Read Online The Dragon's Eye by Dugald A. Steer - Free Book Online Page B

environments.”
    â€œWell, yes, but I think Beatrice was on the right track, don’t you?” said Dr. Drake. “And what about foresight, Darcy?”
    â€œProper training and preparation are absolutely essential,” said Darcy.
    â€œForwardness, Alicia?”
    â€œThat’s something to do with being brave, isn’t it?” asked Alicia.
    â€œOh, come on!” said Billy. “I told you: ‘The student must be both daring and truly courageous.’”
    â€œFrankness, Daniel?” said Dr. Drake, raising his eyebrow a little.
    â€œEr, a dragonologist must be frank?” I said.
    â€œIndeed,” said Dr. Drake. “Which means?”
    â€œHe must tell the truth?”
    â€œQuite,” said Dr. Drake. “A dragonologist must report honestly what he sees at all times. And as for fatalities, unless these are avoided, I’m afraid you won’t make much progress at all. There is one particular danger, however, that is often forgotten. We studied it last year. Can either of you, Billy or Darcy, tell these other children what it is?”
    They both looked blank.
    â€œWhile a dragonologist must never underestimate the dangers of suffering from bites, burns, slashes from claws, death by constriction . . .”
    â€œOh,” said Darcy. “Hypnosis.”
    â€œCan you remember what kinds of dragon can hypnotise people?”
    â€œOnly the larger, more intelligent kind,” said Billy. “And they can only hypnotise people who are intelligent themselves. So the girls will be all right,” he added with a smirk.
    Alicia shuffled in her chair as though she often had to put up with this sort of thing. Beatrice looked as though she was going to say something but decided against it. Dr. Drake looked at Billy archly.
    â€œI dare say that a dragon could hypnotise nearly everyone in this room if he chose to,” he said.
    â€œCould the knucker —?” began Beatrice, but she was cut off by a tremendous thud that made the whole building shake. We all stood up at once. It sounded as though someone — or something — was trying to smash the wall down.
    â€œLook!” said Alicia. A huge dragon’s head appeared at one of the windows. From the size of its head, I guessed that the creature would make the knucker look tiny and would positively dwarf Scorcher. When it saw us, its head started moving against the window as though it were hopping up and down in excitement.
    â€œJamal’s gotten out again,” cried Darcy.
    â€œHow on earth?” exclaimed Dr. Drake.
    We crowded over to one of the other windows and looked out to see Emery and Mademoiselle Gamay trying to deal with a dragon that stood at least twelve feet high. He had two enormous wings at the front and two huge back legs, but no front legs at all.
    â€œJamal’s come to say hello,” said Billy with a laugh.
    Meanwhile Mademoiselle Gamay was trying to attract the beast’s attention with the remains of the roast beef we had eaten for lunch, while Emery held out a large bowl full of glass beads.
    â€œCan’t we go and see him?” asked Billy.
    â€œNot now,” said Dr. Drake. “There will be plenty of time to see Jamal later. But if you watch, you may learn something. I am sure that Emery and Mademoiselle Gamay have got the situation under control.”
    It didn’t seem like it. The dragon was ignoring both of them. Instead, he was testing the wall with his hind claws and tail, as though he was wondering just what it would take to knock it down. Then he moved back a little and thumped the wall again with his tail. The building shook as though there had been a small earthquake.
    â€œShouldn’t we get outside?” asked Beatrice.
    â€œNot just yet,” said Dr. Drake.
    Then a rather red-faced Emery managed to get in front of Jamal, distracting him for a moment by placing the bowl of glass beads in front of him.
    Jamal looked