The Dragon's Eye (22 page)

“She has called off the attack,” said Dr. Drake. “It was her dying breath. The dragons were flying here to fight, but now they will come here to grieve. It is a shame that we cannot stay here to see them, but they will need privacy now, so that they can properly lay her to rest.”

And as we turned to go back to Wharncliffe, I almost fancied that the sky had darkened in the far distance, as though a huge mass of flying creatures was coming our way.

A few days later, we were back at Dr. Drake's home in St. Leonard's Forest, sitting in the sun on the pockmarked lawn, watching the rabbits, and occasionally going to check up on the dragon's egg. We were not feeling very happy. Uncle Algernon was due to arrive later that afternoon to take us to his home. The luggage had arrived with a newspaper clipping, which said there had been several sightings of dragons recently, even one involving an attack on a train. The police were taking these reports with the usual large dose of salt and had put it all down to the unseasonably hot summer weather.

Neither Beatrice nor myself felt like leaving Dr. Drake. As soon as we had recovered from our ordeal, he had immediately begun his summer school again. We had also been helping to look after Jamal, taking him round on an enormous leash. When he was trying to fly, it took three of us to hold him down. He had not escaped his compound again. We learned from Billy and Alicia that they had initially been grounded after stealing the flameproof cloak from their father, but that when Lord Chiddingfold had found out what had really been going on, he had relented and sent them back to St. Leonard's Forest. Even Mr. Tibbs had grudgingly admitted that things seemed to have turned out “all right.”

Beatrice had been reading up on how to care for baby dragons and was sure that the egg would be hatching in only three weeks or so. And although we didn't know very much about the Dragon's Eye and Dr. Drake refused to talk about it, we felt sad that it must now be buried so deeply in the collapsed cavern that there was no chance of ever getting it out again.

“Surely you are not sorry that Ignatius is dead?” I asked.

“Sorry?” said Dr. Drake. “Yes, I would be sorry, if I were convinced it were true. But I am sure that there was more than one tunnel leading out of that cavern. How else do you suppose Alexandra managed to get in there? And so I will not give up worrying about Ignatius just yet. And another Guardian must be found.”

“Even though Ignatius has the gem?” asked Beatrice.

“
If
he has it,” said Dr. Drake. “But we are sure of one thing: Alexandra Gorynytchka has stolen at least two of the treasures. Perhaps she even has Saint Gilbert's horn and my dragon diary as well.”

“Can we come and see you next summer?” I asked.

“Of course,” said Dr. Drake. “But I have a feeling that our real troubles are only just beginning. I'd rather you didn't get mixed up in it.” He gave a long pause, and then continued: “But do you know? It is important for me to train as many young dragonologists as I can, especially ones as talented as you. Your parents will be proud. I think that they will talk to your uncle Algernon so that he will not stand in your way again. And I think it will be a real pleasure.”

There was a twinkle in his eye.

The twinkle grew brighter when Uncle Algernon arrived. As soon as he did, Dr. Drake left to see about making some tea.

Uncle Algernon took us to one side.

“Good afternoon, Beatrice. Good afternoon, Daniel,” he said. “I'm afraid I don't see any point in beating about the bush. I want to ask you a very serious question. I'm afraid I don't agree with it at all, myself, but then, your father and mother are stubborn people. And Dr. Drake has sent them several telegrams through his friend Emery. They would like to know if you would like Dr. Drake to become your tutor full-time.”

“What?” cried Beatrice. “And not go back to school?”

“Exactly,” said Uncle Algernon. “You see, I told them it was not a good idea, but —”

“But it's a fantastic idea!” I cried. “To stay here and learn about dragons!” At which Uncle Algernon made a face.

“And to help the baby dragon to be born!” cried Beatrice. “And to help Jamal get ready to go home!” And he made an even bigger one.

“But it will not all be learning about dragons,” said Dr. Drake as he returned with the tea. “For to know about dragons, you must learn to study and cherish all the other sciences and learn at least two other languages and read an awful lot of books. So you will find that I will work you harder, possibly, than you are going to like, if you are really to learn about dragons.”

“We don't care,” I said. “We would love to stay. Wouldn't we, Beatrice?”

“Well, yes, I think so,” said Beatrice thoughtfully. “But may I ask a question?”

“Of course,” said Dr. Drake.

“Will our parents be safe?”

“Your parents will be quite safe,” said Dr. Drake. “They are returning on a ship as we speak. I do not think that they are at any risk from Alexandra Gorynytchka and her dragon illnesses for the moment.”

“Thank goodness,” said Beatrice.

“I hope they tell us about the nagas,” I said.

“What on earth is a naga?” asked Uncle Algernon.

“It's a sort of dragon,” I said.

At which Uncle Algernon raised his eyes to the sky as though he was the only member of our entire family to have any sense, and said, “Dragons, indeed!”

Later that evening, when Uncle Algernon had left, Dr. Drake called us into his study. It had now been fully repaired. Emery was there too, smiling broadly, as was Mademoiselle Gamay, Darcy, Billy, and Alicia.

“Now that you two are officially to be my full-time pupils,” he said, “we shall resume our daily briefing. You may tell me what you have learned, and I shall try to teach you what I know and give you exercises to do. But you must remember that it is only from close observation — of the obvious as well as the less obvious — that you will really learn anything at all. As you have seen, even I sometimes miss things that are right in front of my own nose.”

And then he got up and went over to a small chest, which he unlocked with a key.

“Dr. Drake,” I said, “there is one thing I do not understand.”

“And what is that?” asked Dr. Drake.

“Why wasn't Alexandra interested in the Dragon's Eye?”

“It wasn't important to her,” said Dr. Drake. “It is really only a stone, after all, and its power is confined to the British Isles. Alexandra Gorynytchka was mainly interested in recovering Splatterfax. Now that she has it, I am sure that she will return home where, I hope, she will not cause any more trouble. No, I am more worried about Ignatius. Although she fooled him, he is still likely to have my dragon diary, and he will be even more desperate for revenge. But there is one thing I am sure of. He does not have this. Look!”

And he held up the Dragon's Eye.

“But we thought Ignatius had —” began Beatrice.

“Ha!” cried Dr. Drake. “Alexandra was right about one thing. Ignatius is a fool. It was easy enough to pick his pocket! Didn't you notice the flash of light when I went back into the Guardian's chamber? She was not quite dead, remember, and her fire was not quite extinguished. Look into the gem!”

As we looked, a very strange thing happened. For instead of my own reflection, or Beatrice's, all I could see was the reflection of Dr. Drake as though, having captured his likeness, the gem could reflect nothing else.

“The dragons have decided!” he said. “I am to be the next Dragon Master and to bear the great responsibility that comes with this gem. But if dragons and humans are both to survive into the future and to live side by side in peace and harmony, my most important task must be to train the one who will come after me. So the question is: who is to be the next Dragon Master? Who indeed?”

The existence of remarkable Victorian dragonologist Dr. Ernest Drake first came to light with the alleged discovery of a book simply entitled
Dragonology
in early 2003. This volume, a natural history book with the central theme of dragons, was supposedly the sole survivor of a print run of only one hundred copies. It was particularly interesting in its treatment of dragons as actual, living animals rather than the mythological creatures they had hitherto been supposed to be. The one remaining copy was said to have been found in an old shop near the Seven Dials in London, not far from where Dr. Drake's Dragonalia itself must have stood.
Dragonology
was edited by the current author and published in facsimile form, to some acclaim, in late 2003. Since then, further works by Dr. Drake have come to light and have been similarly published.

The author's diligent researches into Dr. Drake and his life both in London and in St. Leonard's Forest in Sussex have proved as fruitful as they are ongoing. However, rather than simply write Dr. Drake's life in a dry, bibliographical fashion, the author determined to write the story of Dr. Drake and the S.A.S.D. from the point of view of one of the people who came to know him best of all, his dragonological apprentice Daniel Cook. In this way, the author hopes to convey a sense of what it would really have been like to have studied dragons and dragonology with Ernest Drake, in addition to recounting some of the most important events to take place both in the world of the dragons themselves and in the history of the Secret and Ancient Society of Dragonologists.

One thing is certain: as further facts emerge about Dr. Drake and his tireless work conserving and protecting dragons, they are sure to be revealed.

Dugald A. Steer

London, May 2006