Here There Be Dragons

Chapter 4

ON THAT AFTERNOON he got his horse from the stable, put on a suit of armor, picked up his sword and shield and rode toward the mountains.

The only one who missed him was his dowager aunt, who was a friend of the queen. She waved a pink handkerchief from a window of the highest tower in the castle, and he waved at her once and then did not look back.

For three days he made his way through the mountains, but he did not meet any dragons. On the fourth day he came to a valley. It was marked on the map he carried, and slightly beyond it were written the words,

-HERE THERE BE DRAGONS-

He dismounted and looked around. He looked for a long while, but there were no dragons. Then he sat down on a rock.

After he had been sitting there for some time, he felt as if he were being stared at. He turned his head slowly. A small lizard was watching him from beneath a bush.

"Hello," he said to the lizard. "Any dragons around?"

The lizard kept staring at him. It blinked once, slowly.

"I wonder if you could be a baby dragon?" he said. "I think I'll capture you for practice." He grabbed at the lizard.

It dashed away. He threw his shield, aiming carefully. The shield, which was curved, came down over it, trapping it in the hollow place beneath. He reached there then and seized the lizard. Then he lifted the shield. The little lizard was silver, the same color as the metal.

"You were green a moment ago," he said.

"That is because I was under a green bush," said the lizard.

"You can talk!" said William.

"Yes. There are lizards and there are lizards," replied the creature. "I am an educated lizard. Now, if you please, release me."

"No," said William. "You are the closest thing to a dragon that I've found so far, and I am going to keep you until something better comes along."

"That might not be wise," said the lizard. "Supposing I am a baby dragon, and my parents come looking for me?"

"Then I suppose I will have to try to take them back, too," William sighed.

"What?" said the lizard. "You do not look like a young knight out to make a name for himself. What do you want with a dragon?"

"I don't want a dragon," said William. "My king does. I am only following orders."

"What does he want with a dragon?"

"He wants it to provide a fireworks display for his daughter's birthday party," William explained.

"That is ridiculous," said the lizard.

"That is what I said, and what I still say," said William. "But mine is not to reason why. I just do what I am told, if I want to keep my otherwise easy job."

"Well, I am glad that someone has good sense," said the lizard. "My name is Bell. Maybe I can help you."

"How might you do that?"

"Stop squeezing my delicate sides so tightly and put me down on that rock. Then perhaps I'll tell you."

"How do I know that you won't run away?"

"You don't. You take my word for it. Otherwise, I don't talk, no matter how hard you squeeze me."

"All right," said William. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"That's better," said Bell, after William had set him down. "What's your name?"

"William."

"Great. Okay, now here is what you do..."

"You just turned gray!" said William. "Like the stone!"

"Yes, I have some chameleon blood in me from my mother's side of the family. Now about this dragon business: I am anxious to see your king and his court and his kingdom. I am also anxious to know how it is that you came to this valley to look for dragons."

"I have a map," said William. "See? 'Here There Be Dragons' is what it says about this valley."

"Who drew that map?" "The Royal Cartographer, Mister Gibberling," said William.

"Aha! A Gibberling map!" said Bell. "An original! I'll tell you what. If you take me back with you to the court, and arrange for me to meet Mister Gibberling, I promise you that I will produce one real, live dragon upon demand."

"How?" William wanted to know.

"That is my business," said Bell, "and that is my proposition. Take it or leave it."

"Are you sure you can do it?"

"Yes," said Bell.

"All right," said William. "You produce a dragon when I ask you to, and I promise that you will get to meet Mister Gibberling."

"It's a deal," said Bell, turning brown as he jumped into the saddlebag. "Let's get going."

William mounted his horse and they rode away together.