Merrin watched the Dragon Boat through his eyeglass. He had found the eye glass half buried in a Brownie burrow during one of his many lone expeditions on the Marshes, and it was his little secret from Aunt Zelda. Merrin liked having secrets from Aunt Zelda, although they did not usually last long, as she invariably found them out. But he was sure that this secret was one that he had managed to keepby means of burying the eyeglass under a slab of rock on the grassy knoll beside the Hundred-Foot Pit. Merrin knew that as long as Aunt Zelda did not see him using the eyeglass he would be safe, for there was no way she could get across the sinking bog that surrounded the pitonly Merrin was light and agile enough to jump over the hidden steppingstones that lay just beneath the surface of the bog.
Merrin had guessed, rightly, that the eyeglass had once belonged to his old Master, DomDaniel. There was a Darkenesse about it that made Merrin feel comfortable and reminded him of old times. They may not have been happy times, but at least they were interesting and he was not stuck out on a smelly old Marsh with only a load of cabbages and an interfering old witch for company. He raised the eyeglass to his eye, careful not to let the sun glint off it and give his position away, and he smiled to himself to think it was he who was still alive on the Marsh and DomDaniel who was now nothing more than a pile of bones, picked clean by the Marsh Brownies. Serves him right, thought Merrin gleefully. That old Necromancer shouldn't have been so nasty to his faithful Apprentice.
It was now late in the afternoon and the high spring tidefor it had been a new moon the day beforewas filling up the channels of the Marsh. Merrin's grassy knoll was now completely surrounded by black, peaty marsh water. The Marsh was quiet in the sleepy late afternoon heat and Merrin lay idly on the knoll. He had been observing the comings and goings between the cottage and the Dragon Boat all afternoon and could not make any sense of it. Aunt Zelda, who was usually so bossy, seemed to be at a loss, dolefully hanging around the Dragon Boat, while the Princess girl and the pig boy had busied themselves raising the mast and talking to Aunt Zelda. The Septimus Heap boy had been on the boat for ages, which really irritated Merrin, as he was never allowed on. Merrin tried to see what Septimus was doing, but as far as he could tell he was just looking at the tiller while the pig boy was standing beside the Mott, talking to him. Stupid boys, thought Merrin.
"Come on, Sep," Nicko was saying. "You've flown her before so you can do it again. Easy-peasy."
"But I don't know what I did, Nik. I mean, I didn't do anything.
The boat did it." Septimus was still staring at the tillerhe was afraid to put his hand on the tiller, a massive, curved piece of mahogany, as the last time he had done that, the Dragon Boat had come alive and set off to sea.
"Well, you're wearing the Dragon Ring this time, and you weren't before, so it should be even easier," Nicko pointed out. "I don't see what you're bothered about, Sep. Boats are a piece of cake."
Septimus looked at his Dragon Ring. He loved the ring, but right now he wished he did not have itwhy was it him who had ended up as Dragon Master? Why couldn't it have been Nicko, who knew all about boats?
"Come on, Septimus." Aunt Z^elda's voice came over the side of the boat. "Sometimes there are things we just have to do. I don't want to let the Dragon Boat go, and you don't want to take her away from me. But I have to let her go and you have to take herthat's the way it is. She must be where she wants to be, and she must be safe. It's for the best."
Septimus looked up from the tiller. "But what will you do without her?"
"I will get Wolf Boy's hands better and keep an eye on that misguided lad who's lurking out by the Hundred-Foot Pit and thinks I can't see him and that wretched Darke eyeglass he's found."
"409's staying here? With that awful Apprentice boy?"
"Wolf Boy is too ill to travel, Septimus. But Merrin will not be here much longerI intend to take him back to his mother soon."
"His mother? He's got a mother?" Septimus looked amazed.
Aunt Zelda smiled. "Yes, I think even Merrin has a mother. And I suspect she may be your ex-landlady."
"What?"
"Where you stayed in the Port."
"One of the witches? Oh, that makes sense. I bet it's that really nasty one, Veronica. Come to think of it, she looked a bit like him."
Aunt Zelda shook her head. "Believe it or not, I think it's Nurse Meredith."
"Oh, yuck. All those dead babies. She's worse than a witch. So when are you going to take him to the Doll House?"
"As soon as I can leave Wolf Boy for a day, when his fever has gone. The burns will take longer to heal, there's a lot of Darkenesse in them. They'll need quite a bit more fresh Marsh Bane."
Septimus looked worried. "He will be all right, won't he?"
"Yes. He will. I'll bring him back when he's better."
"You'll come to the Castle?" Septimus was surprised.
"Well, there's nothing to keep me here now," Aunt Zelda said briskly. "And Keepers have been known to pay the Castle the odd visit. I'm sure Marcia would like to have me to stay, after all the weeks she spent here."
Septimus grinned at the thought of Aunt Zelda in Marcia's rooms.
"That's better," said Aunt Zelda, noticing Septimus's smile.
Ten minutes later Septimus had said good-bye to Wolf Boy and promised that he would see him again soon. Wolf Boy had given him a weak smile. "Not if I see you first," he'd said, and then closed his eyes and fallen asleep. Septimus had tiptoed out of the cottage, buttoning Spit Fyre firmly into a dragon-proof bag that Aunt Zelda had found for him. The small dragon had been fast asleep all day, but the last thing he wanted was Spit Fyre waking up and making a nuisance of himself while he was trying to fly the Dragon Boat.
Now Spit Fyre was safely stowed in a locker beside the tiller, and Septimus, Jenna and Nicko were on the Dragon Boat, ready to leave. Aunt Zelda was anxiously eyeing a small gray cloud hovering high in the sky just above the cottage. She had seen the cloud drift toward them as they were preparing the Dragon Boat and had thought it strange at the time, as the cloud was coming from the northeast and Aunt Zelda was sure that the wind was a westerly. Now she was worried, for the cloud had not moved for the last half hour, which was not normal cloud behavior.
But the Dragon Boat was ready. It was time to leave.
"Jenna," said Aunt Zelda. "I have something for you." She reached up on tiptoe and passed something to Jenna's outstretched hand. "It's the key to the Queen's Room. In the Palace. Youyou may need it."
It was a heavy gold key with a round emerald set into the top that reminded Jenna of the dragon's eyes. Jenna was confused. She had explored every part of the Palace since she had moved there with Sarah and Silas, but she had never seen the Queen's Room.
"Butwhere is the Queen's Room?" she asked.
"Er, I can't say, Jenna. But you will find it when The Time Is Right. You can be certain of that."
"When ... when will that be, Aunt Zelda?" asked Jenna.
"When you become the Young Queen," said Aunt Zelda, somewhat unhelpfully.
"Er ... okay. Well, thank you. It's a beautiful key."
Aunt Zelda stepped back from the boat. "Off you go now," she said rather too brightly. "No more hanging around." She gave another glance at the cloud, which was casting a small shadow over the prow.
"Take her back along the Mott, as far from the bridge as you can," Aunt Zelda called out. "She'll need a run up to get into the air."
"Okay, Aunt Zelda," yelled the Dragon Master.
"Remember to head north, away from the sun."
"Yes, Aunt Zelda."
"And don't go too fast, for goodness' sakeunless you have to."
"No, Aunt Zelda."
"Don't fly all the way to the Castle or you'll tire her. Make sure you land when you get to the river."
"Don't worry, we will, Aunt Zelda."
"And"
"Aunt Zelda, we'll be fine. Really."
"Yes. Sorry. I know you will." Aunt Zelda stepped away from the boat and gazed at the brilliant gold hull and the iridescent green shimmer of the dragon's head and tail, drinking it all in so that she could remember exactly how the dragon looked in the empty days to come.
Septimus took a deep breath and looked at Nicko. "Ready?" he asked.
Nicko grinned at him. "Aye, aye, cap'n."
"Is the dragon ready, Jen?"
Jenna was up at the prow with her arms around the dragon's neck. She whispered something to the dragon and then gave Septimus a thumbs-up sign. Septimus's heart was pounding; there was no putting it off anymoreit was time for takeoff. He nervously placed his right hand on the tiller.
The dragon turned her head and fastened her emerald-green eyes on the small figure holding the tiller. She recognized the one who had released her from her prison under the ground. He looked a little different now. He no longer wore his red hat, which she had rather liked, and he was biggermore solid somehowand had a stronger air of Magyk about him. But he was still the same boy, still a little scared and still wanting to do what was best. The dragon approved. She would take him where he wished to go.
Septimus looked into the dragon's eyes, unaware that he had passed her test. His hand felt clammy as he clutched the tiller, and he wondered what he should do.
"She wants to know where you are taking her," Jenna suddenly called out.
"Tell her, tell her I am taking her where she wishes to go. I am taking her to the Castle," Septimus replied.
The dragon nodded. Slowly her head turned until her shimmering green eyes were gazing at Aunt Zelda; then the powerful neck dipped, down and down until the dragon's head rested on the grass at Aunt Zelda's feet. Aunt Zelda knelt and put her arms around the great green and gold head.
"Good-bye, my lady," whispered Aunt Zelda with tears in her eyes. "We will meet again."
Aunt Zelda retreated to the cottage door and the Dragon Boat began to move. The tide was at its height and the Mott was full to the brim with dark brown brackish water. The Dragon Boat was floating free, and with much creaking and groaning the huge creature backed away from the bridge, squeezing between the grassy banks along the straight stretch of water that ran in front of the Keepers Cottage. At the first bend in the Mott, the Dragon Boat could go no farther and stopped. Before her was only a short run for takeoff. The dragon eyed it doubtfullyshe had never flown from such a confined space before. When she had sailed the seven seas with Hotep-Ra, she had taken off in the middle of wide, empty oceans, usually because her Master had become bored with long days at sea and had wanted a change of pace. She had never done anything like this before.
With some difficulty the dragon squeezed her folded wings out from the confines of the banks of the Mott and lifted them up until they were raised high above her mast. The great, green, leathery folds which had lain at her side through two hot summers and one freezing winter were stiff and dry, and as the dragon began to open them, a terrible creaking and groaning noise, followed by an ominous crackling, filled the air. Septimus, Nicko and Jenna clasped their hands to their ears and watched the leathery folds of the dragon's wings painfully open like two great hands stretching after a long and heavy sleep. All three held their breath, afraid that the dragon skin between the fingers of the wings might split, but as the folds became smooth and the sun shone on the shining green scales, they could see that all was well and that once again the Dragon Boat proudly held her wings aloft.
She was ready to go.
The dragon took a deep breath. Her crew felt her shudder and the great wings began to move, churning the hot air around them and blowing their hair into their eyes. The golden boat inched forward. The wings beat powerfully and slowly, dipping right down to the ground and swooping high up into the air, gathering strength, and then with a stomach-churning lurch the Dragon Boat suddenly shot forward.
"Stop!" yelled Aunt Zelda at the top of her voice. No one heard.
With wings beating furiously, head outstretched, muscles in the great green neck tensed, the golden boat shot down the Mott in a spume of water, and, at the very last moment possibleaccompanied by a loud crack and the sound of splintering woodshe lifted up into the air, taking most of the Mott bridge with her.
Steep and fast, the Dragon Boat climbed into the summer sky. As the remains of the Mott bridge fell away and landed close to the Hundred-Foot Pit, much to Merrin's shock, she wheeled around and headed across the Marram Marshes toward the river.
The Dragon Boat was at long last completing her journey to the Castle.
