moved forward as if in a dream, and his manservant came after him. They stood silently gawking at the chamber.
Meg lay still behind a large suit of armor, trying not to touch the neck bone jutting out of it at a horrible angle just next to her head. The little dragon purred nearby. Cam twitched in his hiding place, making a coin slide.
âWhat was that?â Horace said, breaking the golden spell.
Vantor gestured at the great skeleton. âDragonâs dead.â
âAnd you killed it,â Horace said wisely.
Vantor smiled. âOf course.â He stooped to fill his hands with jewels.
âBut the smoke,â his servant began.
âGo find out,â the prince told him, not taking his eyes from the gems.
Horace tramped toward the back of the chamber, around the hill of gold. He stopped short. âDragon!â he said. Then he laughed.
Vantor let the jewels drop, running to join his servant.
âHa!â he said. âYou see, Horace? Iâll slay a dragon after all!â The little dragon hissed at him.
âSword or spear?â
âNot much sport,â the prince replied. âFirst letâs start moving the treasure. I donât want dragonâs blood all over my gold.â
âAnd the kingâs share?â Horace asked.
âPity,â Vantor told him, âbut the dragon had a very poor hoard. A goblet, a small chest filled with coins, a few inferior gems.â
âA pity indeed.â
Meg nearly jumped up yelling at these words of treachery.
âGo and get the others while I fetch a few of those dragon bones to make it look good,â the prince said.
âAnd Orl?â
âWho?â
âThe old man. Our guide.â
âHe found his way up the mountain. Let him find his way down.â
âYes, my lord.â Horace left the chamber.
Â
If Meg tilted her head at an uncomfortable angle, she could just see Cam behind a moldering chest. After a few moments, she could hear Prince Vantor hacking away at the huge skeleton with his sword.
The little dragon chuffed oddly, climbing over a stack of coins. When it sneezed, flame shot toward the ceiling.
âIâll put that out soon enough,â Vantor called
jovially. Meg didnât think heâd be very jovial if he found her there. Or Cam.
Horace soon came back with a group of Vantorâs men, and the newcomers gasped at the sight of the treasure. Finally they were calm enough to listen to their leaderâs words of inspiration.
âMen,â the prince said sonorously, âitâs not that I doubt your loyalty, but Iâll search every one of you when weâre ready to go down the mountain and again when we set up camp. If I find so much as a single gold coin in your pocket, Iâll cut your throat and leave your body for the wolves.â
The men muttered.
âHowever,â the prince continued, âdo good work, and when this is all over I will reward each of you with a share of the treasure.â
The men cheered cautiously.
Behind the chest, Cam rolled his eyes. Vantor didnât seem like the sharing type. Cam managed to look over at Meg. She made a face. Then her expression changed. Cam stopped smiling, too, remembering abruptly that Prince Vantor was seeking Megâs hand in marriage. Maybe the prince would just take the treasure and go home. It would be worth it to be rid of him.
7
FOR THE NEXT HOUR, VANTORâS MEN CAME IN and out of the cave at an alarming rate, carrying treasure away. If they keep going like this, theyâll soon reach our side of the hoard, Meg thought. A moment later, she forgot about the men when the baby dragon came right up to her foot and breathed on it with its too-hot breath. Stop that! Meg thought. The dragon tasted her ankle with its forked tongue. She wondered with a shock if Cam was right, if the darling creature would open its spiky jaws and bite her foot right off. Meg lay tightly, willing the baby
Meg lay still behind a large suit of armor, trying not to touch the neck bone jutting out of it at a horrible angle just next to her head. The little dragon purred nearby. Cam twitched in his hiding place, making a coin slide.
âWhat was that?â Horace said, breaking the golden spell.
Vantor gestured at the great skeleton. âDragonâs dead.â
âAnd you killed it,â Horace said wisely.
Vantor smiled. âOf course.â He stooped to fill his hands with jewels.
âBut the smoke,â his servant began.
âGo find out,â the prince told him, not taking his eyes from the gems.
Horace tramped toward the back of the chamber, around the hill of gold. He stopped short. âDragon!â he said. Then he laughed.
Vantor let the jewels drop, running to join his servant.
âHa!â he said. âYou see, Horace? Iâll slay a dragon after all!â The little dragon hissed at him.
âSword or spear?â
âNot much sport,â the prince replied. âFirst letâs start moving the treasure. I donât want dragonâs blood all over my gold.â
âAnd the kingâs share?â Horace asked.
âPity,â Vantor told him, âbut the dragon had a very poor hoard. A goblet, a small chest filled with coins, a few inferior gems.â
âA pity indeed.â
Meg nearly jumped up yelling at these words of treachery.
âGo and get the others while I fetch a few of those dragon bones to make it look good,â the prince said.
âAnd Orl?â
âWho?â
âThe old man. Our guide.â
âHe found his way up the mountain. Let him find his way down.â
âYes, my lord.â Horace left the chamber.
Â
If Meg tilted her head at an uncomfortable angle, she could just see Cam behind a moldering chest. After a few moments, she could hear Prince Vantor hacking away at the huge skeleton with his sword.
The little dragon chuffed oddly, climbing over a stack of coins. When it sneezed, flame shot toward the ceiling.
âIâll put that out soon enough,â Vantor called
jovially. Meg didnât think heâd be very jovial if he found her there. Or Cam.
Horace soon came back with a group of Vantorâs men, and the newcomers gasped at the sight of the treasure. Finally they were calm enough to listen to their leaderâs words of inspiration.
âMen,â the prince said sonorously, âitâs not that I doubt your loyalty, but Iâll search every one of you when weâre ready to go down the mountain and again when we set up camp. If I find so much as a single gold coin in your pocket, Iâll cut your throat and leave your body for the wolves.â
The men muttered.
âHowever,â the prince continued, âdo good work, and when this is all over I will reward each of you with a share of the treasure.â
The men cheered cautiously.
Behind the chest, Cam rolled his eyes. Vantor didnât seem like the sharing type. Cam managed to look over at Meg. She made a face. Then her expression changed. Cam stopped smiling, too, remembering abruptly that Prince Vantor was seeking Megâs hand in marriage. Maybe the prince would just take the treasure and go home. It would be worth it to be rid of him.
7
FOR THE NEXT HOUR, VANTORâS MEN CAME IN and out of the cave at an alarming rate, carrying treasure away. If they keep going like this, theyâll soon reach our side of the hoard, Meg thought. A moment later, she forgot about the men when the baby dragon came right up to her foot and breathed on it with its too-hot breath. Stop that! Meg thought. The dragon tasted her ankle with its forked tongue. She wondered with a shock if Cam was right, if the darling creature would open its spiky jaws and bite her foot right off. Meg lay tightly, willing the baby
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