end.”
“I can live with that,” said Molly.
We smiled and walked on, arm in arm.
“How do you feel?” said Molly.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s all happened so quickly. I cheated death so many times, out in the field, that I stopped thinking about it. But I should have known . . . everyone’s luck runs out eventually.”
“You were ready to die for me earlier today,” said Molly. “Standing on the edge of that airship . . .”
“That was different,” I said. “There was a purpose to that. This feels so random . . . Like I just drew a bad ticket in some lottery. Mostly, I feelangry. That I won’t have the life, the future, I thought I was going to have. With you.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do, once you’re gone,” said Molly.
“You’ll think of something,” I said.
“Are you scared?” said Molly. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “I’ve had a good . . . Well, I don’t know about good, but I’ve certainly had an interesting life. And I had you. Finding you was enough good luck for any one life.”
“How can you be so accepting?” said Molly.
“I’m not,” I said. “But I can fake it, long enough to find Dr DOA. And put a stop to him. Not just for me, but for all his victims. Be strong for me, Molly. For when I can’t.”
“I’m here, Eddie. I’m here.”
We came at last to the great grassy mound at the rear of the Hall, under which was buried a dragon’s head. Struck off by Baron Frankenstein centuries ago, but still somehow living. I found it, alive and lonely, under a hillside overlooking the ruins of Castle Frankenstein. So I brought it back to Drood Hall, because it didn’t seem right to just leave it there. The dragon’s head seemed quite happy in its new home, always ready to chat with any passing Drood. It seemed to me that the mound was somewhat bigger than I remembered from the last time I visited.
“Sorry it’s been a while,” I said. “I’ve been busy.”
“That’s all right,” said the dragon’s voice. Deep and resonant, rich as wine, old as the hills. “The Armourer and their lab assistants are always popping by. My condition fascinates them. They’re always bringing strange new machines to my mound to try out on me. And the Librarian often stops by, so we can discuss history. I’ve seen so much of it. I do miss the old Armourer, your uncle Jack. He kept saying he was going to grow me a new body, but . . . I have heard what’s happened, Eddie. I understand how you’re feeling. I wasn’t ready to die either, when the old Baron cut off my head.”
“But you’re still alive!” said Molly. Almost accusingly.
“You call this living?” said the dragon. “Sorry. That was an old joke, even in my time. The point is, I didn’t expect to survive my beheading. It had been such a long time since I’d seen any others of my kind, I had no idea we were so . . . durable. I really believed my time was up. And even though I’d lived for centuries, I still wasn’t ready. No matter how long you’ve had, it never seems enough. You’re never ready to let go. At least you have some time, Eddie, to put your affairs in order.”
“And get revenge on my murderer,” I said.
The dragon rumbled approvingly. “You would have made a good dragon.”
I said my good-byes to him, just in case we didn’t meet again. It occurred to me, I was probably going to be doing a lot of that. And then I carried on through the grounds. Molly was quiet for a long time.
“Promise me one thing,” she said finally.
“If I can.”
“Don’t ever say good-bye to me. I’ve never been any good at good-byes.”
“I’ll probably have other things on my mind,” I said kindly.
I was trying to look at everything, force every detail into my mind. Because once I left the Hall to go after Dr DOA, it was possible I might never get to come back. Never see any of this again. I could die, chasing the man with death for a name. It
“I can live with that,” said Molly.
We smiled and walked on, arm in arm.
“How do you feel?” said Molly.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s all happened so quickly. I cheated death so many times, out in the field, that I stopped thinking about it. But I should have known . . . everyone’s luck runs out eventually.”
“You were ready to die for me earlier today,” said Molly. “Standing on the edge of that airship . . .”
“That was different,” I said. “There was a purpose to that. This feels so random . . . Like I just drew a bad ticket in some lottery. Mostly, I feelangry. That I won’t have the life, the future, I thought I was going to have. With you.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do, once you’re gone,” said Molly.
“You’ll think of something,” I said.
“Are you scared?” said Molly. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “I’ve had a good . . . Well, I don’t know about good, but I’ve certainly had an interesting life. And I had you. Finding you was enough good luck for any one life.”
“How can you be so accepting?” said Molly.
“I’m not,” I said. “But I can fake it, long enough to find Dr DOA. And put a stop to him. Not just for me, but for all his victims. Be strong for me, Molly. For when I can’t.”
“I’m here, Eddie. I’m here.”
We came at last to the great grassy mound at the rear of the Hall, under which was buried a dragon’s head. Struck off by Baron Frankenstein centuries ago, but still somehow living. I found it, alive and lonely, under a hillside overlooking the ruins of Castle Frankenstein. So I brought it back to Drood Hall, because it didn’t seem right to just leave it there. The dragon’s head seemed quite happy in its new home, always ready to chat with any passing Drood. It seemed to me that the mound was somewhat bigger than I remembered from the last time I visited.
“Sorry it’s been a while,” I said. “I’ve been busy.”
“That’s all right,” said the dragon’s voice. Deep and resonant, rich as wine, old as the hills. “The Armourer and their lab assistants are always popping by. My condition fascinates them. They’re always bringing strange new machines to my mound to try out on me. And the Librarian often stops by, so we can discuss history. I’ve seen so much of it. I do miss the old Armourer, your uncle Jack. He kept saying he was going to grow me a new body, but . . . I have heard what’s happened, Eddie. I understand how you’re feeling. I wasn’t ready to die either, when the old Baron cut off my head.”
“But you’re still alive!” said Molly. Almost accusingly.
“You call this living?” said the dragon. “Sorry. That was an old joke, even in my time. The point is, I didn’t expect to survive my beheading. It had been such a long time since I’d seen any others of my kind, I had no idea we were so . . . durable. I really believed my time was up. And even though I’d lived for centuries, I still wasn’t ready. No matter how long you’ve had, it never seems enough. You’re never ready to let go. At least you have some time, Eddie, to put your affairs in order.”
“And get revenge on my murderer,” I said.
The dragon rumbled approvingly. “You would have made a good dragon.”
I said my good-byes to him, just in case we didn’t meet again. It occurred to me, I was probably going to be doing a lot of that. And then I carried on through the grounds. Molly was quiet for a long time.
“Promise me one thing,” she said finally.
“If I can.”
“Don’t ever say good-bye to me. I’ve never been any good at good-byes.”
“I’ll probably have other things on my mind,” I said kindly.
I was trying to look at everything, force every detail into my mind. Because once I left the Hall to go after Dr DOA, it was possible I might never get to come back. Never see any of this again. I could die, chasing the man with death for a name. It
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