The Case of the Missing Cats by Gareth P. Jones

Author:Gareth P. Jones
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2006-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

‘Come on, Karny,’ Dirk called into the darkness. ‘Play the game. You got your liquorice.’

Once again the large red eyes appeared and the deep voice echoed around the hall.

‘The great dragon Karnataka is not in at the moment,’ it said. ‘But please leave a message after the tone and he’ll be sure to get back to you. Beeep!’

‘Karny.’ There was a taunting quality to Dirk’s voice. ‘You can’t hide from me.’

Holly walked by Dirk’s side. They approached the eyes. She had stopped being scared of them now as she could see that they were in fact two red lights attached to something that looked like a giant ear trumpet.

‘Karnataka forbids you to take one step further,’ said the voice, with a hint of panic.

Dirk winked at Holly and walked around the strange device. Behind it was Karnataka, shaking with terror.

‘You are trespassing,’ boomed his voice. ‘Trespass not against me or I–’

‘Boo,’ said Dirk in Karnataka’s ear, causing the dragon to jump a metre in the air.

‘Leave me alone,’ he said in his normal high-pitched voice.

‘Come on,’ said Dirk. ‘Do I have to force you?’

‘Dirk. I can’t. I don’t know anything.’

‘Is that right?’ said Dirk. ‘Then let’s change the subject. How about . . . say, the Dragon Council’s Welsh gold reserves. Know anything about them?’

A fresh look of panic crossed Karnataka’s face. ‘You wouldn’t,’ he said. ‘You can’t prove anything.’

‘The Council aren’t too fussy about proof. Remember what happened to poor Elsinor?’

‘You leave my brother out of this.’

‘They didn’t have much proof on him, did they? And I’m sure they’d be interested to know how you can afford all these trinkets,’ Dirk said, pointing at the rows of giant sculptures.

‘All right,’ said Karnataka, bowing his head in defeat. ‘But not in front of the human.’

‘She’s with me,’ said Dirk. ‘Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of her.’

‘But you know the rules.’

‘Since when have you cared so much about the rules?’ Dirk challenged.

‘Stealing a bit of gold is one thing, but breaching the forbidden divide is . . . well, it’s just silly.’

Dirk bristled. ‘Don’t call me silly,’ he snarled. ‘She’s only a kid. She doesn’t really count. Just tell me what you know.’

‘All right,’ said Karnataka, walking along the hallway. Dirk and Holly followed. He stopped between a statue of a two-headed serpent and one of a giant snake-like creature with the head of a lion and two enormous wings. He turned around and in a low whisper uttered the words, ‘Vainclaw Grandin.’

‘Should I know him?’ asked Dirk.

‘It’s better if you don’t. It’s safer if you don’t. Vainclaw is a Mountain Dragon, like yourself. Only bigger, older and a whole lot meaner.’

‘I can be pretty mean,’ said Dirk.

‘Don’t I know it? But you don’t even come close to Vainclaw. They say he drinks the blood of other dragons in order to steal their powers. This is the dragon that testified against Minertia and made sure that she was banished to the Inner Core. Get in his way, you’re dragon ash.

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