Authors: Kate McMullan

Double Dragon Trouble (5 page)

BOOK: Double Dragon Trouble

2.48Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

“It takes forever to get bad smells out of a cave,” Lucinda said. She began spraying the air with something in a bottle. “There just isn't enough air.”

Wiglaf sniffed. The spray smelled sweet, like lilac. But it didn't really get rid of the stink.

Angus picked up the piece of parchment that Maggot had tossed. He read:

Git out of are cave! And we meen now!

Ef you don git out in a our, we will reelly reck this plac!

Signed,

Bilge and Maggot

“Good heavens!” cried Lucinda. “Whatever happened to being scared of dragons?

“Whatever happened to correct spelling?” muttered Ethelred.

Something crashed in the distance.

“Oh!” cried Ethelred. “They aren't even waiting for an answer. They're wrecking the cave already!”

“Ethel and I are old dragons,” said Lucinda, shaking her head. “This is our retirement cave.” She glanced at her sister. “Whatever will we do if we can't get rid of those little whippersnappers?” She waved a paw in front of her snout. “Oh, it still stinks in here.”

“I can't stand the smell, either,” Ethelred said. “We all need a breath of fresh air.” She picked up her big red purse. “Come!”

Wiglaf glanced at Angus. They were leaving the cave. Maybe they could escape! And yet he felt sorry for the dragon twins. Part of him wanted to stick around and help them get rid of Bilge and Maggot.

Lucinda reached for her purse, too. She stood up. She touched her pearls with a front paw. Every single pearl in the double strand began to glow. It wasn't the scary red-hot lava glow. It was a bright white glow to light their way down the dark tunnel. “Follow me,” she said. And she led the way out of the cavern.

Chapter 8

W
iglaf and Angus followed the dragons.
Where are Bilge and Maggot
? Wiglaf wondered. They were very quiet. Too quiet.

At last, by the shine of pearl light, Wiglaf saw the boulder lodged in the mouth of the cave. Ethelred picked up a long iron rod leaning against the cave wall. She wedged it between the rock and the cave entrance, gritted her fangs, and gave the rod a shove. The boulder rolled back into the cave, creating an opening.

Lucinda, Ethelred, Wiglaf, and Angus ran outside.

Wiglaf took a deep breath. Ahhh! The fresh air smelled sweet after the stinky cave. It was cool outside. The sun was just going down. A full moon was on the rise.

Lucinda and Ethelred gulped the fresh air loudly. Then they stretchedâlengthening their long, scaly red necks and spreading out their wings.

“Ah!” exclaimed Ethelred. “I feel better already.”

“I do, too,” said Wiglaf.

“Me too,” mumbled Angus. “Except that I'm hungry.”

A sudden scuffling sound inside the cave startled the four. They turned toward the entrance in time to see the boulder roll back, blocking the mouth of the cave.

“Ha-ha!” Bilge and Maggot called from inside the cave. “You can't get in! It's our cave now!”

“Saint George's dragon!” exclaimed Lucinda. “Do they really think we can't budge that boulder?”

“Let them think so for a while, Lucy,” said Ethelred. “It's peaceful here.”

Lucinda nodded. “Let's have a nice hot cup of tea and figure out how to get rid of those pests.”

Then to Wiglaf's surprise, Lucinda opened her big red purse and took out a teakettle. She trotted over to a nearby mountain stream and filled it with water.

Ethelred opened her big red purse, too. She took out a teapot, a drawstring bag, two teacups, and two saucers. She sprinkled some dried green leaves from the bag into the pot. “You never know when you're going to need a bracing cup of tea. Sit down on those rocks, lads. Make yourselves comfortable.”

Lucinda blew red-hot flames at the kettle. The water inside quickly boiled. She poured it over the tea in the pot, let it steep, and filled two cups.

Lucinda handed Wiglaf and Angus cups and saucers. “I hope you like dragonmint tea.”

Wiglaf sipped the tea. “Mmmm,” he said. “Tasty.”

Angus took a gulp. “Excellent!” he said. “Like peppermint, but mintier.”

The dragon ladies exchanged pleased smiles.

“Oh, I nearly forgot!” Ethelred opened her purse again and took out a big bag of cookies. She gave each lad two. “I suppose this will have to do for your supper.”

“No problem!” said Angus. He quickly took a bite. His eyes lit up. “Yum!”

“Dragonmint chip,” Lucinda said.

Wiglaf thought he had never tasted anything so delicious.

“Now,” said Ethelred, taking back the cups and pouring tea for herself and her sister. “How shall we get rid of those nasty little cave snatchers?” Her orange eyes narrowed. “Most dragons would just flame them.”

“Or fly them up high in the sky and drop them,” said Ethelred, stirring her tea.

“Or claw them to bits,” Lucinda added.

Wiglaf shuddered at the thought. He began to feel ill.

“Um...they
are
my little cousins,” Angus reminded the dragons.

“Some dragons would sit on them and crush them,” Ethelred said, seeming to ignore Angus's comment.

“Or cook them for supper,” added Lucinda. “Though I think they would be quite tough.”

Wiglaf put down his half-eaten cookie. “Is there not some way to make them leave your cave without hurting them?” he asked.

“What we're getting at,” said Lucinda, “is that most dragons would simply off those boys. But Ethelred and I aren't most dragons.”

Wiglaf was glad to hear her say so!

“Let's see...” Ethelred drummed her claws thoughtfully on her scaly red chin. “We could send them a dragon stink bomb. Nothing smells worse than dragonâ”

“No, sister!” Ethelred cried. “We'd never get
that
smell out of the cave.”

“Well, how about inviting the family over?” said Lucinda. “The sight of 376 dragons would scare off those little hooligans.”

“Don't count on it,” said Angus.

“Plus, we'd have to feed all 376,” said Ethelred. “And they might stay on for weeks.”

“Scratch that idea,” said Lucinda.

They all thought in silence for a while.

At last Wiglaf spoke up. “At Dragon Slayers' Academy, we learnâ”

“
That's
where you go to school?” cried Ethelred.

“Oops!” Wiglaf put a hand over his mouth.

“Honestly, Ethelred!” Lucinda shook her head. “Where did you think they went to school? Princess Prep? Go on, Wiglaf.”

“Thatâthat all dragons have hoards of gold,”

Wiglaf managed.

Lucinda nodded. “It's true. My sister and I have a huge hoard. What about it?”

“If you were willing to part with some of your gold,” said Wiglaf, “I think I know how you could get rid of Bilge and Maggot.”

“We're all ears,” said Ethelred. She wiggled hers.

“Bilge and Maggot wrote a fake ransom note to Headmaster Mordred,” Wiglaf said. “They asked him to send a wheelbarrow piled high with gold.”

“But Uncle Mordred ripped up the note,” Angus put in. “He loves gold more than anything. Even more than his own nephews.”

“But if you offered to
give
Mordred gold,” Wiglaf said, “he might come and take Bilge and Maggot.”

“I see,” said Lucinda. “You mean we'd pay him an un-ransom to come and get the little snipes.”

Wiglaf nodded.

Ethelred sighed. “As a rule, a dragon's hoarding instinct is very strongâespecially in dragons from fine old families like ours.”

“Parting with our gold,” said Lucinda, “well, it just isn't done.”

“No,” said Ethelred. “Never.”

The dragon sisters exchanged looks.

“However,” Lucinda said slowly, “perhaps we could make an exceptionâthis one time.”

“We might give up some of our gold,” added Ethelred, “if it would get rid of those hooligans.”

Lucinda pawed around in her big red purse and found a piece of parchment.

Ethelred searched her purse and came up with a tin of ink and a large quill. “I will be the un-ransom-note secretary. What shall I say?”

“Dear Headmaster Mordred,” began Wiglaf.

“Flatter him more,” said Lucinda.

Wiglaf grinned. Lucinda had never met Mordred, yet she understood him perfectly.

In the end Ethelred wrote the following un-ransom note:

Esteemed Headmaster of DSA:

We are writing to let you know about a once-in-a-lifetime get-rich-quick opportunity. If you will come to our cave and fetch two lads who got lost on their way to your schoolâand guarantee that these lads, known as Bilge and Maggot, will never at any time ever return to our caveâwe will give you a wheelbarrow piled high with gold. Send a reply as soon as possible.

Most sincerely,

Lucinda and Ethelred von Arnazmertz

Keep Away Mountain Cave

Ethelred proofread the un-ransom note. “Not one spelling mistake.” She smiled. “What's the best way to get this to Mordred?”

“You could fly it to the school,” suggested Wiglaf.

“
To Dragon Slayers' Academy?
” said Lucinda. “Not smart.”

“Don't worry,” said Angus. “My uncle Mordred is way too cheap to hire guards. If you deliver the note in the dark, no one will see you.”

“Leave it on the drawbridge, under a rock,” said Wiglaf. “That's where Mordred's scout, Yorick, found the other note.”

Ethelred folded the note and tucked it into her big red purse.

“Dragon Slayers' Academy is just off Huntsman's Path, right?” she asked.

“Right,” said Angus.

Ethelred smiled. “This un-ransom note is as good as delivered.”

Chapter 9

A
short time later Ethelred returned. “Mission accomplished,” she said.

“Oh, goodie!” exclaimed Lucinda. “I wonder when we shall get a reply?”

“Not for a while,” said Angus. “It took us a long time to hike up here.”

“Let's play a game to pass the time,” said Lucinda. “Do you lads know how to play charades?”

Angus nodded. But Wiglaf shook his head.

“Twenty questions?” said Lucinda.

Wiglaf shook his head again. “The only game my family ever plays is Go Belch.”

“Oh!” Lucinda put a paw to her mouth and giggled.

“Maybe these lads would like to see our Fire-Breather Follies act, sister,” Ethelred said.

Lucinda smiled. “Eth and I were quite the rage when we were young.”

“You were singers?” asked Wiglaf.

“And dancers!” said Lucinda. “Oh, those were the days! Shall we, sister?”

The dragons hopped up. They put their arms around each other's waists and began to sing:

Some dragons love a good brawl,
Looting and pillage don't thrill us at all,
We just are not that sort of girls,
We'd rather dress upâin our pearls.

The dragons let go of each other and did a little dance. Then they sang:

Some dragons flame night and day,
That's not how we like to play,
We like to rumba and cha-cha andâhey, watch us twirl!
We'd much rather danceâin our pearls.

Here the dragon sisters spun around and did some fancy footwork.

“Yay!” cried Wiglaf and Angus when the act ended. They clapped and cheered.

“Thank you,” said Lucinda. She and Ethelred bowed.

“Next, we'll sing, âTea for Two,' ” said Ethelred. “Ready?”

The dragon sisters began singing and dancing again.

Wiglaf had never known such talented dragons. He and Angus enjoyed the act enormously.

And yet, when the dragon sisters began singing their fifteenth song, Wiglaf began to wonder how many more songs they might sing. He glanced at Angus and saw that he was dozing. He elbowed him. It would not do to let the dragon ladies know that they were bored.

The show went on. And on and on. It might have gone on much longer, except that as the dragon ladies took a bow after their twenty-sixth song, Ethelred squinted into the distance. “Look, Lucy!” she asked. Someone is hiking up to our cave!”

Sure enough, way down the mountain, Wiglaf saw a gray-clad figure hurrying their way.

“It's our reply!” Ethelred squealed. “I just know it!”

BOOK: Double Dragon Trouble

2.48Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads