School's Out!

by Gareth P. Jones

“Are all these prisoners Kinghorns?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I can’t believe Vainclaw has so many followers but they must have done something to get arrested.”

  The Drakes jostled each other, standing shoulder to shoulder at the water’s edge.

  “What are they doing?” asked Holly.

  “Trying to get a good view,” replied Dirk. “This is a rare occasion. The six councillors are wise but they’re extremely old so it’s difficult to get them all in one place for long enough to conduct a trial. One of them normally wanders off before they get anywhere.”

  “What councillors?” asked Holly.

  “On the island.”

  Holly looked more carefully at what she had mistaken for six rocky hills. They were dragons, each one the size of a house. Their stony grey skin was pitted and textured like wax solidified on the side of a candle. They lay perfectly still, with white smoke billowing from their huge nostrils, then one opened its mouth revealing rows of huge teeth like stalactites and stalagmites.

  Holly could just about make out two smaller dragons standing in front of the councillors but they were too far away to tell what type they were. One of them spoke into a voice projector like the one Karnataka used to scare off visitors. The sound filled the cave.

  “The Council calls Almaz Bartosz, Sea Dragon, accused of Kinghorn collusion.”

  In response, one of the Dragnet officers scampered up the sloping wall to one of the cell doors, unlocking the latch and opening it.

  From within the cell appeared a rather scared-looking female Sea Dragon. She glanced around the cave, then spread her wings and flew to the island in the centre of the lake.

  His job done, the Dragnet officer jumped on to the path and pushed his way back to his spot by the water’s edge.

  “The Council calls Salt Sheasby, Sea Dragon, as witness against Almaz Bartosz,” said the voice.

  A second Sea Dragon entered the cave through the waterfall, gliding down to the island where she addressed the Council.

  “What’s happening?” said Holly. With the sound of the waterfall echoing around the cave and the chattering of the Drakes, it was impossible to hear anything from the island other than the dragon with the voice projector.

  “It’s like a human court but without any lawyers. The Council will hear witnesses and then make their decision,” replied Dirk.

  Again, the voice filled the cave. “Any dragon wishing to speak in defence of Almaz Bartosz should appear before the Council now or forever be silent.”

  Holly looked to the waterfall but no dragon appeared. “Isn’t anyone going to defend her?” she asked.

  “Most dragons live alone, far away from each other as well as from humans. Many don’t have anyone to defend them.”

  The voice spoke again. “Then councillors, make your decision.”

  The six enormous councillors lowered their heads.

  “Are they discussing the case?” asked Holly.

  “In a way,” replied Dirk. “The councillors long since gave up speaking. They think to each other.”

  “They can read each other’s minds?”

  “It’s more like listening to each other’s minds but, essentially, yes.”

  The white smoke that issued from the councillors’ nostrils turned black and the voice boomed, “Almaz Bartosz, found guilty of Kinghorn collusion.”

  The crowd of Drakes along the path cheered and jangled their metal chains happily.

  Almaz sank down into the ground, as though being swallowed by the island.

  “What’s happening to her?” asked Holly.

  “The rock is taking her to the Inner Core.”

  “But it wasn’t fair. No one defended her!” said Holly.

  “Keep your voice down,” replied Dirk sternly.

  “Psst, Mountain Dragon.” This voice came from behind them.

  Dirk turned around and looked up at a cell door a few metres above him. A brown nose poked through the bars and two dirty yellow eyes peered down.

  “Dirk Dilly, it is you.”

  Holly couldn’t turn her head without reappearing but she recognized the high-pitched whine as Karnataka, the liquorice-loving Shade-Hugger who lived under London.

  “Karny, finally behind bars where you belong,” said Dirk.

  “Come on, Dirk, give me a break. I’ve been set up. I’ve been accused of Kinghorn collusion. Me!” he squeaked. “You’ve got to help me. My trial’s up next. This new captain of the Dragnet is arresting dragons on flimsy evidence. Look around you – if Vainclaw had this many Kinghorns he would already have declared war. And you know what the Council’s like. If no one defends you they assume you must be guilty. Remember what happened to Elsinor.”

  No one had defended Karnataka’s brother, Elsinor, when he was accused of breaching the forbidden divide, not even Karnataka himself.

  “Give it up, Karny, I know you sold your claw to the professor.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” protested Karnataka.

  “Come off it. Are you saying it wasn’t you that knocked me out in that old hospital in London?”

  “Knocked you out? Hospital? London?” Karnataka’s voice got so high pitched that it was virtually ultrasonic. “The last time I went above ground I almost got killed for the sake of some human baby.”

  “I’m not a baby,” blurted Holly, forgetting herself.

  “Who’s that?” said Karnataka, pushing his nose as far through the bars as it would go, trying to get a better view.

  “I didn’t hear anything,” said Dirk. “Shut up,” he muttered to Holly, through his teeth.

  “It’s that girl, isn’t it?” said Karnataka excitedly. “Why can’t I see her?”

  “You shut up too,” growled Dirk. Bringing a human this far into the dragon world wasn’t just breaking the forbidden divide, It was smashing, slicing and serving it on a plate.

  “Who are you talking to?” demanded Officer Balti, turning around.

  “No one,” replied Dirk.

  “He’s talking to me,” said Karnataka. “He was saying how he’s going to testify on my behalf.”

  Balti looked up, then back down at Dirk. “No talking to prisoners.”

  The voice from the centre of the cave rang out again. “The Council calls to trial Karnataka Cuddlums, Shade-Hugger, accused of breaching the forbidden divide, stealing and selling dragon parts to humans.”

  Dirk laughed.

  “I’m about to be banished to the Inner Core for a crime I didn’t commit and you’re laughing,” said Karnataka. “What’s so funny?”

  “Cuddlums,” Dirk chuckled.

  Once again, the sonorous voice echoed around the cave.

  “The Council calls the witness against Karnataka Cuddlums, Grendel Sheving, Shade-Hugger.”

  Grendel appeared through the waterfall, shook himself dry and flew down to the large island.

  “What is it?” said Holly quietly, seeing Dirk’s ears prick up.

  “It’s Karny’s cousin,” whispered Dirk. “I met him at Karnataka’s place.”

  They watched as Grendel made his statement to the Council and then the voice spoke again.

  “Any dragon wishing to speak in defence of Karnataka Cuddlums should appear before the Council now or forever be silent.”

  “Hold tight.” Dirk spread his wings. “Things might get dangerous when I land so I’ll give you time to get off and hide as close to the edge of the island as possible. Stay hidden no matter what happens. OK?”

  “OK,” replied Holly, clinging on as Dirk flew over the Drakes, across the expanse of water.

  “How is all this connected with the professor and the Tree Dragons?” she asked.

  “The professor was given a Shade-Hugger claw as evidence of dragon existence. And you don’t just find dragon claws lying about the place. Why do you think no human has ever found one? Anyone dealing in dragon parts has most probably just lopped off their own.”

  “That’s disgusting,”
said Holly.

  As they grew nearer, she understood exactly how huge the six councillor dragons were. Great clouds drifted from their nostrils like smoke from industrial chimneys. One reared up, but a dark metal chain around his neck kept him in place.

  “They’re chained down,” Holly said in Dirk’s ear.

  “It’s to stop them wandering off. Remember, these dragons are so old that they used to keep dinosaurs as pets.”

  Dirk circled the island. In front of the enormous councillors were the two Shade-Huggers standing on elevated stone slabs, and two yellow-backed Scavenger dragons. Holly recognized them immediately.

  “It’s the Kinghorns,” she said, remembering with a cold shiver her encounter with them by the Thames.

  “Yes, Leon and Mali. It’s not good news if these two are in charge,” said Dirk.

  Mali, the smaller of the two Scavengers, held a chain between his teeth, the other end of which was wrapped around Karnataka’s neck. His brother, Leon stood by the voice projector. They both scowled at Dirk as he landed at the edge of the island and reared up on to his hind legs with his wings outstretched, giving Holly enough time to jump off and dive to the ground without being seen.

  “My name is Dirk Dilly. I am here to testify in defence of Karnataka –” He paused and smiled at Karny – “Cuddlums.”

  “You!” Leon snarled angrily.

  “It’s that detective,” said Mali, holding the chain with his claws.

  “Arrest him, Captain Leon,” demanded Grendel.

  “Don’t order me about, Shade-Hugger!” snarled Leon, turning on Grendel.

  “So you’re the Dragnet captain that’s been arresting half of the dragon kingdom,” said Dirk.

  “Councillors, this dragon is a traitor,” pronounced Leon.

  We will hear his evidence.

  Holly heard the words clearly in her head and somehow knew that they had come from the councillors even though none had opened its mouth to speak.

  “Councillors,” pleaded Leon, “this Mountain Dragon moves among humans. He should stand on trial, not as a witness.”

  Is this true? asked the councillors soundlessly.

  “Please hear me, before you judge me,” said Dirk. “What I have to say affects every dragon in this great chamber and every dragon in the world.”

  “You shouldn’t listen to this silly Mountain Dragon,” said Grendel. “I’m the key witness in this trial. I already told you – Karnataka sold a claw to a human.”

  “Then why are you the one with a missing claw?” said Dirk, leaping on to Grendel’s back, grabbing his rear left paw and holding it up in the air. “And don’t call me silly,” he growled in his ear.

  The councillors’ huge eyes fell on Grendel’s damaged foot.

  “You were limping when I saw you back at Karnataka’s place,” Dirk explained to Grendel.

  “It’s not true!” Grendel struggled beneath Dirk’s weight. “I lost my claw years ago in an accident.”

  “Well, I have good news then, Cinderella, because I’ve found it,” said Dirk, pulling out the claw he had tucked behind his wing and holding it up.

  “Where did you get that?” demanded Grendel.

  “I found it in the hands of a human,” replied Dirk. “The human who bought it.”

  “Councillors, don’t listen to him. I told you, it was Karnataka,” protested Grendel. “He sold it to the professor.”

  “I never mentioned a professor,” replied Dirk. “So I guess it was you who attacked me back at the old hospital.”

  “Give me that!” Grendel tried to grab the claw but was unable to escape from Dirk’s firm grip.

  “You mutilated yourself for the Kinghorns and then you set up your own cousin, didn’t you? What for, Grendel? Surely not just so you could move into his garish bachelor pad?”

  “Watch what you’re calling garish,” interrupted Karnataka.

  “Come on, the flaming columns are a bit over the top,” said Dirk, before turning back to the matter at hand. “What’s Vainclaw got planned, Grendel?”

  “I don’t know anything about it!” he screamed.

  “You’re another one of Vainclaw’s cronies, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not.”

  “You’re a Kinghorn. Admit it.”

  “I’m not a Kinghorn, I just did it for the gold,” blurted out Grendel. “Oops…”

  “Got you!” Dirk announced triumphantly, jumping off Grendel’s back. “Councillors, you’ve heard this Shade-Hugger’s confession. How do you find Grendel Sheving in the matter of allowing his own body parts to fall into human hands?”

  The councillors shut their enormous eyelids, remaining utterly still for a moment. The white smoke from their nostrils turned black and their eyes opened again.

  We find Grendel Sheving guilty of breaching the forbidden divide.

  “No!” screamed Grendel angrily, flapping his wings and trying to escape. But the stone beneath his feet had already formed over his claws and was dragging him down into the ground. “Please, Dirk! Have mercy! I spared your life back at the hospital. I could have killed you but I didn’t.”

  “We were in the middle of London. Even if you’d had the guts to kill me, you’d never have been able to dispose of my body without being seen.”

  The stone speedily pulled Grendel down.

  “Please, have pity. I can’t be banished,” he pleaded, his head now level with the ground. “I’ve got sensitive skin. I’ll get a rash!”

  “For the last time, what’s Vainclaw plotting?” demanded Dirk.

  “I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”

  “Then send me a postcard. I hear the Inner Core is nice and toasty this time of year.”

  Grendel screamed and wriggled to get free but there was no stopping the rock as it formed over his head, silencing his desperate cries.

  Leon turned to address the councillors.

  “Councillors, please,” he begged, “the fact that this Mountain Dragon has the claw in his possession is enough to convict him.”

  The councillors looked at Dirk.

  What do you say, Mountain Dragon?

  “If I hadn’t retrieved the claw it would have led to the exposure of our kind. This is what your captain wants. He works for Vainclaw Grandin. He and his brother are Kinghorns.”

  “Lies!” barked Leon, sending a line of fire at Dirk.

  Dirk dodged the flames, but Leon jumped forwards and swiped at him with his outstretched claws. Dirk ducked, then leaped into the air, spinning around and whacking Leon with his tail.

  Leon rolled over and shouted to his brother, “I could do with some help!”

  Mali let go of the chain holding Karnataka and dived, but Dirk jumped out of the way.

  Holly watched helplessly as the two Scavengers surrounded Dirk, circling menacingly, sending sporadic bursts of fire at him.

  In a sudden movement, they both pounced. Dirk tried to bat them off but they were too quick for him. Mali landed on his back and pinned him down with a claw to his mouth, to stop him breathing fire.

  “Councillors, I am going to burn this traitor’s eyes out as an example to all Kinghorn spies,” Leon roared, walking slowly towards Dirk.

  Holly wished there was something she could do but to reappear would be death to them both. Then she noticed Karnataka, slowly backing away towards the edge of the island.

  Dirk could feel the heat on his face from Leon’s fire. It wasn’t dying that he minded. It was abandoning Holly down here. He struggled, desperate to get free, but Mali held him down firmly.

  Then he felt the weight lift from his back and he sprang up on to all fours to see Karnataka wrestling Mali to the ground.

  Dirk leaped into the air and came down hard on Leon’s back, taking him by surprise and getting him in a firm headlock.

  “Still fighting Vainclaw’s fights for him?” said Dirk, clamping a clawed hand over his eyes.

  Thrashing wildly in Dirk’s grip, Leon replied in a low whisper, “The King
horns’ time is near, Mr Detective. Soon Vainclaw will lead us to victory.”

  “These dragons in the cells are all innocent, aren’t they, Leon?”

  “Of course,” hissed Leon. “You think we’d arrest our own kind? It doesn’t take much to accuse an innocent dragon. How do you think I got rid of my predecessor as captain?”

  “And you’re not worried about being found out?” Dirk asked.

  “The Drakes follow my orders and these senile councillors wouldn’t know a real Kinghorn if he smacked them in their big, stupid faces,” replied Leon triumphantly.

  “I think they might now.” Dirk released the Scavenger, allowing him to see that he had dragged him across the island to the voice projector, holding his mouth by the thin end of the cone, broadcasting every word around the hall.

  Dirk tapped the device and then spoke into it. “Did everyone get that?”

  Leon glanced around at the Drakes, who were waving their chains in the air and shouting, “Traitor! Kinghorn scum! Arrest the Scavengers! Betrayal!”

  “You just said that to the whole cave, bro,” said Mali.

  “I think it may be time to go,” Leon replied.

  Mali, who had wrestled himself free from Karnataka, nodded. “Last one out is a pot-bellied cave dweller!” And with that, the two Scavengers took to the air.

  We have been tricked. This captain is a traitor.

  The six councillors reared up and tried to snatch the Scavengers out of the air, but the chains that tied them to the ground were too tight.

  “You’ll get what’s coming to you soon enough, councillors. The time of the Kinghorns is near,” goaded Leon. The Scavengers disappeared through the waterfall, pursued on foot by a squadron of angry Dragnet officers.

  Dirk edged his way over to where Holly was hiding and spread his wings again, giving her enough time to scramble back on and vanish from sight. He approached Karnataka and said, “Thanks for your help.”

  “Don’t thank me. Thank your friend,” replied the Shade-Hugger, looking at Dirk’s back where Holly was hiding.

  “Whatever you say, cuddly-tums.” Dirk grinned.

  “This is why I don’t tell anyone my surname,” sighed Karnataka.

  “No, I think it’s nice.” Dirk chuckled. “Cuddle-bum-bums.”