Secrets of the Dragon Tomb by Patrick Samphire Page A

“And took Mama, Papa, and Jane with them.”
    Freddie swore again. “Our friend with the face mask got away, too. He wasn’t where I left him.”
    Putty and Olivia hurried across from the other side of the lawn. For once, Olivia seemed too shocked to reprimand Freddie for the swearing.
    â€œThey had an airship!” Putty said, eyes wide and shining. “Why did they want to kidnap Jane? They should have kidnapped me. I’ve never flown in an airship.”
    â€œIt was Sir Titus,” I said to Freddie. “After you saw him leave in the airship, he must have circled around and waited for his men to do their job. He must have planned to pick them up the moment they’d finished their work.”
    â€œThen straight off to Lunae Planum and the dragon tomb.” Freddie shook his head. “That way no one would have a chance of stopping him. I underestimated him.”
    â€œI don’t understand,” Olivia said. “Why is Sir Titus doing this? He’s a friend of Mama’s.”
    â€œSir Titus Dane isn’t a friend of anyone except himself,” Freddie said.
    â€œSir Titus has a map that shows the location of an undiscovered dragon tomb,” I said. “But it’s in code. He wanted to use Papa’s water abacus to decode it and lead him to the tomb. Those men were working for him.”
    â€œBut you destroyed the abacus,” Olivia said, her face pale. “And now he has our family.”
    â€œWhat will Sir Titus do with them?” I asked Freddie.
    Freddie looked grim. “He’ll take them to Lunae City and force your father to build a new machine. He may not know exactly where the dragon tomb is, but it won’t be far from Lunae City.”
    I turned to Putty. “So how long will it take Papa to rebuild the water abacus?”
    Putty thought about it for a moment. “Ten days. It’s easy now we know how. An extra day to get the parts, I expect.”
    â€œAnd another day to get to Lunae City in that airship,” Freddie said. “Twelve days total.”
    Twelve days. That wasn’t long. My family might be safe until the water abacus was done, but there was no way Sir Titus would just let them go afterward. As soon as he didn’t need Papa any longer, they would be finished.
    â€œWhat if Papa refuses to build it?” Olivia said.
    â€œHe won’t,” I said. “Sir Titus has Mama and Jane. Papa will do as Sir Titus wishes. He’ll build the abacus and decode the map.” Then Sir Titus would have no further use for any of them. I clenched my fists. I would never let him hurt them. Never. “We have to go to Lunae City,” I said. “Right away.”
    â€œWe?” Freddie said. “Edward, this won’t be a carriage ride in the park. It’ll be difficult and dangerous, and I don’t need—”
    â€œDon’t need what?” I said, feeling my cheeks redden.
    â€œForget it. Look, does your father have an automatic carriage?”
    I nodded toward the stable block. Bricks from the explosion had crashed down on it, shattering the roof tiles, but it was still in one piece. “In there. Freddie, I’m not staying. Sir Titus has my family. It’s my job to rescue them.”
    â€œIt’s your job to look after Olivia and Putty,” Freddie said. “Have you forgotten?”
    â€œThe girls can stay,” I said. “They’ll be safe with the neighbors.”
    â€œNo.” Olivia’s voice was quiet but firm. “We’re coming. They’re our family, too.”
    â€œIt’s too dangerous,” I said, knowing that I was using the same argument that Freddie had just used on me.
    â€œIf it’s too dangerous for us, it’s too dangerous for you,” Olivia said. “And what would you have us do? Play cards and sing and chatter with our neighbors while your lives hang in the balance? Sit and wait as though nothing