Free Sargasso Skies by Allan Jones

brandishing newly lit flaming torches. The flickering red flames made even more of an impression on the lizards than the candles had. The cowardly creatures leaped from the platform and scuttled off across the mire, weeping and wailing that their intended meal had fought back so hard.
    Trundle turned, waving his sword. “Victory!” he yelled. “Yay, us!” But then he saw that several torches and candles had been dropped during the fight, and that fires were leaping up all over the platform.
    â€œWe’re on fire!” he howled. “Quick! Put them out! The whole place will burn to the ground!”
    With the lizards in full retreat, the defenders turned their attentions to the fires—but in several places the flames were licking high up the opera house walls, far beyond anyone’s ability to stamp them out.
    â€œCast off the ropes!” shouted Esmeralda. “Set the opera house adrift before the whole place goes up in flames!”
    Animals raced to the hawsers holding the opera house in place. Tools were snatched up, saws and knives and pincers and anything else with a sharp edge. Trundle even hacked away with his sword.
    One by one the thick ropes were severed.
    â€œBack inside!” shrieked Esmeralda. “Get into the building, or you’ll be left behind!”
    The opera house groaned and creaked as the animals came flooding in through the entrances. Just as the last foot of the last animal left the burning platform, the opera house broke loose and slowly lifted into the air. It swayed alarmingly from side to side as it rose up from the burning platform and drifted majestically across the bleak expanse of the Sargasso Skies.
    â€œWe made it!’ gasped Trundle, wiping his brow. “By the skin of our teeth!”

T here was plenty of cheering as the opera house floated away over the heads of the terrified lizards.
    A few animals leaned out of the doorways and windows and threw heavy items down on their routed enemies. A few others stamped out the last of the fires. The rest just shouted for joy and hugged one another with relief.
    â€œWell, that’s got to be more exciting than any silly old opera!” gasped Esmeralda, a little sooty from the fires but grinning happily as she stood by Trundle at the main entrance.
    Jack was just behind them. “Isn’t that the Thief in the Night ?” he said, pointing down to a familiar skyboat caught up in the rigging of a windship wreck.
    â€œBy crikey, so it is!” gasped Esmeralda. “Quick, someone—get a rope and a grappling hook. We might just be able to grab it as we go by!”
    A rope and a grapple were swiftly found, and Trundle lay on the bottom step of the main entrance, letting the rope down while Esmeralda and Jack sat on him to stop him from being dragged after it. The iron grapple was heavy, and Trundle knew he would have only one chance to hook the little skyboat.
    He swung the rope. The grapple hooked on to the raised rear end of the Thief in the Night and held fast.
    â€œSecure this end!” shouted Jack. The three of them wound the rope around and around a doorpost. The rope went taut with a twoiiinnnngg sound.
    There was a wrenching, screeching noise. Trundle peered down.
    â€œIt’s working!” he gasped. “She’s coming loose!”
    With a final twist and quiver, the gallant little skyboat shook herself free of the windship’s rigging. Slowly, and with aching muscles, the three friends hauled their in their skyboat and tied her securely to the front steps of the opera house.
    â€œEverything’s still safe and sound on board!” said Trundle, wiping his brow. “The crowns are there and everything!”
    A low-pitched hooting noise sounded from somewhere above them. A few moments later, the steam moles’ iron tug hove into view, black against the gloomy clouds. Ropes came snaking down.
    Esmeralda grinned at her friends. “Next stop,