think the Green Dragon went first, then the Violet …but there’s no way to really be sure. It didn’t take much longer to confirm the others—the Orange , Yellow , and Blue dragons—were also gone. Even the White Dragon is missing.”
“And the Black Dragon ?” queried Charles. “What of it?”
“Ordo Maas dismantled that beast long ago,” Bert said with a shudder. “And good riddance, I say.”
“Why was the Indigo Dragon spared?” asked Jack.
“She’d been completely rebuilt as an airship,” Bert replied. “I think she was either just overlooked, or she no longer suited the thief’s purposes.”
“You haven’t said how Aven is involved,” noted Jack.
“That’s how we began to discover the missing children,” said Bert. “The prince—Aven’s son—was aboard the Yellow Dragon when it disappeared. In fact, every place a Dragonship has vanished, many of the local children have disappeared as well.”
“Aven has a son?” said Jack, casting a glance at Jamie. “I…I didn’t know.”
“A strapping lad, almost nine years old now,” said Bert. “I was already preparing to come and seek you out regarding the missing Dragonships when she and Artus contacted me and told me about the prince.”
He turned and took John by the shoulders. “I know this is very sudden, John—but we need the Caretaker’s help. I don’t think we can discover the answers we need to find here. We must go back to the Archipelago.”
“I…I…of course I’ll help,” said John. “Of course.”
“I’m coming too,” put in Jack. “Charles? Are you with us?”
“My poor wife will never understand,” Charles answered, “but I am loath to let the two of you go traipsing off to the Archipelago without any adult supervision at all.”
“I beg your pardon,” Bert huffed.
“No offense, Bert,” Charles reassured him.
“I can send messages to your families,” offered Jamie. “I’ll give them an excuse about emergency business for the university.”
“Thereby ensuring that we return to find ourselves in hotter water than when we left,” said John. “Best make it attending to a friend in need. That’s closer to the truth, anyway.”
“Excellent,” said Bert. “We have a plan. Let us now put it into action.”
John and Charles quickly wrote out messages to their wives and children for Jamie to pass along, and Jack wrote a brief note to Warnie and one to his friend Paddy’s mother, a Mrs. Moore. It was also decided that given the unusual circumstances in the Archipelago, Laura Glue would be safer remaining in London under Jamie’s care. In fact, once the decision was made, she immediately set about building herself a nest—in the storage room upstairs, inside the great wardrobe.
Being able to close the doors made her feel safe, she explained, as if no one would be able to reach her there.
“And safe you will be,” Jack said gently, tucking her in amidst the furs and the blankets Jamie had provided. He also had a small electric torch, which he gave her in case she should become frightened during the night.
“Now,” he
“Just how many, um, crises are we dealing with, Bert?” Charles asked.
“All in one and one in all, it seems,” said Bert, “and what the child has just told me only confirms my worst fears—that the crisis that began it all, and happened slowly enough that no one knew it was happening until it was over, may not be over after all.”
“What crisis, Bert?” asked John.
“Someone has stolen all the Dragonships,” said Bert. “They’re all gone, and no one knows where.”
“Gone?” exclaimed John. “How can someone have simply taken them? After all, they have wills of their own—I don’t think a Dragonship would go anywhere it didn’t want to go. Not easily, anyway.”
“That’s part of the mystery,” said Bert with a sigh. “There are no signs of struggle, or damage, or even cut anchor lines. The ships have simply disappeared. We think the Green Dragon went first, then the Violet …but there’s no way to really be sure. It didn’t take much longer to confirm the others—the Orange , Yellow , and Blue dragons—were also gone. Even the White Dragon is missing.”
“And the Black Dragon ?” queried Charles. “What of it?”
“Ordo Maas dismantled that beast long ago,” Bert said with a shudder. “And good riddance, I say.”
“Why was the Indigo Dragon spared?” asked Jack.
“She’d been completely rebuilt as an airship,” Bert replied. “I think she was either just overlooked, or she no longer suited the thief’s purposes.”
“You haven’t said how Aven is involved,” noted Jack.
“That’s how we began to discover the missing children,” said Bert. “The prince—Aven’s son—was aboard the Yellow Dragon when it disappeared. In fact, every place a Dragonship has vanished, many of the local children have disappeared as well.”
“Aven has a son?” said Jack, casting a glance at Jamie. “I…I didn’t know.”
“A strapping lad, almost nine years old now,” said Bert. “I was already preparing to come and seek you out regarding the missing Dragonships when she and Artus contacted me and told me about the prince.”
He turned and took John by the shoulders. “I know this is very sudden, John—but we need the Caretaker’s help. I don’t think we can discover the answers we need to find here. We must go back to the Archipelago.”
“I…I…of course I’ll help,” said John. “Of course.”
“I’m coming too,” put in Jack. “Charles? Are you with us?”
“My poor wife will never understand,” Charles answered, “but I am loath to let the two of you go traipsing off to the Archipelago without any adult supervision at all.”
“I beg your pardon,” Bert huffed.
“No offense, Bert,” Charles reassured him.
“I can send messages to your families,” offered Jamie. “I’ll give them an excuse about emergency business for the university.”
“Thereby ensuring that we return to find ourselves in hotter water than when we left,” said John. “Best make it attending to a friend in need. That’s closer to the truth, anyway.”
“Excellent,” said Bert. “We have a plan. Let us now put it into action.”
John and Charles quickly wrote out messages to their wives and children for Jamie to pass along, and Jack wrote a brief note to Warnie and one to his friend Paddy’s mother, a Mrs. Moore. It was also decided that given the unusual circumstances in the Archipelago, Laura Glue would be safer remaining in London under Jamie’s care. In fact, once the decision was made, she immediately set about building herself a nest—in the storage room upstairs, inside the great wardrobe.
Being able to close the doors made her feel safe, she explained, as if no one would be able to reach her there.
“And safe you will be,” Jack said gently, tucking her in amidst the furs and the blankets Jamie had provided. He also had a small electric torch, which he gave her in case she should become frightened during the night.
“Now,” he
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