How to Slay a Dragon - Bill Allen [89]
“From the Witch Hazel,” Greg told him. “I didn’t think it was yours, I swear.”
“LIAR. YOU STOLE THIS FROM THE SPIRELINGS DIDN’T YOU? DIDN’T YOU?”
“No!” Greg shrieked. He fumbled for the loose amulet in his tunic and thrust it in front of Ruuan’s eye. “This is the amulet I stole from the spirelings.”
In his terror he didn’t realize his mistake at first. Ruuan’s pupil expanded to the size of a basketball. He inspected Greg’s second amulet with one eye, then pivoted his head around, causing Greg’s stomach to lurch, and inspected it again with the other. A puff of scalding steam erupted from nostrils the size of doorways. Greg pressed his back against the cave wall. In spite of the protective magic the dragon’s hateful glare burned into him.
“YOU WILL OF COURSE DIE FOR TAKING THE SPIRELINGS’ AMULET. BUT FIRST YOU WILL TELL ME HOW YOU CAME ABOUT THE OTHER.”
“I-I told you,” said Greg. “Witch Hazel gave it to me.”
The dragon offered him a scolding look. “I KNOW THE WITCH. IT IS NOT LIKELY SHE GAVE YOU ANYTHING.”
“No, I swear. You’ve got to believe me.”
“AND WHY WOULD SHE DO SUCH A THING?”
“Uh . . . because I gave her two others like it?”
The dragon scowled. “NOT A VERY SKILLED TRADER, ARE YOU?”
“But she was going to kill me if I didn’t,” Greg insisted.
“HMM. THAT SOUNDS MORE LIKE HAZEL. SO, TWO AMULETS FOR A SINGLE AMULET AND YOUR LIFE, THEN.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“STILL NOT MUCH OF A TRADE.” Ruuan looked somewhat uncertain of himself.
Greg didn’t know if that was a good thing or not, but he did remember Ryder’s advice to him quite clearly: The more you can keep Ruuan talking, the less he’ll be shooting flames at you. “I had to trade with the witch. It was the only way I could get the things I needed to come here.”
“NORMALLY I WOULD NOT BELIEVE YOU, MORTAL, BUT I HAVE REASON TO QUESTION IF WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE. SO TELL ME, WHERE DID A TINY BOY LIKE YOU GET TWO OTHER AMULETS LIKE THESE?”
“King Peter gave me one,” Greg said, “and the other belongs to Marvin Greatheart, the famous dragonsla—er—it belongs to Marvin Greatheart.”
“MARVIN GREATHEART?” said Ruuan. “THE SAME MARVIN GREATHEART WHO SCAMPERED THROUGH MY LAIR A MOMENT AGO?”
Greg cleared his throat. “That would be the one, yes.”
“HMMM.” Ruuan appeared to debate the truth of Greg’s words. “KING PETER MUST THINK VERY HIGHLY OF YOU IF HE GAVE YOU HIS AMULET.”
“He didn’t exactly give it to me,” said Greg. “I have to give it back.”
“OH. SO HE DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE COMING HERE WITH IT.”
“No—I mean, yes, he knew.”
The dragon frowned, an expression hard to miss on someone with a ten-foot wide mouth. “AND WHY WOULD GREATHEART GIVE YOU HIS AMULET? HE IS ONE IN PARTICULAR I WOULD THINK WOULD NOT GIVE IT UP EASILY.”
“Well, he didn’t exactly give it to me either,” explained Greg. “His mom did.”
“GREATHEART’S OWN MOTHER GAVE AWAY HER SON’S MAGICAL AMULET? YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THIS?”
“It’s the truth, I swear. But she expects me to bring it back too.”
“DON’T TELL ME SHE ALSO KNEW YOU WERE COMING HERE?”
Greg stood trembling, his eyes diverted to the ground.
“WELL?”
“You told me not to tell you.”
The dragon scowled and blew another softer blast of steam. “I MUST ADMIT YOU ARE A CONUNDRUM.”
Greg didn’t know what a conundrum was, but he hoped it was a good thing. But then he noticed the dragon’s frown had returned.
“WHY, PRAY TELL, WOULD BOTH KING PETER AND MRS. GREATHEART EXPECT A HAPLESS LAD LIKE YOURSELF TO RETURN FROM MY LAIR ALIVE?”
Greg gulped. Would Ruuan understand about a prophecy? Especially one that ended with his being slain by the tiny boy who stood before him?
“WELL?” the dragon prompted.
“Because of a prophecy,” Greg ventured, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“A WHAT? SPEAK UP, BOY.”
“A prophecy,” Greg repeated, though try as he might, his voice was no stronger than before.
Ruuan’s jaw dropped open in obvious astonishment. The opening reminded Greg of the cave mouth he’d entered earlier of his own accord. What had he been thinking?
“DON’T TELL ME YOU’RE THE FAMOUS GREGHART?”
“You know about the