Dragon Magic by Andre Norton Page A

less activity lately. It could well be that the thing would not live long here. And of course he would get the blame when it died. His own efforts to be considered an expert on the care of the sirrush would stand against him then.
    “What does Daniel want of me?” he asked. There was no harm in knowing that much.
    “Tell him what the creature feeds upon most readily. He has challenged the priests, that he may slay the dragon by his will alone, using no sword, or spear, or arrow—And he has but two days in which to make ready. Does the creature attack men?”
    “If it is angered, yes. And it can slay, easily and in a horrible fashion.
    Two days ago it was alarmed by the braying of a donkey that brought in the guards’ beer. It tore the poor beast to pieces.”
    “Can the priests incite it to such behavior?”
    “They might.” Sherkarer was not sure how, but he believed that the priests would make a challenge from Daniel an excuse to do their utmost to see that he died as the result of his folly.
    “Then—what does it feed upon most readily? Can you find a bit of that?”
    ‘There is a reed root which it seeks out first among that offered it. I do not know the name but—”

    “Get a handful of it. Have it ready tomorrow and lay it in the matting to be taken away. On the next day, in the morning, when the fodder is brought, there will be in it a ball with those roots fixed to its outer part.
    See that this is ready near the top of the creature’s food pile.”
    “And if I do?” But there was no answer, though Sherkarer took the chance of lying flat and calling softly through the grating of the drain.
    Whoever had been there was now gone. He went back to his own quarters to think.
    The unseen person had promised much. But it all depended upon ifs— if he was able to supply a sample of root, if Daniel could use it in some way, if Sherkarer could survive the fury of the priests should Daniel actually slay the beast; if Daniel kept his promise and, winning the king’s favor, remembered the Nubian. If and if and if—
    On the other hand, if the sirrush died, then he could look forward only to certain death, and probably not an easy one. Sherkarer thought that on either hand he faced a dark future. But it was better perhaps to do as Daniel’s man suggested. What one hopes for is always better than what one has.
    So he followed orders, seeing that a handful of root went out with the discarded matting. He was glad he had done so when at night the sirrush only nibbled a little of what was offered it.
    “The beast ails.” The chief priest in the compound turned on Sherkarer and there was a harsh note in his voice. “What is the matter with it?”
    “It is still tired from that long journey when it had not the proper food or water,” Sherkarer hurried to say. “Now that it is here it will speedily become well again.”
    “It had better, black face, or else you shall find what is done to those who ill serve Marduk-Bel. And tomorrow—” He hesitated and then added,
    “Tomorrow it must be ready to take vengeance upon an enemy of our God.
    It must come forth from the water and strike down him who denies the will of Marduk. How can this be done?”
    “If men stand at the other end of the pool”—Sherkarer had already given some thought to this, for any plan Daniel might have would surely fail if the beast continued to sulk under the surface of the water—”and strike the water with poles, then it will come into this shallow end. Also this must be done in the evening, for it hates the day as you know. And most of the torches must be kept at the far end.”
    He was trying to remember the story of how the thing had been captured in the first place. He was sure it had been driven into the pit cage in this fashion.
    “It shall be done.” The priest nodded to the scribe waiting for orders.
    The next morning Sherkarer found the ball of reeds in one of the baskets of vegetation. From it came the smell of pitch and