Dragon on Trial by Tui T. Sutherland

Author:Tui T. Sutherland
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

FIFTEEN

Logan was a little distracted during dinner with Dad Monday night. It was hard to focus on pork chops and corn cakes when he really wanted to get back to the Menagerie and keep looking for clues.

“So,” Logan’s dad said. “Tell me about your day.”

Hmm, Logan thought. I met a family of werecreatures? I had a nice chat with a dragon? I saved my school librarian from getting her memory wiped? We glitter bombed a werewolf?

He settled for, “I ate lunch with Blue.”

“And Zoe?” his dad asked, a little too quickly.

Logan raised his eyebrows at him. “And Zoe.”

“Have you, uh—have you met her parents?” Dad asked, poking his pork chop with his fork as if he didn’t really care about the answer, but Logan got the feeling he did.

What do you know, Dad?

“Yeah,” he answered.

“So they’ve . . . met you.”

“That’s generally how it works.” There was a pause. And they recognized me, and Zoe told me everything, Logan thought. Is that what you’re wondering? Just ask me, Dad. Finally he added, “They’re really nice.”

“Hmm,” Dad said, with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

“I bet Mom would like them,” Logan said boldly. He knew for a fact that his mom had liked them; according to Zoe’s stories about Logan’s mom, she’d been a regular visitor to the Menagerie, bringing them new mythical creatures at least once or twice a year. So if you know that, Dad, maybe now would be a good time to come clean. Why else are we in Xanadu? Mom must have told you about this Menagerie. But you haven’t gone to talk to the Kahns, or Zoe would have mentioned it.

“Your mom is usually a pretty good judge of character,” Dad said noncommittally.

He doesn’t trust the Kahns, Logan realized suddenly. Maybe he thinks they know what happened to Mom.

Either that, or he doesn’t know anything and I’m being paranoid.

“Do they have any interesting collections?” Dad blurted. “Like silver? Maybe a silver door or silver knives or—” He trailed off. “Never mind.”

“Dad, what on earth are you talking about?” Logan asked. Silver? Was his dad worried about werewolves? Did he think werewolves had taken Mom?

“Nothing,” said Logan’s dad. “Just something someone said about the Kahns. Maybe I heard him wrong.”

Logan felt like they were each having a totally different conversation inside their heads than the one happening out loud. It made him want to throw corn cakes at his dad until the truth tumbled out of his mouth.

Maybe if I just ask the right question.

“Hey, what was Mom doing on her last trip?” he asked. “Do you know?”

Dad looked up and studied him with serious dark eyes. “Her normal business stuff,” he said after a minute. “Why?”

“Normal business stuff like what?”

“Logan,” Dad said, putting down his knife and fork. “Listen. I understand.”

Logan held his breath. Do you? Is this it? Time for the truth?

“I miss her, too.” Dad reached across the table and patted Logan’s hand. “For now we have to carry on just the two of us, okay? Maybe one day we’ll find out more about where she went and what she’s doing now.

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