The dragon crown, p.7
The Dragon Crown, page 7
‘Another library,’ said Max. His excitement seemed to cut through his trepidation. ‘Is this where you keep the weapons? Are we going to fight the dragon together?’
Anna’s eyes widened as she followed Jie into the second room, staring around in wonder at the dusty shelves. This library, it was clear, contained documents far more ancient than the first. There were stacks of papers so yellow they were almost brown, written in every language Anna could think of: Romanian and Norwegian, Persian and Dutch, Mandarin and English and everything else. There were books bound in leather and other, ickier skins, their covers scratched and cracked; silken scrolls were hanging on the walls like comic strips, their paintings telling a story from one panel to the next. At the end of the room sat a shelf of bones, their edges broken and black, their surfaces engraved.
Above the shelf of bones hung the largest silk scroll of all. It was an old, frayed thing, worn so thin by age that its colours had all but faded – and yet in the light of Jie’s lamp, the golden markings in the centre of the scroll seemed to shine brighter than stars. Anna’s breath caught in her chest as she stared at the mighty serpentine body; at the ferocious jaws topped by long, curling whiskers; at the huge, scaled feet, replete with deadly claws. The painted dragon commanded the children’s attention as they stood in the secret library, each of them thinking about the blasts of fire they had seen atop the hill.
‘You have travelled far to find us,’ said Jie, breaking the silence. ‘How much did you know, before you arrived?’
Her tone sounded threatening. Anna held up her hands in defence.
‘Nothing!’ she spluttered. ‘We didn’t know any of it! It was our dad who wanted to come here, not us!’
‘It’s true,’ said Max. ‘If I’d known there was a dragon here, I definitely would have stayed home.’
Jie scowled. She opened an old ledger book, scanning across a list of handwritten symbols.
‘Thieves have preyed upon our village for centuries,’ she said. ‘We have recorded many punishments. In the old days, those who were caught entering the mountain were sentenced to lie beneath a boulder for five hundred years. Does this sentence sound fair to you?’
Max’s face turned white. Anna smiled, hoping the girl might be joking, but Jie’s expression was stone cold.
‘No, look, you’ve got it all wrong,’ she said hurriedly. ‘We’re not thieves – not really. We’re like you.’ She pointed at Jie’s pocket, remembering the girl’s magic flute. ‘We know about fairies as well. We’ve met a vampire, and a troll, and a mermaid, and heaps of genies. When we heard about the earthquakes, we thought we might be able to help.’
‘That’s right,’ said Max. ‘We can definitely help you get rid of that horrible dragon.’
Jie drew in a sharp breath. Anna hoped the girl might be considering their offer – but as she watched, Jie’s cheeks turned red with rage. The siblings jumped back as Jie slapped the table, almost knocking the ledger book to the floor.
‘You disrespect us!’ she said furiously. ‘The dragon’s honour cannot be refuted. He has bestowed nothing but peace and prosperity upon my people!’
Anna gawped. She looked again at the silk hanging on the wall, reminding herself of the dragon’s frightful visage. It didn’t look like a peaceful creature. She bit her tongue as she turned back to Jie, trying to think of a question that wouldn’t infuriate the girl any further.
‘We’re sorry,’ she said. ‘Really we are. We don’t know exactly what’s going on here, but we’d love to help if we can. Is there anything we can do?’
Jie narrowed her eyes. Anna winced, ready for another lashing – but as the other girl turned away, Anna sensed that she might finally have said the right thing. The siblings waited uneasily as Jie retrieved a different book from the shelf, dropping it on the ledger with a puff of dust. The pages crackled as she opened the cover.
‘We have records of all our visitors,’ she said. ‘Not all of them have been thieves. Some of them came here bearing gifts, to barter for our secrets. Those travellers were welcomed into our homes, and were allowed to share our fruits and waters. Does this sound more like you?’
Anna nodded frantically. Jie pursed her lips, giving the siblings another searching look. For the whole conversation, Jie’s face had remained severe, but now Anna could see a flicker of emotion burning in her eyes. She could tell the girl wanted to ask them something – but what could it be? She maintained her silence as Max fidgeted beside her, waiting for Jie to speak. After a long pause, Jie finally looked away, turning another page of the crackly book.
‘This village only exists because of the dragon,’ she said, sighing. ‘It made its nest inside this mountain many generations ago, as far away from human cities as it could. But dragons cannot help but bless the waters where they live. As the dragon grew, the river began to overflow with good health, and fruit trees began to grow where no trees had grown before. The fruits drew my ancestors onto the treacherous mountain, to make their homes among the orchards – and there they discovered the dragon’s secret.
‘And so my ancestors made a pact. They promised they would never claim the dragon’s treasure as their own, and in return the dragon would allow them to enjoy the boons of the enchanted waters. And so we have lived in peace for over a thousand years.’
Max couldn’t help himself. ‘What went wrong, then?’ he said, interrupting.
Jie glared at him. ‘Nothing went wrong,’ she snapped. ‘My ancestors kept their promise. They kept away from the dragon, though they knew the way to his lair. Their lives were blessed with happiness and good health, as were the lives of their children, and their children’s children. The village has always remained strong.’
Anna suspected Jie was repeating a story she had heard many times before. She nodded slowly, digesting everything that had been said, nursing the black cat against her shoulder. Some of the details were boggling her mind – not least the fact that everyone in the village seemed to know that fairies were real. Anna tried to keep her cool, but questions were already spilling from her throat.
‘But something must have happened,’ she blurted. ‘Kai said this mountain isn’t known for earthquakes, but now you’re getting one every day. And you’ve been visiting the dragon, even though your ancestors promised not to. So what’s changed?’
Jie’s fingers twitched. She snapped the book shut, mustering a scowl as she looked up at Anna. But the scowl didn’t last for long. There were tears welling in Jie’s eyes; her bottom lip began to tremble as she turned hurriedly away, picking up the oil lamp and holding it high. The scales of the painted dragon shimmered.
‘Nobody visited it,’ she said huskily. ‘Nobody except thieves – and as the thieves spread the word, the butchers came as well. By the time the earthquakes started, no-one in the village had seen the dragon for generations. And so, one month ago, I took our oldest map, and I climbed the mountain. I found the cave behind the waterfall – and I found the dragon.’
Jie’s voice broke. She turned back to the siblings, tears shining on her cheeks.
‘Our dragon is old,’ she said. ‘Old, and sick, and wounded. It is bitter against those who stole from it, and it is paranoid that thieves might return again. It rages in its cavern, tossing its treasure back and forth – and I fear, that without realising it …’
‘… the dragon has been causing earthquakes,’ finished Anna. She let out a long breath. Jie’s story was incredible, but now things were finally starting to make sense.
‘You haven’t said anything about Mr Candle,’ said Max. ‘Herr Olhouser, I mean. We heard him say he’d help the village by slaying the dragon. Why can’t you let him put it out of its misery?’
Jie’s face darkened. ‘The candle man is a vulture,’ she said, scowling. ‘He made his camp on the mountain not long after the earthquakes began. Shi Fang does not think it would be wise to lead that man anywhere near the dragon’s cave. He claims he wants to help us, but to me it is clear that he only wishes to take the treasure for himself.’
Anna couldn’t help smiling. She felt glad that the awful Mr Candle had also been exposed to Madame Fang’s ire.
‘But you are different,’ said Jie. She fixed Anna with a penetrating stare, her eyes shining with hope. ‘I think perhaps you are not bad people after all. You stole a treasure from the cave, but you used it to save our animals, instead of keeping it for yourselves. You have encountered magic, and monsters, and you have remained good of heart. You are the ones I have been waiting for.
‘The candle man is going to try to kill the dragon. I need you to help me save it.’
11
A SLIPPERY SLOPE
SILENCE FELL UPON THE SECRET LIBRARY. Anna and Max exchanged a fearful look as Jie continued to stare at them, her words hanging like snares.
‘But – you don’t really need any help, do you?’ said Max desperately. ‘You’ve got magic too. You showed us your flute.’
Jie frowned. She reached into her pocket, taking out the small ceramic flute she had held on the hillside. Anna stared eagerly at the artefact, excited to be seeing it up close. The flute was shaped like an egg, with a small mouth hole pierced through the top. It didn’t look very valuable – but as Jie held up the instrument, Anna’s breath seemed to catch in her throat, as if the air in her lungs was waiting to be called out. The cat stirred in Anna’s arms as Jie placed the flute on the table.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I have my flute. There are stories of it here, from the time when my ancestors first met with the dragon. It is one of a pair: one of two instruments that can command the wind itself.’ She sniffed. ‘I saw it when I visited the cave, and I asked the dragon if I could take it. He did not say no. I believe he wanted me to have it.’
She looked at the siblings fiercely, as if daring them to disagree. Anna remembered how the terrible tornado had chased them up the mountainside, trying its best to drive the carpet to the ground. It seemed Jie was in control of a powerful magic indeed.
‘But I know my flute is only a modest treasure,’ continued Jie. ‘If what you say is true – if you have really met with vampires, and trolls, and genies – then your own magic must far exceed my own. It will take a powerful spell to soothe the dragon’s rage.’ She smiled. ‘The dragon has been a friend of this village since its very beginning. I know it is too noble to knowingly cause us harm. With your magic, we will be able to solve all our problems – I am sure of it!’
Anna felt lost for words. Jie was looking at her expectantly, as if waiting for the siblings to take control, to assure her everything would be okay: and yet Anna had absolutely no idea what to do next. It was true that she and Max had encountered many different fairies, but she didn’t see how their experiences would help them calm an angry dragon.
She was about to try to explain all this to Jie when the cat’s golden eyes blinked open. Anna exclaimed loudly as a sharp claw dug into her shoulder; Max quickly moved to help her, untangling the cat from her jumper and placing it on the floor. All three children stared at the cat in surprise as it let out a low hiss, staring at the secret doorway.
‘Someone’s entering the main library,’ said Jie suddenly. ‘We must be quiet –’
She stopped talking as a procession of noisy footsteps stomped into the room next door. It sounded as if five or six people had entered – and as the library door slammed shut, a very loud voice began to speak.
‘Do you see what’s going on out there? Do you see the damage your little pet has wrought? How much longer are you going to let this carnage continue?’
Anna shivered. Looking across the room, she saw Jie’s entire body stiffen, just as Max’s face turned pale. All three of them knew who was speaking. There could be no mistaking the up-and-down voice of Mr Candle.
‘Speak, then!’ raged the voice. ‘What excuse can you give now? The beast is rabid! It’s coming for all of us – for all of you! Let us seize the maps we need from this library, and put an end to this crisis tonight!’
‘It is not that simple, Herr Olhouser,’ said a new voice. ‘You do not understand our ways. It is not our place to interfere.’
Jie crept silently over to the wooden panel, beckoning Anna and Max to follow. She quietly slid the panel open, moving the hanging scroll just wide enough for peeking. Anna and Max held their breath as they looked through to the other side.
Mr Candle was in the centre of the room, his plump face red with anger. Around him stood five villagers, three of whom Anna had not seen before; the most notable of the three seemed to be a tall man with white hair, his regal blue robes rippling over his shoulders. The two villagers that Anna did recognise were Wei and Lei, the two brothers looking particularly anxious as they stared around the library. As the children watched, Mr Candle rounded on the white-haired villager, shaking his fist very close to the man’s face.
‘Interfere?’ he roared. ‘Interfere? What do you think’s going on here?’ He glared around at the unknown villagers, his nose wrinkled unpleasantly. ‘I’ve seen boulders strike your house, Tu Gang – and yours, Chu Yong – and as for the brothers Jian – why, your house is the most ruined of all!’ He spat. ‘Times are changing, and you can be damned if you think I’m going to fall off this mountain with the rest of you. Take me to the beast’s lair tonight, or else I’m leaving this place for good. Final offer – på min ære.’
He stared meanly at the villagers, puffing out his chest. The man in the blue robes met his gaze, staring defiantly back – but to Anna’s alarm, the other villagers were beginning to look confused. Wei and Lei were shooting each other furtive glances, whispering to each other out of the corners of their mouths.
Mr Candle had noticed the whispering as well. A smirk began to play upon his lips.
‘I am sorry, Herr Olhouser, but we have made our position clear,’ said the villager in blue robes. ‘There are many repairs to be made, and I cannot entertain these thoughts any longer. You may speak with Shi Fang and Taishi Kai if you wish to raise the matter again.’
Mr Candle’s lip curled as the white-haired man walked smartly out of the room. The other villagers went to follow him, but Mr Candle leapt in front of the doorway, holding up his hands. He looked quickly over his shoulder, as if to make sure the white-haired man was truly gone.
‘I am glad that fool has left us,’ he said, turning back to the remaining villagers. ‘He does not understand the situation like we do. Tonight is the night, friends, make no mistake. I have stowed weapons enough for all of us, just outside the village. All I need is for you to lead the way.’
The villagers glanced at one another. Wei and Lei looked as if they wanted to keep whispering, but Mr Candle fixed them with a glare so fierce that they didn’t dare make a sound. The other men, however, looked thoughtful. After a long moment, the man named Chu Yong cleared his throat.
‘My home is all but rubble,’ he said gruffly. ‘Even if I were to rebuild, the dragon could easily knock it down again. I do not wish to live like this any longer. I will lead you to the lair.’
‘And I,’ said the man named Tu Gang. ‘I will go too.’
Mr Candle nodded. He was keeping a very straight face, his mouth determinedly still, but he could not disguise the triumph shining in his eyes.
‘And you, Jian Wei?’ he said softly. ‘And you, Jian Lei? What will the wise brothers do?’
Wei and Lei looked at each other in a panic. Anna could tell they didn’t want to go anywhere near the dragon’s lair. Wei looked as if he were about to say something when Mr Candle clapped him on the shoulder, forcing a cheery smile.
‘It is agreed,’ he said. ‘The brothers are with us. Do not be afraid, my friends. I have told you before that I have experience in these matters. But we must be quick, before we are found out. Mark my words – we will return to this village as heroes, and nothing less!’
Wei and Lei didn’t look convinced, but they nodded in agreement as Chu Yong and Tu Gang made noises of encouragement. Anna couldn’t stomach the wicked grin on Mr Candle’s face any longer. She turned away as the little gang marched out of the library, feeling thoroughly sick. Max looked ill as well – but Jie looked even worse.
‘What have they done?’ she whispered in horror. ‘This is not their decision to make. They have betrayed us all!’
‘Maybe we can stop them,’ said Max. ‘We could go and get Madame Fang – tell her what’s going on.’
But as fearsome as Madame Fang could be, Anna wasn’t sure how their hostess could help the dragon now. Mr Candle had already convinced the villagers to turn against the librarians’ wisdom – had already persuaded them that murdering the dragon was the only solution. Worse still, Anna couldn’t decide if she agreed with him or not. She turned away from Jie’s hopeful stare, trying to figure it all out. Whatever was to happen, it was clear they needed more time.
That meant there was only one option left.
‘Get the carpet,’ she said. ‘Quickly. We can’t let Mr Candle find the treasure cave. We’ll have to warn the dragon – or even fight him off ourselves, if we have to. But we need to get up to the waterfall, right now.’
Jie blinked. ‘Carpet?’ she said. ‘What carpet?’
Anna grinned.
Neither the Professor nor the librarians had returned to the house when the children barged inside. Anna led the way up the stairs, the drowsy cat cradled in her arms, pulling the carpet from Max’s bag before the others had reached the bedroom door. In no time at all they were soaring over the mountainside, a sleek silhouette against the vast, starry night.
It was a terrifying thing, knowing they were placing themselves between the hunting party and a dragon, but Anna took a moment to enjoy the look on Jie’s face as they flew above the river. She held her new friend tightly as they arced towards the stony crown, Jie’s expression switching constantly between terror and delight.
