Dragon Storm by Alastair Chisholm

Author:Alastair Chisholm
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Published: 2022-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

He was right. It was like seeing the city from a great height. Sunlight shone down, and Mira realised she could even see tiny figures moving around.

“Oh!” she said. “It’s like a camera obscura!”

“What’s that?” asked Tom.

“A way of projecting an image,” said Connor.

“It’s really clever,” said Mira. “You need a very small aperture, and light comes in and gets projected against a—”

“Quiet!” hissed Creedy. He glared a beady eye at Mira.

“Sorry,” muttered Mira.

Creedy and Nightwatcher concentrated, and the image moved, like a bird flying over Rivven. It swooped down to a market square and there was Prince Harald, talking to a group of men and women. They looked angry. There was no sound, but he was clearly sending them throughout the city.

“There,” said Berin. “We can see where they are, and we’re perfectly safe.”

She smiled again, reassuringly. The image faded away and Berin dismissed the children. But as they turned away, Mira noticed Berin glancing up at the light globes. One globe was flickering softly.

Later, Berin came to visit them in the engine room.

“Do you know what the problem is?” she asked.

Grimbal looked harassed. “Not absolutely, Yer Ladyship,” he muttered. “Got some ideas; I’m working through them. Takes time to investigate something like this, y’know.”

Berin nodded. “Of course. How can we help?”

Grimbal shook his head. “Oh, I’m on top of it – don’t you worry. Soon have it sorted. Yes, yes.”

“Maybe it’s the Dragon’s Heart,” said Mira. “Maybe it’s to do with that mark.”

Berin looked at her sharply. “What?”

Grimbal rolled his eyes. “It ain’t that. I’ve been checking – the Heart’s fine. No, it’s something in the workings; just got to nail it down.” He waved a hand airily. “Girl’s new – she doesn’t know anything about anything yet.”

“Hmm.” Berin frowned. “Well, if you’re sure…”

“Absolutely.” Grimbal beamed. “Got an idea what it might be already. Sort it by tomorrow, for sure.”

He waited until Berin had left. Then he turned to Mira and Flameteller.

“Don’t you go putting bad ideas on Her Ladyship!” he snapped. “I been working this place since we found it – you think I don’t know what’s what?”

Mira was shocked. “No! I just thought we should consider all the—”

“You tellin’ me I don’t know my job?”

“No, I—”

“Get back to work!”

Mira stared at Grimbal. He seemed furious, but there was something else, she thought. Almost … scared. He stormed out of the room, and Mira sighed and picked up her broom. The Dragon’s Heart continued its steady, huge ticking.

“What was that about?” she asked Flameteller.

“I don’t know,” said the dragon. “But there is something wrong, I can feel it.”

“I know! The way Grimbal’s acting, it’s like—”

“No,” interrupted the dragon. He sniffed the air, as if picking up a scent. “I mean, in here. Something… Can you hear it?”

“Hear what?” asked Mira. “It’s pretty loud.”

Flameteller shook his head. “All of this is like a song to me,” he said, waving a claw up towards the mechanisms above their heads. “Like music. But there’s a wrong note somewhere. It’s in the wrong place, or the wrong rhythm…” He frowned.

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