Free The Case of the Vanished Sea Dragon by Gareth P. Jones Page A

intoposition, along the wall by the door, out of view of the camera.
    Archie watched as the colour drained from Holly’s face and her whole body, including her clothes and shoes, turned the colour of the wall behind her, until all that was left were her brown eyes staring back at him.
    He approached the door, pressed the buttons on the buzzer and pulled silly faces at the screen. Eventually the door opened and a burly uniformed security guard with a thick black moustache appeared.
    â€˜Get away,’ he said.
    â€˜Can’t I come in?’ asked Archie.
    â€˜Noh a chance,’ replied the security guard, in a thick Scottish accent.
    â€˜But I live here,’ he protested.
    â€˜Right, and Ah’m Princess Margaret.’
    â€˜Your Majesty,’ said Archie, bowing.
    The security guard stepped forward threateningly. Archie saw Holly reappear and slip behind the man’s legs.
    â€˜Ah’ll set the dogs on you if you don’t clear off,’ said the large man.
    â€˜Sorry for wasting your time,’ said Archie, turning around and walking away.

Chapter Fifteen

    â€˜I did not trust that Cave Dweller. He had a funny look. He had been locked away a long time. He cannot have spoken to anyone for many years. Imagine that, no one to talk to for all that time, just you and your thinking. Can you imagine it? Thinking this and that and that and this with no one to talk to?’
    Dirk imagined it. It sounded nice. There was something about travelling by rock that made Alba talk incessantly.
    â€˜But one thing I am not understanding,’ she continued. ‘If a Sky Dragon is so weak when it materialises, how could one be kidnapping my sister? Delfina is a strong dragon.’
    â€˜We don’t know much about them,’ replied Dirk. ‘I’ve never seen one. Not in the flesh, at least. What bothers me is why a Sky Dragon would want to kidnap a Sea Dragon at all.’
    â€˜I cannot say, but I have heard that the Sky Dragons do not like other dragons. They think they are above us. Some say they can make a firewall. I have never seen what that is.’
    While Alba whittered on, Dirk’s mind wandered. He found himself thinking about Holly. He had got so wrapped up in this case that he had forgotten about her. He hoped she wasn’t getting herself into too much trouble. He would make it up to her when he got back and take her for a trip over London.
    As they neared their destination the pocket of shifting rock that surrounded them grew brighter and hotter, making Alba jumpy.
    â€˜This does not seem right to me. The banks of the Outer Core are only for pregnant dragons,’ she said.
    â€˜And convicted criminals,’ said Dirk, ‘but they don’t stop at the banks.’
    Only a handful of dragons had ever been banished to the earth’s Inner Core but of those who had, none had returned.
    â€˜What do you think it is like down there?’ asked Alba.
    â€˜I can’t imagine,’ said Dirk, ‘and I don’t plan on finding out.’
    Dirk thought about it. The blinding light and incessant heat would be unbearable.
    â€˜Do you think it is possible to be surviving down there?’ asked Alba
    â€˜It’s probably better if you can’t,’ said Dirk grimly.
    Even this far down the air was stifling and Dirk had to squint at Alba in the dazzling earthlight.
    â€˜Brace yourself. I think we’re there,’ he said, feeling the rock pull away from under his feet.
    They tumbled on to a stony shoreline. Dirk felt disorientated. It was an odd sensation, like he wasn’t sure which way up he was. An acute burning feeling in his belly made him cry, ‘Yee-ouch!’ and jump to his feet. The scorching pebbles were painful on the tough skin of his feet but they had been agony on his soft green underbelly.
    At the edge of the shoreline was an ocean of liquid fire, bubbling and popping like it had a life of its own. It seemed to go on