seeing their young wizard disappear in one chomp. Blazing red eyes looked at him, and the mouth opened, showing knife-sharp teeth.
“So,” a rasping voice hissed, “it
is
you. The same meddlesome boy wizard. A little older, it seems, though that is a pathetic excuse for a beard.”
“We are both a couple of millennia older, Worm. The world has changed a great deal since you were last awake.”
The creature raised its head and through flaring red nostrils sniffed the air. “Yes, I can tell, and not changed for the better. Not many dragons about, that’s certain.” Again it stretched its huge white batlike wings. “So I’ll just have to set off and look for an entrance to Faerie. Not much point in hanging around this wasteland. Nice seeing you again, boy.”
“You too, Worm, but we’ll be seeing a lot of each other until you have paid your debt.”
“All right, you sniveling little lawyer. So I owe you. So I’ll pay it. What have I got to do? Eat that little cluster of people and horses over there? Done.” Stiffly the creature got to its feet.
“No! Leave them alone—they’re friends. What I require is your transportation services. I need to go search for another friend who’s been abducted.”
The dragon snorted puffs of sulfurous smoke. “You expect me to carry all those people? Forget it. I’m still a youngster, you know.”
Merlin shook his head. “No, only two others are going. Besides, you shouldn’t complain. You are indeed just a young dragon and haven’t had much of a chance to see the world. Travel will give you that.”
The dragon spat, a hot sizzling blob that splatted on the ground and steamed like molten lava. “And some fine world you humans have made of it. All right, you’ve trapped me. How long am I to languish in your service?”
“Until you have, at my request, returned me and my party to Britain.”
Again the dragon snorted, producing twin plumes of smoke. “Agreed, you puny extortioner. So, let’s get going. I’m intensely sick of this piece of moorland.”
When the dragon, with Merlin at its head, began lumbering their way, Arthur ordered one of his men to lead the quaking horses a safe distance off. Then they all watched uneasily as the creature approached.
“As you can see, My Lord Duke,” Merlin said as they neared, “childhood stories should never be discounted. Welly and Troll, if you still wish to travel with me, come over and meet our transportation.”
Speechless, Welly and Troll stepped slowly forward. The dragon eyed them as steaming strings of saliva dripped from its mouth. “Tasty.”
“Worm,” Merlin admonished, “these are my companions and are to be protected, not harmed. But, Welly and Troll, you are both free to change your minds.”
“No,” Welly squeaked after a moment. “You and Heather might need me. I’m coming.”
Before Troll could answer, the dragon hissed. “Don’t count on that little scuttling one. Trolls are feckless cowardly sneaks, not good for much—except eating. They
are
nice and crunchy.”
Troll whimpered, but Merlin spoke to him. “Don’t worry, Troll, the dragon’s pledged to transport and protect me and mine. Dragons do honor bargains—though, as you said, they are cranky.”
The dragon was no longer paying attention to Welly and Troll. Lowering its head toward the others, it fastened its red gaze on Arthur. It sighed in a cloud of steam. “The Pendragon. I am honored. Even in the egg, I heard you were coming. Greetings.”
“Greetings to you, mighty dragon,” Arthur said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “It is my wish that you follow my wizard’s instructions. The girl they seek is a member of my court and my friend.”
The dragon raised its head. “As you wish, Pendragon. Your wizard is an uppity youngster, but I am bound to him—for the time being.”
With much grumbling, the dragon squatted down and allowed bags of provisions that were brought from the horses to be loaded onto its
“So,” a rasping voice hissed, “it
is
you. The same meddlesome boy wizard. A little older, it seems, though that is a pathetic excuse for a beard.”
“We are both a couple of millennia older, Worm. The world has changed a great deal since you were last awake.”
The creature raised its head and through flaring red nostrils sniffed the air. “Yes, I can tell, and not changed for the better. Not many dragons about, that’s certain.” Again it stretched its huge white batlike wings. “So I’ll just have to set off and look for an entrance to Faerie. Not much point in hanging around this wasteland. Nice seeing you again, boy.”
“You too, Worm, but we’ll be seeing a lot of each other until you have paid your debt.”
“All right, you sniveling little lawyer. So I owe you. So I’ll pay it. What have I got to do? Eat that little cluster of people and horses over there? Done.” Stiffly the creature got to its feet.
“No! Leave them alone—they’re friends. What I require is your transportation services. I need to go search for another friend who’s been abducted.”
The dragon snorted puffs of sulfurous smoke. “You expect me to carry all those people? Forget it. I’m still a youngster, you know.”
Merlin shook his head. “No, only two others are going. Besides, you shouldn’t complain. You are indeed just a young dragon and haven’t had much of a chance to see the world. Travel will give you that.”
The dragon spat, a hot sizzling blob that splatted on the ground and steamed like molten lava. “And some fine world you humans have made of it. All right, you’ve trapped me. How long am I to languish in your service?”
“Until you have, at my request, returned me and my party to Britain.”
Again the dragon snorted, producing twin plumes of smoke. “Agreed, you puny extortioner. So, let’s get going. I’m intensely sick of this piece of moorland.”
When the dragon, with Merlin at its head, began lumbering their way, Arthur ordered one of his men to lead the quaking horses a safe distance off. Then they all watched uneasily as the creature approached.
“As you can see, My Lord Duke,” Merlin said as they neared, “childhood stories should never be discounted. Welly and Troll, if you still wish to travel with me, come over and meet our transportation.”
Speechless, Welly and Troll stepped slowly forward. The dragon eyed them as steaming strings of saliva dripped from its mouth. “Tasty.”
“Worm,” Merlin admonished, “these are my companions and are to be protected, not harmed. But, Welly and Troll, you are both free to change your minds.”
“No,” Welly squeaked after a moment. “You and Heather might need me. I’m coming.”
Before Troll could answer, the dragon hissed. “Don’t count on that little scuttling one. Trolls are feckless cowardly sneaks, not good for much—except eating. They
are
nice and crunchy.”
Troll whimpered, but Merlin spoke to him. “Don’t worry, Troll, the dragon’s pledged to transport and protect me and mine. Dragons do honor bargains—though, as you said, they are cranky.”
The dragon was no longer paying attention to Welly and Troll. Lowering its head toward the others, it fastened its red gaze on Arthur. It sighed in a cloud of steam. “The Pendragon. I am honored. Even in the egg, I heard you were coming. Greetings.”
“Greetings to you, mighty dragon,” Arthur said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “It is my wish that you follow my wizard’s instructions. The girl they seek is a member of my court and my friend.”
The dragon raised its head. “As you wish, Pendragon. Your wizard is an uppity youngster, but I am bound to him—for the time being.”
With much grumbling, the dragon squatted down and allowed bags of provisions that were brought from the horses to be loaded onto its
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