Read Online The Case of the Missing Cats by Gareth P. Jones - Free Book Online Page B

Dragonspeak. Before she could begin to wonder whom he might be talking to, she felt her stomach lurch. The room was moving downwards. She grabbed on to Dirk and shone the torch at the doorway. The stairs had vanished, replaced by a solid stone wall, rushing past.
    â€˜It’s a lift,’ she said.
    â€˜Of sorts, yes,’ replied Dirk, as the room took them deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth.
    â€˜Where will it take us?’
    â€˜To Karnataka.’
    â€˜What’s Karnataka?’ The constant motion of the lift was making her feel sick.
    â€˜Who, not what.’
    â€˜Who’s Karnataka, then?’
    â€˜Well, until a few days ago Karnataka was the only other London-based dragon that I was aware of. Only he lives deep down here, underneath the city. He’s a Shade-Hugger. They’re not big fans of sunlight.’
    â€˜And why are we going to see him?’
    â€˜Because he doesn’t just keep his ear to the ground.Karnataka lives in the ground. If an earthworm wriggles in Ealing, Karnataka knows about it.’
    The room stopped moving. Holly pointed the torch out of the doorway and saw that they had arrived at a large dimly lit tunnel in front of a giant door carved in the shape of a dragon’s head, with a huge ring through its nose. The air tasted stale and humid, and lacking in oxygen. She followed Dirk out of the lift towards the door. He jumped up, grabbed the huge metal ring between his teeth, pulled it back and let it go. The bang reverberated off the rocks, echoing seemingly for ever into the darkness. With a painful creak the door edged open. Dirk entered, followed by Holly, desperately trying to feel brave.
    On the other side of the door was a great hall. Along each side were giant stone pillars, carved into the shapes of various creatures, each one more terrible and ferocious looking than the last. Some were dragons, like Dirk, others more serpent than dragon, or strange half-breeds like a cockerel crossed with a snake, or half cockroach, half vulture. Each figure sat upright with its mouth wide open, and from each mouth a constant jet of bright-red fire lit the great hall.
    â€˜Wow,’ said Holly. ‘Karnataka must be fairly important to live here.’
    â€˜You’re confusing important with ostentatious,’ replied Dirk.
    â€˜What does ostentatious mean?’ asked Holly.
    â€˜He’s a show-off,’ said Dirk.
    The fire from the pillars died away and an orotund voice spoke, each syllable emphasised by a burst of flame from the statues’ mouths. ‘Who dares enter the hall of Karnataka?’
    â€˜It’s me, Dirk Dilly,’ Dirk replied.
    â€˜And what does Dirk Dilly want that he dares to disturb the great Karnataka at his humble home?’
    Holly stared into the darkness. Two large, red eyes watched them.
    â€˜Information,’ said Dirk.
    â€˜And what payment do you have for me?’ said the eyes.
    Dirk pointed at Holly. ‘I bring the sweetest human produce of all,’ he said.
    The lights dimmed then went out completely. Holly looked desperately at Dirk but it was too dark to see his face. The room was filled with the sound of echoing footsteps, charging towards her. Holly turned to run, but felt a great weight land heavily onher back. She fell forwards.
    â€˜Get off me, get off me,’ she yelled, kicking and screaming. ‘I’m not your payment.’
    â€˜Payment?’ said a high nasal voice. ‘Just give us the liquorice and no one will get hurt.’
    Holly felt something reach in her pockets and pull out the bags of liquorice that Dirk had given her earlier, and she was free again. She jumped to her feet and the lights flared up, revealing a dragon with a dark-brown back and caramel-coloured underbelly, greedily throwing the sweets into its mouth and munching happily.
    â€˜Sorry,’ said Dirk to Holly. ‘Karny likes his grand introductions.’
    â€˜You could have