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dragon to leave. Go away! she thought at it. With a cranky snuffle, the dragon moved off around the chamber.
    â€œHey, out of my way!” One of Vantor’s men tried kicking the dragon and got his ankle burned for his trouble. Vantor only laughed.
    Back and forth the men went, till Meg thought she might fall asleep and give herself away by rolling over.
But at last the prince’s servants must have stopped to rest, since they didn’t return. Instead, Vantor held a conference with Horace in the dragon’s chamber. “We’ve got as much as we can carry,” the servant said.
    â€œWe’re not leaving any of this here!”
    â€œWe can make another trip tomorrow.”
    The prince said nothing.
    â€œOr later tonight,” Horace went on. “We’ll post a guard.”
    â€œYou stand guard. I don’t trust the others.”
    And, mercifully, they left.
    Meg and Cam waited a long while, but all was quiet except for the sound of the dragon baby creeping along like a great lizard. Meg lifted her head, then stood up. “Where did he go?” she whispered.
    Cam stood up, too. “He’ll be at the cave mouth.”
    Meg put her hands on her hips. “We’ve got to get out,” she said, “and we’re taking the dragon with us.”
    Â 
    Nort shifted about anxiously as the sun dropped lower and lower. Where was the princess? Arbel might be a bit dim, but he would certainly notice a rope hanging down from the tower window.
    Someone was moving toward him from the castle. Nort frantically cast about for a convincing story to tell the older guard, but when the figure came closer he saw that it was Dilly. Nort leaned his spear against the wall and hurried forward to meet her.
    â€œWell?” she said, looking up at the tower with
its dark window. “I’ve got to tell her about the witch.”
    Nort shook his head. “I don’t know where she is, and Arbel will be here any minute.” His face lit up. “But you can go up! This is definitely an emergency!”
    Dilly backed away. “No it isn’t!”
    â€œDilly!”
    Her face whitened. “I can’t, Nort. I want to help, truly, but I can’t.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    Dilly bit her lip. “Promise you won’t laugh?” She couldn’t believe she was confiding in Nort the Creep.
    â€œI promise.” Nort actually sounded kind.
    Dilly steeled herself. “I’m afraid of heights.”
    â€œOh.” Nort looked surprised, but he didn’t laugh. He didn’t seem to understand, either. “Dilly, you have to. Arbel will see the rope.”
    â€œNot just a little afraid,” Dilly cried. “I’ll fall!”
    She could tell Nort was starting to believe her. “We’ve got to do something ,” he said.
    Dilly thought. “We could tell him—we could say …” She closed her mouth.
    â€œI’ve tried all day to think of a good reason for a rope to be hanging out Meg’s window, and I haven’t come up with a single thing,” Nort said, shaking his head.
    Then Dilly smiled. “I know.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou can climb up there.”
    â€œMe?” Nort yelped. “I’m not a princess!”

    â€œNeither am I,” Dilly pointed out. “You don’t have to talk.”
    â€œArbel would wonder where I was,” Nort said unwillingly.
    â€œI’ll cover for you down here.” Dilly paused. “Please?” she added, flushing.
    Nort grinned suddenly. “Clever Dilly, are you asking for a favor?”
    She snorted. “It’s for the princess, and you know it.”
    He waited.
    â€œYes!” Dilly said. “Now go!”
    â€œAll right,” Nort told her sweetly. He climbed up the rope faster than Dilly would have thought possible.
    A moment later, the rope slid upward. A candle flared high in the tower. Not ten minutes after that, Arbel came