Read Online The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen - Free Book Online
Authors: James A. Owen
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seems impossible to believe.”
“We’re into the rarified air of the Archipelago now,” Bert informed the others, gesturing to the waters below—and back to the now vanished lights of London. “It’s required to believe sixteen impossible things before breakfast.”
“Who are we talking about, John?” asked Jack.
Charles pieced it together first. “There’s a statue of him in Kensington Gardens,” he said quietly. “Am I right, John?”
John nodded and leaned over the railing, face to the wind. “Laura Glue’s grandfather,” he explained, “Sir James Barrie’s best friend, who became his greatest enemy, was the boy who never grew up.
“We’ve been summoned to the Archipelago by Peter Pan.”
P ART T WO
A History Undone
The armored scarecrow was chewing something…
C HAPTER F IVE
The Errant Knight
The crossing into the Archipelago was as smooth and uneventful as they’d remembered. One moment they were above the waters of the world, and the next moment they were not. And in the transition, the English night gave way to a crisp morning light.
The crew were many of the same cloven-hoofed fauns that had operated the ship when it sailed on water, although this time the companions were far less hesitant to interact with them.
“Excellent ship you’ve got here,” Charles said to a passing crewman. “Uh, lovely decks.”
“Humph,” replied the faun, shoving past.
“Nice chatting with you,” said Charles.
“I returned the White Dragon to Ordo Maas, then set about salvaging the wreckage of the old girl,” Bert said, patting the hull. “It took us a long time to decide how to proceed, but fortunately we had lots of support and funding from Paralon. Artus and Aven have ruled very well, if, ah, unconventionally, and are widely loved.”
“That’s good to hear,” John said, noting how quickly Jack moved away at the mention of Aven’s name. “I’m going to have a hard time calling the High King ‘Artus,’ though.”
“Oh, he insists that his personal friends still call him ‘Bug,’” said Bert. “Says it helps him keep ‘the common touch,’ although between you and me, I think he just misses the adventures we had, before all this running-a-kingdom business got dropped on him.”
“What was Samaranth’s opinion on all of this?” John asked. “I assume he was consulted?”
“First among the royal advisers,” said Bert. “Even more so than I. Since the war with the Winter King, the dragons have never been far from the Archipelago. At times they have intervened in certain affairs, but nothing that ever dictated a formal summoning from the Ring on Terminus.”
The companions looked at one another with somber expressions. A formal summoning could only be done by the High King, using the Ring of Power—the great circle of stones they had discovered in the conflict with the Winter King. It was an action Artus would take in only the gravest circumstances.
“Until now?” John guessed.
Bert nodded. “At Samaranth’s suggestion. Every dragon alive has scoured the islands but has found no sign of the missing ships or children. As far as we can determine, they are nowhere in the Archipelago.”
“Could they be in our world?”
“Not likely. They would stand out more, not less. Look at the complications you had with just one little girl.”
“Jamie told us that he remembered an old Archipelago legend about a Crusade,” said John. “Do you know of such a story?”
“It does sound familiar, I’ll admit,” said Bert, “but I can’t put my finger on it. I’m hoping we may be able to ask the Morgaine what it refers to, and get right to the heart of it.”
“You could do that without us,” John pointed out, “and with all these things happening in the Archipelago, I must admit I don’t see how we can help. We came because you asked us to come. But what good are the Caretakers going to be in finding missing ships and kidnapped children?”
“Maybe more than you
“We’re into the rarified air of the Archipelago now,” Bert informed the others, gesturing to the waters below—and back to the now vanished lights of London. “It’s required to believe sixteen impossible things before breakfast.”
“Who are we talking about, John?” asked Jack.
Charles pieced it together first. “There’s a statue of him in Kensington Gardens,” he said quietly. “Am I right, John?”
John nodded and leaned over the railing, face to the wind. “Laura Glue’s grandfather,” he explained, “Sir James Barrie’s best friend, who became his greatest enemy, was the boy who never grew up.
“We’ve been summoned to the Archipelago by Peter Pan.”
P ART T WO
A History Undone
The armored scarecrow was chewing something…
C HAPTER F IVE
The Errant Knight
The crossing into the Archipelago was as smooth and uneventful as they’d remembered. One moment they were above the waters of the world, and the next moment they were not. And in the transition, the English night gave way to a crisp morning light.
The crew were many of the same cloven-hoofed fauns that had operated the ship when it sailed on water, although this time the companions were far less hesitant to interact with them.
“Excellent ship you’ve got here,” Charles said to a passing crewman. “Uh, lovely decks.”
“Humph,” replied the faun, shoving past.
“Nice chatting with you,” said Charles.
“I returned the White Dragon to Ordo Maas, then set about salvaging the wreckage of the old girl,” Bert said, patting the hull. “It took us a long time to decide how to proceed, but fortunately we had lots of support and funding from Paralon. Artus and Aven have ruled very well, if, ah, unconventionally, and are widely loved.”
“That’s good to hear,” John said, noting how quickly Jack moved away at the mention of Aven’s name. “I’m going to have a hard time calling the High King ‘Artus,’ though.”
“Oh, he insists that his personal friends still call him ‘Bug,’” said Bert. “Says it helps him keep ‘the common touch,’ although between you and me, I think he just misses the adventures we had, before all this running-a-kingdom business got dropped on him.”
“What was Samaranth’s opinion on all of this?” John asked. “I assume he was consulted?”
“First among the royal advisers,” said Bert. “Even more so than I. Since the war with the Winter King, the dragons have never been far from the Archipelago. At times they have intervened in certain affairs, but nothing that ever dictated a formal summoning from the Ring on Terminus.”
The companions looked at one another with somber expressions. A formal summoning could only be done by the High King, using the Ring of Power—the great circle of stones they had discovered in the conflict with the Winter King. It was an action Artus would take in only the gravest circumstances.
“Until now?” John guessed.
Bert nodded. “At Samaranth’s suggestion. Every dragon alive has scoured the islands but has found no sign of the missing ships or children. As far as we can determine, they are nowhere in the Archipelago.”
“Could they be in our world?”
“Not likely. They would stand out more, not less. Look at the complications you had with just one little girl.”
“Jamie told us that he remembered an old Archipelago legend about a Crusade,” said John. “Do you know of such a story?”
“It does sound familiar, I’ll admit,” said Bert, “but I can’t put my finger on it. I’m hoping we may be able to ask the Morgaine what it refers to, and get right to the heart of it.”
“You could do that without us,” John pointed out, “and with all these things happening in the Archipelago, I must admit I don’t see how we can help. We came because you asked us to come. But what good are the Caretakers going to be in finding missing ships and kidnapped children?”
“Maybe more than you
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