Dr Cameron. One egg equals one dragon. And no, they have not laid any more eggs since they emerged from their nest. But we have been working and studying these animals at this facility for nearly forty years now. In that time, we have introduced some augmented breeding methods to bolster our stock of—what is that?’
He was looking out over CJ’s shoulder, peering northward, his smile fading.
CJ turned, following his gaze.
What she saw made the blood in her veins freeze.
She saw a gang of five red-bellied black dragons of various sizes coming right for the cable car, led by the emperor that had checked them out only a few minutes earlier.
And as she beheld the gang of dragons coming toward her, CJ realised what had been wrong with the emperor’s head.
It had no ears .
The scars and gashes on this dragon’s head weren’t injuries from battles with other dragons.
This emperor dragon had scratched off its own ears —deeply, too, tearing out the entire auditory canal, leaving two foul bloody sockets—which meant that the sonic dome protecting the cable car would not have any effect on it at all .
‘Deputy Director, what is going on?’ Hu asked ominously.
‘Sir, I’ve never seen them do anything like this before,’ Zhang said.
‘Hang on to something,’ CJ said to Hamish. ‘ Right now .’
The dragons rushed at the cable car and when they reached it, they did not stop.
The lead earless emperor smashed into the cable car with all its might, leading with its upraised claws. Glass exploded everywhere and the cable car rocked violently and in the space of a few terrible seconds CJ Cameron’s tour of the Great Dragon Zoo of China went to hell.
At a zoo or conservation park, you do not confront a photograph or a video. You confront the living, breathing animal.
—BILL CONWAY, PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, JULY 1993
T he cable car swayed wildly, swinging through almost ninety degrees, such was the force of the emperor’s blow.
CJ and Hamish grabbed hold of a railing as the world around them rocked crazily.
Beside them, Greg Johnson managed to get a grip as well and he held on to Ambassador Syme.
The others were less lucky.
The CCTV reporter, Xin, screamed as she was hurled sideways. Her cameraman went flying across the car and slammed against a window—a split second before the window shattered under the weight of an incoming red-bellied black dragon, this one a prince.
Like the lead emperor before it, this prince had no ears, so it was unaffected by the sonic shields enveloping the cable car and the individuals inside it. The prince exploded through the window with its jaws bared and before anyone knew what was happening, it grabbed the cameraman with its claws and swept him out of the cable car with a stifled yell.
‘Holy fucking shit!’ Hamish shouted as wind rushed into the cable car.
The whole car continued to rock dramatically on its cable, like a child’s swing out of control.
Xin and Wolfe tumbled past CJ and Hamish, sliding toward the smashed-open window. CJ and Hamish reacted in exactly the same way: they both reached out, CJ snatching Xin’s outstretched wrist while Hamish caught Wolfe’s hand a moment before he fell out of the cable car.
The New York Times columnist came to a sudden halt a few feet short of the open window and gasped with relief just as the gigantic head of the emperor appeared right below his feet.
The dragon roared. It sounded like a jet engine, it was so loud.
The animal tried to stick its snout inside the window but the opening was too small and only its flaring nostrils got inside.
CJ’s eyes went wide.
Then suddenly the emperor’s jaws chomped, biting off a whole section of the cable car, in doing so catching hold of Xin’s right leg! The giant creature yanked her out of CJ’s grip.
Xin screamed as she was pulled into the creature’s gaping jaws.
The dragon bit down on her stomach.
Blood and organs shot
He was looking out over CJ’s shoulder, peering northward, his smile fading.
CJ turned, following his gaze.
What she saw made the blood in her veins freeze.
She saw a gang of five red-bellied black dragons of various sizes coming right for the cable car, led by the emperor that had checked them out only a few minutes earlier.
And as she beheld the gang of dragons coming toward her, CJ realised what had been wrong with the emperor’s head.
It had no ears .
The scars and gashes on this dragon’s head weren’t injuries from battles with other dragons.
This emperor dragon had scratched off its own ears —deeply, too, tearing out the entire auditory canal, leaving two foul bloody sockets—which meant that the sonic dome protecting the cable car would not have any effect on it at all .
‘Deputy Director, what is going on?’ Hu asked ominously.
‘Sir, I’ve never seen them do anything like this before,’ Zhang said.
‘Hang on to something,’ CJ said to Hamish. ‘ Right now .’
The dragons rushed at the cable car and when they reached it, they did not stop.
The lead earless emperor smashed into the cable car with all its might, leading with its upraised claws. Glass exploded everywhere and the cable car rocked violently and in the space of a few terrible seconds CJ Cameron’s tour of the Great Dragon Zoo of China went to hell.
At a zoo or conservation park, you do not confront a photograph or a video. You confront the living, breathing animal.
—BILL CONWAY, PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, JULY 1993
T he cable car swayed wildly, swinging through almost ninety degrees, such was the force of the emperor’s blow.
CJ and Hamish grabbed hold of a railing as the world around them rocked crazily.
Beside them, Greg Johnson managed to get a grip as well and he held on to Ambassador Syme.
The others were less lucky.
The CCTV reporter, Xin, screamed as she was hurled sideways. Her cameraman went flying across the car and slammed against a window—a split second before the window shattered under the weight of an incoming red-bellied black dragon, this one a prince.
Like the lead emperor before it, this prince had no ears, so it was unaffected by the sonic shields enveloping the cable car and the individuals inside it. The prince exploded through the window with its jaws bared and before anyone knew what was happening, it grabbed the cameraman with its claws and swept him out of the cable car with a stifled yell.
‘Holy fucking shit!’ Hamish shouted as wind rushed into the cable car.
The whole car continued to rock dramatically on its cable, like a child’s swing out of control.
Xin and Wolfe tumbled past CJ and Hamish, sliding toward the smashed-open window. CJ and Hamish reacted in exactly the same way: they both reached out, CJ snatching Xin’s outstretched wrist while Hamish caught Wolfe’s hand a moment before he fell out of the cable car.
The New York Times columnist came to a sudden halt a few feet short of the open window and gasped with relief just as the gigantic head of the emperor appeared right below his feet.
The dragon roared. It sounded like a jet engine, it was so loud.
The animal tried to stick its snout inside the window but the opening was too small and only its flaring nostrils got inside.
CJ’s eyes went wide.
Then suddenly the emperor’s jaws chomped, biting off a whole section of the cable car, in doing so catching hold of Xin’s right leg! The giant creature yanked her out of CJ’s grip.
Xin screamed as she was pulled into the creature’s gaping jaws.
The dragon bit down on her stomach.
Blood and organs shot
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