Read Online The Dragon at the North Pole by Kate Klimo - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Klimo
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“Ignore how it’s written and listen to how it sounds.”
“B-o-wolf,” Daisy said slowly. “You mean … Beowulf? You think Mr. Unsavory is the guy who killed Grendel in that famous story you told me about? But that’s just a story, Jesse! Besides, didn’t you say it took place in the eighth or ninth century? Even if Beowulf was real, he couldn’t be alive now!”
“But Beowulf’s killing Grendel isn’t the whole story,” Jesse said. “Ten years after he did that and became king, he slew … a dragon.”
“Oh, no!” Daisy sat down hard on the desk chair. “A dragon?”
Jesse nodded. “Supposedly Beowulf died after the battle. But now I’m thinking that Beowulf survived,faked the funeral, and hid the truth from the world, substituting the legend we’ve all learned. What he actually did was drink the blood of the dragon he slew. Like St. George, he achieved immortality.”
Daisy shook her head. “Jesse Tiger, do you mean Mr. Unsavory, the guy who wants to be Emmy’s new Keeper, is a
dragon slayer
?”
C HAPTER S IX
THE VORTEX INTERCEPTOR
When Emmy greeted Jesse and Daisy at the door to her room, they saw that her eyes burned feverishly. She was in desperate need of Miss Alodie’s blue goo cracker.
Jesse and Daisy exchanged a worried look. Ontheir way from the man cave, they had discussed strategy. They knew all too well, from the day Emmy had been born, how difficult it was to get her to eat something when she didn’t like the taste. Miss Alodie’s blue goo cracker tasted nasty. Emmy might even spit it out, and they couldn’t risk that. They’d decided they would use the distraction of burning the contract to get her to eat the cracker.
“I was having cookies and milk,” Emmy droned. “Do come in.”
Emmy turned, walked back into the room, and hunkered down in a giant easy chair carved to accommodate her draconic dimensions. A second chair, a table, and the fireplace were similarly large. On the table, there was a plate of cookies, each one the size of a cake. Also on the table were the other two pieces of Emmy’s Christmas stationery.
Emmy gestured to the chair across from her. The layout of the room was identical to Jesse and Daisy’s, except for its dragon scale, which made the cousins feel that much smaller and more helpless. The cousins climbed up into the second chair. It was big enough to fit both of them and about five other kids, too.
“Won’t you have some?” Emmy asked, gesturing at the cake-sized cookies.
“No, thanks,” said Daisy. “We’re here on otherbusiness. We’re here to burn the contract, because we have no intention of giving you up to the Claus.”
Emmy shook her head rapidly. “The Claus will be very angry with you.”
Jesse jumped down from the chair and shrugged off his backpack. He took out the scroll and held it up to her. “Too bad. We’re burning it anyway.”
“Me and my precious flame will not be a party to this wanton destruction,” Emmy said, clamping her talons over her snout.
“It just so happens we don’t need you or your precious flame,” Jesse said. He spread the sheet of parchment on the floor. Then he took out the tinderbox and began to strike the flint against the ring. The first strike got a spark. The second strike got a bigger spark. The third strike would surely light the wick.
“Give me that,” said Emmy. She reached across the table and plucked the tinderbox from Jesse’s hands.
“Hey!” he said, lunging for it. But Emmy held it out of his reach.
“This is the property of the Claus. I will return it to him
after
you two have signed the contract.”
Jesse shot a look of desperation at Daisy.
Daisy hopped down from the chair. Shemarched over to Emmy and stared up at her. “Emmy, we’ll be happy to sign the contract.”
Jesse stared at Daisy as if she had just sprouted antlers. “We will?”
Daisy smiled serenely. “We think it’s wonderful that Santa is going to be your new Keeper,” she said,
“B-o-wolf,” Daisy said slowly. “You mean … Beowulf? You think Mr. Unsavory is the guy who killed Grendel in that famous story you told me about? But that’s just a story, Jesse! Besides, didn’t you say it took place in the eighth or ninth century? Even if Beowulf was real, he couldn’t be alive now!”
“But Beowulf’s killing Grendel isn’t the whole story,” Jesse said. “Ten years after he did that and became king, he slew … a dragon.”
“Oh, no!” Daisy sat down hard on the desk chair. “A dragon?”
Jesse nodded. “Supposedly Beowulf died after the battle. But now I’m thinking that Beowulf survived,faked the funeral, and hid the truth from the world, substituting the legend we’ve all learned. What he actually did was drink the blood of the dragon he slew. Like St. George, he achieved immortality.”
Daisy shook her head. “Jesse Tiger, do you mean Mr. Unsavory, the guy who wants to be Emmy’s new Keeper, is a
dragon slayer
?”
C HAPTER S IX
THE VORTEX INTERCEPTOR
When Emmy greeted Jesse and Daisy at the door to her room, they saw that her eyes burned feverishly. She was in desperate need of Miss Alodie’s blue goo cracker.
Jesse and Daisy exchanged a worried look. Ontheir way from the man cave, they had discussed strategy. They knew all too well, from the day Emmy had been born, how difficult it was to get her to eat something when she didn’t like the taste. Miss Alodie’s blue goo cracker tasted nasty. Emmy might even spit it out, and they couldn’t risk that. They’d decided they would use the distraction of burning the contract to get her to eat the cracker.
“I was having cookies and milk,” Emmy droned. “Do come in.”
Emmy turned, walked back into the room, and hunkered down in a giant easy chair carved to accommodate her draconic dimensions. A second chair, a table, and the fireplace were similarly large. On the table, there was a plate of cookies, each one the size of a cake. Also on the table were the other two pieces of Emmy’s Christmas stationery.
Emmy gestured to the chair across from her. The layout of the room was identical to Jesse and Daisy’s, except for its dragon scale, which made the cousins feel that much smaller and more helpless. The cousins climbed up into the second chair. It was big enough to fit both of them and about five other kids, too.
“Won’t you have some?” Emmy asked, gesturing at the cake-sized cookies.
“No, thanks,” said Daisy. “We’re here on otherbusiness. We’re here to burn the contract, because we have no intention of giving you up to the Claus.”
Emmy shook her head rapidly. “The Claus will be very angry with you.”
Jesse jumped down from the chair and shrugged off his backpack. He took out the scroll and held it up to her. “Too bad. We’re burning it anyway.”
“Me and my precious flame will not be a party to this wanton destruction,” Emmy said, clamping her talons over her snout.
“It just so happens we don’t need you or your precious flame,” Jesse said. He spread the sheet of parchment on the floor. Then he took out the tinderbox and began to strike the flint against the ring. The first strike got a spark. The second strike got a bigger spark. The third strike would surely light the wick.
“Give me that,” said Emmy. She reached across the table and plucked the tinderbox from Jesse’s hands.
“Hey!” he said, lunging for it. But Emmy held it out of his reach.
“This is the property of the Claus. I will return it to him
after
you two have signed the contract.”
Jesse shot a look of desperation at Daisy.
Daisy hopped down from the chair. Shemarched over to Emmy and stared up at her. “Emmy, we’ll be happy to sign the contract.”
Jesse stared at Daisy as if she had just sprouted antlers. “We will?”
Daisy smiled serenely. “We think it’s wonderful that Santa is going to be your new Keeper,” she said,
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