it savagely, then sat by Thibodeau with a satisfied expression on his furry face.
“Lizzie, are you alright?” Jena looked her daughter in the eyes and knew at once that she was. “Well done, daughter.”
“Don’t sound so surprised, Mam. I am going off to fight in a few days.” She glanced at Johnson’s Miller’s body with a look of satisfaction. “Serve him right, the creepy groper.”
“Hominids inside!” called Thibodeau, in a deep portentous tone that Jena had not heard before. “Your leader is dead. Bring out the boy unharmed, and we will allow you your pathetic lives!”
“What’s with the voice?” asked Jena as she moved to stand by the dragon.
“If used sparingly, on such occasions as this, fear can be a useful tool. I intended my tone to make those inside nervous. Did my voice not inspire fear, hominid Jena?”
“I guess. Did you have to kill him?” she asked, looking down at the corpse.
“I believe that I did. He was about to give the order to have your son killed.”
“Well, thank you,” she said, resting her hand on Thibodeau’s haunch.
The door opened, and two women emerged, blinking in the light. Between them was James, tear-tracks running down his filthy face. He ran to Jena with a cry of “Mam!” and she swung him around into a loving hug. He clung to her neck, sniffing.
“Hominids!” Thibodeau commanded the two women, using its ‘scary’ voice once more. “Do you have anything to say?”
“It was all him!” the one dressed in purple jabbered. The other nodded, and added “He made us do it!”
“Then think on this, puny hominids.” Jena raised an eyebrow, but Thibodeau was obviously enjoying itself. “You may go, but always remember that we know where you live. I know your appearance, and I know your stink. Should either of you ever come to my attention again I will find you and I will burn you. I will turn you to ash from the inside out with my dragonfire!”
“I thought you said—” whispered Jena. Thibodeau nudged her hard with its wing, and she took the hint to remain silent.
4 Pinophyta
“Open a little wider please,” Jena said, moistening the brush once more. Dark Queen Daf’q complied, allowing Jena to scrub the far side of the rearmost molar. In the mirror she saw the tartar fall away under the stiff bristles to leave the tooth free of gunk.
“There,” she said, “All done!” Susi took the brush and the mirror first, followed by a bucket full of pieces of rotting flesh. then helped Jena to climb out over the sharp teeth. “You should drink, your majesty, to thoroughly clean the mouth of particles, but your teeth are now as clean as I can make them.”
“Finally,” Daf’q declaimed. “You took far too long. Leave now.” The enormous Pinophyte settled her head upon her folded front legs and closed her eyes. She began to snore, a surprisingly small sound from so huge a creature.
“Right, come on,” hissed Jena.
“Are you sure?” asked Susi, “I still don’t trust them.”
“I made a deal. Let’s find this back door and get it open. Thibodeau and its friends will be waiting.” She walked around the edge of the enormous cavern, skirting the sleeping bulk of the dragon queen. The light grew dim; any illumination that might have reached this far back into the cavern was blocked by its inhabitant. Jena did manage to find a small entrance, however, by dint of noticing an area of wall that was slightly darker than the rest. Both man and Mag sized, it gave onto a short passage. They entered, and Jena pushed a sharp stick into the translucent flask that she had brought with her. This pierced a seal within the container that separated two liquids which when combined reacted to produce light. Shambrook, who had provided the flask, called this process chemiluminescence, but Jena failed to understand why she might ever need to know this. It was enough for her that it worked.
The flask cast an eerie green glow, enough to light their way. Their way proved no more than a few yards, however, before they reached a metal doorway set into the wall. It was, as expected, locked. On the wall next to the door was a small panel holding a grid of buttons which bore different numbers. Pushing the buttons achieved nothing - the panel was dusty, dirty and dead.
“Here,” said Susi from behind her, and pulled a lever that Jena had not spotted. The panel of numbers lit up. Presumably, she had to press the correct sequence of numbers to open the door, but what sequence? She tried 1-2-3-4, to no avail.
“Try it backwards,” Susi suggested. 4-3-2-1 failed too. This could take forever. Perhaps if she cleaned a little more dirt off… yes. There were letters, too, three or four per button. She tried D-F-Q. No.
D-R-A-G-O-N also failed, as did P-I-N-O, B-R-Y-O, P-T-E-R-O and M-A-G. She mashed her fist against all the buttons at once in frustration, but again, there was no response. What could the code be? The door had obviously been put in here long ago, perhaps when the dragons were first moved onto the plateau.
“Project 217,” Jena muttered. She held her breath and pushed the three numbers. There was a click, and the door swung inward allowing in a flood of light. Thibodeau stood outside on a narrow ledge. Beyond and below the dragon Jena saw water, a glittering ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see. She was amazed. How come none of the villagers knew that this vast sea was so close, on the opposite side of the plateau?
That was a question for later. She stood aside to allow Thibodeau access, and the dragon stooped to enter. “You have my admiration, Jena,” it said. “Now leave us to our task. Wait in this spot. It will be very dangerous to be in the Dark Queen’s cavern.” Three other Mags filed behind Thibodeau into the passageway.
“Is that all of you?” Jena asked. “She’s awfully big for just four of you to handle.”
“We know her weak spots,” Thibodeau answered, “and the Pteros will mount an assault from the front shortly. Luedtke witnessed your opening of this door and has just flown over the mountain to co-ordinate the Ptero attack. Idris,” Thibodeau spoke to the Mag immediately behind it, “you will attack her belly. I shall attack her eyes. Becca-ree, you back me up. If I fall, keep attacking her eyes. They are her weakest spot. Chorlton, you attack wherever you spot a weakness. Keep her busy until the Pteros break through. Courage, my friends. We shall prevail.”
The four Mags squeezed through the dark passageway. Despite Thibodeau’s warning, and Susi’s frantic hissing of her name, Jena went after them. As she followed Chorlton’s tail down the passage it occurred to her that she was doing exactly the same thing that Lizzie had done earlier. Was she putting herself in danger in the same way? If so, it could not be helped. She simply had to witness what was about to happen. The next few minutes could change the world. She stood just inside the passage entrance as the four Mags positioned themselves around the dozing Pinophyte. After a few moments Susi joined her.
Thibodeau glanced at its companions. Receiving three nods, it leaped high into the air, extended its claws and crashed down onto Daf’q’s head, sinking those thorny claws deep beneath her woody skin. At the same time Idris raked its rear feet down Daf’q’s belly, close to the rear leg, dislodging wooded scales that scattered across the floor. Becca-ree and Chorlton tore at the Queen’s wings.
The Dark Queen roared her pain as she leaped to her feet and stretched her mighty wings high. Chorlton was caught between wing and cavern roof and died immediately, crushed against the hard rock. Becca-ree rolled sideways out of the way, then took to the air, looking for a new place to attack the writhing body beneath. Thibodeau added its teeth to its claw attack, ripping a hole close by Daf’q’s eye. The Dark Queen shook her head violently, dislodging Thibodeau and throwing it against the cavern wall. She twisted her neck and gabbed Idris in her mighty jaws, taking off the Mag’s head with one clean bite. Daf’q roared her fury, dark gore dripping from her jaws.
Things were going badly. Outside the cavern mouth Jena could see only rapidly moving shadows as Luedtke’s Pteros fought with the Bryo guards. She fervently hoped that the battle outside was going better than this o
ne, and that soon the aged Fern Dragon would be able to reinforce the two small Mags that remained inside. Thibodeau staggered to its feet, swaying woozily.
“You dare!” hissed the huge Pine Dragon. “You pathetic fools. I will slaughter all of your kin for this. But first, you die slowly.”
Becca-ree swooped towards Daf’q’s glittering multi-faceted eyes, claws extended, but the Dark Queen batted the Mag aside easily. Becca-ree fell motionless to the floor. This whole plan had been a serious mistake. The Mags were no match for the awesome power of the Pine Dragon. She was every inch a queen, dark and mighty. She glowered down now at Thibodeau, sneering her contempt.
“You, it was,” she snarled. “You led this revolt!”
“Indeed,” Thibodeau growled, inching sideways, still looking for an opportunity to attack. Daf’q shot out a limb, her leathery wing sending a gust of air that lifted Jena’s hair as it passed. She grabbed Thibodeau around the middle and flung the Mag down on its back, helpless.
“Know then,” she taunted, “That you will die slowly, in agony, as I tear off your limbs one by one. Perhaps then you might appreciate the glory of your Queen!” She tightened her grip, and the tips of her claws pierced Thibodeau’s skin, causing the Mag to cry out in pain.
“Now, where shall I start?” said Daf’q, and with her other