Dragon's Breath (10 page)

Skirting the coral reef, we saw menacing shapes with curved fins and pointed faces circling overhead. Eadric swam near me, his dagger in his hand, his eyes moving constantly as he tried to keep watch in every direction.

When we reached the wreck, it was surprisingly quiet, with only the creaking of the timbers and the mysterious thuds and whistles that we always seemed to hear in the ocean. Pearl greeted us at the door while her mother, Nastia Nautica, remained in the high-backed chair facing the wide window in the stern.

"We got it!" Eadric held the pearl so that the last of the light shone on its creamy surface.

"Mother will be pleased," whispered Pearl.

When Nastia Nautica neither turned around nor acknowledged us in any way, I began to wonder what was wrong. Gesturing to Eadric to stay where he was, I swam around the side of the sea witch's chair and peeked at her. She sat slumped in her seat with her head tilted back. Bubbles drifted from her open mouth, and I could see her eyes moving beneath their closed lids. "Is she all right?" I whispered to Pearl.

"She's fine," said Pearl. "I sang her a lullaby and put her to sleep. She'll be furious when she wakes up, but by then you'll be long gone and she won't have any power over you since you've accomplished the task."

Eadric looked appalled. "Why would you want to put your mother to sleep?"

"You should be glad I did. She told me that if you brought the pearl, she was going to have you steal the crown of the Sea Worm King, a ridiculous request since the crown is useless to anyone who isn't a worm. It's so typical of my mother. She's never been able to live up to her end of a bargain without adding other conditions." Mother used to tell my sisters and me that she'd give us a treat if we picked up our toys. When we did, she'd make us polish her barnacles or brush the sharks' teeth before we saw any treat. It's why my sisters, Clamela and Anemone, left home as soon as they were old enough. I'll probably join them one of these days."

Pearl held out her hand, opening it to reveal a single strand of gossamer hair. "Here, I got the hair for you. I knew that if you asked her for it, she'd never give it to you, even if you met all her demands. You can't trust her at all. It's gotten so bad that everyone considers her the white cod of the family. I'm the only one who will even talk to her anymore."

I tucked the hair in my pouch and was pulling the drawstring closed when I pricked my finger, drawing a bead of blood. It was the pin decorated with the ruby fish. Pearl deserved a gift for all she'd done, so I took it out and handed it to her. "This is for you. Thank you for the hair and for your help. I'm glad we don't have to go on another errand—the last one was bad enough."

"What a lovely pin!" she said, her eyes sparkling.

"I'm afraid it doesn't have any magic."

"Pah! I have enough magic as it is. It will be a relief not to have to worry about what might happen when I'm wearing it."

Eadric was already backing toward the door. "I'm looking forward to going home. Ready, Emma?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I asked.

He had both arms wrapped around the pearl, and I think he was hoping that no one would notice. "Oh, yeah," he said, looking sheepish. "Here, Pearl. Please give it to your mother."

Pearl smiled and reached out her hands. "I'll make sure she gets it."

Thirteen

We had worked our way through the seaweed and were swimming side by side when I glanced at Eadric and was surprised to see that he looked worried. "Is something bothering you?" I asked. "We got the pearl there in time and we have the hair now, so everything is fine, isn't it?"

Eadric frowned. "Why did you give away the pin we'd brought for Coral? Now we don't have a gift for her."

"I guess I wasn't thinking," I said. "I know how fairies act when you don't give them a gift they'd been expecting. I hope Coral isn't like that."

"Why does everyone forget about me?" asked the crab, tugging on my sleeve. "If it's because of my size, I'll be molting soon and then I'll be much bigger."

"What about you?" growled Eadric. "We're not giving you a gift, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, no, no! I don't want a gift, although that would be nice. Maybe if you—"

"Shelton!" I could see Coral's castle up ahead, and I didn't want to arrive at her door arguing with a crab.

"I was just going to say that I could
be
a gift for Coral. I like it here, and there wasn't much for me back at your castle, Princess. If you want to say that I'm the gift, I wouldn't mind at all. As soon as I realized that they were weeditarians—"

"Weeditarians?" Eadric asked.

"You know, people who eat only seaweed. As I was saying, since they're weeditarians, they're not about to eat me, so I'm sure I'd be safe here. Much safer than at your castle once that awful otter comes home. So, what do you say? May I be the gift, because it would be the answer to both our problems, don't you think?"

We had almost reached Coral's castle, and I didn't have much time to consider my decision. "If that's what you really want," I said. If the little crab annoyed Coral as much as he did Eadric, she might come to resent my gift ... and me. On the other hand, we didn't have anything else to give her, and Shelton did want to stay.

"Shelton, let me get this straight," said Eadric. "According to your theory, people who eat weeds are weeditarians. What about animals who eat humans? Say, dragons, for instance. Would you call them humanitarians?"

"Maybe," said Shelton, "depending on who it is they eat!"

Seeing movement out of the corner of my eye, I turned my head to look. One of the sharp-faced creatures had come to examine us more closely. "Gentlemen," I said. "I think we have company." I darted to the castle door and tried the latch, but it was locked. Eadric turned to face the creature, bracing himself in the sand. While he guarded my back, I banged on the door as loudly as I could, which isn't easy underwater. "Hurry up, Octavius," I yelled. "Please open this door!"

"That's a shark," said Shelton. "Some are nice enough, but others are nasty. See the way he's looking at us? It's all right as long as he looks, but be careful when he comes closer. I've heard some really scary stories about those guys. Remind me to tell you about the one who—"

"Will you please get that crab to be quiet!" Eadric said. He had his dagger back in his fist and was trying to stay between the shark and me.

"Shelton!" I said, shaking my arm to get his attention.

"I got the point!" said the little crab, scrambling into my sleeve.

The shark was closer now, so close that we could see its cold, round eye staring at us. "Shelton," whispered Eadric without turning his head. "Do sharks have any weak spots?"

The little crab poked his eyestalks out of my sleeve. "You're asking me? I thought you wanted me to be quiet!"

"Shelton!" I cried.

"Oh, all right! I've heard that they'll go away if you hit them on the nose with something heavy. Keep in mind I don't know anyone who's actually done it, so it may not even be true. I'm kind of small to try it myself, but you can if you want to."

Eadric grunted. "Thanks for nothing, Shelton. Watch out. It looks like it's coming this way." Eadric pushed me against the door, then stood with his back to me, his feet firmly planted, the dagger clenched in his fist. I held my breath as it came straight at him, veering off at the last second.

"Got any spells in mind?" Eadric said so softly that I could hardly hear him.

"You'll have to give me a minute."

"I don't know if I have a minute to give you."

"Then I'll do the best I can. Here goes."

You don't want us in your belly.
We'll taste bad, Like stinging jelly.
Turn around and head straight back.
We would make a lousy snack.

"Is that supposed to make a shark decide that he doesn't want to eat you?" said Shelton from the depths of my sleeve. "Because I think I've heard that some sharks eat jellyfish, although I may be wrong."

"Emma," said Eadric, "he isn't going away."

"Sorry about that. I told you I needed more time."

"Get ready," said Eadric. "Here he comes!"

I was furiously trying to think of a better spell when the door jerked open and a voice snarled, "What, may I ask, are you doing?"

"It's a shark, Octavius, and it's—"

"Oh," he said, and suddenly his arms seemed to be everywhere. He wrapped one around my waist, and another around Eadric, then dragged us both through the opening. A third arm was yanking the door shut as a gaping mouthful of teeth hurtied toward us. Octavius slammed the door an instant before the shark hit it with a resounding bang.

"That was close!" I said, rubbing my head where I had bumped it on the wall.

Eadric helped me to my feet. "Time to go," he said.

Octavius had barred the castle door. Loud thuds told us that the shark was trying to bash its way in.

"Thank you for your help!" I told the octopus as we followed him down the hall.

"It was nothing. I was merely keeping out some of the riffraff. It's a shame I can't keep it all out," he said.

I swam closer to Eadric and whispered in his ear, "Were we just insulted?"

"Lady Coral," said Octavius, leading us into a little sitting room. "They're back."

"Wonderful!" declared the sea witch. "I was beginning to worry."

"You
were worried?" said Shelton. "You should have been there. If you had seen what I saw, you would have been worried from the start."

Tilting her head to one side, Coral raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?" she asked.

"This is Shelton," I said, not sure how to introduce him. "He's—"

"I'm your present!" said the little crab. "They want to thank you for everything you've done. And I must say that you have a lovely place here. It's certainly prettier than that other sea witch's home, although not nearly as well located."

"Thanks, Shelton," I said, certain that Coral wouldn't want such a chatterbox. "As for your present—"

"He's delightful! Thank you for such a thoughtful gift. Everyone gives me combs and jewels for my hair, but you can only use so many. A nice little crab who can keep me company is a wonderful idea. Octavius isn't much of a conversationalist. We'll get along very well, won't we, Shelton?"

"You bet, Miss Coral. Why, I can tell you some great stories. And I know—"

"We'd better be going," said Eadric. "If you could show us the way?"

"Of course. Octavius will guide you to the door." Coral took a tiny glass bell from a nearby table and rang it. "Give my love to Grassina, and please come back again to visit. I enjoyed meeting you both. Now, Shelton," she said, setting the little crab on the chair beside her, "tell me all about yourself."

Eadric grinned. "That should take a while."

"Hmph," said Octavius, who was waiting in the doorway. "Please follow me."

"What about the shark?" I asked the octopus.

"It won't bother you. The world beyond the shell door follows its own rules. Whatever happens in the waters around the castle will not affect the waters beyond that door."

Good!
I thought. I'd already seen enough big, sharp teeth to last me a lifetime.

The shell door wasn't far from the sitting room, and I could hear the murmur of Coral's and Shelton's voices all the way down the hall. They must have been enjoying each other's company, for the last things I heard before the door shut behind us were the high-pitched giggles of a beautiful sea witch and a funny little crab.

Fourteen

We were standing beside the tank with water pouring from our clothes when we heard Lits cheerful voice. "Hi!" she said. "How'd it go?"

"Li'l, where are you?" I asked, trying to find her in the darkened room.

"Can't you see me over here?" The little bat gasped. "Don't tell me that salt water makes you go blind! Because if it does—"

"No, Li'l, it's just dark in here, that's all. Do you mind if we have some light?"

"Well, of course! I keep forgetting that just because it's light enough for me, that doesn't mean—"

"Lights!" I said, flicking my fingers toward the ceiling where the witches' lights bumped together. A rosy glow filled the room, making everything look soft and dreamy.

"So you're back!" said a voice, and I turned to see Grassina emerge from her bedchamber. Her face was pale and she had large, dark circles under eyes red and swollen from crying. "Here, let me help you with those wet clothes." Pointing her finger at us, she muttered a few words. There was a blast of warm air, and our clothes were dry, although my dress suddenly felt a size smaller and Eadric's tunic looked shorter. Maybe Mother had been right when she said that Grassina might find it difficult to concentrate on magic that didn't concern Haywood.

"Thank goodness you're home!" I said. "Are you all right? Have you spoken with my mother?"

Grassina scowled. "She pounced on me the minute I got back. Your mother always has been a worrier. I've already checked out Beltran's wizard, and he won't be a problem. He's Olefat's brother, Olebald, and he's even less competent than his sibling. I can't do anything about him until he crosses our border, so it will have to wait until after I've seen to Haywood."

"Where did you find Haywood?" I asked my aunt.

"I haven't yet," she said as fresh tears trickled down her cheeks. "My mother is wicked! I'll never forgive her as long as I live. She laid false trails, and I'm still trying to find the real one. I came to pick up a few things. I'll be leaving again soon."

"But what about Beltran? Mother says that—"

"I told you, there's nothing to worry about." Grassina sounded impatient. "Your mother jumps at shadows. Right now the only thing that concerns me is taking care of my darling Haywood."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just tell me what you've gotten so far and what you still need to find."

"It wasn't exactly what we expected, but we got the gossamer hair of mother of Pearl." I opened my pouch and handed the hair to Grassina. "And here's your comb," I said, handing her that as well. "Your friends were very helpful."

"Can they have the fruit tarts now?" said Li'l.

Grassina shrugged. "They can if they're hungry."

"I love those things!" Eadric said, hurrying toward the table where Li'l had just uncovered a platter of tarts. After stuffing a tart in his mouth, he carried the platter to the soft, moss-colored carpet in front of the hearth. I sat down beside him and held my hands toward the warmth of the fire.

Li'l landed on the floor and cocked her head to the side. Peering up at me, she asked, "What else do you need to get?"

"Since we have the hair, we need the breath of a dragon green, a feather from an aged horse, and the husk of a magic bean."

"You don't have to get them in any special order." Grassina wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and settled into one of the chairs. "And I know where you can go next, although you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning. You need your rest, and the magic market is closed now, anyway." She pointed at the tapestry behind me, and I turned around to look.

It was an old tapestry that had hung on the wall since before I was born. The picture showed a town centered around a marketplace; it was fairly dark now, with only a few lights glowing in the windows. When I was younger, I'd spent hours studying it, delighted with the way it changed from one second to the next.

"Not only is that the map of a real place," said Grassina, "it's also the best way to reach the magic market. Just touch the wall surrounding the fountain and you'll go straight there. Touch it again when you want to come home. You should be able to get the magic beans at one of the stalls, and someone might have the feather or the dragon's breath as well."

"Do you think they sell swords at that market?" asked Eadric. "I need to get a new one."

"They probably do," said Grassina. "They sell just about everything there."

I gave my aunt a sketchy account of our trip into the saltwater bowl, leaving out a few details like the sea monster, the shark, and Nastia Nautica's threat to chop off our heads. I'd tell her later, when she didn't have so much else to worry her.

"I want to thank you," Grassina said when I'd finished my tale. "You don't know how much it means to me that you two are helping." She smiled at us through drying tears. "I couldn't possibly look for Haywood as well as find those things. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"We're glad we can help," I said.

After saying good night, I went downstairs to sleep in my own bed. Tired as I was, I still couldn't fall asleep because I couldn't stop worrying. Without Grassina's help, my father's men would be unprepared to face an opponent armed with magic, yet my aunt wasn't doing a thing about it. If only I hadn't led her to Haywood. If only I hadn't persuaded her to go see Grandmother! I didn't agree with my mother very often, but this time I couldn't help feeling that she was right to worry. Even if Grassina couldn't do anything until Beltran crossed the border, she should be trying to find out what he had planned. When I finaliy drifted off, my dreams were filled with weaponless soldiers marching into battle against some faceless horror. I didn't stop tossing and turning until I'd heard a rooster crow at one of the neighboring farms.

When I woke later that morning, my stomach was already growling, so I headed to the kitchen for something more substantial than fruit tarts. I saw more soldiers than usual on the way there, including some I'd never seen before. The cooks were busy, but they took the time to tell me that Eadric had come and gone already, having eaten enough for two grown men. He was considered a phenomenon in the kitchen, and the cooks and scullery maids were keeping a running bet on how much he could eat.

I was on my way out, my stomach pleasantly full, when I ran into my mother. "Did you talk to Grassina last night?" she asked. "What did she tell you?"

"She said that she can't do anything until Beltran has crossed the border."

Mother bit her Up and nodded. "That's what she told me, too, but she's wrong, you know. There are so many things she could be doing to get ready. I'd feel much better if only she would make some sort of effort."

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing," I said, although I really didn't believe it.

"I hope you're right. I can't talk to her anymore. She's too distracted to concentrate on anything important and only wants to talk about Haywood. I couldn't dissuade her from leaving again, although I told her that she should stay here and plan her strategy. The woman has lost all sense of responsibility to this kingdom. She was so distraught. If she isn't able to find Haywood or turn him back into a man, I'm afraid she might become melancholy, and then she'll be no use to anyone. That's what happened the first time he disappeared, you know."

I left my mother talking to her ladies-in-waiting and hurried through the crowded halls. Armed soldiers stood guard outside the throne room door, further evidence that my father was preparing for war. Reaching my aunt's rooms, I found Eadric waiting in a chair by the fireplace and Li'l seated on Grassina's worktable beside a small cloth bag.

"Grassina left last night after you went to bed," the little bat said. "She asked me to give you this."

"What is it?" I asked. Peeking inside, I saw a handful of coins.

"It should be enough for the magic beans," said Li'l. "Now you'd better go. You're already getting a late start."

Although the tapestry took up a large part of one wall, the picture of the fountain wasn't very big. Our fingers covered most of it when Eadric and I touched it at the same time. I knew it was woven cloth, but the picture felt as cold and smooth as real stone. A rush of air made me blink; there was a brief sensation of flying, and suddenly we were standing beside a marble fountain.

The fountain was on a small raised platform, giving us a good view of the market. Pausing at the top of the steps, I tried to make sense of the market's layout, but the arrangement of stalls and carts didn't seem to be in any order. "Let's look around," said Eadric, taking the steps two at a time.

A yellow canopy the color of daisies shaded the stall at the bottom of the steps. Pictures of tankards had been worked into the canopy's fabric, and on the shelf running the length of the stall a dozen pewter tankards rested, polished and ready for sale. Eadric stopped a few yards away, his mouth gaping in disbelief. A gray tabby cat with white paws stood behind the counter, polishing a tankard it had taken from a crate.

"Will you look at that!" said Eadric, staring at the cat.

"Close your mouth, Eadric," I said, nudging him with my elbow. "It's not polite to stare."

"But he's a cat—"

"And this is a
magic
marketplace. You can't expect it to be like a normal one."

"Tankards for sale!" sang the cat. "Bottomless tankards for sale here! Never run out of ale again. Fill it once and it stays filled, no matter how much you drink."

"My uncle would like one of those," said Eadric. "Except he'd find it a challenge and try to drink it dry."

"We're not here to buy gifts for people. We're here for the bean, remember?"

"The bean—right. Hey, cat," said Eadric, "do you know where we can buy a magic bean?"

"No, sorry, mate. I'm new here and don't know the other stalls yet. You might ask the dog two stalls over. He makes deliveries and seems to know his way around. Can I interest you in a tankard?"

"Maybe another time. Thanks, cat."

The pale blue canopy of the next stall showed a picture of a cloud, its cheeks puffed out with lines curling away from its mouth as if it was blowing something.

"What do you have there?" Eadric asked, pointing to a carved wooden box resting on the counter.

A young man with straw-colored hair flipped open the lid and removed four slim pieces of glass dangling from a round silver plate. A silver cylinder hung in the midst of the glass pieces, and as we watched, the man tapped the cylinder. It bumped against the glass strips, setting off a tinkling chime. A breeze sprang up in the stall, ruffling Eadric's hair and the few curls that had sprung loose from my braid.

"You see," said the young man, tapping the cylinder again and setting off a brisker wind. "It's a wind chime, and its operation is simple. Each touch amplifies the effect. Amaze your friends, confound your enemies, command the wind whenever you wish!"

"We have other shopping to do first," I said, seeing from the expression on Eadric's face that he was wavering.

The cat had mentioned a dog at the second stall over, but the only occupant was an old woman dressed all in blue. "May I help you, young miss?" she asked. "I have some lovely stones for sale." Setting a small chest on the counter, she lifted the lid, displaying an assortment of colored stones. "Stones for every occasion—stones that can make you successful or brave, stones that will cure a stomach ailment or make a toothache go away. These purple stones will banish bad dreams if that's what's troubling you." She held a violet-colored stone in the sunlight.

"It's very nice, I'm sure, but it's not what I'm looking for. Actually, I was told that a dog worked at this stall who might be able to help us. He makes deliveries."

The old woman pursed her lips and shut the lid with a snap. "Oh, you want Archie. He's off on a delivery now, and I don't expect him back anytime soon."

"We're looking for a magic bean.
Do you
know where I could purchase one?"

"A magic bean, you say?" The woman shook her head. "Sorry, I can't help you with that."

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. Finding the bean might not be as easy as I'd thought. "Emma, come over here!" called Eadric from a stall on the other side of the narrow alley. A beefy man stood behind the counter holding a stout stick in his hand. Stuffing dribbled from a cloth dummy hanging from a post in the corner. "This stick is amazing! Watch what it can do." Eadric nodded to the man.

"Beat it, stick," said the man, tossing the stick at the dummy. Whirling through the air, the stick beat the cloth body with loud thwacks and puffs of dust. The dummy swung from the pole, twisting and turning with every whack of the merciless stick until I thought its seams couldn't possibly hold together any longer.

"You use it if someone tries to steal from you," explained Eadric. "You never know when you might meet a thief."

I shook my head and started to walk away. "I don't think so. It would be just as easy for the stick to be used against the owner as against a thief. I'll take my chances without the stick, thank you."

Eadric ran after me. "But Emma, you take too many chances. At least with the stick I'd know you were safe."