Free Dragonfire by Anne Forbes

torch for reassurance, the beam instead revealed the terrible sight of Amgarad swooping towards him, eyes blazing, wings wide and talons outstretched. Dougal froze in horror, but only for a second. Instinctively, he threw the heavy torch at Amgarad. It was, as it happened, a lucky throw. The torch hit Amgarad on the side of his head and knocked him to the ground in a swirling heap of feathers. Dougal didn’t wait. Feeling for the handkerchief, he picked up the bundle of jewels, stuffed them into his pocket and took off into the blackness. In his panic, however, he missed the entrance to the tunnel and ran straight into the wall of the cave.
    The pain of the collision brought him to his senses and, cowering against the wall, he took stock of a situation that suddenly seemed full of unknown horrors. Where had that dreadful bird come from and were there any others perched in the cave, ready to strike? Looking back, he saw Amgarad’s body lying in the torchlight, but nothing else moved. Still shaking with shock he crept towards the still, monstrous body of the bird and, grabbing his torch, shone it frantically round until its beam revealed the black entrance to the tunnel. All he could think of was escape, and making for the tunnel, he stumbled like a madman up its steep incline until, panting with exhaustion, he saw the starry glimmer of the night sky and knew he was safe.
    He stepped out onto the hill, then stopped abruptly and gazed around in amazement. The park resembled a disaster zone. There were policemen everywhere! Helicopters flew overhead and police cars, lights flashing and sirens wailing, sped round the network of roads that lace the park.
    “Good grief!” he muttered. “What on earth!” Then it clicked. The dragon! They were looking for Arthur!
    Looking like a tramp after his ordeal and conscious of the bundle of jewels in his pocket, Dougal did not think it wise to move into the open. Instead, he hid inside the tunnel, wondering what on earth he was going to do. Two police cars, blue lights flashing, were parked nearby and it was obvious that anyone found loitering on the hill at this hour would be taken to the nearest police station for questioning. Dougal groaned and cursed the dragon.
    He remained crouched inside the tunnel for the best part of the night and although the policemen came worryingly close, the entrance to the tunnel was well hidden. It was almost dawn before the two police cars moved off to circle the park.
    It was this factor, plus some worrying noises from the inside of the tunnel, that tempted Dougal to move out onto the hill. It certainly saved him from another encounter with Amgarad who, having recovered from the stunning blow, had been creeping stealthily towards him. Although still dazed, Amgarad was determined to fight to get the firestones back.
    He was a minute too late, however, as a frightened Dougal, hearing him approach, slipped quietly out onto the hill. Amgarad, seeing his quarry escape, frantically flapped to the entrance but had to watch in helpless fury as Dougal made his way towards the shelter of a rocky outcrop. It was not only Amgarad, however, who saw the creeping figure. A burly policeman, stationed on the slopes above, also saw Dougal moving towards the rocks. Reacting swiftly, he leapt down the incline and threw his arms around the shadowy figure.
    “Got you, my lad!” he said. His arms, however, clasped empty air and although the policeman could have sworn that he had actually grabbed someone, his senses told him otherwise. The person had disappeared! He looked round and could see no one.
    Dougal, too, could not understand what had happened to him. He had felt the policeman’s arms grip him and had heard his voice … and then nothing! He was standing on his ownby the rock. He looked around but, to his astonishment, the policeman seemed to have disappeared! His relief, however, was short-lived for, as he peered into the darkness, two other policemen ran