Septimus looked at his Dragon Ring. He loved the ring, but right now he wished he did not have itwhy was it him who had ended up as Dragon Master? Why couldn't it have been Nicko, who knew all about boats?
"Come on, Septimus." Aunt Z^elda's voice came over the side of the boat. "Sometimes there are things we just have to do. I don't want to let the Dragon Boat go, and you don't want to take her away from me. But I have to let her go and you have to take herthat's the way it is. She must be where she wants to be, and she must be safe. It's for the best."
Septimus looked up from the tiller. "But what will you do without her?"
"I will get Wolf Boy's hands better and keep an eye on that misguided lad who's lurking out by the Hundred-Foot Pit and thinks I can't see him and that wretched Darke eyeglass he's found."
"409's staying here? With that awful Apprentice boy?"
"Wolf Boy is too ill to travel, Septimus. But Merrin will not be here much longerI intend to take him back to his mother soon."
"His mother? He's got a mother?" Septimus looked amazed.
Aunt Zelda smiled. "Yes, I think even Merrin has a mother. And I suspect she may be your ex-landlady."
"What?"
"Where you stayed in the Port."
"One of the witches? Oh, that makes sense. I bet it's that really nasty one, Veronica. Come to think of it, she looked a bit like him."
Aunt Zelda shook her head. "Believe it or not, I think it's Nurse Meredith."
"Oh, yuck. All those dead babies. She's worse than a witch. So when are you going to take him to the Doll House?"
"As soon as I can leave Wolf Boy for a day, when his fever has gone. The burns will take longer to heal, there's a lot of Darkenesse in them. They'll need quite a bit more fresh Marsh Bane."
Septimus looked worried. "He will be all right, won't he?"
"Yes. He will. I'll bring him back when he's better."
"You'll come to the Castle?" Septimus was surprised.
"Well, there's nothing to keep me here now," Aunt Zelda said briskly. "And Keepers have been known to pay the Castle the odd visit. I'm sure Marcia would like to have me to stay, after all the weeks she spent here."
Septimus grinned at the thought of Aunt Zelda in Marcia's rooms.
"That's better," said Aunt Zelda, noticing Septimus's smile.
Ten minutes later Septimus had said good-bye to Wolf Boy and promised that he would see him again soon. Wolf Boy had given him a weak smile. "Not if I see you first," he'd said, and then closed his eyes and fallen asleep. Septimus had tiptoed out of the cottage, buttoning Spit Fyre firmly into a dragon-proof bag that Aunt Zelda had found for him. The small dragon had been fast asleep all day, but the last thing he wanted was Spit Fyre waking up and making a nuisance of himself while he was trying to fly the Dragon Boat.
Now Spit Fyre was safely stowed in a locker beside the tiller, and Septimus, Jenna and Nicko were on the Dragon Boat, ready to leave. Aunt Zelda was anxiously eyeing a small gray cloud hovering high in the sky just above the cottage. She had seen the cloud drift toward them as they were preparing the Dragon Boat and had thought it strange at the time, as the cloud was coming from the northeast and Aunt Zelda was sure that the wind was a westerly. Now she was worried, for the cloud had not moved for the last half hour, which was not normal cloud behavior.
But the Dragon Boat was ready. It was time to leave.
"Jenna," said Aunt Zelda. "I have something for you." She reached up on tiptoe and passed something to Jenna's outstretched hand. "It's the key to the Queen's Room. In the Palace. Youyou may need it."
It was a heavy gold key with a round emerald set into the top that reminded Jenna of the dragon's eyes. Jenna was confused. She had explored every part of the Palace since she had moved there with Sarah and Silas, but she had never seen the Queen's Room.
"Butwhere is the Queen's Room?" she asked.
"Er, I can't say, Jenna. But you will find it when The Time Is Right. You can be certain of that."
"When ... when will that be, Aunt Zelda?" asked Jenna.
"When you become the Young Queen," said Aunt Zelda, somewhat unhelpfully.
"Er ... okay. Well, thank you. It's a beautiful key."
Aunt Zelda stepped back from the boat. "Off you go now," she said rather too brightly. "No more hanging around." She gave another glance at the cloud, which was casting a small shadow over the prow.
"Take her back along the Mott, as far from the bridge as you can," Aunt Zelda called out. "She'll need a run up to get into the air."
"Okay, Aunt Zelda," yelled the Dragon Master.
"Remember to head north, away from the sun."
"Yes, Aunt Zelda."
"And don't go too fast, for goodness' sakeunless you have to."
"No, Aunt Zelda."
"Don't fly all the way to the Castle or you'll tire her. Make sure you land when you get to the river."
"Don't worry, we will, Aunt Zelda."
"And"
"Aunt Zelda, we'll be fine. Really."
"Yes. Sorry. I know you will." Aunt Zelda stepped away from the boat and gazed at the brilliant gold hull and the iridescent green shimmer of the dragon's head and tail, drinking it all in so that she could remember exactly how the dragon looked in the empty days to come.
Septimus took a deep breath and looked at Nicko. "Ready?" he asked.
Nicko grinned at him. "Aye, aye, cap'n."
"Is the dragon ready, Jen?"
Jenna was up at the prow with her arms around the dragon's neck. She whispered something to the dragon and then gave Septimus a thumbs-up sign. Septimus's heart was pounding; there was no putting it off anymoreit was time for takeoff. He nervously placed his right hand on the tiller.
The dragon turned her head and fastened her emerald-green eyes on the small figure holding the tiller. She recognized the one who had released her from her prison under the ground. He looked a little different now. He no longer wore his red hat, which she had rather liked, and he was biggermore solid somehowand had a stronger air of Magyk about him. But he was still the same boy, still a little scared and still wanting to do what was best. The dragon approved. She would take him where he wished to go.
Septimus looked into the dragon's eyes, unaware that he had passed her test. His hand felt clammy as he clutched the tiller, and he wondered what he should do.
"She wants to know where you are taking her," Jenna suddenly called out.
"Tell her, tell her I am taking her where she wishes to go. I am taking her to the Castle," Septimus replied.
The dragon nodded. Slowly her head turned until her shimmering green eyes were gazing at Aunt Zelda; then the powerful neck dipped, down and down until the dragon's head rested on the grass at Aunt Zelda's feet. Aunt Zelda knelt and put her arms around the great green and gold head.
"Good-bye, my lady," whispered Aunt Zelda with tears in her eyes. "We will meet again."
Aunt Zelda retreated to the cottage door and the Dragon Boat began to move. The tide was at its height and the Mott was full to the brim with dark brown brackish water. The Dragon Boat was floating free, and with much creaking and groaning the huge creature backed away from the bridge, squeezing between the grassy banks along the straight stretch of water that ran in front of the Keepers Cottage. At the first bend in the Mott, the Dragon Boat could go no farther and stopped. Before her was only a short run for takeoff. The dragon eyed it doubtfullyshe had never flown from such a confined space before. When she had sailed the seven seas with Hotep-Ra, she had taken off in the middle of wide, empty oceans, usually because her Master had become bored with long days at sea and had wanted a change of pace. She had never done anything like this before.
With some difficulty the dragon squeezed her folded wings out from the confines of the banks of the Mott and lifted them up until they were raised high above her mast. The great, green, leathery folds which had lain at her side through two hot summers and one freezing winter were stiff and dry, and as the dragon began to open them, a terrible creaking and groaning noise, followed by an ominous crackling, filled the air. Septimus, Nicko and Jenna clasped their hands to their ears and watched the leathery folds of the dragon's wings painfully open like two great hands stretching after a long and heavy sleep. All three held their breath, afraid that the dragon skin between the fingers of the wings might split, but as the folds became smooth and the sun shone on the shining green scales, they could see that all was well and that once again the Dragon Boat proudly held her wings aloft.