Dragon Rescue Read Free Page B

boles of several twisted but sturdy pines and snubbed them tight.
    Furbetrance remained firmly bound but at least he was no longer dangling upside down, in danger of falling into the chill torrent.
    “May I ask, then,” he said, putting the best face on his predica-ment, “what’s next? Do you intend to make pot roast of me or perhaps Dragon stew? Or hold me for ransom? That’s your best bet,” he decided. “There must be a few Dragons and friends back home who’d part with some of their treasure to set me free. My good brother, for example...”
    He broke off, remembering that Retruance had been only a few miles behind him when he’d flown into the net. He rolled his eyes about, trying to catch a glimpse of Retruance, but failed. His bindings wouldn’t allow him to twist his head enough to look upward.
    “Neither roast nor stew,” said a figure behind a full-length hide shield perched on a rock lip not far from Furbetrance’s nose. “And we have little use for your gold or jewels, living here as we do.”
    “Why bother, then?” asked Furbetrance.
    His normal Dragon equanimity had returned after the first few chancy moments in the net. “What can I do for you?”
    “Listen!” called the man on the rock, laying aside the shield but keeping it close to hand.
    He was a burly man of middle years, well muscled and deeply browned by the tropical sun. He was dressed in a scarlet-and-white striped, calf-length kilt, unlike the rest of his tribe—men, women, and children—who wore only short skirts about their hips and nothing much more.
    Retruance, watching from above, noted the men carried long scab-bard knives strapped to their bare thighs. Most also carried short, recurved mountain-sheep’s-horn bows in one hand and long, cruelly barbed arrows in the other.
    They hadn’t notched their arrows to make ready to shoot, however. Although his brother’s situation seemed perilous, Retruance knew a Dragon’s tough scales and immense strength could withstand almost any such puny weapon. His brother could, fairly easily, tear the strands that held him to the pines, now that there was no further danger of falling in the river.
    The tribal chief, if that’s what he was, waved his arms and shouted at the younger Dragon, “Harken to me! We’ll let you go on your way if you promise on a Dragon’s most solemn word of honor never to bother us again.”
    “How have I bothered you?” wondered Furbetrance, sounding puzzled. “I’ve never passed this way before, I assure you!”
    The native leader seemed surprised by this earnest remark and took a few moments to consult with the group of tribal elders who stood behind him.
    “My sharp-eyed councilors,” he said to Furbetrance at last, “point out to me that you are indeed slightly smaller and more of a greenish cast than the terrible Dragon who’s been terrorizing us for the past several years. It’s possible you’re right, Dragon! We intended our springe for another Dragon altogether. If so, we are prepared to release you with our sincere apologies.”
    “Let’s talk about this,” suggested Furbetrance, completely calm by now. “It happens we’ve been looking for just such a Dragon, my brother and I.”
    “Talk all you want,” called the chief, “but you don’t go free until we have your sacred promise never to fly around here again.”
    “Easily given, especially if you can tell us where this other Dragon went,” rumbled Retruance, moving out of his hiding place.
    The sudden sight of a second, even larger Dragon caused a frightened stir among the mountain men. Most of them moved hastily away from the meadow, hiding among the straggly stand of dwarf pines below.
    Retruance spread his wings to glide down into the meadow. The villagers darted even farther back into the covering pines to avoid being flattened by the descending beast.
    “Two dratted Dragons!” shouted their chief, falling back several paces himself. “Stand steady and ready, men! No