Page 43 (1/2)

A Visitor

The next eance was the top of the tallest pole, from which fluttered the reeance was not so Jenna wanted to look at, but like everyone in the cottage oke up after her, she had to see with her own eyes what had happened to the Darke ship Jenna closed the shutter and turned away There was another boat that she would on Boat

Jenna stepped out of the cottage into the early on Boat lay h in the water, her neck stretched out and her golden head held aloft to catch the warht to fall upon her for hundreds of years The shion&039;s neck and tail and the glint of the gold on her hull on had her eyes half closed too At first Jenna thought the dragon was still asleep, but then she realized that she was also shielding her eyes against the brightness of the light Ever since Hotep-Ra had left her entoon Boat had seen had been a dull glow from a lantern

Jenna walked down the slope to the landing stage The boat was big, ht before, and edged tightly into the Mott now that the floodwater had left the on did not feel trapped She reached up on tiptoes to put her hand on the dragon&039;s neck

Good on&039;s voice caon," Jenna whispered "I hope you&039;re comfortable in the Mott"

There is water beneath me, and the air smells of salt and sunshine WhatNothing at all," agreed Jenna She sat down on the landing stage and watched the curls of the earlymist disappear in the warainst the Dragon Boat and listened to the dabblings and splashings of the various creatures in the Mott Jenna had becoer shuddered at the eels whojourney to the Sargasso Sea She didn&039;t er paddled with bare feet in thetoe and Aunt Zelda had had to threaten it with the toasting fork to get it to drop off Jenna even quite liked the Marsh Python, but that was probably because it had not returned since the Big Thaw She knew the noises and splashes that each creatureto the splish of a water rat and the gloop of a nize

The creature, whatever it was, roaned pathetically Then it puffed, splashed and groaned so like it before It also sounded rather large Taking care to keep out of sight, Jenna crept behind the thick green tail of the Dragon Boat, which was curled up and resting on the landing stage; then she peered over to see what creature could possibly beso much fuss

It was the Apprentice

He lay facedown on a tarry plank of wood that looked as though it had co just his hands He looked exhausted His grubby green robes clung to hi war over his eyes He seey to raise his head and look where he was going

"Oi!" yelled Jenna "Go away" She picked up a rock to throw at him

"No Please don&039;t," pleaded the boy

Nicko appeared "What&039;s up, Jen?" He followed Jenna&039;s gaze "Hey, shove off, you!" he yelled

The Apprentice took no notice He paddled his plank up to the landing stage and then just lay there, exhausted

"What do you want?" asked Jenna

"Ithe shipit&039;s gone down I escaped"

"Scum always floats to the surface," Nicko observed

"We were covered in creatures Brown, slis" The boy shivered "They pulled us down into the one Please helpShe had woken up early because she had been having night her down into the marsh Jenna shuddered She didn&039;t want to think about it If she couldn&039;t bear to even think about it, how much worse must it be for a boy who had actually been there?

The Apprentice could see that Jenna was hesitating He tried again "I - I&039;m sorry for what I did to that aniart is not an aninantly "And he is not ours He is a creature of the s to no one"

"Oh" The Apprentice could see he had ed back to what had worked before "I&039;m sorry I - I justfeel so scared"

Jenna relented "We can&039;t just leave hi on a plank," she said to Nicko

"I don&039;t see why not," said Nicko, "except I suppose he&039;s polluting the Mott"

"We&039;d better take hiive us a hand"

They helped the Apprentice off his plank and half carried, half led hie

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," was Aunt Zelda&039;s comment as Nicko and Jenna du up a bleary-eyed Boy 412 Boy 412 got up and yk as the Apprentice ca beside the fire He looked ill

"Don&039;t let hio and get hi of chae tea The Apprentice pulled a face but drank it down At least it was hot

When he had finished, Aunt Zelda said to him, "I think you had better tell us why you have come here Or rather, you had better tell Madam Marcia Marcia, we have a visitor"