sudden premonition that he would interfere with her plans. Ajab of fear shot through her.
‘Have you come far?’ asked Amber.
‘Far, yes …’ Mr Annigan took a sip of his drink. He looked round at everyone. ‘What a family this is!’ He revealed long creamy teeth in a wide smile. ‘I am thinking there is both Wood and Rock in this place?’
Cedar nodded.
‘A good combination.’ His pale eyes glanced from one to the other. ‘But, sure, you must be from the Birdfamily?’ he asked Oriole. ‘Since you have beady black eyes and are as round and short as a wren – no offence – it’s plain as plain.’
‘That’s right. Not quite family, being from another clan, but close as you get. Robin too.’
Mr Annigan nodded. ‘Wood, Rock, Bird all gathered together. I myself, as you might have guessed, am of the Air.’
‘Air! I’ve never met an Air person before,’ said Questrid. ‘Do you all shine like that?’
‘Not met a man of Air before? Well, well, there’s a thing. I come from a long way off and was caught in the blizzard, tossed and tumbled and thrown around like a dandelion seed. How I got here I will never know but I saw your lights and … here I am.’
‘Lucky you got blown this way,’ said Cedar. ‘There aren’t many houses around.’
‘I shall ask him questions all night,’ Questrid whispered to Amy, ‘and won’t let him go to bed till he’s told me exactly what it’s like to be – a lantern .’
Mr Annigan settled himself back in the chair. He sipped his hot chocolate. As he looked around; his eyes cast a small, narrow beam across the kitchen, like a lighthouse. Amy wondered what it was about him that she didn’t like. Perhaps he smiled too much.
‘Would that be a snow wolf?’ Shane Annigan asked Copper. He nodded at Ralick.
‘His mum, Silver, she’s a snow wolf. We don’t know who the father is.’
What was he interested in the wolf cub for? thought Amy. Ralick was hers. And Granite’s!
‘Where were you going before you drifted to Spindle House?’ asked Cedar.
‘I was on my way to Dragon Mountain,’ said Mr Annigan. He swivelled his silvery gaze round to Cedar.
‘Dragon Mountain! Where’s that? Why?’ Questrid leant forward eagerly. ‘Sounds brilliant! I’d love to see Dragon Mountain.’
‘It’s a long way from here, way past Antimakassar,’ said Shane Annigan. He waved his long fingers through the air; they left a shimmering trail of light behind. ‘You see, I know everything there is to know about dragons, sure and that’s a fact.’
Questrid exchanged an excited look with Copper.
Mr Annigan went on, ‘The dragons called me. It’s as simple as that. When they have a problem, Shane Annigan’s the man!’
Everyone stared at him.
‘Are the dragons like our dragons – friendly, I mean?’ asked Copper.
‘Ruby has a little dragon called Glinty,’ Questrid told him. ‘She’s friendly.’
‘Your mother has one? Does she now? Dragons are most mysterious,’ went on Mr Annigan. ‘They are an ancient race, the dragons …’ His voice dipped to a whisper. ‘Oh, there’s many a story about the dragon world.’
And then, without anyone quite knowing how, he began to tell them stories of fantastic dragons, dangerous dragons, dragons that could cast spells and dragons with fish tails that could swim and breathe underwater. Everyone, even Amy much against her wishes, wasspellbound. When he stopped they were still as statues, leaning forward and waiting for more.
‘We’ve been so impolite,’ said Amber, getting up quickly. ‘We’ve done nothing, only let you entertain us!’
‘Well, now,’ said Mr Annigan, ‘that’s fine. But I’d be most grateful if you’d let me stay the night here, then I’ll set off tomorrow and be at Dragon Mountain as quickly as I can.’
‘Of course,’ said Cedar. ‘Come with me. I’ll show you where you can sleep.’
‘That man’d be useful if you were lost in a dark night, wouldn’t he?’ said
‘Have you come far?’ asked Amber.
‘Far, yes …’ Mr Annigan took a sip of his drink. He looked round at everyone. ‘What a family this is!’ He revealed long creamy teeth in a wide smile. ‘I am thinking there is both Wood and Rock in this place?’
Cedar nodded.
‘A good combination.’ His pale eyes glanced from one to the other. ‘But, sure, you must be from the Birdfamily?’ he asked Oriole. ‘Since you have beady black eyes and are as round and short as a wren – no offence – it’s plain as plain.’
‘That’s right. Not quite family, being from another clan, but close as you get. Robin too.’
Mr Annigan nodded. ‘Wood, Rock, Bird all gathered together. I myself, as you might have guessed, am of the Air.’
‘Air! I’ve never met an Air person before,’ said Questrid. ‘Do you all shine like that?’
‘Not met a man of Air before? Well, well, there’s a thing. I come from a long way off and was caught in the blizzard, tossed and tumbled and thrown around like a dandelion seed. How I got here I will never know but I saw your lights and … here I am.’
‘Lucky you got blown this way,’ said Cedar. ‘There aren’t many houses around.’
‘I shall ask him questions all night,’ Questrid whispered to Amy, ‘and won’t let him go to bed till he’s told me exactly what it’s like to be – a lantern .’
Mr Annigan settled himself back in the chair. He sipped his hot chocolate. As he looked around; his eyes cast a small, narrow beam across the kitchen, like a lighthouse. Amy wondered what it was about him that she didn’t like. Perhaps he smiled too much.
‘Would that be a snow wolf?’ Shane Annigan asked Copper. He nodded at Ralick.
‘His mum, Silver, she’s a snow wolf. We don’t know who the father is.’
What was he interested in the wolf cub for? thought Amy. Ralick was hers. And Granite’s!
‘Where were you going before you drifted to Spindle House?’ asked Cedar.
‘I was on my way to Dragon Mountain,’ said Mr Annigan. He swivelled his silvery gaze round to Cedar.
‘Dragon Mountain! Where’s that? Why?’ Questrid leant forward eagerly. ‘Sounds brilliant! I’d love to see Dragon Mountain.’
‘It’s a long way from here, way past Antimakassar,’ said Shane Annigan. He waved his long fingers through the air; they left a shimmering trail of light behind. ‘You see, I know everything there is to know about dragons, sure and that’s a fact.’
Questrid exchanged an excited look with Copper.
Mr Annigan went on, ‘The dragons called me. It’s as simple as that. When they have a problem, Shane Annigan’s the man!’
Everyone stared at him.
‘Are the dragons like our dragons – friendly, I mean?’ asked Copper.
‘Ruby has a little dragon called Glinty,’ Questrid told him. ‘She’s friendly.’
‘Your mother has one? Does she now? Dragons are most mysterious,’ went on Mr Annigan. ‘They are an ancient race, the dragons …’ His voice dipped to a whisper. ‘Oh, there’s many a story about the dragon world.’
And then, without anyone quite knowing how, he began to tell them stories of fantastic dragons, dangerous dragons, dragons that could cast spells and dragons with fish tails that could swim and breathe underwater. Everyone, even Amy much against her wishes, wasspellbound. When he stopped they were still as statues, leaning forward and waiting for more.
‘We’ve been so impolite,’ said Amber, getting up quickly. ‘We’ve done nothing, only let you entertain us!’
‘Well, now,’ said Mr Annigan, ‘that’s fine. But I’d be most grateful if you’d let me stay the night here, then I’ll set off tomorrow and be at Dragon Mountain as quickly as I can.’
‘Of course,’ said Cedar. ‘Come with me. I’ll show you where you can sleep.’
‘That man’d be useful if you were lost in a dark night, wouldn’t he?’ said
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