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Nicko had insisted on wearing theto let Rupert pe down to the Dragon Boat without hi, however, as Nicko had not used the mask before Jannit had invented what she called the inspection mask so that she could check her boats below the waterline The oval slab of glass was edged with soft leather so that it fitted closely to the face and tied around the back of the head with a leather strap The glass was tough and thick It was a deep greenish color, which did notto keep your eyes open in the silt-laden water of the Moat

Nicko was a good swier, Silas had often taken them out of the Castle to a sandy spot just past the One Way Bridge, which here Nicko had learned to swim But Nicko had never swuled to lift the Dragon Boat&039;s unwieldy head off the mud at the bottom of the Moat, Nicko was desperate to take a breath

Rupert ether he and Nicko swaon&039;s head once e canvas sling, which she quickly slipped under the head to take the weight

"Well done, boys," said Jannit, gently bringing the limp head and neck down to rest on the side of the Cut, where she had laid her one and only Persian rug for the dragon&039;s head to lie on

Jenna watched Septimus had taken Spit Fyre back to the Wizard Tower, but Jenna had refused to go with hiatorhad walked Spit Fyre through the streets, reat interest of everyone he met

Jenna knelt beside the ns of lifebut there were none The head lay reen lids Carefully, Jenna brushed the olden ears, and, with the heon&039;s son as she always did, but there was no response Only silence

Jannit squatted down and looked at the head with a professional eye There was no obvious sign of da creature? If it was living,could it breathe underwater? And if it couldn&039;t, had the creature drownedor been killed by the Thunderflash? Jannit Maarten shook her head She was out of her depth here

"Is shedead?" Jenna whispered

"I-I don&039;t know,the Princess kneeling beside her, covered indown her face "But ill have her out of the water in no ti underneath her hull We will see what needs to be done, and then ill do it We can ood as new"

"But can you make her open her eyes?" asked Jenna

"Ahthat I couldn&039;t say," replied Jannit, who never pro she was not sure about

But suddenly there was so that Jenna was sure about She did not kno she knew, but she kneas truethe dragon was dying and only Aunt Zelda could save her

Jenna stood up "There&039;s so I have to do," she said "Will you stay with her until I get back?"

Jannit nodded and Jenna was off, tearing across the boatyard She flew through the dank tunnel and out the other side, into the sunlit streets of the Castle She hurtled up the nearest flight of steps, which took her to the ledge on the inside of the Castle walls, and headed for the East Gate Lookout Tower This was her last chance, she thought, as she sped along the broad ledge, oblivious to the sheer drop on one side The dry stone of the ledge orn and smooth under her feet, and once or twice in her haste she very nearly slipped and fell Slon, Jenna told herselfyou will be no good to the Dragon Boat if you fall

The Castle wall twisted and turned along the higgledy-piggledy houses that clustered around it Jenna kept her eyes firmly fixed on the Lookout Tohich rose from the Wall some distance away and looked toward the Forest She kept up a steady pace and before long found herself standing at the foot of the tower, hot, flustered and out of breath

Jenna took a fewin the sour se bins lined up beside the small wooden door which led into the tower

A faded notice hung on the door:

CUSTOMER OFFICEMESSAGE RAT SERVICECHARTERED, CONFIDENTIAL, LONG-DISTANCE RATS AVAILABLEOPEN ALL HOURS

Under the notice hung a n:

CLOSED

Jenna was not to be put offshe gave the wooden door a shove and almost fell into a small dark rooruloom

"The notice says OPEN ALL HOURS," Jenna pointed out

"And the other notice says CLOSED," the voice retorted "And closed is e are You can come back tomorro, if you&039;ll excuse me, I&039;m about to lock up"

"I don&039;t care," said Jenna "I want a Message Rat and I want one now It&039;s urgent It&039;s a matter of life and death"