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"Of course it is" Graytail hit a couple of keys and looked at the screen, frowning "A laptop, all the bells and whistles I sent off for it to help et hed, and tried soht, what e was it you wanted?"

"Er, well," said Sorrel, scratching her sto horribly under the huhest one there is The highest e in the whole world With a chain of mountains somewhere in the middle of it called the Rim of Heaven Ever heard of it?"

"Oh, that one, is it? The Rim of Heaven Well, well" Graytail looked curiously at the brownie "The valley above the clouds, hoons Not so easy" He turned around and hammered away busily at the keyboard "The place isn’t really thought to exist at all, you know," he said "But one hears odd things now and then What’s your interest in it? A brownie girl and a huotten where the Riave hi to do with it," she said "I’on"

"A dragon?" Gilbert Graytail looked at Sorrel in surprise "Where’ve you hidden this dragon, then?"

"In an old factory," Ben answered quickly before Sorrel could open her mouth "Not far away He’ll be safe there No one’s been in it for years"

"Aha!" Gilbert nodded his white head sagely

"Well, what about it?" asked Sorrel impatiently "Do you knohere the Riet there in reasonable safety?"

"One thing at a ti his whiskers "Nobody knohere the Riue rue in the world is the Himalayas, no doubt of that All the saon to take Dragons," he pointed out, chuckling, "aren’t exactly inconspicuous, knohat I reat de up as a dragon slayer could be a big star on TV for weeks I’ll ad a look at your friendhis head as he turned back to the coo farther than down to the harbor Far too risky forabout And there are other dangers, too," he added, rolling his eyes "Oh, you wouldn’t believe the half of it! Dogs, great big clumsy human feet, rat poison No, thank you very much!"

"But I thought you’d been all over the world," said Sorrel in surprise "Rosa said you were a ship’s rat"

Gilbert tugged at his whiskers, looking eranddad But I get seasick as soon as a boat casts off, even a little rowing boat On e I jumped overboard while ere still in harbor Swa sardine cans again Ah" He leaned so far forward that his sharp nose touched the screen "Here we are The Himalayas Also known as the Land of the Eternal Snows, Roof of the World, and all that You’ve a long journey ahead of you, friends Followa cord stretched right across the roolobe He sat on top of the heavy wooden stand and kicked the globe with his hind paws Squealing, it ain

"Well now," he murmured "What have we here, then?"

Ben and Sorrel looked inquiringly at hi?" asked the white rat "It more or less marks the spot where we are now, but the Hi hilobe, "the Himalayas are here And the Rim of Heaven, so the old stories say, is somewhere in their western parts Unfortunately, as I was telling you, no one knows any details, and the area we’re talking about is uniets bitterly cold by night, and by day," he added, grinning at Sorrel, "by day you’d probably be perspiring heavily in that fur coat of yours"

"It’s a terribly long way off," murmured Ben

"Indeed it is!" Gilbert Graytail leaned forward and traced an invisible line on the globe "Bylike this: a fair stretch south first, then turn east" He scratched his ear "Yes Yes, that’s it I think the southern route is best The huain in the north And I’ve heard soiant" Gilbert leaned so close to the globe that his nose was pressed against it "See that place? The giant is said to be at large there, in the Tien Shan mountains No, no, takehis head, "you’d better take the southern route You et your fur baked in the sun now and then, but look on the bright side: There probably won’t be , "I’ve heard that rain ht?"

"Usually," replied Sorrel "But where we cootten You’re froet on with it" Gilbert gave the globe another little push "Where was I? Oh, yes Up to here" -- he tapped the map with his paw -- "I can offer you first-class inforht to have ion beyond--" Gilbert sighed and shook his head "Zilch, zero, nix, nought, nothing, total radio silence Even a tourist party of Buddhist temple mice Iuseful about it And I’ for lies -- if it really exists I’ to ask a relation of mine to survey the area so his shoulders regretfully, "until then you’ll just have to ask your way -- if you get that far I’ve no idea who or what lives around there, but I’ll bet," he said, stroking his white whiskers, "I’ll bet there are rats We rats go everywhere"

"That’s a great colobe "Looks like there’s a long-haul flight ahead of us"

"Oh, it’s even farther to New Zealand," said Gilbert, swinging paw over paw back along the cord to the desk "But I’ll aderous May I ask what put the idea of such a journey into your ons have quite a comfortable life up there in the north"

Sorrel looked at Ben and cast the rat a warning glance

"Oh, I see" Gilbert Graytail raised his paws "You’d rather not say in front of this human Of course We rats have had some bad experiences with hu there feeling eainst you personally, understand?" Graytail went back to his cooes Destination: Hion, one brownie Travel options: calculate safest route, danger spots, places to avoid at all costs, best traveling time Enter"