The Dragon's Eye by Dugald A. Steer Page B

at top speed.
    I opened my mouth to cry out. The woman smiled, but it was not a nice smile. Putting her finger to her lips, as though urging me to be quiet, she started coming towards me. I froze. I could hear distant shouts up ahead. The woman turned and vanished among the trees. I started to run. I felt that I needed to warn Dr. Drake at all costs.
    When I reached the house, it was clear the others had seen Jamal, too.
    â€œYou didn’t open the gate, did you?” asked Billy.
    â€œWhy would I do that?” I said.
    I started to explain about the woman I had seen, but Dr. Drake raised his hand and cut me off.
    â€œIt is absolutely essential that Jamal is recaptured at once,” he said. “I am afraid that I will have to think of somewhere rather safer to keep him than his compound. But first we must find him. All of you, I want you to spread out and use the dragon tracking skills you have learned to try and find him as quickly as possible. But do be careful not to disturb Weasel. Emery, you take the south part of the forest with Alicia. Mademoiselle Gamay, you take the north with Billy and Darcy. Daniel and Beatrice, we will take the west side. Come with me.”
    I opened my mouth to speak, but Dr. Drake said, “This is not the time for questions, Daniel. It is a very serious situation.”
    â€œIt’s not a questi —” I began.
    â€œHush!” he said, cupping his ear to listen as carefully as he could to the forest sounds.
    â€œBut —” I said.
    â€œBut nothing!” he said. He listened again and then let out a strange sort of keening cry. When nothing happened, he waited a few minutes more and then did it again. This time, he must have thought he had heard something, for he bounded away off the path and up a steep slope, where Beatrice and I had a hard time keeping up. In fact, it took us about another quarter of a mile before we were able to catch up with him again as he paused near a clump of pines.
    This time I was determined.
    â€œDr. Drake,” I panted, pointing in what I thought was the direction of Jamal’s compound.
    â€œWhat, Daniel? Have you found some signs?”
    â€œNo,” I said. “I saw a woman.”
    â€œWhere?” he asked.
    â€œAt Jamal’s compound,” I said. “I’m sure I heard her breaking the fence.”
    Dr. Drake looked exasperated.
    â€œWhy on earth didn’t you say so?” he said.
    â€œI tried to!” I said.
    â€œWhat did she look like?” he said.
    I told him.
    A look of understanding suddenly crossed Dr. Drake’s features.
    â€œIt is Alexandra Gorynytchka,” he exclaimed. “We must return to the house at once. There isn’t a moment to lose!”
    A terrible sight awaited us when we got to Dr. Drake’s house. The front door had been wrenched off its hinges, and as we ran up the hall towards Dr. Drake’s study, I saw that the parlour had been rifled and that the picture frames were all hanging at odd angles, as though someone had been looking behind them.
    But things were even worse in Dr. Drake’s study. For there, everything had been turned upside down. Papers lay everywhere, pots of ink were spilt on the floor, books had been thrown off shelves, and every drawer and cupboard had been opened, and their contents pulled out. Whatever had happened, it had certainly happened in a hurry.
    â€œHave they taken anything valuable?” exclaimed Beatrice as we stood staring at the sight of Dr. Drake dismally surveying the wreckage.
    â€œYes,” said Dr. Drake. “I am afraid to say that they have taken the most valuable thing I owned. My dragon diary is missing.”

 

    I do not think I have ever seen Dr. Drake angrier than at that moment. His dragon diary contained all of the records that he had made during his entire life. For many people, these records would have seemed to be nothing more than fantastical ramblings, but for someone