Dragons of the Watch - Donita K. Paul [118]
“And you’re keeping it from me. I can’t hear your thoughts.”
He nodded. He’d kept the notion to himself until he’d planned out the details. Now was a good time to share, and if he waited much longer to be freed from Rumbard City, he might become loopy like Old One. “Let’s set up a hunt. The children are to find any and all keys and bring them to us.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“When the search goes outside the library, we will accompany them.”
“Where will they look?”
“Here first, then the homes of the prominent citizens of Rumbard City.”
She nodded, thinking of the possibilities of his suggestion. She hadn’t guarded her thoughts. Bealomondore followed them with little effort. She came to what he had thought would be their next step after a successful key hunt.
“And when we find the key,” she said, “then we turn to the exploration of the subter. Together we’ll find the stream and the door.” She grinned and clapped her hands together. “Oh, they’re going to like this, Bealomondore.”
Ellie’s head swiveled as she tried to keep an eye out for any of Yawn’s gang. At least she had four dragons with her, circling and scouting the roofs and alleys. Half of their forty children scampered around her, glad to be out of the confines of the library. Ellie had hoped to find the key inside their sanctuary and not have to venture into the streets. It was through no lack of trying that they had to extend the search. The children found dozens of keys but not the one Orli could identify as the right key.
Bealomondore had gone one direction with twenty urohm children and Det, and she’d gone the opposite with minor dragons, children, and Tak. They planned to seek out the more affluent neighborhoods where the city founders who’d held important posts had dwelled. Old One had actually been helpful, locating a directory from the town council.
They turned down a side street where mansions loomed under stunted trees. Outside the bottle, these morgym trees would be twice as tall. The delicate leaves shadowed the street with shifting dapples. Ellie took a big breath, savoring the rich, spicy smell of the morgyms. In the spring, the sap would rise. She could see signs on the tree trunks of having been tapped in the distant past.
“Let’s check the first house on the right,” she called to her charges.
Carrie stopped. “What right?”
Ellie didn’t scold the children for not knowing right from left. She mentally added it to the things she would teach them. “The yellow house.”
The children ran up the broad steps to the front porch and attacked the door.
Several called out. “It’s locked.”
Then, as if driven by a wild shepherd, they dashed down the steps and loped around the side of the house.
Ellie followed. “Wait for me! Remember Bealomondore wanted me to show you how to search.”
She hurried around the corner and almost cheered when she saw the children lined up before an open door. When she came to the steps, she saw Kriss, Maree, and Amee blocking the entrance. The children had not exhibited a rare display of self-control. She shrugged. She’d take what she could get. A month ago they would have plowed over the small dragons in their way.
She entered the kitchen and turned to make sure the children gathered in such a way as to be able to see her demonstration. When they were settled, she pulled open a drawer.
“Never dump the contents of what you are looking through. We’d just have to pick it up off the floor, and that would slow us down.”
She lifted a stack of tea towels carefully. “See. I pick up the towels, look underneath, then carefully replace them.” She picked up hot pads next. “I can go through the whole drawer without making a mess.” She raised the next stack of cloths.
“Why do we have to be so neat?” asked Jep. “Who cares?”
“It’s a matter of respect. These items belonged to someone at one time.